# ­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:** 259
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5163 "2025-11-12T01:44:30Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > We should ask our expert in @Spoons If he can’t enlighten us, who will? Well, it’s nice to be regarded as an expert, but my expertise only goes so far. To paraphrase Murray Head singing, “One Night in Bangkok”: _I don’t see you guys rating_ _The kind of play I’m contemplating._ _I’ll let you watch, I will invite you,_ _But the spoons I use would not excite you._ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5164 "2025-11-12T02:30:44Z")
Ah, someone invented the Sunbeam at last, 72 years after E. E. Smith predicted it. And then they decided to turn it on Earth instead of the Bonskonian fleet. ---
**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:** [November 12, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5165 "2025-11-12T23:56:58Z")
In the interest of restoring harmony in the Munroe household: [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZW3OJEJAFRo5DbE9pqtKFcWGZkb_HjEAh5w&s) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZW3OJEJAFRo5DbE9pqtKFcWGZkb_HjEAh5w&s) [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSkXY4ZBsE24z4WWUVsYKuOWxSTVzP1JmUf6w&s) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSkXY4ZBsE24z4WWUVsYKuOWxSTVzP1JmUf6w&s) Oh, and > **[Car Size](https://xkcd.com/3167/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/car_size.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/car_size.png) They really shouldn't let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I'm going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5166 "2025-11-15T02:04:58Z")
> **[Beam Dump](https://xkcd.com/3168/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/beam_dump.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/beam_dump.png) “We’re adding some industrial flypaper to minimize reflection or scattering of customers who might complain.” ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5167 "2025-11-15T16:07:50Z")
“Safely”? ---
**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:** [November 15, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5168 "2025-11-15T16:34:17Z")
You have to look at it from the block’s point of view. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5169 "2025-11-15T17:07:24Z")
You also want to be sure diverted customers don’t come out the back side of the beam dump and out into the rest of the park while still at high energy. Lotta eVs in 100kgs of mostly watery human. You’d probably see a lot of chain reaction scattering with the others standing in line, walking around, etc. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2025, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5170 "2025-11-16T00:13:31Z")
And a “spallation zone” where non-riders can take pictures of their friends. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2025, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5171 "2025-11-16T06:08:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And a “spallation zone” where non-riders can take pictures of their friends But if people observe the riders, it alters the system. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5172 "2025-11-16T20:15:40Z")
A competent accelerator physicist would have designed a circular water slide, so that the riders’ momentum could be boosted with each cycle. ---
**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:** [November 16, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5173 "2025-11-16T20:34:26Z")
Doesn’t have to be circular to be a continuous closed path: 😉 [![](https://artincontext.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/body-of-work-by-escher.webp) ](https://artincontext.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/body-of-work-by-escher.webp) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5174 "2025-11-18T02:05:46Z")
> **[EPIRBs](https://xkcd.com/3169/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/epirbs.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/epirbs.png) “‘Oh no, the box is drifting out into the harbor!’ ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about losing it.’” ---
**Author:** ![Chelonaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chelonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelonaut)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5175 "2025-11-18T09:30:28Z")
Any reason for the number 1600? I looked up the first epirb available on amazon, weight ca. 500 gram. So the crate would be 800 kg. Dimensions 240 x 130 x 97mm. 240 x 130 x 97 / 1000000000 x 1600 =~ 4.8 cubic metre. So very unhandy crate. Of course, it wouldn’t be loaded manually but be inside a container. If the joke was funnier I might feel more ashamed for ruining it. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5176 "2025-11-18T12:14:06Z")
This is the penalty for not using union longshoremen. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5177 "2025-11-18T21:32:24Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > So very unhandy crate. … Might explain the fall… ---
**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:** [November 18, 2025, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5178 "2025-11-18T22:23:35Z")
Bigger than a fridge. Not huger than a huge fridge. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5179 "2025-11-20T02:00:53Z")
> **[Service Outage](https://xkcd.com/3170/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/service_outage.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/service_outage.png) “Now, if it were the _Canon_ wiki, it’s possible to imagine someone with a productivity-related reason for consulting it, but no one’s job requires them to read that much about Admiral Daala.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2025, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5180 "2025-11-22T07:06:59Z")
> **[Geologic Core Sample](https://xkcd.com/3171/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/geologic_core_sample.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/geologic_core_sample.png) “If you drill at the right angle and time things perfectly, your core sample can include a section of a rival team’s coring equipment.” ---
**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:** [November 22, 2025, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5181 "2025-11-22T07:31:42Z")
There’s a fuzzy boundary between core samples and biopsies. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2025, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5182 "2025-11-23T06:37:23Z")
Hilarious! The actual funny part to this geologist is the “boring intrusive that you always have to look up” (leaving aside the Animorphs joke), because it’s true. Takes me back to many, many hours of core logging… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=258) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=260)