# 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:** 16
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/301 "2013-05-16T19:47:18Z")
OK, the “jump cut” yesterday just threw me. Usually one frame has led into the next pretty well but going from standing under the tree with Megan to being somewhere else in one frame made me think something else was going on. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/302 "2013-05-21T17:18:27Z")
frame 1505 They are climbing another hill. They reach the top. Megan looks over and says “WOW” Any guesses what’s impressed her? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/303 "2013-05-21T17:29:59Z")
Maybe a large human settlement? ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/304 "2013-05-21T17:47:27Z")
Or a forest. They seem to have been surprised by the trees they’ve seen so far, like the one they slept under or the one they just passed in frame 1491-1492 (notice they both turn to look back at it as they pass). ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/305 "2013-05-21T18:16:34Z")
OK, a couple of really big trees. Close, anyway. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/306 "2013-05-22T19:51:06Z")
We keep getting new mysteries without ever getting answers for the previous ones. Why did they build the multilevel sandcastle even before they noticed the sea level? Why does the water taste so bad? Why does the sea keep rising? What’s up with the steam bottle, and why “ugh”? What about the abandoned campgrounds? Now we have bending trees. OK, I know: Wait. For It. Yeah, what about the approximately 9.5 million people who have simply died of old age since the strip started? Who can say which of us will be next? I refuse to go on to my final reward until I at least know what the deal is with that damned beret girl. ---
**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:** [May 22, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/307 "2013-05-22T20:41:14Z")
The water tastes so bad because it’s seawater. You’ve got me on the others, though. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/308 "2013-05-23T20:04:23Z")
[New page access.](http://xkcd.aubronwood.com/#) ---
**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:** [May 23, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/309 "2013-05-23T20:56:10Z")
If it wasn’t for that leaning tree, I’d say things grow logarithmically there. ---
**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:** [May 23, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/310 "2013-05-23T21:03:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The water tastes so bad because it’s seawater. You’ve got me on the others, though. Yes, that’s probably right. Their discussions on it seeming fresher because of the river water confirm that somewhat. Their initial reactions to it seemed so exaggerated though that I wondered if there were something different about this sea. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/311 "2013-05-23T21:06:29Z")
Baobab trees? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/312 "2013-05-23T21:28:38Z")
A vineyard? ---
**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:** [May 24, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/313 "2013-05-24T17:27:19Z")
An abandoned vineyard. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/314 "2013-05-24T17:35:36Z")
I’m thinking about this thing too much. I’m now wondering if the insects we’ve seen buzzing around occasionally are important in any way, or if they’re just there to break up otherwise nearly identical frames. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/315 "2013-05-24T19:31:14Z")
I’m thinking the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/316 "2013-05-26T13:35:49Z")
It’s like I keep reaching in my mind for a story progression and stepping onto a stair that’s not there. They appear to be innocents in the world, but clearly there’s some sort of civilization that either is or was extant. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/317 "2013-05-26T17:25:46Z")
Maybe it’s like Seinfeld… it’s about nothing. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/318 "2013-05-27T00:27:58Z")
I’m thinking more like Lost. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/319 "2013-05-27T03:46:26Z")
And the squirrel Megan is feeding is like the giant polar bear! ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/320 "2013-05-31T13:32:54Z")
Is that a snake that Cueball is about to get eyeball to eyeball with? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901.md?page=17)