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Clopen Shift

Baristas and retail workers are all too familiar with the dreaded clopen shift. You’re assigned to close the shop one night, then turn around and work the opening shift early the next morning. This is part of a complete episode.

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1 comment
  • It is perhaps worth noting that “clopen” is also a term used in mathematics (specifically, in topology). While the abstract definitions are probably not that interesting, there are notions of “closed sets” and “open sets” in topology. Somewhat confusingly, these concepts are not mutually exclusive, leading to the possibility that a set can be both open and closed at the same time, i.e. clopen.

    There is an YouTube video that helps to explain the situation.

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