TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Random Questions Thread

Go To

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.

    Special Interest Threads 

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

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#10051: Apr 20th 2014 at 3:22:50 PM

Chirality is a + and - thing; flipping both won't make a difference, much like if the universe suddenly changed the signature of an electric charge, everywhere, it wouldn't make a difference. It makes a difference only if only one side is switched.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#10052: Apr 20th 2014 at 3:55:18 PM

What's the trope called when a character, while not exactly a Mary Sue, is just born incredibly lucky? Not luck as in odds favor him during a card game or whatever, but the circumstances surrounding their birth makes you think "How can a person be born so lucky"

For ex. being born into a rich family, handsome, Type AB blood, athletically gifted, loving parents, etc.

New Survey coming this weekend!
DarkbloodCarnagefang They/Them from New Jersey Since: May, 2012
They/Them
#10054: Apr 20th 2014 at 4:29:12 PM

Edit: Meh

edited 20th Apr '14 7:32:47 PM by DarkbloodCarnagefang

Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
Night The future of warfare in UC. from Jaburo Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
The future of warfare in UC.
#10055: Apr 20th 2014 at 8:34:17 PM

Chirality is a + and - thing;

It's not. It's not like everything becomes opposite day in the reverse direction. That's what chirality means; you can't mirror-image the shape. Reverse the spin of the atoms in your body and the majority of the complex chemical bonds will literally fall apart because it doesn't work on a macro scale.

edited 20th Apr '14 8:37:24 PM by Night

Nous restons ici.
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10056: Apr 21st 2014 at 12:00:12 AM

This is more of a curiosity question, but if you had complete control over even one of the fundamental forces of our universe (gravity, electromagnetism, strong force, weak force), would you be able to resurrect the dead? If not, how many out of the four would you need?

My gut feeling says "yes", but I want a second opinion to be safe.

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
SabresEdge Show an affirming flame from a defense-in-depth Since: Oct, 2010
Show an affirming flame
#10057: Apr 21st 2014 at 12:41:42 AM

Electromagnetism is the one here. I assume "resurrect the dead" means "get the brain functioning again, through brute-force repairs and emulation if necessary", which is a function of biochemical and probably neurological screwery. Those in turn imply chemical and electrical reactions, which would be the domain of the electromagnetic force, since we're not messing around with the subatomic level. (Strong force and weak force, if I'm not mistaken, both come into play only if you're planning on messing around at the subatomic level; gravity can have effects at the micro and macro levels, but none that would really affect chemical reactions with the kind of subtlety you'd need.)

Charlie Stross's cheerful, optimistic predictions for 2017, part one of three.
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10058: Apr 21st 2014 at 12:49:43 AM

Well, I did say complete control, so really I more meant "what if you could replicate any kind of phenomenon related to electromagnetism and were Magneto on crack?"

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
SabresEdge Show an affirming flame from a defense-in-depth Since: Oct, 2010
Show an affirming flame
#10059: Apr 21st 2014 at 12:53:13 AM

Still electromagnetism. Perhaps in theory you could replicate chemical reactions with nanoscale control of gravity, but EM lets you actually run those reactions instead of some imitation of them. Strong force and weak force let you alter elements, but that doesn't help you, since the human brain is mostly the standard biochem mixture of CHONPS anyway, and it's the way they form molecules and react with each other—plus the electrical impulses running down the nerves—that dictates how it functions.

Charlie Stross's cheerful, optimistic predictions for 2017, part one of three.
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10060: Apr 21st 2014 at 5:27:53 AM

Danke, that helps a lot.

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
garridob My name's Ben. from South Korea Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
My name's Ben.
#10061: Apr 21st 2014 at 8:40:20 AM

So let's assume I just got my first book published and it was called "The Blackguard" and it was about isolated racists in the desert getting run over by urban sprawl and I wanted to tell everybody about it here on TV Tropes. Where would I do such a thing? smile

edited 21st Apr '14 8:42:13 AM by garridob

Great men are almost never good men, they say. One wonders what philosopher of the good would value the impotence of his disciples.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#10062: Apr 21st 2014 at 8:43:01 AM

Make a work page for it? That would be my first call.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10064: Apr 22nd 2014 at 9:07:38 AM

Science question time, for those who understand this better than I do. I've read that a human being can tolerate localized G-forces of up to a 100 Gs as long as it's not sustained and relatively instantaneous.

So if someone with superhuman reaction times but a normal, squishy human body dodged a high-velocity projectile, what's the limit on how fast they can dodge before their body starts taking damage from the G-forces? If anyone can explain how to calculate this for me, I'd appreciate it.

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
demarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#10065: Apr 22nd 2014 at 11:41:44 AM

@Storyyeller: That's the wrong one, but I'll let him point you in the correct direction, if he wants to...

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
thEpirate from the backyard of Europe Since: Jul, 2012
#10066: Apr 22nd 2014 at 12:46:02 PM

About G. If d is distance and t is time a=2*d/(t^2), G=a/9.8.

It's a fact..
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10067: Apr 22nd 2014 at 1:02:38 PM

d is in meters, right?

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#10068: Apr 22nd 2014 at 1:06:03 PM

That formula talks in dimensions, so any unit of length can do, so as long as you are using a consistent unit system.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10069: Apr 22nd 2014 at 1:08:04 PM

Ah jeez. Well, that pretty much settles it. Even if you had the reflexes, no normal human is dodging anything faster than a bullet.

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
Night The future of warfare in UC. from Jaburo Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
The future of warfare in UC.
#10070: Apr 22nd 2014 at 1:31:09 PM

Even with superhuman reaction times, it's doubtful at most normal combat ranges you could mechanically move quick enough to dodge a bullet with a normal squishy human body. We're terrible at accelerating and the most violent motions we can create only demonstrate a few gee.

Nous restons ici.
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#10071: Apr 22nd 2014 at 2:50:18 PM

Could someone who's lactose intolerant have sour cream, or would that trigger symptoms?

SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#10072: Apr 22nd 2014 at 4:18:57 PM

Is there a name for the mental condition where people are naturally impatient?

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
KSPAM PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY from PARTY ROCK Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
PARTY PARTY PARTY I WANNA HAVE A PARTY
#10073: Apr 22nd 2014 at 4:40:23 PM

Impatience is more of a symptom of mental illness rather than the core of the illness itself, honestly. You might be driving at ADHD or some form of unspecified anxiety disorder.

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial
RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#10074: Apr 23rd 2014 at 3:18:52 PM

[up][up][up] I don't think someone who's lactose intolerant should eat sour cream, but I'm not 100% sure.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
m8e from Sweden Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Wanna dance with somebody
#10075: Apr 23rd 2014 at 10:24:07 PM

Sour cream contain about as much lactose as normal milk. So it really depends on how intolerant the person is and how much is eaten. A spoon or two might be fine, one wouldn't drink a glass of sour cream anyway.


Total posts: 31,257
Top