this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2024
316 points (99.1% liked)

xkcd

8838 readers
251 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Alt text:

Personally I think mercury is more of a 'wet earth' hybrid element.

https://explainxkcd.com/2975/

top 24 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] mrvictory1 28 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Aren't all elements after Uranium radioactive? I expected a larger "fire" area.

[–] davidgro 43 points 2 months ago

According to a comment on explainxkcd it's half-life under 1 day for "fire".

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hydrogen should be air, water, and fire.

[–] GladiusB 10 points 2 months ago

It should just say "September"

[–] cm0002 15 points 2 months ago

Toph has entered the chat

[–] Donjuanme 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I never thought to think bromine is a liquid at standard temperature and pressure, nor that it was one of only 2. Mostly thought to keep it at a safe distance.

[–] ripcord 6 points 2 months ago

Gallium is pretty close. On a hot day it'd be liquid. But not most of the time in most places.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] johannesvanderwhales 9 points 2 months ago

That's the white part.

[–] FourPacketsOfPeanuts 1 points 2 months ago
[–] Etterra 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Where's the Quintessence go?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Afaik, Quintessence in medieval alchemy was a very pure alcohol (although they believed that by distilling it many times, they were in fact isolating this pure, heavenly element), so not something that can be put in the periodic table.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

"trust me my liege, this is a holy liquid, i have no ulterior motives in producing it"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Do you remember ...

[–] Batman -2 points 2 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Yeah sure, why not.

[–] 314xel 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

No heart. No Captain Planet.

[–] atomicorange 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Carbon’s got to be heart, right?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

CORRECT. THIS CARBON BASED BIPEDAL LABOUR UNIT (HUMAN) DEFINATELY HAS A HEART

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

Wind is in the breeches