You do it too. You see someone you haven’t seen in a while and remark about their hair, or weight loss or physique. You tell them how great they look and assume this means life is swell.
But what if there were other indicators? What if you could look at an approaching friend and see that their happiness monitor is high, that their work indicator was flashing “raise” or their financial picture was glowing?
It’s said that a first impression means everything. A glance from across the room can strike fear, longing, disgust, desire… we’ve all felt it.
These impressions also yield judgment. He’s dressed well; he must have money. She’s smiling, she must be happy. He’s thin; he must be healthy. She’s wearing diamonds; she must be in love.
But what if all the external codes were off? What if the thin man was dying, the diamond-clad girl was in a horrible relationship and the smiling girl was putting up a false front for the occasion?
What if we could know things about people from the outside, visible calculators of their situation? Would you want to?