Talk:1493: Meeting
It's been registered since November, just what the hell was Randall planning on doing with this site four months ago? Schiffy (Speak to me|What I've done) 05:32, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
- He's said before that he buys domains and holds them until he finds a use. Maybe this was one of those? -- Mikemk (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
I want to know what that "physically cannot die" thing is about. 199.27.128.179 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
- Let's see... mystical powers check. Immortality check. If he weren't so naive and clueless, I'd think Beret Guy is supposed to represent God. Mikemk (talk) 07:54, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
- The phrase that comes to mind is "Quantum Immortality", although that doesn't seem to produce what I want from a web-searth, so perhaps I've got the term wrong. Basically, at every point where a quantum-level decision leads (immediately or eventually) to death or life for an individual, we only follow the probability path (in a many-worlds type scenario) that leads towards life. The fully observed "living cat" in Schrödinger's experiment, each and every time you try the experiment, so to say. Forever, given that accidents can be avoided by taking a different route home, serious diseases can be avoided by not catching them, physical aging/illness can (probably!) be avoided by not accumulating various nasty biological copy-errors (not sure what happens with mental processes, even assuming the physical impediments to brain function (such as plaques) are already dealt with, but let's assume that there's a "best result" in this life-path, also). Call it "life save-scumming", perhaps. Given how White Hat seems to have a charmed life, it would certain explain how things things seem to always turn out for the better (and more interesting, in a nice way) for him. Though obviously there's also a "many worlds" White Hat company board that has been this 'lucky' so far but now finds that their offices get struck by a de-orbitting bit of space-debris, against all odds. (Not that we'd follow them. We'd be more likely to see the versions that had built/rented their offices fifty yards further down the street, thus avoiding that fate.) 141.101.98.181 11:50, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
- That which can eternal lie, can not die.108.162.254.98 16:25, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
Ok I may be way off base here but could it be possible that he is referencing the show Helix? In the show there is a group of immortals who formed a corporation name Ilaria and it's not clear how they make their money. 199.27.128.85 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
Now that we have three comics on the subject (arguably more), should we have a Category:Beret Guy's Business? LockmanCapulet I plead the third! 08:01, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
Could the immoralitly refer to the whole "corporations as a legal person" thing? User:CDave
I think 'beetle' might refer to a VW Beetle given that they're talking about cars. --108.162.254.54 09:00, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
- I doubt it, because it was in the hall. Probably a literal beetle. 108.162.217.119 16:01, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
Could this be an intentional parody of Randall's own business model for xkcd? Since, beyond the store and his book he hardly operates as a standard business, but people just keep giving him money to do what he does anyway. 141.101.98.21 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
Is the "cool red beetle" a ladybug? Would be consistent with Beret Guy not knowing many common nouns. Djbrasier (talk) 15:42, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
To be fair, corporations aren't really immortal, in much the same way a football team isn't. The team, of course, is constantly changing out its members, and in this sense can remain vigorous long beyond the lifespan of an ordinary human. But corporations are vulnerable to the fatal flaw of being utterly dependent on engaging the interest of quite a lot of people during their whole lifespan. Football needs players, investors, managers and coaches, children playing and learning the game in the decades leading up to league level play - not to mention millions of fans. If any of those groups lose interest, the whole enterprise evaporates, practically overnight. So the chief concern of corporations, even above profits, is to convince large groups of people to engage them, as buyers, workers, suppliers and so on. I am not sure how aware they are of this, nor am I sure I want them aware of it, but that's what it boils down to. 108.162.242.84 16:38, 2 March 2015 (UTC)
