1190: "Time"

[moody7277]

They're building scaffolding so they can go higher.

Exactly. She took his comment about not being able to build higher as a challenge.

[mscha]

Sea level change since just after the last pan, 210-ish newpix (or 8 Outside days and 4 Outside hours ago).
About 5 pixels gone, 3 to go. So, if it keeps rising at the same speed on average, it should be about 126 newpix (or 5 Outside days and 4 Outside hours) before the sea reaches the base of the castle.

[KarMann]

[tman2nd]

<snip>
Ninja'd

[boozledorf]

Are people really arguing over my joke acronyms? O__O

[mscha]

There's something interesting going on with the timestamps within the PNG:

Code: Select all

xkcd_time_20130405_2100.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130405_2200.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130405_2300.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0000.png - C:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00, M:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0100.png - C:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00, M:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0200.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0300.png - C:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00, M:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0400.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0500.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0600.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0700.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0800.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0900.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1000.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1100.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1200.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1300.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1400.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1500.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1600.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1700.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1800.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1900.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_2000.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_2100.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00


The timestamps in the filename are UTC, i.e. xkcd_time_20130406_2100.png is the one that just appeared at 21:00 UTC = 23:00 CEST = 5 pm EDT. After that are the “datecreate” and “datemodify” fields within the PNG file (so not the file system timestamps).
Almost all frames since the beginning of Time were “created” on 27 March and “modified” on 25 March (whatever that might mean), but in the past 24 hours, some frames were both “created” and “modified” yesterday. This includes both frames with dialogue, but not the tiny trebuchet scene, plus some apparently random “regular” frames.
Don't know if this means anything, and if so, what.

[Shepherdess]

Sea level change since just after the last pan, 210-ish newpix (or 8 Outside days and 4 Outside hours ago).
About 5 pixels gone, 3 to go. So, if it keeps rising at the same speed on average, it should be about 126 newpix (or 5 Outside days and 4 Outside hours) before the sea reaches the base of the castle.

Aha! She's building it higher, reinforcing it with rods or planks, and when the tides come in she'll be at the top of her castle, watching the water below like a queen to her subjects.

[tman2nd]

Sea level change since just after the last pan, 210-ish newpix (or 8 Outside days and 4 Outside hours ago).
About 5 pixels gone, 3 to go. So, if it keeps rising at the same speed on average, it should be about 126 newpix (or 5 Outside days and 4 Outside hours) before the sea reaches the base of the castle.

Aha! She's building it higher, reinforcing it with rods or planks, and when the tides come in she'll be at the top of her castle, watching the water below like a queen to her subjects.

Or maybe she's making a raft.

[Shepherdess]

Sea level change since just after the last pan, 210-ish newpix (or 8 Outside days and 4 Outside hours ago).
About 5 pixels gone, 3 to go. So, if it keeps rising at the same speed on average, it should be about 126 newpix (or 5 Outside days and 4 Outside hours) before the sea reaches the base of the castle.

Aha! She's building it higher, reinforcing it with rods or planks, and when the tides come in she'll be at the top of her castle, watching the water below like a queen to her subjects.

Or maybe she's making a raft.

Aha! She's making a raft with rods or planks, and when the tide comes in she'll be standing on her raft, watching the water around her like a person on a raft to the water, which is exactly what she will be.

[cmyk]

We're going to zoom out to a mega-version of this same scene. I'll bet 14 Doritos on it.



```~~~~**~*~!Whirly whirly time ripple!~*~**~~~~````

...Blitzgirl, you don't know me yet, but I'm future-cmyk from future-future-cmyk's past. Not a lot of time to explain, but if your Holiness could be so generous as to retrieve a stupid plastic whistle from page 293, where I foolishly gave it to my pre-Knighted self. Snatch it from him, and bring it back to the Newpix-Present when Time allows and return the Whistle of Temporal Harmony back to me and my order.

In doing so, you would officially Knight him as Sir Lord Vader from the Planet Vulcan, reinstating my official Knight Temporal capacity which will be stripped away from me in Time hence, whilst saving not only Time, but the Internet itself from certain oblivion. The Future is in your hands.... well, it will be... the Whistle that is...

Thanks, and watch out for the Illum--aww, nevermind, you'll find out...

```~~~~**~*~!Whirly whirly exiting time ripple!~*~**~~~~````

[htom]

Three poles; she's making a tripod.

[tman2nd]

Three poles; she's making a tripod.

We've only seen two so far.

[edo]

"How many people are reading this thread naked?"

Thirteen.

+1

[cmyk]

Three poles; she's making a tripod.

We've only seen two so far.

Well, he built a tiny, scale model of the scene in the center sandcastle. Maybe she's constructing a mega scene on an ever-increasing exponential scale. Flagpoles?

[udscbt]

[bigcrag92]

Well I never - I reduce my frequency of visiting "Time" because nothing interesting seems to happen...
...then 403 (mini trebuchet), 408 (sea confusion) and 414 (can't build much taller) come along, now joined by Megan's pole / plank / whatever.

Time's just got interesting again! (Not to mention I've been watching another form of time recently - in the form of Matt Smith and Jenna Louise Coleman...)

RYCBAR123

Someone referenced this a while ago when I mentioned the show and I hadn't seen the (then) latest episode yet...

that was me.

[PinkShinyRose]

"If commas were a colour what colour would they be?"

Pink, obviously.

"How to milk a Raptor and can you make cheese?"

No, no cheese, and no milk... A nice Raptor omelet on the other hand.

"How many people are reading this thread naked?"

I don't really want to think about this. I keep imagining that everyone wears clothes, however unrealistic that may be.

There's something interesting going on with the timestamps within the PNG:

Code: Select all

xkcd_time_20130405_2100.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130405_2200.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130405_2300.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0000.png - C:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00, M:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0100.png - C:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00, M:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0200.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0300.png - C:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00, M:2013-04-05T10:58:27-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0400.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0500.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0600.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0700.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0800.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_0900.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1000.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1100.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1200.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1300.png - C:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00, M:2013-04-05T22:33:18-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1400.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1500.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1600.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1700.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1800.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_1900.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_2000.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00
xkcd_time_20130406_2100.png - C:2013-03-27T06:42:47-04:00, M:2013-03-25T00:56:32-04:00


The timestamps in the filename are UTC, i.e. xkcd_time_20130406_2100.png is the one that just appeared at 21:00 UTC = 23:00 CEST = 5 pm EDT. After that are the “datecreate” and “datemodify” fields within the PNG file (so not the file system timestamps).
Almost all frames since the beginning of Time were “created” on 27 March and “modified” on 25 March (whatever that might mean), but in the past 24 hours, some frames were both “created” and “modified” yesterday. This includes both frames with dialogue, but not the tiny trebuchet scene, plus some apparently random “regular” frames.
Don't know if this means anything, and if so, what.

Randalls ways cannot be understood by us.

[KarMann]

Three poles; she's making a tripod.

Al Gore, you've doomed us all. Run!

[cmyk]

Strunk and White have made it absolutely clear that commas are puce.

[macraw83]

"If commas were a colour what colour would they be?"

Commas, by nature, have no color. They must be given color for us to perceive their presence, but verily, none of these representations are true to their actual form.

"How to milk a Raptor and can you make cheese?"

To milk a Raptor you need equal parts sedative and luck. However, you might find the cheese not worth the risk, since it is a well known fact that the quality of the cheese is inversely proportional to the awesomeness of the creature it came from.

"How many people are reading this thread naked?"

Tricky question. Do you mean, how many were reading the thread naked at the time you posted? Or at the time we are answering? Or are you asking for the number of people who read your post while naked? If the last, we may never know the final answer, assuming that the One True Thread lives forever as prophesied.

[htom]

Three poles; she's making a tripod.

We've only seen two so far.

Umm ... yes. So, a sheers. What is she going to be lifting? A sign saying "Wait for it No More!"?

[Exodies]

You're also all* assuming that this is two-dimensional, so there can be no foreshortening. Which is funny, because I'm the one who suggested that Occam's razor suggested no need for a third spatial dimension. (It doesn't really.)

* or "y'all are also"

Occam's razor works fine for deciding between one theory that assumes X and another that assumes X and Y; one should choose the former. It fails, however, when neither theory assumes a subset of the assumptions of the other. To choose between a theory that assumes A and B and a theory that assumes C and D it is no help at all. Depending on preference, I could claim A and B were seperate assumptions ot that (A and B) is a single assumption. By doing the same for C and D I could claim that Occam's razor demands whichever of the theories I choose, as one assumption is preferable to two.
To return to the matter at hand, we are choosing between "there are more than 2 spatial dimensions" and "physical objects can pass through one another". Occam's razor does not help us to select between the two. We can, in fact, observe the truth of each of these assumptions in the outside; the former is known to be true and the latter false. It then becomes a question of whether we should assume the One True Comic is more or less like the outside in these regards, a matter that I must defer to the Congrigation pro Doctrina Temporis.

We know there are three dimensions because they go behind (or in front of) the sand castles.

We also know there are three dimensions because you can't cut arches out of solid matter in flatland.

[KuwabatakeSanjuro]

And with that, time for me to coma. See you all tomorrow.

You forgot to ask "will I dream?" first, or alternatively, sing Daisy, Daisy for us, of course.

... or dream of electric sheep?

Now that's more like it! That's what I was totally expecting, rather than the VNV Nation thing.

(For the record, I do know VNV Nation somewhat, but not well enough yet that I'm familiar with the lyrics; I mostly just know the fairly distinctive sound, so far. I'm planning on getting to know them better, though.)

Electric sheep certainly came to my mind first, but I was reading all the posts delayed. I certainly recognized the song lyrics, but without the prompt, they wouldn't have come to mind.

Somewhat related, I think I remember someone quoting the time to die soliloquy (from Bladerunner, which is where the Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? connection comes in.)

[Exodies]

Spoiler:

Interesting

So, is she stealing the next part from the beavers in the river? Or helping Cueball hauling the loot over?

EDIT:

Megan is gone, so I think this is the end. Bringing in the pole was the punchline. Only an Outsider would not get that hilarious and beautiful ending.

Well, it still says: "Wait for it."

I think the next several TimeFrames will show her going back and forth, gathering more and more poles (or planks or whatever).

Another one??

I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

EDITS: spoilered the first image, changed font color.

How can you possibly claim to have called it when you are just guessing? Kudos for calling surely implies the person has expended a certain amount of effort in formulating their prediction. You just pulled these poles out of thin air.

[ChronosDragon]

Is nobody else weirded out that Megan's hair is drawn differently this frame? It's solid black, where usually it's got visible strands.

[speising]

Is nobody else weirded out that Megan's hair is drawn differently this frame? It's solid black, where usually it's got visible strands.

who says it's megan? this is clearly a new person!

[tman2nd]

Spoiler:

Interesting

So, is she stealing the next part from the beavers in the river? Or helping Cueball hauling the loot over?

EDIT:

Megan is gone, so I think this is the end. Bringing in the pole was the punchline. Only an Outsider would not get that hilarious and beautiful ending.

Well, it still says: "Wait for it."

I think the next several TimeFrames will show her going back and forth, gathering more and more poles (or planks or whatever).

Another one??

I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

EDITS: spoilered the first image, changed font color.

How can you possibly claim to have called it when you are just guessing? Kudos for calling surely implies the person has expended a certain amount of effort in formulating their prediction. You just pulled these poles out of thin air.

Why does there have to be effort?

[SBN]

Is nobody else weirded out that Megan's hair is drawn differently this frame? It's solid black, where usually it's got visible strands.

who says it's megan? this is clearly a new person!

I don't know about that, the face is Megan's.

[tman2nd]

Is nobody else weirded out that Megan's hair is drawn differently this frame? It's solid black, where usually it's got visible strands.

who says it's megan? this is clearly a new person!

I don't know about that, the face is Megan's.

Also it seems like this is the person who was bringing in the last plank, and that person had Megan's hair.
EDIT: I realized that SBN was joking because we can't see anybody's faces, but my point still stands.

[FayZee]

(For the record, I do know VNV Nation somewhat, but not well enough yet that I'm familiar with the lyrics; I mostly just know the fairly distinctive sound, so far. I'm planning on getting to know them better, though.)

Hey, thanks for introducing me to VNV Nation. I listened to a couple of dozen songs on YouTube; first one Nova (Shine a Light On Me).

I'll add some to my metal collection

[Exodies]

Spoiler:

Interesting

So, is she stealing the next part from the beavers in the river? Or helping Cueball hauling the loot over?

EDIT:

Megan is gone, so I think this is the end. Bringing in the pole was the punchline. Only an Outsider would not get that hilarious and beautiful ending.

Well, it still says: "Wait for it."

I think the next several TimeFrames will show her going back and forth, gathering more and more poles (or planks or whatever).

Another one??

I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

EDITS: spoilered the first image, changed font color.

How can you possibly claim to have called it when you are just guessing? Kudos for calling surely implies the person has expended a certain amount of effort in formulating their prediction. You just pulled these poles out of thin air.

Why does there have to be effort?

Are you suggesting we should hand out prizes for nothing, or do you want to know why I don't think that's useful?

[beargarden]

Is this the end? Are we to live out our meaningless lives knowing the castle was never completed?

[tman2nd]

Spoiler:

Interesting

So, is she stealing the next part from the beavers in the river? Or helping Cueball hauling the loot over?

EDIT:

Megan is gone, so I think this is the end. Bringing in the pole was the punchline. Only an Outsider would not get that hilarious and beautiful ending.

Well, it still says: "Wait for it."

I think the next several TimeFrames will show her going back and forth, gathering more and more poles (or planks or whatever).

Another one??

I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

EDITS: spoilered the first image, changed font color.

How can you possibly claim to have called it when you are just guessing? Kudos for calling surely implies the person has expended a certain amount of effort in formulating their prediction. You just pulled these poles out of thin air.

Why does there have to be effort?

Are you suggesting we should hand out prizes for nothing, or do you want to know why I don't think that's useful?

Its not like there's a "called it" prize. He predicted something and she was right. That's all.
EDIT: Changed he to she.

[RobIrr]

There's your other tripod leg...

[udscbt]

Another one! I actually wrote this before seeing the new Frame.
EDIT: ninja'd

[RobIrr]

Another one! I actually wrote this before seeing the new Frame.
EDIT: ninja'd

lol. I'd got the [img] tags ready to paste the URL into, but added the comment afterwards.

Anyway, it's now midnightvery late outsider time and coma calls. I wonder if she'll have actually built something by the time I get back...

[elementropy]

So ironic that the poles are invading the land of Neuschwanstein...

[KarMann]

Three poles; she's making a tripod.

We've only seen two so far.

Umm ... yes. So, a sheers. What is she going to be lifting? A sign saying "Wait for it No More!"?

Well, I hope you're happy now. You've doomed us all.

[udscbt]

Another one! I actually wrote this before seeing the new Frame.
EDIT: ninja'd

lol. I'd got the [img] tags ready to paste the URL into, but added the comment afterwards.

Anyway, it's now midnightvery late outsider time and coma calls. I wonder if she'll have actually built something by the time I get back...

Since I have to coma too, I hope she will need a lot more poles/planks/things before she starts building.

[SBN]

Long time comic fan(atic) here; never so much as lurked before the Rebuild Period (about Wednesday of last week, in Outsider time).

But not only have I travelled in time from 1964* to register and post, I've travelled from the first post on the thread, which had a mere 161 pages or so when I started.

At the risk of blaspheming**: Holy Sheepshit.

* A theological question I expect I'll have to resolving by poring over the thread and the Wiki, Torah/Talmud style, but: if time began with the One True Comic, how were the previous 1189 revealed to us? And if only the OTC is Truly True, then what of the others?****
** I expect that one or other of the schisms might accept me as a member, but that fact tends to rule out my joining them, I think.***
*** I'd format these footnotes properly, with numbers and all, but I'm posting this from my smartphone, which is already a bloody nuisance.
**** I realize that's two questions.

Welcome!