#xkcd 2865

[todays-xkcd]

The phantom found Edward Everett Hale a century too early; by the time we invented satellites, the specifics of his 'brick moon' proposal were dismissed as science fiction.

The Wrong Stuff [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[A ghost is approaching Cueball in a workshop. They are surrounded by shop equipment, such as a table with a press on it, and a small pile of what appears to be lumber. Cueball is backing away from the ghost, holding his hands up defensively.] Ghost: oooOOOOOOoooo [The "ooooo"s of the ghost are written in wavy letters of varying sizes] Ghost: Build a spaceship out of bricks! Ghost: oooooOOOOOOOOoo Cueball: No! Go away!

[Caption below the panel:] The Spruce Goose, the Project Habakkuk Ice Ship, and the Trojan Horse were all work of the Material Phantom, a ghost that wanders the Earth convincing engineers to make giant vehicles out of the wrong stuff.