Completely OFF TOPIC - Question

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

I used to be a psych major (before discovering computers) and over the years have asked many people the following question. I always found the answers fascinating.

If you someone handed you a machine and said "This machine will allow you to view any event, anywhere on earth, either in the past or in the future. But you can only pick one direction. Either you set it to look in the past and never get to look into the future, or you get to look into the future but never the past."

Which direction would you pick and why?

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 17, 1999

Answers

The past. You can learn from the past. You can see trends in the past and look for similar trends in the present. The future is changing every second. Looking ahead would be pointless, constantly changing.

-- Helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), July 17, 1999.

Since I've read a lot of science fiction, before I choose I want some clarification about potential paradoxes related to the "future" view.

Which future is it? If after seeing a future event I take some action which makes that future event impossible (whether I'm aware of this or not), what is the effect on (a) the view through the machine, and (b) me or anyone or anything else in the present? Or will the machine prevent me from taking any action that changes the future it shows me? Or ... ?

-- No Spam Please (nos_pam_please@hotmail.com), July 17, 1999.


I would say, "Thank you, but no thank you." I would not want to view the past, as I cannot change it. I would not want to view the future as God has only given me strength for today.

-- Lois Knorr (knorr@attcanada.net), July 17, 1999.

We already see just the past but never really see the future. So the question really is 'Would you like to forget everything that has ever happened and have no way to relate it to what you are now seeing?' What a dumb question. To see the future you would have to see all possible futures and there simply wouldn't be enough room in any human brain for that. Especially not a psychologist. Freakin Psyche majors.

How about this one.

Magic Magi Mage I Mage Image Imagine Imagination 1 Magi Nation

Freakin Psyche majors.

-Draco

-- Draco42 (Not@all.here), July 17, 1999.


Well, we can read a lot about the past,even tho some facts may not be true. Therefore I would pick the future, because we can do nothing but guess about the future.

Analysis, please?

No psyche major.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), July 17, 1999.



Neither one. Life is cool the way it is.

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), July 17, 1999.

Future, about one year from now, so I wouldn't have to spend so much time here.

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), July 17, 1999.

The future... because you can still create it.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 17, 1999.


No Spam: If you pick the future, you would have the opportunity to change it. You would only see the change *after* you have taken action that would change it.

Great answers all. Usually I get stuff like "the future, so I could see the winning lottery numbers" or "the past, so we could find out who really shot JFK".

Keep'em coming...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 17, 1999.


Is the machine y2k compliant? Do you have proof?

-- J (jart5@bellsouth.net), July 17, 1999.


the future is like farming. if we sow good=seed-we reap good crop.so is the opposite.--i hate to think it, but i think the chickens are coming home to roost.

-- our-choice. (dogs@zianet.com), July 17, 1999.

J, Is the machine y2k compliant? Do you have proof?

Never heard THAT one before! You could find out both ways. Set it to the past and you could see what the code looked like when they programmed it. Set it to the future and you could see if it failed. Either way you have your 'proof'.

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 17, 1999.


Have to go with the past. Catch a few Aristotle lectures. Maybe ringside while a couple of tyrannosaurs square off.

Sadly, I think the best of humanity is already behind us.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), July 17, 1999.


Drawn to the past, married to a sci-fi maven. I guess it balances out.

-- flora (***@__._), July 17, 1999.

Excellent question TECH32!

I'd definitely choose the past. I think Carlos said it best: "Have to go with the past. Catch a few Aristotle lectures. Maybe ringside while a couple of tyrannosaurs square off. Sadly, I think the best of humanity is already behind us. Imagine all the historical events to which you could be an eyewitness... Religion, politics, medicine, sports, natural disasters, man-made disasters, crimes, discoveries, wars, inventions, etc. etc. etc. Think of the perspective you would now have on every subject under the sun. Viewing in the past would be easily understood. Viewing in the future would probably involve concepts and events far too alien for us to comprehend.

Like I said TECH32, Excellent question. Another time, another place I would like to share with you some similar questions which I have posed to people. Very interesting to hear people's responses to these type questions.

-- CD (not@here.com), July 18, 1999.



CD,

I too would choose the past. In addition to the reasons listed above you would have to ability affect great change in todays world. No clogged courts since you could 'see' if the person really commited the crime. No more govt. lying since you could 'see' what really went on behind closed doors. Basically, you would be removing man's abililty to lie since the truth would always be available.

Plus, you would be rich beyond your wildest dreams. You could see where every gold bearing ship in the history of the world had sunk. You could, for a fee, tell a family where rich uncle Willie hid his will just before he died. And how much would the media pay to *really* find out what Clinton did in the oral orafice, ooops! I mean oval office with Monica Lewinsky? A lot.

If you set it to the future all you get is the opportunity to really screw things up for everybody else...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 18, 1999.


From a purely personal level, it's gotta be the future. To start, I could make a fortune off the bookies......

-- Guido (roll@7.11), July 18, 1999.

Question: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb. Answer: A fish.

-- Spidey (in@jam.commie), July 18, 1999.

The future because it's always unfolding, shifting here and there.

I would like to see "man" group together, learn how to control weather then, harness the energy of the sun which will eventually lead to harnessing the energy of the Solar system.

To see nanotechnology perfected.

To see everything Micho Kaku talks about in "Hyperspace" and "Visions." From a science point of view, it looks like we could be in for a grand ride!

-- mar (Derigueur2@aol.com), July 18, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ