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Questions tagged [xenobiology]

For questions related to the biology of extra-terrestrial organisms. This tag implies the use of the science-fiction tag. Use the science-based or hard-science tags to impose greater scientific restrictions (see warning in tag wiki). The goal of this tag is to answer the question using known science.

6 votes
4 answers
2k views

Airtight beaks?

I have a (moderately) hard sci-fi, in which there is a species (the Bethin) who are based on squids. They have the biological equivalent of a space suit for their skin, and use the mantle cavity as an ...
Blue Skin and Glowing Red Eyes's user avatar
13 votes
10 answers
4k views

How much time is needed to judge an Earth-like planet to be safe?

A colony ship has been sent to deep space to colonize an earth-like planet. Through astronomical spectroscopy, the atmospheric composition was found to be suitable for human life. But of course, ...
user73910's user avatar
  • 953
11 votes
6 answers
3k views

Could alien species with blood based on different elements eat the same food?

In my Science Fantasy galaxy, I have several humanoid alien species with blood based on different elements, including iron (essentially human blood), copper (like Vulcans from Star Trek with green ...
TGA_1's user avatar
  • 113
4 votes
4 answers
655 views

Possible binding agent for Chlorine in blood?

It is as the title says, is there any good agent for binding to chlorine in blood, for fauna that respirate such a thing. Like iron bonds to oxygen in our own blood, in order to transport it? I tried ...
DanceroftheStars's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
91 views

Could an exomoon be bombarded by electromagnetic radiation from its parent gas giant and still be habitable enough for life to evolve? [closed]

What I'm trying to accomplish here is having a setting where complex electronics are not feasible or so difficult to shield that they're not worth the time. Mechanical technology is the rule on this ...
BigDumb's user avatar
  • 377
9 votes
9 answers
2k views

How do floating plants get their trace nutrients?

The planet is a cold ammonia world. Its ocean is mostly made ammonia, with some traces of ices (mostly water ice) at the bottom of the ocean. The ambient temperature is 225ºK, and the pressure is 4 ...
Neil Iyer's user avatar
  • 1,553
2 votes
0 answers
60 views

RE: Built In Terrariums [closed]

Back again! Hi, I've decided to add context to this question and my previous oneby providing how I'd think the environment would work, as well as the relationship between the host and terrarium ...
Caliban's user avatar
  • 57
2 votes
1 answer
124 views

How do these plants capture cosmic rays?

The planet is a cold ammonia world. Its ocean is mostly made ammonia, with some traces of ices (mostly water ice) at the bottom of the ocean. The ambient temperature is 225ºK, and the pressure is 4 ...
Neil Iyer's user avatar
  • 1,553
2 votes
2 answers
203 views

How plausible is a Cryovenom?

In my science-fantasy world there is a creature that secretes a venom (called a cryovenom) whose proteins catalyze a spontaneous crystallization of the water inside the interstitial fluids and ...
Chromatic Realms's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
771 views

How do these trees not collapse? [closed]

I'm currently building a planet, an ammonia world with an average temperature of 225ºK and has a mass of 2 earth masses and a radius of 1.25 earth radii. The average pressure at sea level is 4 ...
Neil Iyer's user avatar
  • 1,553
3 votes
1 answer
178 views

Designing giant space creatures becomes a popular fad in a super advanced post-scarcity society. How large can space creatures get?

This is a completely post-scarcity society. Robots and automated systems run the economy and most research. AIs are commonplace, and available to all in the human-like, completely obedient, and super-...
user107900's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
131 views

How does life on this planet get enough iridium?

I am currently building a planet that weighs about 4 earth masses and it's radius is 2.3 times larger than that of earth's. It is an ammonia planet (as the title suggests), and has ammonia oceans with ...
Neil Iyer's user avatar
  • 1,553
8 votes
1 answer
179 views

Pathogenic Hive-Intelligence When Critical Mass is Reached

Could there be a virus or amoeba or protist or bacteria (or fungal but that is over-used in pop culture) that infects humans (and possibly other lifeforms) that by itself is not sentient but as they ...
Zip Zap's user avatar
  • 165
3 votes
1 answer
87 views

Fire-analog on an ammonia planet

I am currently building a planet that weighs about 4 earth masses and it's radius is 2.3 times larger than that of earth's. It is an ammonia planet (as the title suggests), and has ammonia oceans with ...
Neil Iyer's user avatar
  • 1,553
2 votes
1 answer
202 views

Beryllium photosynthesis for floating plants?

I am currently building a planet that weighs about 4 earth masses and it's radius is 2.3 times larger than that of earth's. It is an ammonia planet (as the title suggests), and has ammonia oceans with ...
Neil Iyer's user avatar
  • 1,553

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