The rule could be anything, as funny or as serious as you want. The universe will progress in a similar way that it has up until this point, unless your changed rule prevented it from doing so.

Some examples might be:

  • The invention of currency is not allowed.
  • Iron is slightly less stable.
  • The Ancient Greeks are able to cultivate Silphium, which does not go extinct now.
  • Kairos
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    164 months ago

    Humans do generally have proper functioning empathy

    • @[email protected]
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      54 months ago

      a moral impetus, informed directly by empathy, that is so overwhelming that the feelings of others are tantamount to one’s own

      I’m guessing this is their meaning. Sounds interesting. Maybe that version of humanity would have far fewer nukes and a lot more good sex.

    • @leftzero
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      44 months ago

      CEOs and similar psychopaths don’t, though.

      (Though those already tend to have the intelligence of a particularly stupid dog anyway, so I don’t really see how this would change anything.)

      • Kairos
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        14 months ago

        The problem is that basic empathy only goes so far. But we [almost] all have it.