Technically Fiction

Finding facts in the fantastic

  1. Tech

    Could Star Trek replicators exist?

    Experts break down what’s possible and what’s not for this classic science-fiction invention.

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  2. Oceans

    How would a mermaid sound underwater?

    Human ears don’t work well in the water. A mermaid would need marine creature features to talk to and understand her aquatic friends.

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  3. Plants

    Could a plant ever eat a person?

    For now, humans aren’t on the menu for carnivorous plants. But what would it take for one to consume a person?

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Humans might be able to hibernate during space travel

    Scientists are studying how animals hibernate and developing new technologies to help humans sleep through space travel.

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  5. Animals

    Pokémon ‘evolution’ looks more like metamorphosis

    Pokémon “evolve” into larger, more powerful forms within seconds, but this evolution more closely resembles another biological process — metamorphosis. 

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  6. Tech

    Can we build Baymax?

    Baymax may be science fiction, but soft robotics is not. Experts break down Baymax’s parts and show what’s coming in the future.

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  7. Animals

    How can Baby Yoda be 50 years old?

    Animals with wings, big bodies or other protections from predators are more likely to evolve long lifespans.

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  8. Animals

    Splatoon characters’ ink ammo was inspired by real octopuses and squid

    In Nintendo’s Splatoon game series, Inklings and Octolings duke it out with weapons that fire ink. How does this ink compare with that of real octopuses and squid?

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  9. Chemistry

    Could we make vibranium?

    The ‘perfect’ metal may belong to the fictitious Marvel world of Wakanda, but scientists hope to one day mimic some of its key traits.

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  10. Animals

    Monstrous mammals would break the body rules

    Giant mammals and people thunder through our movies and books. But real mammals can only get so large before they can’t take the heat.

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  11. Physics

    Staying grounded in space requires artificial gravity

    On TV, people in space walk around like they’re on Earth. How can science give real astronauts artificial gravity? Spin right round, baby.

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  12. Animals

    How do you build a centaur?

    A centaur has the torso of a human and the body of a horse. It may sound cool, but it wouldn’t work very well.

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