Real-Life Weirdness

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

I'm not sure what the applications might be

A superconducting diode? Most of the applications I've heard of for diodes are related to power -- rectifying current, voltage references, steering current in power supplies, transient blocking, isolating parts of circuits to protect them, that kind of thing. So, high-current/power versions of any of those, perhaps. (It would come in handy for the top of your castle tower the next time you want to animate a flesh golem to properly direct the lightning bolts.)

Also, this particular material apparently exhibits its chiral property only when a magnetic field is applied, so there might be a use for sensitive magnetic field detectors (like in disk drives or MRAM), turning the field into much larger and more easily detectable changes in current. Denser information storage, ways for Them to read your supposed-erased hard disks. Or somebody will think of a clever reason to use a magnetic field to switch or modulate a large current, which at least would be electrically isolated from the high-power path. So perhaps there's a use for weapons. (You have to properly modulate the orbital mind control lasers to get the mind control, but after all, they have to be really high power to reach the surface from orbit.) Or high-powered communication, so your starwisp probes can return information, or your SETI program carry out that conversation with Trappist-1d.

[Anaraxes]

Dungeon Fantasy players will be glad that we've discovered some rare orichalcum in real life, from a 2600-year-old shipwreck. The race is on to acquire the metal and shape it into its intended final form -- whatever that might do.

[Anders]

Art improved by the addition of a ginger cat.

Some art is NSFW, but nothing porny.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Anders

Art improved by the addition of a ginger cat.

I, for one, welcome our new immortal and omnipresent ginger overlord.

[Anders]

Vampire cats are real.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Anders

Vampire cats are real.

Vampire cats?

"Sabre-toothed cats" probably describes them, more accurately. Evolutionary throw-backs.

Still pretty cool, though. :)

[Flyndaran]

Throwback to a species they aren't descended from would definitely be weird.

But long fangs seems to be a commonly evolved trait of felines having popped up in numerous unrelated lineages.
Like beaks for dinosaurs.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Nooooo! We Americans are number 1 in senses of entitlement and weird hatred for vegetarians. It looks like we may have to step up our game if such a worthy challenger appears.

As far as that goes it is probably a perception of sanctimoniousness. There is surely a grain of truth in it. It is very hard to take on an eccentric cause without getting a bit bloody-minded about it. It is a problem I always have to live with as a religious person and I am sure anyone else here with an enthusiasm knows what I am talking about.

As for sense of entitlement that just comes from being a dominant minority and it is not going away. Sometimes I do wish some would get more perspective and realize how their ancestors had to live and how much of the world still does. One does sometimes get the impression that Americans think security, freedom, and prosperity are as natural as breathing.

As it happens I love sausage. On the other hand if I take it in perspective I suppose I should respect a vegetarian's peculiarities like I respect a Jew for keeping kosher. Not to mention eating meat which I did not slaughter and which had no chance to fight back carries a whiff of ungentlemanliness. Not that I intend to stop eating sausage because of that, but I do see the point.

[tshiggins]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Throwback to a species they aren't descended from would definitely be weird.

Okay, okay. Not necessarily smilodons (the saber-toothed cats), but I'm pretty sure that modern felines have ancestors that had longer teeth.

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

But long fangs seems to be a commonly evolved trait of felines having popped up in numerous unrelated lineages.
Like beaks for dinosaurs.

Ayup. Convergent evolution.

[Flyndaran]

I meant to put a smiley face after my first comment. Without it, it comes off as a bit more sarcastic than I intended.