xkcd

by **joee** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:31 am UTC

Alt text: Interestingly, on a true vertical log plot, I think the Eiffel Tower's sides really would be straight lines.

http://xkcd.com/482/

Tonight's comic will be a few minutes late!
Sorry, I accidentally the whole thing.

That was worth the wait.
/me giggles at "holy crap lots of space". and the kitty. and the python guy. We should start a list of things to find in this picture.

by **HPDDJ** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:32 am UTC

You just won an internet stamina post spree but you didn't even post the image right. I demand a recount.

by **athelas** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:34 am UTC

Is there a point to the "I accidentally the whole thing," besides sheer inanity?

by **TheHand** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:34 am UTC

BETELGEUSE!

BETELGEUSE!

BETELGEUSE!

by **the_frufru** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:35 am UTC

I really hope that isn't Schrödinger's cat going off the top end of the panel. I'm going to have to call the SPCA...

by **HPDDJ** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:36 am UTC

That must be Ryan Braun's homer. WOO PLAYOFFS!

by **phlip** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:37 am UTC

Gah! Drowning in injokes!

Hilarious. I've always loved the comics like this, Electromagnetic Spectrum, and such...

by **HeartOfFocus** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:38 am UTC

Ford Prefect and the cat were BY FAR my favorites.

by **BwaHaHa** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:38 am UTC

How do you throw a cat off the top of space? And does said cat have a caption glued to it?

by **Benson** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:39 am UTC

Title text: "Interestingly, on a true vertical log plot, I think the Eiffel Tower's sides really would be straight lines."

Wikipedia says that's wrong; there's two exponentials, so it'd be a sharply broken line.

by **sje46** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:40 am UTC

I didn't know that about Snoop Dogg.

Nice callback to abusive astonomy.

by **GodShapedBullet** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:41 am UTC

Today's comic was pretty nice. It's always heartwarming to see a comic writer feel free to indulge in some in jokes if it isn't too often.

Plus the Snoop Dogg joke was pretty cute and it was pretty helpful in orienting me as far as Star Trek space and actual space go.

by **hideki101** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:41 am UTC

Woah, this is pretty awesome. I demand this in poster size.

by **joee** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:42 am UTC

Is that a possum on a book, near the top?

by **GodShapedBullet** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:43 am UTC

So sector 001 really goes out that far?

by **kriel** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:44 am UTC

Looks like somebody had some fun drawing...

Is that really how a pyramid would look like on a log scale, btw?

by **RogueA** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:44 am UTC

I see Randall is a fan of YTMND. Love the catonakeyboardinspace reference. http://whatyouseewhenyoudie.ytmnd.com/

Edit:

Is that a possum on a book, near the top?

Nope. catonakeyboardinspace.

by **Hasufel** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:45 am UTC

hideki101 wrote:Woah, this is pretty awesome. I demand this in poster size.

I was just about to say that, but like 50 million people posted while I was logging on.

Actually more like nine.

Website · by **Kazuke** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:49 am UTC

I feel so....small...
Maybe I should get one of those pumps...

by **Dakman** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:49 am UTC

I second the poster idea... seriously Randall your going to have to get on this.

by **SwissArmyAnts** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:51 am UTC

Holy crap, I plan to print this and turn it into a poster.

Also, I wish that the Falcon 1 was labeled, but good' nuff

by **GuitarFreak** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:52 am UTC

I third the poster. This would be awesome.

I also want an electromagnetic spectrum poster D:

by **sje46** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:52 am UTC

What's the bowl of salt thing?

by **Steve the Pocket** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:53 am UTC

athelas wrote:Is there a point to the "I accidentally the whole thing," besides sheer inanity?

It's clearly a prank, involving a reference to the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" /b/ prank... but I have no idea if there was a point to it or not.

Honestly though, I found it just as funny as the comic itself. Maybe because I'm so used to seeing forum posts and such where people the verb like that. Not on purpose of course, but... just, how do you the most important word in a sentence!?

by **shadow_spork** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:53 am UTC

hideki101 wrote:Woah, this is pretty awesome. I demand this in poster size.

This!

A poster the size of the height of my door would be pretty awesome!

Numerous in-jokes on this!!

by **pyroman** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:54 am UTC

phew i was getting worried that the comic was up yet. I needed to get my fix before i went to sleep. Worth the wait

I personally liked the "In retrospect they shouldn't have sent a poet. I have no idea how to land" yay contact (Immortalized by interrogating the corsairs in starcraft)

by **princessdiz** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:55 am UTC

OH wow..awesome...yes door sized poster please?

Of course some of the jokes went way over my head..(get it get it? uhh n/m)...

but I really did giggle at the asteroid one.....*sighs* I remember how fast those things sucked quarters....

by **joee** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:55 am UTC

sje46 wrote:What's the bowl of salt thing?

Futurama quote

by **Givenup** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:57 am UTC

i want to know how long its going to take the Cat to hit the group

by **sje46** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:59 am UTC

joee wrote:
sje46 wrote:What's the bowl of salt thing?

Futurama quote

At first I was thinking Simpsons, and then I recognized the space ship. Thanks.

by **aasmith** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:02 am UTC

is it supposed to be antEnnae? or is it an in-joke that i don't get?

by **wolf_man** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:03 am UTC

First GOOMHR, I recently have had to present a poem I wrote about the Burj Dubai (lower left corner) several times.

Albeit, if you draw a cross-section of the universe, there will be a lot of things referenced.

<shameless self-promotion>
While I realize this is my 3rd, not 5th, post here's a link to my poem if anyone's interested:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhts46tq_7g44wxbc3
</shameless self-promotion>

by **exanimis** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:03 am UTC

This is very odd. I was literally just watching a movie the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum made back in the day which is just like this.

They zoomed out of a 1 meter circle by powers 10 until they hit the end of our visible universe. It was kind of cool. I was watching it on Hulu. It’s called “Cosmic Voyage”.

They also then zoomed into a cell by powers 10.

The graphics aren’t this best when compared to what they can do now, that and it says Pluto’s still a planet, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

OH, and I agree w/ the poster request as well.

by **thesoffish** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:04 am UTC

Yes, poster. I was going to log on just to say this must be made available as one, but I thankfully see I am not the only one

The walls of my dorm room tingle with longing..

by **SwissArmyAnts** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:05 am UTC

Givenup wrote:i want to know how long its going to take the Cat to hit the group

Well, if the universe has positive curvature, and lots of mass, given enough time, it'll just hit Black Hat Man in the head.

by **lastscattering** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:06 am UTC

This is awesome... I love astronomy.

And all the little jokes.

by **rhybread** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:06 am UTC

Count me too in the poster clamor.

I'm happy that Snoop made it on. We owe so much to his great explorations.

by **sje46** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:06 am UTC

exanimis wrote:This is very odd. I was literally just watching a movie the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum made back in the day which is just like this.

They zoomed out of a 1 meter circle by powers 10 until they hit the end of our visible universe. It was kind of cool. I was watching it on Hulu. It’s called “Cosmic Voyage”.

They also then zoomed into a cell by powers 10.

The graphics aren’t this best when compared to what they can do now, that and it says Pluto’s still a planet, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

OH, and I agree w/ the poster request as well.

Welcome.

I think I know what video your talking about, and I think there is an xkcd parodying it already.

by **inkabink** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:07 am UTC

I must agree. This would be awesome as a door poster. Pretty please?

by **thesoffish** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:09 am UTC

exanimis wrote:This is very odd. I was literally just watching a movie the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum made back in the day which is just like this.

They zoomed out of a 1 meter circle by powers 10 until they hit the end of our visible universe. It was kind of cool. I was watching it on Hulu. It’s called “Cosmic Voyage”.

They also then zoomed into a cell by powers 10.

The graphics aren’t this best when compared to what they can do now, that and it says Pluto’s still a planet, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

OH, and I agree w/ the poster request as well.

There was an essay question for the University of Chicago application about a very similar, if not the same, video as this. I think that film was called "Powers of 10."

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