Time Travel
by Jeff
Image text: She also starts every letter with "Dear Future <your name>".
I have to say, I'm either completely lost on this one or there is no hidden meaning here. Anyone have any idea on this one?
UPDATE: Upon further reflection, the female character of this comic is pretending that she has time travelled from the past, which is technically true. The character has travelled through time just like anyone else, just as you or I have travelled through time since the day of our birth.
It appears the female character in the comic is 23 or 24 (Thanks commenter boobins, whoops! I can't count apparently) 25 or 26 years old as one would assume she uses the year of her birth as the year she has "time-travelled" from.
Am I explaining that right? Technically she has time travelled, but not in the exciting way. In the same, boring way we have all travelled through time.
August 31st, 2009
Well.. of course she comes from 1983, because she was born in 1983, it’s technically true, but not time travel in a sci-fiction way
August 31st, 2009
And anyone who gets her letters will be further in the future than she was when she wrote it.
August 31st, 2009
http://www.xkcd.com/209
August 31st, 2009
She travels forward at regular speed.
August 31st, 2009
Uh, 2009-1983 = 26. She would be 25 if she was born after 8/31/1983. She would in no way be 23 or 24.
August 31st, 2009
Oh no. I’m terrible at math apparently.
September 4th, 2009
When I initially read this, I got the idea that she had indeed time traveled (in the science fiction way), and had just been with him in the current time for long enough that the preface was overused. The joke then would be that while “i’ve traveled here from the year 1983″ might’ve at one point been effective in affecting the man’s decisions, but it was no longer so. After realizing that it PROBABLY referring to the time travel we all do from birth, i still sort of think it works on the level i initially though.
October 14th, 2009
Yes, you got it right now. It is time traveling the normal way from birth. That is what makes it so funny. The title text is a similar joke. Whenever you write a letter to someone, it will always be read by their future selves. In both cases she is being completely truthful, but misleading.
June 27th, 2011
I’d like more the one where she actually did come from the past. It’s a whole new story to ponder about. So she came from 1983, and she’s hanging with her ‘future’ friends.
Your explanation makes more sense, though.
January 1st, 2012
You’re older than you’ve ever been and now you’re even older
And now you’re even older
And now you’re even older
You’re older than you’ve ever been and now you’re even older
And now you’re older still.
—They Might Be Giants
February 12th, 2012
Does this have some reference to the book 1984 by George Orwell? Do they talk about bagels in that book? Maybe I’ll read that next to find out.
April 6th, 2012
I’ve traveled here from the year 1964 to tell you, that has nothing to do with it.