... and yet we now spend 50% of our total budget on health, education, or entitlements. And yet we still have poor people.
Health and education are where most rich nations spending goes to. It has nothing to do with leveling the wealth, more likely 'the rich' profit most of those communal spending.
Why stop human evolution?
Because sometimes alpha is better than beta.
Octopodes sounds incredibly stupid, because I can't think of another word in the English language which is pluralized with "podes" -- which makes it such an extreme outlier as to be doubtful.
What if the other brane also has a reactor shield in the same spot?
Don't worry, it's branes all the way down.
Variables don't; constants aren't.