Activity for Matthew
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question | — |
How much energy do plants produce? Consider a magic system that follows the Eragon model; "doing it by magic takes just as much (biological) energy as doing it the mundane way". In Eragon, magical energy can be drawn from other living things besides the caster. Thanks to questions such as How much can a magician lift if constrained b... (more) |
— | over 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: My mysterious "ruins" wander around and change on their own, what'd be a rational way for them to do that? This is roughly the same as Bald Bear's (first) answer, but more fleshed out... The "ruins" are built (and removed) by "cloaked" repair mechs of unknown origin. These mechs have some form of probably anti-gravity propulsion (that is, they "float" in air and are near-silent). Something about them, ma... (more) |
— | over 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What disaster could wipe out civilisation worldwide, but allow for immediate rebuilding? What would be the side effects? I can think of a couple options: Gray Goo An unstoppable swarm of nanites, or maybe even larger (e.g. insect-sized) creatures that destroy all non-bio-associated metal, would probably do the trick. Ancient stone buildings (and wood buildings with all wood joining) will mostly be unaffected, but man... (more) |
— | over 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is it now possible to undetectably cross the Arctic Ocean on ski/kayak? @MAGolding notes: An objective outside observer might consider orcas and other cetaceans to be intelligent beings This suggests another possibility. If you can engineer "humans" with alien minds, why not whales? Then your near-humans could collaborate with these near-whales to cross oceans some... (more) |
— | over 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Number of Fingers for a Math Oriented Race Following up on Christian's comment about seven day weeks... your aliens could use any base you want, for the same reason weeks have seven days: because their deity/religion said to do that. (This doesn't require that they be religious in the time of your story. They may have even forgotten the relig... (more) |
— | over 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Life on the Broken Ring - an issue of size Frame Challenge One of the criteria you gave is: The sections are under the standard 0.992 gee acceleration. This is thrust induced, necessary to hold them in an orbit closer to their primary than it should be at its orbital velocity. I propose that this doesn't make sense and should be discar... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Life on the Broken Ring - an issue of size I'm going to take a bit different approach to this based on the revisions... unfortunately I don't have math to back this up, but it should at least get you started thinking in a useful direction. (So far, I haven't seen anyone else accounting for the chunk's own gravity, and my own calculus is too r... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: If quadruped mammals evolve to become bipedal will their breast or nipple change position? I think SealBoi hit the right note, in that the question you should be asking is "how do my critters nurse their young?". If they always lay down to let their babies suckle, there is no reason for "migration" or other changes to occur. If they need to suckle while standing on two legs, that is a good... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Justification of physical currency in an interstellar civilization? Global Usability However advanced your average tech level, you probably still have a few people that can't afford "” or for whatever reason, don't use "” the necessary equipment to deal in digital currency. Privacy Cryptocurrencies are complicated and their value isn't entirely stable. (It's also ... (more) |
— | almost 5 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Everyday tasks on a space ship You should read Ringo's Looking Glass series, which comes fairly close to dealing with exactly this question. The short answer is "see Nathaniel's answer"... but playing around with this will make your story more interesting. For example, Bill Weaver does his best thinking while engaged in intense or... (more) |
— | about 5 years ago |
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