Difference between revisions of "3223: Inflation Timeline"
(→Explanation) |
(→Explanation: "...earlier/later than..." but "...at the same time as...". Though more a modern-age subset, perhaps a better wording, if not the merest possibility of pre-currency (prehistoric?) overlap...) |
||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
The comic puts both of these on the same timeline of the universe. Cosmic inflation occurs shortly (~10<sup>-35</sup> s) after the {{w|Big Bang}}. Regular inflation occurs only during the time of human society after money started being used. Because of the logarithmic scale of the graph, the cosmic inflation period, which is only a tiny fraction of a second, looks much larger than regular inflation, which has existed for at least a few thousand years. | The comic puts both of these on the same timeline of the universe. Cosmic inflation occurs shortly (~10<sup>-35</sup> s) after the {{w|Big Bang}}. Regular inflation occurs only during the time of human society after money started being used. Because of the logarithmic scale of the graph, the cosmic inflation period, which is only a tiny fraction of a second, looks much larger than regular inflation, which has existed for at least a few thousand years. | ||
| − | The title text refers to a third meaning, that of {{w|body inflation}} as a sexual fetish or kink, with no relationship to cosmology or economics. [[Randall]] points out body inflation happens at the same time | + | The title text refers to a third meaning, that of {{w|body inflation}} as a sexual fetish or kink, with no relationship to cosmology or economics. [[Randall]] points out body inflation happens at the same time as economic inflation, presumably because both araise from human activities. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
Revision as of 11:19, 24 March 2026
| Inflation Timeline |
 Title text: Depending what corners of the internet you hang out on, 'regular' may at times awkwardly coexist with 'sexy.' |
Explanation
|
This is one of 72 incomplete explanations: This page was created by an INFLATIONARY BOT. Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
Cosmic inflation is the theory that the very early universe briefly expanded at an enormous rate. This explains the "clumpiness" of the early universe, which is necessary to explain the formation of large-scale structures (e.g., galaxies, galaxy clusters, galaxy filaments, etc.) as the universe evolved. "Regular" inflation refers to the economic process in which the average price of goods and services increases over time. This is usually gradual, but can be very rapid during times of economic distress.
The comic puts both of these on the same timeline of the universe. Cosmic inflation occurs shortly (~10-35 s) after the Big Bang. Regular inflation occurs only during the time of human society after money started being used. Because of the logarithmic scale of the graph, the cosmic inflation period, which is only a tiny fraction of a second, looks much larger than regular inflation, which has existed for at least a few thousand years.
The title text refers to a third meaning, that of body inflation as a sexual fetish or kink, with no relationship to cosmology or economics. Randall points out body inflation happens at the same time as economic inflation, presumably because both araise from human activities.
Transcript
|
This is one of 39 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page! |
- [Caption:] Timeline of Inflation
- [A log scale timeline marked by "Age of the Universe (Seconds)" at each factor of 1010, ranging from 10-40 to 1020. A bar labeled "Cosmic" begins off-panel to the left and continues up to roughly 10-32 seconds. A second, much thinner bar labeled "Regular" covers another period between roughly 1016 and 1018 seconds.]
Add comment 
Create topic (use sparingly) 
Refresh Discussion
What about the regular/sexy thing? -- 2a02:26f7:e344:4000:c000::f (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_inflation 155.33.87.241 19:14, 23 March 2026 (UTC)
- I would say this is an application of the "today's lucky 10,000" concept, but this probably doesn't qualify as a thing that everyone knows by the time they're an adult so the number is probably lower. But I hope this experience of learning something new is still as fun as Coke and Mentos! Dextrous Fred (talk) 19:47, 23 March 2026 (UTC)
- Not so sure closing this gap in knowledge would really count as "lucky", but each to their own. 204.77.3.72 00:07, 24 March 2026 (UTC)
- definitely not a sentence i expected to read on xkcd. raeb 05:33, 24 March 2026 (UTC)
- Not so sure closing this gap in knowledge would really count as "lucky", but each to their own. 204.77.3.72 00:07, 24 March 2026 (UTC)
- Since economic inflation is money becoming more worthless and therefore de-facto vanishing, it would be better represented by body deflation. That is - character becoming increasingly more gaunt and skinny, until only pile of bones remain (or if cartoonish, until he becomes thinner than fishing line and collapses into a point). Dunno what sort of weirdo would use images of starving people (e.g. victims of nazi death camps) for sexual gratification. --User 8496351 (talk) 07:56, 24 March 2026 (UTC)
- Economic inflation is "more units of money needed for the same product/service", so entirely in line with "a need for more apparent body mass/volume of the same person" (e.g. BBLs, etc). At least as I understand both processes, which I may not entirely. 82.132.237.186 11:47, 24 March 2026 (UTC)
- Well, I've obviously led a sheltered the last seventy years as I've never heard of body inflation.--2A00:23CC:D248:8901:D030:98E4:E22B:D2EF 08:56, 24 March 2026 (UTC)
- New to me too. But further proof of Rule 34 :-) 2A12:F43:143E:0:C172:A03D:12FE:51AA 11:36, 24 March 2026 (UTC)dww-uk
- I would say this is an application of the "today's lucky 10,000" concept, but this probably doesn't qualify as a thing that everyone knows by the time they're an adult so the number is probably lower. But I hope this experience of learning something new is still as fun as Coke and Mentos! Dextrous Fred (talk) 19:47, 23 March 2026 (UTC)
Add comment
