Questions of a weird mind

[Yora]

Okay, the purpose of this thread is to collect questions that seem strange to ask about, but actually are not that easy to answer. If you happen to know the answer for any of the questions, you can of course share them, the main purpose is to come up with entertaining questions.
Here's a starter:

Which side of an octopus or squid is the front side?

[Elemental]

Well, an octopus has two eyes and a clearly deined facial area.
Which is obvious, because they look at people when they're sure we're not a threat. So I'd have to assume that that is their front.
As for a squid, I think its the same.

Now I have a tricky question: Which side of a jellyfish is the front?
I have no clue.

[Savannah]

There isn't a front -- jellyfish have radial symmetry, not bilateral symmetry, and therefore cannot have a front or back (or right or left for that matter).

[thubby]

how bad is dying (cessation of heartbeat) and being brought back for your health?

[Riverdance]

Is it weird that I frequently imagine (not fantasize) what it would be like to have my stomach slit open in a sword fight and other such things? Also, is it a predominantly male thing to fixate on that kind of thing? Not saying all males do it or females don't, just wondering if it's more of a male tendency.

I ask because one day my mom and sister asked me why I was grimacing silently and when I explained that I was trying to conceptualize what it would be like to hold my own intestines in they were slightly shocked.

[TheSummoner]

Is it weird? Yeah, probably. Is there anything wrong with that? Not as I see it.

As for what it would feel like... Well I would imagine that if you didn't lose consciousness from pain or bloodloss, you would feel incredible pain in the stomach and a feeling of emptiness inside where your insides are rapidly becoming outsides. If you were holding your entrails in your hands, I would imagine they would feel like warm, moist, maybe a little slimy... Noodles maybe? Really thick noodles... I can't think of a better comparison... Warm, moist, slimy, thick noodles that don't seem to have a beginning or end slipping through your fingers.

And now that I have typed probably the most disturbing thing I have ever typed, I think I'll refrain from eating for a few days...

I suppose I should probably come up with my own question... But that'll have to wait for later, I've got nothing at the moment.

[thubby]

if it's anything like how it feels for appendicitis, like getting stabbed with a metal rod that burns cold.

[AsteriskAmp]

how bad is dying (cessation of heartbeat) and being brought back for your health?

Depends on how long you are without a heartbeat and how you are returned. Experiences differ and giving an actual answer from people experiences violates forum rules.

[Raddish]

If you were born at sea on the international date line thingy (Through a really strange set of coincidencess or something) how would they decide which day you were born on? And would you want double presents?

[DeadManSleeping]

The correct answer is "not as bad for you as NOT being resuscitated"

Given that "chuck" means "throw", and woodchucks are perfectly capable of throwing things (albeit awkwardly and poorly), why have we not already answered the age-old question of how much wood they can chuck?

[thubby]

we have. a woodchuck would chuck all the wood if a woodchuck could chuck wood, (and wanted to)

[Icewalker]

Is it weird? Yeah, probably. Is there anything wrong with that? Not as I see it.

As for what it would feel like... Well I would imagine that if you didn't lose consciousness from pain or bloodloss, you would feel incredible pain in the stomach and a feeling of emptiness inside where your insides are rapidly becoming outsides.

...

Fun fact, you almost definitely wouldn't die of blood loss! If only your abdominal cavity got opened up, but there weren't serious injuries into the organs themselves (just them, well, exiting your abdominal cavity) you would have very little blood loss as there aren't any large arteries/veins in the front of the abdomen, they're all back towards the spine. Other than risk of severe infection, having your abdominal cavity opened with things falling out is actually not as lethal as one would first think! Assuming it's your only injury of course. If somebody gutted you, you've probably been cut in other places first, where blood would be more of an issue. And, if the abdominal cut was at all deep it would probably hit organs, which would mean 1) loss of very important functions, 2) possible increased serious risk of infection, or 3) terrible internal bleeding. Option 2 stemming from major cuts to the stomach or intestines, and 3 stemming from cuts to the kidneys or liver (lots and lots of blood in those).

...the more you know?
EMT training: totally worth it, just for this sort of thing.

[Dumbledore lives]

I often wonder about the consciousness of various animals, their level of sentience compared to ours and what not, and how we would discover this. For now I simply ask, do animals like dogs dream, and do they do it in the same general form as we do, as highly variable as human dreams are.

[Elemental]

They do indeed dream.
All species of mammals undergo REM sleep, even a few birds and reptiles undergo it as well.
The ammount of REM sleep is highly variable. Dolphins don't do very much of it, whereas armadillos experience a lot of REM sleep.

Dreams on the other hand... The number of species that have been observed to dream is very low, mostly mammals. These include; elephants, cats, dogs, monkeys, shrews and rats.
Signs of dreaming have also been observed in some birds and reptiles.
The actual number of dreaming animals is probably much higher, but it is rather difficult to scan the brainwaves of most animals.

So, in summary, animals do dream. Why, or what about, I have no idea.

[Asta Kask]

My cat has nightmares from time to time. He will wake with a start and then look at me and make the noise he does when he's scared. And I'll talk to him soothingly and he'll go back to sleep.

Good skill to have if I ever get kids.

[Eldan]

Okay, the purpose of this thread is to collect questions that seem strange to ask about, but actually are not that easy to answer. If you happen to know the answer for any of the questions, you can of course share them, the main purpose is to come up with entertaining questions.
Here's a starter:

Which side of an octopus or squid is the front side?

In a squid it's actually quite simple: their axis of symmetry is nicely back to front. See this picture for example: it has a clearly defined head on the right side of the picture. The eyes are just visible on either side of the head. The mouth is between the tentacles, the various interior organs are back in the body. This is a pretty decent body plan.

In an octopus, it gets a bit more complicated. Technically, the terms Anterior and Posterior are only well-defined in vertebrates, anterior being towards the skull and/or mouth, posterior being the opposite. Usually, the "mouth" definition is used in animals that have one, but in animals that have one preferred direction of locomotion, that can also be used. Since, however, the octopus has its mouth on what is pretty clearly the underside, this gets a bit complicated. See here. I'd probably say that the end with the eyes is in front, as that is also the side it most often has in front when moving.

[Karoht]

The correct answer is "not as bad for you as NOT being resuscitated"

Given that "chuck" means "throw", and woodchucks are perfectly capable of throwing things (albeit awkwardly and poorly), why have we not already answered the age-old question of how much wood they can chuck?

Didn't Mythbusters have a go at that?

[Traab]

If you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?

[AsteriskAmp]

If you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?

Purple. ....

[Traab]

Purple. ....

Thats when they become zombies. Totally different thing.

[Bouregard]

On the topic of smurfs, how do they make more smurfs? One adult female one, remember and she seems not to be the mother of the kidsmurfs...

Turning nightmarefuel on in one ... two ... three

[Traab]

On the topic of smurfs, how do they make more smurfs? One adult female one, remember and she seems not to be the mother of the kidsmurfs...

Turning nightmarefuel on in one ... two ... three

You know, I dont recall, but I do remember they introduced a baby smurf at one point, and I think they mentioned how it happened. The reality is blue ice from passing airplanes that achieves sentience after hitting the earth.

[Asta Kask]

Is there life after birth?

[Raddish]

On the topic of smurfs, how do they make more smurfs? One adult female one, remember and she seems not to be the mother of the kidsmurfs...

Turning nightmarefuel on in one ... two ... three

I believe smurfette was created by someone so I would guess that smurfs are a single gender species with smurfette being a modified version or something.

[Yora]

Is there life after birth?

There's a snarky comment I could make, that would be guaranteed to get me a red card.

Question is, is there a life before death?

[Asta Kask]

If there's transhumanism, does that mean there's cishumanism?

[H Birchgrove]

How do I make a wheelchair bound hero or heroine who doesn't come off as a Professor Xavier or an Oracle expy/knock-off?

That's when they become zombies. Totally different thing.

Well, in the cartoon, and possibly in censored versions of the comic book.

In the original comic book, the Smurfs who were bitten by the nasty bug or by infected Smurfs became black.

Seriously, as a Ménage a 3 reader, you should know this.

[Frozen_Feet]

On the topic of smurfs, how do they make more smurfs?

A stork brings more.

[Karoht]

How do I make a wheelchair bound hero or heroine who doesn't come off as a Professor Xavier or an Oracle expy/knock-off?

I can tell you how not to do it, but I think you've got that base covered.

Mentor in a wheelchair-Xavier
Hacker/Coordinator/Support-Oracle
Crackpot inventor-Mostly villains, a few heroes
Wheelchair transform into tank/cybersuit-Too many to list, both hero and villain.

Daredevil was a bold and highly successful attempt at a Blind superhero. Terrible film though. None the less, Daredevil might give you some leads.

This might not help but try this. Place normal person in situation. Ask yourself how this normal person might solve the problem. Now same problem, but in wheelchair. When you get to the point where the wheelchair bound person you imagine can solve problems as proficiently as the non-wheelchair bound person, you're ready. At that point, add some super powers to the mix.


Variant of the Charles Xavier archetype.
Charles is a powerful psychic. Great, awesome.
Variant is a essentially a Bard. Mostly uses storytelling/magic. Highly social character.
Yeah, he can have a cool buttler or servant or assistant or something.
Maybe he's actually even a stage magician?

As for the cause of him being wheelchair bound, pick a medical condition. My advice, stick to severe damage to his legs or even complete amputation combined with severe nerve damage.

So what do we have so far? We have a fellow who was crippled. Due to not having exceptional physical attributes he has come to rely on his wits and charm. Uses lots of actual slight of hand, maybe even nix the 'powers,' reads people and their reactions remarkably well. Stage magic or street magic? Or neither? Maybe this person is actually rather pleasant to be around even, rather than the trope of super genius but abrasive jerkwad.

The companion. It's hard to fill this role without automatically thinking of Holmes and Watson. Perhaps the companion is in fact the abrasive on. Or not. Perhaps he's equally smart but with a different skillset and background. Is the the guardian sort (IE-Bodyguard) or is he merely the faithful servant/friend that will stick with his charge through thick and thin? Or is that too Bruce and Alfred? Darn, I'm having trouble with the companion.
Maybe he doesn't have one?

[Hazzardevil]

My question?
If you have multiple personality disorder, would the personalities talk to each other inside their head?

Also, is it normal for teenagers to dream about sexual intercourse?