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Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience?

Posted by ghastmaster on Friday November 11, 2022 @11:29AM
from the ask-hn dept.
If you could have complete knowledge of any period in human history listed below, which would you pick? This knowledge cannot be used or shared. It is simply knowledge for the sake of knowledge.

Roughly:

64 MYA - 5 MYA 5 MYA - 800,000 BC 800,000 BC - 100,000 BC 100,000 BC - 10,000 BC 10,000 BC - 2,000 BC 2,000 BC - 0 0 - 700 AD 700 - 1492 1492 - 1776 1776 - 1919 1919 - Present day Present day - 2150

I chose these dates based on how I roughly delineate important sections of history. There is more wiggle room as we travel backwards. I of course have a hard time picking one period as they are all fascinating. There have been so many mysteries in the post WWI period that I have to pick 1919 - Present day. Maybe their relevance to me reveals a self centered part of my self.

( 12 comments | on HN )
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by JPLeRouzic on Friday November 11, 2022 @11:48AM (#33563148)
Is this a recruiting announce for Time's patrol? {0}

How can I apply? (if you accept old farts)

{0} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poul_Anderson_bibliography#Tim...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by p1esk on Friday November 11, 2022 @12:40PM (#33563933)
What do you mean this knowledge cannot be used?

I’d pick “present - 2150”, but I don’t see how it is possible for me not to use that knowledge.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by benlivengood on Friday November 11, 2022 @12:50PM (#33564093)
Sounds pretty awful to know exactly how and why I die, but can't do anything about it. I think this whole thing is a false-choice dilemma.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by ghastmaster on Friday November 11, 2022 @01:30PM (#33564727)
> What do you mean this knowledge cannot be used?

The knowledge will not be able to affect the outcome of your present, past, or future.

> ...but I don’t see how it is possible for me not to use that knowledge.

I don't see how it is possible for you to gain omniscience either.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by p1esk on Friday November 11, 2022 @02:22PM (#33565440)
No, I mean, if I know my future it would definitely affect my actions. Does this mean I'm "using" this knowledge?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by ghastmaster on Friday November 11, 2022 @03:42PM (#33566532)
> Does this mean I'm "using" this knowledge?

Yes

> ...if I know my future it would definitely affect my actions

Not if I, as the originator of the question, say it cannot.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by p1esk on Friday November 11, 2022 @05:48PM (#33567896)
Can you explain? Do I lose free will or something?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by feet on Friday November 11, 2022 @08:30PM (#33569080)
Free will does not exist, but that is beside the point.

If we have knowledge of something, there is no way that it could not impact our behavior. The brain just doesn't work like that

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by mikewarot on Friday November 11, 2022 @12:50PM (#33564094)
I want to know what happened at the end of the Younger Dryas... but I'd want to be able to tell people about it.

100,000 BC - 10,000 BC

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by slolean13 on Saturday November 12, 2022 @01:52AM (#33570711)
2000BC-0: A lot of interesting religious and spiritual movement happened during this period generally the dharmic religious movement in Indian subcontinent viz. Buddhism, Vedic, Jains etc. Would love to know the path they took during "realization" and "enlightenment". I have my theories around these but would love to see if these actually worked.I can use that knowledge for myself though??!
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by p0d on Saturday November 12, 2022 @03:46AM (#33571312)
0-700AD.

I'll be the one. The Jesus fan. There has to be at least one for a question like this ;-)

I would like to know about Jesus's early life and the birth of the church after his resurrection. What did the church get right? What crept in that caused problems? I imagine we would see history repeating itself as often the case.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: Which period of humanity would you like omniscience? by whitesilhouette on Saturday November 12, 2022 @08:39AM (#33572931)
10k - 2k BC Humanity advanced so much during this period, Egypt, Iraq, India, China, etc. that it surprises humans as modern as of today (who consider Aliens helped them achieve such feat).

I also want to know what went wrong that the whole world went back to being illiterate villagers soon after that. (I'm betting my money on climate change).

My second choice is 2k BC - 0 because of similar reasons as mentioned by @slolean13

[ Parent | on HN ]