# ­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:** 313
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6243 "2026-08-10T17:33:04Z")
Maybe it depends on spin and/or electric charge? Brian ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6244 "2026-08-10T20:06:16Z")
Are there two different lifespans for white blood cells, several orders of magnitude apart, or am I misreading the chart? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6245 "2026-08-10T20:13:04Z")
Yes, the different spans represent the different types of white blood cells. Pasted from [here:](https://husaini.org/what-is-the-lifespan-of-white-blood-cells-in-humans/) | Type of WBC | Average Lifespan | Details | | --- | --- | --- | | Neutrophils | 6 hours to 1 day | Short-lived, but produced in large numbers | | Lymphocytes | Several days to years | Memory B and T cells can survive for years | | Monocytes | 1–3 days in blood (longer in tissue) | Become macrophages, live for weeks to months in tissue | | Eosinophils | 8–12 hours in blood; several days in tissue | Involved in allergies and parasitic infections | | Basophils | A few hours to a few days | Least common WBC, releases histamine | ---
**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:** [August 10, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6246 "2026-08-10T20:15:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@Pleonast](#): > > > > I’d like to see Hawaii on the chart. > > Can’t; it doesn’t have a color. I did not even see that pattern. Anyway, everyone knows Hawaii is rainbow-colored. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Hawaiian_sample_license_plate%2C_2025.png) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Hawaiian_sample_license_plate%2C_2025.png) ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6247 "2026-08-10T20:17:09Z")
Thanks, TIL. It’s not just two blobs, but close enough. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6248 "2026-08-10T20:50:40Z")
I’d suggest adding brown dwarfs, but I don’t think they have a fixed life span. Ditto for white dwarfs. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6249 "2026-08-10T21:08:12Z")
“Rainbow” isn’t a color. “Blue” is. > **[Blue Hawaii](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Hawaii)** > > Blue Hawaii is a 1961 American musical romantic comedy drama film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written American Musical. The film opened at number two in box office receipts for that week and, despite mixed reviews from critics, finished as the 10th top-grossing film of 1961 and 14th for 1962 in the Variety national box office survey, earning $5 million. The fi Hav... ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6250 "2026-08-13T05:46:00Z")
> **[Geology Building](https://xkcd.com/3284/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/geology_building.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/geology_building.png) “The administration thinks it’s weird, but the geologists say it looks normal.” ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6251 "2026-08-13T06:09:59Z")
Always finding fault… ---
**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:** [August 13, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6252 "2026-08-13T13:57:43Z")
The only thing remarkable is that the joint is not vertical and that it’s visible in the facade. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6253 "2026-08-13T13:57:43Z")
Psst, Randall - it’s “free rein.” ---
**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:** [August 13, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6254 "2026-08-13T18:01:46Z")
There should have been a discontinuity making the first story visibly shorter than the next two. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2026, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6255 "2026-08-14T08:48:43Z")
Maybe some sign of sedimentary layers … ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6256 "2026-08-14T12:29:46Z")
Those would be found in the archive rooms, probably in the cellar. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6257 "2026-08-14T12:51:21Z")
For those of you keeping score at home: this has been fixed. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6258 "2026-08-15T18:58:54Z")
> **[Accretionary Arc](https://xkcd.com/3285/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/accretionary_arc.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/accretionary_arc.png) “The late Triassic rifting was caused by a dinosaur trying to use the control panel to escape a predator, but it was eaten before the continent could fully separate.” ---
**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:** [August 18, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6259 "2026-08-18T21:59:41Z")
Monday’s come and gone, and still no strip, and now most of Tuesday. Anyone know what’s up? EDIT: I should have looked twice at the page. > [@](#): > > **Note: Monday’s comic will go up on Tuesday this week.** ---
**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:** [August 19, 2026, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6260 "2026-08-19T02:35:14Z")
In that case, can it still be called Monday’s comic? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2026, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6261 "2026-08-19T04:17:56Z")
> **[Particle Physics Equipment](https://xkcd.com/3286/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/particle_physics_equipment.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/particle_physics_equipment.png) “The one that sounds like the oracle at the center of the galaxy where the hero travels to hear a prophecy is probably Brookhaven National Laboratory’s now-dismantled COSMOTRON.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6262 "2026-08-19T21:37:10Z")
> **[Perseids](https://xkcd.com/3287/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/perseids.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/perseids.png) “Recently I’ve been watching the Daytime Perseids. I haven’t seen a meteor from them yet, but the clouds are pretty and the snacks are good.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=312) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=314)