cobaltduck
Getting started as of 14 August 2020. More to come eventually.
Posts
See all 47 »As far as we are currently aware, the most intelligent things in the oceans are the cetaceans (dolphins and whales) and the pinnipeds (seals, walrus, sea lions). Further, it is more tempting to wa...
posted 9y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 9y ago by cobaltduck
I request some help with the design of one particular denizen of my fantasy world, tentatively named Boar Troll. It needs to be an ungulate or closely related creature with emerging sentience, and...
2 answers · posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 8y ago by cobaltduck
My answer is going to go well beyond what we can ever expect from reality, so I hope your definition of "rational SF" is fairly liberal. This is going to be a major undertaking in genetic engineer...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck
I decided to try to extrapolate from some known data. I used various sources to find that: The Harpy Eagle at 6 to 9 kg can lift a Three-Toed Sloth of 3.5 to 4.5 kg A Peregrine Falcon of 0.3 to ...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
I think evolution could handle this, given enough time and the right pressures. Here are the steps, in brief: Start with an existing carnivorous plant like a butterwort or bladderwort. Increase ...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
I contend that the Trojan, Greek, and Hilda groups associated with Jupiter in our own solar system constitute "fields" as opposed to "belts." The Hildas are perhaps more scattered, but they do not...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
Triangulation does not require being able to determine distance. Here is an example on an earth-bound maritime navigational chart: The ship in this situation would need to know in advance that ...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
What are some ways we (ancient, non-AI-merged) humans have sought to enhance our relationships with our pets? We've put them to work! There are: Search and Rescue Dogs Bomb-tech Dogs Law Enfo...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
The fantasy creature I am imagining (planning a short story or two around) satisfies the following analogy: Human is to Chimpanzee as "This Thing" is to Badger. That is, the creature has a cl...
4 answers · posted 11y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
Nesting. Your creature has reached a key stage in its evolutionary development. It has advanced from digging a hole on the beach, laying its eggs, and trusting to fate. Its instincts now compel ...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck
This question has already been debated by exo-astronomers. The best answer they could come up with (using 1974 technology) was the Arecibo Message. The details might change, but the essential ide...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
Other answers and comments mention axial tilt, and I agree that should be part of your thought process. You might also add something akin to the El Nino - La Nina cycles. On an irregular but roug...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
The largest so-far known flying animal on this here earth was the quetzalcoatlus. At 10 meters, its wingspan falls far short of 1000 feet you mention. (image from wikimedia) However, the mecha...
posted 10y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 10y ago by cobaltduck
Turns out this is happening- right now, on this planet, in reality. All you need is some smog. This photo from Beijing last year looks rather bronze-ish to orange-ish I think. (image source: In...
posted 11y ago by cobaltduck
I will derive my solution by comparing to real-world precedents, and analyzing how these might be adapted by merfolk. (TL;DR: Rock domes.) Why do humans have houses? Shelter from the elements. ...
posted 11y ago by cobaltduck · last activity 11y ago by cobaltduck
