• db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    4·
    8 months ago

    Thoughts: If the dragon’s normal breath is fire, is means that their internal temperature is not low enough to cool down candlewicks. This is not much different than how human breath is warmer from the envionment. Form the perspective of, say, a lichen, a human’s breath might as well be fire. Dragons are just run 10x as hot as humans. The question is, what material are they consuming in order to maintain this temperature constantly. Are they consuming coal as food?

    • tetris11@lemmy.ml
      5·
      8 months ago

      They horde metals, and it is not out of question that it’s likely their food source. Ingest enough:

      • Nickel, and the hydrochloric acid in your stomach will start producing Hydrogen gas
      • Silver, and nitric acid (let’s just assume they have an organ for that) is explosive
      • Gold, and any organ that produces ammonia will produce “fulminating gold”, an explosive purple compound that triggers on light exposure.
    • vestigeofgreen@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      8 months ago

      They can have hot breath while having a regular body temperature. Flint starters or a pilot light in their mouth combined with a high fiber diet and the right microbiome solve this problem.

      The only question left is how to move the flammable gases to the mouth. Maybe they have sacs they have to fill with roughage in their mouth. Maybe the only barrier in their digestive system is at the end so eau de colon just constantly seeps out.

      • db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        1·
        8 months ago

        Yes I know that’s what one approach. I was trying to consider the case where they can’t help have their breath be superheated

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
      1·
      8 months ago

      I’ve gone 41 years now without once considering what a dragons diet consists of. Then you come in here like “HEY GUYS!!! SCIENCE!!! Also what do dragons eat?”

      And now I’ll forever be pissed off that it becomes an answer with no wrong answer, and no right answer. Only unproven theories with varying levels of absurdity. You say he eats coal. Maybe I say they eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Your answer makes sense. My answer isn’t wrong, and thus still valid.

      And with that comes an open invitation to come up with the dumbest answer possible, knowing it can never be wrong. No matter how wrong it is.