The superman plague

[Umbran]

What would happen going forward? Would it be wonderful? Would it be armaggedon? What would happen to the economy? The enviroment? Politically?

Evironmentally... well, folks wouldn't need cars so much, at least. Unfortunately, what other environmental impacts there might be depends very heavily on the energy source for these powers. Any massive energy expenditure (like six billion flying people) has an environmental impact.

The economic impact of the greatly reduced need for vehicular transport and gasoline would be massive. The auto industry would have to shrink, as would all the related services. Same the petroleum industry would not outright collapse (still need plastics, heating oil, fuel for electricity, and so on), but it'd take a big hit. Tens or hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, I expect.

Other issues - well, people are more difficult to hurt, but unless the powers are somehow selective they will be more difficult to heal, as well. If you can't be harmed in a knife fight, then surgery is gong to become more difficult.

I don't think the political ramifications of this are at all guessable. There are too many variables in too many cultures and countries.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Would be great for the environment: We'd all be drinking oil and p***ing purest nextar.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

The meek would inherit the earth.

Everyone who had issues about excessive aggression (not just physical aggression) would destroy each other on a massive scale.

From the wreckage a few hidden survivors would appear.

 

[Warren Okuma]

I have the opposite view. People will cope they always will and always did. It's going to be somewhat bloody. NRA is going to want heavier weapons. Martial arts and boxing places will be the business. There will be lots of property damage and need sturdier goods, so the economy will shift to meet the new needs. Ecomomic rules will change, but there still will be mostly the same supply and demand model (or post SAD models).

You will see the about the same amount of turmoil as the introduction of gunpowder or the machine gun but it will be localized, since most governments still fear the bomb.

Governments will be forced to become nicer, or the people will leave or overthrow them as good governments will prosper and poor governments will wither and die even quicker. After the tumult, the world will be a better place. Really.