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1500 questions
34
votes
18 answers
Can time travel make us rich through trading, and is this a problem?
At different points in history, commodities have been at different levels of supply, and therefore have been at different prices. One good might be valuable in the present while another is nearly worthless; a century ago, this could have been…
HDE 226868
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34
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6 answers
Would a suit that acts as extra-cardiovascular system allow you to run indefinitely?
Generally, when you run a long distance or do something particularly strenuous, you start breathing heavily because of a decrease of oxygen in your blood. Your gasping and weezing is in an effort to replenish that oxygen that you used up while you…
StrangerHopeful
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34
votes
17 answers
Dropping ice in the ocean to stop global warming
In the TV show Futurama, an in-show infomercial mentions that Earthicans started dropping giant ice cubes in the ocean to slow down global warming. Now, Futurama is a show where science is a mixed bag: Futurama has a number of scientist consultants,…
Nzall
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34
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5 answers
Would England of the 14th Century be capable of producing revolver bullets
A cowboy of the 19th Century got dragged back into the past (just in case, stable time loop does not apply here since it also has an alternative timeline/universe), after some feats of battle, the King and nobles were extremely impressed, especially…
Pointman
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34
votes
14 answers
How do dragons not burn themselves?
If I were to build a world like Game of Thrones, how would the dragons not burn their own nostrils from the heat of flames?
rubixphys12
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34
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9 answers
Could the atmosphere be compressed and put into bottles?
I just had an idea – likely an absurd one – but it could make an interesting plot.
Picture this scenario – Present day earth. (easy to picture) But, there is an antagonist. He has a facility full of powerful air compressors and vacuum pumps. He…
X-27 is done with the network
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34
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19 answers
Which current networking protocol would be the optimal choice for very small FTL bandwidth?
Possibly a dumb and outsider question, but my knowledge in the basics of computer networks is terrible.
Imagine the possibly not too original concept, that humanity somehow manages to transmit data instantaneously, defeating the vast distances of…
Z..
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34
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17 answers
Could the Industrial Revolution be delayed indefinitely? Or is it inevitable once a certain point in development is reached?
I am considering whether a pre-Industrial civilisation could carry on for millennia on an Earth-like planet without entering the Industrial Age.
Of course, regularly destroying everything with plagues, earthquakes, etc and sending people back to the…
Jnani Jenny Hale
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34
votes
22 answers
What could cause humanity to migrate from land to water?
I'm constructing a world where the humanity had to migrate from land to water somewhere in antiquity. In this world, humans are living on seas and rivers. They live both on pier-like and other fixed platforms near the coast as well as on rafts…
Misza
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34
votes
10 answers
How long after death is blood fit for consumption?
We all know that food spoils if left untreated by some form of preservation. Different foods spoil at different rates, of course.
Let's say Dracula stumbles across a fresh corpse. (For the sake of argument, assume the person died of natural causes.)…
Thane Brimhall
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34
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32 answers
Designing fictional non-competitive games
I'm creating a story set in a peaceful society. The society is actually very strict about being peaceful, to the point where they don't even play games involving competition. But at the same time, this society enjoys recreation, and also is very…
user171
34
votes
2 answers
What would skies look like on Worlds inside Nebulae?
I am building a habitable Earth like planet, but instead of it being in a solar system it is inside a Nebula.
The actual composition of the Nebula is uncertain at this point.
I am thinking the planet still needs one or more stars (that are also in a…
Jimmery
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34
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11 answers
Is there a scientifically plausible faster-than-light communication system?
In series such as the Hyperion Cantos and Ender's Game, there exist fictional faster-than-light communication systems allowing either instantaneous, or near-instantaneous transmission of information.
Are there any (or what are some scientifically…
Kohlbrr
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34
votes
7 answers
What's the most logical shape for my city in space (space station)?
Science fiction shows us two common shapes for large space stations, rings and tubes:
Deep Space 9 (image source):
Similarly, 2001: A Space Odyssey (image source).
On the other hand, we have Babylon 5:
(Image source.)
The International Space…
Monica Cellio
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34
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26 answers
Aliens are on their way. What can cause them to not understand us?
This question continues the premise set in my previous question, but do not worry, I will try to tell the most important bits:
There is intelligent alien race about 30 light years away from us. They discovered, that Earth is submitting signal. They…
Pavel Janicek
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