Randall Munroe
@xkcd.com
![Comic. [Two adults, one with short light hair, walking with a child with spiky hair.] PERSON: Oops, I forgot to say “rabbit rabbit” on January first! CHILD: Why do you do that? PERSON: Just a superstition. CHILD: What’s a superstition? PERSON: It’s a way to train yourself to feel like any bad thing that happens is your fault.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreidrs7rjct33ulawni7zummkvq43fgkc7tosrydi5fd3u5zkzttiue@jpeg)
January 9, 2026 at 5:38 AM
Reposted by Randall Munroe
if you want a long read that involves udders, a hot air balloon, and some extremely dubious data on egg prices, the story I’ve been working on for the last few months where I tried to single-handedly take on every government function myself is now online! www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
I Tried to Be the Government. It Did Not Go Well.
My five-month quest to monitor the weather, track inflation, and inspect milk for harmful microorganisms
www.theatlantic.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:41 PM
if you want a long read that involves udders, a hot air balloon, and some extremely dubious data on egg prices, the story I’ve been working on for the last few months where I tried to single-handedly take on every government function myself is now online! www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
![Comic. [Person looking at giraffe with disconnected leg segments attached by strings.] [caption] While tensegrity is rare in the animal kingdom, a few species, such as Buckminster’s Giraffe, are known to employ it.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreied4kd3tfrssblapjuh56dvzleaasj6o6ipypmur3nfmn7rnz4zvu@jpeg)
January 7, 2026 at 7:55 PM
![Comic. [Earth next to a satellite with an orbit around the planet shaped like a dome.] [caption] All Keplerian orbits are conic sections. For example, this one uses the base of the cone.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreicfaedn7sye4so3vwq7qwvvfxgxame2ph6gbxoooyqy6ayg7h5td4@jpeg)
January 5, 2026 at 8:52 PM
![Comic. [Comment section on a video. 564 comments, including posts from three different avatars: “Who else is here in 2023?” “Is anyone else watching this in 2017?” “Anyone else here in 2025?”] [caption] For some reason, confused time travelers always try to find each other using YouTube comments.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreia42izz36bkhdteb5743objgf2s3whe3kblmnxnwjvgggtu66ea54@jpeg)
January 2, 2026 at 8:35 PM
![Comic. [Instructions on package] High Altitude Cooking Instructions: 3,500-6,500 ft: Add ½ cup water, increase cook time to 12 minutes. 6,500-9,500 ft: Add ¼ cups water, increase cook time to 18 minutes. 250,000-450,000 ft: Orient reentry vehicle for aerodynamic stability. Deploy parachutes at 10,000 ft. Descend, keeping crew capsule tightly covered, for 3-4 minutes. After splashdown, follow sea level cooking instructions.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreibv5te47jncpebx4vihxhudiyzveoxffo5234lpanhsp2aq3lrb5a@jpeg)
December 31, 2025 at 8:17 PM
![Comic. [Diagram of electrical outlet with lines indicating normal shape of holes while shapes have been changed to accommodate more shapes, with parts labeled IEC Types A-O.] [caption] Wiring tip: To make your building friendly to international visitors, cut holes in your outlet plates to make them compatible with all fifteen IEC plug types.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiczldjarvauep2idqetgsxdiz5wgbvhj2subz2z6672bhsi6njwgm@jpeg)
December 30, 2025 at 10:15 PM
![Comic. [Top panel: Long-necked dinosaur with red X over it.] [Bottom panel: two smaller dinosaurs the same shape except their neck isn’t long, while in the background there’s an extremely long neck criss-crossing the frame like a snake. Green check mark in center.] [caption] Thanks to modern paleontological reconstructions, we now know that most sauropods had short necks, and all those extra vertebrae belonged to the sauropod colony’s queen.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreigjcepbb3hjlvpjzmj6msuydmem6gdakkl5svr4kh4q7qi3c4m2fu@jpeg)
December 29, 2025 at 9:11 PM
![Comic. [Banner: Mathematical Society: 2025 Meeting.] PERSON 1 with bun: Any other new developments from the year to cover before we wrap? PERSON 2: Oh, the teens picked a new funny number. PERSON 3 with short hair: Aww, I’m glad to hear they’re still doing that. PERSON 4 with ponytail: I’ll add it to the list. [List: 23 (skidoo!; 42; 69; 420; 1,337; 58,008; [circled]: 67]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreig43e2u4zzpifhq6fbf2iwplmva2lt5rokfg5uws5dysbe55up6wa@jpeg)
December 26, 2025 at 10:44 PM
![Comic. [Person running on a giant round toward a pole vaulting crossbar; a long pole bent in an arch from the ground, over the crossbar, to the ground again, with person climbing it upside down over the crossbar; person runs to catch up with a long poll rolled into a circle and tied that is rolling toward the crossbar, jumps to catch it, hanging off as it spins, and then is flung over the crossbar when it approaches.] [caption] Fun fact: There are no limits on the length or diameter of the pole in pole vault.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreigiodbgg6uit2nyaztgy2e3cfss2e4emtlwpawyjxlekqqnhhxlj4@jpeg)
December 23, 2025 at 8:39 PM
December 22, 2025 at 9:04 PM
![Comic. [Equation [rjf = 2GM / (4.5 m/s)2] with small drawing showing a circle with the radius delineated. On top of the circle there is an arc showing a small frog jumping and landing with RIBBIT and PLOP sound effects.] [caption] More practically useful than the Schwarzschild radius, the *Jumping Frog Radius* is the radius at which an object’s gravitational pull is so strong that even a champion jumping frog can’t escape.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreie7ex2amt4r4e6xhwf2pvxfejdyi6mv56d3hdfha64wjmp3gkltti@jpeg)
December 18, 2025 at 9:17 PM
![Comic. [Two people one one side of a pile of seven apples, next to person with long hair next to five apples.] PERSON: Okay, with my seven apples added to your five, we have… let’s se… twelve apples! PERSON 2 [with hands raised]: Incredible! Perfect agreement with the theory! [caption] Experimental Mathematicians](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreifgv5skm72kzcxgexs4hbpex45met5vxhb6kf2aqshmktmo37nl5a@jpeg)
![Comic. [Two people, one with ponytail and one with beret, sitting on a boat fishing. Below the water, the person with the beret’s fishing line has caught on a large rock on the bottom.] PERSON with beret: It feels like a big one! At least 10^24 kilograms!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihvt4s3jpj4jx6pxz465jsbpm6uet3aa7eaff4int4cvde7htop5e@jpeg)
![4-panel comic. (1) [Teacher with medium-length hair talking to students at desks.] TEACHER: Modern physics rests on three main pillars: General relativity, which describes very massive objects, (2) TEACHER: quantum mechanics, which describes very small objects, (3) TEACHER: and hyperacute interdynamics, which describes objects 10-30cm in size and 200-700g in mass. (4) STUDENT [from off-panel]: That last one seems kind of limited. TEACHER: Yeah, but over its domain, it’s *really* precise. Absolutely *nails* squirrels and grapefruit. Someday we hope to unify it with the other two.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiafobst5ppqa3jchutqacu7lzalrmtw3djlf5oprwn57fzzrfpv4y@jpeg)
December 11, 2025 at 11:00 PM
![Comic. [Three chess games next to each other. There is a diagonal yellow grid highlight from the pawn in the top left corner of the third chessboard to the bottom of the middle chessboard where there’s a clear path. The player positioned near that bottom section has moved to look at the third chessboard.] [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.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreibsc2od6ic3qzpnfiyukzbflxuqltumikiofxptnhkojaob4uaui4@jpeg)
December 9, 2025 at 9:14 PM
![Comic. [Two people walking together as inverted catenary curves fall around them.] PERSON: Oh wow, the first inverted catenary fall of the year! Time to swap out my all-season tires for square ones.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiatr2ciyeqboikl6ohjuiscmlmkigixmvfutnhnvduecemtcqjri4@jpeg)
December 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM
![Comic. Doing a task using a company or organization’s website: [flowchart] Go to website, try to log in → Did it work? → Yes → Try to do your task. → Did it work? Yes → Nice! Done! If logging in did not work → Spend hours troubleshooting account / login. If that works, go to Try to do your task. If no → Give up and call customer service. If spending hours troubleshooting doesn’t work, also give up and call customer service. After calling customer service: Hold message: “Did you know you could do all this more quickly and easily on our website? Just go to w-w-w dot…” → Throw phone and laptop into the sea.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiewqnkcrrc4tgla7j5skyz2djf3mrrvre3577c4xcgzurvq33bw4y@jpeg)
December 4, 2025 at 10:33 PM
December 3, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Can you power your computer by typing?
What the latest What If? video in collaboration with
@minuteearth.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L44...
What the latest What If? video in collaboration with
@minuteearth.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L44...
Can you power your computer by typing?
YouTube video by xkcd's What If?
www.youtube.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Can you power your computer by typing?
What the latest What If? video in collaboration with
@minuteearth.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L44...
What the latest What If? video in collaboration with
@minuteearth.bsky.social!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L44...
![Comic. [Two people in front of projected satellite image. A small portion of the image is pixelated squares.] PERSON 1: Wait, when was this imagery taken? Is this censorship the work of the contractor? One of our people? *Foreign actors!?* PERSON 2 with ponytail: Do we know who’s operating a facility at that location? PERSON 1: We can’t find *anything*. [caption] My hobby: Setting up big colored panels in the middle of nowhere as a prank on remote sensing people](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreib6md2yc7x32taznh2u4feo27rltazabjco4fer3c6mni3soe5tfa@jpeg)
December 2, 2025 at 12:13 AM
![Comic. Panels up to the 10-year point are grayed out. New panels since the Ten Years comic, which chronicles the first ten years of PERSON 1's journey with cancer: (1) [two people in bed] PERSON 1 (woman): One more chapter? PERSON 2 (man): Don’t we both have to get up early? PERSON 1: Nnnnnggggh PERSON 2: Sure, good point. (2) [many people wearing masks, walking while looking at graphs on their phones] (3) [birds landing on people] PERSON 2 in beanie and scarf: Hah! They like *my* seeds best. PERSON 1 in scarf holding phone with a bird sitting on it: Wait, how do I take a picture of this one? (4) [two people rowing boats with tree landscape] (5) [Person 1 carries overflowing stack of things to Person 2 in bed] PERSON 1: I brought you honey lemon tea, more pillows, a cinnamon roll, Tylenol, another blanket, a– PERSON 2: It was just Appendicitis, I’m really– PERSON 1: *It is my turn to take care of you and I am going to do it right!* (6) [Two people in car] (7) [still in car) PERSON 1: Oh my god. PERSON 2: Oh my god. (8) [car driving] PERSON 1: Pull over! PERSON 2: I am! (9) [both people get out of car] (10) [Large colored panel of aurora borealis over water with both people looking on] (11) [Person 1 sits against tree while Person 2 lies on the ground] PERSON 1: Fifteen years. No sign of the cancer. (12) I *am* having some weird symptoms. Joint pain. Fatigue. I think I’m losing my close-up vision. PERSON 2: Yeah. Me too. (13) PERSON 2: I think we’re getting old. (14) PERSON 1: I guess that’s okay. PERSON 2: It’s all I wanted.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihwhjblp5lyiwp63ouar7ocfea7evmckytoeo7rkfuoo4gw5rnrra@jpeg)
November 26, 2025 at 10:32 PM
![Comic: Typical Geologic core sample. [Cylindrical core sample with labels for difference sections from top to bottom] Topsoil, till, granite bedrock, bottomsoil, roof of subway car, floor of subway car, more granite, municipal water main [gouge in core sample], slightly different granite, piece of screaming spelunker’s forearm, cool crystals with no resale value, mangled fragments of drillbit from previous attempt, some boring intrusive rock that’s basically granite but has a name like “diorite” or “Andalite” that you always have to look up, netherrack, Balrog wing. [break between next chunk of core sample] Granite, topsoil, cement, floorboards, carpet, possessions of a confused and angry homeowner in the other hemisphere.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreicffnydtpbb2x24cfbblv2qtcwbr37zyw44vtqx47ocj2a26b2j2u@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 10:35 PM
November 24, 2025 at 11:18 PM
![Comic. [Two people transferring cargo between a dock and a ship on a cart. A box has fallen off of it into the water labeled “EPIRB: Water-Activated Distress Beacons, 1600 ct”] [caption] “Hello, Coast Guard? We’d like to apologize once again for the 1,600 simultaneous false alarms this morning...”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreidpifawma7njovmrjjqs75maq6ggimmrbjcfjtwhfejj65veo32pq@jpeg)