# XKCD 1190: "Time"---Randall's setting something up... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2013, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901 "2013-03-25T10:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/181 "2013-04-12T17:49:32Z")
> [@xkcd](#): > > Cueball: Sea level rises and falls, right? It’s changed before. > Megan: Not this fast. > > Cueball: The river hasn’t even reached the sea yet. > Megan: The river is small. The sea is big. > > Cueball: How big? > Megan: I don’t know. What’s that all about? Global warming commentary? Then what does the river have to do with it? I’ll also point out that the comic has acknowledged its 2-dimensional nature, since the little dam of sand that Megan put in front of the sandcastle has blocked the entire sea… ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/182 "2013-04-12T17:54:20Z")
> [@tanstaafl](#): > > I’ll also point out that the comic has acknowledged its 2-dimensional nature, since the little dam of sand that Megan put in front of the sandcastle has blocked the entire sea… But that’s not consistent either, since they’ve clearly been walking behind the sandcastle on multiple occasions. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/183 "2013-04-13T18:13:42Z")
Nearly on 600. Randall’s drawn 600+ of these things (although obviously with a lot of cutting and pasting) - that’s dedication to an artistic concept. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/184 "2013-04-14T01:01:06Z")
I have to admit something. I’ve stopped Waiting For It. I’ll check It every few days to see if It is still happening, and once It’s done, I’ll catch up. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/185 "2013-04-14T14:10:11Z")
Not me! I’ve had it open in a tab ever since it started. Anyway, I know what they’re building. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/186 "2013-04-14T14:19:54Z")
Suspense? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/187 "2013-04-14T20:57:02Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Anyway, I know what they’re building. Care to share? I was not expecting the little castles on the railing of the pier. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/188 "2013-04-15T04:45:12Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Care to share? > > I was not expecting the little castles on the railing of the pier. Yeah, me neither. I though they were building a gondola for a blimp or balloon, but now I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/189 "2013-04-15T05:17:00Z")
Maybe it’ll be a city in the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/190 "2013-04-15T17:47:40Z")
An arrow-shaped fish just jumped out of the water and is heading straight for our heroes! No, wait, that’s my mouse pointer, which for some reason is black today. The suspense is sort of slackening for me too. What about a pool for when the sea will over-top Megan’s marker and flow into the first castle? I’ll go with Thursday, April 18, at 4pm PDT. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/191 "2013-04-15T17:53:55Z")
I’m ready for there to be a button to click that will email me and let me know when the whole thing is done, so I can just check it out then. I suspect that rather defeats the purpose of what he’s trying to do, though. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/192 "2013-04-15T19:11:52Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Yeah, me neither. I though they were building a gondola for a blimp or balloon, but now I’m not sure. Maybe they’re building Columbia from _Bioshock: Infinite_ Which means the sandcastle on the beach becomes Rapture… ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/193 "2013-04-15T19:40:37Z")
The sea level’s risen another half pixel while they’re discussing the nature of rain. That marker may not live to see Thursday at all. No one else wants to take a guess? ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/194 "2013-04-15T21:45:30Z")
> [@xkcd](#): > > Megan: Does it rain on the sea? > Cueball: I don’t know. > > Cueball: If it does, it seems like a waste. > > Cueball: It rains in the hills where the river comes from, right? > Megan: Sure > > Cueball: Are there other rivers? > > Megan: I don’t know. I’m sure all this talk of the “river” is important somehow, but I just want to know where this is going. Comparing time to a river? Other rivers = parallel universes or something? I’m just grasping at straws here. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/195 "2013-04-16T19:04:00Z")
> [@xkcd](#): > > Cueball: There must be other rivers. Otherwise the sea would dry up. > > Megan: Maybe it’s coming out of the ground. > Cueball: Does that happen? > Megan: I don’t know. > > Megan: I don’t know how the sea works. > Cueball: I don’t know how _anything_ works. And the sea has overtopped Megan’s barricade, so if you had Tuesday afternoon down come and collect your prize. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/196 "2013-04-16T20:12:21Z")
Nobody had anything at all, and my guess turned out to be way off. Megan and Cueball seem to be concerned by it though, enough to come down off their platform and examine it more closely. Now when will the water overflow the battlements of the forward tower? Or will the tower collapse before that happens? ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/197 "2013-04-16T20:58:02Z")
Adam and Eve situation? Neither seems to know anything about the world beyond their current situation. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/198 "2013-04-17T01:51:37Z")
Their ignorance (whatever the cause) might account for their disgust at the taste of the water. If up until now, they’ve only encountered fresh water, salt water would taste terrible, and they’d have no idea why. Despite their ignorance, though, they still seem to know about castles and trebuchets. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/199 "2013-04-17T17:17:26Z")
The forward tower is on the brink of collapse as the rising sea level eats away at it. Strange, because the “marker” was able to hold back the entire sea until it was completely under water. Maybe King Canute can explain it. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2013, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/200 "2013-04-22T11:17:08Z")
So we spent the weekend with Megan building an elaborate sand castle on the upper platform, then she lies down underneath it. And now Beret Guy has shown up. This won’t end well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901.md?page=11)