Time Release

I believe the most rewarding type of comedy is when the humor gradually unfolds. Sure, Three Stooges head-bonking has a certain charm, but you don't really analyze it and share its nuances with friends. Moe simply brings the heads of Larry and Curly forcefully together, and they react as you would expect. Contrast that to Monty Python's brilliant "Lumberjack" skit, in which the singing lumberjack turns from a masculine tree-cutting dynamo to a cross dresser. We are surprised by the end result, despite the lumberjack giving us clues throughout. Does he not confess to going shopping, having buttered scones for tea, and even pressing wild flowers? The slow buildup keeps us enthralled.

I bring up "time release" comedy because it mirrors our understanding of life on earth and the cosmos around us. The first humans did not understand that gravity held their feet to the ground and also caused our planet to orbit the sun. Gradually, we became inquisitive and built ever more powerful devices to study the forces of nature. I have no problem with the slow buildup of knowledge. But why did it take until just a few years ago for text messaging to emerge? Pheidippides wouldn't have had to run from Marathon all the way to Athens to communicate a battlefield victory. If you recall, he dropped dead just after delivering the news. Ouch!

That's just one example. Perhaps a silly one, but in the new world you're designing, what the heck? Roll the dice and see if an accelerated understanding of our world and development of useful gadgets is a good thing. If the answer is Yes, then "time release" comedy probably wouldn't be as funny. Humorous head-bonking will seem like an art.