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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   1538 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for August 17, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Oddball future predictions, anyone?

Kilts become A Thing in at least some blue tribe cities by 2050. Sneered at by minorities and the red tribe.

More hippos in South America than Africa in 2100. Trophy hunters shooting them are a notable thing; periodic rumblings about introducing lions, saltwater crocodiles, tigers, bears to try to control their population have enthusiastic support from the dwindling number of locals but are opposed by everyone else.

Sailing returns as a low-value bulk cargo shipping mechanism.

Someone, probably China, introduces affirmative action for mothers in the workforce, 2040, and the idea spreads like wildfire. It is promptly used mostly for fraud, both on a corporate and individual level.

What’s a current example of “A Thing” that’s limited to some cities? I figure with mass, interconnected culture, everything unifies pretty fast.

Sailing? No way. Sails are barely even viable as a hybrid solution. Sure, tech will improve, but a full sailboat is not going to be competitive on most routes.

…which is where my weird prediction comes in. Carbon capture is going to improve a lot by 2050. We’ll be using the most solar- or wind-friendly places in the U.S. to reassemble hydrocarbons, which in turn will be burned in our most energy-dense vehicles. Honestly, this might not be that weird. I don’t really know the state of biogas or whatever they’re calling it.

fraud

How is motherhood fraud supposed to work? Especially in China, world leaders in personal surveillance?

Especially in China, world leaders in personal surveillance?

Maybe my understanding is out of date, but I thought that China was also a world leader in bribing the people who interpret the surveillance footage as well

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