0260: "The Glass Necklace"

[ShadowLurker]

Alt-text: "Well, for some value of 'actually work'."

Gah. I have to admit I don't completely get it. Too many of these just go over my head.

[athelas]

An odd way of making a glass necklace. I like how in xkcdland, all actions have physical representations hovering nearby.


LE4dGOLEM SAYS: Somebody coined the term "xkcdverse". It is better than "xkcdland".

*research later*

Isaac Hill coined it in the "kite" discussion (the *tie* physical representation). THe earliest seperate event was Phy in the "conspiracy theories" thread (bug report to God)

[Introitus]

I'd love to see someone do this IRL.

And for the life of me, I can't help but think, "Awwwww" when I see the outcome.

[The LuigiManiac]

Nice weird use of onomatopoeia, as always.

EDIT:By the way ShadowLurker, you might want to post in the Introductions Thread before the mods come after you.

[Anmorata]

There's something to be said for original gifts, and I think that tops anything I could ever come up with. Awesome.

[John DeSavage]

Not to be pedantic*, but the only onomatopoeias above are rumble, boom, and crack.

*Ok... to be totally pedantic.

[EYanyo]

Are you trying to have me believe that lightning struck and was conducted through a balloon? Madness, I say!

[Dew_N_O]

Wow, there are so many things RIGHT with this comic. Endearing humor, solid structure, and powerful emotional connection.

XKCDReviewSite.org.wi gives this comic a 13/15 with 36 total votes.

Pretty sweet.

[warriorness]

I love the onomatopoeia. Reminds me of some poorly-translated mangas that say "put" or "touch" or whatever every other panel.

So... how would this process make a necklace? I know sand will turn into glass when struck by lightning, but how do you get a loop out of it rather than a single strand?

[Relsqui]

Well, sand + heat DOES = glass. More or less. This is just an exceptionally roundabout and awesome way of going about it.

If xkcd has as much time on his hands as his characters do, he's gonna make some geek girl really happy. 8)

[The LuigiManiac]

Wow, there are so many things RIGHT with this comic. Endearing humor, solid structure, and powerful emotional connection.

XKCDReviewSite.org.wi gives this comic a 13/15 with 36 total votes.

Pretty sweet.

There's a review site?

EDIT: I just checked Wikipedia, and .wi isn't a top-level domain. IT"S A TRAP!

[DeadCatX2]

I believe the comic is referring to Fulgurite.

Obligatory wikipedia link - fulgurite is the material that you get when lightning strikes sand.

The lightning is actually so hot that the sand fuses together to form a sort of glass.

[++$-]

Are you trying to have me believe that lightning struck and was conducted through a balloon? Madness, I say!

That lightning has just jumped through 2000 feet of air. Do you think a balloon is going to stop it? Especially a wet one?

The comic wins. I knew what the ending was going to be as soon as I read the title but it was still good.

[Dxh]

And so close to Mother's day... Hmmm...

[The LuigiManiac]

In some countries, Mother's Day was on Thursday.

[John DeSavage]

I believe the comic is referring to Fulgurite.

Obligatory wikipedia link - fulgurite is the material that you get when lightning strikes sand.

The lightning is actually so hot that the sand fuses together to form a sort of glass.

I was going to make an observation about how lightning-fused glass can often be found in gift shops, then I imagined it being mass produced in the same sort of process as depicted in the comic, but with a really large balloon suspending a giant matrix of individual cannisters of sand, and it kind of broke my head.

[EradicateIV]

Why don't we take the energy from lightning and store it somewhere.

Unless we already do this? (I have no idea?)

[Arancaytar]

I haven't decided which is funnier: That there are vague "action sounds" for everything; not just "rumble" (the only justifiable one) but also make, admire and give.

Or that that's a lovably circuitous way of producing glass. Even if it does work.

I can only imagine...

"Look, dear, it's a glass necklace!"

"Glass? You're so cheap."

"But... wait! It's glass I made out of sand myself by flying a kite in a thunderstorm!"

This is one of those situations by which you can recognize your girlfriend as a geek (hopefully).

[Gelsamel]

xkcd Fulgurite necklace merchandise please.

[Arancaytar]

xkcd Fulgurite necklace merchandise please.

Too lazy to wait for a thunderstorm?

[Dew_N_O]

xkcd Fulgurite necklace merchandise please.

Too lazy to wait for a thunderstorm?

Why would you want to wait for unofficial merchandise? It has no value on the collectors' market and it's not much cheaper...

Buy legal. Buy safe. It's the law.

[skeptical scientist]

Wow, there are so many things RIGHT with this comic. Endearing humor, solid structure, and powerful emotional connection.

XKCDReviewSite.org.wi gives this comic a 13/15 with 36 total votes.

Pretty sweet.

There's a review site?

EDIT: I just checked Wikipedia, and .wi isn't a top-level domain. IT"S A TRAP!

Does .wi stand for "what if"? It's clearly hypothetically could exist kind of site.

[Dew_N_O]

Wow, there are so many things RIGHT with this comic. Endearing humor, solid structure, and powerful emotional connection.

XKCDReviewSite.org.wi gives this comic a 13/15 with 36 total votes.

Pretty sweet.

There's a review site?

EDIT: I just checked Wikipedia, and .wi isn't a top-level domain. IT"S A TRAP!

Does .wi stand for "what if"? It's clearly hypothetically could exist kind of site.

Close.

wi stands for "downward facing bird face eye being stabbed WIth a needle" The layout is *that* bad.

[Dark Ragnarok]

This reminds me of a valentines gift i wanted to give someone. It was going to be a heart shaped pocky on the cover of a manga book they needed to fit their collection. too bad i never got around it.

I think to many people entirely go out and pick whatever's nice with not too much second thought. Like a gift that's good enough, rather than going out of your way to get something totally thoughtful.

[Woxor]

Not to be pedantic*, but the only onomatopoeias above are rumble, boom, and crack.

*Ok... to be totally pedantic.

You mean you don't hear an ambient sort of "GIVE" sound when you give something?

[The LuigiManiac]

Now that I think about it, what if it isn't onomatopoeia at all, but rather the character is running on SCUMM? It has a give command...

[John DeSavage]

I always liked the Simpsons' take on the campy 60's Batman onomatopoeias.

ZUFF! PAN!! SNUH! BORT! POOO! NEWT! MINT! ZAK!

[Tshen2]

It would be pretty awesome if those old SCUMM games had 'approve' and 'admire' commands.

ADMIRE 3-headed monkey.

APPROVE of Purple Tentacle.

[Brucmack]

Why don't we take the energy from lightning and store it somewhere.

Unless we already do this? (I have no idea?)

The problem is that, although it contains an insane amount of energy, a bolt of lightning exists for a very short period of time. So the challenge would be to create some kind of energy storage mechanism that can charge instantaneously and then gradually release the energy. Unfortunately, we don't have batteries that can do this yet :)

[grim4593]

I think to many people entirely go out and pick whatever's nice with not too much second thought. Like a gift that's good enough, rather than going out of your way to get something totally thoughtful.

Thoughtful items are usually useless.
Useful items are usually thoughtless.

For me anyway, I find it hard to get to the balance. Its hard to get something thoughtful. And even if I do find a thoughtful gift, the receiver might just look past that and not even realize the significance or the thought in it. :/

[hellojed]

I think to many people entirely go out and pick whatever's nice with not too much second thought. Like a gift that's good enough, rather than going out of your way to get something totally thoughtful.

Thoughtful items are usually useless.
Useful items are usually thoughtless.

For me anyway, I find it hard to get to the balance. Its hard to get something thoughtful. And even if I do find a thoughtful gift, the receiver might just look past that and not even realize the significance or the thought in it. :/

That's why I usually get books, the only problem is if your recipient doesn't read them, and then it gets tricky, because you have to pick a book that they will read, but wouldn't pick out by themselves.

Yeah, mutual gift giving is a snafu.

[darwinsbeagle]

Thoughtful items are usually useless.
Useful items are usually thoughtless.

Pithy, but not entirely accurate. I am practical to a fault, and therefore receive a useful gift much more warmly than a useless one. In fact, I tend to think that useless gifts indicate a level of thoughlessness because they show the giver did not consider my preferences.

In short, keep your lightening glass necklaces, and give me a sturdy can opener.

[ArchangelShrike]

But the necklace is enchanted! +1 to hit!

[Gelsamel]

Hit sucks, I want Atk.

[ArchangelShrike]

You need an artificial diamond for that kind of enchantment.

[Puellus Peregrinus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulgurite

Ok. It's official. You guys are nerds

[voodooKobra]

Wow... I wonder if I could make it into an Amulet of Mana?

EDIT: bah! someone already made a gaming joke. Screw you and your +1 to hit. I have weapon focus for that!

[Pfeutzeneutre]

I just want to go on record as saying that this is a genius idea.

[Minerva]

Natural Fulgerite, of course, is extremely rare, so i can understand why you might want to make it yourself. But Trinitite isn't as rare, it's far more interesting, and prettier, too.

[lyworm]

I'd love to see someone do this IRL.

And for the life of me, I can't help but think, "Awwwww" when I see the outcome.

Me too. I'm melting :P