I was an electronics geek growing up and built devices in my Ham Radio class. That being said, I still needed some help understanding today’s XKCD comic.
Wikipedia:
“In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal electronic component that conducts electric current in only one direction. The term usually refers to a semiconductor diode, the most common type today. This is a crystalline piece of semiconductor material connected to two electrical terminals. A vacuum tube diode (now little used except in some high-power technologies) is a vacuum tube with two electrodes: a plate and a cathode.”
Google/ExplainXKCD:
- Cutie hands the diode to Cueball when he says “we need to talk”. This indicates that she knows he has an accusation and she doesn’t want to hear it.
- The result is that even though they both vocalize their accusations, only the person on the cathode end of the diode hears/acknowledges the other persons accusation. This is why only Cueball apologizes.
- This may be a joke on how some people (the comic seems to indicate women) shield themselves from acknowledging accusations that they don’t want to hear.
- Cutie is the one saying the image text “And the worst part is you won’t apologize”
- The Image text is a joke on how Cutie’s plan of not wanting to hear Cueball’s accusation backfires.
- Not only can she not hear the accusation, she also can’t hear the apology.
Am I missing anything? If so, let me know in the comments section. Here are some of my other favorite XKCD comics…
