# Suppose a genie gave you the ability to produce 100 pounds of any 'stuff' every day forever -- **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 30, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492 "2026-09-30T17:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/81 "2026-10-01T14:17:32Z")
I think @ParallelLines had it right. You can “find” a hundred pounds of gold, or heck, 200 pounds, sell it openly, pay the taxes, and have a nice nest egg, which you could use to travel, pay a house cleaner, pay medical bills, pay the plumber, etc. Most days after that, you can wish for clean water or air. Every so often, you can wish up a treat like duck breasts. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/82 "2026-10-01T14:25:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Wait a minute. The title uses the word “forever”, hinting that as long as you wish once every day you cannot die. The only thing that can cause you to die is failure to make that particular wish. Am I missing something here? I came up with one possibility earlier. You could get sick and end up in a delirium or coma and not be able to make the wish. Even if it was due to a treatable illness, the conditions of the genie would make it so that you wouldn’t survive. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/83 "2026-10-01T14:26:39Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > We don’t know that the genie is manufacturing things - he could be a thief. Counterfeiting, theft, it’s all still a felony. I wouldn’t want to go there when I could “magic into existence” stuff that isn’t a crime to possess, then legally trade it for money. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/84 "2026-10-01T14:59:49Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > 1.237 grams of antimatter (Value $77.3125 trillion > > … > > Day 2 I’m taking requests No, I don’t think you are. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/85 "2026-10-01T15:00:14Z")
Heh. One of my early ideas was 100 pounds of the latest and greatest smart phones. Then I realized they’d probably all have the same id numbers, so all it would do it create the world’s largest party line. (Anybody else remember living with one of those?) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/86 "2026-10-01T15:04:23Z")
I’m curious how this works. The OP says the items I request have to be something that already physically exist in this world. So if I request the Mona Lisa, will the genie transport the existing painting from Paris to me? Or will I be given an exact duplicate of the existing painting? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/87 "2026-10-01T16:07:30Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I interpreted the OP as meaning you could vary what you ordered from day to day, but each day you needed to order 100 lbs of one thing. From the OP.. > [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Today you could magic into existence 50 pounds of barbecued ribs and 50 pounds of potato salad Seems like you can mix & match as much as you want. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/88 "2026-10-01T16:17:56Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Even if it was due to a treatable illness, the conditions of the genie would make it so that you wouldn’t survive. Indeed. I thought of it as soon as I saw the scenario. Any accident or condition rendering you (quasi)unconscious for longer than twenty-four hours will kill you. You’re a human and it will happen. Don’t take the deal. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/89 "2026-10-01T16:34:43Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Seems like you can mix & match as much as you want. Arggh. I’ve always prided myself on not being one of those posters who misses a key point in the OP, but today I am humbled. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/90 "2026-10-01T16:37:55Z")
How about just placing a standing order for a hundred pounds of water? ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/91 "2026-10-01T17:10:22Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Tuesdays I could whip up 100 pounds of quarters. That’s right, quarters. Easy to use, easy to take to my bank and deposit, no questions asked. That’s about $2,500 for a weekly allowance. Now I have to check my math. I got a different total. A quarter is 0.2 ounces. 100 pounds is 1,600 ounces. Divide by 0.2 is 8,000 quarters or $2,000. Correct me if I’m wrong. That’s one day’s worth. As for wishing - a hundred pound concrete garden gnome is somewhere between 2 and 2 1/2 feet tall. I have some ideas of where they can be deployed. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/92 "2026-10-01T17:35:57Z")
Poop. Wished into someone else’s colon. Who that would be depends on my mood. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/93 "2026-10-01T17:44:06Z")
Wishing for gold, or other material objects that would need to be sold is a pain. Better to just wish for money directly. But of course, you quickly run into tax problems and the like. The key is to spread it out enough, and then do something else. Get enough cash that you have a few million sitting around. Then, create a philanthropic organization that sends containers of critical supplies to underprivileged communities. Buy a couple of containers, and each day wish for 100 pounds of useful, shelf-stable goods, to show up in the containers. Once a container is full, ship it out to Faroffistan, or wherever. They won’t be asking too many questions about where it all came from, most likely. Employ a few USAID types to advise you on the proper mix of stuff you should send. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/94 "2026-10-01T19:24:59Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Today you could magic into existence 50 pounds of barbecued ribs and 50 pounds of potato salad. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > I interpreted the OP as meaning you could vary what you ordered from day to day, but each day you needed to order 100 lbs of one thing. So, it appears yes, the OP made it easy for us. > [@pjd](#): > > Seems like you can mix & match as much as you want. I agree. > [@Horatius](#): > > Wishing for gold, or other material objects that would need to be sold is a pain. Gold coins- not so much. Of course just a few pounds a day. > [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > My own first idea was to ask for various endangered/extinct animals. (Genie is ooooold. He was around before a lot of stuff was extincted, so he can make them.) > > Some would be easy enough. Passenger pigeons existed all over America in the millions and 100 pounds would be enough for decent flock sizes. Pop one into every suitable climate area every week, maybe. The Passenger pigeons would likely not survive. But this is not a bad idea- if someone lives in the right area- 100 pounds of Ivory Billed Woodpeckers. Bachman’s Warbler (_Vermivora bachmanii_), several birds in Hawaii (take a vacation, release the birds), etc. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/95 "2026-10-01T20:00:34Z")
Why would the passenger pigeons not survive? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/96 "2026-10-01T20:14:17Z")
The massive eastern hardwood forests they relied upon are mostly gone, especially the American chestnut . That ended the Passenger Pigeon more than hunting. Also, the bird apparently needed to be around millions of others in order to breed, which is why the Passenger Pigeons in captivity would generally not lay eggs. So, first bring back hundreds of thousands disease resistant Chestnut Trees, then every day a hundred pounds (200 or so birds) until you get to at least 100,000 of them. Then- maybe. Probably not. > **[About the Passenger Pigeon\_March 2025 - Revive & Restore](https://reviverestore.org/projects/about-the-passenger-pigeon/)** > > Est. reading time: 7 minutes [https://www.audubon.org/magazine/why-passenger-pigeon-went-extinct](https://www.audubon.org/magazine/why-passenger-pigeon-went-extinct) > Other experts aren’t so sanguine. They question whether the hybrid animal could really be called a passenger pigeon. They doubt the birds could survive without the enormous flocks of the 19th century. And they question Novak’s belief that the forests could safely absorb the reintroduction. “The ecosystem has moved on,” says Temple. “If you put the organism back in, it could be disruptive to a new dynamic equilibrium. It’s not altogether clear that putting one of these extinct species from the distant past back into an ecosystem today would be much more than introducing an exotic species. It would have repercussions that we’re probably not fully capable of predicting.” [https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/grieving-the-passenger-pigeon-into-existence-again/](https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/grieving-the-passenger-pigeon-into-existence-again/) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/97 "2026-10-01T20:35:22Z")
100 pounds of functional ECC 64GB DIMM chips; I reckon that to be about 3.8 million dollars at today’s prices. I could also get some landscaping done finally, I need lots of fill dirt and retaining wall blocks… Do I get to specify where the created items poof into existence? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/98 "2026-10-01T20:48:48Z")
Well, it takes a while for chestnuts to reach maturity, and like everything else, they are threatened by global warming. But there’s been a ton of work on reintroducing the American Chestnut, including both crossbreeding with Asian chestnuts to get resistance genes and then crossing back to get a tree that’s mostly American Chestnut [1] and recent regulatory approval to plant a transgenic American Chestnut with a single wheat gene that is highly resistant. Both of these efforts have been helped by the fact that there are still a lot of young chestnuts sprouting from old roots (and not being killed by the blight until _just about_ sexual maturity, so there are often flowering trees that hikers can pollinate, and a lot of the plant’s original generic diversity still exists) and also clever use of genetic sequencing of seedlings to test a selling for blight resistance, greatly speeding up breeding efforts. > **[American Chestnut Restoration | The American Chestnut Foundation](https://tacf.org/american-chestnut-restoration/)** > **[History — American Chestnut Restoration](https://www.americanchestnut.org/history)** > **[The American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project at ESF](https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/index.php)** > > The ESF American Chestnut Project has developed a blight-tolerant American chestnut tree, and is working to restore this iconic and valuable cultural symbol to the forest ecosystems of the eastern United States. I expect to live to see mature chestnuts in the woods. I nearly planted some seeds on my property (15/16 American) but decided i really don’t have room. They are BIG trees. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/99 "2026-10-01T20:52:57Z")
Bringing back an animal that has been extinct for decades is effectively introducing an invasive species into the modern environment. Don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492/100 "2026-10-01T21:28:59Z")
Only here would a literal wish fulfillment thread devolve into arguments about ecology. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-a-genie-gave-you-the-ability-to-produce-100-pounds-of-any-stuff-every-day-forever/1033492.md?page=6)