...What would you change it into, and how would it (realistically) affect society/humanity/earth today?

To be honest, I don't think I would. The fact is that as shit as things are on Earth at the moment, what with all the war, and corrupt governments etc., we are still alive. Lots of people say 'Of course, I'd kil Hitler' but actually this isn't really a good idea. Himmler and Goering were actually worse than Hitler, and some people even say it was fortunate for the rest of the world that the many assasination attempts on Hitler failed. So perhaps if we went back and killed Hitler, someone else would have taken his place, and this person could have been much worse. This actually happens in a book called Making History by Stephen Fry, which I highly reccomend. So this could happen anywhere, just changing one small thing could have much huger implications in the (new) future, perhaps even cause the destruction of mankind. Although killing whatever idiot thought forming Fall out boy was a good idea, wouldn't be so bad.

Nothing, because history is immobile. :P

I'm in the mood for a good debate (one I might probably lose) and I'm disappointed to see that people are in the same state as me. If you change history, you change the future and no one can know if it would be for the worse or better. Also, if something doesn't occur in the past, one cannot learn from it and better the future. Although, on the negative side, history is bound to repeat itself (as most say) and with all the horrible things that have happened, it's a sad thing. But maybe if I had to change something, I would prevent the death of Heath Ledger ... or Marilyn Monroe! Because I love them so. I'm not too sure what the negatives would be upon those changes ... at least not in Heath's case.

Ok, seeing as you're up for a debate, I will try I'm desperately trying to think of something negative from him still being alive. I can't really think of any, but to be honest I still wouldn't risk it, in some weird way it could affect lots of things. I think Marilyn Monroe would affect more things, simply because she was more famous/influential, and because it was longer ago. Maybe Andy Warhol's images of her wouldn't have sold so well....sorry that was pathetic.

Ha. Yeah, I don't know. I do think Marilyn Monroe could have a lot of effect on today's culture. If she hadn't have died so young, then there would be a major lack of conspiracy theories for people into that and perhaps thats would lead to something? And I think that her influence in style and beauty would be less of an impact too. It could be bad.

As for Heath, I think it hasn't been long enough since his death to create any problems related with him still being alive. After the full year is up then I'm sure something will become evident.

The great thing about the whole "what if this did/didn't happen" debate is, if you changed something, no one would be aware of the change. You couldn't miss/regret the change because no one will have known what it was like to have been without it in the first place. (Sort of the whole, "what if YOU had been aborted? How awful would that be, huh?" Well, I wouldn't be here, so I wouldn't have an opinion on it, and you wouldn't have ever known me, so you couldn't miss me. Same applies with "changing history.") With this in mind, I would somehow change the way we found/mass excavated/became dependent upon fossil fuels. It's a massive span of years and actions, but I'm being very general.

"But Monica!" you might say, "if we had never developed a dependency on fossil fuels, we would never have had the Industrial Revolution or been able to provide such constant energy to homes and vehicles, thus degrading our quality of life through reliable transportation and the growth of our technological world as we know it! You likely wouldn't be on this computer right now!"

I don't care. As I said, if this change were to have taken place 150 years ago and our fuel-greed hadn't started with the mass use of coal, we wouldn't be aware of the life that "could have been;" that is to say, the life we are living right now. We would have found other means of fueling our lives. Indeed, if this change were capable of taking place, the lives of our ancestors would have been so incredibly different (good or bad) that none of us would exist, let alone as we do now. There would be different people, period. And that also doesn't bother me. I wouldn't be here to enjoy the cleaner Earth, but I also wouldn't be alive to care. At least the planet would be better off and the human race will have developed in a safer way! :3

Holy, smarty pants :p (I kid).

But yes, I suppose you're right. We would be totally unaware of the change and wouldn't care much. However, I personally think that if we were to change the fossil fuel thing or even prevent it, I think that eventually the earth would become dependant on the fuels but just in a longer time frame ... if I make sense.

I suppose everything is done though wihtout any look into what could happen in the future. Something uncovered could result in mass extinction but when you find something that seems so rare and exciting, one hardly cares about anything else. We can't really move forward in on area and not the other. The earth just naturally progresses with whatever people do and .. blah blah blah. I'm rambling.

Sorry for any nonsense :]

Also, if you killed the person who discovered fossil fuels, or diverted him in some other way, then somone else would most likely discover it soon enough. Already with things such as the telephone, it has been invented simultaneously by people at different places in the world. So you'd have a pretty tough job of running round after everyone who discovered them. And, this is purely theoretical, someone may have already tried it. Perhaps in 'the past' someone did discover something like fossil fuels, which if used would have ended the world, but maybe someone did travel back in time and save us, and as you said, we would not be aware. This could have happened countless times, but what do we really mean by happened?

I would also like to apologise for any confusing statements, ask for clarification!

iamsheena wrote:But yes, I suppose you're right. We would be totally unaware of the change and wouldn't care much. However, I personally think that if we were to change the fossil fuel thing or even prevent it, I think that eventually the earth would become dependant on the fuels but just in a longer time frame ... if I make sense.

Crazyvanman wrote:Also, if you killed the person who discovered fossil fuels, or diverted him in some other way, then somone else would most likely discover it soon enough. Already with things such as the telephone, it has been invented simultaneously by people at different places in the world. So you'd have a pretty tough job of running round after everyone who discovered them. And, this is purely theoretical, someone may have already tried it.

...Duh xD It's obviously an impossibly daunting wish. That's why I was so broad with it. I quote myself:

ThatsNotPoetry wrote:...change the way we found/mass excavated/became dependent upon fossil fuels. It's a massive span of years and actions, but I'm being very general.

This thread is absolutely useless, if you look at it from that perspective. Anything we could ever hope to change could theoretically just be done again by someone else at a different time. The entire thing is a moot argument, but since it's just for the heck of it, let's not go around nullifying everyone's already impossible ideas. ::NOOGIE::

Also I never said I'd KILL the guy, sheeeesh! (Though I probably would >_>)

Ha!

=]

[insert something more here]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to come in here and ruin everyone's fantasies. I was just merely giving my thoughts, trying to make a discussion. Perhaps there are some things that we could really change, although I can't think of any. And obviously there are other ways to prevent discoveries other than killing the discoverer, but you have to admit, killing them would be the most fun way.

haha

Most fun?

*backs away slowly*

I don't know if I'd like to talk to you anymore =P

(I kid).

:]

Lol, come on though, it would, think of all the ingenuity you could show, and you could rest assured that although you'd be kiling someone, you'd be saving the lives of the entire human race

And also, you could never get caught when you kill someone from the past b/c that'd change the future, thus changing your own life. Neat!

...I don't think I could ever kill anyone though ... so that dream is gone :[

=P

hazah

Don't worry, I take cash

I suppose.....one thing that pops into mind would be stopping Woodrow Wilson signing the Federal Reserve Act into law. And then giving him a stupid slap for his troubles.

Crazyvanman wrote:Don't worry, I take cash

Well isn't that convenient ... but I'm too stingy to pay for anything that doesn't appeal to me :]

Village Alchemist wrote:I suppose.....one thing that pops into mind would be stopping Woodrow Wilson signing the Federal Reserve Act into law. And then giving him a stupid slap for his troubles.

Teehee ... well isn't that - fun? Whatever floats your boat I suppose. =P .. Although I'm not very educated in that .. area, so I have no clue what that is all about. But way to go! ... :[

I wouldn't change history, but take another look at it.Like why the Aztecs mysteriously disapparead. And other history mysteries. Crazyvanman, I think you could be theoretically right, because in all those movies/books with time traveling, no-one seems to remember that you time traveled.

blackfire825 wrote:I wouldn't change history, but take another look at it.Like why the Aztecs mysteriously disapparead. And other history mysteries. Crazyvanman, I think you could be theoretically right, because in all those movies/books with time traveling, no-one seems to remember that you time traveled.

I assume you mean the Mayas or the Incas or the Olmecs? The Aztecs got pretty straight-and-straight conquered by the Spanish, and both wrote about it as it was happening.