Thought Exercise: The Time Machine Options

[kryogenix]

(Here's a thought exercise that I came up with, reposted from my blog)

A time traveler materializes in your room. He bestows upon you a time machine, which you are free to use- with a catch: the time machine can turn the clock forward or backwards exactly 2 years. Afterwards, the time machine will have run out of fuel and will no longer be useful. Also, going back in time will not result in the time traveler returning once 2 years has elapsed. Once you have made your time shift, you are free to live your life, whether in the past, or in the future.

—-

I’m not really sure what I’d do. Being able to go back in time would be rather great, as I’d be unable to undo all my mistakes. However, having to relive those two years is not something I’m particularly dying to do. I can barely make it through a 50 minute class without dying of boredom. Having to redo 2 years worth of school would be insufferable. Perhaps it would help me out in the long run, but I’m not sure I can put up with that suffering again, when success is not even guaranteed.

On the otherhand, going to the future sounds pretty exciting. I’d have graduated. I’ll be older, wiser and more experienced. However, there’s no way I’ll know what life will be like in 2 years. I’m afraid that if I were to skip 2 years, I’ll wind up in a situation that I don’t like, that I had no control over, and have no opportunity to change. It’s a shot in the dark, and I’m not sure if it’s worth the risk.

What would you do if presented with this decision?

[illriginal]

Well given the fact that you can't go further into the past beyond the creation of the Time Machine, I would simply make friends at first, get to know all his stories about all places and times he's been on his personal time line. After knowing exactly how to work the machine, I would kill him, and keep the machine for myself. Then... I would live my life naturally of course. Every time I've ever done something wrong or something bad happened in my life, I'd simply go back into the past how ever many days and take different paths in hopes to avoid the mistakes or any problems that have happened.

And that's exactly what I would use the machine for. Maybe going into the future for the lulz... but definitely just to manipulate my life to benefit me and possibly others.

[Maccabee]

Shoot the guy, and sell the time machine.
Or, make friends with the guy and eat some fried chicken with him, like tama said and then learn how to fill it with more fuel. Then shoot him.
Then I could either sell it or go into the future, take a peak around, and go back.

[kryogenix]

Brilliant responses by the two best posters on this forum, by far.

[sixfive]

[seriousface]
I don't think I'd do either. I could go into the past and try to right wrongs, fix mistakes, etc, but it's not like many of the things that happened were in my control anyway. Maybe better grades? I'd probably still behave the same way, just be a more mature 18 year old? On the other hand I could jump into the future, but what about all the experiences of those two years? Character development, imho. Missing out on fun would suck, and while the lows suck too, pulling through make you more resilient (hopefully) and well, idk. ^_____________^ Plus, what if I miss something on the way there and end up liking fat people? Can't have that happen.
[/seriousface]

[illriginal]

Kryo's unaware that the fuel tanks can simply be filled again. Unless of course this fuel just decides to no longer exist anymore.

[sixfive]

Idk if you're talking to me kryo or the real kryo, buttttttttttttttt

Nowhere does it state that the fuel a renewable, nor did he state where it originated from. Perhaps the time traveler is from 200 years in the future and the technology to harvest the fuel won't be developed for another 199. So instead of being cute about responses, I went with his hypothetical situation :]

[SuckDickNSaveLiv...]

If you go two years back or forward, couldn't you possibly run into yourself? I would go into the future 2 years from now and f*ck my life up. I would go Kobe on em and rape some innocent white girl in broad daylight and flee the scene to hide. The future KC will have no clue whats going on as I go into hiding. He'll be sitting at the house with his main squeeze, only to have the cops bust in and arrest him. When the trial for future KC comes around, and they have him sitting in his chair, Imma take a seat in the courtroom so that everyone in the room will be like . Then I will flash the thing that was used in Men in black to erase everyone's memories( something the old man gave me to use if i need it) and make them think future KC is innocent. Afterwards, I will fuse with future KC like in Dragonball Z to become KCKC. Then I will go on living happily ever after.






















Nah but seriously though, I wouldn't go back or forward. I would like to perhaps change the way I went about things in the past, however I just have to accept the fact what's done is done. Also, I wouldn't wont to miss anything that goes on in my life, therefore I wouldn't go into the future as well. If there was a guarantee I could come back to present time, then I would take the chance.

[kryogenix]

Alright f****ts, pretend the time machine runs on vespene gas, so there's no way to refuel.

As for the rest, I hadn't thought about the possibility of just staying. That's pretty cool that your regrets aren't great enough for you to want to go back and change them. Personally though, I'm unhappy now. I need to get out.

[illriginal]

LOL



I see what's going on... this is all a psychological game you're playing with us

[queen]

part of me says i'm definitely willing to suffer through all that shit again just to fix my small mistakes. another part of me is scared that if i do things even a little bit different this second time around, i'll f*ck it up. all in all, i like my life right now, and even though i know i'll benefit from going back, i'm afraid to make it worse in a different way.

[Insurmountable]

I would choose to go to the past, I mean if I knew what I knew when the time traveler came and I went back two years into my past I could simply just test out of all my classes and get the credits in a matter of a week, haha. Also I could really go back and fix a lot of things that I f*cked up on...at least I think that was 2 years ago >_< It may have been more, I can't remember. But if it does fall under the 2 year mark i would totally go back.

I would enjoy the future though in a sense of knowing what I did and the choices I made, but its also scary to kind of jump that far and find out if you possibly failed.

[libertie]

Amazingly, two years ago was a pretty big turning point in my life and I made one really terrible mistake. It was bad enough that yes, I think I would go back in time and relive all of it to try to do better. I would get another shot at this music thing, because while I'm "making it" right now, so to speak, I'm still blowing it off as if it'll just always be there. I'm disappointed in how I chose to perform in especially my music classes last year and this year. I would be in a completely different place right now if I hadn't made that one mistake two years ago, and honestly I think I'd be much happier.

[fameONE]

In the past two years, I have made some questionable choices. At the time, the outcome of those decisions caused me temporary headache, I do believe that the outcome of those choice have led me to where I am right now. If I went back and did things differently, I would not be in this location, I would not have the same friends, and I could very well be in a far worse scenario. Why risk it? Regarding the future, I do not want to lose two years of my life on a game of chance. I have sacrificed two years of decision making, trial and error and life experience for what? Curiosity? The offer would be a tempting one, but I'd have to humbly decline.