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xkcd #3253: Sunbeam (imgs.xkcd.com)
submitted 5 months ago by [B] to c/xkcd@lemmy.world
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xkcd #3253: Sunbeam

Title text:

While weather control is typically thought of as a superpower, the unconscious ability of astronomers and astrophotographers to summon clouds is more properly classified as a curse.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3253/

explainxkcd for #3253

While weather control is typically thought of as a superpower, the unconscious ability of astronomers and astrophotographers to summon clouds is more properly classified as a curse.
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[–] 27 points 5 months ago (7 children)

The average person probably can't tell you which way is west without looking at their phone, or point to where the Sun probably is during the day if it's cloudy.

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  • [–] 11 points 5 months ago* (4 children)

    Do you really need to check your phone to notice which tables in the cafeteria are gonna get covered in sun while you’re sitting there?

    You can usually notice a bit of a shift while you’re standing in line to get your food. It’s not rocket surgery.

    I went to high school in the 90s, and that’s how I figured it out, and I didn’t mean to check any sources. I just looked when I walked in, looked when I got in line, and looked when I got out of line. Three points of reference, I noticed the shift, and I could figure out what table to sit at. Easy.

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  • [–] 17 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    You're just one of the ones who understands things more, and is confused that other people don't. It's okay though, as we can always invoke another well known XKCD and treat someone who doesn't get it as one of the ten thousand. Don't make fun of them, educate them.

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  • [–] 9 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    if the line at a cafe is long enough that the position of the sun will have noticably changed between the time I enter and the time I sit down, I'm probably just gonna go to a different cafe

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  • [–] 4 points 5 months ago*

    During midday, when lunch usually is,… Wait a minute, no that’s wrong. It’s usually during the afternoon when the shifting in the sun is quickest.

    Sorry, I came to make a point, but realized I was wrong mid sentence.

    I guess I forgot how long I had to stand in line during lunch in highschool.

    As an adult, I either sit inside where it’s always shady, or I intentionally sit outside in the sunshine. I haven’t had to think about it in a long time, lol.

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  • [–] 1 point 5 months ago

    I can tell which way is west in my own language, but for some reason I have trouble translating east and west between languages. Eventually I just associated English "west" with "the wild west" and think about the direction from which native Americans would defend themselves as being west. Then I think what that direction is in my language to get the word for it.

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