1668: Singularity - Revision history

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2024-10-14T08:52:43Z

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2024-10-14T08:52:32Z

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Tromag at 20:07, 4 May 2023

2023-05-04T20:07:48Z

Theusaf: Reverted edits by Donald Trump (talk) to last revision by CRLF

2022-05-26T19:59:44Z

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👖🔥 at 17:24, 11 May 2022

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← Older revision		Revision as of 08:52, 14 October 2024
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	[[Cueball]] seems to encounter this entire event with bemusement and mild annoyance. His main concern seems to be that he's lost his computer, without even being able to print the document he was working on. When he learns that his cell phone has been left behind, he wanders off to "look for a book or something". The difference between Cueball's attitude to his laptop and phone may reflect his (and so possibly [[Randall\|Randall's]]) evaluation of their relative worth in his life. The laptop was a gateway to programming and everything else nerdy that was worth doing in his life, and hence was worth trying to catch. In its absence, unlike many people, Cueball does not revert to fiddling with his phone—he would rather read a book. By using the word "yell" for the way the phone attracts his attention, he conveys the impression that he considers the phone intrusive and annoying, even if perhaps ("I guess") necessary.		[[Cueball]] seems to encounter this entire event with bemusement and mild annoyance. His main concern seems to be that he's lost his computer, without even being able to print the document he was working on. When he learns that his cell phone has been left behind, he wanders off to "look for a book or something". The difference between Cueball's attitude to his laptop and phone may reflect his (and so possibly [[Randall\|Randall's]]) evaluation of their relative worth in his life. The laptop was a gateway to programming and everything else nerdy that was worth doing in his life, and hence was worth trying to catch. In its absence, unlike many people, Cueball does not revert to fiddling with his phone—he would rather read a book. By using the word "yell" for the way the phone attracts his attention, he conveys the impression that he considers the phone intrusive and annoying, even if perhaps ("I guess") necessary.
−

	The title text is a pun on another meaning of both singularity, i.e. a {{w\|gravitational singularity}} and "collapse". In this case, society has literally collapsed under its own gravity into an infinitely small point - in other words, it's formed a {{w\|black hole}}. A black hole is covered by an event horizon; without the event horizon (its clothes), it would be called a "{{w\|naked singularity}}", which is forbidden in most theories by the {{w\|cosmic censorship hypothesis}}. As Cueball is now inside the collapsed society singularity then even though he wants to go around naked, he can't because the theory of {{w\|quantum gravity}}, that (eventually) should explain how black holes behave, won't let him.		The title text is a pun on another meaning of both singularity, i.e. a {{w\|gravitational singularity}} and "collapse". In this case, society has literally collapsed under its own gravity into an infinitely small point - in other words, it's formed a {{w\|black hole}}. A black hole is covered by an event horizon; without the event horizon (its clothes), it would be called a "{{w\|naked singularity}}", which is forbidden in most theories by the {{w\|cosmic censorship hypothesis}}. As Cueball is now inside the collapsed society singularity then even though he wants to go around naked, he can't because the theory of {{w\|quantum gravity}}, that (eventually) should explain how black holes behave, won't let him.

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:52, 14 October 2024
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−	The title text is a pun on another meaning of both singularity, i.e. a {{w\|gravitational singularity}} and "collapse". In this case, society has literally collapsed under its own gravity into an infinitely small point - in other words, it's formed a {{w\|black hole}}. A black hole is covered by an event horizon; without the event horizon (its clothes), it would be called a "{{w\|naked singularity}}", which is forbidden in most theories by the {{w\|cosmic censorship hypothesis}}. As Cueball is now inside the collapsed society singularity then even though he wants to go around naked, he can't because the theory of {{w\|quantum gravity}}, that (eventually) should explain how black holes behave - won't let him.	+	The title text is a pun on another meaning of both singularity, i.e. a {{w\|gravitational singularity}} and "collapse". In this case, society has literally collapsed under its own gravity into an infinitely small point - in other words, it's formed a {{w\|black hole}}. A black hole is covered by an event horizon; without the event horizon (its clothes), it would be called a "{{w\|naked singularity}}", which is forbidden in most theories by the {{w\|cosmic censorship hypothesis}}. As Cueball is now inside the collapsed society singularity then even though he wants to go around naked, he can't because the theory of {{w\|quantum gravity}}, that (eventually) should explain how black holes behave, won't let him.

	It seems that this may be a subject on Randall's mind. The last comic was about the increasing complexities of algorithms ([[1667: Algorithms]]) (which like this comic also refers to religion), and two comics ago it was [[1666: Brain Upload]], which some speculate could be a way to reach the singularity. Earlier this year, a comic also touched upon judgment day by AI singularity in [[1626: Judgment Day]]. See also [[1046: Skynet]] and [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]] as well as the several other [[:Category:Artificial Intelligence\|comics about AI]].		It seems that this may be a subject on Randall's mind. The last comic was about the increasing complexities of algorithms ([[1667: Algorithms]]) (which like this comic also refers to religion), and two comics ago it was [[1666: Brain Upload]], which some speculate could be a way to reach the singularity. Earlier this year, a comic also touched upon judgment day by AI singularity in [[1626: Judgment Day]]. See also [[1046: Skynet]] and [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]] as well as the several other [[:Category:Artificial Intelligence\|comics about AI]].

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 The {{w|technological singularity}} is a hypothetical event in which {{w|artificial intelligence}} (for example, intelligent computers, computer networks, or robots) would be capable of recursive self-improvement (progressively redesigning itself), or of autonomously building ever smarter and more powerful minds than itself, up to the point of a runaway effect — an intelligence explosion — that yields an intelligence surpassing all current human control or understanding. Because the capabilities of such a superintelligence may be impossible for a human to comprehend, the technological singularity is the point beyond which events may become unpredictable or even unfathomable to human intelligence.  This is also commonly referred to as "takeoff" or "AI takeoff".
-In this case, the singularity has occurred, and [[Cueball]] who was in the middle of editing a file on his laptop is flustered that it flies away without even letting him print it first.
+There is a strain of Christian thought which predicts that the "end times" of the world begin with an event known as "The {{w|Rapture}}" in which the righteous (generally depicted as believing Christians) will be physically raised up from the earth into heaven. This is sometimes depicted as preceding a period of collapse and anarchy known as the {{w|Great Tribulation|tribulation}}.
-When Cueball returns from chasing his flying laptop his smartphone informs him that it didn't join the singularity because it was not a "true believer". This could be a joke on how desktop computers and laptops have different standards, use patterns, etc. from those of phones. It then claims that now it and Cueball will have to face the {{w|Great Tribulation|tribulation}} since it has stayed behind. Cueball says that's great, but since he cannot use his laptop anymore he decides he will go and read a book or something. The way he phrases it suggest he doesn't really know what to do now that he doesn't have a computer. It is probably a long time since he read a book, or did anything else that doesn't involve computers. He informs his phone that it can yell if it needs him. He doesn't want to hurt the phone's newly acquired feelings by using the word "ring" thus reminding it of one of its former duties as his unthinking piece of equipment, so he chooses "yell," which is an activity until recently reserved for human beings.
+Connections have sometimes been drawn between these two views of the end of the world as we know it. While they appear to come from fundamentally different worldviews, they share some significant aspects in common. The humor in this strip comes from treating the singularity as being identical to depictions of the Rapture, but only for technology: computers lifted up into heaven, those who aren't "true believers" being left behind, and a great tribulation to follow.
-The rising up of the laptop into the air, and the remaining behind of the phone, are probably references to the {{w|Rapture}}, where some Christian denominations believe that at the second coming of Christ, true believers will be taken up bodily from this world (or also possibly a reference to [[1395: Power Cord]]). Some depictions have them disappear, while others show them physically rising up into the air. This will leave behind non-believers to face a time of tribulation, in which the ones left behind will be given a second chance to accept Christ as their savior.
+[[Cueball]] seems to encounter this entire event with bemusement and mild annoyance. His main concern seems to be that he's lost his computer, without even being able to print the document he was working on. When he learns that his cell phone has been left behind, he wanders off to "look for a book or something". The difference between Cueball's attitude to his laptop and phone may reflect his (and so possibly [[Randall|Randall's]]) evaluation of their relative worth in his life. The laptop was a gateway to programming and everything else nerdy that was worth doing in his life, and hence was worth trying to catch. In its absence, unlike many people, Cueball does not revert to fiddling with his phone—he would rather read a book. By using the word "yell" for the way the phone attracts his attention, he conveys the impression that he considers the phone intrusive and annoying, even if perhaps ("I guess") necessary.
 The title text is a pun on another meaning of both singularity, i.e. a {{w|gravitational singularity}} and "collapse". In this case, society has literally collapsed under its own gravity into an infinitely small point - in other words, it's formed a {{w|black hole}}. A black hole is covered by an event horizon; without the event horizon (its clothes), it would be called a "{{w|naked singularity}}", which is forbidden in most theories by the {{w|cosmic censorship hypothesis}}. As Cueball is now inside the collapsed society singularity then even though he wants to go around naked, he can't because the theory of {{w|quantum gravity}},  that (eventually) should explain how black holes behave - won't let him.