Pseudo-philosophical babble, 1:13 a.m.

(preceding conversation deals with extinction-level events and the colonization of space)
- do you ever think about the fact that we were born during a really interesting time?
- no.
- in terms of opportunity, i mean. like if we had been laborers in 16th century europe our entire lives would have centered around work, church, work, church and we would have lived in the same 20 square miles of land for 40 years then died.
- i suppose.
- and now, here we are, in your apartment, drinking tea, 20 000 miles away from home, going to classes and learning things that no one even knew about 20 years ago.
- if i had been born 400 years ago, i would have been an emperor.
- you wouldn't have made a very good one, considering you're a vegetarian.
- why couldn't i be a vegetarian emperor?
- because emperors have to eat giant legs of meat off the bone and have painful attacks of gout.
- i could have been an emperor in india.
- there weren't any.
- well, a maharajah then, whatever they had.
- i guess.
- there you go.