Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - punkinholler

Pages: [1]
1
Cinder Spires Spoilers / Re: Thoughts about "Iron Rot"
« on: October 16, 2015, 02:07:45 AM »
Quote
Remember, people no longer live on the surface, but in high altitudes where oxygen should be thinner.  However, everyone seems to be relatively fine.  So maybe, one of the reasons why people have left the surface, is because there's just too much of an abundance of oxygen down at the surface. 

Great point!  I hadn't thought of that but it makes sense.  Just to add a somewhat terrifying aside, the main reason insects only get so big on Earth is because they have a weird respiratory system that relies on air entering a bunch of itty bitty tubes all over their body.  If they get too big, they can't move enough oxygen into those tubes (because there's nothing to really pump it in or out) to survive. If oxygen concentrations were higher, bugs could get a whole lot bigger, which might explain the size of the silkweavers (even though spiders have a different respiratory organ than insects) and maybe some of the other terrifying critters roaming around on the surface of Kashyyyk, uh I mean the Cinder Spires world.

Quote
Also, the crystals seem more of a focus/battery for etheric energies, from my perspective.  They basically pull energies from the air, and convert them to energy that can be used.  So that's a point for strong electromagnetics.

Yes, that was my thought too. 

It also occurred to me that they might be on a moon orbiting a really big gas giant rather than on a planet with it's own extremely powerful EM field.  IIRC, Jupiter, by far, has the strongest magnetosphere of all the planets in our solar system. If the Cinder Spires world were a moon orbiting a Jupiter-like planet in the habitable zone of a star system, the planet's magnetosphere could be the source of all that etheric energy in the book.  Science-wise it makes far more sense to have a gas giant generating a gigantic EM field rather than a rocky planet, but there was no mention of a really huge planet hanging out in their sky in the book, so maybe not.

2
Cinder Spires Spoilers / Thoughts about "Iron Rot"
« on: October 16, 2015, 12:38:59 AM »
It seems pretty clear that iron rusts faster in the Cinder Spires world than it does here, which is kind of interesting.  There are a number of things that can affect corrosion rates but a lot of them are not compatible with human life.  As far as I can tell there are only three things that could make iron rust faster in an environment suitable for humans: 1) there are a lot of salt particulates in the air (like when you're at the beach).  This seems unlikely since salt doesn't stay in air very easily and tends to either fall out directly or get rained out. There would need to be some constant and omnipresent source spitting salt into the atmosphere all over the world (oceans couldn't do it for obvious reasons) which just makes no sense. 2) There is a higher concentration of oxygen on that world than on Earth.  This is possible within a certain range and it surely would make the danger of fire a lot scarier.  3) Whatever planet they are on has an insanely strong electromagnetic field.  Running an electrical current through iron will absolutely corrode it more quickly and a crazy strong planetary EM field would be consistent with all the "etheric energy" stuff.   On the other hand, strong EM fields supposedly have a few negative effects on people, but one would assume the humans in that world evolved to handle it or they wouldn't be there. Personally, I think #3 is the best explanation, maybe with a side order of #2 for good measure. What do ya'll think? Also, does anyone know if there's a WoJ on this (I haven't read any of the tidbits he's mentioned in interviews etc.)?

3
DF Reference Collection / Re: List of Headaches [CD spoilers]
« on: January 16, 2013, 05:04:41 AM »
The interesting part of the headache in SF where he has the stabbing pains in the temples surrounding the discussion about his blasting rod is that Michael helps treat that headache.  He appeals to the WG, touches Harry on the head, and Harry feels a heat and the headache goes away.

That seems to suggest more than someone messing with Harry's memory.

Are you saying TWG's intervention itself indicates greater significance or are you suggesting that the fact that TWG's intervention was required to fix Harry's head suggests that the headache was caused by more than memory manipulation?

4
DF Reference Collection / Re: mythological figures we'd like to see
« on: January 08, 2013, 03:47:56 PM »
Not only history.  The Lady Duck knows science and math too.  It just isn't fair ;D

Well I suppose we can't all be polymaths  ;)

5
DF Reference Collection / Re: mythological figures we'd like to see
« on: January 08, 2013, 03:38:17 PM »
a few hundred thousand or so, as herself. A few million if you get into the 'mantles' as the DF uses the term. But I meant as total worshippers in history.

73 different relgions + thousands of years + most popular pagan goddess in western history = some truly ridiculous numbers

My word, you've got to be one of the most historically knowledgeable people I've ever encountered :-)

I see what you mean, though. I was thinking of it the way Neil Gaiman portrays the issue wherein only the number of current people who actually worship a particular deity makes a difference in their power base. However, now that I think about it, I agree that that total historical numbers would matter in the DV, at least in terms of the Oblivion War, since Athena is very unlikely to be forgotten about any time soon.

6
DF Reference Collection / Re: mythological figures we'd like to see
« on: January 08, 2013, 03:03:35 PM »
Athena- if numbers of worshippers actualy mean anything, she'd be the second most powerfull god after the WG. either way, could be interesting.

Carmilla. of course, im quazy enough to think shes allready shown up

 ;)

Athena still has worshipers?  I know she's one of the better known greek gods and she's symbolically represented in a lot of places but I didn't realize anyone still literally worshiped her anymore.

Pages: [1]