# 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:** 6
**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:** [March 30, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/101 "2013-03-30T14:54:35Z")
[Reposting link for page 3 access.](http://xkcd.aubronwood.com/) ---
**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:** [March 30, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/102 "2013-03-30T15:03:58Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I’ll go out on a limb and predict that it’s going to be far longer than we suspect right now. Like, probably months, maybe years. Isn’t that what I said back on page one? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/103 "2013-03-31T04:48:14Z")
BTW this thread got a mention on avclub. [Here](http://www.avclub.com/articles/check-out-xkcds-epic-multiday-animation-comic,95486/). ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/104 "2013-03-31T11:46:12Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Like I said, 97 minute film animated at 4fps and reeled out over two years. Assuming it’s shorter than that, and can be spun out this year, what would it take to make it eligible for an Oscar? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/105 "2013-03-31T13:11:13Z")
It’s probably already too late for it to ever be eligible in either the the feature film or animated short categories because of these rules: > [@Oscar Eligibility Rules](#): > > Films that, in any version, receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release will not be eligible for Academy Awards in any category. This includes broadcast and cable television as well as home video and Internet transmission. Motion pictures released in such non-theatrical media on or after the first day of their Los Angeles County qualifying run remain eligible. Also, ten minutes or ten percent of the running time of a film, whichever is shorter, may be shown in a nontheatrical medium prior to the film’s qualifying run. > [@Oscar Eligibility Rules](#): > > A short film may not be exhibited publicly anywhere in any nontheatrical form, including but not limited to broadcast and cable television, home video, and Internet transmission, until after its Los Angeles theatrical release, or after receiving its festival award or Student Academy Award. Excerpts of the film totaling no more than ten percent of its running time are exempted from this rule. So to get around that, he’d have to stop showing it online first and the told length would have to be at least 10x whatever length he had already shown online. If he did that, then to qualify for a feature film award it would have to be at least 40 minutes in length and have been commercially exhibited (paid admission) for at least 7 days inside Los Angeles County. For the animated short award to qualify it would have to either a) be commercially exhibited (paid admission) for at least 3 days inside Los Angeles county, or b) have won one of the recognized (by the Academy) film festival awards. So easiest path is: A) Stop showing it online. B) Make sure the entirety is 10 times as long as what has already appeared online C) Submit it to, and win, a relevant film festival. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/106 "2013-03-31T14:14:41Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > BTW this thread got a mention on avclub. [Here](http://www.avclub.com/articles/check-out-xkcds-epic-multiday-animation-comic,95486/). That article makes a good point. We’re treating this like it’s a movie but that isn’t the way it was presented. It was presented as a series of still pictures with the title “Time”. Munroe’s intention was most likely that we experience the strip as moments with the realization that the moment we were watching was just what was happening now - other things had happened in the past and would happen in the future. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/107 "2013-03-31T15:04:42Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Like I said, 97 minute film animated at 4fps and reeled out over two years. Wiki says the strip is adding 1 frame every 30 minutes. At that rate, assuming the original were 24fps, a 97 minute film would take just under eight years to finish. That same film at your 4fps would be done in 9.7 hours. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/108 "2013-03-31T15:06:46Z")
And assuming 4fps (which is what I’d said), it would take two years. Which is funny since I was just making up numbers. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/109 "2013-03-31T15:12:59Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > And assuming 4fps (which is what I’d said), it would take two years. No. 97 minutes is 5820 second \* 24 frames/sec = 139680 frames. At 4 fps, you get 34920 visual seconds = 582 minutes = 9.7 hours. The easier way is just multiply 97 by 6 to get minutes in length, since 4 fps is 1/6 the speed of the 24fps original, and again you get 582 minutes. ---
**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:** [March 31, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/110 "2013-03-31T15:35:21Z")
I think you’re talking at cross purposes. If you show a 97 minute movie intended to be shown at 24 fps, slowed down to 4 fps, then yes, it would take six times longer, which is 9.7 hours. But if you slow down a 97 minute movie intended to be shown at 4 fps to two frames per hour, then it would take, well, not two years, but more than one. That is, one sixth of the eight years for 24 fps case. ---
**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 1, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/111 "2013-04-01T00:14:42Z")
If I were feeling a lot more bored than I actually am, I’d calculate the “true” framerate from the hang-time of the catapult projectiles. Of course, any time consistent with the catapults would imply incredibly fast sandcastle construction. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/112 "2013-04-01T00:28:02Z")
Correct. I did not mean showing a 24fps story at 4fps. But rather a 97 minute film meant to be shown at 4fps and therefore consisting of 23,280 frames. Which, when shown at the current rate of 2 frames/hour would take 485 days. Me dividing your 8 years by 4 instead of 6 was a brain fart. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/113 "2013-04-01T00:38:08Z")
Ok, assuming we’re not talking about a 97 minute movie, let me just say “Randall!! how much longer man?? I can’t take the suspense!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/114 "2013-04-01T01:12:38Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If I were feeling a lot more bored than I actually am, I’d calculate the “true” framerate from the hang-time of the catapult projectiles. > > Of course, any time consistent with the catapults would imply incredibly fast sandcastle construction. You’re assuming the framerate is constant. Even if this were a photographic timelapse, there’s no reason the capture rate couldn’t be adjusted. It could probably even be done automatically, to some extent, using motion detection to speed up the capture during periods of higher activity. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/115 "2013-04-01T02:49:05Z")
I just thought of something. April fool’s day will fall one week after this comic started. Might that be what it’s building up to? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/116 "2013-04-01T02:51:14Z")
Maybe it will be a slow motion Rickroll. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/117 "2013-04-02T12:12:29Z")
So the thread on the xkcd forums is now up to 214 pages, for about 8500 posts… :eek: Meanwhile, the new comic, [Externalities](http://xkcd.com/1193/), contains some sort of hash-breaking challenge, and its content reflects dynamically who (which university) currently leads the challenge. Also, it apparently grabs some content from wikipedia, which has caused rampant edit wars and vandalism. Oh, and it collects donations to wikipedia, based on which amount a dog in the comic grows. Currently, over $30,000 has been collected… To see a cartoon dog put on weight. New theory: Randall’s just testing out the power of xkcd to surreptitiously command an army of internet minions (possibly for future taking-over-the-world related activities). ---
**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 2, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/118 "2013-04-02T13:35:07Z")
A key bit of dialog appeared a little while ago: Girl: “Any idea where the river is now?” Boy: “Still pretty far out. It’s actually retreated a little this week.” Any ideas what THAT’S all about? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/119 "2013-04-02T15:02:55Z")
Help a girl out- what exactly is “hash-breaking”? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901/120 "2013-04-02T15:38:15Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Help a girl out- what exactly is “hash-breaking”? I believe, in this context, he is challenging folks to generate the plain text that will result in the cryptographically “hashed” text shown at this link: [http://almamater.xkcd.com/](http://almamater.xkcd.com/) Using, specifically, the Skein-1024 algorithm, if I’m reading it correctly. More information here: [1193: Externalities - explain xkcd](http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1193:_Externalities) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-1190-time-randalls-setting-something-up/653901.md?page=7)