But of course, the library. Because we all know that Phix does not have enough responsibility keeping track of every piece of literature in the history of the world, so lets add more by having her keep track of artifacts as well.
Ah… I got the sense that she means the library itself is “something that is too dangerous to be left in the stewardship of humans,” not that it will be used to find/store those other artifacts.
But the Library isn’t in the stewardship of humans. In fact, there are very few humans that can even get there. And I think that if they weren’t up to Phix’s standards, something fatal and sudden would happen to them.
I’ll stand on my comment – Monica was wondering what other artifacts are out there, and how she would find out about them, and the Library is a good place to start looking for answers.
OK, for some reason this strip prompted me to ponder about a basic facet of the Wapsiverse (my term for the physical bounding “rules” of the strip).
Given that –
“The Library” magically contains ALL “books” written [*]
and that with each reset of the calendar machine (CM) there were slight variations each time…(57 or so)
Does that mean there are 57+/- variations of every “book” ever written at least for the period of the machine’s repeating?
If so, and if the machine loop is really broken [**], what about those books written inside the roughly 2 year gap between 2010 and 2012?
In the current timeline these books contain “future” knowledge that a character could access freely, if the CM has been rendered inert, without repercussions. We know that these other books exist because Brandi’s book from a previous loop existed in “The Library” and it contained information from after 2010.
That is a valuable source of future knowledge.
One could profit from it, one could avert disasters, help millions of people, etc.
I see two limitations within the context of the Wapsiverse:
1) Sphinx might have some manner of moral or other mystic obligation – but that is just silly given her track record to date about the information she distributes from the Library and would build in an adversarial relationship if she suddenly were to limit access.
2) The further from the CM’s deactivation the less relevant the information will become. However major items and events will hold as proven by the previous 57 repeats and the story so far.
[*] The rules surrounding what actually shows up in “The Library” have never been very clearly set. So far it appears that information needs to be written down in some manner. So is that every grocery list on a post-it note?
[**] I still have a nagging feeling that the CM’s effects are not fully disclosed at this point.
Another question is that after a book as been printed, like, say, a textbook… Are there editions in the library for every single textbook that now has student notes written within it? Many famous scientists wrote things in the margins of books, so, are there separate editions for levels of writing in the book? Or is there a single edition and ALL writing that was put in the book just over-rides what was already there… turning some margins of textbooks into a CIA document with how much has been written in and over and over. We know from Brandi’s book that thigns can be crossed out and written over, so, is that PHYSICALLY the same book, and that is why? What of the METAPHYSICAL book and so the concept of that book? Are there previous editions in the library of Brandi’s book, but Phix just gave her that same one over and over?
If I were in the market for some nuke building materials, I suspect a nuclear power plant, a nuclear warhead arsenal, a nuclear waste dump, even one 10K years old would be useful to come across. Regardless, as you say, none of the above would be harmless.
Most power plants use fuel that would be useless for building weapons at any time.
In 10K years, the fissionables in the warhead would probably degrade to the point that you’d pretty much need to re-refine and re-run the enrichment on them to be useful.
If you just want to interdict an area and don’t care if you can ever use it again, either, just dispersing the nuclear material, either by using it to case a large conventional explosive device (a “dirty bomb”) or grind it up fine and disperse it some other way.
(Don’t try that with plutonium, though – if you grind it *too* fine and disperse it, it will spontaneously burst into flame.)
Don’t forget the Vault from Friday the 13th: The Series.
Some of the items Moni might retreive will more than likely be examples of the Toaster Theory that Asimov talked about in one of his Wendell Urth stories.
I’m thinking she’s in for a rude awakening.
Pablo – you forgot the CFL coming on over her head!
CFL? Thinking Light bulb is in there somewhere, but the other two letters?
Compact Fluorescent Light
CFL’s are so last-decade. It needs to be an LED bulb now…
Or, considering the subject, a hieroglyph of a small torch.
I remember the Egyptian in Asterix the Legionary – he spoke in hieroglyphs.
His name was Ptenisnet…
Can “steward” be used in that sense? I would have thought “stewardship”…
Ah … two type ‘A’ anal-retentive grammar police with but a single thought…
snerk
Indeed, I believe you are most correct. =)
But of course, the library. Because we all know that Phix does not have enough responsibility keeping track of every piece of literature in the history of the world, so lets add more by having her keep track of artifacts as well.
No, I think Monica has just realized that the library will permit her to research for the location of such artifacts.
True, but I also got the impression that she also wanted a place that she could store those items, and safely lock them away.
Ah… I got the sense that she means the library itself is “something that is too dangerous to be left in the stewardship of humans,” not that it will be used to find/store those other artifacts.
But the Library isn’t in the stewardship of humans. In fact, there are very few humans that can even get there. And I think that if they weren’t up to Phix’s standards, something fatal and sudden would happen to them.
I’ll stand on my comment – Monica was wondering what other artifacts are out there, and how she would find out about them, and the Library is a good place to start looking for answers.
Ah, but it was in the stewardship of humans before it was burned: http://wapsisquare.com/comic/askyouariddle/
Well, sort of. It wasn’t completely trusted to humans, even before they lost access. I think it still counts, but I guess we’ll see tomorrow.
That was a portal to the real Library – a gate to L-Space.
Why not Warehouse 13?
…um… stewardship? Stewardship being the office, and steward the person holding it.
The new adventure takes off… +1 for awesomeness, Pablo.
While I like this, there’s a certain Warehouse13, Sanctuary, Torchwood vibe that I’m getting from this one.
Cat, meet curiosity!
Hijinks ensue…
OK, for some reason this strip prompted me to ponder about a basic facet of the Wapsiverse (my term for the physical bounding “rules” of the strip).
Given that –
“The Library” magically contains ALL “books” written [*]
and that with each reset of the calendar machine (CM) there were slight variations each time…(57 or so)
Does that mean there are 57+/- variations of every “book” ever written at least for the period of the machine’s repeating?
If so, and if the machine loop is really broken [**], what about those books written inside the roughly 2 year gap between 2010 and 2012?
In the current timeline these books contain “future” knowledge that a character could access freely, if the CM has been rendered inert, without repercussions. We know that these other books exist because Brandi’s book from a previous loop existed in “The Library” and it contained information from after 2010.
That is a valuable source of future knowledge.
One could profit from it, one could avert disasters, help millions of people, etc.
I see two limitations within the context of the Wapsiverse:
1) Sphinx might have some manner of moral or other mystic obligation – but that is just silly given her track record to date about the information she distributes from the Library and would build in an adversarial relationship if she suddenly were to limit access.
2) The further from the CM’s deactivation the less relevant the information will become. However major items and events will hold as proven by the previous 57 repeats and the story so far.
[*] The rules surrounding what actually shows up in “The Library” have never been very clearly set. So far it appears that information needs to be written down in some manner. So is that every grocery list on a post-it note?
[**] I still have a nagging feeling that the CM’s effects are not fully disclosed at this point.
Another question is that after a book as been printed, like, say, a textbook… Are there editions in the library for every single textbook that now has student notes written within it? Many famous scientists wrote things in the margins of books, so, are there separate editions for levels of writing in the book? Or is there a single edition and ALL writing that was put in the book just over-rides what was already there… turning some margins of textbooks into a CIA document with how much has been written in and over and over. We know from Brandi’s book that thigns can be crossed out and written over, so, is that PHYSICALLY the same book, and that is why? What of the METAPHYSICAL book and so the concept of that book? Are there previous editions in the library of Brandi’s book, but Phix just gave her that same one over and over?
I imagine that in 10K years someone could be running around digging up old unused nuclear warheads that come from our civilization.
In less than 10K years they’ll be useless.
They’ll still contain deadly radioactive materials, as will all of the nuclear waste dumps scattered about the planet.
That’s why i said “useless”.
Ooops:
That’s why i said “useless”, not “harmless”…
If I were in the market for some nuke building materials, I suspect a nuclear power plant, a nuclear warhead arsenal, a nuclear waste dump, even one 10K years old would be useful to come across. Regardless, as you say, none of the above would be harmless.
Most power plants use fuel that would be useless for building weapons at any time.
In 10K years, the fissionables in the warhead would probably degrade to the point that you’d pretty much need to re-refine and re-run the enrichment on them to be useful.
If you just want to interdict an area and don’t care if you can ever use it again, either, just dispersing the nuclear material, either by using it to case a large conventional explosive device (a “dirty bomb”) or grind it up fine and disperse it some other way.
(Don’t try that with plutonium, though – if you grind it *too* fine and disperse it, it will spontaneously burst into flame.)
Back on topic, guys.
I think that is what Uncle Rice is stalking about: a dirty bomb.
Woo-hoo! More Phix!
Don’t forget the Vault from Friday the 13th: The Series.
Some of the items Moni might retreive will more than likely be examples of the Toaster Theory that Asimov talked about in one of his Wendell Urth stories.
More Phix!
VIVA LA paper airplane!
And tomorrow, we see it flying across a map with a red line following it… 😀
Hopefully, John William’s “Raiders March” will be heard in the background. 🙂
Major props for the second panel silhouette!
So what happens if some government types discover the Ark of the Covenant is stuck in that military warehouse.
Didn’t Noah Wylie already make this movie? (“The Librarian”) Although Monica makes a vastly hotter Tomb Raider…
Is the 24 minutes up yet?
I hope she doesn’t hit the Apollo 11 site.
(If you use the Apollo 16 site you can draw an abandoned rover in addition to the decent stage of the LM.)
http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/FIGURES/LandingSitesMaps.jpg
Be sure to use the sound effect ” “!!!
But she threw it at the sun. =)
C’mon guys, we all know that artifacts too dangerous for human hands go to Warehouse 13.
Heh.. as I read the first panel… I kept hearing the opening theme to W13 😛