# XKCD What If References SDMB! **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 13, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471 "2014-08-13T23:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/21 "2014-08-17T03:00:59Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > … I was on Giraffe Boards…and the whole thing started over “no mom, it’s not a message board about giraffes.” But the Packy board was about elephants, right? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/22 "2014-08-17T03:51:23Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I honestly can’t remember whether I heard it _here_ first, or in the online browser RPG game “Kingdom of Loathing” (The “asshat” was a helmet you could purchase.) Completely random, but didn’t you have to _make_ an asshat? ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/23 "2014-08-18T03:34:00Z")
13 liters seems _really_ big for a shoebox. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/24 "2014-08-18T04:14:28Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Completely random, but didn’t you have to _make_ an asshat? Possibly. It’s been quite a few years since I played KoL. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/25 "2014-08-18T14:03:05Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > 13 liters seems _really_ big for a shoebox. I thought so to, so I tried it out. I happen to have a shoe box for a size 11 pair of shoes right here. I went to my kitchen and pulled out some 2L soda bottles. Two fit smoothly inside. Trying to estimate the remaining space, there was clearly room for another 2 liters surrounding the bottles to fill in to the square corners, plus at least another 2 liters to fill the space at the top of the box around the bottle tops where the bottles taper. That’s at least 8 Liters, and a lot of that is eyeballing. Plus, if it’s a pair of boots, that’s going to be a larger box. A pair of size 11 hikers could reach 13 L. Try this a different way. 14" x 9.25" x 5" = 647.5 in[sup]3[/sup] = 10.6 L (using unit converter on phone) ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/26 "2014-08-18T21:41:25Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > It’s even exactly 100 questions [after mentioning the column!](https://what-if.xkcd.com/8/) And 11 months after the last mention of the Straight Dope Message Board in question 62, [Falling with Helium](http://what-if.xkcd.com/62/): > [@](#): > > **Footnote 5** > Additionally, while researching impact speeds for this article, I came across a [discussion](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=361878) on the Straight Dope Message Boards a out survivable fall heights. One poster compared a fall from height to being hit by a bus. Another user, a medical examiner, [replied](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7180162&postcount=40) that this was a bad comparison: > > “When hit by a car, the vast majority of people are not run over; they are run under. The lower legs break, sending them into the air. They usually strike the hood of the car, often with the back of the head impacting the windshield, ‘starring’ the windshield, possibly leaving a few hairs in the glass. They then go over the top of the car. They are still alive, although with broken legs, and maybe with head pain from the nonfatal windshield impact. They die when they hit the ground. They die from head injury.” > > The lesson: Don’t mess with medical examiners. They’re apparently pretty hardcore. Ironically, I think Randall should have quoted **gabriela** ’s next two paragraphs as well if he really wanted to show how hardcore medical examiners are–those next two paragraphs involve things like broken ribs puncturing organs and bus tires squishing pedestrians. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/27 "2014-09-26T23:46:38Z")
Anyone get his book? It mentions the SD as well! :D:cool: * * * Q. What would happen if everyone on Earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant? ## A. This is one of the most popular questions submitted through my website. Its been examined before, including by ScienceBlogs and The Straight Dope. page 43 ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/28 "2014-09-28T19:52:33Z")
Just FYI for any of his fans–[Randall was on The Colbert Report](http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/ewijdy/randall-munroe) a few weeks ago promoting his book. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/29 "2014-09-29T04:15:41Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > I thought so to, so I tried it out. I happen to have a shoe box for a size 11 pair of shoes right here. I went to my kitchen and pulled out some 2L soda bottles. Two fit smoothly inside. Trying to estimate the remaining space, there was clearly room for another 2 liters surrounding the bottles to fill in to the square corners, plus at least another 2 liters to fill the space at the top of the box around the bottle tops where the bottles taper. That’s at least 8 Liters, and a lot of that is eyeballing. > > Plus, if it’s a pair of boots, that’s going to be a larger box. A pair of size 11 hikers could reach 13 L. > > Try this a different way. > > 14" x 9.25" x 5" = 647.5 in[sup]3[/sup] = 10.6 L (using unit converter on phone) I can’t believe you didn’t actually fill it with water. I’m disappointed in the SDMB 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2014, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/30 "2014-09-29T04:48:57Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > 13 liters seems _really_ big for a shoebox. You know what they say about guys with big shoeboxes… ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/31 "2014-09-30T09:16:31Z")
They’re clowns? ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/32 "2015-03-23T13:17:04Z")
XKCD mentions the Dope again. The latest [What-If](http://what-if.xkcd.com/133/) entry references [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=515612) board thread about dismemberment. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/33 "2015-03-23T19:58:58Z")
> [@blue\_infinity](#): > > XKCD mentions the Dope again. > > The latest [What-If](http://what-if.xkcd.com/133/) entry references [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=515612) board thread about dismemberment. That one is in the book, as well. I’m going on record as highly recommending the book. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/34 "2015-03-23T21:22:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And here’s the paragraph that references it (with [3] pointing to the paragraph): That’s cool. But I wish I hadn’t read that page now, because he is wrong about something. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/35 "2015-03-23T21:40:24Z")
> [@blue\_infinity](#): > > XKCD mentions the Dope again. > > The latest [What-If](http://what-if.xkcd.com/133/) entry references [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=515612) board thread about dismemberment. …and this would be the third thread to point this out. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/36 "2015-03-23T22:12:43Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > That’s cool. But I wish I hadn’t read that page now, because he is wrong about something. [Duty calls](http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png). ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/37 "2015-03-24T00:57:43Z")
I already let him know. I’m sure he will fix it soon. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/38 "2015-03-24T01:37:17Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > I can’t believe you didn’t actually fill it with water. I’m disappointed in the SDMB 😉 I’m disappointed that he didn’t just use a measuring tape. Why all the guesstimating? \*for the metricphobic, a cubic centimeter =one milliliter. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/39 "2015-03-24T19:27:51Z")
A regular size shoebox is [7.5 LITERS](http://deluxegm.com/catalog/?11-AP69139=plastic-shoe-box-7.5-liters) ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471/40 "2015-03-24T19:29:34Z")
Something I learned about a decade ago, at least. Never post anything on a message board unless you have a good source that backs up the data. That way you will never be wrong on the internet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-what-if-references-sdmb/695471.md?page=3)