3 ms·
Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience?
If you could have complete knowledge of any period in human history listed below, which would you pick? This knowledge cannot be used or shared. It is simply knowledge for the sake of knowledge.
Roughly:
64 MYA - 5 MYA
5 MYA - 800,000 BC
800,000 BC - 100,000 BC
100,000 BC - 10,000 BC
10,000 BC - 2,000 BC
2,000 BC - 0
0 - 700 AD
700 - 1492
1492 - 1776
1776 - 1919
1919 - Present day
Present day - 2150
I chose these dates based on how I roughly delineate important sections of history. There is more wiggle room as we travel backwards. I of course have a hard time picking one period as they are all fascinating. There have been so many mysteries in the post WWI period that I have to pick 1919 - Present day. Maybe their relevance to me reveals a self centered part of my self.
- JPLeRouzic 4y agoIs this a recruiting announce for Time's patrol? {0} How can I apply? (if you accept old farts) {0} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poul_Anderson_bibliography#Time_Patrol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poul_Anderson_bibliography#Tim...
- p1esk 4y agoWhat do you mean this knowledge cannot be used? I’d pick “present - 2150”, but I don’t see how it is possible for me not to use that knowledge.
- benlivengood 4y agoSounds pretty awful to know exactly how and why I die, but can't do anything about it. I think this whole thing is a false-choice dilemma.
- ghastmaster 4y ago> What do you mean this knowledge cannot be used? The knowledge will not be able to affect the outcome of your present, past, or future. > ...but I don’t see how it is possible for me not to use that knowledge. I don't see how it is possible for you to gain omniscience either.
- p1esk 4y agoNo, I mean, if I know my future it would definitely affect my actions. Does this mean I'm "using" this knowledge?
- ghastmaster 4y ago> Does this mean I'm "using" this knowledge? Yes > ...if I know my future it would definitely affect my actions Not if I, as the originator of the question, say it cannot.
- mikewarot 4y agoI want to know what happened at the end of the Younger Dryas... but I'd want to be able to tell people about it. 100,000 BC - 10,000 BC
- slolean13 4y ago2000BC-0: A lot of interesting religious and spiritual movement happened during this period generally the dharmic religious movement in Indian subcontinent viz. Buddhism, Vedic, Jains etc. Would love to know the path they took during "realization" and "enlightenment". I have my theories around these but would love to see if these actually worked.I can use that knowledge for myself though??!
- p0d 4y ago0-700AD. I'll be the one. The Jesus fan. There has to be at least one for a question like this ;-) I would like to know about Jesus's early life and the birth of the church after his resurrection. What did the church get right? What crept in that caused problems? I imagine we would see history repeating itself as often the case.
- whitesilhouette 4y ago10k - 2k BC Humanity advanced so much during this period, Egypt, Iraq, India, China, etc. that it surprises humans as modern as of today (who consider Aliens helped them achieve such feat). I also want to know what went wrong that the whole world went back to being illiterate villagers soon after that. (I'm betting my money on climate change). My second choice is 2k BC - 0 because of similar reasons as mentioned by @slolean13