Questions tagged [science-based]
For questions that require plausible (better than suspension-of-disbelief) answers based on Real World science that are not necessarily constrained to the known limits of Real World science. Contrast with the hard-science, science-fiction and internal-consistency tags. This tag may not be used alone. This tag may not be used with the science-fiction, hard-science, or internal-consistency tags.
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Is it possible for plant life to evolve (and adapt) on a low CO2 planet?
C4 photosynthesis, which can operate in Carbon Dioxide levels as low as 10ppm
A question related to these two questions:
Habitable inner planet with large oceans, fast rotation and earth-like ...
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What color would the sky be in a multi-star system?
In this scenario, an Earthlike planet is situated in a quaternary solar system clumped into two binaries--a Parent, in which the planet orbits, and a Grandparent, in which the Parent binary orbits.
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The Lost Continents of Atlantis and Mu reappear: Disruption to Transport
In a single event, the lost continents of Atlantis and Mu arise from the deeps over the course of about half an hour, accompanied by a low-magnitude earthquake felt worldwide.
For the purpose of this ...
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Without taxes, who pays for roads/highways?
In a country where the government does not collect taxes, who pays for roads/highways?
A little background on the government (it's a work in progress): This government's single purpose is to ...
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Reasons/excuses to evolve and retain handlike manipulatory appendages [closed]
As you may know, humans' arms and hands are a direct callback to the times when our ancestors lived in more arboreal settings (monkey swing on tree type stuff)... we needed to be able to grip branches ...
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What would sunsets look like around different star types? [migrated]
I have always wondered what a sunset would look like around different types of stars. I have tried to do some research into the types of light refraction, but I cannot find any answers anywhere, and ...
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Viability of laser cooling a person (trying to create a freeze ray)?
So in my story, I'm trying to develop a plausible freeze ray. Now many people suggest liquid helium, but it seems to have a number of practical setbacks, such as being hard to obtain, needing vast ...
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What factors can I use determine if my runaway greenhouse planet will have a thick water vapour atmosphere?
A question related to this question
When Earth’s oceans evaporate, one of two feedback situations could occur:
The "moist greenhouse" where water vapour dominates the troposphere while ...
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Would human-shaped sperm cells work?
After looking at videos of sperm cells, they reminded me of someone swimming. I've decided this was a neat idea for me to integrate in my worldbuilding.
For lore reasons, I have a group of people with ...
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How would I calculate the damage someone suffered from various strikes? [closed]
So, I’ve been developing a TTRPG and am wanting to present a realistic fantasy world. This doesn’t mean fantastic things wouldn’t happen - demigods can swing swords at the speed of light. But when ...
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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 ...
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How will the monsoons work in this boomerang-shaped supercontinent?
Back and forth, I have created a fantasy supercontinent shaped in the likeness of an asymmetrical boomerang, with its elbow enlarged to resemble a fish’s head pointing westward, its lifting arm long ...
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Point defense weapons on bio-mechanical spacecraft that part of von Neumann machine horde
I am currently working on a concept for a science fiction novel about interstellar warfare in the 24th century.
I am wondering about the best point defense weapons for biomechanical space combat ships ...
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Species that can create magnetic fields
I am trying to come up with an explanation for how a creature could create strong magnetic fields with a high level of control. I'm thinking that their 'writing' would be similar to how computers ...
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Habitable inner planet with large oceans, fast rotation and earth-like atmosphere
According to several articles (such as this post), a habitable inner planet (more than 1.1x Earth’s insolation) could realistically form with liquid water (and avoid turning Venusian) through the ...
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