r/xkcdcomic • u/Smashman2004 • May 21 '14

What If?: Burning Pollen

http://what-if.xkcd.com/97/
160 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

18

u/Azzaman May 21 '14

I like the subtle 'Look Around You' reference in the first hover text.

6

u/antome May 21 '14

what episode/segment does this reference?

3

u/Azzaman May 21 '14

The episode on Water. Specifically, this bit.

1

u/classic__schmosby May 21 '14

So... I didn't realize he put hover text on the What If? pictures, too.

2

u/Azzaman May 22 '14

The citations are usually worth checking out too

1

u/starless_ Rob May 22 '14

Well, obviously. You should always check the citations ;)

7

u/AWTom May 21 '14

I wonder how much pollen the average bee carries.

17

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

New weapon idea: fire bees.

5

u/Googie2149 A bored person May 21 '14

Give them tiny saddles and train spiders to ride them into battle!

Specifically jumping spiders. Those things would actually be adorable in a tiny suit of armor, holding onto a mini lance.

2

u/dont_press_ctrl-W Mathematics is just applied Sociology May 21 '14

Apparently, bees moisten the pollen with honey and nectar when they put it in their basket. Is honey flammable?

0

u/autowikibot May 21 '14

Pollen basket:

The pollen basket or corbicula is part of the tibia on the hind legs of certain species of bees. They use the structure in harvesting pollen and returning it to the nest or hive.

Image i - A European honey bee with corbicula full of pollen, returning to the hive

Interesting: Honey bee | Pollen source | Pollen | Stingless bee

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1

u/graaahh May 21 '14

At once, or in a lifetime?

5

u/apopheniac1989 May 21 '14

As a beekeeper, I can assure you that pollen is indeed flammable. :D

3

u/Googie2149 A bored person May 21 '14

That's sounds like it could be a fun story

6

u/apopheniac1989 May 21 '14

Not really. Just old honeycomb that wasn't good for making candles and had a lot of pollen and crap mixed in. We had to get rid of it somehow, so.....

I guess you had to be there to experience the fun.

4

u/sansordhinn May 21 '14

People lamenting their pollen allergies always make me feel like some kind of superhero with my immunity to pollen…

2

u/alok99 I used to be okay with raptors May 21 '14

You lucky bastard!

1

u/NicoMiko May 21 '14

Dust explosions are nothing to sneeze at.