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1500 questions
130
votes
9 answers
Releasing a T-Rex into a modern ecosystem wouldn't be that bad, right?
T-Rex Forever LLC has a mating pair of Tyrannosaurus rex. They're a bit shady on how they got them, time travel, cloning...they won't say. Third-party biologists and paleontologists have examined the pair and their first clutch of offspring. They…
Green
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130
votes
20 answers
Could a planet made completely of water exist?
In the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Thirty Days", there was a planet made completely out of water, which is the inspiration for this question. However, that planet was held together by an artificial containment field. I'd like to know if a water…
celtschk
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130
votes
21 answers
What would make scientists realize they were on a flat world?
Scenario: While poking around in an alien ruin, scientists discover a gateway which offers instant transportation to an Earth-like world.
The Observed World: The gateway leads to an area that is temperate (let's say it's similar to east coast of…
Liesmith
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129
votes
14 answers
How can I ensure my Evil Tower is always stormy?
It's been a good year for me as an Evil Overlord. Lots of princess kidnapping turned into sizable ransoms, several of my Doomsday Devices were sold for high prices at auction, and my Minions have been working harder than ever. In fact, I'd like to…
Dubukay
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128
votes
21 answers
In space, do "shipping lanes" make sense?
In settings with space travel we often see stories that rely on ships encountering each other, such as space piracy (which means you need to know where to wait in ambush), or distress signals that actually get answered by passing ships. Now on…
Monica Cellio
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126
votes
21 answers
My carrier pigeons have been replaced by spoons: how can I send messages?
Yup. All my pigeons are now spoons. I knew my court alchemist was a sore loser, but I still think it's inappropriate to do that for a chess game. He vanished and I no longer have any means to communicate.
Horses can also send messages, and are…
NotATyrant
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126
votes
23 answers
How can a Dragon keep humanity in check?
I am a Dragon and I have an infestation problem in my world. Currently, I am the single one of my kind and your representation of a dragon in movie Desolation of Smaug is fairly accurate only there's no such thing as 'magic'.
All of my life I had…
Nick Dzink
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122
votes
21 answers
How does a species who cannot distinguish left from right build their cities?
Fran is on holidays to planet Earth. She is having difficulty coping with the local geometry.
At this second Fran is thirsty. She can see a lemonade stand nearby. She knows a human would have no difficulty getting there. But she's worried of making…
Daron
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122
votes
17 answers
How many humans can I abduct without getting noticed?
Humans as Pets is now a thing. But not for AI (as in the linked question) but for the aliens.
This celebrity was seen with their human pet and now every alien kid is begging their parent to get one human as a gift for their next hatching…
Pavel Janicek
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121
votes
29 answers
Would intelligent life evolve any other body plan than humanoid?
Disclaimer: This question uses some liberal wording to get key ideas across. It's not meant to be academically rigorous, so please try to focus on the ideas and not the exact definitions of the terms used. If you need clarification on something or…
thanby
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120
votes
17 answers
Which major solar system body could most realistically be artificial?
Which body in the Solar System is the best candidate for being an artificial construct, placed there by a Kardashev Type II Civilization?
Some notes:
The purpose of this body is to monitor earth, with as little likelihood of detection as possible…
Timpanus
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120
votes
7 answers
How would having multiple moons affect tides?
We know that planets can have multiple moons, sometimes quite a few (like Jupiter). Assuming that a planet with several moons were habitable in the first place and has significant oceans (greater than 50% of the surface), what effect would multiple…
Monica Cellio
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119
votes
11 answers
Could a Dwarven Civilization Exist?
Could a Dwarven society as described by Tolkien mythology actually work? Dwarves for the purposes of this question are short, stout, bearded men and women who live primarily underground. They have a medieval level of technology although perhaps some…
Mike Nichols
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118
votes
29 answers
If our universe were a simulation, what could a bug look like?
Let's assume, without revoking any of today's science, that the world is a simulation.
What would a bug look like?
I'm assuming that "the eiffel tower suddenly being bent at 45°" is rather unlikely, the same way you don't see a bunch of clowns…
Sheraff
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117
votes
11 answers
In a medieval setting, how far apart should towns be?
This is a medieval European (fantasy) setting, with the following (highly tentative) parameters:
Each town is vaguely autonomous, and have their own municipal government system.
Towns do trade with each other, but are not exactly dependent on said…
ChrisBKreme
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