#602: Overstimulated explain

[There is a group of people. Three women and four men. They are standing around a table with a drink on it.]

Man #3: Have you seen John lately?

Woman #3: He and Claire blew off this party to see Jeff.

Man #4: They do that a lot.

Man #1: Yeah; I don’t know what his problem is with hanging out lately.

Man #3: He’s like Katie—ever noticed how she only goes somewhere if Jeff’s there?

[Cueball is cringing away from all the text; none of the text is attributed to specific people.]

Somebody: It’s so lame how she hangs around him even when he’s not single:

Somebody: He likes it.

Somebody: Someone seriously needs to date her.

Somebody: Totally.

Somebody: And honestly I feel like a jerk but I wouldn’t mind if she hung around with us a little less. She needs other friends, you know!

[Cueball peels a hole in the panel. The numbers ‘1’, ‘2’, and ‘3’ are visible through the gap.]

Somebody: Have you noticed how every dude she dates is a total druggie?

Somebody: Nope

Somebody: I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought that was weird.

Somebody: Michelle dates potheads like Elaine but at least they both have real jobs.

Somebody: Michelle does? She designs those book covers, right?

Somebody: And it’s not like she smokes a lot.

Somebody: Elaine is one of those girls who

[The previous panel’s text appears again, but peeled back even further. Cueball looks up.]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Somebody: -noticed how -

Somebody: Nope

Somebody: -es is a tota-

Somebody: -t th- -ought

[Cueball starts taking down the prime numbers.]

1 4 6 8 9 10 12 14 15

2 3 5 7 11 13

[Cueball grabs and squeezes the 2, so it is half as wide and twice as tall.]

[A formula: Sum with i from 1 to infinity of 1/Pi = h - ie. the sum from 1 to infinity of the inverse of each prime.]

[The panel shows a 2 that is 2 units tall and 1/2 wide, a 3 that is 3 units tall and 1/3 wide, and so on. Cueball is moving the 7.]

[Cueball writes h = ∞. The numbers are piled on their side next to a scale.]

Voice: Don’t you agree?

Voice: Hey, wake up.

Man #1: You zoned out or something.

Cueball: Sorry; I must be… tired.

Man #1: I don’t blame you. All day cooped up working on papers.

Man #3: Must be nice to get out and relax, huh?

Cueball: Yeah.

[Girl #3 reaches for the glass on the table.]