The Author and his female partner prepare for sex in an unusual ritual: preparing a “homeopathic” contraceptive. While preparing this homeopathic contraceptive, they aim a joke squarely at doubters. “We will be sure to get pregnant now,” the female partner says with ironic glee as she prepares for her upcoming momentary sexual encounter safe in the knowledge that unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are blocked by the remedy.
The caption then reminds the Reader how effective and easy homeopathic medicine is. So effective that it can completely halt conception; something not even the best modern (and risk-laden) birth control medications and awkward latex sheaths can do. Were the Author and his partner to continue the regimen they would be unable to conceive, effectively removing them from the gene pool and the evolutionary process.
This comic is a change of pace from the usual science-focused theme, instead focusing on humanist activism. The Author wants to remind us that science, while it has its place in many human endeavors, can in fact be misguided sometimes. There is a wealth of alternative medical treatment that is more effective, more safe, and more accessible to the average person. Many so-called skeptics deny the efficacy of these practices because of methodological differences, doing much more harm than good with their legalism. The Author wants us to remember that human suffering should be addressed even if that means skipping tiresome rigamarole like the expensive (and usually pointless) “double-blind placebo controlled trial.”
I think Toby, Dave, or Ian really missed the mark on this one. There’s nothing in the comic to indicate that what the two stick figures are doing is trying to create a contraceptive. Indeed, it appears as though they are trying to conceive by heavily diluting the male stick figure’s semen. Thus, the punch line is that people who practice homeopathy are unlikely to conceive, and therefore should be weeded out on an evolutionary level.
I realize that assuming that the female stick figure is not being sarcastic means assuming that XKCD guy doesn’t understand how homeopathy works (or, more accurately, doesn’t work), which means assuming that he did not do his research. Some may find this a stretch, as XKCD guy presumably loves research, but you can’t always believe everything a guy with a ball pit in his house tells you.
