2011-04-23
Explanation
This long-form comic presents a series of letters addressed to a human from increasingly abstract cosmic entities, each alternately delivering hopeful or despairing messages. The Universe opens by calling humanity a "tiny speck," which is sad. Then Chaos Theory replies that small actions can propagate outward to affect all of space, which is uplifting. But Causality counters that human actions are merely the result of chemical structure, which is sad again.
The cycle continues as Quantum Mechanics notes that causality is "lying" and reality involves superposition, then a personified Art claims to extract meaning from chaos. Reductionism strikes back with "existence is void of meaning," prompting the man to contemplate ending it all. But Evolution points out he is not programmed to do that, and Economics notes he cannot afford hedonism either. Finally, Reality writes that it is a confused mess trying to figure itself out too, and God arrives to say "Welcome to the club." The comic captures the emotional whiplash of existential philosophy, where every comforting insight is immediately undercut by another dismal one, until even God admits to being just as lost as everyone else.