Activity for Thomas Myronâ€
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edit | Post #275900 | Initial revision | — | almost 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Additional import: questions we want which were missed For those who don't know: while this site was being proposed, I raised some issues about not importing questions with the [magic] tag. After some discussion, I feel like we reached a consensus that some [magic] questions, which are focused on the science rather than the magic, would be on topic, but ... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Comment | Post #275802 |
After some consideration, I've decided that I like this name better than the ones I came up with. 'Scientific speculation' is more or less exactly what we will be doing here. The only issue is that the title is too general to really convey much else to a newcomer, but as of now, I think it's the best... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Comment | Post #275803 |
A branch of science, not Christianity, but yes, I think Scientific Creativity is definitely better. Although I'm leaning towards 'Scientific Speculation' myself. (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Edit | Post #275803 | Initial revision | — | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Is this the right name for the site? Of the suggestions I've seen, I like 'scientific worldbuilding' the best. However, Mithrandir has raised some concerns that this focuses on the worldbuilding aspect, on a site where we're inviting people to speculate on scientific scenarios without necessarily any worldbuilding in mind. The key h... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Comment | Post #263480 |
Obviously the habitable zone on a tidally locked planet will be in perpetual twilight, but I'm very curious just how dark it will be, given your statements about the star needing to be further away/smaller than our own. Will it only be as bright as a full moon at night? Brighter? Darker? (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Comment | Post #225476 |
This seems off topic. It is asking for creature comparisons, and the title is misleading. It might be on topic on a zoology-related Q & A site. (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Is a coral-based planet possible? Inspired by this answer and the mention of a hyperbolic plane, I've been imagining a world based on that geometry. The closest real-world example of such a geometry I can come up with is hard coral. I've been imagining a planet which is a coral, something which essentially looks like this (on a plan... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
Ringed Planet: The shadow's effect on fauna I am writing a fantasy novel centered on an Earth-like planet with icy rings like Saturn. This question deals with certain effects of having such a ring system. Assume the planet is Earth, the rings are Saturn's rings (minus the C and D rings), and Saturn's ratio of planet/ring holds true for my p... (more) |
— | over 5 years ago |
| Question | — |
Capturing a moon: Process reality check Background: I have an icy moon on a collision course with my fantasy world. Mages on this world have the ability to slow the speed of the moon gradually. I want them to use this power to lock the moon into orbit around the planet. Note that 'moon' in this case refers to a moon-sized object, which i... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
What happens if a small moon is held within a planet's Roche Limit? For story reasons, I need my mages to convert a moon on a collision course with their planet into a ring around the planet. The only thing they can do is hold the moon still. They can't do so indefinitely, and they can't change or reverse its momentum, so the only remaining option is to hold the moon... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Would a moon shatter if it collided with an unmovable barrier? For story purposes, I'm trying to determine what would happen if a small moon-sized object crashed into an unmovable barrier surrounding a planet. My goal here is to eventually get a ring surrounding the planet, but I don't know if that would happen, or if fragments of the moon would achieve escape v... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would be the most efficient way to destroy a comet? A large comet is quickly approaching my fantasy world. Its impact will spell doom for all life on the planet. Fortunately, there are mages on this fantasy planet who possess a magic capable of shattering the comet. But, magic isn't free, energy has a cost.... At first blush you may think I am askin... (more) |
— | almost 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Effects of Rings - Debris? I've been thinking about writing a fantasy novel set on an earth-like world with Saturn-like rings. I've been doing some research here by looking up questions about worlds with rings, of which there is a surprising amount. One answer I found indicated that: The area under the rings will be an ex... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would be the effects of a large moon? I am considering writing a fantasy novel. This novel would be set on an earth-like planet, but certain story details require that the planet have either a much larger or much closer moon than Earth does. I'll be honest and say that I know virtually nothing about planet mechanics, and don't know what ... (more) |
— | about 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Immediate physical effects of being exposed to space for nine seconds? I am writing a short story in which a character is ejected out of an air lock in a space ship. He quickly re-enters (disregard how he does this) and the chamber re-pressurizes, but he is exposed to space for about nine seconds, and without oxygen for about 12 seconds. Given that the plot then has him... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would be the possible benefits of pointed ears? The title fairly well sums up the question. We all know elves have pointed ears. Whether they be LotR style with slight tapers, or full blown foot long impracticalities, all elves have pointed ears. In a realistic context though, would there be any advantage to having pointed ears (foot long or oth... (more) |
— | over 6 years ago |
| Question | — |
Reality Check: Low-Hanging Banyans Previously, I asked several questions about living in a massive banyan tree whose branches were about 600 feet up. Though I can't find the comments, I was informed that there would be very high winds at that elevation which would make life very difficult, if not impossible. So I've redesigned my ba... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can I get a giant non-marine snake? Disclaimer: This is not a duplicate of this question. This question deals with a specifically non-marine snake. My fantasy story requires a giant snake. The easiest way to create one (as far as food goes, at least) is to have it be marine, but I don't want to tie my setting to the ocean coast. For ... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Living on a Giant Tree - Animals This is one of a series of questions centered around living on a giant tree. The setting/scenario is described below: In my fantasy world, elves live on a giant tree, very similar in structure to a Banyan Tree. The elves live on the branches of this tree, which average 300 feet wide. The tree it... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can I achieve 1.5 mile (or even 300 foot) wide tree branches? In my fantasy story, elves live high up in giant trees (or at least something similar to a tree). These trees are so massive, that entire cities can be built on their branches. The branches have flattened to accommodate these elves, as their presence is beneficial to the trees. This has the double bo... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would happen if a large area had permanent cloud cover? This question is not a duplicate of this question. They're similar, but this one has one very large difference: only a large area has permanent cloud cover, not the whole planet. If low clouds or even fog completely cover a large area (let's say 100 miles sq, about 161 km sq), what would be the eff... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can a world have permanent dense fog? I recently asked a question about how a world could have permanent cloud cover. The answer was to turn the world into venus. However, my purpose for cloud cover was to have the people living above it not be able to see the surface when they look down. Venus' clouds extend quite a ways, to the point... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How Can I Get Giant Trees on Venus? Yes, the title is strange, but hear it out. The inhabitants of my earth-like planet live high up in the atmosphere - living on giant trees. However, I don't want them to be able to see the surface far below them, so I need permanent cloud cover. Based on the question I asked, it seems like the easies... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can a world have permanent cloud cover? The inhabitants of my Earth-like planet live high up in the atmosphere at 1500 meters. When they look down, I don't want them to be able to see the ground. I figure the best way to accomplish this is to have cloud cover below them. However, the cloud cover needs to always be there. No break, no patch... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Hurricanes - How to Protect Against the Damage My first thought for protecting against hurricanes (or any kind of flooding/wind storm) is something that you can erect between the storm and the city. Obviously in the case of large cities that's going to take a lot of material, and that material isn't going to be cheap. So we need to aim for someth... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Hurricanes - How to Protect Against the Damage Disclaimer: First off, this is not a duplicate of this question. That question deals with stopping the hurricane, or preventing it from ever forming in the first place. It was discovered that wasn't such a bright idea, so I'm asking this question. This question deals with simply preventing any damage... (more) |
— | about 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Living on an Isolated Peninsula - Animals This is one of a series of questions centered around how an isolated group of people would survive. Each question focuses on a single aspect of survival. Details about the peoples' situation are below: In a novel I am developing, a village's worth of people is living on a peninsula. The isthmu... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
What needs to happen to stop a tornado? In Star Trek TNG, you hear about some sort of defense back on earth that is supposed to screen out all the bad weather. In the episode "True Q," it is mentioned several times as being capable of preventing/stopping a tornado. Obviously we can't do this today, and I realize we still don't understand ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would we need to stop a hurricane? In Star Trek TNG, you hear about some sort of defense back on earth that is supposed to screen out all the bad weather. In the episode "True Q," it is mentioned several times as being capable of preventing/stopping a tornado. Obviously such a system isn't possible today, but what would we need to s... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How fast could a plant grow given unlimited energy? Imagine for a moment that a plant (let's say a maple tree, though any plant will do), has unlimited energy. There's no conversion of sunlight or anything - the energy is just there, being soaked directly into the tree. This energy is infinite, as much as the tree needs. How fast could the tree grow... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would happen to an asteroid if we somehow increased gravity on it? The scenario is that an asteroid has been found and converted into a travelling interstellar space colony. Using some undefined future sci-fi tech, the occupants of the colony have increased gravity on the surface to roughly equal the gravity of earth. What effects would this have on the asteroid? ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Planetary Surface of Trees? Purely hypothetical question here. Would it be feasibly possible to have a planet entirely covered in a dense network of interlocking trees? The idea is that the trees themselves act as the 'crust' of the planet, with virtually all life living on them. The planet could be a water planet far below... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Circular tree: possible? In the never ending quest to get elves to live in trees, I am taking things one step further and attempting to get the entire city in a tree. Magic is not in the equation. The tree would start out looking like this from above: As time goes on, the tree would expand outwards, with the dual trunk m... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
Which Natural Resources Go Where? (Medieval Fantasy Setting) I am creating a fictional fantasy (Medieval-ish era) world. The area covered by my map is fairly large, and contains an ocean, mountains, plains, lakes, forests, swamps, etc. It's pretty much all there (save for desert and tundra). In my world, races are largely limited to one area. So for example ... (more) |
— | over 7 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can I get a giant banyan tree with mangrove roots? Here's the set up: in my fantasy world, there is a species of tree similar to Banyan trees. There are several giant versions of these, and smaller ones are quite common. One of the biggest of these trees serves as a city for elves. There is none of the 'tree-growing' that you commonly see in fantas... (more) |
— | almost 8 years ago |
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What factors determine the type (shape/color/consistency) of fruit? I am creating a fantasy world on a planet entirely separate from our own. Since it is a different world, it makes sense that the food there would be different as well. Some of our fruit is similar. Oranges and lemons both have rinds, a fairly similar shape, and look nearly identical inside (save fo... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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What would be the effects of a column of air being sucked into outer space? Here's the setup: You have a space station orbiting Earth. On this space station is an anti-gravity device powerful enough to lift a small ship on Earth up through the atmosphere and into the space station (or next to it, anyway). Disregard for the moment how such a device works or came to be. The ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would happen to Earth if the Moon was destroyed? In the movie Oblivion, the Moon has been destroyed by invading aliens. Several shots of the moon show what is left: If the moon was somehow shattered like this, what would the effect be on Earth? (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Vertical city - effects on climate? Picture, in a near future, that we build cities vertically rather than horizontally. Need a new city block? Add another few floors. Disregard for the moment any physical construction problems this may present. My question pertains to the effects that such a city would have on the climate and weathe... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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What kind of VTOL engine could eject steam? Here's the setup. You have a gigantic mildly futuristic city, where construction is vertical rather than horizontal. Need a new city block? Add another few floors. Disregard for the moment any physical problems this may present. To move throughout such a city, we've constructed public transportatio... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
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Effects of being briefly exposed to a zero air pressure environment Assume that a person is shielded by magic. The only thing this magic does is to keep air away from that person (ignore for now any consequences to said unfortunate individual). Aside from this, the magic can be ignored. This has the result that the person is encased in a sheath of empty space, about ... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
Effects on wildlife of having permanent smoke in an area The setup: A thick mountain chain is permanently covered in smoke. The smoke comes from several active volcanoes within the mountains, and is kept from dispersing by magic (the magic plays virtually no other part in this scenario). The smoke varies in thickness, but is consistently thick enough to ma... (more) |
— | over 8 years ago |
| Question | — |
What would be the effects of safe lightweight nuclear power? Upon asking this question, I have learned why we can have nuclear powered ships, but not aircraft. The reason is because the shielding needed for the nuclear reactor is simply too heavy for the power generated (ships fix this with displacement). On that note, what would happen if an invention allow... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
How can I make a Nuclear Powered VTOL Safe? Here's the set up. In my slightly-futuristic mildly-sci-fi novel, I have a need for an aerial transport vehicle (I have been informed what I need is closer to a VTOl than a hovercraft). These crafts need to be able to go from the ground to a building hundreds of stories high with reasonable speed, wh... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
| Question | — |
The Ultimate Protein Bar - As a Fruit Here is the setup: Elves, through magic, have the ability to cause regeneration of limbs/healing of wounds through natural cellular processes. Regenerating a limb, while now possible, obviously takes a massive amount of energy. Either that, or a really, really long time. How can I get the necessary... (more) |
— | almost 9 years ago |
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Wet and dry seasons - what are they and how do they form? While asking questions about building my fantasy world, I keep hearing about wet/dry seasons. Obviously, one has rain and the other doesn't, and I've gathered that they occur with regularity on an annual basis, but what exactly are they? What causes them, and when/how often do they form? Note: I ori... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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What factors determine the type of tree in a given area? The title of this question is fairly self-explanatory. I am developing a fantasy world, and I want to know what factors determine what kinds of trees I can have, where I can put them, and why. I want to know what factors (climate, habitat, weather, etc.) will tell me which trees can exist in a give... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |
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Circular space station - what's the rotational speed to achieve earth-like gravity? Imagine there is a space station shaped like a cylinder. The cylinder spins on its axis, in order to create artificial gravity through centripetal force. My question: How fast would the space station need to spin to have the gravity be the same as on Earth? I realize I probably can't get any exac... (more) |
— | about 9 years ago |