Ask HN: If you had 24 hours in the year 2050, what questions would you ask? Assume that you cannot bring anything with you except a notebook and a pen. You’re able to travel instantaneously between locations and the people there are expecting you. At the end of the 24 hour period, you are returned to the present day. What questions do you ask to maximize the utility of information you capture? |
Once back in my own time, wait and invest accordingly, then reap the profit.
;-)
I mean, how many people remember Ronald Reagan's acting career?
Then stocks.
I'd then like to talk with someone who is knowable about the current state of affairs. What kind of quality of living do the general population have ? Are there classes? How is everyday life spent for most people?
I don't know what happens if I start asking about myself or things I directly influence, since I'll be bringing that knowledge back with me and so it would influence my actions in the past and.. loopy time.
What were the most important historical events of the past 30 years?
What technologies have widespread adoption today that were rare or nonexistent 30 years ago?
1) Don't go to war in Iraq/Afghanistan, it won't be worth it in the long run, and you'll be ruining your life for nothing.
2) Amazon, Tesla, and Bitcoin.
3) Try to get a career in software. It will be a high paying job for decades to come.
4) Most cancers still aren't treatable, so stop smoking.
Then a quick 15-30 mins on stock prices, crypto to make a quick buck.
The rest of the time I’d spend asking questions about any new discoveries made in science. - Did we discover any new elements or fundamental particles? - Did mRNA cure cancer? - Is fusion economically feasible and if so how? - Any new math equations? - Are micro plastics harmful? - Did Analog computers make a come back? - Did we achieve quantum supremacy?
In reality though I probably wouldn’t think about asking half of these questions.
What areas were free of fallout?
What areas survived the subsequent unrest and famine unscathed?
Where did the new centres of power form?
Who the powerful people are?
What did they do during/after the war that made them powerful?
Is a notebook and pen the only conveyance of information or will you have your memories retained on the return to the present day? Do you devise an encoding scheme prior to departure to maximize the bits of information that can be written in the notebook?
How will you act on the information when you return? Will people believe you? Do you want to come back with some verifiable information so people will believe you? Before leaving, announce that you will visit the future, and ask everyone with a private key to sign a message to their respective future selves, so that their messages from the future can be verified by the present self?
What is the goal of this endeavor, to personally profit or for all of humanity to profit for mistakes that will be made between now and 2050?
You could spend the entire 24 hours teleporting to various places on Earth (and possibly Mars and the Moon), talking to random people in all socioeconomic strata of society, all the while taking copious notes and have them write signed messages in your notebook. Kind of like a yearbook from the future.
Or do you ask specific questions about science, medicine, advances in technology, materials, so you accelerate humanity's progress forward?
When you return, do you decide to mint your notebook as an NFT collection? Auction it off? Go on Joe Rogan to talk about it? Keep stock, crypto, market prices to yourself so only you can benefit? Become a philanthropist with the profits?
So many questions.
I think I would just spend the afternoon with her, would be interesting to talk with your own kids as complete "equals".
Would not bother too much with climate change or scientific progress. I am an idealist, I like the idea of humans giving up their whole life for their one true obsession. I think, shortcutting this with insider information would make my regular life after I am back, a bit disappointing.
Y'all got any of those...superconductors yet?
Where real estate goes up the most over the following 25 years. What cities/regions become most enjoyable to live in compared to now and have a clear upward trend still within them.
After that - I’d probably just look into safest, cleanest, and most reliable places to live because I’m stupid FAT at this point (billionaire status within a few years) and my only concern is my well being in life.
I’d also like to read books or find out information about how people viewed events from 30 years ago and what they think should’ve been done and what we could do going forward. Oh and if there’s any ground breaking research or inventions in the last 20 years that I could take back and make a fortune on. That’d be dope.
2. An important message for people currently in power in 2020s. Devised by the 2050s wisest people to persuade to avoid the big mistake we made.
3. And, well hoverboards yet?
I would be more interested in knowing what people would figure 24 hours in 2500 though.
Scientifically: Do you have a theory that reconciles general relativity and quantum mechanics? What does it explain? What does it predict?
Socially: What admissionsguy said. Where did the bombs fall? Where was safe?
The selfish question: where should I park my money to get the most out of it, like land, stock, etc?
The serious question: What message do you want me to pass on to our leaders back in 2022?
I'd have to think for a while for the others
2. How can I help others?
If Biden doesn't run again, Harris almost certainly will.
The rest is solid advice although it wouldn't really pay off until 2010+. 4 is solid advice but also pretty well known at the time. I don't know if smokers were banking on a cure for cancer when deciding to continue smoking.
What would we say to someone to give them that would help them live their best life?
I'm talking about them personally not enlisting in the army and fighting in those wars.
Pah forget all that.
If they're really from 1994, just tell them to beg/borrow/steal as much money as they can and shove it all in to Apple stock !
Although writing this I realize I don't know how lotteries are conducted
If an extra red light causes you to shake the dice or spin the balls an extra 0.1 seconds longer, it seems likely that the outcome will be different.