immortal-2
Explanation
In this comic, two characters discuss the ethics of immortality. One asks: "Do you think humans will ever achieve immortality? Like, one day?" The other responds: "Yeah, but just for one second --" then asks: "Look, is it okay to kill a future Hitler?" The response: "Sure, yeah."
The argument then unfolds: "What are the odds of you becoming a future Hitler?" / "Pretty low." / "But not zero, right?" The chain of reasoning continues: if we all have infinite lifespans and a finite (even if tiny) probability of becoming the next monstrous dictator, then over an infinite timeline it becomes almost statistically certain. Therefore, it is always ethical to kill any immortal person preemptively, because given enough time they will inevitably become a monster. The conclusion: "Our greatest dream is our greatest nightmare" -- because immortality logically requires everyone to be killed.
The final panel offers a silver lining: "On the plus side, the funerals will be very easy" (presumably because everyone dies, so there is no one left to mourn, or the funerals are routine).
The joke is a reductio ad absurdum argument applied to the dream of immortality. It uses a real principle from probability -- that given infinite time, any event with nonzero probability will eventually occur -- and applies it to ethics with hilariously grim results. The comic parodies the style of philosophical thought experiments (like the trolley problem) by constructing a logical chain that is technically valid but leads to an absurd and horrifying conclusion. It is a commentary on how utopian dreams often contain the seeds of dystopia when you think through the implications carefully enough -- a recurring theme in SMBC's philosophical humor.