If we could communicate with the dead, clearly and all we wanted to

[The Straight Story]

could they testify in court about who killed them?

Could they tell us about crimes that happened to them while alive (like molestation, spousal abuse, etc) and get a conviction for it?

Would we want them to?

I am not talking via mediums and such, through a proven scientific method that bridged two worlds, etc. If ever such a thing were to exist, what would be the implications?

Imagine the implications - Amelia Earhart, history in general, etc and so on.

Even if not ghosts, but some way we could see the past from any vantage point and learn anything, how would that change the world? What secrets would we learn about each other and the world?

I dunno, was just thinking about this and thought I would toss it out there :)

[hfojvt]

1. without physical evidence

mere testimony would not prove anything, unless there was something that prevented dead people from lying.

My implication would be genealogical research. I could research my ancestry back to Adam and Eve.

[Dangerously Amused]

3. Not sure I understand your answer completely

...but I disagree that one cannot obtain a conviction based on testimony alone. Unless it is solely the confession of the accused, then yes there has to be corroborating evidence, however that evidence can also be in the form of testimony. Ie, there is no rule of law I am aware of that requires physical evidence to try a case.

With respect to "seeing things from the past," if it were possible I suppose all the other rules of evidence regarding its relevance/reliability/weight would apply and it would then be subject to admissibility challenges based on those merits (or lack thereof).

[Kutjara]

2. There's a good book by Arthur C. Clarke and...

...Stephen Baxter called "The Light of Other Days." The story concerns the invention of a 'wormcam' that can travel through wormholes to any moment in history and transmit the sounds and images back to the present. Using this technology, people can watch the lives of anyone who has ever lived, from historical and religious figures to friends and spouses. The best part of the book is its treatment of the enormous societal uphevals brought about not only by the elimination of personal privacy, but by the ability to see our 'heros' and 'villains' for who they really were.

Reading your post made me think that being able to get the 'real story' from the dead would have similar implications.

[TheBaldyMan]

4. What if the dead person didn't want to talk, they just wanted some peace

Would you be risking getting haunted.

The only spirits I've encountered come already bottled.

[rug]

5. I wouldn't want to be the one serving the subpoena.

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. How would we know they were telling the truth?

:hi: