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Are qualifications for Head Boy and Head Girl different from qualifications for prefects? I was under the impression that the Head Boy and Head Girl were always chosen from among the prefects, however... "No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he go...	According to Harry Potter Wikia, At the beginning of the school year, the Headmaster appoints new Prefects, as well as one Head Boy and one Head Girl from all of the seventh-year students.
Did R2-D2 ever meet Yoda prior to Yoda's exile on Dagobah? Is there a specific proof in the canon (of any kind) showing that R2-D2 had met/seen/been aware of existence of Master Yoda at any time between the siege of Naboo and Yoda going into Exile on Dagobah? The most plausible possibility I can think of is on Senator...	R2D2, C3PO, Yoda, Bail Organa, and Obi-Wan are all present at the birth of Luke and Leia, so R2 has met Yoda (and this was NOT retconned out in the blu-ray -- We know that C3P0's memory was wiped at least once, probably more, which is why he didn't know ObiWan when he met him on Tattooine.
Who are the other immortals in the Vampire Chronicles? I remember Marius telling Lestat that there were other immortals which were not vampires (Possibly in The Vampire Lestat ). That he had seen them on a few occasions over the course of a century or more. Were these other immortals ever identified? <Q> The only one ...	Based on recent books they were either mummies or ghosts/spirits who'd learned to form bodies for themselves by magnetically drawing particles out of the air to themselves.
What's the explanation for Luna's change in appearance? At the end of the 2-part first season opener, Friendship Is Magic , Nightmare Moon is turned into Luna. Her appearance as Luna is like any of the other regular ponies. In the season 2 episode Lesson Zero , Luna returns, but now has an appearance very similar t...	Luna wasn't officially a princess as she is referred to as Celestia's sister and not a princess so when she was freed of the nightmare moon thing she went back to being her old self; an Alicorn but not quite a fully developed one.
Are there any published details of Kenobi's communication with Lars family on Tatooine before ANH? From the movies we know that Obi-Wan Kenobi delivered Luke Skywalker to Owen and Beru Lars to raise on Tatooine shortly after Luke was born at the end of RotS (Episode 3). The next think we know is Luke running into Ben...	As I wrote here , the only reference in Obi-Wan's Wookieepedia article is Adventure in Beggar's Canyon . The reason for Owen's anger was that Kenobi had attempted to give Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber to Luke, feeling that Luke was old enough and should be allowed to have it.
In Ender's Game, why don't queen buggers need to communicate with one another? My whole question is a spoiler, here. Ender's Game goes into great detail about how the buggers don't need to communicate because they all share one "hive" mind. In fact they appear to be completely unaware of the concept of communicati...	The short version: They do communicate with each other.
Why was the Bugger Queens of Second Invasion so close (in Solar System)? According to Ender Canon, Mazer Rakham won a Second Formics Invasion by figuring out the pattern and finding and destroying the Bugger Queen's ship. But as we find out later: Formics' Queens can communicate with the "worker" buggers via philoti...	First of all the Queen was present in the second invasion because the Formics wanted to setup a colony.
Did Stephen King write more sci-fi stories like "The Langoliers"? I love Stephen King's writing style, but his tendency towards religious fantasy themes always put me off and killed my suspension of disbelief. Of all his stories that I've read, "The Langoliers" is what I like the most, because it felt like science-fic...	Well, many of his stories have some Sci-Fi feel, as he tends to try to have some explanation behind most things, even if it's not revealed in the specific story.
In Big Trouble in Little China, why did Egg Shen's potion have such a weak effect on Jack Burton? Just prior to the final battle, Egg Shen gives Jack, Wang Chi, and the rest of the Chang Sings a magic potion. The potion gives them all extreme confidence, and also tremendously boosts the fighting powers of all but Jack...	If you want to be cheeky you can consider that it magnifies his natural clumbsiness and short sightedness and that it why he knocked himself unconscious, got stuck under the knight etc.
What was the hairy humanoid monster from Big Trouble in Little China? The hairy beast which kidnaps Gracie Law during the escape from the White Tigers and which later appears on the back of Jack's truck seems to be a rather iconic part of that movie's lore, yet it receive no explanation during the movie. Is...	So the monster appears to be inspired by the Chinese Wildman (or Yeren) , something akin to Bigfoot.
Effects/Corruption of the One Ring on Smeagol It's obvious that the One Ring causes corruption in the wearer who is not Sauron. What seems strange to me is that in the case of Smeagol, it caused more of a psychological break that gave him the whole Gollum persona; whereas in the case of Isildur, it simply corrupted h...	But perhaps we can't blame Smeagol for the murder of his friend; the Ring was still full of malice and power so soon after Sauron's defeat that it rather quickly took care of Isildur, only to be found by Deagol. I think the effect is to corrupt slowly, but the actual effects will depend on the person/being who owns it....
What are illegal/forbidden uses of the Holodeck? I remember the episode where Laforge's engineer, Reginald Barclay, uses the holodeck to strengthen his self confidence by creating holodeck clones (Musketeers) of the Enterprise crew, to fight against them, and Troi, as a Greek love goddess. But it seemed to be forbidde...	The only thing that would be "illegal" about someone's use of the Holodeck would be if they somehow violated the safety or privacy protocols without the proper authorization.
Can Superman kill people with his X-Ray vision? It's a known fact that x-rays can cause radiation poisoning and very bad adverse effects with prolonged exposure. Can Superman's X-Ray vision (since his eyes emit the rays rather than absorb them) cause such damage to the average human? Has this issue been addressed in ...	Superman basically simply can see in 100% of the spectrum and his brain can compose coherent picture from the entirety of radiation.
What TV show or movie features pods landing in water and people swimming to shore? I'm trying to figure out what TV show or movie I saw from one scene I watched as a kid. All I saw were some pods landing in a body of water, which then opened. A person inside had to swim to the surface and then to the shore of an island...	They didn't land, they would have been released from underwater, but if you turned the show on in the middle of the scene, that might have seemed like a landing.
Is "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" canon with Star Trek? Inspired by the various answers and questions about ET and Star Wars based on a cameo, I wanted to know is Star Trek and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in the same Multiverse? Now before you go laughing me off of the internet I recommend you wat...	Obviously as already stated by sebsmith in his answer, the two medias cannot be considered canon to each other.
Is there a web site (and/or) the book(s)in which are accumulated theories/ideas from science fiction & fantasy books/movies? I'm searching for sites and/or books which have the most interesting theories (pseudo-theories), philosophical/religious ideas, and hypotheses gathered from speculative fiction, primarily, in sci...	For books discussing the inspirations, philosophy, influences etc. of a particular work, it would be best to look at companion books to that work - for example, if you're interested in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, Hy Bender's The Sandman Companion is worth a look.
Why aren't more species' planets named differently from their species name? Andorians come from Andoria (or Andor) Vulcans come from Vulcan Romulans come from Romulus Breen come from Breen Betazoids from Betazed Cardassians from Cardassia The list goes on and on (with a few exceptions, like Kronos). And then y...	Some races are given English names that are very different from theirnative names.
If a Jedi knight were frozen in carbonite, would they be able to use their Force powers? This question arose when some of my coworkers threatened to freeze me in carbonite and use me as a coffee table. (I did nothing to deserve this threat. Nothing!) I posited that I would just knock anything they tried to put on c...	No, as when you're frozen in carbonite , you go into hibernation .
If Worf was raised by humans after the age of 5, why does he "act" so Klingon? Worf was rescued from the wreckage of the Khitomer colony by a Starfleet petty officer and raised amongst humans in a time when Klingon\Federation relations were somewhat shaky. How did Worf end up behaving with a Klingon cultural identity? ...	And, as Xantec points out, he really only upholds the general culture of Klingons, but has trouble fitting in among other Klingon Adults, who have had a chance to learn the nuances of Adult Klingon social interaction. Five is a considerable number of years to be in a culture - living even one year in another country ca...
Story about warring human factions fighting over a backwater planet This is a story I read between 1992 and 1999 about the fight between two opposing human inter-stellar empires that takes place on and in the local vicinity of a relatively back water planet. It begins with the "enemy" empire invading the planet and on...	Go Tell the Spartans 1991
In the movie Serenity why can't they transmit video? In the movie Serenity when they talk to Mr Universe from Miranda on a two-way video link, why can't they just transmit the message they found to him to rebroadcast? The entire final battle seems a bit pointless. Update: Well thought-out answers, but what irritates m...	To transmit the Miranda video would require much more bandwidth than any of the video we actually saw.
Why does no-one notice the large population of Fae in Lost Girl? Bo seems to be told a couple of times that there are a whole range of different Fae types, and in The Mourning After , Saskia mentions that that there are a number of types of succubus. Given that there must be a number of each type, this makes for a pr...	The fae, beyond Dyson, work hard to keep a low profile or at least keep out of view of humans, which is a major reason they keep to themselves and associate only with other fae. A lot of the Fae can pass as humans.
At what point in a Klingon's day is it determined whether or not it is a good day to die? Worf's first line in First Contact is: Perhaps today is a good day to die! http://youtu.be/AFxGPI1Uvlg Given the word choice and emphasis used in that sentence, it is implied that at some point earlier in the day Worf mus...	The principle is that if a Klingon can die in battle, then it is a "good day to die".
Is there a canon explanation for why Star Trek away teams don't wear environmental suits? Last night I was watching the TNG episode "Relics", where Riker, La Forge and Worf beam aboard a disabled 75-year-old ship with minimal life support. Upon arrival, Riker takes a tricorder reading and reports that the air is "stale...	As to why they don't routinely wear respirators on away missions, the answer is simple; There's no need if their scans show a breathable atmosphere.
Why did Q choose Picard and the Enterprise? In Encounter at Farpoint , Q is clearly unknown to the crew of the Enterprise. Three years later, he's well known enough by Starfleet to deserve his own briefings to command personnel. (Sisko mentioned as much in the DS9 episode "Q-Less", and I'm using the dates listed on Me...	He knew that the Enterprise and Picard were going to be famous and he wanted a piece of the action. Humanity came to the attention of Q in early 2364, when Giriaenn, the last of the Manraloth, ascended from the corporeal plane.
Transferable magical talents and and a man forced to shave a sea captain Since this was many years ago I only remember bits and pieces of the book. I recall the magic system was talents. Certain people would have talents and you could somehow take those talents away from others. Any ideas? The only other things I ca...	This sounds like the Night Angel Trilogy where good magic if through Talents and bad magic is Vir.
What happened to the cat Jones from Alien and Aliens? In Alien and Aliens , Ripley had a cat named Jones. In Aliens when Ripley is preparing to go to LV426 with the marines she says to Jones, "And you, you little shit-head, you're staying here." So presumably the cat was left behind. What ever happened to Jon...	He died, at least according to the Alien 3 novelisation by Alan Dean Foster. Jones then went to stay with Ripley at her new apartment. The implication is that he remained on Gateway or was rehomed on Earth where he lived out the remainder of his life.
Who does the Slayer lineage run through? While this was all most certainly thrown out of whack after the events of the series finale, I want to know what was up with the Slayer lineage between seasons 2 and 7. Only one girl is called to be a Slayer at a time, after the previous one dies. After Buffy's brief death in ...	A new Slayer will not be called until Faith dies.
Do Klingon Cranial Ridges Offer Sufficient Individualization like Fingerprints in Humans? I was listening to the commentary on an episode of Star Trek Deep Space 9, and one of the writers mentioned that Bajorans' facial ridges are more-or-less the same on all Bajora, "unlike the Klingons." I did a quick survey of sev...	There is a lot of Klingon ridge analysis over here , and they seem to come to the conclusion that Klingons appear to have relatively unique ridges, although there is some similarity between related Klingons. This doesn't really pertain to Star Trek in particular, but pretty much any feature of the body can be used for ...
Why isn't Obi-Wan's ghost young? One of the changes made to the Special Editions of Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was at the end of the film. Luke sees 3 ghosts during the celebration on the forest moon of Endor, Yoda, Anakin, and Obi-Wan. In the Special Editions, the actor who played Anakin earlier in ...	Also in the force it's all about mind over matter and energy, thus it would be actually possible for Obi-Wan and Yoda to look as old/young as they want to appear. His mental self-image would likely have returned to the way it had been when he last felt that way - as a young man. Since Darth Vader ceased to be a Jedi wh...
Why there is a cow in Walter Bishop's Lab? I started Fringe at season 2 and I noticed a cow in Walter Bishop's Lab. Considering the hassle of keeping a cow in a lab, notably the odour that should be awful, is there any purpose of keeping it? Is there any back-story about it? Does it even have a name? <Q> From http:/...	Peter thinks Walter wants the cow for a test subject in the pilot, but Walter never actually says that himself.
Why didn't Seven of Nine assimilate the Voyager crew when she was separated from the collective? In the episode Scorpion: Part II Seven of Nine is separated from the collective when Chakotay uses a temporary neural link to sabotage the console she is using, permanently destroying her neural link. Later, in The Gift...	Second, it wouldn't gain her any tactical advantage. She'd be much better off assimilating someone after she's released from the brig than while she (and her target) are inside the brig and under complete control of the Voyager crew. It's likely that the very first thing The Doctor did was rendered her assimilation tub...
What are the other alien skulls in the Predator trophy case? A well-known easter egg from Predator 2 is the presence of an Alien skull in the trophy case on board the Predator ship. Aside from a couple of human skulls, there are 4 others: And here's a close-up of the two skulls abutting the Alien skull: Can any...	The skull in the middle of the first pic, and on the left of the second, could be the alien forerunner featured prominently in Prometheus, and with a cameo in Alien.
Why did the writers of Blake's 7 destroy the Liberator? The Liberator was a beautiful ship design with good sets and an interesting computer (Zen). My question is not why it was destroyed in-universe, but why the writers decided to get rid of it. Was it too powerful? Did they have to dismantle the sets for some reason ...	The destruction of the Liberator (in the context of Terminal being the final episode at the time) provided Nation with with the opportunity to give Servalan what she has been seeking for the entire series...but only for a short time. The set was falling apart.
Did Darth Vader know that this character was his daughter from the start? When Darth Vader and Princess Leia meet on board the Tantive IV in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope for the first time, does Darth Vader know she's his daughter? <Q> No. <S> At that point he doesn't even know Luke is his son and that's what...	At the time of working of "A New Hope" (e.g. prior to 1977) - it was NOT known to anyone (including Lucas) that Luke and Leia are family.
In Star Trek (2009), what did the Romulans do for 25 years while waiting? In the film Star Trek (2009), Spock said Nero captain of the Romulan mining ship waited 25 years for him to arrive (in which were only seconds for Spock). So what did Nero and his band of misguided Romulans do for 25 years while being in a big a...	To summarize, they were captured by Klingons shortly after the battle with the Kelvin. A deleted scene from the film shows Klingons surrounded the Narada following George Kirk's attack, and Nero and his crew gave themselves up to be imprisoned on Rura Penthe. Nero spent the next twenty-five years awaiting the arrival o...
Man sells his soul in exchange for gold, can't bathe for years I know the title question for this is somewhat vague, so I apologize for that in advance, but I'm looking for the name of a fairy tale/legend that I saw on TV probably close to 30 years ago (circa 1980-ish). Here's the basic upshot: I was young, somewhere...	The story you're referring to is "Bearskin" , a German folk tale collected and written down by the Brothers Grimm.
What is "paying the iron price"? Victarion and Theon occasionally make reference to "paying the iron price" for acquiring stuff; what does this mean exactly? It seems like that's what they call plunder, but they're not really the ones paying so it sounds strange. Are their foes the ones who are "paying"? Its dual ...	pay the iron price is to buy an item with iron.
Anakin, Obi-wan, and Count Dooku's fighting styles I've always found it interesting how at the beginning Star Wars Episode III, Count Dooku was able to easily beat Obi-wan Kenobi. Soon after knocking out Obi-wan, Dooku was beaten by Anakin Skywalker in one-on-one combat. Yet, at the end of Episode III, after a lengthy ...	The reason why he beat a more inexperienced Kenobi on Geonosis was because Dooku specialized in Form 2, Makashi, which was a precision dueling oriented form most Jedi were not trained to combat, while the reason why Anakin beat Dooku in ROTS was because while Makashi lacked strength, Djem So, Anakin's form was based on...
Has there been any contact with life outside our own Milky Way in the Star Trek universe? The Star Trek universe is set inside our own Milky Way, however has there been any instances of contact with life outside our own Milky Way? I understand the distance between our galaxy and the next is much bigger than distances t...	In the classic series, the episode " By Any Other Name " features aliens from the Andromeda Galaxy.
Why don't they just replicate ships instead of build them? In Star Trek, it seems like they take forever to build ships. It takes months, if not years to make them. So why not just build gigantic replicators in space, then replicate the ship (excepting non-replicatable objects like the warp core)? This would presuma...	The benefits outweigh the costs for space travel, but if it takes a billion units of energy to construct a starship out of mined materials, it might take a quintillion units of energy to entirely replicate one.
How can a Stargate draw power from a black hole? In " Beachhead " (SG-1 season 9), Col. Carter notes that the only thing in the Universe powerful enough to power an Ori Supergate is a black hole, and indeed the Ori manage to collapse an entire planet in order to create one (the gate's completion was thwarted, however...	However, the best method is quite simple and will work with any black hole, harvest energy from the accretion disc, as matter swirls into the black hole, it gets hot.
How could Enterprise remain at warp after ejecting its cores in Star Trek (2009) In the 2009 film, The Enterprise ejects and detonates its warp cores in an attempt to close a massive singularity. They maintain warp speed in order to attempt to escape the gravitational pull of the singularity. How did the Enterpri...	So a simple in-universe explanation would be that the warp core was ejected, but the ship still had enough reserve energy (either in batteries/energy banks/residual drive plasma that remained in the EPS) to maintain a warp bubble for however long it was.
What's with Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold's obsession with kids? In Once Upon A Time , the character of Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold seems to have some sort of obsession with kids. In the fairy tale world he made a deal to get Cinderella's first-born. He was willing to even acquire a second baby from her when she lied to him...	In a very basic sense, Rumpelstiltskin in the actual stories always asked for the girl's child in return for spinning straw into gold, which her father had foolishly (and publicly) boasted she could do.
Looking for time travel book set in the 60s or 70s I am looking for a book that I read when I was a teenager. My dad had owned it but it's gone now. Some details that I remember are a group of 4 or 5 people travel back in time to various locations/times. For some reason I think a couch was involved. I sort of remembe...	It all sounds very similar to the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy trilogy as a whole. When they traveled in time, everything in the immediate vicinity (including furniture) went with them.
Are inertial dampeners a requirement for going to warp speed? Inertial dampeners are used on Star Trek to prevent starship occupants from experiencing inertial effects of the ship. Clearly, for a ship to accelerate at a very high rate via impulse drive, the inertial dampeners are required to prevent harming any of the ...	So, yes, Inertial Damping (they use that, not Dampening) is required for warp speed.
Are vampires able to make babies? In Breaking Dawn , it's shown that vampire males can impregnate human females. Do vampire females still have working reproductive systems? Are vampire males and females able to produce vampire babies? <Q> No. <S> Stephanie Meyer has commented on this - vampires bodies are unchangi...	I believe it was explained that vampire females don't go through a menstrual cycle, as their bodies are immutable.
How much older was Hermione after her third year at Hogwarts? In her third year at Hogwarts, Hermione is given a time-turner so she can take more classes. Several of her classes are concurrent to each other, so she attends one class (for 1-2 hours) goes back in time, and attends a different class during the same time f...	I have read some fan fiction that interpreted the restrictions on time turner usage as allowing one to go back six hours at a time, up to six times per day, for a total of an additional 36 hours per day. Even if these figures are out, it is liable to be a week older, not much more. We are not told exactly how many clas...
What is the earliest instance of a SciFi work describing a massive universal database of knowledge? What is the earliest instance of a SciFi work describing a system satisfying the following criteria (basically a massive computer database coupled with the networking system to access it available to everyone)? Databas...	Ernst Jünger's Eumeswil (1977) (see German wikipedia article for more detail - English wikipedia article is quite short and omits discussion of the SF aspects) describes a sort of wikipedia like database of historical-only knowledge called the Luminar. I think most of the Multivac stories written by Asimov are some of ...
What does a high Midi-chlorian count actually mean? This question is related to a few others here like Who is the most powerful user of the Force? and When Jedi lose parts of their body, does their midi-chlorian count and strength in the Force diminish? . But my question is, what does a high midi-chlorian count act...	MIDI Chlorian count is really how much midi chlorians a force sensitive user can use at their peak.
Why was Darth Vader given a downgraded version of General Grievous's mechanics? Darth Vader was given obsolete technology for his suit, as can be seen in this question . It seems odd that he wouldn't have been given similar technology. Why was this done? <Q> As you refer to the previous question, I'll refer to the pre...	Vader's suit was made via Sith alchemy making it compatible with the midi-chlorians. If he had Grievous' body, his connection to the force would have been all but non existent. The reason for the suit being downgraded was that Palpatine wanted to confine Vader in order to prevent Vader from becoming more powerful and o...
Can Thor's hammer be wielded by anyone in outer space? Thor's hammer, Mjolnir , according to Odin's enchantment, can only be wielded by those deemed worthy. Does this only apply when the hammer is subject to gravitational pull? What happens when it's in outer space away from any pull? Would those unworthy be able to...	The will of Odin overwrites the physics, if the all father has decreed only the worthy can wield it, then, outer space or not, the hammer is unwieldable ( not immovable ) by Odin's will, there is no room for puny human physics loopholes to the contrary. The unworthy cannot lift it when gravity is present, but they can ...
Was Sheriff Carter recruited to come to Eureka? The premise of the show Eureka is that they take a average intelligence man and make him the sheriff of a town filled with nothing but geniuses. I've just got a few episodes into season 3 of the series, and it seems that Sheriff Carter is some sort of master detective (r...	As to why he was chosen for the role, it most certainly wasn't for his genius (his IQ is repeatedly stated to be determinedly average ) but for his tenacity, insight and people skills. After the town's existing Sheriff, Bill Cobb was incapacitated, Marshall Carter was recommended for the position as his replacement.
Why does the Observer consume extremely spicy foods? When an Observer eats, it is alway really spicy food. This seems to be a common characteristic of all Observers, since in the episode 8 of season 2 (August) they all put a lot of hot sauce in their meals. In a quiet Indian-style restaurant, December and the Obs...	If the observers are always eating overly spicy food as is suggested by their non-linear time state, then their tastebuds would be completely blocked by capsaicin.
How does Xena's chakram return to her after every throw? Inspired by this question . When Xena throws her chakram, how does it ricochet around the room and return to her? Is it a magic weapon or does she have some ability or powers for this to work? <Q> In the 2nd episode of the 5th season, "Chakram," it is explain...	Xena has extremely good spatial awareness - the only magic involved is that it keeps ricocheting, rather than slowing down and falling. Not much is known about the weapon; It was possibly given to Xena by Ares, around about the time she left Chin and ventured towards Norway.
Do students ever get sorted into houses other than what their family is in? It seems to me that whatever house your parents were in is where you will end up. I know the Sorting Hat initially wanted to Sort Harry into Slytherin, but that had a lot to do with his connection to Voldemort. He ultimately ended up in the sam...	Although he was the heir of the House of Black, Sirius disagreed with his family's belief in blood purity and defied tradition when he was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which he attended from 1971 to 1978. And some students are worried about disappointing the...
How did Harry come to master the Elder Wand? Harry takes Draco Malfoy's hawthorn wand, not the Elder Wand. How, then, does he become the master of the Elder Wand, which he never took from its true owner (Draco), or touched? Does a wizard lose the allegiance of all his wands if even one of them is taken from him? Pretty...	When Harry Potter defeated Draco Malfoy by taking Draco's wand at Malfoy Manor, not only did Draco's hawthorn wand switch allegiance to Harry, but the Elder Wand did as well.
Are clones allowed to retire? In Star Wars: The Clone Wars , clone troopers are created to be the Republic's foot soldiers in the war. The season 2 episode The Deserter implied that troopers can't just go AWOL. But do they have some limited tour of duty they need to fulfill, and then they can retire? Or are they ...	There were SOME clones who kinda-retired - one example was a sleeper cell of Soonier Fel clones ( Carib Devist ) in Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, who basically went native and became farmers - though they did come out of retirement to help Han Solo during battle for Bothawui.
What were the natural lifespans of Kamino and Spaarti clones? If said clones were not killed in battles, what was the average life expectancy of both Kamino-grown, Fett-type clones and Spaarti technology clones? I'd expect it to be less than humans, due to rapid maturation (10 years to full maturity for Kamino ones, ...	Therefore, it's logical to assume that clones have at LEAST the normal lifespan, starting from when they reach the desired age (and the rapid aging is ceased). However, in the new canon, Holocron continuity database keeper Leland Chee has stated that humans lived the same real-world average lifespan, which is estimated...
Why does Harry always cast spells out loud? Why didn't Harry ever learn to cast spells without vocalizing? Hermione learned how to do it, and Snape warned Harry about learning how to do it. It would have helped in many places. <Q> In Half-Blood Prince Harry effectively incants Levicorpus <S> non-verbally on Ron; R...	A Harry Potter able to do nonverbal spells would have made him one overpowered mofo and could have just won every duel and battle until the end of the 7th book.
Why do E.T. and Elliott get sick and how do they recover? There's many ways to explain what happened in the movie, so I will leave that to a quote form E.T. Wikipedia article : On Halloween, Michael and Elliott dress E.T. as a ghost so they can sneak him out of the house. Elliott and E.T. ride a bicycle to the fore...	As E.T. got sick, there was a sympathetic feedback into Elliot, which made him sick. ET could never have survived on Earth permanently without the heart pulse from his people.
In Star Trek, what is the largest empire/power in the Milky Way Galaxy by sheer size? I've seen a few star charts and maps of the Milky Way for Star Trek, but most of them don't show the extent or borders of the major powers in the galaxy, just their center of power. So which ones have the most extensive empires in the...	In most maps it seems the federation, by way of over affiliation, has an extremely large border, however, the klingons in most maps are not only large in there own rite, but seem to go right off the "local space" maps, indicating that they continue off the map.
Was E.T. a Jedi? I came to this thought that E.T. was in fact a Jedi (or at least Force-sensitive ) and the more I think about it, the more it seems possible. This would explain many things. First, we already know that E.T came from the Star Wars Galaxy . So, if he was a Jedi, he would show some force powers : F...	So I think that yes, E.T. was on some level using the Force, but no, he was not a Jedi knight, at least as we know them from the Star Wars era.
How many TARDIS keys does the Doctor carry on his person? In the series 3 episode The Sound of Drums after The Doctor, Martha, and Captain Jack are declared public enemy number one, the Doctor uses parts from Martha's laptop and three TARDIS keys to create three "perception filter" necklaces so they can move about un...	As for total TARDIS keys, I would say that besides the ones the Doctor gives out and those that he personally carries, there probably aren't any others since the TARDIS can probably create new ones on demand and just leaving them lying around probably creates huge security risks.
Which Side Did the Slytherins Ultimately Fight For at the Battle of Hogwarts? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bit murky regarding the Slytherin students and their role in the final Battle of Hogwarts. We know the following: Professor McGonagall advises Professor Slughorn that she expects the Slytherins in ...	The Slytherins came back and fought against Voldemort in the final battle, with Horace Slughorn leading the charge!
How Many Tribbles Were There? In the Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles," when Kirk opens the door and all the tribbles fall on him, Spock says that there are 1,771,561 tribbles in the wheat compartment, basing that calculation on one tribble entering 3 days ago, producing an average litter of 10 every 12 h...	Based on an average litter of 10, starting with 10 tribbles who are about to give birth to their first litter, you would have only 1,100,000 tribbles after 72 hours! 1,771,561 is the correct answer.
Who talked about "the delicious smell of magic"? I have a memory of a story or novel in which a character talked about "the delicious smell of magic", but I've never been able to find it again. This would have been something I read no later than the eighties. Can anyone tell me where I might have read this? <Q> The o...	In The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott each persons magic has their own scent for example the main characters' magic smelled like oranges and vanilla respectively.
Why did the mirror repair itself in front of Neo? Just after Neo takes the red pill, Morpheus leads him into another room with the rest of the team. As Neo sits, waiting, he observes a broken mirror. Suddenly to his surprise the mirror heals itself. After which he touches it, and it then consumes his arm and enters his...	Before taking the pill, Neo's perception of himself and his surroundings was flawed, like the broken mirror — he perceived the illusion of the Matrix as real. In short; It's just a mirror
Why was McGonagall allowed to give Harry the Nimbus 2000? In the acceptance letter Harry Potter received from Hogwarts, the second page has a list of requirements for the start of school. At the bottom of the letter it states: PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK And yet, very ...	In Sorcerer's Stone , it is explained that special provisions were made to allow Harry to have a broomstick.
Why did the Enterprise - A have so many high ranking officers? In most militaries, all assignments have a narrow range of ranks allowed. In Star Trek TOS, the characters were all depicted as having ranks suitable for their position. However, by the later movies, Scotty was a Captain, yet still chief of engineering, and...	The gist of it is that the TOS "era" of the Star Trek canon (including the original series itself and all movies that feature the Enterprise under Kirk's command) take place over a much longer time frame than most other series, even TNG. "Captain" is both a rank and an indication of job/position on the vessel (so an ho...
Does Boba Fett know his exact relationship with Jango Fett? If so when/how did he find out? As we know from Episode 2: Attack of the Clones, Boba Fett was a perfect, non-accelerated-grown, clone of Jango Fett that Jango raised as his son. "Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing: an ...	Fett was aware of the fact that he was a clone of his father, however, he would often question his conception.
Is there any confirmed instance of J.K.Rowling changing her mind about future HP book detail to accomodate fans? Is there even one confirmed instance of J.K.Rowling changing her mind about HP book detail to accomodate fans? To be specific, I mean an instance where: Rowling had a plan to write a specific detail in on...	I don’t think there are any major instances; certainly none that I can think of or find. J.K. Rowling sketched out the deaths in the Harry Potter series years ago, and from that point forward no amount of pleading from fans, friends or even family could convince her to change her mind.
Could Mad-Eye Moody See the Natural State of a Boggart With His Magical Eye? In Order of the Phoenix , Mad-Eye Moody identifies a Boggart for Molly Weasley. "We've been wanting to ask you for ages -- could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside it? We haven't wanted to open...	Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like if nobody is there to see it, although it continues to exist...
Why are Anakin and Luke fitted with cybernetic hands? Inspired by the question " Why is Luke's cybernetic hand superior to the one Anakin receives? " I got to wondering why Anakin and Luke were fitted with cybernetic hands. With such advanced cloning technology available it would seem to make more sense to fast grow cu...	It's possible that a cybernetic hand could have been used initially, and later it could be replaced by a cloned hand, but it seems to be rather unlikely.
How difficult is it to create a clone? In the Star Wars universe, the concept of clones is not new. Obi-wan, when he learns of them, is somewhat versed in the basics of cloning and able to ask relevant, on-topic questions. This suggests that clones are not unheard of, and some of the techniques of cloning are taught ...	I get the impression from this wookieepedia entry on cloning madness that 1) cloning an entire body in less then a year can lead to madness in the clone and 2) possibility of physical deformities in the clone.
When did the Sith enter the Star Wars canon? I don't remember any mention of the Sith in the original trilogy. The few expanded universe books I've read (which predate the prequel trilogy) refer to "Dark Jedi." When were the Sith first mentioned in Star Wars canon? (Real time, not in-universe time.) <Q> Wookieepedia ...	I remember Darth Vader being referred to as a "Dark Lord of the Sith" before the prequel trilogy came out, probably before Episode V was released.
Why can't the Lost Boys fly? In Peter Pan, all you need to do to fly is think of a wonderful thought, any happy little thought. All it takes is faith and trust ohh and there's dust. Pixie dust. Why then can't the Lost Boys fly? They have fun all day and they are around TinkerBell enough to get plenty of pixie dust... ...	Tinkerbell and her folk are simply unable to provide sufficient dust to lift the entire group off of the ground continuously, so the material is rationed.
In Amber, what makes a drawing magical that it becomes a trump? In the Amber series, several characters had the ability to draw a picture that then would be a trump, and enable communications and even teleportation. What is it in the drawing that gives it such power? <Q> When Merlin created a trump he called on The Log...	I think the point is that they are something that very few people can do (Dworkin/Merlin).
How long is a league in Game of Thrones? In 'Game of Thrones' and its sequels, George R R Martin refers to places as being hundreds or even thousands of leagues apart. I thought a league was three miles, but if so, his characters are travelling around really fast. Is he using 'league' for 'mile'? <Q> So Spake Martin : ...	Yes, a league is three miles. As far as I know, no definitive standard has been set for what a league actually is so I would personally go with the simplest which is the distance a person can walk in one hour.
Does the new Star Trek timeline have a new mirror universe as well? In the Star Trek universe, there's a Mirror Universe where the Federation and our familiar Trek characters are basically the opposite of what it is in the main universe. Instead of a force for good, they're a force for evil. In the original Star...	Something like a mirror universe as portrayed in fiction is pretty much impossible, since these mirror universes are generally caused by some huge historic event playing out differently in the distant past.
Is the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz the first fictional cyborg? To my surprise, I read that the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz is a cyborg. From Wikipedia : In the books, the origins of the character are rather gruesome. Originally an ordinary man by the name of Nick Chopper (the name first appearing in The Marvelous ...	The earliest cyborg reference I could find was from the 1839 short story
Why isn't there ever any mention of the Americas in Harry Potter? Obviously the focus of the books is on the characters and school situated in England. But it seems to me that while there is mention of other schools, and quidditch teams, they are all European countries. In the first book when Harry says he doesn't hav...	There is a mention of America in Goblet of Fire : *[...] There is at least a mention of Brazil in one of the books.
How big is the interior of the TARDIS? Do we have any idea how big the interior of the TARDIS is? Is it even a fixed size, since it was recently renewed ? <Q> Short version : <S> No, all we know is that it's bigger on the inside. <S> Long version : <S> The exact size, shape, and layout of the TARDIS has never bee...	The inside of the TARDIS has no real effective limit - we've seen tiny containers with space for millions of Daleks in the new series, and we know that (this being Doctor Who)
Would the Emperor have exploded if he were beheaded by Luke? When the Emperor died, he made a big explosion. From the Return of the Jedi script [...] Darth Vader hurls the Emperor's body into the bottomless shaft. The Emperor's body spins helplessly into the void, arcing as itfalls into the abyss. Finally, when t...	Also I did not meant the reactor explodes; The body of the emperor exploded in a reaction with the core, maybe some antimatter stuff or whatever they have inside their reactors There were other Dark Jedi that exploded when they where killed. So, he probably hit something, but it most be something else than a reactor co...
Why was the end of Watchmen changed in the movie version? Given how the movie was hyped as being a faithful rendition (and, for the most part, it was), what was the reasoning behind making such a radical change to the ending? I've seen statements from Zack Snyder discussing why he felt the end was as good as the...	I also suspect that they were worried about how strange and even silly the sudden appearance of a gigantic, psychic squid would seem to the audience. My impression is that the writers, director, and producers of the movie wanted to make the story a bit more topical and timely. It was already at the maximum running leng...
Why wasn't Han Solo suspicious when he first dived Into the Asteroid Cave? In The Empire Strikes Back Han dives into a cave in an asteroid to escape the Imperial ships chasing the Millenium Falcon . Originally I was wondering why there was air available to them outside of the ship, as well as heat, but this articl...	So the readings would likely be consistent with the expected readings for the interior of a silicon based asteroid. Solo had heard stories for years of the giant slugs, and had been warned of their dangers, but he dismissed them as mere "ghost-stories". In the storytelling sense, the Han-Leia, Han-Lando and Luke-Yoda-O...
Could C-3PO fully extend his arms? Through all Star Wars movies, C-3PO seems quite limited in his movement. I noticed his elbow articulation even seems welded in place. What level of amplitude does he have in his arm articulation? And why he was made that way? <Q> I read a long time ago - too long ago to remember ...	Looking at a few pictures, it appears to me that his extensor muscle hydraulics should be able to move his arm nearly straight, though because of the way the flexor appears to be attached, if his arms went completely straight, he may need a bit of help starting to retract them, but on the other hand, since they're hydr...
Is a droid a ‘he/she’ or an ‘it’? Inspired by this question. Are droids in the Star Wars universe referred to with gendered pronouns (i.e. he or she), or are they referred to as objects (i.e. it)? <Q> Droids have personality, and that personality can be masculine or feminine. <S> R2-D2 and C-3P0 have (arguably) ...	There are definitely droids that have an apparent gender.
How does the Borg hive mind work? Do I just not understand the concept of the hive mind entirely? My understanding is, its one voice that controls and orders all the drones in all unimatrices. It seems implausible (at least to me) that one voice, one mind, could control an entire collective.. how would a ship on the o...	Borg do the strategic decision making, and each descending and radiating arm of Borg conciousness has their own set of assigned duties.
Are there video games in the Star Trek universe? I am finishing up the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Game," wherein the crew of the Enterprise get addicted to a virtual reality headset game involving putting a disk in a cone. It is incredibly dated CGI. This game doesn't appear to be more thrilling ...	TOS and The Motion Picture both indicate a number of games (some table-top, and some videogames) that are played in the 23rd century. In "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock", there is an arcade game involving biplanes in a dogfight.
Why was Enterprise on a five-year mission in TOS? There is a small difference between intro texts in TOS: Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gon...	In the Memory Alpha transcript at the beginning, it is stated that the 5 year mission program was about exploration and expansion, it was about following the "Dream of Stars".
Why doesn't C3PO recognize Leia in R2's recorded message? At the start of A New Hope , when the corvette is being attacked, C3PO says something to the effect of: There'll be no escape for the princess this time. But when Luke stumbles onto Leia's message in R2D2, C3PO seems to not know who the figure in the messag...	He saw Leia around, and from observing her interactions with others he could infer that she was at least connected (strongly) to the Princess, or even that she was the diplomat aboard the ship, but he didn't gather evidence to a strong enough degree of certainty that she was herself the princess. This means she was hid...
Is Santa Claus a Time Lord? Consider the following about Santa Claus: He can carry presents for every little boy and girl around the world in one bag that sits on a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer, so his bag has to be bigger on the inside. He's able to make it around the entire world, including time to go down...	Yes, Santa being a Time Lord is plausible, albeit unlikely.
How did Indy know to not look at the Ark? My grasp of Scripture is poor, but the only thing I can recall in the Bible along these lines is Uzzah being struck down because he TOUCHED the Ark . How did Indy know that they should close their eyes and escape being fried by the Ark? <Q> Cross-referenced from that initial l...	In short, Indy was given specific advice by Amir (the Imam) not to touch the Ark or look at the Ark if it's opened.
Could the Ion cannons of the Tollans penetrate the shield/defense technology of the Asgard? Is there any discussion in any episode or series to help contrast the power of the Tollan versus the power of the Asgard. In particular how powerful the Tollan Ion Cannons are compared to Asgard ships and their shield technol...	The huge Tollan Ion Cannons are no match for Asgardian shield technology, which are the only shields known to resist Ancient drones!
Which Actors Were Featured in Both Star Wars Trilogies? Apart from the voice of Yoda, Frank Oz , have there been any other actors who played a role in both trilogies? I suppose Hayden Christensen counts, having been recently included in the Blu Ray version of Episode VI. <Q> When Lucas was talking about making three...	On the subject of voices, James Earl Jones played Darth Vader 's voice in both trilogies. Ian McDiarmid appears as the emperor in episodes I, II, III and VI in the original trilogy.
How does Angel shave? In episode five of season two of Buffy (Reptile Boy), Willow is baffled by Angel's lack of a reflection, and asks, "How do you shave?" So...do vampires' hair actually grow? There have been numerous vampires with goatees and such, so do vampires need to worry about haircuts and shaves? If so, ho...	Shaving by touch is easy for a man, especially a man with a vampire's healing abilities in case of a wee nick, and Angel probably befriends a barber in town and pays extra for an after-hours, no mirror, no questions asked haircut. As to whether his facial hair grows in the show, the answer is yes, but it makes him look...
Would Diaspar survive if Earth was destroyed? In the prologue in The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke, it reads Since the city was built, the oceans of Earth had passed away and the desert had encompassed all the globe. The last mountains had been ground to dust by the winds and the rain, and the world was to...	I believe if the Earth were to disappear, Diaspar would simply become a space station. Eventually the sun will get Diaspar. The city was equipped with Eternity Circuits , which maintained almost every structure in it as it had been originally designed and built.
Are there any real-world basis to the traps in the Indiana Jones series? Lucas was clearly drawing on the earlier era of movie serials for the Indiana Jones movies, in particular, the mechanical wood and stone traps in all of the movies. But these things do not generally come from nowhere...there' usually SOME real-wor...	No, there are no known examples of ancient temples or ruins with intact traps, especially ones like in the movies. The Greeks also have some understanding of machinery, and gears, and feasibly could have created some of these traps.
Where is the Shoe in the Space Battle in "Return of the Jedi?" I've read, in many places, and heard in interviews, that while filming the Battle of Endor sequence in Return of the Jedi that in the "It's a trap!" scene, when an overwhelming number of Imperial ships are flying at the Rebel Fleet, that there are at leas...	But, the shoe too far to the side to show in any standard definition release, such as on VHS. I had heard that the shoe made it into Jedi's original release.

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