Inspired by the current (I think) edition of This American Life. But I've added a some stuff and altered a bit. You get to choose one of three super-powers. You get only one. Nobody else on Earth will have your superpower and nobody will know you have it unless you give yourself away. I.e., the wish-granter will not tell anyone. 1. The power to fly. You can fly as high as there is enough oxygen for you to survive (the same altitude you'd be able to function at now if you went up a mountain). You can fly as fast as you can stand the wind. (At some extreme speed the wind pressure would crush you, or you'd be unable to breathe and you have only your natural resistance to pressure.) This power is magical, so you don't need any source of energy to power your flight. You can carry with you as much as you can lift normally, but it requires the same amount of energy and level of effort as it would to hold it now. I.e. If you can carry your child around with you all day, you could fly with the child all day. But if you can lift 250 lbs and hold it for only 60 seconds, then you'd be able to fly with it for only 60 seconds. 2. Invisibility. You, your clothing, and anything you can carry (depending on your own natural strength) would be invisible. You would not show up on cameras, infrared detectors, or any other means of detection. You would not set off motion detectors and those laser alarms in bank heist movies would not detect you.* Seismic detectors would not detect your footfalls. Microphones would not detect involuntary noises your body makes, such as heartbeat or passing gas, but if you talk you can be heard. Anything that touches you when you are invisible becomes invisible also, other than the floor you walk on, so people could not see you, e.g., by throwing paint on you. You would leave no footprints so you could not be detected that way. But anyone that touches you would feel you, and anything that hits you would have the same effect on you as it would if you were not invisible. You can turn the invisibility on and off at will. When you go to sleep your last-chosen state is preserved until you wake up and choose to change. When you die you become visible. [* Why is it in those movies that the lasers are always spaced so the gymnast can get past them? Why so irregular? Why don't they just create a wall of lasers across the room, spaced one inch apart from floor to ceiling so that nothing can get through?] 3. The power to walk through walls. You can walk through any wall or physical barrier at will, along with your clothing and anything you can carry, subject to your own natural strength. Walls remain solid to you unless you choose to walk through them. I.e. you can still lean against a wall without falling through it if you want to. Note: If you choose this super-power you are not invisible. Anybody watching would see you walk through the wall. Choose one. I'll go first: I choose the power to fly. I'd use my power to get to inaccessible places for hiking. I'd still hike, because I enjoy the exercise. But I'd fly to the good hiking places, and in the evening I'd fly back to comfortable accommodations.
While I don't have any of the stuff you must have in the hookah... Walking through walls... I am a pilot, so I already fly... and my wife and a number of friends seem to look right past me quite frequently = so I probably am already partially invisible at times.
A couple of years ago I went on a glider flight and expected it enjoy it immensely. Boy, was I wrong. The wind noise was irritating, and I spent the entire flight trying not to vomit from nausea. Some things have to be experienced in youth. Be careful what you wish for. I'll also mention that it is *cold* up there.
I think I'd go for flying. The 14-year-old perv that I was many years ago would have gone for invisibility, no question. But these days, the only real use I can see for it would be stealing stuff, and I wouldn't do that. I am already able to walk through walls, as long as they have doors in them. So that doesn't excite me too much. But flying would be cool. It'd save so much time. And I say this as someone who will be spending all of Monday, from 7am Sydney time to 1am Beijing time (4am Sydney time) flying from Sydney to Singapore and Singapore to Beijing in economy class. So the idea of being able to fly direct, and maybe stop off in Darwin, Jakarta, Manila, Hong Kong and Shanghai to visit friends is really very appealing. But I'd need a motorbike helmet or something so I could handle the wind. And probably a coat. And some sunscreen. And I don't fancy carrying my 23kg of luggage. Hmm... Mind you, even if I were doing Monday's flight in a plane, I could use my superpower to float a bit above my seat so that I didn't end up with such a sore behind after sitting down for so long. On an everyday basis, though, being able to fly above the clogged traffic in Beijing, Shanghai and Sydney would be fantastic. Although I suspect I'd turn up for meetings with disastrous hair. Perhaps this is why Superman uses so much product.
Invisible would be my choice. Only the imagination can come up with the infinite scenarios one can explore
That's the "Somebody-Else's-Problem field." They can see you, but they don't notice you. (From HGttG, of course.) Luggage would be a problem, but the bike helmet would be easy. Note that because of the force of the wind, you could probably not go faster than about half the speed of a commercial jetliner. I had a similar experience on a hang glider. The pilot kept us relatively steady, but I got almost as sick as I've ever been. I think if I could fly, though, like driving I'd be much less sick if I was in control. Wind noise can be reduced with hearing protectors and/or noise-canceling headphones. And the cold just requires more clothing. I lived in North Dakota for almost half my life so far. I don't like cold, but I can deal with it in short doses. And I'd mostly be flying at low altitude.
Definitely invisibility. Being able to steal/spy at will would be pretty interesting. I like the part where whatever you touch can turn invisible. I would steal cars, boats etc. for my personal use. Rob banks, steal money, gold, diamonds, art. I would definitely have fun with it.
I agree invisible is the way to go. I would go find people who are bullies and rub dog feces on them during some important event
If I was still in corporate business, then I would choose invisibility. How often have you wished to be a fly on the wall at some meetings to learn exactly what is being said? By being invisible, you would have the chance to partake without anyone knowing - only risk is that this may tempt you to a little inside trading. Flying to avoid the peak period traffic jams would be nice, and it would also make zipping down to the shops a little easier, but for the long haul, would much prefer being encased in a aluminium tube (also known as a plane). But now, it is a little hard to drive a taxi and be invisible, and flying is just not necessary, so would have to pick the walking through walls. At least then I could help where people have locked themselves out of their car - if you can walk through walls, cannot see why you cannot walk through a locked car door.
If I was invisible I would head right to the Kardashian house and see what is really going on. Oh wait we already know cause they luv talking about there life to everyone on TV
Ummmm... Hypothetically... you mean hypothetically right... If we could have superpowers as a god and even then... only if it was only we few... Only then would you consider doing this - I mean... you'd only say this to a question posed in a forum for entertainment purposes, and you'd never think to actually DO the bolded if it wasn't a hypothetical thing, right Bra... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eric: Note that while sitting in an aluminum tube is more comfortable than enduring a 200 to 300 km/hr wind, commercial airlines only go on set routes, and you have to be at the airport 90 to 120 minutes before the flight. Definitely the way to go for long-haul travel, but not for short trips. amm0bob: So, hypothetically and all... did you pick a superpower? All those dotted lines, then nothing but a clown smiley? I got to thinking, I wonder if playing a musical instrument at the level of, say, Hilary Hahn, is a superpower. If I had included that, would I have chosen it? Would I rather be able to fly (my choice above) or be able to play the violin as well as Hilary Hahn, but without having to practice eight or ten hours a day, as she probably does. Along with flying and swimming indefinitely under water, I've dreamed of being able to play Bach on both the violin and the harpsichord (my two favorite instruments) at the level of the best concert performers, of course without having to practice, since I'm lazy and easily distracted. My brother-in-law was a professional flamenco guitarist. He was unbelievably good. He practiced ten hours a day most days when not performing. When performing, I believe he practiced for several hours before going on. All that practice develops muscle memory so that you can think about the piece you are playing as a whole rather than how to make each note. I think my three most common fantasies are flying, swimming underwater indefinitely and to any depth, and playing instruments. I used to play the catsichord. This is where you put harpsichord music on the stereo, and pretend that the cat lying on your lap is a harpsichord and play him as if he was the keyboard. The cat seemed to enjoy this game.
Ummmm... Dan... You did read the first line of the second post in this thread you started... right Bra...
Off-topic, but: anyone ever dream they can fly? Once in a very long while I will, always the coolest dream. I idly wonder why such a dream would pop-up.
easy one. fly. the ability to move from one place to another carbon free is where its at. Personal transportation is one of the single most expensive (and ineffective) desires of the modern world. We spend trillions on a highway system that mostly earns a grade of D- or less. my motorcycle experience tells me that I can wear a helmet and easily withstand 100 mph. That is 30 min to Seattle from my front door. Remember, straight line travel is MUCH quicker. I would want one caveat. Radar for collision avoidance. no doubt in my mind that anyone who does not pick this has some sort of voyeurism issues why I dont pick the others invisibility would work for nefarious purposes at best. I have nothing to hide so that would be of minimal value to me. besides; others knowing that this is available would cause undue stress in the world. not worth it. walking thru walls; look above. the ability to circumvent locks, privacy, personal space??? ya, but NO
Oh, I don't know about that. I am always saddened by deer being frightened by me when I get too close. It would be a remarkable experience to be able to wander among the creatures of the world.
Definitely invisibility. However, while you stated farts wouldn't be heard I hope they could be smelled, you have heard of "silent but deadly" have you not? Besides what fun would non-smelly farts be? Can you imagine going into the Oval Office for a high-level cabinet meeting and just rip a really stinky one? That said invisibility would be pretty much useless if the person could be smelled, a dog could be used to detect him.
