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1500 questions
77
votes
18 answers
How to prevent tiny mistake in 'programmable language' magic spell causing horrible disasters?
I have seen a few stories use the programmable magic trope. The most well known I believe is the wiz-biz series, though it's rather old now. The idea is that magic works just like a programming language, you put together words that have meaning…
dsollen
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77
votes
12 answers
Can Average Joe reboot the nuclear power plant?
Setup: The year is 2018. Malicious virus escaped secret lab and managed to kill 99% of all humans between January and April 2016. Not-so-average Joe spent his last two years of basic survival with the rest of people who are immune to the virus.
Joe…
Pavel Janicek
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77
votes
26 answers
How would a war between immortals be fought?
Imagine a world similar to medieval Earth (technologically), populated by humanoid beings. For all intents and purposes, they are humans - they talk like humans, think like humans, have human-like culture - with one exception: they are all…
HDE 226868
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77
votes
13 answers
Is using the Sun as a sort of 'garbage dump' safe?
Is it safe for my civilization to launch rockets full of hazardous material into the Sun? This question applies to all stars, really, not just the sun.
By hazardous materials, I mainly mean radioactive waste. Just so I don't get answers about how…
Ceramicmrno0b
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77
votes
15 answers
How could we fake a moon landing now?
The moon landings actually happened, and there's plenty of contemporaneous evidence of it. But what if the United States government wanted to fake a moon landing now?
We have the technology to create pretty convincing images of a moon landing. But…
JesseTG
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77
votes
24 answers
How would primitive peoples detect radiation?
In an environment in which acute radiation hazards are common what tools or techniques could be employed by primitive people to detect and thereby avoid radiation exposure?
These people do not understand what radiation is, but they do understand…
Mike Nichols
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77
votes
11 answers
What questions should I ask myself when designing a legal system for a fantasy world?
QUESTION
In the real world, the history of law in pre-industrial states is as sprawling and complex as can be imagined, and includes all kinds of unique and fascinating systems, from the Code of Hammurabi to the Gragas, and much else besides.
But…
Random
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76
votes
19 answers
Could aliens colonize Earth without realizing humans are people too?
So aliens find Earth to be suitable for colonization and disregard humanity's claim. Not because they are racist, but because they are so different biologically and psychologically that humans simply don't fit their definition of people. Animals,…
Anonymous
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76
votes
27 answers
Why would a decision making machine decide to destroy itself?
A mad scientist creates a machine that simulates the world with very high precision. The machine is capable of running several slightly different simulations simultaneously, the difference being some action that the user of the machine can do. Then,…
Dotan
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76
votes
31 answers
Is there any job that can't be automated?
Assuming advancing AI and computing according to Moore's Law for the next two to three decades, are there any kinds of jobs that can't be automated?
If not, why not?
Please refer to specific attempts to model skills or abilities. (e.g: Watson,…
user24000
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76
votes
17 answers
How can I move a planet?
There are a lot of answers on Worldbuilding about how to destroy planets - just as an example - and they seem to be the method of choice for many people intent on destroying the world. My objection to this is that this is extremely difficult; moving…
HDE 226868
- 101,188
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76
votes
22 answers
How can a single person with unlimited lifetimes and persistent memory affect the world?
Assumptions :
This person (let's call him Bob) lives a normal life and ages normally, and dies of natural causes as well
Once Bob dies of any cause, his mind, memories, and thinking all transfer to a new body of a child in someone's womb
He can be…
Zaenille
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76
votes
9 answers
If the insects declared war, who would win?
It is the near future and insectoid aliens pass our planet. They are shocked and dismayed to find that disgusting fleshy creatures seem to be in charge.
Using their alien technology they imbue all of the insects on earth with swarm intelligence.…
chasly - supports Monica
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76
votes
14 answers
How would a dragon be used in a modern military?
The military of (insert nation here) has finished training its latest asset: an adult dragon. Let's call him Private Firestorm. He's got everything the top brass wants from a soldier: he's professional, loyal, skilled, follows orders to both the…
Thomas Jacobs
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76
votes
11 answers
Can a human colony survive on a 'hot' world?
A colony ship headed for its new home countless light-years from Earth suffers an unfortunate malfunction on the final part of its descent phase and crashes onto the planet. Thankfully, the ship crashes near its intended landing zone which is ideal…
Razmode
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