Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

Disregarding whether the role play setting is fantasy or supernatural or whichever that requires or allows a superhuman trait on a character, I have a habit of making my characters' powers be a seemingly effortless alteration of reality that can possibly be 'explained' with science [hopefully that makes sense]. Sometimes... well, almost all the time actually, I have trouble grasping whether what I assumed is actually feasible or not but I didn't really had a place to ask. That was when I figured I'll try asking here.

So for the time being, these are the thoughts I have at the moment.

Maintaining a constant temperature: The idea behind this would be a power that is able to keep the same temperature on an object, person or thing. An example will be ice cubes that seemingly never melts [because the ice cubes will be under this power and stay below freezing temperature even in a hot place].
The problem is what would happen if an object, person or thing that is under this power:
-is bathed in something like fire? I understand that the object, person or thing will not be affected by the scorching heat from the fire but does that mean it will also prevent burning and if so would it be classified as a complete immunity to fire? Or better yet what would be the entire effects of coming in contact with it.
-came in contact with something of a vastly different temperature the moment the power is dispelled? So if an object is cooled down to, idk, minus a hundred degrees celsius [disregarding the fact whether that's possible or not] and then placed in something that is at least a thousand degrees celsius at which point the power is lifted.
-considering thermal radiation? from what I know heat radiates off anything above absolute zero. Would it make sense to say this power will prevent thermal radiation to enter or escape the object that is being powered? If this is the case, that means this can effectively prevent heat sensors, doesn't it?

Acoustic Levitation: Basically this is sound waves bouncing off or reflecting to and fro an object which in turn makes the object levitate. At least that is what I know of it from reading about it. An example of this would be from that. X-men episode I happened to see; I think it was the movie 'beginnings' or something where a hyper voice guy flew using his voice. From what I know, acoustic levitation achieved with sound waves not in hearing range to an average person can only lift small objects and not people. I suppose what I really want to know is what would be the requirements for sound waves not in hearing range to be able to lift a person or heavier?

EDIT: well, this post is longer than I expected. Sorry about that.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Vordak
Raw

Vordak

Member Seen 2 yrs ago

The former probably has no scientific explanation other that having some isolator that has zero heat conductivity and protects the ice cubes from electromagnetic radiation (infrared stuff, i assume).

And the latter probably cannot be explained even by magical means. Though maybe a super-low frequence wave with huge energetic potential could move the air with a force strong enough to throw around objects, that is far from free flight. Of course, you could use a whole myriad of such waves to lift yourself, while canceling them with an inverted phase once they've done their task, thus, creating an upwards vector out of a whole lot of wave chunks, but that's just crazy. Plus, im well known for being an idiot, so again, i might must be wrong.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

As for the temperature thing, I might be understanding you wrong but I wasn't asking how I would scientifically explain the concept of being able to keep a constant temperature, but rather what would happen if a character who had that sort of power was in any of the three circumstances listed and why that might be so. If you were addressing one of the three or something, then I apologize for not realizing this since it's kind of difficult to understand exactly which part of 'the former' you are talking about.

For the acoustic levitation, again I'm not quite sure what you're trying to address. Maybe I shouldn't have used that X-Men example, but I was referring to suspending objects from gravity, that is, levitation rather than being able to making things fly in the sense of giving an object freedom to move about in space and I do apologize for any misconceptions. To iterate, I was asking what would i seemingly [as in, role play-wise] require in order to do what I believe you are referring to as being crazy and why that could be so. On that note I'm not sure what part of using a myriad of such waves to lifting oneself is crazy; does it create enough force upon oneself to the point of physical harm, or does it somehow create a tear in the fabric of the universe and ultimately cause the world to collapse or something?
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Fat Boy Kyle
Raw
Avatar of Fat Boy Kyle

Fat Boy Kyle

Member Seen 0-24 hrs ago

The character having some sort of crazy-ass electromagnetic ability (that I cannot honestly be bothered to think too much about) that is able to alter the density of objects. By causing molecules to spread further apart, the object would take longer to heat up (or the reverse). This would cause the object's traits to alter though. It could also explain the levitation: the object could be made less dense, and the air beneath it more dense, therefore causing it to float (like a beach-ball in water). I've probably got this completely wrong, but it might be something to go on xP
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

@Fat Boy Kyle. I -think- you're referring to the girl from that anime to aru something? If you are then I think the floating doll was done by an electro-magnetic field. If you're not, then ignore me xD

Making the air beneath the object more dense will probably work; I mean iirc acoustic levitation is exactly that, only with sound waves. It's just that I know so little about all this science bit and I was hoping I would be able to get a mentor or someone similar from here that I can bug ask about. Regardless, the whole point of acoustic levitation was to find a levitating power which does not use electromagnetic waves.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Foster
Raw
Avatar of Foster

Foster

Member Seen 25 min ago

1. Such power pretty much ends-up being a super-blanket, meaning the ice, although cold, cannot cool anything else until the effect is dispelled. Also would grant total thermal immuity unless to save mana, it only protects the vitals.

2. In marvel comics, it's implied that power-users are immune to their own powers. So no burst eardrums or shredded vocal-cords for Banshee. Likewise, Cyclops's eyelids are bazooka-proof.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

@Foster: I'm going to assume you were answering my question on the first post because you didn't say who you're addressing... though there was in total four questions on the first post so I'm not too sure if you were really answering me...

I must have worded something horribly wrong, because I'm not asking what would the power to make something keep a constant temperature would do, but rather what would happen when:

- it is thrown in fire; by 'thermal immunity' I can only assume you meant temperature does not change which I already stated. I'm asking whether this will prevent burning, or if it will prevent the fire from consuming the object and leaving only carbon/ash or something else.

-there is huge temperature difference at the moment the power is dispelled.

-regarding thermal radiation; although for this one Vordak more or less agreed to what I was presuming so I'm willing to let this one go.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Vordak
Raw

Vordak

Member Seen 2 yrs ago

Im calling acoustic levitation crazy beacause it would require quite a calculative mind and vast knowledge in physics. Otherwise, it might work, though im not sure how the movement of air would actualy make it denser. I was implying the use of the wave's sheer power to move onself, as if with air magic. Though of course, that is pretty harmfull to a human being.

As for the temperature control, the outcome will vary depending on the way it works. Wether it is an isolating power that lets nothing through, including physical objects, not only heat radiation, or drains/gives heat to an object, keeping the temperature constant despite any interactions - you decide. Unfortunately, that is all i can think of myself.

---EDIT---

Im not sure, but since burning is actualy the process of oxidation, it may occure without any temperature changes involved if the power forbids that. Though most of the time, heat acts as a cataclyst, so if it happens, it should progress slowly.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

@Vordak,
Okay that makes sense about the acoustic levitation, thank you.

As for temperature control, it won't be an isolating power that lets nothing through, including physical objects. If someone under this power is thrown into a body of icy water, they won't die from hypothermia but most likely from drowning/lack of oxygen. Likewise, I was thinking an object under this power would still burn and get 'cooked' so to speak but won't be 'burnt', but i'm not sure if that would be the case which was mainly what I wanted to know.

EDIT: Okay thank you! that's more or less the lines of what I was thinking, I wanted to make sure I wasn't being horribly wrong and it was plausible.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Vordak
Raw

Vordak

Member Seen 2 yrs ago

Actualy, what i just said is that the object will "rust". Sorry for the misleading wording. Without heat acting as a cataclyst, no rapid burning will occur.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

I was referring more to the part where you said: "it may occure without any temperature changes involved if the power forbids that. Though most of the time, heat acts as a cataclyst, so if it happens, it should progress slowly." where I'm assuming you meant rusting by 'it'. Sounded like it will happen, just not quick enough.

I kind of forgot heat tends to be a catalyst though, so I'll have to think over. Well, I guess that means if one has the power to maintain a constant temperature they will virtually be immune to both ice-based elemental powers and fire-based elemental powers, huh.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Foster
Raw
Avatar of Foster

Foster

Member Seen 25 min ago

Vordak said
Im calling acoustic levitation crazy beacause it would require quite a calculative mind and vast knowledge in physics. Otherwise, it might work, though im not sure how the movement of air would actualy make it denser.

I was implying the use of the wave's sheer power to move onself, as if with air magic. Though of course, that is pretty harmfull to a human being.

Actually, moving air is less dense for a given speed. As warm air is moving faster on the molecular-level, and is in-turn, less-dense... ironicly, this would allow pyro-mancers to ride their own thermals with greater ease and less harm to themselves and others than acoustics and wind-bags.

As noted, self-immune. Not many sci-fi characters self-destruct upon reaching maturity of their powers (some do, though).
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

@Foster: I actually like the idea of a flying, or at least floating, pyromancers and they really should add it in pokemon, like a fire type move equivalent of magnet rise. Would it actually be plausible though? I mean I don't think I've seen it happen before anywhere except for something like fueling hot air balloons and pyromancers tend to be more vast in numbers than, like, acoustic levitators if that's even a word. Is that just a 'lack of imagination' on the authors' part or does it require one to heat up the air significantly hotter or something in order to actually lift off from ground, thus having unnecessarily large power output for trivial amount of 'flight'?
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Foster
Raw
Avatar of Foster

Foster

Member Seen 25 min ago

Well, either they'd have to contain the less-dense air in some way, or present a large surface-area inversely proportional to the amount they heat the air above them.
-Said surface needs to be heat/flame resistant, and lightwieght, for obvious reasons.

Would be kinda nifty to see a bunsen-burner powered flying index-card...

...

I totally am not building one right now.

*Soaks an index card [paper airplane] in lighter fluid, lights it on fire, throws it.*
The fluid keeps the paper from burning to ash for about 15 seconds.

Best example of this: if you ever do a paper/rubbish fire, the paper ash has a tendancy to float... propotional to how much it is on-fire.

Alternately, they could take just about any stovepipe and turn it into a jet-engine.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Side Character G
Raw
OP
Avatar of Side Character G

Side Character G Voiced by a mute person

Member Seen 7 yrs ago

I've gotta say your examples are so interesting it's making me want to attempt it.

Too bad we use an electric stove which I don't think has a stovepipe :c
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Foster
Raw
Avatar of Foster

Foster

Member Seen 25 min ago

Side Character G said
I've gotta say your examples are so interesting it's making me want to attempt it.


The Glorious Potato-gun-propelled airplane demands it.

This gun, is not as recoilless as its name suggests
*Apologizes for using a video uploaded by 'Sparky'.
↑ Top
© 2007-2024
BBCode Cheatsheet