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How Human are Humaniform Cylons? After the Cylon ambush, when the government asks Balter to build a Cylon detector, they have just recently learned there are "skin jobs" (as they call them) that look like humans, but they aren't sure how to find them. Later, they know Sharon Valerii is a Cylon, but there's no indicati...	Only Gaius's Cylon Detector ever detected her as not human, and that was scrapped as junk because he lied. I think that all humans in Battlestar Galactica are Cylons created by the Lords of Kobol who were humans.
Why are there always 2 vampire elders that are in hibernation? In the first Underworld films, there are 3 leaders called the elders (Amelia, Marcus and Viktor) . They are using a system by which one rules the Vampires while the other two are in hibernation. Why was this system put in place originally? <Q> Viktor t...	The second theory, that the elders hibernate so there is only one elder making decisions for the vampire species, and so less chance for conflict, also holds some water. Differing opinions may also be the reason.
Which genre mentioned the first "pleasure" humanoid robot/android? Which genre mentioned the first "pleasure" (aka sex slave/sex toy) humanoid robot/android? Was it Sci-Fi (the earliest example I can think of is "Tripping the Rift", but i'm certain there were earlier cases)? Or was it Pr0n (The earliest example I kno...	I think the earliest example of a humanoid robot being used in a sexual manner is Fritz Lang's Metropolis, a 1927 German sci-fi film, in which a robot is dressed as an erotic dancer and drives two men into a homicidal jealous rage.
How did the AT-ATs get to the surface of Hoth? I'm curious how these beasts got down to the surface of Hoth. Did the Galactic Empire land them in big ships, if so which ones? <Q> Star Wars Wikia AT-AT article AT-ATs were typically deployed for ground assault from orbit by large dropships . <S> Walkers stationed ...	This mechanized force was deployed by several Y-85 Titan dropships, and larger landing assault craft. The ship was introduced in The Phantom Menace , and has been shown to have been used by the Empire for carrying AT-ATs and TIE fighters.
Is Daenerys Targaryen immune to fire? Twice in the books Daenerys has been in situations where it is reasonable to expect that she would have been burned to death, or at least seriously injured, yet has come out unharmed. The first time was when she stepped into the funeral pyre of Khal Drogo, which resulted in her dr...	What remains certain is that she was subjected to fire hot enough to burn away her hair and come away unharmed. As of the end of A Dance with Dragons the Targaryen immunity to fire is intentionally left ambiguous; As is most of the dogma behind dragons. She had sores and tender flesh, but those might have been friction...
What is this old movie that featured round, flat creatures that killed by touch? I remember that I watched this movie as a kid, probably in the late 70's - early 80's. I think it was a black and white movie. I believe the story revolved around an outbreak of creatures that were roughly 1-2 feet in diameter, would cli...	The Thing From Venus": an alien master-mind from another world tries to conquer the world with vaguely bat-like "mind-control pods", and the only thing that can stop him is square-jawed wooden scientist action.
Why Are There So Many Double Initials in Comic Books? Not being a comics expert, I can't be sure, but I think this applies mostly to Marvel comics. Why do so many characters have double initials? There's Pepper Potts, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Peter Parker and I think at some times there was Bruce Banner (when it was...	Although it is not unique to Marvel Comics, which means that Stan Lee's own poor memory is somewhat irrelevant, I would imagine that it did begin as a mnemonic device to facilitate easy recollection of the characters' names, which became a longstanding tradition in the comic book industry.
Will a Phoenix Eventually Die a Natural Death? We obviously see Fawkes consumed by fire and then reborn from the ashes in Chamber of Secrets . If a Phoenix lives a natural life (i.e. isn't killed by something) will it continue to burn and be reborn infinitely, or will the Phoenix eventually die from natural causes (i....	The phoenix lives to an immense age as it can regenerate, bursting into flames when its body begins to fail and rising again from the ashes as a chick.
Do teleporters exist in Star Wars? Star Trek relies on them all the time but are there any teleporters in the Star Wars universe? And if not, why not? Did George Lucas ban them? <Q> There was no "Technological" teleportation in Star Wars Universe. <S> Instead there was Magical apparation ... <S> errr ... <S> wrong...	In the Expanded Universe video game "Star Wars: The Old Republic" set a thousand years before the movies, there is an experimental teleporter that is being tested on the planet Belsavis.
What were Q's reasons for exposing the Enterprise to the Borg? In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, Q-Who , Q decides to expose the Enterprise to one of the unknown threats that lies out there in the galaxy. He hurls the Enterprise to the distant System J-25, where they encounter the Borg, who promptly sh...	I guess it was to show that the federation is not prepared what lies ahead and that they are vulnerable.
Can Force Ghosts Interact With the Physical Environment? In Return of the Jedi Obi-wan, as a Force ghost, sits down on a rock while talking to Luke, which implies that even though Force ghost are translucent, that they can interact with the physical world. Or was he just projecting the appearance of sitting, to seem...	Wookieepedia on Force Ghosts says "interact with the living, albeit not physically", referencing The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia .
Any Superheros by Choice? It seems like most superheros are either born that way (Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Ancient Mariner, for example), or are made into a superhero without their consent (Fantastic Four, Hulk, Green Lantern and Spiderman, for example). Many of the born superheros are outsiders living in h...	There are a number of heroes that, like Batman, chose the superhero path for vengeance, such as The Punisher, Daredevil and Rorschach. The Green Hornet seems to have been a choice although the origin stories are murky for some story lines.
How does Rygel fart helium? Dominar Rygel the XVI shares this trait with all other Hynerians; he farts helium. How is this possible? Is it stored long-term somewhere in his body, or is it present in most 'Farscape' atmospheres (noted, it's not present in Earth's atmosphere due to its low density), and it uh, passes ...	It's biologically impossible for him to generate helium gas the way we humans generate our flatulence.
Did Jango Fett have a weak mind? The Jedi 'mind trick' is implied to only work on those with weak minds at numerous points in the series. The trick has been shown to work on stormtroopers in A New Hope . Is the "weak mind" of stormtroopers due to them being clones of Jango Fett or a result of their genetic manip...	We don't know if those stormtroopers are Jango Fett clones, but if they are, the clones had their mind tampered to make them more docile.
Did "Peacekeeper Wars" Let "Farscape" Finish Properly? I know Farscape was cancelled, without notice, and ended in a cliffhanger. When that happened, I remember reading that the production company decided to try to resolve it with The Peacekeeper Wars and started production on that even without a buyer (and it was...	As I remember, there weren't any major loose threads that never got wrapped up.
Would Voldemort have won the first Wizarding War? Looking at everyone's chances , it looks like the OotP and the Aurors had the odds stacked against them. Did the OotP have any chance of defeating Voldemort, either by permanent restraint, or death and finding his horcruxes? Is there anything to indicate that anything ...	I can't find a canon reference but the impression I got was that Voldemort would have won if not for Harry.
Why hadn't Han Solo paid Jabba? We know why Han Solo had to pay off Jabba . But Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is set three years after the destruction of the Death Star, but Han Solo hadn't paid Jabba yet. Why? <Q> Jabba was a drug lord but only in a relative backwater like Tatooine. <S> Too bad ...	With the Imperial Navy gunning after Han and his merry band, Han probably thought it reasonable that he'd never have to deal with the likes of Jabba again.
Why didn't the Red Dwarf decay during Lister's 3,000,000 years in stasis? Why didn't the vessel Red Dwarf degrade and decay during Lister's 3,000,000 years in stasis? Aside from some meteor strikes, the vessel seems to be intact. Only the bodies of the dead crew and the IQ of Holly appear to have been affected by the...	The scutters would have started to fail after a while, and even if they could repair each other as well as the ship, the ship and its systems would have run out of power, fuel, and spare parts long before 3,000,000 years had gone by.
Do Disillusionment Charms Fail At Very Close Range? I've been informed by those who know much more about Harry Potter than I that Hogwarts is protected with a Disillusionment Charm so all muggles will see is ruins with a "Danger: Keep out!" sign around them. (Apparently this was in one of the first three books, but I'...	Well, not only would the Muggles see the sign (which would deter only those who can read, and not even all of those), but there is probably some kind of Jedi mind trick that makes them think that there is no reason to go there.
Why are Oz Maps Reversed? When I was younger, I remember reading (also having read to me) all fourteen of L. Frank Baum's Oz books. One thing that always confused me was that the maps of Oz that showed a compass rose had east and west switched. I thought maybe it was a mistake or there was something magical about it,...	One of my theories is that it was originally correct Apparently there's also some contradiction between various versions of the maps, thanks to "helpful" editors correcting and uncorrecting and thoroughly confusing things.
What are the principles of sentient life? In the Babylon 5 episode A Voice in the Wilderness , there is a reference to the third principle of sentient life. How many principles are there, what are they, and are they unique to the Babylon 5 universe or are they taken from prior art? <Q> I don't think the show ever st...	Intuition - the combination of intelligence, creativity and self awareness results in intuitive thought. The Third Principle of Sentient life is the capacity for self-sacrifice, the conscious ability to override evolution and self-preservation for a cause, a friend, a loved one.
Is Azkaban the Only Prison in the Magic World? The only prison that I can remember being mentioned in Harry Potter is Azkaban. Some simple research indicates one person was imprisoned for owning Sphinxes and Hagrid was sent there, apparently as a precautionary measure, after the re-opening of the Chamber of Secrets. ...	Azkaban is currently the only wizarding prison in Britain For example, Igor Karkaroff, a foreign-born Death Eater caught in the UK, did his time in Azkaban rather than Nurmengard.
Why couldn't the Voyager crew destroy the Caretaker's array with a delayed explosion? In the Star Trek: Voyager pilot, The Caretaker , the Voyager gets stuck in the Delta Quadrant because they had to destroy the Caretaker's array, which was their only way back home. The explanation was that if they use it to go home...	Voyager was also still damaged from its trip from the Alpha Quadrant to the Delta Quadrant, so either way you slice it, if they had waited, its very likely that they would have been surrounded before the program was ready.
Is Mental Illness Treatable By Magic? I was answering the question on why Harry Potter wears glasses and I got to thinking about how the healing of physical injuries is discussed and debated fairly regularly, but mental illness is never addressed. Harry, Moaning Myrtle (before she died, presuming her personality was ...	Magic can be used to temporarily treat some symptoms, such as through a Memory Charm or the Cheering Charm , but they only mask symptoms, rather than actually treat the underlying illness.
Do Ferengi eat humanoids as insinuated in Encounter at Farpoint? When leaving the administrator's office at Farpoint-station, Picard insinuates that the Ferengi "found their last associates tasty", indicating that they would eat other intelligent humanoids. Has this ever been picked up again? Was Picard simply bluffin...	In general the Ferengi are mostly consumers of small insects:
What comics share a universe with Invincible? In the letters page of a recent issue of Super Dinosaur, Robert Kirkman (or possible Sina Grace) stated the idea that Super Dinosaur is in it's own universe as much as The Walking Dead is (in reference to Invincible's universe). Because of the nature of Image's creator-own...	Invincible also appeared in the fourth issue of Jay Faerber's Noble Causes, and was seen at the funeral for Captain Dynamo, father of the characters in Faerber's Dynamo 5.
Are the planets in Firefly in just one star system or spread across the galaxy? In the intro to the show it says/suggests the planets to be in one star system. But in episode 9 (Ariel) the intro suggests that they are spread across the galaxy. The specific quote is: ...And terraformed a whole new Galaxy of Earths ...	As Travis pointed out on Wikipedia the system in Firefly/Serenity is actually a cluster of five stars and several brown dwarfs
Was Blaster in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome supposed to be the big farmhand in the original Mad Max movie? In the movie "Mad Max", there was a large farmhand character. In the "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" movie, Max fights a masked giant in the dome. I have always imagined it was the same character (big farmboy) from "Ma...	Blaster and the Biker Gang giant who is listed as Humungus in the script are very similar.
Why did Harry and co have to play a dangerous game of Wizard Chess in "Philosopher's Stone"? As one of the tests that the trio needed to pass to get to the room where Philosopher's Stone was kept, they needed to get across the room full of giant wizard chess. To do that, they needed to play the game, which the book d...	Given the nature of the magical universe, and the fact that chess pieces are passed down, and that those same pieces remember moves, they must repair themselves by magical means after each game. They probably wanted to injure, disarm, disable the intruder.
In The Empire Strikes Back, what is the significance of Luke seeing his own face in Vader's helmet? You know, in the bit where he's in the cave on Dagobah. I can't find the movie on my HDD at the moment, but I'm sure it's there! <Q> From the novel: He wondered if he were really fighting himself, or if he had fallen ...	The narcisstic sensation of his own magnificence in battle grows in him with the hatred, he is enjoying punishing a weaker creature (his enemy) why escpaing responsibility in the name of Good. So Luke's face in Vader's helmet symbolizes his succumbing to fear, and from there, to the Dark Side. Luke became the very enem...
In Harry Potter, Who is Merlin? In Harry Potter , who is Merlin and what is his role in wizarding history? His contribution to the wizarding history is apparently known from the fact that some special honors are named after him, such as the Order of Merlin (First Class, Second Class and so on...).Did he live around ...	Merlin is definitely a very renowned name in the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
Why didn't Picard continue to question the simulation during his experience in “The Inner Light?” It seems to me that as soon as he entered this world as "Kamin" he would try to do something about it. Even if the Kataans didn't know how to build a subspace transceiver, he likely would have known how to. This is due to ...	He was there simply to learn first hand what happened, who those people were and how they lived and how they died.
Identify book: controlling the weather as a weapon in silent global war I remember a book that was about a secret war being carried out by Russia against America (and with retaliation) that used weather as a weapon. One of the main characters was a weatherman that started to figure this out: there was no declared war, ...	There is a story in the Arthur C. Clarke book "Time Probe" Called the "Weather Man" by Theodore L. Thomas.
In "Star Trek" (2009), how did the Enterprise collide with debris while the shields were on? Re-watching the 2009 movie for the first time after answering this question about shield collisions , I noticed the following: Enterprise is about to drop out of warp in Vulcan space. Captain Pike: Raise shields, red alert...	The shields are designed to protect the hull of the starship, so a piece of another starship of the same design could possibly breach the shields, as the shields are designed to protect against energy weapons and foreign materials, Another Federation starship could pass through this, theoretically.
What happens to Fluffy, after the events of Philosopher's Stone? We know that Fluffy helped in protecting the Sorcerer's stone in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . Does anyone know what happened to Fluffy after that? <Q> In an interview in 2001, she gave an initial answer: <S> What happened to Fluffy? <S...	The most likely interpretation is that he was initially sent into the Forest, but Dumbledore later thought better of this idea (probably after Hagrid had stopped visiting Fluffy), and that was when he had him deported.
Did Darth Sidious cause Anakin's virgin birth? Qui-Gon theorized that Anakin was conceived by midi-chlorians after Shmi told him there was no father. Senator Palpatine tells Anakin that his former master, Darth Plagueis, learned how to influence midi-chlorians to create life. The thought just occurred to me: did Pal...	Anakin was to large a tool of the dark side for his Genesis to be controlled by anyone other than the dark side.
How did Cavil manage to sneak the Five into human society? Cavil must have gone to great lengths to introduce the Five into the human population. You can see some of the effort in The Plan, though that is more to save a Five already in the population. Although the Five are clearly introduced at different times in histo...	Since skin-jobs were not known in the colonies at the time, it would have been easy to make shady deals with people only suspecting typical criminal motives rather than a more sinister cylon plot.
How many elves were there in Middle Earth by the time of LOTR events? When answering " What are the main reasons the elves did not show up in force to defeat Sauron? " I tried to find some info but nothing was easily googlable. How many elves were there in Middle Earth by the time of LOTR events? <Q> There were a nu...	A substantial area, could hold anywhere between 1,000 and several tens of thousands of Elves. I'd imagine not more than a couple of hundred thousand, scattered across the world and mostly distancing themselves from it but probably less.
In Harry Potter, Why Owls? As we find out quite quickly, wizards in the Harry Potter world use owls for communication. Why owls? They can attract unwanted attention, such as: At the very beginning when even the muggles noticed: "bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving ver...	Because owls are traditionally associated with magic, and I like them.
Inspirations for "Little Nemo in Slumberland" and "Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend?" Winsor McCay , for those that don't know the name, was a comic strip author in the early twentieth century. While reading up on him, what I found in the Wikipedia is typical. It states all the many, many artists and writers he's influenced...	Edward Lear's popular "The Book of Nonsense" (1870), Gelett Burgess' "The Burgess Nonsense Book" (1901), Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (particularly the pool of tears scene, which seems related to the flood of sweat in one early Rarebit Fiend strip), and a variety of dream cartoons and illustration...
Does a terminator have a form of self-preservation or prohibition against suicide? This weekend I was watching Terminator 2 (editor cut). In the end, after T-1000 is destroyed, Arnold asks Sarah and John to destroy him by melting and says "I cannot destroy myself". So, what does this mean? The terminator cannot destro...	In the book version, the Terminator does indeed terminate itself.
Why was Ackbar given command of the Fleet? According to the whole host of Star Wars books out there Ackbar was a one-time slave of Grand Moff Tarkin, which is where he learned (or at least honed) his military strategy and theory. However, the Rebel Alliance had many others who had much more training. People like Gener...	It seems that he had much experience rallying troops and fighting against oppressive, overwhelming opposition, as well as inside knowledge of the Empire from his time as an Imperial slave.
Why didn't Spock die in The Search for Spock? In the movie The Search for Spock it is mentioned that Spock's rapid aging and the Genesis planet's turbulent nature are side effects of protomatter being used in the creation of the Genesis device. Considering the planet's end result (destruction) why didn't Spock's new ...	When Spock was moved a large distance from the concentration of protomatter on the planet, his runaway aging stopped.
How Human do you need to be in order to be allowed to use a wand? We see a few part-Humans allowed to use wands and magic. Hagrid (1/2 Human, 1/2 Giant) Olympe Maxime (1/2 Human, 1/2 Giant) Fleur Delacour (3/4 Human, 1/4 Veela) Prof. Flitwick (Goblin ancestor) And other part-Humans not allowed to use wands. C...	No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand.’
How is the lack of Suliban accounted for in the timeline after "Star Trek: Enterprise"? How is the lack of Suliban accounted for in the timeline after Star Trek: Enterprise ? I have to ask because it didn't make sense to me that a new species would be introduced in a prequel without an explanation as to why they are a...	The in-canon explanation is most likely that the Suliban were either destroyed in the Temporal Cold war, simply died out over time, or just became a minor galactic power.
Can wizards create "anonymous" spells? By an "anonymous" spell, I mean one that a wizard casts to do something, but is not really named or permanent in any way. All the spells we see in the books have an associated word that must be spoken (or thought, in the case of nonverbals), and most have a particular wand moveme...	Harry's wand sent some weird unknown unnamed spell at Voldemort during "Seven Harrys" escape in DH.
Why didn't they use the extra cannons on the Millennium Falcon? As was seen in Star Wars A New Hope the Millennium Falcon has dorsal and ventral laser cannons. During the Battle of Endor I can not recall ever seeing these weapons used, even though they probably would have been very helpful (such as when being chased ...	Also, as they headed into the Death Star there were X-wings running interference behind the Falcon , so they would have risked blasting their own ships. In A New Hope those guns had to be manned, by Han and Luke.
Why was Admiral "Dr." McCoy inspecting Enterprise-D? From McCoy Memory Alpha On stardate 41153.7, the 137-year old Admiral Leonard McCoy inspected the USS Enterprise-D during its first mission. He commented on the great significance of the ship's name to Lieutenant Commander Data, telling Data "You treat her like a ...	He's the man responsible for the whole of Starfleet's medical personnel, and as such, has the right to inspect, in person or by proxy, any and/or all medical staff and facilities in Starfleet. This kind of thing happens all the time in the real world. Short answer: "because he's an Admiral and wanted to". It's really n...
Could the One Ring be destroyed in any manner besides Mount Doom? Was there something more mystical about Mount Doom that meant another volcano wouldn't work and no matter how much energy was put into it, it would not be destroyed? A comment mentioned that not even Ancalagon the Black, the greatest dragon, could not h...	The Ring could be destroyed only by the Fires of Mount Doom, because that is the place it was made.
Do Vampire fangs act as straws? Typical vampire lore features an oral construction that includes a characteristic pair of fangs. Growing up I blithely assumed that these fangs were through what a vampire drank blood, similar to drawing blood with a needle. But lately I have begun to question this. Do vampires drink thr...	More frequently, though, the fangs are merely to break the skin to provide access to the blood, which is then drank through the mouth much as a human would drink.
Why does everyone in Firefly speak Chinese? In the television series "Firefly," it seems like every person on every planet speaks Chinese. Conversations often transition randomly between English and Chinese, and even the computer alerts are in both languages. Why? Is there an in-universe explanation for this? Wha...	Basically the culture of Firefly is a fusion of Chinese and American culture because those are the superpowers that "won".
Did Harry ever tell anyone else about Snape's memories? I guess Hermione and Ron had to know that Snape gave Harry his memories, as they were there. Did Harry (or any of them) tell anyone else that Snape gave him memories to watch (experience?)? And if so, did he tell anyone (even Ron or Hermione) what was in them, wha...	But, based on Harry's Character AND based on how he spoke of Snape to his son, later, I cannot imagine that he failed to 'clear the air' about Snape once it was no longer something that could cause harm.
Is the use of a lightsaber possible without a connection to the Force? This is a two part question, with the two parts being mirror images to each other. Is the ability to use the Force a requirement, for some reason, to using a lightsaber? And if so, why? And on the other side, on Hoth, when Luke is hanging in ice ...	If you count the games as a valid source, there is a "lightsaber throw" power which allows the player character to throw the lightsaber using the Force. Han Solo used Luke's quite well as a knife.. But the difficulties in wielding such an apparently unwieldy weapon requires sharp reflexes, strength, and dexterity. The ...
What was the joke that Geordi told Data in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"? Memory Alpha for ST:TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"? states: Apparently at some point during this mission, Geordi La Forge told Data a joke, which the humorless android did not "get" until years later, when he activated his emotion chip during the...	The joke is never actually said on screen.
What price did Sheridan pay in the future? In War Without an End (Season 3 ep. 16-17), Delenn says to John That (17 years into the future, at Londo's court) they achieved all that they set out to achieve ... but the price, the terrible price. What price was that? <Q> I would say that, rather than the price menti...	The price was... Dying at Z'ha'dum
Why didn't the Agents take over or displace the Policemen? In the beginning of The Matrix there's a scene where policemen (four?) go to arrest Trinity. At roughly the same time three Agents pull up outside the hotel on their way to apprehend her. Why didn't the Agents take over the policemen while they were still o...	One or two people in general disappearing won't create a pattern, but if a pattern of police disappearing under certain circumstances starts, that would create problems with the normal passive acceptance of the Matrix by humans, and even a small group having doubts can lead to a bigger problem. Because the policemen we...
Why is it silver that kills a werewolf? Aside from just the idea that it has to be "something" (maybe lead, steel, whatever), what is it about silver that makes it so special that it can kill a werewolf where other bullets or a stake to the heart can't? <Q> Under the old alchemical table of elements , silver came from...	On the surface it makes sense, however silver (Argentium) is only one of the metals to be associated with the moon, along with any grey or silvery ones like lead, mercury or quicksilver, or Selenium.
Did Data Have Emotions Without Knowing It? Starting with Encounter at Farpoint , at the very start of the series, when Riker first meets Data in the holodeck, Data, when asked if he considers himself superior to humans, says, "I am superior, Sir, in many ways, but I would give it all up to be human." He has a desire,...	With Data, the writers were saying "we are all emotional beings, as long as we have a desire for anything, regardless of how we present or emotions, we all have them. So, perhaps Data was programmed with very few emotions that he himself wouldn't consider part of the human emotional spectrum. The long term motivations ...
Why Couldn't Hagrid Have a Functional Wand? I'm wondering why Hagrid isn't allowed to carry a wand or do magic. We know that Hagrid carries a pink umbrella with the suspected remnants of his broken wand secreted inside ( CoS chapter 7), and that Hagrid does do magic here and there even though he's not supposed to ( S...	I believe Hagrid's wand was broken and he couldn't do magic not because he was expelled, but because it was thought he killed Myrtle.
What Kind of Magic Was Used to Create the Marauder's Map? When considering canon-based spells, potions, and quasi-sentient objects such as wands ¹, what type of magic was likely used to create the Marauder's Map? I was thinking Homenem Revelio might be involved, but I can't recall any other object in Potterverse that a...	According to J.K. Rowling on Pottermore, the following type of magic was used to create the Marauder's Map:
Can the Marauder's Map detect a person under Harry's Invisibility Cloak? The Marauder's Map was able to detect & display everyone in Hogwarts. I am just curious if it could detect inside Harry's Invisibility Cloak , which was used successfully against even death. As function of both magical objects are opposite, I c...	We learn in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child that not only can the cloak's user/s be seen on the map, they can even be seen when the person is in the room with the map itself !
Collection of youth short stories about aliens 1990-1994ish I am trying to remember the title/author/editor of a book I had as a kid. It was a collection of short stories about aliens. The cover had a one eyed green alien reaching through the bars of a cage. One of the stories was about two kids who discover ancient ...	There is a single story whose title contains “Fayetteville”: “ A Snapshot from Fayetteville ” by Mick Collins (1993).
What is it about the full moon that affects Werewolves? Just what is it about a full moon that affects a werewolf? Is it the light? Is it just that werewolves are on a 28-day cycle that always syncs with the Moon? If it were light, then just keeping a werewolf out of the light would prevent them from changing. Is t...	Some of the numerous lunar werewolf mechanics I have seen include: Only being able to transform under a full moon.
Was it necessary for Luke to face Vader in order to become a Jedi? In Return of the Jedi when Luke returns to Yoda, he makes the comment "So I am a Jedi." To this Yoda replies along the lines of, "You must first confront Vader. Only then a Jedi will you be." Was it truly necessary for Luke to face Vader, in order to be...	Given that Luke seemed to be the only person around with any Force training at all (besides the Sith), Yoda didn't have much choice, but that doesn't change the arbitrariness of what he was asking Luke to do to become a Jedi.
Is There Any Form of Reincarnation in Star Wars? It's well known that George Lucas took many of is ideas for the Jedi and the Force (among other things) from elements of Eastern religions. (I've seen pages, for example, that talk about how much of Star Wars meshes with Buddhist beliefs and other pages that say the sam...	There is the case of Palpatine possessing one of his clones stored on Byss in the Dark Empire series, although I wonder if that could be consider a possession more then a re-incarnation to psychical form.
Could ghosts in Harry Potter move on? In Harry Potter, we know ghosts became ghosts when they are too afraid of death to go on - I thought about it and I'm quite certain they all go to their own version of Harry's King's Cross and become ghosts when they return as Harry did. So can they return there? Once they've been...	Depending on the conditions of the person's soul, they may not be able to return, as Tom Riddle's heavily damaged soul is trapped in limbo for eternity and cannot become a ghost.
How Did Dumbledore Stay in Limbo? Most of this discussion involves events at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows so if you haven't read that book and don't want spoilers, then stop reading right now . Yes, now. It's not clear whether limbo is something everyone moves through in Harry Potter when they die...	I am not sure Dumbledore actually is in limbo: as he says himself, all of this is happening in Harry's head...
Why was Miranda chosen? This question may contain spoilers for Serenity: Why was Miranda used as the experimenting ground for the Pax? It seems sensible to put it way out of the inner planets, but why not do some smaller tests first? Is the history of Miranda expanded on anywhere? <Q> I don't think there's any canon a...	Due to the modern transportation a planet on the outer rim is your best bet for a relatively isolated society. What they were doing on Miranda would be easier to hide from thecitizens of the core.
Is Batman ever shown explicitly using the Scientific Method? Is there any example of Batman explicitly following the Scientific Method ? At the very least, on the level of "here's my (falsifiable) hypothesis, here's the test I'll run to confirm/deny it, here's me running the experiment, here's the result". If not, he...	Batman is not a scientist . Batman certainly engages in systematic activity to acquire knowledge and is an expert in several areas of science. I really doubt it, simply because real science doesn't make good drama.
80s Sci-Fi movie with a monster-astronaut I will admit that this is very little information to go on; however, in the early 80s I was watching HBO and caught the tail end of a rather odd sci-fi movie. I remember the "monster" being an astronaut (for some reason his suit was black/dark and rather sinister looking). It ...	I believe the movie you are looking for is called The Incredible Melting Man . It's got a guy stuck in an astronaut outfit who starts melting I believe because he flew to close to the sun or looked at Saturn's rings.
Does the Force Have Color That Can Be Seen? I researched this question on SE and Wookieepedia for a couple of hours before posting, to ensure it hasn't been asked before. I read up on the Force on Wookieepedia, as well as the Jedi and the Sith and Yoda and the ysalamir that can repel the Force, but I couldn't find a p...	The only place it can be seen is in the video games, just for gaming purposes (and it is generally a bright blue depending on what ability you are using). Well, the Force is usually colorless, it isn't Harry Potter magic.
What kind of man did Draco Malfoy become? I don't think there were enough clues in the books to answer this, but I also know that there have been hundreds of times when J. K. Rowling has given talks and interviews and talked about her characters, so maybe she's said something about this. Even though the Malfoys have b...	He's weak, fundamentally weak. There's a bit more information about Draco revealed in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child I imagine that Draco grew up to lead a modified version of his father’s existence ; independently wealthy, without any need to work, Draco inhabits Malfoy Manor with his wife and son.
In Quidditch could the Seeker play other positions? I don't recall it being mentioned in any of the books, but could the Seeker in Quidditch switch to being a Chaser if needed? I always thought it was odd that catching the Snitch would net your team 150 points but end the game no matter what. It seemed to me that t...	Seekers are the only players permitted to touch the Snitch.
Is There a Limit to Timelord “Bigger on the Inside” Technology? In a previous question about the side of the TARDIS interior no actual answer to the size of the interior of the TARDIS could be found. And at the Battle of Canary Wharf we see the Genesis Ark as what looks like at least several thousand Daleks emer...	No, there's never been a practical limit given, and the space is theoretically infinite.
Didn't Dr. Erskine keep notes? In the 2011 Captain America movie, the super soldier serum is developed by Dr. Abraham Erskine, who is killed shortly after it is successfully tested on Steve Rogers. With Dr. Erskine dead the United States military shuts down the super soldier program and puts Rogers on tour. But wh...	He had witnessed first hand what could happen if the wrong people got their hands on the serum, so he intentionally kept it secret to prevent there ever being another Red Skull.
A SciFi / Paranormal tv series from 10+ years ago I remember watching a SciFi/Paranormal thriller kind of tv-series with a man that had a special gift. I remember some vague details, like glowing spiders as one of the problems he needed to solve in an episode. Some more general memories: the main character always need...	He had to get regular injections to help him and if he went over the line from staying invisible too long, he had to get medical attention immediately. In this show the main character gets nanobots into his blood much like in The Invisible man by a lab accident/ holdup.
Which episode should I watch to know how the Time Lords died? The doctor has made several allusions to the fact he is the last of his kind. (example: The Beast Below ). He also states on several occasions (more specifically in The Doctor's Wife ) that he is the one who killed the other Time Lords. When did this ha...	Well since this was an old question it is best now to watch the 50th Anniversary episode called "The Day of The Doctor".
Is there room for vegans in the Harry Potter universe? Boomslang skin, leeches, bicorn horn... it seems that to make any decent potion, you're going to need to use some kind of animal product. Could a vegan or vegetarian get through Hogwarts, and otherwise fare well in the wizarding world? <Q> Yes. <S> You don't need ...	You also don't need to consume potions for daily wizarding life - the only time where you'd unavoidably have to consume them would be a life and death situation, in which case I'm sure most normal vegetarians would not have any issues with animal based potion used to save their life.
Is the robot Atom self aware? When they examine the robot in the morning (after the kid dragged it out of the mud) Bailey makes the comment that it is unlike anything she has ever seen before. (The next day she suddenly declares him to be a sparring robot). When Max is out playing with Atom he has the robot lift him ...	I think that when Max is lifted up by Atom he is projecting what he felt he could not say to his father and we are reading any response or movement from Atom as recognition. We don't know for sure, and it's intentional : Some people think they see him move, and some people don’t.
How far can a person Apparate? Is Apparation limited at all by distance? It seems to me that in the books no one Apparates further than length (or width) of the United Kingdom. Are there any instances where they travel further than that? If you knew the place could you Apparate to the other side of the planet, or to t...	So it appears the only limit is your skill, but in practical terms, you wouldn't even want to apparate across the ocean, much less to the moon. There's a limit to how far you can Apparate. In Book 7, Voldemort travels to Germany, to Nurmengard Prison, to see Grindelwald.
Can Ghosts Use Magic? In the magical world (in Harry Potter) can ghosts use magic? Can magic be used on ghosts? Or, once they become ghosts, can they interact with magic at all? <Q> Nearly Headless Nick was petrified by the Basilisk in Chamber of Secrets , thus interacted with magic. <A> Ghosts Cannot "Use Magic",...	While Nearly Headless Nick's encounter with the Basilisk, and his subsequent " un-petrification ", implies that magic can be used upon ghosts, there is no reason to believe that, conversely, ghosts can use magic.
Why Can't Parents Apparate With Their Students to Platform 9 3/4? With Platform 9 3/4 in King's Cross Station, it means all the magic people have to take the effort to dress as muggles (according to the International Statute of Secrecy) and somehow make it to King's Cross Station without revealing themselves (meaning t...	A family with one child and at least one fairly skilled parent could probably manage, but remember, most witches and wizards aren't skilled enough and have multiple children.
Who paid for Harry's Nimbus 2000? The Nimbus 2000 was the fastest broom at the time of the Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall wanted to win the Quidditch Cup so she spoke with Dumbledore and got an exception from the rule that no first-years could have a broom for Harry. My question is who paid for ...	There is something in the 3rd book that shows that the school didn't pay for the Nimbus. But, given how much McGonagall grumbled about losing the Quidditch Cup before, I think she arranged it, either on her own, or as part of the normal process of getting a 'Replacement' broom for a worn out one.
Who gets Muggle-born students onto Platform 9 3/4? Who gets Muggle-born students onto Platform 9 3/4 ? Their parents can't pass through the magical wall (I suppose). Harry only gets onto the platform by good fortune in his first year after bumping into the Weasleys. How do the rest of the Muggle-born students access t...	I would presume that since the Muggle born student obviously has enough magic to attend Hogwarts and to get through the barrier, his/her parents and siblings would have just enough magic in them from their ancestors to get through the barrier themselves.
Why Can Objects Fly and People (other than Dark Wizards) Can't? While looking into broomsticks and their use in Harry Potter, I found that there was no spell or charm that would make a human fly. Originally, once they found ways to make objects fly, they needed to use objects that they could have handy and keep in the...	If your Animagus form is flyable, you can fly. Wands and brooms (and flying cars) are tools that channel magic.
How did Ivanova escape the notice of the Psi Corps? During Season 2, we learn that Susan Ivanova is a [weak] latent telepath. Given the highly systematic scanning seemingly carried out by the Corp and Earth Force's own strong regulations against telepaths in normal service, how did Ivanova manage to have a successful c...	Her mother taught her how to fool the detection tests Ivanova further avoids use of her own abilities - she avoids any effort to use it.
Would a sensory impaired person become a sensory impaired zombie in The Walking Dead? In The Walking Dead universe, would a sensory impaired person become a sensory impaired zombie, or would their dead/damaged nerves become as functional as a "healthy" zombie's nervous system? <Q> Zombies in <S> The Walking Dead b...	According to Robert Kirkman, yes, if a person who is deaf or blind becomes a zombie, they will remain deaf or blind; in the comics, where Kirkman has creative control over the material, this is how it works.
Why didn't Lily apparate away with Harry? When Voldemort came to kill the Potter family James and Lily realize he is there with a little bit of time to spare. James provides a momentary buffer and Lily is in the room with Harry. Why did she not grab Harry and apparate away from Voldemort? <Q> You can not easily (if a...	The main reason for her not to simply apparate away, however, might have been that, like someone above state, Voldemort was too quick. I'm going to say it's because she didn't have her wand. But regardless of all that, I keep coming back to the fact that Lily was a Gryffindor and would have never bowed to death.
YA book about sister being alien, discovering telekinetic powers in a car accident I think there was a girl who discovered some telekinetic powers in some kind of car accident. An old neighbor lady turned out to be her helper or guardian and told her she was an alien. The girl's brother (maybe twin) is disappointed he...	This sounds a lot like Gilead , one of the stories in Zenna Henderson's "People" series about human-like aliens who crash on Earth and have to fit in with normal folk as best they can. The brother does have telekinetic powers, but he is disappointed when he thinks they will be rejected due to their half-blood status.
How does the Hogwarts Headmaster know whom to invite to school? So all wizards get an invitation to Hogwarts at 11... How do they know whom to invite? If a wizard is Muggle-born, then nobody would know about their existence. Or do they register some weird magical stuff being done by them before 11? <Q> As per JKR, th...	In Hogwarts there's a magical quill which detects the birth of a magical child, and writes his or her name down in a large parchment book. Every year Professor McGonagall checks the book, and sends owls to the people who are turning 11.
Why did the Emperor order the destruction of the Moon of Endor if the Death Star shield was down? From the Battle of Endor Wiki: Moff Jerjerrod, remembering his orders from the Emperor to destroy the moon if the shield was brought down, began to rotate the Death Star toward Endor. Why was that order given ? What ...	This order plays out to the final scene of Jerjerrod's character in the book, as evidenced in Wookieepedia; while the shield is down and the fighters are in the superstructure, Jerjerrod is ordering the last remaining petty officers who haven't run for a shuttle bay to speed up rotation, so he can carry out his order b...
Identify a trilogy about Earth and its colonies in a civil war I'm trying to find this book trilogy. It is set in the future when earth and its colonies are engaged in a civil war. It deals with battles and strategies of the war, but also the politics involved with other species who align with opposing sides or medd...	This sounds like Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth universe, which incidentally had a "Midworld" book (which some claimed was inspiration for James Cameron's Avatar ).
After the end of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, are the people doing well? In Close Encounters of The Third Kind, what happens with the people that leave the earth with the spaceship in the ending? Are they staying there with the extraterrestrials and living happily? <Q> To date, Close Encounters of the Third Kind...	Close Encounters ends with the selected humans voluntarily joining the aliens on their ship because they believe they are friendly, and are not shown as malevolent in any of the scenes of the movie.
How powerful was Darth Maul? Beside from his slaying of Qui-Gon and his subsequent death at the hands of the young Obi-Wan, I don't know many things about Darth Maul. I read somewhere that Dooku was considering him merely a beast, but I suspect his opinion of being distorted, as discounting his predecessor is a way fo...	Maul is also pretty good with light-saber combat, exemplified by the fact that Savage Opress was able to beat Adi-Galia in combat, and Savage was just a guy with brute force; Maul was able to beat Savage in the beginning parts of that episode specifically.
Is it or is it not possible to just fly into the Nexus from the movie Star Trek - Generations This was not made specifically clear in the movie, or maybe I missed something. Data remarked later in the film, that flying into the nexus causes ships to be damaged or destroyed when flying near the Nexus energy ribbon, thi...	So yes - ships would be damaged or destroyed, but the people make it through, because the Nexus doesn't exist in the same time/space as the damaged ship.
Why did Qui-gon and Obi-wan retreat from the Destroyer droids? At the start of The Phantom Menace Qui-gon is interrupted while cutting his way on to the bridge when two Destroyer droids engage him and Obi-wan. While these droids do have shield generators, making deflected blaster shots relatively ineffective, these dro...	They could not continue to cut through the blast door and fight the destroyer droids at the same time, so that is why they evetually decided to flee. Sometimes it's just good tactics to withdraw. They have to get to them and cut them down before they unfold and deploy their shields.
Why couldn't Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost warn Yoda when Anakin killed the Tusken Raiders? In the prequels, Anakin Skywalker's turn to the dark side starts with his revenge killing of the Tusken Raiders. Qui-Gon's voice can be heard addressing Anakin, crying "Anakin, noooo!" If he had that ability, why couldn't he warn Y...	One could assume that Yoda did not hear Qui-Gon's voice before this event in Episode 2, but Qui-Gon had already been dead for almost ten years. He might have appeared to Anakin and convinced him that what he did was wrong and that he should tell Yoda or Obi-Wan. That's not the way it works.
What were Obi Wan and Qui Gon doing on the Trade Federation flagship? I noticed that the filmmakers didn't actually establish why two Jedi were sent to talk with the Trade Federation. <Q> This is explained on the opening crawl : <S> EPISODE 1 <S> THE PHANTOM MENACE <S> Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republi...	Basically, they were doing what Jedi ALWAYS did - serving as diplomats and conflict resolution negotiators. They were acting in their official capacity as Ambassadors for Supreme Chancellor Valorum (from the TPM script): The reason they were sent to talk was because the blockade of Naboo was basically a small move in a...
How did Padme's decoy from The Phantom Menace know what to say all of the time? Queen Amidala's stand-in for the majority of the film is constantly negotiating with senators, Trade Federation leaders, and even Jedi. How did she know what Padme's wishes were, and how did she know what to say in order to avoid a more cos...	When in this role, Sabé and Padmé secretly communicate with subtle signals as to not divulge their true identities. Sabé was, as DVK said, a close friend of Amidala's and highly trained. She also has a noticable pause before she responds to questions or statements that she wouldn't encounter in the normal course of her...
Why was Padmé made to clean an astromech? Reading the answer to a question about Sabé (the Amidala stand-in) I remembered that I always wondered why she ordered the actual queen to scrub R2-D2. There were enough actual servants who could have done it, so why Padmé? If that wasn't enough, after giving the actual queen...	Now that I am Padmé, the Queen can command me to perform tasks. It underscores the subterfuge - if the "queen" were deferential and reluctant to use a particular handmaiden as a servant, that would raise suspicions. Perhaps Padmé wanted to clean the droid--both to learn more about the people she was traveling with, and...

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