If a Portal appeared in front of you, would you step through it?

[Zdenka]

Imagine someday when you're going about your daily life, a Portal suddenly appears in front of you.. HOW SHOCKING! I mean, who knows how it happened - maybe an Alien civilization 1.5 billion years more advanced than us, accidently created this portal in a wrong time/space/dimension, and you're probably the first and last human being ever to witness this miraculous event.

Now, you can't see beyond the portal because it's fuzzy, it's about 10 feet round but slowly shrinking.. so you don't have much time to decide. My question is: Would You Jump Through it? Would you leave behind your life, love ones, and basically EVERYTHING you know to experience this once in an eternity wonder that might take you to the far flung future or ancient past, or it might reveal ALL the mysteries of the universe, or land you in a strange universe.

Would you risk it all on a moments notice? Or would you be content to stay on earth, live out your life and hope that one day another will pop up.. and let other people study it first, which is probably NEVER.

I'd like to hear all your responses and I'll tell you mine [although I'm sure you would have guess what I'd do!]

 

[Gokul43201]

This is why I always carry a homing pigeon (preferably one that speaks good English) in my wallet.

 

[Zdenka]

This is why I always carry a homing pigeon in my wallet.

hehe, you're not the only one! I actually call myself a Slider Hi Slider, you too!

Yes, and the English Dictionary is important too, 'cause mainly all the Aliens speak it.. I also have in my possession THHGTTG (the Hitch Hikers guide to the Galaxy)

 

[Danger]

I've never been into traveling.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Can we assume there's some way we could know it was a Portal (reasonably safe to enter), rather than e.g. an intergalactic garbage disposal unit?

 

[hypatia]

I would throw rocks and sticks at it, and maybe do a odd dance.

 

[OAQfirst]

I looked over some search results at irs.gov. Alas, I can find no deductions for portal related travel.

So, no.

 

[Evo]

I have actually thought about this since it was a scenario in a few sci-fi/fantasy books I've read.

If the portal was noticeably "shrinking" so it would be safe to assume it was a one way trip. No.

On the other hand, a stable portal would just be too enticing not to at least test it by sticking roaches into it and seeing if they could be pulled back alive. Using a camera on a wand or even one of those camera robots, possibly equipped with a quantum cascade laser to test the atmosphere would be good.

 

[hypatia]

Evo,don't rule out the funky dancing part either .

 

[Evo]

Evo,don't rule out the funky dancing part either .

Oh, that's a given!

 

[BobG]

I looked over some search results at irs.gov. Alas, I can find no deductions for portal related travel.

So, no.

Alas, not only could I find no deductions for portal related travel, it turns out that over half of the other deductions I though I could claim don't actually exist in this universe. My argument that they may exist in a parallel universe seems to have the flotation properties of a stone.

I would have no choice but to step through in search of a parallel universe that will allow my many deductions.

 

[WhoWee]

I definitely would not jump in today.

However, when I was in my early 20's > LOL it's very possible I would have shouted "seee yaa" and/or told one of my friends "follow me" as I jumped in head first.

Today, I'd try to find a camera to document and try doing something similar to what Evo described.

 

[Chi Meson]

Being an American, I would of course start firing my machine gun into the portal immediately after seeing the first tentacle appear.

 

[Zdenka]

Can we assume there's some way we could know it was a Portal (reasonably safe to enter), rather than e.g. an intergalactic garbage disposal unit?

Nope, you can NOT know where the portal leads to! that's the point of it all... and remember - it's shrinking by the second! so, would you take the risk and jump through it?

 

[Zdenka]

I'd jump through it for sure, it's a once in million lifetime opportunity, and yes I am young! :) I'm hoping by the time I reach the other side, trillions of Aliens will be there to greet me with waving flags.. and enlighten me on the mysteries of the universe YAY! I'll be the first human to ever make contact, and then of course they will take me home later on.

 

[Gokul43201]

I'll be the first human to ever make contact, and then of course they will take me home later on.

Don't count on the "take me home" bit. I'm still waiting for Tweety and Nibbles to return. I even tied my good camera to Tweety's neck before throwing her through. Now I wish I'd at least saved the tripod for myself.

 

[lisab]

I'd jump through it for sure, it's a once in million lifetime opportunity, and yes I am young! :) I'm hoping by the time I reach the other side, trillions of Aliens will be there to greet me with waving flags.. and enlighten me on the mysteries of the universe YAY! I'll be the first human to ever make contact, and then of course they will take me home later on.

It's a cookbook !

 

[rootX]

YAY! I'll be the first human to ever make contact, and then of course they will take me home later on.

What kind of contact?

 

[OAQfirst]

I think the only logical first step to take in such a situation is to slowly sneak back two steps, very quietly step to the side, and then push the guy in front of you into the portal.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I once helped to put on a space summer camp for Cub Scouts. It's a long story, but in the end we had these kids pumped for the appearance of an alien spacecraft , which I was glad to provide using a weather balloon [a big one!] disguised as a mother ship, flashing lights, etc. As the mother ship rose [controlled by fish lines that Tsu and I held in secret], I looked up to see a wall of almost 100 kids running madly across the field to see the ship. They were out of control! It was hilarious.

It took a better part of a half hour to find the three kids that ran the other direction. We all concluded that this was a good example of Darwinism at work.

 

[Dadface]

At least you have the choice of whether to go through the portal or not and that's better than being abducted by aliens.Even I can tell me that.

 

[maze]

Err, I imagine you'd probably die immediately of asphixiation, within a few minutes of freezing or overheating, within a few days of dehydration, or within a month of starvation.

The universe is generally not a very hospitable place for humans!

 

[OAQfirst]

Err, I imagine you'd probably die immediately of asphixiation, within a few minutes of freezing or overheating, within a few days of dehydration, or within a month of starvation.

The universe is generally not a very hospitable place for humans!

According to a Smithsonian Institute report from 1997, 17% of portal destinations are sufficiently hospitable for most human endeavors, while another ~45% were rated adequate.

Or was that the customer satisfaction survey results for Motel 8?

 

[Moonbear]

Unless I tripped and fell into it when its sudden appearance startled me, nope, no way, no how! For those of you who want to jump through, can you please sign over all your Earthly possessions to me in the event you do not return?

 

[Doc Al]

I just stepped through a portal and saw Moonbear!

 

[Chi Meson]

Welcome back, MoonB. I didn't see your return yesterday, so I'm a bit late.

 

[Moonbear]

Thanks for the welcome back. Y'know, this place is like a bad addiction. You leave for a while, get over all the withdrawal symptoms, move on with your life, then pop in for just "one hit" and the addiction kicks in all over again.

 

[Zdenka]

Why isn't anyone acting serious?!

 

[Math Is Hard]

Thanks for the welcome back. Y'know, this place is like a bad addiction. You leave for a while, get over all the withdrawal symptoms, move on with your life, then pop in for just "one hit" and the addiction kicks in all over again.

What was it LisaB once said? "The addict always thinks he can have just a little bit"...?

 

[Gokul43201]

Why isn't anyone acting serious?!

We tried! Maybe we're not so good at acting?