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Sort of like how in Pacific Rim, the giant mecha are piloted by two individuals with a temporary telepathic link in order to share the mental load. This is something that one person alone cannot do (usually, anyway). But even if one person could pilot a mecha alone without negative side effects, it seems to me that two people working in tandem with a telepathic link would still outperform a single individual.

In a situation where two people share each other's thoughts/feelings/perceptions and can coordinate actions perfectly without discussion, perhaps even when not physically together, what tasks or professions would these two linked individuals excel at over others?

carlireul
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    Not really that seperate from pacific rim, but there are a lot of modern military combat vehicles which would benefit from mind meld in the same way: Tanks, IFVs, Helicopters and Jets could all benifit. – user1937198 Feb 14 '21 at 22:00
  • I mean, not to get too pedantic, but the reason that two pilots are required for the mechs in Pacific Rim is primarily because of Plot Reasons/it makes a more interesting story and allows there to be per-ordained "chosen ones" who have the capability to pilot the mechs. "Realistically", controlling a giant robot that has the same kinesthetic body plan as a human wouldn't need multiple pilots unless it had things like extra arms or something. – Dragongeek Feb 15 '21 at 10:48
  • @Dragongeek Controlling a mech probably wouldn't need more than one crew, but operating it in combat conditions would probably benefit immensely from having a 2-3 person crew, to handle general situational awareness, and weapon systems management. – user1937198 Feb 15 '21 at 12:50
  • I would point at the Stridsvagn 103 as an example. The driver/gunner is responsible for driving the vehicle and aiming the gun, but the swedes still felt having a commander for situational awareness, and radio operator for communications was beneficial. – user1937198 Feb 15 '21 at 12:55
  • If you are aiming for a high-tech world, where things like mecha are possible, keep automation in mind. A lot of tasks, that needed multiple people in history (gunner+driver+comms), are actually easier for a single human with a computer, than for multiple humans. Even perfectly melded minds have to operate with the latency of human body... which computers don't. – Martin Grey Feb 15 '21 at 16:02
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    @MartinGrey Thats why the Stridsvagn 103 is such a good example. Mechanically its serviceable by a single person. But if your aiming your weapons at someone, you aren't looking around for other threats, and you aren't handling the flow of information from multiple radio nets. The driver/gunner is the only one actually operating the weapon system of the tank, the other two are filtering/prioritizing all the information down to what the driver/gunner needs to focus on fighting. That filtering/prioritization needs inteligance. – user1937198 Feb 15 '21 at 18:02
  • How fast does the mind-meld pass information and over what distances? Is it instant over the width of the galaxy or is it at the speed of light and must be in the same room? How long can the link maintain itself? Do you have to start close to each other? Can it be forced on someone? – chasly - supports Monica Feb 15 '21 at 20:54

6 Answers6

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Almost everything will see some benefit.

Firstly any project large enough to be divided between multiple people will see an improvement with 2 people mentally connected, as no work will be duplicated, and no time will be wasted communicating with each other. They will be slightly better software engineers than 2 equivalently skilled unlinked engineers, and they will be slightly better bricklayers than if they were unlinked, and basically everything in between will see a small subtle difference.

Where they could really shine though:

  • Insider trading and market manipulation.
    • One person works in a company in a CFO or similar role, another uses that information to buy shares using that forbidden knowledge
  • Most team sports.
    • Eg. Tennis doubles with perfect mind link will be able to outperform basically everyone - You have an extra vision frustum and can position yourself optimally without communication.
  • Spying
    • One can be working in a top secret company, the other can be their spymaster.
    • Counter surveillance will never detect any exchange of information no matter how intense they supervise them.
  • While not usually considered a "profession"; Anything intimate / romantic / sexual between the two will be greatly improved - total knowledge of what your partner is experiencing (and shared experience) can mutually optimise the experiences.
    • I wont go into further detail.
  • Poker Tournaments, and gameshows.
    • Two separate people not in communication who are able to work together can tip the odds in a poker tournament, as they both know 2 extra cards that aren't in the deck than their peers, allowing them to more precisely calculate odds.
  • Perfectly organised crime / insurance fraud
    • Person 1 buys a building, person 2 burns it down. Person 1 has no record of communication with Person 2, thus anyone investigating the insurance fraud can find no evidence of it.
Ash
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    I'll note that some of these benefits assume that the mind meld is not traceable/detectable. If it is (for example, if you have to wear a fancy brain-interface hat) then those which rely on subterfuge would not work. (The question doesn't specify one way or the other, though.) – BBeast Feb 15 '21 at 05:24
  • Inside Trading, spying, poker and insurance fraud are four things that can already be done by just two people without a mental connexion and there's no real gain from this more profund and fast mean of communication. So that leaves all team sports, with which I completely agree. – Jemox Feb 15 '21 at 16:35
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If the neural link allows one side to rationally perceive the others thoughts/feelings/perceptions about the task without mixing them with their own, that would be extremely valuable in a couple of professions:

Teaching/Tutoring

For teaching it would allow the teacher to observe exactly what a student does and doesn't understand. Additionally allowing the to see what methods are working and why would enable tuning the teaching to help the student as much as possible. Alternatively, it might be possible for the student to simply perceive the explanation over the neural link, allowing the teacher to enrich the explanation with their own thoughts and feelings.

Psychology/Counseling

For a psychologist, the neural link would allow a far better understanding of the patients thoughts and feelings, easing diagnostics. In counseling, this would allow the counselor to more closely observe the patients feelings as they help them navigate them.

user1937198
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Sex

Being able to experience your sexual partner's perspective would be a fine addition to a consensual sex act. In such a scenario, ideally each partner is interested in the experience of the other and is paying close attention. Mind meld would make this much easier and allow both partners to take actions that maximize the chance of a pleasurable intimate experience for both.

Willk
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  • The reverse is also true. I saw this once in a movie. Imagine if a rapist could force their victim to experience the feelings of the rapist. Horrifying. – NomadMaker Feb 14 '21 at 17:26
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This would significantly benefit any profession that requires time critical tasks in collaboration, as these professions are where time taken to communicate really matters. The main question is if you can link more than 2 people, as in many professions being limited to 2 people would be a serious limitation.

Ignoring combat professions as related in pacific rim:

Music and Dance

Being able to understand what the partner is doing and act in concert as they are doing it significantly ease the synchronization of the performers moves. Or as a pair of musicians they could potentially improvise an entire duet with the ability to understand what they're partner is doing at the point they thinking it rather than at the point they hear it.

Transport Pilot

All commercial airliners are operated by two pilots both as a backup, and as a way of easing the load. Provided the neural link did not pose a risk of incapacitating both pilots, it would allow the two pilots to far more effectively share the critical tasks of takeoff and landing.

Tower Crane Operator

A crane operator is often high up and can't effectively see where what they are lowering into place is. This currently solved using radios, but a neural link would allow the crane operator to effectively see when the crane is, and also where the load is, allowing them to maneuver it into position more safely and efficiently.

user1937198
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Activities/tasks that would benefit from mind melding

Figuring out what your wife/girlfriend/both actually mean, and actually want.

RonJohn
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I don't think you mentioned at what range this link can be maintained between two individuals, but if it operates at fairly significant distances, say up to a couple km or miles, here are some extra advantages.

Foraging Both individuals can split up and search for food more effectively, such as within a forest. If one of them finds something tasty and worth eating, the other can be guided to that location. If there are threats in the area that the finder has taken note of, such as harmful plants, predatory animals, or physical hazards such as strong rivers, sinkholes, ravines etc., the approaching individual can be made aware of and/or guided around them.

Protection You could call this a task in a way, as well as a duty, if both individuals are important to one another for whatever reason. In the context of a relationship, for example, whoever is in a potentially dangerous area could constantly transmit information about the status of his/her exploratory mission. If he/she is attacked, that could be immediately made known to the other, and he/she guided to the exact location of the individual who was attacked. Additional information about the nature of the attackers, such as weapons, numbers, tactics, etc. could also be sent. This would give the responding individual advance notice and time for them to plan a counterattack/rescue strategy beforehand. This would of course work much better if the distance between the two was relatively small, so as to allow for more rapid intervention.

KeturiosBlue
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