A box, a choice and a risk.

Quantum Quack:

How often in books of fiction and film do we see where the quest for power and knowledge becomes self destructive because wisdom has been lacking not only in the quest but in the use.
A crazy Jim Carrey film "Bruce Almighty" is but one fictional example of how a man achieves ultimate power but stuffs up big time because of a lack of wisdom.

Indeed, unwise actions with ultimate power would have devestating results, but feasiably, one could also reverse any said devestating results. You have a bit of leeway when one is God, no?

An interesting question came to mind:

If you had absolute power over an assumed millions of different cultures would you aspire to democracy...a sort of autocratic democracy, not unlike the UK's monachy?
or would you rule in a totalitarian style?

Assuming I had all power and control over the universe, and this also gave me ultimate knowledge, there is very little reason why I wouldn't be infinitely more qualified for all sorts of leadership than then mortal and limited people of the universe, no?
 
I'd go way public with it, and all the anthropologists would be drooling all over it. Maybe I'd score something wth Discovery Channel. Then, in front of all the TV cameras, and the press conference and everything, I'd set it on fire. Then piss on the ashes.

I'd probably get so stiff, I'd end up whipping out my huge erection and jacking off right there. And it'd all be caught on film.

I'd be an instant porn star.

Fame, fortune, and cocaine would be short to follow.

Let's hear it for mystic Aztec boxes!
 
Quantum Quack said:
You have dug down 100 feet from the floor of an ancient Aztec temple. You find a small box. On the lid of this box is an inscription that reads:

"with in this box is the knowledge of creation, whom ever shall have this knowledge shall rule the universe but beware there is a small chance that opening the box will immediately destroy all of creation."
Next to the box is the key that opens the lid.
There is no other information, however you have every reason to believe what is said on the lid.

Question:

Do you open the box?
What are the reasons for your decision what ever they may be?
I would open it. I'm too curious not too.

Which risk? :confused:

Yaba Daba :m:
 
Roman said:
I'd go way public with it, and all the anthropologists would be drooling all over it. Maybe I'd score something wth Discovery Channel. Then, in front of all the TV cameras, and the press conference and everything, I'd set it on fire. Then piss on the ashes.

I'd probably get so stiff, I'd end up whipping out my huge erection and jacking off right there. And it'd all be caught on film.

I'd be an instant porn star.

Fame, fortune, and cocaine would be short to follow.

Let's hear it for mystic Aztec boxes!
*smoking a fatty*

Cooooooooll....!!! :cool:

Yaba Daba :m:
 
Avatar said:
Yes, but I see more danger in the "ruling" bit, not the knowledge.
Knowledge by itself does not give the power to rule.
If opening the box would make you omniscient, the "ruling" bit would not be really an issue.

Well... unless you are a maniac.... :D

Yaba Daba :m:
 
Quantum Quack said:
If you had absolute power over an assumed millions of different cultures would you aspire to democracy...a sort of autocratic democracy, not unlike the UK's monachy?
or would you rule in a totalitarian style?
What do yoiu think? No human, no matter how moralistic, can refuse the allure of absolute power, except a chosen few. One of them would be George Washington, another would be just about any monarch who abdicated willingly, such as Charles V.
 
The question is interesting.

If we consider the initial condition, the chooser is outside the box with free will, and presumably outside the 'universe' described within the box. Kind of like a god.

Given the opportunity, I'd take the chance of using the key to get myself into this universe. I'd use my status to acquire a Lamborghini. Anything extra would be playing dice, and we know that god doesn't do such things.

(However, as I'vd been given ALL knowledge, I'd postulate a 'Certainty Principle' and work out everything, meddle with things from the discomfort of my Lamborghini, then get bored and set about creating beings to ask questions like this one.)

PS How certain can I be that the key fits the lock? After all, there may be quite a few boxes and keys.
 
and yes i swear by my honor, i would not look inside and conceal it destroying all of that life i just could not do no matter the "prize".
 
I find it hard enough managing a small team of workers, let alone ruling an entire universe. lol .

I'd take the key, thus preventing some mindless idiot from either blowing us all up or ruling us on the basis that he opened a box.

peace

c20
 
gnasher said:
The question is interesting.

If we consider the initial condition, the chooser is outside the box with free will, and presumably outside the 'universe' described within the box. Kind of like a god.

Given the opportunity, I'd take the chance of using the key to get myself into this universe. I'd use my status to acquire a Lamborghini. Anything extra would be playing dice, and we know that god doesn't do such things.

(However, as I'vd been given ALL knowledge, I'd postulate a 'Certainty Principle' and work out everything, meddle with things from the discomfort of my Lamborghini, then get bored and set about creating beings to ask questions like this one.)

PS How certain can I be that the key fits the lock? After all, there may be quite a few boxes and keys.

Reading your post remined me of another connundrum.

We have a impregnable safe. It has a simple security system.

"It only locks if you attempt to open it."

Story:

In the middle of a football field is a safe. You know that in the safe is billions of dollars worth of treasure. The door is unlocked. You approach the safe but as you get to the door the door locks and can't be opened. As soon as you give up the door unlocks and after a few attempts you realise that it is the attempt to open the door that locks it.

So how do you get to the treasure inside?
Btw I have no idea as to what the solution is.....but maybe you do?
this is similar to the tale of King Authur and Camelot [ the sword and the rock]

another thing:
re:box and key.

The key may fit the box but does this guarrantee that the box will fit the key?
 
So how do you get to the treasure inside?
1 - By force
2 - To "trick" the lock, it is necessary to determine the precise method of detection - how does the door "know" that an attempt to open it is being made? If the detection mechanism isn't defined, then no solution is possible. Any deliberate solution would be by definition an attempt to open the safe, which could potentially trigger the lock.
 
The key may fit the box but does this guarrantee that the box will fit the key?
Yes, unless you mean something different by "fit" than the obvious meaning.
 
ha....
Maybe the solution is simply take the complete safe and put it in another safe and use the original safe as collateral for finance to the value of it's contents. [ even though you can't get to the contents]

The question is a philosophical question, probably falling under the subgroup of Zenisms.

If the safe locks every time you attempt to open it this suggests the issue of futility and frustration of desire.
If the contents are unreachable then the contents have no value. So why desire something that has no value?
The contents only have a value we place upon them.

As to the box fitting the Key:

You may have the key to the knowledge in the box but does the knowledge fit with you? [ the knowledge may very well turn you insane ]

No point having all the knowledge if you can't use it....sort of thing...
 
I would open that box and hope for the best. There is hardly any risk I would not take for what is described an almost complete knowledge. As for running the universe, I would pass on that option.
 
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