Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

human-2

2020-07-10 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
human-2
Votey panel for human-2
This explanation is incomplete or may contain errors. It was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human editor.

Explanation

This comic plays on CAPTCHA verification tests -- the "prove you are human" challenges websites use to distinguish humans from bots. A computer screen asks a person to prove they are human by counting the dots on a grid. The person, instead of calmly counting, screams in frustrated agony at the task. In the next panel, the computer accepts this response: "Welcome! Thank you for screaming."

The joke is that the computer has learned that the most reliable indicator of humanity isn't the ability to solve puzzles but rather the emotional frustration that CAPTCHAs provoke. The comic's footnote mentions it is "based on an illusion discovered by a Jacques Ninio," likely referring to the Ninio extinction illusion, where dots at intersections in a grid seem to disappear when you try to count them -- making the task genuinely maddening. The humor lies in the idea that authentic human suffering and rage at poorly designed verification systems is itself the best proof of being human.

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