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How did Ardra penetrate the Enterprise' shields so easily? Discounting the usual ethereal-like or omnipotent entities (such as Q ), normal humanoid life forms, with their comparable technology, seem to be blocked from being able to penetrate the Federation's flagship’s shields and computers. That said, there is an in...	Ardra didn't have any shields blocking her from beaming in and out of the Enterprise. As you say, the Borg are also able to penetrate shields without constant nutation modulation. Another TNG-specific example that comes to mind is Ensign Ro's gambit in "Pre-emptive strike" in which she is able to penetrate the Enterpri...
When is Fahrenheit 451 set? Is there an allocated time period in Ray Bradbury's novel? I'm not too sure if there is a timeline that led up to the events in the book, so the time in which it is set is unclear to me. <Q> or maybe a couple of years afterwards). <S> Within the text of Farenheit 451 , Clarisse states th...	recently I came across an article stating that Fahrenheit 451 was set in 24th century which was mentioned somewhere in the beginning of the novel .. Within the book itself there is no definitive date but with a little creative analysis we can we can date the book as being set in the year 2053 (
What was the point of taking The Keymaker to the Winslow Overpass in The Matrix Reloaded? I understand that Morpheus and Trinity were going there to use an exit, but where was The Keymaker going to go? He couldn't go back to the real world, could he? EDITED to add this bit of dialogue to show that they are indeed runn...	It's quite reasonable to assume that their ultimate plan was to get themselves to the exit, leaving Neo (on his arrival) to deal with the Agents and keep the Keymaker safe .
Was there a Minority Report for John Anderton? In Agatha's vision we see that John kills Crow soon after saying "Goodbye Crow", which does happen later. However, it does not happen at the time that Agatha's vision predicts. We see that John does not kill Crow until after the timer stops. Does it mean that John had a...	John doesn't have a minority report per se.
Why did Snape suspect Harry in Year Two? In Goblet of Fire, Snape accuses Harry of stealing ingredients for Polyjuice Potion: ‘Don’t lie to me,’ Snape hissed, his fathomless black eyes boring into Harry’s. ‘Boomslang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them.’ Harry stared back at ...	So the fact that Harry thought Snape knew he was behind the theft of the ingredients during the second year is probably due to his own guilty conscience, further fueled by Snape's prejudice against him. Snape always blamed Harry.
How does Goku know about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? In the Imperfect Cell Saga of Dragon Ball Z after Goku wakes up from his down-time recovering from the Heart Virus he mentions to Piccolo\Kami that he plans on taking Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train in order to beat Cell. However,...	It wasn't stated in either the manga nor episodes that Goku went into the room of spirit and time in the series "Dragonball" but in Dragonball Z, Goku states that he went in as a child.
What was the official cause of the Great Mushroom War? In Adventure Time , the Great Mushroom War was responsible for the near extinction of Humans in the land of Ooo, but what was the cause of the Great Mushroom War? What were the chain of events that lead to this happening? Has this been revealed yet? Answers are a...	The war likely ended when the mushroom bomb was dropped along with the other nuclear weapons. It's never directly explained what caused the Great Mushroom War, and nobody knows if they will ever reveal why there was a war in the first place, considering the show takes place 1,000 years after that took place.
When did C3PO get his restraining bolt removed? Related to: Is C-3PO a slave? R2D2 tricks Luke Skywalker into taking his restraining bolt off so that R2 can run off and look for Obi-Wan Kenobi. But I don't recall any point in the movie where C3PO has his own restraining bolt removed. Did C3PO ever get it remove...	In the film's official novelisation , it was removed slightly later, right before Luke received the lightsaber from Kenobi.
Why didn’t the Doctor give Rose some regeneration energy? At the end of the first season of the reboot, Rose looks into the heart of the TARDIS which — if The Doctor hadn’t absorbed the energy she received — would have killed her. However, as Matt Smith has shown, a Time Lord can give their regeneration energy to save...	There is literally nothing in Rose's body that could make use of regeneration energy.
What's the book by Heinlein that contains all other books? I remember a thread here in the SciFi Stack Exchange about the longest sci-fi series. Someone mention a standalone Heinlein book that seemed to somehow include all other books ever written in its story. Does anybody know which book is that? <Q> Heinlein's Numb...	The Number of the Beast .
Can a Vulcan Mind Meld change a person's psychology? We see in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock that Spock was able to perform a mind meld with McCoy to transfer his Katra to McCoy for later rejoining with Spock's body. This had an impact on McCoy's mind (which turned out to be quite humorous). My question is can ...	An experimental Vulcan mind meld by Tuvok was carried out with the aim of helping Suder to control his impulses.
Outside of Order 66, does a blaster ever beat a lightsaber? There is a scene in The Clone Wars where Ahsoka is in the middle of hallway, deflecting blaster fire from two directions while carrying on a conversation ( "Cargo of Doom" , I think) and it got me wondering... In the original trilogy, lightsabers are mostly...	Somewhat related to @Ssumner's answer: during the battle of Geonosis, Jango Fett killed a Jedi Master, Coleman Trebor, with a blaster:
In the movies, is Sauron's armor correctly portrayed? Is there in the books or on Tolkien's letters a description of Sauron's armor during the first or third age, when he was not trying to "seduce" other races? Is it accurately portrayed in the movies? <Q> There's no description of Sauron's armour in the books - in fa...	In Jackson's series, Sauron is originally portrayed as a towering "black knight" wielding a huge black mace (reminiscent of Tolkien's descriptions as well as conceptual artist John Howe's illustrations of Morgoth); in this form, he is portrayed by Sala Baker. The form that he took was that of a man of more than human s...
Demystifying Zelazny's "Lord of Light" I just finished reading Roger Zelazny's novel Lord of Light and although I enjoyed the book very much and liked its overall tone, I can't help feeling a little lost. I'd like to know a little bit more about the book's background and intended interpretation, if any. Is it an hom...	Suffice to say, pretty much every single character and scene is a thinly veiled reference to Hindu and Buddhist mythology. In writing a story about people who rebel against the gods, and in presenting this anti-mystical point of view, I see Zelazny making a humanist statement.
Has the Federation ever kicked a planet or civilization out of the Federation? I've seen several episodes where planets have petitioned the Federation for membership, and still others where the Federation is watching a planet's development in anticipation for future membership; but I can't remember if any planet has be...	In order to find situations where planetary systems have left the UFP you need to start looking at the weird and wonderful EU book canon; Star Trek: Final Frontier - Vulcan has left the federation in order to explore the idea of reunification with the Romulan Empire. Within the TV series and films, there are no instanc...
Who was the first full-blooded alien to join Starfleet and be assigned to a spaceship? Having not seen much of Star Trek: Enterprise, and not being certain if Stafleet proper was officially even founded at the time of those events (uncertain as to whether it was Earth exploration pre-starfleet, or the first exploration...	In-universe, Worf was the first Klingon to join Starfleet, Nog is the first Ferenghi, Ro Laren is the first Bajoran, etc etc.
How much close control over physical objects is possible with the Force? The Jedi can control objects with the mystical power called the Force without touching them. In the movies you can see, that the Jedi or Sith are moving objects really fast and really well controlled from one place to another. Now I'm wondering,...	So the smaller the object, the greater the control required and during combat, it's simply not worth the expenditure and focus risk to manipulate so many sabers at one time. In the video game Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, the main character Jaiden, when wielding two lightsabers has a move where he crouches, lets go of his...
Did Gandalf have a teacher/mentor? Did Gandalf have a teacher/mentor? If yes , who was his teacher/mentor? If no , from where did he get his knowledge? How did he became so wise? This question doesn't ask if he had a teacher to learn to become a wizard, though that may be implied. Gandalf is knowledgeable in thing...	He is a divine being, one of the Maiar, whose very essence is wisdom. Gandalf is not a "wizard" in the classical fantasy sense of the word, one whose power and wisdom is learned in dusty towers poring over old books.
What is the point of Slow Zone dredges? In Fire Upon the Deep, the Vrinmini Organization recovers Pham Nuwen from, what the head of the Org (Grondir? Grondor? I don't know how to spell his name...) describes as a Slow Zone Dredge. Ravana, I believe, goes on to state that the races that send dredges (or other ships) dow...	If the Unthinking Depths have an effect on the Slowness and the Beyond - which they probably do - then research conducted in that region could also allow great technological benefits. Like you, I don't have the book handy, but it is noted that many species like to send out dredges in order to learn about the Zones.
Are there any further developments of the M5? In the TOS episode 'The Ultimate Computer', we see the problems with the M5 unit by Dr Daystrom. I know in TNG, and even VOY, there is still need for a crew aboard the ship, but is there any further reference to what becomes of the M5? Like, is an M6 ever developed or som...	Within the Trek TV canon there are no further mentions of the M5 computer beyond the episode "The Ultimate Computer".
Do we ever see a Federation Starfleet Space Station? Star Trek DS9 focuses on a space station rather than a starship - specifically the Deep Space 9 space station. However, this is not a Federation space station - it is formally owned by the Bajorans. In fact, it isn't even a Bajoran station - it was put there dur...	In addition to the ones posted by @joshbirk, there are other Federation space stations.
Why did the slaver in Astapor think Daenerys wouldn't do exactly what she did? Spoilers! (do I have to even say that here?) I recently rewatched the episode of Game of Thrones where Daenerys is in Astapor. She makes the deal with the master slaver guy, where she trades him one of her dragons for 8,000 of his very toug...	Also the dragon is the symbol of Valryia, who used them to conquer all of Slaver's Bay, so possessing a dragon means possessing power. In all the years since the Unsullied were first trained, no one had owned enough of them to be a threat to Astapor. A combination of two things I think: Hubris It is a theme often used ...
How do injuries work with Polyjuice Potion? We know that if you (using Polyjuice), take the form of someone who had been injured, you assume that injured form (e.g. Barty/Moody). If you are injured, presumably you would be uninjured while under Polyjuice. My question is, is this in real-time? That is, if you take a Pol...	Also consequently, I believe if you are injured while under Polyjuice the injury would only transfer to your regular body at the area you were injured.
Does each drone have a copy of entire Collective memory? In The Raven episode of Star Trek: Voyager, Seven of Nine, who is disconnected from The Collective, is able to recall species numbers, dates, and other details of assimilation for Talaxians (Neelix) and Vulcans (Tuvok). Does this mean that each Borg drone has ...	It is likely - though never outright stated - that individual drones have information necessary for their duties 'downloaded' into their brains before performing those duties; this is insurance against any communications issues which may leave the drone out of contact with the Collective.
Can the Borg Queen lie? In the Dark Frontier episode of Star Trek Voyager, the Borg Queen is contacting Seven of Nine and she tells her that her deassimilation and putting her on board Voyager was intentional, and was part of the plan of having an agent among Voyager's crew. We know very well that this is not true...	The Borg Queen can lie.
What does it actually mean to travel in trans-warp? As to my knowledge, from many sources (including real Wikipedia), trans-warp (or warp 10) mean the infinite speed and that someone or something is everywhere in the same time . And hard part about using trans-warp is to exactly calculate and predict, where one woul...	Transwarp is a means of bypassing the limitations of warp technology.
Where exactly was the scar on Harry's forehead? Just ran into this exchange on some forum: ... The only problem is, Harry's scar is described as being in the middle of his forehead, not the side. It's on the side in the movies.... Actually, they never mention where the scar is exactly on Harry's forehead. Now, I...	In the original book illustrations (which were hand-chosen by Rowling (but not drawn by her)) the scar is also depicted as being in the middle of his forehead.
What 90's (possibly 80's?) cartoon had a space bike in it? This was a cartoon in the 90's (possibly a re-run from the 80's?) which featured one of the characters flying through space on a vehicle that looked like a futuristic motorcycle. The theme song/title may have included space angels or demons or something of that...	It follows three anthropomorphic mice motorcyclists named Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie who escape a war on their home planet Mars before arriving to defend the Earth from the evil that destroyed their homeland (the Plutarkians) and to one day return to Mars.
Is there a metaphorical meaning of Trinity's "You know that road"? In the first Matrix, Trinity advises Neo not to go down a particular road. Here's the quote: Switch : Our way, or the highway. Neo : Fine. Trinity : Please, Neo. You have to trust me. Neo : Why? Trinity : Because you have been down there...	Although Neo doesn't know it (yet) Trinity is warning him that that's not where he wants to be if he wants to find out what The Matrix is.
Did anyone ever possess all three Hallows? In the Harry Potter universe; was there anyone who ever possessed all three (Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak) Hallows at once? This is barring the creator / creators (Death or the Peverell brothers). I know that Dumbledore was in possession of the El...	Harry Potter Harry received the Cloak of Invisibility from Dumbledore in 1991.
In Revenge of the Sith, why didn't Obi-Wan and Yoda gang up on the Emperor? In Revenge of the Sith , Yoda and Obi-Wan split up to confront Palpatine and Skywalker in single-combat. However, with the millions of lives at stake, and the obvious power of the Emperor with his immense skill in the force, and the massive ar...	Tactically, the threat from Obi-Wan to Vader caused Sidious to abandon the fight in the Senate Chamber when he may have finished off Yoda; and with him, the important realization of how to train New Model Jedi. This was Yoda's decision. If Yoda had viewed more of the security tapes (off-camera), he would have seen that...
Why do Asgardians use swords? In Thor: The Dark World , the Asgardians clearly have advanced technology, as they are using anti-aircraft missiles against the dark elves' ships in the city. But when the dark elves get inside the main Asgardian building, the Asgardians are just standing around with their swords up, and ...	But keep in mind that Asgardians are usually rather strong and would most likely benefit more from using high tech melee weapons.. This leads me to think that they simply carry melee weapons because they find them easier to fight with for the small types of attacks they are likely to see in everyday action. Asgardians,...
In "Lois & Clark" pilot, why does Clark Kent wear glasses? In the "Lois & Clark" pilot, Clark arrives in Metropolis, looking for a job and adventure. He wants to help people with his abilities, but does not yet have the idea of adopting a "super" alter ego. Why is he wearing glasses right from the beginning of this e...	Clark has been "super" all his life, and it's entirely possible that, even though he didn't have a costume, he did some feats of heroics earlier in life and wears the glasses to help confuse eye-witness accounts. Clark Kent is trying to land a position in a traditionally bookish profession. He may have donned glasses f...
Why are there no automated procedures on board Star Trek ships? If I'm not mistaken, nearly every attack on a ship in Star Trek (usually followed by a declaration like " We're are under attack! ") is followed by the captain, or another senior officer, saying one or more of these: Red alert! or Battle stations! , S...	The Changeling , the shields turn on automatically when the ship detects a fast-moving object on an intercept course: This is speculation, but I would assume it takes the authority of whoever has the conn to initiate a Red Alert, but that in situations where the ship is in danger the individual officers have the author...
Which species was the first encountered by humans to communicate exclusively through telepathy? In Star Trek: First Contact , I know that we learn that Vulcans were the first extra-terrestrial species discovered by humans (or, more correctly, humans were discovered by Vulcans) and I know they have a sort of telepathic...	There are many beings in the Star Trek Universe that use telepathy, now the first ones that I can remember that I don't see using verbal communication would be the Melkots.
Where is Plutarch Heavensbee originally from? In the Hunger Games trilogy, there is no mention of where Plutarch Heavensbee is originally from. Are there any clues that I might have missed in the books about whether he is from the Capitol or one of the districts? My guess would be that he isn't from the Capitol becau...	Characters from the Capitol are consistently given Roman names.
Sci-fi book where humanity is rebuilt on a new planet after being wiped out Between 2005-2008, I entered a Barnes and Noble and came across a book in the New Releases section that I regretted not purchasing. I remember only the following from the back-panel summary of the book: Humanity was more or less wiped out. T...	Shortly after the conclusion of a war that destroyed the Earth, rendering it uninhabitable for generations, the survivors in the grossly-overstretched lunar colony decide to send four thousand in a colony ship to a planet that had been in the process of being terraformed. The colony will survive ... but they will survi...
What did the Borg Queen mean when she told Harry "We'll see you soon" in Unimatrix Zero? In the Voyager episode, "Unimatrix Zero," the Borg Queen contacts Voyager and warns Janeway not to interfere in her attempts to root out and destroy Unimatrix Zero. As the communication was ending, she told Harry Kim: "We'll see...	It was a threat against Janeway (e.g. knowing how protective of him she was)
USS Vengeance weapons technology and capabilities There's a scene in the movie where the USS Vengeance is chasing the Enterprise and it forces it's way into the E's "warp bubble". Khan said it was a special capability of the Vengeance but I thought all ships had that capability even in the TOS era? For example, in Ar...	The VENGEANCE also has two mounted cannons below the ship which fire quantum beams.
Could River Song have a Timelord child? River Song is a highly mutated human who has Timelord-like traits. She, like us all, is in love with The Doctor. Though she could regenerate a few times, she is still primarily human. So, could the Doctor and River Song have a Timelord child? Mind you, I’m also going by the idea...	So yes, the Doctor and River could have Time Lord/Gallifreyan children.
Did Anakin Skywalker have a genius IQ? At the age of 8 Anakin Skywalker built his own Podracer as well as a Protocol Droid. Is there any way to determine that, had he lived on Earth he would be tested to have a 'genius level IQ' (e.g. an IQ of 160 or more)? <Q> The novelisation of Phantom Menace suggests that Anakin d...	Judging from his adult choices he wasn't smart at all. Yes Anakin was smart for his age, but whether or not he has a Genius IQ of 160 in our world is really kind of indeterminable.
Why does this character act as he does at the end of 'The Hunger Games - Mockingjay'? I watched the hunger games, and the hunger games - catching fire a week back.. But it was too hard to wait for the first part of Mockingjay till November, so I went for the novel.. all three of them.. just finished reading the last on...	Gale himself recognises that Katniss needs a reason to love him; one of the reasons was that he was helping and protecting Katniss' family, and when that is no longer an option, he realises that he has no chance with Katniss:
What happened to the Sorting Hat after the Battle of Hogwarts? In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows our dear friend Voldy sets fire to the Sorting Hat while it is on Neville's head, yet Neville manages to escape and pull Gryffindor's sword out of the burning hat, and the story goes on. And from this moment, the Ha...	It is kind of confusing, but after Voldemort set the sorting hat on fire (along with Neville's head) both Neville and the sorting were protected by the power of love.
When are the Wardstone chronicles set? I'm in the middle of reading The Spook's Curse again and there are several historical features mentioned that ought to be able to determine when this is set. The average lifespan according to the Bane is 20-30 years, which suggests that this is occurring prior to the scientific...	The English Reformation was in the 16th century.
Trying to identify 80s or older Sci Fi movie with a "Citadel", a robot, and a sound paralysing rotating crystal Requesting help with identifying a science fiction movie that I saw once as a kid during eighties (so it could be older than that). I remember just a few scenes, and I am not certain about the accuracy of the...	The Shape of Things to Come , starring Jack Palance as the villain.
Dark energy and matter in the Star Trek Universe? Considering that it is currently one of the biggest topics in astrophysics at the moment, I was wondering whether anything in the Star Trek universe had anything to say on this matter (pun intended). Are there any references to Dark Energy and/or Dark Matter in the ...	There is a reference to dark energy, nevertheless, in The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss, a theoretical physicist at Arizona State University. There's no reference of Dark Energy and Dark Matter in Star Trek reboot (movie or comic).
How can Yoda identify Darth Bane? In the final episode of season 6 of The Clone Wars, ( spoilers ) The mystical priestesses conjure up an illusion of Darth Bane, the ancient Sith Lord who started the Rule of Two. Just by visual inspection, Yoda knows the ancient Sith Lord's name and that he was the one who started t...	Darth Bane got his start before the Sith were so secretive, he was a leading member of the Brotherhood of Darkness which openly fought the Jedi.
What blinks in the "Game of Thrones" intro? A number of times in the Game of Thrones television series, what appears to be an eyelid drops over the scene and a blinking sound is played. Who is blinking, or what are these anomalies? My personal (and unfounded) theory is that the viewpoint is that the viewer sees the...	The blink occurs when the Maester swaps out one lens with another.
The Matrix: Are Agents "Mortal" or "Immortal"? I haven't watched the 3rd Matrix movie yet, but there is no need to refrain from revealing potential "spoiler alerts" in any answers if they can answer the question. In the first two movies, all fight scenes depict the Agents as unbeatable. They defy the laws of physics, ...	In the films we see that Agents can be shot and killed. The Matrix Reloaded Neo comments that the Agents he encounters are "upgrades", which implies that Agent programs may be replaced eventually. I think we can be reasonably certain that they would be. If they can discarnate and reincarnate at will, for all intents an...
if Spock had a child with a human would it still have Vulcan powers? Vulcans have strange powers such as mind meld, super strength, and extreme control over their emotions. My question pertains to Spock, a half Vulcan: if he were to have a child with a human it would only be a quarter Vulcan, and is that enough to stil...	So if Spock's child was telepathic, which is plausible given his Vulcan heritage - although questionable given his human genes - then it would seem the answer is yes. Probably depends on the "power" and the child's genetics The main character in the Star Trek game
Why did Hydra choose the subject they transformed into the "Winter Soldier", in Captain America? Spoiler: The Winter Soldier is actually Bucky Barnes. WARNING: This individual is named in the answers below. For now, let us call him "the subject". Assuming that the subject is simply a normal, superpower- less , ...	The Subject was rescued by Cap before any results of the experiments could be seen. Having a war hero be turned into a champion of Hydra would be a huge blow to U.S morale after his identity is outed. When they discover the Subject still alive they would then realize that the experiments are what allowed this, or if it...
Is the paint on Captain America's shield also invulnerable? I always thought that the patriotic paint on Captain America's shield is normal human paint. But, when I see it unaffected after battles, I lose this faith. Is the paint of Captain America's shield also of alien origin? If not, how did it remain intact after ...	The shield is invulnerable, the paint is not.
Why did Dredd not take the first cop's bullets? I watched the 2012 Dredd movie last night and in the scene when he has a shootout with the two cops, he takes the ammo magazines from the second cop that gets killed because Dredd runs out of bullets. But, before Dredd had a shootout with the two cops, he was already low ...	If he had been on a busy patrol before being called in (or had been using rounds enforcing other illegal activities) he may have been low on ammunition, having only the clip in his magazine. I would bet on it being his resolute adherence to the law.
What is wrong with Lizzie (the young blonde girl)? Spoilers: As you know, Lizzie has psychological issues. She was befriending zombies, feeding zombies and finally she killed her sister (and was going to kill Judith also). And then Carol killed her. So what was wrong with her? Did she develop some kind of " zomb...	If Lizzie had visited a psychiatric clinic she most likely would have been diagnosed with some form of psychosis (perhaps reactive) with delusions (believing the walkers are friendly) and mild auditory hallucinations (claiming to be able to hear them). She seems to suffer from some form of mental instability.
Looking for science fiction short stories by programmers This was a collection of stories by software geeks, I believe. Two key stories included: A supercomputer used to solve the problem of tornadoes An explorer who gave up his lunch while being thrown off a cliff, which saved his life You'd probably have to hav...	Searching 'tornado' in ISFDB came up with a possibility: Infinite Loop: Stories About the Future by the People Creating It : Software Development's Own Anthology of Science Fiction (1994), ed.
Does the deflector dish pose a danger to inhabited worlds? Now the purpose of the deflector dish on a starship is to push aside debris and objects in the ships path so that when the ship is moving it doesn't plow through this debris and destroy the ship. This debris that gets flung aside is subject to the laws of phys...	So, one could argue that a ship with a deflector shield will actually help clear debris by putting it into motion where it will eventually be pulled in by the gravity of a planet or star.
Do Borg have a gender? In the episode we first meet the Borg (Q-Who) a drone enters the engine room. Picard and Q are watching it analyzing the systems as Q states that this Borg is "Not a he, not a she". Now how literally do we have to take this? Was there a need to reconstruct parts of Picard and Seven when they we...	With regards to why Q described the drone as “Not a he, not a she” — in the context of the episode, this looks like Q highlighting how foreign the Borg are to the Federation. Out of universe it's possible that they were originally intended to be genderless biologically as well.
How can Raf understand Bumblebee? In the Transformers: Prime/aligned continuity , like the live-action movie continuity, Bumblebee's voice box was crushed by Megatron . Because Ratchet was unable to repair it, Bumblebee speaks in beeps and whistles that the other Transformers can understand, but humans cannot - ...	We inherited Bumblebee’s speech handicap from the Transformers films: that’s the Bumblebee that the new generation of fans knows. It's never explained and even the creators of the series seem to be deliberately avoiding any discussion on the point.
Isn't the bomb in 'Pacific Rim' a bit small? In Pacific Rim their plan is to throw a 1.2 megatons nuclear bomb into the breach. Although this is reasonably sizeable for a nuke ( Hiroshima was only 12.5 kilotons, about a thousand times less powerful) I would have thought that they would use something like the 58-M...	That sounds impressive, but it is quite small in the annals of blowing up huge bombs.
When did using a fireplace as a portal first become used? When did the idea of using a fireplace as a portal first become popular? I am looking for any indication from writers, perhaps through interviews/posts where SciFi writers have explained the concept as to why a fireplace is used for such a portal - and what wa...	Santa Claus is said to come down the chimney and enter houses through the fireplace.
In his duel against Dumbledore, was Voldemort's shield magical or physical? When Dumbledore and Voldemort duelled, Lord Voldemort countered Dumbledore's attack with a "silver shield". I'm wondering what the exact nature of this shield is. In other words, is the shield a silvery, more powerful, version of Protego, or ...	The way I read this passage, and J.K. Rowling's description (yes, she can be totally ambiguous at times -- agreed), is that the shield is a physical object that is protected with magic.
Benefits of joining The Night's Watch It is often considered a punishment to send thieves, rapists, bastards etc. to the Wall for serving in the Night's Watch. Also there is a list of rules to follow like not fathering children, etc. Apart from that there is a danger of ranging in the wild (e.g. wilding attacks, the Ot...	It seems to me that even for common prisoners, the Watch is a preferable alternative to rotting in a dark dungeon, or execution. Mostly, one could say, it is a matter of honour, and of forsaking responsibilities or family commitments in an honourable way. The blacksmith Donal Noye of Storm's End joined the watch after ...
What do the three controls on the Transporter operate? I recently noticed that in TNG, there are the three 'buttons' which need to be pulled all the way up/down to transport something/someone, just like in TOS. My question is, what do these three things control? Like, wouldn't one lever do just as well if it controls...	The semi-canon technical reference manual; the " Star Trek : Star Fleet Technical Manual " written and illustrated by Franz Joseph (used as a source and reference for various Star Trek films and episodes of TNG) indicates that the three sliders are for; - Photon Ionization Control - Neural Paralyzer Control - Magnetic ...
Whο was the first hero to kill a super villain in Marvel comics? Who was the first hero to ever kill a super villain in Marvel comics? Someone told me that it was Wolverine who killed Sabretooth, but I can't seem to find the issue. Edit: Not a simple villain, but a super villain/ main antagonist like Dr. Doom, Loki et...	The Captain performs the gruesome deed, complete with decapitation in Captain America #254 (1981). I present the Amazing Spiderman, Vol 1, #122 (1973) who was involved in and could be held culpable in the death of the Green Goblin. The only other high profile deaths I can remember are Drax killing Thanos during Annihil...
How could Ser Jorah Mormont "find out" about the Second Sons? In the TV adaptation, Game of Thrones, in the third season in the seventh episode, Daenerys and her Unsullied are parked outside of Yunkai. The messenger from the city comes to offer them gold and ships if they are willing to go away. Alas, the mother of dr...	Back when Daenerys first asked Ser Jorah, there was no one there but the emissary from Yunkai, so he could not see them to recognize them.
Do Ferengi have surnames? In DS9: Heart of Stone, Quark says "No nephew of mine is going to disgrace our family name by joining star fleet!". My question: do Ferengi even have family names? <Q> The best answer I could find was this... <S> http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Surname <S> The Ferengi do not appear to use...	Ferengi don't appear to have surnames but they do have a clear concept of lineage. In DS9: House of Quark , Quark identifies himself (Klingon style) as; Quark, son of Keldar
Who funds the Night's Watch? Where and how do they get their food? More importantly, where do they get money to buy stuff? Is this by tax from the people who stay at the gift? <Q> The Night's Watch used to collect taxes and farm areas near the Wall. <S> But recently, there have been several wildlings' raids and people...	Towns and villages that were located within the "New Gift" supported the Night's Watch with their taxes, rendered by goods and labor.
Is there any Star Trek material set after Nemesis? I know of a fan-made series which I remember seeing advertised somewhere a year or two ago ( Star Trek: Phoenix ), and it got me thinking: is there any canon Star Trek material (I know - not the best term but you get what I mean) that is set after Nemesis? I've se...	Depending how you define Canon: The comic book Star Trek: Countdown occurs between Nemesis and the film above, and is endorsed by Orci .
How many Valyrian steel swords are there at the beginning of GoT, and who owns them? As of 298 AL, where A Game of Thrones begins, where were the various Valyrian steel weapons that exist? That is to say, before the 1st chapter starts. The swords are already in someone's hands at the beginning. I just want how many...	The Valyrian steel blades that remain in the world might number in the thousands, but in the Seven Kingdoms there are only 227 such weapons according to Archmaester Thurgood's Inventories ...
Why was Bilbo not discovered by Sauron during his extended stay with the Wood Elves? Currently reading The Hobbit to my daughter, and we came to the Barrels out of Bond chapter where the Dwarves are captured and imprisoned by the Wood Elves. Bilbo sneaks in with his magic ring of invisibility and eventually sets them a...	It could be that putting on the Ring made Frodo intensely aware of Sauron's presence , and the movie is depicting his terror of being seen, not any actually imminent detection by Sauron.
Isn’t the Enterprise a no-smoking ship? In "Lonely Among Us" TNG 1x07, we see Data taking on the persona of Sherlock Holmes while puffing an old English pipe complete with tobacco and stinky smoke. Wouldn't that violate safety and health protocols aboard a Starship? At the end of a senior staff meeting, where he was s...	In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, director Nicholas Meyer had "No Smoking" signs posted on the bridge of the Enterprise.
What is the longest period of time which Riker commanded the Enterprise-D? Often we see Picard say to Riker: "You have the bridge Number 1", and I was wondering what the longest period of time that Riker was in command of the Enterprise-D for. I don't count just when he was acting-Captain (as in Best of Both Worlds), ...	It seems that Riker has been in temporary command of the Enterprise for at least 3-5 years.
Gryffindor Tower: beginning at the 7th floor and suspended by magic or is it just the common room? Hogwarts very much like the burrow is a piece of magical architecture that muggles couldn't build and wouldn't respect muggle standards or logic for that matter. We know that the entrance to the Gryffindor common room ...	As far as the film is concerned at least, there are dormitories both above and below the common room in Gryffindor tower.
Crashed on a planet of layers, darker and more dangerous the farther down I need help finding a book. I've had head trauma and I can't remember, all I know is a few details about this book. I'm 26 now and my father gave me this book when I was a teen... it was what turned me on to fantasy books. But I think the book i...	It consists three books with various titles: Asgard's Secret (1982), The Asgard Trilogy by Brian Stableford .
Who can see better: Geordi or Data? I know that Geordi's blind, but with his VISOR, he has exceptional vision with a range for a wide subspace spectrum. How does this compare with Data's android vision: Does Data have a comparable vision of the spectrum to Geordi, or is he limited to standard visible light like humans...	If you're talking about normal things perceivable by the human eye, Data seems to have the advantage (at least when considering "Visor Geordi").
Who names starship classes? In Star Trek, there are a lot of different starship classes (The Constitution, Daedalus, Galaxy, Intrepid, New Orleans, etc to name but a few). My question: Is there any reference to who/what process is involved in assigning the names to these Starship classes (note: NOT the name of the sta...	Unofficially the Starship class is due to certain specifications and qualities of a particular starship.
Can the Wall be melted? Is it possible for the enemies of the Wall (wildlings etc) to light a fire so big that it will melt the Wall? <Q> Let's run the numbers: <S> The wall is 700 feet high = 213 meters <S> On its top, 12 knights can ride abreast <S> and it's wider at the base. <S> Let's say that's 25 meters w...	I dont think that the entire wall could be melted but a hole through a wall could deff be done if done in secrecy.
How many sentient bio-ships have been shown in the Star Trek universe? We're introduced to an amazing creature, a living bio-ship named Gomtuu (called 'Tin Man' by Starfleet) who was observed while orbiting Beta Stromgren in TNG 3x20, 'Tin Man'. Through first contact specialist Tam Elbrun's telepathy, we learn that Gom...	In the non-canon novel "Orion's Hounds" the USS Titan encountered a number of these creatures, along with the entities seen in "Encounter at Farpoint" and other spaceborne lifeforms.
Does the "Skin Horse" webcomic continue to have Oz references? The web comic Skin Horse clearly takes initial inspiration, at least as far as its initial cast goes, from The Wizard of Oz . There's a scarecrow, a tin man, a little dog, and, um, a dorothy of sorts. And the first storyline involves a cowardly lion....	Skin Horse doesn't directly parallel The Wizard of Oz, and only you mentioning the main cast's relevance to the main characters (plus the cowardly lion) even brought to mind the idea that there could be parallels.
If the Winter Soldier is a Soviet Agent, how did HYDRA obtain him as an asset? In the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier , a flashback explains how Bucky was 'recovered' after his fall from the train. I can't recall whether it is explicitly stated that he fell into the custody of the Soviet Union, but I know...	We even see the Hydra logo on the Siberian facility where the Winter Solider was kept. It also makes sense that if HYDRA wants their own personal assassin, that hiding him within the KGB is more effective than hiding him within SHIELD, which probably has more than a few rules about that kind of thing. In Captain Americ...
Has Wonder Woman got superpowers in 1974 TV series? I just watched the 1974 Wonder Woman TV movie which acted as pilot for the 1975 TV series. Unlike Justice League cartoons, she didn't use any superpowers. All she used was her brain and her skills as a warrior. Upon being asked how she travelled so quickly, she al...	In the 1970's TV series with Lynda Carter, she DID have super powers, though they were from her golden belt that she wore, which was the secret to her abilities.
Can translator microbes work on animals? The microbes seem to let various species understand the spoken language of many other species. One noted exception is the full language of the Pilot. Anyway, when Crichton returns to Earth, would he be able to understand the language of animals such as dolphins or whales? Where...	If humans without such tech can reliably and consistently interpret different animal species' audible communication then yes the translator microbes could interpret that 'language'.
Does Data think about walking? When humans move, we don't normally think about it - we just walk or talk and concentrate on what we are doing rather than how to do it (like we don't think 'retract bicep' or 'extend knee 40 degrees'). Does Data need to think consciously about this (like 'extend knee 40 degrees'), or do...	In answer to your specific question, my guess would be that walking (given the potential for harm to self and others) would definitely be one of the things that Data thinks about consciously rather than allowing it to be controlled by an automated process.
What does the Ferengi Emblem represent? Looking at the official Ferengi Emblem I am at a loss as to what it is supposed to represent (other than perhaps constantly accumulating wealth). Does anyone know what the creative staff had in mind when designing the Ferengi Emblem? <Q> The official Impel Star Trek Trading Card...	The Symbol of the Ferengi Alliance is a graphic representation of their narrow view of life: a "dog-eat-dog" world is represented by a small circle being engulfed by a larger symbol, which itself is being "eaten" by another!
What was Draco Malfoy's biggest fear? If Draco were to be confronted by a Boggart, what would it appear as to him? Was this ever suggested in the books or mentioned by JKR? <Q> As @Slytherincess noted, there's no information in standard canon (books/JKR interviews/Pottermore). <S> However, the secondary canon (specif...	If we are talking before he was a good person then I think it would have to be his dad or family being disappointed in him, so again, it reverts back to his dad. No JKR interview I have read or heard has revealed what Draco's Boggart is.
Do we ever see a pregnant crewmember on TNG? Other than Troi in The Child, do we ever see a pregnant crewmember of the Enterprise D? Of course we see Keiko pregnant, but she's a civilian. I'm trying to imagine a maternity uniform. <Q> Nurse Ogawa was pregnant through Season 7. <S> Troi was pregnant with an alien chi...	In Voyager, Kes was seen giving birth to hers and Tom Paris' daughter in an alternate future in an episode "Before and After."
Do Wizards pay Muggle taxes? There are quite a lot of Wizarding families who, I assume, live in places inaccessible/invisible to Muggles. However, there are examples of families who live among the Muggles, so their neighbors know about their existence, they just think they are a bit eccentric. However, if they openly l...	Wizards who live in muggle houses or own muggle stocks and bonds probably pays taxes on them just like a muggle.
What was Dumbledore's original wand made of? Before acquiring the Elder Wand, what kind of wand did Dumbledore have, and what kind of wood and core components went into it? We know that he was buried with the Elder Wand. Are there any references to what became of his original wand? <Q> Holly (probably...) <S> Celt...	No indication has been given as to what wood this wand is made of (yet).
How far does Avada Kedrava penetrate things? I know this is a bit of a silly question, but I have to ask it as a scientist: How far does this spell (and others I guess) penetrate objects? Clearly it goes through clothes, from the books, but I also remember Harry leaping behind tombstones in the graveyard when Voldemor...	Harry was also protected by the Golden statues at the end of Order of the Phoenix .
How fast does a phaser beam travel? A phaser fires a nadion particle beam at its target. That sounds like inertial mass is involved so it doesn't reach light speed. Semi-out-of-universe we see how fast a phaser beam is: I'd estimate something around 80 kph. You can see it moving with the naked eye. But that might be ju...	Since characters in all of the Star Trek series are shown ducking from and dodging phaser beams, it would seem that their speed is somewhat less than the speed of light and often slower than the speed of a bullet from a projectile weapon. As the video below shows, beam speed is wildly inconsistent.
Fantasy book filled with short disturbing stories 6/4/2015 Still have not located book but thank you all for trying to help. A special thanks to Hypnosifl and scary who have provided the best leads for this extremely elusive book 1.The book contains a retelling or translated version of "The green mist" by Marie Clothi...	As far as I remember, this story was adapted and used in a few different fairy tale/folklore collections for children.
Have any crimes been committed using a Transporter? By their very nature, Transporters could be used for a variety of criminal means, such as: distorting a person's appearance (for fraudulent or malicious acts) or even destroying a person. Is there any proof that a Transporter can be used to commit criminal a...	In Data's Day , a transporter is used to mask the smuggling-out of a Romulan spy - a direct act of espionage that Picard and Data uncover in that very episode.
What's the difference between a Holodeck and a Holosuite? The Enterprise D had a holodeck for training, entertainment, and plot contrivance, but on DS9, the holo-projecting room was referred to as a 'holosuite'. What is the technical difference between a holodeck and a holosuite? <Q> Essentially, there's no differenc...	Holosuites are Ferengi and holodecks are Federation tech,
What was the space station structure in Clone Wars Season Six? In the first episode of Season Six of the Clone Wars, the planet under siege Ringo Vinda, is a planet encompassed by a giant ring space station. The entire planet!!! What type of megastructure would this be considered? <Q> I'm assuming your asking if there'...	I couldn't find anything referring to an extra large space station, also I found that the one you are talking about is just called a ring space station according to the wookieepedia as well..
What Language is Raven using for her attacks? I know that Teen Titans is based off from DC Works as Robin, Starfire, Raven and Cyborg are supposed to be younger versions of themselves. I am wondering what language Raven uses in her attacks, if it's a made up language i'd also like to know where i can look up translati...	Raven is a half-demon and half-human possessing many abilities inherited from her father Trigon . My thought is that, as Azarath is her idyllic homeworld, and Earth often being depicted as a middle ground between dimensions, she may be saying something like, "Heaven, Earth, Hell," with her demonic powers triggering at ...
Who is the older of the two, Goldberry or Tom Bombadil? Who is the older of two, Goldberry or Tom Bombadil? Tom found her long ago,but she was there for him to find, couldn't she be older than him? <Q> In the Fellowship of the Ring Tom describes himself as: <S> Eldest, that’s what I am. <S> Mark <S> my words, my fri...	Goldberry is the "River-woman's daughter", which means that she obviously has a mother.
Why didn't Stark sue the government for stealing his armour in Iron Man 2 When James Rhodes took Tony Stark's armour in Iron Man 2, wasn't that stealing a patented product and if so why didn't Stark take legal action against the US government? Pepper Potts was heard speaking to a lawyer about it when Stark visited her...	You can't sue the US federal government unless they consent to being sued, under the doctrine of Sovereign Immunity.
Was Hydra behind the events of the Avengers? I'm rewatching The Avengers. In Loki's lair, Selvig asks how Loki was able to acquire a large amount of soldiers and laboratory equipment and resources so quickly. To this Clint Barton replied S.H.I.E.L.D. has no shortage of enemies. Given the events of Captain America:...	Avengers Assemble weren't Hydra goons (and I believe that they were), the reveal that one of the members of the World Security Council at the time was part of Hydra indicates to me that they had at least some hand in what happened. It's too early to say anything definitive regarding this plot point.
Evidence of Lan's fear in Wheel of Time? I think I've read the first five books of the Wheel of Time series, but it was a long time ago. I started re-reading the first one recently. Moiraine has mentioned several times about being afraid, but Lan hasn't. He seems unshakable in his courage. Does he ever mention being af...	Lan admits in the earlier chapters of The Eye of the World that Myrddraal frighten him, because as the saying goes, "The look of the Eyeless is Fear."
Was it out of character for "Mad Eye" Moody to punish Draco Malfoy the way he did? In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , we see Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody dole out punishment to Draco, by turning him into The Amazing Bouncing Ferret . Of course, later we learn that it wasn't really Alastor Moody, it was a poly-juiced...	Mad Eye Moody would not "use transfiguration as a punishment"; Mad Eye Moody would not abuse a child. Yes, it was a big surprise to me that Mad Eye Moody turned out the way he did.

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