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Why are stormtroopers stationed outside the Death Star near the turbolaser batteries adjacent to Bay 327? Comments in another question led me to this image from A New Hope : Why are stormtroopers walking around outside near the turbolaser batteries? What is there to guard or patrol in the cold vacuum of space? Are ...	Buzz droids would be a particular threat, with the potential to destroy important installations, as demonstrated in the Rebel attack on the Star Destroyer Perilous .
How did the Nazgul survive? It is settled pretty strongly that life is given by Illuvatar and the Gift Of Illuvatar to Men is death. And yet, we see the Nazgul (and the Dead Men of Dunharrow) refusing the gift and have some sort of existence for an extremely long time. Is there a canonical answer on how could this happ...	For the Nazgul, their lives seem to be extended essentially indefinitely, although it is an open question whether they would still have died eventually, had their rings not lost their power.
Why is there a difference in the speed of explosions caused by the Death Star? In A New Hope , when Alderaan is blown up by the Death Star, the destruction is instant and very explosive. Similarly, in The Force Awakens , when Starkiller Base fired on and destroyed Hosnian Prime (as well as a handful of ...	I cannot remember the source, but I have read that most of Alderaan was blown into hyperspace due to the immense blast, thereby explaining, in theory, the appearance of the explosion and near-impossible speed of the planetary debris.
Did Darth Maul think that Senator Palpatine would reveal himself to the Jedi? In The Phantom Menace , Darth Maul is speaking with Palpatine on Coruscant. During the exchange, Darth Maul says: At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have revenge. Did Darth Maul think that Senator Palpatine w...	Because of this, Darth Maul revealing himself did in fact cause the Jedi to deduce that there must be two Sith.
Who were the red-robed citizens of Jedha City? In Rogue One, on the streets of Jedha City, we saw several tall figures wearing almost Imperial-Guard-like robes. Some of them also wore masks and others seemed to have some kind of a helmet under their hoods. They all carried unique staffs. Who were they? Were they rela...	But that's about all we know; earlier in the novel, Jyn remarks that pilgrims from many faiths come to Jedha, so all we can say is that they worship the Force somehow :
Why don't we see more lightsaber colors? So if a kyber crystal is colorless until selected by a padawan or Jedi, at which point it becomes a color that reflects the nature of its owner, why does it seem to settle into one of two shades almost every time?* It's either that particular green or that particular blue. Sure...	According to the Databank : A lightsaber crystal is colorless until first attuned and connected toa Jedi – at which times it glows either blue or green, or in some rareinstances, another shade . Thus their personalities shaped by the doctrines of old are the main reasons of why the last Jedi could only produce 2 colour...
Was Wedge Antilles present at the climax of Rogue One? Due to Rogue One being set close in time to Episode IV, we see the original Red Five die at the battle of Scarif leaving the call sign available for Luke. But, was Wedge Antilles part of Red Squadron at this point? If so, would he logically have taken part in ...	I don't think Wedge is involved in the battle. As I mentioned in a comment on the question, David Ankrum, the original voice actor for Wedge 1 had a brief voice cameo, as revealed in an interview with sound designer Matthew Wood: The Captain Antilles they page in the hanger was likely the Captain Antilles 3PO refers to...
In what ways does Worf appeal to Jadzia Dax given that she had lots of suitors to choose from? Jadzia Dax is probably the most beautiful Starfleet crew member among all the Star Trek series. While this may be subjective, it is a fact that she had lots of suitors. Jadzia Dax was initially pursued by Dr. Julian Bashir...	He also has unique character traits, one of the most prominent being an ability and willingness to serve where he is disliked or distrusted by many, other Starfleet and Klingons alike. I'd personally pick T'Pol in disguise (out of the actress' Vulcan costume) or mirror T'Pol as the most beautiful Starfleet crew member....
Why is Rogue One allowed to take off from Yavin IV? Operation security at Yavin IV should be maintained at all times based on the importance of individuals visiting and taking part in the rebellion. Movements on and off the planet would be of utmost importance to monitor as any Imperial spy making off with a spaceship ...	The point of air-traffic control is typically to organize traffic to keep things safe. An instant later, they were gone. A person who ignores them and just does what they want is liable to have sanctions applied against them, like having their license pulled. He had no idea what to say. He hesitated for a moment. But i...
What actually happened to Mad-Eye Moody in "Deathly Hallows"? It is said that Alastor " Mad-Eye " Moody died during the 'Battle of the Seven Potters', but Ron said that it was possible he didn't. Bill said that he saw a green light (avada kedavra) used on him, but he was under attack, so he could have seen wrong due to...	If Mad-eye was captured by Death Eaters, they would have undoubtedly removed the eye, and he may have been unable to retrieve it before escaping.
Why didn't R2D2 recognize Obi-Wan in a New Hope? This is the flipside of another question . When Obi-Wan comes across the unconscious Luke, R2D2 seems afraid. Fast-forward to 2:15 in this video clip. R2D2: Beeps when it sees Obi-Wan touching Luke's forehead. Obi-Wan: Hello there. R2D2: Beeps in curiosity. Ob...	Something similar might have explained Obi-Wan possibly not recognizing R2-D2 at first. Most of what Ben tells Luke in ANH is half-truth and outright lies to keep Luke in the dark until the time is right. Droids do have superior computing capabilities, but they aren’t better at everything than humans. But it wasn’t Han...
Has any Rebel defected to the Empire? I am wondering if there are any known persons that defected from the Rebellion to the Empire . There seem to be quite some defections to the Rebellion (for examples, see here ), but nowhere have I found anything on defections the other way around or even double agents from the E...	In the canon comic mini-series Han Solo , the Rebel agent Bot is revealed to be a double agent, apparently having been compromised and brain-washed into turning on his fellow agents by the Empire.
Why are all Starfleet ships commanded by Captains? To my knowledge every Starfleet ship we see is commanded by a Captain. From what I know of modern navies: Lieutenants, Lieutenant Commanders, and Commanders can also command ships. I'm just curious as to why, in starfleet, we never see this. EDIT: I was obviously a li...	On top of that, most captains are ranked as captains as a recognition of their status within Starfleet and in general recognition that they're competent to lead a large team, head up an important project or be in charge of a vessel.
How did Voldemort know about the Philosopher's Stone? Voldemort is known for his unfading desire to gain immortality. In book 1, Voldemort tried to steal the stone not to gain immortality but he believes that it has the power to bring back his body since he was a 'soul form' at that time. Indeed, the stone's powers ar...	He most likely learned about the Stone through a book at Hogwarts.
Was Rogue One not a Star Wars Episode movie? I've been hearing about Rogue One (mainly just on this site) but haven't been out to see it. I just assumed it was the next Star Wars movie, but after seeing this question and reading the Wikipedia page , it appears it is not. Could someone explain to a complete Star Wa...	Rogue One is a stand-alone film set in the Star Wars universe. It is part of the Star Wars Anthology Series which was planned after the decision to make the Sequel Trilogy.
Purpose of the sideways rotating wheels on the bat pod Throughout the Dark Knight Trilogy the Bat pod is featured in numerous chases. One part of the design that strikes me as being interesting is the wheels. They function exactly as the wheels on a normal bike would, but with a twist. They have the ability to roll si...	The Batpod's sideways-rotating wheels prevent a skid because the tires don't lock.
Do the non-human races of the Galaxy regard humans as physically unattractive or mentally inferior? Dr. McCoy often calls Mr. Spock "pointy eared", and it isn't a term of admiration. Have any non-human characters made disparaging remarks about the physical appearance of humans or their behavior? For example, have K...	Most Vulcans make it a point to call humans over-emotional (Tuvok to everyone, Spock to Kirk and McCoy, Ambassador Soval to every human he meets).
How could Luke hide from Vader during the duel on Death Star II? In Return of the Jedi , Vader throws his lightsaber at Luke causing the catwalk come crashing down. Luke uses this in his advantage and hides from him under the throne room platform. Unable to locate his son, Vader tried to lure Luke out of hiding. But ...	To further the conjecture, it appears that Vader may even have known exactly where Luke was hiding, judging by where and how he chose to pace. Luke tumbled to the ground, then rolled down another level, under the tilting platform. In the shadow of the darkened overhang, he was out of sight. Vader stops and senses somet...
How did Círdan have a beard? While reading this answer , I saw that it says: In the Unfinished Tales Christopher Tolkien states that: In a note written in December 1972 or later, and among the last writings of my father’s on the subject of Middle-earth, there is a discussion of the Elvish strain in Men, as to its ...	I can't give you a 100% concrete answer, but I recall from "The Peoples of Middle Earth" a discussion that, later in life, elves are able to grow beards.
How did the (magical) Orient Express cross the channel? In Pottermore, J. K. Rowling mentioned a possible international train like the Orient Express traveling to European wizard communities. Possibly leaving London at Platform 7 1/2. How would such a train get across the English Channel, prior to the construction of...	The train would leave Dover (or perhaps King's Cross Station), submerge into the channel, and arrive at France.
Why doesn't Louise remember this conversation? Near the end of Arrival , the main character Louise is shown in a flash-forward talking to the Chinese general Chang, who credits her phone call with averting the brewing confrontation. But she seems surprised, and doesn't appear to remember doing it at first. Why no...	I would argue that if she is seeing possible futures, she can't remember the conversation with General Shang because she never had it in that future yet .
Why does Newt Scamander use Accio instead of Expelliarmus to get the bad guy's wand? In the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them , the protagonist uses the Accio spell at the end to get the bad guy's wand (don't want to say his name to avoid potential spoilers). Why doesn't he use Expelliarmus instead? <Q> I...	You may also want to note that the screenplay reveals that Graves had already dropped his wand, hence casting the disarming spell (Expelliarmus) would have been completely pointless .
Why does Krennic have these characters killed? In Rogue One we see Orson Krennic ordering the execution of a team of Death Star engineers after discovering that somebody leaked the designs to the Rebellion. He makes sure that every engineer involved in the construction of the Death Star is present before personall...	From the novelization, it seems quite clear that Krennic is trying to demoralize Galen; Galen obviously doesn't want the other engineers to pay for his actions, so Krennic has them killed to demonstrate his control and the consequences of crossing him (emphasis mine): Although it may seem somewhat rash to execute a tea...
Which science fiction universe holds the title of furthest distance travelled in one voyage? I'm curious as to which work of science fiction can lay claim to furthest distance travelled in one trip by non-Wormhole, non-space shortening, non-teleportation means. So stuff like Q or the Traveller zapping the Enterprise so...	In "The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor" by Barrington J. Bayley, a spaceship that can travel at velocities far beyond c is pushed to go past the edges of the known universe, far from any galaxies, where it gets irretrievably lost in an endless void.
Help identifying book that started me reading Sci-Fi, but I never read - about aquatic Leviathan? When I was in grade school (maybe '69/'70) I overheard two classmates discussing a book about a scientist/family searching the ocean for a very large creature - the Leviathan I believe. This lead me to the school librar...	It involves the search for the Ichthyform Leviosaurus Levianthus .
Why did Voldemort choose Bellatrix Lestrange for this very important task? In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child we come to know that: Voldemort has a child born from Bellatrix Lestrange. My question is: Why did Voldemort select Bellatrix Lestrange to have his child? Why not any another female Death Eater, like Narc...	Bellatrix LeStrange is devoted to both him and his cause to the point where she would do literally anything for him. We know that Voldemort wouldn't have had the child out of love or passion - this is Voldemort we're talking about, a man who only cares about achieving immortality.
Why did the data transmission from Scarif work after the connection to the communication tower was destroyed? When the defected Imperial pilot ( Bodhi Rook ) was on the ship during the Battle of Scarif, he plugged in the cable to make the data transmission possible, but the ship was blown up. How was the data t...	That was his initial intention, because the communications tower is theoretically capable of transmitting with the Shield Gate still up:
Is there any TARDIS driving system defined by the creators of the show? In Doctor Who (I only saw the new series) we can often see Doctor do some strange moves with all the buttons, levers and screens. The only thing that is certain to me is that the big main lever is there for the start of transportation itself. So ...	The controls on each panel are specifically named, and each has a specific function.
How did Rey get her blaster back? At the moment when Rey is captured by Kylo Ren, she is holding the blaster given to her by Han Solo. When Kylo freezes her, her arm kind of gets forced down, leaving the weapon pointed towards the ground and her grip on it apparently unaffected. At this point, she's still got it and ...	I think its unlikely it was a unique one of a kind blaster, more likely a generic readily available model of blaster used by the resistance, so most likely the blaster seen in the later scenes is a different blaster of the same model or very similar style as the one given to her by solo. As you say, she seems to loose ...
Was Obi-Wan speaking the truth when he said "I'm too old for this"? In ANH, Obi-Wan told Luke that he was "too old for this" when Leia pleaded for him to aid the Rebellion and bring the Death Star plans to Bail Organa in ALderaan. Obi-Wan always planned to train Luke to become a Jedi. There's in-universe evidence that...	So yes he was speaking the truth when he said that he was getting too old for this sort of thing. When I first saw that scene, I assumed it meant that Jedi abilities degrade as they age.
Monty Python reference in Harry Potter? I just watched this Monty Python sketch and instantly noticed the mention of "Cockroach Clusters" as a kind of confectionery (skip to 2:44 in the video below): But as any HP fan should know, Cockroach Clusters are also a fictional type of sweet sold at Honeydukes in Hogsmeade...	I haven't found a direct quote from JKR about Cockroach Clusters, but I think it would be far too much of a coincidence for Rowling to have included something called Cockroach Clusters in Harry Potter without it being influenced by the sweetmeat of the same name in the Monty Python sketch.
Was Kubo and the Two Strings based on anything? This exact question was brought up by my wife while we were watching the movie. I have some very minimal awareness of Shinto and that there are some common elements in play, such as the celestial gods of the sky. That said, I am not aware of any matching tale in that my...	It isn't based on any previous material. They may not have consciously known that the story was nearly the exact same as Egyptian mythology, but the missing eye of Kubo is the same as Horus, and his return to the underworld to save his Father Osiris.
Who is this guy in Rogue One? Ever since I watched the movie, I've been scratching my head to figure out who this actor is. He somewhat reminds me of Adam Driver which makes things more irritating as he obviously isn't (and shouldn't be!) in the film. Does anyone know the name of the actor or the character ? (From t...	It's Robin Pearce, credited as 'Rebel Tech' on imdb . It could be Lieutenant Casido, played by Rufus Wright
Does Ant-Man need his suit to shrink? I am not familiar with the comic book, but I did know about the character a bit and I have seen the movie. In the movie it's never said directly what the role of the suit is exactly. At one point, they make it seem that the suit is vital and then at another point it seems it is n...	Without the suit's kind of helmet, the chemical balance of the brain would be affected when shrinking.
Do the White Walkers know Samwell Tarly killed one of their brothers? A comment by user568458 to another question got me thinking about whether the White Walkers knew Samwell Tarly killed one. My other question was why White Walkers were nearly naked in the first two seasons but wore clothes in armor in the late...	In the books they are never naked and wore armor that camouflaged them and my guess is that the TV-show producers just tried to make them look as zombie like as possible while the Wights looked just like humans with blue eyes.
Has the Doctor ever knowingly interacted with his current incarnation Similar to Has the Doctor ever observed himself, without revealing who he was? but with a slight difference. Has the Doctor ever worked with himself to solve a problem where both incarnations are the same? There are numerous examples ("The Three ...	Not a direct interaction, but in Smith and Jones , the Doctor of the near relative-future sets up Martha's interactions with the Doctor of the relative-present. After the Doctor and Clara have finally made their way all the way to the heart of the TARDIS, the Doctor pushes through a glowing crack in the wall to meet hi...
Is Luke the last Jedi in the new Star Wars canon? Is there any proof (or disproof) in new canon about Luke being the only remaining Jedi after the death of Yoda? I'm aware of this question and I'm aware of lots of Jedi surviving Order 66 in Legends, but I'm looking for a conclusive canon answer. Especially consider...	The crawl of "The Force Awakens" explicitly mentions that Luke Skywalker is "the last Jedi".
Could the Death Star have a satellite due to its size? I have read the Death Star (the first one) had a diameter of about 186 km, which made me think about whether it could somehow host a satellite or moon due to its size, just like some dwarf planets do . <Q> In theory - yes As pointed out by Adamant, anything can h...	Basically anything below the mass of the Death Star itself can become a satellite if it moves close enough to be caught in an orbit by its gravitational field.
What did the Rebels intend as the role for their capital ships in the Battle of Endor? The epic Battle of Endor featured the entire Rebel fleet of capital ships. Six or more Mon Calamari cruisers (two were lost, and four more can be seen when Executor goes down), a few Nebulon-B frigates, even more CR90 Corvettes and G...	Rebel capital ships could be used for orbital bombardment of Imperial units on the forest moon of Endor , in support of the Rebel troops attacking the shield generator (obviously only after the shield was down).
What is the difference between a "scanner" and a "sensor" in Star Trek? In Star Trek, they use the terms scanner and sensor a lot. Is there any technical difference in the meaning of the two terms? Or are they 100% interchangeable? If there is a difference, what is it? <Q> A scanner is a sensor coupled with an...	A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity - photons, molecular movement (temperature), magnetic fields, electric current ...
Does any explanation exist clarifying what happened to the escape pod R2-D2 and C-3PO used at the beginning of the first “Star Wars” film? So at the beginning of Star Wars (1977) R2-D2 and C-3PO escape the captured Tantive IV blockade runner in a class-6 escape pod and land on Tatooine . We see them leave the ...	So I would assume that they would have taken it back to the Star Destroyer, just in case the plans had been hidden somewhere inside the pod.
Why did the Emperor want the Atreides wiped out? In the film version of Dune, (and the novel, AFAIK) the Padisha Emperor conspired with the Harkkonens to eliminate House Atreides- but why did he choose to do so? <Q> The Duke was popular among the other nobles, he had a few troops trained by Duncan Idaho that were almos...	Based on the extremes he went to, I'd say the Emperor considered them like we would consider nuclear weapons Leto had become popular and the Emperor feared that he would either be undercut politically, or House Atreides would stage a coup and the other Houses would simply allow it to happen.
Why were the white walkers after Bran? In Season 6 Episode 5 titled "The Door" of Game of Thrones, the Night King marks and then pursues Bran. Why? Is it because He sensed that, like the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran could be a powerful agent in the coming war against the White Walkers? <Q> We do not know if Night's King ...	Since TER also says that The Night's King was now gonna come for Bran, we can presume that Three Eyed Raven assumed that Night's King had discovered Bran's power (Because who wouldn't, after all Bran was there in some weird non-Physical way where only NK could see him and his Army His mark is on you.
Does Logan (Wolverine) get drunk? It's not difficult to find scenes of Logan drinking. Here's one (NSFW) Does Logan get drunk? If not, why does he drink? If yes, shouldn't his healing factor make him immune to poisons? <Q> Due to his healing factor, alcohol and other intoxicants do not affect Wolverine like th...	Yes - it's possible, although very difficult, for Logan to get drunk.
Why does the Obscurus not appear in the textbook? In the film version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , the main story revolves around a creature called an Obscurus. Now without giving too much of the story away, Mr. Scamander has particular interest in this creature. He goes to great lengths to try to prot...	Rowling responded to a fan's speculation on twitter, saying that Obscurus would not be featured in the updated edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , because it "isn't a creature".
Are there other Mjölnirs? Apologies if this is a dumb question since I'm not a comic reader. Are there other Asgardian relics similar to Mjölnir? I.e. they are weapons or tools or other similar objects that have some kind of enchantments bestowing powers upon the wielder? How are they similar and how do they differ...	Besides Mjolnir Thor had also wielded another enchanted Uru metal weapon, Jarnbjorn. You don't even need the comics to find one answer, in the first series of Agents of SHIELD there is the Berserker staff which imbues its bearer with supernatural strength alongside amplifying rage and similar negative emotions.
Has the original Fantastic Beasts book been pulled off shelves? I'm not sure, but I heard that the original 'Fantastic Beasts & Where to find them' from the Hogwarts Library Set has been pulled off the shelves? That the old version will no longer be available and a different version of it is going to be released? Is ...	The new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is due out on March 14, 2017, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon (US) for $6.99 for the Kindle and $7.38 for the hardback edition. A new edition is in production, with extra material (including foreword by Newt).
Do Tron video games include any canon expansion to the storyline There are a few Tron Video games. Do they expand the story of Tron? If so, do those expansions considered canon? <Q> Tron: <S> Evolution is apparently canon for in between the first and second movies. <S> Tron 2.0 (killer app) was questionably canonical u...	Apparently, the only canon game is TRON: Evolution .
What is the first mention of Star Wars in a hit song? Jaws was never my scene And I don't like Star Wars "Bicycle Race" (1978) by Queen In the 1978 song "Bicycle Race" by Queen, off their album Jazz , the films Star Wars and Jaws are mentioned. When it comes to Star Wars , was this the first hit song to do ...	It seems that Bicycle Race is the earliest hit song to mention Star Wars.
How much can regeneration change the Doctor (any timelord)? We know that Doctor's character is changed with every regeneration, but we don't know where is the borderline . He eats different (sometimes very strange) things. He is in different ages and looks. Sometimes he doesn't like soldiers, sometimes he is nearly...	Bottom line, regeneration can probably change anything about the Doctor, including his core personality - but likely only if some part of him makes the choice to change that way, and even the only minor shift to happen thus far (the War Doctor) required a conscious choice.
Why does the Empire need Leia to give them the location of the rebel base? Given the number of rebels they captured at the end of Rogue One who came straight from Yavin, why did Vader and Tarkin need to go to such lengths to extract that information from Leia? Just what happened to the rebel fleet after the end of R...	For all the Empire knows, they could have come from all over the galaxy, meeting at a pre-arranged point for a large pre-planned mission, without ever knowing the location of the primary rebel base. And Leia is the highest profile captive they have, upon whom to use these tactics. This will probably get downvoted, but ...
Why doesn't Deckard just identify replicants by their glowing eyes? In the film Blade Runner (1982), Rick Deckard hunts realistic androids called replicants . According to Jordan Cronenweth , Blade Runner's (genius) director of photography, One of the identifying characteristics of replicants is a strange glowin...	Given that we only ever see the 'glowing eyes' effect when the in-universe characters have not acknowledged it, it tells us that this must be a feature that is not apparent to them. I'm guessing that Ridley Scott simply didn't have the time or money to create this look for the entirety of the film (and have explained y...
Has Batman's equipment ever become faulty from being stored in the Batcave? The Batcave is filled with unique vehicles, gadgets, and state-of-the-art computers. It seems odd to store this valuable equipment in a cave that is cold, damp, and filled with bats all the time. Batman also depends on his equipment in life an...	Possibly the Batcave is climate controlled with heat, air conditioning, dust filters and dehumidifiers and humidifiers as needed.
Why didn't Kyle Reese know what the Terminator looked like in the original movie? I thought of this question after reading another one . Kyle Reese explains to Sarah Connor why he couldn't just shoot the terminator before it tried to kill her in the original movie. REESE: Pay attention. The 600 series had rubber sk...	The T-800s seen in T2 and T3 were both reprogrammed by the resistance and sent back to help John Connor. The Arnold Terminator is model t101 and all 101s look like him. All the terminators looked different (or at least there were enough different appearances that they couldn't just be memorized), so there was no way Re...
Was Minerva McGonagall an unregistered animagus in 1981? "How did you know it was me?" This is what Minerva says when Dumbledore reveals that he knows she was there... "Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." … She looked distinctly ruffled. She shouldn't have been so surprised if she was registered, now...	Under the guidance of her inspirational Transfiguration teacher, Albus Dumbledore, she had managed to become an Animagus; her animal form, with its distinctive markings (tabby cat, square spectacles markings around the eyes) were duly logged into the Ministry of Magic's Animagus Registry.
Do people who work at the Ministry of Magic know all their colleagues by name? The Ministry of Magic seems a really friendly place to work. It's like everyone there knows you on a first-name basis. Consider Arthur Weasley's encyclopedic knowledge of his fellow Ministry employees at the Quidditch World Cup. Their tent...	Depending on what department a witch or wizard works for, he or she may or may not know all his or her colleagues by name.
Story including gene-splicing to give humans photosynthesis capability This story had a superb plot device - a gene modification technology which gave humans chloroplasts (in their hair and skin) which allowed them to photosynthesise simply by lying in the sun. As a political tool, this disconnected the poor from dep...	"Stuffing" by Jerry Oltion, first published in The Mammoth Book of Extreme Science Fiction in 2006, is a humorous short story in which people have been modified to be able to acquire their entire calorific requirements via photosynthesis and nobody eats at all, or even remembers what eating was.
Is there a "gun control" style lobby against wands in Harry Potter? Seems like most anyone with enough gumption can acquire a wand, read some books, and learn some pretty gnarly spells, including Killing Curses. This is pretty similar to everyone owning a gun. In fact it's worse because wands seem easier to get and Ki...	Wizards are granted the right to have a wand, and only in extreme cases does their right to have one be taken away (we see this with Hagrid - he’s not thrown in jail but his wand is snapped).
Why didn't Phssthpok use hyperdrive? In Larry Niven's Known Space novel Protector , Phssthpok, a protector-stage Pak, traveled thirty-one thousand light years across the galaxy to rescue a failed Pak colony on Earth. Phssthpok used a Bussard ramjet for propulsion, travelling for centuries at sublight speeds to make t...	Because the Pak never had hyperdrive. The Pak detest any intelligent life form other than the Pak.
How did they know Harry hadn't read the first letter? In Harry Potter, the first book, Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts after he turned eleven. Due to the interception of his uncle, he didn't get to read the first letter. They then began to send him dozens of letters, and then they sent Hagrid since they could no...	They knew Harry was NOT getting to read his letters. So the letters themselves could be marked as unread by the person they were meant for.
Anime about guy with a unique robotic arm I am looking for an anime about guy with a unique robotic arm. I remember a part where some dude steals a crystal, which later causes him to transform into something. I think and he is getting chased by some sort of force, I'm assuming the police, and he runs into the main char...	Perhaps its the Cobra anime. There are bad guys using crystals and that transform, the main character has a mechanical arm, the army is an important force in the story and the main character works for them, at some point he gets into a fight with one a guy that's on the run from the army
Why do ships burn in space when hit by lasers? In Star Wars, ships burn when hit by laser fire, as in this scene: An examination of the scene at 2:16 shows the clone pilot along with the flaming pieces of his ship. Why is the ship on fire anyway in space. Isn't space a vacuum? At 2:27, the ARC-170, after being str...	There are also plenty of materials and things that may burn without external oxygen supply for that exact reason. This could also be an integral part of the drive mechanism, which could account for ships falling to local gravity wells as soon as it is disabled, as they were not in an orbit, but rather hovering apart fr...
Why did Vader go ahead of the stormtroopers when attempting to board the Tantive IV in Rogue One? When Vader first attempts to board the Rebel Blockade Runner at the end of Rogue One , we see Vader board first. After he slaughters several Rebel soldiers, we see that his Stormtroopers have come behind him. Now this is ...	Vader successfully made his way towards the enemy ship at the same time as his troops. As no time was to be wasted though the stormtroopers boarded the corvette as fast as possible. We're most likely never going to see that missing 10mins between Rogue One and New Hope, but I thought this was strange at 1st too (Mostly...
80's/90's Show/movie about a telekinetic Alien Cat crash-landed on Earth When I was just a kid, I remember watching a movie or TV show. I have tried many times to find it but failed. The details are very slim, but I strongly remember that the main character kept talking to a black cat, who I believe was an alien. The ...	This is Disney's The Cat From Outer Space (1978).
Why does one AT-AT have a hole in it in "Rogue One"? I Watched the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and I realized that in the attack on Scarif, when the AT-ATs came, one of the AT-ATs has a large, rectangular hole on its side. That is the only AT-AT in Rogue One that has a large hole in it. The other one's have ...	A larger version of the standard combat AT-AT , the AT-ACT walker features a dedicated cargo bed for the transportation of heavy building materials or combat munitions. It was deployed at major Imperial construction projects, such as shipyards and sprawling research installations. When I saw the 'empty' AT-ACT in Rogue...
Why doesn't the Empire employ Death Troopers other than during the events of "Rogue One"? In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story we see troopers wearing all black: they are called Death Troopers. The only time we see them is in Rogue One . They seem strong for all the explosives and weapons they carry, but in A New Hope ...	Their status as bodyguards also explains why they have even better equipment than regular stormtroopers (in the film the firerate of their blasters honestly surprised me though!). All this extra expense means the Empire would limit their number, the same way Vader's TIE was never mass produced because the hyperdrive an...
Did Snape know that Quirrell was possessed in The Philosopher's Stone? We know that Snape was tailing Quirrell throughout The Philosopher's Stone , trying to stop him from stealing the Stone. He did this on Dumbledore's orders. But is it possible to say what Snape's (and, by extention, Dumbledore's) motives were here?...	All we do know for sure is that he did attempt to stop Quirrell, and Dumbledore told him to watch Quirrell, so he was doing what Dumbledore had told him to do.
What form would a boggart take for Snape? Is there any canonical mention of the form taken by a boggart in Snape’s presence? One would assume that Lily’s dead body would be the most likely answer, but I’m just curious if JKR has ever explicitly mentioned it. <Q> Per J.K. Rowling's interview, "Telling us Professor Snap...	Up to the moment of her death, it was almost certainly Lily's death. Although probably not a very good canonical answer, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 had a lot of the characters have Lord Voldemort as their boggart, including Snape.
Why would Dumbledore say "After all this time?" to Snape? When Snape's changed his allegiance from Voldemort to Dumbledore he did so expressly because he wanted to honour Lily's memory by protecting Harry. It was Dumbledore himself who persuaded him to take this course of action. “If you loved Lily Evans, if you trul...	The surprise may be explained by the nature of the Patronus charm: always an animal, it expresses the nature of the caster, is linked to significant events in one's life and with requirement for a single, very happy memory.
Is it possible to purge dark side energies from a person? In both canon and Legends, Force users who channelled their dark side energies into a kyber crystal form the basis for such corrupted crystals and the subsequent blades acquiring their signature crimson colouration. There are also precedents of skilled Jedi pur...	By channeling the Force into withering blasts of light-side energy, the darkness can then be diminished or destroyed permanently. The Wookieepedia articles have several examples, although all from Legends.
Sci fi vintage movie about doppelgänger phenomena When I was a kid, I saw a movie on TV about a group of astronauts, and I remember there were three of them, but well I'm not really really sure. They landed on a planet similar to Earth, and they see themselves in a kind of field, meadow or garden. I barely remember mo...	It starred Hal Linden as the leader of three astronauts who land on Mars and find an idyllic small American town populated by friends and relatives who are supposedly dead. You don't actually mention the doppelgänger phenomena in your actual question, so I'm not sure what you remember about it, but in Solaris the epony...
Why didn't Harry Potter become a professional seeker? Harry Potter, in his later Hogwarts years, is aiming to become an Auror, and in "The Cursed Child" we see that Harry did become an Auror. However, the first thing he really excelled at at Hogwarts was broom riding, becoming Gryffindor's youngest Seeker in 100 years...	He also made it clear that he hated being in the centre of attention which would be unavoidable if he had become a quiddich player! Harry was sick of the spotlight As far as I'm concerned, he would have become a professional seeker, but also may have been an orar, as a side job.
How does Teen Titans fit in with the Young Justice continuity? Specifically, I am curious about Dick Grayson, as he's the Robin in both shows. The interesting part is thus: Cyborg and Raven from the Teen Titans are both founding members of The Justice League, and are similar in age to Robin. Robin in Young Justice ...	I believe they are a little bit connected because Cyborg started out as a member of the Justice Leaque, then passing down to Teen Titans and back and forth.
Does having the codex inside him make superman strong in Man of Steel? At the start of Man of Steel we see Jor-El imbuing Kal-El with the Kryptonian Codex. The Codex is an ancient Kryptonian artefact that defines the genetic makeup of the artificially incubated babies on the planet. I will elaborate on this, he holds...	Jor-el coded it into his son's cells so the genetic legacy of the planet could live on. While not impacting his physical abilities, it likely means Clark is walking around with a base template for millions of future generations within his DNA.
Does Captain Archer ever meet any other Enterprise captains? We know that Kirk meets Picard in Generations. And that Scotty mentions an "Admiral Archer" in Star Trek (2009). Does Archer ever meet any other Enterprise captains? <Q> Depends what you consider to be a "Captain" of The Enterprise. <S> It sounds weird, but...	So, in short, Jonathan Archer has met people that have Captained The Enterprise, but as far as canon material goes, he has not met any person that has been appointed Captain of The Enterprise by Starfleet.
Was Return of the Jedi released in Japan as Revenge of the Jedi? As is commonly known, the working title of Return of the Jedi was, for some time, Revenge of the Jedi . This was even used on early promotional material and on a teaser trailer. In this video by Techmoan on the old video format VHD, his copy of Re...	The film was released as "Return of the Jedi" but some of the posters had the older title "Revenge of the Jedi".
Which name would have appeared on the Marauder's Map for Lord Voldemort? Lord Voldemort is known to most of the wizarding world as "Lord Voldemort." Would he have been named this on the Marauder's Map or would he have been called "Tom Riddle"? <Q> Film logic <S> The map in the film appears to shows the person's chos...	The map in the book appears to shows the person's given name, not their chosen name.
Has Superman ever used his heat vision to cook food? Superman's heat vision is a cool tool that allows him to project rays of energy (IR, X-Ray,or whatever the writers come up with) over an undefined range. He has used it for many great (and not so great) feats, including melting glaciers , shaving and leaving wr...	In Smallville episode 207 ("Lineage"), Clark uses heat vision to toast a slice of bread
Are there any actual "planets" in OPA? The third, relatively loose, faction of The Expanse universe is called the Outer Planets Alliance. It's members are Belters, who live on asteroids like Ceres and Eros, as well as a number of space stations on both sides of the asteroid field. However, are there any actual "planet...	The name "Outer Planets Alliance" doesn't actually include any planets - it includes a lot of rocks, some stations etc but no actual planets.
Who is the knight on the cover of "Eye of the World" Even after reading the book several times, I still can not figure out who he is. My only guess would be that he is a Lan, but I do not recall Lan wearing armor and he definitely did not have two swords. <Q> Lan does wear armor. <S> Here's a quote from Chapter 48 of...	The man riding is definitely Lan, although he never wears armor in that part of the book.
What did Voldemort look like before dying at the Potters' house? Did Voldemort look the same as he does in books 6 and 7 after killing Lily and James? I would think he would look more human, but maybe the dark magic changed his appearance after he left Hogwarts. <Q> When Voldemort regains his body he looks like this ...	If you're talking about the time just before accidentally making Harry into a Horcrux (when he perished at the Potter's house), he would have looked the same as he did when Harry saw him resurrected.
What is the symbol on the pauldron of the storm troopers who guard Grand Admiral Thrawn's office? In Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Episode 17 ("Through Imperial Eyes"), the stormtroopers that guard Grand Admiral Thrawn's office on his Star Destroyer have a black pauldron on their right shoulder with a white symbol on it. I...	The symbol there is to show loyalty to Thrawn and also to signify the fact that the trooper is conjoined with the 7th Fleet. As a Grand Admiral, Thrawn was allowed to "brand himself," and as such his ship, stormtroopers, and some of his officers wore the symbol of a Chimaera.
How could the Death Star II fire through its shield? In the Battle of Endor, the unfinished Death Star II was firing its superlaser at the Rebel capital ships while the ground team was still trying to disable the Death Star's shield. Which means the shield was still operational. In multiple films (e.g. The Emptire Str...	The planetary shield generator projected an energy screen that completely enveloped the orbital Death Star II, and could be easily defended bv anti-infantry and anti-vehicle turrets.
Is Earth the home planet of the Culture? In Iain M. Banks' The Culture saga, is it known if Earth is the "original planet" of the Culture? I don't remember any reference to it in any book (I'm reading the third one). <Q> The Culture doesn't have a single home planet. <S> It was originally comprised of several dozens...	The Culture visits Earth covertly in the 1970s ( The State of the Art ) and is assumed to formally make first contact with us around the 2100s No, Earth is not the (or an) originating planet of the Culture.
In which galaxy (or galaxies) are the Culture present? They have ships that can travel really fast and really far, but galaxies are big. Have they spread to more than one galaxy? Is the name of the galaxy known? And how far is it from the Milky Way (if it is a different galaxy)? <Q> The Milky Way <S> The Culture nov...	No mention in any of the books is made of the Culture having a permanent presence in another galaxy, but they have been shown to visit other galaxies.
Does The Culture possess FTL communication? Iain M. Banks's Culture has the ability to travel faster than light (up to 233,000 c) with infraspace engines built from exotic nanomatter, but can it also transmit communication supraluminally? Edit to be clearer: I realize that they can communicate by messengers/couriers, ...	Yes, although the speed of communication is ill-defined it appears to be very fast indeed, many multiples the speed of light and capable of being sent ahead of ships moving at very rapid velocities.
Which Sci-Fi or Fantasy work introduced the idea of "Infinite Time Loop"? I have encountered "Infinite Time Loop" countless times. Some examples: In Doctor Strange (2016) movie, Doctor Strange took the time dimension into the dark dimension to trap Dormammu into an infinite time loop. In the last episode of season...	According to this article on the history of fictional time paradoxes , however, the first example of a "Groundhog Day" story: "Doubled and Redoubled", a short story by Malcolm Jameson that appeared in the February, 1941 issue of Unknown.
Where was Dumbledore's tomb placed? I never understood the location of Dumbledore's tomb. I thought it was at Hogwarts but the fact that Voldemort took the Elder Wand says differently. Where is his tomb? I would like an answer from the books. If that is unknown then the location based in the movie is fine (the in-univ...	The movies put the tomb on an island in the middle of the Great Lake.
Why can't humans resist the Borg when they’re smart enough to design weapons against Species 8472? The Borg were not a match for Species 8472 in Star Trek: Voyager’s episode "Scorpion." They needed humans' help to design a weapon against Species 8472. If humans were smart enough to design a weapon against Species 84...	Humanity (i.e. the Federation) has been able to resist the Borg (as Valorum's answer shows with a few examples which I shall not repeat).
Which body coordinates Ministries of Magic across the globe? We know that there are lots of Ministries of Magic across the globe, each representing its nation. Also, we know that the magical laws of each nation aren't the same. For example, flying carpets are illegal in England, but legal in most of the nations in Asia...	The equivalent is the International Confederation of Wizards.
Why didn't Voldemort just drop Salazar Slytherin's Locket on the bottom of the Horcrux Cave? Why didn't Voldemort just drop Salazar Slytherin's Locket on the bottom of the Horcrux cave so that when someone was trying to get it and destroy it (Regulus, Harry, Dumbledore),they'd have to swim down deep, only for them to g...	He didn't want to kill any intruders without first finding out how they learned of his Horcruxes.
Is Horus Heresy the series that chronicles the oldest "lore" in Warhammer 40k? I've heard some people call Horus Heresy warhammer 30k since it really happense before 40k. I was wondering if there are any books that talk about the story even before Horus Heresy. Basically, is Horus Heresy the oldest series in chronologi...	Yep The Horus Heresy is basically a massive prequel to the entirey of of the lore which takes place in 40k.
Will a human become an Other if there are no other Others around? I'm nearing the end of The Twilight Watch , book 3 of Lukyanenko's Watch series, and the following sentences caught my attention: People can't get by without Others. Put two people on an uninhabited island, and you'll have a human being and an Other. ...	In order to uplift a normal human into a Twilight-entering Other, you need special action: The Fuaran incantation or MAAAYBE special action by the Twilight itself (since the Twilight can willy-nilly change Others' magical potentials, like it does with the Mirror Other or Two
Did Lily ever find out that Snape had changed sides? The decision to hide the Potters was done partly on the basis of the information that Snape passed to Dumbledore after he'd overheard Sybill Trelawney's prophecy. "Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her - them - safe. Please." (Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33, Th...	As Dumbledore is generally secretive and Snape has explicitly demanded that Dumbledore didn't tell anyone, it is likely that Dumbledore didn't tell Lily.
When has Wonder Woman died? I know Wonder Woman has died in canon before, but in which issue did this happen? <Q> She's not 'Uncle Ben dead' which means she can be resurrected later as the new Goddess of Truth. <S> General Steppenwolf kills the Wonder Woman from Earth-2 in Earth 2, Vol 1 . <S> Artemis briefly ta...	Neron kills Wonder Woman in Wonder Woman Vol 2 #124 .
Why Did Louise's Husband Leave Her? After Louise has her solo experience with the Heptapod "Abbott," She tells Ian she knows why her husband left her. What did I miss? <Q> Her husband left her because he found out that she knew about their daughters death but did nothing to try and prevent it. <S> HANNAH <S> Ar...	He left because he didn't agree with bringing their daughter into the world knowing she would die from cancer at so young an age.
Was the villain of Superman IV based on a comic character? The Nuclear Man in the movie Superman IV: The Quest for Peace — was he a villain in Superman comics too? Or did they create a new character just for the movie? <Q> There are only two appearances of Nuclear Man in Superman: <S> Superman: <S> The Quest for ...	In deleted scenes from the movie (scenes that were included in the comic adaptation), a "prototype" Nuclear Man is created by Lex Luthor first.
Why was Quark treated disrespectfully in Deep Space 9 given that he used to be Grand Nagus? Grand Nagus is the top political leader of the Ferengis. Quark was briefly the Grand Nagus. As such, he should be accorded high respect and good treatment when he operated the bar in DS9. Imagine if ex-President Obama opened a b...	The culture of the Chinese would mean that, yes, even a temporary leader of prestige would be treated with respect.
Why did Captain Janeway feel that using the Doctor as an expendable messenger boy was more important than keeping him around to heal the crew? I should start out by explaining that, until recently, I had only ever watched one episode of Star Trek: Voyager in my entire life. That was a recording of the pilot episode...	In short, the Doctor was the only way to prove to Starfleet that in fact Voyager had survived.
Can wights swim in Game of Thrones / Song of Ice and Fire? I thought of this while reading another question. Can the White Walkers swim? In this scene where Bran Stark and his friends reach the Weir Tree of the Three-Eyed Raven, the wights are hiding under the ice. When I first saw that scene, I assumed the wights co...	The wights fell through the ice hole. We do not know if wights can swim, but they can be in the water. The Season 7 episode, Beyond the Wall shows wights

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