I would prefer to be knowledgeable about the past but much further back than just what I can remember. Let's say all the way back to the big bang to when our planet earth was formed then to the time when life began and seeing dinasaurs and all the primitive forms of plant and animal life, and when humans evolved. Building of the pyramids and all the major events of the distant past but primarily I would focus on the events since about the year 1900.
This post was edited by Kittigate at May 7, 2021 7:53 PM MDT
So you are fascinated with our beginnings then Kg? I think being present at the BIG BANG and watching things evolve would certainly be amazing but as what? A human bineg could not survive it...at least I don't think so. How many galaxies and universes are there? Billions? Do we even know that? Did THE BIG BANG occur in all of them or just this one? I think I'll ask. Thank you for your reply. I would never have thought of that far back. What would you do with all that knowledge once having it? Happy Thursday to thee and thine m'dear! :)
The big bang 13.7 billion years ago resulted in all approximately 2 trillion galaxies being formed in the universe. I don't think I would really have anything useful to do with that knowledge on my own.
Two TRILLION? I read 125 BILLION. Oh well when you get that high numberwise what's the diff? A billion here a trillion there and before ya know ya got quadrillions! Thank you for your reply Kg. Oh. Wait a doggone minute. I read 125 BILLION in the OBSERVABLE universe. How do you observe what is unobservable? Is that where your 2 trillion comes from? HOW?
I get science newsletter emails from a couple of sources and the estimated 2 trillion figure came to me a few months ago. Scientists are making good use of their Hubble telescope.
So it expands the OBSERVABLE universe then? I wonder when that info will filter down to the general average ordinary everyday typical science BREAKING NEWS? Thanks for the info Kg. Appreciate it. I KNEW you had a reason for it. Now I KNOW what it is based upon! :)
I refreshed my knowledge about the estimated number of galaxies in the universe and now NASA has corrected their estimate from 2 trillion to 'hundreds of billions' of galaxies in the universe.
Two trillion to hundreds of billions? I wonder what caused the rethink and recalculation? Did some folks challenge that and question it which forced them to "go back to the drawing board"? Thank you for your reply Kg and Happy Saturday to thee! :) Who on earth will be able to check it out? It's pretty safe to throw out any number they want.
Foretelling the future, most definitely. I'm not ashamed to say it's due to greed. Imagine being able to predict every "winning hand" you can bet on. Lottery, sports, stocks, whatever. Not to mention being able to prepare for any "disaster" - whether it be natural, man-made, or political.
Nothing shameful about it Walt. Going back to the past with the knowledge of the future has been a storyline in movies and on TV. You'd know in what to invest and become a billionaire. On the other hand knowing in advance might get boring. There would be no excitement if you already KNOW how it will turn out. Thank you for your reply Walt and Happy Thursday to thee and thine! :)
I'm appreciative of my memories. As tempting as foretelling the future sounds, especially to a careful planner such as I, I know it's not for the best.
(Although I can certainly relate to Walt's reply, and if this weren't a hypothetical question, I might have to go with that because of the opportunities it would create for maximum enjoyment of this life. I don't think it would be the right choice, though.)
I've asked this question before SA. Probably on Answerbag first years ago. If you were given a crystal ball that showed you your future would you look? I wouldn't. I'd be afraid to look. The knowledge of what is coming would cloud every waking hour and it would entirely remove the element of surprise. As it is I wake up every day hopeful that it will be a good one. Some are better than others but so far every day I'm grateful for it and appreciative of it. As I get older of course I know most of my life has already been lived. Still the chance that something wonderful lies ahead is very tantalizing. I guess I'm a coward. Money has never been my carrot so getting wealthy on advanced knowledge isn't something that would matter to me. On the other hand who/whom would I be if I were obscenely wealthy? I'd like to think I'd be the same person I am today but of course how could I be me and rich enough to never look at a price tag? I fantasize about that but never seriously. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday to thee and thine. Healthwise everyone doing fine in your family sweetie? :)
I agree with you. Money has never been my carrot either (lucky for me, haha!), but the ability to do things for others and experiencing new things has been. I wouldn't want to be obscenely wealthy, I would disgust myself!
Happy Saturday, Rosie! We're all doing okay. Hope you and yours are, too!
I think that would be a valuable skill, if it wasn't limited to your own life. There are many things about the past that we don't understand. Stonehenge is a great example. There are a multitude of theories who built it and why - but we don't know.
Kittigate 