Without asking Admiral Biscuit first, this thread will contain a list of self-identified experts on various subject matters. Nobody is fact-checking these melon fudges so take their advice with a grain of salt!

Post a reply if you're an "expert" in some subject matter, and I'll edit this post to include you in the list. [edit]And/or include a brief resume, apparently.[/edit] If you are writing a story involving one of these subjects and need help, you'll know who to ask.

• Admiral Biscuit, car mechanic: Fixing cars, some self-taught science, theatrical lighting.
• Hap, physics and engineering professor, former rocket scientist: physics (classical, quantum physics, astrophysics, aerodynamics, etc), guns (technical and practical).
• Heartshine, Clinical Psychology masters, therapist: mental health, therapy.
• Undome Tinwe, electrical engineering doctoral student: Computer Science (including Machine Learning, Information Theory, Probability and Statistics, Data Compression, and Signal Processing), Quenya (a dialect of Tolkien's Elvish).
• Arcshod, perpetual geology student: geology, archaeology, paleontology, physical anthropology, world mythology, and pre-hippy occult.
• Uncle Mike, former Marine tank crew, current forensic scientist: criminal forensics including fingerprints, which requires a passing knowledge of biology, anatomy, pathology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, U. S. evidentiary law, criminal law, and police procedure. Also has knowledge of tank crew and ordnance.
• SPark, plushie and fursuit maker: sewing, costuming, BDSM and related mature subject matters including D/S relationships.
• jxj, mechanical engineering grad student: robotics, controls, actuators and sensors, archery, cooking and baking, and aquariums.

Admiral Biscuit also has some theatre experience, mostly in lighting. It's kind of dated knowledge. As for science, mostly what I pick up here and there--I'm a liberal arts major, so. . . .

Heartshine has her masters degree in Clinical Psychology, and has spent the past 6 years in the field working with people with a variety of mental illnesses, and with a variety of socially difficult issues that make navigating everyday life hard. She sometimes tries to write.

I should probably also note that like, as a part of doing therapy I have done a lot of work with trauma, substance abuse, LGBTQI issues, and have worked with folks dealing with generational poverty. Some of those are probably a bit heavier than the average fanfic writer is going to go into, but I figured I'd list off my specializations at least.

Undome Tinwe is a PhD student in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, whose research interests include Machine Learning, Information Theory, Probability and Statistics, Data Compression, and Signal Processing.

Undome is also familiar with Quenya (a dialect of Tolkien's Elvish), having written the fic that, to his knowledge, contains the most Quenya out of all the fics on fimfiction.

Arcshod is a geology student who technically should have had his degree a long time ago, and has some additional pro field experience in palaeontology, physical anthropology and archaeology.

Comparative mythology is his hobby, and he has a rote knowledge of myths from a number of cultures on various sides of the Mediterranean as well as their historical and sometimes scientific contexts.

He also has an interest in historical occult practice, and owns a small library on the subject (from before the hippies started making it about dragons and crystals, which are just rocks seriously).

Uncle Mike is a practicing forensic scientist, with a primary concentration in fingerprint examination, and a secondary concentration in crime scene investigation. Former booking officer and breathalyzer tech. Forensics, being an applied science, exists in the interstices between biology, anatomy, pathology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, so the knowledge base bears a passing resemblance to Dr. Watson's cataloguing of Mr. Holmes' rather eclectic academic endeavors in A Study in Scarlet, The discipline, of necessity, also entails some limited knowledge of (U. S.) evidentiary law, criminal law, and police procedure... Former U. S. Marine, MOS's held: tank crewman and ordnance tech, though that was long enough ago that my skills and knowledge are becoming obsolescent in those fields. I've also worked as a janitor, a hardware store clerk, a rent-a-cop, a cashier, a suit salesman, a busboy, and a few other odds and ends...

Hobbies: a bit of (modern) military history, a bit of a gun nut, a bit of golden age and silver age science fiction (as opposed to fantasy), a bit of this, that, and the other - I even played violin in high school, but haven't kept it up.

Curbstone opinions on request, no charge...

{ETA - a caveat: my knowledge of hard sciences is very much scattershot, being limited to forensics applications. While it's not quite as bad as Holmes deliberately making himself forget that the earth is round, I'd be hard-pressed to keep up with a true SME in those fields. I don't want to overstate my qualifications}

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Sewing, especially plush making and costume/fursuit making. Want your Rarity's work to be realistic? I don't make haute couture, exactly, but I can tell you about the practical realities of using sewing machines and taking commissions for a living.

Also, er, ahem lots of experience in BDSM and other such clopfic related subjects. Active in a local "dungeon", have lived in a 24/7 Master/slave setup, etc. etc. Given past experience, I think this one may be of more use to many writers than the former, though I have no idea if it falls within the scope of the group.

Questions via PM from the shy totally welcome.

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I'm a Mechanical Engineering masters student specializing in robotics and controls (the design of things like autopilots and cruise controls). I'm good for general mechanical engineering knowledge in addition to my specialties. I'm also knowledgeable about targeted areas of electrical and computer engineering related to robotics; things like actuators, sensors, embedded electronics, AI (although i'm still new to that area), and robotics programming. I also know a lot about dynamics (motion), heat transfer and math.

I also dabble in applying modern engineering knowledge and techniques to magic based systems (mostly Equestria).

I'm also pretty knowledgeable about archery, cooking, baking (typically not sweets), and freshwater aquariums.