01-23-2018, 05:19 PM | #391 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
I think that is more an artifact of culture rather than an artifact of biology. Elephants are very expensive to keep and, until the 1900s, there were always a lot of wild elephants that could be captured and trained (though in a rather cruel fashion). With the reduced numbers of wild elephants though, it might be worthwhile to domesticate the survivors (though they might end up domestication us instead because elephants are very, very intelligent).
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01-23-2018, 05:22 PM | #392 |
President and EIC
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
Here's another thing to bring back from some parallel somewhere:
A new office supply. Some tiny useful item we never thought of. |
01-23-2018, 08:05 PM | #393 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
That's a good one. I remember a story where someone got displaced between worlds. He ended up rich by introducing the paperclip and stapler.
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01-23-2018, 08:05 PM | #394 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
Now I'm imagining some cross-time inventor failing at every get quick scheme except the "modern" paperclip design.
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Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
01-24-2018, 04:32 AM | #395 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
Larry Niven, "On a Foggy Night."
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The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques. |
01-24-2018, 05:41 AM | #396 |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
It's the simple little inventions that are the hardest to think up and the most profitable in this setting. Mainly because of the ease of introducing the invention to the marketplace.
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Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo |
01-24-2018, 11:31 AM | #397 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
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01-24-2018, 03:30 PM | #398 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
IIRC the adhesive for Post-It notes was an accident, it just didn't dry as expected. One of the 3M R&D people came up with the idea afterwards and couldn't get approval. So he made a batch and gave them to the executive secretaries. When they ran out and asked for more he told them that management had said that the postits were not worth making. A short secretarial revolt later they changed their mind.
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01-24-2018, 03:42 PM | #399 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
Ninja-ed by what must have been literally seconds as both our time stamps are the same.
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Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
01-25-2018, 01:00 AM | #400 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
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Re: [IW] Ordinary Worlds with valuables!
Not sure what distinction you're making, but domesticated elephants are pretty common in Thailand, for example.
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