01-25-2005, 06:57 AM | #1 (permalink) |
has a plan
Location: middle of Whywouldanyonebethere
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Last Human Being On Earth
It was just some idea that sparked up some major discussion in my English Literature class: What would it be like to be the last human being on Earth?
So we first had to make up some rules: 1) A virus made only to kill only humans wipes EVERYONE out EXCEPT YOU. This leaves the animals for you to play with if you are into that kinda thing. 2) To prevent the revolting stink of 6 billion bodies, the virus causes the bodies of the dead to deteriorate at an accelerated pace leaving no traces at all. So with these in mind we started bs'ing about what it would be like to be the last human being on Earth. What would you do? Try to do? How would you live? Live on? Would you wear clothes? Try to find others? How long before you went mad and killed yourself? What at all. So just feel free if this sounds like a fun way spit ball some creative ideas or if you want to get into the mental and physical aspects go ahead. Leave no stone unturned. EDIT: it's been said, why not. We now have approximately 6 million people left randomly over the earth.
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Last edited by Hain; 02-02-2005 at 10:02 PM.. |
01-25-2005, 07:57 AM | #2 (permalink) |
Sauce Puppet
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What would I do? Probably mourn while I search for any other survivors. I would probably raid pantrys and houses for any and all supplies I could use to survive, and stop by a fancy dealership, and start taking cars for a nice ride. If during one of my 200+ mph cruises I started realizing thinking I was the last person on Earth with no chance of procreation I'd probably find a winding road to launch myself off the edge of the road.
Otherwise, I'd travel where I could on the continent I was on and see all the places I've wanted to see... But damn, with no one to share the experiences with. I'd hope my dog's survived, because at least they would keep me happy company. With no social norms... I could see myself quickly becoming "crazy", and would spend most of my time talking with my pups, and making "friends" with the wild animals. It would be a sad lonely place indeed. |
01-25-2005, 08:08 AM | #3 (permalink) |
All hail the Mountain King
Location: Black Mesa
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I'd go take a poop in the pope's house.
Not to be disrespectful or sacraligeous, but that's gotta be one opulent shitter.
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The Truth: Johnny Cash could have kicked Bruce Lee's ass if he wanted to. #3 in a series |
01-25-2005, 08:21 AM | #5 (permalink) |
Getting it.
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
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I'd mourn the loss of my loved ones and then move on. I'd probably try to figure out how to get to somewhere warm and sunny and spend the rest of my days there... chilling out and living as best as one can with no other human companionship.
Probably read a lot.
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke |
01-25-2005, 08:29 AM | #6 (permalink) |
Registered User
Location: Right Here
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I would travel the world. I have never been dependant on social interaction, so the being alone aspect wouldn't really get to me. I'm sure that there would be a period of mourning/missing people but I think that would pass.
The main reason I want to travel now is to see the natural wonders and animals (I'm a zoology buff) so being able to do so without people getting in the way with border regulations would suit me fine. As far as clothing goes, only if I absoluetly had to for survival (No tromping around the north pole in my birthday suit) I only wear clothes now to keep from freezing in the winter and getting arrested for indecent exposure. Last edited by frogza; 01-25-2005 at 08:32 AM.. |
01-25-2005, 08:50 AM | #8 (permalink) |
Wehret Den Anfängen!
Location: Ontario, Canada
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I'd look for other survivors.
Assuming I was the only one left, I'd become more and more confident in the many-universes model of QM. Which means I'm going to have a really really long time to do things, and I'd start planning really really long term. I wonder how long uplift would take? =)
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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest. |
01-25-2005, 09:11 AM | #9 (permalink) |
has a plan
Location: middle of Whywouldanyonebethere
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These are great! Lots of people in the class said that they'd start having huge bonfires comprised of gas stations. One guy wanted to make a giant tent out on the high way and live there (no clue). No one in the class had a pessimistic view about it, until after every strange desire and fantasy was satisfied. That was the general atmosphere, no desiring suicide till after all fun was had.
But just remember to get yourself another pair of reading glasses if you need them ::queues in Twilight Zone music::. And Yakk, is there any where in this forum to talk about mutliple histories? Things get interesting when there are other possible universes.
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01-25-2005, 09:12 AM | #10 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
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I'd have to travel up to Seattle to pick up one of those "realdolls." Living without any physical loving (even hookers) would be pretty lame.
Check out the Richard Matheson short story "I am Legend," or the Boris Sagal movie "The Omega Man," with Chuck Heston. Although it changes in tone rather quickly, the beginning has the last man on earth going about his life. At one point, the car he's driving runs out of gas. Rather than refuel it, he hops into an auto dealership and just takes a new one.
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------------- You know something, I don't think the sun even... exists... in this place. 'Cause I've been up for hours, and hours, and hours, and the night never ends here. |
01-25-2005, 09:21 AM | #11 (permalink) |
<Insert wise statement here>
Location: Hell if I know
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I would probably spend a lot of time masturbating, reading, and looking for food. I would definitly go grab a bunch of really nice cars. I wouldn't really bother with clothes, unless I had to do some prolonged work outside, such as farming. I would also have to raid a bunch of porn stores, cause I'd get really lonely, I'd definitly have to find one of those super-life-like sex dolls. Of course this would all happen after I went totally insane from grief from losing my girlfriend and family. Ooh, I'd also have to go see what is up with area 51, and other secret bases, then I'd go to the white house and steal the codes for all the nuclear silos and take pot shots at some of the desolate cities, you know, just a way to relieve some of the monotony and boredom. And then I would take some of the advanced jets out for test flights, after teaching myself to fly them in the simulators, and if that didn't kill me, I would spend the rest of my days smashing every window I can find, and looking through peoples houses for homemade porn (which is the best kind in my opinion), and getting extremely drunk from the free liquor I'd be grabbing, until I eventually died of liver failure, oh, and I'd probably take up smoking pot(again).
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Apathy: The best outlook this side of I don't give a damn. |
01-25-2005, 09:30 AM | #12 (permalink) |
Easy Rider
Location: Moscow on the Ohio
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I would try to find some underground bunkers and try to store books and information devices as safe as possible against the time and elements so as to preserve the knowledge of our existence. Hopefully some day aliens would visit and know we were here once. I don't know why this seems important to me but it is the first thing I thought of for some reason.
Then I would try and salvage some generators for lights etc.. so I could at least watch movies, listen to music and stuff. Then just live as best I could with lots of pets. |
01-25-2005, 11:27 AM | #13 (permalink) |
Crazy
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
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First thing I would do is try to establish a stead y source of food. Then i think i would put all the effort i could possibly muster into learning to clone myself. I would look for DNA of women and try to clone them. DNA of really really hot women and smart women too i guess. I would try to get the species going again.
If that couldn't work i would abuse anything i could find or steal, then move to the wild and join a society of chimps. I would train them to become super chimps. I gotta have my companionship somehow.
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"Love is a perky elf dancing a merry little jig and then suddenly he turns on you with a miniature machine gun" -Matt Groening |
01-25-2005, 11:32 AM | #14 (permalink) |
Getting Medieval on your ass
Location: 13th century Europe
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Anyone here seen Night of the Comet? It's pretty much the same premise.
I've often pondered this myself. I guess I'd travel around the continent and see everything I could. I don't expect my life would last too long as eventually food everywhere would spoil and seeing as how I cannot hunt or forage I'd be a goner for sure. But it'd be a kick until then. A lonely one, for sure, but I'd live it up as best I could. |
01-25-2005, 11:42 AM | #15 (permalink) | |
Getting it.
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
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Quote:
As for food... canned foods and dehyrated foods last for just about ever... given that you (or me as the case might be) is the only person there would be no end to the food available to you... You could live a few lifetimes on what is in the grovery stores of a mid-sized city...
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke |
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01-25-2005, 11:55 AM | #16 (permalink) |
Junkie
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
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This might actually be fun...
I'd head to where the Queen Mary, or whatever that big transoceanic cruise ship is docked, and figure out how to set her to sea, with me aboard... maybe a smaller boat, I'd put the boat on auto pilot, and have it go really slowly, and I'd just travel the seven seas... I figure the boat will have a library, so I could find a book on how to do anything that I needed to do... Docking the boat woudl be the toughest, but eh -- If I crash into the docks a few times, it's not like anyone would sue me for damages... so -- where's this virus?
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Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
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01-25-2005, 12:05 PM | #17 (permalink) |
Wehret Den Anfängen!
Location: Ontario, Canada
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I would expect the power grid to fail within less than 100 hours (made up number!) after the humans went poof. This would make many things (gas stations etc) rather hard to use.
I don't know if I could learn enough to clone a human being. The raw amount of effort required would be enormous. It might be quicker than an uplift project. Multiple universe theories typically are discussed in Philosophy every once in a while. The old thread on Quantum Immortality describes the basis for my post in this thread.
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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest. |
01-25-2005, 12:29 PM | #18 (permalink) |
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
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I would mourn my wife and daughter, friends and family. I'd probably spend the rest of my life farming, raising animals, and putting together a collection of all of man's greatest acheivments. I'd like to save a complete record of human history, so that any future scholars might have a better understanding of who we were and what went wrong. Assuming I was able to complete the daunting task of collecting a complete history of human acheivments (probably on some hard drive, that I put in a magnetically sheilded box and I basically put it in the deepest hole I can find), I'd like to do something that might begin to prepare the animals for a world without humans. It's a matter of trying to undo thousands of years of human waste and pollution by removing a lot of the CO2 from the air via the carbon capturing plant (http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/news/r...e/02-028.shtml). Reversing the CO2 we've done will make it easier for animals to live. I'd also like to plant as much as possible. I like the idea of trying to leave everything as we found it. It seems respectful somehow.
To keep my sanity, I'd keep posting on TFP. |
01-25-2005, 04:00 PM | #19 (permalink) |
Crazy
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I would read almost every book I could get my hands on. I would teach myself to sew because all the fabric in the world would be mine. Why not wear silk? In the process of doing this, I would watch every movie I have not seen yet. I would teach myself to hunt and gather and then walk all over North and South America to see what there was to see. Probably spend several years in the Gulf of Mexico and then find some means of conveyance to Europe. Imagine seeing the Louvre without all the other people. I'd spend several years wandering around Europe and teaching myself to read all the European languages I can't read now. Ditto for the rest of the world. By the time I would have finished seeing the world I will probably be old enough to live in a cave with some chickens, read my favorite books, and meditate on nature before I die in my sleep.
This is all assuming that I don't do something stupid and die in an accident while still tragically young.
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Rule 37: There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'I need to reload.' |
01-25-2005, 04:55 PM | #20 (permalink) |
Junkie
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Learn how to survive, discover The Terrible Secret of the United States, then The Terrible Secret of the Vatican, and then probably hunt for survivors because I probably wouldn't know they'd all be gone, if I did now, I'd probably make a bitchen compound and live ridiculously comfortably and go mad, but a functional kind of mad, where I watch movies, read books, and talk to manifestations of my mind for entertainment purposes, and just in general get ridiculously good at as much as I possibly can.
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01-25-2005, 07:08 PM | #22 (permalink) |
Darth Mojo
Location: Right behind you...
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Well, first of all, I would try to take advantage of as much technology as I can. Nothing would run for very long. I'd try to learn as much as I could about how to survive my new reality. I know that I'd eventually go mad, because of sheer psychology. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs would be foremost in my mind. First, I'd have to meet my Physiological needs. Air, water, food, sex. Since I already know how to handle the 4th one on my own, the learning curve here won't be so steep. Next, I'd have to take care of Safety. I currently live in Nebraska, which would have to change. I won't survive here without electricity and the human support system that keeps it working. Also, animal attacks could be an issue. With no other humans to scare them off, I could end up as supper for some lucky wildcat somewhere. The next need in Maslow's Hierarchy, Love, could only be met by taking care of pets. I'd actually be able to meet the next need out of order. Since I'd be the only human left, I'd be the best at everything! I'd be the biggest, strongest, smartest, sexiest guy in the world! Last, Self Actualization, would be kind of hard to meet. By then I'd probably be totally insane, so it wouldn't really matter. Maybe I could serve as an advisor to the next masters of Earth, the Duck-Billed Platypus!
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01-25-2005, 07:48 PM | #23 (permalink) | |
<Insert wise statement here>
Location: Hell if I know
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Quote:
I do it right now, even the end of the world won't change the fact.
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Apathy: The best outlook this side of I don't give a damn. |
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01-26-2005, 04:47 AM | #24 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Az
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Wow good question. I'd probably do what alot of what everyone else said. After the shock and sadness of everyone I'd ever known passing away wore off I'd probably start worrying about security and food. I'm not sure I'f I'd travel the world maybe stay in my general area, find a nice home easy to farm etc. Utimately after doing all the fun stuff I've wanted to do the realization that I may never have contact with another person may drive me insane, suicide...probably not but I would be a shell of the person I am now..perhaps I would make it my lifes goal to roam as much as I can just to find another living person.
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01-26-2005, 09:50 AM | #25 (permalink) |
Twitterpated
Location: My own little world (also Canada)
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Spend my days and nights creating the world's largest vat of semen.
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"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato |
01-26-2005, 04:30 PM | #26 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: In a State of Denial
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Make like Charleton Heston in The Omega Man and build a huge arsenal to protect myself against the mutant zombies that are sure to come after me when the sun goes down!!!
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I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. -Frank Sinatra |
01-26-2005, 06:12 PM | #27 (permalink) | |
Crazy
Location: Troy, NY
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Quote:
But assuming that this virus killed all the spare semen/eggs and it was impossible to clone myself, I'd just hang out with dogs a lot. I choose dogs because I feel they get along better with humans than other animals and are loyal and somewhat useful. But perhaps I'd pick up a horse or 2 along the way. I'd go somewhere where the weather's always nice, and just chill there with my dogs.
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C4 to your door, no beef no more... Last edited by C4 Diesel; 01-26-2005 at 06:16 PM.. Reason: word omission |
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01-26-2005, 08:54 PM | #28 (permalink) | ||
has a plan
Location: middle of Whywouldanyonebethere
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Quote:
Quote:
Lewis Black discussing the hole in the ozone layer: "We have men--we have rockets--we have Saran wrap.... FIX IT!!"
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01-26-2005, 09:26 PM | #29 (permalink) |
Insane
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Well...Even if there was a virus...there is facilitys that are shut off...Probably some made by the goverement can make their own air... If they where air tight from the outside there would be no way for people inside to die of a catchin a virus... Well anyway... If everyone died and I was the only one left I would probably get a car and start driven... Though first I would have to take a boat to get off this island... :P
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0PtIcAl |
01-27-2005, 09:06 AM | #30 (permalink) | |||
Wehret Den Anfängen!
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
Quote:
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It takes millions upon millions of years for the last obvious trace of mankind within the earth/moon system to disappear. Unlike you, I value the planet Earth mainly so far as it provides as spring board for intelligence to spread over the universe. If every tree died, that would suck, but trees are just trees.
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01-27-2005, 10:05 AM | #31 (permalink) | |
<Insert wise statement here>
Location: Hell if I know
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Quote:
That is assuming that humans are the only intelligent life in the universe, which I extremely doubt. And we are still a long way from even making it to Mars, much less spreading throughout our own galaxy, and even doing that would be a piece of cake compared to spreading to other galaxies. I believe a close comparison of the difference in diffuculty would be roughly the same, as jumping two feet forward, compared to, say, jumping straight up and landing on a planet at the opposite end of our galaxy in about 2 hours. And your also assuming that intellegence is somehow "special", I doubt that our so called "intelligence" will have any impact on the universe at large, nor would any other single species, the universe is just too big. We will eventually die out, just like all the other life forms on earth and, eventually, no one will ever have any idea that we ever existed. Because even if we do find or are found by other intelligent life, those species will die out eventually also and all memory of us shall be forgotten. Kinda depressing, isn't it?
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Apathy: The best outlook this side of I don't give a damn. |
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01-27-2005, 11:51 AM | #32 (permalink) | |||||
Wehret Den Anfängen!
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
And yes, going between galaxies looks hard. Something to work on, in the medium term. =) Quote:
I just have chosen to value intelligence. Thought. Creativity. Hell, morals themselves are a byproduct. I think these are neat things and I want to see them spread, for reasons that don't matter. Quote:
The visible universe is less than 20 billion light years in radius. That is less than 4*10^26 meters. If you start with a 1 m long stick, and have it double in length every month, the meter stick would stretch accross the entire universe in less than 8 years. If you started with a 1 m cube, and had it double in volume every month, it would take 22 years to exceed the volume of the visible universe. Now this is ridiculous, really. The speed of light gets in the way. However, for a truely exponential process, the barrier slowing it down is, in the end, the speed of light. An exponential civilization is a relatavistic phenomina. Exponentially growing phenomina are not all that common in physics. I can't think of one that operates even on a planitary scale, other than life. Quote:
Unlike the whale, there is a small chance that we, in and of ourselves, can beat the odds. It is a small chance. And quite possibly that which beats the odds won't be recognizably human, or even organic. But it is an interesting chance! Quote:
"Where is Everybody?" Enrico Fermi. A question that nobody has provided a final answer to yet -- why is the universe so quiet? Quantum Immortality There isn't proof, but there is the possiblity that A> you will never die and B> the human race will be the first interstellar civilization If that doesn't make the universe seem more interesting... Like I have said, these things aren't certain. They are even unlikely. But they are interesting, and possible. Some would even say reasonable, but I personally wouldn't go that far. Intelligence can be viewed as a particularly 'interesting' form of information processing. And it is a form that, quite possibly, can be carried by many mediums, and spread exponentially. And, quite possibly, Earth could be the only local source of this self-replicating thingy. In the end, of course, this is all just an arbitrary castle of arbitrary possibilities. One could live a satisfactory life, with the goal of protecting trees from devastation, or eating as many hot dogs as you could. But, it is an interesting one.
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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest. |
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01-27-2005, 07:23 PM | #33 (permalink) |
has a plan
Location: middle of Whywouldanyonebethere
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Quantum Immortality is a great thing... if there were a way to traverse the different universes. So as for now... what difference would it make even if these other worlds were present? I am not bashing your belief in anyway since I believe that these alternate realities exist... how else would we even be here if not for a hell of a lot of possibilities and chances (possibly that of infinity) to make us have this conversation? And when I happen to stumble on the physics of crossing alternate realities while I putz around in college, here will be the first to know (I wish).
But this type of conversation is for another day, another thread. So continue on describing your nightmares of being the last human being on earth!
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02-02-2005, 06:16 PM | #34 (permalink) |
Crazy
Location: antioch IL
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Instead of everyone dying can we have something like The Stand? Almost all the people die? Like 99.9%? And can I pick the survivers? And take away Satan's minions killing everyone and nuking Las Vegs? Cause then it might be a happy end of the world.
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02-02-2005, 07:46 PM | #35 (permalink) |
has a plan
Location: middle of Whywouldanyonebethere
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:Ironicaly Cold's "End of the World" comes on when I open this thread:
That might be nice... but who doesn't just love Randy Flagg?? A few people might be nice. Ok lets add 1/1000 of the original population. We now have approximately 6 million people left, left randomly over the earth. ...Let the Mayhem Begin...
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Last edited by Hain; 02-02-2005 at 07:47 PM.. Reason: MSIE SUCKS!!! I'M GETTING FIREFOX! |
02-02-2005, 07:54 PM | #36 (permalink) | |
<Insert wise statement here>
Location: Hell if I know
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Quote:
If there are other people left then I would collect a lot of weapons and create a safe haven for all the women left to protect them from the roving bands of rapists that would inevitably form. I would also go out searching for those scum and do my best to wipe them off the face of the planet.
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Apathy: The best outlook this side of I don't give a damn. |
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02-02-2005, 10:01 PM | #37 (permalink) |
has a plan
Location: middle of Whywouldanyonebethere
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Mage, where were you for my Death Penalty Conceit Thread! NO ONE UNDERSTOOD THAT TO PROTECT OTHERS FROM MONSTERS, ONE MUST BE A MOSNTER!
Doesn't matter I said that the discussion was mainly up since only Ranger was on my side... and I know Ranger's secret identity! Yes Ranger... I know who you are... :meniacle laughter: And I can honestly say that he isn't me. Right ranger?... Oh yeah I need to sign in as him! Duh... Joking, Joking. Find other stuff and you can see that ranger and I are different people, we just happen to be students in the same school and he got me addicted to this place.
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02-03-2005, 08:09 AM | #38 (permalink) |
Wehret Den Anfängen!
Location: Ontario, Canada
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1/1000th? Start organizing. Attempt to reform civil society. Clump up for defence. Stockpile. Network with other clumps against predators. Find skilled farmers and spread the knowledge (luckly, 1 hours drive from here is an agricultural school). Defend books.
I would expect a breakdown of civil society caused by the stress. At the same time, with no massive physical catastophies, starvation won't be much of a problem.
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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest. |
02-15-2005, 06:44 PM | #40 (permalink) |
Born-Again New Guy
Location: Unfound.
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There're 6 million left? I'll load up on guns, find some friends. It's fun to lose and to pretend.
Seriously, my plan would pretty much consist of loading up on self-defense materials, since I have a nagging feeling that people'd get extremely crazy being left behind when so many others died. After that, it'd be a matter of trying to a few others that I can grow to trust and living out my life in some sunny clime, stockpiling as much of human culture that I can. Now, if I were truly the last person on Earth, and I knew it, I'd probably try to experience as much of the world as I could. Take in the art, the literature, the environment, the grandiose that was civilization, and, with that still fresh in my mind, go out in a blaze of glory. I'm not however, completely sold on the ending. I could just as well do what I would with people left, but I'm fairly certain that without true human contact for a few years, compiled with the knowledge that I can't find somebody else, I'd decide that I'd just like to go out with one last blast of human dementia and drive a car off an incredible cliff or something equally ridiculous to emphasize humanity and its shortcomings. Keep in mind that I would most likely be insane at this point. |
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