If you had a time machine, and the only thing you could use it for was to go see yourself in the future die would you use it or not? Why or why not?
Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
1–10 of 28 posts
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#2You can use actuarial math and get pretty damned close. Like within five years with 80% confidence. Not as much romance in that as there is in a Time Machine.
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#3Definitely not. I've learned to live comfortably with the fact that I'll die one day (and really understand/internalize it). Knowing exactly when could potentially disturb the peace that I've found.
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#4No, not really. It sounds stressful.
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#5Is the information actionable ?
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#6Is the information actionable ?
No, in this scenario no matter what the death would happen exactly as you see.
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#7I'd be shown myself being murdered by the operator of the time machine, after asking far too many questions about its theory of operation.
Nope
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#8I'd be shown myself being murdered by the operator of the time machine, after asking far too many questions about its theory of operation. Nope
Ah, lol. Before you edited it I thought you meant you were going to see yourself commit suicide. (I assumed you were the one operating the time machine)
Re: Ask HN: Would you want to know when and how you die?
#9Death is only interesting if confronting it causes prime directive shift: how to survive?(which people recite subconciously on loop) changes to, why to survive?