metallic_z3r0

As long as we're coming up with overly convoluted reasons that a minor plot device from a fantasy space opera makes sense in a rigorous scientific way, why not assume that they were genetically engineered specifically as a torturous punishment for the Hutt syndicate? Bioengineering is apparently canon, so there's in-universe justification.

Dried frog pills, probably. I've been told if you take one you can hallucinate that you're sane, which is probably close enough for the average physicist.

You know the corollary to Arthur C Clarke's "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," which is "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from technology"? That's what I think the explanation and manipulation of the electromagnetic force and strong and weak nuclear forces basically are. We just figured out the rules for how magic works, and now we manipulate them to make rocks think and show us pretty colors over vast distances, and can also explode cities with glowing rocks and weird gasses. Also we can make potent potions from strange biological and chemical essences that make the body do what we tell it, mostly. And we're getting better at it (and would be getting better at it faster if it weren't for metaphorical dragons getting in the way).

Just because we can explain it doesn't make it any less magic.

Yes.

"Forever" unless the knowledge is out of date, or you don't use it and forget, or until Alzheimer's or some other dementia happens and everything disappears (or until your death, I suppose, but gold also tends to change hands around that time).

I mean it was 0.01, at that point he was screwed anyway, and he fixed his program.

Yes. Yes we are.

I love that in the version I read, Azrael's "YES" took up two pages by itself, just to get the point across.

The real question is if the darker purple is in front or if it's the lighter purple.

37 is my favorite, because 3x7x37=777 (three sevens), and I think that's neat.

It's $193M in stock, which can only be cashed out once Reddit IPOs, thus the drive to do so. Aside from that he gets a "mere" $600k/yr. He can probably borrow against that to a certain point, but I'm not sure a bank would value assets that can't be liquidated.