2
$\begingroup$

Situation

In my story there are complex organisms that are essentially sacks of water with organs and are the size of a basketball. They have so advanced technology that they built a city in a large crevice. They hop around to move.

The crevice is around 300 meters tall, 3 kilometers deep and is made entirely of rock. Outside the crevice, it’s around 60 degrees celsius. My question is, is it possible that these organisms can survive in this crevice without freezing or overheating? (Assume that they will die if the water inside them freezes or goes above 80 degrees celsius.) If it’s too cold, is it possible that they install heating systems to heat it up to a point where it’s livable?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
7
  • $\begingroup$ Seems to me that being a crevice should be entirely separate from the prevailing temperature. You can have icy crevices and very hot crevices. $\endgroup$
    – SoronelHaetir
    Jul 26, 2022 at 22:52
  • $\begingroup$ Can they? That's up to you to decide if it fits your story. How they survive is more the sort of question we can deal with here, but you'd need to give us a great deal more to go on than you have. Their biology, normal environment, what they eat, how they reproduce, what resources are available down there etc.. Please edit to add lots of details. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:08
  • $\begingroup$ If they have technology this question answers itself. What good is technology if it can't provide the bare necessities of life for that species? Heat, nutrients, waste disposal... that's what tech is for. $\endgroup$
    – John O
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:17
  • $\begingroup$ 300 m tall and 3 km deep - "tall" and "deep" both express height in normal usage. Is one of these supposed to be the width and/or length of the crevasse? What are the temperature and atmospheric conditions "outside" at the top (?) of the crevasse compared to what the basketball entities require? $\endgroup$
    – KerrAvon2055
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:26
  • $\begingroup$ Just a quick thought: If they are alive then they metabolize. That means they generate heat. An enormous blob of these creatures would cook themselves if their city doesn't have some sort of ventilation. Bottom line, please describe their city and how they move around. Welcome to the Worldbuilding site. $\endgroup$
    – Vogon Poet
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:54

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2
$\begingroup$

Yes!

We humans are essentially sacks of water with organs, and some of us definitely have sacks of water with organs, some even the size of basketballs. We are not so different. We humans have advanced technology too and maybe your sacks of water have tech even better! I say they do. So advanced technology implies swanky space heaters, UV bug attractors, soft serve yogurt dispensers, shag carpet and all the other things one would hope to have cunningly situated in ones crevice. Also the sacks could wear fleece lined garments for really chilly days. It is totally doable and I think would make an intriguing fiction.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Yeah, but would life be worth living down there without satellite-TV reception. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:10
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ And tacos. @AngryMuppet forgot the tacos. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Jul 26, 2022 at 23:18

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .