Hello, fellow writers! Got any question that you can't find answer from Google or Wikipedia, but you don't think it needs a separate thread for? You came to the right place!
Don't be shy, and just ask away. The nice folks here, writers and non-writers, experts and non-experts, will do their best to help you.
The folder below contains links for special interest threads, mostly at OTC, but also from Yack Fest and Troper Coven.
- Aircrafts and Aviation
- Computer
- Economics
- General Religion, Mythology, and Theology
- General Science Thread
- Chemistry
- Earth Science, including Meteorology
- Medicine
- Physics
- Space - Just don't talk about space warfare over there; use Sci-fi Warfare thread below instead.
- Chemistry
- History
- Martial arts
- Military
- Police and Law Enforcements
- Politics - The opening post of the linked thread includes links to political threads on specific countries as well.
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Sci-fi Warfare
Also take a look at Useful Notes on various topics. They can be pretty useful.
Now, bring on the questions, baby!
edited 11th Apr '18 6:31:51 PM by dRoy
The future of warfare in UC.
Okay, here's a really weird question. How on earth would I find a map of the US showing airfields suited to handling large cargo planes?
Nous restons ici.
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Hmmm. I suppose the first question would be defining the category. What's "large"? The lone An-225? A loaded 747? A C-5 Galaxy? A C-17 (which would expand the category considerably, because STOL is wonderful)?
Once you've got a baseline metric down...I suppose you could start Googling variations of "747 capable airfields in the US", and maybe including old SAC bases and USAF fields as well. If the craft is pickier than the 747, narrow from there.
Charlie Stross's cheerful, optimistic predictions for 2017, part one of three.
The future of warfare in UC.
The aircraft in question is the full-up madness of UC Gundam's Medea so we're probably talking An-255, but I can't find any useful information on what kind of runway it needs by a cursory google search.
The Dreamlifter needs about 10000 feet of runway for a takeoff run, so I suppose I can ballpark it at maybe 15000 feet of runway. That puts it in singularly awkward territory indeed considering there are about 20 runways in the world long enough.
Nous restons ici.
The future of warfare in UC.
Well, this is turning out to be awkward. I'm going to have to work backwards from what I planned and look along my proposed route on a map then see what Wikipedia says about airports and AF Bs near it.
Nous restons ici.
Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they)
I feel called upon to bring up GERTY.
The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable
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![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Factor in runway lengthening at major AFBs and you might be able to give yourself some more leeway. Alternatively, deck the thing out in high-lift devices; a C-5 Galaxy has a takeoff roll of less than 9000 feet, and this site claims the An-225 needs about 9850 feet—I don't know if that's fully loaded or not. So, against the huge size of the thing, I figure: since it's probably a military design, it would be engineered to require less takeoff space than you might expect.
Stop adding such intriguing-sounding media to the list of things I have to see, damn it. <_<
A Lyoko Brony
How would it be possible for a person to wake up from a three-month coma and still be able to talk and walk?
Co-author of Code Wings 3.0. Also... I'M RUNNING FOR THE RIVER!!
The outcomes of a coma can be pretty variable. I guess a coma for some reason other than a serious brain injury would be the most plausible situation, though.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
It's more a question of how long it would take to recover after being in a coma for three weeks. No one just gets up and walks after lying in bed that long. It's going to require several days at least of physical and mental therapy to get that person back on their feet, but eventually there's no particular reason why they couldnt experience a more or less full recovery.
edited 30th Apr '15 5:40:32 AM by DeMarquis
![[nja]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/user_ninja_2074.png "[nja]"){kind=small}
> I was never here.
edited 30th Apr '15 7:20:13 PM by LongLiveHumour
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
How plausible is an vastly above-average strong man from 1000 BC killing a bear single-handedly with a bear spear? He did have an element of surprise, in that when a bear was occupied trying to maul a girl, he just ran and stabbed it with a spear.
I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
With the surprise factor, that can be done by a regular human too.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
Ah.
I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
An old Indian trick is to grab a large stick or small log in one hand, and an ax in other. When the attacking bear rears up, you offer it the small log, which it grabs and bites instinctively. You then whack it on top of the head with the ax. I wouldn't recommend this as one's first option, of course, but it was known to work.
Is there a term for a form of art similar to a tapestry, but painted? That is, a painting that uses a large, non-rigid fabric canvas, and that is hung on walls as decoration?
... That's... Well, that seems as though it takes courage, at the least. o_o
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
Banner?
I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
Hmm... Does the word "banner" not apply specifically to flags, signs and the like? (That, at least, is what my own impression and a quick look at both Dictionary.com and Wikipedia seem to suggest, but I do stand for correction.) I'm looking for something that would apply to a painted scene or portrait—decoration, rather than an emblem or direct communication.
My Games & Writing
A Lyoko Brony
Does an awkward kiss work if one person has feelings for the other, but the other still thinks that they are friends?
Co-author of Code Wings 3.0. Also... I'M RUNNING FOR THE RIVER!!
There's fabric printing and stencilling, which has quite a long history, but I'm not sure that directly painting onto (flexible) fabric has its own term.
Hanging maybe? Though again I tend to think of drapery when I hear that.
edited 2nd May '15 10:47:53 AM by LongLiveHumour
The problem is that when paint dries, it forms a stiff crust. If the underlying medium isnt rigid enough to support the paint, it will crack.
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And if the cloth is dyed, I think we're right back to banners.
No technical reason it's impossible, of course; all else is down to characterization and execution.
@Teenlyokofan: That sounds like something that could be very awkward.
@Long Live Humour: Funnily enough, "hanging" was one of the first words that came to mind, as I recall—and in fact, looking at the Dictionary.com now, it does seem to be sufficiently broad that it might well work. I'm not sure why I dismissed it previously. o_0
@De Marquis: I thought that I recalled some type of paint that resulted in a flexible end-product, but it's possible that I'm mistaken.
Hmm... Based on some quick online research, it seems that acrylic paints should work (they seem to be the primary suggestion, even when clothing is being painted), especially if watered down a little. However, it's not clear whether there was something similar available before the invention of acrylics.
At the least would dye not work, as Sabres Edge mentions?
edited 2nd May '15 4:13:33 PM by ArsThaumaturgis
My Games & Writing
Even acrylic paint will crack if not supported properly.
I dont think they used dyes much outside of banners. Indoors at least, tapestries were more common.
Hmm... Regarding acrylics, as I said, the sites that I was looking at seemed to disagree. They do mention either watering the paint down or using a "textile medium", admittedly, but they also seem to indicate that, given these measures, acrylics may be suitable for painting on clothing—which would surely move more than a wall-hanging.
But in any case, acrylics, being modern paints, are probably not applicable to my setting.
You say that dyes weren't commonly used for decorative purposes, but would it be feasible? My setting isn't historical Earth, so different artistic traditions are quite acceptable.
(I could theoretically invoke magic, but would rather not in this case.)
My Games & Writing
Some good suggestions here. Thanks everyone. Considering the characters face (plate) would look a bit like old style optimus prime emoticons display eyes are probably out. Can use the speaking with hands and gestures. They have a normal expressive voice but it is quite low and rumbley. My main inspirations for the appearance were some of the R.I.G suits from dead space particularity the Advanced Solider RIG
from Dead Space and the advanced suit
from Dead Space 2 and also pretty much every exoskelaton/power armour I've seen in fiction.
I also need to work with the fact that he want to be taken seriously, but often scares people.
edited 28th Apr '15 2:45:56 PM by MCE
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