Fanfic Helpdesk: Technical and Scientific Help for Writers

[StargateMillennium]

If you're looking for space combat tactics, I find this and his other videos to be good to listen to

[WraithRichard]

If you're looking for space combat tactics, I find this and his other videos to be good to listen to

Not much on tatics, but that was extremely helpful. Thank you!

[WraithRichard]

New question: I'm sticking Atlantis on a planet where Atlantis is just so far off the coast, landcan barely be seen on a clear day. How far away would that be?

[StargateMillennium]

I don't feel like mathing it right now so I'll provide an example.
index.jpgindex.jpg

This is a picture of chicago from across lake michigan at 59 miles away. They size that Atlantis is the size of manhattan which is smaller than chicago so it'll probably be even smaller. Add to that the reason Chicago can even be seen is because of optical illusions and you can say that the city is a little closer than 59 miles in the distance.

[WraithRichard]

I don't feel like mathing it right now so I'll provide an example.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]42792[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]42793[/ATTACH]

This is a picture of chicago from across lake michigan at 59 miles away. They size that Atlantis is the size of manhattan which is smaller than chicago so it'll probably be even smaller. Add to that the reason Chicago can even be seen is because of optical illusions and you can say that the city is a little closer than 59 miles in the distance.

Close enough for government work, I mean my fanfiction. Thanks.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Note that the size of the planet would affect how far way the horizon is.

Seaboe

[WraithRichard]

Note that the size of the planet would affect how far way the horizon is.

Seaboe

True, but I'm going with 'should be the size of earth' because a) a planet humans can survive on would probably be athe same size and the same distance from a star the size of our sun, and b) I'm lazy because this island is only mentioned in two chapters.

[WraithRichard]

I need a fast-acting poison that breaks down quickly or isn't easily recognized in an autopsy

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

SUX or Potassium Chloride.

Science and autopsies have reached a point in the modern world where poisons are generally detectable.

The best poisons are ones that break down into elements that occur naturally: succinylcholine(SUX) and potassium chloride. SUX causes asphyxiation and paralysis, however it is a very painful death. Potassium chloride causes severe heart arrhythmias and mimics a heart attack.

These break down to elements natural in the body and would easily be overlooked: succinic acid and choline for SUX, potassium and chloride of course for potassium chloride which is common in heart attack victims due to muscle damage. However both need to be injected and leave an injection site, this may be pesky if your victim does not take any injected medicine or drugs. While these are the least detectable they don't meet the criteria of being ingestable.

Aconite is another great one. It leaves Aconitum alkaloids, but these can only be detected by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Death usually results from paralysis of the respiratory system or cardiac arrest. What is useful about this poison is it can be absorbed through the skin or consumed and only takes 2mg of pure aconite or one gram of the plant to kill. This method is fairly undetectable as long as there is no cause for an in-depth autopsy and it can be ingested...

From StackExchange

Seaboe

[WraithRichard]

SUX or Potassium Chloride.


From StackExchange

Seaboe

Thank you. That's just the thread was looking for, but couldn't find with google. It's perfect.

(insert evil laugh here)

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

IIRC, Potassium Chloride doesn't mimic a heart attack, it causes a heart attack.

Seaboe

[WraithRichard]

IIRC, Potassium Chloride doesn't mimic a heart attack, it causes a heart attack.

Seaboe

How detectable is it as a poison?

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

According to the article summary here at PubMed, it's fairly hard to detect.

Seaboe

[Falcon Horus]

Anything can be detected but you need to know what you're looking for, I think.
If the "victim" was in good health, and there was no reason to suspect they would be getting heart attacks, an ME will look into that.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Just being suspicious and looking closer doesn't mean they'll find it. There are many instances where there's a suspicious death, and a thorough autopsy doesn't turn up anything that makes the death anything but natural. It's when the murderer strikes again, and develops a pattern that things to wrong for him or her.

Seaboe