Not Wife Swap - Civilisation Swap!

[Kit]

OK, so here's the scenario.

ASBs decide to play yet another sick joke on us poor humans. They take the planet (including all buildings, roads etc) as it was in 1978, and all the people from 1978. And they take the planet from 2005 and all the people from 2005 and swap them.

So, we have the entire population of the world from 1978 wandering around the towns and cities of 2005. And all the people from 2005 confronted with the world of 1978.

Everyone appears as close as possible to where they physcially were before the swap (but not promptly crushed by building that wasn't there a second ago).

What happens next? Think in the short term, and the long term.

For me, if it happened during a weekday, I'd appear in my own office on campus. But it would be at the Polytechnic of Wales rather than the University of Glamorgan. Once the initial shock and confusion had worn off, I'd go and find my Dad, who also works on campus. Together we'd make it back through the hoards of confused people (probably by walking) to my Aunt's house (which is where she lived in 1978, and next to where our house would have been built in 25 years time). We'd either wait for my mother and sister to make it there, or go out to Cardiff looking for them. I'd imagine that it wouldn't take too long to assume that time-travel was the cause (there'd be plenty of papers with the date around).

I'm not sure about the long term. How long would it take for things to settle down. For the governement to assume control?

What happens in the other universe?

[Grey Wolf]

So....I'm in my house but as it was in 1978, owned by its now disappeared then-owners and with hideous 1970s decor ? Well, I do like lava lamps...

I guess it would be good to take an inventory of the house, see if I am suddenly wealthy or something. Maybe it still had a cellar in those days

Banking is going to be strange. You'd have a lot of people with others' documents, some older people with still their own but 25 years previously documents... And some people, realising they're in 1978 will head for THEIR old homes...and who has legal possession ? Heck, I could go back to my own childhood house !!! It would be absolutely fascinating to see it as it was then, see it with my adult eyes but the present owners might get narked at me !

Bill Gates might just wander off, find a few people who he used to work with and invent Microshaft all over again

Grey Wolf

[Othniel]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! *cries at the lack of computer*

HOW COULD YOU PEOPLE DO THIS TO ME?

[DuQuense]

Bill Gates might just wander off, find a few people who he used to work with and invent Microshaft all over again

Except this time Linspire manages to kick M$ Windozes into obscurity.

[NomadicSky]

Wouldn't our older selves eventually run into the people from 1978 and might that create a paradox maybe two people can't be in the same place at once.
And how would people from 1978 react to our technology would govenment be severly effected?

[Othniel]

I didn't exsist back then! A worldwide switch...all of us with all of them...jeez that creates two new timelines.All those US Soldiers in Iraq would be without their tanks...Wait a moment...what about those at sea?

[Kit]

Presuming that the initial panic isn't too damaging, and that some sort of government control is established early enough to ensure continuing supply of food and other essential utilities and services (mental image of octogenarian medical staff called out of retirement to explain how to use all the obsolete equipment that's now state-of-the-art again), then how long before the knowledge that people have will start to speed up technology?

The economy will be in complete chaos for a few years I'd imagine.