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| : I agree. The comment about restaurants only adds to the potential confusion around the comic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.59|108.162.216.59]] 08:05, 1 February 2016 (UTC)BK201 | | : I agree. The comment about restaurants only adds to the potential confusion around the comic. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.59|108.162.216.59]] 08:05, 1 February 2016 (UTC)BK201 |
| ::I have removed it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.76|108.162.238.76]] 00:45, 2 February 2016 (UTC) | | ::I have removed it. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.76|108.162.238.76]] 00:45, 2 February 2016 (UTC) |
− | : Ponytail appears to be snarkily hiding the trivial reason she built it there: so she can say "off to the salt mines", a phrase indicating you (probably) hate your job, which is hard, grossly unrewarding and repetitive. As "slave labor", it's exactly who was often sent to the mines. Sifting through massive amounts of mostly unfruitful data would probably feel like working a salt mine, though sequestering funds to achieve this historical accuracy might be frowned upon. Another idea from the munching sounds at [https://what-if.xkcd.com/124/ What If:Lunar Swimming ]: The first image explains going to the moon "because it is hard", and the audience offers that eating a bag of pinecones is also hard. Its title text reads that the Soviets are already a third of the way through their bag...and then reads "(grabs bag) Homf Nomf Homf...". If Ponytail's mine were on the moon and the "salt" were Helium3 (essential for neutron detection and energy) then the Russians (and Chinese) are [http://www.realclearpolicy.com/blog/2015/12/01/helium_3_climate_solution_from_the_moon_1480.html trying] and perhaps there's a new space race in the making. Finally for the munchers, slave/prison labor is intentionally an experientially bland experience, but salt might enhance your day. Though I'd hate to think they're mining by eating the tunnels, perhaps "shaking" the salt would provide another taste enhancement like drinking [http://www.eater.com/2015/5/15/8612181/science-airplane-food-tastes-bad-loud-noise-umami Tomato Juice on a Plane] (airplane vibration enhances umami perception). And...having seen the horsepower reference (to the moon) in the What-If and realizing we give workhorses salt chunks, I'm off to read about [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1640 too much context]. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 05:08, 9 February 2016 (UTC)
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− | : On Ponytail's motivation...water appears to be one of the most effective radiation shields; not much of that here. But in the old days, fraudsters would "salt" a dead mine with a little valuable ore and sell the worthless hole in the ground. Ponytail appears to have salted a dessicated salt mine with a detector just for the sake of amusement. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 06:10, 9 February 2016 (UTC)
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| The science facility in a salt mine made me think of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_2 Portal 2]. Now i'm wondering if the IMB served as an inspiration for Portal 2. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.25|141.101.104.25]] 08:36, 1 February 2016 (UTC) | | The science facility in a salt mine made me think of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_2 Portal 2]. Now i'm wondering if the IMB served as an inspiration for Portal 2. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.25|141.101.104.25]] 08:36, 1 February 2016 (UTC) |
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| Could the title (Salt Mine) also be a bit of a play on words, as in "this salt is mine"? [[User:KDLadage|KDLadage]] ([[User talk:KDLadage|talk]]) 16:46, 5 February 2016 (UTC) | | Could the title (Salt Mine) also be a bit of a play on words, as in "this salt is mine"? [[User:KDLadage|KDLadage]] ([[User talk:KDLadage|talk]]) 16:46, 5 February 2016 (UTC) |
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− | So...this one is just not funny at all and has no meaning whatsoever? --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.243.240|198.41.243.240]] (also that's not my IP at all, weird) 03:10, 24 February 2016 (UTC)
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− | I'm not sure how to flag this one. Or where to begin on a repair.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.159|172.69.70.159]] 18:28, 4 May 2022 (UTC)
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