At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements ;)
About two months ago, io9 posted a couple videos...
(Briefly, those transporters on Star Trek may work by killing you in one place and creating a new you in a second place.)
Which got me thinking...
What if you (or your team) developed this technology (that had this one drawback...)? Would you tell people how it actually worked? Would you be willing to use it yourself?
That's like the movie The Prestige. The machine duplicated him, and to maintain the illusion, the one that went into the machine was drowned, and he always wondered which one he would be each time he stepped inside...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking just like Alex: the movie The Prestige set up the same idea. I could not but tell my team the truth, for it would be asking them to commit a strange form of suicide. Brrrr.
ReplyDeleteThat would be the ethical thing to do. But not everyone is ethical.
DeleteI'd use it as long as the death wasn't painful and I didn't retain that memory lol! Oh and it's 100% that I'd be alive in the other spot.
ReplyDeleteThat's how it worked in Star Trek...
DeleteCluuuuck, cluck, cluck, cluck...that is me sounding like the chicken I am. I would not use it and I would inform everyone how it works
ReplyDeleteI'd be chicken in this case, too.
DeleteNope, I wouldn't use it!!
ReplyDeleteBut what if it was an emergency? Time sensitive? And that was the only way to get there?
DeleteI would have to tell people about it, full disclosure and all and I don't think I, or anyone else, might want to try it out :)
ReplyDeletebetty
This seems to be the majority opinion.
DeleteAlex wrote what I was thinking. The Prestige was creepy. Would I use it? At this stage of the game, I would have to say no.
ReplyDeleteDid you toss this question (after the videos) at the students?
Nah. Next time I have a short lesson plan, I should.
DeleteLiz, Mmm, sounds like an interesting idea. Would the new you be the same as the old you? If so, what's the purpose of doing creating a new you? Regardless of the answer, I don't think I would like such a technology. To give up one's present life for another has major drawbacks, like the lose of your family/friends, memories, ... I don't think I'd be willing to give those things up even if I knew my new life would be totally awesome in every way. I'm happy where I am and wouldn't want anyone to take that away. Great thought provoking question!
ReplyDeleteNo, I wouldn't like to use it.
ReplyDeleteNot like it's portrayed in sci fi, is it?
DeleteSure, why not? If you're exactly the same down to the atom, are you really dead? Or different in anyway? Bring on the transporters!
ReplyDeleteI think I saw that video. Not sure I'd want to use the teleporters if that was the case. Just think of the backlash that would happen if you did and didn't say. People would be PISSED.
ReplyDeleteOh, seriously. That would get ugly quick.
DeleteHere's the science fiction reader again. If I had grown up with the technology, no problem. Yes, I would use it and never think twice. But in your "what if", no, I wouldn't tell people, and no, I wouldn't use it. And now, let's hope they don't invent transporters in the next few years. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteYes, of course if the technology was well-established that would be a different question entirely.
DeleteOh, boy, I was just thinking the other day when driving home from work how one day people might actually be able to teleport to work. As to your questions, I would tell people the truth and I would come out saying it could/should only be used to move objects, not people. And no, I would not use it myself under those circumstances.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, blogging at Life & Faith in Caneyhead
I rather guess it depends on how much you feel you have to lose. If I could pop in one end diseased and unwell and then die and pop out the other end disease free, well that sounds tempting.
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent point. Star Trek never considered it because the idea was that most diseases that are prevalent now would have been cured by then.
DeleteBut that's a great jumping off point for an idea...
I wouldn't be a fan....
ReplyDeleteNeither would I. Although, Sue made an interesting point.
DeleteI read a book about this by Tara Tyler. Very interesting. I was laughing at the videos. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteLiving so far away from family, I'd love to have the use of a transporter! It would save so much time and money. I could actually say 'I'm popping over for dinner mom.' Great post!
ReplyDeleteThis is the one thing about teleporters that has creeped me out. It seems logical that in order to recreate a person, the person must first be disassembled. I.e. dead.
ReplyDeleteThere was a film a while back about a magician using transporter like technology but he had to kill the clone for it to work. Also there was a Twilight Zone episode like this but the person at the first point didn't vanish and thus had to be 'cleansed' from the universe. Both I've watched, and both are super creepy.
Alex named it--The Prestige. I don't know if I saw the Twilight Zone ep. I'll have to look for it.
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