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Let me introduce myself. I have a twin. We are around our 30's. Even though we are pretty similar (and it's rather obvious we are twins) we are easily distinguishable if you pay enough attention.

The interesting part is that we have telepathy between each other.

This telepathy works as follows:

  • We can turn it off/on whenever one of the two wants.
  • When turned on we share all thoughts and sensorial input.
  • Our brain got used to work with this shared information, so we don't usually get confused due to that.
  • It's a bit like having two screens in front of myself: One's what I see, the other what my twin sees; I can easily focus on my screen, change focus, or try to pay some attention to both.

  • Same's true for the rest of the senses.

  • About thoughts, it needs to be more conscious, and basically, we can hear each other with our inner voice.

  • Our telepathy travels near the speed of light, so it's effectively instantaneous (at least on earth).

Taking that into account, now I wonder: How could we exploit our telepathy?

We are not concerned with moral values but are worried about the risk of getting caught doing something illegal. Our main target would be to get money and power.

Edit a bit of context:

We live in nowadays World. In any suitable country for your answer. We are average, in education, economically, socially, etc (according to the country you choose).

Masclins
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    Host who wants to be a millionaire but not too often! – user6760 Sep 02 '16 at 07:11
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    Question: does your telepathy lag due to distance between you and your twin (any distance from "out of town" to "another planet/solar system/part of galaxy")? – Mr Scapegrace Sep 02 '16 at 08:44
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    Back in the 60's it would have been pretty straight forward : one USA president + the other president of USSR = rule the world – EngelOfChipolata Sep 02 '16 at 10:59
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    Win all the prices set out for people who can reliably prove that they possess paranormal powers. – Annonymus Sep 02 '16 at 11:07
  • And the starting conditions are? – enkryptor Sep 02 '16 at 11:12
  • What world is it? Is it medieval setting? Or the modern one? – enkryptor Sep 02 '16 at 11:50
  • Questions answered – Masclins Sep 02 '16 at 12:26
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    I think this is pure idea-generation, without a clear enough problem/solution. The focus is vaguely on money/power - but remember the Stack Exchange aims for a single best answer. So what would constitute the best answer? Making the most money in a week? Becoming President? - I think it is too broad.... – Falco Sep 02 '16 at 14:33
  • @Annonymus those prizes are usually lower than what a person could make creatively applying serious (like OP's) paranormal powers while keeping low profile. – Daerdemandt Sep 02 '16 at 16:24
  • Your question reminds me of a Heinlein story I read many years ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_for_the_Stars –  Sep 02 '16 at 19:16
  • It's simpler to say it travels at the speed of light, minus x nanoseconds. (You know, just in case space travel / really long distances / relativistic effects occur.) – wizzwizz4 Sep 03 '16 at 13:31

7 Answers7

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So the ability you two have got is communication without any physical/known channel. Making money with this ability is relatively easy, however gaining power is quite a different (and complex) thing.

Here are some of the methods you can use to win a lot of money in little time.

1- Chess

Yes, chess. Both of you guys learn some chess (beginner level is enough). Let all the people know you are interested in chess. Now just about a month after you guys have started chess, one of you goes on to start challenging chess players in order of increasing expertise. First, a local club player, then a senior club player, to candidate master to master to international master and finally a grandmaster!

The twin who is playing chess would be helped by the other twin, who would use a top chess software to help his sibling with advice on what to play. Considering that some chess programs are even higher rated than grandmasters, he would go on winning match after match.

For the final match (a challenge to a grandmaster) you would want to invest a lot of money on a bet that you would win. The stakes would be really high for the grandmaster so you would likely get a 1-20 or even higher bet rates. Invest all your property in the bet. Get bank loan, lend from loan sharks ... anywhere you can get a scrap of cash.

Win this match and you would land around 50 million dollars or so, with all the bets and rewards from chess organizations for being a chess prodigy and whatnot.

2- Magic Performer Shows

This goes like this. You guys change your appearances. One of you goes on to become a stage magician. The trick he is going to be famous for, is that he can tell what is being done on the stage, even when he is blindfolded completely, with earmuffs and facing away from the stage.

You get any random people from the audience to come and do something on the stage. You get the information about their actions through telepathy and while blindfolded, talk loudly about what is going on at the stage.

You would quickly become more famous and successful than David Copperfield, rolling in cash.

3- Clairvoyant

This should be simple enough. You set up a small group of followers by telling them about news of the world (which are conveyed to you by your twin) and this group grows as you are seemingly aware of the occurrings in the world without any communication links. You get to be a renowned clairvoyant, start advising people on complex matters of life and whatnot and get to become a highly paid ghost communicator and all.

Community
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Youstay Igo
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    I am not sure you would get a guaranteed win with a chess engine versus a grandmaster so getting money from loan sharks might not be the best idea. – Pimgd Sep 02 '16 at 14:05
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    Sure, only very recent software can beat chess masters, however nothing prevent 1 of the twins to play against another grandmaster instead of AI – CoffeDeveloper Sep 02 '16 at 15:09
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    With current tech, magick performer one is not that hard though, and neither is clairvoyance one. – Daerdemandt Sep 02 '16 at 16:30
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    @Pimgd I'm finding discussions back in 2010 where chess hobbyists say that the computers are so favored in competitions with grand masters that nobody even bets any longer. – Ranger Sep 02 '16 at 16:32
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    The chess idea wouldn't work, at least not like you think it would. Computers and humans play very differently. The way they catch most cheaters in high level tournaments is simply noticing that, hey, that player's moves are more like a computer than a human! And then examining video or other evidence to figure out how the player cheated. – Philip Sep 02 '16 at 18:45
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    @Philip except if the telepathy isn't interceptable by technological means, they have no evidence (video or otherwise) that he is cheating... just that he plays a lot like a computer, even though he's sitting right there, with no electronic devices on his person, no spectators making hidden signals, etc. – Doktor J Sep 02 '16 at 18:54
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    Now this would be a really strange dude! As in ... he defeated the world champion in chess (his twin was using Stockfish far away and sending him the moves) but he can't even explain the logic and purpose of any of his moves!! Sounds like a cheat to me! :@ Oh but how are we going to prove he's a cheat? o.O – Youstay Igo Sep 02 '16 at 19:20
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    Right, hence the "at least the way you think it would." It would be quite mysterious, but evident that a computer chess program was involved somehow. – Philip Sep 02 '16 at 19:30
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    @Philip: The world works on solid, well defined principles. Even if all the world thinks a computer was involved somehow and yet he plays the same way in a place full of signal jammers and trackers and nobody is able to prove it ... well ... I guess it makes him all the more famous and rich!! – Youstay Igo Sep 02 '16 at 19:46
  • I am a chess enthusiast and can attest to the fact that even a mediocre computer can beat a grandmaster hands down every time. The main problem would be if the other twin were to be asleep or incapacitated or "off-line" at a crucial moment. Yes, you could cover up by feigning a sudden attack of illness, but the lack of chess talk and chess knowledge would be extremely weird and suspicious behavior. – Daniel Sep 02 '16 at 22:13
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    One could play autistic chess player. One who learned by playing with computer. That would explain all that "like a computer" or "lack of chess talk", and would allow unexplained "won't play" when twin is off. Best of it? "Political correctness" would (hopefully) stop others from complaining and testing him too much. – Mołot Sep 03 '16 at 14:04
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    @DoktorJ Maybe there's no concrete evidence of cheating, but almost no grandmaster would agree to play against someone whose history screams of cheating, or at least no betting company would have such a player on their list. For example, many grandmasters refused to play in tournaments where Borislav Ivanov was playing, and his surprising rise in skill was nothing compared to what's suggested in this answer. – JiK Sep 03 '16 at 15:45
  • @JiK so you play it up slow, intentionally throw a few matches (twin runs computer on easy difficulty, so play style feels the same, but with occasional mistakes), and slowly work your way up the rankings, instead of just beating everyone 100% of the time. – Doktor J Sep 03 '16 at 18:55
  • With current processing powers in micro-controllers, there is no need for signals or anyone helping the player. A small chip could be implanted under your skin like a tatoo, sending small electric shocks as signals and being controlled by muscle contractions. And there are a myriard other ways of cheating. So the only way to proof you are a legit player is if you can explain your reasoning and your whole persona and playstyle look legit. Otherwise you are just a very famous cheater, who just happend to avoid getting caught red-handed. – Falco Sep 06 '16 at 10:35
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    @DoktorJ with this amount of time and effort I think all coming together you'd probably earn more with a regular good job in the same time and with less stress ^_^ – Falco Sep 06 '16 at 10:36
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Secure Data Delivery

Suppose a big scary government agency or shady corporation needs extremely sensitive information moved. They can't trust couriers, and they can't transmit it electronically because it could be intercepted. If you can be trusted, you could dictate information from one twin to another. Big scary governments will probably pay you plenty of big scary hush-money for your services.

Cheating on Gameshows/ your SATs

If your abilities are kept secret, get one twin on Jeopardy while the other uses Google. Rake in your reward money, rinse, and repeat. Also, you could easily get a full right through university by doing the same with your SATs - assuming you don't bomb the writing section too badly. For that matter, you could appear to be a test-taking prodigy as long as one of you can stay on a computer. You can be dumb as bricks and graduate with a 4.0 from Harvard.

Master Assassins

One of you goes for dinner with target X. The other camps up on a building with a rifle, taps into the others senses, and lines up a perfect headshot through a solid wall. Vary this theme until it fits.

UIDAlexD
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    It will take unimaginable life threatening risks to find a suitable contact in a big scary government which would then hire the twins. Also, big scary governments have a nasty habit of disposing off (aka killing) all freelancers involved in a mission. When they feel you know a bit too much than you should have known, they won't hesitate spending two bullets to the head. – Youstay Igo Sep 02 '16 at 16:45
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    How do you aim through a solid wall, even with a second perspective? You still have to line up the crosshairs with "I guess about here; looks like's probably about that far from the window." – Devsman Sep 02 '16 at 19:46
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    The wall deflects the bullet so knowing where it would hit after that deflection is impossible. Gameshows are good. – Tracy Cramer Sep 03 '16 at 01:19
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    @YoustayIgo Nonsense. Do you know how difficult is for the government to find experienced, reliable contract killers these times? Any time I ask for bids I get nothing but a bunch of resumés from kids whose only experience is playing "Hitman". And this being the government, we sheldom cannot afford to pay the salaries of top notch without someone crying about government overspending their tax money. If we'd find some affordable, realiable hitman the last thing we would do would be get rid of them... of course we would take some precautions (like not explaining why we want to kill someone). – SJuan76 Sep 03 '16 at 14:14
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Come out and show the phenomena to the world

Become famous showing real telepathy. It will be a unique magic show.

Also, there are a lots of prizes for a proof that telepathy is real: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prizes_for_evidence_of_the_paranormal

enkryptor
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    Any number of governments would love to have this ability - they will study you until they figure it out. I'd keep it a secret. – Tracy Cramer Sep 03 '16 at 01:14
  • @TracyCramer there are lots of things you can't just "figure it out", regardless of having plenty of test subjects. Aging, for instance. – enkryptor Sep 03 '16 at 09:31
  • @TracyCramer again, it's not a big deal - just like having kind of a communication device implanted in your brain. – enkryptor Sep 03 '16 at 09:42
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It's really not that big a deal

Almost anyone can do what you do. Send information around the world takes only a common smartphone and we can share almost all senses instantly. All feats you can do together with your twin can be copied with current technology. The only exceptional thing you have is that you don't need a micro-camera to see and can possibly send through radio-jammers and you are undetectable.

But almost all options to use telepathy to cheat at gambling, do a magic show or lead a cult could already be done with some sophisticated technology. And not the kind which is really stunning, but the kind which almost anyone assumes the MI6 has since James Bond movies.

This leaves only danger and magic-tricks

So the only two places where your ability comes in handy is doing actual magic tricks. Getting bounties for paranormal phenomenons or letting your audience check all frequencies of radio, letting yourself be locked into a solid metal box and still know everything your twin can see and so on...

The other option will involve a lot of risk, where you could share information from military,political or organized crime targets, who guard themselves against all forms of surveillance. But this will need a lot of skill and training and will be very dangerous.

Falco
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Playing cards where one of you is the player and the other just tries to get glimpses of other peoples cards. In order not to look too suspicious it would be best of you try to distinguish yourselves as much as possible (different hair style/colour, etc).

  • Regardless of the method, it is still cheating (see the "risk of getting caught doing something illegal" part). – enkryptor Sep 02 '16 at 12:40
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    There are no rules against the use of telepathy in casino's. So technically you are not doing something illegal. Casino's however can kick you out of their building without any warning or proven fault. –  Sep 02 '16 at 14:47
  • You don't have to do it at a casino although that would help raise revenue more quickly. – Tracy Cramer Sep 03 '16 at 01:15
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Information is the most valuable commodity being traded today. Your abilities should exploit the gathering and transmission of information that you shouldn't have and that can be gained quickly. Cards and parlor tricks might put some coin in your pocket, but controlling information will gain you power and fast.

But you will need to keep your abilities secret - that's information that can be used against you and put you and your brother in mortal danger. You will also need to decide who the face of this "game" is going to be or operate in tandem in different parts of the world. You will need to become adept at negotiation and possilby a little black mail, here and there - but not for money; for position.

Stay far away from covert operations. You become the commodity and one that will either serve the "company" or one that becomes expendable due to non-compliance. Tune your observation skills and always watch your back. You'll need to become a little paranoid once you start down this path.

Steve Mangiameli
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Find a really good lawyer and patent your ability, and any other paranormal abilities you can think of which could possibly be related. Most likely this would be best in conjunction with a major research university - say MIT, for example.

Because your next step is to start a research program with yourselves as the test subjects. By definition, if it's having an effect on a physical system (the brain) then the effect is measurable. That means the cause is measurable too, and that means you can bring telepathy and/or other paranormal abilities to the world as a technology. If you've got the patents, you're basically sorted for life. And famous as the people who changed the world forever, too

Graham
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  • This is assuming they invented a way to acquire the ability, because only inventions can be patented; and even then, their achievement might, like a computer program, not be patentable. That said, there could well be scope for a legal precedent :-) –  Mar 24 '19 at 02:07
  • Fun fact is that you don't patent a physical invention, only a method of doing something. You don't even have to show it working. The point of the research would be to find how it works, so you control that method. You can catch up with how to let other people use it after that. – Graham Mar 25 '19 at 01:35