Split (1)

train · 95.7k rows

source stringlengths 620 29.3k	target stringlengths 12 1.24k
How did Iroh deliver the "Secret History" message to Zuko while imprisoned? During Zuko's days back to the Fire Nation's capital city (and Iroh's imprisonment), Zuko finds a scroll telling him the location of a "Secret History" about his great grandfather's demise. Eventually we find out that it was Iroh the one who se...	More than likely, he just had someone deliver the note to him.
What is the relation between The Walking Dead stories in different media? The Walking Dead -title comes up in different media. There are the comics starting from 2003, the TV-series starting from 2010 and the computer game series starting from 2012. All of these are very much acclaimed. So since I like the theme...	The TV series is an adaptation of the comics, though the story has diverged considerably in places, the core narrative is essentially the same.
How did the Death Star manage the debris after blowing up a planet? According to Wookieepedia , the Death Star 1's diameter is 160 km, while Alderaan's is 12,000 km. After shooting Alderaan one can assume there should be large and very fast chunks of the planet flying towards the Death Star. To put these dimensions in...	Most of the explosive energy was converted into hyperspace and into light - less was left to impart enough kinetic energy to those chunks to accelerate far. In other words, There was no mass of debris for Death Star to worry about avoiding. Instead of a mass of planets, what was left was light and some chunks (as can b...
Looking for a TV show about young people at a boarding school? My sister and I both remember a live-action television show that aired in the US sometime around 2003. It consisted of 3-5 preteens or teenagers at a boarding school. My sister thinks they were in Britain, but I don't agree. What we do agree on was a sup...	It sounds like H2O - Just add water which aired in Australia There are only around three guys in that show and one is rich and another is kind of nerdy.
Why is Chekov in engineering in Star Trek into Darkness? I don't ever remember Chekov in the original series ever have anything to do with engineering. Is there an in-universe reason for him being there? <Q> Chekov wasn't in the first series (of the original series) when the Enterprise encountered Khan and, so Khan sh...	In short, it's one of those nods to fans of the original Trek that appear in the reboot (like comments about Admiral Archer's prize beagles).
What is the first instance of advanced races becoming beings of light in scifi and fantasy? In the Malloreon of David Eddings, Star Trek, and the game Loom, among many others, there are races of beings who are shown as being highly advanced, who have the goal of becoming beings made of pure light (although in Loom, som...	Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson features accounts of human beings becoming beings of pure energy through a process called "transcendental illumination", which is usually triggered by the deaths of hundreds or thousands of human beings. Stories of people turning into angels, demons, ghosts, gods, or other...
Why have Tony Stark killed? In the first Iron Man movie, what was Obadiah Stane's motivation for having Tony Stark killed? Stane already had control of the board. Plus, it seems like Tony didn't really have a good grasp on all the ins and outs of what the company was doing. Was it just blind ambition and a lust...	The implications are that Stane was tired of Tony and wanted full control of the company, as evidenced when he gets the board to start pushing Stark out when Tony gets back from captivity and his constant reminding of Tony that he was the one that kept the company from falling apart after Howard Stark died. In the even...
Why doesn't Bran have a wheelchair? Why would Bran Stark not have a wheelchair? Doran Martell uses one due to his gout, so one would think that a comparable 'technology' would exist in the North. Do we have a sense of whether the terrain in Dorne is just much more wheelchair friendly? <Q> Wheelchairs are impractical if...	Also, consider that he could have used the wheelchair while he was in Winterfell, but when he got on the road with Hodor and co, and went north of the Wall, where roads aren't so good as they are south of it, it would be really hard to push the wheelchair around. Gout is a gradually worsening condition, so there was ti...
In comics, how many people have been killed by Superman? The recent Man of Steel film there sparked some controversy with the diehards fans of Superman because of one of the last scenes of the film where Superman has to kill Zod after realizing he will not stop in his revenge. (I assume also that the fight against...	The comic canon character of Superman does his absolute best to avoid killing other sentient life forms.
How can The Doctor be the "last" of the Time Lords? The Doctor is happy to remind the viewers time and time again that he is "the last of the Time Lords." And we know that The Doctor was, in some way, responsible for the "death" (or entrapment?) of the rest of the Time Lords (see here for example). But my question ...	He is the last of the Time Lords not necessarily in the chronological sense of being the final Time Lord in a long line of them, but in the sense of being the only remaining Time Lord out of a previously large number of them.
How did George R. R. Martin come up with the names of his characters? I know initially it seems like only George R. R. Martin or a magician can answer my question. What am I asking actually is, are the names and surnames used in the books real? Are "Theon" and "Tywin" real names that people use in some country? Are th...	He wants his names to be meaningful He has tried many methods of name creation Including those funny online name generators Baby name books
How many people can the TARDIS transport? The interior of a TARDIS is much larger than its exterior, but how many occupants can it transport? <Q> The exact size of the TARDIS is inconsistent throughout the show. <S> At various times it’s been infinite or not, and the exact contents of the interior are also inconsistent...	The limitations on TARDIS size are more by volume than by occupancy, but there’s no canonical answer.
Why does Joffrey Baratheon wear both house sigils? When Joffrey becomes king, he seems to give equal weight to both the Lannister and Baratheon sigils. Why is this? Robb Stark doesn't consider himself a Tully. It's almost as if Joffrey himself knows he's not a Baratheon. <Q> Joffrey considers himself a Lannister, <S...	The reason why is because Joffrey is of House Baratheon of King's Landing. While there may be deeper symbolism behind it, I expect the fact that is traditional heraldic practice to be the main cause. Also express the claim the rightful rule on the Lannister house, unlike his father who had nothing to do with Lannister ...
Does Harry Dresden 'Level Up' After Each Book? I spun this out as an offhand comment on this question but it made me think about it. When we first meet Harry in Storm Front his powers are quite weak for a wizard and as the series progresses he gradually but consistently improves, mostly between books but sometimes w...	Yes, Harry gains in knowledge and power in between most of the books.
Why did the silver hand turn against Wormtail? Obvious spoilers for Deathly Hallows.. Excerpt from Slytherincess' answer to Why was Wormtail made a servant ? Voldemort enchanted the silver hand to kill Wormtail if Wormtail showed the weakness of mercy. Is there any source for this ? At one point, Dumbledore tells...	It was enchanted to kill Wormtail, should he show even a split second of mercy.
Are the pod-born humans of The Matrix universe sterile? I recently re-watched the movies. Afterward, I sat and mused on various aspects that I had come across. Things I had been unware of the first few times. One of these things was whether the "grown" humans in the series retained the ability to have children; the an...	The other evidence point supporting non-sterilization of grown humans is that the Architect specified that new populations of Zion were seeded by grown humans from the Matrix.
Why does Gaius Baltar lie about the results of his Cylon detector? When Baltar runs the Cylon detector on Boomer when the detector indicates that they are a Cylon he lies about it for fear of that characters reaction to the news. I cannot understand what his motivation is when he lies to Ellen Tigh When he g...	He figured that, by lying, the Cylons would assume his test was a failure, and do nothing to the crew.
When and why was impulse drive invented? In Star Trek, when was impulse drive developed? There seems to be an inconsistency. Zephram Cochrane first deployed Warp drive in 2061 with the assistance of chemical rockets, as detailed in Star Trek: First Contact. Is there any mention of Impulse drive prior to 2061? In Where...	I would call ion drives the first "impulse" drive. Zethram Cochrane may well have invented and tested the first human Warp Drive (with a little help from the crew of the Enterprise-D) but he certainly didn't invent the Impulse Drive .
Why doesn't Lupin summon a patronus on the train? In the third film ( Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ), when the Dementor enters the train carriage, Prof. Lupin casts the silent spell which is obviously Expecto Patronum. However, he only manages to conjure the whispy shield, rather than a fully formed (corpor...	In some cases a witch or wizard may choose to produce an incorporeal Patronus deliberately, if he or she wishes to disguise the form it generally takes (Remus Lupin, for instance, is afraid that his corporeal Patronus gives too much away).
From where did Cochrane get funding for Warp drive invention? As I have seen in Star Trek: The First Contact , the project didn't look like a government project. Such projects require a huge amount of money beyond the reach of any personal funding (even if we consider Cochrane rich, which didn't appear to be the case)...	At the sake of being chastised, the only explanation that makes sense is that Cochrane may have stolen or otherwise illicitly acquired the necessary materials; he didn't actually pay for anything.
Where did John Carter (2012) find drinking water on Mars? In the movie John Carter did he ever drink water? Humans needed it to survive and I thought there was no water on Mars. <Q> The fictionalized world of Mars as envisioned by Edgar Rice Burroughs was called Barsoom . <S> It is not Mars as we know it, but a more ...	Where there is plantlife that needs water, there are stores of water. It is not quite correct to say that there is no water on Mars: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_on_Mars
How can the holodeck in Star Trek: Generations exist around an exit? In Star Trek: Generations when the crew are in the holodeck for Worf's promotion ceremony at the start, Captain Picard gives a command for the exit to appear. The exit appears in the middle of the holodeck, and he then walks out and leaves. The exit ...	So, the only conclusion you can reach is that the holodeck is probably constantly moving people around with tractor beams to keep up the illusion.
Valar Morghulis, Arya Stark and Daario Naharis - Connection? Arya Stark was given a coin and taught the phrase "valar morghulis" . In the TV-series season 2, after she kills a man, she takes back the coin she was given and says those words. Daario Naharis, who was introduced in season 3, says the same words when he r...	Daario Naharis is a Tyroshi sellsword who in S3 is a lieutenant of the Second Sons. Valar Morghulis is a phrase in High Valyrian that is commonly used in the Free Cities , which means "All men must die". Arya Stark is told these words and given an Iron coin by Jaqen H'ghar. So it's not surprising to see it used by both...
What is an ultradrive spine? I've read the whole of A Fire Upon the Deep and I still can't figure out what an ultradrive spine is? Is it an engine or something else? <Q> In A Fire Upon the Deep Vinge has a tendancy to throw ideas around with very little discussion. <S> Personally I love this style of writing because ...	The spines are merely an element of the jump propulsion system of the Ultradrive.
Does the Doctor lie about his age? At the beginning of Season 6, Amy, Rory, and River receive invitations to meet the doctor by a lake, where the Doctor tells them he is 1108 years old, 200 years older than the last time he had seen Amy and Rory. Then at the end of Season 6, we see the doctor send the invitations. We...	The Doctor’s reported age is very inconsistent, something which is well documented elsewhere on this site:
Is there a "mathematics fiction" genre? The science fiction genre has been and is still an area in which visionary authors can express their ideas about new sciences. Many successful academic research were influenced by works of science fiction (see here ). Is there an equivalent for mathematics ? As a mathematician...	I don't think it exists in the form you describe - mathematics that is new in the academic sense is invariably extremely abstract and complex, which is almost impossible to write stories about, except in the style of A Beautiful Mind , i.e. human drama that involves mathematicians, but glosses over the actual math.
Was there any kind of meaningful communication between humans and Tyranids in Warhammer 40k? Although Orks, Chaos marines, etc. are always hostile to humans, they can be talked with, even if not reasoned with. Very rarely, even a (very short-lived) truce can be made with them. However, was there any example in canon ...	The genestealer cults which are set up before the Tyranid invasion arrives involve human-appearing hybrids infiltrating the society on the planet they are on. It is unlikely the Tyrannids will ever ally with any local galactic race since every organic race feeds their war machine.
Does the female soldier with Kyle Reese in the first Terminator's Future war sequence have a name? Here is the sequence that is being referenced: She is the soldier with Kyle Reese. She is also not listed on IMDB <Q> Yes and no. <S> In James Cameron's script she's only described: - <S> Reese looks over his shoul...	However the novelisation by Randall Frakes & Bill Wisher names her as "Corporal Ferro" (on page 68.)
How do Kryptonians know Earth languages? In Man of Steel , when General Zod & company arrived to Earth, they broadcast a message in many Earth languages. We've also seen them speaking English. How do they know Earth languages? <Q> The Kryptonians have had space travel and advanced technologies for 100,000 years. <S> ...	They have ridiculously advanced technology, so they could have just listened in on our broadcasts for a little while and figured out the languages that way.
Alice's connection with her clones in the simulations In Resident Evil: Retribution , there is a scene where Alice wakes up to find that she is a housewife with a husband and daughter, a daughter who happens to be deaf and uses sign language to communicate The scene progresses innocently enough but soon degenerates i...	She doesn't know sign language; she just uses some gestures that she believes will be universally understood for simple phrases along the lines of "Are you okay" and "Stay here".
Is Bran able to have children after his fall? The thing that made me ask this question was that most of Stark family are dead and Bran is now the "heir" to Winterfell. So I guess he should have children to succeed him, otherwise the Stark line will end. (I'm assuming Arya will not come back to Westeros and Rickon's fat...	Considering that the Game of Thrones is in a time where there is very limited medical advancement, there is a big possibility (medically speaking) that he will not be able to have kids. However, there could be some magical potion or spell that could allow this, but that is speculation. I just came across this question ...
What did General Zod want from Lois Lane? In Man of Steel , General Zod ordered to bring Lois Lane along with Superman on-board his ship. Why? <Q> Zod still thought that the "codex" was out there somewhere, and so it stands to reason that he brought Lois in case extreme measures were needed to force Kal-El to reveal i...	He was hoping that by "getting into her head", he would find a clue of it's location.
Are droids hackable in the Star Wars universe? Are droids hackable in the Star Wars universe? For example, theoretically, could an Imperial hacker hack into C3P0's memory (let's say whilethe poor robot is in pieces in the Cloud City, before Chewie findsand rebuilds "him")? Could said hacker read and possibly alter...	R2D2 was hacked remotely by a Force user ( Irek Ismaren ) as depicted in Children of the Jedi - who was able to interact with technology by the means of Subelectronic converter , to make R2D2 try and kill Solo family.
Searching for title of fantasy novel including harpies I read a children's fantasy book in the 80's that had illustrations. It was about a boy and possibly a girl in a magical forest. There were harpies that menaced them. Does anyone know what book that was? <Q> 80's, boy, girl, forest, menacing harpies. <S> Not much t...	Sounds like it might be Tamora Pierce's The Immortals series.
What is the Romulan commander's name? In TOS: The Enterprise Incident , the female Romulan commander whispers her name into Spock's ear. COMMANDER: Yes. Yes, it will, Mister Spock. You do know I have a first name . SPOCK: I was beginning to wonder. COMMANDER: Well, I do. Would you like to hear it? (She...	As I reember, there was a fan parody of the episode in Trek magazine and the Best of Trek books, where the Romulan Commander said her name was "Trampolina". The Romulan Commander's name is never spoken out loud.
Short story with teleportation from Mars (or another planet) to Earth Short story, definitely no later than the 1980s, but probably much earlier, in which there’s a chap on Mars (I think — could be the moon or another planet) in a base or ship (can’t recall which) that’s failing. He steps in the teleport and walks out ...	"Think like a Dinosaur" by James Patrick Kelly has that kind of teleportation device, but the plot is entirely different. The man in the tube realizes that the error is that they don't know if the duplicate him arrived properly, so they don't want to push the button that destroys him until they have confirmation. I rea...
How do the Zones work? Does Mr. Vinge ever mention how the Zones work in his Zones of Thought series? I know that the book mentions that they may or may not have been created by a higher power, and that they are shrinking and may exist in other galaxies, but how do they work? <Q> Based on my shaky recall of all 3 boo...	He mentions that the Zones correspond to galactic mean density, so that their nature - the ability of each individual Zone to allow or sustain a certain level of intelligence or technology - may be correlated to the amount of relative mass there.
Use of Spherical portals in fiction In the vast majority of science fiction and fantasy that uses portals, the portals are a kind of two dimensional object or a long tunnel. Often, if a portal is a free standing door, those on the 'wrong side' of the portal can't even see it. I study 3-manifold theory in mathematics, ...	The Necroscope series of books utilises spherical portals as a gateway between our world and the homeworld of a vampiric alien species called Wamphyri.
Name of a children's(?) novel involving a battle in space being affected by the writing of an author on Earth? There's two factions battling it out in space, and the "good guys" rock up on Earth to seek the author who is changing their fate with his writing. If I recall correctly, the original author might have even di...	Only You Can Save Mankind from his friend Wobbler.
How did they clone other breeds of dinosaur other than the one in the blood of the mosquito? From the mosquitoes, they extracted the preserved remains of blood. From the blood, they extracted the dinosaur DNA, any gaps in the DNA sequence were filled in with frog DNA. But surely the mosquito only had the blood of one d...	Much more likely is that there were many mosquitoes, each having fed on a particular dinosaur and thus containing the DNA of 1 dinosaur species.
What rules of poker are played on the Enterprise? What rules of poker are played on the Enterprise? It's not Texas hold em. <Q> In "All Good Things" Picard deals and says: " <S> So. <S> Five card stud , nothing wild. <S> The sky's the limit." <S> In "The Measure of a Man" they also play poker. <S> Riker says: ...	The Poker Games on Enterprise-D were, as far as I recall, Dealer's Choice and almost always a Stud/Draw variant and, more often than not, without bet limitation.
When did Batman become a vampire? I remember a long time ago (in the 80's), my Batman comics took a cool turn... he turned into a vampire. This story ran for a while, but I can't find any info on it. I see there were a few other books, but those aren't what I'm looking for. Could someone point me in the right direct...	The comic run you may be referring to is "The 'I' of the Beholder" - Detective Comics #511-515 (1982).
Why couldn't Palpatine sense Luke on Endor? I don't understand how Palpatine couldn't sense Luke's presence on Endor when Vader could. Granted, Vader was Luke's father and had more of a bond, but why not Palpatine? <Q> Three points: <S> Darth Vader : <S> My son is with them. <S> The Emperor : Are you sure? <S> D...	This practice leaves Vader unsure of just what Palpatine is and isn't aware of. Answer : The Emperor did sense Luke. The Emperor himself theorizes that it was due to their familial connection/paternal emotions:
What exactly was the nature of the relationship between Jabba the Hutt and Princess Leia? Jabba the Hutt did a couple of things to Princess Leia, that seem rather unusual for the giant worm-like creature that he is, namely: Make her wear a metal bikini. Kiss her Given these two things, what was the full nature of ...	Jabba, though a depraved pervert amongst depraved perverts, could not physically have sex with a human due to biological constraints and physical limitations. As for why he kept her in a bikini - perhaps he wanted to humiliate her (most likely), or he may have had her there for his viewing pleasure.
Why is Nostromo's technology so... 1980s? " Prometheus " is meant to be a prequel to " Alien ", happening 30 years before ( src ). If that's the case, how come one of the very earliest spaceships, Prometheus from 2089, has a spiffy new technology , while Nostromo has antique text based CRTs, mechanical IBM style key...	Concerning the Nostromo, it was a mining vessel designed to drill for & extract petroleum-like products to transport back to Earth.
How did Data's cat "Spot" change colors/breed/gender mid-series? After seeing a question regarding the acquisition of Data's cat Spot, the point was brought up that Data's cat changed colors midway through the series. My question is, how? I have thought up two possibilities (see below to my own answer) but I'm wond...	Spot's appearance was changed into an orange tabby cat beginning with the sixth season when Rob Bloch from Critters of the Cinema took over the animal casting and training.
Did Jor-El have intentions for Kal-El to recreate Krypton? SPOILERS: Jor-El puts Krypton's DNA codex into Kal-el 's DNA. Jor-El seems totally against the idea of artificial birth from the get go of the movie. Kal-El fights with General Zod for the codex.Kal-El destroys the genesis birthing chamber Hence my question...	With this as the premise, Jor-El steals the Codex, the DNA matrix of every Kryptonian trait and potential seed to repopulate the species if a birthing matrix can be found. Despite his dislike of the genetic technology used by the Kryptonians, even he could see in this instance, it could have a place in saving their spe...
Cyberpunk/Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi series from the 90s or 00s based in Manhattan A friend and I are trying to find an old book series, probably by a Christian author, that we read in the late 90s or early 2000s. It takes place after the "Water Wars," and fresh water is super scarce. Manhattan has been turned into a gia...	Actually the Cyber Generation series is a collaboration from a number of authors, of which Ed wrote only a couple.
What Sci-Fi book (1987 or older) had Aliens conquer earth and made Humans their slaves? I have been trying to recall the title of a book I read about 25 years ago (1987), I have tried to find it again a couple of times over the years without any luck. The story takes place on earth, which has been invaded and conque...	Earth has been dominated for 1,000 years by an alien invader—and man is an endangered species.
Why is there such a theme of a superheros’ friends becoming their enemy/frenemy? For example, in Spider-Man (at least the film from 2002), Peter Parker is friends with Green Goblin (or his son?), and in X-Men, Wolverine's "brother" becomes Sabretooth. Why this is so popular? <Q> This isn't specific to comics. <S> TV T...	These characters are always so much more fascinating on a really deep level, because they are a good way of exploring how everyone is a mixture of positive and negative qualities. It's an age old literary archetype, and can be found in pretty much every kind of story telling medium that you can think of.
Movie about a stopwatch that can actually stop time What is the movie or tv show about a man who has a stopwatch enables him to stop time..airplanes, people, etc? Eventually, he breaks the watch and cannot fix it? <Q> Sounds like the Twilight Zone <S> episode <S> Patrick McNulty is a self-important bore in his 40s...	"A Kind of a Stopwatch" . " The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything " starring Robert Hays and Pam Dawber (of Mork & Mindy fame).
Does the Turbolift on the bridge of Star Trek TNG Galaxy class vessels provide shipwide service, or are there additional Turbolifts? Can you access the entire ship via the Turbolift that services the bridge? Is it a single system, or do you have to switch lifts somewhere along your journey? <Q> The turbolift system on ...	The turbolifts go both Vertically and Horizontally thru the ship.
Post apocalyptic world, with apocalypse being the singularity I was talking with someone a while back about sci-fi and they mentioned a story in a post-apocalyptic setting, only instead of the apocalypse being zombies or robot-overlords or nuclear war or alien invasion or disease or global-warming or world-government-f...	He may have been referring to Singularity's Ring , a novel with the same basic plot outline with regards to the Singularity.
Are battle bridges on any other ship besides the Enterprise? Battle Bridges are a seldom-seen component of the Enterprise, basically serving as a backup bridge in case the saucer and secondary hull are separated. From my experience, it is the only ship I've seen that has this. Do any other starships have battle bridge...	Defiant-class starships also contain an Auxiliary Control section.
Theoretically, would Harry have been able to control the basilisk, since part of the true heir of Slytherin survived inside him? I've always been frustrated with this idea. As the storyline between Voldemort and Harry unfolded in the seventh book, we learned of the deep connection between the two. Since part of Voldemo...	I would assume that the Basilisk would still recognize Harry as Slytherin's heir, but as Tom had commanded it before when he killed Myrtle and then again through the diary the Basilisk saw Tom as his rightful " master " (for want of a better word).
What kind of beings are shown by the Marauder's Map? The map definitely shows people (humans) inside the castle But I remember reading Harry watching Peeves bouncing around in the trophy room and Peeves is not human And I don't remember if I had exactly read it or not, but THIS PAGE says that it shows the ghosts as w...	The Marauder's map showed humans (obviously), Peeves and the other ghosts, and transformed animagi, as well as Mrs. Norris and Crookshanks, but not insects or vermin (other than Pettigrew, of course; if it did show animals to that level, the map would be a complete mess and unreadable).
Why aren’t Hinkypunks and Kappas in Care of Magical Creatures? What are the conditions for certain animals/beasts/creatures being included in Care of Magical Creatures classes? We see most of the animals in C.o.M.C seem docile and unlikely to attack humans or other animals, but why do Hinkypunks and Kappas fall under D...	The primary difference seems to be between those creatures that are at least tolerant of humans if not outright domesticable (such as nifflers, unicorns, hippogriffs, etc), and that have innocent useful purposes, compared to those that are non-domesticable and attack on sight, particularly those that are semi-sentient ...
What Happened to U.S. Robots? In Asimov's chronologically earlier stories, like the ones in "I, Robot", the corporation 'U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men' was featured prominently. Yet in his chronologically later stories there's no mention of them. Does Asimov give any indication of what happened to them? Were they abs...	At the end of the story, we see that US Robotics is no longer in the business of making multi-function humanoid robots.
What is the origin of Stoker's idea that vampires' reflections cannot be seen? It's a common thread throughout the vampire genre. According to Bram Stoker, you cannot see a vampire's reflection. Where did Stoker get the idea that a vampire's reflection cannot be seen? <Q> It is said that when you are looking into a mir...	Being that Vampires and Werewolves are "corrupt/impure" and Mirrors were made of silver and were sources of purification, a corrupted soul would not reflect.
Why didn't Sirius Black run? I have reread Prisoner of Azkaban several times now and I can still not understand why Sirius would not make an effort to hide or escape or even go looking for Wormtail if he was innocent? is there any canon based answers to this? Knowing what awaited him in Azkaban surely he would have ...	Sirius had just found out that his best friend had been murdered by being betrayed by someone he trusted completely he would also have know that if he had been secret keeper as originally planned they may well have st ill been alive. Sirius accepted his prison sentence with the satisfaction that he killed Pettigrew, an...
Could the Marauder's map show two sets of Harry and Hermione? Prof. Lupin explains to Harry in the Shrieking Shack that he was looking at the map when they went to meet Hagrid before the execution of Buckbeak. Three people went in, but four came out. Why didn't he see Pettigrew's dot (as Scabbers) inside Hagrid's cabin...	I think the map would show two sets of Harry/Hemione, because in the Harry Potter universe, time travel means that you end up having two versions of yourself at the same time. Surely Hagrids hut would be on the Marauder's Map.
What is Batman's height? And Superman's? I couldn't find a definitive reference about that. In the comics they seem to have about the same height. Anyone knows? <Q> Batman is 6'2" and Superman is 6'3" according to dc.wikia.com . <A> " 235lbs ripped in the comics <S> They're pretty much bodybuilders <A> I remember r...	Batman is 6'2" probably around 230lbs ripped in the comicsSuperman is 6'3
Can someone become artificially Force-sensitive? Can someone become artificially Force-sensitive? I'm a film student working on a script on a Star Wars film as a personal project. Without giving too much away, one of the main key parts of the story involves two siblings, the older one was Force-sensitive while the o...	The closest thing I could gather is an incident where low-level force-sensitives were artificially infused with the force to become more powerful. Yes, it's possible.
Can Force Demons exist? note that this was part of a mega question split as requested Fifth Question: Can Force Demons exist? In the story, the father and his team create by accident a force demon, either by unwittingly tapping into the dark side of the force and thus creating a living representation of the dark side...	In Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force , there are many entries of Sith becoming "ghostly incarnations" which could be considered demons :
How "real" are the experiences in the Dark Side Cave? In G Canon, the only journey into the Dark Side Cave we see is Luke. He goes in, bringing his lightsaber. Where, as Wookieepedia describes (emphasis mine), Luke confronted an illusion of Darth Vader within and defeated it in a lightsaber duel, dipping into t...	In the DVD commentary, Lucas (like Yoda in the movie) says that what you bring into the cave determines what you will see. Conceptually, a person could (in the midst of their vision) fall onto a stalagmite or into a pit or something, but the vision itself poses no physical danger. The choices made IN the cave will have...
Can werewolves turn outside of the Full Moon in Harry Potter? I’m in a Harry Potter Marauder’s-Era role-play and I’m playing Fenrir Greyback. (I’ve also not read the books/seen all the movies). I'm very loosely interpreting a specific point in canon that I’m having some adversarial feedback with my admins regarding the...	There is absolutely no canon information in Harry Potter that suggests that any werewolf can "transcend" the moon cycle and become a werewolf at any or different times.
What happened to Neo in the last part of the Matrix trilogy? What happened to Neo in the last part of trilogy when the machine gave him the power to battle with Agent Smith. Was he dead? <Q> He was able to bypass it's restrictions, and render it's security and protection meaningless (as if the Hacker occupation wasn't ...	Neo was effectively the result of a 'Glitch', which is why he was able to achieve impossible things whilst inside the progam.
How many ways are there to destroy a Horcrux? The way Hermione described the ways to destroy Horcruxes implied that there were a few. Could you name the confirmed ones? <Q> The books say that a Horcrux is destroyed if the container is destroyed beyond magical repair . <S> (I don’t have a quote, but that gets the gist ...	The confirmed methods of destroying a Horcrux, according to Book 7, are to use basilisk venom or an object imbued with it, and magical Fiendfyre -- on inanimate Horcruxes.
Why was Rorschach willing to forgive The Comedian's "moral lapse" with Sally Jupiter? I do not have the book with me now so I cannot get the direct quote but when Laurie Juspeczyk confirms that The Comedian sexually assaulted Sally Jupiter, Rorschach dismisses the incident saying that he won't speculate on the temporar...	I believe that the reason Rorschach fundamentally respected the Comedian is because he knew that when push came to shove, only the Comedian could possibly do the right thing.
The Wizardy World and Christianity How is it that Christmas and Easter are celebrated and observed at Hogwarts? The films depict both holidays but no Wiccan feast days are mentioned. Christianity has been intolerant of witches and wizards, the Vatican has been rather negative on Rowlings' Harry Potter series, but the m...	As far as why wizarding culture accepts Christianity, we can reasonably conclude that is is because many wizards in England are in fact Christians.
How did Magneto successfully kill Sebastian Shaw? In the X-Men: First Class movie, Charles and Erik team up to stop Sebastian Shaw aboard his submarine. Once exposed, Charles uses his powers to freeze Shaw. Erik uses his own powers to force the coin through Shaw's head, killing him. But earlier in the movie, we saw ...	My take was that this was a combination of being restrained - either simply physically (via mental control) or his powers - and that the use of a simple coin at low speed prevented any effective absorption & redirection of the energy. Sebastian Shaw's power is the ability to absorb energy in pretty much any form, such ...
Is there any other reference to a previous Lake Town? In The Hobbit while describing Lake Town the following intrigued me: The rotting piles of a greater town could still be seen along the shores when the waters sank in a drought. A lot of such references in the Hobbit are alluding to things mentioned in other w...	Lake-Town is a remnant of the much larger town of Esgaroth.
Why didn't the 11th Doctor recognize River Song? I am new to this Doctor Who world so bear with me here, please. If the tenth Doctor had already met River Song, why didn't the eleventh Doctor recognize her when he first met her? <Q> He does recognize her, at least as far as recognizing her as being the same person he ...	The Doctor's timeline and River's timeline are working away from each other.
Young Adult Sci-Fi book about Aliens Ruling Earth and a Human Resistance I am looking for a book about aliens ruling Earth and there is an underground rebellion. I read this over 20 years ago, so only certain parts stick in my mind. I believe it took place on the west coast of North America, and the book may start in ...	When the Tripods Came (prequel) I remember that there were two different species of aliens involved. The aliens are called Yerks, I can't remember much more.
In the Deep Space Nine Episode "Defiant", what was the dispute between Riker & O'Brien? In DS9 S3E9 "Defiant" , Tom Riker (Will Riker's transporter-accident-created twin from TNG S6E24 "Second Chances" ) comes to DS9 disguised as Will. When he (still in disguise) bumps into Miles O'Brien, the chief greets him warmly...	I believe that your first suggestion is correct; that this was a reaction on Thomas' part to avoid a conversation with O'Brien that might bring up things that "William" Riker would be expected to know.
In Pacific Rim, why aren't Jaegers pilots crushed by extreme accelerations? How come crews from Red Baron and Pacific Rim are not injured by intense acceleration of humanoid warmachine while piloting from inside? They fall from great distances and continue walking without a hitch. When pilots receive a strong pu...	The control pods or Conn-Pods where the pilots are hung are designed to hold the pilot with an independent hydraulic system whose goal is to protect the pilots from the external forces the Jaegers are subjected to. So there shouldn't be much motion regardless of what's happening.
I thought I was looking for William Gibson's Neuromancer, but I was wrong I am trying to remember the Title and Author of a SF novel that I thought was written in the 1970s or 1980s. The plot thumbnail/thesis is the protagonist is hired to help retrieve/save valuable employees from large corporations. The catch is tha...	Also since Sterling and Gibson both wrote cyberpunk this may be the one you are thinking of.
What is Benjen Stark's fate? It seems to me that Benjen may be a White Walker. His squad was ambushed. Some of his squad were turned into wights. Wights are only created by White Walkers. At the end of season 2 we can see that the White Walker not only shares his same chin strap goatee, but also his hair and hairl...	To add onto the correct answer by @Justin Ethier Benjen was neither wight nor White Walker but some other undead being saved from death/becoming a wight by the Children of the Forest.
How do you keep a Jedi in jail? I know the traditional view on the Jedi gone bad is to either: Let them rule the galaxy or Cut off their head But how would I go about constructing a prison to store my errant Jedi in while they are being rehabilitated? I'd like to deal with the confinement that might be required fo...	Dedicating a prison planet for them, or even better, creating a jail in space, with no possible access to a space ship should keep them pinned for a long time. As mentioned above, wrap a Ysalamiri around their neck. If you end goal is restraining them, I would think encasement in Carbonite would work pretty well.
Who are these superheroes? I realize the DCnU has changed but I am having trouble recognizing some of the people in this image. I recognize Guy Gardner (Green Lantern) and Booster Gold. I assume that one of them is a remnant of the Batmen from Batman Incorporated. Wasn't Batman Incorporated retconned after Flashpoin...	The character with the Batman symbol is Batwing (David Zavimbe) . The man on the ground is (as Thaddeus guessed) Firestorm (Jason Rusch)
Why does the computer have a human female voice? In Star Trek all Federation computers have a human female voice, provided by Gene Roddenbery's wife Majel Barrett. This, of course, is the out of universe reason; however is there ever an in universe reason given? With the Federation being a multi-gender, multi-species...	So, when it does not matter who the speaker is - e.g., when the sound is computer-generated - it is easier to use female voices.
Why does Goku become an adult when becoming Super Saiyan 4? In DragonBall GT , Goku is turned into a child by Shenron. However, later in the series, when he unlocks the power of Super Saiyan 4, he turns into an adult. When he goes back to a regular Saiyan, he's still a kid. Was this ever explained in the manga? <Q> So...	The easiest answer is that when he is in his Super Saiyan 4 state he is essentially more powerful than the magic that makes him appear as a kid.
How did Smaug know about the treasure within Erebor? It is presumed that Smaug hears about the treasure within the Lonely Mountain and decides he will take it, but as the dwarves had been mining there for a long time there must've been a significant time period where the treasure would presumably have been worthy of Sm...	Smaug's taking of Erebor may have, consciously or not on Smaug's part, been due to the influence of Sauron.
How did Wormtail come to be with the Weasleys? Sirius in Prisoner of Azkaban mentions that Wormtail intentionally sought after a wizarding family to take him in so that he could keep an ear to the ground regarding any news of his old master Voldy. We know that Wormtail belonged to Percy before he was Ron's, but I ca...	The Weasleys aren't that well off, he was probably at a magical pet shop, marked as a common rat at a low price.
Why don’t Logan’s hands bleed when he pops his claws in The Wolverine? In The Wolverine , with his healing suppressed, there should be bleeding when Logan pops his claws. Why does he bleed from bullet wounds, but not his hands? <Q> Per this answer : <S> Claws are extended through a silicon plug located in each kn...	I remember one cartoon episode with a mutant child being able to suppress powers, where wolverine seems to endure pain upon retracting his claws. It doesn’t prevent him from ever bleeding, it just prevents him from bleeding for long.
70s/80s sci-fi movie or TV show set in space, with a hand-to-hand fight in an arena-type environment, that the bad guy seemingly won I have these vague memories of this show when I was a kid. I'm not sure whether it was TV or movie. Here are the things I think I remember about it: Happened in space. I remember scenes...	A warrior, named Whistlestick, who was beaten and humiliated by Vance, explains that anyone may challenge the "Top Dog" at any time.
What is the difference between anime and manga? I saw this discussed in the context of tags on meta, and surprisingly, there doesn't seem to be any authoritative-looking answer when I Googled aside from some forum threads which I don't know if I should trust. <Q> Anime and Manga are two different storytelling media. <S...	Manga are often used as the basis for anime, but not every anime is from a manga and most manga are never made into anime.
Is Flint’s “1812: The Rivers of War” in the “1632” Assiti Shards Universe? Is Eric Flint’s Trail of Glory series ( 1812: The Rivers of War and 1824: The Arkansas War ) in the Assiti Shards multiverse (a.k.a. 1632/Ring-of-Fire Universe)? On one hand, neither of the three wiki pages linked above mention that it is...	No it had to have split off its own branch. There's no way for them to be in the same universe, because Richelieu destroyed the English colonies in the Americas in 1633
Did anyone in the Rebel Alliance connect Luke Skywalker to Anakin Skywalker? When a whiny farm boy (Luke) shows up at the secret base of the Rebel Alliance, a group of high profile exiles and crack veteran warriors, he is instantly included in their fighting force, even taking a senior role . In movies 4-6, no one (ap...	During the Battle of Yavin, Garven Dreis served as Red Leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, leading his pilots into battle against the Death Star. According to TEGW, Dreis recognized that Luke's last name was the same as Anakin's, but didn't know if there was any relation between them.
Why does the Enterprise-D almost never fire its secondary phasers? The Galaxy class has several secondary phasers dotted around the ship, but they are almost never used. When the ship is attacked from behind, why doesn't it fire the aft phasers? <Q> Honestly I always thought the same thing, but in my opinion when the s...	In the episode "Best of Both Worlds" the ship fires it's nacelle phasers, a rare instance. The ship is engaging multiple vessels.
What does the Indigo Tribe oath mean? The oath of the Indigo Tribe is: Tor lorek san, bor nakka mur, Natromo faan tornek wot ur. Ter Lantern ker lo Abin Sur, Taan lek lek nok--Formorrow Sur! Has it ever been translated? If so, what does it mean in English? <Q> I took the oath through Google translate today...	It's evidently unknown, and there isn't a translator yet for the language.
Why didn't the other schools help Hogwarts? During the last HP movie I didn't understand why the other schools from HP: Goblet of Fire didn't help Hogwarts during its time of need? You could say maybe it's just a domestic problem of some sort and it's Hogwarts problem, but they will still be affected if somehow Voldemo...	I seem to remember that some of the other students from the other schools seemed supportive of the fight against Voldemort, though I don't remember if the other Headmasters/teachers ever expressed anything.
How Much Power Does It Take to Establish a Wormhole in the Stargate Franchise? Related to questions: ZPM Power Capacity Stargate Power Requirements (Forum) So how much power does it take to connect to another stargate? Is it a constant value or does it vary? <Q> The majority of the power requirements for the activ...	Depending on the wiring of the gate, it takes between 12 and 24 volts of electricity to establish a stable wormhole (this is proven in the episode titled "1969" where they use jumper cables hooked to trucks to power up the gate.
With which spell did Harry Potter kill Voldemort? As I've seen in the movie Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (part - 2) , Voldemort's last spell produced a green light. I think it was Avada Kedavra . On the other hand, Harry's spell which was locked with it, was of reddish color. Harry's spell destroyed Voldemort...	Based on the visible evidence, Harry cast Expelliarmus . So technically the answer is the spell Harry used to defeat and kill Voldemort in the movie is unknown.
Did Voldemort know that Harry saved Wormtail's life? I am not sure if this question has been asked, but when Voldemort comes back in chapter 1 of GoF, he says to Wormtail: "Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go." Voldemort goes on to further state, "Ho...	Voldemort, of course, would not have placed importance in the fact that Wormtail was alive because of Harry's grace.
Do they live under a dome, or inside a sphere? What is the shape of the barrier in the TV series Under the Dome ? Is it indeed a dome shape, or does it encircle the entire town like a spherical bubble, with one hemisphere above ground and the other hemisphere underground? <Q> Inside a sphere. <S> In one episode (sec...	The mini-dome is in fact a sphere, suggesting that the larger dome is likely to be a sphere as well.
Does the Halo universe have any aquatic vehicles? I've played most of the games in the Halo series but not read the books or anything so I can't speak for those. I've noticed that the vehicle sets in the games seem to only include land and air. However, there are still large water bodies in the games. Also, given tha...	From the Halo wikia section on watercraft : Few watercraft exist in the Halo story-line, however, those which are mentioned have helped to play a vital role within the installments. In all the books and games, I have never seen an aquatic vehicle used for military application.
Where did the Minions come from? I have recently watched the movie Despicable Me. Are Minions personally created by Dr. Gru? <Q> It may be explored in Minions (film) which may act as a prequel or spin off to the Despicable Me franchise coming in 2015, as per the movie description in Wikipedia it states - Minion...	The short film "Minions : Orientation Day" explains that all of the minions are [generically] engineered from the same strand of mutated DNA. The movie itself may or may not go into more detail, as the trailer gives the impression that the bulk of the movie has to do with how they came to work for Gru. As we see in the...
Are there any Known Space works I should read before Man-Kzin Wars? Are there any works set in Known Space Universe that should be read before Man-Kzin wars series? Please note the "should" - I am including works that aren't strictly speaking necessary to "get" the Man-Kzin Wars, but - if read previously - would enh...	Although Ringworld and Ringworld Engineers take place after the Man-Kzin wars, they introduce you to the interspecies conflict between Man and Kzin in such a way that the Man-Kzin Wars series becomes a "must read".
What happened to Voldemort's wand after the last book, and does Harry own it now? Is there any reference about what happened to Voldemort's yew wand after he started using the Elder Wand? Would the yew wand stop responding to Voldemort after he started using the Elder Wand? This does not seem a possibility, as he never...	As far as I know, there is no further reference to Voldemort's yew wand after he takes control (ostensibly) of the Elder Wand in Deathly Hallows , or in the epilogue.

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.