Time Travel discussion
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So You Created a Wormhole
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SO YOU CREATED A WORMHOLE: THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO TIME TRAVEL
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1.Do you normally read humorous books? Why or why not?
2. Do you believe it's possible to be in humor with 2 people at the same time?
3. What do you think about "insta-humor" or "laugh at first sight? Does it exist? Is it sincere? Can it ever be substantive?
I apologize I was unsure what to ask for pre-read discussion questions so I borrowed a few from the Second Sight pre-reading questions...and tweaked the verbage a bit to make it apply to this months book.
(Perhaps you don't see the humor in that? I hope so)
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(view spoiler)
Chapter 1 Discussion question
Can you think up movies/books that involve time travel? How would you incorporate them in your very own guide to time travel?
I am also loving the footnotes very funny.
Pre-reading questions and my answers:1. No, I don't often read humorous books. It's hard to find a good humorous book.
2. I think it is very rare to be completely in humor with 2 people at the same time. Its tough enough to find even one person with whom you are completely in humor. Now, if you're talking about being partially in humor with 2, or even more, people at the same time, that's easy.
3. I definitely believe in laugh at first sight. I believe the existence of laugh at first sight has been conclusively proven by a nearly infinite number of photos, videos, and cartoons posted on Facebook over the years. Yes, it can be sincere, although people have certainly faked laugh at first sight in response to peer pressure. And yes, I believe it can be substantive, leading to long-term devotion to web sites such as xkcd.com.
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"According to his unofficial biography, Emmett Brown: Unlocking Genius Through Accidentally Falling Down by Erin Williker
Best Time Travel Guide EVER. Makes me smile.
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Fighting your "timeponent" for example.
My favorite laugh out loud moment in prehistory (view spoiler)
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http://www.theonion.com/articles/mala...
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1. I don't often read humorous books simply because there's a fine line between humor and dumb sometimes. After reading a Bill Bryson book, though, I think I'm more apt to give it a try. After all, I left that book wishing we were friends.
2. While not impossible to be in humor with 2 people at the same time, I think I prefer monogamous humor. Personal in-jokes are the best. ;)
3. While insta-humor may exist, I tend to often need a second or two (or sometimes a day or two) to get the joke. Of course, if it takes a day or two, I'm less likely to be interested in laughing at said joke.
However, I'm sure that insta-eye-rolling exists. But that's a topic more closely related to FaceBook memes.
And, Nathan, I like to think it was aliens. ;)
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Something I am unclear about...maybe you can all help me out...I know what a black hole is, I had even heard of spaghettification but assuming by miracle of science you could get close enough to one and avoid being killed...
How is going through a black hole considered Time Travel?
Also, for work I deal with freight shipments. FTL in my mind simply means Full Truck Load...Not Faster Than Light. I keep reading it Full Truck Load Engines.
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Stephen Hawking can tell ya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0cVdP... and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/mosli...
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1.Do you normally read humorous books? Why or why not?
I would say no. I like funny parts in books but I don't think I typically seek out humorous books for their own sake. Perhaps, I should based on the fun I am having with Wormhole.
2. Do you believe it's possible to be in humor with 2 people at the same time? I find things are much more funny in groups. To laugh alone is one thing but all the more fun to laugh together...Also, laugh at Shirley's laugh...(Have you heard it?)
3. What do you think about "insta-humor" or "laugh at first sight? Does it exist? Is it sincere? Can it ever be substantive? I find somethings are instantly funny, other times they take a few passes to hit the funny bone. Also, some things can be hilarious at 11:30 at night that are completely stupid and boring at a normal hour of the day.
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Can you think up movies/books that involve time travel? How would you incorporate them in your very own guide to time travel?
I think I am waiting for Bill and Ted references...also Star Trek the Next generation references in relationship to Q episodes or holodeck episodes that always seem to bend time and space or space time.
One of my favorite episodes is when Klingons are doing battle exercises in one holodeck and World War 2 is going on in the other holodeck...Of course the safety protocols get turned off and they combine the holodecks to enlist the Klingons in killing the Nazi's now that's classic!
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Care to elaborate?
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So a traveler from the future, who was also a robot, was instrumental in the destruction of the robots in the future. Because they were all destroyed there shouldn't have been any future robots and there should have been no robot protector. Which means, by extension, there should have been no robot war, and therefore there should have been no reason for Future John Connor to send a guy back in time...
Footnote 101 We had one of the interns draw this up on a floor-to-cieling whiteboard, stare at it and try to figure it out. He had a seizure. It makes that little sense.
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Discussion Question
I am about to turn 36 on Sunday. This book is full of pop culture references of the eighties and nineties. Do you find it funny if you find yourself to young or perhaps to old for the many pop culture references?
I think the book was written for my demographic, but as lovers of time travel alone do you still enjoy it?
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Discussion Question
I am about to turn 36 on Sunday. This book is full of pop culture references of the eighties and nineties. Do you find it funny if you find yourself to young or pe..."
Happy birthday on Sunday, Lincoln. :-) Those reference would probably be right up my alley since I've only got half a year on ya. I'd probably get more pop culture references from the late '80s and early '90s than I would from now. Still got to order my copy ...
Lincoln wrote: "Chapter 4Discussion Question
I am about to turn 36 on Sunday. This book is full of pop culture references of the eighties and nineties. Do you find it funny if you find yourself to young or pe..."
You're right. I finished it and in my review I mentioned it could probably be used as a cultural reference. The authors really have done an amazing amount of research. Worth owning just for that if you're a nerd like me! :-)
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Thank you for the birthday wishes.
Mark,
If you are enjoying the book simply because of the pop culture references...and not the time travel...I recommend
Ready Player One
It is full of pop culture references, ghostbusters, back to the future, music, there is a heavy emphasis on gaming as in Arcade, Dungeons and Dragons, but it was the most enjoyable read for me...as you say for nerds like ourselves.
Lincoln wrote: "AmyThank you for the birthday wishes.
Mark,
If you are enjoying the book simply because of the pop culture references...and not the time travel...I recommend[bookcover:Ready Player One|9969571..."
Thanks, Lincoln - I'll check it out. Happy birthday!
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I think my time travel guide might include more do's and don'ts for relationships and time travel. "About Time" had some quirky romantic time travel glitches to solve. I think that could be done in a humorous way in a guide book.
I do appreciate that this guidebook has a figure showing the proper response to an amorous mother like Marty McFly's mom. That made me laugh.
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I am 33 so I think I fell right into the prime demographic for this novel. Growing up I loved Monty Python, Army of Darkness, The BTTF trilogy and pretty much all the other movies this book has referenced. It took me till my twenties to find out about Dr. Who so I was late to that party, but by the time I read this book I think I was sufficiently caught up and prepared to geek out about all of it.
It hit me right in the funny. I snorted and laughed out loud on multiple occasions and read out parts to others. I think that is the ultimate sign of humor overload, when you feel the need to immediately share it. The tough part is finding someone nearby who is sufficiently geeky to appreciate it with you.
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Discussion Question
Chapter 5 deals with doing battle with yourself and it advises you to be unpredictable to yourself. What would you do to psyche yourself out in a battle of hand to hand combat?
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Of course this has its tactical disadvantages namely the lack of armor in a fight however, the utter fatness and shock of having to battle me as is would be the ultimate psych out to the 18 year old me...I would hope we could battle privately as not to have anyone else witness us. Also, it would be the opposite of myself to do such a thing...thus the reason and surprise in using such a tactic.
I am curious about your answer Amy as I know you enjoy being the opposite of your personality in RPG's.
Lincoln, Happy Belated Birthday! You share a birthday with my sister :). Hope you enjoyed your day!I haven't started reading the book yet, which is why I've only been scanning the conversation so far :-p
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Older me could be tough. If it turns out older me is in better shape, then I would be simultaneously inspired and disheartened about being in the one slump phase of my life. I hope older me would be smarter but maybe more weighed down by responsibility. I would opt to have the fight late at night when older me is likely to be complaining about needing to get to bed.
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I relate to Nathan's entry about needing to get more sleep now compared to my earlier years.
Mika your answer makes me happy...who wouldn't want to be a team player when the other person on the team is you. However, your desire to team up against the bad is admirable according to the guide its typically your own fault that you end up battling yourself.
I just picked this up from my library yesterday. It already looks pretty amusing as I was paging through it!
I think being able to write with humor is a rare talent. The author has no body language or inflection of his voice to emphasize the funny parts! He must depend on a marriage between his own wit and the comprehension of the reader.Sorry to keep bringing Lincoln's birthday back to the top, but my birthday was Sunday, also! Happy Birthday to us!
Happy Belated, Debbie! :)
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So I am in the how to survive time travel section...It seems to emphasize the need for your boom stick (12 gauge shotgun) in pretty much every scenario.
What weaponry and or equipment would you want to bring along and consider essential on your own trip through time?
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More importantly, what could you use to barter with? I'm guessing silver or gold might be useful. Trouble is that you'd have to watch the dates on any silver or gold coins - their marginal extra value would vary wildly from much more (if old) to zero (if from the future). You'd have to use silver talents and/or little ingots of gold. I wonder how long Bitcoin will last?
Must bring:Hand sanitizer
Toilet paper if traveling back pre-TP days
Granola bars
Clean water if none available
Like to bring:
GPS that would somehow work
A Babble handheld interpreter (if it doesn’t exist, must invent)
Weapon:
Vaporizing ray gun would be nice and always useful in a pinch
Mark, we always revert to diamonds in our books as it is the perfectly timeless currency.
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As far as weapons go, I am largely with Amy in that I would hate to travel thousands of years just to have to kill people, and likewise love my Swiss Army knife, but if there was a major incident to deal with, I suppose having my own Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch available wouldn't be a bad way to get people's attention.
Nathan muses over a 'way to get people's attention'From my experience simple is always better.
For most of history the best sheer flip-out potential is held by the now lowly strike anywhere match.
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Ha.
In my real-time travel, I always pack my Swiss Army knife. Hate that I lost that little toothpick.And now that Howard mentions it, I'm not going back in time without my strike anywhere matches!
Cynthia
A terrific discussion here. I agree with Nathan about the diamonds - their value only grew when de Beers cornered the market. Great for industrial use, though. Trouble with those solar-powered pocket calculators is that they use a numerical system that the Greeks wouldn't have understood. The ancient Egyptians used something founded on base 12, with units of 60.Revolting though it is to state it, human bodies are one of the oldest forms of currency: ransom, prostitution and slavery. This cold-hearted and logical analysis would seem to suggest that the best 'currency' to take would be the ability to threaten lives. Certainly if you're going back in time. I guess we could look at it more positively: the ability to threaten the right lives would be good. So you could threaten / kill the obvious bad ruler and get positive cooperation from a liberated populace (not that that really worked in Afghanistan or Iraq...). Even more positively, I guess you could bring the power of healing and saving lives. History and mythology are littered with tales of rewards for those who healed important personages.
Lincoln wrote: "Chapter 4Discussion Question
I am about to turn 36 on Sunday. This book is full of pop culture references of the eighties and nineties. Do you find it funny if you find yourself to young or pe..."
I am not sure I would use the word 'funny' to describe how I feel when I hear modern pop terms. I love your use of 'snap' though, but often I just don't understand what is being said. Now, my 30 something nieces, they think its actually very funny when I get that lost look on my face.
As far as currency goes through history, a sure thing anytime, anywhere, are small ingots of either copper, silver or gold, unmarked. Money changers were accustomed to accept those pure metals according to weight and convert them into the local currency, minus a fee of course.
So, I think I'm alone in not loving this book so far. I thought it was quite funny, at first. But after a short while ... I dunno, the humor grates. Is it really just me!!?!!?
MK wrote: "So, I think I'm alone in not loving this book so far. I thought it was quite funny, at first. But after a short while ... I dunno, the humor grates. Is it really just me!!?!!?"No, you're not alone. I found it a big smug and it tried too hard. Like a drunk in a bar jabbing you in the ribs every time he makes a joke. And a bit repetitious - but it's hard with that kind of book not to be. Being a pseudo-factual book, it's difficult to carry a reader without a narrative and characters to create the comedy.
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How to be a wizard:
Wear Pointy Hats and Show up precisely when you intend too...(Gandalf tells Frodo a wizard is never late nor early)
That being said its not super amazingly funny.
Anyone else not feeling the funny?
Mark, I'm relieved to know it isn't just me :D.Lincoln, I'm still plugging away at it :)
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Time Travel
Books mentioned in this topic
So You Created a Wormhole: The Time Traveler's Guide to Time Travel (other topics)Doctor How and the Rings of Uranus (other topics)
Doctor How and the Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy (other topics)
Doctor How and the Illegal Aliens (other topics)
The Eyre Affair (other topics)
More...
This month we are mixing humor and time travel! Quick name your favorite funny time travel books! Yeah I can'y think of any either. Despite that I think you all did a good job nominating some good ones to match the theme this month.
I am really needing some humor, I love March to pull us out of the long dark cold winter and start having warm days again! I think this will be just the ticket. I hope you all choose to join the group and enjoy it together as laughing alone is not nearly as fun as laughing together!
Welcome, intrepid temporal explorers, to the world's first and only field manual/survival guide to time travel!
DON'T LEAVE THIS TIME PERIOD WITHOUT IT!
Humans from H. G. Wells to Albert Einstein to Bill & Ted have been fascinated by time travel-some say drawn to it like moths to a flame. But in order to travel safely and effectively, newbie travelers need to know the dos and don'ts. Think of this handy little book as the only thing standing between you and an unimaginably horrible death-or being trapped forever in another time or alternate reality. You get:
Essential time travel knowledge:
Choosing the right time machine, from DeLoreans to hot tubs to phone booths-and beyond What to say-and what NOT to say-to your doppelganger Understanding black holes and Stephen Hawking's term "spaghettification" (no, it's not a method of food preperation; yes, it is a horrifically painful way to meet your end) The connection between Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, traversing wormholes and the 88 mph speed requirement The possible consequences of creating a time paradox-including, but not limited to, the implosion of the universe
Survival tips for nearly any sticky time travel situation:
How to befriend a dinosaur and subsequently fight other dinosaurs with that dinosaur Instructions to build your very own Rube Goldberg Time Machine Crusading-for fun and profit Tips on battling cowboys, pirates, ninjas, samurai, Nazis, Vikings, robots and space marines How to operate a microwave oven Enjoying the servitude of robots and tips for living underground when they inevitably rise up against us