You are granted one of the following super powers: which one do you choose?

balderdash@lemmy.zip to [Outdated, please look at pinned post] Casual Conversation@lemmy.world – 109 points –

LIMITATIONS:

  • Flight -- Cannot fly faster than 48 kph/30 mph.
  • Speed -- Cannot move faster than the speed of sound or run on penetrable surfaces (e.g., water). Super speed is not restricted to running.
  • Telekinesis -- Cannot lift more than 2,270 kilograms/5,000 pounds. Cannot use power on your own body.
  • Invisibility -- Must be conscious to remain invisible. Your clothes become invisible when you do.
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Assuming current universe rules apply here is my order of preference. First 2 seem useful, do not see much practical use for other 2.

  • Speed - Assumption is that my brain / eyes can comprehend the increased speed, otherwise this is a useless power. Primary use wouldn't even be running although you could become a top marathon runner. You can do chores and learn much faster essentially allowing you to become better than everyone else and in a sense prolonging your life because you could experience all the same things faster than everyone else.
  • Invisibility - You can do fun stuff. Seems like all of it would be unethical or illegal though, cannot imagine a use case that is not questionable besides hiding from someone you do not wish to meet.
  • Telekinesis - You can also do fun stuff, but I have never thought I need to move something without touching it or wish I could move something really heavy. Good pickpocket and powerlifter skill.
  • Flight - Almost useless in my opinion. It is a high profile power so you would probably get kidnapped and experimented on by someone quite quickly unless you just use this to hover in your room which admittedly would be cool.

Except if current universe rules apply speed would be useless. You'd die from over heating either from the energy created from moving your body faster or the compression of air molecules as you move through them (think asteroids and space ships re- entering)

Good point. I definitely wouldn't plan to go as fast as sound, but human body probably would not like even 3x speed increase for a prolonged time. Let's bend rules a bit and say your body could endure all that and you would not get bone, muscle, skin (blisters) problems. Your organs also would need to adapt, otherwise every time you start/stop moving at insane speed, it would be as if you would be in a car crash.

To not give too much advantage, your food consumption would have to increase to sustain all the energy needs, did not think about that as well.