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1500 questions
33
votes
13 answers
How "advanced" can a stone age society get?
I'm working on a world where, with very few exceptions, metalwork is not possible/unwanted, and I'm trying to figure out what major differences one might see in daily life, and what would be necessary for a culture to continue to go without…
Bokai
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25 answers
Why would an army of angels with air superiority fight demons on the ground?
Angel society is militaristic with all individuals serving as warriors in some capacity. They are locked in an eternal battle against demons from hell over control of the mortal plane. Angels have wings which gives them the capability of flight.…
user32862
33
votes
14 answers
If all zombies followed the loudest sound around, could they all end up in the same place?
While watching a Walking Dead commercial I saw a vast number of zombies walking in a single uniform march in one direction. I wondered why (not knowing the show) and could only presume they heard a sound and therefore were all walking toward said…
DasBeasto
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33
votes
8 answers
Could the Romans have colonised the New World?
The question of whether the Romans could have crossed the Atlantic in a storm has already been answered and the answer seems to be: yes but unlikely.
Could the Romans have crossed the Atlantic in a storm
Following on from this question I would like…
Slarty
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33
votes
21 answers
How would it make sense that spellbooks or grimoires teach only one wizard?
When I saw this other question about one somewhat illogical aspect of spellbooks in JRPG games I remembered another somewhat illogical aspect about JRPG spellbooks:
How would it make sense that spellbooks or grimoires teach only one spell?
How can…
jhocking
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33
votes
17 answers
What will our great-grandchildren play with?
Assuming for a second that our future won't be hijacked by shackle-breaking AIs, I'm planning a lighter segment in my story, which unfortunately for me involves children playing.
Now you would ask, what could be easier than children playing? Just…
Serban Tanasa
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33
votes
11 answers
Zombies and how they would stack up against an army
While sitting alone in my room today contemplating life I came up with a simple question. How do zombies take over the world when we have armies?
Let's just take the US army alone. They fought in two world wars and came up victorious both times…
TudorMeister
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33
votes
5 answers
Dyson sphere with mirrors
What would happen if the entire inner surface of a Dyson sphere (not necessarily a solid shell, maybe a very dense swarm) would be coated into a highly reflective material?
Let's say it can reflect 99.9% at all wavelengths.
Would it cook the star in…
b.Lorenz
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votes
8 answers
Why don't future civilizations develop their A.I. to integrate with biology so they can make a sustainable world?
Most of the AI's in films/books/series seems to turn out evil or using destructive/harmful ways of achieving what they want in critical situations because they can't understand the earth's biology. Even though they are just a piece of technology,…
Pablo
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33
votes
12 answers
Solid material made from human blood
Is it possible to create a room-temperature solid made from 100% human blood?
One of my stories features a girl who has the passive ability to block the superpowers of anyone in a 100-meter radius. The government decides that this would be quite a…
F1Krazy
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33
votes
9 answers
How effective would a stone cannon be?
How effective would a cannon made of stone be? Would it actually fire? Would it still be usable after firing? Would it be as effective as a metal cannon? How thick would the walls of the cannon have to be?
Gryphon
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6 answers
How big could an alien-made object on the far side of the moon become so that discovery still can only happen by accident?
A great way to introduce advanced technology to a story is to have it be of extraterrestrial origin. E.g. have a spaceship crash on earth, or, like I was planning to, put a derelict spaceport on the darkfar side of the moon and have humanity…
dot_Sp0T
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33
votes
11 answers
How do I simulate the path of a river?
In Creating a realistic world map - Waterways, I asked about exactly what processes affect how rivers flow and meander. With some of that knowledge in mind, I'm curious as to how a worldbuilder (like myself, for instance!) could go about creating a…
HDE 226868
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votes
11 answers
Where is the best place to park your damaged spaceship, longterm?
Your large spaceship is damaged beyond repair. You manage to get it close enough to a planet so that you can release emergency shuttle craft. You have very little control over the ship and won't be able control it much longer.
The story demands that…
EveryBitHelps
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33
votes
15 answers
Why would aliens ally with humans against other humans?
Humanity has spread throughout the galaxy and has split into several factions in a galactic "cold war" type conflict. The two major factions (think USSR and USA) are in a galactic deadlock, with numerous smaller space-faring factions fighting small…
Saurian Knight
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