# The Frozen Hypothetical - What is your schedule? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245 "2024-03-23T12:15:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/1 "2024-03-23T12:15:01Z")
You alone get an extra hour every day. During this hour, everyone else on earth is frozen and you are free to spend this hour as you choose. You do not age during this hour, so your lifespan does not change. No harm comes to those who are frozen. Here is the fine print: You must pre-select how you will spend each of the seven hours of your week, and you can make changes just once a year, on New Year’s Eve. You can break up the week as you like. You also select which hour of the day gets frozen. So, what is your schedule? You also may opt out if you like. Here’s mine: Monday – Read Tuesday – Play piano Wednesday – Listen to music Thursday – Play piano Friday – Read Saturday – Play piano Sunday – Nap Frozen hour begins at 2pm. I had to resist the temptation to nap every day. mmm ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/2 "2024-03-23T12:57:16Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I had to resist the temptation to nap every day. I get nothing from napping. After an hour nap, I’d wake up irritable, confused, and tired. I’d spend my hour reading. But I read an hour or more daily anyway, so maybe I need to think more about this. Is it possible to use my daily hour to mess with everyone else who is “frozen”? Rearranging their stuff, writing on them with a sharpie, etc or does that violate the hypothetical? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/3 "2024-03-23T13:33:13Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > You alone get an extra hour every day. During this hour, everyone else on earth is frozen and you are free to spend this hour as you choose. Be careful what you wish for; you just might find it…in the [Twilight Zone](https://youtu.be/W7dohhGmq6w?si=pHTpMtNaNmRj89S8). Stranger ---
**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:** [March 23, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/4 "2024-03-23T13:44:38Z")
Surfing the most crowded breaks in the world. Every. Single. Day. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/5 "2024-03-23T13:44:56Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I’d spend my hour reading. But I read an hour or more daily anyway… Yeah, so do I. But there is so much to read! > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Be careful what you wish for… I’m aware. I don’t even have to click on the link. ETA: Well, I guess I did have to click on the link. I was expecting [this.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Enough_at_Last) mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/6 "2024-03-23T13:48:05Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Is it possible to use my daily hour to mess with everyone else who is “frozen”? Rearranging their stuff, writing on them with a sharpie, etc or does that violate the hypothetical? Sure, the hour is yours to do as you wish. I hope you’re not planning to go all [Fermata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fermata) on us. mmm ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/7 "2024-03-23T13:49:25Z")
I would much prefer the hypothetical include a second person. I can certainly think of something I’d happily do for an hour every afternoon with somebody of the right configuration. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/8 "2024-03-23T15:53:11Z")
What’s the maximum good you could do in an hour a day? Free hostages? Disarm a criminal? Assassinate a dictator? Confiscate ill-gotten gains? You only have an hour to get in, act, and get out to safety so it would be hard to do something like disarming the Russians invading Ukraine. Although if there were any Dopers trained in operating fighter jets, they could pull off some otherwise dangerous missions. A less lofty use would be to spend the hour going places your normally can’t go, even to do mundane things: - biking down the expressway - reading a book in the Oval Office - driving the minivan around a NASCAR track - napping atop Stonehenge - exploring Fort Knox (or as far as you can get) But more in the spirit of the OP, I would: - reserve a couple of days to play guitar or drums with the windows open or outside at whatever volume I wanted - a couple of days to work out and bike; better still if the weather freezes too - an hour to study something new In reality I’m not great with time management so I would probably end up mowing the lawn, doing laundry, and catching up on work. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/9 "2024-03-23T15:56:39Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > You alone get an extra hour every day. I think we need more details about the rules of the game. Other people are frozen, but to what extent can you affect or move other objects? Can you, for example, walk into a bank and help yourself to large piles of money in easy-to-carry bags? Can you pick up a gun and shoot someone? Then, if you can affect other things, are the effects permanant after the hour? Would the bank money vanish like fairy gold, and the bullet you fired at the victim never reach its target? If you can affect other things and the result is permanant, you are pretty much God for all practical purposes… ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/10 "2024-03-23T18:07:32Z")
Also, what about surveillance, are speed & red-light cameras and other such devices still active? ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/11 "2024-03-23T18:25:37Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Can you, for example, walk into a bank and help yourself to large piles of money in easy-to-carry bags? Only if you want to rob the same bank 52 times at exactly the same time each week. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/12 "2024-03-23T18:42:13Z")
> [@J-P\_L](#): > > Also, what about surveillance, are speed & red-light cameras and other such devices still active? Right. It sounds like a simple idea at first, but if you want to work out all the logical consequences, you need to do a lot of world-building. What are the rules? Of course there have been many variations on this. For example: ‘[The Man Who Could Work Miracles (short story) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Could_Work_Miracles_(short_story))’ ‘[The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl,_the_Gold_Watch_%26_Everything)’ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/13 "2024-03-23T23:20:28Z")
> [@colinfred](#): > > Only if you want to rob the same bank 52 times at exactly the same time each week. Not necessarily. Or at least not necessarily as I understand the OP’s idea. This isn’t _Groundhog Day_ where you relive the same (extra) hour each week. But if Sunday is bank robbing day, then yes, every Sunday you need to go rob a bank. Some bank. Someplace. And there’s nothing preventing you from taking the hours pre-freeze and using them to get in position, get all your equipment in your van, etc. Heck, you could be standing in the lobby having just walked in as the freeze time starts for everyone else. Although I suppose if instead of specifying “bank robbing” on your Sunday freeze hour application you just put down “miscellaneous criminality” you could do quite a much larger variety of mischief every Sunday. Kinda depends on how literal versus generous the Magic Genie or whatever is. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/14 "2024-03-23T23:32:44Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > Although if there were any Dopers trained in operating fighter jets, they could pull off some otherwise dangerous missions. Calling @LSLGuy…. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/15 "2024-03-23T23:41:31Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > I think we need more details about the rules of the game. OK, I’ll try… > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Can you, for example, walk into a bank and help yourself to large piles of money in easy-to-carry bags? Yes. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Can you pick up a gun and shoot someone? Yes. And when that person un-freezes, they will find that they have a bullet in them. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Then, if you can affect other things, are the effects permanant after the hour? Yes. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > Would the bank money vanish like fairy gold Yes. > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > and the bullet you fired at the victim never reach its target? No, it would reach the victim. Objects are frozen but you (alone) are free to move or manipulate them during that hour. > [@J-P\_L](#): > > are speed & red-light cameras and other such devices still active? Nope, unless you activate them for some reason. > [@colinfred](#): > > Only if you want to rob the same bank 52 times at exactly the same time each week. You would have to rob _a_ bank every week. When I use my hour to play the piano, I’m not obligated to play the same piece every time. mmm ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/16 "2024-03-23T23:52:14Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > > > Would the bank money vanish like fairy gold > > Yes. Seems to be an inconsistency here. You say the person shot would have a bullet in them, and the effects are permanent. So the money should still be in your hands? Maybe fingers got a bit ahead of brain on that one… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/17 "2024-03-24T00:20:08Z")
Sorry, I don’t understand the confusion. Scenario 1: It is frozen hour. You shoot a frozen dude. The hour ends and he wakes up with a bullet in him. Scenario 2: It is frozen hour. You go into a bank and remove a $100 bill. The hour ends and the bill is gone from the bank and is now in your pocket. What am I missing? mmm ETA: Oh wait, I think I get it now. When I read “the money vanishes”, I interpreted that as the money vanishes from the bank because you now have it. Not that it vanishes into thin air. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2024, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/18 "2024-03-24T08:43:47Z")
Does the rest of the world continue to function? Does rain fall? Do birds fly and sing? Waves crash and break? If so my extra hours are pretty much going to be about going and quietly appreciating that, without the noise of human civilisation. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/19 "2024-03-24T09:30:26Z")
What if the frozen people are driving a car or sit on a moving train or plane? Would the car keep going straight into the next obstacle? Would the dead man switch stop the train, but not the plane? If the frozen person happened to be walking when freezing and had one foot in the air just then, would they topple over? Or would they stay upright in precarious equilibrium? If the latter, what happens to the momentum they had, does it continue seamlessly when they unfreeze, or will they stumble then? If a frozen person is about to sip from a freshly brewed espresso cup, will the espresso be cold when he unfreezes? Does radioactivity continue, in particular in nuclear reactors, specially in nuclear reactors on submarines and aircraft carrieres? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245/20 "2024-03-24T09:58:49Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > You would have to rob _a_ bank every week. Can my choice be “decide whether to rob a bank this week” or “decide between robbing a bank or reading a book”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frozen-hypothetical-what-is-your-schedule/999245.md?page=2)