1. A wobbly planetary tilt
2. An extremely elongated orbit
3. A complex Milankovitch cycle
4. Oceans, currents, and winds
5. A combination of all factors
http://io9.com/5906300/5-scientific-explanations-for-game-of-thrones-messed+up-seasons (http://io9.com/5906300/5-scientific-explanations-for-game-of-thrones-messed+up-seasons)
Eh. We have had warm periods, ice ages and mini-ice ages; it's not really a stretch to think the same could happen there (if in shorter periods). Years-long dark nights could be tougher to explain, but then Westeros isn't on Earth, is it? Maybe a planet or moon eclipses the Sun for years?
But since they've figured out the long Winters, maybe they can explain the rest of her story: ;)
Best Scene from GAME OF THRONES episode 'Lord Snow'! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtCZEK310QQ#ws)
So when they show the map of the world in the opening credits does that imply their world is the inside of a Dyson sphere?
I gather the world in which Westeros resides has a yearly seasonal cycle like we do, but the long Winters/Summers seem, to me, to be analogous to the Milankovitch cycles mentioned in the article. It's just a shorter and more unpredictable cycle.
This gets debated ad nauseam on the fan boards and folks get into BSM Vs. Anyone type arguments about it. The BSM types can't understand how anyone in Westeros knows how old they are, but when told that there is a regular seasonal cycle in Westeros they get lost in the semantics of winter Vs. Winter.
Quote from: TinkTanker on May 01, 2012, 08:28:00 AM
So when they show the map of the world in the opening credits does that imply their world is the inside of a Dyson sphere?
Interesting!
Quote from: Spooky on May 01, 2012, 08:34:45 AM
I gather the world in which Westeros resides has a yearly seasonal cycle like we do, but the long Winters/Summers seem, to me, to be analogous to the Milankovitch cycles mentioned in the article. It's just a shorter and more unpredictable cycle.
Same here. Dunno why some people struggle with winter vs Winter.
Quote from: Eric on May 01, 2012, 08:37:46 AM
Same here. Dunno why some people struggle with winter vs Winter.
Here is a great example from Reddit. From a thread talking about the scene where Halfhand and Jon spott the fire off in the distance.
http://www.reddit.com/r/gameofthrones/comments/t16y9/paused_it_for_30_seconds_trying_to_find_that_damn/ (http://www.reddit.com/r/gameofthrones/comments/t16y9/paused_it_for_30_seconds_trying_to_find_that_damn/)
QuoteThey say it's been summer for ~9 years. Lets give 1 year for spring. That would make Jon 4 years old at the END of winter... doubt he has much experience in spotting fires in winter...
Quote from: Spooky on May 01, 2012, 09:10:10 AM
QuoteThey say it's been summer for ~9 years. Lets give 1 year for spring. That would make Jon 4 years old at the END of winter... doubt he has much experience in spotting fires in winter...
So... you are saying he knows nothing about spotting fires in Winter?
Quote from: TinkTanker on May 01, 2012, 08:28:00 AM
So when they show the map of the world in the opening credits does that imply their world is the inside of a Dyson sphere?
Yes .
Not a fan of that aspect .....
GRRM says [spoiler]the explanation for the seasons is that it is magic and will be explained at the end of the series.[/spoiler]
[spoiler](http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/user/1/17189-121948-1234237976736jpg-468x.jpg)[/spoiler]
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on May 01, 2012, 09:36:51 AM
Quote from: TinkTanker on May 01, 2012, 08:28:00 AM
So when they show the map of the world in the opening credits does that imply their world is the inside of a Dyson sphere?
Yes .
Not a fan of that aspect .....
Why do you hate science? Is it because science proved that your island is now under ten feet of water?
Quote from: Eric on May 01, 2012, 09:46:26 AM
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on May 01, 2012, 09:36:51 AM
Quote from: TinkTanker on May 01, 2012, 08:28:00 AM
So when they show the map of the world in the opening credits does that imply their world is the inside of a Dyson sphere?
Yes .
Not a fan of that aspect .....
Why do you hate science? Is it because science proved that your island is now under ten feet of water?
I don't know .
I'm just not keen on the concept .
I'm mean , straight off - shouldn't the horizon bend upwards from the observer ?
???
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on May 01, 2012, 10:02:11 AM
I'm mean , straight off - shouldn't the horizon bend upwards from the observer ?
???
No more than it should bend downwards for us. If you believe all that round-earth nonsense, you Holocaust-denying global-warming denier, that is.
As for time - I suspect the stars do their yearly orbital thingy , hence "years" but not regular seasons .
Oh , and magic .
(http://www.strat-talk.com/forum/attachments/sidewinders-bar-grille/33813d1328041787-how-do-cables-become-noisy-almost-overnight-its_magic.jpg)
Hehe. I really don't know how viable it is. Maybe it's more of the title designers' analogy that it's a self-contained ecosystem; a terrarium of sorts.
If the world was actually be in a sphere could anyone explain this?
(http://awoiaf.westeros.org/images/e/ec/Red_comet_by_dhadkan.jpg)
[spoiler]Magic?[/spoiler]
The commentary for one episode states they are in a Dyson Sphere and that the sun is an astro-lab .
Also , if you observe the edges of the map they curve upwards .
I can't wrap my head around it at times - I think when someone looks up they should be seeing the other side of the world hanging in the sky above ....
:o
Quote from: Eric on May 01, 2012, 10:11:26 AM
If the world was actually be in a sphere could anyone explain this?
Scratch on the inside of the sphere, duh.
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on May 01, 2012, 10:15:53 AM
The commentary for one episode states they are in a Dyson Sphere and that the sun is an astro-lab .
Also , if you observe the edges of the map they curve upwards .
I can't wrap my head around it at times - I think when someone looks up they should be seeing the other side of the world hanging in the sky above ....
:o
The sun is so bright it blots out the other side when you look up. At night, it is too dark to see the other side.
[spoiler](http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/1521i7C9A5B78BB3290CE/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1)[/spoiler]
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on May 01, 2012, 10:15:53 AM
The commentary for one episode states they are in a Dyson Sphere and that the sun is an astro-lab .
Also , if you observe the edges of the map they curve upwards .
I can't wrap my head around it at times - I think when someone looks up they should be seeing the other side of the world hanging in the sky above ....
:o
I guess the sphere would have to be big enough where we couldn't detect the curvature, or see where it rises. Maybe something like Hollow Earth theory where we only have some five hundred miles of crust before reaching a whole new inner-world replete with a sun?
Quote from: TinkTanker on May 01, 2012, 10:20:40 AM
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on May 01, 2012, 10:15:53 AM
The commentary for one episode states they are in a Dyson Sphere and that the sun is an astro-lab .
Also , if you observe the edges of the map they curve upwards .
I can't wrap my head around it at times - I think when someone looks up they should be seeing the other side of the world hanging in the sky above ....
:o
The sun is so bright it blots out the other side when you look up. At night, it is too dark to see the other side.
[spoiler](http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/1521i7C9A5B78BB3290CE/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1)[/spoiler]
(http://madmikesamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/HolyGrail028.jpg)