Editing Talk:2310: Great Attractor

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Is Beret Guy talking about the {{w|Great Attractor}}? or simply about the Sun? It would fit in Beret Guy's quirkiness to call the Sun "the Great Attractor". Also, I didn't even know there was actually something called the Great Attractor... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.229|172.69.33.229]] 23:42, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Well, given that it's "below him all day" and on the horizion at night, it's probably not the Sun. [[User:Argis13|Argis13]] ([[User talk:Argis13|talk]]) 23:58, 22 May 2020 (UTC)

Has anyone (inc Randall) done an analyses on TGA similar to https://what-if.xkcd.com/25/ does for other things? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.242|162.158.155.242]] 01:44, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

"The unexpected onset of summer daylight patterns may be further commentary on the ongoing COVID-19 measures and how they have affected perception of time." <-- what the heck is this even supposed to mean?

"Pull harder, Mom. I miss you." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.150|172.69.34.150]] 08:07, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

It currently says “Beret Guy is not standing straight up [...]. This is presumably due to the extra downwards force that the Great Attractor is currently exerting on him, so he has to exert more effort to hold himself upright and seems quite content”. Am I the only one who thinks this makes no sense? Beret Guy is going to sleep because the Great Attractor starts pulling him sideways. And if there was more force downwards, instead of sidewars, it would not help to bend the knee and stand tilted. If you have to carry heavy things, the easiest way is to put them on your head and stand as much vertical as possible (although this method is unpopular in some countries). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 19:31, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
:It's not just you. I interpreted the final frame as him being dragged sideways. This fits with the movement lines along the side covering most of his body, and the "drag lines" left by his feet. His stance makes more sense if he's resisting a sideways force. It also fits better with the time, since the Great Attractor is said to currently be on the horizon at night, and it's 8PM when they are talking. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.196|162.158.75.196]] 21:19, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

Whenever I am standing on a moving Bus or Train, I always bend the knee on my leading leg in order to counteract the inertia trying to force me forwards if the vehicle rapidly slows or stops [adjusting or resisting changes to my center of gravity]. If I tried to lead with a stiff leg I would topple forward. Beret Guy's stance would only work if he intends to slide on his feet. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 04:26, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

But why does the Great Attractor pin Berret Guy to the wall, while it won't make him fly?
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 "The unexpected onset of summer daylight patterns may be further commentary on the ongoing COVID-19 measures and how they have affected perception of time." <-- what the heck is this even supposed to mean?
-::It's not there any more, but it sounds like it might be a comment on how the sun is not really rising much earlier yet, and our sense of that is warped because we're staying inside so much [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.250|108.162.216.250]] 23:27, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
 "Pull harder, Mom. I miss you." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.150|172.69.34.150]] 08:07, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
-:I have added [[502: Dark Flow]] as it has some similarities, but it was not the great attractor in that comic. But also the first I though about. ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
 It currently says “Beret Guy is not standing straight up [...]. This is presumably due to the extra downwards force that the Great Attractor is currently exerting on him, so he has to exert more effort to hold himself upright and seems quite content”. Am I the only one who thinks this makes no sense? Beret Guy is going to sleep because the Great Attractor starts pulling him sideways. And if there was more force downwards, instead of sidewars, it would not help to bend the knee and stand tilted. If you have to carry heavy things, the easiest way is to put them on your head and stand as much vertical as possible (although this method is unpopular in some countries). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.222|141.101.98.222]] 19:31, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
 :It's not just you. I interpreted the final frame as him being dragged sideways. This fits with the movement lines along the side covering most of his body, and the "drag lines" left by his feet. His stance makes more sense if he's resisting a sideways force. It also fits better with the time, since the Great Attractor is said to currently be on the horizon at night, and it's 8PM when they are talking. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.196|162.158.75.196]] 21:19, 23 May 2020 (UTC)
-::I guess the one who wrote that part of the explanation forgot that it was evening. I have corrected the explanation to indicate that the pull is to the right - i.e. south --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
 Whenever I am standing on a moving Bus or Train, I always bend the knee on my leading leg in order to counteract the inertia trying to force me forwards if the vehicle rapidly slows or stops [adjusting or resisting changes to my center of gravity]. If I tried to lead with a stiff leg I would topple forward. Beret Guy's stance would only work if he intends to slide on his feet. [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 04:26, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
-But why does the Great Attractor pin Berret Guy to the wall, while it won't make him fly?[[User:Gunterkoenigsmann|Gunterkoenigsmann]] ([[User talk:Gunterkoenigsmann|talk]]) 07:07, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
+But why does the Great Attractor pin Berret Guy to the wall, while it won't make him fly?
-:There is friction so if it is pulling hard enough the the south he could stay on a wall facing south. But it is also Beret Guy so maybe not think too much. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
-::I just changed this, BTW. Obviously a wall with a south-facing side normally also has a north-facing side (if not infilled in some way, or built into a hillside) but it's definitely the latter you'd be reclining against with a southerly attraction in force. Unless I'm confused and you're going to tell me why. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.90|162.158.159.90]] 19:38, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
-I'm pretty sure the local Supercluster is called Laniakea, and Virgo is just a smaller supercluster within it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laniakea_Supercluster
-:True has added this to the extra explanation. Great Attractor is withing than. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:22, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
-The mysterious analyses of Dark Flow near the great attractor are consistent with Beret Guy's strange experience.  Scientists have said it looks like the universe functions by different laws over there.  [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.250|108.162.216.250]] 23:27, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
-:''Although the location of the Great Attractor should not be linked directly to daylight here on Earth.'': Literally, no; but like everything else above Luna's orbit, the GA appears to circle the groundpounding observer at about the same rate as Sol. What's really meant by this sentence is obscure.
-:''But it is also Beret Guy so maybe not think too much.'': Absolutely! Is our purpose to explain '''XKCD''' or only to lecture science with "just enough" pedantry? If the former, which implies the reader may not count such a rare character as a personal friend, it might be well to drop a word or two about [[Beret Guy]]'s fantastic nature.
-: [[User:Xiong|Xiong]] ([[User talk:Xiong|talk]]) 17:05, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
-This might be a bit of a stretch, but was anyone else reminded of the "Silly Job Interview" sketch from Monty Python at the end? "Goooodniiiiight, ding ding ding ding!" [[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.104|162.158.202.104]] 06:00, 28 June 2020 (UTC)
-See also: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/482:_Height  [[User:L-Space Traveler|L-Space Traveler]] ([[User talk:L-Space Traveler|talk]]) 14:45, 21 October 2023 (UTC)