Editing 1376: Jump

{{comic
| number    = 1376
| date      = June 2, 2014
| title     = Jump
| image     = jump.png
| titletext = Or that I'm at least following the curve of the Earth around to land...
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] is presumably experiencing a common dream subject, flying or floating. As in [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382657 many varieties of such a dream], the ability to fly, float or glide only gradually manifests, going from longer and longer jumps to a sort of flight or hovering. In Cueball's case, his jumps become longer and 'lighter' until at last he is gliding just above the surface of the Earth. He has apparently had such a dream before, with just such a flight mechanic manifesting itself, as he indicates that he 'loves' these dreams.

In his presumed dream, Cueball finally achieves his gliding flight just as he reaches the shoreline, and his gliding carries him over the water's edge and out to sea. After a moment's reflection, he realizes that if he were really gliding out to sea without any real apparent means of control, his situation would presumably be rather perilous — death by starvation or thirst, gradually slowing down and becoming 'stuck' over the water with no way to land, the loss of his gliding ability as suddenly as it came, etc., all suggest themselves as possible perils he would now be subject to if, in fact, his 'dream' were actual reality. Thus he eventually indicates that he ''hopes'' it is a dream, in contrast to his feeling at the comic's opening.

The title text adds a further worry not immediately apparent unless one considers the possibility that Cueball's 'gliding' will continue in a straight line in relation to the Earth's surface. In that case he would continue moving straight while the Earth's surface would curve away beneath him, sending him out into space instead of the relatively preferable scenario of merely floating across the ocean to the opposite shore. After all, if the laws of physics had changed to permit hovering/flying, consequences would be unpredictable — i.e. there'd be no assurance one would maintain a constant hovering height rather than take leave of the planet as one flies forth. One thing about miracles is that all bets are off!

Also note that this situation is similar to the case of {{W|Newton's cannonball}}. However, that is actually in very-low-earth-orbit — and you would need to be going 7,300&nbsp;m/s, or about 16,000&nbsp;mph (26,000&nbsp;km/h) to stay in orbit. At that speed, of course, air friction would quickly destroy the cannonball or person. This is clearly not the case in the dream.

Getting weightless and drifting around was a fantasy in [[226: Swingset]]. The comic [[417: The Man Who Fell Sideways]] has some resemblance to this one.  In [[942: Juggling]], Cueball throws some balls and later a book.  They [http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Flying miss the ground].

In the book ''[[Thing Explainer]]'' Cueball jumps to score with a basketball in the explanation for ''Playing Fields'' only to find that he keeps rising steadily along a straight curve up above the hoop. Very similar to this jump that just lets Cueball float straight afterwards.

==Transcript==
:[In the first panel Cueball is seen as a stop motion cartoon jumping down a small hill — jumping longer and longer between sentences. Jump is written over the head of Cueball that perform the jump until he floats.]
:Cueball: I love these dreams
:''jump''
:Cueball: Each jump is a little longer
:''jump''
:Cueball: Each push off the ground a little softer
:''jump''
:Cueball: Until I
:''g l i d e''

:[In the second panel Cueball glides over a fence and the dunes before the beach — then he glides out over the sea.]

:[In the third panel Cueball glides across the open sea — birds circling, a fish splashing beneath the second.]
:''sploosh''
:Cueball: ...I ''hope'' this is a dream.

==Trivia==
*The title text for this comic originally read "I hope I'm at least following the curve of the Earth around to land..." 
**But later it was changed to "Or that I'm at least following the curve of the Earth around to land..." 
**This made it fit with the last sentence in the main comic:
:::...I ''hope'' this is a dream.
:::Or that I'm at least following the curve of the Earth around to land...

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Dreams]]
[[Category:Animals]]