Well, there was an episode of the 80s Chipmunks cartoon in which Simon had a time machine (of sorts) that could show what the future would look like based on decisions made in the present time. Like Alvin had to decide which prize to accept: cash prize, or mystery prize. The time machine showed that if he took the cash, then in the future, he, his brothers, and the Chipettes would all live like royalty, between Alvin and Brittany living in a lavish mansion, Simon and Jeanette being Nobel Prize winners, and Theodore and Eleanor owning a chain of successful upscale restaurants; the time machine then shows if he took the mystery prize, they'd all be dirt poor, because the mystery prize was a free lunch that gave him food poisoning, weakening his vocal chords and causing him to give up his singing career, and that alone somehow affects all of them as well, with Alvin and Brittany living in a rickety shack, and Simon and Jeanette apparently living in their car.