Would you "step"?

I'm reading the excellent The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. In it, the plans to a device are posted on the internet. Once assembled and the switch flicked, people "step" across to another Earth, one which is slightly different to this one and have no humans. They discover there are an infinite amount of Earths, each slightly different to the last.

So if such a device existed, would you "step"? And if so, would you set up a colony with others or keep stepping until you're so far from anyone else?

CardBordWindow

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm reading the excellent The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. In it, the plans to a device are posted on the internet. Once assembled and the switch flicked, people "step" across to another Earth, one which is slightly different to this one and have no humans. They discover there are an infinite amount of Earths, each slightly different to the last.

So if such a device existed, would you "step"? And if so, would you set up a colony with others or keep stepping until you're so far from anyone else?

Sounds like the plot to Sliders

MadYaker

I'm too hungover for this.

TeddyTedson

Quantum Leap, now there was a show!

CardBordWindow

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Quantum Leap, now there was a show!

But that was the same Earth.
(Great show though)

Cody Pomeray

It depends... do they have facebook? i'll be wanting to make status updates.

Cody Pomeray

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

It depends... do they have facebook? i'll be wanting to make status updates.

There's no internet or mobile phones.

Karl Stein

Will there be tea and sandwiches laid on in the other Earths?

CardBordWindow

Deleted User wrote: »

There's no internet or mobile phones.

.....so you're saying that I could 'step', invent the internet, and be rich!?

Mint Sauce

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Quantum Leap, now there was a show!

That was the one earth.

Red Drawf had several earths and split reality's, also one where everything happened in reverse. The crew crossed a black hole to leave Lister there when they accidently left him on the real, now uninhabited one for 30 odd years, for what only felt like a few hours/days for them.

lahalane

No, if there were no humans on the other planets that would mean there'd be none of the things I liked invented...as much of a temptation it is to deal with less people, I think Id stick it out here.

Prodigious

Are the other earths the exact same except with no humans? Or do they have nothing built either?

kneemos

Not much point without the humans.

The Backwards Man

Only if I could step back.

Prodigious

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Only if I could step back.

I see what you did there.

annascott

No. Two reasons: (1) what about food, shops, doctors etc How would we survive alone? (2) What if it was worse than here?

El Guapo!

annascott wrote: »

No. Two reasons: (1) what about food, shops, doctors etc How would we survive alone? (2) What if it was worse than here?

People survived for thousands of years without shops.

The Backwards Man

Prodigious wrote: »

I see what you did there.

Yeah. . .what I did there. . .

??

CruelCoin

I'd keep stepping if there is a guarantee that the landing point is safe.

Many, many "little changes", will eventually lead to you stepping into an earth thats just a big ball of magma.

kneemos

El Guapo! wrote: »

People survived for thousands of years without shops.

Can you hunt,skin and cook wild animals?

El Guapo!

kneemos wrote: »

Can you hunt,skin and cook wild animals?

Yeah. Can you not?

kneemos

El Guapo! wrote: »

Yeah. Can you not?

No.

El Guapo!

kneemos wrote: »

No.

I enjoyed our conversation.
Same time next week?

the_syco

I don't really see the point, apart from resource gathering if you could step back.

clintondaly

would they know what a tracker mortgage is ?

kneemos

El Guapo! wrote: »

I enjoyed our conversation.
Same time next week?

You're mistaking me for you're therapist.

9959

kneemos wrote: »

You're mistaking me for you're therapist.

How does that make you feel?

looking_around

depends,

If I could bring somethings/some people/animals etc etc.

And if it's anything like the theorized multiple dimensions, you could step in to a world, with no nature? A world we don't recognize. Or a world thats almost exactly the same. Different presidents maybe?! ...
It may not necessarily be "empty". Guess you could keep stepping til you found one you liked?

I'd try it, wouldn't have alot to lose

Agricola

CardBordWindow wrote: »

Sounds like the plot to Sliders

Be great if they remade that show with modern effects and a bigger budget.

kylith

Yep, off to The Long Earth with me.

9959

looking_around wrote: »

depends,

If I could bring somethings/some people/animals etc etc.

And if it's anything like the theorized multiple dimensions, you could step in to a world, with no nature? A world we don't recognize. Or a world thats almost exactly the same. Different presidents maybe?! ...
It may not necessarily be "empty". Guess you could keep stepping til you found one you liked?

I'd try it, wouldn't have alot to lose

If you could bring two of every species in a boat, or something, like.

looking_around

9959 wrote: »

If you could bring two of every species in a boat, or something, like.

Was more, thinking bring my SO and pets along :P ..XD