# ­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:** 220
**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 31, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4383 "2025-05-31T22:10:06Z")
I mean, is there anything that can really be any further afield than what Munroe actually does discuss (both in his comics and in his What-Ifs and other posts)? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2025, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4384 "2025-05-31T22:37:24Z")
And likewise he gets anti-communist organizations to invest by suggesting that the USSR might put a hammer and sickle image on the Moon ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4385 "2025-06-02T00:50:00Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Kardashev I look forward to the reality TV show **Being The Kardashevs**. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2025, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4386 "2025-06-02T08:20:19Z")
Needs more viola. > **[Grammy Winner Kim Kashkashian: I Get Confused with Kim Kardashian 'All The Time'](https://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/kim-kashkashian-kardashian-grammy-award-best-classical-instrumental-solo-55000921-60230986)** > > Kashkashian, who has admittedly never watched reality TV, opens up about her name confussion. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4387 "2025-06-03T03:18:56Z")
> **[Bridge Types](https://xkcd.com/3097/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/bridge_types.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/bridge_types.png) “Pontoon bridges are just linear open-sided waterbeds.” ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4388 "2025-06-03T03:25:13Z")
Will kids today still get the L’Engle reference? ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4389 "2025-06-03T03:34:18Z")
I don’t get it (and I’m no kid, either). Looking forward to learning something new. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4390 "2025-06-03T03:38:55Z")
It’s from a book, _A Wrinkle in Time_, by Madeline L’Engle. Pretty common assigned reading in school, at least when I was a kid. In the books they have a “tesseract” that can transport people through space and time, and the character uses the analogy of an ant crawling across a dress–the ant can take a shortcut if someone brings together distant parts of the dress to form a bridge. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4391 "2025-06-03T03:42:03Z")
Got it, thanks! I’ll add it to my reading list. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4392 "2025-06-03T03:43:46Z")
Thank you. I had no idea what it meant. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4393 "2025-06-03T03:49:00Z")
It’s a cute book series. Though I’m not sure how well it holds up for an adult. It’s targeted toward young adults, maybe verging on kids. At any rate, that particular scene was very memorable to me. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4394 "2025-06-03T04:06:27Z")
I went and checked out the Wikipedia summary. I remember it now. I tried it back in school, but stopped reading it at the point Charles Wallace got possessed by IT. Creeped me out. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4395 "2025-06-03T04:40:25Z")
I got the L’Engle reference, having read the series a number of times as a kid, and my science geeky kid (now 27) read the book series and would probably get it too. I don’t think my younger kid read it. Wasn’t there a _Wrinkle in Time_ film a few years ago? ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4396 "2025-06-03T04:45:53Z")
Nope, no such thing, never existed. It definitely did not come out in 2017, because if it had, it would have risked despoiling a wonderful book with its awfulness. Please, do not try to convince me otherwise. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4397 "2025-06-03T13:22:21Z")
That was almost certainly the book that had the greatest impact on my life. I definitely smiled when I saw that “bridge”. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4398 "2025-06-03T13:23:09Z")
Oh, and @Northern_Piper , I added spoiler tags to your post. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4399 "2025-06-03T15:24:27Z")
A 90 second recap of Wrinkle [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UhsCCQrCNAs/hqdefault.jpg ""A Wrinkle In Time" In 90 Seconds") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhsCCQrCNAs) (I too adored the book as a kid) ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4400 "2025-06-03T15:36:23Z")
The “Budget Overrun” is typically called “Cable Stayed”. I like to call this local one the “Finger of Doom”. [![](https://scng-dash.digitalfirstmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018_0514_north_atwater_multimodal_bridge.jpg) ](https://scng-dash.digitalfirstmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018_0514_north_atwater_multimodal_bridge.jpg) > **[Bridge connecting Atwater Village and Griffith Park will cater to horses,...](https://www.dailynews.com/2018/05/14/bridge-connecting-atwater-village-and-griffith-park-will-cater-to-horses-cyclists-and-pedestrians/)** > > It will be the first cable-stayed bridge constructed in the city of Los Angeles. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4401 "2025-06-03T15:42:54Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Will kids today still get the L’Engle reference? Or the (possible) Allan Sherman reference in the last panel? > I said hey, Mister Otis, if you take my advice, > You’ll be the richest man in town! > You gotta take that room that goes from side to side > And make it go up and down! ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/4402 "2025-06-03T16:30:03Z")
I was the one who asked about L’Engle reference, and the Wrinkle recap video still doesn’t clear up things for me. I’ve got to read it myself, then perhaps watch it again. But those kids are darling, and it’s always great to hear _Telstar_ again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=219) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=221)