Editing 1503: Squirrel Plan
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
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− | The | + | ===Squirrel cosmology=== |
+ | The joke is that these particular squirrels are ambitious but misguided, like the characters in the myth of {{w|Icarus}} and {{w|Daedalus}}, or the {{w|Tower of Babel}}. The squirrels' understanding of astrophysics seems to be based on wishful thinking -- although in their fictional reality, the truth might be as fanciful as they expect it to be. 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. | ||
− | + | 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? | |
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+ | 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 "halfway to the sun," a distance of roughly 75 million 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 miles up. Or that the squirrel only ''thinks'' he's halfway to the sun. Also, lighter-than-air technologies (such as hot air balloons and helium blimps), airplanes, and helicopters only work within the atmosphere. They cannot travel "halfway to the sun". | ||
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+ | ===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. | ||
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+ | '''Comics:''' | ||
+ | *[[635: Locke and Demosthenes]] | ||
+ | *[[776: Still No Sleep]] | ||
+ | *[[1156: Conditioning]] | ||
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+ | '''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] | ||
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+ | '''Blag:''' | ||
+ | *[http://blog.xkcd.com/2008/02/15/the-laser-elevator/ The Laser Elevator] | ||
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+ | ==Trivia== | ||
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+ | It is commonly believed that real squirrels use their ''tails'' as parachutes, although as yet [http://io9.com/5946627/squirrel-hurls-itself-through-a-fourth-story-window-scampers-off-unscathed "there have been no observational studies on the aerodynamics of free-falling squirrels."] | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.] | :[There are three squirrels. One is suspended from a balloon. The other two are sitting on the ground, looking up at it.] | ||
− | :Squirrel to the right: Once you've chewed a hole in the | + | :Squirrel to the 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 '''''sure''''' it's full of acorns? | :Squirrel tied to balloon: Are you '''''sure''''' it's full of acorns? | ||
− | :Squirrel to the right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What | + | :Squirrel to the right: Look how bright and magnificent it is! What else could be in there? |
+ | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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