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| Overton |
 Title text: I think I accidentally installed an Overton window in my bedroom. A few months ago, the sun wasn't in my face in the morning, but now it is. |
Explanation
Joseph Paul Overton was a political scientist who created the concept of the Overton window, which is the range of subjects that are politically appropriate to raise during a period of time. The first set of dates, 1960 and 2003, are the years that Overton was born and died.
It is common for political commentators to state that the Overton window has "moved," meaning that the standard for which political positions are "moderate" or "extreme" changes. In the comic, the "Overton window" instead refers to the time span in which Joseph Paul Overton was alive. The dates on Overton's grave have been repeatedly crossed out and replaced as this 'window' has moved. This creates the ridiculous implication that Overton was living at least four lives simultaneously, or that history has repeatedly changed so that the dates of his life shifted, either of which is impossible.[citation needed] Alternatively, it could reflect changes in the frame of reference the keepers of the grave are using to date events.
In the title text, the speaker notices that the sunlight is now being let in earlier in the morning, and attributes this to it coming through an "Overton window" that can physically move. This is unlikely, since the Overton window is an abstract concept, not an architectural feature, and sunlight is not generally influenced by social attitudes.[citation needed] It is more likely that the phenomenon is due to the seasonal movement of the Sun in the sky, where its apparent path across the sky moves further north or south between the summer solstice (highest arc) and winter solstice (lowest arc), changing the place it falls at a given time of day. This shift is caused by the Earth's tilt relative to its orbit. The Sun's position at a certain clock time may also be perceived to change suddenly due to the beginning or end of daylight saving time, as occurred in most US states and many other countries shortly before this comic was published. (This is an issue that Randall has covered multiple times, although apparently not (unless this is a subtle reference) this year.)
Transcript
- [A gravestone is shown on some grass. On the inscription, all of the years except the last one are crossed out in red, and all except the first pair of years have the years themselves in red. The inscription is as follows:]
- Joseph Paul Overton
1960-20031965-20111973-2018- 1982 -
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