h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just what can't be replaced TOTALLY in mankind's world? I'll give you a starter for 10:
THE WHEEL

Oxygen

life?

A heart

Or your head

Or even your legs really.
I mean -real- legs, not plastic replacement legs.

Anything of sentimental value.

well maybe i don't understand the question but i see no reason that the wheel can't theoretically be eliminated. we can use magnetic levitatation instead. Unless you are refering to anything we make that is round in which case i would agree that it can't be replaced. as for oxygen... all we need is a machine that removes ADP in the blood and replaces it with ATP and possible some mechanism to gt the cells to absorb it and then we no longer need oxygen (at least not for respiration).
if you were to mean what can not be totaly elimiated from our society as a whole without destroying that society then there really sin't much, even the smallest thing like perhaps a cd holder can have dire consequences, its hard to imagine but i think that we all know its true
but the one thing i am pretty sure we can totaly eliminate is my website
i say that because.... well it has been elminated, switched ISPs and forgot to transfer it

Magnetic levitation? Try putting that on evety car that's in use in the world right now!

Then again, it wouldn't be a problem if mankind never invented the wheel but used magnetic levitatin instead. If everything that was The Wheel was destroyed tomorrow and we had to use magnetic levitation then we'd all be in a pickle and no mistake!

Yep, you understood (not all of man's body parts need be included, "...possibly some mechanism ..." - aha! but WHAT mechanism, has it been discovered yet?), but things that can't be replaced under ANY circumstance: magnetic levitation for a comp. mouse? Interesting (I thought magnets shouldn't go near computers?

You can replace your website by doing it again!!!!!

Yeah, a must to include on The Wheel list!!! Cheers

Specifics: whose/what life? Or is this an ecological type answer?

the reason i said some mechanism is because i am not sure if the atp will be absorbed naturaly or not, never learned that in bio
as for the mouse... microsoft intelli-eye no moving parts, uses an optical sensor to mesure movement (as do regular mice but the intelli-eye has no ball, and because of that no wheels to be moved by the ball)
as for the website i can get it close to what it was but i can't replicate it exactly, then again it was rather blah... anyway working on a new and better one with friends now that may actually be of some use. (sprainedmind.com), it is still under heavy contruction and will be for a while as all the people working on it are also attending highschool so we are both lazy and busy

I guess we've reached an ideal conclusion, actually, about this matter.
So I'll leave you all to it now

Tish tish, has no-one heard of the Bandan Bladderstiddle, the obvious alternative to the wheel? (blame that one on Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, I think!)

What's this thing which you cite, then?

It's a sketch of theirs which, predictably, is very funny. If I find the time I'll stick a transcription of it on my userpage.

Hey, guys...what's all the fuss about wheels, oxygen or magnetic fields. You can find for nearly everything a substitute, apart from the MOST IMPORTANT THING in the universe...ME!!!! Keep cool

Bighead!!!!! Is there any room for the rest of us????? I thought maybe of another thing that, I for one, don't think there is a real substitute & therefore can't be replaced ....... chocolate!!! Unless you know different .......

Sorry, je ne comprend pas, what ideal conclusion? I thought we were looking for a list of things for which there is NO replacement/substitute?? Lost for ideas, eh?
Thanks anyway.

So! You couldn't keep away!!!!

Have you stuck it there yet?