Any (measurable) function $K$ from $mathbb{R}^n$ to $mathbb{R}$ defines an operator $mathbf{K}$ acting on random variables $X$ by $mathbf{K}(X)=K(X_1, ldots, X_n)$, where the $X_j$ are independent copies of $X$. The main result of this paper concerns
selectors $H$, continuous functions defined in $mathbb{R}^n$ and such that $H(x_1, x_2, ldots, x_n) in {x_1,x_2, ldots, x_n}$. For each such selector $H$ (except for projections onto a single coordinate) there is a unique point $omega_H$ in the interval $(0,1)$ so that for any random variable $X$ the iterates $mathbf{H}^{(N)}$ acting on $X$ converge in distribution as $N to infty$ to the $omega_H$-quantile of $X$.
In this paper we analyse the possibility of having homogeneous isotropic cosmological models with observers reaching $t=infty$ in finite proper time. It is shown that just observationally-suggested dark energy models with $win(-5/3,-1)$ show this fea
ture and that they are endowed with an exotic curvature singularity. Furthermore, it is shown that non-accelerated observers in these models may experience a duration of the universe as short as desired by increasing their linear momentum. A subdivision of phantom models in two families according to this behavior is suggested.
