Complex Numbers

Hypothetical

I don't know anything about this source, except that I religiously ignored its print version like I do every other magazine at the checkout counter. Or did back before I was too lazy to even shop for my own groceries. And the menu headers don't give me a lot of confidence: "Breast Cancer Starter Kit." That's... ambiguous, at best, and maybe a little horrific.

Anyway, the article.

170 Hypothetical Questions That'll Give Your Brain a Workout  

I'd view the "workout" bit with skepticism, but whatever. I'm more interested in the questions. Obviously, I'm not going to paste them here. Hell, I can't be arsed to read all 170.

But of course I have comments on parts of it. Starting with the lede.

The art of conversation is changing.

Always does.

Sometimes we are so connected to our screens that we forget to “connect” with those around us.

Hey. Guess what. The people on the other end of that screen? They're people. Just like the ones around you, only better because you've selected them. Sure, you may be using the screen in solitude to play Wordle or check your stock portfolio with existential despair -- which is your prerogative -- but a lot of people use *shudder* social media, or text. They're talking to other people. They're connecting. There's nothing magical or preferred about in-person communication. In fact, people tend to sweat and fart, which you can't generally smell over the internet.

Fuck right off with your technophobic bullshit.

Once in a while, it’s nice to sit down, relax, and just talk.

Even nicer with alcohol.

But, chatting can quickly get boring when you stick to small talk.

Which is why I usually jump right in to math or science. This has the bonus effect of making most people go away.

After all, there is only so much to say about the weather.

The weather is not a safe topic of conversation. Pretty soon, someone mentions climate change, and then there's inevitably an argument.

Luckily, posing a couple of hypothetical questions can quickly turn a dull chat into an invigorating conversation.

Isn't that what Cards Against Humanity is for?

Try out these hypotheticals the next time you want to have a real conversation.

It occurs to me that Lilith of House Martell could mine this for her QOTD forum. That way, we can discuss them online, as Nature intended, rather than face-to-face.

The article, of course, goes on to list the actual questions. Some of them are silly, as expected. Others might actually have some value. A few aren't all that hypothetical.

The irony here, if you can call it that, is that if I were to use the list as intended -- in person, in meatspace, talking with another moving sack of mostly water -- there's no way I'd remember any of these questions. Nope, I'd whip out my communicator, find the website, and scroll down to the questions, thus negating the dubious benefits of being in meatspace in the first place.

But that's okay. It's not going to happen. I'm just leaving this list here for you to look at if you're interested. And if you want to address any of these questions in the comments here, go for it. I shot my wad complaining about the article's intro.