qid int64 4 8.14M | question stringlengths 20 48.3k | answers list | date stringlengths 10 10 | metadata list | input stringlengths 12 45k | output stringlengths 2 31.8k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
82,391 | <p>I was thinking of a situation with humans finding a solar system, in which entropy decreases over time instead of increasing over time. In this solar system heat would flow from a cooler planet to the hotter star. Shattered rocks sometimes spontaneously unshatter before rising back to the top of a cliff. Sand wil... | [
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"text": "<p>No. It would be too dangerous. The danger doesn't arise from coping with dual causality situations on an... | 2017/06/01 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/82391",
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] | I was thinking of a situation with humans finding a solar system, in which entropy decreases over time instead of increasing over time. In this solar system heat would flow from a cooler planet to the hotter star. Shattered rocks sometimes spontaneously unshatter before rising back to the top of a cliff. Sand will some... | No. It would be too dangerous. The danger doesn't arise from coping with dual causality situations on any of the planets. Matter existing backwards in time is [antimatter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPT_symmetry).
As everybody knows when matter and antimatter meet a lot of gamma radiation happens very quickly. Thi... |
83,724 | <p>Earth is protected by a magnetic field. Not only does it shield life from solar radiation, it also guides animals to their migratory grounds. But here's the thing, according to Universe Today:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The core probably accounts to 42% of Mercury’s volume, while Earth is just 17%.</p>
</blockquote>
... | [
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"text": "<p>First off, Mercury is much smaller than Earth (2400km vs 6300km radius), if you compare the cores without ... | 2017/06/15 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/83724",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Earth is protected by a magnetic field. Not only does it shield life from solar radiation, it also guides animals to their migratory grounds. But here's the thing, according to Universe Today:
>
> The core probably accounts to 42% of Mercury’s volume, while Earth is just 17%.
>
>
>
So let's say we have found an a... | First off, Mercury is much smaller than Earth (2400km vs 6300km radius), if you compare the cores without taking into account the rest of the planet you'll find that they are of similar size:
```
2400 * 42% = 1008km
6300 * 17% = 1071km
```
I think what that means is that the rest of Mercury simply eroded away.
But... |
83,825 | <p>The time: January 27th, 2017, 7:00 AM local. The place: New York City and environs.</p>
<p><a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/37248/75">Jormungandr, the Snakebot of Doom</a>, has just finished steamrolling New York City into something more closely resembling a gravel driveway.</p>
<p>Now it has re... | [
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"text": "<p>Right, this will be a very rough estimation since I'm not an engineer. </p>\n\n<p>First and foremost cars. </... | 2017/06/17 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/83825",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/75/"
] | The time: January 27th, 2017, 7:00 AM local. The place: New York City and environs.
[Jormungandr, the Snakebot of Doom](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/37248/75), has just finished steamrolling New York City into something more closely resembling a gravel driveway.
Now it has returned to the vicinity of low... | Right, this will be a very rough estimation since I'm not an engineer.
First and foremost cars.
According to what I could find online you have about 700K cars in the city, each weighing 4009 pounds (1818.452Kg), so considering that almost all of the car's weight will be metallic components then you have 1,272,916.4... |
84,947 | <p>We have two opposing forces: the Democrats and the Imperialists.</p>
<p>Each one can field an armada of ships numbering millions in their fleets, supported by trillions- to a quadrillion person strong super supply lines just to support the war effort, both in space and land. Heck, they even have mobile fortress wor... | [
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"text": "<h1>You need an Alcubierre Warp Missile.</h1>\n\n<p>Let's take the theoretical route for this. Theoretically, as t... | 2017/06/30 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/84947",
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] | We have two opposing forces: the Democrats and the Imperialists.
Each one can field an armada of ships numbering millions in their fleets, supported by trillions- to a quadrillion person strong super supply lines just to support the war effort, both in space and land. Heck, they even have mobile fortress worlds (Plane... | TL;DR: Singularity Bomb
=======================
Honorable Mentions: The Little Doctor & Warp Bomb
=================================================
WOAH WOAH WOAH.
I (the noble) have:
1. 1350 spaceships (total).
2. 150 5km carriers
3. 170 bombers **with *self-evolving* AI**
4. Covert FTL communication (**How?**) wi... |
86,246 | <p>In the Chronicles of the Riddick there was planet Crematoria. Temperature during
the day there was 372°C and during night −182°C. There is not much information about about this planet avaiable.
<a href="http://riddick.wikia.com/wiki/Crematoria" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Link to wikia</a></p>
<p>I think of a planet... | [
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"text": "<p>I'm going with yes and no. Pushing the maximum temperature is easy. Pushing the minimum temperature is much... | 2017/07/16 | [
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] | In the Chronicles of the Riddick there was planet Crematoria. Temperature during
the day there was 372°C and during night −182°C. There is not much information about about this planet avaiable.
[Link to wikia](http://riddick.wikia.com/wiki/Crematoria)
I think of a planet with similar condition. Let's say:
Planet r... | I'm going with yes and no. Pushing the maximum temperature is easy. Pushing the minimum temperature is much harder.
I'll note some discrepancies with Crematoria first
* Wiki quotes the top temperature of +372 degrees Celsius. But the gallery also shows that the surface is lava. [Silicate lava is a little hotter than ... |
87,625 | <p>I've sketched out a solar system for my science-fantasy setting. In the interest of hand-waving only when necessary, I'm reality checking my idea to see what needs to be tweaked or changed outright, so that it works.</p>
<p>Here's my system.</p>
<p><strong>Glimmer</strong>: Is the first planet in the system a <a h... | [
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"text": "<p>For a reality-check, you've not given us enough information. Gravitation must be balanced in a system. Witho... | 2017/07/31 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/87625",
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] | I've sketched out a solar system for my science-fantasy setting. In the interest of hand-waving only when necessary, I'm reality checking my idea to see what needs to be tweaked or changed outright, so that it works.
Here's my system.
**Glimmer**: Is the first planet in the system a [Gas-Dwarf](https://en.wikipedia.o... | For a reality-check, you've not given us enough information. Gravitation must be balanced in a system. Without the balance planets either collide, spiral into the sun, or spin off into space. My gut tells me you didn't consider this. So I'm going to go with no, it's not plausible.
HOWEVER, plausible is in the eye of t... |
92,671 | <p>If you have undeveloped society, like hunters-gatherers living in a small village, but at the same time a highly developed social structure with division of labour and expertise, what would it look like?</p>
<p>One person might learn to make a bow and a knife and an axe from flint, go out hunting, kill an animal, b... | [
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"text": "<p>As already stated in getfugu's comment, you cannot have both primitive society and specialized work divisi... | 2017/09/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/92671",
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] | If you have undeveloped society, like hunters-gatherers living in a small village, but at the same time a highly developed social structure with division of labour and expertise, what would it look like?
One person might learn to make a bow and a knife and an axe from flint, go out hunting, kill an animal, bring it ho... | This is getting into a study of economics, but we can probably boil it down to some simple principles that you can turn into a formula.
First off, you need to 'know' your societies minimums. These are pretty easy to figure out, just say to yourself 'What are MY minimums?'
I need food
I need water
I need shelter
I nee... |
94,192 | <blockquote>
<p><strong>Premise:</strong> Assume that one man has a genetic mutation such that his gametes (sperm) never have an X-chromosome. Unlike most men (who have a roughly 50/50 chance to sire a male or a female child) this man can only sire sons.</p>
<p>Assume further that this mutation is 100% hereditary such ... | [
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"text": "<p>If not identified and taken under control this mutation will result in the extinction of the species, especia... | 2017/10/06 | [
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] | >
> **Premise:** Assume that one man has a genetic mutation such that his gametes (sperm) never have an X-chromosome. Unlike most men (who have a roughly 50/50 chance to sire a male or a female child) this man can only sire sons.
>
>
> Assume further that this mutation is 100% hereditary such that every son born to ... | How long might it take for officials to notice that something was wrong?
========================================================================
Several years. They would notice that the female to male ratio is going down and would wonder why, but for this to be noticeable it would need to affect at least 2-3% of pop... |
96,943 | <p>Building on this question about space exploration on the slopes of a <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/96872/exploration-of-a-50-mile-high-mountain">50 mile high volcano</a>, I'm curious what would happen when the volcano erupts.</p>
<p>The volcano is:</p>
<ul>
<li>50 miles high, just on t... | [
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"text": "<p>At the mountain top the atmosphere would be so thin that it would not be able to hold any significant amoun... | 2017/11/04 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/96943",
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] | Building on this question about space exploration on the slopes of a [50 mile high volcano](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/96872/exploration-of-a-50-mile-high-mountain), I'm curious what would happen when the volcano erupts.
The volcano is:
* 50 miles high, just on the edge of official space at 62 ... | What we're concerned with here is the [eruption column](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eruption_column) and subsequent plume arising from the volcanic eruption. This is a shield volcano, so it's not going to erupt *a la* Mount St. Helens; rather, it will slowly spew out material. Granted, for a volcano this large that's... |
97,081 | <p>How can an authority verify the identity of an AI?</p>
<p>An easy to explain example is the equivalent of a drivers’ license.
Consider a typical situation, in the near-ish future: Police cruiser pulls over a car that has a passenger but no driver. Starts to admonish her that self-driving cars must still have a li... | [
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"answer_id": 97086,
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"text": "<p>This can be done in a similar manner as we check the authenticity of software today - using license keys... | 2017/11/06 | [
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] | How can an authority verify the identity of an AI?
An easy to explain example is the equivalent of a drivers’ license.
Consider a typical situation, in the near-ish future: Police cruiser pulls over a car that has a passenger but no driver. Starts to admonish her that self-driving cars must still have a licensed drive... | What you have, what you know, who you are
=========================================
Those are the three ways that an unknown person is authenticated and authorized. For humans, "what you have" usually means a physical key or pass card. "What you know" means a password or passphrase. "Who you are" means unique biologic... |
97,615 | <p>This question differs from <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/63496/how-could-i-have-modern-computers-without-guis">that question</a> in that the other question is asking about a change in history while this question is looking for a change in the future.</p>
<hr>
<p>In a <a href="http://tv... | [
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"text": "<p>Because all operations in given environment are very important and need careful setting.</p>\n\n<p>It is <... | 2017/11/12 | [
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---
In a [near future setting](http://tvtropes.or... | A quick web search for "CLI vs. GUI" (Command Line Interface vs. Graphical User Interface) shows that many developers hold the following1:
1. ### CLI is faster for an experienced user
It is much faster to type than to navigate layered menus with a mouse. You can type with both hands, and it's easy to type blindly - s... |
98,053 | <p>I'm imagining a system with a star and something like 6-8 planets. The planets' orbits are (relatively) close to each other, and all share an orbital period that is exactly the same. I.e. the length of a year would be exactly the same on all planets. I've even gone so far as to imagine a system where the planets ... | [
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"text": "<p>As you can see from your picture, they are not at the very same distance from the central star.</p>\n\n<p>... | 2017/11/16 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/98053",
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] | I'm imagining a system with a star and something like 6-8 planets. The planets' orbits are (relatively) close to each other, and all share an orbital period that is exactly the same. I.e. the length of a year would be exactly the same on all planets. I've even gone so far as to imagine a system where the planets are al... | >
> Is it possible for such a system to exist?
>
>
>
I'm sorry, but no. At least not according to orbital mechanics as currently understood.
[Kepler's third law of planetary motion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler's_laws_of_planetary_motion#Third_law) is one of the old workhorses of orbital mechanics, and ap... |
98,601 | <p>In a <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture" rel="noreferrer">near future setting</a> I am working on, humans have built <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/91677/where-to-place-my-space-station-so-it-observes-one-full-planetary-revolution-per">space-hab... | [
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"text": "<p>Ion propulsion would be the best solution for your near future propulsion system. It is already in use and ... | 2017/11/23 | [
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] | In a [near future setting](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture) I am working on, humans have built [space-habitats](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/91677/where-to-place-my-space-station-so-it-observes-one-full-planetary-revolution-per) and have established colonies on... | Ion propulsion would be the best solution for your near future propulsion system. It is already in use and newer more powerful versions are being constructed now such as the [X3](https://www.space.com/38444-mars-thruster-design-breaks-records.html).
Although ion propulsion would probably be the best solution a detaile... |
99,921 | <p>It's Earth and the moon with all parameters as they are in real life with one exception, the moon is twice as reflective as usual. Instead of an <a href="http://www.asterism.org/tutorials/tut26-1.htm" rel="noreferrer">albedo of 0.12</a>, the moon has an albedo of 0.24. This change will have huge implications for all... | [
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"text": "<p>Not really.</p>\n\n<p>Sun is <a href=\"http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/27/bafact-... | 2017/12/11 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/99921",
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] | It's Earth and the moon with all parameters as they are in real life with one exception, the moon is twice as reflective as usual. Instead of an [albedo of 0.12](http://www.asterism.org/tutorials/tut26-1.htm), the moon has an albedo of 0.24. This change will have huge implications for all kinds of things. What I'm inte... | It's still way too dim to be useful. You'd have less than 1 lux worth of light, but you need a bare minimum of 50 lux to make any difference at all, and preferably 500 lux to see some significant (but small) amount of extra growth.
Plants' light requirements fall into one of the four categories below, depending on the... |
100,700 | <p>Mathematics is considered to be the language of the universe since it is the most fundamental type of logic (in physics anyway) and therefore the best way of expressing the universe (which is a physical environment). From this it is safe to assume that any civilization advanced enough to reach the stars has a good g... | [
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"text": "<p>You can't communicate with maths.</p>\n<p>Maths are a collection of related formal systems that are so... | 2017/12/22 | [
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======================================
Language is just a collection of building blocks. Human language is, of course, very complicated, but it must have been formed from the sorts of basic communication events that mammals the world over still use.
So 'math' is as good a way a... |
100,928 | <p>So, my friend had an idea for a weird Post Apocalypse society traveling through space towards Proxima Centauri B, and she's trying to figure out where the population would be 50 and 100 years after the start. I tried to work out the math and got lost four times.</p>
<p>First, let's assume that for whatever reason, ... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>Assumptions (and they're whoppers)</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>Life is perfect. Nobody dies due to ... | 2017/12/28 | [
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] | So, my friend had an idea for a weird Post Apocalypse society traveling through space towards Proxima Centauri B, and she's trying to figure out where the population would be 50 and 100 years after the start. I tried to work out the math and got lost four times.
First, let's assume that for whatever reason, humans hav... | This code underwent some revision due to some coding errors! See edit log for more information.
---
JBH has a very nice answer, and I have to admit, I mainly wrote this answer because it seemed like a nice programming puzzle.
My method: I modeled the likelihood of a woman getting pregnant after a chart I found onlin... |
101,288 | <blockquote>
<p>...It's paradox. They left us these technological marvels, yet with all their might and knowledge they failed to prevent their own doom...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Excerpt from a lecture by the <em>High Historian of Berlin Falls</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Welcome to <em>a</em> future. Mankind has brought doom up... | [
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"text": "<p>A radiothermal train is a fun idea. Radium may be possible (given futuristic resources), though tr... | 2018/01/02 | [
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> ...It's paradox. They left us these technological marvels, yet with all their might and knowledge they failed to prevent their own doom...
>
>
>
Excerpt from a lecture by the *High Historian of Berlin Falls*
---
Welcome to *a* future. Mankind has brought doom upon themselves, their cities have been flattened... | A radiothermal train is a fun idea. Radium may be possible (given futuristic resources), though tricky, I'll need to give it more thought. Another fun possibility if you don't mind an actively controlled reactor is a natural uranium source, like in [the CANDU reactors in Canada](http://www.world-nuclear.org/information... |
101,837 | <h1>Introduction</h1>
<p><em>For more backstory, see <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/100613/can-you-design-your-own-plants-without-a-computer">here</a> and <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/101519/how-high-def-can-my-tv-be-without-computers">here</a></em></p>
<p>The... | [
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"text": "<p>I found you a moon: <strong>Mimas</strong></p>\n\n<p>Since I couldn't sleep I thought I would do some ... | 2018/01/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/101837",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Introduction
============
*For more backstory, see [here](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/100613/can-you-design-your-own-plants-without-a-computer) and [here](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/101519/how-high-def-can-my-tv-be-without-computers)*
The 438th Harmonious Congress of the P... | I found you a moon: **Mimas**
Since I couldn't sleep I thought I would do some of the math so here it goes:
```
Radius_Mars = 3390 * 10^3 %in meter
Thickness_Atm = 66 *10^3 %Earth atomosphere is about 100km, took 2/3 for
mars in meters
Volume_Atm = 4/3*pi*(Radius_Mars+Thickness_Atm)^3 - 4/3*pi*Radius_Mars^3; ... |
102,787 | <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/pvnAW.gif" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/pvnAW.gif" alt="enter image description here"></a>
Notice that most of the energy is absorbed by the inside with considerable little damage to the outside. I base this question on the premise of would the Eart... | [
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"text": "<p><em>Therefore, could it be possible that</em>:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><em>An asteroid hit at an angle to slow... | 2018/01/21 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/102787",
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Notice that most of the energy is absorbed by the inside with considerable little damage to the outside. I base this question on the premise of would the Earth and asteroid would act similar raising the temperatu... | I'll try to contribute, trying to omit what others have already mentioned;
The first issue I want to mention is your idea that an asteroid would 'go through' Earth just as the bullet does through the high-tech jelly. This analogy is deeply flawed due to one simple thing that you have ignored:
There is actually a lo... |
102,874 | <p>If a bow was made of steel and shaped like a Old Mongolian Bow with a draw weight of around 1000 lbs was made in proportion to a 9 foot tall humanoid (assume strength is enough to pull bow normally and the bow and arrow is roughly double regular size) what sort of force, speed, ect. would the arrow achieve?
(Assume ... | [
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"text": "<p>So 1,000lb is grossly oversized.</p>\n\n<p>Average draw weights for normal bows are in the 40-55lb rang... | 2018/01/22 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/102874",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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(Assume the... | First of all, some conversions to make the physics easier:
==========================================================
```
500 lbs ~= 225 kg
43.2 in ~= 1.1 m
```
Okay, now why these numbers?
============================
Bows are basically springs, meaning that they follow Hooke's Law reasonably well. Hook's law stat... |
103,567 | <p>Natural uranium (NU) is a mixture of about 0.7% $\ ^{235}U$ (fissile) and 99.3% $\ ^{238}U$ (non-fissile). To create uranium-based nuclear weapons NU has to undergo a process called enrichment in order to increase the ratio of fissile uranium. </p>
<p>Today the ratio of fissile uranium in NU is about 0.7%. However,... | [
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"text": "<h2>TL;DR</h2>\n<p><strong>Probably yes</strong>, natural uranium (NU) is usable in weapons in "young"... | 2018/01/30 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/103567",
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] | Natural uranium (NU) is a mixture of about 0.7% $\ ^{235}U$ (fissile) and 99.3% $\ ^{238}U$ (non-fissile). To create uranium-based nuclear weapons NU has to undergo a process called enrichment in order to increase the ratio of fissile uranium.
Today the ratio of fissile uranium in NU is about 0.7%. However, $\ ^{235}... | TL;DR
-----
**Probably yes**, natural uranium (NU) is usable in weapons in "young" [note 1] solar systems. (not weapons-grade, but weapons-usable)
**Probably yes**, terrorists would have a much easier time creating (crude) nuclear weapons. Whether not needing enrichment would hinder or help civilizations prosper an... |
103,686 | <p>I'm trying to design a world in the Alcyone A system of the Pleiades.</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyone_(star)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Alcyone A</a> consists of three stars. The main star is 3.4-3.8 solar masses.
There is a very low mass star < 15 million miles away which orbits every 4 da... | [
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"text": "<p>Going with the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumstellar_habitable_zone#Solar_System_estimates\" rel... | 2018/01/31 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/103686",
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[Alcyone A](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyone_(star)) consists of three stars. The main star is 3.4-3.8 solar masses.
There is a very low mass star < 15 million miles away which orbits every 4 days.
There is another star ~ 480 million miles away... | Stable
======
I ran this simulation using [Rebound](http://rebound.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html), and orbital particle simulator. You can find the code I used for your simulation at my [github](https://github.com/kingledion/worldbuilding), under the file `orbit_ryanrussel_180131.py`. These are the initial condi... |
103,709 | <p>Humans like to explore and seem to have an almost instinctual need to expand. After spreading throughout the solar system and even into the Oort Cloud they decided that humanity should follow the robot probes out into the galaxy. </p>
<p>Without FTL, but having discovered a form of artificial gravity and having exp... | [
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"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Is this a realistic way to colonize and explore the universe?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Sur... | 2018/02/01 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/103709",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Humans like to explore and seem to have an almost instinctual need to expand. After spreading throughout the solar system and even into the Oort Cloud they decided that humanity should follow the robot probes out into the galaxy.
Without FTL, but having discovered a form of artificial gravity and having experience cr... | >
> Slow being a little less than half the speed of light, thanks to getting a very large boost as they start their journey.
>
>
>
Slow down there!
================
**literally.**
At that speed it's not really a generation ship since you can get to many other stars within the original crews lifetime.
And ther... |
103,753 | <p>The obvious WWII alternate history question is <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/30758/what-single-change-would-have-given-the-best-chance-for-the-axis-to-win-world-wa">how could the Axis have won</a>. Let's try something different this time.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wik... | [
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"text": "<p>Strategic Depth</p>\n\n<p>The French invested heavily in the Maginot line (and famously didn't extend it acro... | 2018/02/01 | [
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The [Battle of France](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of... | After many good answers and further research, it seems that, by all accounts, the Allies should have won, surprisingly enough. The Nazis won thanks to a ridiculous string of coincidences that would have had put any reader out of the story, had it be fictional.
At the end of WWI, France had the most modern army in the ... |
105,190 | <p>So, This is a VERY VERY BIG TANK. So big it crushes everything in its path (even the path itself). </p>
<p>Assuming I lead Nazi Germany, I WILL deploy/create this tank.</p>
<p>The issues of this tank are:
(taken from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1000_Ratte" rel="nofollow noreferrer">wikipe... | [
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"text": "<p>First of all, 1939 to 1941 are the years where the Nazi and their allies were jumping from success to suc... | 2018/02/17 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/105190",
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] | So, This is a VERY VERY BIG TANK. So big it crushes everything in its path (even the path itself).
Assuming I lead Nazi Germany, I WILL deploy/create this tank.
The issues of this tank are:
(taken from [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landkreuzer_P._1000_Ratte))
1. The large size and weight would have rend... | The problem with these giant tanks is that killing them is easier than building them. They will be no tougher than an armored cruiser or battleship, and ships were sunk with bombs from carrier-based and land-based bombers.
Historically Germany had been quite *inefficient*, and fiction tends to ignore that. Do you want... |
106,120 | <p>Due to global warming, Earth has become uninhabitable. The rich left off to colonize 'New Earth' while everyone else is left behind.</p>
<p>For whatever reason, the people left behind have survived, but out of sheer hatred have decided to go out to 'New Earth' and plunge it into an even worse but similar demise as ... | [
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"text": "<p>If you get down to it, boiling or vapourizing the oceans needs a metric crap ton of energy. The Atomic Ro... | 2018/03/03 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/106120",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Due to global warming, Earth has become uninhabitable. The rich left off to colonize 'New Earth' while everyone else is left behind.
For whatever reason, the people left behind have survived, but out of sheer hatred have decided to go out to 'New Earth' and plunge it into an even worse but similar demise as the origin... | If you get down to it, boiling or vapourizing the oceans needs a metric crap ton of energy. The Atomic Rockets "[Boom Table](http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/usefultables.php)" tells us we need the following amounts of energy:
Boil the oceans: 6.6 × 10^26J 158 Pt
Vapourize the oceans 4.5 × 10^27J 1 Et
To... |
106,145 | <p>I am writing a science fiction story with mass produced clones. Since I have a number of clone I need to tell them apart. The ID system must be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Permanent over the lifetime of the clone (call it 150 years)</li>
<li>Very difficult to tamper with (radio frequency transmitters can be excised, etched bones... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> I'm not a biologist.</p>\n\n<p>Think of DNA as source code for programming. It ... | 2018/03/04 | [
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* Permanent over the lifetime of the clone (call it 150 years)
* Very difficult to tamper with (radio frequency transmitters can be excised, etched bones can be re-etched -- ... | >
> Can I use DNA to do this, by simply adding several codons to an existing DNA strand (assuming quick, basically immediate, and accurate Proteinas Chain Reaction - PCR)?
>
>
>
Absolutely. A significant percentage (as high as 20% according to some authors) of DNA has no biological activity and is a leftover from ... |
106,461 | <p>(Turns on future technology super-computer, opens world simulation command prompt)</p>
<pre><code>World.Simulation
>>Activated
World.SetFactions(4)
>> 4 factions created
Variable human_type = [Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloid, Australoid]
for i in range(len(Factions):
Generate human_simulati... | [
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"text": "<p>I would say that there are not any significant differences between these groups. Not significan... | 2018/03/08 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/106461",
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```
World.Simulation
>>Activated
World.SetFactions(4)
>> 4 factions created
Variable human_type = [Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloid, Australoid]
for i in range(len(Factions):
Generate human_simulations(quantity=100, anatomy=... | If I had to pick one group it would be Negroids becasue most of human genetic variability is within that group, its not a big advantage but I you had to pick one group it would be that one just becasue they have more variability to work with. Of course evolution tends not to parse that way, it will be individual popula... |
107,426 | <p>Julius Caesar used a substitution cipher (now called a Caesar cipher) for sensitive private and military correspondence. The cipher involves shifting all of the letters in a message in one direction a secret number of times, wrapping around if necessary. This appears to have done well for Caesar, but could he have d... | [
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"text": "<ol>\n<li><p>No effect. This technique has very limited use given that all communication in that age w... | 2018/03/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/107426",
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] | Julius Caesar used a substitution cipher (now called a Caesar cipher) for sensitive private and military correspondence. The cipher involves shifting all of the letters in a message in one direction a secret number of times, wrapping around if necessary. This appears to have done well for Caesar, but could he have done... | The same problems that a normal one time pad face would be faced by our hypothetical Caesar.
Namely, if you want to send me a message, I need to have:
1. A one time pad at least as long as your message (or, if we're willing to settle for a shorter cipher, as many ciphers as you have messages)
2. Received every messag... |
108,021 | <blockquote>
<p>...and while I'm at it: You've another 47 seconds to finish up and get back here before I gotta throw her in reverse...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Acting Navvy on the <em>Marube</em> @63kph and ~4km distance from a forthcoming train</p>
<hr>
<p>Welcome to <em>a</em> future. Mankind has brought doom upon ... | [
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"text": "<p>So, to get a couple comments out of the way first, I'm not really sure why you would want to rob the train... | 2018/03/27 | [
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> ...and while I'm at it: You've another 47 seconds to finish up and get back here before I gotta throw her in reverse...
>
>
>
Acting Navvy on the *Marube* @63kph and ~4km distance from a forthcoming train
---
Welcome to *a* future. Mankind has brought doom upon themselves, their cities have been flattened by... | So, to get a couple comments out of the way first, I'm not really sure why you would want to rob the train from another train (except for the rule of cool), especially since they are traveling so slow. I can totally see there being a Mad Max style thing where a racing vehicle drives up next to the train, someone jumps ... |
110,493 | <p>I am preparing world for my novel. One of the races in my world is elves. To make my world believable I would like to incorporate the Elvish language. I am big fan of Tolkien or Sapkowski's Elvish language. However as their work is copyrighted I believe I cannot use these. Is there something like an Elvish language ... | [
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"text": "<h3>Apparently not</h3>\n\n<p>I have been searching and the only answers I have found are already men... | 2018/04/25 | [
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================================================
There is a real legal history of battles over open source languages, two threads of which are relevant here. The first is that the US court system has definitively ruled that it is not a violation of a constructed compute... |
110,967 | <p>In my story interstellar travel is common, but nothing's perfect, and a mining ship returning from a deep-space run (you'd be surprised what's out there) just discovered that something is very, very wrong.</p>
<pre><code>\*crackle\* Mayday... Mayday... this is the Tycho Brahe...
Primary engine offline. Asteroid i... | [
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"text": "<p>Edit: I did make a math error, the points below still stand though.</p>\n\n<p>No. The solar wind pressu... | 2018/04/30 | [
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```
\*crackle\* Mayday... Mayday... this is the Tycho Brahe...
Primary engine offline. Asteroid impact in the O... | Edit: I did make a math error, the points below still stand though.
No. The solar wind pressure simply isn't strong enough to stop you.
Making larger sails would increase the force applied to your ship, but would well surpass known material shear strengths and would destroy itself.
Assume a constant acceleration f... |
112,647 | <p>I think I've done my research about multi tasking on humans, but this is a whole new level</p>
<p>I have a conqueror, where he creates nanobot creatures instantaneously (handwaving the transformation process).</p>
<p>He can create 5 types of Creatures.</p>
<pre><code> 1. Lesser Demons (3 feet Nepylims)
2. Hunter... | [
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I have a conqueror, where he creates nanobot creatures instantaneously (handwaving the transformation process).
He can create 5 types of Creatures.
```
1. Lesser Demons (3 feet Nepylims)
2. Hunters (5 feet beast with feature... | The issue is not controlling the army, but the limitations of your instructions. If you permit more powerful instructions, the job gets much easier.
The issue is not the act of barking orders like "If Machine is not dealing any damage, move forward." That could be done. The difficult issue is whether or not following ... |
116,869 | <p>My world has a conlang that heavily emphasizes words in 'grades' of 5. For example the words for issues are grouped as: Danger-Threat-Risk-Hazard-Situation.</p>
<p>Usually it isn't hard to find a set of things in groups of 5, since you can always move delineation points (e.g. drinks by alcohol content is Juice-Beer... | [
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"text": "<p>I do not agree with a lot of your matrix as it stands - I cannot see how swamp can be drier than tropical ... | 2018/06/30 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/116869",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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Usually it isn't hard to find a set of things in groups of 5, since you can always move delineation points (e.g. drinks by alcohol content is Juice-Beer-Wine-Vodk... | Assuming your conlang is on an Earth-like planet, then yes, the problem is physics, not just linguistics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<https://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/too-cold-to-snow/6953983>
To quote the important part:
>
... |
117,677 | <p>In one world I am building, the four seasons are composed of the four elements.</p>
<p>It would probably go in this direction:
Water>Earth>Fire>Wind>Water</p>
<pre><code>The season of Fire is dry and hot.
Between the season of Fire and Wind is a time of lightning and prophecy.
The season of Wind is windy and chaot... | [
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"text": "<pre><code>Between the season of Water and Earth is a time of floods and hope.\nThe season of Earth is temperat... | 2018/07/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/117677",
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It would probably go in this direction:
Water>Earth>Fire>Wind>Water
```
The season of Fire is dry and hot.
Between the season of Fire and Wind is a time of lightning and prophecy.
The season of Wind is windy and chaotic.
Between the seaso... | **The season of Earth is fertility.**
In the season of Earth, she does her thing keeping us alive. Fields! Flowers! Baby animals! Green! Plus you have to have some season to grow food or people will starve. You can't eat lighting and chaos.
As I understand it Earth would be roughly analogous to spring, fire to summe... |
121,834 | <blockquote>
<p>Look at you all sitting here. Quite some of you have probably never ventured beyond the outskirts of this city, mayhaps not even past the wall? You've spent your whole lives in this place, but what do you actually know about <em>its</em> lifetime?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Introductory course to the Histo... | [
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"text": "<p>I am not a geologist, but as far as I can tell this layout is completely plausible. Good attention to... | 2018/08/16 | [
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> Look at you all sitting here. Quite some of you have probably never ventured beyond the outskirts of this city, mayhaps not even past the wall? You've spent your whole lives in this place, but what do you actually know about *its* lifetime?
>
>
>
Introductory course to the History & Sociology of the tri-region... | **Grossly unnatural features:**
Mainly, you should remember that topography is a facet of the geological history of the area. So, your hills look fine, could just be product of orogeny and erosion, your cliff spanning the entire map is fine, most likely explained by a strike-slip fault (although it could be a bit stra... |
122,862 | <blockquote>
<p>You sure lad? For some of you folks normal beer is already an acquired taste, but this... this beer <em>definitely</em> is. You understand that this stuff is brewed with water from the devil's choke? You know, that vile spring right behind the abbey?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Last words Hans M'wambe, Priv... | [
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"text": "<p>A lot of people tend to misunderstand how common sulfur compounds actually is in water. They're actually... | 2018/08/24 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/122862",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/2746/"
] | >
> You sure lad? For some of you folks normal beer is already an acquired taste, but this... this beer *definitely* is. You understand that this stuff is brewed with water from the devil's choke? You know, that vile spring right behind the abbey?
>
>
>
Last words Hans M'wambe, Private 1st Class, recalls before ge... | A lot of people tend to misunderstand how common sulfur compounds actually is in water. They're actually used as preservative in [wines](https://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/wine/article/sulfite-free-wine), though sommeliers say it affects the taste.
There are a couple common sources of sulfur. One is from minerals, and ... |
122,863 | <blockquote>
<p>When the old mining town was founded, nobody did think of this ever growing into much more than a coal-mining town. The deposits of iron-ore, aside from the already developed peat bog to the north, driving the tools & weapons industries this city is now thriving from, have originally been estimate... | [
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"text": "<p>Please understand i am not a geologist, so if i'm wrong on naything i say please correct me, i'm jus... | 2018/08/24 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/122863",
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] | >
> When the old mining town was founded, nobody did think of this ever growing into much more than a coal-mining town. The deposits of iron-ore, aside from the already developed peat bog to the north, driving the tools & weapons industries this city is now thriving from, have originally been estimated to be much smal... | So many minerals so close to a city is unlikely
===============================================
### Your mining area is small
Limiting the mines to the area from D2->F3 is like a coal seam that is only 1-2 km long. That is short. Here is a [GIS mapping](https://eppcgis.ky.gov/minemapping/) of coal mining areas in Ken... |
124,152 | <p>I have a location in my story, the design of which needs a reality check.</p>
<p><strong>City Description:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>As my ship cut across the waves a blurred grey smudge appeared in the distance, as the hours passed it became more distinct and it's true scope came into view.</p>
<p>As we neared t... | [
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"text": "<p>Actually granite rarely form caves, and never that big. Water erode the rock by infiltrating through t... | 2018/09/04 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/124152",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I have a location in my story, the design of which needs a reality check.
**City Description:**
>
> As my ship cut across the waves a blurred grey smudge appeared in the distance, as the hours passed it became more distinct and it's true scope came into view.
>
>
> As we neared the end of our voyage a great cliff ... | This is like an [Indian rock-temple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellora_Caves)
================================================================================
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fZyHo.jpg)
There are many examples of these rock-temples in... |
125,208 | <p>So, I'm working out some of the types of wands people can purchase in my flintlock fantasy setting, and I'm having an issue with one of them. Before I get to that, let me explain how Magic in my setting works. Arcane Magic utilizes an energy called Aethyr. It can do a wide variety of things, like shooting firebal... | [
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"text": "<p>According to <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candela#Relationships_between_luminous_intensity,_lumi... | 2018/09/16 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/125208",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] | So, I'm working out some of the types of wands people can purchase in my flintlock fantasy setting, and I'm having an issue with one of them. Before I get to that, let me explain how Magic in my setting works. Arcane Magic utilizes an energy called Aethyr. It can do a wide variety of things, like shooting fireballs, le... | According to <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candela#Relationships_between_luminous_intensity,_luminous_flux,_and_illuminance>
>
> **If the source emits light uniformly in all directions**, the flux can be found by multiplying the intensity by 4π: **a uniform 1 candela source emits 12.6 lumens**.
>
>
>
<https://en... |
128,134 | <p>What are some ideas, preferably based in clever word usage, puns, or some such, for derogatory terms or slurs (of varying intensity) for the inhabits of Mars/Ceres/Deimos/Venus/Jovian moons/other celestial bodies?<br>
These insults should preferably not actually use any "unsavory" language<br>
And are meant to re... | [
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"text": "<p>\"Alien\"\nImagine being referred to as something dehumanizing. It's pretty derogatory. \"But they ... | 2018/10/22 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/128134",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | What are some ideas, preferably based in clever word usage, puns, or some such, for derogatory terms or slurs (of varying intensity) for the inhabits of Mars/Ceres/Deimos/Venus/Jovian moons/other celestial bodies?
These insults should preferably not actually use any "unsavory" language
And are meant to refer to... | "Alien"
Imagine being referred to as something dehumanizing. It's pretty derogatory. "But they are aliens!" That's a pretty racist thing to say.
Otherwise, "greeny" for Martians.
For the others, slurs based on the myths their celestial body was named after. All Venusians being called "sluts" and "easy", for example. |
129,898 | <p>I'm asking this question as a reference for use in worldbuilding when developing world size, atmospheric content, or alien optometric abilities (aka, vision). </p>
<p>While I'm specifically asking two questions, their relevance is so close that it's more practical to ask them once, together.</p>
<p>Given...</p>
... | [
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"text": "<p>In aviation, part of the daily forecast is the estimation of unobstructed visibility. Obviously at a re... | 2018/11/11 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/129898",
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"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/40609/"
] | I'm asking this question as a reference for use in worldbuilding when developing world size, atmospheric content, or alien optometric abilities (aka, vision).
While I'm specifically asking two questions, their relevance is so close that it's more practical to ask them once, together.
Given...
* A sphere 10 Km in di... | Calculating apparent magnitude
==============================
Your alignment of the sun, the observer (in space), and the object is as so
```
1 AU r AU
(Sun) ------------- (obsv) ---------//------------(obj)
```
Given that, there are three separate calculations. First is the magnitude ... |
129,966 | <p>... And if it absolutely has to, then such river should overflow in predictable matter.</p>
<p>I have a city idea in mind, where such the city has a river contained in an artificial tunnel beneath such city. I instantly know one huge design flaw of such a city, which is the floods.</p>
<p>So, I have to take one st... | [
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"text": "<p>You can realize a large basin upstream, where you can divert the excess water during overflow time.</p>\n... | 2018/11/12 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/129966",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/2071/"
] | ... And if it absolutely has to, then such river should overflow in predictable matter.
I have a city idea in mind, where such the city has a river contained in an artificial tunnel beneath such city. I instantly know one huge design flaw of such a city, which is the floods.
So, I have to take one step back and come ... | Rivers with stable flow (with [data source](http://grdc.sr.unh.edu/index.html))
===============================================================================
### River downstream of a large lake
* The larger the lake, the most stable the flow out of it. Also, it helps that the lake be in a temperate environment, oo... |
130,118 | <p>Planetary surface:</p>
<ul>
<li>| 71% Ocean (H2O) | 29% Land | </li>
</ul>
<p>Atmospheric composition:</p>
<ul>
<li>| 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide | </li>
</ul>
<p>Average surface temperature:</p>
<ul>
<li>36 degrees Celsius</li>
</ul>
<p>Planetary rotation:</... | [
{
"answer_id": 130138,
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"text": "<h1>How cloud formation occurs</h1>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bpv1Y.gif\" rel=\"nofollow ... | 2018/11/13 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/130118",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/53282/"
] | Planetary surface:
* | 71% Ocean (H2O) | 29% Land |
Atmospheric composition:
* | 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide |
Average surface temperature:
* 36 degrees Celsius
Planetary rotation:
* 34 hours
Axial tilt:
* 0
Info regarding of altitude, pressure, and atmospheric d... | How cloud formation occurs
==========================
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bpv1Y.gif)
Warm air near the surface of the Earth can rise for many reasons. As it rises, it undergoes [adiabatic cooling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiabatic_proc... |
130,713 | <p>Atmospheric composition:</p>
<ul>
<li>| 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide | </li>
</ul>
<p>Average surface temperature:</p>
<ul>
<li>36 degrees Celsius</li>
</ul>
<p>Surface gravity: </p>
<ul>
<li>1.36x Earth gravity</li>
</ul>
<p>Info regarding of altitude, pressur... | [
{
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"text": "<p>Pressure is a funny thing in biology </p>\n\n<p>Note what i am about to say does not apply to vaccum because... | 2018/11/19 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/130713",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/53282/"
] | Atmospheric composition:
* | 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide |
Average surface temperature:
* 36 degrees Celsius
Surface gravity:
* 1.36x Earth gravity
Info regarding of altitude, pressure, and atmospheric density:
```
altitude pressure density
(meters) (atm)... | Pressure is a funny thing in biology
Note what i am about to say does not apply to vaccum because i am generalizing somethings.
In many ways pressure is irrelevant to physiology. What is critical is pressure difference because that is what kills. It would be possible for a human like body to survive (if created ther... |
130,725 | <p>How can I predict the color of the sky based on the information provided?</p>
<p>Atmospheric composition:</p>
<ul>
<li>| 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide | </li>
</ul>
<p>Average surface temperature:</p>
<ul>
<li>36 degrees Celsius</li>
</ul>
<p>Planetary rotation:<... | [
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"text": "<h1>Blue, but darker</h1>\n\n<p>Earth's sky is blue due to <a href=\"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.... | 2018/11/19 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/130725",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/53282/"
] | How can I predict the color of the sky based on the information provided?
Atmospheric composition:
* | 2% Trace gases | 58% Nitrogen | 26% Oxygen | 11% Argon | 3% Carbon dioxide |
Average surface temperature:
* 36 degrees Celsius
Planetary rotation:
* 34 hours
Axial tilt:
* 0
Info regarding of altitude, pressu... | Blue, but darker
================
Earth's sky is blue due to [Rayleigh Scattering](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/a/63962/23519). Rayleigh scattering redirects at an angle a percentage of incident light through a gas. The percentage of light reflected is proportion to $1/\lambda^4$, where lambda is the wavele... |
130,970 | <p>I’ve done a fair bit of research to come up with this scenario. I hope it’s not “too broad” to ask for a reality check. Have I overlooked anything? Does it all sound plausible?</p>
<p>My world takes place in a massive crater, the only habitable place left on the planet. It is roughly 800 x 600 miles and 5 miles dee... | [
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"text": "<p>I'll try to tackle each of your points, so reaslistically on the face of it, its fairly plausible</p... | 2018/11/22 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/130970",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I’ve done a fair bit of research to come up with this scenario. I hope it’s not “too broad” to ask for a reality check. Have I overlooked anything? Does it all sound plausible?
My world takes place in a massive crater, the only habitable place left on the planet. It is roughly 800 x 600 miles and 5 miles deep. At the ... | Temperature change is caused by lapse rate
==========================================
The difference in temperature between the bottom and top of the crater is going to be driven by the [lapse rate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapse_rate), and not by the heat of the crust (probably). Lapse rate is the rate at which ... |
134,107 | <p>Orgone is the measure of a person's connection with the cosmos. It is the conduit through which the power of the cosmos flows, focused through a sorcerer's will. Ritual practicioners must draw on this reserve of power to make a magic spell work. Spells require a constant infusion of Orgone through rituals that are p... | [
{
"answer_id": 134112,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There are a couple of ways you could end up limiting this or restricting your magic system to account f... | 2018/12/16 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/134107",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/52361/"
] | Orgone is the measure of a person's connection with the cosmos. It is the conduit through which the power of the cosmos flows, focused through a sorcerer's will. Ritual practicioners must draw on this reserve of power to make a magic spell work. Spells require a constant infusion of Orgone through rituals that are perf... | So the real key to this is doing something with the energy before it becomes the unknown wobbling mess of thermal energy that turns your witch into a pop tart. If you generate the heat, you have to get rid of it, period. The only real solution is to minimize the rate of heat generation.
Consider how one can use capaci... |
135,637 | <p>In this story I am writing, I am trying to figure out a place for a giant race in a military for a galaxy-spanning civilization. We'll call them Meat Boys, for joke sake and namesake.</p>
<pre><code>Please bear with me, I don't have a picture. Hopefully, you guys know anatomy
</code></pre>
<p>Meat Boys are varying... | [
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"text": "<p>No, the weight of the snow falling at the speed of gravity (optimistically) would produce less energy then... | 2019/01/05 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/135637",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | In this story I am writing, I am trying to figure out a place for a giant race in a military for a galaxy-spanning civilization. We'll call them Meat Boys, for joke sake and namesake.
```
Please bear with me, I don't have a picture. Hopefully, you guys know anatomy
```
Meat Boys are varying heights, from 10 to 20 fe... | it'd work about as well as using a funnel (or bucket) to catch rain to run a mini hydroelectric plant. in other words, not very well at all.
wind is probably a much better source, during antarctic emergencies it's usually very windy. if there's no wind then a conventiopnal generator is the easiest to fuel and run.
p... |
137,304 | <p>I am a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveller_(role-playing_game)" rel="noreferrer">Traveller (game)</a> referee. I've generated lots of worlds before, using a basic system that describes a world in eight fundamental pieces of data. For the record, those data are:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Starport class, fr... | [
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"text": "<p>As far as I know, that kind of list is only found in Star Trek EU works, specifically the Star Charts, which... | 2019/01/21 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/137304",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/60499/"
] | I am a [Traveller (game)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveller_(role-playing_game)) referee. I've generated lots of worlds before, using a basic system that describes a world in eight fundamental pieces of data. For the record, those data are:
>
> Starport class, from "none" to first-rate, primarily and specifical... | Of course we can make this code up. The question is, how useful it would be.
As @Renan pointed out, possible permutations of planet types number in thousands - and that's not even counting potential life and civilization on the planet. Coming up with single code for every type is impossible.
But if we want just a cla... |
138,926 | <p>An asteroid collision big enough and fast enough to see a massive ejection of rock and moon-chunks, from the surface of the earth <strong>AND not wipe out the population of the planet.</strong></p>
<p>What size and speed of asteroid would it take to have a <em>majorly</em> visible and spectacular impact on the moon... | [
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"text": "<p>Something the size of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_impactor\" rel=\"nofollow nor... | 2019/02/11 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/138926",
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] | An asteroid collision big enough and fast enough to see a massive ejection of rock and moon-chunks, from the surface of the earth **AND not wipe out the population of the planet.**
What size and speed of asteroid would it take to have a *majorly* visible and spectacular impact on the moon?
What after effects would t... | Something the size of the [Chicxulub impactor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_impactor) would be plenty spectacular - the top range of its [impact energy](https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.6391) is fifty thousand gigatons of TNT equivalent. There wouldn't be an equivalent explosion in all of human existence.
The maj... |
139,620 | <p>This question is about how the brain works in that aspect, if it's even known.</p>
<p>I mean with the question that a person might react to something with fear, happiness, disappointment, or whatever other feeling.</p>
<p>These feelings are biological but also are built around the memories about that something.</p... | [
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"text": "<p>80% of memories are eventually forgotten. (As per forgetting Curves which follow Zipfy progressions, also... | 2019/02/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/139620",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | This question is about how the brain works in that aspect, if it's even known.
I mean with the question that a person might react to something with fear, happiness, disappointment, or whatever other feeling.
These feelings are biological but also are built around the memories about that something.
I'm far from a bra... | The answer is "yes it is possible, but it would be unpredictable".
This has a hard science tag, so this draft might need a few revisions, including references, which I will attend to as time permits. Be aware that the best hard science out there is still very speculative, just marginally better than reading tea leaves... |
141,986 | <p>So I'm doing some worldbuilding for a small, isolated village on the coast. The winters are harsh, but making sure everybody has enough food generally isn't an issue because they have good trade with an outside source, and they are community-led so they make sure nobody gets left out in the cold (literally or metaph... | [
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"text": "<p>Your calculation is correct assuming that all children born live to be 70. But that is not the case even wit... | 2019/03/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/141986",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/62500/"
] | So I'm doing some worldbuilding for a small, isolated village on the coast. The winters are harsh, but making sure everybody has enough food generally isn't an issue because they have good trade with an outside source, and they are community-led so they make sure nobody gets left out in the cold (literally or metaphori... | Your calculation is correct assuming that all children born live to be 70. But that is not the case even with the most modern health care. So you may want to up the number of babies a bit, to account (1) for infant mortality, (2) for the tendency of young males to do stupid things which get them killed, and (3) for the... |
143,052 | <p>I was watching a program about the New Horizons space probe and was fascinated by the new revelations about cryolava/cryomagma, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto#Geology" rel="nofollow noreferrer">amorphous planes covering Pluto</a>(98% nitrogen ice).</p>
<p>I'm wondering how this might affect the... | [
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"text": "<p>Amorphous means non-crystalline, not non-solid. Glass is amorphous, and it's solid enough to hold a l... | 2019/04/02 | [
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"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I was watching a program about the New Horizons space probe and was fascinated by the new revelations about cryolava/cryomagma, and the [amorphous planes covering Pluto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto#Geology)(98% nitrogen ice).
I'm wondering how this might affect the idea of a human colony on an ice-world/cryo-w... | Amorphous means non-crystalline, not non-solid. Glass is amorphous, and it's solid enough to hold a load for a long time at room temperature (the myth about sagging in centuries-old stained glass windows is just that -- a myth). Likewise, amorphous ice (whether water ice, ammonia, clathrate, or even oxygen) will be sol... |
143,417 | <p>Basically what's in the title: If someone uses a spiky arm guard/bracer (long bracelet type armor not gauntlet) while bashing/battering an opponent (with or without armor) would this result in the wielder breaking their arm or bone or could they do it without harm to themself?</p>
<p>The spiky arm guard/bracer in m... | [
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"text": "<h2>No, they would not.</h2>\n\n<p>There are several issues with trying to use a weapon like this. </p>\... | 2019/04/07 | [
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"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/62918/"
] | Basically what's in the title: If someone uses a spiky arm guard/bracer (long bracelet type armor not gauntlet) while bashing/battering an opponent (with or without armor) would this result in the wielder breaking their arm or bone or could they do it without harm to themself?
The spiky arm guard/bracer in my mind is ... | No, they would not.
-------------------
There are several issues with trying to use a weapon like this.
First, as you identified, the user may end up with broken bones. The bones in your wrist are relatively delicate as it it a joint. Putting a piece of metal on there and hitting something hard could injure you at b... |
144,029 | <p>I was unfortunate enough to imagine an ancient setting upside down. I started out with small features and, after connecting them, got the following:</p>
<pre><code> cold
^
|
sunrise <---+---> sunset
|
v
hot
</code></pre>
<p>Which basically ... | [
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"answer_id": 144036,
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"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You could simply write that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but is due north at ... | 2019/04/15 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/144029",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/14919/"
] | I was unfortunate enough to imagine an ancient setting upside down. I started out with small features and, after connecting them, got the following:
```
cold
^
|
sunrise <---+---> sunset
|
v
hot
```
Which basically means that we are located in the... | You could simply write that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but is due north at noon (not necessarily in the same sentence). Since the people in the world aren't likely to speak English, "east", "west", "north", and "south" will be translations of local words, and it then makes sense to translate them t... |
144,224 | <p>What would be the most efficient text communication method for a spacecraft operating on a super low bit rate (I'm talking something like 5 bits an hour, excluding error handling)? </p>
<p>As you want both complexity (full English language and numbers) and speed (letters per day) resorting to something like Morse c... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>Textspeak</strong></p>\n\n<p>SMS messages originally were 160 characters so <a href=\"https://en.w... | 2019/04/17 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/144224",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/26903/"
] | What would be the most efficient text communication method for a spacecraft operating on a super low bit rate (I'm talking something like 5 bits an hour, excluding error handling)?
As you want both complexity (full English language and numbers) and speed (letters per day) resorting to something like Morse code seems ... | The most efficient communication is probably a command set. Since you contemplated Morse code, I assume that the communication is done via a fully defined interface - both sender and receiver know what a bit sequence is supposed to mean.
A command set is no more that giving different codes predefined meanings. With on... |
146,412 | <p>Assuming the power source for such acceleration places no limit on things, how quickly can a space craft be accelerated to the speed necessary to cross the distance between Jupiter and the sun in about 30 days time, without the G forces causing harm or unbearable discomfort to the crew?</p>
| [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Assuming you want your acceleration at 1g, 9.8m/s<sup>2</sup>, since anything more would become uncomforta... | 2019/05/06 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/146412",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/38944/"
] | Assuming the power source for such acceleration places no limit on things, how quickly can a space craft be accelerated to the speed necessary to cross the distance between Jupiter and the sun in about 30 days time, without the G forces causing harm or unbearable discomfort to the crew? | The basic equation here is s=1/2 at^2, where s is distance, a is acceleration, and t is time. You have to allow for deceleration on the other end, so assuming you decelerate at the same rate that you accelerated, the easiest way to do the calculation is to cut the distance in half, then double everything when you're do... |
147,785 | <p>Is it possible for a planet to be much further away from its star than earth is from the sun (because for example the star is much brighter/Hotter) yet still have a comparable (as in not tens if not hundreds or thousands of times longer) year and day length to earth? </p>
<p>P.S. To clarify this question somewhat. ... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>First of all, the day lenght has nothing to do with the distance from the star. It only depends on the ti... | 2019/05/26 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/147785",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/57044/"
] | Is it possible for a planet to be much further away from its star than earth is from the sun (because for example the star is much brighter/Hotter) yet still have a comparable (as in not tens if not hundreds or thousands of times longer) year and day length to earth?
P.S. To clarify this question somewhat.
This que... | Yes, it is possible. Day length is only effected by how fast the planet rotates. This is unrelated to the orbit.
Year length increases as your orbit gets bigger, and decreases as your star gets bigger. The heavier the star is, the faster your have to orbit to stay a certain distance away. The farther away the planet i... |
147,916 | <p>If a chunk of land mass the size and position of Sweden took off and floated away in a straight line, exiting the atmosphere and orbiting earth, at what distance would it be visible from, let's say, South Africa?</p>
<p>Alternatively, what size would our planet have to be to allow for such a floating land mass to b... | [
{
"answer_id": 147925,
"author": "Mori",
"author_id": 65279,
"author_profile": "https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/65279",
"pm_score": 6,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Given Sweden has a latitude of 60° N and south Africa of a bit over 30° S, you can never see one from the ot... | 2019/05/28 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/147916",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/65278/"
] | If a chunk of land mass the size and position of Sweden took off and floated away in a straight line, exiting the atmosphere and orbiting earth, at what distance would it be visible from, let's say, South Africa?
Alternatively, what size would our planet have to be to allow for such a floating land mass to be visible ... | Given Sweden has a latitude of 60° N and south Africa of a bit over 30° S, you can never see one from the other no matter how high one is and no matter how small the planet is (as long as it still is big enough to allow you to neglect the distance between your eyes and the surface).
The Sweden simply rises further awa... |
148,379 | <pre><code>TO: [mailing-list:all-employees]
CC: [mailing-list:quality-assurance], [mailing-list:facilities]
BCC: [mailing-list:galactic-villains]
Subject: Thought Experiment - removing all life from a planet
</code></pre>
<p>My Distinguished Employees;</p>
<p>I would like to take a moment to propose a thought experim... | [
{
"answer_id": 148381,
"author": "Alex",
"author_id": 62779,
"author_profile": "https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/62779",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I believe nanobot swarms, mixed with chemically altering the oceans and atmosphere might be an answer. Theor... | 2019/06/05 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/148379",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/6986/"
] | ```
TO: [mailing-list:all-employees]
CC: [mailing-list:quality-assurance], [mailing-list:facilities]
BCC: [mailing-list:galactic-villains]
Subject: Thought Experiment - removing all life from a planet
```
My Distinguished Employees;
I would like to take a moment to propose a thought experiment concerning our recent ... | To: "Carl Llama"
From: "The New Guy"
Date: June 5, 2019
Subject: Watch Out
Dear Mr. Llama,
Watch your back. This looks like a setup. I'm new here, but what you're asking can't be done. Life is just too robust, and cities are too fragile.
You can't burn out the bacteria miles underground because those cities can... |
149,363 | <p>I’m designing a human Bronze Age civilization on a world with only ⅓ of Earth’s gravity. This reduced gravity will allow humans to jump much higher than they could on Earth. It will also allow humans to climb much further and much faster given their reduced weight. This seems to me like it would render common fortif... | [
{
"answer_id": 149367,
"author": "L.Dutch",
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Gravity affects in the same projectiles and buildings. </p>\n\n<p>If a human can throw a spear or jump 3 ... | 2019/06/21 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/149363",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/879/"
] | I’m designing a human Bronze Age civilization on a world with only ⅓ of Earth’s gravity. This reduced gravity will allow humans to jump much higher than they could on Earth. It will also allow humans to climb much further and much faster given their reduced weight. This seems to me like it would render common fortifica... | 1/3 gravity will enable humans to jump higher, but nothing absurd. For example on earth if you jump at 2m/s then you will have a jump time of:
```
t = (vf - vi)/g
t = (0 - 2)/(-9.8) = 0.2 seconds
```
At 1/3 gravity that works out to:
```
t = (0 - 2)/(-9.8/3) = 0.6 seconds
```
Using this we can calculate the jump... |
149,908 | <p><strong>Background:</strong></p>
<p>I have typical dragons: Huge, scaly, winged, and fire-breathing. I also have dragon magic, but I'd prefer answers not to draw on this too much. In my world, a planet similar to earth, dragons live on a separate continent from humans, so sightings are rare, and even rarer are actu... | [
{
"answer_id": 149919,
"author": "Ash",
"author_id": 40408,
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"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>\"Standard\" <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrifaction\" rel=\"noreferrer\">petrifaction</a> like ... | 2019/06/30 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/149908",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/62803/"
] | **Background:**
I have typical dragons: Huge, scaly, winged, and fire-breathing. I also have dragon magic, but I'd prefer answers not to draw on this too much. In my world, a planet similar to earth, dragons live on a separate continent from humans, so sightings are rare, and even rarer are actual pieces of dragons, e... | "Standard" [petrifaction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrifaction) like what can happen to wood of the bones, teeth, and probably scales is highly likely if your dragon is buried deeply. Depending on the particular processes that occur parts of the beast may be [opalised](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opal).
It is ... |
151,298 | <p>For certain reasons I decided to not set my story on Earth. However, the planet is meant to host an Earth-like biosphere (including humans, most of Earth's species (perhaps some that didn't evolve before)). Since I was working with another planet, I decided to make it as big as possible (hence the question). The lif... | [
{
"answer_id": 151299,
"author": "AlexP",
"author_id": 29552,
"author_profile": "https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/29552",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Surface gravity is directly proportional with the radius of the planet and inversely proportional with the d... | 2019/07/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/151298",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/10544/"
] | For certain reasons I decided to not set my story on Earth. However, the planet is meant to host an Earth-like biosphere (including humans, most of Earth's species (perhaps some that didn't evolve before)). Since I was working with another planet, I decided to make it as big as possible (hence the question). The lifefo... | Surface gravity is directly proportional with the radius of the planet and inversely proportional with the density of the planet.
Now fire up LibreOffice Calc (or your favorite spreadsheet program), and play with the numbers. I suggest to put Earth's radius, surface area and surface gravity as 1 (because your are inte... |
152,382 | <p>I am not talking about anterior, posterior, etc... I am looking for words specifically relating to movement.</p>
<p>Long description...
In the mythos I am working on, mages learn to control objects in three dimensional space. They first learn to summon objects within six different spaces.</p>
<ul>
<li>Anterior = F... | [
{
"answer_id": 152390,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>How about you use ship orientations?</p>\n\n<p><code>Front...Fore\nBack.....Aft\nLeft.....Port\nRight....... | 2019/08/06 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/152382",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/66951/"
] | I am not talking about anterior, posterior, etc... I am looking for words specifically relating to movement.
Long description...
In the mythos I am working on, mages learn to control objects in three dimensional space. They first learn to summon objects within six different spaces.
* Anterior = Front
* Posterior = Ba... | Anatomy has some useful words:
```
Superior -> Above
Inferior -> Below
Ventral -> Fore of the body
Dorsal -> Back of the body
Frontal -> Fore of the head
Occipital -> Back of the head
Distal -> Out, towards the tip of extremities
Proximal -> In, towards the body
Rostral -> Towards the face
Caudal -> ... |
154,104 | <p>I'm presently in the process of developing my plans for a flintlock fantasy series. It's high magic, but one form of magic in the setting, Arcane Magic, is heavily based in science. The energy that powers it, Aethyr, can bend the laws of physics but not outright break them. (You can't turn someone into a frog wit... | [
{
"answer_id": 154110,
"author": "ascripter",
"author_id": 67576,
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"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Well, I'm not sure if what you describe is bending the laws of physics less than transforming someone i... | 2019/08/29 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/154104",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] | I'm presently in the process of developing my plans for a flintlock fantasy series. It's high magic, but one form of magic in the setting, Arcane Magic, is heavily based in science. The energy that powers it, Aethyr, can bend the laws of physics but not outright break them. (You can't turn someone into a frog with Arca... | ```
When Perdita falls beyond a certain distance, the belt activates,
using Aethyr to create a magical bubble around her. When she hits
the ground (or any solid object larger than the average bird,) the
Sphere of Meteoric Conversion converts all her kinetic energy and
the kinetic energy of the surface pushing back agai... |
154,185 | <p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewer_gas" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia page on sewer gas</a> states that</p>
<pre><code>Sewer gas can be used as a power source, thus reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.
</code></pre>
<p>However, no references or further details are provided.</p>
<p>So, sup... | [
{
"answer_id": 154190,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'll try.</p>\n\n<p>Continents as a whole have a lot of variation in height, but tje ice on t... | 2019/08/30 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/154185",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/2800/"
] | The [Wikipedia page on sewer gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewer_gas) states that
```
Sewer gas can be used as a power source, thus reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.
```
However, no references or further details are provided.
So, suppose that a typical modern house had its vent stack replaced by sewer ... | I would have to go with Saturn's moon, Iapetus. Iapetus has a mountain range all the way around its 1500 km equator:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WlMJe.jpg)
The current theory is that it is a collapsed ring that once cirlced Iapetus. |
156,565 | <p>In one of my stories, I have a race that communicates using only two sounds: "O" and "U". This can be strung together like this:</p>
<pre><code>Uuuoouoouooouuuooouuoouoououooououo
</code></pre>
<p>Or something like that. <em>There are no pauses between words within a sentence.</em><br>
It is essentially a binary ... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Latin written with <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scriptio_continua\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">... | 2019/09/19 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/156565",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/68902/"
] | In one of my stories, I have a race that communicates using only two sounds: "O" and "U". This can be strung together like this:
```
Uuuoouoouooouuuooouuoouoououooououo
```
Or something like that. *There are no pauses between words within a sentence.*
It is essentially a binary language, just like what machines u... | This is fairly easy. With tri-state it's even easier, but for now let's consider just using a click or silence (a la pure binary: 00101010). The answer is **a lot** and **as quick as their memory can handle**. Let's lay some ground theory:
* There are a small set of "proto verbs" (Incorrect terminology so I'm having t... |
157,834 | <p>My story involves people with supernatural abilities. I want to create a character that has classic superspeed like the comic book superhero <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_(comics)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The Flash</a>, but I want my character to only have realistic applications of such a power.</p>... | [
{
"answer_id": 157835,
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>As long as you are above 60 frames (transitions from one location to the other) per second, most humans will ... | 2019/10/07 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/157834",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/68902/"
] | My story involves people with supernatural abilities. I want to create a character that has classic superspeed like the comic book superhero [The Flash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_(comics)), but I want my character to only have realistic applications of such a power.
Some applications I have already debunked:... | I don't think it's possible while remaining within the bounds relative plausibility. This character has to be *so fast* that even The Flash might raise an eyebrow. I'll call the character UberFlash.
So, let's say UberFlash tries to create two "illusions". He stands in one spot, then *quickly* goes to another and back.... |
159,391 | <p>Definition: Scientific laws or laws of science are statements that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. A scientific law is a statement based on repeated experiments or observations that describe some aspect of the natural world. (wikipedia)</p>
<p>Say a creature from a universe is trying to find magic... | [
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"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Maybe we've already found magic, but we just called it science instead.</p>\n\n<p>Your 1 in million trie... | 2019/10/26 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/159391",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/11498/"
] | Definition: Scientific laws or laws of science are statements that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. A scientific law is a statement based on repeated experiments or observations that describe some aspect of the natural world. (wikipedia)
Say a creature from a universe is trying to find magic. It does ... | Maybe we've already found magic, but we just called it science instead.
Your 1 in million tries would be assumed to be an error, an outlier, a problem with the scientific setup or computer glitch that should be ignored. But if you can repeat the process and it is actually usuable you can create laws for it. As an exam... |
162,214 | <p>For hundreds of years mathematicians have been looking for a method to quickly factorize a natural number.</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<pre><code>3894757 = 877*4441
</code></pre>
<p>Today there's no way to perform prime factorization quickly (when it comes to big numbers). And cryptography is based on this fact.</p>
... | [
{
"answer_id": 162216,
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"author_id": 69280,
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"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Knowing what a solution to an open math problem \"would look like\" amounts to knowing the solution (or a... | 2019/11/27 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/162214",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/70347/"
] | For hundreds of years mathematicians have been looking for a method to quickly factorize a natural number.
For example:
```
3894757 = 877*4441
```
Today there's no way to perform prime factorization quickly (when it comes to big numbers). And cryptography is based on this fact.
What could an algorithm for fast pri... | Assuming this has something to deal with worldbuilding, I'll give a worldbuilding answer.
=========================================================================================
1. Currently the best known method is to check all the primes less than the square root of the number to be factored. Quickly is a relative... |
170,641 | <p>We have a variety of ways of describing our location here on Earth. We can refer to a nearby landmark (eg "by the City Hall"), we can describe our location relative to an area (eg "in the South of the island") and we can describe our location with Longitude and Latitude. It is the later of these methods I am inter... | [
{
"answer_id": 170643,
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"author_id": 63080,
"author_profile": "https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/63080",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>Orbital Mechanics!</strong> </p>\n\n<p>It's not a simple topic, but it's worth your time. They'r... | 2020/03/06 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/170641",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/320/"
] | We have a variety of ways of describing our location here on Earth. We can refer to a nearby landmark (eg "by the City Hall"), we can describe our location relative to an area (eg "in the South of the island") and we can describe our location with Longitude and Latitude. It is the later of these methods I am interested... | **Orbital Mechanics!**
It's not a simple topic, but it's worth your time. They're basically the 6 numbers required to describe the position in time and space of an object orbiting another object.
So, the takeaway from that is if you want to describe the position of an object in space it'll need to be in reference t... |
175,212 | <p>A group of aliens are off to save the human race from extinction caused by a Lovecraftian monstrosity. </p>
<p>In order to accomplish this feat, they go to Earth in order to harvest as many humans as possible to restart the race while keeping as much diversity in the gene pool as possible.</p>
<p>The thing is, th... | [
{
"answer_id": 175213,
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"author_id": 30492,
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"pm_score": 5,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The <a href=\"https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-human-cube-the-volume-of-humanity\" rel=\"noreferrer\">av... | 2020/04/28 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/175212",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/69795/"
] | A group of aliens are off to save the human race from extinction caused by a Lovecraftian monstrosity.
In order to accomplish this feat, they go to Earth in order to harvest as many humans as possible to restart the race while keeping as much diversity in the gene pool as possible.
The thing is, the aliens don't hav... | How good is liquefaction?
-------------------------
L.Dutch's answer is the right concept, but his numbers are wrong. 6 liters is the maximum inhalation of an average adult male; however, men have much larger capacity than women and normal respiration does not fully inflate the lungs. The 62 liter volume of an average... |
176,057 | <p>This is yet another "literal worldbuilding" question, as in, building worlds. Inspired, in part, by <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/27396/32642">this question</a>.</p>
<p>What if this world is a very long (effectively infinite) hollow cylindrical cavity with the diameter roughly equal to that of ... | [
{
"answer_id": 176062,
"author": "AlexP",
"author_id": 29552,
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"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<h2>First pass: the geometry is simple</h2>\n\n<p>In the first pass, we disregard the cylindrical shape of the... | 2020/05/10 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/176057",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | This is yet another "literal worldbuilding" question, as in, building worlds. Inspired, in part, by [this question](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/27396/32642).
What if this world is a very long (effectively infinite) hollow cylindrical cavity with the diameter roughly equal to that of the Earth's orbit. Th... | Let me start with the additional problems that arise:
* The trajectory of the suns is not stable. If they are slightly off-center, gravity will pull them towards the side of the cylinder that they're closer to, analogous to the [ringworld stability issue](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/41254/why-is-larry-... |
177,022 | <p>I find myself in need of the rules and text body of an oath for a magic and/or devil contract.</p>
<p>Here are my thoughts:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Does magic rely on the collective subconscious, or personal minds involved to provide subjective definitions of all words in the spell? <em>(I.E. can re-learning on a truly de... | [
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"text": "<ul>\n<li>These laws are the ultimate authority controlling your behaviour</li>\n<li>These laws may be change... | 2020/05/23 | [
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"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I find myself in need of the rules and text body of an oath for a magic and/or devil contract.
Here are my thoughts:
1. Does magic rely on the collective subconscious, or personal minds involved to provide subjective definitions of all words in the spell? *(I.E. can re-learning on a truly deep level is possible, but ... | I was reached out to (Original document credit: [<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wmCHSse_Sdl9A9kD0qdruRC74PKctF_zaB2MvNT7TdY/edit]> ), here is the result:
Magickly binding Declaration of Service Between Warlock and Master
● Sec. I- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SCROLL
○ It is hereby agreed upon by all involved signator... |
180,629 | <p>I am working on a hard(ish) science fiction space opera story, and I would like to get a good handle on distances between stars so that I can calculate appropriate travel times. There are a lot of resources online to find how far stars are from here - for example, Tau Ceti is 11.89 light-years away and Ross 248 is 1... | [
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"text": "<p>I don't know if there is any catalogue that will give you the information you need. You will ... | 2020/07/14 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/180629",
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] | I am working on a hard(ish) science fiction space opera story, and I would like to get a good handle on distances between stars so that I can calculate appropriate travel times. There are a lot of resources online to find how far stars are from here - for example, Tau Ceti is 11.89 light-years away and Ross 248 is 11.3... | An exact answer
---------------
The position of a star in space can be specified by three coordinates: Its right ascension, $\alpha$, its declination, $\delta$, which are collectively referred to as *equatorial coordinates*, and its distance from Earth, $d$. It's probably easiest to calculate the distance between two ... |
183,368 | <p>Implementing a magic system as a programming language is very difficult. Does anyone have any advice, prior work, guiding ideas, or tips for doing this?</p>
<p>The idea is that I want to be able to make a magic system where spells can be created like software developers create programs in a programming language. Ima... | [
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"text": "<h2>Elements of a Programmable Magic System</h2>\n<p>In order to have a programmable magic system like yo... | 2020/08/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/183368",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/518/"
] | Implementing a magic system as a programming language is very difficult. Does anyone have any advice, prior work, guiding ideas, or tips for doing this?
The idea is that I want to be able to make a magic system where spells can be created like software developers create programs in a programming language. Imagine you ... | Elements of a Programmable Magic System
---------------------------------------
In order to have a programmable magic system like you are asking for, there are a few principles of programming you will want to consider in it's design.
**A [Library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_(computing)) of Primitives:**
W... |
184,708 | <p>I am writing a story in which people with a rare genetic ability are able to see, and are attracted to portals which lead to other dimensions.</p>
<p>I have some ideas on how I want to differentiate good vs evil in this book, but I am interested in some more ideas.</p>
<pre><code> ... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>By being an arms merchant</strong></p>\n<p>In any war between two sides, the one who always pr... | 2020/09/01 | [
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] | I am writing a story in which people with a rare genetic ability are able to see, and are attracted to portals which lead to other dimensions.
I have some ideas on how I want to differentiate good vs evil in this book, but I am interested in some more ideas.
```
My I... | **By being an arms merchant**
In any war between two sides, the one who always profits are the people selling weapons. (Assuming, of course, that the ones producing the weapons are independent of the ones fighting.) And, if you can be the person selling weapons to *both* sides - well, that's mountains of profits for a... |
184,763 | <p>This is my first post on this site, so please bear with me.</p>
<p>I am working on a series of stories about an interstellar colony with a large gender disparity. Namely the initial population was made up of 120 mature males and 1080 mature females. In an effort to provide genetic diversity tens of thousands of fert... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>About 100 billion people. Roughly.</strong></p>\n<p>I'm ignoring the difference between the ma... | 2020/09/01 | [
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"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | This is my first post on this site, so please bear with me.
I am working on a series of stories about an interstellar colony with a large gender disparity. Namely the initial population was made up of 120 mature males and 1080 mature females. In an effort to provide genetic diversity tens of thousands of fertilized fr... | ### 354 Thousand <https://godbolt.org/z/zoPYsz>
If you bring 10,000 embryos on the first ship, and 10,000 on the second ship, you'll run out in the 25th year, and 58th year.
I modified your death rate so that when people hit 70 years old it shot up to 10% per year. As otherwise we had hundreds of 100 year olds.
That... |
190,182 | <p>Situation: A very large reservoir of water exists raised up above a large expanse of almost flat land. From the bottom of the reservoir the land falls away at a very gentle gradient of ~1 in 10,000. The output of the water in the high reservoir can be controlled via a series of sluice gates to deliver anywhere betwe... | [
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"text": "<ol>\n<li><p><em>"A very large reservoir of water exists raised up above a large expanse of almost flat l... | 2020/11/17 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/190182",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Situation: A very large reservoir of water exists raised up above a large expanse of almost flat land. From the bottom of the reservoir the land falls away at a very gentle gradient of ~1 in 10,000. The output of the water in the high reservoir can be controlled via a series of sluice gates to deliver anywhere between ... | 1. *"A very large reservoir of water exists raised up above a large expanse of almost flat land. From the bottom of the reservoir the land falls away at a very gentle gradient of ~1 in 10,000. [...] The people want to build a canal across the flat land to deliver water from the bottom of the reservoir into a river 400k... |
191,678 | <p>I would like to have in my story an animal alien species with a long lifespan.
By 'long' let's assume an average lifespan of 7000 (Earth) years to give a rough idea.
Would be nice to give a scientific basis to justify it.</p>
<p>Considerations: (for brevity am going to name this lifeform 'IT')</p>
<ul>
<li>IT is an ... | [
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"text": "<p>One possibility is that this creature isn't an oxygen-breather at all. There are several other gases and l... | 2020/12/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/191678",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I would like to have in my story an animal alien species with a long lifespan.
By 'long' let's assume an average lifespan of 7000 (Earth) years to give a rough idea.
Would be nice to give a scientific basis to justify it.
Considerations: (for brevity am going to name this lifeform 'IT')
* IT is an animal and its meta... | One possibility is that this creature isn't an oxygen-breather at all. There are several other gases and liquids, such as chlorine, that have been proposed as a possible "breathing medium" for extraterrestrial life. If this entity isn't using oxygen, the free-radicals problem vanishes.
Another possibility is that it's... |
191,893 | <p>The inhabitants of my Earth similar world have a preindustrial society, but have managed to create airships. These use plywood, hot air and relatively thick material for the envelope. But these inefficient craft are fully practical thanks to the recent discovery of <em>Heavenium</em> which can reduce the weight of t... | [
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"text": "<ol>\n<li>I don't see any obvious logical inconsistencies with the concept of <em>heavenium</em> itself. I... | 2020/12/12 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/191893",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | The inhabitants of my Earth similar world have a preindustrial society, but have managed to create airships. These use plywood, hot air and relatively thick material for the envelope. But these inefficient craft are fully practical thanks to the recent discovery of *Heavenium* which can reduce the weight of these airsh... | Heavenium engine
----------------
Take an ordinary water wheel. No water. Put a piece of heavenium under one side of the wheel. The side above the heavenium will become lighter, and the wheel will rotate. Use this heavenium engine to power propellers. Problem solved.
Note that the same principle can be used to power ... |
192,409 | <p>I'm having a tough time coming up with good weights for my weapons to allow me to calculate what swords would take longer to swing, for example.</p>
<p>Here is what I have come up with so far:</p>
<pre><code>Dagger: 430g - quick attack speed but not as much damage.
Sword: 800g - standard attack speed standard damag... | [
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"text": "<h3>0.9 - 2.3kg for standard bow. 0.9 - 1.8kg for long bow:</h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The physical weight of a trad... | 2020/12/20 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/192409",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/81408/"
] | I'm having a tough time coming up with good weights for my weapons to allow me to calculate what swords would take longer to swing, for example.
Here is what I have come up with so far:
```
Dagger: 430g - quick attack speed but not as much damage.
Sword: 800g - standard attack speed standard damage.
Longsword: 1500... | I will speak in broader terms, including carrying capacity into the question. Indeed, the two are closely related, and in the end, it's more about the number of items one can hold than the exact weight one item is. But I will getty to that point later.
Adjust the weight according to the fight intentions your team want... |
193,298 | <p>I'm crafting the worlds and cultures of my own Alien societies and a near-future human world (near-future Earth), it's the first time I've attempted this in detail. Everything I've found so far about building cities is based on medieval technology and is unhelpful. I need it to be relevant to now and the near-future... | [
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"text": "<h2>What you've asked for is huge, so this is a necessary simplification</h2>\n<p><em>I've made this a community ... | 2021/01/04 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/193298",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/81702/"
] | I'm crafting the worlds and cultures of my own Alien societies and a near-future human world (near-future Earth), it's the first time I've attempted this in detail. Everything I've found so far about building cities is based on medieval technology and is unhelpful. I need it to be relevant to now and the near-future.
... | What you've asked for is huge, so this is a necessary simplification
--------------------------------------------------------------------
*I've made this a community wiki because a thousand separate answers won't fully answer the question, so we might as well try to build on just one.*
One of the reasons why most cit... |
193,482 | <p>We have a sun that is like ours, does not matter I think because of scaling.
That sun is completely encased in large rock formations like that of a planet.
Basically if you replace the core of a planet with a sun.</p>
<p>Obviously I want it to be naturally formed planet but the focus on the theoretical aspect of it ... | [
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"text": "<p>No this is not even remotely possible. The gravitational attraction of a star would be great enough to suck... | 2021/01/06 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/193482",
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] | We have a sun that is like ours, does not matter I think because of scaling.
That sun is completely encased in large rock formations like that of a planet.
Basically if you replace the core of a planet with a sun.
Obviously I want it to be naturally formed planet but the focus on the theoretical aspect of it is more i... | No this is not even remotely possible. The gravitational attraction of a star would be great enough to suck any surrounding planetary surface sphere into itself. Making the planet or crust deeper would not help either as it would only serve to increase the gravitational field centred on the star. The energy output of t... |
193,533 | <p>Link To Races: <a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/190955/rail-transportation-with-races-described-below-specifically-seating">Rail Transportation with Races Described Below - Specifically, Seating</a></p>
<p>However, this will be for my intercity and international, trains. Intercity means thi... | [
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"text": "<p>I recommend:</p>\n<p><strong>2 rows of chairs</strong> along the walls facing inwards. The middle space s... | 2021/01/07 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/193533",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Link To Races: [Rail Transportation with Races Described Below - Specifically, Seating](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/190955/rail-transportation-with-races-described-below-specifically-seating)
However, this will be for my intercity and international, trains. Intercity means this: It starts in one ... | ### Design for the biggest and second biggest side by side, then divide the remaining space.
I've categorized the people into 3 groups. Big, Human, and Small. And given them 3 different seat configurations.
I haven't drawn the stairs, walls, seat mountings, safety railing, or windows, but I think they're implicit.
I... |
195,903 | <p>I've got an urban fantasy story set a few decades ago that heavily involves vampires and werewolves, and as such, when exactly the sun and moon were out on a given day is important information for me to know when telling the story. Of course, the issue is that this constantly changes due to various factors that don'... | [
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"text": "<p>This would be easy to achieve with a spreadsheet. Have normal hours in one column and 25 hours in a second... | 2021/02/11 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/195903",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I've got an urban fantasy story set a few decades ago that heavily involves vampires and werewolves, and as such, when exactly the sun and moon were out on a given day is important information for me to know when telling the story. Of course, the issue is that this constantly changes due to various factors that don't p... | ### This is an entry-level coding task:
So you want something that counts in a pattern that doesn't line up with the days - ie, from input like this:
```
events =
[
// Time stops every 25 hours, starting from 3am on day 0
{"name":"Time stops", "periodHours" : 25, "startDay" : 0, "startHour" : 3},... |
197,861 | <p><a href="https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/197555/does-the-sun-provide-enough-energy-to-accelerate-a-large-ship-to-a-decent-propor?noredirect=1#comment614113_197555">More thoughts</a> on hard science possibilities for interstellar colonization and the request to check my understanding of physics.</p>... | [
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"text": "<h2>Ships can Control Surface Area and Temperature</h2>\n<p>A star or planet has a (relatively) static surf... | 2021/03/15 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/197861",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/69605/"
] | [More thoughts](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/197555/does-the-sun-provide-enough-energy-to-accelerate-a-large-ship-to-a-decent-propor?noredirect=1#comment614113_197555) on hard science possibilities for interstellar colonization and the request to check my understanding of physics.
Suppose you have... | Isolate your habitation section from your reactor section
---------------------------------------------------------
Stefan–Boltzmann defines the energy blackbody emissions as:
```
P = AσT⁴
```
Or for those of us who actually like to know what our variables means:
```
$radiantEnergy = $surfaceArea * 5.67 * $tempera... |
197,867 | <p>So, my setting is a small border town on the edge of the [x] empire- beyond the town is the Eastern Reaches and is mostly unexplored. The border has been explored up to around 60 miles by the feudal lord mentioned below- just plains and forests, no iron of any note beyond the small vein close to town or anything of ... | [
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"text": "<p>Consider:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Brewer / barkeep. Water is typically contaminated with all sorts of nasty things in ... | 2021/03/15 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/197867",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | So, my setting is a small border town on the edge of the [x] empire- beyond the town is the Eastern Reaches and is mostly unexplored. The border has been explored up to around 60 miles by the feudal lord mentioned below- just plains and forests, no iron of any note beyond the small vein close to town or anything of muc... | Honestly, from a medieval fantasy setting for a frontier town, I think you may have diversified your population a little too much.
Traditionally, 80-90% of peasants were farmers, and I'd imagine that number climbs above 90% the further outside of a kingdom you get. Here are my thoughts:
* There's probably no miners. ... |
200,192 | <p>I'm currently working on developing the navy for the most advanced faction in my fantasy world and I'm stuck with the design of the largest ship, a sort of a medieval carrier ship.</p>
<p>I'm talking about having a ship that would be roughly the same size and function as a modern aircraft carrier, with the main diff... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>A giant catamaran.</strong></p>\n<pre><code>A top view:\n _________________________________________... | 2021/04/06 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/200192",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/84704/"
] | I'm currently working on developing the navy for the most advanced faction in my fantasy world and I'm stuck with the design of the largest ship, a sort of a medieval carrier ship.
I'm talking about having a ship that would be roughly the same size and function as a modern aircraft carrier, with the main difference th... | **A giant catamaran.**
```
A top view:
____________________________________________________
/ \
/ Starboard hull \
| Bow Stern |
\ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____... |
200,675 | <p><strong>Suppose two people want to transmit some binary data (a png image perhaps) by voice.</strong></p>
<p>Two of my characters want to share binary data but they can only use their voice and no other form of communication is possible.</p>
<p>By "voice", I mean any sounds that can be reliably produced an... | [
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"text": "<p>Efficiency means something that is easy/quick to encode, easy/quick to pronounce and understand, and easy/quic... | 2021/04/13 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/200675",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | **Suppose two people want to transmit some binary data (a png image perhaps) by voice.**
Two of my characters want to share binary data but they can only use their voice and no other form of communication is possible.
By "voice", I mean any sounds that can be reliably produced and differentiated by average humans.
T... | This problem has been much studied. While it may be difficult to define what 'best' is, there is a very efficient one already in existence, and that's [PGP Words](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PGP_word_list). This method was designed for transmitting long binary keys over a voice link, each word encoding a whole 8 bit ... |
202,296 | <p>D&D style dragons come out of the egg knowing languages meaning that they had to learn it somewhere. I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is, that assuming Dragon lullabies are like human lullabies, what would they sing about?</p>
<p>To clarify most human lullabies are about getting the baby to quiet ... | [
{
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"text": "<p><strong>Mathematical progressions.</strong></p>\n<p>Ice dragons are asocial. They do not care about other ... | 2021/05/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/202296",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/85411/"
] | D&D style dragons come out of the egg knowing languages meaning that they had to learn it somewhere. I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is, that assuming Dragon lullabies are like human lullabies, what would they sing about?
To clarify most human lullabies are about getting the baby to quiet down and also... | Dragons vary a lot from media-to-media, but they are always the most prideful beings in the world. How could that be different, when they are the apex predator? So, naturally, their songs would be most likely about **pride**:
```
My Little Dragonkin
(sing to the tune of bayu bayushki bayu)
There are those with ... |
202,300 | <p>This is <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/toonholt/art/World-Map-w-Lost-Continents-834813033" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a map of Earth</a> as depicted by the DeviantArtist ToonHolt:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/7eKRa.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/7eKRa.jpg" alt="en... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>Mathematical progressions.</strong></p>\n<p>Ice dragons are asocial. They do not care about other ... | 2021/05/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/202300",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | This is [a map of Earth](https://www.deviantart.com/toonholt/art/World-Map-w-Lost-Continents-834813033) as depicted by the DeviantArtist ToonHolt:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7eKRa.jpg)
As you can see, many new landmasses have been added, from lost ... | Dragons vary a lot from media-to-media, but they are always the most prideful beings in the world. How could that be different, when they are the apex predator? So, naturally, their songs would be most likely about **pride**:
```
My Little Dragonkin
(sing to the tune of bayu bayushki bayu)
There are those with ... |
206,182 | <p>Premise: A generation spaceship leaves Earth around the year 2060 on a journey to colonize Alpha Centauri A (ACA). In this fiction, fusion power is achieved in 2040, improved over 20 years, and used within the solar system. The trip to ACA will take 110 years. The ship will accelerate halfway, flip, and decelerate f... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>Halfway point mass is average of start and finish.</strong></p>\n<p>You state that you lose xenon m... | 2021/06/26 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/206182",
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] | Premise: A generation spaceship leaves Earth around the year 2060 on a journey to colonize Alpha Centauri A (ACA). In this fiction, fusion power is achieved in 2040, improved over 20 years, and used within the solar system. The trip to ACA will take 110 years. The ship will accelerate halfway, flip, and decelerate for ... | Since you mention integrals, I know you are familiar with calculus, so I can give you the short and sweet answer. It is not always true that $F=ma$. The more complete version of Newton's equations yields $F=\frac{dp}{dt}$, where $p$ is momentum. Force is the change in momentum over time. Now, since $p=mv$, we can quick... |
209,223 | <p>Toe-Ticklers are unique beings. They are around human-sized, and overall resemble tetrapods, with 2 key differences: They have 2 pairs of forelegs in sequence, each of which have a mass of dexterous tentacles in place of a manus. They are terrestrial pack hunters, with a social structure like wolves. Their most nota... | [
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"text": "<p>I have a dog. Whenever I am lying down on the couch or my bed, she will sit on me. She will o... | 2021/08/02 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/209223",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Toe-Ticklers are unique beings. They are around human-sized, and overall resemble tetrapods, with 2 key differences: They have 2 pairs of forelegs in sequence, each of which have a mass of dexterous tentacles in place of a manus. They are terrestrial pack hunters, with a social structure like wolves. Their most notable... | ```
*static* The following radio broadcast is brought to you by NASAdent
ingestible toothpaste. Win the day with a winning smile! News today from
the world of science! Experts from around the world have gathered in
Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the growing phenomena known as TOE-TICKLERS.
These large but seemingly h... |
209,444 | <p>while I was working on the language I was thinking about the planet and I don't have the mathematical data, I have a fairly done map but not the data and it would be interesting to add it. As data I only made the mass, it is <span class="math-container">$4,185×10^{24} kg$</span>.</p>
| [
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"text": "<p>To calculate the density <span class=\"math-container\">$\\rho$</span> or the volume <span class=\"math-c... | 2021/08/06 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/209444",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | while I was working on the language I was thinking about the planet and I don't have the mathematical data, I have a fairly done map but not the data and it would be interesting to add it. As data I only made the mass, it is $4,185×10^{24} kg$. | Alogrithm outline
-----------------
So like L. Dutch said, if you assume the volume or average density of the planet you can do this. But the volume and average density aren't first principles values-- they themselves depend on the material and composition in a way that I'll describe shortly. **As a word of warning-- ... |
209,674 | <p>I made a nice fantasy map with some really interesting geographic constellations, fitting my story. The climate zones don't fit, however.</p>
<p>I found the tool, <a href="https://www.maptoglobe.com/#" rel="noreferrer">Map to Globe</a> where I can upload my map to create a globe. Is there a similar tool, where I can... | [
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"text": "<p>I can propose a sort of workaround:</p>\n<ol>\n<li><p>Redraw your map as best you can in the Fuller/icosahedr... | 2021/08/09 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/209674",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | I made a nice fantasy map with some really interesting geographic constellations, fitting my story. The climate zones don't fit, however.
I found the tool, [Map to Globe](https://www.maptoglobe.com/#) where I can upload my map to create a globe. Is there a similar tool, where I can change the pole axis and download th... | If I understand you correctly, what you want to do is re-project an existing equirectangular map to have the pole(s) in a different location—and your title question (“transfer onto a globe and back”) is how you think this might be done, not something that’s absolutely mandatory. Am I right?
That is, would something th... |
210,404 | <p><em>Note: Apologies for any grammatical errors.</em></p>
<p>I have been working on a story of mine for quite a while now. A part of that story is a viral pathogen that turns people infected with it into what is basically analogous to 'fast zombies'</p>
<p>The following is a quick rundown of the details I have come u... | [
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"text": "<p><strong>Most of it is ok</strong></p>\n<p>Most of what you are saying is ok.</p>\n<p>Viruses are mostl... | 2021/08/19 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/210404",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | *Note: Apologies for any grammatical errors.*
I have been working on a story of mine for quite a while now. A part of that story is a viral pathogen that turns people infected with it into what is basically analogous to 'fast zombies'
The following is a quick rundown of the details I have come up with:
**1. Types of... | [Para-Rabies](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7975959/):
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It is rare to have a virus have significantly different modes of transmission based on host immunity (not impossible). If the virus transmits through a bite, it's likely bloodborn... |
215,306 | <p>Assume that a pre-modern army numbering 50,000 men is going to campaign in a foreign territory for 180-days, during which they completely rely on their supply wagons which cannot be refilled, and each wagon is pulled by two oxen, how many oxcarts are needed supply all soldier?</p>
<hr />
<p>My own research is probab... | [
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"text": "<p>More wagons than you can get.</p>\n<p>Pre-modern armies on the march were generally limited to 40,000 or fewer m... | 2021/10/13 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/215306",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | Assume that a pre-modern army numbering 50,000 men is going to campaign in a foreign territory for 180-days, during which they completely rely on their supply wagons which cannot be refilled, and each wagon is pulled by two oxen, how many oxcarts are needed supply all soldier?
---
My own research is probably way off,... | I agree with the people who write *it won't work*, but with a slightly different emphasis.
* The daily food allocation per soldier is almost irrelevant, but in addition to AcePL's figures for Roman soldiers, consider the [humanitarian daily ration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_daily_ration) at 1.9 lbs. I... |
218,226 | <p>In my story, a whole scientific mission will land on a desert planet whose temperature in the day reaches sixty degrees Celsius, they will land near the North Pole, specifically next to a Great extinct volcanic mountain 15 km high with cinder cone shape.</p>
<p>Assuming (mostly unrealistic) that strong winds and dea... | [
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"text": "<p>Probably not. The trouble is that while mountain <strong>chains</strong> can and do divert wind patterns a si... | 2021/11/28 | [
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/218226",
"https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com",
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] | In my story, a whole scientific mission will land on a desert planet whose temperature in the day reaches sixty degrees Celsius, they will land near the North Pole, specifically next to a Great extinct volcanic mountain 15 km high with cinder cone shape.
Assuming (mostly unrealistic) that strong winds and deadly dust ... | **Your party lands in a crater like that of Haleakala.**
<https://hanahou.com/14.4/quiet>
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9q5qZ.jpg)
>
> Of course, national park status alone isn’t enough to make a place
> quiet, as any visit to Yellowstone will prove. But here an unusu... |