Was Star Trek's Time Warp ever developed past episode one?

I consider myself a Trekkie. I have seen pretty much every episode there is to watch at least once. That was a long time ago, and my memory is hazy. A while back I watched the first episode of Star Trek. In that episode, they referred not to "Warp Travel", but rather "Time Warp". Was this concept elaborated upon at all? I'm not talking about the Motion Pictures with the Borg or the whales. The idea I got in my head was they were altering the rate of time in order to travel vast distances without aging? This was some time ago. I may be recalling the episode improperly.

Short story about a woman who has lost her right to use science

This story would have been in a short story collection or anthology over the last few years. I think it was about a woman who would not allow medical treatment for her children due to vague non-science reasons. She was unable to provide any fact based reasoning for her beliefs and the children were treated as she "lost her right to use science."

Does anyone know the title please?

Was Qo'noS evacuated?

In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the destruction of my namesake causes an ecological disaster on the Klingon homeworld and paves the way for a serious peace effort between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Spock, addressing the Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet, a collection of admirals, and the senior officers of the Enterprise A, claims:

The Klingon empire has roughly fifty years of life left.

More specifically, the Federation President makes the following pledge to diplomats at the Khitomer Conference:

The proposed agenda is as follows: the total evacuation of Kronos has been calculated within the fifty Earth year time span. Phase One: preparation for evacuation....

This was in 2293. However, from Next Generation episodes, we see that the Klingon High Command is still based on Qo'noS in the 2360s.

Was Qo'noS actually evacuated? If so, was the evacuation only temporary? If it was never evacuated, then what caused the plan to change?

Book Identification - Human agent trapped by aliens and trying to escape

What is the name of the book or author in a science fiction novel in which:

Prior to the events in the book: humanity discovered a means of teleporting between worlds and has established a number of colonies or outposts. However, humanity has lost contact with one of these outposts.

The book starts with an agent being sent to planet that is out of contact.

He awakens in a high tech prison cell. He spends a great deal of time attempting to discover a means of escape and eventually accidentally kills himself in trying to escape.

After which he appears in the high tech prison cell again.

Over the course of the book he discovers that:

• Aliens have taken over the base


• His teleportation signal/information was recorded.


• The aliens are using his teleportation information to generate new copies of him after the old one dies.


• He slowly tries to learn a little more on how to escape and pass that information on to future incarnations of himself.

He eventually escapes from his cell. I'm vague on this but I think he rescues one or a small number of the base personnel and gets them back to the teleportation unit.

As he prepares to teleport back to Earth, he realizes that the teleportation unit will record this version of him - which the aliens will use to generate another version of him to torture and learn more information from.

He hopes that "he" will not be the one stuck behind.

After teleporting he realizes that until those aliens are defeated, a version of himself will remain the plaything of the aliens to torture or do anything else they desire.

I probably read this book between 2000 & 2008.

When Thranduil tells Legolas to go north, what did he mean?

At the end of the third Hobbit movie, I recall Thranduil telling Legolas to go north to look for Aragorn. They were at Erebor, and north of that was just the Iron Hills and Forodwaith. Aragorn would not be north of the Wood-elven Kingdom either. What did he mean? Am I misunderstanding the scene?

Looking for title of sci fi short story about lunar base

All I remember is there is a "siren" like effect luring people out of a lunar base to the surface where they die. There is a man looking into this on the base, he barely manages to escape the pull of the call and loses a friend/colleague to it. At the end, he is back on Earth and talks about how he still feels the unavoidable pull of this siren call even though he is now back on Earth. I am pretty sure this story was in an anthology, but I don't remember if it was of one author or just a science fiction anthology in general.

Looking for book about device that allowed people to "look back" in time

Read a great sci-fi novel in the 90's about a device that was invented allowing people to see back in time. You had to go through everything, kind of like watching a movie on a vcr in fast rewind. You could enter where you wanted to watch, not sure if you could specify who to see. Eventually, society crashed because there were NO secrets anymore. It wasn't time travel, it just allowed people to see the past. As with most inventions, governments and scholars were the first to use it. Then, as economies of scale kicked in, it became cheap enough that average folks owned them, and that's all they did was watch.

Why did Rick not want to go with Aaron?

i watched this episode but I just don't understand why didn't he want to go somewhere where he might get to stay instead of worrying Judius would attract the zombies?

Confused about the time frame

In Dragonball Z, the Saiyans send baby Goku to Earth moments before Frieza destroys the planet Vegeta. Although the movie Bardock, father of Goku is a movie and should exist in the movieverse, it is official canon for the show as well. At the start of DBZ, Raditz tells Goku that the planet Vegeta was destroyed three(3) years ago, yet Goku is in his mid 20's when Raditz arrives. How could Vegeta have been destroyed only three years ago when Frieza destroys it right after Goku is sent off planet? Is this just a continuity error?

Does Captain Picard call Miles O'Brian 'Colm' in Encounter at Farpoint?

I'm not sure if I'm hearing it right, but he appears twice in the episode and seems to be referred to by his real life name. Is this true?

Rogue AI story mentioned by Stephen Hawking on Last Week Tonight

On the seventh episode of Last Week Tonight John Oliver interviews Stephen Hawking about his warning against the dangers of AI. Here's part of the exchange:

Artificial intelligence could be a real danger in the not-too-distant future. It could design improvements to itself and out-smart us all.

I know you're trying to get people to be cautious there, but why should I not be excited about fighting a robot?

You would lose.

Okay, for a start we don't know that. We don't know that for sure. 'Cause what could a robot do that I couldn't then fight back by simply unplugging him?

There's a story that scientists built an intelligent computer. The first question they asked it was: "Is there a God?" The computer replies: "There is now." And a bolt of lightning struck the plug so it couldn't be turned off.

The story he referenced immediately struck me as familiar. I believe other story components include that the AI was built in an isolated, possibly mountaineous, location and that it killed all but one of the scientists present when it achieved singularity. It managed this by somehow generating energy bursts which prevented its shut-down.

Story about telepathy and a comet set to eat earth

Not certain when I may have read this; 10-20 years ago is the best range I can come up with. Not even certain whether it was a novel or something shorter.

The memory of the setting felt kinda post-apocalyptic, because I think it's Earth but just a rural town setting. There's a young woman tending to "Minds", which are some sort of artificial construct or life-form that links up with human minds over a wide area. The Minds provide telepathic and empathic communication to all the humans, and I think it's implied this is why things have stayed peaceful for so long after whatever set the world back. There's also a tone carried by the young woman that this is also why nothing changes much, that people are over-reliant on these Minds.

So the Minds detect some sort of catastrophe headed for Earth. It's thought to be some kind of comet or asteroid, but the Minds can sense something on it. Turns out it was some alien probe (maybe set to gather samples or study other worlds), but it had gone quite nuts and was just "collecting" everything it could grab and freezing it into stasis on it's surface, like the universe's worst hoarder. It arrives and a bunch of "walk into the light" scenes play out all over the world, and with the telepathic pull this thing has lots of humans go for it, including friends and family. The Minds sacrifice themselves to the pull both to push the thing away from Earth and to try to merge with it to prevent this from continuing to terrorize every planet it nears. The last scene ends with the young woman finding a proto-Mind that the originals had managed to construct, and the tone is that the people left will have to figure things out and communicate on their own now, but at least could still have a little help.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

How did Voldemort get his nose? [duplicate]

This question already has an answer here:

• What really happened to the nose of Voldemort? 5 answers

I think that Tom guy when he became Voldemort. The snake that he has was once a normal snake but it bit him on the face and his nose fell off, leaving two slits in his nose and for the snake's punishment the snake became a horcrux.

Is there an in univeres explanation for transformers suddenly using guns instead of transformed parts of their bodies?

In the first 2 films the transformers transformed parts of their bodies into guns (for example bumblebee and ironhide are seen in closeups doing that. Also the cubeinfected items do that). In the films 3-4 all of a sudden they use hand HELD guns and swords (in 4 we see them running out of ammunition for the first time even) instead of transforming parts of their bodies like in the films 1 and 2.

So my question here is: IS there any in universe explanation for this (aside from the script writers suddenly finding hand held guns and swords cooler after 2 films not using them)

The fates of corporations in the Star Trek universe

As we learned in the responses to the question

Why do people risk death by joining Starfleet if not for money or preservation of their homes? ,

the Federation (and Earth in particular) enjoys a post-scarcity economy. As part of this, humans living inside the borders of the Federation do not earn or use money. Picard makes this quite clear in his speech to Lily in First Contact, for example.

My question is about the fate in the Star Trek universe of human corporations, industrial conglomerates, and other profit-driven enterprises that once existed on Earth.

Do these enterprises still exist in any way, shape, or form in the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th centuries? If not, when and why did they disappear? If they do exist, then do they "employ" individuals without paying them (much in the way that Starfleet does with its officers and enlisted personnel)?

One might guess that the Third World War in the 21st Century "reset" the economic playing field of Earth and perhaps put corporations into retirement. In Star Trek (2009), however, we see a Nokia phone / communicator in Jim Kirk's stepfather's car (although one might argue that the device may be from an earlier time but still functions, like the car itself).

Spike and Halfrek in Buffy

In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Halfrek is a vengeance demon who, like Anyanka, was the property of D'Hoffryn.

In a Season 6 episode, Spike and Halfrek find themselves in Buffy's house at the same time. Halfrek calls Spike by his human name, William. The Scooby Gang are surprised at this, but Spike and Halfrek refuse to comment.

Halfrek is played by the same actress (Kali Rocha) who played Cecily, the object of William's affection when he was still human in England, and so that seems to be their connection, i.e. it is implied that Cecily became the demon later known as Halfrek.

If this is correct, then is there any explanation (e.g. by Joss Whedon himself or in the comic books) as to why Spike did not query Halfrek further about her life since their time in 19th Century England?

Given Spike's underlying sentimental nature (even in the face of repeated heartbreak), it seems out of character for him not to take a more direct interest in what has become of Cecily.

TELEPATHIC ROCK OR METEORITE ON FIREPLACE MANTLE

This is from a 1950's B & W sci-fi TV series?, I would have seen this on Sat.afternoon television being broadcast out of Roanoke, VA around 1958 or 1959. It pre-dates "The Twilight Zone series. I seem to remember two young couples, perhaps staying in the country in a log cabin. An interesting rock or meteorite is on their fireplace mantle, I think one of the four found it. It is speaking telepathically, I believe it may have been holding the two couples captive somehow, as I seem to remember the entire episode was shot in this one cabin room. I have checked episode guides from sci-fi series of that era with no luck (Science Fiction Theater, One Step Beyond, etc). I did see a scene from it ,featured on the old "Dream On" HBO series with Brian Benben back in the '80s, a comedy show which commonly used a myriad of brief, quick outtakes from video archives to illustrate the thoughts of the Brian Benben character in each episode.

How many times is the red wedding prophised

I have recently started re-reading ASoIF and noticed that during A Clash of Kings that the red wedding is prophesied at least twice. I first noticed this during Daenerys' visit to the Warlocks of Qarth and again seen in a dream by Theon shortly before his defeat by the Bastard of Bolton. My question is does anyone else dream or see this happening prior to the Red Wedding or are these the only instances? I know other thinks are foreshadowed through out the books but I'm only seeking info on these events.

Where do you park this thing?

The Deathstar is a huge space station, literally the size of a moon. Now I know you can park TIE fighters and shuttles and even craft as big as the Millennium Falcon inside of the station. But when you see this photo:

where exactly do you park a star destroyer at the Deathstar? In the first episodes of the series, we've seen that the older version of star destroyers could actually land on the surface of a planet. While I'm certain that this newer version doesn't normally do that, would the Deathstar actually have a landing bay for a vehicle this size?

Once again, where do you park a Star Destroyer once it's at the Deathstar?

How did the Black Númenóreans self-identify?

Would the Black Númenóreans have called themselves ‘Black Númenóreans’ or did they simply think of themselves as 'Númenóreans'? 'Black' seems to me to be a pejorative given by the men of Gondor for their enemies, but I can't find a source on this.

In either case, how plausible is it that the descendants of Castamir the Usurper would considered themselves to be ethnically the same as the original Númenórean colonisers of Umbar, despite the fact that that line was, as far as we know, broken, and the original Númenóreans of Umbar dispersed?

Short story about a man who could see his parallel selves in the multiverse

Does anyone know this story? It's a short story about a guy who was born with the ability to see his parallel selves in the multiverse, provided their lives are not too different from his. In one part, he (it's told in the first person) relates seeing a cat in a tree. Some of his parallel selves climbed the tree to rescue the cat, but fell and broke their necks, thus being lost to him forever. In the main story, some of his selves see a woman tied up in the back of the truck, and he decides to use his gift to rescue her. It was quite short, and part of a larger collection. Does anyone know this story, the author, or the collection it was a part of?

Did Sauron keep the rings given to the Nazgul because he didn't have the one?

Sauron was said to of kept the 9 rings given to the nazgul, i read an article which claimed if the Nazgul had their rings they would of been even greater in power. If this is true, why would Sauron take their rings from them? Which got me thinking maybe without the one ring Sauron could only control the nazgul if he held the 9 rings that were given to the Nazgul.

Is there any evidence which might suggest Sauron had to take the 9 ring's of the Nazgul to keep them bent to his will?

How does the main character of Midnight Mass, a vampire, gain the ability to operate in the daytime

This is not my question, actually, but the fellow here didn't follow up when I suggested he go to this Stack Exchange and now I'm a bit curious. I have his question stated verbatim below:

So I no longer own a copy of Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson (author of the Repairman Jack novels, which I haven't read) and I really don't want to go out and buy a copy just to trope something I vaguely remember, but I was hoping maybe someone here owns it or has read it and has a better memory than I.

I doubt anyone would sustain an actual discussion about the book, as obscure as it is, so here's my question:

The main character gets turned into a vampire. Then something happens to him that makes him able to stay conscious later into the morning, and wake up earlier in the evening, than other vampires, giving him an advantage over them. He has all of their abilities and strengths, but he can be awake longer than them, allowing him to kill them while they're vulnerable.

The problem is I can't remember what it was that gave him this ability. I know it involved him being in the sun, but it was not just that.

I would really appreciate it if anyone knows.

I have a copy of the book requested from my library, but I also don't have a huge amount of time to read additional books at the moment, so I don't know if I'll be able to get him an answer.

Is Dumbledore a psychopath?

I know he doesn't seem to be one at first sight.But think about it.He never really changes his ways even after the unfortunate incidents in his youth.He continues to ruthlessly manipulate people so that he could carry out his grand schemes. He never trusts anyone and thinks that he is the one who should be in complete control. Did he really care for anyone?He sends Harry to his probable death( risk taking??) and IS responsible for Severus Snape's death too because he kept the secret of the Elder Wand from him.

From all of this, I am led to believe Dumbledore was a ruthless old man with no conscience.

How old was Jonathan Crane in The Dark Knight Trilogy?

He appeared to be young, but what was his actual age?

How does Dr Who exit the TARDIS?

I'm trying to remember how does Dr Who exit the TARDIS? Is there an exit door? What does it look like? how do you open it?

Which one was more expensive: Clone Army or Droid Army?

Clone Army and Droid Army both had their own advantages (All clones could do independent thinking as opposed to few selected presumably expensive droids, but Droids were easily replaceable which were produced speedily with combat skills). While choosing an army, was cost a deciding factor for a faction? Was one Army more expensive than other?

Teen sci-fi written before 2003 - body upgrade, synthetic bodies?

I am trying desperately to remember the title and author of a sic fi book for teenagers, written before 2003.

The book was about a young adult virgin, who sold her physical body to have an upgrade to a synthetic body. Her "Sponsor" (buyer), was the CEO/Owner of the company that made the synthetic bodies, so she ended up having a top-of-the line trial body, instead of the cheap one she had payed for.

While in recuperation she is roomed/ or becomes friends with another girl from a rich family who payed for her to have the same body as she was previously paraplegic/quadraplegic.

I think it was set in the far distant future, however I for the life of me can't remember much more than the info I've given.

Can Wolverine speak without a body

In this question What happens when Wolverine's head is removed? the following panel appears.

Does it imply that that Wolverine can speak without lungs. Is this a super power or some other method of communication?

Has a specific time for Breakaway ever been given?

Everybody who has ever seen "Space: 1999" knows for a fact that the exact day Breakaway happened was September 13th, 1999. What I was asking was if any part of the S:1999 media ever said on what specific hour did this event happened.

Why do people risk death by joining Starfleet if not for money or preservation of their homes?

Watching Star Trek made me think of a few "deeper" questions about Starfleet, which are all related to the Star Trek TV series.

So, let's take for example the Dominion War: people are dying every second, ships get destroyed and cadets are still joining although they know they are probably going to die unless they are with Picard or Sisko.

As I read and got to understand, money has no value anymore, latinum is the general trading currency in the universe. But people on Earth don't trade and don't earn their paychecks. Earth is a much better place than today and yet young boys and girls from every culture/civilization are joining Starfleet as they are willingly signing their death note.

Why are they joining, what motivates them? They might know that they're probably going to die.

They don’t earn paychecks. They could be doing any other job, yet they choose this. And what's more interesting how many died on battlefields must be lined up in front of StarFleet every day?

What do they receive after service? Why are they doing it other than preserving their homes?

In Boxtrolls, are the boxes a natural part of troll society or is this a peculiar adaptation for this tribe?

In the movie, Boxtrolls, the trolls are apparently highly attached to their boxes, never seen without them, and reacting in horror when Eggs falls out of his.

I know this is partially based off of a book, ''Here Be Monsters!'', so it might be elaborated upon there. Are boxes a normal part of troll society? This particular group seems to be quite adapted to them. Or is it just this tribe?

What happens when wolverines head is removed

In the situation where wolverine has his head cut off (which I am sure would be no simple task, most likely requiring an adimantium weapon of some form) What would happen?

Would his head regrow a new body? Or would his body re-grow a new head?

Has this already been covered via comics?

Why Did Voldemort Kill Snape?

I know that the answer to that question is to obtain the Elder Wand, but I think that approach doesn't really make sense. We know that death is not necessary for the Elder Wand to change hands (Grindelwald stole it from Gregorovitch, and Albus obtained by beating Grindelwald in a non fatal duel) which means we know Voldemort didn't have to kill Snape to obtain the wand, that was just one way of doing it. Snape was a powerful wizard(maybe one of the strongest of the death eaters) and had proven himself more useful than almost any Death Eater(providing years of information on Dumbledore and later killing him), Voldemort probably didn't want to kill him unless it was absolutely necessary. Couldn't there have been some other way to get the wand from Severus? Like challenging Snape to a non-fatal duel for ownership of the wand, or perhaps even giving Severus the wand and then stealing it, Grindelwald style?

Where is The Maze?

I just finished reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and I was left with one question, Where is The Maze? I can't think of any place on Earth that would be able to have such a huge place so high up, which led me to think if it even is on Earth. Could it be possible that the Griever Hole is like a teleportation device to Earth?

Why did Mace Windu threaten Jango Fett on Geonosis?

Inspired by this answer to the question Why did Jango Fett jump into the arena to engage Master Windu?

At the beginning of the Battle of Geonosis, Mace Windu had managed to sneak up on the Separatist leaders. He revealed his presence by activating his lightsaber and holding it to Jango Fett's throat. But why does he do this? I understand that it wouldn't have been the Jedi way for him to just start slicing them up from behind, but shouldn't Count Dooku have been his main target? What's more, Fett was a mercenary who was working for Dooku and the Separatists. Did Windu think that Dooku would care about his life?

Apparently, Mace Windu later regretted this decision. From Shatterpoint:

In my dreams, the purple flare of my blade sizzles the gray hairs of Dooku's beard, and in the critical semisecond it takes Jango Fett to aim and fire, I twitch that blade and take Dooku with me into death.

So why did he target Jango Fett instead of Count Dooku in the first place?

Why did Voldemort show mercy to Lily?

According to the answers to this question, the reason why Lily's sacrifice created a protective aura around Harry, but James' did not, was because Lily was given the chance to flee and refused.

Showing mercy seems pretty unusual for Voldemort, which leads me to my question:

Was there any other reason (other than Snape's request ) that prevented Voldemort from simply killing Lily at the first opportunity?

Why did Palpatine choose Jango Fett's gene to create Clone Army?

The plan of Palpatine for Clone Army was to make it accepted by The Galactic Republic. Couldn't a Bounty Hunter's gene make it difficult? Also, what was the benefits of using Jango Fett's gene? Why didn't he pick any random guy instead of Jango Fett?

Why was Clone Army needed to eradicate Jedi Order?

If we remove Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Lost Missions (Unfinished Season 6) from our view, what was original thing Lucas wanted to tell about this? Why did Palpatine order a Clone Army for his grand plan? Couldn't any other army do? Definitely, any army would follow Order 66. Also, there was a possibility that Jedi Council and Senate wouldn't accept that Clone Army. After coming into power, couldn't he order for a grand army creation or simply officially order a clone army?

Why did Jedi Council and Senate accept Clone Army when it was based on the gene of a Bounty Hunter?

Yes, Galactic Republic was in serious need of a big army, but why did anyone (except Palpatine) accept a Bounty Hunter gene based clone army (despite Kamino said bad gene was suppressed)? Didn't someone sense a plot or something?

In which Stars Wars book(s) can I find more about Jango Fett and his selection for Clone Army gene?

I want to explore more about Jango Fett with emphasis on his selection process for Clone Army gene. In which book (from Legends canon of course) can I find that?

Identify book - conflict between humans on sublight ship

I read the book in the last 5 years. My recollection is that it was written by one of the 2-tier masters of the Science Fiction genre.

The book starts as the person title "Teacher" is decanted. The ship warns him to evacuate the region of the ship. Teacher keeps barely escaping ruined portions of the ship as each section is sealed. He sometimes watches as others also decanted die in vacuum.

The book reveals the ship is three cylinders in the shadow of a giant ball of deuterium fuel. The ship is headed towards another star. Two factions are fighting for control of the ship. They are fighting over what to do when they get to the destination star system if intelligent life already exists there.

At least one cylinder is completely trashed and the cylinder in which Teacher was decanted is in very bad shape. Teacher and the ragtag group he recruits along the way go to the third cylinder to find answers and eventually confront the leader of one of the factions.

Is there a Vulcan funeral blessing?

In light of the recent passing of Leonard Nimoy, I've been trying to think of an appropriate Vulcan saying which would address the death of a beloved or respected member of their society.

"Live long, and prosper" is obviously the most ubiquitous greeting/blessing in Vulcan culture, which is known even among non-fans across the world, but of course this is not at all fitting for someone who is deceased.

Is there a comparable Vulcan salutation for the recently deceased, or their friends or family?

Answers from primary canon or other licensed works are equally welcome.

He helps terraform Mars, and then regrets it

I saw a story on TV when I was a child (in the 80s) that involved a man working from earth to transform the climate of Mars. Then, later, he travels to the surface of Mars, and discovers the corpses of Martian life forms everywhere, which I remember as being made of a lot of squidgy tubes, like octopi or kelp (not humanoid at any rate). He's filled with heartbreak and regret.

I'm pretty sure this isn't from one of the adaptations of The Martian Chronicles.

1980/90s scifi book abt librarian who recommends 3 short stories to two students at an alien university

As I remember, this might have been a young adult book. Two alien students at university seek the help of the librarian in finding research material. He recommends three "books" which are short stories within this book.

One story was about a young girl on the edge of adulthood who takes her father's space craft on a joy ride. She encounters a derelict ship with two men who died horribly from contact with an alien lifeform that drove them insane. She manages to communicate with this life form and realizes that safe contact is impossible. She drives her ship into a sun to save humanity from this organism.

A second story is about two families in a space empire that have been connected for centuries. A family on a small, backward planet serves the Emperor's family in a very special capacity. The Emperor's heir is always sent to this planet to be "judged" for his fitness to rule. The current Emperor's son proves to be a coward when he compromises the honor of peasant girl and then denies his obligation. He dies (is killed?) and the Emperor is informed that his son was judged a coward and unfit to rule.

I don't remember the third story.

I lent the book to a young neighbor and never got it back. Now I want to read it again.

Were the southern and eastern kings bent to Sauron's will?

We know Sauron bent most the orcs of the 3rd age to his will, but were the men of Khand, Rhun and Harad bent to his will as well or simply bribed?

Old Post Apocalypse Alien Book

I remember reading a book when I was in high school about a guy rebelling against alien rule. As I recall, the humans had little technology of their own, but stole heat weapons of some sort from the aliens? For the life of me, I can't find it. I would imagine it was published sometime in the 80's or 90's. Anyone have any ideas?

Novel about people inserting disks in their brains

I was reading a novel but didn't finish it and now I can't remember what it's called.

Humanity has established contact with what appears to be a much more advancei civilization. The aliens establish a small trade mission on Earth and hire humans to work for them. They implant a device in some of the human's heads which allows you to load a disk containing knowledge / skills - you put the disk in and become a neurosurgeon but then at the end of the work day, you have to return the disk and you lose the skills.

The aliens are friendly and polite, but look down on humans, dismiss human science as waste of time, etc. There is very little research done on Earth, everyone just turns to the aliens for a disk containing whatever skills, tech, knowledge they need.

There is long discussion on string theory etc in the narrative.

At some point something goes wrong with the aliens' home planet (I think) and their science can't explain it, so in desperation they have to turn to human theories that they've dismissed as work of primitives.

Does anyone know what's the name of this novel?

Besides contests of arms, do Vulcans participate in either individual or team sports?

Vulcans are adept, or can be, with weapons and display physical ability and mental agility to work together in battle. A GIF I posted in chat made me wonder about their participation in individual or team sports. What sports, if any, do Vulcans take part in on their home planet?

How come Professor McGonagall never noticed that Harry Potter's Hogsmeade permission form was signed by Sirius Black?

The title is pretty straightforward.

Sirius Black was still believed by everybody in the wizarding world, save six, to be a crazed mass murderer. We can reasonably assume that Dumbledore never told McGonagall. That's just not how he operates. Besides, in book 4 Dumbledore sent McGonagall for Sirius while he was in his Animagus state and she didn't know it was him.

I know that Harry said Sirius's permission would be good enough for Dumbledore but McGonagall's the one that collects and verifies the forms.

Whose oversight is this? McGonagall's? JKR's? Mine?

If gods were aliens, what ghosts could be?

I'm not specifically talking about ghosts in modern-era, those which are captured on videos/photos. I read that ancient people used to believe in ghosts. They believed in gods too.

Ancient Astronaut theories suggests that gods were extra terrestrial beings who visited earth. If so, what could possibly be ghosts? Were they too aliens?

What has been discovered about this so far? I'm being curious.

NOTE: This question was in Skeptics before but there they recommended me to post it here. I'm not sure that this is the right place or not. Suggest me if not.

I do not understand. What is the message of Prot in K-PAX? [on hold]

What is the message ot the humanity of Prot in the movie K-PAX?

Book or Tale identification - Building is in fact a spaceship

Can anyone please remind me the name of a Sci-Fi tale that a man lives in a strange building and can't get out. He starts to search other strange things.

I can't really remember the story, but I know that in the end the building turns out to be a spaceship and flies away.

Movie identificaion

Looking for a sci-fi movie, probably late 1950's or early 1960's. I'm pretty sure that it was B&W. The only thing I can remember is that people were trying to walk across what I think was a crashed UFO. The panels would light up and if they were on them at that time they would collapse (and die I think). I know that it's not much to go on but I was young and I've never been able to figure this out.

Thanks!

Book Identification - Human agent trapped by aliens and trying to escape

What is the name of the book or author in a science fiction novel in which:

Humanity discovered a means of teleporting between worlds and has established a number of colonies or outposts. However, humanity has lost contact with one of these outposts.

An agent is sent to planet that is out of contact.

He awakens in a high tech prison cell. He spends a great deal of time attempting to discover a means of escape and eventually accidentally kills himself in trying to escape.

After which he appears in the high tech prison cell again.

Over the course of the book he discovers that:

• Aliens have taken over the base


• His teleportation signal/information was recorded.


• The aliens are using his teleportation information to generate new copies of him after the old one dies.


• He slowly tries to learn a little more on how to escape and pass that information on to future incarnations of himself.

He eventually escapes from his cell. I'm vague on this but I think he rescues one or a small number of the base personnel and gets them back to the teleportation unit.

As he prepares to teleport back to Earth, he realizes that the teleportation unit will record this version of him - which the aliens will use to generate another version of him to torture and learn more information from.

He hopes that "he" will not be the one stuck behind.

After teleporting he realizes that until those aliens are defeated, a version of himself will remain the plaything of the aliens to torture or do anything else they desire.

Book identification - Interstellar humanity enslaved by lizard like aliens

What is the name of the book or author in which:

The action for this book occurs on a human colony world, not Earth itself.

Interstellar human civilization has been enslaved by an alien race. The alien race is reptilian (although superficially very similar in description, these are not the Aann of Alan Dean Foster's Universe). The reptilian race is faster & stronger than humans. I kinda think their race name begins with an 'R' but think I might be confusing it with the Ryall of Antares Dawn series.

Some human soldiers were genetically, chemically, cybernetically, and trained to be super soldiers to take down the reptilians in one-on-one combat. Humans lost the war long enough ago that the remaining super soldiers are old men now. They have been training other humans to fight the lizard aliens in secret - but without the advanced technology, these trainees can only hope to lose more slowly to the alien soldiers.

Also before its fall, humans cached 9 battlecruisers in a last ditch tactic to surprise and slow down the alien advance by reactivating them behind the reptilian lines. Unfortunately for humans, the aliens advanced far too fast to use this stratagem.

During the course of the book, humans on the colony world (on which the action takes place) discover that the reptilians are also in a war with another race (I think they were butterfly shaped but could be wrong). Humanity decides to activate the battlecruisers and get them to this alien race (in an "enemy of my enemy" gambit). Much of the book is about trying to get those 9 cached battlecruisers to this third (butterfly? shaped) race.

YA book about a young powerful female caster where you protect yourself by creating magic shield

I read a young adult novel around the turn of the century. This story features a young female protagonist that is very naturally gifted in magic. She is attending a wizarding school to learn mastery and control over her gifts.

A lot of her school revolves around magic dueling. The participants are taught to extend their inner aura like a second magical skin, possibly referred to as creating a shield, or mana shield. The user can increase the strength of the shield by focusing harder on it, but doing so means you have less ability to be offensive. The amount of energy needed to create a shield was half the energy a foe would need to focus at you to break it.

Ex: Mage A and B are equally matched. Mage A focuses half his power into a shield. Mage B would then need to focus 100% of his power to break A’s shield.

Another aspect I remember is that when dueling, a school master would extend a personal shield on to one of the combatants as a sort of secondary shield that goes underneath the combatants. When one mage broke the others mages personal shield, the school masters shield protects the losers life from harm, and the breaker of the shield is declared the winner.

I distinctly remember one match in which the protagonist is having a duel with another strong student. She creates a wind storm around herself that picks up the sand from the arena floor and makes her impossible to see and thus makes it hard for her opponent to focus on her shield to break it. She then lashes out at her opponent with incredibly powerful strikes with the final strike being so hard it shatters the opponents shield and then breaks the school masters shield as well and stops just shy of killing her dueling partner.

Any assistance on this one? I think my daughter would love to read it.

Why is there parallel evolution in the Star Trek universe?

Is it ever explained why so many races evolve on a nearly parallel course in the Star Trek universe? Obviously their physical and social evolution was far from parallel but technologically nearly every space faring civilization evolved along nearly identical lines.

I know every race developed at different rates, a few are thousands of years more advanced, but the similarities are undeniable. I also know that some races were gifted technology by other, more advanced civilizations and some stole tech to further the advancement of their own.

Is this just a subtle plot point within the Trek universe to avoid multiple technology theories? As such does it make it easier to say everyone above a specific technological checkpoint have similar tech?

Book identification - towns seperated by energy storm

Towns/cities are surrounded by a kind of swirling & confusing energy storm or field. In my mind's eye it was blue/purple in color. The towns/inhabited regions are in bubbles of normal environment.

This fantasy (or perhaps SF) world has special guides able to lead caravans between the towns/cities, without which the caravans would become hopelessly lost.

In one of the books, I think it's revealed that the energy fields between cities can charge people up with (magical?) power. I think only the guides are able to use this power.

I vaguely associate this story with Roger Zelazny but I can't find anything in his bibliography that looks like this trilogy(?).

These books would have been published no later than the late '80s.

Ba Sing Se coup

Why didn't the Earth army (and possibly navy) attempt to resist the coup of the Earth king? Then, by extension, attack the Fire Nation as they arrived to occupy the city? We see the group go through dozens of palace guards in order to reach the king, where are they now? What about the troops guarding the walls?

I would think the army would be able to at least overthrow the Dai Li.

Or is it simply just poor leadership by the Earth kingdom?

Why doesn't every wizard duel with Expelliarmus?

In the Harry Potter universe disarming your opponent seems to be the most logical opening move in a duel, but only Harry seems to do this often. Is there any in universe explanation for this, for example an Expelliarmus counter spell?

I can understand why you might go for Avada Kedavra if you wanted to kill someone as quickly as possible and were prepared to use it, but many duels seem to last for several spell exchanges that could be avoided if you just disarmed your opponent.

Novel (or maybe series) About a Hidden Urban Underground Civilization

When I was in middle school, I remember reading a novel (or possibly a series of novels, I don't remember) about a young boy (or possibly teenager) who goes through a hole in the wall of a building. This leads him into some kind of tunnel that he follows to an underground civilization below the city he lives in.

To summarize, the people below-ground face some kind of persecution from an above-ground authority who wants them exterminated, and that's the central conflict. I remember the story ending with the protagonist finding a bunch of abandoned floors in an old skyscraper where the below-ground people relocate to permanently. I think he also decides to join their society at the end, leaving his old home behind.

Anybody know what I'm talking about? I'd really like to know what the book(s) was/were called.

Feel free to ask me for more info, and I'll tell you whatever I can remember.

Where did the Transformers ammunition come from?

The question says it all. In the cartoon and comic canon, all of their weapons are strictly energy based with an occasional missile. In all of the movies, 99% of the weapons fire ammunition that uses what appears to be a chemical propellant similar to that which is found on earth.

My question is, is this just for visual flair? Is there any sort of back story to this? Admittedly, it's quite visually stimulating to watch Optimus Prime clearing a spent round.

The scene from above

Also, the scene from the first movie where they expose a cell phone to the Allspark energy and it turns into a nasty little Decepticon. It is able to create a mini RPG and ammunition for its micro mini-gun seemingly from thin air.

In HPMOR, what languages are used besides Pseudo-Latin?

In Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, they explicitly talk about the Pseudo-Latin as a way to control magic. I've noticed Greek, as in:

Spoilers, Chapter 111

What other incantations have been used that are in an alternate language?

Why did Dumbledore believe Sirius' version of events in PoA

This question is not a duplicate of Why didn't Dumbledore prevent the prosecution of Sirius Black?.

I want to know what evidence Dumbledore had that Sirius wasn't lying in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It can't be Leglimency because Sirius might have used Occlumency. Dumbledore wouldn't risk Harry and Hermione's life (there was a werewolf on the loose) based solely on a hunch. So Sirius must have given some concrete evidence. Remember that Dumbledore couldn't have spoken to Remus either. So why would he believe in the Animagus version of what happened when Sirius supposedly blew up the whole street? As far as I am aware, this isn't mentioned fully in the books.

Here are a few explanations:

1) Dumbledore realized that the whole story fitted together. It explained why Sirius had entered the castle but did not kill Harry. It explained why Sirius was on Ron's bed and not on Harry's. But there was the possibility that Sirius was mad.

2) He also realized why Buckbeak had disappeared earlier that night. But this can't be a sole reason for thinking some one is innocent. Maybe he used this in connection with (1).

So why did Dumbledore believe Sirius' version of events?

A story I read in about 1986: A boy meets an alien, his mind is wiped afterward

I remember reading a short chapter book when I was a kid. Here's the story: Boy lives on a farm. The boy meets an alien. Another alien, the alien's rival (of some sort) tries to take him away because he knows aliens exist. At some point, the following things happen in the plot:

One alien or the other dismantles the old barn on the farm.

The alien's rival makes it impossible for his parents to believe him about there being aliens. When the rival alien tries to kidnap the boy, he is quickly set down outside so his mother doesn't see him being lifted into the air. He is set down in another place, and walks back into the house to tell his mother he was almost kidnapped, and points to the footprints in the snow as proof. She smiles and says he just walked backward through his footprints.

It's possible that the book had a title something like "Dan in space" or "Duncan and the alien". Probably published in the late 1970's, given what my school district could afford.

Immortality thanks to nanotechnology

Trying to find a short story. I first read it approx 5 years ago. It was part of a short story collection from various authors. I can only guess at the original published date, but the paperback I read it in was in good condition and seemed fairly new. Written in English.

Story focused around a woman, who for some reason had been injected /infected with a form of nanotechnology (I think that was the term used). These nanobots initially repaired any injury or damage the woman received. However as the years pass the nanobots have repaired so much of the woman that little or no flesh or blood exists, even replacing elements of the brain. The woman is still lucid and self aware.

The consequence of the repairing is the woman is now unable to die, and immortal (I think). As the years pass by she witnesses the end of the earth and the death of the sun in a supernova.

This is as far into the story as I can remember. If an answer was to include where I can read the story again that'd be great.

I'm familiar with many of the works of the classic sci fi authors, and I believe if I'd heard of the author before I would have remembered their name, and therefore found the story myself.

Thanks

Despite all odds, humanity prevails against indominitably superior alien invasion [yet again]

This is a series I was planning on reading, at some point:

A vessel from a relatively unstable galactic federation(?) study study earth in passing during the 18th century. Deeming the humanity unstable and violent they decide to subjugate the race by sending in the youngest and most militant species to have join their federation. When this reptilian(?) race arrive at earth in the late 20th century they are shocked at the level of technological advancement and decide to take harsher measures including wiping out a fixed percentage of the human race. Surprise surprise - to them - the earthlings refuse to surrender and resist to the bitter end. Unprepared by the seeming ferocity and illogical nature of the counterstrike the aliens make a last-stand intending to deploy bio-engineered virus designed to wipe this abomination of a race from the galaxy. As luck would have it humanity instead manages to rub the invasion force out of existence. At this point the federation's worst nightmare is realized: an extremely violent race is in possession of highly advanced technology with an axe to grind.

I took a quick look at WhyYouShouldDestroyThePlanetEarth, HumansAreSpecial and HumansAreWarriors but nothing popped out.

I discovered this series a few months ago, and to the best of my recollection it is relatively modern (1990s-).

In 'Bowl of Heaven' and 'Shipstar' how visible would distant parts of the Bowl be?

In Bowl of Heaven and Shipstar Larry Niven and Gregory Benford introduce the Bowl a ringworld-like structure (although slightly smaller, about the radius of Mercury's orbit if I remember correctly).

Spoilers follow:

Is my intuition correct?

Do they show the rat on the floor in Harry Potter?

Do they show the rat on the floor in the scene where Harry looks for Peter in the third Harry Potter film when he sees him on the map?

How long was Barty crouch Jr (mad eye moody) planning to spend at hogwarts, after the return of Voldermort

Was he intending to stay on as a spy after the return of voldermort Or planning to flee? If the latter was true surly he would have done so after he felt the dark mark burn?

Dumbledore's broken Nose

At the beginning of the Philosopher's Stone, the description of Dumbledore as follows:

He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.

We know that Dumbledore had his nose broken at the funeral by Aberforth but is there another time his nose was broken or was this just a severe break to make it look like it had been broken 'at least twice'?

Cannon answers preferred :-)

what's the exact difference between Refit USS enterprise and USS enterprise A?

I have been always wondering exactly what is the difference between the Refit USS Entrprise and the USS Enterprise A from the Star Trek movies? I mean which ship is more powerful in terms of size and technology? Has there ever been an in depth comparasion between the 2 anywhere? In books, movies etc..?

Draco's Unforgivable Curse

In Half Blood Prince when Harry meets Draco in the toilet and begin to Duel, at the time Harry hits Draco with Sectumspepra, Draco is mid-cast of the Crucio curse. Does Draco ever get punished for this?

I am sure that there would have been some leniency given due to Harry 'beating' him to it with his curse, but Crucio is one of the worst curses to use, surely there would have been some punishment? (Although I guess you could also say the same thing for Harry at the end of The Order of the Phoenix when he is trying to curse Bellatrix) Any cannon preferred :-)

Why are the Enterprise's away teams very lightly protected?

This bothers me sometimes. In this period of The Next Generation, offensive weapons (such as phasers) are very fatal. Humans and most other Starfleet personnel are very vulnerable to them. Yet when the Enterprise sends an away team, they are normally just sent on foot with minimal armor or protection, even when the planet may be hostile.

For example, in the episodes Descent (6x26 and 7x01), almost the entire crew were sent to the planet on foot, despite the obvious danger of being attacked by Borgs. Luckily of course, the Borgs only killed off minor characters :)

Is there any explanation of this policy? Even today, armies already make use of helicopters and armored vehicles when doing away missions (even peaceful ones like search and rescue, let alone dangerous ones).

Kyle's age in Terminator 4

According to the first Terminator movie, Kyle and John are shown to be of the same age. In Terminator 4 Kyle is shown to be a kid compared to John Connor. What happened? What change caused this kind of an increased age difference. It the movie guys just ignore the original plot or somehow are justifying the age difference because of some changes in the timeline?

Why are the pony engineers pulling the train in Over a Barrel?

This is the only time they pull the train. The rest of the time they are driving the train like an engineer. Was this only a plot device for this episode or did I miss the real reason somewhere?

What became of the probe in "Schisms"?

In the TNG episode "Schisms", Enterprise crew members are taken against their will (and without their knowledge, at least initially) to a subspace realm where they are experimented on by solanogen-based lifeforms (pictured below, screenshot care of Memory Alpha). For instance, Riker has his forearm detached and then re-attached. Another crew member's bodily fluids are replaced with a polymer-based substance, leading to his demise.

At the end of the episode, the aliens launch a kind of probe from their realm into normal space. Shortly after, the senior officers speculate a bit about the probe — whether it was launched just for exploration or whether it was part of further hostilities by the creatures.

According to the Memory Alpha article for the episode (linked above), senior production staff were unhappy with the aliens' look and decided to abandon this open storyline. That being said, they may have had an idea of where to take the story.

Is there any record (from interviews, etc.) of any intention for the probe in future episode(s)? Perhaps more likely: are there any references in the Extended Universe to these creatures and specifically to their probe?

How did the Ministry locate Muggles who have seen magic?

I'm using an example from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for this question, however, this goes for any other event.

Meant a fair old bit of paperwork, I can tell you, what with the Muggles who spotted the body parts they'd left behind...

What if Muggles were to leave the scene of a magical encounter? How did the Ministry get to them to modify their brains? I understand that there is the situation in which some people wouldn't believe it, if the Muggle told stories, but still. Some people would believe, and tell other people.

Why did Amos Diggory not use Side-Along Apparation?

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Amos says:

Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparation test[...]

I can infer that they had to wake up early to get there on time. Therefore, they had to use some other form of transportation that was not instant. Why didn't Amos just use Side-Along Apparation. It would have made the trip quick, and they wouldn't have to wake up so early.

Which tribe of ponies would most likely develop technology (earth pegasus unicorn)?

Of the three tribes of ponies in Equestria (earth pegasus unicorn), which would most be likely to develop technology?

Why do people risk death by joining Starfleet if not for money or preservation of their homes?

Watching Star Trek made me think of a few "deeper" questions about Starfleet, which are all related to the Star Trek TV series.

So, let's take for example the Dominion War: people are dying every second, ships get destroyed and cadets are still joining although they know they are probably going to die unless they are with Picard or Sisko.

As I read and got to understand, money has no value anymore, latinum is the general trading currency in the universe. But people on Earth don't trade and don't earn their paychecks. Earth is a much better place than today and yet young boys and girls from every culture/civilization are joining Starfleet as they are willingly signing their death note.

Why are they joining, what motivates them? They might know that they're probably going to die.

They don’t earn paychecks. They could be doing any other job, yet they choose this. And what's more interesting how many died on battlefields must be lined up in front of StarFleet every day?

What do they receive after service? Why are they doing it other than preserving their homes?

How did Dorothy and the Scarecrow decide on which way to go?

In the Wizard of OZ movie, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of OZ.

She came to a crossroad, and didn't know which way to go.

She meets the Scarecrow, and he had no idea which way to go either.

They randomly decided to turn left while they were dancing.

It seemed to me that they had no reason to go that way.

Why did they go that way?

Did the Vulcans have a "guide civilization", like they were to Humanity?

Obviously many of the technologies in Star Trek were invented by Humans, or developed during the Federation era, but there's also a lot that seems to have been given/sold/traded/taught to Humanity in the early Warp era by other races, most importantly the Vulcans after First Contact. And on the diplomatic side, it's well-known that Vulcans had a huge impact on Earth's entrance into the galactic community, culminating in the formation of the Federation itself.

Similarly, plenty of other races have benefitted from Federation technology, once they achieve warp drive and thus shed the protection/isolation of the Prime Directive. Picard mentions on numerous occasions that one of the benefits of First Contact (for Humans and for other races) is the exchange of ideas and technologies it brings. They are no doubt careful not to give TOO much away, but there are countless instances of less-advanced-but-still-spacefaring civilizations being given Federation equipment freely, and the Federation clearly plays an important diplomatic role in helping new planets establish a presence in the galaxy.

This all makes sense, of course: with new planets achieving spaceflight all the time, the diffusion of technology and building of diplomatic relationships would be natural between neighboring cultures of slightly-different technology levels.

But how far back does that chain go? Did the Vulcans have a "big brother" civilization that helped them onto the galactic stage, the way they helped the Humans? Are the Vulcans just the latest in a long chain of civilizations helping others enter the galaxy, or are they more like the Asari from Mass Effect, helping others but having achieved their own status alone?

What is the name of Worf's Exercises?

We regularly see Worf doing some sort of exercises that are similar to Tai Chi and I was just wondering what these were? I know we see him doing this in the TNG episodes Parallels (where he proceeds to break a table) for some reference and names it (although I didn't catch the name) in Birthright Part II when teaching to the Klingons.

Story identification - replicators causing a society collapse

I cannot recall the title of a story that explored the social consequences of introducing StarTrek-like replicator technology in current society.

The plot centered on a village-sized community that (like other communities) received a recently developed device that could manufacture anything cheaply. It was running 24/7, and every person (or family?) was given a time-share on the device to produce whatever they wanted. Initially this was very nice, people fulfilling their needs and wants, and most of them quitting their day jobs.

However, this means that eventually emergency services and law enforcement cease to function, and the society degrades to anarchy - the protagonist (or their relative?) escapes after an attempted rape that noone cares to prevent, and in the end they enter a commune based on a requirement to work (even to produce goods that could be replicated) and also share in military/defense duty.

I believe that I read it some 2-3 yars ago; and I probably read it on the internet - I'm not sure if it has been published on paper. It wasn't a short story but a longer one, and I think that I stumbled on it on some article that listed various very different possible results of replicator-like tech, and listed stories that described opposed beliefs about what would be the result.

What kind of training is required to be a civilian employee / resident on a starship?

The Enterprise D in TNG has civilian employees on board, such as Mot the barber, Ms. Kyle the school teacher, and Guinan's wait staff in Ten Forward. There are also families on board.

What training are they required to complete in order to be permitted to live on a starship (apart from training required for their own careers)?

Are they required to have training in basic ship functions and emergency procedures (in case of a ship disaster), or in basic combat training (in case the ship is boarded by hostiles)? If so, is this training normally completed prior to becoming a resident on the ship, or is it typically completed on board?

What kind of training is required to be a civilian employee / resident on a starship?

The Enterprise D in TNG has civilian employees on board, such as Mot the barber, Ms. Kyle the school teacher, and Guinan's wait staff in Ten Forward. There are also families on board.

What training are they required to complete in order to be permitted to live on a starship (apart from training required for their own careers)?

Are they required to have training in basic ship functions and emergency procedures (in case of a ship disaster), or in basic combat training (in case the ship is boarded by hostiles)? If so, is this training normally completed prior to becoming a resident on the ship, or is it typically completed on board?

Looking for title of sci fi short story about lunar base

All I remember is there is a "siren" like effect luring people out of a lunar base to the surface where they die. There is a man looking into this on the base, he barely manages to escape the pull of the call and loses a friend/colleague to it. At the end, he is back on Earth and talks about how he still feels the unavoidable pull of this siren call even though he is now back on Earth. I am pretty sure this story was in an anthology, but I don't remember if it was of one author or just a science fiction anthology in general.

Was it essentialy Snape, who caused Voldemort's first fall?

According to Why didn't James' love and sacrifice for Lily protect her?, the reason why Lily's sacrifice did give Harry love-protection-enchantment, but James' did not, was because Voldemort gave Lily the chance to flee.

According to canon, was there anything else but Snape's request, that caused Voldemort not instantaneously murder Lily ?

My question is a bit tricky, but I'll try to explain further. Say Snape hadn't asked Voldemort to spare Lily. I assume, and hope you agree, that Lily would've sacrificed herself regardless of Voldemort's intentions to spare her or not. That is, she would cast her life, trying to save Harry, no matter what. And here it all comes down to how the sacrifice protection works. Would the protection trigger, if Voldemort had the intent to kill the whole Potter family, including Lily, that night ? Was it Snape's request that made that little tiny difference ?

"Chosen girl in a new and strange world" novel

I remember the cover was green. Most likely published in the late 1990s to early 2000s. I remember that it was one of those “chosen girl in a new and strange world” books. I remember it being fairly new. I remember the main issue was some evil something or other destroying planets or something. I remember them (3) standing in some space craft thing trying to make an important decision but the girl not knowing what to do (she must be like 14) and looking to the others for advice.

What does Katniss' song "The Hanging Tree" mean?

During Mockingjay (both the book and the movie), Katniss sings a song called The Hanging Tree .

It's the one that she sings in District 12 when her and her film crew go for a visit.

I remember reading the lyrics to the song in the original book, and I remember that it's something about a couple of lovers - one of which is to be hanged and is lamenting that they didn't run away together. I'm not 100% on this as it's been a while.

Katniss remembers it from her father singing it to her when she was younger. The song is also actually forbidden - probably because it represents rebellion:

I have not sung "The Hanging Tree" out loud for ten years, because it's forbidden, but I remember every word. I begin softly, sweetly, as my father did.

^{-The Hunger Games: Book Three - Mockingjay, Part One - "The Ashes", Chapter Nine.}

What is the meaning of the song "The Hanging Tree"?

• What does it represent?


• What do the lyrics mean?

This is the scene from the movie in which Katniss sings the song:

and here are the lyrics to the song from the book:

"Are you, are you

Coming to the tree

Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.

Strange things did happen here

No stranger would it be

If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

"Are you, are you

Coming to the tree

Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.

Strange things did happen here

No stranger would it be

If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

"Are you, are you

Coming to the tree

Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free.

Strange things did happen here

No stranger would it be

If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

"Are you, are you

Coming to the tree

Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.

Strange things did happen here

No stranger would it be

If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

^{-The Hunger Games: Book Three - Mockingjay, Part One - "The Ashes", Chapter Nine.}

It should be pointed out that in the movie, Plutarch Heavensbee , claims that he changed the part "Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me." - he switched "rope" with "hope".

Is "Was Prot really an alien?" the real question about K-PAX movie?

I watched the movie many times, each time I changed my mind about the fact that Prot was really an alien or not. But after watching it one more time I became convinced that it doesn't matter and it is not the real question. If you want to believe he was an alien you are free to believe it I guess, but that doesn't matter. There are many references in the movie about real world characters and their messages to the humanity. I feel I'm near an answer but actually can't figure it out myself.

EDIT: Since downvotes, to downvoters:

1. Be open minded, feel free to downvote as long as you are constructive and apport content to the answer


2. Omg. It is not a duplicate.

"Was Prot really an alien?"

"Does really matters if Prot is an alien?"

Are 2 different questions.

Was the source of voldemort's skill and power due specifically to his unnatural conception?

Notably, Voldemort could feel no love due to the fact that his father conceived him when his mother was seduced by a love potion. The love potion cannot create actual love, only infatuation; this was also addressed by J.K. Rowling when she said something along the lines of "this would be the result of such a loveless/evil union".

So, my quesion is, do you think that Voldemort was unnaturally talented? Like, did the love potion make him really damn powerful, smart, handsome and witty?

Why didn't Jedi Council perform a Midi-chlorians test in the Senate?

By the end of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Jedi Council knew that there's a Sith in existence (thanks to Yoda's knowledge of Rule of Two). By the end of the episode 2, Jedi Council knew that Darth Sidious was hidden inside the Senate (thanks to Count Dooku for that information).

Jedi also knew about Force Stealth. Why didn't they simply use the old-fashioned blood test to check midi-chlorians count?

What's the status of AI beings in the Star Wars universe: people or property? [duplicate]

This question already has an answer here:

• What happens to someone who destroys a Star Wars Droid? 2 answers

AI technology is obviously pretty advanced in the Star Wars universe. This question explains why AI droids aren't more commonly used in perilous situations: Why Did the Empire Use Storm/Clone Troopers and not Droids? (TL/DR - their AI was crippled to make them more obedient).

However, the films (the only canon reference I'm familiar with) features a number of droids which have apparently human-level intellect and are capable of functioning entirely independently. C3P0 is the obvious example. IG-88 is another (whose existence, I might add, undermines the idea that battle droids are always stupid).

At no point in is there any sign that these robots are particularly special or rare. They are not treated as valuable objects, and the organic characters in the films don't react to them with any surprise. So it follows that they must be reasonably easy to produce.

The way they are treated seems to fall into an uncomfortable gray area between objects and sentient beings. My question is whether there's any canon references as to the status of AI entities in Star Wars as "people"?

Why does the empire allow the Huts to exist.

After the Emperor took over the galactic republic, and eliminated the jedi threat, he had a huge fleet, and massive army. The huts own the largest piece of space after the empire, and their planets are criminal cesspools, why not eliminate the huts, now that the republic is secured, and the rebels seem to pose little to no threat.

Can I have map of Star Wars galaxy showing territory of Separatists and commercial routes?

I have seen lots of Star Wars maps (official and fan-made both), but none of them show clear boundary between The Galactic Republic and Separatists (yes, I am talking about The Clone Wars period).

Also, there are conflicts over Hyperspace Lanes. There are also privately owned routes (just heard about it from friends; not confident).

Can you please draw a map showing both?

Why didn't Gamora collect the Orb for the Collector?

In Guardians of the Galaxy, Ronan sends Gamora to intercept Peter Quill on his way to the Broker.

But, some time earlier, Gamora had accepted the same mission from the Collector. (This occurs in the MCU canon "Guardians Of The Galaxy Prequel Infinite Comic.")

When she accepted that mission, she even said, "I do not trust you, Tivan, but I trust Ronan even less. I will obtain the Orb. And you will keep it safe." Why did Gamora apparently disregard her mission from the Collector, wait around for a while, and then only go after the Orb once Ronan sent her to intercept Quill?

What is going on here?

Are senators of The Galactic Republic democratically elected?

The Galactic Republic certainly doesn't work like Earth's nations. It has senators who represent their systems which are governed by different laws (with little intervention from the Coruscant).

Is there a law of The Galactic Republic to enforce that all senators are elected democratically in their system? Or, are systems free to choose senators their own way (like even by Monarchy)?

Beside contests of arms, do Vulcan's participate in either individual or team sports?

Vulcan's are adept, or can be, with weapons and display physical ability and mental agility to work together in battle. A GIF I posted in chat made me wonder about their participation in individual or team sports. What sports, if any, do Vulcans take part in on their home planet?

What is Thunderbird 5's color?

Every Thunderbirds fan knows that each of the Thunderbird vehicles has a distinct color e.g. Thunderbird 2's 'color' is green, made obvious by its mainly being green. Each of the Thunderbirds (including FAB 1) colors is made very obvious, except for Thunderbird 5. It does not really feature a main color (see image below) or a significant color as is the case with Thunderbird 1 which is mainly silver/grey with the blue base. Hence, what is Thunderbird 5's color?

Are there any instances in Marvel or DC universe where an important event has occurred in India?

Being an Indian I am curious to know if any important events of Marvel or DC Universe to have occurred in India?

As we see in Avengers movie where Bruce Banner has gone low profile in Kolkata, India. Then Black Widow comes to confront him and get him back in action.

(P.S.: No answers like "Superman flew/flies over India.")

All canons included.

universal translator

Would running a book through the universal translator make an accurate translation? The universal translator is able to translate languages never heard by the federation practically instantly,(with little to nothing lost in meaning or intent) would it be reasonable to assume, any given modern book could be simply and accurately translated from English to France with no translation issues or lost meaning?

Why didn't Vader see Luke as a threat?

When Vader wanted to put Luke in the carbon-freezing chamber in The Empire Strikes Back, what made him so confident that Luke would somehow get into the freezing chamber, either voluntarily or involuntarily?

Since he had said earlier the Force is with you but you are not a Jedi yet, didn't he fear that since Luke is younger and more agile, Luke might best him, that in fact he may be in danger instead?

Do the movies or books explore this any further?

Trying to Find a Book I read as a kid about a Ranger's Apprentice (Not "Rangers Apprentice" books) 80s or 90s

I am trying to find a book about a young man that goes into the woods and is trained as a Ranger. I remember he received this unbreakable staff that could be strung into a bow. I remember there was one scene when he is fighting someone and they both have perfect form and end up in a stalemate. I kinda remember there being a girl that the young man was friends with as a kid who joined the army as well that the story sometimes followed. I think she used an ax? Does anyone remember this book and know the title? I kinda remember the cover having a hooded man holding a staff with a flared end (Like a bow) with lost of ruins on it. I don't think it was a series but I don't really remember.

What was the third occasion when the Chicago PD fought supernatural opponents?

From Small Favour, chapter 17:

"We've gone up against the supernatural three times", she [Murphy] said quietly. "It's ended badly twice."

We meaning the cops, of course. I nodded.

One occasion is when the Loup Garou got loose in the police station and killed Ron Carmichael and a number of other people.

Another occasion (the one that didn't go badly) was the SI raid on Leonid Kravos, with Harry and Michael's assistance.

What was the third occasion?

Why would the Vulcans take so long to translate the Kir'Shara

After finding the Kir'Shara, T'Pau says that it will take years to translate all of the writings. However, with the katra of Surak "living" in a Vulcan priest, they quite literally have the author available to read, copy and explain the entire thing to them in modern Vulcan like a living, breathing Rosetta Stone.

Are they ignoring Surak completely or is the years to translate comment a reference to the scope of the work?

What are the "must-read" Science Fiction novels / series? [on hold]

I'm making my way through the basics of Sci Fi, plus the ones that have made it to Hollywood. What would be considered the must-read set of books?

So far I have read (in no particular order):

• Tolkien: Lord of the Rings universe


• Card: Ender Series (working on Shadow Saga)


• Weis/Hickman: Dragon Lance (1st series, ages ago)


• Asimov: i-Robot


• Gibson: Neuromancer


• Rowling: Harry Potter


• Riordan: Percy Jackson series (x3)


• Herbert: Dune


• Roth: Divergent


• Dashner: Maze Runner


• Clarke: 2001, 2010


• Dick: Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep


• Adams: Hitchhikers Guide


• Orwell: 1984

I figure I should read:

• Asimov: Foundation Series


• Wells: War of the Worlds, Time Machine


• Verne: 20,000 leagues

What am I missing?

Looking for author or title of this book with Earth, Mars, Revenants and chemically induced amnesia

The story is about a female star pilot who is attacked and wakes up to find the last three years of her life have been chemically wiped away. She searches for information on her son (now dead) and on why her ship was attacked.

It involves trips to a space colony, to Mars and family/clans that were abandoned by earth, and to earth and the military trying to uncover who she carried, what the alien was carrying, and why she was attacked. The secondary character is also an alien (Short, furry and very pragmatic.)

Looking for author or title of this book with Earth, Mars, Revenants and chemically induced amnesia

The story is about a female star pilot who is attacked and wakes up to find the last three years of her life have been chemically wiped away. She searches for information on her son (now dead) and on why her ship was attacked.

It involves trips to a space colony, to Mars and family/clans that were abandoned by earth, and to earth and the military trying to uncover who she carried, what the alien was carrying, and why she was attacked. The secondary character is also an alien (Short, furry and very pragmatic.)

80's Young Adult Science Fiction Book With Cassette

I've been searching for this for years. I can only recall the following:

Early 80's (possibly late 70's). Young adult short story book with hand drawn illustrations Was a book on cassette, a follow along type Science Fiction story that ends where the two main characters, a man and woman, are left on a new planet to populate A third main character is killed fighting off an attack The most interesting feature was the production quality - it was complete with sound effects, different voice actors, and this really haunting sci-fi score that I thought sounded very close to the Amityville Horror theme music.

Was John/Jane the only time traveler being manipulated by the Agency?

Please help settle an argument between myself and my son. I believe that John/Jane was the only time traveler being manipulated by the Agency, in order that they may not change the future. Nowhere in the movie do you see anyone else time traveling. It is implied, but never seen. The same is in the short story, "All you Zombies".

In Star Trek: Into Darkness, why is the warp core required to use thrusters?

In the prime Star Trek universe (TV series), the warp core is not required to power the vessel as ships can go without a warp core with functional impulse engines, thrusters, life support, and the list can go on - however the warp drive is inoperative without the warp core. Sulu states in Star Trek: Into Darkness that they need the warp core online to escape the atmosphere, I can't remember the exact quote but it was along those lines.

Since when did the warp core power all the ship, if so why would they add in an eject warp core function which is similar to a self-destruct in Star Trek: Into Darkness. Supposedly according to the film without the warp core you have no power, and life support requires power - you're just sentencing the crew to death.

I believe I am right to presume that the power of the warp core can be tied into other ship systems, especially the shields to reinforce them which is seen in TNG.

I understand this is considered an alternate universe, but the universe only became alternate at the point in time when Spock's ship entered the past in 2009.

Could someone clarify why the warp core was required to power the thrusters to escape falling into Earth's atmosphere (which is another continuity error as the clouds are in the atmosphere)?

90s teen novel about an alien invasion in a small farm town. Showdown in the school at the end of the novel

I read this story in the early 2000's, found it in a hospital gift shop. The story centered around a small town where the kids begin to notice that the adults are acting strangely. I remember there being some kids that lived on farms. Only the kids knew about the invasion and no one believed them. As the aliens realized that the kids were on to them, they were creating accidents to kill the kids. I remember one part where one of the kids died because he was run over by a tractor. There might have been a reaction from the aliens to water, if I remember correctly. The final showdown took place in a school (the high school I think?) where the kids were able to defeat the aliens. The kids were not high school-aged, more like early Tweens-teens. The cover was a little on the cheesy side, showing the kids with the town in the background, and the green alien lights.

This book has sentimental value. I've been looking for years, but can't find much without a title. Thanks.

Please help identify an old scifi comic book ~1970-1990 probably french

1. There is a one main character, he's soldier (at least in the ending)


2. Action takes place in future (spaning very long time 100 or 200 years, due to technology of hibernation or due to the fact of use near-to-speed-of-light fast travels - which cause time dilatation)

I remember only last part of comic book:

3. There is a scene of attack (in space) against aliens, hero is flying space shuttle, but shuttle got hit and legs of our hero are automaticaly amputated by his space suit (sic!)


4. He return to active duty, there is a war with enigmatic aliens, after hospital he is trained in virtual reality environment - he learns how to again use weapon, ranging from molotov cocktail to atomic weapon.


5. Main planet of aliens is spotted and humans send ship against it, journey in one direction takes several years, hibernation is needed.


6. Near alien planet ship is hitted by meteor or advanced alien stealth rocket.


7. When or surface animals similar to diplodocus occurs, it seems that they could use some telepathic abilities and blows up brain of one of soldiers.


8. Humans fight with aliens and use generators which slows down time/movements it makes rifles and lasers useless, instead of it humans use bows (sic!)


9. After battle hero backs to Earth (50 or more passed), now it seems that there is peace between aliens and humans and it occours that all aliens were clones.


10. Wife/lover of main hero awaits him, because she hibernated herself and was flying with near to speed of light speed. They have children, first naturaly born children on earth from years, all newspapers writes about it. Comics ends here.

who did voldamort get is nose?

I think that Tom guy when he became voldamort. the snake that he has was once a normal snake but it bit him on the face and his nose went off leaving two slits in his nose and for the snakes punishment the snake becam a holcrux.

Marvel House of M: Where to start?

I'm not sure where to start with House of M. This is going to be a gift for my son and your help is appreciated.

He's already read Civil War, and a lot of others(more than what he physically owns), but Civil War was by far his favorite. He said something about House of M a few weeks ago while we were playing Marvel Heroes. I'm not familiar at all with reading lists, and was a little lost when sent to Marvel Wikia and Marvel's official list.

1. Do I buy Volumes or individual issues to fill the reading list?


2. Is there one specific source for Marvel reading lists aside from the Marvel Wikia, Marvel Wiki, and Marvel's Official list? Or are those generally acceptable lists to follow?


3. My son really wants to start House of M, based on the Civil War issues above, can anyone recommend whether I buy Volumes or individual issues?


4. If it sounds like I need to find out more information about my so's preferences by slyly slipping things into conversation, is there anything someone could suggest I ask to figure out what I might want to know before I start buying up comics?

I asked a mutual friend and received this reply:

"But to me, events are usually just full of so much fluff. Like, I'd rather rather the entire Ultimate Spider-Man run than read any of those events. Even though it doesn't have lasting effects for the Marvel U, it's just full of unbelievable storytelling, both on the artistic and written sides of things"

But I still feel sort of clueless where to start. I also asked my brother's wife who owns more comics than I've seen outside a Comic shop, but she wasn't aware of reading lists.

Perhaps prematurely, I started buying from this reading list, only the first 4 so its not too much.

I also plan on putting together Secret Invasion at some point as well if that changes anything.

Please help identify an old scifi movie about an Earth with scorching hot sun

Old movie where staying out in the sunlight causes death since it is too hot. The protagonist gets chained up outside during the day but somehow manages to survive. Wish I had more details on this, but it's been at least 15 years since I've seen it.

Anakin Skywalker's primary talent

In the Legends-EU novel "I Jedi", we learn that some Jedi develop skills in certain areas that are stronger than others. For instance, I was rather surprised to learn that some Jedi (namely the Halcyon line) have great difficulty performing telekinetic acts unless they first absorb energy from an external source (such as geothermal heat, a blaster bolt, etc.). The ability to absorb energy is also referenced as being "one of the greatest and rarest" of all Jedi abilities. After learning that the main character, Corran Horn/Kieran Halcyon, possesses this ability, Luke Skywalker mentions that his father demonstrated some level of the same skill. This causes me to wonder: as someone whose very birth was the result of a movement of the Force, did Anakin possess equal talent in each discipline?

Note: I will accept any canon as an answer, even if it is Legends.

Does Homenum Revelio only reveal the living?

According to the Harry Potter Lexicon , the spell Homenum Revelio "reveals human presence in [a] target area." It doesn't elaborate. Would Homenum Revelio be used only to find a living person, or could it locate a deceased individual, as well (For example, could it have been used to retrieve Mad-Eye Moody's body following Moody's death in Deathly Hallows?)? We already know Accio doesn't work on people -- one cannot summon a person.

Q: Does Homenum Revelio only reveal the living?

Ideally, I'm looking for a canon answer from the following sources: The 10 Harry Potter books, Pottermore, or an interview with J.K. Rowling. Barring a canon answer, a subjective answer in the spirit of canon is totally welcome.

Please help identify a comic book about searching for girl which teleports in time in bubble

Please help identify a comic book about searching for girl which teleports in time in bubble (she is naked as I remember) and it's probably french comic book, the girl is lost in time and all adventures which happens are about jumping in time in goal to rescue her, this comic book is from 80's or early 90's, and as I remember author is famous person, he is probably dead now

Story About Kids Finding Out Their Uncle Time Travels

I remember bits and pieces of this book I read when I was a kid. It starts with this boy and his family moving into to his uncle's(?) house. The boy finds a room of weird stuff, including a weird looking sword, and maybe some kind of stuffed monster head, and some device that lets him travel through time. I remember it being some kind of window/gateway, but I'm not sure. I believe the boy ends up traveling to a few different time periods, and at one point is in a battle between aliens and humans, and the aliens have disintegration guns. He is able to freeze time, and takes all the aliens' guns and lays them at the feet of the humans, and then unfreezes time.

Also, I believe the cover of the book had the boy falling/getting sucked into a swirl. Possibly mostly blue and white.

Any ideas?

Please help identify a story about an ugly bird that would die of shame when someone looked at it

I can't figure out the title of this short story I read in the early 2000's about a bird that was so self-conscious about its ugly appearance that it would die of shame if it noticed that someone else could see it.

The bird was named after the sound it made which was a sad sound something like Yonk or Yawp or such, and I think that might have been the title of the story, but I can't find it.

The bird was also pheonix-like in that when it died by crying tears of shame, each of the tears would turn into a new bird.

I think I may have read it in one issue of Realms of Fantasy, but I'm not sure. Any information about the title and author would be appreciated.

Is it possible to tell a Valyrian steel sword from a very well crafted steel sword, by sight alone

I'm sure in Westeros there are some incredibly well crafted steel swords, but could someone instantly spot a Valyrian steel sword over one of these?

Does Valyrian steel have any visual indications that it is Valyrian steel and not just a very well crafted steel sword?

I'm wondering, in canon, has anyone seen a sword and instantly recognised it as Valyrian steel.

For the purpose of this question, no one is allowed pick up or use the sword, so they cant feel it's weight, balance, sharpness, etc...

SGA: Are the Wraith vampires?

The connection is rather obvious. The Wraith are nearly immortal and suck the life out of humans. Of course there are also differences from classical vampire lore.

The following two articles connect the Wraith to vampires:

• Wraith Be Dead? which appears to have been written very close to the premiere of SGA


• vampires.wikia.com which describes the Wraith as "race of Psi-vampires that can give and take life force by pressing their hand against someone's chest, causing them to age"

The supposed history is that the Wraith defeated the Lanteans (Ancients) 10,000 years ago via siege and overwhelming numbers, and that some of the Ancients ascended and others fled back to Earth. So the premise is there that the mythology of vampires could have originated in Wraith legend. This also agrees with Stargate's m.o. that mythology on Earth originates in real aliens or vice versa.

So now the question: Aside from everything cited above, is there direct evidence in the scripts or in statements by producers or writers that they either were inspired by or intended the Wraith to be related to Earth vampire mythology?