Impossible Materials for Sci-Fi Story: Ideas & Tests Needed

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    Impossible Materials
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of creating impossible materials for a sci-fi story, focusing on materials that defy current physical laws and scientific understanding. Participants explore various hypothetical materials and their properties, seeking ideas and tests to determine their impossibility.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests a material that is a gigantic, hoppy-toy shaped superposition, stable at all temperatures.
  • Another idea proposed is frozen quantum foam as a potential impossible material.
  • A participant describes a hypothetical ball that behaves like a liquid while retaining its shape, allowing objects to pass through it without penetration, likening it to a space warp.
  • There is a mention of materials that do not obey Newton's laws as a criterion for impossibility.
  • Several participants seek clarification on technical terms and concepts, indicating a need for layman's explanations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various ideas about impossible materials, but there is no consensus on specific properties or definitions. The discussion remains open-ended with multiple competing views.

Contextual Notes

Some ideas presented depend on interpretations of physical laws and definitions of impossibility, which are not universally agreed upon in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Writers and creators interested in speculative fiction, particularly in the realm of science fiction, may find the exploration of impossible materials and their properties useful for their narratives.

ktoz
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I'm in the process of fleshing out some ideas for a story and one part of the story centers around a golf ball sized hemispherical hopping toy. I want the toy to be magical in the sense that it is made from a material that is physically impossible in our universe. Whatever this material is I want it to actually be impossible. (with our current understandings) So things like neutron star stuff, black hole stuff, antimatter, quark crystals etc are ruled out because they exist.

One idea might be a material that is a gigantic, hoppy-toy shaped superposition, which is stable at all temperatures.

Another idea might be frozen quantum foam.

I'd be interested in getting some other ideas for impossible materials along with tests we could use to determine that they are not of this world. I'm not looking for elves and hobbits or wizards and sorcerers types of magic, but materials that would be scientifically magical.

Any ideas appreciated.
 
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at first blush any material that acted in opposition on N 1-3/ It would HAVE TO
 
denverdoc said:
at first blush any material that acted in opposition on N 1-3/ It would HAVE TO

What does that mean? Could you explain in layman's terms as I have no idea what "N 1-3/" is...
 
a ball that acts (and looks) like a liquid yet retains it's shape, you can put an object through it and that object (say finger) will show up on the other side without ever penetrating the ball. it retains enough attraction within itself that if you squeezed it in your hand it would pop out of the other side and yet if you hold it up to your fingers you can poke right through it sort of like a space warp you could hold.
 
ktoz said:
What does that mean? Could you explain in layman's terms as I have no idea what "N 1-3/" is...

any material that does not obey Newton's laws.
 
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light_bulb said:
...sorta like a space warp you could hold.

l like that idea thanks!
 
denverdoc said:
any material that does not obey Newton's laws.

Ah OK. Thanks.
 

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