Search found 246 matches

by gaerzi
Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:47 pm
Forum: Outsider Discussion
Topic: 174-175: Got milk?
Replies: 137
Views: 71064

Re: 174-175: Got milk?

Talking of sentience to describe human-like intellect is a misnomer (popularized by Star Trek I believe); properly sentience is the ability to sense one's environment and react to it, which is actually a rather low bar to clear. Even people who aren't hippies are starting to acknowledge that, for ex...
by gaerzi
Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:52 pm
Forum: Outsider Discussion
Topic: 174-175: Got milk?
Replies: 137
Views: 71064

Re: 174-175: Got milk?

Losing the ability to digest lactose in adulthood seems like a pretty random "adaptation." I would be curious to know whether this is common in other mammals as well... but I would be surprised if there is a lot of data on this. A quick search suggests that both dogs and cats can also be lactose in...
by gaerzi
Fri Jan 31, 2020 12:02 pm
Forum: Outsider Discussion
Topic: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread
Replies: 6279
Views: 5019561

Re: Miscellaneous Loroi question-and-answer thread

Though would Alex have a cultural background to recognized a plasma based sword and what it could do? And would the Loroi or other powers even considered such a high tech melee weapon as practical. One of the Loroi in this shuttle is named Fireblade. They may or may not consider energy swords to be...
by gaerzi
Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:46 am
Forum: Outsider Discussion
Topic: How to Make Mecha Work in a realish setting
Replies: 224
Views: 90415

Re: How to Make Mecha Work in a realish setting

gaerzi: yes, you are quite right, but that is not the point of the excercise. Mechs make negative amounts of sense in just about any application, what I am trying to come up with is some sort of semi plausible reason why they are not a rediculously stupid choice. And my point was that this semi-pla...
by gaerzi
Thu Jan 30, 2020 5:33 pm
Forum: Outsider Discussion
Topic: How to Make Mecha Work in a realish setting
Replies: 224
Views: 90415

Re: How to Make Mecha Work in a realish setting

Mechs however is a different beast altogether, the only semi realistic way I have come up with for mechs is that human minds require human shapes, so the neural interface and it's MANY advantages require a humanoid machine. I'm not convinced by that argument, because the human brain is extremely ad...