> How much better would our lives be if we could figure out what we wanted - what we really, truly wanted deep down more than anything - and if that matched exactly what we needed?

I don't think you really need to know the answer to that. Most people could figure it out if they really, truly wanted to.

> What if we felt truly free to spend time and energy gaining what we need rather than spend it at the office?

Sallie Mae would harvest and sell my body parts?

> Why are there people in the world who still have to struggle to feed their children?

Many reasons, none of them good.

> Why do Americans have more choices in grocery store products than some people would ever even come close to imagining?

They have poor imaginations.

> Why is there such a great human drive to be not alone in our struggles, our hopes, our quirks?

It seems to be a subset of the great human drive to not be alone, period.

> For every television show created, is there at least one person in the world who has watched every episode of it?

An editor or producer of each show, in all likelihood.

> Do people realize that becoming accustomed to violence didn't start with video games, movies, television, or rap music and that responsibility often lies with more than one entity?

For any X, "Do people realize X" has a high probability of being false.

> If we had never invented a way to record images, would we have gladiator games like the ancient Romans did?

That depends on whether gladiating would pay well enough for people to risk life and limb regularly.

> What, exactly, happened to modern health care?

It went uncommercial. Some greedy people found out that you don't have to care for your body if you can force other people to pay for your healthcare. (Oops. That sounded political. See Howard's post for alternative explanation.)

> Will Google take over the world?

I hope so.

> If a young child's imaginary friends [were] considered normal, and he doesn't lose that imagination when he gets older, should he be made fun of for being involved in RPGs?

No. But Yes if his imaginary friends were considered abnormal.

> Why do we slowly kill ourselves with chemicals and stress?

Chemicals: They're fun. Stress: In the form of productive work, it lets us purchase chemicals.

> If a butterfly had flapped its wings the moment you were born, would you have become more like the person that you pitied or scorned or despised today?

Have you stopped beating your wife? Er, I mean, No, since I don't have allergies.

> Can you spare some change? Can you make some?

Yes.

> What would happen if you died today?

Sallie Mae would harvest and sell my body parts. Oh, and I'd start a project of writing all possible programs, since eternity is exactly what I'd need and have.

> With technology connecting us every minute and making our daily tasks faster, with all our modern toys and tools we can't live without, why aren't we really living? Is carpe diem a philosophy that works if we're striving for the wrong things?

How much better would our lives be if we could figure out what we wanted - what we really, truly wanted deep down more than anything - and if that matched exactly what we needed?

> Ga"When I was writing this, how did it get so darn philosophical seemingly all on its own?"halyn

Socrates was on to something.

> Why do we ask "How are you?" even when we don't particularly care about the answer? Can't we come up with anything better?

Habit. Yes. I usually ask something dumb and confusing along the lines of "How is your part of the world today?" or "How is life?".

> What are we going to do with all the material waste our country is accumulating?

(1) Go to war and (2) build lots of golf courses.

> Why do people type "ya'll" instead of "y'all"?

They're being informal as well as Southern: "See ya!" pluralized becomes "See ya all!" becomes "See ya'll!" Now that singular "y'all" is gaining popularity, the ultrapluralized form of choice seems to be "all y'all". It's enough to make me want to use "thou" in common speech.

> If you had just one wish, would you remember to first wish for an unlimited supply of additional wishes?

Make it conditional in case there's a loophole such as, if you wish for more wishes, you lose all your wishes and/or die, or any wish you make will be granted in some disgusting Monkey Paw way. I'd wish the following sentence to be made true: No wish shall be granted (or not granted) in such a way as I would disapprove of its interpretation, its means, its direct or indirect consequences, or any other aspect of it, and I shall be permitted an unlimited number of wishes.

> Will there be a technological singularity? If so, how long until we reach it and what will the world become?

We'd need either a much larger population or technology capable of actively assisting the development of technology. Neither seems to be on the horizon.

> Why does it have to be so hot?

To make up for an exceptionally cold and rainy summer here.

> How much more money could scammers steal from people if they knew proper spelling and grammar?

Pondering it makes me quail with fright.

> Is consciousness a quale?

Consciousness of what? Er, Yes.

> If you had an unlimited supply of wishes, what would your first few wishes be?

To be able to re-do some things I did badly.

> Is space-time fundamentally discretized?

Zeno's Paradoxes make me think so, even if they're not supposed to.

> What is the single largest problem currently facing humanity?

Death.

> Why aren't you wroking?

Good excuses.

> Will anyone ever win James Randi's million dollar challenge?

Highly unlikely. From his list provided in FAQ #2.3, I sincerely disbelieve or doubt all but two. Precognition/clairvoyance I disbelieved before witnessing them (now I think they are real and rare, but not supernatural), but given the conditions (deathbed exclamations, recorded separately by each of those present and compared afterwards) they were uncontrollable. If they were to be demonstrated someday, it would most likely be in a large study which, by rendering them no longer paranormal, would disqualify them for the challenge.

Ga"more of an answerer than a questioner"be