65
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
In the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) a system very similar to Big Brother was in place, though not relying on technology, but using human informants only.
It was set up by the Stasi:
Full-...
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60
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
Because Apple's marketing department says you want them and (by pure coincidence) so do all the ads and influencers on the internet.
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41
votes
Accepted
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
If you forego the 'telescreens' I'd say it was feasible at the end of the industrial revolution.
Take the former GDR (German Democratic Republic) as an example and adjust some historical facts to an ...
- 15.8k
30
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
It is a heads-up display for augmented reality
That is, it shows real-time data overlaid over the real-world objects you can see through the screen.
While this is of limited usefulness for a fixed ...
- 1,437
24
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
I gather that present-day LCD monitors are already naturally transparent; we choose to put opaque backings on them because we generally don't want light from behind to interfere with the image. So the ...
22
votes
The Walls of Heaven
The very existence of Heaven is a miracle, so what's one more miracle?
Each division or province of Heaven is infinite in extent. No matter how far you walk (or fly), or how fast, you can never reach ...
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14
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
A small enough community can achieve this level of surveillance with simple observation
You need...
An insecure leader willing to dominate the tribe with violence.
Sycophantic members of the tribe ...
- 132k
13
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
As a practical reasons:
1: If we assume you are on some form of Vessel or ship - then all the information on the tablet is already authorized to be viewed by anyone on the vessel.
If you consider an ...
- 35k
13
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
Holograms
It just looks like a transparent screen, but in reality it's a 2D hologram. Meaning that there is no actual matter at the location of the display.
Society has gotten used to holograms. As ...
- 4,572
12
votes
The Walls of Heaven
Each province of Heaven is raised on a huge plateau of continental proportions many tens of thousands of feet high with vertical cliffs falling into surrounding waters of the firmament. The atmosphere ...
- 38.4k
11
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
First, the technical reason: the glass tablets are just a monomolecular glass slab with a tiny, tiny circuit embedded into it. They are next to indestructible in normal circumstances, do not scratch, ...
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10
votes
The Walls of Heaven
This answer was written before Chasly added the clarification that everything we see outside our solar system is fake. From that moment, my answer became a frame challenge in that it is not necessary ...
- 132k
9
votes
The Walls of Heaven
The border between each heaven is a huge abyss. You can't see another heaven from the edge even if you climb a high place.
That abyss stretching between all heavens like border lines is incidentally ...
- 142k
9
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
I personally think you could pull this off even as early as the Bronze age if you are dedicated enough to it. Granted it will make the whole process less centralized and efficient, but you didn't make ...
- 2,703
9
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
Because the devices are multi-functional. A tablet is just one of their functions, being two sides is useful for their other modes.
For example, you can place them on a desk stand and use them as a ...
- 1,850
8
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
It depends I guess.
If the telescreens are a mandatory attribute, this would put the earliest possible time somewhere in the beginning of the 20th century, when television and a lot of other needed ...
- 1,975
8
votes
The Walls of Heaven
There are walls. Big hulking solid mason walls. On top of these walls are angelic guards. (The walls are wide enough that a different set of guards are visible from each side)
The faithful are told ...
- 12.3k
8
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
Do we really need to pay to add expensive backing to all these high-powered devices? Nobody wants it anyway.
Maybe the screen is like a one-way mirror so that it's mostly reflective or at least not ...
- 6,982
8
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysophobia
We already today have a fear of germs and dirt and this can only accelerate in a utopian society to the point of hysteria were touching a unsanitary device ...
- 5,702
7
votes
The Walls of Heaven
There are no walls because none are needed. Heaven is pretty big and it is practically empty, so the odds of a wanderer from one belief's village encountering those of any other village are ...
- 69.3k
7
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
You don't have privacy in real life, only the illusion of it. Anyone can already see whatever porn you are browsing in your smartphone. They can peek over your shoulder, spy you with high up cameras ...
- 142k
6
votes
Secure communications for the modern terrorist
Detective workaround.
I like "To my mind, if the mercenaries are using burner phones, and fake online accounts, communicating over Skype or similar online chat, there would be no possibility of ...
- 306k
6
votes
How to avoid lie detectors when they are prevalent?
How do the Amish avoid using electricity?
Schools use lie detectors. So do the police and employers. The obvious solution is to not use schools, police, or employers. Only work for each other, never ...
- 85.8k
5
votes
The Walls of Heaven
The strongest barriers are in the mind
Here is the deal the gods struck with each other. They must all be into this together for it to work of course.
Each religious group member receives on arrival ...
- 3,989
5
votes
How to avoid lie detectors when they are prevalent?
Invent a medical condition and bribe a few doctors/professors.
The easiest way I can think of to avoid this is to provide a reasonable explanation to anyone who might use the lie detector why it can’...
- 66.5k
5
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
The purpose of surveillance is control of population/society....
The "Big Brother" has been around for all of human history.
Tree/Cave/Tribal chiefs/shamans provided a social/dogma code to control/...
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5
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
I'm going to say 1086. That's when William the Conqueror compiled the Domesday Book listing every piece of land and every land-owning family in the whole of England. Rebel against him, and he knew who ...
- 21.3k
5
votes
Why does my futuristic society want transparent iPads and computer monitors?
"Safety" everyone is glued to their devices, they never stop using them. This results in large number of accidents with people walking front of moving things, colliding to other people, ...
- 833
4
votes
What is the earliest point in history that Big Brother could exist?
Surveillance is possible but not all that feasible with the advent of audio transmission. Controlling and monitoring someone's every move let alone a whole nation or even city would be a herculean ...
- 41
4
votes
Secure communications for the modern terrorist
Consider Metadata vs. Encryption vs. Content
What makes communications unique? Once upon a time, with landlines and wiretaps, a cop or a counterintelligence agency would target a telephone extension, ...
- 120k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible