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I'm interested to see which one you all would choose given these restrictions.
money = You are given a bank account with a permanent one trillion dollar balance. Every time you make a withdrawal from this account that amount is replaced by taking from from all other humans bank accounts just a small fraction of the total.
Knowledge = You are granted access to a library that contains all the knowledge and information that man has ever recorded. this would include lost knowledge. Time would not pass while you were in this library. (you would not age), but you could not bring anyone with you. time on earth would stand still while you were in the library, so you could visit the library for a couple years every morning, or however you chose to use it.
Post by spookymonster on Apr 20, 2008 8:24:07 GMT -5
I could make myself rich with all the knowledge in the world. But all the money in the world wouldn't make me any wiser.
I could unravel the mysteries of the ancients; pyramids, the library of Alexandria, the disappearance of the Anasazi,... did aliens really create the Mayan calendar?
I could use my knowledge towards world peace: I'd know where the WMDs are, where the hostages are being kept, where Bin Laden is hiding.
I could make myself rich: I'd set myself up as a 'truthsayer' for business negotiations, to confirm facts in dispute. No skeleton would remain in the closet with me on the case (for a reasonable fee, of course).
If they had to be mutually exclusive, I'd definitely take knowledge. Once you have enough money for necessities, the rest is just fluff. And the "lost" knowlegce would be the poop!
Of course with unlimited money you could buy more books and appointments with scholars than you could probably ever make time for so...
But that's just skirting the essence of your hypothetical question. I absolutely like knowledge more than money.
When I consider unlimited money and lack of knowledge I just keep thinking of Paris Hilton.
Last Edit: Apr 21, 2008 6:45:19 GMT -5 by troo - Back to Top
Post by mulcherry0420 on Apr 20, 2008 12:53:41 GMT -5
If you reach back in your memory A little bell might ring About a time that once existed When money wasn't king If you stretch your imagination I'll tell you all a tale About a time when everything Wasn't up for sale
There was this cat named Johnny Who loved to play and sing When money wasn't king.
We'd all get so excited When John would give a show We'd raise the cash between us And down the road we'd go To hear him play that music It spoke right to my soul Every verse a diamond And every chorus gold
The sound was my salvation It was only everything Before money became king.
Well I ain't sure how it happened And I don't know exactly when But everything got bigger And the rules began to bend And the TV taught the people How to get their hair to shine And how sweet life can be If you keep a tight behind
And they raised the cost of living And how could we have known They'd double the price of tickets To go see Johnny's show?
So we hocked all our possessions And we sold a little dope And went off to rock 'n' roll.
We arrived there early In time to see rehearsal And John came out and lip-synched His new lite-beer commercial And as the crowd arrived As far as I could see The faces were all different There was no one there like me
They sat in golden circles And waiters served them wine And talked through all the music And to John paid little mind And way up in the nosebleeds We watched upon the screen They hung between the billboards So cheaper seats could see
Johnny, rock that golden circle And all those VIPs And that music that had freed us Became a tired routine And I saw his face in close-up Tryin' to give it all he had And sometimes his eyes betrayed him You could see that he was sad
And I tried to rock on with him But I slowly became bored Could that man on stage with everything Somehow need some more?
There was no use in pretending No magic left to hear All the music gave me Was a craving for lite-beer As I walked out of the arena My ears began to ring And money became king.
money = You are given a bank account with a permanent one trillion dollar balance. Every time you make a withdrawal from this account that amount is replaced by taking from from all other humans bank accounts just a small fraction of the total.
i would set up an account where anyone could register to withdraw $200 every 24 hours (edit)actually i'd only put $900 billion into the public fund and invest $50 billion into agriculture and invest the other $50 billion into restaurants (edit2)i'd of course withdraw $200 daily!
Knowledge = You are granted access to a library that contains all the knowledge and information that man has ever recorded. this would include lost knowledge. Time would not pass while you were in this library. (you would not age), but you could not bring anyone with you. time on earth would stand still while you were in the library, so you could visit the library for a couple years every morning, or however you chose to use it.
i would spend one day for rest in the library every night after work in the "real world"
might read... there'd be a badass DVD collection too the library includes herbology and rec chem
*i like coconuts, you can break them open they smell like ladies lyin in the sun** *Hell I don't even know where I am** *for now I must sit here and ponder the yonder: The herbivores did well cause their food didn't never run** *We listen, if it feels good We shake** *You made a big impression for a girl of your size, Now I can't get by without you and your big brown eyes.**
If this magic trillion-dollar balance takes money from everyone else's bank accounts, does that mean Third-Worlders without bank accounts won't be negatively affected? Some of the first causes I'd support with those funds would be micro-lending, anti-malaria efforts and things like that.
I'd also have to make a Political Action Committee. I would donate to every challenger's campaign hoping to get just about every incumbent thrown out of office and - hopefully - a fresh start.
I could use my knowledge towards world peace: I'd know where the WMDs are, where the hostages are being kept, where Bin Laden is hiding.
I could make myself rich: I'd set myself up as a 'truthsayer' for business negotiations, to confirm facts in dispute. No skeleton would remain in the closet with me on the case (for a reasonable fee, of course). [/quote]
Sorry I have to add a extra restriction. Only information that was published and made public will be available in the library. There will not be a collection of post it notes.
I could use my knowledge towards world peace: I'd know where the WMDs are, where the hostages are being kept, where Bin Laden is hiding.
I could make myself rich: I'd set myself up as a 'truthsayer' for business negotiations, to confirm facts in dispute. No skeleton would remain in the closet with me on the case (for a reasonable fee, of course).
Sorry I have to add a extra restriction. Only information that was published and made public will be available in the library. There will not be a collection of post it notes.
Would I still have access to lost knowledge (say, anything in the Library of Alexandria before it was destroyed) and/or predating Gutenburg's printing press i.e., handwritten, one-of-a-kind manuscripts created for aristocrats & priests (the only ones that could read them, really)?
Dasclyde's got a good point about the time-stopping ability... any time I needed to take a break and recharge, I'd just pop into the library for a nap... say, right before the late-night sets at 'Roo .
Only information that was published and made public will be available in the library.
so other than the time-stopping part, this is basically just a compilation of every actual library thats ever existed?
for example, i couldn't go into the library and find out if the last job i took i should've held out for a higher starting salary because they would have paid it, simply because the knowledge was never published in a publicly-accessible fashion? i couldn't find out if 9/11 was actually allowed to happen, or possibly caused, by the government because the information has never been published? i couldn't find out if that girl who i think was checking me out last night really wanted me because she never told anyone what she was thinking?
f that. i'll take the money. who wants to live forever anyway?
Maybe I'll throw myself to the dogs, but my back's not to the wall Maybe I'll lay some bricks for the man, but the days just aren't that long So if I settle back and chill will I see far enough to feel the angel's dream? I thought it was the Story of the World!
I'd take the money, and like Kdogg, start giving most of it away. My pursuits would be environmental, I think. It sounds like the only bonus with the library is virtually eternal life, and I don't want to live forever.
BTW, Kdogg, I don't think you could find a Wii. I mean, do they really exist? Does Nintendo ship out like a single console every 3-4 months? Sorry. I digress.
There is too much to be explored by having so much remain mysterious.
"You are granted access to a library that contains all the knowledge and information that man has ever recorded."
There is still so much that would remain a mystery
while i get that it still just doesnt seem that appealing. I love to learn new things and am a pretty bookish nerd but I dont think I'd want access to gain all of man's knowledge.
I know I should probably say knowledge, but I'd take the money.
All the knowledge in the world is a lot of responsibility. If I was super mega rich, I would have the free time to learn a bunch anyway, without the need for time standing still. In fact, that doesn't even really appeal to me. If I was a trillionaire, I would give a bunch away and make the world a better place for everyone, and then spend a lot of time traveling the world and learning from other people instead of a library. Just more my style. Though I would feel a little guilty about stealing from the world, even if it was a barely noticable amount and it made a big positive difference... I just don't like forcing people to give up their own money for how I see fit. Not a big fan of taxes either.
Though I guess when I'm chillin' on the beach in Italy after buying medication for all those with AIDS that can't afford it, I would think it an okay sacrifice for the world to make.
Last Edit: Apr 21, 2008 12:28:14 GMT -5 by Deleted - Back to Top
Post by spookymonster on Apr 21, 2008 12:50:27 GMT -5
The problem I have with the money is that I'd be afraid of it making life too easy... If I can have anything just by snapping my fingers, where's the challenge? Wouldn't you eventually get bored of everything?
Consider which of the following appeals more to you:
a) Following your favorite musician(s) around the world, living the Bohemian lifestyle, meeting and mingling with all walks of life, working odd jobs to survive. Some days you know where the road before you leads; some days, you don't. But either way, you know it'll be an experience..
b) Jetting around with your favorite musician(s), staying in the best hotels, eating the best food, hobnobbing with musicians and celebrities... then getting up the next day, and doing the same thing... and the day after... and the day after... Maybe there's a reason why some of these bands break up when everything seems to be going their way?
with the money - I could do whatever I wanted - yes - but I could also help where help is needed. I htink it would be fun to turn into an annonymous benefactor
i hear ya spook, but the way the situation was setup, its really the only sane choice there is.
no offense to spiral, but he totally killed it when he amended the knowledge aspect to being limited to public information only.
who in their right mind would want to sit around for all eternity in the super-sized library of congress reading every edition of good housekeeping ever?
Maybe I'll throw myself to the dogs, but my back's not to the wall Maybe I'll lay some bricks for the man, but the days just aren't that long So if I settle back and chill will I see far enough to feel the angel's dream? I thought it was the Story of the World!
Post by billypilgrim on Apr 21, 2008 15:32:16 GMT -5
I've got a kid in a private East Coast college, another who graduates high school in a year, and I worked about 65 hours last week. I'm taking the money. I like knowledge more than most. I read a lot. But I'm not interested in stopping time by myself and get more pleasure from interacting with others than reading alone.
So, having made my decision, are there some forms I need to fill out? Let's get going on this. There will be a hefty tip for you if you can help streamline the process.
I wouldnt blame anyone for taking the money but i'd take the knowledge. I think in the end i'd be happier that way. Just think of the knowledge you could accumulate by the end of your life. and the fame and admiration and respect you would get from all of humanity. Imagine the breakthroughs in science and technology and medicine you could be credited with. It'd be alot of work but you got all the time in the world to do it. JUst throwing money at problems like world hunger and disease... well it'll make progress but it wont eradicate the problems. But huge rapid technological advances could, or thats what i'd bet on at least. I'll make one tweak to the situation in an attempt to bring some of you to my side. You would recieve an intelligence boost while in the library. You'd be able to retain information better and understand complex ideas with ease. nothing overboard or supernatural but say, somewhere close to Einstein.
Welcome back Bonz, but I do not find it strange that your presence being requested in the Orgy thread and then you showing up, like it was the quacking Bonzai Bat Signal.