Activity for Vincent‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Question	—	Large spider walking upside down Many fantasy stories involve large spiders like in Harry Potter. These creatures behave almost exactly like normal spiders despite their size. My question is: can large spiders still walk upside down on flat surfaces? And if so, how massive could they get while still keeping this ability? The gian... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	Orbit of a double planet In a system where 2 planets of similar mass are orbiting around a common barycenter, would the following configuration considered stable on the long run? They orbit at 1,6 AU from their star The star is a F8 and is 19% more massive than the Sun One planet is the same size and mass than Earth, but t... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	Desert planet with surface mainly covered with water My question is : Is it possible to have a hot desert planet with no significant vegetation with the surface mainly covered with liquid water? Normally, we should expect to have rain overland because of the difference of temperate and pressure between the land and the ocean. But can I make it so tha... (more)	—	over 8 years ago
Question	—	A summer colder than winter? Normally, summers are supposed to be hotter than winters because the axis of the Earth is tilted toward the Sun during the hot season. This mean that the north receive more energy from the Sun, days are longer and thus, it's hotter. But I was wondering if some characteristics could make one area co... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	Stabilizing the obliquity of a planet It is said that the Moon plays a significant role on stabilizing the obliquity of Earth (or call it the axial tilt). Without it, the tilt of the planet is subject to great variations causing unpredictable climatic conditions on the planet. This is not ideal for life. Scenario: An advanced civilizat... (more)	—	almost 9 years ago
Question	—	Hottest possible place on an earth-like planet What would be the characteristics required to make one region as hot as possible? How hot can it get; Can it be hotter than Dallol? Setting: an earth-like planet with all the same characteristics than Earth except that the geography and everything affected by it could be different for the purpose ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Explaining uphill rivers scientifically? I see this in so many maps. Normally, the water flows downhill because of gravity but here it is the opposite, rivers will go above the hills. When you mention this incoherence, the authors refuse to change it because that's how they want it. Apparently, the laws of physic does not need to apply with... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Are flying plants possible? Is it possible for a plant to have the ability to fly? More exactly, the plant would either need to live without having any roots (and it would never need to touch the ground), or with the ability to re-root itself in another location from time to time, or maybe a plant that has a permanent pedesta... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Hydra regeneration explained with science The Hydra is a mythical creature with the ability the regrow severed limbs, including the head(s). According to the dungeon and dragon 3.5 version of the hydra : each time one limb is separated from the body, it grows back. Sometimes, two heads will grow to replace the lost one, until it reaches a ce... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Unsettled continent In my world, I would like to have a certain configuration and I wonder if it's plausible or not. There is a continent with a climate similar to the Amazonian basin, covered by a very dense forest. This climate covers much of the continent. It is inhabited by natives tribal societies scattered arou... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Cohabitation with large creatures Most fantasy worlds have large creatures living in a world with humans and other races. In Tamriel, the province of Skyrim has giants, mammoth and even dragons roaming freely. The Lord of the ring have oliphants and ents. In dungeon and dragon, there is the tarasque and all sort of other gigantic cre... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Could plants develop intelligence? I know the idea seems a bit far fetched but it's something I believe is common is science fiction and fantasy stories. I remember the talking trees of Zelda: Ocarina of time and of course, Tolkien's ents. Is it possible for plants to evolve and gain the ability to think, take decisions, and communi... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	How to name places that have multiple names? When designing a world it is convenient to decide how places will be named: Elements like the continents and the oceans. However, it is likely that the different cultures of the world will not agree on a common name for these places. Some might not even know there is an ocean or maybe they just don... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What would happen in North America if California became drier? My question is mainly related to the impact on food production if the climate changes made agriculture more difficult in the state of California but also in the other American and Mexican states from both side of the border. Context: If you live in the United Sates, in Canada or possibly in other c... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Could a government control its people using frequencies? Setting: Earth, in the future, near 2060 or 2100 Technology: a bit more advanced than ours Armies and police forces are already using systems for crowd control. Some devices can generate discomfort or pain using sound frequencies or electromagnetic radiation (microwaves). Most of these devices... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Could a cold planet (tundra) develop and maintain a breathable atmosphere for humans? Initial situation: I have cold planet with an average temperature below the freezing point. There is a magnetic field. The planet is almost as big as Earth and can have an atmosphere. The planet axial tilt angle is 0 or very small. Months are a little longer than on Earth and days are slightly sho... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	How large can a mountain range get? Start: Normal planet, very similar to Earth. The main difference is that the continents are placed differently. Magic could play a role in the formation of mountains but I prefer a scientific explanation. Process: The activity inside the planet makes surface plates move. At a specific place, ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Is it possible to cool down a volcanic planet? Here, I asked if it's possible to terraform a hot planet. But now, if we have a volcanic active planet, can we use the same techniques to cool it down? Normally, the planet cool off slowly after its formation. Is there any way to speed up the process? Some planets like Venus have formed billions o... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Is it possible to terraform a hot planet? I want to make a hot planet habitable for mankind. It could be a planet in the habitable zone like Venus or outside of the zone like Mercury. These are just examples. Someone said here: Terraforming a very cold planet? that terraforming a cold planet is easier that a hot one. Still, is it possible... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Terraforming a very cold planet? One of the solution to make a cold planet habitable for us is to increase the greenhouse effect. It works with planets like Mars that are inside the habitable zone but would it be enough for a planet outside of that zone? It does maximize the heat absorption of the planet but there is a limit to thi... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Terraforming a gas giant into an habitable planet Is it possible (for humans)? My main concern was heavy gravity because they are much bigger and heavier. But it appears that in our system, the gas giants (but not Jupiter) all have a similar surface gravity as Earth. Actually I'm not sure if by surface they mean the solid core of the planet or some... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What would push a civilization to terraform a planet considering the complexity of this process? Terraforming is the process of transforming a celestial body to become habitable by Earth-like life. Even when I try to imagine an advanced civilization, the cost, time and complexity to terraform a planet seems like a real challenge. Terraforming Mars seems like an easy job compared to other plane... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	How would a planetary nebula affect a planet? Let's say I have a binary star system. The planet is orbiting the smallest star similar to the Sun at 1 AU, the same Earth-Sun distance. The other star is located at around 50-100 AU from the Sun star. This second star is 2-3 times more massive. It will run out of combustible before the smaller sta... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What are the factors influencing the temperature of my world? The question is rather simple, the answer is more complex. It is to answer why some places are colder than others. Example: North America is colder than Europe at the same latitude. (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What would be the effect on life/civilisations if the length of a year was longer or shorter? If you want to have a smaller star but you also want to keep your planet in the habitable zone, you need to put the planet closer to the star. This means shorter years. It is also possible to have a larger star and a longer year. Specifications: The planet is not tidal locked to the star. To have ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	What kind of star should I use for my world? If I want an Earth-like planet, what kind of star can I use to achieve that ? According to the Harvard stellar classification, our Sun is a G-class star. The best would be to have: Temperature similar to Earth's, but can be hotter or colder as long as Earth-like beings can live there. The life o... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Is it possible for complex life to evolve on planets without oxygen? By complex life, I mean something more complex than microorganisms. Something closer to what we have on Earth. Similar to this question: Is it possible for life to evolve on planets without water? Is it possible for an atmosphere to sustain life without oxygen? Could life evolve with other gases? ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Is it possible for life to evolve on planets without water? By life, I mean something more complex than microorganisms. Something closer to what we have on Earth. similar to this question: Is it possible for complex life to evolve on planets without oxygen? For example: It is said that Titan is well outside the habitable life zone but we make the assumpt... (more)	—	over 9 years ago