Random Musing – Time Wasting in a Trillion Years?

Since I am me with all my randomness (which is a lot, let me tell you), I thought occasionally I will have sessions called ‘Random Musings’ where, you know, I post one of my many, many, many random musings that pops into my head. So here is my blogs first Random Musing.

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So, the other day I was watching one of my most favorite TV shows, Doctor Who. In this show they travel through time. In one episode there was a mention of the year 5 billion, so that got me thinking, say the world goes on for trillions and trillions of years. Okay, the world is really old, we have robot servants (that will of course become too smart and enslave mankind some years later, naturally), hovering cars, and toothbrushes that brush your teeth in your sleep, cool, but here is my thought…

What on earth do they do when someone asks the year? Say the year is 5135237972234? Let’s picture this for a moment.

Random dude named Dudevarlio (this is the future, of course their names are different) who is trying to write the date on a check: “Hey, Boblarg, what is the year again?”

Random robot named Boblarg: “It is the year five trillion, one hundred   thirty-five billion, two hundred thirty-seven million, nine hundred seventy-  two thousand, two hundred thirty-four, duh!

Dudevarlio: “Oh right.” *Begins writing date on check*

Ten minutes later.

Dudevarlio: *Hands check to cashier*

Cashier: “You put five trillion, one hundred thirty-five billion, two hundred thirty-seven million, nine hundred seventy-two thousand, two hundred thirty-three on the year; it is five trillion, one hundred thirty-five billion, two hundred thirty-seven million, nine hundred seventy-two thousand, two hundred thirty-four.”

Dudevarlio: *Facepalm*

Do you see the problem here? Tongue twisters and time wasters to the maximum.

Eventually, if God chooses to keep Earth around that long of course, there are going to be way to many numbers in the year. What will people do? All of everyone’s time in the future will be taken up just trying to say what year it is. New Year’s celebrations will have to wait as the new year number is being called out because it could take five minutes to even say the year.

Can you picture it? The clock strikes midnight and someone calls it, “Hurray! It is the year five trillion, one hundred thirty-five billion, two hundred thirty-seven million, nine hundred seventy-two thousand, two hundred thirty-five!” *deep breath*

Everyone else: ZZZZzzzzzz….

Yeah, this could be a problem.

Maybe they could just say the single numbers, as in: The year five one three five two three seven nine seven two two three four. That takes a little less time, but it is still rather difficult.

So, what do they do?

Nothing, there are robot servants and self-working toothbrushes, who cares about the year?