#xkcd 3208

[todays-xkcd]

People say setting of fireworks indoors is dangerous, but I looked at their energy release and it's like 10^-40 foe; totally negligible.

SNEWS [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[Ponytail is walking into her room. The room has a bed, a set of drawers and a large sci-fi device mounted on the ceiling. Hairy is standing in the room, pointing up at the device.] Hairy: What's that device? Ponytail: Part of the supernova early warning system. Ponytail: There hasn't been a Milky Way supernova in over a century. Ponytail: Astronomers don't want to miss the next one.

[Close up of Ponytail, now sitting on the end of the bed] Ponytail: 20 years ago, we set up a supernova alert system using neutrino detectors. Ponytail: It should give us a few hours' advance notice.

[In a frame-less panel the view zooms back out, showing Ponytail and Hairy.] Ponytail: If it ever goes off, every astronomer on earth will scramble to point their equipment at the sky. Hairy: Oh, OK. So is that a detector? Or some kind of telescope?

[The panel moves to the right, showing Hairy walking away. Ponytail is still on the end of the bed, raising a clenched fist for dramatic effect.] Ponytail: Fireworks launcher. Ponytail: I refuse to sleep through a supernova. Hairy: I think I'll spend the night at my place instead.