# ­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:** 88
**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 29, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1742 "2022-10-29T16:03:12Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Once you get Eve involved, you’ve got yourself a pretty damn complicated thought experiment. Plus, in cryptography, at least, “Eve” is the name usually assigned to a hypothetical eavesdropper, who shouldn’t be allowed to get the message but is trying to (and is likely to have intercepted the encrypted version of the message). So you really don’t want her anywhere near the system, if you can avoid it. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1743 "2022-10-29T17:04:16Z")
An _Aha!_ moment for me. I have wondered from time to time why the interceptor was always Eve rather than Carol (or Charlie). Eve = eavesdropper explains it all. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1744 "2022-10-29T17:37:40Z")
I actually didn’t catch that either, thanks @Chronos. I thought it was due to the complicated nature of having as many as 5 parties involved, your explanation makes more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1745 "2022-11-01T09:37:25Z")
> **[Interior Decorating](https://xkcd.com/2692/)** > > It all came flat-packed in Pandora's Box. Let’s see if we can come up with some more. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2022, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1746 "2022-11-01T09:47:02Z")
Instead of an oven, I just built a metal box over the Ark of the Covenant, with a small lever to lift the lid up as a temperature control. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1747 "2022-11-01T09:50:06Z")
“Now why don’t you sit next to me on the Casting Couch…” ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1748 "2022-11-01T12:12:55Z")
Isn’t Chekhov’s Gun supposed to be over a mantel? Looking it up, I guess not. But how about a mantel with knickknacks: statuettes of a red herring, Schroedinger’s cat, Pavlov’s dog, Ockham’s razor, Frankenstein’s monster. And then Russell’s teapot can go on the coffee table. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2022, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1749 "2022-11-01T13:28:47Z")
Next to the poisoned chalice. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2022, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1750 "2022-11-01T13:55:27Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > And then Russell’s teapot can go on the coffee table. Only the label for Russell’s teapot, you need to find the actual teapot for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1751 "2022-11-01T15:47:51Z")
From the palace? ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1752 "2022-11-01T15:56:17Z")
The Maltese Falcon should be on there somewhere. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1753 "2022-11-01T16:01:25Z")
There could be a whole closet filled with McGuffins. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1754 "2022-11-01T16:14:11Z")
I think a better artifact would be a big ol’ bag of Egg McGuffins. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1755 "2022-11-01T16:30:22Z")
He could have a full suit of plot armor crafted from unobtanium. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1756 "2022-11-01T16:49:00Z")
This thread is moving at the speed of plot… ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1757 "2022-11-01T17:50:05Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > From the palace? No! The pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle, the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true. Or is it in the flagon with the dragon? ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1758 "2022-11-01T20:12:20Z")
I want a _Deus ex Machina_ unit (fits on your kitchen bench!) with optional settings - ie ‘Just turn the Divinity Selector to the Omnipotent Demiurge of your choice! Having a party? - just dial up Bacchus to make your gathering one they’ll always remember (or not!)! Trouble with the neighbours? - Nemesis can ensure you’ll win _that_ particular argument!’ Also available in Hindu, Tao, Celtic and Viking options. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1759 "2022-11-01T21:22:54Z")
Where’s the Gordian Knot? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1760 "2022-11-01T23:28:41Z")
It’s been sliced by Occam’s razor. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2022, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1761 "2022-11-02T02:19:02Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Lots of thought experiments about cryptography use Alice (A) and Bob (B) as the names of the entities trying to communicate secretly. Thank you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=87) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=89)