Questions tagged [scientific-development]
For questions about the process of developing scientific discoveries and what prerequisites are needed for different types of discoveries.
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How feasible is it that aliens would use a number field other than the standard real numbers?
I will begin this with a disclaimer that I barely understand the p-adic analysis beyond very general ideas of what the p-adic numbers are and how they are constructed. But this is a question I've been ...
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42 views
Without biological research, would be people ever able to come to an idea of neural networks? [closed]
Without biology, would people come to an idea of computer neural nets?
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2answers
82 views
Could a self-consuming rocket be useful or cheaper than regular ones?
Technically speaking, all rockets are self-consuming, since they are basically tin cans with fuel. And to carry even less weight with then, they have stages. Allowing not only the rocket to go farther,...
4
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6answers
165 views
Cheap and Efficient material (real or not) to power thrusters that could be used for space ships that work in and out of atmospheres
Takes place in an advance sci-fi setting where old alien races have found new laws of physics. (aka the mcguffin to make this work)
I need some sort of material that is theoretically possible,
but we ...
3
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2answers
133 views
How can you create non-centripetal artificial gravity and apply it to propel a spacecraft by riding the gravitational space time warp?
I like the idea that it is possible to use the warping of spacetime as a propelling force to move spacecraft through an independent non-centripetal artificial gravity drive.
This drive uses the ...
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0answers
65 views
What are the technologies which has a prerequest of quantum mechanics [closed]
I'm thinking about a world where the planet was wrapped by a force field that experiments which lead to quantum mechanics and special relativity gives the false result. I'm wondering what technology ...
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4answers
212 views
How to have a religion that would not impede scientific development
The world setting is as follows:
The main species is human and beastoid(animals that walk on two legs and have hands capable of dexterity, mostly like dog, wolf, cat, bear, rabbit, goat). Half-blood ...
5
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3answers
163 views
How do you make scientific progress happen in the presence of superpowers?
With superpowers, people would lose the desire to build machinery as superpowers can perform most purposes, and people would be less interested in studying the environment than wielding superpowers (...
3
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5answers
272 views
How to incorporate scientific development into fantasy/sci-fi?
In the Avatar the Last Airbender manga/comic and Avatar The Legend of Korra, scientific advancement took over industrial work replacing bending. Eventually nuclear weapons would be found (as well as ...
5
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3answers
134 views
Could a pre-modern civilization make a gas canister with rough valves and pressure regulation?
I wanted to have a gas cylinder that would hold up to about 10 litres of gas (oxygen, mainly) at 20 atmospheres of pressure. Or, if that's impossible, 7 atmospheres would suffice.
The setting is pre-...
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2answers
112 views
Could you develop Electrolysis with Pre-Modern technology?
Electrolysis was a popular idea for how mermaids would generate oxygen for their guests. This leads to another question: Is it possible to perform electrolysis with pre-modern technology?
Electrolysis ...
17
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6answers
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What technology would mermaids excel at?
I regularly see people speaking about the difficulties of technology underwater, and see questions about whether underwater civilizations could produce fire, electricity, etc.. But I haven't seen any ...
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Complete graph (DAG) of prerequisite relationships of human technology
There are a bunch of questions here that require knowledge on ''which technology is a prerequisite for which'' (for example here, here or here).
I was wondering if there was ever any attempt to ...
5
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4answers
249 views
In an alternate universe in which humans can live, how to encourage emphasis upon the life sciences
Let us presuppose a universe adjacent to our own, that has collided non-catastrophically with our own on a number of occasions, causing an exchange of matter including humans in the most recent ...
3
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1answer
127 views
Evolution of biotech [closed]
So, I want to write a realistic alternate timeline where people switch to biotechnology in the 21st century, assuming that the technology to make it it already there. I have postulated several reasons ...
3
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4answers
141 views
Putting together a research expedition to an alien planet - what kind of scientists am I taking with me?
It's the 22nd century and we have discovered a derelict alien craft somewhere in the Oort cloud. The craft contains a star chart showing its origin on an alien planet some 30 light years away. Let's ...
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4answers
180 views
How can early people prove that their planet is a cuboid?
Imagine a cuboid planet with a thick atmosphere orbiting a star similar to our Sun. The inhabitants are as intelligent as humans and recently discovered the universal laws of gravitation and motion ...
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5answers
388 views
What problem in classical physics can a computer solve that a human doing calculus cannot?
So in my setting there is a small and exclusive group of people that have access to devices that work like computers (but which are not the same as computers. They do not use semiconductors and ...
1
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1answer
127 views
Building a formula 1 car within one month?
!
One of my characters wants to participate in a medieval chariot race. The catch is, they use magical chariots that can go at significant speeds, similar to today’s street cars.
So he and his ...
2
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2answers
203 views
How to evacuate an entire planet?
Setting: An Earth-like planet except all the continents are joined together like Pangea.
The locals are in the medieval era and have the ability to use magic. Magic can level buildings at best, ...
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9answers
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Which is easier to develop: a piston prop engine or a jet engine?
I’m writing a novel where people from our universe move to another.
The other universe is a fantasy one with medieval technology.
These people have the help of an advanced AI that contains the ...
1
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1answer
198 views
How a character from the future, reincarnated in the medieval times, could use their knowledge without being accused of witchcraft? [closed]
The setting: more or less our regular medieval times, no magic or magical creatures, but religion is big and most people believe in folklore and superstition.
The plot: character from the far future ...
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Did people have an idea of DNA in the 17th century? [closed]
I know that DNA was discovered later in time but during the 17th century, specifically around 1620 and onwards, would people have known anything about the idea of DNA? If so then how much would they ...
2
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1answer
114 views
The solar system is open for exploration. What fundamental research will we do first? [closed]
In the near future, technology and budgets for space flight have advanced considerably, with lots of uncrewed probes around and crewed missions as far as Mars. Notably, there's a significant ...
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5answers
253 views
Advance human society by time-transporting a book. Which to choose? [closed]
Humanity has done it - the first time-machine was built! However, the machine's capabilities are very limited as it is very costly and fragile, which means we only have one shot. Building another one ...
2
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4answers
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What are some difficulties in synthesizing desirable substances produced in nature?
Suppose that there is a substance that is produced in nature by an organism. This substance is rather desirable. The reason this substance is desirable can be anything: Whether it is because it is a ...
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1answer
204 views
What is left in physics for a scientist in the Star Wars galaxy to study? [closed]
I know this question may be considered too broad, but I legitimately wonder what physics science; scientists are working on in Star Wars. Many many people have said that there is no scientific ...
2
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1answer
139 views
Quaternionic electro-magnetism, world that it can exist in, and the appropriate equation system [closed]
The thing could not exist in real world; it is imaginary concept, expressed in a equations in a paper, that could run as a simulation on a PC. That could be interesting for people with some ...
13
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5answers
2k views
Efficient way to transport a Stargate [closed]
In the future Earth, scientists have successfully created Stargate.
And because of the greedy nature of human being, they wish to colonize as many planets as possible!
And they sure can NOT wait ...
6
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5answers
273 views
How can ruler support the invention of useful things?
Good rulers support invention of useful things. But this question has two sides.
Support of invention
Prevention of fake inventing
Basis:
Many inventions arise as side-effects of searching for ...
14
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6answers
551 views
Could just a brilliant idea advance science by decades, or even centuries?
Inspired by this story, I started thinking.
Let's say we have a person, from the modern day, who miraculously gets a superpower: He can rewind time, but retain his own memories. He can rewind all the ...
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4answers
117 views
which problem can be solved by virtual world technology [closed]
can we use this technology to do scientific experiments(example : making The Large Hadron Collider, New medicines's reactions against virus and bacteria.)
maybe you can make the argument that the ...
4
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2answers
522 views
What kind of science could be done in a station orbiting black hole [closed]
I am writing a script for science fiction RPG where everything takes place in a science station orbiting a black hole just outside the Schwarzschild radius. But it occurred to me I have no idea what ...
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1answer
142 views
How fast can directed evolution make the leap from unicellular to fishlike ability level? [closed]
Premise target:
A few thousands of intelligent machine-scientists have been tasked on the creation of an organism with the abilities of an animal. The exact requirements that they are given are:
Can ...
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8answers
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How to make variable super-soldier size the norm versus a single size
Imagine you can build your soldiers in a lab somewhere. You can control everything, and you've found a the ideal humanoid form (ignoring potentially better forms here). You could build them in all ...
2
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0answers
140 views
Implications of phlogiston theory? [closed]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlogiston_theory
Assuming experiments in the 1770s had proven phlogiston theory correct instead of invalidating it, what would the implications be for the development ...
3
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0answers
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How much longer would it take to reach technological parity without access to energy dense resources like fossil fuels to bootstrap development? [closed]
If the only difference in our hypothetical world is where fossil fuels like coal and crude oil are nonexistent, the advent of an analogous Renaissance Era, subsequent Age of Enlightenment, and ...
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3answers
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The muscles of these humanoids stay the same size as they get stronger: what false theories would they have about strength?
The muscles:
They have muscle tissue that can grow stronger with exercise and can atrophy with neglect just like our muscle tissue. But their muscles don't grow larger when they get stronger, and ...
2
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2answers
278 views
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 ...
asked Sep 2 '18 at 15:24
Thomas Reinstate Monica Myron
8,5173 gold badges39 silver badges70 bronze badges
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How might a Professor of Mathematics Change History?
A professor of mathematics is sent back in time to a post-Neolithic farming village. They accept him as their wise man, and he spends 30 years teaching them all he knows about mathematics until he ...
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3answers
653 views
Oligarchy as a form of government
Can a country with an oligarchy as an offical form of government be successful and have prosperous citizens?
3
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2answers
413 views
Could a species develop the tech necessary to land on their own moon without comprehending light?
Inspired by a brief comment converstaion found here.
I would like to investigate the design and development of an alien species whose technological development did not include an understanding of ...
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0answers
105 views
What consensual human experiments would provide the most geopolitical value? [closed]
In the world I envision here, some countries take a much less fundamentalist stance on human rights (maybe a more extreme version of China) than we generally take for granted.
For the purpose of ...
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4answers
282 views
Reasons why AI/mind-uploaded humans would run long-term anthropological experiments on biological humans?
I’m having a bit of trouble with this one. I’m trying to justify why a once scientifically advanced human outpost on an alien planet went the way of the Planet of the Apes and became a schizophrenic ...
0
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2answers
109 views
How would the lack of nukes/fission technology affect warfare and conflicts between 'great powers'? [closed]
(First time poster, but I don't shy away from receiving criticism :) )
Let's assume that there are two great powers that are vying for dominance over the planet, but neither of them has discovered ...
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3answers
778 views
Deriving a system of scientific units
The dominant society on my conworld is at a level of technological and scientific development not unlike our own, with minor differences here and there. Scientific standards are decided by Academy of ...
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0answers
230 views
Is it possible to build a Science-based medieval fantasy world? [closed]
For instance, I'm currently building a fantasy world set in medieval times in a fictional world. I'm very keen on Science and I would like to combine the two. I thought that the characters could ...
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6answers
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What scientists would go on an research expedition to an alien world?
In my story, a team of scientists are sent to an alien world similar to Earth to conduct general research on its environment, ecosystem (that is: its animal- and plant-life), and weather.
It is the ...
9
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3answers
406 views
Might a ritually cannibalistic society gain a head start or have an advantage in the study and development of the sciences?
This is largely inspired by two questions that @dsollen has asked over the past year or two. The first: Would ritual cannibalism of the dead lead to issues with disease? The second: Cultural beliefs, ...
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2answers
750 views
Is a habitable desert planet with large fossil fuel deposits possible?
I'm working on a sci-fi Western scenario on a habitable desert planet along the lines of Tatooine from Star Wars and Arrakis from Dune.
For it to be habitable there has to be water below the surface ...
