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Old 08-04-2018, 12:46 PM   #421
AlexanderHowl
 
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it could lead to Deep Space Stations placed tens of thousands of light years out away from the galaxies to research the nature of non-galactic space. The spooky possibilities of an isolated base don't require the supernatural. Although it is always a fun add in.
In a reality where physics is a galactic phenomena rather than a universal phenomena (which may be true in our reality for all we know), the dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way would prove interesting test cases for comparative physics. Their native physics may still exist, at least in part, allowing researchers to gain an understanding of the more fundamental levels of reality.
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Old 08-05-2018, 12:09 PM   #422
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Try this, a narcissistic billionaire, who made his money in biotech, has created a Proteus virus. Basically, this way overconfident genius thinks he has created a tool to add the equivalent of fifty IQ points (GURPS-speak +5 IQ) to everyone. In 2030 he releases the virus into a dozen busy airports worldwide.

Forty percent of the population died within six months. Of the remaining, six out of ten, five went insane. Most of these victims are like most mental patients harmless and more likely to be harmed than hurt. There is a small, less than one percent, pool of dangerous crazies. Given the social chaos, it's hard to keep these people under proper control.

Note: Children born in the two decades since the plague average a GURPS IQ of 15. However, about ten percent of all children show strong sociopathic tendencies.

Can society hold together?
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Old 08-05-2018, 12:25 PM   #423
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Try this, a narcissistic billionaire, who made his money in biotech, has created a Proteus virus. Basically, this way overconfident genius thinks he has created a tool to add the equivalent of fifty IQ points (GURPS-speak +5 IQ) to everyone. In 2030 he releases the virus into a dozen busy airports worldwide.

Forty percent of the population died within six months. Of the remaining, six out of ten, five went insane. Most of these victims are like most mental patients harmless and more likely to be harmed than hurt. There is a small, less than one percent, pool of dangerous crazies. Given the social chaos, it's hard to keep these people under proper control.

Note: Children born in the two decades since the plague average a GURPS IQ of 15. However, about ten percent of all children show strong sociopathic tendencies.

Can society hold together?
An interesting variation would be one where the virus failed in 99% of those it infected and succeeded by 1% of those infection. It would represent a tenfold increase in the number of people with genius intellect and a 150% percent increase in geniuses who are sociopathic.
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Old 08-06-2018, 05:35 AM   #424
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You're also dealing with a major societal collapse in either case, with major chunks of the population suddenly dead. People's need are going to be fairly fundamental for a while before they can get around to using those extra IQ points - the needs of the stomach overrides the needs of the brain, you know.
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Old 08-06-2018, 07:29 AM   #425
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A change in IQ for 1% of the population will probably not cause society to collapse, though it may result in some very large changes. An average woman who jumps from IQ 10 to IQ 15 will suddenly find the world opened up for her, though she will find that her friends and family no longer understand her, so she will feel alienated. She will also understand the problems of society more than she once did, so she will feel depressed and frustrated. Since the intensities of these sensations will be new to her, she may become suicidal or violent, or she may run off to be with other intelligent people.
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Old 08-06-2018, 11:24 AM   #426
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Willpower and Perception of 15 would allow said woman to quickly understand herself introspectively and power through whatever personal growth techniques are optimal.
IQ 15 is superhuman and would lead to creepy alien societies scaring the bejesus out of normies. And fear leads to violence in us humans.
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Old 08-06-2018, 11:37 AM   #427
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According to RAW, IQ 15 is well within human capabilities, and you can have up to IQ 20 without being superhuman. I think that, as a GM, a good fraction of my NPCs and PCs have been IQ 15+, and they have never done anything that I consider superhuman.
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Old 08-06-2018, 12:29 PM   #428
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Willpower and Perception of 15 would allow said woman to quickly understand herself introspectively and power through whatever personal growth techniques are optimal.
IQ 15 is superhuman and would lead to creepy alien societies scaring the bejesus out of normies. And fear leads to violence in us humans.
An IQ of 15 is considered Einstein or Newton or (arguably) Stephen Hawking or Leonardo Da Vinci. They rank as some of the best and brightest human minds, but hardly "inhuman."

A sudden increase in the number of those people available would have significant impact on the world, but it would manifest in the medium and long term. Some of them will never get the education they need, others would lack motivation, and even those with both might spend a lifetime working on their contributions.
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Old 08-06-2018, 07:19 PM   #429
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IQ 15 characters are professionals in virtually every single mental skill with no training working off defaults alone. No real world human is like that.
But that's only IQ! 15.
Willpower and Perception 15 is near Terminator determination and Sherlock Homes acuity.
All together makes for a superhuman.
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Old 08-06-2018, 08:51 PM   #430
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IQ 15 characters are professionals in virtually every single mental skill with no training working off defaults alone.
Electrician-10? Economics-9? Hardly professional.
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