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Inspired by the WI thread about the invention of gunpowder, I'd like to ask which inventions were "inevitable" and which ones could go a long time without being invented, merely being "accidental" rather than something that would come as a natural consequence of technological progression.

What if Otto III does not die and marries Zoe, and Basil II and Constantine VIII still die without a male heir? Does Otto III press his claim on the Byzantine throne, and if he does, does he move his court from Rome to Constantinople? Does he appoint a co-emperor to rule in the East/West? Also...

The Imjin War was one of Korea and China's first experiences with mass firearms formations, introducing them to innovations in warfare never before seen. Why didn't the Korean and Chinese armies modernize and create the beginnings of industry? Japan used to be one of the world's leading firearms...

During the Civil War, Virginia was partitioned into two states. There were plans like this for East Tennessee, North Georgia, and the Rio Grande. How much could the Union split up Southern states, and how would this effect post-war politics?

see thread title. How far could Protestantism possibly spread? I mainly mean in Europe, but Protestant China/Japan gives bonus points.

I know, ASB, but if somehow the unionists kept the South from seceding (maybe South Carolina starts an abortive attempt but ultimately fails to bring the other states in), what sort of policies would Lincoln enact? Would he get a second term?

It's often said that romantic love was invented in the Middle Ages, stemming from courtly love. Is that really true, though? To me, it seems as though courtly love is more alien in a modern context than arranged marriage.

Would it be right to consider the Latin Empire to be a separate polity from the Byzantine Empire, or is it just the Byzantine Empire usurped by Catholic monarchs? Was the administration much different, and did the rulers and subjects of the Latin Empire feel like the state was not actually a...

In the CSA/Antebellum USA, I mean. For example, if killing/mistreating your slaves was criminalized, would that necessarily lead to emancipation, since after the right to life is established, it would get increasingly more difficult to deny slaves' rights to liberty?

Simple challenge- create an American Roman successor state with a PoD no earlier than the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Is it possible that a society would be able to make use of chimpanzees as soldiers? They are several times stronger than humans and can understand language, so they might be useful as shock troops. The question is, however, can chimps be "domesticated"? Would they be able to live among humans...

Your challenge is to make animated film get a reputation as an adult medium, preferably considered more adult than live-action film ("adult" meaning mature in both/all senses of the word). A thought that comes to mind immediately would be an earlier Hayes code that does not cover animated...

With a PoD of 1492, have a significant portion of an American country (at least 20%) be of East Indian descent. Bonus points if you can have them be the majority, and extra bonus points the later the PoD. One of the most likely ways for this to happen I think would be for the Portuguese to get...

Post-1945 (V-J Day), have Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of China in a military/political alliance.

Inspired by the WI: No Nelson thread, what if Admiral Yi had died before or during the Imjin War? Considering what happened when he was not admiral in OTL (the fleet got destroyed), what effect would this have on Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea/China? I'm assuming he'll eventually get repulsed...

What is the possibility that a combination of Islam and Christianity could become popular- at least as popular as, say, Mormonism? By a "combination" I mean that they believe that the Old and New Testaments as well as the Koran are Holy Books, that Jesus was the son of God, and that Mohammed was...

Percy and Mary Shelley had four children, one of which was miscarried, and three of which died young. What kind of impact would there be on the literary world if one or more of these children managed to survive? As the heir to such literary genius, what might s/he have done? If Byron's daughter...

I know that on at least one occasion a Norman mercenary set up his own domain in Anatolia- the challenge is to have the majority of Anatolia be controlled by Normans by the early fourteenth century.

My challenge isn't that Mark Twain directly becomes political, but that his writings "inspire" a political party/movement in a similar way to how Nietzsche "inspired" the Nazi party (so this party/movement need not express Samuel Clemens's actual political views). Is this possible?

If a group of North American natives somehow manage to stay independent, what would their religious life look like? Would it be akin to Japan, with Christians being heavily persecuted to the point that they become a insignificant minority; would it be akin to (South) Korea, with no dominant...