The Factory Floor

Future Historian

20:00

sighs

sphennings

@FutureHistorian You can always edit your question. Doing so will put it in the reopen queue automatically.

Future Historian

:D

sphennings

@FutureHistorian In the future try to use the sandbox if you want feedback on whether a question is a good fit for the site or not.

And remember when you use the sandbox to wait until people say it's ok before posting it to the main site.

If edits are suggested you'll want to get feedback on the edits before posting.

Future Historian

Oh.

I forgot that the Sandbox was a thing.

Stupid me, you stupid idiot! @Future Historian, you stupid idiot!

smacks his head against the wall

lets out a sigh of frustration

Can this day get any w-? No wait. Not going to say that.

sphennings

@FutureHistorian Beating yourself isn't going to do anything.

Future Historian

20:03

I still deserved that.

sphennings

Try working on being a bit more deliberate with how you interact with this site. There are people who are willing to work with you to improve your questions. But we need you to work with us.

Have you read the checklist for good questions?

31

Q: How to write the perfect question

Writing good questions can be difficult. To help you, the community came up with ten yes or no questions that will guide you and help you prevent common errors. Follow the links for more information and examples for each question. Positive questions (You should answer these with yes): Does ...

13

Q: Checklist for the perfect post - Idea refinement

The post is now created, using the top 10 questions as of the 25th of may '16. But you can still feel free to add your helpful questions for interested users (make sure to use the template below). Yesterday, a discussion on how to best educate new users on our scope came up. It was proposed,...

discussion asking-questions new-users

Future Historian

I should have read that earlier.

Oh well.

At least the question is fixed...........sort of.

-2

Q: If Earth was occupied by extraterrestrials, how big of a Marshall Plan-style reconstruction program would be needed?

So, in this situation, it is 2024. More specifically, the 22nd of August of 2024. The majority of Earth's conventional armies have been wiped out, along with 3.9 billion human lives out of a pre-Invasion population of 8 billion beginning on the 17th of August of 2024. And that is not even countin...

society aliens economy post-apocalypse

Better?

Or should I delete, then rewrite the question?

I copied the text of the question itself just in case.

sphennings

So now you're asking " How big of a Marshall Plan-style reconstruction effort would be needed to rebuild?"

Future Historian

@sphennings? Better yet or still shite?

Well, I had to overhaul the question somehow.

And besides. You heard Andrei. The question is too broad for a single answer.

So, I had to narrow it down.

sphennings

Narrowing the scope is a good thing.

Future Historian

20:10

I know that.

I kind of forgot to narrow it down.

Oops.

sphennings

It still feels pretty broad, to me.

Future Historian

:(

Well, what specifics do you propose, then? Because I am brain-dry.

@sphennings. I will see if @Bellerophon can give a third party opinion.

sphennings

I don't know.

Future Historian

Speaking of which.............

@Bellerophon? Let me guess: still too broad?

sighs

Rewrite attempt #2, here I come!

-2

Q: If Earth was occupied by extraterrestrials, what would be needed to execute a Marshall Plan-style reconstruction effort at a global scale?

So, in this situation, it is 2024. More specifically, the 22nd of August of 2024. The majority of Earth's conventional armies have been wiped out, along with 3.9 billion human lives out of a pre-Invasion population of 8 billion beginning on the 17th of August of 2024. And that is not even countin...

society aliens economy post-apocalypse

Still too broad?

sphennings

@FutureHistorian You don't need to repost the question every time you edit it. We can scroll up and find it if needed.

Future Historian

20:15

Oh.

Right.

I REALLY need to be more patient.

sphennings

You're basically asking "How is earth reconstructed after an alien invasion." That is a very broad question.

Future Historian

Deleted, and now reposted.

0

Q: If Earth was occupied by extraterrestrials, how long would reconstruction take?

So, in this situation, it is 2024. More specifically, the 22nd of August of 2024. The majority of Earth's conventional armies have been wiped out, along with 3.9 billion human lives out of a pre-Invasion population of 8 billion beginning on the 17th of August of 2024. And that is not even countin...

society aliens economy post-apocalypse

I am going to ask something else in a separate question, but still related.

But I have two versions that I am not sure are appropriate for this site (but I should ask on the sandbox this time).

Option 1: "In a realistic scenario, would any resistance against an extraterrestrial occupation be successful?"

Option 2: "How would an extraterrestrial force occupying Earth hope to maintain its grip on the newly conquered Earth?"

@sphennings? Which one is more site-appropriate?

sphennings

Neither. Both are asking about a story set in a world.

Future Historian

O_O

Well, forget it.

I am still going to ask this question.

sphennings

@FutureHistorian You have asked it. It's been closed.

Future Historian

20:25

So, no reposting?

:(

I already deleted it....twice.

groans

sphennings

@FutureHistorian Since we have duplicate as one of our close reasons do you think reposting is a good idea.

Future Historian

No........

But I have to think of something.

groans I hate it when this happens.

;(

sphennings

@FutureHistorian Seriously! We just talked about the sandbox.

Future Historian

I know that.

So, can I at least ask the question in sandbox before I put the ACTUAL, FINAL version down there?

sphennings

Then why didn't you ask those questions there instead of posting them?

Then asking me.

Future Historian

20:28

Good point.

This is what I get with my impatience and laziness.

So, how do I get rid of that one answer anyway?

sphennings

I have no idea what you're talking about now.

Future Historian

@sphennings. Permission to post the question in the sandbox?

Or too late now?

sphennings

You don't need permission to post in the sandbox.

Future Historian

Just checking.

sphennings

I'm getting seriously burnt out telling you the same things over and over again.

Bellerophon

20:31

@FutureHistorian worldbuilding.meta.stackexchange.com/q/4835/17720 Just write your question as an answer here.

Future Historian

I did that already.

sphennings

Within an hour of reminding you of the sandbox's existence posted to the main site and then then asked in chat about if the question was good for the second time to day.

Future Historian

Well, I am sorry, but I was nervous to even post it on the sandbox.

sphennings

@FutureHistorian Why are you nervous to post it on the sandbox?

Future Historian

Because I already posted it on the site, then I deleted it, then posted it again, deleted it again and NOW I am in the sandbox.

Bellerophon

20:33

Just put it in the sandbox, edit according to feedback. Don't post it for at least 2 days.

Future Historian

Oh.

So, long wait......

dot_Sp0T

yes, waiting takes time

6

sphennings

Most posts that graduate wait at least that long.

Future Historian

Well, fine.

Back to XCOM 2 I go.

By the way, I finished the War of the Worlds novel.

And.........I am wondering how much of an impact that 1897 classic had in the long-term.

Not just for accidentally predicting WWI's use of chemical weapons, but for other reasons.

What makes that book so intriguing all the way into 2018, when the science of that book SERIOUSLY needs an update?

dot_Sp0T

A story aims to entertain.

Feeds

20:40

0

A: Sandbox for Proposed Questions

Not sure if this is worth asking in here anymore, but..... If Earth came under an extraterrestrial occupation, how long would it take just to rebuild the planet? So, in this situation, it is 2024. More specifically, the 22nd of August of 2024. The majority of Earth's conventional armies have be...

HDE 226868

22:15

Hey, @kingledion, are you thinking of ever updating your answer to Samuel's cloud nine question? I figure some of the material choices could be useful for today's question about a ship floating on a gas giant.

No pressure (pun intended) or anything; I'm just curious.

Future Historian

groans

Here we go again............

Any ideas on how to improve the sandbox question before final posting?

Secespitus

@FutureHistorian Are you sure you want to post it on the main site? And why the rush again, I thought the others told you again what the Sandbox is about?

And sadly I don't really have any tips for this draft. I mean, you are destroying the world, except for some locations you find relevant to the story and then use an alien race to rebuild them - asking how long it will take. It depends on what your aliens can do. There is nothing anyone could tell you about the abilities of your aliens - you are the only one who knows that.

dot_Sp0T

@FutureHistorian waiting a few days and giving people from different timezones and work-schedules a chance to chip in

Future Historian

Hmmmmmmmmmm. Good point.

@Secespitus. Not rushing it.

I am just waiting to do any edits first.

To the sandbox question, that is.

dot_Sp0T

It can often seem that you need to do lots of things in very short amounts of time, but... it's not a race :)

Future Historian

22:30

@dot_Sp0T? 1984 or Brave New World? Which is worse?

Secespitus

:D Anyway, I'm off for today. See you guys around

dot_Sp0T

@FutureHistorian I know the first as a title for a book by George Orwell and the latter as the name of a Civ5 Expansion. I wager I am misinterpreting at least one of them

@Secespitus no you won't. You don't have chat-eyes

Secespitus

@dot_Sp0T What are "chat-eyes"?

And the second one is a book, too.

dot_Sp0T

@Secespitus something I just made up to say that seeing is a weird word to use for text-only-chats. Yet it's probably fine and I am just a nut

Secespitus

@dot_Sp0T Ah, okay, now I understand it - it's definitely too late :D Read you guys around ;)

Future Historian

22:33

I mean the Aldous Huxley novel.

dot_Sp0T

@Secespitus sweet dreams to you

@FutureHistorian never read it, sorry :(

Future Historian

You know: the one where people are kept satisfied by a totalitarian state through genetic engineering, pleasure drugs, etc. ?

dot_Sp0T

But I liked 1984. I even got an A in english classes on the book-report while having only read half of it

Bellerophon

Brave New World is a utopian future novel by Aldous Huxely.

1984 is a political commentary on 1940s life.

Future Historian

@Bellerophon? Define "utopian".

Because I think Brave New World is not a utopia in the conventional sense.

It is a FALSE utopia.

A variation of dystopia.

Bellerophon

22:38

Utopia: An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.

Brave New World, everyone is happy. Life is about aiming for maximum happiness. Therefore Brave New World = Utopia.

Future Historian

Well........everyone except the main characters.

Bellerophon

I guess if the society was unsustainable then maybe it isn't a utopia but the Brave New World society is sustainable.

Future Historian

So, this does NOT count.

@Bellerophon. SPOILER WARNING: It falls apart later on anyway.

Bellerophon

Main characters who are not proper members of the society. The story, if I remember correctly, is set in motion by someone accidentally ending up out of their place in society. If they stayed in their places then the society would have remained as a utopia.

Future Historian

Well, it is still a false utopia, though.

And again, that is a variation of dystopia.

Bellerophon

22:45

No, it is a true utopia. Until that guy messes up and leaves that woman in the wrong place.

Future Historian

How is it a true utopia with all the genetic engineering, psychological conditioning AND the fact people HAVE NO IDEA of human culture before the World State?

Not to mention that they are just too lazy.

Bellerophon

Because they are all happy.

Future Historian

It has a BLOODY CASTE SYSTEM!

Bellerophon

But they are all happy.

Future Historian

If I were to awaken myself in that world, I would have dropped a few bombs, started an armed resistance movement and tried to overthrow the World State.

As in: violently.

And kill anyone trying to stop me.

ANYONE.

Bellerophon

22:47

@FutureHistorian No, you would be happy because of Soma.

Or arrested as a criminal.

dot_Sp0T

Anyone ping me when the spoilering is over?

Future Historian

Well, there should be parts of Earth still lingering with some old, unused weapons somewhere.

Perhaps we can figure out a means to destabilise the World State and snap people out of their meaningless existence.

Bellerophon

@FutureHistorian So who is going to join you resistance? The lazy, happy people?

Future Historian

No. You know the protagonist, right?

There have to be more people like him elsewhere on the planet, right?

Bellerophon

@FutureHistorian What, why are you trying to ruin a utopia?

Future Historian

22:49

Because it is anything but a utopia.

It is a false utopia.

And remember the so-called "Savage Reserves"?

Perhaps they can be hotbeds for the resistance.

>:)

Bellerophon

No, the whole point of the book is he is unique and different.

Future Historian

True, but there are still such a thing as "Savage Reserves".

Perhaps we can start using those to organise an armed resistance against the World State?

Or will that fail horribly?

Still, I get the point.

Now, @Bellerophon? Which is a worse world to live in? 1984 or Brave New World?

Bellerophon

1984.

Future Historian

What happens if the two of them have a child?

Say we have 1984-style brutality mixed in with a population that is kept satisfied?

Bellerophon

There would be no point in the brutality.

Future Historian

22:53

Well, not ALL of it.

@Bellerophon? Just how difficult is to combine 1984 and Brave New World anyway?

In a way that is coherent, is realistic AND does not accidentally shift towards one side or the other completely?

Bellerophon

They are completely different societies. Having the Brave New World stuff renders the 1984 stuff pointless.

Future Historian

Oh.

Bellerophon

I guess you could take the genetic engineering part of Brave New World and add it into 1984.

Future Historian

Bonus points for VR, if possible.

Then again, there is still the usual, rebellious people. So...........

Green

@Bellerophon that's the worst.

Future Historian

23:08

@Green? Remind me again why @Bellerophon SOMEHOW considers BNW to be a utopia and not....a dystopia?

kingledion

@HDE226868 There are a lot of backloged questions I want to get to someday

Some of them just require so much research though

Once I'm done rep whoring the legendary badge, I'm going to concentrate on going back to all my favorited math and science questions

HDE 226868

@kingledion Same. I've been working on an answer to one for . . . something like two years now.

(Off and on)

kingledion

My two year answer is this one

13

Q: Where on a tidally locked planet with a 25 °C maximum is the 0 °C isotherm?

I am writing a novel. In that novel humans have settled a tidally locked planet. That planet is positioned at just such a distance from its sun that the sun heats the planet to an average of 25 °C at the substellar point, that is, at the center of the side facing the sun. The planet is like our E...

science-based planets climate temperature

I wrote a program to simulate and I've been sporadically updating it

Someday, I'll have an alien weather simulator, and then I can answer every weather questions on the site

HDE 226868

My holy grail of sorts is this one:

52

Q: Is there a way to create a bomb to destroy a star?

I want to create a sci-fi story, and since galactic warfare is on a larger scale, nukes wouldn't do much damage (or I wouldn't think so anyway). I would like ideas about an ultimate deterrent that could destroy stars (or a bomb with a supernova blast radius would work too). By "to destroy a star...

science-based space weapons stars

Basically, the author of the paper cited in the highest-voted answer appears to plagiarize a good part of his work . . . which I discovered after spending two days analyzing his writing.

kingledion

@HDE226868 Wow, that is an impressive find

HDE 226868

23:21

@kingledion Not too impressive. He plagiarizes from Wikipedia. It took a while to go through most of what's put on arXiv, though.

kingledion

Ugh, wikipedia

Green

@kingledion this is one of my dreams too.

HDE 226868

Weather and climate questions are - in my very-much-layman's opinion - some of the hardest science questions on Worldbuilding. At least from what I've seen.

Mithrandir24601

@HDE226868 I remember looking at atmospheric attenuation (for an essay for the prof. once) - even that was horrifically complicated due to all the variables involved

Future Historian

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

@Green? Why does @Bellerophon think Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a utopia....when it is not anyway?

Green

23:31

@HDE226868 agreed. The time I spent trying to answer even a very "simple" climate question, in hard science mode, took months then I gave up. I want to come back to it eventually.

HDE 226868

23:46

@Green Which one was that?

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