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A thread that isn't boring

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Vindictus

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A thread that isn't boring
« on: August 01, 2011, 09:04:55 PM »
So, recently, S&AS has been very dead. In the spirit of breaking this trend, I thought I'd post an interesting question that's only vaguely science related.

Say you have a time machine. This time machine allows you to travel to any point in time, but only for a day, after which you're instantly brought back. Also assume that you can change history if you like. Who would you meet? What would you do?

Now, a question not related to science at all; if you could have dinner with one person that's alive, who would it be?

Personally, I'd go back and meet Jesus to see if he's the real deal. I might also see how introducing the scientific method really early changes things. My dinner guest would be Steven Colbert, because I think he'd be an interesting person to hold a conversation with. Other people I'd like to have over for dinner would be Jonathan Coulton, and maybe Kris Kristofferson (who is that?).

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Theodolite

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2011, 09:07:50 PM »
I would go back in time and assassinate hitler in 1940, before he does serious damage to the war effort.  With him gone, Germany would easily win.  There is no way they could do a worse job running the world than the usa    :D
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Puttah

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2011, 03:29:09 AM »
Quote from: Vindictus on August 01, 2011, 09:04:55 PM
Personally, I'd go back and meet Jesus to see if he's the real deal
I also once thought of doing this if such an offer presented itself to me. Over time I came to realize that I'd just be going back to answer what I already know - that he isn't what has been claimed - and bringing back the story (or recordings etc.) of my journey will be futile. Christianity will still stand strong and I'll be branded as the devil, or even more humiliating, a fraud.

I'd probably go back to 1816 and give that lady Mrs Rowbotham a good punch in the bloated stomach. That would do our world a lot of favors.

Scarlett Johansson. I just need to meet her once...
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Quote from: Tausami on July 01, 2013, 12:31:58 PM
Scepti, this idiocy needs to stop and it needs to stop right now. You are making a mockery of this fine forum with your poor trolling. You are a complete disgrace.
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Thork

Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2011, 05:13:47 AM »
Changing the past might have ramifications on my own existence. Assuming I am not going back to bet on a horse or with the lottery numbers I might as well make a day trip from it. Take me back 4500 years and I'll have a walk around Giza whilst they build the pyramids.
Or maybe a day at the Colosseum? I'm sure it would be a good show.

Dinner with a person that is alive? Is Kate Beckensale available?

As for seeing Jesus, what if he turned out to be a scruffy arab extremist, talking absolute nonsense and scamming people for their money with promises of eternal salvation?
He might clearly be a total pain in the backside, but what he stands for gives hope and spirituality to millions. It would only be replaced with something else. Personally I'd wash my hands and walk away.
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Mugthulhu

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2011, 05:15:13 AM »
I'd lol if he turned out to actually be black.
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Crazy Diamond

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2011, 08:19:38 AM »
ok, i take it, with this time machine, we can't go changing any desicions we made?

Right,ok, on my day trip in the time machine ,  i would go back to Noahs' Ark, just so i could see for myself all the creatures that were in it, and whether they resemble the creatures we have today, or whether evolution has indeed kicked in over the years. I would also finally be able to end an argument i had with my boss from previous employment over whether sea creatures were also put in the ark, or were left in the sea during the great flood.

I would also like to go back to the pyramids being constructed, and hijack some plans, just so we knew how they were made and whether modern day man can actually have a go at building on for themselves.

To round off the day, i would love to go to a Pink Floyd concert, with all four of the band as we know them best for, playing, alas it never happened in real life for me, Richard died before i had the chance to go to one.

Dinner with someone alive was a hard choice, it was between Rob Lowe (do i have to explain this? lol) and Sir Terry Pratchett. Not for his books, but for what he argues for now - a dignified death for very sick and terminally ill people. I think Sir Terry won that choice.

Then, becauce its something i really want to know, i would set the machine to arrive back, one year in the future, to see if descions made today were the right ones for the future.
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Parsifal

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2011, 11:48:42 AM »
Quote from: Crazy Diamond on August 02, 2011, 08:19:38 AM
To round off the day, i would love to go to a Pink Floyd concert, with all four of the band as we know them best for, playing, alas it never happened in real life for me, Richard died before i had the chance to go to one.

Surely you mean all five? :)
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Quote from: Ævan on August 11, 2013, 01:18:20 PM
I'm going to side with the white supremacists.
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Crazy Diamond

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2011, 12:30:21 PM »
Nope, i mean the four, i never liked Syd Barretts stuff,  in fact the first two albums i do not own due to the fact its Syds stuff on them.
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Parsifal

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2011, 12:56:55 PM »
Quote from: Crazy Diamond on August 02, 2011, 12:30:21 PM
Nope, i mean the four, i never liked Syd Barretts stuff,  in fact the first two albums i do not own due to the fact its Syds stuff on them.

A pity.

I've always felt they went downhill after The Dark Side of the Moon. In particular, I enjoy Atom Heart Mother and Meddle, though I haven't listened to either in some time.
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Quote from: Ævan on August 11, 2013, 01:18:20 PM
I'm going to side with the white supremacists.
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Crazy Diamond

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2011, 01:11:31 PM »
i love the Meddle album - it has two of my favourite tracks on it, and Atom Heart Mother is ok - IF is good.
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Lorddave

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2011, 01:11:31 PM »
I'd want to meet Jesus as well or Moses or Mohommed. 
I'd then tell them how much their teachings would screw up the world.  I'd detail how savage others would fight on their behalf, creating tortures the likes of which not even the devil has all in their name. 

Then they'd say something in arabic and walk away, never understanding a word I said.
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Hazbollah

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2011, 01:15:01 PM »
I'd probably go back to tell the bloke who planted the Munich bomb to set the timer for a quarter of an hour earlier.
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Tausami

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2011, 03:58:13 PM »
I'd explain to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles what their ideas end up doing to the world.
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fluffycornsnake

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2011, 06:43:55 PM »
I'd rather visit the future than the past. I'd like to see how it all ends, and how far the sciences and arts progress before our inevitable extinction.
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Chris Spaghetti

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2011, 12:55:21 AM »
Assuming the machine and I could survive it, I'd go back to the very beginning of the universe and take measurements.

If not then go back to assassinate Kaiser Villheim and the other major cogs of WWI.
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Thork

Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #15 on: August 09, 2011, 01:31:19 AM »
Quote from: Chris Spaghetti on August 09, 2011, 12:55:21 AM
Assuming the machine and I could survive it, I'd go back to the very beginning of the universe and take measurements.

If not then go back to assassinate Kaiser Villheim and the other major cogs of WWI.

No no no. Id have to go back and stop you doing that. Without WWI there would be WW2. I need WW2 to exist. My Grandfather was a pilot for the Australian Airforce and was sent to England to help out. He then knocked my granny up and legged it back to Australia. However he was 'fetched' and the rest as they say is history. I need WW2 to happen, so I'm gonna have to go back to sabotage your efforts of time travel.
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Vindictus

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Re: A thread that isn't boring
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2011, 02:01:15 AM »
ITT: Thork is Australian.
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