1190: "Time"

[mathrec]

Chapel? Surely you meant to say Castle?

We have a castle?

We know how to build a castle any time that we need one...sand and Time.

[boozledorf]

Here's a question I'm pondering: I'm sure Randall has the entire sequence of images planned, but do you think he's got them all already drawn? I'd lean towards yes, but then I've never tried to draw a strip on a regular basis.

I think the entire thing is done already and he's just sitting back and watching it go.

[Eternal Density]

One o' t' crossbeams has gone out o' skew on treadle.

[tman2nd]

[HAL9000]

Here's a question I'm pondering: I'm sure Randall has the entire sequence of images planned, but do you think he's got them all already drawn? I'd lean towards yes, but then I've never tried to draw a strip on a regular basis.

My guess is he has it all planned, but is producing as many frames as he can on some schedule. Probably had the first 100 or so done, moved on to something else, returns to complete more, and so on.

Perhaps the reason for the 30 min. to an hour between newpix updates is he's running a bit behind schedule?

Or he made a large number beforehand (he most likely uses some form of drawing software, so it wouldn't be hard to change from one newpix to the next), noticed the degree of attention it was receiving, and has slowed down the updates to give him time to draw more. In other words, perhaps we're still going through the original batch, but he's slowed them down to buy some time to make a new chunk.
EDIT: Methinks the box is a lunchbox.

[PhoenixRising]

One o' t' crossbeams has gone out o' skew on treadle.

First time I've ever seen a Monty Python sketch (or part of one). Didn't exactly expect the rickroll, but it was well appreciated. "And now for something completely different" indeed.

[Eternal Density]

One o' t' crossbeams has gone out o' skew on treadle.

First time I've ever seen a Monty Python sketch (or part of one). Didn't exactly expect the rickroll, but it was well appreciated. "And now for something completely different" indeed.

I'm sure the Pythons would appreciate it

[tman2nd]

One o' t' crossbeams has gone out o' skew on treadle.

Nobody expects a Rickroll!
EDIT: My 100th post!

[HAL9000]

One o' t' crossbeams has gone out o' skew on treadle.

First time I've ever seen a Monty Python sketch (or part of one). Didn't exactly expect the rickroll, but it was well appreciated. "And now for something completely different" indeed.

I'm sure the Pythons would appreciate it

As would Randall.
http://xkcd.com/16/
Yet another comic referenced. There should be a list on the wiki.

[imagineddragon]

The water level has definitely risen. Perhaps there will be some dialog about it.

(Now for something completely different) Time as an allegory for civilization - thoughts?

Being denizens of Plank Space, they experience time at its slowest possible measure: Planck Time. A second for us seem an eternity to them, being on the very precipice of oblivion; whatever lies beyond the singularity where time not only stops, it becomes meaningless.

They build sandcastles from the quanta of energy that resides in every Planck Unit. They can only move about in quantum leaps, the idea of a continuum being completely alien to their intellects, as their movement was to Zeno.

They sense there's more to reality than they can see or touch, reaching out into the anti-quanta they borrow their energy from to build, and must eventually pay for it with entropy, their only currency.

And yet, like us, they really like trebuchets.

marvelous!

[iisjreg]

Yet another comic referenced. There should be a list on the wiki.

A list of all time/Time related comics! (http://xkcd.com/13/)

[PhoenixRising]

One o' t' crossbeams has gone out o' skew on treadle.

First time I've ever seen a Monty Python sketch (or part of one). Didn't exactly expect the rickroll, but it was well appreciated. "And now for something completely different" indeed.

I'm sure the Pythons would appreciate it

As would Randall.
http://xkcd.com/16/
Yet another comic referenced. There should be a list on the wiki.

I've already volunteered to make such a list, once things settle down. As matters stand right now I wouldn't have a chance with this thread still very much alive. (Took me a week to catch up when I fell behind 100 pages - Zeno's paradox in action).

[Eternal Density]

I hope folks noticed that there was a couple more Spanish Inquisition segments after the first

Back closer to the topic, there was something I meant to say earlier but I've already forgotten what it was

[SinusPi]

Spoiler:

What's in the box!

PAIN

You might find it hard to imagine, but I've asked the box question countless times in various circles, and only about one or two people EVER got this answer right... Usually it's "Schrödinger's Cat", though.

[HAL9000]

Spoiler:

What's in the box!

PAIN

You might find it hard to imagine, but I've asked the box question countless times in various circles, and only about one or two people EVER got this answer right... Usually it's "Schrödinger's Cat", though.

It's probably a bobcat.

[edo]

The water level has definitely risen. Perhaps there will be some dialog about it.

(Now for something completely different) Time as an allegory for civilization - thoughts?

Being denizens of Plank Space, they experience time at its slowest possible measure: Planck Time. A second for us seem an eternity to them, being on the very precipice of oblivion; whatever lies beyond the singularity where time not only stops, it becomes meaningless.

They build sandcastles from the quanta of energy that resides in every Planck Unit. They can only move about in quantum leaps, the idea of a continuum being completely alien to their intellects, as their movement was to Zeno.

They sense there's more to reality than they can see or touch, reaching out into the anti-quanta they borrow their energy from to build, and must eventually pay for it with entropy, their only currency.

And yet, like us, they really like trebuchets.

Wow. Um, yeah. Um... Yeah.

[mewilliamson]

Spoiler:

What's in the box!

PAIN

You might find it hard to imagine, but I've asked the box question countless times in various circles, and only about one or two people EVER got this answer right... Usually it's "Schrödinger's Cat", though.

my immediate reaction is "I MUST KNOW!"
this is what happens when someone writes a play/monolog entitled 'Schrödinger's Cat in the Hat"

[Valarya]

[tman2nd]

What's poking out of the box?

[Eternal Density]

Discussion of "what's in the box" makes me think of the Alias episode (well, 2) 'The Box'.
You don't want me to open the box...

[Latent22]

Love these two frames.

[ZombieLion]

Spoiler:

What's in the box!

PAIN

You might find it hard to imagine, but I've asked the box question countless times in various circles, and only about one or two people EVER got this answer right... Usually it's "Schrödinger's Cat", though.

It's probably a bobcat.

Instead of PAIN package contained bobcat. Close enough.

[KarMann]

What's poking out of the box?

Actually, I'm starting to wonder if it actually is a box. It almost looks like a small scale model of the structure she's on now, with a smaller scale model, minus the crosswise board on top (so far), on top of that. I'll have to look at the frames when she was carrying it to see whether that's possible or not.

Added: All we can say for sure is that it has at least four edges. Can't really say for certain that it has six faces; we've only seen one (at a time). On the other hand, its having a bottom edge is somewhat unlike it should be if it were a scale model.

[KarMann]

[tman2nd]

I think there should be a sand castle starting about here.

I believe you maybe right. Positive outlook about the comic now

Or an hourglass full of sand. To represent time.
Or a sand replica of the first panel, which will evolve into a sand replica of the sand replica panel, and so on...

I was looking at some of the earliest posts and I found this. Somebody predicted the scale model before the first sand castle was built.
EDIT: I also found the first poster with more than 100 posts to have joined the forum for the purpose of commenting on Time.

I have to say, I lurk here for all of Randall's high concept strips but this one actually made me register, and because everyone else is offering their take on it, here's mine: I think/hope this will be a 24 hour strip and that it'll repeat for those that may have missed it today.

[cout]

I wonder where black hat guy has been all this time.

[Kieryn]

I'm still watching, Waiting For It. Meanwhile, here's an updated water level analysis:

(Spoiler: level up to newpix 647 is displayed)

Spoiler:

[elementropy]

So: a thought about the "hourglass" theory. What if the "river" refers to the stream coming from the top chamber, and the "sea" is, in fact the level of sand in the bottom? This of course ignores the concept that an hourglass tends to create a rising cone-shaped pile of sand in the bottom chamber as the chamber fills, but then again, maybe our characters have affected some sort of engineering to keep it flowing around their area of habitation.

I also wonder if Megan is about to start constructing on a heretofore invisible ceiling, one which will be right-side up when the "glass" is turned. (i.e. a one-chambered hourglass-like system that defies rational physics in favour of the abstract, a la Lewis Carroll or M.C. Escher)

[SBN]

I wonder where black hat guy has been all this time.

He's out of Time.

[KarMann]

I also wonder if Megan is about to start constructing on a heretofore invisible ceiling, one which will be right-side up when the "glass" is turned. (i.e. a one-chambered hourglass-like system that defies rational physics in favour of the abstract, a la Lewis Carroll or M.C. Escher)

I find myself trying to imagine a shape that would fit the description "Klein hourglass".

[undragonslayer7]

What's poking out of the box?

Actually, I'm starting to wonder if it actually is a box. It almost looks like a small scale model of the structure she's on now, with a smaller scale model, minus the crosswise board on top (so far), on top of that. I'll have to look at the frames when she was carrying it to see whether that's possible or not.

Added: All we can say for sure is that it has at least four edges. Can't really say for certain that it has six faces; we've only seen one (at a time). On the other hand, its having a bottom edge is somewhat unlike it should be if it were a scale model.

There is little evidence to suggest that Time even has a third spatial dimension. In fact when Megan coughed out the liquid it must have been because a two dimensional creature can not have a complete digestive track, so she had to cough it back up to get rid of it.

[vvn]

Progress of Time is clearly linear. Progress of outside may vary.

[ChronosDragon]

I also wonder if Megan is about to start constructing on a heretofore invisible ceiling, one which will be right-side up when the "glass" is turned. (i.e. a one-chambered hourglass-like system that defies rational physics in favour of the abstract, a la Lewis Carroll or M.C. Escher)

I find myself trying to imagine a shape that would fit the description "Klein hourglass".

Tried sketching out what I was thinking, but it's too structurally impossble to represent on 2 dimensions. Here's what I got



Try to imagine it as if there wasn't that big loopy part, and the bottom of one side bottlenecked directly to the top of the other.

Edit: In retrospect, this isn't really related to the klein bottle concept at all, it's just a weirdly distorted hourglass. Ah well, it's a fun idea anyway.

[imagineddragon]

For the first time in a long time I forgot to check for the new comic. Randall is now competing with himself for my attention.

[SBN]

Not sure she should be standing on that.

[HAL9000]

For the first time in a long time I forgot to check for the new comic. Randall is now competing with himself for my attention.

Oh! That's right! It's Monday, so a new comic's up!

[imagineddragon]

For the first time in a long time I forgot to check for the new comic. Randall is now competing with himself for my attention.

Oh! That's right! It's Monday, so a new comic's up!

ikr. The upside is I finally get my wish of an xkcd fix everyday.

[tman2nd]

For the first time in a long time I forgot to check for the new comic. Randall is now competing with himself for my attention.

Oh! That's right! It's Monday, so a new comic's up!

ikr. The upside is I finally get my wish of an xkcd fix 24 times everyday.

FTFY
EDIT: FIFY ==> FTFY. I guess I FTFM.

[KarMann]

For the first time in a long time I forgot to check for the new comic. Randall is now competing with himself for my attention.

Oh! That's right! It's Monday, so a new comic's up!

Damn, I was considering pointing that out last night, but figured it shouldn't really be necessary. I'll reconsider that in the future, e.g. Tuesday night.

[KarMann]

For the first time in a long time I forgot to check for the new comic. Randall is now competing with himself for my attention.

Oh! That's right! It's Monday, so a new comic's up!

ikr. The upside is I finally get my wish of an xkcd fix 24.4286 times everyday.

FIFY

FTFY