Technically Fiction

Finding facts in the fantastic

  1. Animals

    To clear loops, Sonic the Hedgehog must hit the right speed

     Most animals don’t run through loops. Sonic would need the physics behind roller coasters and race cars to clear one.

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  2. Animals

    Werewolves could learn from other critters when to hunt

    Werewolves aren’t the only creatures that undergo transformation under the full moon. But could weak werewolves be at risk of becoming prey?

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  3. Space

    Spacecraft need an extra boost to travel between stars 

    Star Wars makes space travel look easy by breaking the laws of physics. Off-screen, the technology for spacecraft to reach other worlds doesn’t exist yet.

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  4. Earth

    Superman’s kryptonite doesn’t have a true equal on Earth

    Though not quite kryptonite, some Earth minerals can glow under ultraviolet light. Excited electrons cause these real-life power stones to light up.

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  5. Tech

    Where are the flying cars? 

    Flying cars are a common sci-fi trope, and engineers have the technology to make them. So where are they?

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  6. Animals

    Phoenixes aren’t the only creatures to survive the flames 

    Although a phoenix that burns and lives is a myth, many living things on Earth don’t mind hot temperatures. 

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  7. Planets

    The desert planet in ‘Dune’ is pretty realistic, scientists say

     Humans could live on the fictional planet Arrakis from Dune. But thankfully giant sandworms probably could not.

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  8. Tech

    Could we build a mecha?

    In the movies, mechas come equipped with all kinds of abilities. But real giant robots would first have to master simpler actions, like walking and jumping.

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  9. Animals

    Have you seen Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster? Probably not 

     Floe Foxon is a data scientist by day. In his free time, he applies his skills to astronomy, cryptology and sightings of mythical creatures.

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  10. Animals

    Pikmin’s plant-animal mashups don’t exist — but sun-powered animals do

    Corals team up with photosynthetic zooxanthellae. Some sea slugs steal chloroplasts. How might animals and plants team up in Nintendo’s Pikmin games?

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  11. Tech

    How to prevent the robot replication apocalypse

    Today’s bot-building robots aren’t set on world domination. But scientists and philosophers want to keep future tech in check.

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  12. Animals

    Where does Godzilla get his atomic breath?

    Some secrets of the kaiju’s atomic breath can be explained with creative applications of physics and biology.

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