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On the Size and Scale of Dragons
Note: This is the finalized version of the essay originally published as "How Large Was Smaug Really?" You can also find it on Quora in...

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Nov 19, 20239 min read
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The Geology and Climate Of Pyrrhia
In Tui T. Sutherland's series Wings Of Fire, civilized dragons inhabit a continent known as Pyrrhia, which is shaped like a dragon itself.

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Aug 7, 20234 min read
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Dumbledore's Water Ball: A Simple Mass Calculation (and More)
In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore and Voldemort face off in an epic wizard duel. The two exchange lightning and...

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Jun 28, 20232 min read
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Why Is Orc Blood Black?
In the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, and in most adaptations thereof, Orc blood is described or shown as black in color. Human blood is...

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Jun 26, 20232 min read
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Ernest W. Adams On Middle-Earth and Technological Advancement
Original post (Quora) "...reasoning within the world's cultures… The Elves made art, not industry. Their products seemed magical. They...

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May 26, 20231 min read
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Where's All the Light Coming From? And Suspension Of Disbelief
A common trope in movies, especially fantasy, is that even in nighttime scenes there will be a "twilight" level of light. The Lord of The...

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Feb 17, 20232 min read
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Force Of MCU Spider-Man's Punches
Spoilers (surprise!).

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Jan 21, 20232 min read
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Calc: MCU Spider-Man Gets Hit By A Train
I just watched the Holland trilogy, and man, it's good. Especially FFH.

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Jan 20, 20232 min read
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Captain America's Calorie Intake: How Much Does He Eat?
Note: I'm using kilocalories for energy in this essay, because it's more intuitive that way. The super soldier serum drastically...

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Jan 18, 20232 min read
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Hammer Volumes In Fiction
I did a *lot* of math for this one.

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Jan 17, 20231 min read
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Calc: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Force Push
In Star Wars: Revenge Of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi duels the cyborg General Grievous, cutting off two of his arms before taking him by...

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Nov 26, 20221 min read
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MCU Thor Striking Energy
Let's quantify MCU Thor's striking abilities with Mjolnir in The Avengers (2012). Feat (video version) Hulk weighs 450+ kg. Thor sends...

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Nov 24, 20221 min read
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More Night Fury Firepower Estimation
Fireballs. Beautiful fireballs. In this gif, you can see Toothless blowing up the top of a wooden tower. It makes a pretty impressive...

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Nov 23, 20221 min read
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Calcs: Red Death Durability
Note: The numbers here are very rough, and really only good to about an order of magnitude. They just give us some idea of what the Red...

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Nov 19, 20222 min read
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Calc: John Snow Kills Horseman
Link to feat (gif version) In Game Of Thrones, John Snow swats a guy off his horse with a sword strike (a similar thing can be seen in...

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Nov 17, 20221 min read
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Amban Phase-Pulse Blaster Capabilities
Also known as the Amban sniper rifle, this is Din Djarin's primary weapon in The Mandalorian. This weapon fires glowing orange bolts not...

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Nov 17, 20222 min read
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Calc: ISS Charon Bombards Planet
Link to feat Star Trek is pretty consistently below Star Wars in terms of firepower. However, in Star Trek: Discovery (also known as DIS,...

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Nov 17, 20222 min read
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Character: Durin IV (show)
Universe: Arda (Amazon) Creature type: Dwarf Size: Probably about 4'10" tall Abilities: Great strength, likely mining and combat...

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Sep 2, 20221 min read
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ROP Soundtrack Released: Some Thoughts, Too
Positive ones.

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Aug 20, 20221 min read
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Character: Jason Bourne (films)
"He was the perfect weapon until he became the target." Respect thread Universe: Earth (Bourne movie franchise) Creature type: Human...

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Jul 12, 20221 min read
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