In Back to the Future II , on November 12 1955 the DeLorean with Doc in it gets struck by a bolt of lightning, sending him back to 12 AM 1 January 1885. The potential for this is alluded to previously when we see the time circuits flickering to this date. I can understand why the time circuits would default to 12 AM because in 24 hour time that's 00:00. I can also understand why it would default to 1st of January, because that's the beginning of a year. So far so good; the time circuits are defaulting to a 'base' time (i.e. the beginning). What I don't understand though is why did the year default to 1885 ? Surely it would make more sense for the year value to default to the year '0000', or '1900' or some other such date which marks the beginning of a century or millennium. Answer Digital time is stored as an offset from some date and time in the past, known as an epoch. For example, on MS Windows computers, the current time is measured as the nu...

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor and other Asgardians don't appear to have visited the Earth for a considerable amount of time, certainly not after the English language was created. Since there are have been no "recent" interactions between the humans and Asgardians, how are they able to understand and speak English? Answer In the comics, this is thanks to something they call: All-Tongue or AllSpeak : "When Thor speaks with the All-Tongue anyone who hears him will hear him speak their native language in their hearts" (from Thor's wiki page) In the absence of further information, it seems likely to assume the same is true of Marvel Movie Asgardians as well - though given the whole 'Our magic is just extremely advanced science' instead of 'we are actually godly beings' angle, it's also likely to assume that the AllSpeak ability stems from something different - the "tech" behind Movie-verse Allspeak might very well be some...

I would like to find out the title of a Japanese anime feature film (not a series) that I saw on Romanian TV in the early 90s. It was about a feud between the peoples of two planets (one very technologically advanced, the other not). The two planets go to war against each other, and a young man from one of the planets falls in love with a princess from the other planet. I recall a scene where the army of the second planet take off in hot air balloons when they go to war. The only other thing I recall is that there is a dam next to the village where the young man lives, and for some reason he opens the dam gates and floods his own village. I do not recall there being robots in the movie, however I remember very vaguely that the technology level was probably at the level of late 19th century Europe on one planet and pre-industrial on the other one. What it's not: Nobunaga the Fool Aldnoah Zero Queen Millennia Uchuu Senkan Yamato (movie) Answer I think you are talking about Windari...

I'm looking for a book I read back in the mid-90s, probably from the late 80s or early 90s. It was a teen sci fi book, not set on Earth. It involves the main character, an young man, getting forced into a situation (to smuggle or pilot a starship) involving drugs or spice. I can't recall for certain, I may be mixing it up with a different book, but the spice/drug gives the users blue lips. Two characters involve a female (hardened, who turns into an ally of the protagonist), and some sort of alien which may be reptilian - and wearing some kind of metal strap vest. There were two books in the series, I read only the first book. The second book (which my library at the time didn't stock) had the word 'Moon' in it.

When I was younger I read a series of 3 or 4 books involving largely traditional mages/dragons/enchanted forests. I'd like to buy it for some of my younger extended family members but I can't remember the name of it. Here's what I remember from this: I read the last book first, in which the son of a woman turned out to be largely one of the main characters in the other books takes an enchanted sword into a forest on a quest to do something. At one point in one of the earlier books the group was travelling through a swamp like area to get to a tower where a witch(or mage lived). There was a king (possibly the son's father) who was frozen in a castle during the last book. The evil mages/witches would melt (but not die) when some spell was cast on them. I read the series circa 1992 (estimated), comparable to the DragonLance series it was geared towards a younger audience (I don't remember any sex/brutal slayings of anyone). I believe in the first book the mother of the...

From the intro to the 1989 Alien Nation TV show: That was the scene in California's Mohabi desert five years ago. Our historic first view of the newcomer ship. Theirs was a slave ship, carrying a quarter of a million beings, bred to adapt and labour in any environment. But they've washed ashore on Earth, with no way to get back to where they came from. And in the last five years the Newcomers have become the latest addition to the population of Los Angeles. I've watched the whole series but didn't manage to catch an explanation of what the slaves were actually doing aboard the spaceship before it crashed. The Overseers were obviously controlling the Newcomers to extract some sort of forced labour from them (they're slaves, after all). However, what specifically were the Newcomers doing during their enslavement? Answer The ship Gruza appears to be a transport, taking slaves from a place that they're no longer needed to a place where they're needed more. Al...

I saw it very early in my childhood, between about 20-25 years ago. Live action People were piloting giant robots (can't remember just how big) I believe they were moving their feet and hands while being in upright position to control the robot (similar to Pacific Rim) People on the streets had the surgical white masks (China or Japan probably) I think the robots were fighting it out in arenas, but not sure about this part There was a robot that would fire its own fists as a projectile. The protagonist pilot ended up on the ground outside his robot (I believe it was destroyed/damaged). He hid behind one of these discarded previously fired fists. He then tinkered with the exposed wires from the robot fist and finally managed to active it. The fist either flew at the (bad) robot, or it fired some missiles at it. I don't even know in what language the movie was... Thank you Answer This sounds like Robot Jox (1990). I'm fairly certain the scene in question is during the fina...

About a decade ago, I encountered a novel or a novella that I cannot locate. The setting was Earth, about one century into the future. I remember vampires and a mesh of satellites around the Earth that were burning up in the atmosphere. This motivated a mission to deep space to find the intelligence responsible for the satellites. Most of the novel focused on the crew of the mission — I recall that they were not "standard" humans. They had modifications to their minds and bodies, possibly for the mission. At the time, I had gone on a binge, reading many short stories, novellas, and novels in quick succession. I fear that I might be combining several stories into one, especially the vampires and the deep-space first-contact mission, and so I am fully prepared for an answer of the form, "No such story exists." Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Answer This is Blindsight by Peter Watts: Two months have past since a myriad of alien objects clenched about th...

I'm looking for the name of a sci-fi series, intended for children. Robots have control over the humans. There is a squad of humans who attack them. Every member in this squad has a badge on their suit, and when they touch this badge the suit becomes armed. This series was not cartoon series, it was performed by real people. The main robot character is very similar in style to Darth Vader in Star Wars . The series aired in the 1990s. I am sorry but I can't recall many details. Answer Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (You should have mentioned seizure-inducing special effects, I could have guessed it sooner) Intro Video: [embedded content]

From GoF scene where Death Eaters are returning after Voldemort's return, there seems to be VERY few of them (don't recall exact # but my impression was between a dozen and two dozen). Also, Order of Phoenix seems to have fairly few members as well. These are probably the "officer/elite corps" of the bigger fight. Is there any estimate of how many actual participating fighters were there on both sides in the original conflict? I'm fine with either human-only totals, or overall (e.g. count giants on Voldemort's side). On the Death Eater side, you can count/not count Imperioused people if any info like that is available. Answer First of all, I'm going to use the estimates from this question , they should be good enough for the number of wizards. This will remain somewhat in the background. Also, I'm only going to count human wizards, I'm not going to try and figure out the rest. The best estimate for the number of inner circle death eaters in the f...

Can non-magical persons see the Hogwarts Express during its journey to and from Hogwarts?

In Captain America: Winter Soldier, Steve looks at a list of pop culture items to catch up on. Two of the items on the list are Star Trek and Star Wars. Let's say he and Thor would sit down together and binge-watch all the ST and SW movies. They would both be confused and surprised to see Mace Windu who looks and sounds uncannily like Nick Fury. Thor would find it a little disturbing to see Queen Amidala/Padme, and would also be troubled to see Idris Elba's character in Star Trek:Beyond (and would find it most distressing of all to see himself playing George Kirk in Star Trek!). And, depending on when they do this, they would both be shocked to see Doctor Strange as the villain of Star Trek:Into Darkness. One could suggest that the in-universe explanation is that they live in a more ideal world where the Prequels never happened. Or perhaps the movies exist, but with different actors. What other possibilities are there, and has Marvel or Disney ever addressed this and given an o...

You remove your memory from your brain to store in a Pensieve (as Snape or Dumbledore did). Then, you re-watch the memory (e.g. as Dumbledore re-watched his memories of Voldemort's investigations with Harry) in the Pensieve. Does that mean that you now re-created the memory in your brain (because you remember watching it) and thus you'll need to extract/erase it from your brain again if you don't wish to keep it there for security/capacity reasons (which was why you stored it in the Pensieve in the first place? Canon answers only please.

I've been trying to remember this live action TV show for years now. In it teenagers were able to enter this virtual world of sorts and they become these avatars. Their goal was to clear levels and move on to the next and I don't remember why. There were artifacts or items that help them on their way and they can return to the real world easily enough. I think they can re-enter the virtual world through someone's school. To pinpoint a possible date I'm thinking maybe 2000s to 2004s, it is hard to remember because I was so young. Answer It was the 2004 show on YTV called Zixx Level One . Two brothers discover an alien girl called Zixx Punkee Zee and help her get past level one of a game. When Zixx finishes all three levels she will have achieved her mission and be able to go back to her home world. IMDb, Zixx Level One

In Star Trek, there are a lot of different starship classes (The Constitution, Daedalus, Galaxy, Intrepid, New Orleans, etc to name but a few). My question: Is there any reference to who/what process is involved in assigning the names to these Starship classes (note: NOT the name of the starship itself, but the class )? Answer It's pretty clear that, as in the real world , Starfleet vessel classes are named after an eponymous first vessel. This Wiki article gives a solid list of classes as well as their namesake vessel (and usually the episode in which that vessel appears). Certain ships such as the NX-01 Enterprise seem to break this convention but where this happens, it's usually because of an in-universe refit. In-universe (at least within the trek books) the 'naming privilege' seems to go to the dockyard and the designer, presumably with plenty of input (e.g. meddling) from politicians and the usual me-too dignitaries. In the book " Final Frontier " i...

How was possible that Leo Bonhart, an "ordinary" human, was able to kill three Witchers? Was he just well trained, or had magic to help him as well? Answer Leo Bonhart was a well-trained bounty hunter and previously a witch slayer. From witcher.fandom.com: Leo Bonhart (d. 1268) was a bounty hunter and previously a professional soldier from Ebbing. Known for his professionalism and expense to hire, he found pleasure in watching brutal scenes and inflicting pain on others. He was described as very tall but ghoulishly thin, with a prodigious grey moustache. He was said to have cold, expressionless eyes which were often likened to fish. Thus Leo Bonhart is above "ordinary human" skill and expertise so it is very possible that he managed to kill 3 witchers during his life. Most witchers are not at Geralt's level and are weaker in comparison (as he was naturaly gifted) and the author doesn't reveal if Leo Bonhart had a fair fight against the 3 said witchers (mea...

I am trying to hunt down a book I read in the 90s, but lost some time ago. It starts with some children wandering in a wood, and they encounter a wood nymph creature that starts following them around. Eventually, the wood nymph becomes accepted, and starts to live with humans. The more time he spends with them, the more human he becomes. There is an incident where he cuts off his finger as a party trick expecting it to grow back, but instead it bleeds, because he is not made of wood any more. So he starts to live as a human, except he does not age at the same rate and he lives for hundreds of years. Eventually, he becomes an alchemist, although I forget the purpose of his experiments. Finally, after a few hundred years, he walks into his garden and plants himself, and becomes a tree. Does anyone have any ideas?

This is about the latest book from the "The Witcher" series, Season of Storms . In the epilogue we can read (spoilers!): Nimue suddenly felt euphoria, balanced by numbness and the other effects of suffering fear. It’s a dream, she thought. It seems to me a dream. Because this cannot be real. ‘What’s wrong? Are you okay?’ Nimue plucked up the courage. ‘This mare…’ in her excitement she had difficulty pronouncing her words. ‘This mare is named Roach. Because that is what you name every horse. Because you, are Geralt of Rivia. The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia.’ He looked at her for a long time. Silent. Nimue also remained silent, staring at the ground. ‘What is the year now?’ ‘One thousand three hundred and…’ she lifted her surprised eyes. ‘One thousand three hundred and seventy-three after resurrection.‘ ‘If that’s so,’ the white-haired man wiped his face with a gloved hand, ‘then Geralt of Rivia has been long dead. He died a hundred and five years ago. And later some kind of confi...

Can loosely remember seeing a film made in the last 2-10 years of a young person building a space ship. At some point the ship comes to life and an element that it fills with a liquid of sorts to protect from effects of force for space travel? Beyond that can’t remember anything.

Does anyone remember the name/location of this short story? The story is about a technologically advanced robot that guards a treasure of great value. To survive the encounter and be allowed to pass, one has to answer a number of questions. Some guy attempts to cheat by using a search tech to find the answers as they are asked (Internet, lol). The guy answers all the questions until the end. The last question is less about search-able knowledge and more philosophical in nature. He fails to answer and is obliterated. I remember it was in one of those Fantasy and Sci-fi pulp books. I used to buy them at used book stores when I was a kid. Any info is appreciated! Sean.

Does the Bronze Age Flash's suit have any intrinsic powers? Specifically, is it embued with its own power, thereby granting any wearer super ability?

Why is Brynden Rivers called the three-eyed crow? I know that he is/was a man of the Night's Watch. That explains the crow part but where was the "three-eyed" part explained? Answer There are some mentions on the books if I remember correctly, but all I could find was in the Who is the three-eyed crow? FAQ : First introduced in A Game of Thrones, the three-eyed crow has been a mysterious figure who opened Bran’s “third eye” to magic , and began him on a path that has led him from Winterfell to the lands beyond the Wall. So, the third eye is the 'greenseer' eye. The other two are the normal eyes that all humans have. He is considered to be the last Greenseer, so he is the last one to have the third eye open -- that's why he is called the 'three eyed crow'

In Star Trek, there exists a field of negative energy, known as the Galactic Barrier . Later when the Enterprise-D was thrown into a different galaxy, however, they did not experience the barrier. Such a barrier, to a society capable of warp travel, would seem to be a form of containment. Is it ever explained who (or what) made this barrier, and why? Answer In strict canon, nobody knows. In extended canon : Greg Cox's Star Trek: The Next Generation - Q Continuum novels state that the galactic barrier was in fact created by the Q Continuum as a method of preventing the powerful being known only as " 0 " from returning to the Milky Way Galaxy, from which he was banished for his destruction of the Tkon Empire. These novels also explain that the telepathic powers that occur as a side effect of exposure to the barrier in telepaths are caused by the power of the Q that exist in the barrier, while those who develop a god complex are 'infected' by the presence of 0, wh...

In one of the episodes of the Master Saga, The Master is talking with The Doctor and says "You chose your name, the one who helps everyone", when they are making their "greetings". (I'm looking for the exact words, but I don't remember the exact episode, so is taking a while to find them.) As Frank's Lazar answer pointed out "the Doctor's name is the Answer That Must Never Be Spoken" — but he said it to River Song. Ok, she is his wife. But he will/already have spoken it once. So, titles can be assumed to have some connotation of power. After all, the Time Lords who had titles appear to have some extra power or intelligence than the rest of the Time Lords. My question is: why are those specific Time Lords able to chose "titles" for themselves, and have everyone follow their choice by using that title when referring to them? I read the question " Why Do Some Timelords Use Names (And Why Does The Doctor Keep His Secret)? "...

Star Trek TOS "The Squire of Gothos": TRELANE: I can't tell you how delighted I am to have visitors from the very planet that I've made my hobby. Yes, but according to my observations, I didn't think you capable of such voyages. JAEGER: Notice the period, Captain. Nine hundred light years from Earth. It's what might be seen through a viewing scope if it were powerful enough. TRELANE: Ah, yes. I've been looking in on the doings on your lively little Earth. KIRK: Then you've been looking in on the doings nine hundred years past. TRELANE: Oh, really? Have I made an error in time? How fallible of me. Oh, I did so want to make you feel at home. I'm quite proud of the detail. KIRK: General Trelane. So from the episode it clearly states that he's seeing things 900 years in the past, which is his present because he's 900 light years from earth. He also states that he's been observing in his present time earth and that he's surprised that a ...

We all know that "almost every creature" who puts on the One ring became invisible and that the creator (Sauron) can use it to control the other rings . But the other rings: The Nine The Seven The Three What are the powers, if there are any , of each ring? Is there a respective user who, like Sauron, has a different or extra power for one specific ring? Answer Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age is your source for all of this. Before we begin, it's important to note that there is not actually any difference between the Seven and the Nine . There's absolutely nothing in Tolkien to indicate such a difference, and in fact it seems clear that the effects of them were different based on the species they were given to, rather than anything to do with the Rings themsleves. In other words, one of the Nine, if given to a Dwarf, would have the same effect on him as one of the Seven. And one of the Seven, if given to a Man, would likewise have the same effect on him as o...

This comment raised a question for me During the Chamber of Secrets while Harry is in Riddle's memory he is described as gliding alongside Riddle, watching whatever Riddle saw (however this not really being the pensieve, riddle might be explicitly directing what Harry could see) Again, when Harry is in Snape's memory in Order of the Phoenix, it is described that Harry hoped Snape would go out of the exam hall in such a way that his parent's would stay in view, so that he could watch them, because otherwise if Snape went in the wrong direction, he would not see his parent's in the memory either But then again, in the answer linked in that comment, although the memory is from hokey, when she leaves the room, Harry and Dumbledore do not glide out of the room with her, but instead stay in there and see and hear the events that happened between Riddle and Hepzibah Smith What is the extent of the pensieve's power for showing the world not seen by the original owner of th...

In Burton's Batman Jack Nicholson's Joker falls into a vat of chemicals which turns his skin pure white. In a couple of scenes he wears skin-colored makeup to appear more normal. In Nolan's The Dark Knight Heath Ledger's Joker has "normal" skin and wears makeup to create Joker's trademark white skin look. He can just wash off the makeup if he wants. Which is the case in the comics? Is his skin deformed, does he wear makeup, or is he just naturally pale? Answer The answer is a qualified "no"; in most of his many origin stories, the Joker looks the way he does because he was permanently disfigured, and his skin and hair were permanently discolored. As we can see in the following pictures, which are taken from Alan Moore's brilliant masterpiece The Killing Joke , Batman identifies an impostor when the man's makeup rubs off on Batman's glove: A few quotes from around the interwebs: The Joker began as a very dark character. Originally,...

If I understand correctly, before the events of the first season (or book) the population of the Seven Kingdoms was about half a million or so? But how bloody was the Clash of The kings, and how populated is the kingdom now, after five seasons?

At the end of movie: Finn decides to drive into the battering cannon to destroy it. He is driving only forward and somehow Rose was able to hit him. How is that possible? She turned away for a moment so she has a longer way to go. I assume: Finn and Rose has the same v[m/s] which is constant Rose has bigger s[m] pattern for time for v=const -> t=s/v Verdict: She can't hit him. Or maybe she was faster? Am I missing something? Answer His vehicle was slowed by the (pressure of the) cannon's beam. You see his ship buckling under the pressure and slowing. Based on a quick eyeball assessment of his speed, from the point seen below it should have only taken him about five seconds to reach the cannon, yet he's still more than a hundred yards away eight seconds later when Rose hits him. It's also worth noting a couple of other facts; His speeder already looked trashed when he sets off. In the brief time we see hers, it seems in better condition. Literally the first thing F...

Why did Snape have to place Gryffindor's Sword in a lake? It was cold enough for ice to form, and so Harry's life was in risk (from hypothermia). It was obvious that Snape had to place the sword himself for Harry to find only after Harry and Hermione were already nearby, so why did he make it unnecessarily difficult to retrieve?

The Architect tells Neo: Your life is the sum of a remainder of an unbalanced equation inherent to the programming of the Matrix. You are the eventuality of an anomaly, which despite my sincerest efforts I have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision. While it remains a burden assiduously avoided, it is not unexpected, and thus not beyond a measure of control. Which has led you, inexorably, here. This suggests that Neo (like each of the "Ones" who went before him) was an intentional creation of the Matrix, and was actually necessary in order to maintain the stability of the Matrix itself. What problem was he sent to solve, and why was he so important for the stability of the Matrix? Answer The Architect is using some flowery technobabble to explain something called cumulative error - a tiny error in a computation that compounds itself as the computation keeps going. For example, in math-intensive computer programs, you need to be ...

The title is not really my question, but let me first speak about the spoiler level. This question points to an event that occur in A Storm of Swords (mid-book ?). Its equivalence in the TV show is Season 3, episode 6 and later. Stop reading if you didn't read/watch this part of the story and don't want to be spoiled. Do not read anything below the spoiler tag even if it's not in a spoiler tag because it would make you understand what is in the spoiler tag. This is about Tyrion Lannister and his relation with Sansa Stark. They get married. But how is this possible ? Tyrion was previously married to Tysha, a whore that (end of ASOS spoiler alert) actually wasn't a whore and all we know about her (Tywin Lannister's words) is that she was sent back to "where whores are sent" But was the marriage cancelled ? How is that possible ? Tysha surely wasn't a virgin, and nothing is said about her being dead. So, my question: Did they just divorce? Is that possibl...

All of the flagship starships of humanity/the Federation get the name Enterprise: Enterprise NX-01, USS Enterprise NCC-1701, USS Enterprise NCC-1701 D, etc. Flagships of the United Federation of Planets could be named under a naming convention following from the first Warp 5 starship of humanity, the Enterprise NX-01 (humans were the dominant race in the Federation after all). But, how did Enterprise NX-01 get its name? And how did this naming convention arise? What's the in-universe history behind this naming? Answer Captain Decker showing Ilia the ships named "Enterprise" in Star Trek: The Motion Picture : And from Enterprise history on Memory Alpha: First image: The Enterprise was a noted sailing frigate , either of the Royal Navy or of the US Navy. She was active in the late 18th century. (ENT: "United") Second image: The USS Enterprise (CV-6) was an aircraft carrier that served in World War II. (ENT: "Storm Front") Its successor was the USS ...

Is there any in canon information at to whether the goblins existed before the Wizards and Witches or did human magic users exist before goblins?

I'm looking for the title of a book from the 50s/60s about an alien amoeba who merges with an adolescent boy, making him immune to sickness and giving him a near-instant healing factor in exchange for the boy's help in locating a fugitive alien that crashed on Earth at the same time. As the story progresses, they learn that the fugitive alien has merged with the boy's father, who works at NASA, and is using the father's involvement in the rocket program to make his escape. Any help is appreciated! Answer This seems likely to be Needle (1950), by Hal Clement. From the Wiki description, we see many of the elements described. An alien symbiote, not actually an amoeba, but sort of close in appearance (just much larger), and the presence of a fugitive. The Hunter, an alien lifeform (when not inside another being, resembling a four-pound green jellyfish) with the ability to live in symbiosis with and within another creature, is in hot pursuit of another of his kind. Both c...

As Rey and Finn are sinking into the desert, Finn shouts that he has something he wanted to tell Rey, but they are swallowed before he can say it. Later, Poe asks Finn what he was going to say, but doesn't get an answer. What was Finn going to say? Answer Reportedly J.J. Abrams told a fan at a recent event that Finn wanted to tell her he was Force-sensitive. I had the privilege of attending the Academy screening of #TheRiseOfSkywalker today and J.J. confirmed that what Finn wanted to tell Rey was that he’s force sensitive! Per Twitter I say “reportedly” because Abrams has not yet confirmed this in an on-the-record interview. But when a fan asked John Boyega the same question on Instagram , he responded “it’s an instinct... a feeling.” So that’s two inside sources stating or hinting at the Force explanation. I’d argue the context in the movie strongly hints towards the romantic explanation (why would he say that when they were about to die? Why hide it? Why later refuse to tell P...

The Martians in the film Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) look near identical to those in War of the Worlds (1953). Was this a deliberate story element, an artifact of production such a cost-saving (they have the same director), or something else? 1953: 1964: Answer According to the IMDB : The Martian spacecraft are left-overs from The War of the Worlds. Director Byron Haskin was involved in both projects, although George Pal is often given sole credit for the earlier classic. Props in Hollywood are often stored and repurposed in other movies after getting a new skin.

From the answers to this question , we know that one doesn't have to be a wizard to own a wand. Also, in other works, the ability to do magic is often tied to a magical object, such as a wand. In the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia , Mickey Mouse, as the apprentice, dons the sorcerer's hat and is suddenly able to do magic, but usually, it's the wand. For instance in a sequel to Cinderella , where other characters are able to do magic by using the Fairy Godmother's wand and saying the magic words. Also, a trope I've noticed in cartoons, is where two non-magical characters find a wand and use it in turn to transform each other in increasingly absurd creatures and objects. So how does this work in Harry Potter's world? Could a Muggle do anything with a wand, or is it just a stick to them? Answer Yes, a muggle can do something with a wand. According to the brand new "History of American Magic" writings on Pottermore, a muggle (from a fa...

Once I read that the strongest thing in the Marvel Universe is the Silver Surfer's skin, followed by the Mjolnir and Adamantium. Is this right? And, if so, what makes them so special? Answer Proto-Adamantium: The adamantium-vibranium alloy used in Captain America's shield is the strongest human-made material on Earth. It's greatest strength is its nearly immutable nature and resistance to being damaged or changed. The process used to create adamantium requires the material be brought together, shaped and within a fixed amount of time before setting. The process used to create Captain America's shield was similar with the inclusion of vibranium. The process was lost and therefore unable to be repeated. Enchanted uru is not made or normally found on Earth and is both more resistant to damage than normal uru metal but it is not indestructible. It's durable and can be enchanted to be even more damage-resistant but its primary benefit is the ability to bind amazing e...

Don't know much for sure about this story. I've never read it; only heard a review at some point in mid-nineties on Polish TV. The author may very well be Polish, but there's a chance it was a translation (Yup, I'm also asking elsewhere in Polish). The story is set in the world with telepaths and the protagonist has secret information (or maybe is a secret agent - not sure about this) and keeps repeating a rhyme in his (her?) head which blocks telepathic prodding of their mind. One thing I'm pretty sure I remember is the rhyme in Polish (It's actually been stuck in my head since the 90s) - and in Polish it indeed rhymes (AABB - end of lines) so most likely the translation was not literal. Re-translated back to English it would be something like: one - two - three and four sultan liked bayaderes, five - six - seven - eight he liked to cock a snook at everyone. and in Polish: raz - dwa - trzy i cztery lubił sułtan bajadery, pięć - sześć - siedem - osiem lubił wszy...

Far be it from me to accuse the Hogwarts teachers of not working hard enough but I struggle to see how Flying Teacher is really a full-time occupation. As far as I can tell, Madame Hooch has two main jobs: Teaching the first-year students how to fly (classes aren't mentioned after The Philosopher's Stone so I'm assuming that they are only for first-years). Refereeing the six inter-House Quidditch matches over the course of the year. I would've expected that this would merit a part-time role with Hooch perhaps coming to stay at Hogwarts for the duration of the flying lessons (which maybe lasted two or three months) and then coming back at weekends when there was a match to referee. However, The Prisoner of Azkaban seems to imply that she's there the whole year. "Well, goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last...but all the same, Potter...I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions....

With the coming of the Mortal Engines Movie my brain kicked into gear remembering another book about cities walking around gathering resources. I have not read Mortal Engines but looking at the plot it seemed to have some similarities. I think it had a Steampunk feel to it but I am not completely certain. I have tried searching both through the web and my library but have not found it yet does anyone recall the book? As far as I can remember I read this between 2008 and 2013.

Rogue One director Gareth Edwards revealed in 2016 that, while on a tour of the props department, George Lucas expressed interest in a particular helmet that was then inserted into the film: Edwards says that sitting in the department was "a helmet we loved but didn't know where to put it; there wasn't really an opportunity to use it". But when Lucas was given a tour of the design department, the father of Star Wars "walked past it and went 'That’s cool, I like that'". Unsurprisingly that led to a renewed determination to put the aforementioned mysterious helmet in the film, as the offhand comment by Lucas spurred Edwards into action, and at the mention of the helmet they "looked at each other like, 'OK, we have to put that in the film!'". However, Edwards didn't describe the helmet, leaving it unclear exactly which one it was. Has anyone involved with the film revealed which helmet Lucas liked? Answer It was the hovertank p...

Let's get technical here. Have you ever seen Pikachu excrete? What about Charizard? Or Greninja? No! Well, I don't think anyone has. Is that a sign of them not being actual animals? Let's recall the seven vital characteristics for life: Mrs. Gren . Movement Respiratory Sensitivity Growth Reproduction Excretion Nutrition We've seen Pikachu move (obviously), breathe, touch, and eat. Does Pikachu grow? Does he excrete? I am missing one thing out here: reproduction. But we all know Pokémon reproduce, if not by normal means. Throughout the series, we haven't seen Pikachu grow at all, or other Pokémon. Does evolving count? We've never seen a Pokémon excrete. Therefore, can we say they are animals? Let me make it clear that this is only out of interest, and I have not gone basukas! Answer This question has been the topic for great discussion ; in providing research for my answer, I even found a fair few discussion posts on Reddit, though I can not seem to find them, ...

I read this story I think in an Isaac Asimov short story collection - not necessarily his. It’s about a world where reproductive organs where converted to produce all kinds of materials. The protagonist is pregnant and kept the option to give birth and nurse. She studies something. In the end she gives birth to a starship main computer and receive a letter that gives her the happy news that she finished school and found fit to be a mother. Answer That is most likely "Piecework" by David Brin. It is also the (unaccepted) answer to this other question. Women "produce" (give birth to) industrial equipment after having sex with men who have been genetically modified. The story follows one woman who forgoes fast money. Instead, she studies hard to earn a license to produce the most valuable "product" of all: a human child. She has to study hard over months or years and pass examinations to earn a license to be allowed to become pregnant and have a child. I do...