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1500 questions
67
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17 answers
Is there any plausible reason for a robot's eyes to glow?
Many sci-fi machines and robots have glowing eyes, though there's no apparent reason why any such thing should be the case. One possible example is something like a cat's eye, where light is sometimes reflected in the dark but that seems unlikely…
Kronimiciad
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67
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16 answers
Is Cancer Biologically Universal?
Cancer works by making cells split and reproduce at an accelerated rate, slowly and painfully killing the afflicted. Its true weapon lies in its ability to surpass the immunity system.
As far as I can tell, no matter how the cells of an alien work,…
TrEs-2b
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67
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9 answers
I duplicate the U.S. President. What happens?
So the U.S. President (or some other country's leader) is strollin' along. I blast him with a duplication ray gun (secret service must have been snoozing). There are now two of him. How does the world react?
The two copies are identical at the…
Christopher King
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67
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13 answers
What sort of problem would drive a near omnipotent civilization to seek an "outside the box" solution?
The Setup
A while back, I read an article in which the author compared the rise and fall of civilizations in the universe to a forest.
In the forest, small plants come into being, grow, and die over relatively short time spans. Living in the shadows…
Trekkie
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67
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22 answers
How to enforce a Ban on Vegetarianism
Let's say that Vegetarianism is banned in my country and meat eating is mandatory. The technology is modern. Stuff like Tofu, Quorn and other things that can make vegetarianism more popular are banned and considered contraband drugs.
The punishments…
MedwedianPresident2
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67
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22 answers
How can I make my languages structurally less like English?
Making vocabulary for a language isn't too difficult (at least, not as hard as it might seem at first!). You can come up with some simple patterns of letters and syllables, and work off of those to create myriad words.
One problem I encounter is…
HDE 226868
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67
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22 answers
Why would there be any use for sea shanties in space?
I understand that sea shanties were a type of work song, and often used to help sailors operate in sync with each other. They've survived as an art form, but so far as I know they don't have any practical use anymore. One would think that after…
Kronimiciad
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67
votes
10 answers
How to make money from a browser who sees 5 seconds into the future of any web page?
You installed a strange browser you found in the deep web that works similar to any other. You soon discover something really amazing. That browser shows the state of any web page or online app 5 seconds in the future.
You make some tests.
WhatsApp…
Malkev
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67
votes
16 answers
Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic
This relates to a world in which there is no magic and only medieval technology. The ruling and religious classes want to convince the general populace that magic exists.
For example a sword-smith has been tasked with making a 'magical' sword that…
chasly - supports Monica
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67
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25 answers
How can waste from the body be removed without being expelled from the anus?
Humans are savage creatures. This is indicative in the way they get rid of bodily waste. Squatting over a glorified hole in the ground or aiming their spear tip toward the same hole and hoping for success is a matter best left to barbarians with no…
Incognito
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67
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13 answers
How do I justify spending time to create a world in the first place?
I'm having a very hard time justifiably spending lots of time building a world of my own.
On one hand-- I express myself very creatively, and even browsing through this site gives me a plethora of ideas.
However, whenever I start to consider what…
Uertmon
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67
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12 answers
Justifying why a troll's skin would turn to stone in sunlight
It's a fairly common legend that trolls turn to stone when exposed to daylight, and I was thinking about using such a creature in a story. I'm searching for a plausible way of justifying such a weakness - there's nothing similar existing in nature…
user54563
66
votes
36 answers
Why might wizards be unable to wear armour?
Inspired by this question, this question and this question, I, too have been thinking about typical RPG-style magic systems.
It's a truism in RPGs (and fantasy in general) that armour and magic don't mix (fair warning: that's a TVTropes link) - that…
walrus
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66
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13 answers
What kind of natural armor would stop bullets?
It should not resist 50 cal bullets, but an armor which could protect a creature from the US standard issue rifle, for example. Here are a couple of things the armor needs to do:
Protect the creature from the bullets mentioned above. Take a look at…
OneSurvivor
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66
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29 answers
How would humanity enter a Dark Age?
Humans have grown fat, complacent and cock-sure of the certainty of future progress, arrogantly expecting to build minds in their own image. They even dream of building themselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that they may…
Serban Tanasa
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