On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Science Fiction

[RodneyMcKay]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Doesn't Laplace's Demon say something about being able to determine the future? Not 100% sure of that one so don't beat me up about it.

 

[Mica]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Would it be ok to have a lake at the base of a mountain range? The lake is around 140 miles at its widest point. I'm trying to put some obstacles in my characters path that they will have to go around (I'm nice like that ).

 

[Zubi-Ondo]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Not only would it be okay... Its quite natural to have lakes at the bottom of a mountain range, assuming your world has gravity. 140 miles is rather large though, so I would guess it would have to be a very large mountain range, and possibly one that surrounds the lake in some fashion (not completely surrounds it necessarily). Maybe a crescent shaped mountain range or something.

- Z.

 

[Mica]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Thanks for the help Zubi.

I like the idea of the crescent shaped mountain range surrounding some of the lake & looking at my map it would mean the lake wouldn't have to be quite so big.

An alternative obstacle I was thinking of is to have an inland delta. Do they only occur in certain climates? I'm wondering if having one would it affect the flora and fauna and other geological phenomenon that could/should occur in the country as well?

 

[lin robinson]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

When it comes to evolution it is conditions which is the deterministic factor, not genomes.

And that's how characteristics emerge that didn't previously exist? To meet the demands of conditions?

 

[lin robinson]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Do they only occur in certain climates?

That's an interesting question. No reason they should, but they seem to, don't they?
Which might mean there is a reason, but we aren't aware of it.

 

[Zubi-Ondo]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Thanks for the help Zubi.

No problem.

An alternative obstacle I was thinking of is to have an inland delta. Do they only occur in certain climates? I'm wondering if having one would it affect the flora and fauna and other geological phenomenon that could/should occur in the country as well?

If you go by the following definition:
River delta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It would most likely imply that it is a fairly warm climate for the sediments to form, or possibly that they would form more readily in a warmer climate. It is not to say that you cant have deltas caused by ice formations in cold areas, but those might be much less permanent. You can also have rivers that have a very wide mouth without the deposits. Some of those are called estuaries. You can also have freshwater or inland deltas, or lakes caused by dams.

- Z.

 

[Anthony G Williams]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

And that's how characteristics emerge that didn't previously exist? To meet the demands of conditions?

No, the new characteristics emerge through random mutation. It's the environment which determines whether these mutations are beneficial or not (they usually aren't).

 

[Anthony G Williams]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

No problem.


If you go by the following definition:
River delta - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It would most likely imply that it is a fairly warm climate for the sediments to form, or possibly that they would form more readily in a warmer climate.

No, the factors which lead to delta formation have nothing to do with climate. Sediment is carried downstream by all rivers (the faster they flow, the more they can carry), and deposited at the river mouth as the flow slows down on hitting the sea or lake water. The main factor which leads to delta formation is the lack of a big tidal range or strong offshore currents which would otherwise sweep the sediment away from the river mouth. It also helps if the sea or lake is quite shallow around the river mouth.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

But I would imagine that erosion would occur in a hotter climate with less rain leading to looser and dry soils so more sediment collects in the water (this happens in the Murray-Darling river system in Australia).

 

[Anthony G Williams]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

The reasons for high levels of sediment in rivers vary according to circumstances. Heavy rain will actually increase erosion as it washes more soil into the rivers. Human activity also plays a part: deforestation can considerably increase erosion.

Deltas occur in Arctic climes, it's just that we don't usually hear about them because few people live there - try running Google Earth over Northern Siberia.

 

[Mica]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Thank you for all the information, it's been very helpful.

I've decided to go with an inland delta & even if I don't go into details in the story it's good to have them if I need to.

 

[lin robinson]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

No, the new characteristics emerge through random mutation.

Ah, a belief in things unseen. An extremely impractical bit of stage magic of the kind that makes people scratch their heads over the typical mechanistic evolution dogma, but it's a cute belief.

Kind of mystical.

 

[lin robinson]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Deltas occur in Arctic climes, it's just that we don't usually hear about them because few people live there - try running Google Earth over Northern Siberia.

Ah, good point.

On the other hand, you could also say that RIVERS only occur in certain climates. There are almost none in the entire Baja peninsula, for instance. (And one of those is fed out of a hot spring)

 

[Anthony G Williams]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Ah, a belief in things unseen. An extremely impractical bit of stage magic of the kind that makes people scratch their heads over the typical mechanistic evolution dogma, but it's a cute belief.

Kind of mystical.

Unseen? What's unseen about mutations? They can be tracked through gene changes which can be measured and analysed (more than can be said for religious beliefs, which are entirely mystical - whether they are also cute depends on your point of view...).

Consider the human genes which determine skin colour (to be precise, the formation of melanin). It is a fact that too much sunshine is damaging (it causes skin damage, and often cancer), while too little is also damaging (sunshine is an important way of generating Vitamin D, which is vital for health). So in places subjected to very strong sunshine throughout the year (e.g. the African plains) the genes for high melanin production are advantageous to survival, to the point where they are completely dominant. In less sunny climes, such genes are disadvantageous to health so pale skins have developed. There is a direct link between the intensity of sunlight and the degree of melanin in the skin of those who have evolved to live in particular parts of the world. What's mystical about that? It is entirely logical.

 

[ktabic]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Rivers are more of a product of the physical environment than the climate. If the right geological features aren't present then rivers won't form.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

After much investigation, scientists have found that the principal component of rivers is water. If there is no water in the air (in the form, say, of clouds), no amount of geology is going to give you a river. Even springs are generally driven by rainwater.

 

[Anthony G Williams]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

It isn't quite that simple...there are rivers which flow through deserts, after all: the Nile is a good example. Very obviously they need a source of water from somewhere, but it can be a long way away from where they flow through.

 

[lin robinson]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Sorry Anthony, I don't take your comments on mutations seriously. But this isn't the place to discuss them.


It's hard to come up with a geological feature not present in the Baja. Except for rivers. Because there is no water.

However, actually, there are watercourses, created by drainage from sudden cloudbursts and such. And they do form what would be called a delta.

 

[The Pelagic Argosy]

Re: On Creating Imaginary Worlds: Questions and Answers

Ah, a belief in things unseen. An extremely impractical bit of stage magic of the kind that makes people scratch their heads over the typical mechanistic evolution dogma, but it's a cute belief.

Kind of mystical.

The two alternative explanations that mankind has offered are God and aliens.

I guess MRSA is a psychosomatic disease rather than the result of mutated bacteria?