2354: Stellar Evolution

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Revision as of 02:15, 3 September 2020 by 172.69.33.147 (talk) (Explanation: ce)
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Stellar Evolution
It may remain in equilibrium for some time, slowly growing, and then suddenly become significantly redder.
Title text: It may remain in equilibrium for some time, slowly growing, and then suddenly become significantly redder.

Explanation

Ambox notice.png This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by THE STATE OF MAINE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.
If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.

This is a pun on the main sequence, a categorization of stars, which includes the Sun. In the comic, Randall makes a play between "main" and the U.S. state of "Maine". As the comic mentions, Maine was formerly a part of the state of Massachusetts until 1820, when it voted to become its own state. Lobster fishing is a large part of Maine's economy.

The title text refers to both how stars evolve, which include a red giant phase, and also to lobsters, which turn red when cooked.

Transcript

Ambox notice.png This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks.
[Miss Lenhart stands in front of a chalkboard. On the board are squiggly lines of text and a series of growing circles]
Miss Lenhart: After a star begins fusing hydrogen, it may reach a stable equilibrium in which it separates from Massachusetts and develops a thriving lobster industry.
Miss Lenhart: This is known as the Maine Sequence.


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Discussion

No comment. Lightcaller (talk) 01:32, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

No reply. Tsumikiminiwa (talk) 23:38, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

Are we sure the title text references cooking a lobster? I was fairly certain it was an allusion to partisan politics in Maine using the traditional blue/red framework. A quick scan of the Wikipedia page on Maine politics seems to support that. 108.162.215.222 03:19, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

I, on the other hand, was wondering why the politics came into it, when it was clearly just star+lobster reference... Strange, eh? 141.101.107.156 03:56, 3 September 2020 (UTC)
I'm sure it could be both. 162.158.75.128 11:11, 3 September 2020 (UTC)
I'm not at all sure that the stats actually match the supposed analogy, without a long stretch of imagination to ignore the 'purple divide' yet uncrossed. And I don't get the feeling that Randall would be even wanting to joke that anywhere may "suddenly become significantly redder". But that's just IMO. 162.158.158.241 14:29, 3 September 2020 (UTC)
I don't believe it has anything to do with politics - how does the slowly growing part fit in? That is just reading too much into it.
The 'slowly growing' part would be a reference to the fact that the population of Maine (as well that of most other states, the country, and the planet as a whole) has been steadily increasing for most of its history. Main has become significantly redder because even though it is still fairly blue it is less blue and therefore, in US political terminology, more red 162.158.78.198 02:50, 10 September 2020 (UTC) 192.186.1.246172.69.135.170 06:37, 4 September 2020 (UTC)

No mention in the explanation about the fact that US states are also "stars" (50 stars for 50 states on the US flag)? Or is it just too obvious?162.158.154.185 08:23, 4 September 2020 (UTC)

Congratulations! Your Main Sequence Star evolved into Red Giant.172.70.135.218 19:45, 18 April 2022 (UTC)