# ­xkcd thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574 "2020-05-28T00:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 132
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2623 "2023-12-18T15:03:30Z")
I think 42 is closer to Tennessee’s shape. It’s just stretched out a bit, probably to fit in East Indiana. I don’t see a good North Carolina. 50’s western side is good and 51’s south-eastern side is good. 50 does have the Outer Banks and the Pamlico Sound, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2624 "2023-12-18T18:14:32Z")
As far back as the 80s, I’ve seen the meme going around that #7 isn’t a real place. Do we have any dopers claiming to be from there? Supposedly, there’s a town called Moscow there. Really? I once read a a story in which a young protagonist from California was preparing to go to college in Moscow, and being away from home for the first time, etc. The writer never actually named the college, just assumed the reader would know? I’d been absolutely sure they meant he was going to Russia, but why was there nothing else in the story about everything else that an underage kid would need to be doing to get ready to spend their first semester abroad? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2625 "2023-12-18T18:32:20Z")
I’m in #4 and I can confirm, #7 isn’t actually real. Once you get about 50 miles east of Portland, there’s nothing. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2626 "2023-12-18T18:50:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > In my view, the fake states are … 26… . Well, 25 is pretty close to real Nebraska in shape (the odd southeasterly hook in the Missouri River has been transplanted to 24, but other than that the shape is correct). And there has to be a Kansas between Nebraska and Oklahoma, so 26 has to be real Kansas (with tweaked borders). So the fake state in the central column of Plains states has to be one of the Dakotas above Nebraska. 24 has the most unrealistic border of the bunch, so that has to be the fake Dakota.) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2627 "2023-12-18T21:35:54Z")
> **[Puzzles](https://xkcd.com/2869/)** > > Why couldn't the amulet have been hidden by Aunt Alice, who understands modern key exchange algorithms? Because Aunt Alice would only communicate the clue to Uncle Bob. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2628 "2023-12-18T22:42:46Z")
Another subtle dig at Brian Jacques, perhaps? > **[Redwall](https://xkcd.com/370/)** > > My Redwall/Jurassic Park crossover fanfic is almost complete! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2629 "2023-12-18T23:32:54Z")
If Neal Stephenson had written Redwall, he’d have consulted with a cryptography expert to develop a [low-tech but (ostensibly) secure cryptosystem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitaire_(cipher)) that uses tools available within their universe. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2630 "2023-12-19T00:07:03Z")
And he’d have used about 600 pages to describe the system before moving on to the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2023, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2631 "2023-12-19T00:09:32Z")
That’s a total exaggeration. At least 200 of those pages would have been describing the optimal way to eat Cap’n Crunch cereal. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2632 "2023-12-20T00:59:57Z")
xkcd now has a _What If?_ YouTube channel: > **[xkcd's What If?](https://www.youtube.com/@xkcd_whatif)** > > What If? The Video Series is the official adaptation of the 'What If?' books by Randall Munroe (xkcd.com) and is produced by Neptune Studios LLC Haven’t watched any yet, but I strongly suspect the people on this thread will be interested. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2633 "2023-12-20T15:43:32Z")
There’s only 3 videos so far, but they’re interesting enough, in the typical xkcd way. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2023, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2634 "2023-12-21T02:54:20Z")
> **[Love Songs](https://xkcd.com/2870/)** > > The Piña Colada song carves a trajectory across the chart over the course of the song. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2635 "2023-12-21T03:32:46Z")
I know about half of those titles, but IMO Randall got those right. Now I need to go listen to the rest and see how he did on them too. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2636 "2023-12-23T04:24:40Z")
> **[Definitely](https://xkcd.com/2871/)** > > A really mean prank you can play on someone who's picky about words is to add a 'definitely-\>definitively' autocorrect rule to their keyboard. most definatally… ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2637 "2023-12-23T05:22:47Z")
So I thought he was wide of the mark here and missed a trick. It’s not obvious the object of the singers affections hates the singer of Creep, it’s only obvious that the singer hates himself. The diagram needs a third “Do I like me” dimension 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2638 "2023-12-23T12:55:08Z")
Tough to draw though, even for Randall. Maybe that was just not a good choice of song for his plot. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2639 "2023-12-23T14:43:45Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > It’s not obvious the object of the singers affections hates the singer of Creep, “She’s running out the door.” Doesn’t sound like she likes him much to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2640 "2023-12-23T17:41:48Z")
I can think of two songs called “Creep.” One by Radiohead and the other by Stone Temple Pilots. In the STP song, she definitely hates the singer. _I think she’s really neat, Then she tells me I’m a creep_ ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2641 "2023-12-25T21:35:40Z")
> **[Hydrothermal Vents](https://xkcd.com/2872/)** > > Benthic Santas weren't even discovered until the 1970s, but many scientists now believe Christmas may have originally developed around hydrothermal vents and only later migrated to the surface. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/2642 "2023-12-25T22:07:56Z")
The Benthic Santas really only had that one good album. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=131) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=133)