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For questions that require plausible (better than suspension-of-disbelief) answers based on Real World science that are not necessarily constrained to the known limits of Real World science. Contrast with the hard-science, science-fiction and internal-consistency tags. This tag may not be used alone. This tag may not be used with the science-fiction, hard-science, or internal-consistency tags.

2 votes

Is there other similar/better method like TENS units for external control of human muscles?

Theoretically you could do this using magnetic stimulation of neurons. The magnetic field induces an electrical potential in the neuron which actives the neurons and it can work from (small) distance …
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14 votes

Detecting offworlders with cameras

Active digital cameras are easy to detect. CCD and CMOS cells are effectively retroreflectors, so a bright modulated infrared light source will be visible in them and detectable as long as there is li …
tylisirn's user avatar
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8 votes

Alien message: arrows and sequence order

Introduce your sequence symbols temporally. Instead of broadcasting a single image of a "comic strip", broadcast a sequence of separate images that show the progression of the sequence markers. First …
tylisirn's user avatar
  • 2,958
3 votes

Real DNA encryption (or at least making it hard to decode/change)

The big problem here is that the organism has to be able to decode its own DNA. Therefore the "decryption mechanism" has to be built-in in the organism. You can make it more obscure by hiding the imp …
tylisirn's user avatar
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13 votes

Using light as a barrier to block people without grilling them

Not with light pressure. You need 300 megawatts of radiation flux for each Newton of force on the object (equivalent to the force exerted by a ~100 gram weight). However, you can use microwaves as no …
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28 votes

Modified stem cells as a resuscitation serum after death by cyanide poisoning?

There is absolutely no way to resuscitate someone who has been dead for long without basically magic-level-tech. When a cell dies all the metabolic functions cease. They stop ion transport which alte …
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3 votes

What would be the dangers of creating matter from nothing

There is nothing inherently dangerous about matter that has been created out of nothing (indeed, that's how all the matter around us has originally been created). However the method itself can be dang …
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2 votes

What would the recovery period for a five year coma look like?

There is a very big problem with the character's brain in this scenario, because he went into the coma due to gross physical trauma to his brain ("got the crap kicked out of him") and that physical tr …
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6 votes
Accepted

A species that is warm-blooded when a juvenile, but cold-blooded (or at least lukewarm-blood...

The answer is point #14. Being ectotherms their metabolism level is linked to their body temperature: the warmer they are the more active they are and thus more aggressive they can be. Because the juv …
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5 votes

How could an alien mine exist under a planet's surface without humans detecting it from above?

An underground mine would remain undetected pretty much without any special precautions. Assuming they're not using heavy explosives, or anything like that, just drilling and excavating. The ground i …
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