Questions tagged [civilization]
For questions about groups of societies and their defining characteristics and achievements.
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Could black hole civilizations even exist?
I know that currently, black hole civilizations are only theoretical. But here are my thoughts on why black hole civilizations are impossible.
Black Hole Civilization Issues
1. Gravity
This is an ...
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Forced Evolution to Turn a Class I to a Class III civilization [closed]
So here's my idea: Every 2 years the class I civilization is inspected by an outside Class III civilization. If the Class I civilization has made progress then they will move on. If the Class I ...
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Can a civilization arise around insect cultivation
Unnecessary Setup
In my story, a race of gods arrive in our solar system from the far flung colonies of a Type III civilization. When they arrive at Earth and see the rise of hominids, they split ...
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Need a specific event that wrecks the surface, allows the race to survive in bunkers, and affords an aftermath suitable for them to rebuild
One rule: it cannot be caused by aliens or AI invading the planet. But it is okay if an alien race causes the destruction in any other way.
It's an Earth-like planet. I need the effects of the ...
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What are some reasons a society might isolate its citizens for a few hundred years? [closed]
I hope I've narrowed down the general idea of my question enough--
Basically, I've started with the idea of a desert society with access to a hidden energy source ruled by a body of immortals.
At ...
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How would a Viking-age civilization deal with kraken-and-dragon-infested seas?
In my book series, there is this planet called Ryu 108. Ryu 108 consists of two continents: Bjørnholm, which is heavily forested and bears a strong resemblance to southern Norway or southern Sweden, ...
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Why would a peaceful race construct weapons? [closed]
In my story, there is an immortal peaceful type iv civilization that has spead across the universe, helping other species to advance and to bring peace. They have left behind their need for war or ...
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How realistic is it for civilization to regress to a pre-industrial era? [duplicate]
So here's a quick setup: One or two calamities hit as once. No one is spared and every nation on earth is effected by it. Soon the population dwindles to roughly the same number as the 1800's which is ...
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How could a civilization end up confined within walls?
In Shingeki no Kyojin humanity is confined within walls to protect them from giants on the outside.
In this case, I'd like to imagine a civilization (doesn't need to be all of humanity) within a huge ...
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How can I incorporate demigods into society peacefully?
Demigods, called devas, are humans born with a divine spark attached to their soul. They are marked by their golden eyes, amber-like blood, and divine aura that they give off. Devas are human ...
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Preventing Technological Progression
Normally, technology in numerous fields will advance due to breakthroughs driven by a need for something like more efficient weapons or farming. How can I explain a civilization being "technologically ...
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After evacuation to a new planet, how would a population switch from a barter system to a monetary system with banks?
Okay, context. There's a modern human sub-species (about 9,000) that needs to evacuate earth to avoid genocide from their human counter-parts. They have access to a portal to take them to a new viable ...
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Will a civilization need to make weapons if their use of magic is limitless?
OK here's the scenario.
After 1000 years, the elves were able to build a kingdom for themselves. They were given by their creator God the ability to wield unimaginable magic, magic that can shape ...
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Hypothetically, should cultural/genetic Homogeneity in Aliens be considered the Exception, or the Rule?
Humans all belong to a Single Species, localized on a single small-ish planet... Yet we are incredibly diverse in both Culture and Individual Appearance/Adaptation to our environment. This also seems ...
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Could natural nuclear fission reactors be used to energetically sustain and catalyze the progress of an alien civilization?
According to Natural nuclear explosions natural nuclear fission reactors could occur.
Could it happen that a primitive alien civilization has its social, economical and technology evolution ...
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What energy sources would a species use if they didn't have access to fossil fuels?
I'm designing an alien race that hasn't developed electricity yet. Now, one thing about their species is that they haven't discovered fossil fuels on their planet to use, like coal, oil, etc. (The ...
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If a civilization lands on a new planet and comes into contact with native tribes, how would their language change over time? [closed]
So around 13,000 years ago, a group of refugees from a planet with Greco-Roman culture and technology were kicked off of their planet by what were essentially space vikings (space travel is done via ...
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How advanced would human civilization get if it was destroyed by insects every 20 years?
In this world there has been a recurring population surge of ferocious insects every 20 years for many centuries. The setting is approximately our own time in relation to the existence of "cave men". ...
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How do you think a telepathic society will work? [closed]
I'm currently trying to design a telepathic, mind-controlling alien species that resembles early theropods, like Dilophosaurus, or an abelisauridae, like Carnotaurus. My main concern is not the design,...
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Age ratio of kids to start a new civilisation
My question is this. With basic supplies and relatively little technology, what ages should I include in my post-apocalyptic situation of creating a new sort of country? And, how many of each age ...
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How would a sapient species descended from felids become herbivorous?
In my fantasy world, I have created a sentient species descended from an arboreal felid (it evolved to eat squrriels and small monkeys). They are my elves. The one problem is that I want them to be ...
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Could life be living in Europa? [closed]
The ice is so thick that no probe sent from Earth can detect life under the ice. Radio would not work well under the ice so we could not communicate with Europians if they are advanced.
What would ...
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Working your way up in a society [closed]
Many works of fiction are showing protagonist arriving in a new world with nothing but the clothes on his back, and quickly advancing to a remarkably high position. I am trying to understand what is ...
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Civilization on a diamond exoplanet?
If humans discovered a diamond exoplanet and then traveled there, how would they set up civilization on a diamond exoplanet?
Everything needs a foundation, even on low-gravity planets (below 9.8m/s^2)...
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What would cause an entire space-faring civilization to "expire"
Let's say there was a Type II Kardeshev Scale civilization that suddenly went extinct. Why would the entire species just die out? An added condition is that they knew of their impending destruction ...
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How can I have a permanent post-apocalyptic world?
I've recently been looking into post-apocalyptic settings for a possible novel. I like the feel of people trying to survive off of the land with nothing but the clothes on their back, or banding ...
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How can a sapient species build an advanced civilization, while remaining on one continent?
The world I'm building contains two sapient species; one is about Mesolithic-level in terms of technology, while the other is about as advanced as the ancient Egyptians or Sumerians. However, they're ...
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Lake World and Water Salinity
I have an idea for a world where land prevails over water and what waters there are are largely relegated to scattered lakes of varying sizes. Some of these lakes would be mega lakes, the size of the ...
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Could Quasi-Europe Exist in the Southern Hemisphere?
In all fantasies that I'm aware of, the setting is in the northern hemisphere (noted by frozen north and barren south). So... Could advanced civilizations exist on a continent that's located in the ...
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Living on an Island - Minimal Population for Free Choice of Partnership
Ok, I'm working on an creating a fantasy island.
It plays in a similar time like the 17th to 18th century.
Everyone on the island has one job, so he/she can focus on it.
I estimated ~35 Jobs so far ...
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What Would Be The Most Common Food Staples For A Tilted Earth [closed]
On this planet, which resembles Earth but tilted so that Africa is now the north pole and the middle of the Pacific is the South pole (the geography are quite similar to the world of Jaredia over on ...
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How to hinder the development of sea travel until the industrial age?
Instead of Earth as we know it, humans evolved on a slightly smaller, habitable earthlike planet with different geography. Due to the plot reasons, I would like to keep them confined to one (large) ...
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How to survive the collapse of civilization? [closed]
Say you're an immortal, who's seen civilizations rise and fall around your ears; and you've decided to ride the wave, the next time the barbarians are at the gates. You've had to keep your head down ...
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Why would people living inside a nebula go into space?
Assuming a sci-fi style nebula, like the thick clouds seen in Star Trek, extending several light years and hosting star systems inside, one of which gave rise to intelligent life up to current human ...
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Could a species develop its civilization if it wasn't violent? [closed]
The race I'm designing originated in a small island in the middle of an ocean the size of Crete, which has no natural predators. That, combained with a random mutation that occured in this species ...
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Materials in a tidal water world
I'm trying to create a people that live on this rolling tide (see previous question or on 'millers planet') but I haven't figured out where they would get wood to build their boats/homes. If the tide ...
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Deep-space species [closed]
How feasible are these characteristics for a species based on Earth-like biology?
Living entirely in space.
That is, being able to survive in a vacuum.
Having a method to propel itself without using ...
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Is it possible to rule a galaxy without mastering teleportation?
I would like to know if a very advanced civilisation could rule an entire galaxy without mastering teleportation or any other method that allows traveling faster than light (unless you give ...
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Earth evacuated - what advancements would an early civilization gain from what they left behind?
Here's the scenario: living deep underground, far from any influence of modern humans, is a civilization of what can essentially be considered early Sumerians (from 3000 BC). Disregard how they got ...
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How old do surviving children need to be to keep human civilization from failing?
This question is inspired by several similar questions on this site.
The scenario: at one moment, all people above the age X disappear without a trace. How low this X can be that human civilization ...
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On what conditions would an alien's civilization be completely peacefull? [closed]
I have been asking numerous questions about alien civilizations when it comes to lacking things like greed, money or violence. The reason I'm doing this is because I'm designing an alien species which ...
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What would be the major differences on our planet and civilization if humans were exclusive insectivores?
Let's say that in a different timeline, humans evolved to eat insects. How would that change the world today
Note: Suppose that this didn't have any mass changes on our anatomy and that our species ...
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Plausible reason for a civilization to not explore their own planet and explore space instead
A civilization of land-living humanoids occupies a patch of land on a continent (patch of land size: a few US States, let's say Montanas) and, without even exploring the continent fully, develops ...
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What's the most effective clothing in a pre-industrial world of aggressive plant (and animal) life?
I'm building a highly verdant, "garden" world where fruit and vegetation grow so easily and naturally that they can be easily picked in passing by the relatively small human population. So, imagine an ...
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Would a post-human alien civilization have entertainment? [closed]
I think the title speaks for itself. I'm curtently designing an alien civilization that is billions of years more advanced than us. Now this species has left behind its primitive insticts of greed and ...
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What is the cost of being a social animal? [closed]
Human beings are the ultimate social animals, what cost comes along with that? How does sociability expose us to vulnerability? The fabric of today’s society is held together by social association. ...
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What would the proposed advanced civilization be like in the Young Dryas? (12,000 years ago)
It has been proposed that an advanced civilization existed 11-12,000 years ago and was wiped out by a comet strike which hit glacial ice and caused a massive flood. Remnants of this civilization are ...
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Can an alien civilization develop without money? [duplicate]
I'm designing an alien civilization and I was thinking: Could a civilization exist without money or any other sort of economy but instead do everything to help each other? Now, I know most of you will ...
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How far can civilization go without inventing the calendar?
While only counting seasons and years, but not weeks or months, how far can human civilization progress?
Can they reach the middle ages?
Or is the invention of the calendar such a cornerstone of ...
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Minimum required technology for a species to reach space?
Ok so first of all, let's imagine a civilisation on a planet. The planet has a relatively low escape velocity, say 6 km/s and maybe an atmosphere 30% - 50% the thickness of earth's atmosphere.
Now ...
