this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
114 points (86.5% liked)

[Outdated, please look at pinned post] Casual Conversation

6591 readers
1 users here now

Share a story, ask a question, or start a conversation about (almost) anything you desire. Maybe you'll make some friends in the process.


RULES

Related discussion-focused communities

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I always thought this was a fun topic. What power would you choose?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The power to stop/start time at will while still able to move & interact with stuff

[–] [email protected] 42 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It only works when your eyes are closed.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Your side effect is super cool, specially if you imagine that even light would be frozen in time. People in this thread keep choosing side effects that would ruin the super power but this one would be a problem but still worth using the power. With some practice you might even overcome some of thrle drawbacks.

Now I want a super hero with this power and side effect

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I like it especially if it works like a switch. Imagine how perfect your naps would be. You'd never oversleep.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Do you age while time is stopped? If so, might want to rethink those perfect naps. I'd 100% abuse it though.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh man that's a good one. So much for driving all those vacant Ferraris

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Would an engine still work if time was frozen though? And if so technically you could still drive with your eyes closed.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago

What's funny is that the most obvious side effect to this is the most realistic: molecular manipulation in this way causes an incredible build-up of energy that either expresses as kinetic or thermal, depending, and almost always exponentially explosive from the moment you turn time back "on"... to say nothing of the disastrous effects at the fringes for such time-stop powers...

tl;dr: The Flash would've incinerated the entire planet long before he discovered how to keep from glassing it simply by practicing his powers.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

This is far more insidious than it seems.

That would basically mean whenever you stop time you are locked in position.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

And can't breathe

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Depending on how long you can hold your breath it might give you some extra time to think.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Also photons cease to exist once you move into their space, there would be no light to enter your eyes attoseconds after stopping time, meaning you would be blind.