I think I finally realised what rubs me the wrong way about these xkcd musings, and the related discussions. [Start rant] They take the situation to its absur

I think I finally realised what rubs me the wrong way about these xkcd musings, and the related discussions. [Start rant] They take the situation to its absurd conclusion, then quit with a full finality that people take as truth. Further absurd conclusions are ignored, and their word is law. Some more absurd arguments for why you will be able to light a fire with a magnifier and moonlight are as follows: 1: use a pre-magnifier to create a spot on the moon with the same temperature as the sun, then magnify the light from that spot to start your fire. 2: wait a long time... eventually a meteor will hit the moon creating a spot bright enough to focus. 3: wait even longer... Eventually the random mollecular collisions between the wood and the (presumably oxegen rich) air around it will convert it into carbon dioxide and water while serendipitous individual high energy blackbody photons help break it down. 4... insert absurd^4 answer that brings in tunneling effects, or moving mirrors, or some other "impossible" reason that is only impossible because they didn't think of it for you. [End rant]