Random Questions Thread

A huge amount. The reason contracting the eye works is the pinhole effect.

You could theoretically correct vision with specialised contact lenses. Because water has a higher refractive index than air, a particularly refractive material will be required to adjust vision underwater. Of course, you can also theoretically develop reverse glasses. Glasses with a refractive index below water. Perhaps a device with a thin layer of air in between two panes of plastic.

Is the difference large enough to exceed the doubling of visual acuity via pupil-contraction, as in the aforementioned real-life example?

This is regarding the merfolk/fishfolk with myopia/hyperopia, right?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.

How useful is having an outline or skeleton for a story especially for ongoing story? I know it is not possible to predict the future and people do change overtime but is it still useful to keep an outline?

Also, how do you incorporate themes, forms, ideas, etc into your story without alienating most readers?

"Eratoeir is a Gangsta."

An outline would at the very least help you define a broad vision for the story, and/or a general direction for where you want to take it; in this way, it would help decrease your chances of writing yourself into a dead-end, like I've seen several promising fanfics do.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.

Actually, It doesn't matter. Correcting eyes is correcting eyes. If the lenses you have leave blur, then more lenses will help.

edited 25th Jul '16 1:59:54 PM by war877

What exactly would people do for entertainment back in medieval times? I'm writing a fantasy story, and while it's not completely medieval in terms of technology and other things, it's not off the walls either. I'm struggling to figure what two characters could do for fun to hang out with each other.

Author.

Depends on who the characters are (both as people and their place in society) and what kind of resources they have. Some details would be nice- are they rich or poor, high or low social status, male or female, friends, lovers, family members?

Practicing/contests in whatever weapon or martial art the characters happen to be proficient in is kind of cliche, but could work for the right characters.

Dancing has always been a popular pastime at most levels of society, although of course the type of dancing will probably differ. Obvious choice for a romantic couple, but there's a lot of social/group dances out there as well.

If the characters happen to share a particular craft or skill (even if they're not both super great at it), working on an 'extra' project for that could be a good chance to hang out. For example, two guys making a sled for one of their kids or a pair of noble ladies bonding over embroidery projects. Heck, it doesn't even need to be extra. Especially in the lower classes, there's always work to be done, so maybe your brother and sister decide to chop wood or pick apples together or your young lovers go to the market at the same time.

Don't overlook just plain taking a walk, either.

Basically, think of what people do together now and try to translate that into a historical context. Telling each other stories? Playing musical instruments? Playing sports?

Hope it helps!

For context, the two people are both princes and brothers. One is seven years older than the other, and spends most of his days reading when he's not designing buildings, while the latter is a 14-year-old who is always trying to get his bigger brother to spend time with him, and he reluctantly agrees after being bugged about it enough times while their father is away on a summit over in capital of the lands.

edited 26th Jul '16 2:11:23 AM by UltimateLazer

Author.

Telling stories was the television of olden days. It's what people did back then. Princes probably would have a semi-professional story teller or two around just to entertain them.

Yeah, story time might work.

If you want something with more dialogue and/or action, consider visiting the construction site of one of the buildings the older brother has designed or hunting/hawking/horseback riding.

Personally, I kind of like the idea of the older one just taking his little brother out on a ramble through the local forest on horseback, but I don't know enough about your characters to say for certain that that's what they'd want to do.

They might play practical jokes on all the other courtiers and advisers. I can't imagine that this is a modern invention. But this would indicate a rather close relationship, I think.

Alternately, I believe that princes in most lands would be required to learn swordfighting. At least as self defence. So they could spar, or sneak down to the training yard and watch the guards/knights practice. I know this one was mentioned already.

When writing someone's three dimensions (bust, waist, and hip) in metric, which unit do you use?

Centimeters. The classic "ideal" is 90-60-90.

The metric for length is metre, and the unit most likely for those measurements is centimetre.

Thanks, though when it comes to applying one's three dimensions for a male character, would "110-83-86" be fitting?

Any guesses at the reaction of the transsexual community to a person who involuntarily changes sex on a regular basis?

Oh and Marq FJA ? There is a race of creatures in the skin deep webcomic universe that like underwater and thus need glasses to see properly in air. (Wiki link - http://skindeep.wikia.com/wiki/Nixie/Nokk)

edited 27th Jul '16 1:51:28 PM by MCE

My latest Trope page: Shapeshifting Failure

Given that I don't think men are usually measured that way, I can't really guess.

They'd be called genderfluid to their face. I don't think it is a big deal.

If you mean physical sex, instead of gender, then no doubt they'd be calling for an exorcist.

edited 27th Jul '16 1:48:10 PM by war877

Changing psychical sex. In this context powers are not uncommon, shapeshifting is rare but not unheard of.

edited 27th Jul '16 1:57:10 PM by MCE

My latest Trope page: Shapeshifting Failure

Cyclic hematopoiesis is a term used in medicine, so I'd use cyclic gender change or periodic gender change. Or cyclic genital dysplasia or periodic genital dysplasia or metamorphism.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Still not a big deal as there is established presence of that in the community already. I believe psychical sex is currently called gender by the community.

I wonder if medical treatment would be sought for here. Such a thing - especially anatomical changes - seems like it would cause problems enough to justify medical treatment.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Say, if a story's arc structure is sufficiently complex, what terms would you suggest for groupings of story arcs? I see the word "saga" being used for "super-arcs" (i.e. groupings of closely interconnected arcs), such as in Marvel superhero comics and some prominent long running manga like One Piece, and yet in Dragon Ball it's the "super-arc" that gets called an "Arc" while the individual arcs are called "Sagas" (e.g. Emperor Pilaf Saga, which is merely one part of the Goku Arc).

edited 28th Jul '16 7:31:03 AM by MarqFJA

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.

Those usages of 'arc' and 'saga' appear to come down to aesthetics or personal taste more than anything.

"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."

They have different meanings. An arc is the path through a story something takes. So a character may have an arc. Although they might be present before the arc starts, and stick around after the arc ends, their involvement in the plot is over for that period of time.

A saga is a dramatic story one involving multiple people, more in line with The Epic than with a Myth Arc.

edited 28th Jul '16 8:06:59 AM by war877

Pretty sure I asked about this before, I chose Cyclic Sexual. Metamorphosis as what the character chose as their favourite, if not what the medical community at large calls it.

Grateful for the suggestions though, makes it sound like more of a solid concept. Also it might have been you who made the suggestions the first time, I which case, thanks again.

In this case it 'flash of light' transformation, with no organ shifting involved, like they are swamping form with another keep in storage. Also given the character is developing new abilities/powers/ genetic alteration on a daily/weekly basis any kind of surgical or hormone treatment is highly inadvisable. That and some healing power complicate things further.

Psychologically, they have deal with the fact they are a 'man in a woman's body' for half of every month. Oh and a wolf one day a month. Think that a psychiatrist would give free sessions in return for being able to write a paper about them?

edited 29th Jul '16 7:12:04 AM by MCE

My latest Trope page: Shapeshifting Failure