# Today's XKCD mouseover **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198 "2011-05-25T20:20:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/1 "2011-05-25T20:20:40Z")
The mouseover for [today’s XKCD](http://xkcd.com/903/) claims that if you start on any Wikipedia page, click the first non-parenthetical, non-italic link in the body of the article, and repeat, eventually you’ll get to “Philosophy”. Of course, being a Doper, I tried it. My first attempt started with the [Sloan Great Wall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloan_Great_Wall), but that eventually led to Science -\> Knowledge -\> Fact -\> Information -\> Sequence -\> Mathematics -\> Research -\> Knowledge , a loop. Then I tried again with [Battlestar Galactica](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_%282004_TV_series%29), and again ended up at Science, at which point of course I’d end up in the same loop. In fact, it seems like “Science” would be a pretty common destination, not to mention any of the other entries into that loop. Did Randall even bother checking this one? And are there any other loops folks have found? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/2 "2011-05-25T20:23:17Z")
[Game Room thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609905) discussing this. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/3 "2011-05-25T20:26:46Z")
The mathematics path lead to philosophy this morning - it loops now because of a series of edits. There are several articles currently involved in something of an edit war, one side breaking the path to philosophy, the other side making it. As I said in the other thread about today’s xkcd [edit - that’d be the one in MPSIMS, not the one in the Game Room], I don’t know which side started it, but I wish they’d both knock it off. I sometimes think Randall has done more damage to Wikipedia than people who hate it by doing jokes on stupid wiki-tricks, since that prompts editing slap-fights like this one. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/4 "2011-05-25T20:31:12Z")
I’m sure he was kidding. I tried with the featured article on the first page and shortly got caught in a loop. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/5 "2011-05-25T20:38:51Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > [Game Room thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609905) discussing this. [MPSIMS thread as well](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609901). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/6 "2011-05-25T20:39:16Z")
Worked for me starting at “No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded” which I got to by using Wiki’s random link. I think it took 14 steps. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/7 "2011-05-25T20:40:43Z")
Ah, OK, I checked the first page of Cafe Society for “xkcd” and didn’t see anything. Mods, you can merge this in with one of the other threads if you want. And the loop I found has since been broken (and now leads to “philosophy”) by a change to the Mathematics page. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/8 "2011-05-25T20:45:30Z")
Does ‘body’ mean not counting the introductory portion of the article above the contents box, if there is one? I started from the first wikipedia page in my browser history, going below the contents box, and wandered over about 40-50 articles before ending up in this loop: Latin Philology Greek Language Balkans Adriatic Sea Latin It’s probably too much to expect any looping behavior to remain long in a dynamic cyberspace like wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/9 "2011-05-25T20:58:09Z")
The first non-italic, non-parenthetical link will likely come before the contents box (if it’s substantial and written to the proper style) - the italics will be to the disambig and/or other similarly named articles, and/or any housekeeping stuff (‘needs cleanup/cites’ ‘may not meet notability requirements’), and the parenthetical will be the pronunciation guide (which will include links to appropriate IPA and language articles). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/10 "2011-05-25T21:31:05Z")
Actually, XKCD is wrong - everything on wiki leads to Natural Law. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/11 "2011-05-25T21:32:46Z")
I picked something to try. English language West Germanic languages Germanic languages Indo-European languages Language family Language Human Taxonomy Science Knowledge Fact Information Finite set Mathematics Quantity Property (philosophy) Modern philosophy Philosophy \<---------------------------- Here there be filosofizin’ Reason Sense Physiology Organ (anatomy) Biology Natural science Science \<---- loop here ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/12 "2011-05-25T21:37:14Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Actually, XKCD is wrong - everything on wiki leads to Natural Law. I thought it led to Kevin Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/13 "2011-05-25T21:39:00Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > I thought it led to Kevin Bacon. No, everything on wiki leads to spending too much time reading wikipedia articles. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/14 "2011-05-25T21:39:09Z")
Scientology Scientology beliefs and practices L. Ron Hubbard Pulp magazine Fiction Narrative Latin Italic languages Indo-European languages \<— I got this one in my last post, and it loops with Philosophy in the loop. \ Language family Language Human Taxonomy Science Knowledge Fact Information Finite set Mathematics Quantity Property (philosophy) Modern philosophy Philosophy \<---------------------------- Here there be filosofizin’ Reason Sense Physiology Organ (anatomy) Biology Natural science Science \<---- loop here ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/15 "2011-05-25T22:02:03Z")
I got from stink bugs (Pentatomoidea) to Philosophy in 12 steps. Tried it again and it took 14. Some busy little editin’ beavers out there. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/16 "2011-05-25T23:25:37Z")
I tried my home town and came close, but never got the prize. Eventually I got caught in a loop of “Greek” and “Greeks”. But it took probably 20 clicks to get there. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/17 "2011-05-26T00:16:46Z")
I started at [xkcd](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xkcd) and got to [Philosophy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy) 19 links later, via [Science](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science) so the loop must have been edited out. I noticed a page at about 3/4 of the way had been partially locked until 1 June 2011 with an explanation about edit warring. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/18 "2011-05-26T00:18:10Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > IEventually I got caught in a loop of “Greek” and “Greeks”. You shouldn’t have - the first non-italic, non-parenthetical link in ‘Greeks’ is ‘nation’. (Although the first non-italic, non-parenthetical link is ‘Greek Language’ is ‘Greeks’. For ‘Greek’, which is the disambig, it’s ‘Greece’.) ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/19 "2011-05-26T01:37:01Z")
I started off with Comic Science Fiction and eventually wound up in Philosophy. That’d be “genre”, “literature”, “fiction”, “narrative”, “Latin”, “Italic language”, “Indo-European”, “family”, “language”, “human”, “taxonomy”, “science”, “knowledge”, “fact”, “information”, “finite set”, “mathematics”, “quantity”, “property (philosophy)”, “modern philosophy”, and finally “philosophy”. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198/20 "2011-05-26T02:41:11Z")
It worked for witch-hunt (which I coincidentally was looking up for another thread). Witch-hunt \> Witchcraft \> Anthropology \> Humanities \> List of academic disciplines \> Academia \> Community \> Interaction \> Action theory (philosophy) \> Philosophy [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-xkcd-mouseover/583198.md?page=2)