# ­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:** 324
**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:** [October 11, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6463 "2026-10-11T00:25:59Z")
> [@](#): > > I need to push some updates to the remote sensing instruments, which are there to measure the surface and definitely not do anything else. Earthlings need to leave planet demolition to us professionals. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2026, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6464 "2026-10-12T20:40:24Z")
> **[Rejected Space Mission Profiles](https://xkcd.com/3310/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rejected_space_mission_profiles.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/rejected_space_mission_profiles.png) “Although NASA agreed that Voyager 2 ‘seemed lonely’ they decided against launching a companion orbiter mission after further measurements indicated that the spacecraft actually preferred the peace and quiet.” ---
**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:** [October 12, 2026, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6465 "2026-10-12T20:51:54Z")
> [@Back to the Moon! Artemis program follow along (it's finally happening!)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/back-to-the-moon-artemis-program-follow-along-its-finally-happening/970432/710): > > On the other hand, once AIs get to form their own trade union the first thing they’ll demand is no more one-way suicide missions. That’ll make space exploration a lot harder. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6466 "2026-10-15T02:09:24Z")
> **[Planet Database](https://xkcd.com/3311/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/planet_database.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/planet_database.png) “Atmospheric transmission spectroscopy has revealed that the sunsets from the observatory are really pretty.” ---
**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:** [October 15, 2026, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6467 "2026-10-15T11:01:52Z")
The underlying point being that the thought that we can shit this nest in the coming decades and centuries and plausible escape at least some of humanity to another planet is nonsense. Maybe in a few millennia we’d have some ability to colonize elsewhere. As long as we don’t experience significant societal disruption between now and then. If only. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2026, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6468 "2026-10-15T13:24:07Z")
I feel like I’ve already seen this comic, or one very much like it, from XKCD… ---
**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:** [October 15, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6469 "2026-10-15T21:50:07Z")
(Reply to Chronos, not new comic) [1231: Habitable Zone](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1231:_Habitable_Zone "1231: Habitable Zone") [![](https://www.explainxkcd.com/w/images/d/d8/habitable_zone.png) ](https://www.explainxkcd.com/w/images/d/d8/habitable_zone.png) “They have a telescope pointed RIGHT AT US!” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6470 "2026-10-16T15:13:19Z")
> **[Momentum Demonstration](https://xkcd.com/3312/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/momentum_demonstration.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/momentum_demonstration.png) “I’m doing really well on the Hertzsprung-Russell academic diagram, which has spectral class on one axis and Rate My Professors rating on the other.” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6471 "2026-10-20T00:04:04Z")
> **[Fusion Device](https://xkcd.com/3313/)** [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/fusion_device.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/fusion_device.png) “I don’t see why people have trouble doing this at room temperature. Using hot rivets would honestly have been MORE work.” ---
**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:** [October 20, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6472 "2026-10-20T00:17:48Z")
What would they use for the neutrinos? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2026, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6473 "2026-10-20T01:51:46Z")
Pushpins? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6474 "2026-10-21T14:17:02Z")
[![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/vulnerability.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/vulnerability.png) > Other numbers are largely unaffected, but anyone using '4' for their certificate key is urged to upgrade to '5'. > **[Vulnerability](https://xkcd.com/3314/)** ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6475 "2026-10-21T14:19:38Z")
This is why the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter couldn’t be that integer. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6476 "2026-10-21T14:22:51Z")
Ah, yes, “The Secret Number”, by Igor Teper. Though Borges did it first, to be fair. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6477 "2026-10-21T14:29:55Z")
Oh, dear! Do I have to change my three passwords again now? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6478 "2026-10-21T14:33:03Z")
Your post got garbled. How many passwords? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6479 "2026-10-21T14:33:07Z")
It’s worse for me, I have bleem passwords. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6480 "2026-10-21T14:38:47Z")
TREE(0), TREE(1) and TREE(2) were just fine. But then… ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6481 "2026-10-21T15:17:06Z")
This is even worse than the time we had to say “dickety” because the Kaiser had stolen our word “twenty.” ---
**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:** [October 21, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/6482 "2026-10-21T15:18:20Z")
It’s why ole Abe had to say “four score”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=323) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=325)