Top 10: What we would do if we received a mysterious message from the future
The future is calling! Students reveal how they would react if they received a mysterious message from beyond our time.
A warning or a scam? Students discuss all the possibilities. Photo: ShutterstockThis week’s question: You discover a door in your school that you’ve never seen before. When you open it, where do you think it takes you? To take part, drop us a line via this form or email us at [email protected] by 12pm on Wednesday, November 6. Tell us your name, age and school.
Envis Chan, 14, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School: I looked at the letter I had just taken from the envelope, and my jaw dropped as I finished reading the letter. “Mankind is dead. Blood is fuel. Hell is full,” a self-proclaimed “last human on Earth” had written. A robot called v1 is going to wipe out humanity and open the gates of inferno. There were clear instructions to stop the event from happening, and an advanced weapon of some sort accompanied the paper. I could not shake it off as just a prank. I travelled to an unassuming restaurant and waited until a man matching the description in the letter appeared. I carefully put the weapons into his pocket, as the letter demanded, and the message I could not decode despite my best efforts. My job here was done. That is until I went back home and saw, to my surprise, that the portal through which the envelope had come was still there.
Joe Lee Ka-chun, 15, Ng Yuk Secondary School: Receiving a mysterious message from the future would cause a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. Initially, I would feel a mix of intrigue and scepticism. Questions would flood my mind. How credible is this message? Is it a hoax or a genuine warning? If the message contained information about events or decisions I could influence, I would be torn between the desire to act and the fear of changing the timeline. I might consider the ethical implications of my choices and whether intervening would be right. I would also want to verify the message by looking for supporting evidence. Consulting trusted friends or experts could help me interpret its significance. Ultimately, I would strive to balance curiosity with caution, weighing the potential benefits against the risks of acting on information from an uncertain future.
Chocolate Huang Jing-lin, 15, Fung Kai No 1 Secondary School: I would think it was very interesting. I would be curious about what the world would be like in the future. Have we seen an ice age or a return of dinosaur-like creatures? Or has life become more technologically driven? I would want to contact the person from the future who sent me this mysterious message and try to learn more about their time and what will happen. I would also tell them about their past – my present.
Keith Cheung Ming-ting, 13, St Paul’s Co-educational College: Is it an encrypted message or some kind of riddle with a hidden meaning behind it? I would try to figure it out. Assuming the mysterious message was about my future, I would give it importance.
Emmi Chong Wing-tung, 14, Kowloon True Light School: If a future self told me that I was in danger and told me what was going to happen, I would follow my instructions. If my health is going to decline, I will begin taking care of it earlier. If my parents died in my 30s, I would spend more time with them and treasure every moment. I would even try to prevent it from happening. If, in the future, I am broke and have resorted to begging, I will study hard and change my path. I would make sure I live a peaceful and happy life, stopping as many of the bad things as I can from happening. I would work hard young so my future can be perfect, retiring early once I earn enough to support myself and my family.
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Andrea Cheung, 12, Island School: I would be extremely curious because receiving messages from the future usually only happens in fantasy novels. Have my fantasies come true, or is it a warning about my unfortunate future?
Charis Chan, 15, Malvern College Hong Kong: I would feel relieved. With today’s rapid technological advancements, we have no idea where our Google search history, Instagram comments or WhatsApp messages make a mark on the internet. By receiving a message from the future, I might acknowledge the rights or wrongs of my actions and discover what will happen in the digital future.
William Li, 16, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School: If I received a mysterious message from the future, I would think it was a mischievous prank at first. It is possible that some of my friends would view this as a funny way to relieve their studying stress. I would probably find it in my email, which I check regularly. Perhaps the messenger would pretend to be a teacher in my school, notifying me that I would be expelled if I stepped into the school gate with my left foot tomorrow. Thinking out of the box, it would make sense if an alien sent this message. As a big sci-fi fan, I could imagine the message being like the one in The Three-Body Problem, “do not respond”. The sender could even be me. I remember writing a letter to my future self in a primary school Chinese lesson. The response could appear lying in the drawer in my bedroom, which I use infrequently. I have high hopes for my future self, such as being virtuous and good at studying. I hope I am on the road to achieving those dreams.
Sonia Tam Hin-ching, 14, Pooi To Middle School: I would ignore it since I do not believe the future will have such hi-tech communication software to connect to the past. Also, the stranger may be a scammer trying to steal my money or personal information.
Jovina Chung Man-yan, 11, Holy Angels Canossian School: Receiving a mysterious message from the future would be a thrilling and confusing experience. I would probably feel a mix of excitement and fear. The idea that someone or something from the future is trying to communicate with me is both fascinating and a bit unsettling. I would want to read the message carefully. I would look for clues about what it says and why it was sent. Questions would flood my mind: What does it mean? Is it a warning or a piece of advice? Could it change how I live my life now? The uncertainty would spark my curiosity, making me eager to learn more.