All Questions
233
questions
96
votes
14
answers
27k
views
Lembas bread (2000 kCalories per bite)
In The Lord of the Rings, the elves invented an incredibly nutritious bread/biscuit; as Legolas clearly says, only a small bite is just enough to satisfy the needs of an adult man for 1 day.
An adult ...
- 3,940
59
votes
12
answers
17k
views
Is a man-eating plant realistic?
Carnivorous plants live in nutrient-poor, highly lit habitats, such as bogs or rocks. For example Earth's biggest carnivorous plant, Nepenthes rajah, lives on mountain-tops with high concentration of ...
- 2,939
55
votes
25
answers
8k
views
Lifeform - resistant to gunfire but vulnerable to melee
Is there a plausible makeup for a lifeform which is highly resistant to even very advanced firearms (or any ranged weaponry for that matter), but can be injured more readily (albeit still a major feat)...
user6415
50
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Anatomically correct sharknado shark
Raining animals is a rare meteorological phenomenon in which flightless animals fall from the sky. Such occurrences have been reported in many countries throughout history. One hypothesis is that ...
- 142k
48
votes
29
answers
11k
views
Poison which constantly needs to be treated by antidote to not get killed
Inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune:
Action Joe is kept prisoner in Doctor Evil's prison. Doctor Evil knows that Joe's escape is inevitable. So he decides to introduce poison to Joe's body. Joe gets his ...
- 45.5k
44
votes
15
answers
13k
views
Would a horse be sufficient buffer to prevent injury when falling from a great height?
I'm writing a sci-fi story with some fantasy elements, and I'm trying to keep even the most outrageous moments grounded in the laws of our universe. This is one of those moments.
The Situation
A man ...
- 543
44
votes
9
answers
7k
views
How realistic is a genetic memory?
Many pieces of popculture (like assassins creed or the aboleths in dungeons and dragons) use the concept of a genetic memory. How realistic is this concept?
In particular, I am interested in ...
- 1,089
38
votes
8
answers
7k
views
Are diamond berries possible?
Diamonds are carbon. Plants take in CO2 and use the carbon. Chemically, could the right kind of plant have diamonds for berries, or is there some other limiting factor?
- 2,118
38
votes
6
answers
5k
views
Evolution of species with separate sapient and non-sapient forms?
This question is inspired by the last paragraph of my answer here: Negating the negative effects of childbearing
(A follow up question to this can be found here: Methods to ensure gene flow in ...
- 33.6k
36
votes
9
answers
9k
views
How would tattoos fare on reptilian scales?
In a world with humanized (or at least tool using) reptiles, how long would a tattoo be able to last on the scales? Would the tools need to be much different than what we use today?
Would it be ...
- 872
36
votes
5
answers
39k
views
Is it possible to genetically modify a being after birth?
In many stories we hear about people whose genetic structure is modified after they're born (Spider-man, The Fantastic 4 and practically any other superhero you care to mention). However current ...
- 18.7k
34
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Would a suit that acts as extra-cardiovascular system allow you to run indefinitely?
Generally, when you run a long distance or do something particularly strenuous, you start breathing heavily because of a decrease of oxygen in your blood. Your gasping and weezing is in an effort to ...
- 2,690
30
votes
13
answers
9k
views
Humanity after 100 million years?
I'm writing a science fiction novel set 100 million years in the future, but humanity is still the same basic form we have today, biologically speaking. Would 100 million years of evolution ...
- 403
28
votes
15
answers
12k
views
How do I explain the long life spans of Elves?
Elves in fantasy are commonly depicted as having long life spans and that applies to my story as well with Elves on average living between 250 and 270 years. The question is how would this work and ...
- 6,895
28
votes
8
answers
84k
views
What would happen to a human body subjected to extreme water pressure?
First of all, I tried to look if this wasn't answered before. Found this and this but neither is exactly what I need.
Some Context
There's this race of humanoid fish people. They live in cities ...
- 4,654