ASK ME A SCIENCE THING FOR YOUR WORLDBUILDING.

[firejay1]

OKAY PEOPLES. I am a scientist. Well, I guess depends on how you define that. I am a PhD candidate in Molecular and Cellular Biology, which means my specialty is the tiny things. Fair warning, I'm super duper terrible at especially physics, and would need to look stuff up carefully for chemical principles, but I will say this, one advantage of being trained in the sciences for a long long... feels like forever time, is that even things that aren't my specific specialty I can decently research and make good estimates and educated guesses. And a LOT of people think they're very well-versed in science because they've googled CRISPR, and it honestly just hurts me sometimes to watch. SO LAY IT ON ME.

If you have any things in your worldbuilding you want a scientist's opinion on (obviously I can only work on general principles for fictional things), ASK AWAY. LET ME KNOW. I'M HERE. *lies down on the ground splayed out.

 

[rissa]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

ok ima get wild with it. hypothetically for a new rp im thinking of, is there ANYTHING scientific to be pulled from like....... "magical girl transformations" or star guardians trope and like.................could there be a tiny thing that could make certain people more predisposed to undergo such a change? and if so what

 

[firejay1]

To be more specific about the type of change, you're referring to the change in personality, clothing, and a sudden ability with magical powers, (usually in service of defeating a specific type of enemy with the help of an animal sidekick), right?

*thinking really hard.

LOLOLOL. Tbh, this one the most accurate answer is nope, not a thing. In biology, generally speaking, sudden large-scale changes to an existing organism just don't happen unless it's hard-wired into pretty much every member of that species (why there will never be anything that makes shapeshifting really scientific, really really good camouflage yes, but shapeshifting... nope). THAT SAID, I am no psychologist, but brain chemistry could explain a shift in personality. I'd say this probably wouldn't actually make it into your story, but this is a case where it'd work in your favor to make magical abilities something everyone latently has, that can be triggered by, iono, a really stressful event, (an animal sidekick could really just be a guide for how to USE it rather than the direct trigger themself). The one way I could see that working is change in abilities and personality both being caused by a flood of some special magic hormone xD that helps whoever it is overcome their natural barrier to using magic, just like how the suppose "super strength" people get in extreme situations or to help loved ones is generally accepted to be a flood of adrenaline and endorphins allowing people to use the maximum limit of their strength which is normally kept behind fatigue and pain. The magic clothes would probably just have to be part of a special contraption, heehee. Iono, maybe that could become its own sort of limitation to the system! In short bursts it's useful, but long-term magical girls could have some magical form of PTSD, or start being unable to turn it off because their body has gotten so used to being in magic mode so long, etc.

 

[rissa]

To be more specific about the type of change, you're referring to the change in personality, clothing, and a sudden ability with magical powers, (usually in service of defeating a specific type of enemy with the help of an animal sidekick), right?

*thinking really hard.

LOLOLOL. Tbh, this one the most accurate answer is nope, not a thing. In biology, generally speaking, sudden large-scale changes to an existing organism just don't happen unless it's hard-wired into pretty much every member of that species (why there will never be anything that makes shapeshifting really scientific, really really good camouflage yes, but shapeshifting... nope). THAT SAID, I am no psychologist, but brain chemistry could explain a shift in personality. I'd say this probably wouldn't actually make it into your story, but this is a case where it'd work in your favor to make magical abilities something everyone latently has, that can be triggered by, iono, a really stressful event, (an animal sidekick could really just be a guide for how to USE it rather than the direct trigger themself). The one way I could see that working is change in abilities and personality both being caused by a flood of some special magic hormone xD that helps whoever it is overcome their natural barrier to using magic, just like how the suppose "super strength" people get in extreme situations or to help loved ones is generally accepted to be a flood of adrenaline and endorphins allowing people to use the maximum limit of their strength which is normally kept behind fatigue and pain. The magic clothes would probably just have to be part of a special contraption, heehee. Iono, maybe that could become its own sort of limitation to the system! In short bursts it's useful, but long-term magical girls could have some magical form of PTSD, or start being unable to turn it off because their body has gotten so used to being in magic mode so long, etc.

frantically taking notes

SOMETHING LATENT THAT EVERYONE HAS HUH? BET

EVERYONE CAN LIVE THEIR MAGICAL DREAMS

 

[firejay1]

To be more specific about the type of change, you're referring to the change in personality, clothing, and a sudden ability with magical powers, (usually in service of defeating a specific type of enemy with the help of an animal sidekick), right?

*thinking really hard.

LOLOLOL. Tbh, this one the most accurate answer is nope, not a thing. In biology, generally speaking, sudden large-scale changes to an existing organism just don't happen unless it's hard-wired into pretty much every member of that species (why there will never be anything that makes shapeshifting really scientific, really really good camouflage yes, but shapeshifting... nope). THAT SAID, I am no psychologist, but brain chemistry could explain a shift in personality. I'd say this probably wouldn't actually make it into your story, but this is a case where it'd work in your favor to make magical abilities something everyone latently has, that can be triggered by, iono, a really stressful event, (an animal sidekick could really just be a guide for how to USE it rather than the direct trigger themself). The one way I could see that working is change in abilities and personality both being caused by a flood of some special magic hormone xD that helps whoever it is overcome their natural barrier to using magic, just like how the suppose "super strength" people get in extreme situations or to help loved ones is generally accepted to be a flood of adrenaline and endorphins allowing people to use the maximum limit of their strength which is normally kept behind fatigue and pain. The magic clothes would probably just have to be part of a special contraption, heehee. Iono, maybe that could become its own sort of limitation to the system! In short bursts it's useful, but long-term magical girls could have some magical form of PTSD, or start being unable to turn it off because their body has gotten so used to being in magic mode so long, etc.

frantically taking notes

SOMETHING LATENT THAT EVERYONE HAS HUH? BET

EVERYONE CAN LIVE THEIR MAGICAL DREAMS

I FORGOT TO SAY, THE ONE WAY IN WHICH YOU CAN INCLUDE PREDISPOSITION IF YOU REALLY WANT TO, is everybody's brain is like, a little different, y'know to some extent. How much of certain chemicals they produce, if they have imbalances, how quickly their body responds to those signals. So maybe some people are quicker to release the magic "hormone" or whatever you want it to be, or are a little more resistant to the negative side effects of long-term exposure (the reason why I brought up PTSD or inability to turn it off, is because one of the problems with adrenaline is being exposed to high levels of it for long periods of time can cause a feedback loop that can lead to anxiety, depression, etc.), or naturally have more magical talent they haven't tapped into yet.

 

[rissa]

lets say hypothetically.................clothes could meld into your skin (or perhaps ina demi plane "on top of you" or smth, would SCIENTISTS or magical inventors figure out a way to like hMM how do i phrase this. essentially: what would clothing or fabric need to be (or have in their make up) to be unequivocally theirs without it being like.......oh eyah it was just tailored to Star Guardian Triss

 

[firejay1]

*cackling. I mean, demi-plane is not a bad suggestion, or like it could be stored in an alternate plane around you, or iono don't get me into whacky territory, or else I'll be suggesting weird shit like a second skin that puffs up when triggered by magic like a lizard's fan, but that's lowkey GROSS to think about, and we don't want a repeat of the inverted mermaid nippes.

 

[rissa]

*cackling. I mean, demi-plane is not a bad suggestion, or like it could be stored in an alternate plane around you, or iono don't get me into whacky territory, or else I'll be suggesting weird shit like a second skin that puffs up when triggered by magic like a lizard's fan, but that's lowkey GROSS to think about, and we don't want a repeat of the inverted mermaid nippes.

HOLD UP. WYM INVERTED MERMAID NIPS???????

 

[firejay1]

Mermaids having external boobs and nipples is entirely stupid. Large boobs are not hydrodynamic, and nipples hurt when exposed to water. It makes a lot more biological sense for them to have nipples hidden in slits like dolphins do. I started getting into making a scientifically sensible mermaid society, and it was uh. LOL, I don't regret it, but I can't see mermaids the same way ever again. xD

 

[rissa]

this is why clam bras were invented by the mermaids

 

[novaluna]

woot woot!! I'll also offer up my skills if there's a medical topic/question that needs an answer (& obvi if you don't know or can't answer it) since I'm a medical student that's made it through all of my pre-clinicals & and some of my major core rotations. My areas of expertise include:
- anatomy, physiology, & medical biochemistry
- pathology & psychiatry
- pharmacology
- microbiology
- embryology
- diagnostic thought processes & algorithms
- some medical history & bioethics evolution
- and generally how medical schools, hospitals, & outpatient clinics function

I also have access to a number of very lovely resources through my med school that I can use to help if needed!

[ Also istg that at some point I'll finish my medical writing guide but school/board studying is kicking my ass atm (& we had a whole-ass pandemic in the middle of that that devastated & is still devastating the medical system ???) ]

Anyways, just tag me if I can be of help! (...or if you want me to make a separate thread, I can do that too )

 

[firejay1]

To hide those mammary slits. Because something hard and unmoldable like clams would make terrible bras.

 

[firejay1]

woot woot!! I'll also offer up my skills if there's a medical topic/question that needs an answer (& obvi if you don't know or can't answer it) since I'm a medical student that's made it through all of my pre-clinicals & and some of my major core rotations. My areas of expertise include:
- anatomy, physiology, & medical biochemistry
- pathology & psychiatry
- pharmacology
- microbiology
- embryology
- diagnostic thought processes & algorithms
- some medical history & bioethics evolution
- and generally how medical schools, hospitals, & outpatient clinics function

I also have access to a number of very lovely resources through my med school that I can use to help if needed!

[ Also istg that at some point I'll finish my medical writing guide but school/board studying is kicking my ass atm (& we had a whole-ass pandemic in the middle of that that devastated & is still devastating the medical system ???) ]

Anyways, just tag me if I can be of help! (...or if you want me to make a separate thread, I can do that too )

Definitely fine with more people tagging in! And you sound much more qualified than me in a lot of topics! xD

 

[foodforpigs]

How much energy would be required to transmute lead into gold (ie change the molecular structure of the lead to have a molecular structure of gold), and what would happen should a hypothetical alchemist turn a brick of lead to a brick of gold (to the surrounding area, assuming energy is drawn from the surrounding area)

 

[firejay1]

Let me start by saying that this is not at all my area of expertise, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone without an extreme specialty who could give you an answer in numerical kiloJoules. Of course, this could just be a semantic thing, but the problem is that gold and lead don't differ in molecular structure, but atomic structure. They are both elements, and they possess a different number of protons. Their nuclei are different, and it is EXTREMELY difficult to change the number of protons an element has. It's not impossible in this day and age, but the process by which they do it I don't think can give you a precise numerical value, because my understanding is that they do it by SHOOTING extremely high speed particles of smaller nuclei at an element with a greater number of protons than the target element (which lead is indeed), to basically slice off a few protons in a number-unspecific way. Basically. It would require a lot a lot a lot of energy, if you're talking a straight conversion. Possibly nuclear. Probably nuclear.

Energy in the air around us comes in the form of obviously heat and light, but also water particles in the air hold some charge, apparently (this is new information for me so thanks for making me learn something new), and then movement of like wind acts as mechanical energy. Problem I've noticed with a lot of fictional story tellers is that they assume energy can be drawn from the air and bam used to do something else. This is fine to hand wave in a magical setting, but from a knowledge perspective, is not entirely accurate. Energy usually needs to be... kind of converted to make it do something, and usually that conversion is a very boring thing. Easiest example is mills. Water that is moving, that movement inherently constitutes (I'm oversimplifying a bit here, physicists don't shoot me) mechanical energy. We use it to push a thing that turns attached to another thing that turns attached to a stone that turns and grinds grain. It's all still mechanical energy, but its not a mystical force that one can just draw from the water itself, in this case it's simply the use of one moving thing to move another thing.

BUT if you are going to use the "drawing it from the air around us" method (which I have too at times, it's fine), the most easily accessible form of energy FOR something like this would be heat, though I'm not certain there's enough heat in a localized area to achieve that level of energy, though perhaps your alchemists could engineering something like our windmills to produce electricity for them. XD getting into murky territory here. If not and you don't want to say they all done died from doing the impossible, it would at least get VERY cold very quickly. A nice strike of electricity would not hurt, and you could argue if their process of magic can harness light and convert it to the energy they need (solar panels as well as windmills basically, but that might be easier to say got magically harnessed), then perhaps dark as well. Turns out that old Frankenstein movie was not on the wrong track. XD