Psychohistory experiments

[Ulsyus]

I was grasping for a justification for a research project, ostensibly about psychohistory, but really only using that as a cover for another type of experiment. Genetic manipulation of social or trade groups, seeding technological innovation in some areas while introducing infections in another, that sort of thing. Something that would be unacceptable but difficult to detect on an interdicted world that was corralled off as being used for psychohistorical studies.

 

[rancke]

I was grasping for a justification for a research project, ostensibly about psychohistory, but really only using that as a cover for another type of experiment. Genetic manipulation of social or trade groups, seeding technological innovation in some areas while introducing infections in another, that sort of thing. Something that would be unacceptable but difficult to detect on an interdicted world that was corralled off as being used for psychohistorical studies.

What would you consider unacceptable other than psionics experiments after 800?

As I said in an early post, it doesn't have to be just psychohistory experiments. Anything that you can use a planetful of hapless experimental subjects to experiment on. Biggest constraint is not to mess up other research projects. Just so long as the Committee approves of it. Technological innovations would be up against the desire to keep the overall tech level frozen at TL3, so there'd have to be safeguards.

The main constraint is not to affect other experiments. But in any case, the PCs wouldn't be able to find that sort of documentation (and wouldn't be able to read them, although an expert on the ancient language might).


Hans

 

[Ulsyus]

Unacceptable can be anything outlawed by the 3I, or considered so heinous it won't stand for it on worlds within its jurisdiction.

The Imperium doesn't permit slavery between worlds does it? Would it permit genetic manipulation of an unsuspecting population? The introduction of diseases in order to test the spread of cures that don't rely on overt inoculation?

What are the things that are so grave the 3I won't stand for them on worlds within it?

 

[Lycanorukke]

What are the things that are so grave the 3I won't stand for them on worlds within it?

Interfeering with the flow of money.

Which gives another research angle - try differing economic experiments on the population, working out what actions have what effects as opposed to educated (or not) guesses. And once you have that worked out - step up to a small cluster of worlds and then up to a main and then...