# ­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:** 51
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1002 "2021-09-07T03:01:20Z")
> **[Revelation](https://xkcd.com/2512/)** > > And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, but then more heaven kept appearing to replace it, as if the scroll was infinite. Pics or it didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1003 "2021-09-07T05:14:14Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I like esoteric humor as much as the next guy, but I gotta think the target audience for this joke is _really_ narrow. (I’m not in it.) I’d say it mostly hits the same targets as other programming-related comics. The minimum you need to know are these three things: - makefiles are an old tech used to help compiling programs, and are thus fairly precise. There are already many programs that will create a makefile for you. - neural nets are a type of AI where an 80% success rate if often considered good. It basically learns by trial and error, but can actually learn to do decently at a lot of things that humans could only do before. - Zsh and bash are are two different interpreters that a makefile might use. They are quite similar in syntax, but can produce slightly different outputs. So Cueball is using advanced tech to do something poorly that computers can already do just fine. This is the opposite of what most programmers do, which is finding new ways to use older tech to do new things. It’s absurd, but it would also be a pretty neat achievement if he pulled it off. It would kinda be like teaching your new robot dog to change the channel on your TV. There are easier ways to do to change the channel, but it would still be impressive. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2021, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1004 "2021-09-07T12:20:11Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It would kinda be like teaching your new robot dog to change the channel on your TV. There are easier ways to do to change the channel, but it would still be impressive. Or using a 6 figure robot dog to pull your rickshaw. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zyaocKS3sfg/maxresdefault.jpg "Adam Savage's Spot Robot Rickshaw Carriage!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyaocKS3sfg) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2021, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1005 "2021-09-09T01:55:23Z")
> **[Saturn Hexagon](https://xkcd.com/2513/)** > > Sorry, in SI units that's "there's a big football in there." Well, that _would_ explain it… ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2021, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1006 "2021-09-11T04:17:50Z")
> **[Lab Equipment](https://xkcd.com/2514/)** > > I've been working on chocolate bar annealing techniques to try to produce the perfect laser s'more. Maybe don't mention that on the grant application though. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1007 "2021-09-15T06:53:59Z")
> **[Vaccine Research](https://xkcd.com/2515/)** > > Honestly feel a little sheepish about the amount of time and effort I spent confirming "yes, the vaccine helps protect people from getting sick and dying" but I guess everyone needs a hobby. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1008 "2021-09-15T22:51:58Z")
He was late on that one. It wasn’t up as of Tuesday morning. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1009 "2021-09-16T03:53:35Z")
> **[Hubble Tension](https://xkcd.com/2516/)** > > Oh, wait, I might've had it set to kph instead of mph. But that would make the discrepancy even wider! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1010 "2021-09-18T03:26:44Z")
> **[Rover Replies](https://xkcd.com/2517/)** > > I'm so glad NASA let you take your phone to Mars! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1011 "2021-09-21T02:17:20Z")
> **[Lumpers and Splitters](https://xkcd.com/2518/)** > > Anna Karenina is a happy family lumper and unhappy family splitter. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1012 "2021-09-23T03:15:39Z")
> **[Sloped Border](https://xkcd.com/2519/)** > > "The slope will be 74° at ground level." "Okay, I think we can hack together a ... wait, why did they specify ground level? It's 74° everywhere, right? ... Oh no, there's a whole section in the treaty labeled 'curvature.'" That fooled me for a few seconds. At first I thought he meant borders that are straight lines but angled from latitude or longitude lines. Those we already have (e.g. California-Nevada). Nope, he means angled vertically. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1013 "2021-09-23T16:17:14Z")
That’s not nearly enough of a nightmare for GIS people. Define the vertical component of the border as following a line between a spot on Earth to Olympus Mons on Mars. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1014 "2021-09-24T14:02:53Z")
What’s the angle of the border below ground? Major ramifications regarding mineral and water rights. /not actually taking this seriously. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1015 "2021-09-24T19:54:44Z")
> **[Symbols](https://xkcd.com/2520/)** > > "röntgen" and "rem" are 20th-century physics terms that mean "no trespassing." ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1016 "2021-09-24T20:13:25Z")
I may not be the first to make this observation or request, but I would like it very much if XKCD should become an official character script. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1017 "2021-09-25T01:47:59Z")
OK, I liked this one. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1018 "2021-09-28T08:14:05Z")
> **[Toothpaste](https://xkcd.com/2521/)** > > "9 out of 10 dentists have banned me from their offices." Recently, I found the easiest way to post links to the strip is to just type in the entire url. When I started this thread, I copied the url from the xkcd page. A couple-three weeks ago, that url changed to a link and when I copied it, that link was retained through the copy function. Well, I didn’t want a link, since that doesn’t generate a OneBox with an image of the strip, and I’d have to delete half the text to get it to just a url. I tried a couple other ways, but realized that as short as the url is, just typing in the whole thing is the least work. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1019 "2021-09-28T09:32:15Z")
I use a little utility called [PureText](https://stevemiller.net/puretext/) to add a paste command that strips away all formatting. It’s perfect for stripping off URL hyperlinks, for example, as well as fonts and colors. It’s basically the same as if you had pasted the text to Notepad, then copied the text from there. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1020 "2021-09-28T12:23:38Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > just typing in the whole thing is the least work. Why don’t you simply copy and paste the URL from the address bar?   > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I use a little utility called [PureText](https://stevemiller.net/puretext/) I use the Chrome extension [Copy as Plain Text](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/copy-as-plain-text/eneajgkmdhmjmloiabgkpkiooaejmlpk). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1021 "2021-09-28T12:38:20Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > > > I use a little utility called [PureText](https://stevemiller.net/puretext/) > > I use the Chrome extension [Copy as Plain Text](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/copy-as-plain-text/eneajgkmdhmjmloiabgkpkiooaejmlpk). I believe “Paste as plain text” is now a built-in option in Chrome (for Windows, anyways). I see it in my right-click menu, and I’ve never installed an extension for it. I can even use the keyboard shorcut Ctrl-Shift-V. Oh, and I suspect that @dtilque goes the front page of the site, so copying the URL from there would only be [https://xkcd.com](https://xkcd.com). So I understand copying the “direct link.” I would just suggest using “Paste as plain text” or Ctrl-Shift-V. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=50) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=52)