# Switching Bodies **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2015, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973 "2015-04-18T06:43:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lewis47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e274bd/32.png) [@Lewis47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lewis47)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/1 "2015-04-18T06:43:18Z")
What if it were possible for people to switch bodies with each other either by mutual agreement or against someone’s will? What scenarios could occur? Someone could secretly become another person’s significant other or other family member or girlfriend or boyfriend for that matter. Would gender lines become compromised as well? What are your thoughts everyone? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/2 "2015-04-18T06:52:04Z")
Madness. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/3 "2015-04-18T08:51:38Z")
[Hollywood’s](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076054/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) [doing](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093185/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [research](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093418/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [as we](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120601/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [speak](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1488555/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3) ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/4 "2015-04-19T00:30:05Z")
Check the basement for pods. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/5 "2015-04-19T00:47:28Z")
It might enable one to become a better lover. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/6 "2015-04-19T01:01:43Z")
The super rich ugly people would be paying the hot but poor people for their bodies. Old people would pay younger people for theirs (I’m sure a lot would go for it if the money is good enough). Eventually, the oscillations of the whole thing work themselves out, and we end up with a hotness spectrum that precisely maps to the wealth distribution, and a bunch of super rich folks who are functionally immortal. … _Runs off to write dystopian movie script_ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/7 "2015-04-19T01:48:07Z")
See Joss Whedon’s TV show, Dollhouse: [Dollhouse (TV Series 2009–2010) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135300/) ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/8 "2015-04-19T02:55:10Z")
You could hire someone for an hour a day to eat right and exercise your body while you sit around eating candy. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/9 "2015-04-19T03:33:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > See Joss Whedon’s TV show, Dollhouse: [Dollhouse (TV Series 2009–2010) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135300/) Also Richard Morgan’s [Takeshi Kovacs series](Takeshi Kovacs series), which plays with exactly that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/10 "2015-04-19T06:15:37Z")
See Star Trek TOS third season Episode #79, “[The Turnabout Intruder](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Turnabout_Intruder_%28episode%29)” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/11 "2015-04-19T08:08:32Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > You could hire someone for an hour a day to eat right and exercise your body while you sit around eating candy. If you trust them enough. > **[Body swap](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodyswap)** > > A body swap (also named mind swap, soul swap or brain swap) is a storytelling device seen in a variety of science fiction and supernatural fiction, in which two people (or beings) exchange minds and end up in each other's bodies. > There are different types of body swapping. For non-technology swapping, switches can be caused by magic items such as amulets, heartfelt wishes, or just strange quirks of the universe. The switches typically reverse after the subjects have expanded their world views, ... ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/12 "2015-04-19T18:16:50Z")
Among people suffering from gender dysmorphia there would be much rejoicing. And for people who are simply curious and would like to experience life as the other sex there would also be much rejoicing. ---
**Author:** ![Lewis47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e274bd/32.png) [@Lewis47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lewis47)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-bodies/717973/13 "2015-05-01T00:38:18Z")
I’ve seen that episode many times. It got me thinking what it would be like if people were able to force people to swap bodies like in the show. I am replying to the Turnabout Intruder comment.