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Things To Do Before You Die

Lu Xun writes "A group of British scientists has brought some meaning to our lives by providing a list of 100 scientifically-oriented things to do before you die. The suggestions include 'joining the 300 Club at the South Pole (they take a sauna to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, then run naked to the pole in minus 100 F) or learning Choctaw, a language with two past tenses - one for giving information which is definitely true, the other for passing on material taken without checking from someone else.'"

9 of 675 comments (clear)

  1. The hardest part by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The hardest part might be convincing the NSF to let you go to the South Pole research station just so you can run around naked.

    I wonder if they go barefoot too?

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  2. Running naked on a pole.. interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    "then run naked to the pole in minus 100 F"

    Why the *FUCK* would I want to do that??

  3. Space anyone? by Sviams · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I guess I'm one of the weird types who would be quite content to die after getting the opportunity to go into space and see our world from an elevated perspective...

  4. Re:Anyone have more info by Aumaden · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The dummies can show how bones will behave in a crash and possibly to some extent internal organs. They cannot show how the skin will respond (eg, will the airbag give you a split lip or facial abbrasions).

  5. Re:Become a diamond by geoffspear · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't plan on being cremated before I die, personally. Sorry.

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  6. Re:To tell you the truth by Dun+Malg · · Score: 2, Insightful
    English has two future tenses for certainty.

    What do you mean, "to tell you the truth", all that other stuff you've been telling me is crap?

    That's not actually a future tense, it's a qualifying phrase. A separate future tense would have an alternate way of conjugating the verb.

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  7. And if you won't die of old age.... by AviLazar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    then going from 200 degrees farenheit to -100 degrees will probably kill you.

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  8. Re:Brief primer... by apt142 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Thinking hypothetically, what if English had adopted a similar structure. What would the politicians and media do? Sound like? Say?

    They would market and hype that "modern engrish is good 'nuff" and put it into obscurity.

    Or

    Always, always use the first tense.

    Although, I do share your passion. It would be cool if we had a society that took so much care in being factual that we had a language syntax around it.

    Although, language change starts at home. I imagine by the time today's children are 20 somethings we'll see "w00t" and "31337" on product commercials, Even if it's only in jest.

  9. Re:What I wanted... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I want to stand in a world powered by the sun

    You already did that.