#xkcd No. 3296
Date: 2026-9-9
Title: Fault Taunting
Alt text: One of the first things they teach you is to NEVER play with the geology toy over a mantle hotspot.
https://xkcd.com/3296/
xkcd
![Description:
Four panels: A giant cat toy wiggles over land; the earth suddenly lunges upward at the lure.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Off-screen Voice 1: THE KEY TO EXPOSING NEW GEOLOGIC LAYERS IS UNDERSTANDING THE THREE FORCES DRIVING PLATE MOVEMENT: SLAB PULL, RIDGE PUSH, AND TAUNTING.
[A giant mechanical rod resembling a cat toy stands on barren ground showing horizontal geologic layers. A feathered lure hangs from its end. Two tiny helicopters hover nearby.]
Panel 2:
Off-screen Voice 2: TAUNTING? WHAT DO-
Off-screen Voice 1: INITIATE THRUST FAULT PATTERN!
[The mechanical rod swings back and forth, wiggling the feathered lure.]
Panel 3:
[The lure shakes rapidly in the air. A diagonal dashed fault line appears in the ground below the toy.]
Ground: RUMBLE
Panel 4:
[The massive section of earth to the right of the fault line suddenly thrusts high into the air, creating a steep cliff as it reaches for the dangling lure.]
Text: LUNGE!](/proxy/post_attachment/1179216/340a8c8d7f.png "Description:
Four panels: A giant cat toy wiggles over land; the earth suddenly lunges upward at the lure.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Off-screen Voice 1: THE KEY TO EXPOSING NEW GEOLOGIC LAYERS IS UNDERSTANDING THE THREE FORCES DRIVING PLATE MOVEMENT: SLAB PULL, RIDGE PUSH, AND TAUNTING.
[A giant mechanical rod resembling a cat toy stands on barren ground showing horizontal geologic layers. A feathered lure hangs from its end. Two tiny helicopters hover nearby.]
Panel 2:
Off-screen Voice 2: TAUNTING? WHAT DO-
Off-screen Voice 1: INITIATE THRUST FAULT PATTERN!
[The mechanical rod swings back and forth, wiggling the feathered lure.]
Panel 3:
[The lure shakes rapidly in the air. A diagonal dashed fault line appears in the ground below the toy.]
Ground: RUMBLE
Panel 4:
[The massive section of earth to the right of the fault line suddenly thrusts high into the air, creating a steep cliff as it reaches for the dangling lure.]
Text: LUNGE!")
#xkcd No. 3276
Date: 2026-7-24
Title: Recursive Trucker's Hitch
Alt text: As if the americium smoke detector incident wasn't enough, now nuclear regulators have ANOTHER reason to worry about the Boy Scouts.
https://xkcd.com/3276/
![Description:
A technical diagram of a complex rope system applying mechanical force to a plunger and capsule.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A diagram displays a horizontal plunger mechanism above a multi-layered rope system. Labels point to specific parts of the schematic.]
FUSION CAPSULE
PLUNGER
RECURSIVE TRUCKER'S HITCH
<- F_OUT
n = NUMBER OF LAYERS
<- F_IN
[Text inside a rectangular box below the diagram:]
MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE = F_OUT / F_IN = 1/3(2^(2n+1) + 1) ≈ 2/3 4^n
[Calculations listed below the box:]
MA(1) = 3:1
MA(5) = 683:1
MA(20) = 733,007,751,851:1
MA(50) = 845,100,400,152,152,934,331,135,470,251:1
[Caption below the panel:]
THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY REGULATES THE RECURSIVE TRUCKER'S HITCH, SINCE THE UNLIMITED MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE IT OFFERS IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO IGNITE FUSION.](/proxy/post_attachment/1139049/f35c9c8a6d.png "Description:
A technical diagram of a complex rope system applying mechanical force to a plunger and capsule.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A diagram displays a horizontal plunger mechanism above a multi-layered rope system. Labels point to specific parts of the schematic.]
FUSION CAPSULE
PLUNGER
RECURSIVE TRUCKER'S HITCH
<- F_OUT
n = NUMBER OF LAYERS
<- F_IN
[Text inside a rectangular box below the diagram:]
MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE = F_OUT / F_IN = 1/3(2^(2n+1) + 1) ≈ 2/3 4^n
[Calculations listed below the box:]
MA(1) = 3:1
MA(5) = 683:1
MA(20) = 733,007,751,851:1
MA(50) = 845,100,400,152,152,934,331,135,470,251:1
[Caption below the panel:]
THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY REGULATES THE RECURSIVE TRUCKER'S HITCH, SINCE THE UNLIMITED MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE IT OFFERS IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO IGNITE FUSION.")
#xkcd No. 3277
Date: 2026-7-27
Title: Forth
Alt text: I NOTATION POLISH REVERSE ❤️
https://xkcd.com/3277/
![Description:
The rear right side of a grey car featuring a taillight, rear tire, and a bumper sticker.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Close-up of a bumper sticker on the back of a car.]
I FORTH [red heart symbol]](/proxy/post_attachment/1139308/e4b97979e7.png "Description:
The rear right side of a grey car featuring a taillight, rear tire, and a bumper sticker.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Close-up of a bumper sticker on the back of a car.]
I FORTH [red heart symbol]")
#xkcd No. 3284
Date: 2026-8-12
Title: Geology Building
Alt text: The administration thinks it's weird, but the geologists say it looks normal.
https://xkcd.com/3284/
![Description:
A large three-story building is split down the middle by a jagged, diagonal fault line.
Transcript:
[A single panel shows a large, three-story building. A jagged, diagonal crack splits the entire structure down the middle, causing the right half to be shifted slightly downwards like a geological fault line. Above the main entrance, a sign is also split by the crack.]
Sign on building: DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY
Caption below: THE ADMINISTRATION REGRETTED GIVING THE GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT FREE REIGN TO DESIGN THEIR NEW BUILDING.](/proxy/post_attachment/1157160/1571a7c6bb.png "Description:
A large three-story building is split down the middle by a jagged, diagonal fault line.
Transcript:
[A single panel shows a large, three-story building. A jagged, diagonal crack splits the entire structure down the middle, causing the right half to be shifted slightly downwards like a geological fault line. Above the main entrance, a sign is also split by the crack.]
Sign on building: DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY
Caption below: THE ADMINISTRATION REGRETTED GIVING THE GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT FREE REIGN TO DESIGN THEIR NEW BUILDING.")
#xkcd No. 3278
Date: 2026-7-29
Title: Vera Rubin Observatory
Alt text: 'Spurious signals from the kitchen' is harder for an optical telescope than a radio one, but with enough determination and creativity, I believe it's possible.
https://xkcd.com/3278/
#xkcd No. 3279
Date: 2026-7-31
Title: Main Span
Alt text: Wind stress? Don't be silly. When has wind stress ever been a problem for a suspension bridge?
https://xkcd.com/3279/
![Description:
A suspension bridge over water where the middle support tower is held up by a giant balloon.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A diagram illustrates a suspension bridge spanning a wide body of water over a deep trench. The bridge is supported by three main towers. The two outer towers are anchored into the ground underwater. The central tower is entirely suspended in mid-air, held aloft by a massive, wireframe-patterned spherical balloon tethered securely to its top. Small arrows indicate lift and tension forces along the tethers and bridge suspension cables. Faint, mostly illegible physics and math equations float in the blank sky around the structure, including a width indicator "<- d ->" above the balloon and a complex equation starting with "d = " beside it.]
HOW TO GET PAST THE 3-4 KM LIMIT ON SUSPENSION BRIDGE MAIN SPANS](/proxy/post_attachment/1144126/810e919ecf.png "Description:
A suspension bridge over water where the middle support tower is held up by a giant balloon.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A diagram illustrates a suspension bridge spanning a wide body of water over a deep trench. The bridge is supported by three main towers. The two outer towers are anchored into the ground underwater. The central tower is entirely suspended in mid-air, held aloft by a massive, wireframe-patterned spherical balloon tethered securely to its top. Small arrows indicate lift and tension forces along the tethers and bridge suspension cables. Faint, mostly illegible physics and math equations float in the blank sky around the structure, including a width indicator \"<- d ->\" above the balloon and a complex equation starting with \"d = \" beside it.]
HOW TO GET PAST THE 3-4 KM LIMIT ON SUSPENSION BRIDGE MAIN SPANS")
#xkcd No. 3285
Date: 2026-8-14
Title: Accretionary Arc
Alt text: The late Triassic rifting was caused by a dinosaur trying to use the control panel to escape a predator, but it was eaten before the continent could fully separate.
https://xkcd.com/3285/
![Description:
Cueball and Ponytail flee a mob rightward, use a console, and detach the US East Coast on a map.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Cueball: THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND US!
Ponytail: IT'S OK! I HAVE A PLAN.
Panel 2:
[A very wide shot showing Cueball and Ponytail as tiny figures on the right, standing near a small object on the ground. On the far left, a distant mob of tiny stick figures holding pitchforks and flags runs towards them.]
Ponytail: THIS PART OF THE CONTINENT USED TO BE AN ISLAND ARC BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH NORTH AMERICA.
Panel 3:
[Normal zoom. Cueball watches as Ponytail presses a button on a small, overgrown pedestal sticking out of the ground.]
Ponytail: JUST GOTTA ACCESS THE CONTROL PANEL...
Ponytail: YES! IT STILL WORKS!
Ponytail: OKAY, FULL REVERSE!
[Pedestal]: BEEP BEEP
Panel 4:
[A map of the eastern coast of North America. A large strip of the coastline, stretching from New England to the southern states, has broken off from the mainland and is sliding eastward into the Atlantic Ocean. Motion lines indicate its movement.]
Voice from mainland: NO!
Voice from detached coast: HAH!](/proxy/post_attachment/1159350/c22c830985.png "Description:
Cueball and Ponytail flee a mob rightward, use a console, and detach the US East Coast on a map.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Cueball: THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND US!
Ponytail: IT'S OK! I HAVE A PLAN.
Panel 2:
[A very wide shot showing Cueball and Ponytail as tiny figures on the right, standing near a small object on the ground. On the far left, a distant mob of tiny stick figures holding pitchforks and flags runs towards them.]
Ponytail: THIS PART OF THE CONTINENT USED TO BE AN ISLAND ARC BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH NORTH AMERICA.
Panel 3:
[Normal zoom. Cueball watches as Ponytail presses a button on a small, overgrown pedestal sticking out of the ground.]
Ponytail: JUST GOTTA ACCESS THE CONTROL PANEL...
Ponytail: YES! IT STILL WORKS!
Ponytail: OKAY, FULL REVERSE!
[Pedestal]: BEEP BEEP
Panel 4:
[A map of the eastern coast of North America. A large strip of the coastline, stretching from New England to the southern states, has broken off from the mainland and is sliding eastward into the Atlantic Ocean. Motion lines indicate its movement.]
Voice from mainland: NO!
Voice from detached coast: HAH!")
#xkcd No. 3280
Date: 2026-8-3
Title: Maze
Alt text: As a side effect of the research, mice are now the only known animals other than humans to have developed a Backrooms mythology.
https://xkcd.com/3280/
![Description:
Cueball and Megan in lab coats by a table maze. Cueball holds a mouse up; Megan points.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Cueball and Megan, both wearing lab coats, stand next to a large, complex maze on a table. Cueball holds a tiny mouse high in the air in his hand. Megan stands at a small podium next to him, pointing slightly toward Cueball.]
Caption: RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH: AFTER OVER A CENTURY OF TRIALS, SCIENTISTS HAVE FINALLY FOUND A MOUSE THAT CAN SOLVE THE MAZE.](/proxy/post_attachment/1148012/a0c233305a.png "Description:
Cueball and Megan in lab coats by a table maze. Cueball holds a mouse up; Megan points.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Cueball and Megan, both wearing lab coats, stand next to a large, complex maze on a table. Cueball holds a tiny mouse high in the air in his hand. Megan stands at a small podium next to him, pointing slightly toward Cueball.]
Caption: RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH: AFTER OVER A CENTURY OF TRIALS, SCIENTISTS HAVE FINALLY FOUND A MOUSE THAT CAN SOLVE THE MAZE.")
#xkcd No. 3292
Date: 2026-8-31
Title: Geology Class
Alt text: The rise of AI review bombing tools threatens to take away a crucial source of experience for geology undergraduates.
https://xkcd.com/3292/
#xkcd No. 3298
Date: 2026-9-14
Title: Aerospace Flowchart
Alt text: Someday, we will find the problem that goes with this solution.
https://xkcd.com/3298/
![Description:
A vertical flowchart containing a start box, a single decision diamond, and an action box.
Transcript:
Title: AEROSPACE ENGINEER PROBLEM-SOLVING FLOWCHART
Panel 1:
[A flowchart with arrows pointing downwards from one shape to the next.]
[Rectangle box]
START
[Diamond decision box]
COULD WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BY BUILDING GIANT AIRSHIPS AGAIN?
[Arrow labeled "NO" points to a rectangle box]
TRY OTHER SOLUTIONS
[Four arrows point downwards from the final box, going off-panel.]](/proxy/post_attachment/1182837/98558bbe35.png "Description:
A vertical flowchart containing a start box, a single decision diamond, and an action box.
Transcript:
Title: AEROSPACE ENGINEER PROBLEM-SOLVING FLOWCHART
Panel 1:
[A flowchart with arrows pointing downwards from one shape to the next.]
[Rectangle box]
START
[Diamond decision box]
COULD WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BY BUILDING GIANT AIRSHIPS AGAIN?
[Arrow labeled \"NO\" points to a rectangle box]
TRY OTHER SOLUTIONS
[Four arrows point downwards from the final box, going off-panel.]")
#xkcd No. 3306
Date: 2026-10-2
Title: Accelerator Energies
Alt text: Fans at Daytona always get extra excited when officials decide to introduce some antimatter cars circling the track in the opposite direction.
https://xkcd.com/3306/
![Description:
A scatter plot mapping particle accelerators and a racetrack by their size and power.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A scatter plot graph displaying several plotted points with labels.]
Y-axis label: COLLISION ENERGY
Y-axis values (bottom to top): 1eV, 1keV, 1MeV, 1GeV, 1TeV, 1PeV, 10^18 eV, 10^21 eV, 10^24 eV, 10^27 eV
X-axis label: TRACK LENGTH
X-axis values (left to right): 10cm, 1m, 10m, 100m, 1km, 10km, 100km
Data labels for the points on the graph (roughly ordered from bottom-left to top-right):
FIRST CYCLOTRONS
ADA
COSMOTRON
BEVATRON
BEPC-II
J-PARC
CEBAF
RHIC
TEVATRON
LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
DAYTONA SPEEDWAY](/proxy/post_attachment/1193639/e7100dfe57.png "Description:
A scatter plot mapping particle accelerators and a racetrack by their size and power.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[A scatter plot graph displaying several plotted points with labels.]
Y-axis label: COLLISION ENERGY
Y-axis values (bottom to top): 1eV, 1keV, 1MeV, 1GeV, 1TeV, 1PeV, 10^18 eV, 10^21 eV, 10^24 eV, 10^27 eV
X-axis label: TRACK LENGTH
X-axis values (left to right): 10cm, 1m, 10m, 100m, 1km, 10km, 100km
Data labels for the points on the graph (roughly ordered from bottom-left to top-right):
FIRST CYCLOTRONS
ADA
COSMOTRON
BEVATRON
BEPC-II
J-PARC
CEBAF
RHIC
TEVATRON
LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
DAYTONA SPEEDWAY")
#xkcd No. 3286
Date: 2026-8-17
Title: Particle Physics Equipment
Alt text: The one that sounds like the oracle at the center of the galaxy where the hero travels to hear a prophecy is probably Brookhaven National Laboratory's now-dismantled COSMOTRON.
https://xkcd.com/3286/
![Description:
A single-panel chart showing a horizontal axis with several marked and labeled data points.
Transcript:
Title: PARTICLE PHYSICS EQUIPMENT BY HOW MUCH IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OFFERING AT A HIGH-END SPA IN A SCI-FI/FANTASY NOVEL
Panel 1:
[Above the center of the axis is an arrow pointing to the right.]
MORE
[A horizontal axis with tick marks spans the panel. Data points are plotted from left to right, with lines connecting them to the following text labels:]
GEIGER COUNTER
CHERENKOV DETECTOR
PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE
LINEAR ACCELERATOR
SCINTILLATION COUNTER
ION CHAMBER
CYCLOTRON
[There is a long empty space on the axis, followed by two final points clustered at the far right end:]
BUBBLE CHAMBER
CLOUD CHAMBER](/proxy/post_attachment/1163736/476c5036b0.png "Description:
A single-panel chart showing a horizontal axis with several marked and labeled data points.
Transcript:
Title: PARTICLE PHYSICS EQUIPMENT BY HOW MUCH IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OFFERING AT A HIGH-END SPA IN A SCI-FI/FANTASY NOVEL
Panel 1:
[Above the center of the axis is an arrow pointing to the right.]
MORE
[A horizontal axis with tick marks spans the panel. Data points are plotted from left to right, with lines connecting them to the following text labels:]
GEIGER COUNTER
CHERENKOV DETECTOR
PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBE
LINEAR ACCELERATOR
SCINTILLATION COUNTER
ION CHAMBER
CYCLOTRON
[There is a long empty space on the axis, followed by two final points clustered at the far right end:]
BUBBLE CHAMBER
CLOUD CHAMBER")
#xkcd No. 3299
Date: 2026-9-16
Title: Summer
Alt text: You should probably get back to shore before spring hits.
https://xkcd.com/3299/
![Description:
Cueball swings on a rope over a river through summer and fall, crashing on ice near Megan.
Transcript:
Panel 1: [Cueball swings over a river on a rope tied to a green leafy tree.]
Panel 2: [Cueball continues swinging as the tree leaves turn autumn orange.]
Panel 3: [In winter, Cueball releases the rope and falls toward the frozen river.]
Panel 4: [Cueball sits on the ice after crashing. Megan stands on the snowy bank.]
Megan: Summer over already, huh?
Cueball: It seemed extra quick this year.](/proxy/post_attachment/1183961/fd7806bf64.png "Description:
Cueball swings on a rope over a river through summer and fall, crashing on ice near Megan.
Transcript:
Panel 1: [Cueball swings over a river on a rope tied to a green leafy tree.]
Panel 2: [Cueball continues swinging as the tree leaves turn autumn orange.]
Panel 3: [In winter, Cueball releases the rope and falls toward the frozen river.]
Panel 4: [Cueball sits on the ice after crashing. Megan stands on the snowy bank.]
Megan: Summer over already, huh?
Cueball: It seemed extra quick this year.")
#xkcd No. 3287
Date: 2026-8-19
Title: Perseids
Alt text: Recently I've been watching the Daytime Perseids. I haven't seen a meteor from them yet, but the clouds are pretty and the snacks are good.
https://xkcd.com/3287/
![Description:
Megan, Cueball, and White Hat stand talking, then lie silhouetted under a starry sky with a meteor.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Megan: I'm sad that we missed the Perseids.
White Hat: There's still the Geminids.
Megan: Yeah, but they're in December.
Panel 2:
Cueball: The Perseids happen when it's warm enough to lie outside with a blanket, and we found a good mosquito-free beach. So we just lie around watching the stars and eating snacks. One year we saw the aurora.
Panel 3:
Megan: You know, I think I heard that the Perseids might be late this year.
White Hat: Yeah, actually, I heard that too.
Panel 4:
[Caption box]: LATER...
White Hat: Hm, seems like a normal number of meteors. Guess I heard wrong.
Megan: Maybe the Perseids are next weekend.
Cueball: Oh, good thinking. Let's come back then, just in case.](/proxy/post_attachment/1164290/2474ad6f7c.png "Description:
Megan, Cueball, and White Hat stand talking, then lie silhouetted under a starry sky with a meteor.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Megan: I'm sad that we missed the Perseids.
White Hat: There's still the Geminids.
Megan: Yeah, but they're in December.
Panel 2:
Cueball: The Perseids happen when it's warm enough to lie outside with a blanket, and we found a good mosquito-free beach. So we just lie around watching the stars and eating snacks. One year we saw the aurora.
Panel 3:
Megan: You know, I think I heard that the Perseids might be late this year.
White Hat: Yeah, actually, I heard that too.
Panel 4:
[Caption box]: LATER...
White Hat: Hm, seems like a normal number of meteors. Guess I heard wrong.
Megan: Maybe the Perseids are next weekend.
Cueball: Oh, good thinking. Let's come back then, just in case.")
#xkcd No. 3288
Date: 2026-8-21
Title: Archery Feat
Alt text: Update: I would not have embarked on this powerscaling venture if I'd known how thoroughly Mark Twain was going to roast me.
https://xkcd.com/3288/
![Description:
Cueball aims a bow through a row of axes and an apple on Hairy's head toward a bullseye target.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Cueball stands on the left, aiming a drawn bow to the right. The arrow's trajectory aligns perfectly to pass through the holes of twelve axes standing in a row, then through an apple resting on the head of Hairy, who is sitting on the ground, and finally into a target on the far right which already has three arrows clustered tightly in the bullseye, splitting each other.]
Caption: I WANT TO PROVE THAT MY NEW PROTAGONIST IS A BETTER SHOT THAN ALL THOSE OTHER PROTAGONISTS.](/proxy/post_attachment/1166187/86c851f442.png "Description:
Cueball aims a bow through a row of axes and an apple on Hairy's head toward a bullseye target.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Cueball stands on the left, aiming a drawn bow to the right. The arrow's trajectory aligns perfectly to pass through the holes of twelve axes standing in a row, then through an apple resting on the head of Hairy, who is sitting on the ground, and finally into a target on the far right which already has three arrows clustered tightly in the bullseye, splitting each other.]
Caption: I WANT TO PROVE THAT MY NEW PROTAGONIST IS A BETTER SHOT THAN ALL THOSE OTHER PROTAGONISTS.")
#xkcd No. 3303
Date: 2026-9-25
Title: Slab Graveyard
Alt text: It's ok if you want to close close your eyes for the slab graveyard, so you can still have fun riding the mantle plume back up afterward!
https://xkcd.com/3303/
![Description:
Cueball and Beret Guy talk. Panel two shows a diagram of Earth's crust sinking into the mantle.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Cueball: ANY PLANS FOR HALLOWEEN?
Beret Guy: ME AND MY FRIENDS ARE GONNA CHECK OUT A SLAB GRAVEYARD!
Panel 2:
Cueball (off-panel): WHAT'S THAT?
Beret Guy (off-panel): WHEN DENSE CRUST SUBDUCTS, GEOLOGISTS THINK IT MIGHT PILE UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MANTLE.
[A cross-section diagram shows a tectonic plate subducting deep into the Earth, breaking apart, and piling up at the bottom of the mantle.]
Panel 3:
Beret Guy: WE'RE GOING TO HIDE IN THE CRUST AND RIDE IT DOWN TO SEE.
Beret Guy: WANNA COME?
Beret Guy: IT'S GONNA BE SPOOKY!
Panel 4:
Cueball: WON'T THAT TAKE MILLIONS OF YEARS?
Beret Guy: LOTS OF TIME FOR GHOST STORIES!
Cueball: I THINK I'M GOOD.
Beret Guy: TOO SPOOKY? I UNDERSTAND.](/proxy/post_attachment/1189236/d2b5749e8e.png "Description:
Cueball and Beret Guy talk. Panel two shows a diagram of Earth's crust sinking into the mantle.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Cueball: ANY PLANS FOR HALLOWEEN?
Beret Guy: ME AND MY FRIENDS ARE GONNA CHECK OUT A SLAB GRAVEYARD!
Panel 2:
Cueball (off-panel): WHAT'S THAT?
Beret Guy (off-panel): WHEN DENSE CRUST SUBDUCTS, GEOLOGISTS THINK IT MIGHT PILE UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MANTLE.
[A cross-section diagram shows a tectonic plate subducting deep into the Earth, breaking apart, and piling up at the bottom of the mantle.]
Panel 3:
Beret Guy: WE'RE GOING TO HIDE IN THE CRUST AND RIDE IT DOWN TO SEE.
Beret Guy: WANNA COME?
Beret Guy: IT'S GONNA BE SPOOKY!
Panel 4:
Cueball: WON'T THAT TAKE MILLIONS OF YEARS?
Beret Guy: LOTS OF TIME FOR GHOST STORIES!
Cueball: I THINK I'M GOOD.
Beret Guy: TOO SPOOKY? I UNDERSTAND.")
#xkcd No. 3289
Date: 2026-8-24
Title: Highway Signs
Alt text: Highway engineers like Planck units because, like the speed of light, the energy capacity of a typical car's gas tank is 1.
https://xkcd.com/3289/
![Description:
Two highway signs stand in a flat, empty landscape with distant mountains on the horizon.
Transcript:
[Panel 1:]
[A wide highway sign on the left:]
NEXT EXIT
1,390,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
[A tall highway sign on the right:]
SPEED LIMIT
0.0000000097
[Caption below the panel:]
OUR LOCAL HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IS SWITCHING TO PLANCK UNITS.](/proxy/post_attachment/1169989/df794626cc.png "Description:
Two highway signs stand in a flat, empty landscape with distant mountains on the horizon.
Transcript:
[Panel 1:]
[A wide highway sign on the left:]
NEXT EXIT
1,390,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
[A tall highway sign on the right:]
SPEED LIMIT
0.0000000097
[Caption below the panel:]
OUR LOCAL HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IS SWITCHING TO PLANCK UNITS.")
#xkcd No. 3290
Date: 2026-8-26
Title: Trade
Alt text: "You legs may have a comparative advantage at running, but we arms have a competitive advantage at swinging hammers, so unless you accept that we're the dominant limbs and stop hogging the oxygen, that running advantage won't be around for long."
https://xkcd.com/3290/
![Description:
Cueball stands on one leg, holding a hammer poised to strike his other raised leg.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Cueball: LISTEN UP, LEG.
I'VE BEEN SENDING YOU RICH, OXYGENATED BLOOD FOR YEARS, WHILE YOU SEND ME WORTHLESS USED-UP BLOOD WITH NO OXYGEN.
TIME TO TEACH YOU A LESSON ABOUT NOT RIPPING ME OFF!
[Text below panel:]
TARIFFS](/proxy/post_attachment/1170415/979d2c726a.png "Description:
Cueball stands on one leg, holding a hammer poised to strike his other raised leg.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
Cueball: LISTEN UP, LEG.
I'VE BEEN SENDING YOU RICH, OXYGENATED BLOOD FOR YEARS, WHILE YOU SEND ME WORTHLESS USED-UP BLOOD WITH NO OXYGEN.
TIME TO TEACH YOU A LESSON ABOUT NOT RIPPING ME OFF!
[Text below panel:]
TARIFFS")
#xkcd No. 3300
Date: 2026-9-18
Title: Tyrannosaurus
Alt text: Many of the smaller dinosaurs seem to have largely preyed on housecats.
https://xkcd.com/3300/
#xkcd No. 3291
Date: 2026-8-28
Title: Launchpad
Alt text: It does come at the cost of some launchpad expansions and increased fuel requirements, but that all comes out of the facility's budget.
https://xkcd.com/3291/
#xkcd No. 3301
Date: 2026-9-21
Title: Stargazing 5
Alt text: The sun and the moon appear the same size in the sky, even though in real life the sun is more than twice as big. Some call this lucky alignment coincidence; others say it's proof that sometimes things can be the same size.
https://xkcd.com/3301/
![Description:
Four panels show Megan addressing a shadowy crowd at night, holding binoculars, and in close-up.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Megan, outlined in white against a black background, raises her arms to a crowd of darker figures.]
Megan: WELCOME TO STARGAZING! I'M BACK, DESPITE EFFORTS BY ASTRONOMERS WHO HATE COOL SPACE FACTS TO COVER ME UP SO I CAN'T SEE THE SKY ANYMORE! NICE TRY, LOSERS! NEXT TIME BUY A TARP THAT'S HARDER TO CHEW THROUGH!
Panel 2:
[Megan now holds a pair of binoculars.]
Megan: NOW, LET'S SPY ON SOME STARS! DOES EVERYONE HAVE BINOCULARS? IF YOU DON'T, FIND SOMEONE LOOKING AT BIRDS AND TRY TO GRAB THEIRS. STARS ARE THE BIRDS OF THE SKY.
Panel 3:
[Close-up on Megan's face against a white background.]
Megan: BUT STARS AREN'T THE ONLY WEIRD LIGHTS. SOMETIMES THE SKY FILLS WITH RIPPLING COLORS. THAT'S THE SKY'S SCREENSAVER. IT'S VERY PRETTY, SO DON'T MOVE YOUR MOUSE AND RUIN IT.
Panel 4:
[Back to the wide shot in the dark, Megan gestures to the crowd.]
Megan: THAT BLOB IS A COMET. PEOPLE USED TO THINK THEY WERE HARBINGERS OF DOOM. WE NOW KNOW THEY'RE BORING, SO WE HAVE TO FIND NEW REASONS TO USE THE WORD "HARBINGER." I'M A HARBINGER OF ASTRONOMY! COOL FACTS ARE NIGH!](/proxy/post_attachment/1187128/28ec2f4b08.png "Description:
Four panels show Megan addressing a shadowy crowd at night, holding binoculars, and in close-up.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Megan, outlined in white against a black background, raises her arms to a crowd of darker figures.]
Megan: WELCOME TO STARGAZING! I'M BACK, DESPITE EFFORTS BY ASTRONOMERS WHO HATE COOL SPACE FACTS TO COVER ME UP SO I CAN'T SEE THE SKY ANYMORE! NICE TRY, LOSERS! NEXT TIME BUY A TARP THAT'S HARDER TO CHEW THROUGH!
Panel 2:
[Megan now holds a pair of binoculars.]
Megan: NOW, LET'S SPY ON SOME STARS! DOES EVERYONE HAVE BINOCULARS? IF YOU DON'T, FIND SOMEONE LOOKING AT BIRDS AND TRY TO GRAB THEIRS. STARS ARE THE BIRDS OF THE SKY.
Panel 3:
[Close-up on Megan's face against a white background.]
Megan: BUT STARS AREN'T THE ONLY WEIRD LIGHTS. SOMETIMES THE SKY FILLS WITH RIPPLING COLORS. THAT'S THE SKY'S SCREENSAVER. IT'S VERY PRETTY, SO DON'T MOVE YOUR MOUSE AND RUIN IT.
Panel 4:
[Back to the wide shot in the dark, Megan gestures to the crowd.]
Megan: THAT BLOB IS A COMET. PEOPLE USED TO THINK THEY WERE HARBINGERS OF DOOM. WE NOW KNOW THEY'RE BORING, SO WE HAVE TO FIND NEW REASONS TO USE THE WORD \"HARBINGER.\" I'M A HARBINGER OF ASTRONOMY! COOL FACTS ARE NIGH!")
#xkcd No. 3293
Date: 2026-9-2
Title: Handedness
Alt text: A 'left-handed specialist' is a physicist who studies the weak interaction.
https://xkcd.com/3293/
#xkcd No. 3294
Date: 2026-9-4
Title: Asteroid Mission
Alt text: Lander, this is Houston. There's been a request that you turn clipping back on and instead set the mass to 1kg. The theorists believe that will be pretty funny.
https://xkcd.com/3294/
![Description:
A news anchor speaks. Cueball and Megan land on an asteroid, plugging a laptop into its surface.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
News Anchor: THE ASTEROID IS HEADED FOR EARTH, BUT A MISSION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TO INTERCEPT IT.
[A female news anchor sits at a desk. A graphic on the wall behind her shows a rocket ship in flight.]
Panel 2:
[Cueball and Megan, wearing spacesuits, walk across the cratered black-and-white surface of the asteroid. They are leaving footprints as they walk away from a lander module in the background. Cueball carries a laptop and a coiled cable.]
Panel 3:
[Cueball stands watching while Megan kneels on the ground. She is plugging the cable from the laptop directly into the surface of the asteroid.]
Panel 4:
[Cueball sits cross-legged on the ground, typing on the laptop while Megan stands beside him watching. A black command bubble with white text and a jagged tail points from the laptop screen.]
Laptop: >NOCLIP ON](/proxy/post_attachment/1175821/237f53e5f3.png "Description:
A news anchor speaks. Cueball and Megan land on an asteroid, plugging a laptop into its surface.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
News Anchor: THE ASTEROID IS HEADED FOR EARTH, BUT A MISSION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TO INTERCEPT IT.
[A female news anchor sits at a desk. A graphic on the wall behind her shows a rocket ship in flight.]
Panel 2:
[Cueball and Megan, wearing spacesuits, walk across the cratered black-and-white surface of the asteroid. They are leaving footprints as they walk away from a lander module in the background. Cueball carries a laptop and a coiled cable.]
Panel 3:
[Cueball stands watching while Megan kneels on the ground. She is plugging the cable from the laptop directly into the surface of the asteroid.]
Panel 4:
[Cueball sits cross-legged on the ground, typing on the laptop while Megan stands beside him watching. A black command bubble with white text and a jagged tail points from the laptop screen.]
Laptop: >NOCLIP ON")
#xkcd No. 3295
Date: 2026-9-7
Title: Semaphore
Alt text: The speed of light in air is 50% faster than in fiber, but it's a challenge to get the arms to move fast enough to realize the latency advantage.
https://xkcd.com/3295/
![Description:
Two separated machines face each other, each with a webcam and spinning semaphore flags.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Two identical machines face each other across a blank space. Each consists of a plugged-in base unit, a webcam pointing forward, and a tall pole holding a rapidly spinning wheel with two semaphore flags attached.]
NETWORKING TIP: SEPARATE SENSITIVE COMPONENTS WITH A SEMAPHORE GAP.](/proxy/post_attachment/1178065/6e438408c1.png "Description:
Two separated machines face each other, each with a webcam and spinning semaphore flags.
Transcript:
Panel 1:
[Two identical machines face each other across a blank space. Each consists of a plugged-in base unit, a webcam pointing forward, and a tall pole holding a rapidly spinning wheel with two semaphore flags attached.]
NETWORKING TIP: SEPARATE SENSITIVE COMPONENTS WITH A SEMAPHORE GAP.")