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Can dragons in TES take on humanoid form? Dragons in the elder scrolls have many fabulous powers thanks to them knowing and speaking the words of power. What I'm not sure about though is, if they have a power that dragons in other fantasy settings have: The ability to take on a humanoid shape? <Q> It's a possibility, ...	Yes, it's a possibility.
Why didn't Vader upgrade himself? I read somewhere that Palpatine purposely gave Vader a suit full of weaknesses (exposed buttons, vulnerability to electrocution etc.) so that he will be handicapped if he ever attempts to challenge his master (who after defeating the Jedi and becoming Emperor has no intention to die, p...	I think we can assume that, if Vader had indeed upgraded his suit, Palpatine would have felt the true emotion behind false pretenses such as "wanting to better serve his Master". From what we've seen, Anakin's mechanical abilities were more of the tinker/poke and prod at existing tech until it works variety rather than...
Where do Maiar dwell in Valinor? Do they mingle with the elves? Do they have their own little kingdom somewhere where they fraternize amongst themselves? Or do they stay in Valimar atop the mountain where the Valar are? <Q> It depends on the Maia in question. <S> There are surprisingly few references to the Maiar in ...	It makes sense to assume that they lived with or near the Valar they were associated with.
Can someone identify all the characters in this Marvel Not Brand Echh panel? Marvel's Not Brand Echh was a satirical magazine poking fun at the "Distinguished Competition", published in the 1960s. Since I wasn't around then, some of the jokes and references require a quick Google (for example AuH2O referring to Senat...	Alfred E. Neuman Thor Herman Munster Grandpa Munster
What does the small picture on the cover of comic books indicate? What does the small stamp/picture (usually in the upper left hand corner) on comic book covers indicate? The Hulk below is the best example of what I am referring to (where he appears just below the "35¢" stamp). I was wondering if it was related to ...	The stamp indicates a brand or a category that the comics belongs to.
Why did Voldemort hide two Horcruxes in Hogwarts? In the Harry Potter movies, Voldemort made the Horcruxes and hid them in different locations, but he hid two of them in the same place: Hogwarts. Tom Riddle's diary in the Chamber of Secrets; Ravenclaw's Diadem in the Room of Requirement; Is there some explanation ...	Another reason might be his thinking that only he had dived deep in Hogwarts secrets, Only he knew about the Room of Requirement.
The name of the room holding the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone in first Harry Potter movie/book In the first book/movie of Harry Potter, he and his friends go to a specific room to get the Sorcerer's Stone. This room had many traps, like the famous giant witch chess, for example.We know some things about this room: ...	Once they go through the trapdoor, they need to make their way through passageways and through rooms which have the obstacles in them.
Why did Voldemort not seek out multiple means of preventing death during his first reign? In The Sorcerers Philosophers Stone, we learn about the stone and Nicholas Flamel who has lived for nigh on 600 years. Surely Voldemort would have heard of him as famous of an Alchemist as he was as well as this, Flamel had ties...	Voldemort clearly doesn't relish the idea of risking his life by facing a likely more powereful - and immortal - opponent (and 600 year old wizard is not likely to be a pushover).
Has Cyclops of the X-Men ever developed the power to control his eyes? Pretty straightforward question. We see Cyclops with his trademark visor/glasses on 24/7 to control his power. So is there ever a point in any universe where Cyclops develops control of his power and is able to use it without the visor/glasses? N...	However a retcon, by Joss Whedon in the pages of Astonishing X-Men , suggests that Cyke is in fact the one who does not allow himself full control over his mutant powers: He has had control over his ability, albeit temporarily in Astonishing X-Men . However there is simply not enough information for us to understand ex...
Was Huttese based on Klingon? I came across the below image ' Huttese ' script from Star Wars : It struck me immediately as bearing a strong resemblance to Klingon script: So, my question is, is there any evidence to suggest that Huttese script was based on Klingon script? <Q> Probably No. <S> The script in you...	They based the letters on the Klingon battlecruiser hull markings (three letters) first created by Matt Jeffries, and on Tibetan writing because the script had sharp letter forms—used as a testament to the Klingons' love for bladed weapons.
What happened to the Jedi Temple during the Imperial period? This question is different from this one as the subject of that question is the Temple's information archives, whereas the this question's subject is the temple complex itself. Was it demolished, abandoned or put to any particular use? Answers for both Leg...	The damaged Jedi Temple fell into disrepair
What is the meaning of 'Nor' in Cardassian? In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine we find out that the Cardassian name for the Deep Space Nine space station is "Terok Nor." Later, the Maquis (in The Maquis, Part I ) use a protomatter implosion device to destroy the Bok'Nor. Then in the episode Empok Nor we learn that th...	Because of the use of the term in both a freighter and a space station, I am inclined to believe that Nor (exclusively) does refer to a space station type.
Does the Interdict of Merlin appear in original Harry Potter canon? In Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Eliezer Yudkowsky a concept called the ' Interdict of Merlin ' appears: (all emphasis added) Chapter 23: His hand on the doorknob, Harry Potter already inside and waiting, wearing his cowled cloak...	The Interdict is an added plot device (though something like it must surely exist elsewhere in the vast reaches of already-written fantasy).
Why is the bridge located in a vulnerable spot on capital ships? Why is the bridge located in a vulnerable spot on capital ships? In various sci-fi worlds, capital-class space ships seem to have their bridge located in a manner where it is easily accessible to enemy fire (even small ship fire). It makes it seem like i...	The designers often want the layout to be recognizable - so a prominent bridge with forward-looking windows is often part of the design.
Did Bene Gesserit believe in god? Bene Gesserit used religious beliefs to further their goals ( Missionaria Protectiva ). But did Bene Gesserit themselves hold genuine religious belief (e.g. in a supernatural power, preferably in a form of a deity as opposed to more amorphous "fate" etc...)? I don't mean possible fai...	The BG, being one of the longest standing schools in the Dune universe, surely are not political and religious.
Why didn't the weaker tributes gang up on the stronger ones in The Hunger Games? The Hunger Games universe presents that the wealthier districts have special training and volunteers for their tributes ( "Careers" ). While it certainly seems reasonable that the poorer districts could not support such an effort, it also...	The Hunger Games are designed so that there is only one survivor. For an individual who wants to survive, it would be much smarter to let the others take the risks, and to stay at the sidelines of the fight.
What does Kirk mean by "I'm a soldier, not a diplomat"? In Errand of Mercy , Captain Kirk says to the Organian council members, "I'm a soldier, not a diplomat," at about 9:20 (also, transcript here ). This seems very much at odds with depictions of Starfleet as having primarily a mission of exploration and diplomacy...	I think this is rhetoric on the part of the captain.
What was different about this room in Heaven Sent? In the Doctor Who episode s09e11 Heaven Sent , If everything resets to its initial state on a regular basis, why didn’t the block of azbantium (the stuff that was 400x harder than diamond) reset as well, and prevent the Doctor from digging through? <Q> The Doctor w...	The designer or what we can say with some degree of certainty, the Time lord president did not anticipate that the doctor will chisel away the diamond wall in a very very long time and thus he designed the wall not to reset. Room 12 has a markedly different appearance to the rest of the castle – in particular, the unus...
How can Transformers travel in space and survive the cold, given they're susceptible to it in the movies? I was wondering if there's any explanation how Transformers flew to Earth/Moon in space. Watching once again first part of Transformers movies I noticed that Bumblebee/Megatron were kept frozen. At the same time Au...	But , the original autobots (Optimus Prime, Iron Hide, Jazz, Rachet, and Bumblebee) all got to earth in escape pods from Cybertron that might have protected them from the cold of space.
How was the Death Star going to destroy the rebel moon in the Battle of Yavin? Just before the Battle of Yavin, Vader says This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi, it will soon see the end of the Rebellion. Now, just before Obi-Wan died, Death Star was used (against Alderaan). As a reloa...	Right before Alderaan's destruction, Leia announces that the rebel base is on Dantooine. Now taking in the single source of now worthless expanded universe cannon, should it take the Death Star 24 hours to recharge the weapon to destroy a planet, then logically it is over 24 hours between the destruction of Alderaan an...
Does Sith Mind Control exist in canon? @Richard commented here that @SS-3.1415926535897932384626433 - Although there's some evidence that the Sith can control minds, that doesn't seem to stretch to creating meatpuppet soldiers in sufficient quantities to prevent being immediately slaughtered by their comrades. It...	In the canon comic Star Wars: Darth Vader #1 , Vader is on Tatooine talking with someone highly resistant to Jedi mind tricks.
Why was Woody unaware of his toy backstory when Buzz knew his? Inspired by Why doesn't Buzz know he's a toy? , Buzz Lightyear believed his toy backstory was that he was a a space ranger out to defeat Emperor Zurg, as described on the back of his box. The short film Toy Story that Time Forgot showed the Battlesaurs w...	One thing that uniquely differentiates Woody from Buzz and the Battlesaurs is that he is very, very old .
How did Caprica Sharon know so much? During season one and early season two, the Caprica-based Cylon Model 8, Sharon "Athena" Agathon, is seen to have knowledge of the Sharon "Boomer" Valerii on Galactica. She hadn't been killed / resurrected, so how does she know Helo and remember meeting Starbuck ("I remember the fir...	Therefore, it is a reasonable deduction that there was a telepathic hive mind download of Sharon when she first met all the other copies of her aboard the Cylon ship.
Did Harry Potter ever invent any spells? Many of the greatest wizards in the Harry Potter universe invented their own spells. Dumbledore, acknowledged as one of the greatest wizards of the age : "Examined him myself in Transfiguration and Charms when he did NEWTs ... Did things with a wand I'd never seen before....	Fred and George's headless hats certainly use an innovative extension of an existing spell, if not a spell of their own creation:
What happens if you try an offensive spell on yourself? In the last battle between Harry and Voldemort, I remember something like, The wand soared in a high ark, towards a master it would not hurt (or kill?) So my question is, what would happen if someone directed their wand toward themselves and cast a spell, like...	I think under normal circumstances the problem would be performing the spell properly whilst pointing the wand at yourself. It would probably work and even kill the caster.
Why are there no teller transactions? Is there any in-universe reason why Gringotts forces its customers to ride a minecart to room-sized safety deposit boxes in order to deposit/withdraw money, rather than allowing them to deposit/withdraw money with the tellers? <Q> I don't think there's anything in canon to say th...	In The Wizarding World of Harry Potter , there’s a “Gringotts Automated Teller Machine” :
Were there any other ways into Mordor? The two ways that Frodo considers in order to make his way into Mordor are The Black Gate and The Pass of Cirith Ungol. These seem to be the only ways that anyone considers taking at any point, yet they both seem nigh impassable due to the dangers i.e. the amount of Sauron's forc...	It is also possible to enter Mordor from the South, as the Haradrim do.
Why didn't Flamel make more than one Philosopher's Stone? In Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality , Harry Potter plans to use the Philosopher's Stone to guarantee immortality for everyone . (Yes, ambitious goal, dreams are free, etc etc...) Obviously, things are a bit different from HPMOR to Harry Potter cano...	He thought it was better for people to eventually die than to live. He could have easily produced more Elixir than he needed and either given it away or sold it without the need of creating another stone. Presumably, the process to create a stone was one that required great precision and/or expensive/rare materials. Th...
Why is cutting the nerve cords in Starcraft 2 Legacy of the Void such a drastic turning point for protoss society? I've just finished watching the Starcraft 2 Legacy of the Void "movie", and I just don't understand the whole "oh no, if I cut off my nerve cords the Khala will die" thing. I might not know something or th...	My understanding is the Khala holds the ancestral memory of the entire Protoss culture, but only when there are people tapped into the Khala keeping it going, like the Preservers.
Can a starship fire at warp? I know the USS Vengeance in Star Trek Into Darkness fired on the USS Enterprise while at warp, but wasn't there some technical rule about weapons at warp? <Q> Phasers: <S> yes <S> On Page 84 of the Deep Space 9 Technical Manual : a phaser beam can be delivered at warp speeds due t...	As many people have said, there are many examples of ships firing phasers at warp.
Did Gene Roddenberry really want every ST series to end after 7 seasons? I am not sure if this is a real fact or just rumor. I heard that TNG ended because it was Gene's wish that the series not continue past 7 seasons. I am not sure if that is real or not. Is it? Is that why the others are 7 except Enterprise? Asi...	The usual contract is 7 seasons, after that contracts are renegotiated and it can be much more expensive to make a show.
Why do the Ferengi keep their women naked? Why do the Ferengi keep their "females" naked, instead of allowing them clothes? <Q> They keep their women naked, so they cannot make profit (and lead a normal life) <S> In DS9: Profit and Lace : <S> QUARK: <S> Would somebody please tell me what's going on? <S> ISHK...	Ferengi families, don't seems to want to see their daughters/mothers/wives flirting or having sex others/strangers anymore than American humans would. The clothing of the male Ferengi can be seen as more easily facilitating his economic transactions with other species that have problems with nudity (such as humans for ...
Is there any mention of mathematicians in Westeros? I'm thinking people in Westeros and Essos know or ought to know math such as basic geometry and probability and maybe some basics of finance, economics, physics, engineering, technology, medicine or statistics However, I find the profession of theoretical mathematic...	It's quite plausible that the maesters in the Citadel, who are essentially cloistered academics, have taken the study of mathematics far beyond what is required for accountancy, land surveying, war, etc. The words "math, maths, or mathematics" do not appear in the books.
How did the Kents raise a super-baby? I have seem plenty of questions and posts about how could Superman (with all his powers) deal with XYZ , more or less having his Superpowers in the way of everyday routine for a normal human. Probably one of the most famous would be "Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" which expla...	However, there are methods of handling the troublesome issues of young children. Normally, you can't effectively reason with young children , even though it seems they can understand. There may be other off-hand mentions of raising Clark, in comics of television, but I'm guessing there as hard to find as the quote from...
Has Superman ever had an army? I was wondering why in the new Batman V Superman trailers when Batman is fighting soldiers dressed in all black in the desert, why do they all appear to have a Superman logo on their shoulders? Having just finished what is released of Injustice I can only assume they are some of Superman'...	On numerous occasions Superman has commanded an army of Superman Robots with Superman logos.
How big is the main viewer on the bridge of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) I am wondering what size the view screen on the bridge of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is. I want to know how it compares with current consumer display technology. I am thinking if the information is not in any of the technical manuals then...	Measuring the height of each at the center in pixels, the screen appears to be very close to 8 feet in height. Jonathan Frakes is 6'4" , and the top of the door appears to be a few inches higher than his head.
How did Jessica Jones know that the hermetically sealed room would be safe? Warning: possible spoilers . Read at your own risk. In the television show version of Jessica Jones , at one point she captures Killgrave and puts him in a hermetically sealed room. She tells another character that so long as he can't breathe...	It's never explained outright, but we're lead to believe that she has figured out roughly how his powers work, though she doesn't quite understand why. If it turned out to be control via magic (or line-of-sight or something else) then she seems reasonably confident she can resist him long enough to shock him and try so...
Are there any non-human captains (and up) in Starfleet? Both the admiralty and the captains (regularly) featured on Star Trek are, to my knowledge, all human. Isn't this odd, for an organisation priding itself on including as many different species as possible? There are plenty examples of non-human first officers (Kei...	Admiral T'Lara, also a Vulcan. There are non-human captains in Starfleet.
Why did Data want to be human instead of other species? A common theme throughout the series is Data doing what he could to become more human. But of all the alien species out there, why did he pick human? Why not Ferengi or whatever Q was? <Q> For a start, Data's 'father' N. Soong was human . <S> Children often seek ...	Sure, he might have known and been friends with some non-humans too, but it definitely makes sense that he'd want to be human more than anything else.
In Face the Raven, who gave Ashildr the power of Quantum Shade and why? Did the Time Lords give Ashildr that power? I assume it was them, since she says she gets to retain that power in exchange for delivering the doctor to them. But another thing Ashildr mentions is that they have a deal: she gets the power an...	So it looks like yes, the Time Lords supplied Ashildr with the Quantum Shade.
In Doctor who: Heaven Sent, why did the floor tile with the room number on it not reset itself? It is shown that the castle resets itself and goes back to its original state. However, the number of skulls keeps on increasing with every iteration. That would indicate that the lake does not reset, only the castle does. ...	They do reset - these are clues left by the building to lead the doctor through the castle
What was the benefit of the belts given by Galadriel to 3 Fellowship members? Lady Galadriel (and her husband) gave the Fellowship members gifts. Frodo got the Phial with the light of Eärendil's star (which was the recycled light of the Two Trees - basically, Liquid Schwarts ). Pretty fancy as gifts go, and quite ...	For Merry and Pippin, these 2 belts were not of much physical significance. Frodo received the phial, which was a light in the darkness to help in the fight against Shelob.
Can you be transported if you're inside of a portkey? Inspired by some fan art, I was considering how possible it is to create a TARDIS using Harry Potter magic. Time travel seems to be nearly impossible, (Time-Turners are extremely limited in use, and only seem to let you go backward), but just about everything else...	Almost any inanimate object can be turned into a Portkey.
Where exactly does Eragon take place? I'm doing an assignment for class about Eragon. I'm wondering about the setting. Is Alagaesia an island? "Do you remember what I told you about how the elves came over the sea?" - page. 169 I know that this implies that Alagaesia was an unexplored continent, but it could al...	- Alagaesia = a continent.
What kind of drills does Vernon Dursley sell? We know that Vernon Dursley is the Director of Grunnings, a company that sells Drills, but what kind of drills do they sell? Hand drills? Small power drills? press drills? <Q> Without a canon answer we can only guess. <S> There are however some facts that would lead to ...	Although we can't say for certain what type of drills they make, we can at least be reasonably certain that they manufacture industrial drills since the largest bits wouldn't fit into a standard hand-drill.
When was Luke Skywalker conceived? So, some minor spoilers below to Star Wars episodes 3 and 5, though I really don't think anyone should not know about this. Anyway, I got to reading this question about why Anakin thought he could save Padme when she was so close to giving birth, and the (currently) top-voted an...	As far as I know, there is no canon info about the exact time of conception, but it had to be some time after episode 2 during the clone wars. At the end of Episode II, we see a wedding ceremony between Anakin and Padmé on Naboo, at the lakeside palace where they stayed earlier in the film. Assuming that humans in the ...
Do we ever see a 23rd Century Starfleet Officer with facial hair? I recall that in the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , McCoy beams aboard the ship with a fabulous beard. The next time we see him though, he's shaved it off. That got me to thinking that I couldn't remember any instance of a Starfleet Offi...	Captain Krasnovsky ( Court Martial - TOS S1Ep14) played by Bart Conrad Fleet Admiral Harry Morrow We also see Lieutenant Kyle (who seems to get more hair as he rises in rank - see below) as well as Captain O'Shea wearing a full beard in ST:
What was the first work of science fiction to feature a counter-Earth? A counter-Earth is a planet always opposite the Earth in its orbit around the Sun - or, as first conceived by Greek philosopher Philolaus, in its orbit around the central fire, around which the Sun also orbited. Did any scifi works feature a counte...	But the radio program The Adventures of Superman (1940-1951) described Krypton as a counter-Earth beginning on February 1940.
Has there ever been a depiction or scene of inside a Babylon 5 Shadow Vessel? Babylon 5 introduces the Shadow , one of the most mysterious and sinister villains in the genre, together with their deadly warcraft. Have we ever seen inside one of these terrifying vessels? An in canon description will suffice if the...	We do see inside a Shadow vessel (kinda) on at least one occasion, when Michael Garibaldi's ship is captured.
Why did the Ringworld Engineers use flatten map as a way of forming maps of worlds? Note: I don't ask here why did they created "maps of worlds" at all. That has been mainly answered in this question . My question is: why map exactly, as a way of (visually) forming "maps of worlds"? What is the point of this? Why n...	Copying the layout of distant worlds exactly was a sure way to link the maps to the worlds they represented, without the use of written language.
(40k) How does a Space Marine get into and out of his power armor? How does a space marine get into his armor? I understand that the armor itself is separated into segments, such as the torso and pauldrons are separate and can be replaced when damaged. Is the armor worn piece by piece like the medieval plate armor wi...	Power Armor is attached and removed piece by piece.
How does one leave platform nine and three-quarters? When parents send their children to Hogwarts, they walk through the walls to enter the otherwise hidden platform nine and three-quarters. Is it explicitly stated how they get out of it? <Q> There is a wizard on duty who ensures that everyone doesn't leave the platfo...	You walk back out the same way that you come in. It seems pretty obvious there are no other direct ways to enter or leave the Platform, a portkey may be possible in extremely rare instances.
In Dune when is the year 10191? The Wiki is claiming that the Dune Calendar starts with the Spacing Guild. Is this and their analysis accurate? If not then: Can we say by our calendar when is 10191 in the Dune universe? <Q> From the wikia that you linked: <S> Thus, the year 10,191 AG corresponds to the year 21,26...	I think the year 10191 comes from the Dune movie (1984).
How high can Spider-man jump? In an answer about Spidey vs. Doc Ock , we learned that Spider-man is actually one of the stronger Marvel super-heroes. It's also often stated that he has the proportional strength of a spider, but that amount tends to vary by writer/spider. However, since he's so strong, I wonder how hi...	In his first appearance, Spider-Man was shown jumping about 3 stories, or roughly 36 feet, according to Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide.
Did Vader ever learn that Sidious controlled both sides in the Clone Wars? Considering that Dooku, Grievous, and Nute Gunray are dead at the end of Revenge of the Sith , would there have been any way for Anakin to learn that Palpatine controlled both sides? <Q> Vader must have known either before or immediately after ...	Vader knew that Palpatine is not only A Sith Lord but THE Sith Lord.
In-universe, how is BB-8's head adhered to his body? In-universe, how is BB-8's head adhered to his body? <Q> Magnets As commenters have noted below the question, the obvious answer is magnets , but it was surprisingly hard to find an official confirmation of this. <S> The most common in-universe schematic of BB-8 ...	It used MAGNETS, like everyone said. Its my understanding that they actually made a working, patented roller-ball droid (besides the various props they created).
What franchises are these robots from? I know you guys love identifying things but we don't have any Robots! :D <Q> This image lists all of the characters in order. <S> The text lists the characters and the year they first appeared. <S> The work is by artist Daniel Nyari , but this image of a poster isn't shown on his...	Cyberman - Doctor Who Cylon - Battlestar Galactica (original) Marvin - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (movie) Voltron - Voltron Eve - Wall-E Wall-E Alpha 5 from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Voltron EVE (from Wall-E ) 1 Terminator ( The Terminator ) Man - Mega Man ... Astro Boy - Astro Boy ... ... Gort (from The Day ...
Where is National City located? Kara Danvers/Supergirl lives in National City, which appears to be at least a moderately large city, though smaller than Metropolis. We know from various episodes that it is relatively near a mountainous area with a dry/desert climate, where the DEO does training exercises (Supergirl...	So, all of the pieces seem to fit a city located somewhere on the southern CA coast between LA and San Diego. If we were to narrow it down, I feel it is more plausible that National City is a surrogate for Chicago, Illinois, but on the west coast given that it has a port. National City would be near, but not part of Lo...
Was "Death Star" an officially designated name? In A New Hope , the Death Star is only referred to as such (in dialogue) on four separate occasions; three of which are the intercom at the rebel base on Massassi, so I'm not sure they count as truly separate. It does appear in writing in the opening crawl and, likewise,...	A New Hope , it's referred to as the Death Star by the Imperials themselves : IMPERIAL OFFICER:
Can astromech droids control and fly the ships they're mounted in? I was wondering if astromech droids (like R2-D2) could fully control any unmanned ship they're mounted in. <Q> Yes We see R2 pilot Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter in "R2 Come Home", an episode of The Clone Wars <S> Not only does he do some pretty fan...	Obviously, a droid that functions as a starfighter is capable of piloting itself, and is therefore capable of piloting a starfighter.
Can Supergirl get sick? Has Supergirl ever gotten sick before? According to this question ,Superman has gotten sick before, but has this happened to Supergirl, and what are the effects? <Q> In the TV show, yes. <S> In season 1 episode 7 : <S> Kara has longed to feel normal. <S> Well, now she gets her chance. <S>...	In the TV show(which i find surprisingly accurate) she does get sick after doing her solar flare she then basically became human for a few days. As a Kryptonian she is immune to all earth born diseases under a yellow sun in the comics.
Was Miriel the first Elf to die? Miriel was the wife of Finwe and Mother of Feanor. She died in Year 1170 YT after giving birth to Feanor. So were there any Elven deaths that pre-date hers, or is she the first to die? <Q> Although she was the first named elf we know died, she was not the very first; there were Elves ...	Miriel was not the first elf to die.
What does this writing by the genie in Disney's Aladdin say? I was rewatching Aladdin the other day and caught the genie writing this: What does it say? <Q> Persian for Turkey (and?) <S> Rice (Pilaf) <S> According to User Arminius99 from the reddit post linked by @sumelic the Persian <S> not Arabic writing would...	I ran the text through a lot of different translators and the first word always came out as Turkey It looks like a quote from the Arabic word "لو تعلمون" which means "if you know" in Arabic language.
Do lightsabers "stick" to each other? In lightsaber combat, strikes are often blocked, generating a loud noise and a bright light. If they were normal swords, the swords would have some level of friction holding the contact point in place. With light sabers, it is less clear. If you cross lightsabers with someone, p...	The only time you see lightsaber wielders actually stop an opposing lightsaber is when one person is holding two sabers in an X formation. there seems to be SOME resistance to the blades sliding alongside each other. From the various sources of what I've read, the closest physical-feeling equivalent would be fencing wi...
Do droids feel pain? In Return of the Jedi , there's a garbage bin droid having his feet branded in Jabba's palace. It sounds like it's screaming in fear of pain, and makes more pained noises as the hot irons touch it's feet. Was the droid actually feeling pain 1 ? 1. " Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emo...	As to the wider question of whether 'droids feel pain in the Star Wars universe, we know that C-3PO certainly does.
Looking for a science fiction book: single novel, slow rotation alt earth. Protagonist travels between clans/groups to unite them Read/published in late 70s or into 80s. The hero is thrown into the story, which begins in a grassland setting where the people are nomadic because of the slow planet rotation with grass f...	This story has all the elements of historical fantasy, and yet the setting is a science fictional world, settled two thousand years ago by human colonists whose technology has been lost. It Came from Schenectady", published in 2001, and originally published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, November 1980.
Are there records of Rebel usage of CIS technology? For as long as I can remember, the Rebel Alliance (at least in its earlier years) has resorted to appropriating abandoned CIS (Confederacy of Independent Systems) droids, mechs and especially ships shut down after the Clone Wars to support their resource-strapped mili...	- Berch Teller's small rebel cell uses droid tri-fighters and vulture droids in an attempt to capture Wilhuff Tarkin's personal ship, the Carrion Spike .
How does interspecies reproduction work in the Lord of the Rings universe? So, I know that there is a race in Lord of the Rings of Peredhil (half elf). Also, in the Hobbit (film trilogy, not book), there is a romance between a dwarf and an elf. My question is, how do man/elf or dwarf/elf offspring work? Can they not ...	We know that it is possible between Elf and Man (if they can find it within them to get it on with each other) - there are at least two such recorded romances in the Silmarillion, and the last resulted in two Half-Elf-Half-Man offspring: Elrond and Elros. If we go by biology*, creatures that are accepted as different (...
Book about boy who suddenly attains powers, goes to school for kids with powers There is a book about a boy who gains powers all of a sudden. He goes to a special school, and he meets people who have other types of powers; for instance, one of his friends had perfect photographic memory, and there is a girl. I think it...	I think The Paladin Prophecy is the book you are referring to.
Why does C-3PO have a red arm in “The Force Awakens?” In Star Wars: The Force Awakens , we run into our old friend C-3PO: Goodness! Han Solo! It is I, SeeThreepio! You probably don't recognize me because of the red arm. Look who it is! Did you see who? Oh. Excuse me, Prin-- uh, General. Sorry. Come along, BB-8. Qu...	A droid having a slightly mismatched limb was just part of the "used future" setting.
Book where boy doesn't have magic but everyone else does I remembered reading a book about a boy who doesn't have magic while everyone does. His uncle is a famous wizard and helps him get into a wizard school. Later on, it Is revealed that the boy doesn't have magic because the uncle took it away when he was young. A...	In the book Missing Magic, a young boy has to deal with being the only one without magic powers. Although it's not an exact match, your question has some vague similarities to the Codex Alera series.
Why did Doc Brown take so long to write to Marty? At the end of Back to the Future II , Marty receives a letter from the Doc from September 1885, just a few days before his death. He explains in that letter that he had been living in 1885 for the past 8 months and wanted to stay there. My question is; why did Doc tak...	He would have only sent the letter after exhausting every option he could think of and had finally accepted his fate. Doc was already paying for a letter to be delivered seventy years in the future, they were probably laughing so hard, swapping the letter for free seems like a common courtesy at that point.
Why do Rey and Leia hug in The Force Awakens? In The Force Awakens : Rey departs in the Falcon towards the end of the film, Leia and Rey haven't met yet (as far as we have seen on screen), yet she walks right up to Leia and hugs her; both sharing a look like they know one another. Is there a connection there? I d...	All we know is that the hug between Rey and Leia was that of two force sensitive people mourning a mutual loss together. What we don't know is how much Leia was told of Rey and how that implies with Rey's identity to make it a "reunion. Rey headed for Leia on instinct. In spite of the presence of the crowd that was loo...
Why didn't Yoda have any children to take care of him during his last days given that he lived up to 900 years old? My son cried when Yoda died. He asked me why no one took care of him during his last days. Given that Yoda was around 900 years old, surely he would have lots of descendants to look after him. Why were hi...	In short, Yoda was a Jedi all of his adult life and the Jedi forbid attachments, so Yoda would not have been permitted to have a wife or children. If Palpatine had not destroyed the Jedi, the Order would have taken care of Yoda in his old age, just as real-world monastic orders take care of their elders.
What made R2-D2 reactivate in “The Force Awakens?” During The Force Awakens , BB-8 tries to wake up R2-D2, but is unsuccessful. At the end of the movie, R2-D2 wakes up. I didn't catch anything really explaining why he would activate just at that time. So, what did happen to make him wake up? <Q> BB-8 woke him up, bu...	So for those let wondering: BB-8’s earlier question rattles around inside R2’s dome for a while. That's a far less satisfying explanation than anything involving the Force, or R2-D2 detecting the Force in Rey – but that's the answer from the filmmakers. So when the planet that housed Starkiller base started to explode,...
Why weren't they already growing food on Mars? This might be separated in to 2 questions but I have issues with Mark Watney(Matt Damon) growing his own food on Mars. Currently the space station is growing their own food . On a side note it doesn't seem like the Mars soil combined with feces would be able to grow pot...	Maybe they didn't want to contaminate the planet with life from Earth It is very expensive to dedicate habitat area to farming.
What does Kylo say in the English version (and in the other translations) of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”? A spoiler follows. I saw the Italian version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and: Kylo Ren says “Nonno” while talking to the Darth Vader’s mask. “Nonno” is an Italian word that translates to “Grandpa”. I...	Kylo Ren spoke, and the object of his words listened in silence. Official confirmation from WGA leaked script confirms "Grandfather": KYLO The Supreme Leader senses it. The alcove where Kylo Ren was kneeling and speaking was darker than the rest of the adjoining chambers. He spoke now in a tone different from the one h...
Why aren't lightsabers made out of Mandalorian iron? I was just barely thinking about this while reading this question: Useless cross-guard on a lightsaber? How many times do lightsabers get cut in half in the Star Wars universe? In the movies - Obi-Wan splits Darth Maul's lightsaber in two, yet there are materia...	So it would be incredibly hard for a Jedi to find a lightsaber casing made of the material, because Mandalorian smiths wouldn't have wasted the material on things like glow rod casings or whatever household objects could be adapted into lighstaber handles, they would only have been making ships, armor, swords and the l...
Is Kylo Ren a Sith? Kylo Ren is obsessed with Darth Vader and vows to finish what he started. He wields a red lightsaber. He opposes the Jedi. He fights for the Empire ... err First Order Does that mean he is a Sith? <Q> Found an answer myself. <S> According to J.J. Abrams, in an interview to Empire magazine ,...	Nevertheless, this information proves that he is a different user of the Force, neither Sith nor Jedi. Later on, it says: "The Supreme Leader [Snoke] believes Ren to be the ideal embodiment of the Force, a focal point of both light and dark side ability." In the visual dictionary for The Force Awakens , it mentions tha...
What specifically does the "awakens" in "The Force Awakens" refer to? I checked the Wikipedia article and some interviews, and haven't found any specific answer. What specifically does the "awakening" of the Force in the title refer to? Was the Force somehow asleep or dormant? (which would, since it Binds The Galaxy ...	As per Adam Driver interview with Empire , that "awakening" applies equally to light side (Rey) and Darks side as well :
Have Kylo Ren's Force abilities been shown before? I'm only familiar with the movies, so in The Force Awakens I saw some use of the Force that was new to me. Most notable were these two abilities: freezing blaster bolts in mid-air, and directly reading someone's mind like he tried with Rey. Have either of these...	Because he is extremely skilled in Force telekinesis , Kylo Ren is able to freeze not just objects but even blaster bolts in midair. However we have signs that Kylo Ren is not very in control of his force powers. Darth Vader was able to read Luke's thoughts.
Why did R2-D2 have this item? My apologies for the vague title, in the interests of avoiding spoilers. In The Force Awakens, a large part of the plot revolves around the part map that BB-8 had on a memory stick. The First Order have the rest of the map, and, as it turns out, so does R2-D2. Is there any explanati...	R2 has the map, he's Luke's astromech droid after all. Abrams says he chose to spell this out indirectly in the movie because he didn’t want the story to get bogged down in “how s–t happened 30 years ago.” They have a fragmented map, something they scavenged from the corpse of the Empire. Now as for that map fragment, ...
How do children from Hogsmeade come to Hogwarts? Consider a family that's living in Hogsmeade. Do they have to bring their children to London (Kings Cross) when they're going to be sent to Hogwarts or can they just bring them into the school directly? <Q> It's all entirely speculation <S> but I'd have to guess they'd j...	They don't have to travel via Hogwarts Express, they could probably walk to the station from Hogsmeade.
How can Kylo Ren recognize this item? During the last part of The Force Awakens , Kylo Ren faces Finn in a snowy forest on Starkiller base. Finn lights up Luke's lightsaber to fight against Kylo Ren. Kylo immediately says something like: That lightsaber, it belongs to me! My question then is How can Kylo Ren...	Information on Anakin's lightsaber was likely communicated to Kylo Ren by Luke himself. If he's willing to hunt down Vader's burnt helmet, he'd probably be interested in other artifacts connected to Vader. For some reason, the sight of it was enough to give Ren pause. It belongs to me! Please note that he is unlikely t...
Why does Yoda need a walking stick when he is so skilled and agile with the lightsaber? It is illogical that an old man would need a walking stick when he is as agile as a circus monkey. Just watch Yoda fight Count Dooku. Why does he need a walking stick? <Q> Essentially, it's because he is an "old man" by nature. <S...	It is a Gimer Stick that has purpose beyond a simple mobility aid. Yoda isn't hobbling around, leaning on a stick because he's old and in pain.
What is the meaning behind Kylo Ren's name? The main antagonist in The Force Awakens is called Kylo Ren, but that's not his real name. The "Ren" part is a title, from the Knights of Ren, but we also learn that his birth name was Ben Solo. Switch "Kylo" and "Ren" around: Ren Kylo. "Ren" sounds like a lot like "Be...	It's just a possible out-of-universe connection, as in maybe the filmmakers came up with Kylo's name that way. Ren" is similar to "Darth" in that it is sort of a title signifying Kylo's membership in the "Knights of Ren", a group of other Dark Side followers. Try the latin word caelo (pronounced the same way as Kylo). ...
Why was Kylo unable to use simple Force telekinesis? In the climax of The Force Awakens, Kylo Ren is sees a weapon (Luke's old lightsaber) lying a few feet away in the snow. He reaches out to telekinetically pull it to him, as we've seen Force users do plenty of times in the past. This time, the weapon merely wrig...	Ren was able to, and the lightsaber would have gone to him, had Rey not had a stronger Force Pull. Throughout the movie, Kylo shows hints that he's not very polished in his use of the Force: even his lightsaber is very rough. The problem was that someone else was also trying to do the exact same thing he was. The novel...
Which planet contains the seat of the new Republic government? In The Force Awakens , a new government, called the Republic, has come to power, and is providing support and assistance to the Resistance. At one point, we see what appears to be the Senate building and the seat of power of the Republic, which the Firs...	The system destroyed was the Hosnian system (it is mentioned by name in a later scene).
How is Starkiller Base's beam visible from Takodana in The Force Awakens? On Takodana, the main characters and various bar patrons can see the planet Hosnian Prime being destroyed by Starkiller Base with their (respective) naked eyes. How did they see this? Is the Hosnian system close enough to see? If it's not ve...	Disturbed space was energized and lit up by its passage. It would seem to me that the best retcon to fix this plot hole would be to have "Hosnian Prime" and its satellites lie within the same star system as Takodana. The novelization by Alan Dean Foster provides a possible explanation, from a certain point of view (the...
Did this still from the teaser make it into The Force Awakens I may have blinked and missed it but I don't remember seeing this in the final film Given that Rey was reluctant to take it. It may not have happened. Did I miss it or was it cut? <Q> As for the scene from the second teaser where Maz Kanata appears to...	So rather than explain everything that happens in the movie in the trailers, a lot of important elements were omitted so they could be revealed later. By showing us Rey taking the lightsaber, we assumed she'd do it in the film. No, that shot was not in the film Updated w/ info from JJ Abrams I Guess we will have to wai...
In Star Wars: "The Force Awakens," how could this lightsaber have turned up where it did? In The Force Awakens : Maz Kanata tells Rey that the lightsaber she just picked up and had visions from belonged to Anakin and Luke and now it's hers. The lightsaber that Luke got from Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope was lost...	There is a distinct possibility that Luke Skywalker had found his old lightsaber in the ~30 years since RotJ and Ben was trained with it. We don't officially know where Maz got the lightsaber yet, but we can guess. When Ben then killed off the new Jedi order, he could have discarded it (or it could have been taken from...
Why was Luke Skywalker missing in The Force Awakens? In The Force Awakens , we learn in the opening crawl that Luke Skywalker has disappeared. He is in fact absent for most of the movie except for a few seconds at the very end (and in a vision / flashback scene). Why was this? I am looking both in and out...	It was also some misdirection to keep us guessing. The new Jedi order had been destroyed. He needed some space Out of universe:
Did Palpatine expect Darth Maul and the Trade Federation to be successful in the Phantom Menace? I recently re-watched parts of the Phantom Menace and it doesn't seem clear to me whether or not Palpatine planned for the counter-insurgency to be successful on Naboo . Darth Maul 's unsuccessful attempt to counter ...	Palpatine was absolutely expecting his plan to work. He wanted the Trade Federation to "wipe out" the Gungan army and capture Amidala. To answer the wider question about the invasion, it's worth noting that although Maul learned of the deceptive nature of the attack (through his network of eavesdropping drones) he didn...
Does the New Republic still exist at the end of the movie? It wasn't clear to me if the New Republic still exists at the end of The Force Awakens ? <Q> Yes, for now. <S> According to The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary <S> (Page 8: <S> Peace Interrupted + Galaxy map), it seems to still exists, alongside First Ord...	Of course it is still around!
Why does Luke Skywalker not sense the Force in Master Yoda? As we all know Luke Skywalker used the Force to destroy the Death Star in Star Wars: A New Hope . Darth Vader famously says The Force is strong with this one. Yet three years later in The Empire Strikes Back , when he meets Master Yoda for the f...	Luke senses a life-form, but does not have the skill of Vader to sense Force powers yet. Yoda has successfully hidden from the Empire, Darth Sideous, Darth Vader, and the Inquisitors for years. "It has also been demonstrated in the EU that experienced Force users can reduce, even hide, their presence in the Force.
Why does Kylo Ren's lightsaber look different from normal lightsabers? Kylo Ren's lightsaber is very confusing. It has a cross-guard, which was discussed in another question, but I don't think this was: Why does Kylo Ren's lightsaber look different from a normal lightsaber? Kylo Ren's lightsaber looks like stuff is co...	Kylo Ren's inexperience in lightsaber construction led to an unusual looking lightsaber . That is why his lightsaber, blades and hilt, seem very rough and makeshift. cracked kyber crystal , which is the main cause of the ragged, unstable blade appearance. But as he is a determined young Force user seeking completion of...
When did 'Star Fleet' become 'Starfleet'? Around the web and reading various Star Trek materials I often come across two phrases: 'Star Fleet' (emphasis on the space [no pun intended!]) and 'Starfleet'. For example 'Star Trek Technical Manual' uses the former. By the time of TNG I recall that the phrasing often le...	I can think of one thing which could've potentially contributed to the change in spelling between TOS and TNG: the British TV series Star Fleet.
Does Kylo not know the fate of Darth Vader? It seems Kylo has an obsession of Darth Vader and has an interest in the dark side because of it. Does he not realize that Darth Vader turned good and helped destroy the Empire (Spoilers?)? I feel like Kylo would've seen how much better the Light Side was as it was able to ...	And the idea that Vader didn't succeed, if you look at it from Ren’s point of view, he was seduced by the enemy and failed because of that seduction. While it's not explicitly shown on-screen, it is possible that Yoda and Obi-Wan told Bail Organa what they knew of Anakin's fall - or he guessed parts, what of it due to ...
What happened to R2-D2? In The Force Awakens , R2-D2 is shown to be in what C-3PO called some "deep hibernation mode". But my question is, how did this happen, did R2-D2 deliberately do this, or is this some kind of droid coma that he was put in involuntarily? Is this indicated anywhere or left open? <Q> Fro...	According to C-3PO, R2-D2 is in a self-imposed low-powered mode. So apparently it's due to droid emotional trauma caused by the same event that made Luke go into exile: the fledgling New Jedi Order being wiped out by Kylo Ren. As R2-D2 recuperates in his self-imposed low power mode, his diagnostic systems are attemptin...
How does the Doctor "read" the sonic screwdriver? So, a few of the doctors have now had their own sonic devices (thank god,the 12th finally got his own and not the sunglasses :P) but my question is this, when the doctor is using it, how is he able to determine the results of whatever he is using it for? For example whe...	It seems entirely reasonable that a large part of the feedback is psychic in nature, and the act of 'reading' the screwdriver (or listening to it) is simply a method of focusing on the results being returned from it.

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