Taking your technical knowhow to the Discworld

Maljonic · **Taking your technical knowhow to the Discworld -** 08-17-2010, 13:07

Is there anything you know how to make, as an Earther, that people on the Discworld don't. If so, do you think you could make it as an inventor on the Discworld with what you know, bearing in mind the tools available? It might even be something fairly primitive by our standards, something invented ages ago on Earth, that would make you a hero on the Discworld. I could make electricity, but I'm not sure I could make any appliances - perhaps a lightbulb after a lot of work?

Bluebea · 08-17-2010, 14:03

Soap… it’s more difficult than you may think, and can have very dangerous consequences when mixing the ingredients.

Maljonic · 08-17-2010, 14:15

How do you make soap?

plaid · 08-19-2010, 01:44

this is so not really related... but I once had a dream that I was a missionary in Ankh Morpork. but we had to keep our headquarters secret and go around in disguise.

and the Watch was after us, for some reason.

random, I know. it's not technical knowhow, but it's knowledge of some sort. which is what made me think of it. sorry for de-railing the topic...

Maljonic · 08-20-2010, 11:45

It seems odd, after 20 years of reading the books, but I don't think I ever had a Discworld dream. I've had dreams where I'm in a Discworld movie again, and dozens of dreams with Terry Pratchett in them, but none actually set in the real Discworld. I've also had a dream that I was Rincewind more than once, one here on Earth and one some other spherical planet with dragons. I did have a dream that the Discworld turtle was making a close pass of the Earth though, like a very near miss from an asteroid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maljonic's dream

9-August-2003: I was at my childhood home with my mum and my brother, it was nighttime and all the stars seemed brighter than normal. The sky was all wonderful hues of purple and orange, and there were clusters of stars that I hadn’t seen before; stars that don’t exist in this galaxy. There were eight bright stars in a perfect line like runway lights, and another group in a circle. Great swathes of green and purple washed over the sky, as the Earth’s magnetic field was been disrupted by something. That something was a giant turtle, the one out of the Terry Pratchett Discworld stories; it was making an extremely close pass of the Earth. It dipped a gargantuan flipper into the Atlantic and caused a tidal wave all over the Earth, and then swam off into space.

Katcal · 08-20-2010, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maljonic

It seems odd, after 20 years of reading the books, but I don't think I ever had a Discworld dream. I've had dreams where I'm in a Discworld movie again, and dozens of dreams with Terry Pratchett in them, but none actually set in the real Discworld.

Ditto. Funny that. And I have quite clear images in my mind about what it's like, but I've actually never, that I remember, dreamed about being in any book universes. Hmm, maybe a slightly Harry Potter themed thing, I seem to remember, but I couldn't swear it...

I know how to make plenty of stuff, though most of it would probably be either useless because the technology is lacking (a clacks-based website anyone?) or already exists in the Discworld in some form or other.
I'm not too bad at sewing so I guess I could be a seamstress.

spiky · 08-23-2010, 08:30

Give me a dam* and I could give them electricity...Someone else needs to find stuff to do with it

*Edit cos Damn and dam are 2 different things...

Maljonic · 08-23-2010, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiky

Give me a dam* and I could give them electricity...Someone else needs to find stuff to do with it

*Edit cos Damn and dam are 2 different things...

Really, you'd have the resources and knowhow to make turbine generators on the Discworld?

I was thinking a bit more low key, like a waterwheel or windmill with some copper wire and magnets.

Katcal · 08-23-2010, 22:54

Sorry spiky, but even if I had one I just couldn't give a dam.

sampanna · 08-24-2010, 08:44

This would make you liked or disliked, depending on the person - but I'd say post-it notes.

TamyraMcG · 08-25-2010, 07:17

I just had a flash on Nanny Ogg putting post it notes on all her stuff directing which daughter in law was not supposed to have what.

spiky · 08-26-2010, 09:10

tee hee post-its... But weren't they done by Leonard of Quirm but called something like 'note paper what can stick to different things'...

I was thinking pretty small scale electricity production. It could be a windmill.

Thereisnopilot · 08-26-2010, 16:27

Excellent topic. The only things I know how to make though are music and gumbo, and apparently the Disc has both of those already.

Does get you thinking though...

Maljonic · 08-26-2010, 16:55

In always thought I wouldn't mind owning a gumbo restaurant, like Sisko's dad on Star Trek DS9.

Katcal · 08-28-2010, 17:53

I know how to write "choose your own adventure" books, I'm sure the discworld needs that...

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