Everyone Gets New Abilities Overnight.... What Changes?

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SUMMARY

The discussion explores the hypothetical scenario where individuals acquire unique abilities overnight, significantly altering daily life. Three specific abilities are highlighted: octopus-like sucker plates for enhanced grip and taste, the ability to emit a truth-compelling blue gas, and a prehensile cat tail with enhanced sensory capabilities. Each ability presents distinct advantages and challenges, influencing social interactions and personal functionality. The conversation suggests that such changes would lead to profound societal shifts within a year.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of hypothetical scenarios and their implications
  • Familiarity with sensory perception and its biological basis
  • Knowledge of social dynamics and truthfulness in communication
  • Awareness of fictional literature that explores similar themes, such as "Brain Wave" by Poul Anderson
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the psychological effects of enhanced sensory abilities on human behavior
  • Explore the implications of truth-compelling abilities on ethics and communication
  • Investigate the biological adaptations of animals, such as octopuses and cats, for inspiration
  • Read "Brain Wave" by Poul Anderson to understand narrative approaches to similar concepts
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for writers, game designers, and anyone interested in speculative fiction, social psychology, and the exploration of human abilities in a fantastical context.

Bab5space
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just want to know how life would change if people randomly received one of these abilities per person overnight.

Ability 1: Octopus sucker plates on hands and fingers and feet. Can use them to stick to stuff (can hold up a box with one hand now by sticking your hand to it) or to taste stuff/smell stuff before you put it in your mouth. You can also toggle the taste on and off. Climbing walls would still be really hard, since although you can stick, lifting your own bodyweight is hard.

Ability 2: Can spew out blue gas from your mouth which irritates other peoples eyes, but more importantly, it compels them to answer truthfully any question that YOU ask them. At least for a few minutes before the effect wears off. A person may run from you but if you ask them a question and they are under the influence they will say the answer truthfully as loud as they need to for you to clearly hear them.

Ability 3: You get a furry long cat tail and furry cat ears. The tail is no ordinary cat tail but is prehensile, and also has smell holes at the tip that can detect scent as good as a dog. In other words, simply by waving the tip of your tail over the floor, you can detect where a person last was to where they where earlier in the day. You also get enhanced hearing via cat ears but lack human ears. And you get retractable forefinger joint claws. Useful for opening boxes and cutting bags/envelopes etc.

How does the world change in a year if everyone receives one of the abilities each?

Bonus: Unlike most people, you can choose which ability you want, so which is it? These changes are permanent and cannot be undone.
 
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