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submitted 2 days ago by xkcdbot@lemmy.world to c/xkcd@lemmy.world

xkcd #3251: Time Machine Conversation

Title text:

It's possible to do sea navigation without a compass, but you'll have to get some spoilers from the Polynesians.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3251/

explainxkcd for #3251

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[-] terranoid@lemmy.cafe 51 points 2 days ago

You wouldn't know if someone was "just lost" at sea if the problem was a lack of compass. You'd just not have heard from them for years, still wondering whether they survived, started a new life, or what.

[-] marcos@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago

"Lost at sea" means he gone out for fishing and never returned.

He may be out buying cigarettes for all we know.

[-] sqw@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 day ago

i thought this was the "recently happened" just. meaning, he was just expected to have returned but did not, and/or survivors that did from the same voyage confirmed he got et by squiddous gigantica.

[-] TeddE@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

You make an excellent point about how information couldn't propagate before the information age.

I think we can give Randall credit for knowing this but making an editorial choice for brevity, particularly due to the scope of the rest of their work … on the other hand, that makes the 'um, actually' more fun and satisfying.

(Honestly, mostly just spelling this out in case others who aren't as familiar with XKCD (hi user from 'all') have context)

[-] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Unless there were survivors from the shipwreck and this person’s family wasn’t among them.

[-] bluGill@fedia.io 4 points 2 days ago

Even then they might have survived but not made it back.

[-] nialv7@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

idk, maybe try texting them some time? good to reconnect with an old friend etc.

this post was submitted on 27 May 2026
468 points (99.0% liked)

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