Fellow beings, Hello. As you may or may not have noticed, i'm a little behind on part 5 of Magnetic Personality. this is more or less because i paid little attention to hard science in school and more attention to science fiction and comic books. well... I've really been trying to understand the fundamental science involved... I've wiki-ed, I've Googled and even asked Jeeves... the basics are making for brain aneurysms in my poor button head, but i want to be fair to those who have, well despised (smiles) my lack of scientific knowledge. You have all been quite kind and tried to help and now the button-head asks for your assistance.
Let me lay out the scene... the mess hall / restaurant at Dept H: Lucy and Lorna are getting coffee on the way to their second appointment of the day... Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter and Walter Langkowski are quietly discussing the results at the end of part 3... well two are being quiet anyway...
"“… care what the frequency spread she achieved was, where was the wattage coming from?” he demanded of his tablemates, “For that matter the amperage, you saw the char marks in the cage!” Lorna paused behind Sheldon while across from her, Leonard covered his eyes and Walter stood up and offered his hand to her.
“Ahh, um Lorna,” he stammered as she took his hand in greeting. Sheldon whirled in his seat.
“It’s ok Walter; I expect nothing less of Dr. Cooper,” Lorna smiled and shook Walter’s hand, “but what he was saying caught my interest, I sorta thought that this ability of mine was strictly magnetic in nature?” Walter regained his composure and gestured to two seats at their table. Lucy and Lorna sat and looked at their erstwhile host expectantly.
“Yes and no Lorna..."
Now at this point i want to put a simplified basic explanation of magnetism, electromagnetism and field theory, which would be in Walter's voice... however if it gets too complex, i can switch to Sheldon's voice... but the stuff I've gleaned has been, Sorry to say, headache inducing... to wit
"Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well as the materials that are attracted to them. However, all materials are influenced to a greater or lesser degree by the presence of a magnetic field. Some are attracted to a magnetic field (paramagnetism); others are repulsed by a magnetic field (diamagnetism); others have a much more complex relationship with an applied magnetic field. Substances that are negligibly affected by magnetic fields are known as non-magnetic substances. They include copper, aluminium, gases, and plastic.
The magnetic state (or phase) of a material depends on temperature (and other variables such as pressure and applied magnetic field) so that a material may exhibit more than one form of magnetism depending on its temperature, etc." Wikipedia... and even the basic explanations... i'm not saying my readers or any of the readers are dumb, but how do i do this without insulting or boring any one?
Help...
bites lower lip,
Diana
Comments
You're overthinking
You're an author. Who care what your readers think of an explanation. As long as it explains what you want it to and lets you tell people the story fully. I don't think it's as important as the story itself. People who didn't know that stuff before will have learned something new and for those who did know it - should be intelligent enough to not mind a basic explanation.
You will always get complainers, it can't be avoided (unless you want to block everyone).
However out of those complainers I wonder if they've written a story before or are they just critics.
Remember you may write for others but first of all, you write for you. Don't concern yourself too much.
Yes Cliff, i am overthinking but...
i also have an itch to know... didn't you ever wonder where the hulk's extra mass came from?... or why his pants didn't shred off him too? (giggles and blushes)
a simple, non eye glazing explanation... like Beekman's World on TV used to give...
I got angry... i tried to study, my head asplode... so i called on the science guys to help in one or two syllable words... hehehe
Diana
Hm... Lorna is a software
Hm... Lorna is a software developer?
The wikipedia text is a info dump. I doubt that it is important for your story how every form of magnetism is named. I'd mention that magnetic property changes with temperature and material. You'd need to meantion that magnetic fields can induct electric currents in metals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism
If she uses this to generate lightening or put something under electrical power I wouldn't explain it but just mention the fact she does it.
Were does the Power of her abillities come from?
The law of conversation of energy still works so she either needs a supernatural energy source or some other explanation. What exactly did you mean with frequency in the first place? I mean electrical current that comes out of the electrical socket has a frequency, but this is due to the way it is generated. A generator generates an alternating current. The frequency of that current depends on the rotation of the generator.
The problem is even if she'd generate a rotating magnetic field around her, it might still not induce a current in the faraday cage. She'd need a uniform field, I think.
I'd keep it simple and only say that she can induce electrical currents, can manipulate magnetic materials. Say what those materials are.
If she can manipulate every magnetical field she's close to god. She could literally rip you apart on atomic level. She'd be able to manipulate one of the four elemental forces of nature.
Her problem would not be what she can do but rather how she can do it. She ought to be able to turn water into gold. But she might not know how, or it might to be too precise work for her to do it on large scale.
Since I don't know how powerfull you want to make her, I'd suggest you'd let the scientists only say what her powers are in general.
The problem is eletromagnetism and field theory isn't simple. It's an entire field of physics that you can't explain in three sentences. The scientist should tell her what she can do and suggest her to study physics so she has an idea what she actually does.
You might do some simple explanations like "if you move a metall in a uniform field you'll get an electric current" as a safety meassure if she doesn't want to electrocute everyoe who's wearing any metal in her proximity.
I probably have to reread you story, but can she actually throw lightening?
I hope this helped some, feel free to ask further questions.
Beyogi
not a developer... systems (read hardware) engineer
but that is neither here nor there Beyogi... the electrical arcing occurred when she was very angry and frustrated, as did the breaking of sub atomic bonds in chapter three... so probably not a conscious ability... think rage... the metal manipulation, seeing em fields, they're more a new reflex to be learned, so generally matter re arrangement is not happening. being able to tap into electromagnetic fields... like those of earth, manipulate them to some extent something i'm looking at, which has precedent in the comics. the core question is where is the energy generated? as with all meta humans (superheros whatever) that is never quite explained... i want some source... can you blame me? I've all my life wondered where the hulk gets his extra mass from.
She may or may not be this powerful, but not in a way that she can control or even access...
This has potential though...
now as to conservation of energy... where could a "tap" in the field be... she draws from somewhere, but where... it's not like a wee fusion reactor formed inside her, but as you say... where does it draw from?...
I want some basis in physical laws (or as much as apply to a world of superhumans), but as cliff mentioned... readers want non Bill Nye, Neil DeGrass Tyson stuff too...
Ideas?
Diana... really really trying
Still far too deep
You don't actually have to explain very much at all. Remember, this is fiction, and superpower fiction at that. You're busily breaking all the laws of physics you can lay your hands on and you're wondering how to explain it all?
Don't. Not only can't you explain, you probably ought not to. No-one turns a hair when Superman flies by, do they? "Oh, he's from Krypton, that explains it." You already have an explanation, your hero/ine has the metagene. Nuff said.
In fact, if you develop your explanations too far you could end up painting yourself into a corner, since you don't often know ahead of time what situations your characters might end up in. If you say, "this power is the result of this interaction with this field," you may find your character stuck when something unexpected happens. Except, of course, when you want that to happen.
(Waves hand)"These are not the powers you are looking for. Move along."(Waves hand)
Penny
I agree with Penny... If you
I agree with Penny... If you really need an explanation then use mediclorians. Or magic. Seriously, as if you can explain superhumans. If you could explain them you could create them.
Just let the scientists tell her what they think she can do. Let them tell her how much power her mysterious internal power source gave off during the test. Or don't. Just let them tell it was incredible much. That their testing apparatus couldn't stand the forces and one that could wouldn't be worth the effort.
Just remember to use the correct terms to name power, force, energy, frequency and so on.
Let your technobabble scientist talk about the impossible stuff she does to fields. And let the other one explain that it isn't really important how she does it, but rather what she does.
Try this site...
The Simple English version of Wikipedia. It's not as big as its more famous cousin, but attempts to explain things in easier-to-understand language, without delving into degree-level mathematical equations or proofs.
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetism
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism (that one, though, has a warning that it may not be simple enough!)
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
*Grins*
thank you, though i may need the Dr. Seuss version..*giggles*
Diana
Beyogi, Darkice, Slicersv, Anyone! Help, need input!
Why not do what the Center Universe does and decide just what the power is and any additional abilities and not worry about the science since the power comes from the user's mind.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
The CRU
Because in the CRU the science matters when it comes to powers. That's why overpowered characters like Superman are nearly impossible to do in the CRU because it has to be realistic.This is the real world don't forget not the comic world. For instance, that's why Stephanie never whipped out a grappling gun or tore around town in a Batmobile.
Plausibility!
As a Sci fan and avid reader, your search for the "power" does not have to be real science only a plausible extension of science. You are the creator of your story.
Here is a suggestion. There are electromagnetic lines of force encompassing the earth. It is these lines interacting with the ionosphere that protect the earth from solar wind, a stream of charged plasma emitted by the sun. (think sun spots and Aurora Borealis - Northern lights.) Let's include Einstein's equation E=MC2. This shows the conversion of matter into energy and the reverse. Your Heroine, since her power is electromagnetic in nature, can easily draw energy from the lines of electromagnetic force and through her meta gene transform it into power or mass or whatever. This would give her an almost unlimited supply of 'plausible' energy and mass.
It would be even more appropriate as the Northern lights are more pronounced in Canada, a Canadian thing. Your heroine is Canadian, what more to be said. She also can tap into the solar wind if she leaves earth. The magnetic lines go from the north to south poles, both through and around the earth. It's like a super battery.
Just a suggestion. If you want to stick with a classical electromagnetic approach. You can really, get creative if you take quantum approach.
Look up Tesla coils, Nicoli Tesla, who discovered Alternating Current, and used a set up similar to the one the used to test her. Tesla sold Westinghouse on using AC generators when the power stations at Niagara Falls were built. (Another Canadian connection.) He did a lot of unique stuff between 1890 and 1943 with high voltage coils and electricity. (Marconi use 16 of Tesla's patents in developing the radio.)
I enjoy you story and look for more.
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Trish Ann! Brilliant stuff...
Between you and the science geeks er Team, i have nearly a plausible (fictionally speaking) explanation of Lorna's abilities.
May i use your stuff in the part five?
Hugs,
Diana
I'd be honored.
Please do.
Anxious to see part 5.
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Trish Ann? you really cut through the fog
500+ words and counting (grins)
Hugs luv,
Diana
Well a funny side effect
Well a funny side effect might be that she reduces earth warming...
That is a possible reality!
In the 1980s and 90s, the Us and the Soviet Union/Russia collaborated on building a magneto-thermodynamic reactor for power generation. Basically, it used a superconducting magnet, where a plasma stream was injected into the magnetic field to generate electricity. This produces energy without combustion. This means no greenhouse gas emissions and reduced global warming.
I don't believe Lorna will assist this process. She is not feeding the power she generates into the grid, just using it to foil villains, etc. ;)
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~