#xkcd No. 3136
Date: 2025-9-1
Title: Pull
Alt text: Be careful fighting gravity. If you win, it's a long way down.
https://xkcd.com/3136/
xkcd
![Description:
Two small, round creatures with eyes are stuck to the grassy, curved surface of a large orb, having a conversation across three panels.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A small, round creature speaks.]
Creature: I DON'T LIKE BEING STUCK TO THIS ORB, BUT I GUESS FALLING OFF WOULD BE WORSE.
Panel 2:
[The same creature continues speaking.]
Creature: I WOULDN'T MIND IF IT PULLED A LITTLE LESS HARD, THOUGH. I HAVE PLACES TO BE. I SHOULDN'T JUST LIE AROUND IN THE GRASS.
Panel 3:
[A second creature, next to the first one, replies.]
Second Creature: MAYBE THE PULL WILL WEAKEN IF YOU WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.
First Creature: GOOD IDEA. I'LL GIVE IT ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES.](/proxy/post_attachment/843302/e20ac7952b.png "Description:
Two small, round creatures with eyes are stuck to the grassy, curved surface of a large orb, having a conversation across three panels.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A small, round creature speaks.]
Creature: I DON'T LIKE BEING STUCK TO THIS ORB, BUT I GUESS FALLING OFF WOULD BE WORSE.
Panel 2:
[The same creature continues speaking.]
Creature: I WOULDN'T MIND IF IT PULLED A LITTLE LESS HARD, THOUGH. I HAVE PLACES TO BE. I SHOULDN'T JUST LIE AROUND IN THE GRASS.
Panel 3:
[A second creature, next to the first one, replies.]
Second Creature: MAYBE THE PULL WILL WEAKEN IF YOU WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.
First Creature: GOOD IDEA. I'LL GIVE IT ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES.")
#xkcd No. 2903
Date: 2024-3-6
Title: Earth/Venus Venn Diagram
Alt text: Actually, the fact that Mars is still orbiting safely over here means that it was technically an *Euler* apocalypse, not a Venn one.
https://xkcd.com/2903/
#xkcd No. 2905
Date: 2024-3-11
Title: Supergroup
Alt text: I love their cover of 1,200 Balloons, Dalmatians, and Miles.
https://xkcd.com/2905/
#xkcd No. 2996
Date: 2024-10-9
Title: CIDABM
Alt text: There's a heated debate over whether the big island of Tierra del Fuego should qualify for membership.
https://xkcd.com/2996/
#xkcd No. 2906
Date: 2024-3-13
Title: Earth
Alt text: Just think of all the countless petty squabbles and misunderstandings, of all the fervent hatreds, over so insignificant a thing as the direction and duration of a rocket engine firing.
https://xkcd.com/2906/
#xkcd No. 2907
Date: 2024-3-15
Title: Schwa
Alt text: Doug's cousin, the one from London, runs a Bumble love cult.
https://xkcd.com/2907/
#xkcd No. 2904
Date: 2024-3-8
Title: Physics vs. Magic
Alt text: 'At the stroke of midnight, your brother will be hurtling sideways at an altitude of 150 meters' is a regular physics prediction about your nonmagical trebuchet, whereas 'you are cursed to build a brother-launching trebuchet' falls out of the Lagrangian.
https://xkcd.com/2904/
#xkcd No. 3139
Date: 2025-9-8
Title: Chess Variant
Alt text: The draw-by-repetition rule does a good job of keeping players from sliding a tile back and forth repeatedly, but the tiles definitely introduce some weird en passant and castling edge cases.
https://xkcd.com/3139/
![Description:
A chessboard is depicted as a sliding tile puzzle. A rectangular block of squares has been slid downwards, displacing several chess pieces.
Transcript:
[The image shows a chessboard modified to resemble a sliding tile puzzle. A 2x3 block of squares has been slid down one square, creating a gap and misaligning the pieces. The game pieces are on the board in a configuration resembling the start of a game, but altered by the sliding section.]
Caption: SLIDING NUMBER PUZZLE CHESS](/proxy/post_attachment/849227/32877d1d4f.png "Description:
A chessboard is depicted as a sliding tile puzzle. A rectangular block of squares has been slid downwards, displacing several chess pieces.
Transcript:
[The image shows a chessboard modified to resemble a sliding tile puzzle. A 2x3 block of squares has been slid down one square, creating a gap and misaligning the pieces. The game pieces are on the board in a configuration resembling the start of a game, but altered by the sliding section.]
Caption: SLIDING NUMBER PUZZLE CHESS")
#xkcd No. 3138
Date: 2025-9-5
Title: Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure
Alt text: A person with two watches is never sure what time it is, especially if I got them one of the watches.
https://xkcd.com/3138/
![Description:
An advertisement for a "Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure," showing a diagram of a 2x4's actual size and a comparison of two rulers' markings.
Transcript:
Title: DIMENSIONAL LUMBER TAPE MEASURE
[The comic is a single panel, laid out like an advertisement.]
Text: DIMENSIONAL LUMBER SIZES ARE TRICKY. A "2x4" IS ACTUALLY 1½" BY 3½", AND A "1x8" IS ¾" BY 7¼".
[A diagram shows a piece of lumber labeled "2x4" with its actual dimensions marked as 1½" high and 3½" wide.]
Text: IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTO CARPENTRY OR WOODWORKING, GET THEM OUR DIMENSIONAL LUMBER TAPE MEASURE.
[Two tape measure cases are shown. One is for a standard 12-foot tape. The other is for a 12-foot* tape, with an asterisk.]
Label: NORMAL TAPE MEASURE:
[A ruler with standard, evenly spaced inch markings from 1 to 9 is shown.]
Label: DIMENSIONAL LUMBER TAPE MEASURE:
[A second ruler is shown below the first for comparison. Its numbered markings are spaced farther apart.]
Text: DON'T TELL THEM YOU GOT IT—JUST LEAVE IT IN THEIR TOOLBOX. THEY'LL APPRECIATE THE SURPRISE WHEN ALL THEIR MEASUREMENTS WORK OUT](/proxy/post_attachment/847591/e8e94c91ea.png "Description:
An advertisement for a \"Dimensional Lumber Tape Measure,\" showing a diagram of a 2x4's actual size and a comparison of two rulers' markings.
Transcript:
Title: DIMENSIONAL LUMBER TAPE MEASURE
[The comic is a single panel, laid out like an advertisement.]
Text: DIMENSIONAL LUMBER SIZES ARE TRICKY. A \"2x4\" IS ACTUALLY 1½\" BY 3½\", AND A \"1x8\" IS ¾\" BY 7¼\".
[A diagram shows a piece of lumber labeled \"2x4\" with its actual dimensions marked as 1½\" high and 3½\" wide.]
Text: IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTO CARPENTRY OR WOODWORKING, GET THEM OUR DIMENSIONAL LUMBER TAPE MEASURE.
[Two tape measure cases are shown. One is for a standard 12-foot tape. The other is for a 12-foot* tape, with an asterisk.]
Label: NORMAL TAPE MEASURE:
[A ruler with standard, evenly spaced inch markings from 1 to 9 is shown.]
Label: DIMENSIONAL LUMBER TAPE MEASURE:
[A second ruler is shown below the first for comparison. Its numbered markings are spaced farther apart.]
Text: DON'T TELL THEM YOU GOT IT—JUST LEAVE IT IN THEIR TOOLBOX. THEY'LL APPRECIATE THE SURPRISE WHEN ALL THEIR MEASUREMENTS WORK OUT")
#xkcd No. 3137
Date: 2025-9-3
Title: Cursed Number
Alt text: Another group of mathematicians is working to put an upper bound on the number, although everyone keeps begging them to stop.
https://xkcd.com/3137/
![Description:
A representative from the Math Dept, standing at a lectern, presents to two people. A screen behind them shows an equation with a skull symbol.
Transcript:
[The comic shows a single panel above a caption.]
Panel:
[Three figures are at what appears to be a press conference. One stands behind a lectern labeled "MATH DEPT". Behind them, a projector screen displays a formula.]
On screen: [A skull and crossbones symbol] > 2.6×10²¹
Caption:
GOOD NEWS: MATHEMATICIANS HAVE PUT A NEW LOWER BOUND ON THE CURSED NUMBER THAT DESTROYS THE MINDS OF ALL WHO PERCEIVE IT!
IT'S AT LEAST 22 DIGITS, WHICH MEANS IT'S UNLIKELY TO BE SEEN BY ANY HUMAN NO MATTER HOW MANY RANDOM NUMBERS THEY LOOK AT.
THEY SAY IT'S ONCE AGAIN SAFE TO VIEW LARGE RANDOM NUMBERS WITHOUT EYE PROTECTION.](/proxy/post_attachment/847595/bdd4580f16.png "Description:
A representative from the Math Dept, standing at a lectern, presents to two people. A screen behind them shows an equation with a skull symbol.
Transcript:
[The comic shows a single panel above a caption.]
Panel:
[Three figures are at what appears to be a press conference. One stands behind a lectern labeled \"MATH DEPT\". Behind them, a projector screen displays a formula.]
On screen: [A skull and crossbones symbol] > 2.6×10²¹
Caption:
GOOD NEWS: MATHEMATICIANS HAVE PUT A NEW LOWER BOUND ON THE CURSED NUMBER THAT DESTROYS THE MINDS OF ALL WHO PERCEIVE IT!
IT'S AT LEAST 22 DIGITS, WHICH MEANS IT'S UNLIKELY TO BE SEEN BY ANY HUMAN NO MATTER HOW MANY RANDOM NUMBERS THEY LOOK AT.
THEY SAY IT'S ONCE AGAIN SAFE TO VIEW LARGE RANDOM NUMBERS WITHOUT EYE PROTECTION.")
#xkcd No. 3223
Date: 2026-3-23
Title: Inflation Timeline
Alt text: Depending what corners of the internet you hang out on, 'regular' may at times awkwardly coexist with 'sexy.'
https://xkcd.com/3223/
![Description:
A line graph titled "Timeline of Inflation" with a horizontal axis showing "Age of the universe (seconds)" on a logarithmic scale from 10^-40 to 10^20. There are two periods of inflation marked above the axis.
Transcript:
Title: Timeline of Inflation
[A horizontal axis with tick marks is labeled below. An arrow points to the right.]
Axis Label: Age of the universe (seconds)
[The major tick marks are labeled with powers of 10:]
10^-40, 10^-30, 10^-20, 10^-10, 10^0, 10^10, 10^20
[Above the axis, on the far left, a wide grey rectangle spans from before 10^-40 to roughly 10^-35. An arrow points down to it.]
Label: Cosmic
[Above the axis, on the far right, a very narrow, tall rectangle is located between 10^10 and 10^20 (roughly around 10^17 or 10^18). An arrow points down to it.]
Label: Regular](/proxy/post_attachment/1014018/fd29255118.png "Description:
A line graph titled \"Timeline of Inflation\" with a horizontal axis showing \"Age of the universe (seconds)\" on a logarithmic scale from 10^-40 to 10^20. There are two periods of inflation marked above the axis.
Transcript:
Title: Timeline of Inflation
[A horizontal axis with tick marks is labeled below. An arrow points to the right.]
Axis Label: Age of the universe (seconds)
[The major tick marks are labeled with powers of 10:]
10^-40, 10^-30, 10^-20, 10^-10, 10^0, 10^10, 10^20
[Above the axis, on the far left, a wide grey rectangle spans from before 10^-40 to roughly 10^-35. An arrow points down to it.]
Label: Cosmic
[Above the axis, on the far right, a very narrow, tall rectangle is located between 10^10 and 10^20 (roughly around 10^17 or 10^18). An arrow points down to it.]
Label: Regular")
#xkcd No. 2908
Date: 2024-3-18
Title: Moon Armor Index
Alt text: Astronomers are a little unsure of the applicability of this index, but NASA's Planetary Protection Officer is all in favor.
https://xkcd.com/2908/
#xkcd No. 2909
Date: 2024-3-20
Title: Moon Landing Mission Profiles
Alt text: If you pick a low enough orbit, it gives you a lot of freedom to use a lightweight launch vehicle such as a stepladder.
https://xkcd.com/2909/
#xkcd No. 3144
Date: 2025-9-19
Title: Phase Changes
Alt text: People looking for the gaps in our understanding where the meaning of consciousness or free will might hide often turn to quantum uncertainty or infinite cosmologies, as if we don't have breathtakingly complex emergent phenomena right there in our freezers.
https://xkcd.com/3144/
![Description:
A two-panel comic. In panel 1, Megan gestures to a bowl of liquid water. In panel 2, the water has frozen into long, strange spikes.
Transcript:
[Panel 1]
PHASE CHANGES IN THEORY
Megan: AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN WATER IS COOLED TO BELOW 0°C, IT CHANGES FROM A LIQUID TO A SOLID.
[Panel 2]
PHASE CHANGES IN PRACTICE
Megan: WHEN WATER FREEZES, IT SOMETIMES SENDS OUT LONG WEIRD SPIKES. PHYSICS TELLS US THE WATER IS "TRYING TO GIVE US A PRESENT."](/proxy/post_attachment/855000/f4eea844f9.png "Description:
A two-panel comic. In panel 1, Megan gestures to a bowl of liquid water. In panel 2, the water has frozen into long, strange spikes.
Transcript:
[Panel 1]
PHASE CHANGES IN THEORY
Megan: AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN WATER IS COOLED TO BELOW 0°C, IT CHANGES FROM A LIQUID TO A SOLID.
[Panel 2]
PHASE CHANGES IN PRACTICE
Megan: WHEN WATER FREEZES, IT SOMETIMES SENDS OUT LONG WEIRD SPIKES. PHYSICS TELLS US THE WATER IS \"TRYING TO GIVE US A PRESENT.\"")
#xkcd No. 3140
Date: 2025-9-10
Title: Biology Department
Alt text: Welcome to the Linguistics Department - It has been [2] [DAYS] since someone noticed that the Biology Department sign has a one-day-long singular/plural disagreement after it resets.
https://xkcd.com/3140/
![Description:
A large sign with a digital number display stands on a lawn in front of a two-story university building.
Transcript:
[A sign in front of the Biology Department building reads:]
WELCOME TO THE
BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
IT HAS BEEN [3] DAYS SINCE WE DISCOVERED SOMETHING EXISTENTIALLY HORRIFYING ABOUT BUGS THAT MAKES YOU QUESTION YOUR WHOLE REALITY](/proxy/post_attachment/851063/ba93b187d8.png "Description:
A large sign with a digital number display stands on a lawn in front of a two-story university building.
Transcript:
[A sign in front of the Biology Department building reads:]
WELCOME TO THE
BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
IT HAS BEEN [3] DAYS SINCE WE DISCOVERED SOMETHING EXISTENTIALLY HORRIFYING ABOUT BUGS THAT MAKES YOU QUESTION YOUR WHOLE REALITY")
#xkcd No. 2941
Date: 2024-6-3
Title: Cell Organelles
Alt text: It's believed that Golgi was originally an independent organism who was eventually absorbed into our cells, where he began work on his Apparatus.
https://xkcd.com/2941/
#xkcd No. 2913
Date: 2024-3-29
Title: Periodic Table Regions
Alt text: Cesium-133, let it be. Cesium-134, let it be even more.
https://xkcd.com/2913/
#xkcd No. 2914
Date: 2024-4-1
Title: Eclipse Coolness
Alt text: A partial eclipse is like a cool sunset. A total eclipse is like someone broke the sky.
https://xkcd.com/2914/
#xkcd No. 2912
Date: 2024-3-27
Title: Cursive Letters
Alt text: 𝓘 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓛 𝓲𝓼 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓾𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮, 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓬𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓺 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓼𝓸 𝓪 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻.
https://xkcd.com/2912/
#xkcd No. 2915
Date: 2024-4-3
Title: Eclipse Clouds
Alt text: The rare compound solar-lunar-nephelogical eclipse
https://xkcd.com/2915/
#xkcd No. 2917
Date: 2024-4-8
Title: Types of Eclipse Photo
Alt text: The most rare, top-tier eclipse photo would be the Solar Earth Eclipse, but the Apollo 12 crew's attempt to capture it was marred by camera shake. They said it looked spectacular, though.
https://xkcd.com/2917/
#xkcd No. 3145
Date: 2025-9-22
Title: Piercing
Alt text: Some lava around the piercing site is normal, but keep an eye out for spreading earthquakes and eruptive activity that might indicate rifting.
https://xkcd.com/3145/
![Description:
A diagram shows a drilling rig boring a curved tunnel through the Earth's crust. An inset shows the Earth with a large ring piercing a continent.
Transcript:
[The main panel contains a diagram. An inset at the top left shows a large machine with text next to it.]
Text: DIRECTIONAL DRILLING RIG
[The diagram shows the drilling rig on the curved surface of the Earth, creating a borehole that follows the planet's curvature and emerges further along the surface. Text points to the borehole's path.]
Text: CONSTANT CURVATURE BOREHOLE
[A second inset on the right shows the globe of the Earth with a large piercing ring going through a landmass.]
[Caption below the panel]
GOOD NEWS: GEOLOGISTS HAVE DECIDED THAT EARTH IS FINALLY OLD ENOUGH TO GET ITS FIRST LITHOSPHERE PIERCING](/proxy/post_attachment/859736/11fb08a69b.png "Description:
A diagram shows a drilling rig boring a curved tunnel through the Earth's crust. An inset shows the Earth with a large ring piercing a continent.
Transcript:
[The main panel contains a diagram. An inset at the top left shows a large machine with text next to it.]
Text: DIRECTIONAL DRILLING RIG
[The diagram shows the drilling rig on the curved surface of the Earth, creating a borehole that follows the planet's curvature and emerges further along the surface. Text points to the borehole's path.]
Text: CONSTANT CURVATURE BOREHOLE
[A second inset on the right shows the globe of the Earth with a large piercing ring going through a landmass.]
[Caption below the panel]
GOOD NEWS: GEOLOGISTS HAVE DECIDED THAT EARTH IS FINALLY OLD ENOUGH TO GET ITS FIRST LITHOSPHERE PIERCING")
#xkcd No. 2919
Date: 2024-4-12
Title: Sitting in a Tree
Alt text: First comes blood / Then we perish / Then comes Death in his Eternity Carriage.
https://xkcd.com/2919/
#xkcd No. 2920
Date: 2024-4-15
Title: Survey Marker
Alt text: Fun fact: The standard North American NAD83 coordinate system is misaligned from the actual Earth, off-center by about 7 feet. Someone knows where I am, and I'm in the wrong place.
https://xkcd.com/2920/
#xkcd No. 3177
Date: 2025-12-5
Title: Chessboard Alignment
Alt text: Luckily, the range is limited by the fact that the square boundary lines follow great circles.
https://xkcd.com/3177/
![Description:
Three chessboards are set up side-by-side, each with two players. A bishop from the middle board is shown moving onto the right-hand board.
Transcript:
[The panel shows three separate chess games being played side-by-side. A glowing, pixelated path shows a bishop moving from a square on the middle board to a square on the board to the right.]
Caption: IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN BECAUSE IT REQUIRES MICROMETER PRECISION, BUT IF TWO CHESS BOARDS ARE PERFECTLY ALIGNED, IT'S ACTUALLY LEGAL TO MOVE PIECES BETWEEN THEM.](/proxy/post_attachment/925327/7425d10d50.png "Description:
Three chessboards are set up side-by-side, each with two players. A bishop from the middle board is shown moving onto the right-hand board.
Transcript:
[The panel shows three separate chess games being played side-by-side. A glowing, pixelated path shows a bishop moving from a square on the middle board to a square on the board to the right.]
Caption: IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN BECAUSE IT REQUIRES MICROMETER PRECISION, BUT IF TWO CHESS BOARDS ARE PERFECTLY ALIGNED, IT'S ACTUALLY LEGAL TO MOVE PIECES BETWEEN THEM.")