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DonyorM
DonyorM
5:48 AM
I find it funny that kexx, the guy who proposed the site, doesn't even have an account on it: area51.stackexchange.com/users/99790?tab=accounts
 
BESW
BESW
 
DonyorM
DonyorM
Yeah, but he is active on SE (when to super user yesterday).
Could people see if they like what I did to the article in this post:
1
Q: Create Custom Help Center Articles

DonyorMWe need to prepare for our site to enter public beta, and one of the things we need to do is define what goes in the help center and the tour. This is one of The 7 Essential Meta Questions of Every Beta. Here's what the 7 Essential Questions page says about creating documentation: Much of th...

discussion on-topic help-center
 
 
2 hours later…
Fulli
Fulli
7:34 AM
good morning builders!
 
Mourdos
Mourdos
8:14 AM
Morning
 
Tim B
Tim B
morning
@DonyorM Changes look ok, I think the list is too short with each entry covering too many things now but it's still an improvement over how it did look
 
 
4 hours later…
Tim B
Tim B
12:39 PM
Right, added a couple of question's I've been thinking of. Let's see if people like em or close em :p
 
Fulli
Fulli
today was a slow day
 
Tim B
Tim B
indeed
why I thought I'd add a couple
they probably suck tho
 
Fulli
Fulli
i am breeding since the morning ...
 
Tim B
Tim B
12:56 PM
breeding? :o
 
Fulli
Fulli
breeding new questions ? isnt that a thing?
 
Tim B
Tim B
not really
 
Fulli
Fulli
german slang than
 
Tim B
Tim B
probably
were you trying to say that you are trying to think of new questions?
or that you have some you are working on?
or something else?
 
Fulli
Fulli
trying to come up with new questions
"breeding them out"
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
1:30 PM
@Fulli I thought you meant finding pairs of existing questions and creating offspring...
 
Fulli
Fulli
na that was yesterday
or do you mean the meta question?
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
"breeding new questions"
 
Fulli
Fulli
na na i ment comming up with them
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
I know it was just a funny image in my mind...
2
 
Tim B
Tim B
yeah, the phrase has weird connotations in english
 
DonyorM
DonyorM
1:39 PM
definetly
 
Fulli
Fulli
well its common here
the more you learn :P
 
Tim B
Tim B
2:23 PM
@githubphagocyte yeah, I think that's a good change to your question. Makes it more focused, removing my comment
 
Tim B
Tim B
2:57 PM
I really like this question:
3
Q: Can sufficient magnetic shielding be provided by solar power?

githubphagocyteLife on Earth is protected by Earth's magnetic field, which deflects high energy charged particles that arrive from the sun and from outside the solar system. This prevents damage to organisms. For a habitat in orbit around the sun, how much energy would be required to generate a magnetic field ...

science-based physics radiation
However would it be better on physics?
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
@TimB removed my comment too - that makes sense
@TimB since we're working on the scope of the site I deliberately posted a question that I thought would be a better fit for physics.se, to see how the community judges such questions. I'd like to see it fit here but what's most important is finding out where the lines will lie. I'm trying to think of more areas where we need such decisions too.
 
Tim B
Tim B
I think it's a solid fit for worldbuilding, it's clearly on topic
the question is whether you would get a better/more informed result on physics
I know the relevant theory (i.e. I can tell you that what you are proposing is valid as a concept) but don't know it enough to do the maths and see whether the numbers work out (i.e. can you generate a field strong enough)
my gut feeling is that you wouldn't be able to generate a strong enough magnetic field
with a reasonable amount of solar power
but I've no evidence to back that up so I hope someone does come in with the answer :)
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
3:15 PM
^
Working on a non math conceptual answer
Tha I think will be useful
But I don't think we have the current technology to generate a magnetic field of that magnitude
Regardless of power output
But interesting question regardless
 
Mourdos
Mourdos
Ask on both if you think it suitable for both
 
 
3 hours later…
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
6:22 PM
@Mourdos I don't know where it's written but I think I've seen it recommended that a question only be posted on one site at a time
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
6:53 PM
127
Q: Is cross-posting a question on multiple Stack Exchange sites permitted if the question is on-topic for each site?

Colin NewellIt is possible to migrate a question from one Stack Exchange site to another by closing, but if I have a question that I think is on-topic for multiple Stack Exchange sites, is it OK to post it on both (multipost)? For example, I have a question that's earned me the tumbleweed badge on SO and I...

discussion faq questions etiquette cross-posting
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
7:04 PM
@Mourdos that's the post I was thinking of - it recommends against multi-posting of the same question to multiple stack exchange sites, and has plenty of upvotes.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
@githubphagocyte No need to answer if you don't want to, but I'm curious if that close vote on How would having a tail change society? is yours?
(Because you left a comment that would appear to go fairly well with a "too broad" close vote.)
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
@MichaelKjörling - always OK to ask and even more so in a private beta. No that wasn't me - I only had one improvement suggestion and that turned out to be something I'd overlooked, and not a problem with the question at all... I think it's important to close vote where necessary, but I see nothing wrong with that question.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
It becomes public anyway who voted that way if the question gets closed. ;)
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
@MichaelKjörling yes I know - I have closed some... :)
I was wondering myself why there was a close vote. The lack of a reason or any improvement suggestions is annoying, particularly when we're looking to define the scope as well as possible before public beta.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
@githubphagocyte Yes, that's why I posted my meta question about the shapeshifters question, too. It seems that since then the close voting on that has stopped, though.
I don't mind if a question of mine gets closed, but I want both for myself and for the site and community as a whole to understand why it gets closed.
 
githubphagocyte
githubphagocyte
7:23 PM
There are quite a few scattered close votes on questions that don't seem to warrant it and have no explanation.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
Yes, commenting along with voting to close would be a good thing. At least giving some sort of explanation for the vote. Sometimes it's quite easy to address things, if one only gets them pointed out. (It isn't always easy to see the problems with one's question oneself!)
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
8:18 PM
This answer starts out basically saying it is highly speculative, but then goes on to be almost worse than that. The bullet lists at the beginning appear reasonable but it's largely downhill from there IMO...
4
A: How would society be different in a sentient species that does not care for its young?

kaineAssumptions: They have evolved to an intellegence/technology level simular to our own. They have a lack of resources that need to be managed just like the real world. They want the species to evolve/survive. They take some time to reach maturity. They are mostly like us but with the one differe...

And I can't help but feel that a species which takes some time to reach maturity (for a reasonable definition of "some time") wouldn't evolve like that, but that's a different matter.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
^
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
@Vulcronos What?
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
Sorry. I use ^ to point up to what someone else posted, basically agreeing with it.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
@Vulcronos It would probably be a better idea to at least use the "reply to this message" feature to indicate what you agree with, in that case.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
I will give that a shot.
I am thinking about answering that question, but species evolve to have lots of children when there are predators requiring them to use a shotgun approach to child rearing by spitting out as many as possible. Also, with that kind of birthing model, children come out relatively self sufficient, preventing large, mammalians from using this birthing method.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
8:22 PM
Otherwise, it's just a caret which means very close to nothing. It doesn't even mean "I agree". (It does, however, mean exponentiation. In some contexts.)
@Vulcronos There's a reason why even, say, rabbits and mice nurture their young.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
True. I am just used to game chats where there isn't a reply feature. You just use ^ to agree with the previous post. This is the first stack exchange chat I have joined so I'll learn the ropes eventually
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
You don't have to use the reply feature if it's clear what you are saying and what the context of what you are saying is. In this case (in my mind) it was neither. Even "I agree" would have been much better as it actually says something.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
That works
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
(If nothing has been posted in an hour or two, then someone posts something and another user says "I agree" very soon after with no other references, I think it would be safe enough to assume that the agreement is with what was most recently posted. In a fast-flowing discussion or if for some other reason there is reason to fear a mix-up, you probably want to be more explicit.)
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
I agree with @MichaelKjörling statement. :)
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
8:27 PM
That certainly works for a start :)
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
Anyway, what exactly did you think a magnetic field could protect against in space that a metal hull couldn't?
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
I don't recall the particulars very well (this was a documentary I saw probably ten years ago, but it's stuck in the back of my mind) but from what I recall, solar CMEs were given as one reason why the crew would need to "evacuate" to a smaller, heavily shielded portion of the spacecraft. Like I said it doesn't invalidate the point that you can use metal shielding, but such heavy shielding costs a lot to get into space and accellerate to meaningful speeds.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
I agree
But light isn't affected by a magnetic field
Ultraviolet light, gamma rays, cosmic rays, etc
So I didn't see a magnetic field doing any good there
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
Who was talking about light?
The question seems to be "For a habitat in orbit around the sun, how much energy would be required to generate a magnetic field providing sufficient protection for the inhabitants (humans, animals, plants) from direct damage from charged particles?"
Note "charged particles" == primarily CMEs (and to a lesser extent solar wind).
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
I understand your note, but I considered light to be the main form of radiation from the sun.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
8:38 PM
I don't think it is. :)
Either way, the more I think about it, the more I think that question would be a much better fit for a site like Physics or maybe Space Exploration, because it's absolutely answerable within the context of our world (if you just remove the fictional elements and keep the core question) and experts there would be more likely to be able to give a good answer.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
I also agree with you there. I think for worldbuilding purposes it can be useful but it doesn't assume anything that isn't true in our world.
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
Just because a question comes up during worldbuilding doesn't automatically make the Worldbuilding SE the best place to ask.
Speaking hypothetically now, if I was a moderator on WB SE, now is when I'd likely be conferring with the Physics moderators on whether the question could be made to fit on their site. Because I feel a physics expert (or possibly someone well versed in the subject of space exploration) would be more likely to be able to provide a really great answer.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
So should we vote to close?
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
The question comes down to two things, really: how strong a magnetic field would be needed to deflect charged particles outside of Earth's magnetic field (down to a safe level, at least), and how much power would be needed to generate such a field. Those are, at the core, physics questions. Next step is simply figuring out what power density you have to play with (W/m²) and what that means in terms of solar panel size.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
Someone else just answered fyi
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
8:46 PM
It's rather long to type all that up in a comment, though. But yes, I'm leaning toward voting to close as "not about worldbuilding".
PipperChip? I saw that one earlier.
PipperChip also has a decent amount of reputation on Physics. Which sort of proves my point, with the type of answer given.
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
Yeah
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
I don't want to sound like I'm always the one who knows best, but I think I like my comment better. ;)
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
Try hard. You let me comment first ;)
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
Yes, but my comment is longer and I voted first ;)
 
Vulcronos
Vulcronos
You got me :p
 
Tim B
Tim B
9:13 PM
lol
Kaine's answer on my non-caring-species question is decent but only goes down one possible route, I hope we see some more
 
Michael Kjörling
Michael Kjörling
1 hour ago, by Michael Kjörling
This answer starts out basically saying it is highly speculative, but then goes on to be almost worse than that. The bullet lists at the beginning appear reasonable but it's largely downhill from there IMO...
Follow the timestamp link for a bit more. :)
I'm off, though. Need to get some sleep.
 
Tim B
Tim B
9:50 PM
Yeah, he drew a lot of conclusions without really showing the reasoning behind the conclusions
i.e. no "back it up"
I just commented
Hi, this is all good stuff but I think we could do with more "back it up". I know in a speculative answer like this we can't really prove anything but it would be nice to see more detail of the reasoning behind each conclusion here.
Ahh, the new answer seems more solidly grounded...nice stuff
 

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