Poll of the Day > How long would you survive in 20 AD?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Tomorrow you are reincarnated in the year 6 A.D. Born fresh from the womb you go through life, retaining all your current knowledge, until you reach the year 20 A.D. at which point you are 14 years old. During this time, be it luck or skill, you have not suffered any hardships like disease or a parent being unable to provide food for you but this (divine?) protection ends when your birthday comes (or came already). How long will you survive?

You can be reborn in any area you know you can trace your genetic routes to. If you happen to know something of your family history status (noble, merchant, smith, etc) you are reborn into a family of similar status but, otherwise, you are born into a peasent family or whatever the equivalent is for the culture.

Also, do you believe you'd be successful or struggling to get by? If so, why or why not?

I would likely be reborn in Ireland or Poland in a fairly well-off family. However, since these regions were largely tribal at the time I would probably not be able to accomplish much with my modern knowledge though I do suspect I could at least provide small edges to whatever group I was reborn into.
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Id still be around today

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Not long because nobody would speak my language for another about 1,550 years.

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2000 years obviously
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So I have all my knowledge of martial arts, science, construction etc?

I mean seriously almost anyone with current day knowlege (who actually worked for a living etc, built things etc), would basically become a god.

First you take the tribe/town/city of people around you and show them how to improve their lives drastically, becoming their leader. You then train them, and upgrade weapons etc, start mining for materials that you need to eventually create a small nation that is far advanced compared to everyone else.

Then you just start dominating the world, expending constantly, upgrading technology while you let your minions do most of the work, teach knew young generations advanced education, math, constantly inventing knew (old to you) things etc.

Not only would you live to an old age, you would drastically change the history of the world.

In fact you could also set things up to ensure that the world never gets to the point it's at right now, ingrain population control at an early age (restricting the number of children per family to 3), prevent damaging of the earth and use natural sources of energy right from the start (even if that is just hydro and wind initially).

You could save the world!!
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Unbridled9 posted...

protection ends when your birthday comes

You mean like Harry Potter.
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EclairReturns posted...

You mean like Harry Potter.

Harry Potter wasnt mean.

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I'd be eaten by a dinosaur.
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wolfy42 posted...

So I have all my knowledge of martial arts, science, construction etc?

I mean seriously almost anyone with current day knowlege (who actually worked for a living etc, built things etc), would basically become a god.

First you take the tribe/town/city of people around you and show them how to improve their lives drastically, becoming their leader. You then train them, and upgrade weapons etc, start mining for materials that you need to eventually create a small nation that is far advanced compared to everyone else.

Then you just start dominating the world, expending constantly, upgrading technology while you let your minions do most of the work, teach knew young generations advanced education, math, constantly inventing knew (old to you) things etc.

Not only would you live to an old age, you would drastically change the history of the world.

In fact you could also set things up to ensure that the world never gets to the point it's at right now, ingrain population control at an early age (restricting the number of children per family to 3), prevent damaging of the earth and use natural sources of energy right from the start (even if that is just hydro and wind initially).

You could save the world!!

Well, that's not true of necessity. Like, do you know how to do stuff like make concrete or whatnot? Or how to do whatever else? Nevermind that you'd need to get the clout to have your words carry any weight. Some stuff might be realtively easy (like bathing) but if you think you're suddenly gonna get your little tribe outfitted with iSwords you're probably wrong.
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Wheres the one hour or less option?
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A week seems a bit of a stretch.
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My village would have airplanes within 30 years.

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Unbridled9 posted...

wolfy42 posted...

So I have all my knowledge of martial arts, science, construction etc?

I mean seriously almost anyone with current day knowlege (who actually worked for a living etc, built things etc), would basically become a god.

First you take the tribe/town/city of people around you and show them how to improve their lives drastically, becoming their leader. You then train them, and upgrade weapons etc, start mining for materials that you need to eventually create a small nation that is far advanced compared to everyone else.

Then you just start dominating the world, expending constantly, upgrading technology while you let your minions do most of the work, teach knew young generations advanced education, math, constantly inventing knew (old to you) things etc.

Not only would you live to an old age, you would drastically change the history of the world.

In fact you could also set things up to ensure that the world never gets to the point it's at right now, ingrain population control at an early age (restricting the number of children per family to 3), prevent damaging of the earth and use natural sources of energy right from the start (even if that is just hydro and wind initially).

You could save the world!!

Well, that's not true of necessity. Like, do you know how to do stuff like make concrete or whatnot? Or how to do whatever else? Nevermind that you'd need to get the clout to have your words carry any weight. Some stuff might be realtively easy (like bathing) but if you think you're suddenly gonna get your little tribe outfitted with iSwords you're probably wrong.

There's also the fact that the minute you start talking about shit or showing off weird things you're gonna get stoned to death as a demon and a heretic

Since I wouldn't even be able to read the English of that time and would sound like I'm insane with the way I speak, and also would be a literal giant. I'd probably be crucified pretty quickly.

Anybody who thinks they would build all this awesome modern shit is forgetting that they wouldn't have the advantage of modern tools to do it with, and even if they had the know-how to build those tools, they'd also need to know where to find the raw materials and how to identify it. For many of those things, they'd have to gather a group of labourers to do the work to extract it, who probably speak a completely different language from them and are barely feeding their families with whatever work they normally do.
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wolfy42 posted...

So I have all my knowledge of martial arts, science, construction etc?

I mean seriously almost anyone with current day knowlege (who actually worked for a living etc, built things etc), would basically become a god.

First you take the tribe/town/city of people around you and show them how to improve their lives drastically, becoming their leader. You then train them, and upgrade weapons etc, start mining for materials that you need to eventually create a small nation that is far advanced compared to everyone else.

Then you just start dominating the world, expending constantly, upgrading technology while you let your minions do most of the work, teach knew young generations advanced education, math, constantly inventing knew (old to you) things etc.

Not only would you live to an old age, you would drastically change the history of the world.

In fact you could also set things up to ensure that the world never gets to the point it's at right now, ingrain population control at an early age (restricting the number of children per family to 3), prevent damaging of the earth and use natural sources of energy right from the start (even if that is just hydro and wind initially).

You could save the world!!

People like to think stuff like this, but it's hardly realistic. The doctor who figured out washing your hands before doing open surgery reduces deadly infections was seen as a buffoon and largely ignored for many years afterwards and this happened in 1846, less than two hundred years ago. The idea that anyone would really take you seriously, or that you would even be able to manufacture anything of worth is extremely low.

Also the part of your post I bolded is a very, VERY, awful idea. People had a ton of kids because most of them died and they need the rest to work the land, nothing you could possibly do could lower the mortality rate enough to make 3 children enough to sustain the population, never mind that no one would listen to such a thing.
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zebatov posted...

Not long because nobody would speak my language for another about 1,550 years.

ASlaveObeys posted...

would sound like I'm insane with the way I speak

Yeah, but if you're being born into the situation, you will probably learn the language by the time your 14
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hey folks if you heat up water so long, it bubbles up, it kills germs and makes water safe to drink.

*becomes a god*

argonautweakend posted...

hey folks if you heat up water so long, it bubbles up, it kills germs and makes water safe to drink.

*becomes a god*

Or become dead for being a witch...
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aHappySacka posted...

I'd be eaten by a dinosaur.

Dinosaurs weren't around in 20AD. Crichton hadn't written Jurassic Park yet. You would gave to wait almost 2000 years to be eaten by a dinosaur.

I agree with Wolfy (and Mark Twain). With basic knowledge of engineering, and considering the decent metallurgy of the time, it would be possible to revolutionize farming, everyday life, and warfare/defense. Add making innovations in sanitation, medicine, food storage, etc. You could also use ethics and philosophy to found a rational religion. A Golden Age in 20AD to progress to an amazing 2020!
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I want to become the court mage that doesn't know a thing about astronomy.

All the other wizards would be mocking me behind my back. Then I'll introduce the king to anime girls and pizza without tomato sauce.

I'd invent the electric generator and either be killed or rich.

Then I'd invent the computer depending on what I can remember/parts I can access, and then be killed maybe. Or other kinds of recent inventions I understand.

bulbinking posted...

My village would have airplanes within 30 years.

Oh yeah, cars, airplanes. They'd love me.
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dancer62 posted...

aHappySacka posted...

I'd be eaten by a dinosaur.

Dinosaurs weren't around in 20AD. Crichton hadn't written Jurassic Park yet. You would gave to wait almost 2000 years to be eaten by a dinosaur.

I agree with Wolfy (and Mark Twain). With basic knowledge of engineering, and considering the decent metallurgy of the time, it would be possible to revolutionize farming, everyday life, and warfare/defense. Add making innovations in sanitation, medicine, food storage, etc. You could also use ethics and philosophy to found a rational religion. A Golden Age in 20AD to progress to an amazing 2020!

While that sounds good, its unlikely to happen...
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I don't get all the 1 week votes, and the "different language" posts. You would accrue period knowledge and language skills because you would grow up in the time period in addition to all your current knowledge. At minimum you should last the average life span for the time, and probably even longer by practicing modern hygine, and food prep.
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ultra magnus13 posted...

I don't get all the 1 week votes, and the "different language" posts. You would accrue period knowledge and language skills because you would grow up in the time period in addition to all your current knowledge. At minimum you should last the average life span for the time, and probably even longer by practicing modern hygine, and food prep.

Honestly, Im probably be bored to death. And not really want to do much. Haha.
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Im assuming Id be one of the ones to get sick and die young. I was sick a lot when I was young.

I've been watching Dr Stone so I'll be fine s/
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First off, you know the language (As has been mentioned you grew up in the time for 14 years).

Second, I answered the question of how I get technology rolling in my reply. I start off using basic knowlege to improve farming (all of this can be done during your first 14 years btw, using relatives etc to implement ideas), basic medicine (washing hands etc) and construction skills. Creating weapons and training those I trust in martial arts would just be a bonus.

By the time 14 years are up, you should have at least a strong family/friend support system that has spent years learning martial arts, eaten very healthy (stronger then most because of this) and is not sick (unlike alot of people).

From there you start getting mining going, build concrete fortifitcations (which are not hard to do if you know how and there is sand somewhere near you), upgrade ranged weapons as much as you can etc.

Just basic martial arts would make a large difference in most parts of the world at that time. Basic construction techniques as well (I worked construction for years, but seriously most people today could at least come up with a few improvements I'm sure).

Even from reading and watching TV etc you have seen things that were not invented for a very long time and could give you a huge advantage at that time. If you keep making peoples lives easier, preventing deaths from sickness etc, you'll get more and more followers even without needing to resort to war.
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I am the emperor
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