# ­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:** 203
**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:** [March 6, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4043 "2025-03-06T02:58:52Z")
From your wiki cite: > … significantly damaged an area of more than 233 square kilometers (90 sq mi) with the ejection of stone, volcanic ash, and lava. Three people were killed, two towns were completely evacuated and buried by lava, and three others were heavily affected. Hundreds of people had to permanently relocate, and two new towns were created to accommodate their migration. But at least he got his own wiki article. Seems a fair trade to me. 😉 ---
**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:** [March 6, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4044 "2025-03-06T03:03:26Z")
I had heard of many oceanic volcanoes appearing out of nowhere, but not one on land! Aside from the death and destruction, it was pretty cool. Geologists got to see a volcano being formed from start to finish. 1400 feet in under a decade! ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4045 "2025-03-06T09:41:18Z")
> Before leaving his home for the last time, Dionisio Pulido placed a sign on the cornfield that read in Spanish: “This volcano is owned and operated by Dionisio Pulido.” Absolute respect for this guy, a role model for us all. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4046 "2025-03-06T12:02:40Z")
Indeed. The man had panache. With apologies to Shelley … > My name is Dionisio, _Campesino_ of _campesinos_; > Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! > Nothing nearby remains. Round the lava wasteland > Of _my_ colossal Cone, boundless and bare > The lone and level ashes stretch far away. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2025, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4047 "2025-03-06T12:19:36Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > “This volcano is owned and operated by Dionisio Pulido.” When I read that in the article, I thought to myself “He just set himself up to be sued big-time.” ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4048 "2025-03-06T12:29:47Z")
Very good! > [@Ponderoid](#): > > When I read that in the article, I thought to myself “He just set himself up to be sued big-time.” We built this shoddy future on the ground up bones of a better past. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4049 "2025-03-06T16:06:41Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Aside from the death and destruction, it was pretty cool. As [markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1) noted, it was _not_ very cool. It is a volcano after all. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4050 "2025-03-06T17:43:15Z")
I think this crosslink is timely here > [@For volcano watchers - maybe you'll get lucky! {Kilauea may be erupting}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-volcano-watchers-maybe-youll-get-lucky-kilauea-may-be-erupting/989665/162): > > Nice. I scrolled back in time; there were some periods overnight when the fountain was much higher. I went all the way back to around the time of local sunset to see when it really got going. As it gets dark, you can see it glowing inside the fissure, but then suddenly in the lower left the actual outward flow of lava starts to be visible, at about 18:25 local time. Here’s the link again so you don’t have to hunt for it. As of early this morning 03/06/25 Eastern time it was still fountaining vigorously. Just now, 1300 ET, it seems to have quit that but is steaming / smoking nicely. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2025, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4051 "2025-03-08T11:43:01Z")
> **[Omniroll](https://xkcd.com/3060/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/omniroll.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/omniroll.png) “It seems wrong that Fruit by the Foot is only sold by weight or by number of rolls.” ---
**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:** [March 8, 2025, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4052 "2025-03-08T12:18:39Z")
Same idea: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/evUWersr7pc/maxresdefault.jpg "Taco Town - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evUWersr7pc) ---
**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:** [March 9, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4053 "2025-03-09T16:23:12Z")
Or that famous holiday dish the ostriturduckenquailhummer. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4054 "2025-03-11T06:37:24Z")
> **[Water Balloons](https://xkcd.com/3061/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/water_balloons.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/water_balloons.png) “Update: The physics department has recruited an astronomer who studies meteor fireballs.” ---
**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:** [March 11, 2025, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4055 "2025-03-11T07:08:21Z")
What’s the scattering matrix for a typical water balloon? To build an S-matrix we must first determine the sets of asymptotically free states of one. I suppose we must approximate it as a sphere to make any progress but perhaps we can derive a perturbative solution with spherical harmonics. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4056 "2025-03-11T09:08:50Z")
Assume a spherical cow … ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4057 "2025-03-11T16:06:00Z")
No. Your first assume a cow shaped water balloon. Then you use the knowledge base from cow physics to determine the water balloon physics. (That almost all of the papers you’ll be citing assume a spherical cow is not your problem.) ---
**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:** [March 11, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4058 "2025-03-11T17:23:22Z")
As long as you use cow tools to derive your physics you’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4059 "2025-03-11T17:41:06Z")
“I understood that reference.” ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4060 "2025-03-11T18:30:34Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > As long as you use cow tools to derive your physics you’ll be fine. Steaknife,… right? ---
**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:** [March 11, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4061 "2025-03-11T19:26:51Z")
Nope. **[_Cow Tools_ - Gary Larsen](https://images.app.goo.gl/PerMECvrZ29YW6raA)**. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2025, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4062 "2025-03-13T00:00:16Z")
> **[Off By One](https://xkcd.com/3062/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/off_by_one.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/off_by_one.png) “It does come at the small cost of a LOT more off-by-40-or-50 errors.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=202) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=204)