If you had a time machine, would you...

[Ch0jin]

I think I would be more interested in the future than the past. The past has already happened, been written about, debated, rehashed, revised, and is gone..

I'd like to know first of all, if we survive as the dominant species on the planet. Assuming that we do, I'd then like to see how far we advance in medicine & science. I especially like to see if we ever master warp travel and explore the vastness of the universe.

But, I fear that just as in H.G. Wells The Time Machine, the not too distant future will be one of global ruin before a new age slowly emerges. Will it finally be the post Apocalyptic period of the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth? Or, will it be just the latest in the series of war, death, destruction, and ruin followed by yet another cycle of rebuilding after having learned nothing from the exercise yet again?

First stop...December 23, 2012.....

I like that line of thinking, although the primary motivation for me to travel back to some of the key points in history is precisely because I do not believe that the past was necessarily documented accurately, or for the good of mankind as we know it today. Without going into specifics, I'd like to hold up an accurate account of historic events to try and help the world as a whole to understand the mistakes of the past and thus try and prevent them from occurring again.

Regarding man remaining the dominant species, I would be very, very keen to see what happens in the future for the same reasons you mentioned, but also I'd like to go WAY forward to see what happens to man as we know it, because at least once in history we've seen a species very similar to ours cease to exist. To explain.

It's scientifically accepted that Homo sapiens have been wandering about the place for around 200,000 years. That's certainly a long time, especially considering we've only really been documenting things for a couple of thousand years. During that time though, it's thought that Neanderthal man or Homo neanderthalensis existed as a separate species for around 100,000 years and then became extinct. So in the span of us Homo sapiens to date, we've actually already seen a species very, very similar to ours vanish off the face of the earth! Now I'm not aware of any theories that Neanderthal man was actually a dominant species, from what I've read it's more likely they were an inferior species to Homo sapien and therefore fell victim to natural selection, so that's not a great example I suppose.

However, consider my old friend Mr Homo erectus who wandered about the place for approximately 1.3 MILLION years before we Homo sapiens and the ill fated Neanderthal's rocked up on the scene. Now we can argue that erectus might not have been the top -predator- back then the way that we are now, but in human terms they were the dominant species and remained so for more than a million years, over which time they evolved so significantly they needed a new classification as a species. In scientific terms, I read that as the dominant species being replaced. So there we go. It's happened at least once before that mankind was replaced as the dominant species, it' stands to reason that if we don't destroy the earth first, it could happen again. After all, as I said, our predecessors were around for 1.3million years before we took over, and we've only really been at the helm for a brief 200,000 year stint.

All that said though, I'm pretty certain we'll render the planet unfit for habitation by humans as we know them in the near future anyway.

 

[just strum]

I'd take two people as crew to make the most influential documentary of all history.

"So Jesus. Having read this translation of the Bible and having spent the last couple of weeks going over a summarized version of everything thats been done in your name over the last couple of thousand years, could you give us your thoughts?"

"Stay tuned for part two where we put similar questions to Mohamed..."

Now that would be interesting, but I would pose the questions to God or Allah (one in the same). This is to address those people that view Mohammad and Jesus role in history in a different light. We must respect those people that have different beliefs.

This is now diving in too far into religion, although the thread unintentionally served as the vehicle for the discussion.

 

[Ch0jin]

....

This is now diving in too far into religion, although the thread unintentionally served as the vehicle for the discussion.

I hope I didn't go too far! I was trying very carefully to leave my religious views out of it. I just think, regardless of your views, that would likely be THE most important documentary ever made, and hence why I'd use the time machine for this purpose

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

I think it would be cool to meet up with Tot and Duck Dogers in the 24 1/2 century.Sumi

So you know about my great great grandfather Duck Dodgers then?

You earth creatures continue to amaze.

But, I fear that just as in H.G. Wells The Time Machine, the not too distant future will be one of global ruin before a new age slowly emerges. Will it finally be the post Apocalyptic period of the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth? Or, will it be just the latest in the series of war, death, destruction, and ruin followed by yet another cycle of rebuilding after having learned nothing from the exercise yet again?

Or each of the above & then some in one or another of the branches of the future.

First stop...December 23, 2012.....

So two days after...just enough time to get rid of the pounding hangover...nice touch.

Judging from some of these posts it would be interesting to explore philosophical/religious concepts but that'd probably end up in a train wreck. Strum have you come back from the immediate future yet to find out if this thread derails?

 

[Rx Tone]

That reminds me............ if I had a time machine, I'd try and find out who first said..........
"An optimist says 'The glass is half full'
A pessimist says 'The glass is half empty'
A realist says 'That glass is twice as large as it needs to be'. "

Depends on whether you're drinking or buying.

:beer:

 

[Bloozcat]

So two days after...just enough time to get rid of the pounding hangover...nice touch.

Well, it would be an awful mess to stop the time machine right in front of an oncoming tsunami or where a fizzure in the earth is opening up...

Interesting take, Ch0jin....

Neither Homo Erectus nor Neanderthal ever became more than masters of their environment while Homo Sapiens became the dominant species on earth in less than 200,000 years. I read of one theory that claims Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens may have co-mingled with Neanderthal being absorbed by Homo Sapiens through interbreeding. It's a theory, but one it seems with little serious support.

It would seem that for Homo Sapiens it's not a question of biological evolution, but one of intellectual evolution measured through technological advances. Perhaps it's more properly adaptation than evolution in the traditional sense. What interests me is with Homo Sapiens having long ago established himself as first, the master of his environment and then dominant over all other earth species, will he ever manage to become master of himself. With technological advances increasing an an exponential rate, will man evolve quickly enough intellectually, morally, ethically, and spiritually to prevent his own extinction? Or, will man become a victim of his own success?

Time, that illogical nuisance that binds us to the moment.

 

[Ch0jin]

Excellent post Bloozecat!

I can't add any more to what you said without actually using this time machine, so I'll just applaud you for putting it so succinctly :bravo: :bravo:

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Well, it would be an awful mess to stop the time machine right in front of an oncoming tsunami or where a fizzure in the earth is opening up...

You'd think, but you know: the best laid plans...

The fissures & tsunamis start on the 23rd. What you miss are two days of the dispensation of love, oneness, profound meaning, and heartrending beauty necessary to persevere through the onslaught.

Enjoy the 23rd.

 

[Bloozcat]

The notion of time travel has always been fascinating. For me it always inevitably leads to the question, what is time, really? And how can time and infinity exist in the same plane?

It isn’t easy to grasp the concept of infinity. In the infinite existence, time is irrelevant. There is no beginning and there is no end…there only is…

We are not infinite beings, yet, so we exist on a time line where there is what has preceded now on that line (as memories), and that which will follow now on the time line (future). We are ephemeral beings in a finite existence. We can only “see” now, and “remember” the past. We cannot experience the future because that exists only in the infinite existence.

Confused? I think God intended it that way. But if you look at the finite world as a line that you’re walking on, you can see where your feet are now, and you can turn around and “see” where your feet have been – but only through your memory because the “past” no longer exists in the finite world. For just as two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, “past” and “now” can’t occupy the same space in time. You can’t see where your feet are going next because the “line” you’re walking exists only in the now. You can’t see beyond that because in the finite world the “future” does not exist until it becomes “now”. Oh, we can imagine it based again on memories of past experience, but we cannot actually see it until it becomes the now moment. To further illustrate the concept of “now”: You cannot have a foot in the future or in the past, because you only exist now, right this nano-second where your feet are on the time line. You can only go into the “past” through memory, you can’t exist there…and you can’t go into the future and exist there either because it doesn’t exist in the finite world.

If you were in the infinite world, you would be above the time line where all of the events of time are happening all at once to you. Remember, time is irrelevant to you in the infinite world, there only is. You’re looking down at this thing called time, a finite creation being seen from the infinity that surrounds it. All points on the time line are is to you in the infinite existence.

Weird, the places my mind goes sometimes...and intellectuals say that science fiction has no place amongst true literature. I say that if it causes one to think beyond the surely bounds of their mortal existence, it deserves its place of honor with all thought provoking literature.

 

[just strum]

I hope I didn't go too far! I was trying very carefully to leave my religious views out of it. I just think, regardless of your views, that would likely be THE most important documentary ever made, and hence why I'd use the time machine for this purpose

No, I wasn't referring to you or finding fault in the thread, I was pointing out that the subject and the times selected would have to draw people to include that in their answer.

My main point is I would stay right where I am at.

 

[Ch0jin]

My main point is I would stay right where I am at.

.....staring into the inky blackness of that guitar

 

[just strum]

.....staring into the inky blackness of that guitar

:AOK:

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

My main point is I would stay right where I am at.

Nobody mentioned where-traveling only changing the time. You are staying in Ohio, or whatever it might have been or will be called, no matter what.