Chuck Klostermann's HYPERtheticals

[Squirrel]

 

The moon. But man, it would be a tough slog for me to get in good enough shape to do it. I'm not in bad shape, but I'm no astronaut. 

And make sure you read/watch 'The Martian' a lot … well, just in case you get left behind.

[Mike Sixel]

 

And make sure you read/watch 'The Martian' a lot … well, just in case you get left behind.

 

Hahahahaha. good one. I'd last about a week......

[Squirrel]

 

Hahahahaha. good one. I'd last about a week......

I think I'd last a minute. I'd kill myself if that happened to me. I guess I don't have enough survival instinct.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I think I'd last a minute. I'd kill myself if that happened to me. I guess I don't have enough survival instinct.

 

That would cross my mind, but so would the tiny possibility of survival. 

[ashbury]

Which reminds me ... why am I sitting in an empty bar with a man I hardly know at my age? How did I end up here??

Trust me, I'll look after you in case any of these three jokers tries anything.

 

I'm with the majority here who seems to trust none of these actors. I'm willing to chat with any of them on superficial matters but I'm shutting down if conversation turns toward information that could be used against me or my family, and I'm not following any of them out the door to this party that they swear will be the highlight of my trip. Which of the three will be the one to cross the line, in this made up scenario, I don't know and I don't especially care.

[ashbury]

 

Today's Question:

Grand Prize for the Ages:

 

You have won a prize. CONGRATULATIONS! The prize has two options, and you can choose either (but not both). The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2,000. The second option is ten minutes on the moon. 

Which option do you choose?

The moon. Easy choice. 10 minutes isn't how trips to the moon work, so I am assuming that laws of physics are being similarly suspended to my benefit.

 

As a side note, I am fully capable of wasting a year in Europe but I do have enough self-discipline to make my 10 minutes on the moon memorable even in my declining years.

[Vanimal46]

 

The moon. Easy choice.

Is it? Depends on if you value 10 minutes in space, or 12 months in a different continent + $24k for additional spending $.... 

[ashbury]

Is it? Depends on if you value 10 minutes in space, or 12 months in a different continent + $24k for additional spending $.... 

I don't value 10 minutes in space. I value 10 minutes on the freaking MOON.

[Mike Sixel]

Hell, I even value the trip.....seriously, in space? Hell yes.

 

hmmmm, wonder why that word came out twice? Interesting.....

[Craig Arko]

Clearly, I'm jaded. The Moon just doesn't do it for me any more.

[twinsnorth49]

The moon looks pretty dull to me, I live in a barren landscape 6 months of the year so I'm heading to Europe, I love it there.

 

Plus, I'm guessing the jet lag to the moon is a bitch.

[Squirrel]

The moon looks pretty dull to me, I live in a barren landscape 6 months of the year so I'm heading to Europe, I love it there.

 

Plus, I'm guessing the jet lag to the moon is a bitch.

I'll come and visit you there when I'm back. With my 10weeks of paid vacation, I'll have plenty of time for both

[Vanimal46]

Whoever chooses the moon option, please let us know if there is an ancient alien civilization living on there that some History Channel shows have claimed there are. 

[Craig Arko]

 

Whoever chooses the moon option, please let us know if there is an ancient alien civilization living on there that some History Channel shows have claimed there are. 

Maybe they meet up with Nessie, Sasquatch, and the guy with no past (who turns out to be Elvis).

[formerly33]

 

I think I'd last a minute. I'd kill myself if that happened to me. I guess I don't have enough survival instinct.

I thought you got ten...?

[formerly33]

 

Maybe they meet up with Nessie, Sasquatch, and the guy with no past (who turns out to be Elvis).

On my way to a flute lesson this morning I turned on Classical MPR, and John Birge said he saw in The NY Times that scientists have detected gravitational waves. At first I thought he was going to say they found a nondescript monster wandering about the shores of Loch Ness, but it turned out to be more or less up your alley.

[Craig Arko]

 

On my way to a flute lesson this morning I turned on Classical MPR, and John Birge said he saw in The NY Times that scientists have detected gravitational waves. At first I thought he was going to say they found a nondescript monster wandering about the shores of Loch Ness, but it turned out to be more or less up your alley.

https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/news/ligo20160211

 

This is smokin' hot.

[Squirrel]

 

I thought you got ten...?

No, a minute past my 10 when they left me behind.

[Vanimal46]

To answer the question from yesterday, while it would be cool to travel to the moon and very few have had the chance to do so, 10 minutes isn't long enough. I've also never been to Europe either, and would love to go there one day.

 

My answer is traveling to Europe. Though I'm afraid I'd spend all $24k in one night at the Red Light District in Amsterdam...

[Vanimal46]

I think I found a good one to end the week on. 
 

Body vs. Mind:

 

You are given a choice between two rewards. The first reward is to be twice as intelligent as you are right now -- you will be able to read twice as fast and remember twice as much, the size of your vocabulary will double, and you'll be able to solve intellectual problems with twice your current aptitude. The second reward is that you will never again feel sick (even when you are) and you can always be whatever weight you want, regardless of what you eat or how little you exercise -- you can simply imagine the body you would like to have and that is the weight you will magically become.

Which reward do you choose?

[Mike Sixel]

That is tough. I'm pretty smart right now, and have leg and knee issues, so if I will be able to hike w/o pain, I might choose that. But, to be able to potentially help the world by solving complex issues (maybe)?

 

One seems pretty self centered, and the other more likely to help other people......so, I feel like I should choose the first one, but man, I am tired of the pain......I'll have to think about this one.

[biggentleben]

Always intelligence. I've crossed the 75-pound loss mark in 3 months, and I've hit the gym all of about 1.5 times weekly, and if I can do that at my age and history of abusing my body, it truly shows how accessible health truly is. Keeping oneself healthy would be something that extra intelligence would be useful for, actually. I also have no designs or desires on immortality of my physical person, so twice the intelligence would allow me to make intellectual contributions that will allow for part of the immortality that I would be okay with achieving.

[formerly33]

As I am not suffering from knee problems (yet), mind. Definitely. I mean, not feeling sick, even when you are, is not something I think I want. MLB banned steroids for pretty much that reason. And twice as smart? I'm on board with ya.

 

Anyway, I don't drink and I'm still young, so I haven't gained any weight now that I never exercise and still eat like a horse. When I'm 30 and regret the choice I made, I'll just have to look back over my accomplishments to remind myself that I made the correct decision.

[Mike Sixel]

I'm only 51.....but both my parents have had both knees replaced. And, today I am going in to have one drained and hopefully that is all......

 

But, ya, I'd have to choose intelligence. I can live with the pain, but I could never live with the knowledge that I could have maybe helped the world be a better place.

[Vanimal46]

I'm 25 and have already had 2 hip surgeries as a result from playing goalie in hockey... probably going to need a hip replacement later in life, and it's a tempting offer to have no pain and be able to golf until I'm in my 90s... 

The mind though... if I were twice as intelligent, I probably wouldn't be in sales and become a doctor or something else instead. 

[biggentleben]

 

I'm 25 and have already had 2 hip surgeries as a result from playing goalie in hockey... probably going to need a hip replacement later in life, and it's a tempting offer to have no pain and be able to golf until I'm in my 90s... 

The mind though... if I were twice as intelligent, I probably wouldn't be in sales and become a doctor or something else instead. 

 

Yeah, I didn't even mention that the health thing would probably help to rectify the dozen+ surgeries I've had to my eyes, but there's a lot that I gained from those experiences as well (and no, not just more clear vision).

[Craig Arko]

Tough choice.

 

On the one hand, constant debilitating pain makes it hard to focus on intellectual pursuits, and as the rest of the body fails, so does the brain.

 

On the other hand, Stephen Hawking.

 

Not sure I have an answer.

[Mike Sixel]

Right, Hawking was in my mind while answering......

[TheLeviathan]

Maybe my intelligence will be such that I can invent a way to do the second thing and Kirk my way out of this dilemma!

 

One other side effect of intelligence is that it can have a serious effect on your day to day life.  Being THAT much more intelligent than others can be a personal detriment at times.  Whereas, the physical choice pretty much reaps nothing but social rewards.

 

I go intelligence, but it's a tough choice.

[Mike Sixel]

The physical choice reaps a lot of personal rewards.....the ability to golf and hike and do yoga w/o pain? Yuge....just Yuge.