randomwizard
randomwizard  ·  2 weeks ago

Content Warning

Recent discussions about hypothetical D&D economies led me to look into Roman currency. Here is a great wikipedia image of the common currency in the 27 BC - 100 AD Roman era.

So instead of copper, silver, electrum gold (the D&D standard), the early Roman Empire used various iterations of Bronze, Orichalcum, Silver, Billon, and Gold.

And today I learned Billon is the name for an alloy of silver and gold, or silver and copper, or silver and gold and copper, or basically any alloy of silver and some base metal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_currency#Imperial_period:_27_BC_%E2%80%93_AD_476

#dnd #rpg #osr #history #gametheory #worldbuilding

Global Museum
Global Museum  ·  4 weeks ago

Content Warning

Sir Christopher Lee met Rasputin's assassins, saw the last guillotine execution, hunted Nazis, recorded a heavy metal album, spoke 9 languages, was Ian Fleming's cousin (James Bond) and was the only actor in “The Lord of the Rings” to have met J.R.R. Tolkien #acting #history
Charlie Stross
Charlie Stross  ·  3 weeks ago
#WritersCoffeeClub 26: Do real-life events inspire your writing? Share an example.

As Ken Macleod remarked, "history is the secret weapon of the science fiction writer".

Not every time, not for every story element, but it's an *amazing* toy box that you can borrow from whenever you're stuck for an idea! Because fiction illustrates the human condition and humans get up to some really weird shit, for values of "you can't make that up" weird.

Coach Pāṇini ®
Coach Pāṇini ®  ·  3 weeks ago

Content Warning

@cstross
These #history deep-dives by #IsaacAsimov are great reads and illustrate your point about using our actual world for #worldbuilding in #SciFi.
Badri
Badri  ·  2 years ago

Content Warning

Okay, it's #introductions time! Hi 👋

I'm Badri, a #writer and #nonfiction#editor at Snipette looking to explore and highlight the interesting aspects of our world 🔦

I also #read a lot, and am always on the lookout for interesting bits of #science, #culture, #history, or #philosophy which come out at some point or other in my articles 👀

I'm also @badrihippo, but this instance, Snipetteville, is a place for all Snipette editors to hang out. We may be talking in private, but if you see a public conversation you're most welcome to join. Feel free to tag me in deep and/or lighthearted #philosophical conversations about aspects of the world 💭

(If you want to write for Snipette, DM me now!)
Daniel Pomarède
Daniel Pomarède  ·  last year

Content Warning

An extremely detailed diagram of the history of Science Fiction. The diagram has a rather monstrous aspect, with tentacle-like roots and branches. On the upper left corner are found the roots of the diagram: Fear and Wonder, giving way to Animism and Legend. Other portals into the diagram are Philosophy, Art, Exploration and Observation. These roots converge and possibly interact with other concepts such as the Enlightment, Science, Utopias, Romantic Movements. Important science fiction works, authors and genres emerge on the way, amidst a vast quantity of other entries: the Gothic Novel, Frankenstein, Jules Vernes, H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, Science Adventure, Fantasy Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, Weird Tales, Pulp Magazines, Astounding Science Fiction, Galaxy Magazine, H.P. Lovecraft, Sword+Sorcery, Modern Horrror, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Dune, Space Opera, Cyber Punk, Star Wars, Alien, Terminator, 2001 Space Odissey, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Total Recall, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dracula, Metropolis, King Kong, Aldous Huxley, and so on. A timeline is indicated on the upper and lower boundaries of the diagram.
An extremely detailed diagram of the history of Science Fiction. The diagram has a rather monstrous aspect, with tentacle-like roots and branches. On the upper left corner are found the roots of the diagram: Fear and Wonder, giving way to Animism and Legend. Other portals into the diagram are Philosophy, Art, Exploration and Observation. These roots converge and possibly interact with other concepts such as the Enlightment, Science, Utopias, Romantic Movements. Important science fiction works, authors and genres emerge on the way, amidst a vast quantity of other entries: the Gothic Novel, Frankenstein, Jules Vernes, H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, Science Adventure, Fantasy Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, Weird Tales, Pulp Magazines, Astounding Science Fiction, Galaxy Magazine, H.P. Lovecraft, Sword+Sorcery, Modern Horrror, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Dune, Space Opera, Cyber Punk, Star Wars, Alien, Terminator, 2001 Space Odissey, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Total Recall, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dracula, Metropolis, King Kong, Aldous Huxley, and so on. A timeline is indicated on the upper and lower boundaries of the diagram.
An extremely detailed diagram of the history of Science Fiction. The diagram has a rather monstrous aspect, with tentacle-like roots and branches. On the upper left corner are found the roots of the diagram: Fear and Wonder, giving way to Animism and Legend. Other portals into the diagram are Philosophy, Art, Exploration and Observation. These roots converge and possibly interact with other concepts such as the Enlightment, Science, Utopias, Romantic Movements. Important science fiction works, authors and genres emerge on the way, amidst a vast quantity of other entries: the Gothic Novel, Frankenstein, Jules Vernes, H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, Science Adventure, Fantasy Adventure, Alice in Wonderland, Weird Tales, Pulp Magazines, Astounding Science Fiction, Galaxy Magazine, H.P. Lovecraft, Sword+Sorcery, Modern Horrror, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Dune, Space Opera, Cyber Punk, Star Wars, Alien, Terminator, 2001 Space Odissey, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Total Recall, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dracula, Metropolis, King Kong, Aldous Huxley, and so on. A timeline is indicated on the upper and lower boundaries of the diagram.
JamesLonghurst
JamesLonghurst  ·  3 months ago

Content Warning

Over on Bluesky, I made a new introduction thread running through my #bike #history research, and I thought I'd pull it over here for #biketooter people:

Hello, I'm James Longhurst, a historian of urban and environmental policy. I wrote about the history of bike policy in the United States a few years ago; available from @uwapress (and your local library):
https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295742663/bike-battles/

Daniel Pomarède
Daniel Pomarède  ·  2 months ago

Content Warning

Cosmography archives

2005: Discovery of the Sloan Great Wall

by J. Richard Gott and co-authors
https://doi.org/10.1086/428890

At the time of its discovery, this 1.37 billion light-years long filament is the largest observed structure in the Universe.

#Cosmology #galaxies#SloanGreatWall#Cosmography #archives #archive#CosmographyArchives #history #science#HistoryOfScience #Astrodon #astrophysics #astronomy #physics#STEM#Universe#CosmicWeb

The distribution of galaxies obtained with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and displayed as two fan-shaped plots with Right Ascension versus redshift distances as coordinates. Galaxies' positions are shown as black points on a white background, featuring filamentary structures typical of the Cosmic Web, which describes the large-scale structure of the Universe. The two fan-shaped plots lie on top of each other, with their boundaries elegantly matching each other's. On the lower plot, running from 0 to 14000 km/s in redshift, and from 8 to 17 hours in Right Ascension, is shown the CfA2 Great Wall, with its iconic stickman-shaped distribution of galaxies. On the higher plot, running from 14000 to 28000 km/s in redshift distances, and from about 9 to 14 hours in Right Ascension, is featured the Sloan Great Wall. A caption completes this figure.
The distribution of galaxies obtained with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and displayed as two fan-shaped plots with Right Ascension versus redshift distances as coordinates. Galaxies' positions are shown as black points on a white background, featuring filamentary structures typical of the Cosmic Web, which describes the large-scale structure of the Universe. The two fan-shaped plots lie on top of each other, with their boundaries elegantly matching each other's. On the lower plot, running from 0 to 14000 km/s in redshift, and from 8 to 17 hours in Right Ascension, is shown the CfA2 Great Wall, with its iconic stickman-shaped distribution of galaxies. On the higher plot, running from 14000 to 28000 km/s in redshift distances, and from about 9 to 14 hours in Right Ascension, is featured the Sloan Great Wall. A caption completes this figure.
The distribution of galaxies obtained with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and displayed as two fan-shaped plots with Right Ascension versus redshift distances as coordinates. Galaxies' positions are shown as black points on a white background, featuring filamentary structures typical of the Cosmic Web, which describes the large-scale structure of the Universe. The two fan-shaped plots lie on top of each other, with their boundaries elegantly matching each other's. On the lower plot, running from 0 to 14000 km/s in redshift, and from 8 to 17 hours in Right Ascension, is shown the CfA2 Great Wall, with its iconic stickman-shaped distribution of galaxies. On the higher plot, running from 14000 to 28000 km/s in redshift distances, and from about 9 to 14 hours in Right Ascension, is featured the Sloan Great Wall. A caption completes this figure.
Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️
Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️  ·  2 months ago

Content Warning

"Documentary director redefines astronaut Eileen Collins as the 'Spacewoman'" by @Spacecom - Documentary about USAF Colonel Eileen Collins, test pilot instructor who became the first female Space Shuttle pilot and commander. She remains a historical figure to point to when encouraging girls and women they can learn to fly too. https://www.space.com/spacewoman-documentary-astronaut-eileen-collins-director-interview#NASA #space #aviation #pilot #avgeek #history
Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️
Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️  ·  2 months ago

Content Warning

When I worked for XCOR Aerospace in Mojave, we heard a story from co-worker Rick Searfoss who was a former NASA Space Shuttle commander. He knew Eileen Collins when they were test pilot instructors at Edwards AFB. Both applied to the NASA astronaut program. After he was selected, he said he called Eileen, understanding history would be made if she was selected too. She had to ask him to keep quiet until the White House made the announcement.😀 #NASA #space #aviation #pilot #avgeek #history
Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️
Astro Hawk (Ian Kluft) 🚀🛰️  ·  2 months ago

Content Warning

Among Collins' claims to #NASA #space fame...
She commanded STS-93 Columbia. Chandra X-Ray Telescope was heaviest payload launched by a shuttle.
She commanded STS-114 Discovery, the "Return to Flight" mission of modified shuttle after 2003 Columbia accident. No gimmick having female commander - she was next in line to fly. On 114 she was first to fly the backflip maneuver for ISS to photograph/inspect incoming shuttles for launch damage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_pitch_maneuver #aviation #pilot #avgeek #history
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