/lit/ - Literature

[Froggy No.1331010]

Greetings, /lit/.

Writer wannabe here. And I use even that term loosely.

Anyway, I'm hoping to work on a kind of scifi/fantasy-ish novel/series about an alien world, the problem is, I don't know how to scientifically explain a world lit by blacklight. (As in, the sun is ultraviolet, it would make things on the "earth" glow as if under blacklight.)

I conceived a concept for breathable air using the digestive proccess of a type of crystal-eating jelly-like scorpion(...yes.) and with the new science that explains arsenic-living-capable bacteria, I may have an idea for steaming pools of water involving the evaporation cycle and volcanic activities.

But dammit, I am not good at understanding solar activity. Is there a writer or even a scientist who could help me?

[Anonymous No.1331019]

>>1331010

Black lights use a barium-sodium-silicate, 9% nickel oxide glass, which, IIRC, essentially filters all light but near ultraviolet. Rather than trying to concoct a near-ultraviolet light source, I would try to imagine atmospheric conditions that would imitate the glass: perhaps perpetually-thick noctilucent clouds?

[Anonymous No.1331022]

>>1331019

you stole my answer!

[Froggy No.1331032]

>>1331019

I did think of atmospheric conditions, and by default, I wondered if a Venus-like cloud cover could be considered (this could easily be made possible by volcanic activity, obviously.), but I wondered if my ideal for a rainforest-like setting would be possible at all with such massive quantities of toxic substances.

Although, in honesty, there were few, if any, plants at all on the planet, they were mostly replaced by various growing minerals and crystals.

[Anonymous No.1331047]

>>1331032

You're going to be dealing with an incredibly toxic environment, so any life will have to be extremophilic life. As long as you have a sound idea for how life might evolve in such an environment, you can basically do whatever you want: "Life finds a way."

[Froggy No.1331069]

>>1331047

Well, somehow river-dominating bipedal landsharks, six-legged crocodiles who specialize in mining, and headhunting flying frogs whose culture is based upon the native Dayaks of Indonesia...eh...somehow I'll figure a way for them to live.

Maybe certain tolerances and buildups, or perhaps adaptions based upon some of the other wildlife of the region...? Sharks themselves have been known to have adapted to waters polluted with heavy metals (such as the mercury-carrying ones of Japan), and crocodiles can survive damn near anything, after all...

Personally, at this point, I just don't want it to resemble Avatar in any way, shape, or form.