xkcd

by **Bartimaeus** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:09 am UTC

alt: According to River, 'adequate' vacuum system drain the human body at half a liter per second.

Holy Shit that's a lot! I always think of km/h as 4/3 times mph, which can get a little confusing... The number of references is overwhelming, I like the 3ml in a field mouse one! How does ur mom's makeup weigh as much as a heavy laptop?
Yet another reference to River Tam's uber-intelligence in the alt text, in addition to 170cm length and 55L volume one!

http://xkcd.com/526/

by **TheHand** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:10 am UTC

This one is screaming "MAKE ME A POSTER!"

by **firinne** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:11 am UTC

TheHand wrote:This one is screaming "MAKE ME A POSTER!"

Aha, I feel more normal now.

by **joee** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:11 am UTC

Some people live in countries that use metric measurements. Anyone care to make an imperial version of this comic?

by **Sirobin** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:12 am UTC

Hahaha, absolutely brilliant. My only question though is how a two liter bottle is three liters...?

by **legombajs** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:13 am UTC

I like Randall's "Pyoo" spelling of that spitting noise. It sorta-kinda made me giggle. :wink:

Now, I'm wondering what my teachers would do if I used these values on tests... 1000 grams? One ultraportable laptop.

by **madhollywood** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:13 am UTC

As an unapologetic Yank I refuse to change my points of reference simply for the purpose of converting to metric. On the other hand, for the sake of a your mama joke I might be willing to do anything.

by **aion7** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:13 am UTC

Randall, get into my head! If I could think of stuff like that, I'd be awesome.

by **keeneal** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:15 am UTC

...how is this not already a poster in the store?

I have to say that my favorite part was the "blood in a fieldmouse" entry under Volume... but does anyone else think it should have been a churchmouse? (http://xkcd.com/434/)

by **kanavazk** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:16 am UTC

Spit actually DOESN'T go *clink!* at -40 C.

by **Qwert** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:16 am UTC

I don't know why, but 'Spit goes clink" made me quite literally laugh out loud.

Semi-related: Saw this on Fark, quite awesome.

by **mrmanme** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:18 am UTC

Bah as a Canadian from Saskatoon Saskatchewan I laugh at the interpretations of temperatures below 0.

You can all go ahead and laugh at the name of the place where I live now.

by **Bartimaeus** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:18 am UTC

Anyone thing there a is reason lightsaber blade (1m) is b4 Summer Glau (170cm) and Darth Vader (200cm) on length?

by **themuffinking** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:20 am UTC

I AM KNOW A FACT

-40C is the same as -40F!

HOORAY

by **BRNZ** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:20 am UTC

So I'm sitting here, not-actively participating in a pretty deep philosophical and religious conversation, when I realize it's 11:06! (central time)

So I pull out of the conversation to check xkcd, and promptly and frequently interrupt this deep conversation around me with wild bursts of laughter. Honestly, there were at least five times when I put their discussion on hold due to my uproarious laughter. Awesome. I definitely need this added to my poster arsenal.

by **collinstocks** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:20 am UTC

keeneal wrote:...how is this not already a poster in the store?

I have to say that my favorite part was the "blood in a fieldmouse" entry under Volume... but does anyone else think it should have been a churchmouse? (http://xkcd.com/434/)

Nah, that would defeat the purpose since that is in ounces.

by **GodShapedBullet** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:21 am UTC

Well, I do like that this was all a big set-up to a Your Mom joke though I could do without some of the lazier Firefly references.

by **mrbaggins** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:21 am UTC

Does no one see the inherent terror within a raptor on a hoverboard?

How exactly did Randall test this speed? HMMMM?

Bartimaeus wrote:Is there a reason lightsaber blade (1m) is b4 Summer Glau (170cm) and Darth Vader (200cm)?

Because 100 < 170 < 200?

I intend to make my own poster using a variety of these measurements and a bunch of my own.

Pushing 3 people into the fridge because they have less total volume should be interesting... 195L is only slightly less than the 200L fridge. Go buy a bigger one.

by **alchemistique** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:22 am UTC

Agreed, I would totally buy this poster.

by **evilspoons** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:22 am UTC

It's been -30 (C) here for the last week. -20 no longer feels like "FUCKFUCKFUCKCOLD" but "hey, it's NICE out".

edit: I live in Edmonton, so I can validate the guy below who said -45 C wind chill.

by **Bartimaeus** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:24 am UTC

keeneal wrote:I have to say that my favorite part was the "blood in a fieldmouse" entry under Volume... but does anyone else think it should have been a churchmouse? (http://xkcd.com/434/)

I think it refers to how nobody knows how much blood is in a churchmouse

by **kanavazk** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:24 am UTC

It was around -45 plus wind chill or something when I was back in Edmonton for a winter holiday... wtf?

by **codyhotel** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:26 am UTC

mrmanme wrote:Bah as a Canadian from Saskatoon Saskatchewan I laugh at the interpretations of temperatures below 0.

You can all go ahead and laugh at the name of the place where I live now.

Winnipeg Manitoba here, I also guffawed at all of the below zero temps. It was a balmy -25 here today.

by **Melauren** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:27 am UTC

Sirobin: Magic!

He also says a soda can is 250mL. Aren't they, like, practically always 355mL, unless you buy those stubby ones that are supposed to make you think soda is less bad for you if you drink less of it?

*edit: Southernish Ontario here... cold weather, but nowhere near as brutally frigid as what you ladies and gents get in Winnipeg and Saskatoon!

by **HappySmileMan** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:29 am UTC

Came here to mention the 3L for 2L bottle and that a soda can is 330ml, not 250ml... But was beaten on both counts...

I actually would've been first to mention the soda can if I didn't have to log in

by **GodShapedBullet** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:31 am UTC

This is Randall Munroe's arrogant dismissal of the Canadian domination of the webcomic industry.

by **krynd** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:32 am UTC

GodShapedBullet wrote:Well, I do like that this was all a big set-up to a Your Mom joke though I could do without some of the lazier ~~Firefly~~ references.

Fixed.

I especially find this true of the "volume" panel, which was 1/4 references to people posessing more blood than the a "human male". This, of course, doesn't make any sense regarding some of his choices. Summer Glau is likely smaller in size than a human male, and I would suspect Dennis Kucinich is as well. The "mass" seemed somewhat lazy to me as well. One "Yo' Momma" joke is funny. The second joke, about her cheap jewlery, would've been funnier if we were given 20kg as a reference point as well. Unfortunately, Randall chose to nerd-snipe us instead (who else, who uses only the imperial system, pulled out their calculator for that one?).

Last, why is a cat listed after a 15kg CRT monitor? It's a minor flaw, but the addition of a 4.1 cat-with-caption, bothers me.

by **tacvek** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:35 am UTC

HappySmileMan wrote:Came here to mention the 3L for 2L bottle and that a soda can is 330ml, not 250ml... But was beaten on both counts...

I actually would've been first to mention the soda can if I didn't have to log in

At the moment on my screen the can is marked at 350ml not 250, but the 3L in 2L bottle error is present.

by **chishm** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:37 am UTC

Melauren wrote:He also says a soda can is 250mL. Aren't they, like, practically always 355mL, unless you buy those stubby ones that are supposed to make you think soda is less bad for you if you drink less of it?

HappySmileMan wrote:Came here to mention the 3L for 2L bottle and that a soda can is 330ml, not 250ml... But was beaten on both counts...

You guys are getting ripped off. Our ~~soda~~ soft drink cans are 375mL, and our normal, single-person bottles are 600mL.

Also, is there anywhere besides the USA that still attempts to use that hilariously outdated imperial "system" of measurement?

by **Timequake** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:40 am UTC

This comic has inspired me to make a human tower of Serenity's crew.
..."If they take the ship, they'll start with Jayne, then put the Captain on next, then Shepherd Book, you, Wash, me, Inara, Kaylee, and River. And if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order."

by **jade** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:40 am UTC

somebody been watching a lot of firefly lately?

by **Benson** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:41 am UTC

From the volume table, the snot glass is disturbing (as intended), but I find the implication that one could snort the blood of ten fieldmice even more disturbing. Especially given my innate bent to the scientific method.

On a more serious note, those temperatures seem all wrong. A cold day in Indiana is below 0F, or about -20C, for starters. I could believe that Boston is that mild and balmy, but Moscow?! :shock:

Likewise, a Hoosier's not apt to wear a proper jacket at 10C, unless planning to be out in it for a while. And, hat-tip to the Saskatchewan Sasquatches, who also know something about winter, and maybe a bit more!

by **alitheiapsis** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:43 am UTC

Also, is there anywhere besides the USA that still attempts to use that hilariously outdated imperial "system" of measurement?

Yes, exactly two other countries. Liberia and Myanmar/Burma. I have this memorized to I can embarrass my geography teacher, who makes fun of metric. I also brought it up in chemistry one time.

I don't have enough posts, or I would post a link to a map, but it's a pretty simple Google.

by **Lindir The Green** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:44 am UTC

Ptchaa! We Minnesotans scoff at your temperature chart, almost as much as the Canadians do.

It was -20 C here, which wasn't that cold. -25 C is cold. I've never gotten to -40 C unless you include the windchill, but that's cheating.

by **wizzfizz** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:46 am UTC

chishm wrote:Also, is there anywhere besides the USA that still attempts to use that hilariously outdated imperial "system" of measurement?

http://www.designverb.com/2007/06/19/non-metric-countries/

Liberia, Myanmar, and the United States.

by **Meng Bomin** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:47 am UTC

I will join the chorus that is saying "Thank you for this and please make a poster."

by **Master Gunner** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:48 am UTC

I would just like to state that, while living in the same house, in the same place, I have experienced both a "southern US heat wave" and well below "spit goes 'clunk'". That's the maritimes for you. Damn you, ocean currents!

by **Affableprechaun** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:49 am UTC

I can't believe Randall put this comic up and called it converting to metric and then didn't use Kelvin.

After him already crushing my hope for him to join in the 1 is really prime campaign with his holiday comic... this is too much to bare.

by **linguistic** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:49 am UTC

krynd wrote:I especially find this true of the "volume" panel, which was 1/4 references to people posessing more blood than the a "human male". This, of course, doesn't make any sense regarding some of his choices. Summer Glau is likely smaller in size than a human male, and I would suspect Dennis Kucinich is as well.

Volume of blood != Total volume

While I'm here:
I live in Australia. Our "normal" soft drink (ugh, okay, "soda") cans are 375mL. You can get the itty bitty cans they serve to you on aeroplanes, but they're hardly common (to the point where I can't even remember their volume).

Our water bottles are typically 600mL, except again, for the itty bitty ones that you only find in vending machines on really really hot days.
These bonsai water bottles usually cost five bucks and the corresponding image on the machine itself leads you to believe that they contain a veritable oasis worth of pure, clear water.

But I'm not bitter.

by **Bartimaeus** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:50 am UTC

Timequake wrote:This comic has inspired me to make a human tower of Serenity's crew.
..."If they take the ship, they'll start with Jayne, then put the Captain on next, then Shepherd Book, you, Wash, me, Inara, Kaylee, and River. And if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order."

You mean: they'll start with you, then put the Jayne on next, then then Mal, then Shepherd Book, Wash, Inara, Kaylee, me, and River in that order?

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