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1500 questions
89
votes
15 answers
Does a hive mind race need a written language?
Imagine that human beings in a parallel world evolved with hive mind, so that they can communicate telepathically almost instantly at infinite range. To put thoughts into writing requires effort and not only does it slow down thinking process. It is…
user6760
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89
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22 answers
How to monetize free energy without revealing its existence?
Just last week while developing a new CCTV camera system I accidentally produced a free energy generator. I know, what are the odds?
So now I'd like to make some money. Unfortunately, this device is so simple and effective that I cannot release the…
frodoskywalker
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89
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11 answers
What would be the best way to get clean, drinkable water in a medieval city?
Help! I've been transported back in time to London in 1303 AD. After saying hi to the flock of other worldbuilders who have inexplicably travel back in time to Medieval Europe, I decide to set out to get something to drink. Luckily, there are plenty…
ckersch
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89
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38 answers
How can a colony of teleporters make the most money while keeping their teleportation a secret?
The Situation
A colony of 100 teleporters (between the ages of 20-40) have been hidden away living like monks for 1000's of years to prevent their detection.
With the death of their old leader, a young new leader takes control and wishes to push the…
scohe001
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88
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16 answers
For fiction purposes, are there any reserved or non-existent top-level-domains writers can use in stories?
I understand that it's long been a tradition in American fictional works, especially movies and TV, to use a '555' phone code for any numbers that needed to be displayed on-screen, as that prefix doesn't exist, and so there was no risk of the…
user688466
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88
votes
13 answers
0g pool: can I keep a big ball of water in space?
I have a super luxury space hotel. It has artificial gravity in the living and shopping area and 0g in some parts of the recreational area.
There is a 0g pool available for the guests. I want it to be a large ball of water 10m in diameter. Can it…
SilverCookies
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88
votes
29 answers
Encrypting maps
Encrypting texts is a very old technique, which is known already from the time of the Romans, if not earlier. Now a simple text cypher is easily done with low-tech means, as long as those trying to break the code also have to rely on low tech.
Now…
celtschk
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88
votes
2 answers
How soon can the first stars form?
Introduction
In our universe, the cosmic microwave background was formed approximately 400,000 years after the Big Bang. It was hot, but within a few million years after the Big Bang, it would no longer have consisted significantly of visible light.…
HDE 226868
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87
votes
32 answers
Conquering a Metropolis with near-zero own casualties
You have a trillion dollar/year military budget. You can buy all the toys (that are physically and financially possible to build with current technology). You can hire the manpower, command the airpower, harness the firepower, fire up the research…
Serban Tanasa
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87
votes
30 answers
The opposite to Worldbuilding: World Destruction
I am looking at different ways to destroy a planet - because a society within my setting wants to destroy a planet. I am assuming the planet is of a similar size and composition to the Earth just to keep things simple.
I am starting at boiling the…
Jimmery
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86
votes
19 answers
Would a 'World Tree' be feasible in real life?
A livescience.com article claims that trees can reach a theoretical height of 400 to 426 feet (122 to 130m). This is due to the tree being unable to carry water up to the top at that certain point due to gravity. It also claims that
at a certain…
Skye
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85
votes
15 answers
How Long Could an "Eternal" Fire Last?
How Long could an "Eternal" Fire last?
At some point there is a fire very spiritually important to a certain people - so important that they build a city around it, and begin developing an empire with one of their main motivations being to provide…
mmur
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85
votes
28 answers
How can I build a door to repel a horde of zombies?
In The Walking Dead, the survivors have seen plenty a wall. From Woodsbury, to Wellington, to Alexandrea, they are all different and they all have their advantages. One issue that none of them have managed to fulfill yet is the gate though.
Every…
TrEs-2b
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85
votes
18 answers
Humans as Pets?
Related, and in continuation to The Challenge of Controlling an Advanced AI. At this point in my story, I'm assuming a got-out-of-the-box-AI scenario, where no singleton (a single self-coherent dominant entity) was created, but a large number of…
Serban Tanasa
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85
votes
19 answers
Humans can now run 40 mph. How do I keep the stupid people alive?
Let's assume that humans can now run 40 mph and the human body can handle it. I know and understand that this is not feasible, but let's just play pretend. Naturally people would have all kinds of fun, but as we all know most people are wild,…
TrEs-2b
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