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No. 277: Many-Worlds Garfield

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Many-Worlds Garfield

First | Previous | 2010-02-20 | Next | Latest

Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/garfield/?comic=277

Strip by: Quaternion

Garfield: {asleep} Z
{The universe bifurcates}
Garfield: {asleep in universe 1} Z
Garfield: {asleep in universe 2} Z
{Both universes bifurcate again}
Garfield: {asleep in universe 1} Z
Garfield: {asleep in universe 2} Z
Garfield: {asleep in universe 3} Z
Garfield: {awake in universe 4, with his head replaced by that of Cthulhu} Quantum immortality is funny as hell!

The author writes:

In layman's terms the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics states that instead of one possible outcome happening, all possible outcomes happen in different universes. For a more thorough explanation, see Wikipedia. One such event, for example a radioactive atom decaying or not, would not at all be noticeable without an instrument, that's why most panels appear almost exactly the same.

However, on a microscopic level, matter behaves in really bizarre ways. It is theoretically possible for all your particles to "jump" to the other side of a closed door at the same time. On the other hand, this would be considerably less fun than it sounds, as there is no guarantee that you would be reassembled the right way.

Combining the two ideas, the result is that these theoretically possible, one-in-a-gazillion chance events indeed do occur in some alternate universe, so some of you reading this strip have surely woken up this morning with a Cthulhu-head. (Look on the bright side, you can make some nice "It's a trap!" impressions.)

Quantum immortality is basically based on this line of thought. It states that in some universes you just can't die, no matter how hard you try. Becoming an Old One is surely an elegant way to achieve this.

Original Irregular Webcomic: No. 635.

Original strip: 2001-05-13.