This never occurred to me until today, but can you solve the 'three wishes from a mischievous but rule abiding genie' problem just by spending your first wish on asking for a perspicuous explanation of what you should wish for? What could go wrong?
I think the problem is, 'Mischievous but rule abiding' doesn't sufficiently help limit the genies activities to sane ones.
For instance, the genie pulls out a pen made entirely out of antimatter to begin writing down a perspicuous explanation, and the antimatter pen promptly reacts with the matter in the air, killing you and anyone in the area.
When the next person comes into the wasteland after it has stopped exploding and says "That's not mischievous, that's clearly malicious!" The genie points out that he can just make them all come back if some...
Previous Open Thread
You know the drill - If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Notes for future OT posters:
1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.
2. Check if there is an active Open Thread before posting a new one.
3. Open Threads should start on Monday, and end on Sunday.
4. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.