Before answering this question, let me lay down two facts before you
Matter only takes up 4% of the universeIn 2014, according to the CIA's World Factbook, the GWP totalled approximately US$107.5 trillion in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), and around US$78.28 trillion in nominal terms.[1]
You must be thinking these two points have no relation at all. But I've written them just to show you the value of things that you're trying to compare with this question.
Let's talk about the book that offers “1 trillion dollars”
The book which will give you 1 trillion dollars is not worth it. It isn't giving you even 1 percent of what the other book is offering. What are you going to do with 1 trillion dollars. Spend it lavishly.Live life king size.Even the world will mock you telling you that you don't deserve it.
You will not be able to live a free life because of the obvious security reasons once people will come to know what you're worth. And at other times you will be surrounded by the fake people who will just be licking your boots because of your materialistic worth.
Let's see what “All the secrets of the universe” book has for you in store
Knowledge about life after DeathKnowledge about Immortality(If gods exist, they sure are immortal and the book will tell you how they got their immortality)Knowledge about so called Time Travel (Come on, it's titled all the secrets of the universe book how can it not have time travel)
You will be the supreme commander . The person who is beyond the limits of time and space. The person who has the control of power in his hands because you have the knowledge.(Haven't you heard :- Knowledge is power -.-)
And you know the person who has this much power is whom. He is god.
Haven't you heard that Eminem's song
“Why be a king, when you can be a god ?”
Edit 1: As I see quite a few people are telling me about how taking the book containing secrets of universe would not have been a better choice and most of their arguments are like “ What if you don’t understand what is written in the book?” It will be useless for you then. “What if the answer to everything is some random bullshit like the matrix etc” or “Will you even be able to devour such kind of vast knowledge ?” etc etc
To all these questions, I would like to say that this is a hypothetical question and what you are talking about are the loopholes and glitches of this question. And do you think a book containing a trillion dollars would exist. The last time I checked the book which would have even 100 million dollars won’t be a book, it would be a room. For arguments sake we should not deviate from the real meaning of this question. It’s simply about what will you choose money or quench your thirst for curiosity.
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In different forms here is a choice you might want to consider:
Boring
I choose the secrets of universe book, because all that knowledge is priceless.
Economist
All the secrets in the universe are worth 1 trillion?
But even more importantly, can the world economic system work with so much money?
The world together makes about 80 trillions worth of money.World economy - Wikipedia
You would have 1/80th of the world power in your hands.
MUAHUAHUAHUAH!!
But wait, so much money means you can’t also spend it all in a lifetime, else you would cause massive inflation, possibly destroying the economy of the country you live in!
Congratulations, you have so much money that is worthless. Basically you can't spend it all and you will have serious problems to justify at the tax bureau that you found that money inside a magic book.
The only way to spend that much money is to spend it at a very little rate, going abroad or buy yourself a little country.
So the secrets, please.
Sure there will be something exploitable with a startup.
Police man
Where does that money comes from? Definitively something shady is going on.
Please tell me where did you got the books.
Slowly and with your hands well in sight.
Banker
Can I balance the choice with parts?
For example getting the secrets of the galaxy and a billion?
Also, are you interested in a loan or our investment portfolio? Sure you have economic steadiness, but when you are old…
Smart
Both, please. There isn't written anywhere that the choice is mutually exclusive.
Dumb
Money, duh. Can’t read anyway.
Average
Knowledge
…
Profit!
Sure in the book there should be in some sort of thing I could use to make money.
(Editor’s note: by this logic, every expert is rich AF. Even tough most expert usually make enough money not to worry about it, a deep knowledge of cosmos, may not so be useful in making money.
For example knowing Neutron Stars can spin up to 70000Km/s, is totally irrelevant to the knowledge of why is a bad idea to help Nigerian princes).
My neighbour, which is an astronomist
“Of course money. So I can afford finally a better telescope”.
Atheist
Last time someone offered me a book containing secrets of universe, it was a Bible. No thanks.
Mathematician
I hope the book of secrets will demonstrate something like the Collatz conjecture or the last digit of PI. Also a faster way to get prime numbers is nice.
Philosopher
The purpose of existence is the research of the knowledge. Therefore, the logical choice is the money.
Indeed what fun is having nothing more to research and no money?
Quantum Physics
If we could somehow peek some pages from the cover, bombarding the books with particles, we could read the secrets and take also the money!
Politician
Well, let’s make a referendum.
But of course it would win the most obvious option, the one which will save most lives, empower humanity and promote world peace.
Mine answer
Arbitrarily large money, vs arbitrarily large knowledge. It’s clear that this is a provocation, I can imagine the original poster waiting like a vulture, swooping to comment “how greedy” to anyone who answers choosing money.
Do you think this a far fetched scenario?
Everyday indeed we can choose between Knowledge and Money, just by buying or selling a book.
Analyzing my purchase history you would bet I would choose the knowledge, as I did, many times, purchased very expensive scientific tools, just for the sake of knowing more.
However, both options are too much, I have a small mind to get the secrets, too small wallet for the trillion.
Comment about the answer you liked most, or to request another point of view.
