from Hacker News

Time Warp

by vincefutr23 on 11/14/16, 10:03 PM with 15 comments

• by cgriswald on 11/15/16, 5:53 PM

  I'm a bit bothered by the entire conversation. 2016 Person has found a way to communicate with 1996 Person. And yet, when asked to predict the future, he does not communicate with 2036 Person. This could imply that 2016 Person is only able to communicate with the past. This should not be a problem, since 2036 Person could get in touch with him. Who wouldn't, if they could, communicate with Albert Einstein or Sir Isaac Newton? It could be argued that, if he were dead, they wouldn't want to communicate with him, because they wouldn't want to give away the fact that he would be dead in 20 years, but he seems smart enough to figure out that is exactly what that would mean, so they would definitely communicate with him.

  Since no one communicated with him, we're left with the implication that there is no one able to communicate with him in 2036. Best case scenario there seems to be that his secrets are lost to time (heh heh), but most of the other scenarios seem pretty dark to me...

  Edit: Formatting

• by mrfusion on 11/15/16, 5:22 PM

  This is great. I've always been fascinated by future predictions.

  Do to think we'll have universal translators in 20 years. It seems like the technology is already 90% there?

• by mempko on 11/15/16, 6:45 PM

  I think if anything it revealed how most of our great predictions haven't happened.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QgSJkk1tng

  I wonder if it has something to do with privatizing technology and reducing resources towards scientific research.

• by cgvgffyv on 11/15/16, 6:46 PM

  How do I downvote idiots? I keep tapping on the arrow but it does nothing. Please help.

  Thanks!