entropy-3
Original: entropy-3 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Man with flame-like orange hair: GOD, WHY IS THERE AN ARROW OF TIME? WHY CAN'T I UNBREAK AN EGG OR UNMIX A COCKTAIL? WHY DO THINGS JUST GET MORE AND MORE MUDDLED?
Glowing voice (God): IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. ENTROPY PERMITS ETHICS.
Panel 2:
God: IMAGINE DOING TROLLEY PROBLEMS IN A WORLD WHERE YOU CAN JUST WIND BACK TO ANY PRIOR STATE AT WILL.
Panel 3:
God: WE'VE TRIED IT. WHEN SENTIENT BEINGS CAN MURDER EACH OTHER AND THEN JUST REVERT, GUESS WHAT THEY SPEND ALL DAY DOING?
Man: MURDER.
Panel 4:
God: BINGO.
Panel 5:
Man: SO... THIS IS THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS?
God (glowing speech bubble): WELL, IT STARTED THAT WAY.
Votey:
Handwritten text reading: "I DO WIND UP AT END, THOUGH." (stylized handwritten lettering)
Man with flame-like orange hair: GOD, WHY IS THERE AN ARROW OF TIME? WHY CAN'T I UNBREAK AN EGG OR UNMIX A COCKTAIL? WHY DO THINGS JUST GET MORE AND MORE MUDDLED?
Glowing voice (God): IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. ENTROPY PERMITS ETHICS.
Panel 2:
God: IMAGINE DOING TROLLEY PROBLEMS IN A WORLD WHERE YOU CAN JUST WIND BACK TO ANY PRIOR STATE AT WILL.
Panel 3:
God: WE'VE TRIED IT. WHEN SENTIENT BEINGS CAN MURDER EACH OTHER AND THEN JUST REVERT, GUESS WHAT THEY SPEND ALL DAY DOING?
Man: MURDER.
Panel 4:
God: BINGO.
Panel 5:
Man: SO... THIS IS THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS?
God (glowing speech bubble): WELL, IT STARTED THAT WAY.
Votey:
Handwritten text reading: "I DO WIND UP AT END, THOUGH." (stylized handwritten lettering)
Alt text
A five-panel SMBC comic. A man with flame-like orange hair and a red shirt looks up and asks God: "God, why is there an arrow of time? Why can't I unbreak an egg or unmix a cocktail? Why do things just get more and more muddled?" A glowing speech bubble (God) replies: "It's for your own good. Entropy permits ethics." God continues: "Imagine doing trolley problems in a world where you can just wind back to any prior state at will. We've tried it. When sentient beings can murder each other and then just revert, guess what they spend all day doing?" The man answers flatly: "Murder." God: "Bingo." The man, looking troubled, asks: "So... this is the best of all possible worlds?" God's glowing bubble replies: "Well, it started that way" -- implying entropy has been making it worse ever since. Votey aftercomic: a panel of stylized handwritten text reading "I do wind up at end, though," followed by a small sketch of a tired figure slumped over, as a wry sign-off.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.