All Questions
74,095
questions
143
votes
5
answers
35k
views
Why would Snape set his office password to 'Dumbledore'?
It seems to me that Snape's choice of password for his study when he was Headmaster was kinda weird.
Harry ran without stopping, clutching the crystal flask of Snape's last thoughts, and he did not ...
- 61.7k
143
votes
3
answers
20k
views
When and why did the Enterprise get balls?
When the USS Enterprise first appeared, its warp nacelles looked like this from the rear:
At some point in The Original Series, the ship seems to have enjoyed a mild refit, resulting in ball-like ...
- 111k
142
votes
14
answers
33k
views
Why is Shelob considered evil?
Shelob is an "evil thing in spider form," according to Tolkien. Now, we know that she is the "last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world," we know that she is fairly deficient in charm, and ...
- 13.3k
142
votes
4
answers
19k
views
How many times was Obi-Wan less than honest with Luke?
Despite his attempts to persuade Luke otherwise1, Obi-Wan is often less than entirely honest with Luke. Sometimes he stretches the truth, sometimes he omits important details in such a way that Luke ...
- 69.4k
141
votes
4
answers
30k
views
Who created the Secret Stairs as a way into Mordor and for what purpose?
Given how there were Orcs guarding the Tower of Círith Ungol at the top of the stairs, we can infer that the existence of these stairways was definitely not a secret. Perhaps the path was meant to ...
- 5,075
140
votes
3
answers
26k
views
How much older was Hermione after her third year at Hogwarts?
In her third year at Hogwarts, Hermione is given a time-turner so she can take more classes. Several of her classes are concurrent to each other, so she attends one class (for 1-2 hours) goes back in ...
- 115k
138
votes
4
answers
20k
views
What do people in Westeros eat during Winter?
Speculation about how long exactly a 'Winter' lasts in Westeros, partially substantiated from comments found in the books, tend to imply that the actual coming of Winter is pretty much random — i.e., ...
- 1,407
138
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Was the Cantina music deliberately off-tune or just an artifact of cheap production?
I was discussing Star Wars: A New Hope with several of my musician friends and it seems they all agree that the Cantina music was a bit out of tune. I'm not a professional musician but I have a pretty ...
- 1,229
138
votes
10
answers
68k
views
If diary Tom Riddle had succeeded, would there have been two Voldemorts?
As teenager Tom Riddle is speaking to Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets, both he and Harry are refering to the real Voldemort in the third person. If Tom Riddle had succeeded in sucking all the ...
- 115k
137
votes
8
answers
34k
views
Why does the Party allow playing chess in Orwell's 1984?
At the end of Orwell's 1984, Winston was a regular customer of the Chestnut Tree Café. He would go there every day, and the waiters would always bring him a chessboard and the current issue of the ...
137
votes
4
answers
22k
views
Why doesn't the Discworld run out of water?
It's mentioned many times in the Discworld novels that the oceans continually flow over the edge of the disc in great waterfalls, turning into mist. But where does the water go after that, and, more ...
- 5,702
136
votes
5
answers
127k
views
Why was Hermione not in Ravenclaw?
She's clearly the smartest person in her year, and the defining trait of Ravenclaw is intelligence. Why would she be in Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw?
- 69.1k
136
votes
5
answers
29k
views
In Star Trek - What's the Point of the Transporter Room?
I hope this isn't a silly question but I've been watching TNG and this bothers me.
The transporter 'pad' area is relatively small. As a guess, maybe 12 people can fit on it. But the vast majority ...
- 1,463
135
votes
2
answers
57k
views
Why is The Matrix tinted green?
It's very noticeable that the world of The Matrix is tinted green, whereas scenes that occur outside of The Matrix have a much more realistic tone.
Why was a green filter chosen to portray The Matrix?...
- 677k
135
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Married couple pretend to like each other due to crystal sculpture
Years ago, I remember reading a short story (as I remember it) about a couple whose prized possession is semi-living crystal structure that is sensitive to their relationship; it grows and maintains ...
- 1,409
134
votes
13
answers
16k
views
Why does everyone face the same way on the transporter?
When the away team prepares to beam down, they invariably assume the transporter formation: standing upright, usually with arms slack aside, all facing the camera. When they beam down, they reappear ...
- 5,101
133
votes
3
answers
19k
views
How did no other engineer see the design flaw of the Death Star?
In Star Wars: Rogue One we learn that that Jyn Erso's father purposefully put in the design flaw to destroy the Death Star, my question is: How did no other engineer see the massive design flaw?
- 2,927
132
votes
5
answers
25k
views
When & how did Yoda come to know about the Rule of Two?
At the very end of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Mace Windu and Yoda had this conversation:
Mace Windu: There is no doubt. The mysterious warrior was a Sith.
Yoda: Always two there are.......
- 116k
131
votes
1
answer
53k
views
Why is JK Rowling considered 'bad at math'?
An often repeated meme about Harry Potter is that JK Rowling is 'bad at math'.
I see this all over this site and the saying is probably used elsewhere.
The following is said, in the comments for the ...
- 22.9k
131
votes
13
answers
38k
views
Why did the Jedi want to bring balance to the Force?
During the Prequel trilogy, the Jedi wanted to bring balance to the Force, in accordance with a prophecy. There seemed to be a general agreement that this was a 'good thing', but a disagreement with ...
- 105k
131
votes
7
answers
56k
views
Why is Sauron called "the Necromancer"?
During the time period of The Hobbit, a character is mentioned called the Necromancer. Radagast even (in the movie) specifically states that the Necromancer can "summon the spirits of the dead." (It'...
- 38.4k
130
votes
6
answers
167k
views
In Back to the Future, why was the speed 88 miles per hour?
Why not use 89, maybe 100 miles per hour? Is 88 the fastest a DeLorean can go? In other metrics, I have:
Unit
Equivalent
Abbreviation
Miles per hour
88.00
[mph][mi/h]
Miles per second
0.0244
[mps][...
- 1,809
130
votes
7
answers
35k
views
Did Calvin ever realise that Hobbes was not real?
In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, was there any moment where Calvin realised that Hobbes wasn't real?
- 5,693
130
votes
11
answers
59k
views
Is Slytherin Evil?
Maybe I'm just hearing the wrong comments, but it seems that Slytherin is considered a dark house by almost everyone. I know when both reading the books and watching the movies, I always had a ...
- 107k
129
votes
18
answers
118k
views
What is the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey about?
The end of 2001: A Space Odyssey movie features bizarre colours and the main character appearing in a bed, then becoming an old man and finally a fetus!
I always found this a pretty disappointing end ...
129
votes
15
answers
115k
views
Did Palpatine intentionally lose to Mace Windu?
In Episode III, Mace Windu, a user of Vaapad fighting style, fought and disarmed Palpatine. He was defeated until Anakin turned to the dark side and saved him.
Did Palpatine foresee this? Did ...
- 15.3k
129
votes
1
answer
11k
views
Is Lex Luthor's 40-cake theft canonical?
In The Super Dictionary, Lex Luthor took 40 cakes (as many as four tens).
I couldn't find any information specifying if that dictionary has a designated universe, or if it was considered canon at ...
- 1,555
128
votes
14
answers
18k
views
Why and how did the Star Trek Universe evolve to a cashless/commerce-less society?
I've always wondered this ... I recall fleeting references to the lack of a money system in TNG (something about abandoning the quest for material wealth), but was it ever explained why and how and ...
- 5,873
128
votes
1
answer
14k
views
Does any Looney Tunes character ever use any fictional brand-name product that isn't ACME?
Now that Looney Tunes is on-topic, maybe I can get an answer for something I've been wondering about for a while: Looney Tunes characters, (most famously Wile E. Coyote), always use products with the ...
- 24.1k
128
votes
4
answers
52k
views
What is Mario's full name?
Mario and Luigi are called the Mario brothers. Does that mean Mario's first and last name is Mario, or does he have another first/last name?
- 66k
128
votes
11
answers
28k
views
Why would killing Darth Vader or the Emperor turn Luke to the Dark Side?
By the end of Return of the Jedi Luke has already killed thousands of Imperial troops by blowing up the first Death Star, sliced and diced his way through Jabba's pleasure barge not to mention shish-...
- 3,041
128
votes
12
answers
60k
views
What are Guinan's powers from Star Trek: TNG?
In Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Q Who" (Season 2, Episode 16) Q seems disturbed by the presence of Guinan to the point of raising his hands as if to use his powers on her. Guinan responds ...
- 9,180
127
votes
13
answers
27k
views
Why would the Force become so mysterious and unrecognized after only 20 years?
I always wondered why Admiral Motti and Governor Tarkin in the movie "A New Hope" (IV) insinuate that the Force is an old, dead religion?
Tarkin:
The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of ...
- 1,387
126
votes
2
answers
23k
views
What did Frodo mean by "He told me the true story"?
I'm re-reading the Lord of the Rings saga since 10 to 12 years ago, but something striked me as odd in The Fellowship of the Ring's first chapter: A Long-Expected Party (emphasis is mine):
‘She ...
- 1,693
126
votes
8
answers
63k
views
What was the origin of Star Trek's Borg?
Was there any explanation of the origin of the Borg from Star Trek?
I've seen most of the TV shows but not read any books - is it explained there?
126
votes
6
answers
58k
views
Why is Tony Stark in the Iron Man suit unaffected by G-forces, inertia and blunt force trauma?
Tony's suit is an engineering marvel, and they explain many facets of the technology to help give legitimacy to the special powers, abilities and weapons it has.
I never read the Iron Man comics, but ...
- 2,860
125
votes
11
answers
27k
views
Why were the Elves so great at archery?
It seems that there is an underlying assumption (I don't know of an explicit quote to confirm) that Elves in Middle-earth are exceptional archers, compared to other races.
Am I correct in that ...
- 341k
125
votes
4
answers
31k
views
Why did George Lucas set Star Wars in the past instead of the future?
I always found it interesting that Star Wars is set in the distant past instead of the (more obvious) future.
Has George Lucas ever commented why he chose to do that?
- 24.1k
125
votes
7
answers
34k
views
Why doesn't Hogwarts have more teachers?
Hogwarts apparently has only one professor per subject. We could reason this out by looking at the fact that all of Harry's Potions classes are with Snape (for as long as Snape is teaching Potions), ...
- 29.3k
125
votes
12
answers
22k
views
Was Harry making a big mistake with his plan for Elder Wand?
At the very end of Deathly Hallows, after Harry repaired his own wand with the Elder Wand, he tells Dumbledore's Portrait in the office:
“I’m putting the Elder Wand,” he told Dumbledore, who was ...
- 341k
124
votes
16
answers
29k
views
Can wizards create their own spells?
In the Harry Potter series, are wizards capable of creating their own spells, or are they limited to the spells that they're taught/learn? I seem to remember something about Snape creating ...
- 5,849
124
votes
6
answers
32k
views
When and why did orcs go green?
Tolkien popularized the orc as the generic fantasy bad guy. In his legendarium, orcs were corrupted elves and their limited descriptive text reflects this. They are described as "swart" and "sallow", ...
- 5,677
123
votes
17
answers
114k
views
What plot points are missing in the Harry Potter movies that are in the novels?
I know that the movies were written to be a stand alone universe on their own, but what key elements were missing in the movies that were vital in the books that viewers are missing out on?
- 42.5k
123
votes
9
answers
191k
views
What's the recommended reading order of the Ender Wiggin books?
The series that starts with Ender's Game has a parallel series that starts with Ender's Shadow. The graph of the timeline is... well... complicated.
Does it make more sense if you read them in the ...
- 19.8k
123
votes
11
answers
28k
views
Why would Dumbledore encourage people to call Voldemort Voldemort instead of Tom Riddle?
Here is a quote from the first Harry Potter book, it's a conversation between Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All ...
- 11.2k
122
votes
13
answers
41k
views
Was any character alive during all of the Star Wars episodes from I to VII?
Is there any character in the Star Wars universe who is known to have been born before Episode I and is known to still be alive in Episode VII?
Some of the main characters that I have already ruled ...
- 1,447
122
votes
4
answers
24k
views
Where does the archetypal image of the 'Grey' alien come from?
As I show below, typical alien depictions include an elongated, pale face, two dark elliptical eyes, and a small mouth. Who first used this design for an alien? Where does this design come from?
- 1,227
120
votes
6
answers
242k
views
Was Rorschach's Pagliacci joke a real joke?
In Watchmen, Rorschach is reminded by The Comedian of a joke he heard once:
“Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a ...
- 6,496
120
votes
4
answers
20k
views
Does Katniss depict proper handling of a bow?
In the Hunger Games movies, Katniss uses a bow as her primary weapon. Not considering her actual shots (hitting her targets), does Katniss show how to properly use, hold, and handle a bow? Did ...
- 66k
120
votes
3
answers
12k
views
Which wars are "Star Wars"?
Which wars does the title "Star Wars" refer to? Are they:
the struggle between the Rebels and the Empire?
the Clone Wars (mentioned as early as the first half hour of A New Hope)?
the age-old ...
- 111k