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Welcome to the staging ground for new communities! Each proposal has a description in the "Descriptions" category and a body of questions and answers in "Incubator Q&A". You can ask questions (and get answers, we hope!) right away, and start new proposals.

Are you here to participate in a specific proposal? Click on the proposal tag (with the dark outline) to see only posts about that proposal and not all of the others that are in progress. Tags are at the bottom of each post.

Posts by Olin Lathrop‭

29 posts
77%
+5 −0
Incubator Q&A How many megahertz of vibrations would it take to Shatter solid rock

The frequency of the vibrations is only one of many considerations. To "granulate" rock, the vibrations have to cause large tension forces in the brittle material. The wavelength of the vibration...

posted 14d ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
75%
+4 −0
Incubator Q&A Electrical switches: Does it matter which wire it's on?

Most everyday electrical wiring has two wires Well, no. Nowadays you usually get hot, neutral (or "return"), and ground. At least here in North America where houses get power from the secondary ...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
75%
+4 −0
Incubator Q&A Should I buy down my mortgage rate?

Do the math! Calculate the present value of each loan. Add the buy down amount to the cost of the loan with the lower interest rate. Whichever is lower wins. That said, there are some additiona...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
75%
+4 −0
Incubator Q&A How do I search for d6 dice with a blank 6th face?

You're not really using these dice as dice, but as markers. It sounds like you won't be "rolling" these dice, and therefore expect an even outcome between landing on each of the 6 sides. Paint th...

posted 5mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
75%
+4 −0
Incubator Q&A What are reasonable limitations for probability-manipulating magic?

If you can do it with your mind, then why can't everyone do it, and why are there wizards with inherently different strengths? It is like many other abilities we are already familiar with. Some p...

posted 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
71%
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Incubator Q&A Light fixture uses dimmable LEDs and a dimmer switch, but flickers -- how can I fix this?

The first thing I would try is to replace the dimmer. New dimmers work differently than old dimmers, at least the right kind of new dimmer. Old dimmers worked by turning on their output for part ...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  edited 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
71%
+3 −0
Incubator Q&A Why does water flow twist my shower hose?

The hose is probably coiled up normally. When there is no water pressure, there is little force trying to uncoil it. When water pressure is increased in the hose, the little extra diameter from u...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
70%
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Meta Supporters for a Worldbuilding community on Codidact

I would like to get a picture of the general supporters (those who are "okay" with this) for a Worldbuilding community. There is already a mechanism for this. Let's not confuse things by creating...

posted 3mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  edited 3mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
66%
+2 −0
Incubator Q&A How to properly store cordless tool batteries?

Current lithium ion batteries are best stored for long life at around 70% of full charge. However, getting there and maintaining that for typical home power tools may be more trouble than it's wor...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
66%
+2 −0
Incubator Q&A What stages are important for water filters?

What filter stages or combinations are important for an average residential consumer getting municipal water? None. Municipal water plants already do all that for you. They also have to test the...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
66%
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Meta How can Worldbuilding successfully support creative exploration?

We have to understand that a Q&A worldbuilding site isn't going to support all things all worldbuilders want to talk about. We need to focus on what fits well with our Q&A format. One thi...

posted 3mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  edited 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
66%
+2 −0
Incubator Q&A What would be the best way to breathe for a creature that shoots fire from its mouth?

Spewing fire is done while exhaling. The same mechanisms that push air out of the lungs push the acetylene out too, when the creature wants to. Since this is mutually exclusive with inhaling, the...

posted 3mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
63%
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Incubator Q&A How do I find a good dumb TV?

You haven't defined exactly what features are part of "smart" versus "dumb". What most people consider "smart TV" features require a network connection. No matter how smart a TV is, if you don't ...

posted 9mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
62%
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Meta Allowed types of questions for Worldbuilding

not having a strict policy of "ask your question correctly or it gets closed" This doesn't work well in a Q&A format, as opposed to a more traditional threaded discussion. These sites and the...

posted 3mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
60%
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Incubator Q&A Running cordless tools from the outlet

I've had some old cordless tools where the tool itself has a charger port. I've tried running these while plugged in (but with the battery drained) and they didn't work. That's because the charger...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
60%
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Incubator Q&A How can I test a monopole timer switch?

You can't test such a timer with just a voltmeter. It is possible that the timer requires the load to try to draw some minimum current, which a voltmeter probably wouldn't. Or, the timer might ha...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
60%
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Meta Does the Invasive Species proposal have support?

Sharing information about invasive species is an important issue. I started my town's Invasive Species Committee, and have seen some of these challenges first hand. Lots of people are doing their...

posted 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  edited 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
60%
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Incubator Q&A What could be a believable reason for technologically advanced underground people to not notice the end of surface war for hundreds of years?

First, this scenario is highly implausible. Surely the people that went underground intended to pop up again once the war was over. That means they created some means to monitor the situation on ...

posted 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
57%
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Meta Home Improvement versus a more general "home stuff" community?

"Home Improvement" isn't the most descriptive name, but it is something many people will be familiar with. This site should be about the structure and systems of a residential building. That incl...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
57%
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Meta Scope discussion for Sports

I'm OK with all of your points except equipment recommendations and possibly E-sports. Equipment recommendations Shopping questions or "which model should I get" are a bad fit for this kind of si...

posted 5mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  edited 5mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
Descriptions Invasive Species

Site Name Invasive Species Short Description What species are invasive, how to identify them, how they effect the native ecosystem, and how to deal with them. Background This section is long, ...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

50%
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Incubator Q&A What is the point of buying grounding wire?

I'm confused why you would bother buying grounding wire. Grounding wire is intended to only carry ground, which shouldn't ever be more than a few volts from other ground, like metal water pipes. ...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
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Meta What should we do with older proposals that have no incubator activity?

Our incubator system is fundamentally broken. When I have some time, I'll write a meta post about this. We should do nothing with inactive proposals until we have a better means of starting new s...

posted 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭  ·  edited 2mo ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
50%
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Meta Should recommendation questions be on-topic?

1 and 2 are OK, but 3 and 4 are not. Manufacturers and suppliers come and go too frequently and may be quite different around the world. These kind of "which brand is best" answers also tend to b...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer
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Incubator Q&A LEDs flicker even without a dimmer

Maybe your switch is starting to wear out. The contacts might not be making solid contact when the switch is supposed to be on. To test this, replace the switch. If it now works, toss the old on...

posted 1y ago by Olin Lathrop‭

Answer