Editing 1515: Basketball Earth
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Could definitely use review (or reversion to the first, simpler, explanation) and probably some handy hyperlinking for concepts. Explanation should be more concise and shortened as it is not a transcript.}} | |
− | + | In this comic [[Cueball]] is repeatedly attempting to make the comparison that for the {{w|Earth}}-{{w|Moon}} system, for an Earth the size of a {{w|Basketball (ball)|basketball}} the Moon would be about the size of a some other smaller type of ball. He handily illustrates this with two balls of those sizes that look like the Earth and the Moon. They are invisibly suspended, or as seems clear from the first row of panels, they are actually the real Moon and Earth shrunk to the relevant size. (In this case that would place Cueball and his "friends" in {{w|God}} like positions). | |
− | + | But before Cueball can finish with this common type of comparison he is being repeatedly interrupted and must begin all over again. | |
− | + | We never learn which type of ball (if any – it could have been an {{w|apple}}) he would have compared the Moon with. It is not unlikely that he would have mentioned a {{w|Baseball (ball)|baseball}}, but the comparison would be better using a {{w|tennis ball}}. A basketball has an average diameter of 24.6 cm (9.7 inches) vs. a tennis ball with an average diameter of 6.7 cm (2.6 inches). The ratio between these two types of balls are 0.273, which is the same (to three digits) as the ratio given on the wiki page for the Moon: ''Mean radius 1737.10 km (0.273 Earths)''. If he used the slightly larger baseball as an example, with an average diameter of 7.4 cm (2.9 inches), the ratio would be 0.300. Still this would be close enough for demonstrative purposes, as would an apple. | |
− | + | It is common to describe the relationship of very large (and very small) objects to common or garden objects on a more human scale. Here is a similar example where someone has made a comparison of the sizes of the Solar system based on a [http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira60.html Sun the size of a Basketball]. And here coming from smaller scales is an [http://www.infoplease.com/dk/science/encyclopedia/atoms.html#ESCI024ATOMS001 example] that states the following: "Imagine an atom magnified to the size of a football stadium. The nucleus of the atom would be the size of a pea in the centre of the stadium..." | |
− | + | It is almost certainly not a coincidence that today is {{w|Earth Day}}, which is celebrated annually on 22nd of April to demonstrate support for environmental protection. | |
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− | It is almost certainly not a coincidence that | ||
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===Interruptions=== | ===Interruptions=== | ||
− | + | Below the four interruptions are described. Each of the four attempt has its own row of four panels in the comic. It is clear from panel one to two in each row, that the Earth is rotating quite fast compared to the time frame of the comic. Since the {{w|continents}} have moved considerably between frames. It is thus not necessarily the interrupters that have moved the Earth between frame two and three, except of course in the final interruption. | |
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− | It seems most likely that Cueball starts all over every time, with a completely fresh and new Earth-Moon system, since they look the same | + | It seems most likely that Cueball starts all over every time, with a completely fresh and new Earth-Moon system, since they look the same every time independent of the catastrophe occurring to Earth the previous three times. Especially the water would not just come off easily after the second interruption. We can thus suppose that there is still "normal" life going on for each Earth before the interruption, which will most likely size any life in the last three cases. |
====Black Hat==== | ====Black Hat==== | ||
− | In the first interruption, [[Black Hat]] comes in and is amazed by this cool floating globe. Of course, being Black Hat, he has to prod this nice globe with a digit. But by putting his finger into one of the oceans of this "real" | + | In the first interruption, [[Black Hat]] comes in and is amazed by this cool floating globe. Of course, being Black Hat, he has to prod this nice globe with a digit. But by putting his finger into one of the oceans of this "real" Earth, without a second thought, he apparently generates a {{w|megatsunami}} of epic proportions, that rolls in over an unidentified city with skyscrapers, utterly dwarfed by a breaking wave. It might be a reference to a scene of "Men in black 2", when K mess with a globe that actually is a small planet, and his finger become visible in the sky of its inhabitants. |
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====Megan==== | ====Megan==== | ||
− | The second interruption occurs when [[Megan]] arrives and pours liquid (perhaps water) from a sports {{w|water bottle}} onto the | + | The second interruption occurs when [[Megan]] arrives and pours liquid (perhaps water) from a sports {{w|water bottle}} onto the "Earth" basketball, seemingly flooding its entire surface. This would make an {{w|List of flood myths|even worse tsunami}}, almost certainly extinguishing all land-dwelling life. Such a situation is most famously known from the {{w|Bible}} in the {{w|Genesis flood narrative}} about {{w|Noah's Ark}}. Of course this time the life in the sea may also perish due to the change in the constitution of the sea. |
+ | <!-- And water-life that got hit with salinity/temperature/pressure variations that it couldn't adapt to or avoid. --> | ||
+ | <!-- Also In my original edit-conflicted version, I mentioned the Waterworld movie, but maybe that's best forgotten. ;) --> | ||
+ | <!-- And I would have liked to have added wording about "local gravitational pull" acting as if a model... if that doesn't bring up larger questions about the tidal forces experienced upon "Earthball" by the proximity and movement of Cueball's head and rest of body, by such standards...--> | ||
====Cat==== | ====Cat==== | ||
− | In the third interruption, a cat walks into | + | In the third interruption, a cat walks into shot and then playfully attacks the 'Earth'. The people living upon the Earthball will experienced cataclismic events far greater than Blackhat's digital prodding incurred, especially as the 'model' Earth is no longer suspended and was thus taken 'out of its orbit' and will eventually hit the floor very hard. One way or another, that will have surely cause (undepicted) disasters of cataclismic proportions compared what by Black Hat managed during the first time interruption. |
− | + | <!-- Has it quite hit the floor yet? That's gonna hurt, if/when it does. --> | |
− | The people living upon | ||
====Ponytail==== | ====Ponytail==== | ||
− | In the fourth and final interruption | + | In the fourth and final interruption [[Ponytail]] comes running by Cueball, grabs the "Earth" basketball, probably bouncing it off the floor while {{w|Dribbling#Basketball|dribbling}} towards the {{w|Backboard (basketball)|basketball hoop}} where she actually jumps in an attempt to {{w|Slam dunk|dunk}} the "Earth" basketball. This would ''not'' be good for any residents of "Earth" basketball, with the combined pressure, movement and impact damage this simple sequence would surely kill off all life on Earth, maybe even destroying the Earth completely when it hits the ground from the Slam Dunk. |
− | ===Title text=== | + | ====Title text==== |
− | This simile-callback is continued in the title text with the idea that "every basketball in existence" (i.e. | + | This simile-callback is continued in the title text with the idea that "every basketball in existence" (i.e. every basketball upon the "Earth" basketball, as well as the "Earth" basketball itself) is counted towards the score from a single dunking. |
− | + | [[Randall]] may or may not know exactly how many basketballs there are, perhaps through research for some [[what if?]] question or other research, but almost certainly assumes that there are no basketballs ''not'' on "Earth" basketball, as well we might ourselves regarding the existence of extra-terrestrial basketballs, even without allowing for recursion. But there might be some question about whether the Earthball's own sub-scale basketballs fall within the regulations. | |
+ | <!-- Had originally considered referencing a pun like "Search for Extra-Terrestrial Basketball", c.f. SETI, but this is surely already getting too long and boring an explanation... --> | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Cueball is standing next to a floating | + | :[Cueball is standing next to a floating Earth basketball indicating it with his left hand. The continents are clearly visible as seen from above the Atlantic Ocean. This remains the same all through the comic, except that the Earth rotates a bit from frame to frame.] |
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | :Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | ||
− | :[Cueball is now indicating, with his right hand, a small pockmarked moon (also floating), in the correct proportions ( | + | :[Cueball is now indicating, with his right hand, a small pockmarked moon (also floating), in the correct proportions (size and distance) to the Earth basketball, which is on his other side. Black Hat walks into the panel towards Earth.] |
− | :Cueball: The Moon would | + | :Cueball: The Moon would be- |
:Black Hat: Hey, cool! | :Black Hat: Hey, cool! | ||
− | :[Black Hat is touching the | + | :[Black Hat is touching the Earth basketball with a digit.] |
:Cueball: Um. | :Cueball: Um. | ||
− | :[In the next scene | + | :[In the next scene we see a megatsunami on the verge of crashing down onto a coastal city with skyscrapers. The A's are cut of on each side of the panels frames, i.e. they begin outside and finishes outside the frame.] |
− | : | + | :Aaaaaaaa |
− | + | :[Back to Cueball standing with the Earth basketball in the same position as the first panel.] | |
− | :[Back to Cueball standing with the | ||
:Cueball: Let's try that again. If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | :Cueball: Let's try that again. If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | ||
− | :[Same situation as when Black Hat walked in, except now it is Megan that walks into the frame towards the | + | :[Same situation as when Black Hat walked in, except now it is Megan that walks into the frame towards the Earth basketball holding a sports water bottle.] |
− | :Cueball: The Moon would | + | :Cueball: The Moon would be - |
− | :[Megan squirts the | + | :[Megan squirts the Earth basketball with the liquid in her water bottle while Cueball just stands watching with the Moon behind him]. |
− | :[Megan just walks away while Cueball stares at his "water" | + | :[Megan just walks away while Cueball stares at his "water" earth where the continents have disappeared completely beneath the liquid.] |
− | + | :[Back to Cueball standing with the Earth basketball in the same position as the first panel.] | |
− | :[Back to Cueball standing with the | ||
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | :Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | ||
:[Same situation as when Black Hat walked in, except now he spots a cat coming into the frame from the left.] | :[Same situation as when Black Hat walked in, except now he spots a cat coming into the frame from the left.] | ||
− | :Cueball: The | + | :Cueball: The Moon- would... |
− | :[While Cueball watches with the Moon behind him | + | :[While Cueball watches with the Moon behind him the cat jumps at the Earth basketball.] |
− | :Cat: Mrowl! | + | :Cat: Mrowl! |
− | :[Cueball continues to watch while the cat rolls around playing with the | + | :[Cueball continues to watch while the cat rolls around playing with the Earth basketball as if it was a ball of yarn.] |
:Cat: Rrrrr | :Cat: Rrrrr | ||
− | + | :[Back to Cueball standing with the Earth basketball in the same position as the first panel.] | |
− | :[Back to Cueball standing with the | ||
:Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | :Cueball: If the Earth were the size of a basketball, | ||
:[Same situation as when Black Hat walked in, except this time it is Ponytail who enters the frame at a run coming from the left.] | :[Same situation as when Black Hat walked in, except this time it is Ponytail who enters the frame at a run coming from the left.] | ||
− | :Cueball: The Moon would, | + | :Cueball: The Moon would, uh... |
− | :[While Cueball watches with the Moon behind him, Ponytail has grabbed the | + | :[While Cueball watches with the Moon behind him, Ponytail has grabbed the Earth basketball and is dribbling it out of the frame, still running.] |
− | :[Zoom out from Cueball who continues to watch while Ponytail reaches a basketball hoop and | + | :[Zoom out from Cueball who continues to watch while Ponytail reaches a basketball hoop and jump towards it with the Earth basketball, obviously in an attempt to make a slam dunk if she can reach up to the hoop.] |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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+ | <!-- Include any categories below this line. --> | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Animals]] |
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