dfranke comments on Open Thread: January 2010 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 01 January 2010 05:02PM

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Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 01 January 2010 05:13:19PM 6 points [-]

Suppose you could find out the exact outcome (up to the point of reading the alternate history equivalent of Wikipedia, history books etc.) of changing the outcome of a single historical event. What would that event be?

Note that major developments like "the Roman empire would never have fallen" or "the Chinese wouldn't have turned inwards" involve multiple events, not just one.

Comment author: dfranke 01 January 2010 05:47:54PM 4 points [-]

I'd like to know what would have happened if movable type had been invented in the 3rd century AD.

Comment author: Nick_Novitski 04 January 2010 06:09:54PM 2 points [-]

For starters, the Council of Nicea would flounder helplessly as every sect with access to a printing press floods the market with their particular version of christianity.