Activity for Nzall‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Question	—	In an underwater society, would the wheel ever be invented? In a different question, someone mentioned "technology dichotomy", where they said "you can't invent time travel without first inventing the wheel". Then I read the question In a society of flying beings, would the wheel ever be invented? and they gave remarks about how the wheel probably still would... (more)	—	about 7 years ago
Question	—	What kinds of internship in a power plant would allow the intern access to the control room without requiring a STEM background? In an early chapter in my book, I want to explain some of the inner workings of an experimental power plant to the reader. However, I also want to get a certain object (a smart coffee pot) in the control room of the power plant to get the plot going. My thought is to have an intern carry the coffee... (more)	—	almost 8 years ago
Question	—	How to build a tower that reaches dozens of miles into space in the recent Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire, the planet of Zakuul, seat of the Eternal Empire, has a number of buildings that are so big that they're clearly visible from outer space as long pins on the globe, even when so far away that one can see the entire plan... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How can communication with ancestors be explained without magic? The world I'm currently writing is an alternative Earth with Space Age tech that advanced much faster than our Earth because of Ancestral Guidance: In the middle of every graveyard, there is a patch of special material (called Pactite). Once a person is buried in this graveyard, his memories and br... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How can someone be invulnerable to any damage down to cellular levels while still having a limited lifespan? One commonly cited problem with invulnerability-style immortality is that you watch the people around you wither and die while you survive. On top of that, even though you don't deteriorate, at some point you run into mental issues, where you can't make new memories and life starts to become a blur. ... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How could a society with computers still use animals for physically demanding activities? Imagine an Earth-like society that has developed into the digital age. They have computers, the Internet and most of the conveniences of the modern age, but they still use a significant animal workforce for: transporting members of the society over land, sea and air; transporting goods over land, s... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	What are the consequences of literal interstellar travel? In the background for my book, I'm looking for an alternative way for space travel. What I'm currently considering: A starship travels to the center of a star by using the natural downwards flows that occur naturally in some stars, then uses the extreme gravity down there to create a wormhole and app... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	How would one destroy a black hole? Science-Fiction has tools to destroy anything: atoms, molecules, DNA, cellular organisms, multicellular organisms, buildings, streets, cities, countries, continents, planets, and even stars. Some extreme settings even have tools to destroy entire galaxies, and I know of at least one setting (Doctor W... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	How would a "tornado-surfer" protect himself? In analogy with a skydiver, a culture has developed an extreme sport called "tornado-surfing". Essentially, a thrillseeker hunts down supercells that might create tornadoes and lets themselves be sucked in by one. The goal is to stay airborne as long as possible while surviving the winds and debris. ... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	What can give a species superpowers without being magic, evolution or interference from ancient aliens? This is partially a followup to my question on ancestral guidance. Suppose you have a species, or a subset of a species, that has a particularly interesting mechanic, like the above mentioned ancestral guidance or several other mechanics from super-powers. You need an Applied Phlebotinum (warning: T... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What would be the consequences of detonating all nuclear weapons on the edge of space? In today's Dr McNinja, the Vice President of the US (who is also a wizard) detonated all of Russia's nuclear weapons on the edge of space at once: Copyright belongs to Christopher Hastings, 2015. Source: http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/31p06/ Since Russia alone has more than enough nukes to en... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Could a species benefit from intercourse with another species with no DNA compatibility? After reading the question on inbreeding (Could fictional species benefit from limited inbreeding?), I started to wonder if there could be any reasons why an species (intelligent or otherwise) would benefit from intercourse with a non-compatible species (aka bestiality). This could be for any reason,... (more)	—	about 10 years ago