Re: poly: democracy, etc.

brin@cts.com (d.brin) writes:

> Which brings up an interesting question. What would you do with a time
> machine? Most of what I've heard people suggest is arrogant and
> meddlesome. I'd seek good advice before using it to change stuff ... or
> even to visit delicate-important events. Who would I seek advice from? I'd
> love to have drinks with Ben Franklin, Jonathan Swift, Edmund Halley, and
> Pericles... each of whom, if brought up to our time, would flourish and
> soon have their own talk shows.

But would these great people be much better than us at deciding what
to do with the time machine? Franklin might suggest that you should go
back and ask Halley, who suggests Pericles, and so on. In the end, any
change would be a big gamble. Of course, some gambles are safer than
others (I liked the idea of trans-time humanitarian aid in Forward's
_Time Master_).

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
asa@nada.kth.se                            http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y