Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

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

Filters (None)
50%
+0 −0
can any animals (example dragons) can synthesise pyrophoric subtances and contain it in a special sac (like tert-butyllithium)?

so according to this website: https://haraldas.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/dragon-fire-ever-wonder-if-its-possible/ it said that it could be possible for any animals to synthesise tert-butyllithium...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by user3556983‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by user3556983‭

50%
+0 −0
Would the Oceans in This Map Be Freshwater?

So long ago, I asked on how to make Earth's oceans as brackish as Lyr's, one of the many worlds imagined by artist Chris Wayans. The only real answer I got was something that that world had alread...

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

50%
+0 −0
Anatomically Correct Giant Seahorses

This is a submission for the Anatomically Correct Series Giant seahorses are often portrayed in fiction as being ridden by merfolk or other underwater people. I'm wondering if such a creature ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Richard Lindahl‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Richard Lindahl‭

50%
+0 −0
Could it be possible to quantum entangle particles on a mass scale?

So in the world I'm building, I'm considering to give one of my characters the ability to quantum entangle specific particles on demand. Now although for many years we thought quantum entanglement ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Could terrain like this form on Earth? If so, how?

I am creating an RPG and came across an image that I wanted to base my landscape on. It is shown above. Is it possible for terrain like that to form on Earth (ignore the wildlife)? If it is, how ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Effect of an asteroid impact on a nuclear power plant?

I want to write a story about a thought experiment that I have on the other day : What kind of catastrophe will happen if an asteroid, let just say about 70 meters in diameter, penetrated Earth's a...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Mister OwO‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Mister OwO‭

50%
+0 −0
What would happen if someone could remotely manipulate atoms?

Those of you who are familiar with the DC Comics hero Firestorm know that he can alter the chemical structure of any form of inorganic matter, provided he knows the chemical equation. In my story, ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Landing on a new planet in Earth's near future, how long before they can reproduce the technology they came with?

So given an Earth in our near future, year 2100 or so, where some of our tech has improved to the point where we have robots and the usual sci-fi devices for interfacing with computers. A colony i...

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

50%
+0 −0
Mechanism behind ocean-containing ice caps

I don't fully understand the mechanisms behind an ice cap that contains all the water in the oceans. Just to be specific, I have a planet that resembles Mars, i.e. desert at the equator, ice at pol...

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

50%
+0 −0
How can the effects of a Gene become weaker with each new offspring?

King Solomon, founder of the Solomonian Dynasty, was the first emperor of China. After he conquered the mainland, he gave his alchemists the single command of creating an elixir that would allow hi...

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

50%
+0 −0
Asteroid mining: Good for the environment?

What if there was a binding global resolution passed tomorrow mandating that all countries gradually close down their terrestrial resource extraction sites and instead source from asteroid mines? W...

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

50%
+0 −0
Could sentient mitochondria evolve?

Hideaki Sena's cult classic novel, Parasite Evil and it's video game sequels revolve around the premise of mitochondria gaining sentience and usurping mankind after aeons upon aeons of multicellula...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Arbiter Elegante‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Arbiter Elegante‭

50%
+0 −0
What super-dense solid could be produced in large quantities using only Earth's atmosphere?

Assuming the power and tech existed to do so (addressing the requisite heat, pressure, etc), would it be possible to draw in atmosphere, condense and heat/cool the particles, and then produce a hig...

4 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by TIM FENNER‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by TIM FENNER‭

50%
+0 −0
Possibility of a "hot Mars"

Premise/question Correct me if I'm wrong, or if humans have terraformed the planet by the time you're reading this, but Mars is mostly desert-like. It has large ice caps which contain most of its ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Harnessing energy directly from the sun via quantum tunneling

In the universe of my story, the Earth is ridden with metahumans with uncanny powers that do all sorts of different things. Of course, to do all this, they would require a tremendous amount of ener...

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

50%
+0 −0
How to keep internal organs functioning within an exoskeleton suit in different gravity levels?

This question answers the issue I was wondering about of how well an exoskeleton suit could help my characters move as normal in higher and lower gravity Could a robotic exoskeleton give humans Ear...

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

50%
+0 −0
Could an island on Earth with these climate types exist?

I am creating an RPG and I created a continent in which it is set on. I want to make sure that the climate types in it are realistic as well as the continent. This island is called Lartess. Lar...

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

50%
+0 −0
Finding ways to robots feel pleasure

Given a world where a human-like brain is synthetizable, I wonder: A human-like artificial brain would most likely crave sensorial overwhelm. Pleasure to humans is something deeply associated with...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Guilherme Vogt‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Guilherme Vogt‭

50%
+0 −0
Ningens / Humanoid whale-like creatures

Ningens are an old internet legend/creepypasta. Supposedly living in the polar regions of the globe, these creatures are described as having white-skin, a roughly humanoid structure with clear hea...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Mr Glass‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Mr Glass‭

50%
+0 −0
What types of flora would flourish on a tidally-locked moon?

My world is a satellite of a gas giant. It has an atmosphere and is mostly covered by water (the percentage of water to its surface is somewhere in the high 80s-low 90s). Its rotation period is 28 ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Powertrain for mid-19th century mecha

I'm writing a steampunk/weird west story set in 1867 and I want to incorporate some form of armored battle "walkers" (aka mechs). Looking for ideas for powertrains that could conceivably run such a...

7 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Ryan Williamson‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Ryan Williamson‭

50%
+0 −0
Science of Green Lantern and solid light constructs

Many know that the Lantern Corps of DC Comics are capable of constructing objects of any shape or size out of hard light using their power ring fueled by their emotions. However, I'm wondering what...

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

50%
+0 −0
Navigating in a Subsurface Ocean

Based on the planet from this question. The main thing that distinguishes this planet from, say, Europa, is the handwavium light-source, which I must assume is wrapped in a perpetual explosion wrap...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by CAE Jones‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by CAE Jones‭

50%
+0 −0
How Would Hominids Evolve to a Mountain Environment

My non-magic fantasy world has a species of hominid that lives in a huge and wide sierra of mountains. If they had split off from the (now dominant) human species a couple million years ago, (say a...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Capillary Cumorah ‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Capillary Cumorah ‭

50%
+0 −0
What adaptations would a hominid need to survive in Antarctica?

along time ago a group Australopithecus somehow manged to get washed ashore on let's say the Antarctic peninsula or at least an island near Antarctica now inhabiting mainland Antarctica and evolvin...

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

50%
+0 −0
Why would an AI only give limited information to humans?

I'm thinking about an AI similar to The Machine from Person of Interest but in a generally more advanced setting, and with a likely more broad goal of serving as a shepherd for humanity as opposed ...

19 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Adam Reynolds‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Adam Reynolds‭

60%
+1 −0
Roughly how long could an 'Oumuamua type object get?

Roughly how long could an 'Oumuamua type object get if created naturally or if created artificially using fused rock? What would be the limiting factor governing the length of such objects? Oumaum...

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

50%
+0 −0
What FTL models are appropriate given my constraints?

I'd like to have faster-than-light travel (and communications) be an late-game option for a video game I am working on. The extent of the playable universe is approximately 4 million light years in...

5 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by John O‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by John O‭

50%
+0 −0
what modifications or methods need for flying monster to withstand thunderstorm?

so i want to create a monster that dwell or fly inside thunderstorm as their defense mechanism, though they do goes down to get food, i want to know what method or modifications need for creature t...

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

50%
+0 −0
Why would a tree species grow very large in what is a very windy environment?

In my fictional world, the planet has some very strong winds that regularly blow across large areas of land. In this world, however, very large, tall trees grow (the reason for the size of the tree...

5 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by bio‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by bio‭

50%
+0 −0
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

50%
+0 −0
What might be the climate inside a "sky abyss" on a tidally locked planet?

Ok, assuming a planet that's tidally locked to its sun, but is otherwise roughly similar to earth in gravity and atmosphere. Classic tidally locked planet: one side is covered in ice, the other is...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Monsieur Nauru‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Monsieur Nauru‭

50%
+0 −0
How long can a wooden door last?

The setting I've cooked up for a D&D campaign I'm running features a fair amount of buildings that have been totally abandoned by civilization for hundreds or even a thousand years. Obviously w...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Dylan B‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Dylan B‭

50%
+0 −0
Plausible propulsion methods given a virtually infinite electric power source

Humanity discovered a new energy source, virtually infinite, that can produce gigawatts of electric power using devices of few kilograms. Land and sea transport obviously will switch to electric m...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by if9y4d‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by if9y4d‭

50%
+0 −0
Would sound shifts be severe enough for two dialects to be mutually unintelligible after 400 years of no verbal contact?

A group of English-speaking settlers travel to the Earth-like exoplanet of Rataan, which is 5 light years away. They board the generation ship Genesis that will reach Rataan in 200 years (0.25% of ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Would a life-bearing Earth-like world with 3g average gravity produce more or fewer flying creatures than Earth?

On one hand, heavier gravity would make flying more difficult, owing to greater weight restrictions on the flying creatures' bodies. On the other hand, the greater density of the atmosphere on ...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by James Grossmann‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by James Grossmann‭

50%
+0 −0
What's a possible justification for Giants not taking over the world?

An extension to another question about Why would humans be the dominant species? In my story Giants, humans, and a bunch of other fantasy races live along side each other and i'm curious as to why...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by icewar1908‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by icewar1908‭

50%
+0 −0
What environment would Giants be best adapted for?

In my story Giants, humans, and a bunch of other fantasy races live along side each other and i'm curious as to what sort of environment (on earth) would best suit them? some basic characteristics ...

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

50%
+0 −0
How can I estimate the maximum mass that can be safely handled in low to no g?

Many countries, authorities and companies have the concept of a maximum weight limit for manual handling, both to protect their workers and to protect themselves from lawsuits. Interstellar Shippi...

5 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Joe Bloggs‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Joe Bloggs‭

50%
+0 −0
Distance from Jupiter to minimize destructive tidal forces

There is a video from "What If" that tells about (precisely) "What if Earth was a moon of Jupiter":What if the Earth Was a Moon of Jupiter And, in a short story I am writing in an alternate realit...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Carlos Zamora‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Carlos Zamora‭

50%
+0 −0
My characters have been killing the same demons over and over again. How come the demons never adapt to them?

There are three "worlds" in this setting: Heaven, Hell and Midgard, Midgard being Earth and the entire Milkyway galaxy. When a demon or an angel enters Midgard, they can't just walk there, as they...

16 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Mephistopheles‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by Mephistopheles‭

50%
+0 −0
Could an Ice Age Extinction Wipe Out All Marsupials?

Say the word "Australia", and one of the first things to come to your mind would be the marsupials. Of the 334 species of pouched mammals whose earliest ancestors witnessed the fall of the dinos...

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

50%
+0 −0
How do I explain the evolution of slug people?

I got motivated to write a novel after reading about ocean slugs that managed to evolve into fish. In my fictional world I'm writing how a few fish shaped slugs made their way on land and managed t...

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

50%
+0 −0
Humanoid Bioweapon: what can stay and what has to go?

I'm working on a bioweapon created by an extraterrestrial agent. The being is 2.5 m tall, humanoid, digitigrade, intelligent and mostly predatory. However, it does not require water, food or oxygen...

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

50%
+0 −0
Can a perpetually darkening atmosphere exist and yet still allow life to evolve?

I am creating a science fiction worldbuilding project, in which humanity has colonised distant exoplanets. One such planet is a Venus-like planet in the sense that it has a perpetual cloud cover, a...

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by QUESTER42‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by QUESTER42‭

50%
+0 −0
What would a piece of the ocean floor look like if raised to surface level and left for a few thousand years?

My world is basically the surviving chunks of an exploded planet (there's a little more to it than that but that's the important part for the question, ignore any issues of gravity etc.) and while ...

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

50%
+0 −0
How did aliens on a habitable planet hide themselves during the recon and scouting stage by human colonists?

We've found a habitable planet orbiting a red dwarf star some light years away and conditions are Earth-like enough that a colonization project was initiated. Before any humans landed on the planet...

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

50%
+0 −0
Harmless spitting snakes

I want to create a harmless snake that can spit like a spitting cobra as a defense while kills its prey by constriction. Its venom is considered harmless, but when goes to the eyes it causes tempo...

5 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by user3556983‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by user3556983‭

50%
+0 −0
How would pinchers have to evolve to better manipulate tools?

I'm thinking about an alien race that evolved from large terrestrial crustaceans and has developed a somewhat large brain. Like crabs on earth, these creatures have pinchers wich they use for self ...

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

50%
+0 −0
Antimatter filled buckyballs - The energy storage medium of the future

Antimatter gets used a lot in SciFi due to it's mind-bending energy density. If you can store it in a form that requires no power and is at least mildly idiot-proof then you've just solved half of ...

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