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Printing press/moveable typeUniverse A: NothingUniverse B: A pocket-size clockwork device that prints as it travels over the paper like a wind-up carUniverse C: NothingUniverse D: Some kind of plantUniverse E: Something clearly taken from a museum. Very dusty and unused, tags indicating the names of various parts.
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An encyclopedia. Universe A: A square tablet. The electronics inside are deadUniverse B: A thin bit of wire that might be some kind of medical device.Universe C: NothingUniverse D: A plantUniverse E: Pills
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Book about world culturesUniverse A: A square tablet the electronics inside are dead.Universe B: A book of artistic motifs.Universe C: NothingUniverse D: Several seeds of various sizesUniverse E: A ring with a handle, electronics disabled.
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record playerUniverse A: NothingUniverse B: A museum piece. Not that different from what we use on earth.Universe C: Several wax cubes.Universe D: A plantUniverse E: Nothing.
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grave marker Universe A: An abstract metal sculpture with 300 tiny dots on the surface. Universe B: A black brick with a simple inscription. Universe C: An urn. Universe D: A black plant Universe E: nothing
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A shirt Universe A: A very stretchy sheer rubbery tee-shirt Universe B: A white button down shirt with lace collar. Universe C: A long piece of cloth with several mysterious holes Universe D: A long-sleeved shirt with vents for breathability. It can be sealed at the wrists by depressing nodules, causing the fabric to tighten as if alive. Universe E: It's an animal, alive, cuddly, cat-like, it won't let you take it off. (or you don't know how)
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A religious icon Universe A: A necklace with a little magnifying glass with a red dot in the center of the glass Universe B: A plastic action figure Universe C: A folded bit of paper like a paper snowflake. When you unfold it, it sets itself on fire and disappears. Universe D: A glass cup of rich dark soil Universe E: A small leather pouch that contains beads made of various compressed materials of different colors.
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great artUniverse A: A silver tablet, when you look at the surface at different angles different patterns appear. Universe B: A clockwork locket that contains a little bird that sings various tunes. Universe C: Several wax cubes Universe D: A flower that looks like an ocean wave at sunset Universe E: Pills
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footwear worn by someone who's among the 10% poorest on the planet Universe A: A spray can of some kind of polymer. Universe B: High laced black leather boots Universe C: Plastic shoes, but very breathable Universe D: Nothing Universe E: Pills
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ledger from largest stock exchange Universe A: Nothing Universe B: A hard drive... but not compatible with anything you have.Universe C: Nothing Universe D: Nothing Universe E: What is clearly the work of children in colorful chalks and paints filling most of large art pad.
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Most widely-used instrument in popular music Universe A: A square electronic device like a tablet computer, deactivated Universe B: A small wooden box that contains something like a typewriter with ivory keys, but it sounds like a harpsichord. Universe C: thing like a dental retainer -- alters the singing voice in a wide variety of ways. Universe D: A bundle of seed pods that produce shockingly loud percussive sounds when manipulated. Universe E: A bird like a turkey that borps and warbles when conducted or sung to.
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Currency, or the most common item used to barter Universe A: Rainbow plastic cubes that can be stacked inside of each other with holograms on them. Universe B: Written in long hand a string of incomprehensible numbers and letters on a scrap of parchment followed by several hasty calculations. Universe C: The same self burning snowflake from their religion Universe D: Small bags of seeds. Universe E: A list of instructions to get to a particular location and means to get past a particular combination lock.
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A Toothbrush Universe A: NothingUniverse B: A wind-up flossing harp.Universe C: Perfectly normal electric toothbrush.Universe D: A bag of leavesUniverse E: A little spray bottle of a substance that keeps changing color and moves on its own.
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A tool box with contents Universe A: A jumble of gadgets, some recognizable (rubber mallet, crow bar) others not so much. (is a drill or an engraving machine?) They are in a big bucket.Universe B: A quaint set of c. 1900s tools, but there is also a laser level.Universe C: A set of various tubs of putties and pastes. Plastic spreaders of various shapes.Universe D: It looks like gardening suppliesUniverse E: A metal cube that has arms that can unfold, but since it isn't working it's mysterious.
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The most effective treatment currently used for gender transition Universe A: a spidery thin lace thing that seems medicalUniverse B: NothingUniverse C: Looks like an injection?Universe D: ... it's a plant.Universe E: Pills
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A dessert, here defined as a non-psychoactive food that is consumed entirely for pleasure rather than nourishment. Universe A: A clear jello that is not very sweet, but pleasant enough.Universe B: A plate of cream puffsUniverse C: A glass of whole milkUniverse D: A remarkable sweet creamy fruit.Universe E: It looks like sheets of paper but tastes like cheesecake.
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A wheelchair Universe A: A motorized chair that manages to not be bulky. Can also be used manually. Very adjustable.Universe B: A very dated chair, with rich leather trim, but it has a built in screen of some kind.Universe C: It looks like leg braces?Universe D: A chair that can adjust from a laying down position to standing. Unclear if it is powered or not.Universe E: Crutches, that are self- balancing like pogo sticks. Allowing one to bounce on one's arms.
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a war weapon Universe A: A square electronic tablet, the electronics are off.Universe B: A small gun that uses steam to fire vicious little black marbles.Universe C: A bottle of a dark liquidUniverse D: A pound of saltUniverse E: A collar that once locked on a person makes horrible noise and flashing lights non-stop.The salt is for the people with all the plant tech. The main thing they get angry about are people making plants that cause problems for the ecosystem or other's gardens. Salt is to kill their plants. An extreme measure and one of maximal anger for such a people.
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Breakfast sandwich Universe A: In a white paper bag you find a square of chewy kale-like leaves, with figs and something savory. It's good, but also "healthy tasting"Universe B: Ham and a sunny-side up trio of eggs each with a different colored yolk. On a plate.Universe C: A protein bar like snack in a foil wrapperUniverse D: A fruit like a very large fig pressed and dried and wrapped in soft translucent leaves. Fruity, nutty and good.Universe E: It pulses and glows, it crawls down your throat.
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weapon, the most popular one used by the average citizen Universe A: A tablet computer deactivated. Universe B: A cane with and electric prod on the end. Universe C: A bag of silver stickers that are hard to remove Universe D: Plant shears Universe E: A tub of very very sticky glue.
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means of communicating over a distance Universe A: A square tablet type computer (not active) Universe B: A hand held device where you write on a surface with a real pen then scroll the paper up to "send" unclear how it all works. Universe C: A small earbud Universe D: A sticky web of mycelium. Universe E: Gloves that detect hand motions and that light up.
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Chocolate Universe A: Chocolate comes in very very small squares with many stamps and documentations. Universe B: Big fat Wonka bar of a chocolate. The wrapper features an engraving of the plantation. Universe C: A cup of hot coco Universe D: A selection of plants that are typical food items with chocolate flavors Universe E: A chocolate experience inhaler
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most popular tool with teachers to teach mathematics Universe A: A pair of glasses and a pen that seem to be electronic Universe B: A thick book of problem sets with little tabs that can be pulled to make the paper show the answers. Universe C: A bowl of sand. Universe D: A kind of clay putty and a set of colored marbles. Universe E: It really seems like a toy, a kind of 3D puzzle that lights up as you manipulate the pieces.
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A breadbox Universe A: Until it stops working due to being transferred from the home universe you are able to remove several loaves of bread a new one showing up each time you close it. Universe B: A copper box with a wind up timer on it. Universe C: Nothing Universe D: A plant that grows bread-like fruits. Universe E: A box made out of bread.
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gay artUniverse A: A huge painting done in something like oil paint and spray paint: a person drawn to be recognizable stands in a sea men and women in uniforms holding up a torn shirt similar to the uniforms. Two of the women in the crowd are locking eyes. There is a little inscription on a brass panel with a date.Universe B: A painting of a very well-dressed man with a flower in his top hat.Universe C: A sketch showing all kinds of couples gathered for a ceremony in place that looks like a public forum.Universe D: A plant with flowers, each flower has a unique number of petals. Universe E: A very ordinary landscape.
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a spoonUniverse A: a deep ladle of a frosted green metal, cork handle.Universe B: A tactical self-cleaning retractable spoon with art deco detailing.Universe C: a wooden spoon with a single initial on the handleUniverse D: a mass produced spoon of plant fiber it says “flavored to go best with savory dishes” a series of dots indicating how many uses remainUniverse E: little pump: place the tube in your mouth and it pumps soft or liquid foods up for you to eat.
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An electric toe cleanerUniverse A: NothingUniverse B: NothingUniverse C: NothingUniverse D: NothingUniverse E: Nothing
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A patentUniverse A: An award certificate for designing a airflow system.Universe B: a long document with wax seals about some obscure financial strategy the names of investors and institutions are listed next to percentages and terms that range from 10 to 200 years.Universe C: NothingUniverse D: NothingUniverse E: A document transferring a “vibe” from one party to another— unclear if it is serious.
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the most powerful weaponUniverse A: A laser cannon. It can melt holes in metal from half a mile away.Universe B: You receive a vial, probably a bio weapon.Universe C: A large, conventional bomb that could floor a large building.Universe D: SaltUniverse E: A steel box with a red button. You don’t dare push it.There are more destructive devices in some of these universes but these are the most powerful things ever used like weapons.
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The object most associated with everyday transportationUniverse A: A plastic pass with a hologramUniverse B: A hand written permission note to acquire six additional rocket fuel cellsUniverse C: A walking stickUniverse D: A list of plant species names with arrows connecting some of themUniverse E: human sized slingshot.
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the most influential piece of literatureUniverse A: The Lost Soul: explorations on loneliness in the Age of ConnectivityUniverse B: We Made It All: A guide to organizing strikesUniverse C: Don’t Just Be Good, Do Good: Accountability For EveryoneUniverses D: As Nature Intended: the evils of genetic engineering and the feels of the plantsUniverse E: An End to Chaos: making meaning in a world without order.Due to transportation limitations you only get the titles of the works in question.
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Universe A: Universe B:Universe C:Universe D:Universe E:
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• Advanced and ubiquitous electronic tech• Had tech roughly comparable to our current tech• Has moralistic literature but no compilations of knowledge, and perhaps no teaching materials. Why? Deliberate suppression of information?• Never developed extensive manufactured tech, instead developed biotech• Extremely advanced tech, to the point that most objects and experiences are synthetic
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• Fabricated goods are common and easy to obtain but monotonous• Appears to have suffered societal collapse with loss of manufacturing capability, infrastructure, and knowledge. Was this deliberately engineered?• Metals seem to be scarce• Likely applied selective breeding or genetic engineering to plants• Extensive bioengineering (but they don't fix inability to walk?)About a high tech civilization “not fixing the inability to walk” when thinking about mobility devices, short of a world with instant healing they are still needed. Even if having your leg cut off is a “grow it back” kind of thing that still takes time. So while I considered having a world with no mobility devices, thinking on it, I decided that only a really barbaric place that kept all sick people hidden would do that.
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• Natural products are rare and tightly regulated (suggests severe ecosystem degradation or off-planet habitation)• Collapse was recent enough that some of the old tech still works• Tech based mostly on polymers• Appears to value biosphere highly• Either do not experience death as we know it, or simply regard the body as biomaterials for reuse
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• Creative arts stilted and formal• Can still raise livestock and make luxury goods, suggesting a mostly intact ecosystem and prosperity for at least part of the population• Luxury foods are what we think of as everyday food, suggesting overall scarcity• Plants used to store and transmit knowledge• Apparently do still raise children
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• Resources and social norms possibly very closely managed by central authority• Production by indentured servitude or slavery likely
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• Either worship objects from the before times, or (more likely) preach that tech = sin
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