# Would you use the Machine of Death? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571 "2010-12-01T18:31:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/21 "2010-12-02T19:02:14Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I clicked no, because based on your description of the massive ambiguity/vagueness/interpretability of the answers given by the machine, it sounds like a colossal waste of time. I agree with this. Getting shot when you’re 90 is no way dying of old age. It would still take it but it gives you no meaningful information. Even an exact cause of death is useless. Once someone told me, “If you knew you were going to die of a heart attack at age 80,” then you could take up drag racing or bomb defusing. But that doesn’t rule out the bomb could go off rendering you a vegetable until you’re 80 and die. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/22 "2010-12-03T05:58:06Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Even an exact cause of death is useless. Once someone told me, “If you knew you were going to die of a heart attack at age 80,” then you could take up drag racing or bomb defusing. > > But that doesn’t rule out the bomb could go off rendering you a vegetable until you’re 80 and die. Yes, it does. You’re just not thinking big enough. Unless this machine is God (and by that I mean an omnipotent reality warper) or it gives an error message for anyone who isn’t going to die in the next 5 seconds, it _cannot_ give an accurate statement of how you are going to die. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/23 "2010-12-03T16:08:26Z")
I would, if there were a way to avoid it. But since there’s not, I’d rather not know. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/24 "2010-12-03T16:51:45Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I clicked no, because based on your description of the massive ambiguity/vagueness/interpretability of the answers given by the machine, it sounds like a colossal waste of time. This. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/25 "2010-12-03T17:15:01Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I clicked no, because based on your description of the massive ambiguity/vagueness/interpretability of the answers given by the machine, it sounds like a colossal waste of time. What he said. And if I just messed up your gender, my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/26 "2010-12-05T01:37:04Z")
Why would I use a machine that will reveal what my future is to be? Seems to me that such knowledge would unduly influence what I do in my life. I prefer to at least pretend I have some independent control over my life. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/27 "2010-12-05T10:04:02Z")
I voted ‘No’, because of what **Machine Elf** and **Blaster Master** said. I hate ‘literal’ genies, especially if their idea of ‘literal’ means bending semantics backwards to justify a horrible outcome. This machine just reeks of that crap. ---
**Author:** ![Cammacdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Cammacdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cammacdon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571/28 "2010-12-05T10:17:47Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I clicked no, because based on your description of the massive ambiguity/vagueness/interpretability of the answers given by the machine, it sounds like a colossal waste of time. That’s because its a plot device in a novel. but i agree that the idea is lame. Its like those “spooky” Nostradamus predictions. Its so vague it could mean anything. If i get prediction of the future i want it to be direct like: “You will eat a ham sandwich next tuesday. at 4:20pm” Not shit like this: “On the second day on the sacred of hour of mary jane, the swine meets the mouth in the company of sundered wheat” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-use-the-machine-of-death/562571.md?page=1)