this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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Funny

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152
A lot, I'd reckon (infosec.pub)
submitted 5 hours ago by Stamets@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/funny@sh.itjust.works
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[–] TheDoozer@lemmy.world 3 points 45 minutes ago

A significant concern 80k years ago (though with lack of communication, few would know that the disembodied hand represented), not even a consideration now. 1 person dies from The Hand in the world each day? More people die of aneurysms each day, I would imagine, and it's effectively the same thing.

Also, does it stop following a given person if they escape it by the end of the day? If you could hop in a car and just drive until the day is over to escape it, it would be more of a "hey, watch out for the hand" kind of thing. But it would be so rare I don't even think it would be on anybody's mind.

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

If you live in China or India, hand sightings only make the news if it lands on someone nearby. In Europe and the US, the hand heading your way means a few minutes on the news presenting the mathematical models predicting where it will land based on trajectory, and something like "John Johnson, a 34-year old Liverpool resident, was a victim of the inexorable hand yesterday. He will be missed." For the likes of Iceland or New Zealand, the hand heading your way means a full day of tension and lots of wills being updated.

[–] LesserAbe@lemmy.world 23 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

There would be a lot of ideas about why different people get squished. We wouldn't know it was random definitively. And because it looks like a human adjacent hand, probably a lot of speculation about God punishing people for being bad.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

This reminded me of The Leftovers

[–] webp@mander.xyz 1 points 2 hours ago

Some say it is the ghost of Jack Horner's hand punishing bad cooks.

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 63 points 4 hours ago (4 children)

1 a day? I feel like a lot of people might not ever get to see it. You’d go a large portion of your life always hearing about it, seeing stories in the news, one of your friend’s relatives was squished by it. But then one day you’re minding your business on your way to work when it shows up and crushes the car in front of you.

Looks like you get to call off from work. You just witnessed The Hand. Go ahead and take a day to collect your senses.

[–] jacksilver@lemmy.world 1 points 3 minutes ago

I mean the average person doesn't even see 30,000 days in their lifetime. At the rate of one a day, lightning is more of a threat to people - https://www.neuralword.com/en/education-history-science-general-culture-society/science-nature/how-many-people-are-striked-by-lightning-annually-around-the-world.

Even if the hand existed, the odds of you even knowing someone who died by it are really slim.

[–] br3d@lemmy.world 23 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Cars kill more than 3500 people every day and we don't seem to care. This hand is benevolent by comparison

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 13 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I understand. You're saying we should worship the hand. All hail the Hand! For the Hand is benevolent!

[–] diabetic_porcupine@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

May the hand be with you brother

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 points 45 minutes ago

Well, figuratively.

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 1 points 1 hour ago

Brother, May you pull thy finger in peace.

[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 hours ago

I would have been a bigger deal 10 thousand years ago, but after agriculture definently not

[–] Hackworth@piefed.ca 8 points 4 hours ago

If it's been with us all through history, I guess the further back you go, the more likely it is that you will have seen someone be crushed by the hand. And global travel? That's the foundation for a persistent global mythology that'd probably dominate our storytelling for a while. I don't know what all happens between then and the point where we have satellites that track the hand all the time, but I bet there's potential for a novel. Or an anime. Or at least a comic.

[–] ferrule@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 hours ago

So just the game Black & White from 2001?

[–] half_built_pyramids@lemmy.world 13 points 3 hours ago

Tech bros trying to harness it's energy and sell hand crushing predictions

[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 9 points 3 hours ago

Whenever someone dies by crushing, detectives have to verify if the hand was spotted elsewhere at the time.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 hours ago

A lot more inside time? We probably be at least 20years ahead of where we are now with video games. With a more common enemy we might be less likely to squabble so much with one another. Religion would probably be a little more standardized as well.

Probably a net positive really.

[–] Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I already kicked that guy's ass in super smash bros

[–] P4ulin_Kbana@lemmy.eco.br 4 points 3 hours ago

Heck yeah!

[–] Nosavingthrow@lemmy.world 16 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

A lot more people living underground and a lot more snake oil. Probably a cult or two.

[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 9 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

It sounds like The Hand is inevitable, so you'd just be dooming everyone else in your tunnel/bunker/whatever when it collapses. If anything, I'd argue we'd spread out a bit more to avoid collateral damage.

[–] Nosavingthrow@lemmy.world 14 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

You think you understand the will of The Hand!? HOLY WAR.

[–] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 hours ago

This heathen dares to suggest that The Hand causes collateral damage!?! The Order Of The Deliberate And Benevolent Hand finds this extremely offensive!

The Most Pointiness From Above only Squishes those who deserve to be Squished!

[–] leftascenter@jlai.lu 6 points 3 hours ago

No one left alive at one point:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-ancestors-nearly-went-extinct-900-000-years-ago/

[–] rockerface@lemmy.cafe 7 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Even one death per second wouldn't be enough to overpower humanity's population growth rate. One per day would just be an urban legend.

[–] leftascenter@jlai.lu 5 points 3 hours ago

Shouldn't appear too early though.

There were very few people at one (distant) point

[–] affenlehrer@feddit.org 4 points 4 hours ago

Better than cancer I guess