character creator, shove a RobCo Reflectron in the newborns face so they can generate their preferred potato look

yes, for sure. I think we all do.

I think it requires a reframing of the mind. The ‘smart-dumb’ scale is an oversimplification of human intellect. It was never entirely accurate. Ignoring intellectual disabilities, every human is equally as capable as being as smart as any other human. We’re the same kind of animal.

The true factor in intellect is your curiosity. Some people are naturally curious of different subjects and will learn more about those subjects. Some people are incurious about most subjects and won’t learn much at all. Most of the traditionally ‘smart’ people you think of were just sufficiently curious in whatever field they’re qualified in. None of the traditionally ‘smart’ people you think of were born smart.

Foster your curiosity. If you know what excites you, you’re already half way to intelligence.

I don’t think it’s going to happen over any single event. I think Federated platforms will remain small scale but very active, and that’s all they have to do as mainstream social medias spring up, monetize, and collapse, over and over and over again.

Then one day in the future, the latest generation of cool kids will just realize that it’s way cooler to be on the Federated platforms than it is to be on the mainstream sites.