Arguments. They can pull people apart. Sow seeds of mistrust. Spark insults. Prompt pushing and/or punching. Maybe even trigger the sudden purchase of small firearms. Why not alleviate the agony of arguments by taking the airline industry's "black box" concept to a new level? For Earth 2.0, embed a recording device in our circuitry that allows us to settle arguments by playing back the conversation.
Obviously, every argument between two people should not be resolved by machine. I would start off modestly, until you see if my idea is practical. On the last day of every year, a husband and wife could challenge a decision the other had made during the year by summoning the Marital Black Box. The device would rule definitively on statements such as:
- "You told me I could destroy the pictures from your first wedding."
- "You promised to use a nail clipper and stop trimming your fingernails with your teeth."
- "What do you mean, the flower shop is completely sold out?"
- "I definitely did not agree to polka dot curtains."
If this works, children could hold their parents accountable and politicians could prove they were misquoted. Better yet, prosecutors could take the guesswork out of jury decisions. The world would be a safer, happier and less random place. Doesn't that just give you goose bumps?
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