All Questions
Tagged with science-based environment
296
questions
4
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Natural mechanism behind burning oceans
I have an alternate Earth with no humans where massive patches of the oceans are supposed to be burning. The fires do not come from artificial or man-made causes. The flames themselves:
have lasted ...
- 797
13
votes
10
answers
4k
views
How much time is needed to judge an Earth-like planet to be safe?
A colony ship has been sent to deep space to colonize an earth-like planet. Through astronomical spectroscopy, the atmospheric composition was found to be suitable for human life. But of course, ...
- 953
3
votes
2
answers
155
views
Evolution of classic giant mushroom forests [closed]
How would the classic fantasy trope of giant mushroom forests evolve?
In an alternate, Earth-like reality, how would fungi grow into dense, lush 'forests'?
Mushrooms decompose things, so to have ...
- 341
8
votes
8
answers
4k
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If the Earth stopped spinning, what's the ideal point for it to stop to ensure the most people survive?
Say the Earth were to stop spinning, and became tidally locked (or rather, stop spinning 366.25 times a year, and only once a year), through the machinations of a superpowered alien visiting down on ...
- 185
7
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Could an ecosystem entirely made up of parasites be possible?
One of the settings for a story I'm writing is gigantic worm-like animal. Being so large it stands to reason that there would be comparatively smaller animals living within and on the surface of it. ...
- 207
1
vote
1
answer
120
views
Characteristics of a moon harboring huge flying creatures?
I’ve been thinking for a while about an extraterrestrial species I had in mind that more or less resemble very large four-winged four-legged birds, and in the name of ensuring I don’t handwave an ...
- 5,435
3
votes
1
answer
191
views
How could an ecosystem remain stable for millions of years?
I am trying to create an isolated microcontinent where Cretaceous era dinosaurs/and maybe flora (specifically somewhere like Hell Creek) continues to survive with relatively little evolutionary ...
- 71
4
votes
6
answers
597
views
How expensive to take 80% of plastics out the ocean?
Suppose that all the world would work together to take plastic out of the ocean. Here I include microplastics, which are much harder to remove.
How expensive would it be to remove 80% (in wheight) of ...
- 230
4
votes
3
answers
349
views
Effects of breaking down the oceans plastic within 5 years [closed]
The oceans are full of plastic. In a story about the morals of DNA changes, one scientist meaning well creates a group of super bacteria/microorganisms (afterwards just called bacteria for simplicity ...
- 37.8k
0
votes
0
answers
42
views
Can nature adapt to life without constant access to sunlight? [duplicate]
I create a world where the sun's rays no longer reach the planet, due to the clouds completely covering the sky. Nature must therefore adapt to life without constant access to photosynthesis. I haven'...
- 1
5
votes
4
answers
514
views
How many impacts to kill 90% of the human race?
Present day Earth is attacked by a volley of relativistic impactors. Each is designed to hit the surface1 with a yield of 1 gigaton TNT equivalent. They're also poorly aimed. None are destined for any ...
- 6,798
3
votes
2
answers
138
views
What would cause a large & long lasting regional increase in rainfall?
So after the answers on my last question, I got some very useful information about why the idea in the question wouldn't work. I looked into it more and figured that the best solution to the problem ...
- 4,741
10
votes
5
answers
3k
views
What would happen to earth if atmospheric escape were completely stopped?
One day, the earth suddenly gets covered by a spherical barrier that allows waves (light from the sun, radio, etc.) to pass both ways, but not matter. Let's ignore the feasibility of that kind of ...
- 103
7
votes
2
answers
196
views
Appearance of sky in space habitat with low (50 m) ceiling, using mirrors and blinders
Background
I have considered rotating space habitats of various forms for my worldbuilding projects (i.e. cylinders, rings/torii, spheres) and recently discovered this intriguing design by physicist ...
- 103
7
votes
3
answers
291
views
Can ecological collapse happen in a person's lifetime?
I'm writing a story for a character who is a an old monster hunter. In his younger days, he used to make a living by hunting the most dangerous monsters which are basically the story's equivalent of ...
- 2,720