# ­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:** 287
**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 26, 2026, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5723 "2026-03-26T05:01:02Z")
> [@xkcd](#): > > “Yes, the cosmic microwave background is great, but what about the earthly microwave foreground?” Convenient microwave nachos aren’t a good enough reward? [![](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/da/nachos.png) ](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/d/da/nachos.png) ---
**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 26, 2026, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5724 "2026-03-26T05:36:32Z")
I bet none of those people debugging wi-fi problems spent any time cleaning pigeon shit out of their antennas. ---
**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 26, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5725 "2026-03-26T21:01:35Z")
Oh, and on thinking about it, I’d really kind of like to see how cosmic inflation could intersect with sexy. C’mon, Rule 10^-34, don’t let us down! ---
**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 27, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5726 "2026-03-27T00:02:04Z")
You’ve not maintained outdoor Wifi infrastructure, have you? Nor that in gigantic sorta open-air interior spaces like stadiums or hangars? Pigeon shit, dead squirrels, owl vomit = partly-digested mouse skeletons? All part of the fun. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5727 "2026-03-28T03:11:23Z")
> **[Satellite Pollution](https://xkcd.com/3225/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/satellite_pollution.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/satellite_pollution.png) “We’re working to make sure the images are as up-to-date and accurate as possible, with a minimum number of sponsored galaxies.” ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5728 "2026-03-28T04:17:22Z")
Reminds me of the Fredric Brown story, “Pi in the Sky.” > **[Pi in the Sky by Fredric Brown (Summary) - Writing Atlas](https://writingatlas.com/story/1490/fredric-brown-pi-in-the-sky/)** ---
**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 30, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5729 "2026-03-30T22:46:51Z")
> **[Home Solar](https://xkcd.com/3226/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/home_solar.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/home_solar.png) > [@](#): > > While I try to do my part to destroy the environment, I try not to focus too much on individual responsibility. By pushing for broad policy changes, we can collectively do far more damage to the biosphere than any of us could on our own. ---
**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 30, 2026, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5730 "2026-03-30T23:09:15Z")
Someone has been paying too much attention to current events. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5731 "2026-04-01T02:48:45Z")
The Technology Connections guy recently had a rant about, “digging up shit and setting it on fire to generate electricity.” ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5732 "2026-04-01T21:30:58Z")
Really, the human obsession with heat engines in general is kind of crazy. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5733 "2026-04-01T21:36:16Z")
“Carbon onsets” - that’s funny. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5734 "2026-04-01T21:38:29Z")
Well, you need a heat differential to get any work done – ask any physicist. It’s that we have different ways of doing it now. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5735 "2026-04-01T21:50:36Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > “Carbon onsets” - that’s funny. Thanks for that. I totally missed that it didn’t say “offsets”. “Offsets” there would still make sense. Offsetting the carbon saved by his solar panels by gratuitously burning some more in the backyard. But onsets is a _much_ better word. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5736 "2026-04-01T21:54:08Z")
I mean, technically, you can attach a “temperature” label to any physical process, in such a way that you still can’t exceed the “heat engine” limits… but there are a lot of processes with an “effective temperature” far higher than any you’ll find under the usual intepratation of that word, and hence far higher efficiencies. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5737 "2026-04-01T22:03:43Z")
> **[Creation](https://xkcd.com/3227/)** You’ll just have to follow the link this time. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5738 "2026-04-01T22:21:35Z")
Grayscale mode: romance, sarcasm, math, and language Greyscale mode: romance, sarcasm, maths, and language ---
**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:** [April 1, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5739 "2026-04-01T22:30:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You’ll just have to follow the link this time. And follow it today, it might not be around tomorrow. (Note - it works on all old comics too.) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5740 "2026-04-03T12:24:01Z")
> **[Day Counter](https://xkcd.com/3228/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/day_counter.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/day_counter.png) > [@](#): > > It has been −2,147,483,648 days since our last integer overflow. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2026, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5741 "2026-04-03T12:36:02Z")
Seems like they also have a formatting error. Or at least a formatting decision error. Almost any time a floating point number appears in a UI it’s a leak, not a deliberate design decision. I count 18 digits in that display; might’ve missed one. Since “days since” are almost certainly supposed to be an integer, that suggests the display should display integers from 0 to 1E18. Now 1E18 days is ~1E15 years. The universe is now reckoned to be ~1E10 years old. Which suggests they’re planning to display numbers up to ~10,000 universe-to-date lifetimes. Now _that’s_ optimism about their FP reliability. And as we can see, it’s badly misplaced optimism too. 🤦‍♂️ ---
**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:** [April 4, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/5742 "2026-04-04T00:51:08Z")
And those [Clock of the Long Now](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_of_the_Long_Now) people are so proud of themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=286) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=288)