How long would you live if....

[Pirc Defense]

This question has resulted in vigorous debate betwixt whomsoever cares to discuss it.

The question is: how long would you live if everyone else on the planet were to disappear instantaneously?

It's a lot deeper than it appears at first site.

Care to take a whack at it?

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

only long enough to locate a gun /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[shawn_p]

I would live until the day I died.

[Jimbo]

Until the food supply that I was able to access was completely exhausted. In other words to a ripe old age.

Jimbo

[Pirc Defense]

Of course, site = sight. hehe

Anyway, you're not thinking hard enough about this. Jimbo, there's more to it than food supply.

[NLSoldier]

I think you would get really really bored within a few months and end up killing yourself.

[Duke]

There's a pretty good Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith where this happens. He loves to read, and finally has all the books available to him with his willfully ignorant wife now dead (along with everyone else).

And then his glasses break.

I don't think the right question is: "How long would you live?" I think the more interesting question is what would you choose to do with that time? I could -live- a decently long time. Would I like it? I don't know. There'd probably be some semblance of depression, but I've lived with that long enough now to be basically immune.

~D

[M2d]

long enough to touch the ice 9 to my lips?

[The_Tracker]

Are we talking humans only, or all living things period.

I think it would be very hard to survive for any length of time if you were the only living thing left. Every thing would begin falling apart without human intervention. Food supply and electricity would certainly be a problem after time. As well as travel. No one filling up gas stations.

You would quite simply go mad.

2-3 years, tops.

[Jimbo]

[ QUOTE ]
Of course, site = sight. hehe

Anyway, you're not thinking hard enough about this. Jimbo, there's more to it than food supply.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not for me, I need no social interaction in order to survive. Trust me you are taking a generalization and applying it to me personally. It is inapplicable. Socialogy is nice for groups but inaccurate for individuals.

Jimbo

[Pirc Defense]

[ QUOTE ]
Every thing would begin falling apart without human intervention. Food supply and electricity would certainly be a problem after time.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're on the right track. What about nuclear fallout from all of the soon to be exploding plants? Big problem.

Food supply would be a problem down the line unless you were a very avid outdoorsman with strong survival skills.

People underestimate how brutal of an existence it would be. Nobody here I presume has been as isolated from other humans as you would be, and I expect it would be quite a shock.

What if you were injured? Even small infections from a cut could be a problem if you didn't know how to deal with it.

There are other things. In certain areas wild animals would be a problem. Even domesticated dogs would be a worry in some cases.

I think few people would live for longer than ten years. Even fewer would want to.

[Jimbo]

[ QUOTE ]
You're on the right track. What about nuclear fallout from all of the soon to be exploding plants? Big problem.


[/ QUOTE ]

Automation.

[ QUOTE ]
Food supply would be a problem down the line unless you were a very avid outdoorsman with strong survival skills.


[/ QUOTE ]

A grossly exaggerated claim.

[ QUOTE ]
People underestimate how brutal of an existence it would be. Nobody here I presume has been as isolated from other humans as you would be, and I expect it would be quite a shock.


[/ QUOTE ]

Or perhaps a pleasant respite?

[ QUOTE ]
What if you were injured? Even small infections from a cut could be a problem if you didn't know how to deal with it.


[/ QUOTE ]

You were asking us as individuals, not an 8 year old child. Why would anyone who was really attempting to survive ever get injured? After all no other idiots out there trying to die for Allah or driving while drunk. A very low risk if your intent is to survive.

[ QUOTE ]
There are other things. In certain areas wild animals would be a problem. Even domesticated dogs would be a worry in some cases.


[/ QUOTE ]

Being a good shot will help a great deal in this regard. In fact this is the only point you make which has a semblance of validity.

[ QUOTE ]
I think few people would live for longer than ten years. Even fewer would want to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Finally we agree, I thought you were implying that noone would.

Jimbo

[Pirc Defense]

If I had known I was talking with Jimbo the Unabomber, I would have said most people, but not you.

No time to quote everything, but:

1) Automation? To an extent, but not for years. Why have anyone there otherwise? Humans must intervene to prevent meltdowns.

2) Injuries? They happen, and often when you least expect. In a ten year span I'd expect you to have some injuries.

3) Food supply? How would it not be a problem? What percent of the population has ANY experience in procuring their own food, aside from buying it from a supermarket? Remember, I'm not talking about the Unabomber or Grizzly Adams, but the average person. You clearly don't qualify.

4) Pleasant respite? Yes, for the Unabomber, who also takes joy in killing innocent people. The average person would probably find the experience horrifying.

I was kinda hoping to have more than a semblance of validity in making my points. Sorry to disapoint.

[whiskeytown]

ok...break this down into components.

1 - Food - for a few months, you could subsist on grocery food that doesn't spoil - by that time, you may learn via book how to harvest/smoke meat like a hunter and then that's covered. (but then, I grew up in MT - and we used to shoot a calf every yr. for food - big thing is preserving it without freezing it)

2. - Water - well, you'd need a fresh source - There's a spring where I grew up in Montana - but in truth, once all people vanish, a lot of water sources would clean up pretty well - no more pollution - and if there's any doubt, some water purification stuff could help - or collect rainwater and store it.

3. - Shelter - no sweat...lots of places to live - don't even have to build any, right? - (everyone vanishes, but their toys stay) -

4. - clothing - this could be tough to keep preserved for the rest of our lives, but I'm sure enough fabric would be around to pull it off, even if we didn't smell so clean afterwards -

I suppose I would live till my 50's or 60's - and possibly even longer provided I wasn't chopping my own wood for heat, etc, etc - the only real question is can you supply the basic necessities of life for yourself - and most folks, with the several months at their disposal before canned supplies go bad, would be able educate themselves (with a survival guide at Barnes and Nobles if necessary) to do the same.

RB

[whiskeytown]

it depends...

I, for one, enjoy the solitude in Montana - and may seriously consider the what that guy did in Alaska (Alone in the Wilderness) when I retire from whatever - or find a nice cottage near the ocean where I can go fishing.

You're right about the vast majority of people crumbling and falling - complete morons - but a good chunk of country folk could pull it off easy enough - esp with stuff in stores that never spoils, like candles and so forth.

RB

[mmcd]

[ QUOTE ]
3) Food supply? How would it not be a problem? What percent of the population has ANY experience in procuring their own food, aside from buying it from a supermarket? Remember, I'm not talking about the Unabomber or Grizzly Adams, but the average person. You clearly don't qualify.


[/ QUOTE ]


I think you underestimate just how much non-perishable canned food is out there. Take every can off the shelves of every supermarket within 10 or 15 miles of you and you'd have plenty of food to survive for quite a while.

[Ray Zee]

there is an unlimited supply of food all around us. for instance-- dandelion, plantain, clover.
steam power or water and wind but not needed.
self medical
learning to enjoy your own company

plus using all the stuff around you never got to play with before. priceless.

[Utah]

Great question. I havent read the other responses.

I would say that your life expectancy would drop to about 50 years - assuming a male at age 20.

Food - no problem
Threat of accidents - decrease
Doctors/medicine - no access
Threat of illness - decreases
Threat of insanity/suicide - increases (unless you were already married - then it decreases)

I think the biggest difference is when you get older and medical care becomes much more important. I would think that would be the biggest factor.

[ZeeJustin]

Has no one mentioned that there will be no sex in this world?

[ZeeJustin]

[ QUOTE ]
and may seriously consider the what that guy did in Alaska (Alone in the Wilderness)

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you talking about the guy from Into the Wild? That was a great book. You really have to admire that man for blazing his own path regardless of how many people thought he was crazy.

[Pirc Defense]

[ QUOTE ]
I, for one, enjoy the solitude in Montana - and may seriously consider the what that guy did in Alaska (Alone in the Wilderness) when I retire from whatever - or find a nice cottage near the ocean where I can go fishing.


[/ QUOTE ]

I think the difference in this, which could be relaxing and enjoyable, and being the only person on earth, is that in the first example you'd be alone when you wanted to be, but would always know in the back of your mind that should you need it, help or company could be had. But when you're it, the last person on earth, I think the feeling would be different. Doesn't mean you wouldn't survive, but it's different than just dropping out of society for a few years and being able to come back when you feel like it.

On another note, isn't even canned food due to spoil after a while? Does it last indefinitely?

In the Tom Hanks movie where he ended up on the deserted island, he contemplated suicide. He did this knowing that there was always a chance that he would be rescued, and that somewhere was someone that cared for him. I think the suicide rate would be hella-high if you knew that nobody was there for you, no matter what you did. Complete isolation is a downer, I'm told.

On the flip side, Hanks managed to do well with almost no conveniences (canned goods, ready shelter.) I know it's Hollywood, but it seemed reasonable.

[tolbiny]

Thats cause your a pussy, i wold live at least a week longer than that.

[tolbiny]

1) Automation? To an extent, but not for years. Why have anyone there otherwise? Humans must intervene to prevent meltdowns.

Humans are not nessecary to prevent meltdowns anymore. Sll nuclear plants are designed to automatically insert the control rods to prevent a meltdown if the core temp goes to high. These rods can not be automatically removed. The fission rate with the rods in place is insufficient to cause a meltdown at all. Of course this is moot if those first automations fail, but i would give them a pretty good chance of succeding.

3) Food supply? How would it not be a problem?

I live within easy, fat american walking distance of 2 supermarkets. each of these has enough preserved food/dried food to last me for at least a year. There are 5 others i could easily bike to in less than 40 mins. Ok so maybe the canned food goes off, but you should have enough food for 3 years+ if you store it where wild animals cant get to the dried rice and beans. i would personally try a bank vault or something of the kind. If you had any inclination during the three years that you have food you would be experimenting with what you could and couldnt eat, and what fresh food you could grow on your own. Your library still has hundreds of years of knowledge backlogged in it, shouldn't be that hard to figure out. Hell, food literally grows on trees.


I actually think the major concern would be drinking tainted water immediately after the event and not being able to recover from a case of chronic diarreah.

[Wahoo91]

Has no one mentioned that there will be no sex in this world?

There would be sex. It would be the same sex you have after a couple of years of marriage.

[Happy Hour]

[ QUOTE ]
But when you're it, the last person on earth, I think the feeling would be different.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, but how would you know you were the last and only person on the planet? I would notice right away that everyone in the city was gone, of course, and then the lack of any aircraft overhead or any radio signals (even shortwave) would clue me in to the fact that it isn't local. But still, I would probably hold out hope that I wasn't the only person left on the planet. There is no reason to believe there is anyone else left, but no reason to believe that there isn't. Maybe whatever thing caused this left a beautiful young lady for me to find and restart the human race with. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I think I would have no problem surviving, barring any unfortunate accident, but then, I was raised country and know how to kill and clean animals and grow food. Heck, there would be so many dogs and cats running around that you wouldn't have to find another source of food.

I see this totally different than you, I guess. I think that it would be very difficult to die. Plenty of food - many many gardens and farms that would be left growing wild, many many animals to eat. Tons of batteries, generators, gasoline, medical supplies, tools, rifles and ammunition, everything you would need, really. Endless vehicles to get you to more temperate climates or to a new source of supplies (just have to avoid the huge wrecks on the freeways). And no lack of shelter. Just watch out for the roaming packs of dogs gone wild and you're good.

[Bez]

Animals could fill the void to some extent. Learning to 'be one with nature' would help prevent major depression from the loneliness.

[Michael Davis]

Are you comfortable with sleeping with your children or them sleeping with each other?

-Michael

[Jimbo]

Please take no offense Pirc but you are arguing from a completely untenable position. Either you are too lazy to educate yourself or unable.

1) Automation- As another poster mentioned there is virtually no chance of a nuclear plant meltdown. As far as energy sources no worries about exhausting the supplies of fossil fuel is there? Grab a few generators from Lowes, one for your home, one for the gas station so you can continue to pump gas and electricity for eternity (at least for one person's lifetime).

2) Injuries- Are you a klutz? With noone else in your way any accident you have and you deserve to perish.

3) Food Supply- Your view here really amazes me.
[ QUOTE ]
"In fact, canned food has an almost indefinite shelf life at moderate temperatures (75° F and below). Canned food as old as 100 years has been found in sunken ships and it is still microbiologically safe! We don't recommend keeping canned food for 100 years, but if the can is intact, not dented or bulging, it is edible."

[/ QUOTE ]

Above from this (http://www.foodreference.com/html/tcannedfoodshelflife.html) link.

Also fruit will still grow in the wild and veggies are easy as pie to raise.

4) Isolation- Well honestly I can do with or without other people. One need not be a unabomber to realize most humans are idiots, and poor company to boot.

5) Water- already been answered but man, just how much water do you need? A million bottles of water are in Sams Clubs all over. That is assuming the worst case scenario that you piss in all the freshwater supplies readily available in nature.

In summation, perhaps not everyone would or could survive, but I could as well as many more.

Jimbo- Color me alone but in paradise.

[Happy Hour]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you comfortable with sleeping with your children or them sleeping with each other?

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh, yeah I know you couldn't really restart the race with two people. (I think I read somewhere that it would take 16 unrelated people to be genetically diverse enough.) It was a joke. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Pirc Defense]

[ QUOTE ]
Please take no offense Pirc but you are arguing from a completely untenable position. Either you are too lazy to educate yourself or unable.


[/ QUOTE ]

When you put it like this, how could I possibly take offense? Kind of reminds me of being in Civil Procedure class in law school, getting grilled by my professor while being completely unprepared for discussing the case at hand, and getting called lazy by said professor in front of my classmates. Good times. This brings me right back.

We having a good day, Jimbo?

1) Automation? Does the same thing apply to electric plants? If not, what percentage of the nuclear plant's power comes from electricity? Not my field of expertise, so I don't know. If I've learned anything from watching the Simpsons, it's that nuclear plants are dangerous WITH people manning them, let alone left to run flawlessly for years at a time with absolutely no intervention. But I could be very, very wrong.

2) Injuries? Look, I could wax wistful over my athletic accomplishments, but since you took my saying that accidents are possible to mean that it would be right to ask if I were a klutz, then I don't see how it could help. I have only one left foot, but it doesn't mean that I don't have accidents. You've never been to the hospital? You've never been injured? No? Wearing +5 armor or something?

3) Food? I stand corrected. As long as you have access to canned food and a can opener, you're set.

4) All alone? No argument here. I suspect you're in the minority with this stance, but then you seem to wear that distinction like a badge.

[Blarg]

It's not regular injury I worry about.

Infection could be bad, because medicines can get outdated.

But mostly I would worry about no dentistry. I mean, a toothache for a couple of days can be exhausting misery -- but how about multiple toothaches for oh, say, two or three years running?

Not to mention that any infection in your head, including toothaches, is dangerous. Doctors often will not operate on anyone before they clear up dental problems. There's an area around your head they call the "dangerous triangle," and any infection in that area is serious bad news. Your mouth is right up against it.

Oh, and the thing I would worry most about is vampires. Apparently you guys never learned anything from t.v.

[Jimbo]

This might just be the funniest line ever written in the English language:

[ QUOTE ]
If not, what percentage of the nuclear plant's power comes from electricity?

[/ QUOTE ]

Jimbo

[rusty JEDI]

How many of us would die trying to cross the ocean to see if there was anyone like us over there.

I dont know much about sailing or if you could learn enough from the library to get you there.

rJ

[daryn]

interesting but is flying a plane out of the question? you have all the time in the world to learn, and there are plenty of simulators around.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you talking about the guy from Into the Wild? That was a great book. You really have to admire that man for blazing his own path regardless of how many people thought he was crazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem I had with McCandless (sp?) was that he seemed to find something noble in throwing away everything that humanity had done, since he was only capable of feeling "truly alive" if reduced to nothing more than a hunter/gatherer.

I think it's interesting that he was able to do so much with so little, and even curioser that he died because he had a half-assed map. Apparently when you go out to live like a [censored] Erectus, there is a decent chance that you'll die for silly reasons as they did.

I think it would have made a better story if he had lived, though, and we could hear what he thought of himself after he matured a bit. He was too troubled a kid to see as anything more than a confused child looking for a way to be happy with himself. I'd feel better about my assessment if he came to the same conclusion.

Admiration isn't the word I'd use for how I'd feel about that guy. Pity comes to mind. Regret, perhaps? An analogous idea would be to look at, say, Starry Starry Night. Back when people had no idea what the stars were, Van Gogh could paint them and people would gaze at his artistic brilliance in awe. Now that they do know, nobody paints them. It's as if people are only willing to see beauty in that which they cannot understand (this relates to their predisposition for religious beliefs as well, in my opinion). I am of the opinion that the more you know about something, the more capacity you have for finding beauty in it. For McCandless to need to remove all complexity to find any satisfaction in life is very sad. It speaks to someone who is fairly intelligent being without wisdom, and doing anything in his power to find it where it doesn't necessarily exist.

So, I agree that it was a good book. All Chris did, though, was show that things are simpler when they're simpler.

~D

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
only long enough to locate a gun /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

If you found a gun, two other survivors would appear out of nowhere and vote to take it away from you.

[Blarg]

And then they'd raise your taxes!

Damn hippies.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
This question has resulted in vigorous debate betwixt whomsoever cares to discuss it.

The question is: how long would you live if everyone else on the planet were to disappear instantaneously?

It's a lot deeper than it appears at first site.

Care to take a whack at it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would cryonically freeze myself. I'd attach a note to my tube requesting that I be thawed and awakened once everyone reappeared.

Stu

[Pirc Defense]

[ QUOTE ]
I would cryonically freeze myself. I'd attach a note to my tube requesting that I be thawed and awakened once everyone reappeared.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good answer, Stu.