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Dragons are physically impossible in many more ways than the firebreathing. For one, things that large would probably struggle to fly. We can make larger things
by WJW 8mo ago
Dragons are physically impossible in many more ways than the firebreathing. For one, things that large would probably struggle to fly. We can make larger things fly, but have to cheat using jet (or rocket!) engines to generate incredible thrust in ways not typically accessible to living beings.
- boothby 8mo agoAnd now I'm picturing a dragon with bombardier-beetle style pulsed jet boosters. And while I'd typically question your assumptions of how big dragons need to be in order to deserve the name, I'll assert that quetzocoatlus nothropi[1] was big enough. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatlus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatlus
- krapp 8mo ago"Dragon" as a classification is odd, because when you look at every kind of mythological creature that gets classified as such nowadays, sometimes from cultures that wouldn't have recognized the concept, you find that they have little in common beyond some vaguely reptilian vibe and being scary. And I'm sorry but that thing is too goofy looking to be considered a dragon.
- PaulHoule 8mo agoDragons are dinosaurs, that is, closer to birds then contemporary reptiles.
- coldtea 8mo agoThat's begging the question. We don't need to look "at every kind of mythological creature that gets classified as such nowadays" from "cultures that wouldn't have recognized the concept". One could stick on those classified as such in western culture - which is where the fantasy novel about dragons and knights and spells and the rest are based on. And in there, dragons have quite specific characteristic and vibes, as evidenced from medieval iconography of St George to countless fantasy book covers and illustrations.
- fc417fc802 8mo agoBut if we do expand the set under consideration then I'd suggest they do in fact have specific things in common. Large flying carnivorous reptiles. That won't cover all the various edge cases but I think it describes the vast majority of the popular usage of the term. That definition would imply that sufficiently large flying dinosaurs qualify as dragons. And at least personally I think I agree with that conclusion. Dragons aren't purely fantasy, they're merely extinct (and never breathed fire IRL).
- deleted 8mo ago[deleted]
- Dylan16807 8mo agoYou can make a setting with denser air and less gravity too.
- andrewflnr 8mo agoThat's ok, we just need to put them on the moon or somewhere else with lighter gravity.
- onraglanroad 8mo agoLess gravity has its own issues. Nothing can fly on the moon :)
- andrewflnr 8mo agoObviously you put them under a big dome. That's the easy part.