2 pointsby ohjeez7 hours ago1 comment
  • bell-cot6 hours ago
    Amusing idea: To do UBI research at scale, without the political drama, just disguise your UBI research as lottery research. Partner with some state lottery which wants to understand its customers better, and distribute the limited run of not-called-UBI scratch-off tickets* to normal lottery retailers according to the demographics you're looking for. "Hide" in the fine print that the limited-run game's bit-better-than-usual odds are because it's "market research" for the lottery - so winners of the big ($X/month for Y months) prizes must agree to several interviews by the lottery's market research team and anti-gambling-addiction team.

    *Yes - 99.xx% of the tickets are either losers, or only good for some minor prize

    • floxy6 hours ago
      Massive UBI trial hidden in plain sight is also know as social security in the U.S.. It definitely helps out the poorer. And it hasn't resulted in a bloom of over-60 artisans, poets, musicians, novelists, etc., and the other rosy predictions of UBI enthusiasts.
      • bell-cot6 hours ago
        Sure, it helps many poorer people - but "UBI trial"?

        For starters, where's the demographically matched and random control group?