# ­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:** 285
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5683 "2026-03-12T20:16:34Z")
Sauron: It was my, uh, wedding ring! Yeah, that’s it. Can you get that back for me? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5684 "2026-03-12T21:05:57Z")
[![](https://scontent.feze14-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/561338936_2818714935004717_1641821742970749083_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p526x296_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=e06c5d&_nc_eui2=AeEq2QZZFrdlPcyxXpVRXHDsPt3aE0CgYkA-3doTQKBiQCxEhuOS8YVD_2svI3vHlumOX1poPEiWWsuayv5plX6V&_nc_ohc=zx2KWlgNy2wQ7kNvwE-sY0F&_nc_oc=Adl-NW6Fx-a3e0-okpka9MWqfeE44z3DdJYmKWL3foabt20o31XV8e7rCdv01gEgMD0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.feze14-1.fna&_nc_gid=8GYLLCHSvKQ1Fu_W2Ml3hg&_nc_ss=8&oh=00_AfxN0Ns2njjmtqhuhL7FW32xxtYCJ9GtV9T2O3gm_Q-mfQ&oe=69B90219) ](https://scontent.feze14-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/561338936_2818714935004717_1641821742970749083_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p526x296_tt6&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=e06c5d&_nc_eui2=AeEq2QZZFrdlPcyxXpVRXHDsPt3aE0CgYkA-3doTQKBiQCxEhuOS8YVD_2svI3vHlumOX1poPEiWWsuayv5plX6V&_nc_ohc=zx2KWlgNy2wQ7kNvwE-sY0F&_nc_oc=Adl-NW6Fx-a3e0-okpka9MWqfeE44z3DdJYmKWL3foabt20o31XV8e7rCdv01gEgMD0&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.feze14-1.fna&_nc_gid=8GYLLCHSvKQ1Fu_W2Ml3hg&_nc_ss=8&oh=00_AfxN0Ns2njjmtqhuhL7FW32xxtYCJ9GtV9T2O3gm_Q-mfQ&oe=69B90219) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5685 "2026-03-14T14:04:39Z")
> **[Planets and Bright Stars](https://xkcd.com/3219/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/planets_and_bright_stars.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/planets_and_bright_stars.png) “An old astronomer trick for distinguishing the Sun from other stars is to take multiple photos a few minutes apart and overlay them, making the Sun stand out due to its high proper motion.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5686 "2026-03-17T19:03:33Z")
> **[Rotational Gravity](https://xkcd.com/3220/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rotational_gravity.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rotational_gravity.png) “I don’t get it. The peak acceleration for passengers was WAY lower than in the giant-waterslide-loop-the-loop incident the other cruise line fired me for.” ---
**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 17, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5687 "2026-03-17T19:40:32Z")
Should I be worried that I clicked away from a cruise line’s website to see this post? 😬 ---
**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:** [March 18, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5688 "2026-03-18T23:03:52Z")
> **[Landscape Features](https://xkcd.com/3221/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landscape_features.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/landscape_features.png) “'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question” ---
**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:** [March 18, 2026, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5689 "2026-03-18T23:04:59Z")
And now I’m wondering about those regions of “…geology”, and the “???” in upstate New York. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5690 "2026-03-18T23:24:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > the “???” in upstate New York The Adirondacks are rising at a rate of about 1 foot per century. [There are some guesses at the reason,](https://phys.org/news/2018-06-geoscientists-evidence-adirondack-mountains.html) but no one really knows why. ---
**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 19, 2026, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5691 "2026-03-19T02:41:07Z")
Sometimes it even shapes politics: > **[How a coastline 100 million years ago influences modern election results in...](https://starkeycomics.com/2021/06/11/how-a-coastline-100-million-years-ago-influences-modern-election-results-in-alabama/)** > > If (like me) you enjoy looking at maps, you might sometimes wonder why a map looks a the way it does. The events leading to a certain demographic being more common here, or a border being drawn there, can often be very complex, and fascinating.Here... ---
**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 19, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5692 "2026-03-19T02:44:25Z")
Re: Florida’s limestone/water disputes, I heartily recommend viewing them through a glass-bottom boat at Silver Springs State Park. ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5693 "2026-03-19T03:12:58Z")
I would disagree with the four corners region/Grand Canyon being due to volcanoes. Think the Water and Time line should be further north. ---
**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 19, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5694 "2026-03-19T03:16:28Z")
The GC itself is of course caused by water & time. But within GC National Park there are lava fields and cinder cones. Volcanism was very much a part of how that land formed. Just not how that land’s most famous land_mark_ was formed. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5695 "2026-03-19T03:48:24Z")
Southeast towards Flagstaff too, but TOG is right about the four corners area. ---
**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 19, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5696 "2026-03-19T12:04:15Z")
In this context TOG is what now? I know you’re “The Old Guy” and sometimes you wander that part of the country, but I doubt that’s what you meant. 🤪 ---
**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:** [March 19, 2026, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5697 "2026-03-19T13:13:05Z")
Look at the name of the poster immediately before you. ---
**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 19, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5698 "2026-03-19T14:07:01Z")
All I can say is DOH. And THX. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5699 "2026-03-19T17:06:56Z")
Sorry. I was too lazy to type out ThisOneGuy. ---
**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 19, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5700 "2026-03-19T21:26:04Z")
No worries. I was wracking my brain trying to think of a national park or state wilderness area or whatever whose name would abbreviate to “TOG”. I was hoping you knew of someplace I didn’t and could share about it. If you’d bolded the initials like in the old days I’d have been thinking “user name” not “park name”. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5701 "2026-03-19T21:36:34Z")
Though I’d love to have a user name that abbreviated to DOH… ---
**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 19, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5702 "2026-03-19T22:26:23Z")
If your avatar is a sorta accurate likeness, perhaps you could get a name change to Doctor Omitting of Hair. 🤪 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=284) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=286)