Questions tagged [technology]
For questions about the creation, use, and application of all types of technology.
1,529
questions
4
votes
3answers
124 views
High power microwave weapons for future spacecraft in somewhat hard sci-fi setting
In my somewhat hard sci-fi setting I'm thinking of using a high powered microwave weapon as the secondary armament of my ship to supplement the missiles it would carry.
I was thinking it would be a ...
0
votes
2answers
94 views
Can a turbine mechanism work to generate energy from a lightsaber/beam saber? [on hold]
The turbine mechanism is surrounding a lightsaber or beamsaber like a sheath or scabbard on a sword, or like a cylinder tube. The turbine is inside the sheath and looks like a blade ring facing the ...
9
votes
4answers
196 views
what could be used for flexible piping in the 1780s
How and out of what could flexible, thin air-tight tubes be made of at around 1780? These tubes need to be around a centimeter wide, with a 7.5 mm tube going through it. It must also be heat resistant ...
4
votes
2answers
169 views
Would building a large underwater dome be possible with European Renaissance technology?
So my novel setting is a pseudo-European continent that is at a Renaissance level of technology, and over the past century has experienced rampant sea level rise. I’d imagine that this would present a ...
4
votes
4answers
188 views
Fantasy Air-Ship Design
I am a little obsessed with the 'Planetary Romance' genre - Edgar Rice Burroughs etc - and especially the idea of a setting in which interplanetary travel is in craft that resemble ocean going vessels....
0
votes
1answer
85 views
Theoretically, can two hearts be connected with a pump between them? [closed]
Like, if two hearts are outside of the bodies, could the two hearts be connected and function, using the blood from the people they came from, if the people had compatible blood types? The hearts are ...
1
vote
1answer
141 views
Thermal airship in ancient Rome [closed]
Could a thermal airship be made by the roman empire? If so how long would it take and how would it work? what are the limitations? And if it can't work, are there any other forms of aircraft the ...
30
votes
19answers
7k views
Is it realistic that an advanced species isn't good at war?
A non-human society is engineering minded by nature and is extremely advanced, to the point where they (with wide-scale community effort) have learned how to create wormholes and have practical space ...
3
votes
3answers
183 views
What would be an resonable amount to fund mechs while not pulling other resources form other projects? [closed]
I have already came up with the pseudoscience to explain how and why the mechs work (they're basically Gundam) but the problem I keep running into is the funding.
An important thing is that ...
11
votes
12answers
880 views
What are the most important factors in determining how fast technology progresses?
What are the most important factors in determining how fast technology progresses?
And roughly how fast might that be under optimal circumstances?
Innovations have to be dreamed up, but there must ...
5
votes
9answers
469 views
Are starfighters a realistic evolution of space naval warfare?
I’m making my story as close to real and theoretical science as possible. I remember reading an article a while ago saying realistic space warfare would be capital ships engaging in missile warfare ...
4
votes
4answers
167 views
How much industry is required to keep maintain in a western living-style for 10000 people?
I'm trying to design space habitats and need some estimates on this. Maintaining the lifestyle means that they are capable of produching anything you could get in the West today and are capable of ...
2
votes
2answers
123 views
Civilization on an Earth-like planet without using waterways for transport
On Earth, civilization grew up around river valleys. Rivers are useful as a water source, a food source, and a waste disposal system, but their most important function to a civilization is enabling ...
7
votes
7answers
193 views
Android vs. Biped/Humanoid Robot in the Military
In the story I am writing, a robotics company receives funding from the military to create a prototype for a combat android capable of passing as human but I am having trouble justifying the need for ...
2
votes
3answers
119 views
Impact on the Environment of a Steam-Powered World
So in the world I've been creating, I decided that the inhabited world (which is actually pretty small because of reasons) uses steam power as its main source of energy. This inhabited area is about ...
5
votes
3answers
245 views
Can Humanity Expand to the Oceans?
Consider a large landmass such as Australia. Imagine if they hypothetically wanted to expand their borders, but they already used up all of their landmass, including the deserts.
Could humanity find ...
5
votes
2answers
393 views
When is the earliest in Earth history when Grade 5 Titanium alloy could be made, assuming one knows the formula and has the feedstock?
Bob the time traveler has a problem. He went to 75,000,000 BC to get some dinosaur eggs (don't ask) and his time machine re-combobulator broke and a big chunk is missing.
Fortunately he can still ...
3
votes
3answers
147 views
Would an exoplanet highly rich in Iron (and other metallic properties) have any effects on technology?
Im working on a story about a new exoplanet discovery and its subsequent "Near Future" colonization.
The planet is close to its parent star. As such, I have decided to give it a sizeable molten iron ...
6
votes
4answers
3k views
Plausibility and performance of a composite longbow
English Longbows were typically selfbows made of yew, and were pretty effective at what they did, however, I’ve heard before that while composite bows, like the Mongolian, could have less raw power, ...
5
votes
2answers
188 views
Travel distance across water in early prehistory
I have a species which is about half the size of a human. They live on a continent composed of large islands. I'm looking at their migration history.
The thing is, I'm likely to have the origin of ...
5
votes
3answers
183 views
How much damage could a complete loss of technology cause?
I'm working on an idea for a story. It takes place in the somewhat distant future, say 200-300 years. Some time between now and then, an event occurs which causes all computers to simultaneously fail. ...
18
votes
7answers
4k views
How to make classical firearms effective on space habitats despite the coriolis effect?
The direction of the force will always be perpendicular to velocity and pointing to the opposite side of the rotation direction. In plain terms, any object traveling in the rotation plane: up (toward ...
-5
votes
4answers
151 views
Human colonies beyond Pluto (on a potential ninth planet)
To be able to colonize another world, there are some requirements; the harvesting of energy, enough recourses, handling of the environment (pressure, temperature and gravity and so on) and ...
3
votes
4answers
180 views
How Fast Can A Weightless Human 'Swim' On Air Using Medieval Tech?
This world has gravity, air, and clouds. If humans are weightless yet still has mass, it's gonna take some force to accelerate them. How fast can they move on air, say, if they had fins like divers? ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
What would make an ideal stationary night vision device?
In a futuristic world, on a small military spaceship, I want to give it an external camera/telescope-like device that has incredible night vision so it can see the landscape underneath the ship in ...
23
votes
4answers
3k views
How quickly would a wooden treasure chest rot?
Suppose a wooden treasure chest is placed in an underground dungeon in a medieval European climate. The chest is as sturdily built as is practical, but isn't protected by any kind of magic or advanced ...
21
votes
13answers
5k views
Fantasy Military Arms and Armor: the Dwarven Grand Armory
I'm having some trouble coming up with arms and armament for my fantasy world's dwarven race. I have a few ideas for what they could wield but I'd like a few more to really make this army feel Alive. ...
4
votes
2answers
189 views
Wich knowledge would persevere in this post-apocalyptic world?
First of all: sorry for my english.
I'm writing a post-apocalyptic book and I got some simple questions before I can finish shapping its world. In my fiction, the world fell apart (doesn't matter ...
9
votes
9answers
3k views
Why not use futuristic pavise ballistic shields for protection?
Working with a world with relatively high industrial technology, including good materials technology but no energy weapons or the like but modern-day ballistic technology.
Why not use the equivalent ...
1
vote
2answers
343 views
What can prevent a super elevator to a space station from being invented?
Let's say that space around earth has no debris. Super elevator is some super durable cable between a space station and earth by which some elevator can travel. Space station is in geostationary orbit,...
-1
votes
1answer
229 views
Medieval/renaissance superweapon [closed]
Using the technology available at the time, what kind of superweapon could the medieval or renaissance age produce?
5
votes
3answers
348 views
Magnetic thread storage?
Is the data storage based on magnetic threads instead of magnetic tape possible and practical?
Particularly, magnetic thread cassetes with endless loop (which is easier with thread than with tape).
...
3
votes
1answer
202 views
What technology can be used to create liquid suit? [closed]
I'm new to WorldBuilding, so please let me know if I'm doing something wrong or should add more information! Thanks in advance.
Explanation
Liquid costume/suit is technological solution of future ...
4
votes
3answers
202 views
Yet another low-tech device alert
After seeing this question, a similar but IMO harder question came into my mind: what if the magical alert is non-mechanical?
Let me explain:
Similar plot, low/mid-tech world, no industrial ...
10
votes
10answers
5k views
Given current technology, could TV display screens double as video camera sensors?
This was inspired by this YouTube video titled "Why all solar panels are secretly LEDs (and all LEDs are secretly solar panels)" and the fact that speakers and microphones are similarly related.
So ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
How would a low-tech device be able to alert its user?
Assume a low-tech scenario, no Electricity, more or less iron age tech-levels.
Some people in this world carry devices the size of a modern compass. Within is a very thin (like hair, but of lighter ...
1
vote
1answer
153 views
Can I use a living organism as exotic matter for interstellar travel?
Would it be possible to use a living organism as unobtainium for interstellar travel? Would it make any sense?
The story I had in mind would use them as the main bad guys seeking vengeance on those ...
-2
votes
2answers
156 views
Ancient City Expansion
I want to write about a city in environments like the grasslands in France. Its progress from its rise until its fall.
Could the city expand to an empire in one or two generations? (Middle ages ...
4
votes
6answers
219 views
Technology to see an invisible being
I have a world where there are two types of beings. One type, let's call them X, exist in our "dimension," and the other, let's call them Y, exist in another "phase" or dimension.
Only 10% of X ...
11
votes
5answers
276 views
Preconditions for 'Classical' Space Fighters and Carriers
Let's say that I, like many other worldbuilders before me, want to have 'classical' (space-operatic) space fighters and carriers in a space setting.
However, I don't want to do it by fiat and ...
5
votes
1answer
417 views
Post-apocalyptic aircraft
I have a post-apocalyptic scenario, set in the ruins of an American metropolis with flooded streets. Boats are used most of the time, but aircrafts have advantages, for battle or if you have to get on ...
0
votes
3answers
146 views
Could Devils Tower Be the Model for Rapunzel's Tower?
Many adaptations of the Brothers Grimm tale of Rapunzel have come up with ways to make Rapunzel's tower so unscalable that the only way up is to ask her to let down her very, very, very long hair.
...
3
votes
1answer
116 views
Will my futuristic homing tracker signal be lost inside a mountain?
My protagonist is being pursued, and they have put a tracker in his arm he cannot remove, lest it blow up and kill him. Pretty standard stuff. It's the future, so maybe the tracker is more ...
5
votes
4answers
433 views
What is the best way to cause swarm intelligence to be destroyed?
In my story, there is a large group of humanoid clones that help the city function, doing mundane tasks such as cleaning and maintaining the city. Doing all of the minimum wage jobs and 95% of the ...
3
votes
9answers
1k views
Best gun to modify into a monsterhunter weapon?
In my post-apocalyptical-urban-fantasy setting, the main character is a mercenary mage who uses a gun with a big bayonet as his main weapon. The blade is supposed to be some kind of a glaive.
The ...
1
vote
1answer
148 views
Is a hot or cold environment better for intelligent beings? [closed]
I have always assumed that cold would be better for an intelligent being to work in mainly because of electronics. Electronics work better in the cold than the heat. Heat also makes it harder to work. ...
25
votes
17answers
5k views
Need reasons why a satellite network would not work
My story takes place on a hot desert planet that is a colony. At some point people are out in a very hot and inhospitable area of the desert. Dust storms, high heat, constant wind, etc.
Characters ...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
Deflecting lasers/plasma bolts/blaster bolts with lightsabers [closed]
In Star Wars, there's some shots where Jedi deflect lasers with their lightsabers. I know there's a law that says you can't go faster then the speed of light and lasers are light, so what is the ...
-1
votes
7answers
233 views
In 2110, are flying cars a thing? [closed]
Flying cars are a standard sci-fi trope, but will they actually be a reality in 90 years? And even if they are, will they completely replace road cars? Or will the prevalence of road cars be dependent ...
10
votes
9answers
2k views
How to trick a fairly simplistic kill-counter? [closed]
In my setting, soldiers carry with them kill-counters; devices that measure the lifesigns of everything in the vicinity and then count one kill if the lifesigns of a given humanoid suddenly ceases to ...
