Randall Munroe's xkcd comic

Randall Munroe, Morning (xkcd comic), March 12, 2008 (larger image see here). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. This means you're free to copy and share these comics (but not to sell them).

"Hello everybody, what do you think of last Wednesday's xkcd comic? [here] Of course, I don't know what the author had in mind, but it it instantly reminded me of VS."

(Specialist [subject #382], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Web Comic: xkcd: "[...] seeing dead pixels in the sky", March 14, 2008; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

"I did see that comic in the forum, but I don't really understand it. I guess it has something to do with the movie The Matrix and maybe the movie The Sixth Sense. My only clues are those two movies. He mentions The Matrix, and you know the catch phrase of The Sixth Sense was 'I see dead people' so maybe he's making a joke based on that movie too. I really don't know!"

(Sarah A [subject #432], Email to Klaus Podoll, March 18, 2008)

"I think the main point had to do with humor... The Matrix (the movie) and dead pixels (which you get on computer monitors)."

(IanKC [subject #92], Email to Klaus Podoll, March 18, 2008)

"I was thinking stars?

When I read this comic one quote came to mind, which is an interesting question for all of you... 'What color is the sky in YOUR world?'"

(WillyLuke, Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Web Comic: xkcd: "[...] seeing dead pixels in the sky", March 18, 2008)

"As usual, Wikipedia has a nice explanation of what defective pixels (including dead pixels) are.

The title of the image ('I'd press on them to try to unstick them, but I can't reach. Can we try cycling day and night really fast?') also refers to how you usually try to get rid of them if your LCD screen has some of them - either soft mechanical pressure or repeated cycles from 'on' to 'off' and vice versa.

However, the title IMHO also clearly shows that the author does not refer to an artificial viewing device with respect to those visual errors. Regarding the 'stars' idea: I am not sure - if you have a close look at the comic strip you can actually see three 'dead' pixels arranged as a triangle, which are colored red, pink and green - not white, yellow or blue as you'd expect for a star."

(Specialist [subject #382], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Web Comic: xkcd: "[...] seeing dead pixels in the sky", March 19, 2008)

"Wow, that's interesting. I wonder exactly what he means?

I have long referred to my scotomas as malfunctioning pixels. They start out as bright spots that are 'always on', then end up as dead areas that are 'always off'.

This effect is further enhanced by the way they never move are always in the exact same place in my visual field."

(me07 [subject #382], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Web Comic: xkcd: "[...] seeing dead pixels in the sky", March 19, 2008)

"Glad you're around to know what 'dead pixels' are, Specialist. I thought he was somehow referring to The Sixth Sense -- 'I see dead people'. Hey, that could be our code for this cool VS club we're all in. Whisper to one another 'I see dead pixels' when we meet."

(Sarah A [subject #432], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Web Comic: xkcd: "[...] seeing dead pixels in the sky", March 21, 2008)

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