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1500 questions
137
votes
5 answers
Why was Hermione not in Ravenclaw?
She's clearly the smartest person in her year, and the defining trait of Ravenclaw is intelligence. Why would she be in Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw?
Often Right
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136
votes
2 answers
Married couple pretend to like each other due to crystal sculpture
Years ago, I remember reading a short story (as I remember it) about a couple whose prized possession is semi-living crystal structure that is sensitive to their relationship; it grows and maintains its beauty as a reflection of how good their…
Howard M. Lewis Ship
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136
votes
8 answers
Why does the Party allow playing chess in Orwell's 1984?
At the end of Orwell's 1984, Winston was a regular customer of the Chestnut Tree Café. He would go there every day, and the waiters would always bring him a chessboard and the current issue of the Times, which contained a new chess problem every…
Fabio says Reinstate Monica
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135
votes
5 answers
In Star Trek - What's the Point of the Transporter Room?
I hope this isn't a silly question but I've been watching TNG and this bothers me.
The transporter 'pad' area is relatively small. As a guess, maybe 12 people can fit on it. But the vast majority of times it's being used by 2-3 people.
However,…
Rob P.
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134
votes
13 answers
Why does everyone face the same way on the transporter?
When the away team prepares to beam down, they invariably assume the transporter formation: standing upright, usually with arms slack aside, all facing the camera. When they beam down, they reappear in the same formation and poses, as that's how the…
congusbongus
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134
votes
2 answers
Why is The Matrix tinted green?
It's very noticeable that the world of The Matrix is tinted green, whereas scenes that occur outside of The Matrix have a much more realistic tone.
Why was a green filter chosen to portray The Matrix?
Valorum
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133
votes
7 answers
Did Calvin ever realise that Hobbes was not real?
In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, was there any moment where Calvin realised that Hobbes wasn't real?
Tango Alpha
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133
votes
1 answer
Why is JK Rowling considered 'bad at math'?
An often repeated meme about Harry Potter is that JK Rowling is 'bad at math'.
I see this all over this site and the saying is probably used elsewhere.
The following is said, in the comments for the selected answer for "How had the Potters 'thrice…
Mark Rogers
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132
votes
7 answers
Why is Sauron called "the Necromancer"?
During the time period of The Hobbit, a character is mentioned called the Necromancer. Radagast even (in the movie) specifically states that the Necromancer can "summon the spirits of the dead." (It's been a while since I read the book so I don't…
Nerrolken
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132
votes
3 answers
How did no other engineer see the design flaw of the Death Star?
In Star Wars: Rogue One we learn that that Jyn Erso's father purposefully put in the design flaw to destroy the Death Star, my question is: How did no other engineer see the massive design flaw?
TerranGaming
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132
votes
5 answers
When & how did Yoda come to know about the Rule of Two?
At the very end of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Mace Windu and Yoda had this conversation:
Mace Windu: There is no doubt. The mysterious warrior was a Sith.
Yoda: Always two there are....no more...no less. A master and…
user931
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131
votes
11 answers
Is Slytherin Evil?
Maybe I'm just hearing the wrong comments, but it seems that Slytherin is considered a dark house by almost everyone. I know when both reading the books and watching the movies, I always had a feeling of foreboding when there were a number of…
Tango
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131
votes
13 answers
Why did the Jedi want to bring balance to the Force?
During the Prequel trilogy, the Jedi wanted to bring balance to the Force, in accordance with a prophecy. There seemed to be a general agreement that this was a 'good thing', but a disagreement with the assertion that Anakin was the one to do…
Jeff
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130
votes
6 answers
In Back to the Future, why was the speed 88 miles per hour?
Why not use 89, maybe 100 miles per hour? Is 88 the fastest a DeLorean can go? In other metrics, I have:
Unit
Equivalent
Abbreviation
Miles per hour
88.00
[mph][mi/h]
Miles per second
0.0244
[mps][mi/s]
Yards per…
Rodrigo
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129
votes
18 answers
What is the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey about?
The end of 2001: A Space Odyssey movie features bizarre colours and the main character appearing in a bed, then becoming an old man and finally a fetus!
I always found this a pretty disappointing end to the film because it seemed to make no…
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE
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