Go to Eyes on the Moment
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- Go to Choose one of the following gifts for an alien visitor to take back home
I'll give them the Bible
Contrary to some opinions about it, it is immense in scope (if you take the time to read it yourself and without prejudice, and not just take some Bible basher or smashers word for it) and displays more about human nature in all its variety than any of the other objects you mention. With it they can learn of ways to build societies as well as ways to destroy societies. They can find comfort in some of the writers words and become freaked out paranoid on other parts. There is a scripture to suit and evoke the whole spectrum of human emotional and intellectual responses. If they give it serious thought and get stuck on the parts that soothes their own conscience or on the parts that fills them with disgust or on the parts that supports their mistaken thinking or the parts that defy their idea of right thinking they can use it to build a society similar to the one we find ourselves in. If they manage to find the Golden Thread that ties all this variety into a sensible whole, they can build paradise. None of your other choices has so much potential for good, bad or transcendence of both..
posted by
AardigeAfrikaner
on June 1, 2008 at 5:16 PM
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Physician's desk reference
posted by
Straightforward
on June 1, 2008 at 2:52 AM
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the Van Gogh
it is a visual representation -- it is also not a narrow thing like the Bible, and not difficult to grasp like the sheet music
The PDR is just pills -- what the hell would they do with pills?
And the finger? They could possibly identify the being to whom it belongs. It comes in close as a choice except for the cautionary "What would they be able to do with this?"
I am sure they would make a connection with the Starry Night.
posted by
Xeno-x
on May 28, 2008 at 1:52 PM
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First, I think it's poor form to give them the finger right off the bat.
so that's out. Out of these choices, which I really don't understand, I would have to say the sheet music; although, choosing Bach specifically instead of say Beethoven or the Beatles doesn't make much sense to me either. I want to leave them my iPod -- after I'm finished with it, of course.
posted by
CunningLinguist
on May 28, 2008 at 9:09 AM
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None. I'd give them a cell phone. It seems to have become the most important gadget and means of communication, entertainment, passtime and intelligence indicator to define the human race.
posted by
vogue
on May 28, 2008 at 7:44 AM
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