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Q&A

General Q&A about worldbuilding and other speculative developments that can be extrapolated from science.

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Would a single solar system be able to come up with a main time system?

I have a solar system containing multiple planets, most having an intelligent species inhabiting it. To keep a common peace, they created a large government system to help stop territorial wars bet...

9 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Aesin‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Aesin‭

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Psychological Development of Children and Adolescents Under Accelerated Time

To try and explain the situation the best I can imagine one of those sci-fi/fantasy situations where whenever someone is asleep they can experience new things. Whether they somehow end up in some d...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Necrikus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Necrikus‭

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A Seafloor of Ice and Rock: Ice VI / Water Boundary

Many planets out there will be water worlds. Those generally come in two flavors: either the oceans are so deep that the water turns into high-pressure ices like ice-six, -seven, -ten and -eleven o...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by TheDyingOfLight‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by TheDyingOfLight‭

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Human uses for megafauna besides food or traction?

Ancient Man feasted on megafauna. From mammoths to every variety of deer and flightless bird humans have made the most of large wildlife, to the point of tragic excess. So what happens when the ani...

17 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by NixonCranium‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by NixonCranium‭

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Would the Muroid Niche Be Occupied by Just One Clade?

The muroids are a superfamily of rodents consisting today of mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings and gerbils. There are at least 1750 different species of them, proof apparent of their environme...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by JohnWDailey‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by JohnWDailey‭

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What evolutionary pressures would lead to Orcs?

In my story Orcs, humans, and a bunch of other fantasy races live along side each other and i'm curious as to what evolutionary pressures would to a group of divergent hominids to evolve into Orcs?...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by icewar1908‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by icewar1908‭

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Feasibility of leaf scorpions

Recently, I've taken a small break to establish a story bound universe, so that these questions can actually prove useful in the future Recently, humanity has discovered a vast earth-like planet,...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by RotNDecay‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by RotNDecay‭

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How could Ice Spikes naturally occur?

Working on a medieval setting I thought of the idea of a biome similar to Minecraft Ice Spike Plains where this ice structures naturally occur. These structures in particular are tall and sharp tow...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by DigiAB‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by DigiAB‭

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Would decompression cause a moon habitat to explode?

Assume I have a human colony on The Moon. A meteor fragment gets by the defense system and smashes into a portion of the dome, let's say the hole is 1 meter in diameter, it's big. Safety measures...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by MajorTom‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by MajorTom‭

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A bulletproof super Soldier who can Dodge bullets?

I also need to combine two suggestions about changing a person's muscle fibers so that my genetically modified person has both of them. The first sentence refers to the modification of human muscle...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by French Thompson‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by French Thompson‭

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Boron-based life

Body: Boron-based lifeforms that use ammonia as a solvent and respires methane & hydrogen, with an atmosphere of mostly methane, hydrogen, nitrogen and in smaller percentages, acetylene & ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Everything‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Everything‭

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What modifications are needed to have plants that can grow and survive in a world of sugar and sweetness?

What modification would a plant "” especially tree "” develop in a world where everything is made of sugar, caramel, cake, syrup, soda, etc.? Think of something like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factor...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Li Jun‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Li Jun‭

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How do my plants trap so much carbon?

The boom-bust cycle answer I took for my question: Sustainability of Regular Global Wildfires due to Oxygen Rich Atmosphere pends on the atmosphere being rich in oxygen but poor in CO2. I, however,...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Aezyc‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Aezyc‭

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Why do goblins never form societies bigger than about 500 members?

The goblins in my world are classical fantasy goblins. They aren't too smart, have primitive technology, live in tribes, and use tamed boars, wolves, and other wild animals. They usually have a bos...

14 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by TheDyingOfLight‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by TheDyingOfLight‭

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Planning intra-city public air transport

I want to have air transport as the dominant means of public transportation in my fictional city. But how would such a system operate to handle many commuters with maximum efficiency? Specifically ...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by PentalimbedP‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by PentalimbedP‭

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Would it be possible to have a humanoid without iron in circulation in its blood/body?

Would it be possible to have a humanoid, a human looking species with a roughly equivalent brain to humans, without iron in circulation in its blood or body? I have found that reptiles could be a...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by guest12345‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by guest12345‭

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What kind of material can act as storage, float and withstand firepower?

I actually rediscovered an old story I wrote five years ago and there was this supposedly synthetic material that can float, be programmed to be directed where to be delivered and can carry luggage...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by CheckersBoard‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by CheckersBoard‭

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Rewiring the way one views his kind

In my post apocalyptic world, a virus has spread, essentially changing the roles, with infected animals gaining sentience and intellect close to a human and humans degrading into a more animalistic...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by ProjectApex‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by ProjectApex‭

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Keratin biosynthesis and human hair straightness/smoothness

Some people straighten their head-hair with what's named: Keratin straightening Keratin smoothening Keratin rebonding Keratin treatment It is an external hair straightening procedure in wh...

1 answer  ·  posted 3y ago by deleted user  ·  last activity 3y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

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How do I explain the phoenix's "rebirthing" process

Phoenixes are a unique type of wyvern not only due to their colorful feathers (which resemble flames) but also how they reproduce. Phoenixes lay 7 eggs which require a lot of heat to hatch. Unfortu...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by icewar1908‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by icewar1908‭

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Are flexible digits viable for both running and climbing?

I'm basically designing a quadrupedal digitigrade alien, which has evolved from a predominantly arboreal animal into a predator with more cursorial adaptations, capable of running fast, but still b...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by ProjectApex‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by ProjectApex‭

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Could Vikings make something close to modern reverse draw crossbow?

I'm writing a story about a modern age HEMA medievalist who time travels to the Viking age. Is it possible to make a crossbow with similar performance to modern age crossbows without using modern ...

7 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by kelari4377‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by kelari4377‭

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Cylindrical radiators on spacecraft?

Having your radiators tactically protected from enemy fire by the armor shape of your space warship is nice, but having a regular one or double-sided radiators is still a vulnerability. Other conce...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by zertofi‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by zertofi‭

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Is radar better than visible light in deep space?

On the earths surface, radar is pretty sweet. It apparently penetrates the atmosphere well and bounces back and can be detected. I think this has to do with the wavelengths absorbed by our atmosp...

8 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Willk‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Willk‭

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A clothing material or other method to slow free-fall descent down walls

I'm working on a military sci-fi piece that involves a lot of exo-skeleton enhanced, well, parkour -- for lack of a better term -- and was wondering how to deal with descents from great heights. ...

23 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Delirium‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Delirium‭

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How would Humanoid Insects Molt?

I am writing a story that has insects the size of humans, but I am having a little trouble with the biology. When you look up why there are no large insects on Earth, the most popular answer is th...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by E Tam‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by E Tam‭

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Is it possible to retrofit white blood cells with neural network technology to fight infection?

I have been toying the idea of fusing our white blood cells which search and destroy malicious foreign bodies with artificial intelligence to fight various disease causing pathogens, my worry is th...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by user6760‭

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Despite almost zero energy consumption why does my spaceship scheduled cryostasis in shifts?

In the distant future a breakthrough in cryostasis technology can put healthy people into frozen state so that all metabolism halts and cells never age a bit, the spaceship is carrying them across ...

12 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by user6760‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by user6760‭

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Could a frozen ocean support a nomadic race of people?

This is a another sequel to my Plutonian questions, but I've decided to take a break from them and focus on another part of the world. Basically, my version of Pluto has five continents, each a si...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Daikyu Maryu‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Daikyu Maryu‭

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What modification would make literal fire trees be able to grow?

To help imagine it and my inspiration, it's basically similar to pictures from Abrahamic religions with burning trees like this one. They can't speak though, they are just trees or plants that are ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Li Jun‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Li Jun‭

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Could bipedal humanoids evolve from bears?

I'm wondering whether it would be possible for humanoids to evolve from bears. bears share many characteristics with primates such as being amazing tree climbers and having the ability to use too...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Pierre ‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Pierre ‭

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World with frequent lunar eclipses?

I am working on a world where an event, like a celebration, occurs during every lunar eclipse. I would like to have lunar eclipses occurring more frequently--maybe even once a month--in order for...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by DVNO‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by DVNO‭

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Maximum Size Limit for a Wooden-and-Bamboo Neo-Ziggurat

There is a concern that's been brought up only recently--steel and concrete buildings are environmentally wasteful. In further clarification, they waste away too much greenhouse gases. And consid...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by JohnWDailey‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by JohnWDailey‭

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Can You Evolve a Second Pair of Pectoral Muscles Without The Need for Flight?

Somewhere on DeviantArt, there is an insightful tutorial by someone named "Uzlo" on how to create anatomically believable angels. Among the instructed details is the possibility of developing a se...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by JohnWDailey‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by JohnWDailey‭

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Repetitive head-hair removal and lab-grown head-hair planting

Should removing all head-hair with laser and planting new lab-grown head-hair on the head be dangerous, especially if done repetitively (i.e. two times or more)? Should it risk someone in cancer p...

1 answer  ·  posted 3y ago by deleted user  ·  last activity 3y ago by Pastychomper‭

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What technologies could be made with the manipulation of quarks?

I'm trying to speculate on manipulating things on the level of quarks for a story. What could I do with that type of technology?

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Shawn‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Shawn‭

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Feasibility of flesh pillars

In the future, humanity has discovered countless worlds, some filled with life and others not. Likewise, they discover another world that is habitable, they study its various ecosystems, it's var...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by RotNDecay‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by RotNDecay‭

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Would it be possible to build numerous spaceships that could transport 10 million people in the late 2100's?

The crafts would have to contain large farms in order to sustain the immense amount of people, and they'd obviously have to be large and spacious to have good living conditions. I did some research...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Niobium_Sage‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Niobium_Sage‭

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Anatomically correct quadrupedal arthropod?

Most arthropods have at least six legs. Some mites have four and some insects have none, but for the most part, they have six or more. What would the anatomy of a large quadrupedal arthropod be li...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Praearcturus‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Praearcturus‭

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Would human civilization develop at a slower pace if Earth was 5.8x larger?

EDIT: Calculations were incorrect, the earth in my comic is not 5.8x larger, it is 2.4x larger. Its surface area is 5.8x larger but the diameter is 2.4x larger. Anyway I'm working on a comic tha...

11 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by JordanTheCynic‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by JordanTheCynic‭

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Primer (2004) - Does a time traveler's cell phone ring if both he and his other self exist at the same time?

In the movie Primer (2004), there are two main characters who travel back 24 hours in time using their time machine. When they arrive, both they and their past selves exist in this same town at the...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Hatefiend‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Hatefiend‭

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Reasons a fictitious metal is really hard to refine?

For my story there exists a fictitious element with special properties. In its pure form is most closely resembles metal (for its physical properties) This material is quite abundant in salt and o...

20 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Hyfnae‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Hyfnae‭

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How fast can a large animal knuckle-walk?

Start with a silverback gorilla, make it roughly three times bigger, assume it's bone and muscle structure is capable of compensating for the increased size: how fast can a thing like that reasonab...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Nous the Space Alien‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Nous the Space Alien‭

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A bullet that makes the target explode

I'm looking for a bullet that makes the target explode. A bullet filled with explosives and explodes on impact does not suffice. It has to make the target explode somehow. Currently, my only idea ...

6 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by John Zhau‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by John Zhau‭

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Can I use an active flood basalt province as a "biome" without messing my world up?

I want to use the an active large ignious province (LIP) as a "biome" on a continent in my world. This video about the Siberian Traps inspired me. A LIP modeled after the Siberian Traps gives you a...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by TheDyingOfLight‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by TheDyingOfLight‭

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Effects of not growing up?

Let's say I have a bunch of pre-pubescent children (circa 8-12 years old). Let's also say I subjected them to some drug/process/whatever that caused them to stop growing. In particular: Whatever...

1 answer  ·  posted 3y ago by Matthew‭  ·  last activity 3y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

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Can a planet with blue glowing plants exist?

I have a planet where I want all plants to be blue and glowing. I was thinking that they could use something other than light for energy. I want the plants to always glow. The atmosphere is basical...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Vexxen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Vexxen‭

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Anatomically Correct Grootslang

This is a submission for the Anatomically Correct Series Residing in South Africa, the Grootslang is a creature of African folklore being depicted commonly as: Being 37 to 40 ft long having a co...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by icewar1908‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by icewar1908‭

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Space-based black hole weapon effects

For the fluff of my story one of the space-ships is equipped with what I hope is one of the biggest F-you weapons in ship-to-ship combat: a miniature black hole launcher. The launcher fires a whop...

6 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Demigan‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Demigan‭

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Can two different limbs... Merge?

I'm new to asking questions so please forgive me if i'm strange. I have a species of plant-based dragons. Small, covered in feathers and intelligent. I just want one thing backed up for me because...

9 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by RadioGoblin‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by RadioGoblin‭