Questions tagged [technological-development]
For questions about the progress of a society's technological state.
669
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Non-electrical technology that pre-modern people would see as magic?
My world was colonized by spacefaring humans who lost the vast majority of their technology in an unknown catastrophe at least 12,000 years before the present. They have now redeveloped roughly up to ...
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12
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Is a "20th century" spacefaring civilization plausible?
This civilization has computational technology roughly equivalent to Earth's in the late 20th century. We're talking post-moon landing, but pre-Internet (roughly 1969-1983). They may or may not have ...
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2
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1
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Types of available ores and metallurgy on a "newly" terraformed planet?
I am developing a story set on an exoplanet that was colonized by spacefaring humans but has long since lost all contact with the homeworld due to some unknown catastrophe at least 12,000 years before ...
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3
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How advanced and/or important would aircraft be for a species capable naturally of decent to good flight? [closed]
I am wondering how a species capable naturally/supernaturally(with limits) of decent to good flight, i.e capable of flying for hours and possibly can hover, would treat aircraft like passenger jets ...
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Inherited memories to rebuild a fallen civilisation
So, humans have achieved interstellar flight and colonised a distant planet. They have terraformed this world, and now they are beginning to build their first cities.
However, a Neo-Luddite faction ...
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5
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Preservation of knowledge in the event of apocalypse [duplicate]
I am trying to think of a good way for an effectively all-powerful organization to preserve humanity's knowledge for when the inevitable apocalypse happens so that, when the time comes for survivors ...
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2
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Medical technology in a post-collapse exoplanet
I am developing a story set on a habitable, Earth-like exoplanet which was colonized by spacefaring humans, but has long since lost all contact with the homeworld due to some catastrophe approximately ...
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14
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Portable Alternatives to Traditional Keyboard/Mouse Input
In a near-future alternate reality where smartphones were never invented, people rely heavily on augmented reality and highly mobile computing. High-tech clothing and accessories are everywhere. Heads-...
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Could a species that doesn't sleep invent technology? [closed]
Could a species that does not naturally sleep invent complex technologies as humans have?
Sleep is important to processing information, and high technology evidently requires much more information ...
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9
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How can I define the technology level?
When describing my alien civilisations, I frequently see the necessity to define a particular civilisation's technology level.
How can I do it?
The alien civilisation I'm currently working on is ...
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2
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Maximum economic growth rate in developed countries in the 21st century [closed]
Given a hypothetical 500M-1Bn population at the social, economic, political, financial, industrial, military, etc. capacities available in the most developed countries currently (2023, e.g. Nordic ...
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What effects would a Jupiter-like gas giant's magnetosphere have on a human civilization on its habitable exo-moon?
Background:
Like many others here, I'm building a world for a story I'm writing. I'd like it to be taken for granted that a moon roughly the size of Earth that is habitable for humans could exist in a ...
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3
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Where can a non-clarkean civilisation find an FTL Space-drive?
So, this is the deal. In this scenario, humans are unable to create an interstellar civilisation. They have tried colonising exoplanets the slow way, at about a quarter of the speed of light, but this ...
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6
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Need counters for a near perfect Anti Thermal and Kinetic armor system in a near future setting
So I have an armor that is virtually impervious to small arms fire, and am looking for inspiration and suggestions on an unconventional way to defeat said armor.
The armor is called Anti Thermal And ...
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4
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Potential, ethically-questionable advancements in science [closed]
I'm creating a futuristic dystopia in which a religious sect decides to shun advancements in technology and science.
The reason for this is that science has evolved in ethically questionable ways. ...
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How could I justify use of swords, bows, and similar in a technological setting? [duplicate]
First, a quick explanation of the world's functioning.
It was home to nature-worshipping tribes, which had such a strong connection to the goddesses that developed to be like super-humans (longevity, ...
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5
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How do we replace printing by automated writing?
It is the year 1800 technology-level. In this world, no one uses any kind of printing technology (moveable type, typewriters, block printing, lithography, etc). People still write, and need to ...
4
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How to significantly slow/stop computer development from advancing past the early 1990s?
I have a world where both computers and biological technology have matured to serve the needs of my people. Both have numerous people researching and making use of their equipment. For example, ...
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1
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In a post-nuclear apocalypse society, assuming knowledge and skill, what are the key supply chains needed to rebuild modern electronics?
I'm building an RPG game set in a post nuclear apocalypse. The twist is it's been almost a hundred years since the war, and the world has rebuilt but unevenly. The way I imagined it, technology ...
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Why would soldiers continue using helmets after the Renaissance?
In my world, it is a mix of Renaissance and 17th century style. For soldiers, they wear helmets as part of their uniform and armor. However, even into their version of the 1700s and 1800s, they ...
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Why does an interstellar civilisation use outdated weapons? [closed]
Backstory
In a distant galaxy, humanity once had an empire sprawling hundreds of thousands of stars. Then it collapsed. Now humanity is beginning to spread again, absorbing its old colonies into a new ...
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At what point should I halt humanity's development so that they don't start destroying habitats? How can I achieve this? [closed]
I'm creating a world where it's impossible for human civilization do develop to the point that they could start seriously destroying habitats. I'm not even talking about the industrial revolution. ...
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Could a single, hyper-advanced civilization develop among many unadvanced societies?
In my world, there is a confederacy of citystates, ruled by witches and Pagans. They left to escape persecution from Christians (of my world) in the 13th-14th centuries, though they do not know that ...
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Why have non-magic technology when there is already a magic solution?
In my world, magic and technology have a weird relationship. While they do combine and help advance growing civilizations, they can also inhibit each other. For example, if there are healing spells, ...
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3
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Suicide Pact Technology and the Dark Forest Theory [closed]
There is nothing I enjoy more than pondering on life on other worlds. I have been fascinated by alien life ever since I grew up watching E.T. And Star Wars as a kid. And I like many dream of joining ...
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1
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What is the timeframe for this abandoned space colony revert to a medieval society?
An outpost on a 2G (gravity) water planet (95% of the world's surface covered by oceans) becomes stranded / abandoned by the Galaxy Government, probably forever. The warp gate in orbit broke, nobody ...
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how far would a forcibly undeveloped world be able to get in 1000 years if they were left with fundamental concepts of today [closed]
First, to set the stage: a magical emperor had forcibly taken over the world, and destroyed pretty much all actual physical technology that would be any unreasonable stretch ahead of 1500s, but after ...
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3
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How would people create nonbiological people with only very basic computer technology? [closed]
In one of the (probably too many) settings I'm working on at the moment, most computer technology is quite primitive; There are no home or office computers, and, whilst computers are quite common in ...
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Non-religious reasons to have highly advanced physical simulations without any AI which can predict or mimic human behaviour, even algorithmically?
Note: This question was heavily rewritten for two reasons: Firstly, many of the answers were not exactly what I asked for; Secondly, both the original question and all the answers to it were from ...
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0
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How could an underwater society industrialize? [duplicate]
In my world, there is a species of underwater people. They are a mix of the creatures from Luca, and the creature from the Black Lagoon. At some point, when their technology progresses, they learn ...
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11
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Are airships practical in a world without much metal?
Following on from my previous question about airship engines, I was planning to limit the development of the internal combustion engine and much modern technology in my world by greatly restricting ...
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2
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Will this "miraculous" change have a long-term effect on technology? [closed]
In a fictional world, the following changes suddenly happen to all humans (and future newborns) for no apparent reason:
Their temper becomes better.
They now enjoy socializing with each other more ...
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How to slow and limit the scope of the internal combustion engine in powering an airship
I need to limit the development of the internal combustion engine so that it is only available in small numbers to few individuals and does not progress technically, or at least only progresses slowly....
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5
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2
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Lighting system for early submersibles such as the Nautilus
Assume one constructed a submersible such as what Captain Nemo commanded, the Nautilus, and it had a useful depth of 1km. Using 19th century technology, what would they need to develop to allow ...
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1
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Would a civilization advance faster in technology if they had access to much easier energy sources? Such as, say, fusion with 1800's tech? [closed]
Suppose we go to some hypothetical world that has 1800's technology, and then give them (via handwavium) some technology that is on par with fusion or better (may be more handwavium), and also make it ...
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7
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Why would airplanes become common when there is dragon-riding?
In my world, during their equivalent to the age of absolutism, dragon riding becomes very common. They can be too expensive to personally own, so they are mostly used in general warfare and ...
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3
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7
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How fast can technology be brought from 11th century to 21st century?
In my story, there is a man who has an incredible memory. He lives on Earth for the first seventy years of his life, during which time he can recall everything he reads. Through a complicated series ...
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Planetary Rule: How possible?
It is an established science-fiction trope, especially in something like Star Wars, that entire planets will be run by a single government. When trying to worldbuild, I began to think about how one ...
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3
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0
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What limitations would a race of human-level IQ tyrannosaurus shaped reptiles with prehensile tails have in building and developing civilization? [closed]
These reptiles stand about 7-10 feet tall. They have long prehensile tails tapering very thin toward the end. They have large crocodilian mouths, strong legs, and short arms. They are social animals ...
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Stagnated renaissance era technology in a fantasy setting?
I am early in this design but am imagining a fictional world in the age of exploration including classic fantasy tropes of monsters and magic, with renaissance era technology, that is cannons, muskets,...
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How far would science and technology be without wars and religion? [closed]
In an alternate reality a highly developped species, let's call them 3Os, found planet earth just before the neolithic revolution. Upon studying humans, they correctly predicted their social evolution ...
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4
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What does a post-industrial world look like if there was no oil or gas, only coal?
What might the world look like if easily accessible oil and gas wasn’t available and coal was the only option?
I’m trying to understand was a post-apocalyptic industrial society might look like (I’m ...
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When many animal and plant materials are comparable to modern materials, why would any civilization develop metal working?
So, in the setting I've created, there are many animal and plant materials which are comparable to modern materials and some even greater than what can be made today.
For example, there are molluscs ...
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How to start an industrial revolution without capitalism [closed]
In my fantasy world, the countries eventually industrialize. However, some of it is not capitalistic, but rather mercantilist, and the governments are absolute monarchs. Fortunately, the feudal system ...
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3
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Factors to why a civilization is not using past technology that is more advanced [closed]
In my world, there have been past ancient civilizations and empires who had better technology. Not just infrastructure, but also mechanical machinery, better inventions, and technics.
As the years go ...
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Is there development of advanced polymers/composite materials?
Background: seeking modern technologies, resources, etc that could potentially be discovered and applied in a fantasy setting where manufacturing processes, while advanced, are more akin to the late ...
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If all humans of this era suddenly became fast enough to dodge bullets, how would this change the military's choice of weaponry? [closed]
Would melee weapons become more useful than guns, or would guns still be better?
For reference: in terms of speed, the enhanced humans can outpace bullets by fast-walking.
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What problems will an intelligent species on a low gravity planet face advancing to space exploration?
From the information that I have found, low gravity planets will be able to produce taller/larger flora and fauna that will be lighter and more spindly in structure with flying, gliding and leaping ...
user96146
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0
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How Would Human Society's Outlook Change if an Alien Type III Civilization Had Been Discovered? [closed]
The Kardashev scale divides civilizations into four types (0-3) based on energy consumption. No type II civilization has been discovered in our galaxy and no type III civilization has been detected in ...
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What trains would survive a post-apocolypse [closed]
My world is in the distant future. While there were nukes, they were not used entirely, and there were many bioweapons like the t virus. The world has a few major governments still standing, but are ...
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