What's the last thing you researched for writing purposes?

[soapdish]

Here's a few to kick-start your brain:

Someone is drunk/drugged - cat sleeps over their face, where the warm air is, and the suffocate. (Used to be able to get 'cat-nets' to stop cats doing this to infants in cribs or buggies, which is why I suggest an adult should be a little incapacitated.)

Cat sleeps on a random stair, in the middle of the night or while carrying stuff, the victim doesn't notice, trips and breaks their neck.
Cat is play-fighting, rips into a vein/artery. Victim doesn't get immediate help, bleeds out.
Cat is play-fighting, draws blood, infects victim with some nasty toxin. Victim goes into shock, dies.

More indirect: victim is driving along, cat leaps on windshield, victim panics and swerves, causing a fatal crash (which the cat walks away from)

Yeah, I’ve been playing around with most of those ideas actually. But I’m mostly trying to get it to be intentional and especially brutal and vengeful. And maybe done by several cats at the same time.

Ripping into the artery sounds about right though

 

[frimble3]

Yeah, I’ve been playing around with most of those ideas actually. But I’m mostly trying to get it to be intentional and especially brutal and vengeful. And maybe done by several cats at the same time.

Ripping into the artery sounds about right though

Then, yeah, ripping into surface veins and arteries (or chewing) would indeed seem more brutal and vengeful than merely falling asleep on the victims face. Also, rip out eyes so victim can't follow or stop the cats, or gnawing on ears or nose because cartilage has a fun texture?

 

[benbenberi]

A friend of a friend was attacked by her cat last week. A young cat, not yet fully grown, which had previously not shown any aggressive signs. But it leapt at FOAF as she was coming in from the garage, knocked her to the ground, and kept biting and biting (and scratching, but mostly biting) till FOAF was able to pry herself free and lock the cat out of the house into the garage. She needed 50 stitches at the hospital! (And prophylactic antibiotics.) Animal control had to retrieve the cat from her garage. It was euthanized and tested negative for rabies, but apparently there were different neurological issues visible -- the poor thing's brain was broken, which is probably why it snapped. If FOAF hadn't managed to fight it off, or if the fall had injured her so she couldn't get away from it, the cat could well have killed her.

 

[soapdish]

@benbenberi How horrible! (Though sadly helpful for my research needs )

I think this story is going to be hard to write because of this scene. I’ll probably have to “close door it.” Like have some one come along after and summarize what they find and what it looks like happened. Otherwise I’m not sure I can stomach it.

 

[FidelityBoss]

A friend of a friend was attacked by her cat last week. A young cat, not yet fully grown, which had previously not shown any aggressive signs. But it leapt at FOAF as she was coming in from the garage, knocked her to the ground, and kept biting and biting (and scratching, but mostly biting) till FOAF was able to pry herself free and lock the cat out of the house into the garage. She needed 50 stitches at the hospital! (And prophylactic antibiotics.) Animal control had to retrieve the cat from her garage. It was euthanized and tested negative for rabies, but apparently there were different neurological issues visible -- the poor thing's brain was broken, which is probably why it snapped. If FOAF hadn't managed to fight it off, or if the fall had injured her so she couldn't get away from it, the cat could well have killed her.

That’s terrifying! It’s so rare for a cat to turn like that, but it sounds like there was definitely something seriously wrong neurologically. Glad she was able to fight it off and get medical help, what a scary situation!

 

[Lundgren]

I did a quick refresher on steam engines and the London underground back in the 19th century, as I'm think to have my romantasy-ish setting to be steam powered.

 

[CMBright]

What color does octopus blood turn when it dried on a surface. I might need to go to the International Market (with live fish section) and ask if they a) carry octopus and b) what color the blood splatters turn when the octopus are processed.

Hemoglobin based blood turns from bright red to dark brown as it ages on surfaces. I know that. But hemocyanin is copper based and is blue when oxygenated. But that doesn't tell me what hemocyanin would look like splattered on a white wall a few days later. And it is suprisingly difficult to find such an obscure detail in a google search.

 

[Brigid Barry]

Antique clocks and winding them with a key.

 

[Lundgren]

Antique clocks and winding them with a key.

Just curious... Those with internal springs to hold the energy, or those with weights that are slowly lowered?

 

[Brigid Barry]

Just curious... Those with internal springs to hold the energy, or those with weights that are slowly lowered?

The ones with the weights apparently have a winding chain that you pull! The key is to create the tension on the internal springs.

 

[Lundgren]

The ones with the weights apparently have a winding chain that you pull! The key is to create the tension on the internal springs.

Ah, true.

That made me realize that information might come in handy for my own needs. Apparently, even some form of wrist watches and pocket watches falls squarely into the period I'm basing my fantasy world on. But that will have to wait, as I'm currently looking into the implication of having better access to charcoal instead of coal.

 

[CMBright]

Ah, true.

That made me realize that information might come in handy for my own needs. Apparently, even some form of wrist watches and pocket watches falls squarely into the period I'm basing my fantasy world on. But that will have to wait, as I'm currently looking into the implication of having better access to charcoal instead of coal.

And my mind immediately goes to climate change issues (sequestered carbon v carbon currently cycling in trees) followed by the peppered moth color morphs of the early industrial age when soot covered many tree trunks.

 

[Lundgren]

And my mind immediately goes to climate change issues (sequestered carbon v carbon currently cycling in trees) followed by the peppered moth color morphs of the early industrial age when soot covered many tree trunks.

Climate change is a long term problem that might not be as apparent. The impurities in Coal tend to also make the the smoke more directly dangerous. Coal have however a better energy per weight ratio, so if having an equal access to both, greed would favor coal.

The railroads in England was apparently run on coal (because coke, the processed more clean version of coal, was considered too expensive), but a lot of trains in the US burned wood directly. At least from my cursory examination of the topic.

The process to produce charcoal also produce tar, so a charcoal fueled steam-powered society would also have a lot of tar. Well, it also produces methanol, but being able to collect that is a more modern technology.

 

[Lundgren]

I just found out that asphalt and tarmac just aren't just the same thing, just differently named in different countries. Tarmac is apparently tar based, but a bit to new to really fit my setting.

Tar based medicine and candy however would fit well.

 

[halloweeencat]

For my new MS, I researched different types of skills needed to be a good thief.

 

[Maryn]

What color does octopus blood turn when it dried on a surface. I might need to go to the International Market (with live fish section) and ask if they a) carry octopus and b) what color the blood splatters turn when the octopus are processed.

Hemoglobin based blood turns from bright red to dark brown as it ages on surfaces. I know that. But hemocyanin is copper based and is blue when oxygenated. But that doesn't tell me what hemocyanin would look like splattered on a white wall a few days later. And it is suprisingly difficult to find such an obscure detail in a google search.

The people at the Monterey Bay Aquarium have been helpful to me in the past. Tell them you're a writer seeking to get the details correct.

 

[Captain Barnacles]

Whether the Russians have any colour of tracer other than the green with which I'm familiar. The colour, and thus likely place of manufacture, is plot significant.

Incidentally, NATO uses red. Gives night-time gunfights a cool, Star Wars vibe when the other guys have old Soviet gear.

 

[Audiflex]

Here's a few to kick-start your brain:

Someone is drunk/drugged - cat sleeps over their face, where the warm air is, and the suffocate. (Used to be able to get 'cat-nets' to stop cats doing this to infants in cribs or buggies, which is why I suggest an adult should be a little incapacitated.)

Cat sleeps on a random stair, in the middle of the night or while carrying stuff, the victim doesn't notice, trips and breaks their neck.
Cat is play-fighting, rips into a vein/artery. Victim doesn't get immediate help, bleeds out.
Cat is play-fighting, draws blood, infects victim with some nasty toxin. Victim goes into shock, dies.

More indirect: victim is driving along, cat leaps on windshield, victim panics and swerves, causing a fatal crash (which the cat walks away from)

So cats can be adorable, fluffy, and apparently deadly! These scenarios are darkly creative, love the mix of direct and indirect chaos. The stair trip and windshield leap are especially sneaky. Cats really do have nine lives… but their victims? Not so much.

 

[frimble3]

So cats can be adorable, fluffy, and apparently deadly! These scenarios are darkly creative, love the mix of direct and indirect chaos. The stair trip and windshield leap are especially sneaky. Cats really do have nine lives… but their victims? Not so much.

In their long history with humans (which began when cats noticed that humans were both a source of warmth (invented fire) and food (scraps and rodents in the granaries) cats have played many roles. From gods to victims of witch-hunts. Always, they are playing the long game.

 

[Audiflex]

In their long history with humans (which began when cats noticed that humans were both a source of warmth (invented fire) and food (scraps and rodents in the granaries) cats have played many roles. From gods to victims of witch-hunts. Always, they are playing the long game.

Cats are the ultimate schemers, aren’t they? From worshipped deities to witchy sidekicks, they’ve been playing 4D chess with humans for millennia. And let’s be real, they’re still winning. They’ve got us right where they want us: feeding them, warming them, and basically being their loyal servants. Long game indeed.

 

[Chris P]

Cats are the ultimate schemers, aren’t they? From worshipped deities to witchy sidekicks, they’ve been playing 4D chess with humans for millennia. And let’s be real, they’re still winning. They’ve got us right where they want us: feeding them, warming them, and basically being their loyal servants. Long game indeed.

Dogs say of humans: "They provide food, water, shelter, and for every one of our needs. They must be gods."
Cats say of humnas: "They provide food, water, shelter, and for every one of our needs. We must be gods."

 

[Audiflex]

Dogs say of humans: "They provide food, water, shelter, and for every one of our needs. They must be gods."
Cats say of humnas: "They provide food, water, shelter, and for every one of our needs. We must be gods."

Haha, so true! Dogs are all, "Wow, they’re amazing!" while cats are like, "Obviously, I deserve this." Classic cat attitude.

 

[halloweeencat]

I cannot recall how many times I have to look like different ways to laugh. I try to instill human characteristics in my characters, and lot of the time they're laughing. But I hate just using the word laughing for everything.

 

[FidelityBoss]

Whether the Russians have any colour of tracer other than the green with which I'm familiar. The colour, and thus likely place of manufacture, is plot significant.

Incidentally, NATO uses red. Gives night-time gunfights a cool, Star Wars vibe when the other guys have old Soviet gear.

That’s a cool detail to dig into, adds a nice layer of realism to the plot! And yeah, the red vs. green tracers definitely give off a Star Wars blaster battle vibe. Makes for a pretty cinematic firefight.

 

[Chris P]

I'm waiting for a book to come with transcripts of two in-depth interviews of eyewitnesses that aren't available online. I'm at about day 12 of the "6 to 13 days" estimated shipping time (no tracking so no instant gratification for me!).