#xkcd No. 3096
Date: 2025-5-30
Title: Check Engine
Alt text: They say it's probably safe to keep orbiting for a while, but if it stays on or starts flashing we might have to call someone.
https://xkcd.com/3096/
xkcd
![Description:
A single panel shows a close-up view of the sun as a large orange circle against a black background. A black rectangle with a yellow "check engine" light symbol is visible on the sun's surface, resembling a sunspot.
Transcript:
[Image of the sun with a "Check Engine" symbol on its surface.]
THIS NEW SUNSPOT CLUSTER HAS RAISED
CONCERN AMONG ASTRONOMERS](/proxy/post_attachment/726074/9704c9c6f1.png "Description:
A single panel shows a close-up view of the sun as a large orange circle against a black background. A black rectangle with a yellow \"check engine\" light symbol is visible on the sun's surface, resembling a sunspot.
Transcript:
[Image of the sun with a \"Check Engine\" symbol on its surface.]
THIS NEW SUNSPOT CLUSTER HAS RAISED
CONCERN AMONG ASTRONOMERS")
#xkcd No. 3103
Date: 2025-6-16
Title: Exoplanet System
Alt text: Sure, this exoplanet we discovered may seem hostile to life, but our calculations suggest it's actually in the accretion disc's habitable zone.
https://xkcd.com/3103/
#xkcd No. 3092
Date: 2025-5-21
Title: Baker's Units
Alt text: 169 is a baker's gross.
https://xkcd.com/3092/
![Description: A single panel shows examples of "baker's units," including groups of objects, a ruler, time, a geometric shape, a date, musical notation, stick figures, and a flag.
Transcript: BAKER'S UNITS
OOOOOOOOOOOO—BAKER'S DOZEN
[Image of a ruler marked with increments]—BAKER'S FOOT
1:00 PM—BAKER'S NOON
[Image of a dodecahedron]—BAKER'S DODECAHEDRON
JANUARY 31ST—BAKER'S NEW YEAR'S EVE
[Image of a musical staff with notes]—BAKER'S OCTAVE
[Row of stick figures]—BAKER'S JURY
[Image of the EU flag]—BAKER'S EU FLAG
ALUMINUM—BAKER'S MAGNESIUM](/proxy/post_attachment/717281/b72a196747.png "Description: A single panel shows examples of \"baker's units,\" including groups of objects, a ruler, time, a geometric shape, a date, musical notation, stick figures, and a flag.
Transcript: BAKER'S UNITS
OOOOOOOOOOOO—BAKER'S DOZEN
[Image of a ruler marked with increments]—BAKER'S FOOT
1:00 PM—BAKER'S NOON
[Image of a dodecahedron]—BAKER'S DODECAHEDRON
JANUARY 31ST—BAKER'S NEW YEAR'S EVE
[Image of a musical staff with notes]—BAKER'S OCTAVE
[Row of stick figures]—BAKER'S JURY
[Image of the EU flag]—BAKER'S EU FLAG
ALUMINUM—BAKER'S MAGNESIUM")
#xkcd No. 3098
Date: 2025-6-4
Title: Trojan Horse
Alt text: Ultimately, history would imperfectly record the story of the Foal of Troy.
https://xkcd.com/3098/
![Description:
Four-panel comic strip show stick figures reacting to a horse, then a smaller horse appearing from a horse.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
WHEN THE GREEKS DEPARTED, THEY LEFT BEHIND A HORSE AS A GIFT.
[Four stick figures stand on a wall overlooking a horse on the ground.]
Panel 2:
WE TOOK IT AS A GESTURE OF PEACE, BUT IT CARRIED A SECRET PAYLOAD.
[A stick figure and a stick figure with a ponytail stand near a large horse.]
Panel 3:
ONE NIGHT, FROM WITHIN THE HORSE, ANOTHER, SMALLER HORSE EMERGED!
[A small horse stands next to a large horse.]
Panel 4:
OUR GUARDS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE INNER HORSE'S OBJECTIVE, BUT IT HAS BEGUN TO SHOW AN INTEREST IN OUR OATS.
An Attack on Troy's Food Supply!
HOW DARE THEY!?
[A stick figure shrugs. Two small asterisks are connected by curving lines to the text "HOW DARE THEY!?"]](/proxy/post_attachment/731478/20542b16c4.png "Description:
Four-panel comic strip show stick figures reacting to a horse, then a smaller horse appearing from a horse.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
WHEN THE GREEKS DEPARTED, THEY LEFT BEHIND A HORSE AS A GIFT.
[Four stick figures stand on a wall overlooking a horse on the ground.]
Panel 2:
WE TOOK IT AS A GESTURE OF PEACE, BUT IT CARRIED A SECRET PAYLOAD.
[A stick figure and a stick figure with a ponytail stand near a large horse.]
Panel 3:
ONE NIGHT, FROM WITHIN THE HORSE, ANOTHER, SMALLER HORSE EMERGED!
[A small horse stands next to a large horse.]
Panel 4:
OUR GUARDS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE INNER HORSE'S OBJECTIVE, BUT IT HAS BEGUN TO SHOW AN INTEREST IN OUR OATS.
An Attack on Troy's Food Supply!
HOW DARE THEY!?
[A stick figure shrugs. Two small asterisks are connected by curving lines to the text \"HOW DARE THEY!?\"]")
#xkcd No. 3101
Date: 2025-6-11
Title: Good Science
Alt text: If you think curiosity without rigor is bad, you should see rigor without curiosity.
https://xkcd.com/3101/
![Description:
A four-panel xkcd comic strip about good science. Stick figures are shown interacting in a classroom or similar setting.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
I'M SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO DO GOOD SCIENCE.
[A stick figure stands next to a list on a podium.]
Panel 2:
BUT WHAT ARE THOSE TOOLS?
METHODOLOGY IS HARD AND THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO GET INCORRECT RESULTS.
WHAT IS THE MAGIC INGREDIENT THAT MAKES FOR GOOD SCIENCE?
[A teacher figure stands in front of two students sitting at desks.]
Panel 3:
TO FIGURE IT OUT, I RAN A REGRESSION WITH ALL THE FACTORS PEOPLE SAY ARE IMPORTANT:
OUTCOME VARIABLE:
• CORRECT SCIENTIFIC RESULTS
PREDICTORS:
• COLLABORATION
• SKEPTICISM OF OTHERS' CLAIMS
• QUESTIONING YOUR OWN BELIEFS
• TRYING TO FALSIFY HYPOTHESES
• CHECKING CITATIONS
• STATISTICAL RIGOR
• BLINDED ANALYSIS
• FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
• OPEN DATA
[A student's head is shown looking at a list.]
Panel 4:
THE REGRESSION SAYS TWO INGREDIENTS ARE THE MOST CRUCIAL:
1) GENUINE CURIOSITY ABOUT THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION, AND
2) AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE
WAIT, WHY DID AMMONIA SCORE SO HIGH? HOW DID IT EVEN GET ON THE LIST?
...AND NOW YOU'RE DOING GOOD SCIENCE!
[The student reading the list reacts with confusion. One of the students from Panel 2 is shown reacting with raised arms, while the other student is seated at their desk.]](/proxy/post_attachment/738515/bed8503754.png "Description:
A four-panel xkcd comic strip about good science. Stick figures are shown interacting in a classroom or similar setting.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
I'M SUPPOSED TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO DO GOOD SCIENCE.
[A stick figure stands next to a list on a podium.]
Panel 2:
BUT WHAT ARE THOSE TOOLS?
METHODOLOGY IS HARD AND THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO GET INCORRECT RESULTS.
WHAT IS THE MAGIC INGREDIENT THAT MAKES FOR GOOD SCIENCE?
[A teacher figure stands in front of two students sitting at desks.]
Panel 3:
TO FIGURE IT OUT, I RAN A REGRESSION WITH ALL THE FACTORS PEOPLE SAY ARE IMPORTANT:
OUTCOME VARIABLE:
• CORRECT SCIENTIFIC RESULTS
PREDICTORS:
• COLLABORATION
• SKEPTICISM OF OTHERS' CLAIMS
• QUESTIONING YOUR OWN BELIEFS
• TRYING TO FALSIFY HYPOTHESES
• CHECKING CITATIONS
• STATISTICAL RIGOR
• BLINDED ANALYSIS
• FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
• OPEN DATA
[A student's head is shown looking at a list.]
Panel 4:
THE REGRESSION SAYS TWO INGREDIENTS ARE THE MOST CRUCIAL:
1) GENUINE CURIOSITY ABOUT THE ANSWER TO A QUESTION, AND
2) AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE
WAIT, WHY DID AMMONIA SCORE SO HIGH? HOW DID IT EVEN GET ON THE LIST?
...AND NOW YOU'RE DOING GOOD SCIENCE!
[The student reading the list reacts with confusion. One of the students from Panel 2 is shown reacting with raised arms, while the other student is seated at their desk.]")
#xkcd No. 3208
Date: 2026-2-16
Title: SNEWS
Alt text: People say setting of fireworks indoors is dangerous, but I looked at their energy release and it's like 10^-40 foe; totally negligible.
https://xkcd.com/3208/
![Description:
A four-panel comic features Ponytail sitting on a bed and Hairy standing nearby. Ponytail explains a device on the ceiling, revealing it's a fireworks launcher linked to a supernova alert system.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Ponytail and Hairy are in a bedroom. Ponytail is sitting on the bed. Hairy is standing near a nightstand, pointing at a device mounted on the ceiling.]
Hairy: What's that device?
Ponytail: Part of the supernova early warning system. There hasn't been a Milky Way supernova in over a century. Astronomers don't want to miss the next one.
Panel 2:
[Close up on Ponytail sitting on the edge of the bed.]
Ponytail: 20 years ago, we set up a supernova alert system using neutrino detectors. It should give us a few hours' advance notice.
Panel 3:
[Ponytail is sitting on the bed with her legs pulled up. Hairy is standing looking at her.]
Ponytail: If it ever goes off, every astronomer on Earth will scramble to point their equipment at the sky.
Hairy: Oh, OK. So is that a detector? Or some kind of telescope?
Panel 4:
[Ponytail remains on the bed. Hairy turns and walks away from the bed, towards the right edge of the panel.]
Ponytail: Fireworks launcher. I *refuse* to sleep through a supernova.
Hairy: I think I'll spend the night at my place instead.](/proxy/post_attachment/995287/64d8c5c453.png "Description:
A four-panel comic features Ponytail sitting on a bed and Hairy standing nearby. Ponytail explains a device on the ceiling, revealing it's a fireworks launcher linked to a supernova alert system.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Ponytail and Hairy are in a bedroom. Ponytail is sitting on the bed. Hairy is standing near a nightstand, pointing at a device mounted on the ceiling.]
Hairy: What's that device?
Ponytail: Part of the supernova early warning system. There hasn't been a Milky Way supernova in over a century. Astronomers don't want to miss the next one.
Panel 2:
[Close up on Ponytail sitting on the edge of the bed.]
Ponytail: 20 years ago, we set up a supernova alert system using neutrino detectors. It should give us a few hours' advance notice.
Panel 3:
[Ponytail is sitting on the bed with her legs pulled up. Hairy is standing looking at her.]
Ponytail: If it ever goes off, every astronomer on Earth will scramble to point their equipment at the sky.
Hairy: Oh, OK. So is that a detector? Or some kind of telescope?
Panel 4:
[Ponytail remains on the bed. Hairy turns and walks away from the bed, towards the right edge of the panel.]
Ponytail: Fireworks launcher. I *refuse* to sleep through a supernova.
Hairy: I think I'll spend the night at my place instead.")
#xkcd No. 3099
Date: 2025-6-6
Title: Neighbor-Source Heat Pump
Alt text: The installation of the pipes on the inside of the insulation can be challenging, especially when the neighbor could come home at any minute.
https://xkcd.com/3099/
#xkcd No. 3100
Date: 2025-6-9
Title: Alert Sound
Alt text: With a good battery, the device can easily last for 5 or 10 years, although the walls probably won't.
https://xkcd.com/3100/
![Description:
A single panel comic. A stick figure person is sitting at a desk with a laptop, covering their ears and yelling. A sound effect is shown nearby.
Transcript:
[Sound effect of "boop!"]
AAAAA!
I HEARD IT AGAIN!
WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM!?
IT TURNS OUT LIVING WELL IS ONLY THE SECOND-BEST REVENGE. the BEST REVENGE IS MAKING A TINY HOLE IN SOMEONE'S WALL AND DROPPING IN A BATTERY-POWERED CAPSULE THAT, EVERY 6-12 HOURS, PLAYS THE ALERT SOUND OF A USB DEVICE CONNECTING.](/proxy/post_attachment/736096/399564eb4e.png "Description:
A single panel comic. A stick figure person is sitting at a desk with a laptop, covering their ears and yelling. A sound effect is shown nearby.
Transcript:
[Sound effect of \"boop!\"]
AAAAA!
I HEARD IT AGAIN!
WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM!?
IT TURNS OUT LIVING WELL IS ONLY THE SECOND-BEST REVENGE. the BEST REVENGE IS MAKING A TINY HOLE IN SOMEONE'S WALL AND DROPPING IN A BATTERY-POWERED CAPSULE THAT, EVERY 6-12 HOURS, PLAYS THE ALERT SOUND OF A USB DEVICE CONNECTING.")
#xkcd No. 3105
Date: 2025-6-20
Title: Interoperability
Alt text: We're getting a lot of complaints from commuters who were routed onto a coaster, but the theme park patrons who spent hours stuck on an intercity line are also not happy.
https://xkcd.com/3105/
#xkcd No. 3106
Date: 2025-6-23
Title: Farads
Alt text: 'This HAZMAT container contains radioactive material with activity of one becquerel.' 'So, like, a single banana slice?'
https://xkcd.com/3106/
![Description: A four-panel xkcd comic features a stick figure, a woman with short dark hair, and a stick figure wearing a fedora. They interact with various objects that are exactly "one" of a unit, with reactions changing from casual to alarmed.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Voice 1: THIS STICK IS ONE METER LONG.
Woman: COOL.
Man in fedora: THAT'S A NICE STICK.
[A stick figure holds up a stick.]
Panel 2:
Voice 1: THIS ROCK WEIGHS ONE POUND.
Woman: I'D BELIEVE IT.
Man in fedora: LOOKS LIKE A NORMAL ROCK.
[A stick figure holds up a small rock.]
Panel 3:
Voice 1: THIS BATTERY IS ONE VOLT.
Woman: SEEMS FINE.
Man in fedora: MIGHT NEED A RECHARGE.
[A stick figure holds up a small battery.]
Panel 4:
Voice 1: THIS CAPACITOR IS ONE FARAD.
Woman: AAAAA! BE CAREFUL!!
Man in fedora: PUT IT DOWN!!
[A stick figure holds up a small capacitor, while the woman recoils and the man in the fedora yells in alarm.]](/proxy/post_attachment/750791/e94c5cd1a0.png "Description: A four-panel xkcd comic features a stick figure, a woman with short dark hair, and a stick figure wearing a fedora. They interact with various objects that are exactly \"one\" of a unit, with reactions changing from casual to alarmed.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Voice 1: THIS STICK IS ONE METER LONG.
Woman: COOL.
Man in fedora: THAT'S A NICE STICK.
[A stick figure holds up a stick.]
Panel 2:
Voice 1: THIS ROCK WEIGHS ONE POUND.
Woman: I'D BELIEVE IT.
Man in fedora: LOOKS LIKE A NORMAL ROCK.
[A stick figure holds up a small rock.]
Panel 3:
Voice 1: THIS BATTERY IS ONE VOLT.
Woman: SEEMS FINE.
Man in fedora: MIGHT NEED A RECHARGE.
[A stick figure holds up a small battery.]
Panel 4:
Voice 1: THIS CAPACITOR IS ONE FARAD.
Woman: AAAAA! BE CAREFUL!!
Man in fedora: PUT IT DOWN!!
[A stick figure holds up a small capacitor, while the woman recoils and the man in the fedora yells in alarm.]")
#xkcd No. 3112
Date: 2025-7-7
Title: Geology Murder
Alt text: After determining that his body was full of pipes carrying iron-rich fluid, our current theory is that the dagger-shaped object precipitated within the wound.
https://xkcd.com/3112/
#xkcd No. 3236
Date: 2026-4-22
Title: Border Message
Alt text: Thanks to differences in logging regulations, the messages actually turned out to be visible from the air.
https://xkcd.com/3236/
![Description:
A dashed line representing a map boundary descends diagonally, forming giant outlined letters.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A dashed border line on a map descends diagonally from the top left to the bottom right. The line separates two labeled areas on the far left, and then the dashes themselves shape into large, outlined letters to form a sentence along the boundary.]
Top left region: EAST VALLEY
Bottom left region: SOUTHLAKE
Dashed line text: WE HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS MAP
Caption below panel: WHEN LOCAL LEGISLATORS GET BORED](/proxy/post_attachment/1043294/045375dd63.png "Description:
A dashed line representing a map boundary descends diagonally, forming giant outlined letters.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A dashed border line on a map descends diagonally from the top left to the bottom right. The line separates two labeled areas on the far left, and then the dashes themselves shape into large, outlined letters to form a sentence along the boundary.]
Top left region: EAST VALLEY
Bottom left region: SOUTHLAKE
Dashed line text: WE HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS MAP
Caption below panel: WHEN LOCAL LEGISLATORS GET BORED")
#xkcd No. 3113
Date: 2025-7-9
Title: Fix This Sign
Alt text: We're building on our earlier success getting web developers to pay to change the backslashes in our displayed payment URL to forward slashes.
https://xkcd.com/3113/
![Description: A single-panel comic shows a large sign with deliberately poor typography asking for donations to fix the sign. Below the sign, a stick figure character (likely Megan) stands, looking frustrated.
Transcript:
DOANATE TO FIX THIS SIGN!
[A QR code is on the left side of the sign.]
https://xkcd.com
$10 FIX KERNING
$20 ALIGN COLUMNS
$20 FIX TEXT SIZE
$50 FIX TYPO
$50 FIX CENTERING
$100 FIX ROTATION
GRRR...
[A stick figure with long hair (Megan) stands below the sign, looking angry and holding a phone.]
MY NEW COMPANY'S BUSINESS MODEL IS BASED ON EXTORTING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS.](/proxy/post_attachment/765015/d04ff27b67.png "Description: A single-panel comic shows a large sign with deliberately poor typography asking for donations to fix the sign. Below the sign, a stick figure character (likely Megan) stands, looking frustrated.
Transcript:
DOANATE TO FIX THIS SIGN!
[A QR code is on the left side of the sign.]
https://xkcd.com
$10 FIX KERNING
$20 ALIGN COLUMNS
$20 FIX TEXT SIZE
$50 FIX TYPO
$50 FIX CENTERING
$100 FIX ROTATION
GRRR...
[A stick figure with long hair (Megan) stands below the sign, looking angry and holding a phone.]
MY NEW COMPANY'S BUSINESS MODEL IS BASED ON EXTORTING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS.")
#xkcd No. 3125
Date: 2025-8-6
Title: Snake-in-the-Box Problem
Alt text: Chemistry grad students have been spotted trying to lure campus squirrels into laundry hampers in the hope that it sparks inspiration.
https://xkcd.com/3125/
![Description: A single-panel comic shows three smaller box diagrams with red "X" marks, and a larger diagram of a snake coiled inside a 3D outlined hypercube. Text describes an unsolved math problem.
Transcript:
A SNAKE SLITHERS AROUND A HYPERCUBE.
NO TWO NON-CONSECUTIVE PARTS OF ITS
COILS CAN BE ON ADJACENT CORNERS.
[Three smaller box diagrams show a snake coiled inside. Red lines highlight adjacent corners where non-consecutive parts of the snake could be, and a red "X" is beneath each, indicating invalid configurations.]
[A larger diagram shows a snake with a striped body coiled around the edges of a wireframe 3D hypercube.]
[A green checkmark appears next to the text:]
DIMENSIONS=4
MAX LENGTH=7
SNAKE(N) = LONGEST SNAKE THAT CAN FIT IN AN N-DIMENSIONAL HYPERCUBE
SNAKE(N=1,2,3...8) = 1, 2, 4, 7, 13, 26, 50, 98
SNAKE(N>8) = UNSOLVED
IT TURNS OUT EVERY SCIENTIFIC FIELD HAS A KEY THOUGHT EXPERIMENT THAT INVOLVES PUTTING A CUTE ANIMAL IN A WEIRD BOX FOR NO REASON.
SO FAR, QUANTUM MECHANICS AND GRAPH THEORY HAVE FOUND THEIRS, BUT MOST OTHER FIELDS ARE STILL WORKING ON IT.](/proxy/post_attachment/791253/512ead8b28.png "Description: A single-panel comic shows three smaller box diagrams with red \"X\" marks, and a larger diagram of a snake coiled inside a 3D outlined hypercube. Text describes an unsolved math problem.
Transcript:
A SNAKE SLITHERS AROUND A HYPERCUBE.
NO TWO NON-CONSECUTIVE PARTS OF ITS
COILS CAN BE ON ADJACENT CORNERS.
[Three smaller box diagrams show a snake coiled inside. Red lines highlight adjacent corners where non-consecutive parts of the snake could be, and a red \"X\" is beneath each, indicating invalid configurations.]
[A larger diagram shows a snake with a striped body coiled around the edges of a wireframe 3D hypercube.]
[A green checkmark appears next to the text:]
DIMENSIONS=4
MAX LENGTH=7
SNAKE(N) = LONGEST SNAKE THAT CAN FIT IN AN N-DIMENSIONAL HYPERCUBE
SNAKE(N=1,2,3...8) = 1, 2, 4, 7, 13, 26, 50, 98
SNAKE(N>8) = UNSOLVED
IT TURNS OUT EVERY SCIENTIFIC FIELD HAS A KEY THOUGHT EXPERIMENT THAT INVOLVES PUTTING A CUTE ANIMAL IN A WEIRD BOX FOR NO REASON.
SO FAR, QUANTUM MECHANICS AND GRAPH THEORY HAVE FOUND THEIRS, BUT MOST OTHER FIELDS ARE STILL WORKING ON IT.")
#xkcd No. 3104
Date: 2025-6-18
Title: Tukey
Alt text: Numbers can be tricky. On the day of my 110th birthday, I'll be one day younger than John Tukey was on his.
https://xkcd.com/3104/
#xkcd No. 3114
Date: 2025-7-11
Title: Building a Fire
Alt text: That was quicker than usual! The cabin's sprinkler system often makes it really hard to keep anything lit.
https://xkcd.com/3114/
#xkcd No. 3115
Date: 2025-7-14
Title: Unsolved Physics Problems
Alt text: 'Tin pest' makes more sense to me. Tin just doesn't want to be locked down in a shape like that. I get it. But why would any metal want to grow hair??
https://xkcd.com/3115/
![Description:
A three-panel xkcd comic depicting stick figures discussing different types of unsolved physics problems labeled "Vague," "Precise," and "Cursed," each with a corresponding illustration.
Transcript:
THE THREE TYPES OF UNSOLVED PHYSICS PROBLEM
VAGUE
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF TIME IN QUANTUM GRAVITY? IS IT A BACKGROUND PARAMETER, A DYNAMIC ASPECT OF SPACETIME, OR AN EMERGENT PHENOMENON?
[A stick figure stands next to a warped grid, representing spacetime.]
PRECISE
WHY DOES THE S.A.G.E. GALLIUM NEUTRINO CAPTURE EXPERIMENT PRODUCE ONLY 75% AS MUCH GERMANIUM AS PREDICTED?
[A stick figure stands next to a cylindrical object and a chemical equation showing 71Ga + ve -> 71Ge + e-.]
CURSED
WHY DOES SOME METAL RANDOMLY GROW HAIRS?
IT KEEPS CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON.
IS THIS A JOKE?
NO! PLEASE HELP!
[A stick figure in a fedora throws their hands up in exasperation next to a rectangular metal block covered in thin, wiry growths labeled "ZINC WHISKERS." A small burst of lines near the text "IS THIS A JOKE?" suggests a sigh or exclamation.]](/proxy/post_attachment/769231/7e2e841954.png "Description:
A three-panel xkcd comic depicting stick figures discussing different types of unsolved physics problems labeled \"Vague,\" \"Precise,\" and \"Cursed,\" each with a corresponding illustration.
Transcript:
THE THREE TYPES OF UNSOLVED PHYSICS PROBLEM
VAGUE
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF TIME IN QUANTUM GRAVITY? IS IT A BACKGROUND PARAMETER, A DYNAMIC ASPECT OF SPACETIME, OR AN EMERGENT PHENOMENON?
[A stick figure stands next to a warped grid, representing spacetime.]
PRECISE
WHY DOES THE S.A.G.E. GALLIUM NEUTRINO CAPTURE EXPERIMENT PRODUCE ONLY 75% AS MUCH GERMANIUM AS PREDICTED?
[A stick figure stands next to a cylindrical object and a chemical equation showing 71Ga + ve -> 71Ge + e-.]
CURSED
WHY DOES SOME METAL RANDOMLY GROW HAIRS?
IT KEEPS CAUSING SHORT CIRCUITS AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON.
IS THIS A JOKE?
NO! PLEASE HELP!
[A stick figure in a fedora throws their hands up in exasperation next to a rectangular metal block covered in thin, wiry growths labeled \"ZINC WHISKERS.\" A small burst of lines near the text \"IS THIS A JOKE?\" suggests a sigh or exclamation.]")
#xkcd No. 3117
Date: 2025-7-18
Title: Replication Crisis
Alt text: Maybe encouraging the publication of null results isn't enough--maybe we need a journal devoted to publishing results the study authors find personally annoying.
https://xkcd.com/3117/
![Description: A four-panel xkcd comic features stick figures discussing scientific replication, culminating in a newspaper headlining the "Replication Crisis Solved."
Transcript:
Panel 1:
IN THE EARLY 2010s,
RESEARCHERS
FOUND THAT MANY
MAJOR SCIENTIFIC
RESULTS COULDN'T
BE REPRODUCED.
[Two stick figures stand on either side of a third stick figure who is behind a podium with a microphone.]
Panel 2:
OVER A DECADE INTO
THE REPLICATION CRISIS,
WE WANTED TO SEE IF
TODAY'S STUDIES HAVE
BECOME MORE ROBUST.
[Two stick figures stand on either side of a third stick figure who is behind a podium with a microphone, speaking.]
Panel 3:
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR
REPLICATION ANALYSIS
HAS FOUND EXACTLY
THE SAME PROBLEMS
THAT THOSE 2010s
RESEARCHERS DID.
[Two stick figures stand on either side of a third stick figure who is behind a podium with a microphone, speaking.]
Panel 4:
[A large newspaper with a decorative headline that reads "NEWS". Below that, a much larger headline reads:]
REPLICATION
CRISIS SOLVED
[Below the headline, there is a small drawing of the three stick figures from the previous panels, with the one in the middle behind a podium. Below the drawing and on either side, there are squiggly lines representing body text.]](/proxy/post_attachment/773499/680d7affbd.png "Description: A four-panel xkcd comic features stick figures discussing scientific replication, culminating in a newspaper headlining the \"Replication Crisis Solved.\"
Transcript:
Panel 1:
IN THE EARLY 2010s,
RESEARCHERS
FOUND THAT MANY
MAJOR SCIENTIFIC
RESULTS COULDN'T
BE REPRODUCED.
[Two stick figures stand on either side of a third stick figure who is behind a podium with a microphone.]
Panel 2:
OVER A DECADE INTO
THE REPLICATION CRISIS,
WE WANTED TO SEE IF
TODAY'S STUDIES HAVE
BECOME MORE ROBUST.
[Two stick figures stand on either side of a third stick figure who is behind a podium with a microphone, speaking.]
Panel 3:
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR
REPLICATION ANALYSIS
HAS FOUND EXACTLY
THE SAME PROBLEMS
THAT THOSE 2010s
RESEARCHERS DID.
[Two stick figures stand on either side of a third stick figure who is behind a podium with a microphone, speaking.]
Panel 4:
[A large newspaper with a decorative headline that reads \"NEWS\". Below that, a much larger headline reads:]
REPLICATION
CRISIS SOLVED
[Below the headline, there is a small drawing of the three stick figures from the previous panels, with the one in the middle behind a podium. Below the drawing and on either side, there are squiggly lines representing body text.]")
#xkcd No. 3126
Date: 2025-8-8
Title: Disclaimer
Alt text: You say no human would reply to a forum thread about Tom Bombadil by writing and editing hundreds of words of text, complete with formatting, fancy punctuation, and two separate uses of the word 'delve'. Unfortunately for both of us, you are wrong.
https://xkcd.com/3126/
![Description: A single-panel comic depicting a gray page of text, formatted like a document or web page, with a profile picture and a long block of illegible wavy lines representing text. A box below this text is connected by lines to the main body, containing a disclaimer.
Transcript:
[The main body of the comic is a grey background with black text. On the top left is a simple square outline containing a stick figure-like head profile. Below it are a few lines of wavy, illegible text. To the right of the profile picture and below it, is a long block of illegible wavy lines resembling text, filling most of the page. Near the bottom of this text block, a small rectangular box contains a short line of wavy illegible text. Two black lines extend from this small box down to a larger, wider rectangular box near the bottom of the page.]
NOT CHATGPT OUTPUT—I’M JUST LIKE THIS.
[Below this box, in larger text centered on the page:]
I’VE HAD TO START ADDING THIS DISCLAIMER TO MY MESSAGES.](/proxy/post_attachment/793907/ca31d06f3b.png "Description: A single-panel comic depicting a gray page of text, formatted like a document or web page, with a profile picture and a long block of illegible wavy lines representing text. A box below this text is connected by lines to the main body, containing a disclaimer.
Transcript:
[The main body of the comic is a grey background with black text. On the top left is a simple square outline containing a stick figure-like head profile. Below it are a few lines of wavy, illegible text. To the right of the profile picture and below it, is a long block of illegible wavy lines resembling text, filling most of the page. Near the bottom of this text block, a small rectangular box contains a short line of wavy illegible text. Two black lines extend from this small box down to a larger, wider rectangular box near the bottom of the page.]
NOT CHATGPT OUTPUT—I’M JUST LIKE THIS.
[Below this box, in larger text centered on the page:]
I’VE HAD TO START ADDING THIS DISCLAIMER TO MY MESSAGES.")
#xkcd No. 3116
Date: 2025-7-16
Title: Echo Chamber
Alt text: This is almost as bad as the time I signed up for a purely partisan fishing expedition.
https://xkcd.com/3116/
![Here's the alt-text and transcript for the xkcd comic:
**Description:** A single-panel comic shows a stick figure, Randall, sitting in a chair in a large, circular, brick-walled room. He is holding a phone on a tripod, appearing to record something. Text repeats and fades into the background, filling the room, simulating an echo.
**Transcript:**
[Inside a large, circular room with a brick pattern on the curved walls, a stick figure (Randall) is shown sitting back in an armchair, holding up a smartphone on a tripod. Lines radiate from the phone, indicating sound. The entire room is filled with repeating, fading text, resembling echoes.]
HERE'S MITTENS FALLING
INTO THE LAUNDRY HAMPER
FOR THE THIRD TIME TODAY!
NOW THAT I'VE BUILT ONE, I FINALLY
GET WHY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT
SOCIAL MEDIA ECHO CHAMBERS.](/proxy/post_attachment/771423/e5529f6a52.png "Here's the alt-text and transcript for the xkcd comic:
**Description:** A single-panel comic shows a stick figure, Randall, sitting in a chair in a large, circular, brick-walled room. He is holding a phone on a tripod, appearing to record something. Text repeats and fades into the background, filling the room, simulating an echo.
**Transcript:**
[Inside a large, circular room with a brick pattern on the curved walls, a stick figure (Randall) is shown sitting back in an armchair, holding up a smartphone on a tripod. Lines radiate from the phone, indicating sound. The entire room is filled with repeating, fading text, resembling echoes.]
HERE'S MITTENS FALLING
INTO THE LAUNDRY HAMPER
FOR THE THIRD TIME TODAY!
NOW THAT I'VE BUILT ONE, I FINALLY
GET WHY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT
SOCIAL MEDIA ECHO CHAMBERS.")
#xkcd No. 3108
Date: 2025-6-27
Title: Laser Danger
Alt text: To combat the threat, many airlines are installing wing-mounted spray bottles.
https://xkcd.com/3108/
![Description: A three-panel xkcd comic. The first panel shows two stick figures talking. The second panel depicts an airplane flying with a green laser pointing up from the ground, hitting the plane. The third panel shows a cat latching onto the side of the same airplane, which is now tilted.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
SHINING LASER POINTERS AT PLANES IS A FEDERAL CRIME. IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.
OH, BECAUSE IT CAN BLIND THE PILOT?
THAT'S ONE REASON...
Panel 2:
[An airplane flies through the air, with a green laser beam hitting its underside from below. The laser originates from a small dot on the ground]
Panel 3:
[A cat is shown clinging to the side of the airplane, which is now tilted sideways. A dashed line indicates the path the cat took to jump onto the plane.]](/proxy/post_attachment/753416/5a9b98ce7f.png "Description: A three-panel xkcd comic. The first panel shows two stick figures talking. The second panel depicts an airplane flying with a green laser pointing up from the ground, hitting the plane. The third panel shows a cat latching onto the side of the same airplane, which is now tilted.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
SHINING LASER POINTERS AT PLANES IS A FEDERAL CRIME. IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.
OH, BECAUSE IT CAN BLIND THE PILOT?
THAT'S ONE REASON...
Panel 2:
[An airplane flies through the air, with a green laser beam hitting its underside from below. The laser originates from a small dot on the ground]
Panel 3:
[A cat is shown clinging to the side of the airplane, which is now tilted sideways. A dashed line indicates the path the cat took to jump onto the plane.]")
#xkcd No. 3118
Date: 2025-7-21
Title: iNaturalist Animals and Plants
Alt text: Washington, DC: Eastern gray squirrel, Amur honeysuckle. Puerto Rico: Crested anole, sea grape. US as a whole: Mallard, eastern poison ivy.
https://xkcd.com/3118/
![Description: Single panel map of the United States with each state containing the names of an animal and a plant, indicating the most observed species in that state.
Transcript:
THE MOST-OBSERVED ANIMAL AND PLANT IN EACH STATE ON iNATURALIST
(NOT THE MOST COMMON SPECIES IN THE STATE, JUST THE ONE PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE MOST TIMES.)
[A map of the United States, with text labels in each state. A selection of the labels are listed below to give a sense of the content.]
WA: MALLARD, WESTERN SWORD FERN
OR: MULE DEER, WESTERN PONDEROSA PINE
CA: CALIFORNIA POPPY, GREEN SEA TURTLE
AK: MOOSE, FIREWEED
HI: `ŌHI`A LEHUA
AZ: SAGUARO
TX: MULE DEER, CREOSOTE BUSH
ND: AMERICAN BISON, PRAIRIE ROSE
MN: COMMON EASTERN BUMBLEBEE, COMMON MILKWEED
IL: COMMON EASTERN BUMBLEBEE, COMMON MILKWEED
OH: AMERICAN ROBIN, AMUR HONEYSUCKLE
NY: WHITE-TAILED DEER, GARLIC MUSTARD
MA: COMMON EASTERN BUMBLEBEE, EASTERN WHITE PINE
FL: BROWN ANOLE, WHITE BEGGAR-TICKS](/proxy/post_attachment/775143/a81f85f194.png "Description: Single panel map of the United States with each state containing the names of an animal and a plant, indicating the most observed species in that state.
Transcript:
THE MOST-OBSERVED ANIMAL AND PLANT IN EACH STATE ON iNATURALIST
(NOT THE MOST COMMON SPECIES IN THE STATE, JUST THE ONE PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THE MOST TIMES.)
[A map of the United States, with text labels in each state. A selection of the labels are listed below to give a sense of the content.]
WA: MALLARD, WESTERN SWORD FERN
OR: MULE DEER, WESTERN PONDEROSA PINE
CA: CALIFORNIA POPPY, GREEN SEA TURTLE
AK: MOOSE, FIREWEED
HI: `ŌHI`A LEHUA
AZ: SAGUARO
TX: MULE DEER, CREOSOTE BUSH
ND: AMERICAN BISON, PRAIRIE ROSE
MN: COMMON EASTERN BUMBLEBEE, COMMON MILKWEED
IL: COMMON EASTERN BUMBLEBEE, COMMON MILKWEED
OH: AMERICAN ROBIN, AMUR HONEYSUCKLE
NY: WHITE-TAILED DEER, GARLIC MUSTARD
MA: COMMON EASTERN BUMBLEBEE, EASTERN WHITE PINE
FL: BROWN ANOLE, WHITE BEGGAR-TICKS")
#xkcd No. 3109
Date: 2025-6-30
Title: Dehumidifier
Alt text: It's important for devices to have internet connectivity so the manufacturer can patch remote exploits.
https://xkcd.com/3109/
#xkcd No. 3120
Date: 2025-7-25
Title: Geologic Periods
Alt text: Geologists claim it's because the earlier Cenozoic used to be called the Tertiary, but that's just a ruse to hide the secret third geologic period, between the Neogene and the Quaternary, that they won't tell us about.
https://xkcd.com/3120/
![Description: Single-panel comic showing a three-column table listing geological periods, favorite parts, and biggest complaints. Features a small stick figure next to a Tanystropheus illustration in the Triassic row.
Transcript:
PERIOD
PRECAMBRIAN
CAMBRIAN
ORDOVICIAN
SILURIAN
DEVONIAN
CARBONIFEROUS
PERMIAN
TRIASSIC
JURASSIC
CRETACEOUS
PALEOGENE
NEOGENE
QUATERNARY
MY FAVORITE PART
LIFE DEVELOPS
TRILOBITES!
EARTH MIGHT HAVE HAD RINGS
FIRST LAND ANIMALS
BIG MOUNTAINS IN BOSTON
COOL FORESTS
PANGEA
[Drawing of a long-necked aquatic reptile, a Tanystropheus, with a small stick figure next to it on the right.]
TANYSTROPHEUS
BIRDS
RAPTORS
PRETTY HORSEYS!!!
FORESTS OF DRACAENA DRAGONBLOOD TREES
BURRITO INVENTED
MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT
SNOWBALL EARTH EPISODES
EVOLUTION COULD STAND TO CALM DOWN A LITTLE
SCARY VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN NORTH AMERICA
EARTH'S NEWFOUND MOLD PROBLEM
YEAH, SURE, WHAT THOSE GIANT KILLER FISH NEEDED WAS ARMOR
BUGS TOO BIG
GOOGLE "THE GREAT DYING"
DAMAGE TO CANADA STILL VISIBLE FROM SPACE AT MANICOUAGAN
PARASITOID WASPS
RAPTORS
PALEOCENE-EOCENE THERMAL MAXIMUM
ZANCLEAN FLOOD
WHOEVER PICKED THIS NAME FOR THE THIRD PERIOD OF THE CENOZOIC](/proxy/post_attachment/779066/57e2ea4a11.png "Description: Single-panel comic showing a three-column table listing geological periods, favorite parts, and biggest complaints. Features a small stick figure next to a Tanystropheus illustration in the Triassic row.
Transcript:
PERIOD
PRECAMBRIAN
CAMBRIAN
ORDOVICIAN
SILURIAN
DEVONIAN
CARBONIFEROUS
PERMIAN
TRIASSIC
JURASSIC
CRETACEOUS
PALEOGENE
NEOGENE
QUATERNARY
MY FAVORITE PART
LIFE DEVELOPS
TRILOBITES!
EARTH MIGHT HAVE HAD RINGS
FIRST LAND ANIMALS
BIG MOUNTAINS IN BOSTON
COOL FORESTS
PANGEA
[Drawing of a long-necked aquatic reptile, a Tanystropheus, with a small stick figure next to it on the right.]
TANYSTROPHEUS
BIRDS
RAPTORS
PRETTY HORSEYS!!!
FORESTS OF DRACAENA DRAGONBLOOD TREES
BURRITO INVENTED
MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT
SNOWBALL EARTH EPISODES
EVOLUTION COULD STAND TO CALM DOWN A LITTLE
SCARY VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN NORTH AMERICA
EARTH'S NEWFOUND MOLD PROBLEM
YEAH, SURE, WHAT THOSE GIANT KILLER FISH NEEDED WAS ARMOR
BUGS TOO BIG
GOOGLE \"THE GREAT DYING\"
DAMAGE TO CANADA STILL VISIBLE FROM SPACE AT MANICOUAGAN
PARASITOID WASPS
RAPTORS
PALEOCENE-EOCENE THERMAL MAXIMUM
ZANCLEAN FLOOD
WHOEVER PICKED THIS NAME FOR THE THIRD PERIOD OF THE CENOZOIC")
#xkcd No. 3119
Date: 2025-7-23
Title: Flettner Rotor
Alt text: "And in maritime news, the Coast Guard is on the scene today after an apparent collision between two lighthouses."
https://xkcd.com/3119/
![Description: A single panel shows a stick figure standing on a boat designed to look like a small island with a lighthouse on it, floating on the water.
Transcript:
Panel 1: [A stick figure standing on a boat that looks like a small island in the water, topped with a lighthouse. The water is drawn with simple wavy lines, and the part of the boat below the waterline is shown with a curved hull shape.]
SAILING TIP: IF YOU HAVE A FLETTNER ROTOR SAILBOAT, YOU CAN ADD SOME FAKE PLASTIC ROCKS AND A LIGHT TO MAKE OTHER BOATS GIVE YOU THE RIGHT OF WAY.](/proxy/post_attachment/777235/eaf221acd8.png "Description: A single panel shows a stick figure standing on a boat designed to look like a small island with a lighthouse on it, floating on the water.
Transcript:
Panel 1: [A stick figure standing on a boat that looks like a small island in the water, topped with a lighthouse. The water is drawn with simple wavy lines, and the part of the boat below the waterline is shown with a curved hull shape.]
SAILING TIP: IF YOU HAVE A FLETTNER ROTOR SAILBOAT, YOU CAN ADD SOME FAKE PLASTIC ROCKS AND A LIGHT TO MAKE OTHER BOATS GIVE YOU THE RIGHT OF WAY.")