Editing 1503: Squirrel Plan
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | |||
− | + | Not all xkcd comics are intended to be taken seriously! | |
− | + | ===Explanation of the comics intent=== | |
+ | This comic is a light hearted story, drawing on the many theories and ideas people have had about the sun throughout history. It may also be an attempt at [[356: Nerd Sniping|nerd sniping]] xkcd readers who might take the comic too seriously and interpret it too literally, leading to bizarre conclusions (see [[#Squirrels are stupid|Squirrels are stupid]] explanation below, which itself is most likely an attempt at nerd sniping explain xkcd readers). | ||
− | == | + | The fact that the squirrels are talking supports the idea that the reader is not supposed to apply the normal rules of our universe to this comic. |
− | + | ||
+ | ===Squirrels are stupid=== | ||
+ | The joke is that squirrels are stupid and have no business trying their paws at aeronautics. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The title text further compounds this notion when the airborne squirrel jeopardizes the entire mission because he wants to test if the balloon itself is full of acorns. But it follows the logic stated by the squirrels that the sun, being so magnificent must be full of acorns. A balloon powerful enough to take a squirrel to the sun must be powered by something amazing i.e. acorns - what else could it be? | ||
+ | |||
+ | Basic observational skills will tell anyone that acorns do not float, and in fact have noticeable weight to them. Elementary logic then dictates that the balloon lifting the squirrel should not contain objects that contribute only weight, and therefore the balloon must not contain acorns. Yet perhaps this is for the best, since continuing on with the mission would (obviously, to us humans) end in death for the airborne squirrel, as well as inconclusive data for the ground team. Title text also suggests that the squirrel is "Half way to the Sun", a distance of roughly 74,800,000 km. This provides a small amount of evidence that it was in fact a squirrel that authored the comic or at least its title text as the squirrel would be dead at that altitude without an appropriate space suit and the balloon would have popped long before due to the expansion of the acorns within. Or the sun in the squirrel universe is only a few kilometers up... | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Squirrels in xkcd=== | ||
+ | Squirrels are often used in xkcd and what-if comics as a way of avoiding reality. Maybe [[Randall]] is going through a tough time this week. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''Comics:''' | ||
+ | *[[776: Still No Sleep]] | ||
+ | *[[1156: Conditioning]] | ||
− | : | + | '''What if''' |
+ | *[http://what-if.xkcd.com/21/ Machine Gun Jetpack] | ||
+ | *[http://what-if.xkcd.com/98/ Blood Alcohol] | ||
+ | *[http://what-if.xkcd.com/102/ Keyboard Power] | ||
+ | *[http://what-if.xkcd.com/105/ Cannibalism] | ||
− | + | ==Transcript== | |
+ | There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it. | ||
− | + | Squirrel on right: Once you've chewed a hole in the sun, shoot the balloon to fall back to earth, then pull the parachute ripcord to land. | |
− | + | Squirrel tied to balloon: Are you <b><i>sure</i></b> it's full of acorns? | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
+ | Squirrel on right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there? | ||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | + | <!-- Include any categories below this line. --> | |
− |