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1500 questions
107
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14 answers

What is a "year" in Westeros?

I only watched the Game of Thrones TV series. But there it was said that the current summer lasted for already nine years. In our world a "year" is the time in which all four seasons pass. Since this is different in Westeros, they seem to have some…
Till B
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106
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3 answers

Does no one run in Star Trek?

I am rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix. In this one episode called "Schisms" (where the crew is abducted and experimented on while they sleep), there is a scene where the internal sensors detect a supposed explosion in a cargo…
Michael
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105
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2 answers

Where is the rest of Yoda's species?

We never seem to see any beings of Yoda's species - except, of course, Yoda himself. This leads us to the question of where the rest of the li'l critt'rs are. Yoda had to have parents, correct? So what happened to them? Was Yoda, put simply, just…
Peter Cassetta
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105
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4 answers

Why could Quirrell tolerate Harry's touch at the beginning of Philosopher's Stone?

In the beginning of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry meets Professor Quirrell in The Leaky Cauldron for the first time, and the two shake hands with no problem: A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes…
Slytherincess
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105
votes
8 answers

Why was Susan treated so unkindly?

Warning: Narnia spoilers ahead! And also much, much text.   At the end of chapter 12 in The Last Battle, the final installment of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, we are told that, “My sister Susan,” answered Peter shortly and gravely, “is no…
Janus Bahs Jacquet
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104
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20 answers

Is it true that The Doctor can only regenerate 12 times?

Is it true that The Doctor can only regenerate 12 times? Because if it is, the series won't last much longer. Matt Smith's Doctor is number 11 - that only leaves two more, right?
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE
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104
votes
9 answers

How do Star Trek viewscreens show perceivable depth?

This has bothered me ever since I noticed it; the viewscreen in The Next Generation shows perceivable depth even when viewed from an angle when, I would imagine, such an angle should start to warp the image (like with TVs in real life). I simply…
RedCaio
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104
votes
5 answers

How is Shelob's name known?

In Tolkien's world, there are quite a few "magical" beasts that have proper names: dragons for example, like Smaug. One can assume that their names are known either because their creator was still around at that time (and thus could tell their name)…
Fatalize
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104
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11 answers

Why does Kylo Ren wear a mask?

Is there an explanation on why Kylo Ren wears that mask in The Force Awakens? It even has a voice synthesizer and everything. It makes him look like a Darth Vader fanboy and really tries to be/look/sound like him. It doesn’t look like he needs it…
tilley31
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104
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6 answers

Why Does Samwise Gamgee Call Frodo Baggins 'Mr. Frodo'?

I haven't finished my re-read of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (I just finished The Two Towers), but, at least in the movies, Samwise Gamgee consistently refers to Frodo Baggins as "Mr. Frodo." Why is this? I noticed that Merry and Pippin call…
Slytherincess
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103
votes
9 answers

Why is invisibility the power granted by the One Ring?

Why is non-optional invisibility the one active supernatural power granted to non-Sauron wearers of the One Ring? I'm looking for an answer explaining authorial intent, not an in-universe answer. Normally I wouldn't consider such a question…
Praxeolitic
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103
votes
13 answers

How can Data lose a chess game?

Data is considered, basically, a sentient supercomputer. The ultimate AI. He was built with an ultimate storage capacity of eight hundred quadrillion bits and a total linear computational speed rated at sixty trillion operations per second. Chess…
Morgan
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103
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3 answers

Did Darth Vader wear the same suit for 20+ years?

Darth Vader donned his iconic suit from his defeat on Mustafar to his death on the Death Star II, a little over 20 years. Was he wearing the exact same suit that whole time? Did he have any backup suits or suits he could change into for laundry…
Thunderforge
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103
votes
9 answers

Is it possible to ruin one’s career by failing the Kobayashi Maru?

The Kobayashi Maru is an exam given to Starfleet cadets that is famously a no-win situation, used to judge candidates' character rather than skills per se. The implication is that the results of the test (how a candidate actually approaches their…
Robert Columbia
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103
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4 answers

Why do castle gates in GoT open inwards?

In S07E01 - Dragonstone, the gates of Dragonstone open inwards. Why? Isn't it easier to ram down when it can be pushed open? The hinges are high enough to be inaccessible, and could easily be reinforced/hardened during wartime.
Jedi
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