i've been wondering...

[caitlinsucks]

This is my first post here, although I've been reading over the boards for a couple of weeks--really enjoy all the theories. There's some questions that are bugging me, maybe someone has an answer.

 

1. We never meet any channelers who are average to below average intelligence. I don't mean that they don't do stupid things, but the teacher in me has noticed that all the channelers are very intelligent people. Are there any low I.Q. channelers?

 

2. If a gateway opens and a person or object is in the way, it gets sliced. If a person tries to walk through a gateway but misses, do they get sliced? Or would they bump into it, like when you bump into a doorway with your shoulder?

 

3. If Far Madding has a ter'angreal that blocks channeling, how did the Aes Sedai from Far Madding figure out they could channel?

 

That's all I can think of for now.

[aronsamma]

about number 2, you would get sliced. Imagine walking through a doorway-sized gateway with your arms outstretched. Your body would go to a different location than your hands would, so it would be a perfect, frictionless cut.

[Justin]

Good questions. The lower I.Q I never thought of. It must increase substantialy when they learn to channel. For example: Egwene goes from a village girl learning to be a Wisdom to the rebel Aymrlin seat, with exceptional skills at the game of houses and tactical skills among other things. They just kind of popped out of thin air, because they are not just average skills one could learn in a short amoutn of time, unless you're ta'vern, but skills that would seem to take years to master. That all happened after she learned to channel, which was only a year and a half, or two years.

[Dionysus]

With the exceptions of Siuan, Moiraine, Leane, Verin, Cadsuane, Pevara, and Annaiya I would say all the Aes Sedai are on the borderline of mental retardation.

[Guest Majsju]

Well, when it comes to Aes Sedai it's kinda seöf explaining. A novice below average intelligence would ahve a hard time reaching accepted, an accepted below average intelligence would find it almost impossible to gain the shawl.

 

When it comes to Aiel, stupid people rarely survive long in harsh conditions.

 

Seafolk, we've only met windfinders who have orven themselves. Those not so bright would probably not be allowed to board a ship greater than the local fishing boat, you don't take unnecssary risks with those kind of ships.

 

And keep in mind that those we usually meet are people who have managed to reach quite far. Most people we've met have been above average intelligence, not only channelers.

[Jonn]

There are some example in the books where some Aes Sedai are described as not particularly smart. For example, some Greens are described as being not particularly intelligent.

In Knife of Dreams there is a Malkieri Aes Sedai who has discovered a weave that can detect saidin. She is thought of by Romanda as not being very intelligent. It's kind of strange that someone who discovered a weave is thought of as unintelligent, but it is Romanda we are talking about here.

 

By unintelligent, I do think Romanda means she's not subtle, because the Malkieri Aes Sedai didn't seem to notice the mood in the room when she presented herself to the rebel Hall.

 

As was mentioned before though, most who aren't that smart find themselves dead when it comes to the Power. The Power makes you as vulnerable as it makes you powerful. Failure to do proper calculation, or to be wise in the use of these powers can get you killed rather quickly. Even if you're very intelligent, it's no guarantee that you'll survive. Judging by the events in New Spring, even the most brilliant Aes Sedai can fall victim.

[Luckers]

For one... think of Else Grinwell... that frivolous girl from the begining of the books. She could have learnt to channel, but was put out of the Tower for her below average intelligence.

 

2. They would get sliced. You see this, sort of, in KoD.

 

3. They all left at some stage for whatever reason. Verin even thinks on this at one point. Remember also that MANY of the Aes Sedai are Learners, which means they made their way to the Tower with no idea of wether they could channel or not.

[sarah2482]

Regarding the IQ - there have been some not-too-intelligent channellers, for example Else Grinwell who got sent home from the tower - i think you have to have a certain level of intelligence to understand and retain the information you learn. This doesnt mean you can't channel, but you will never learn to do more than keep yourself alive.

[Guest cwestervelt]

Way back when I first played D&D I had it explained this way.

 

Intelligence tells you it is raining outside.

Wisdom tells you to get in out of the rain.

 

Having great intelligence, without the wisdom to use it right, is just as dangerous as having little intelligence.

[RobertAlexWillis]

It's also worth remembering, in response to your first question, that the Tower has the best facilities for education in Randland (huge library, lots of money) so everyone who makes it there has the resources (and time, since channeling makes you age more slowly) to make the most of what they have. The Aiel Wise Ones and the Windfinders seem to have developed similar systems to educate their members, presumably in things other than channelling (we KNOW the Wise Ones do, at least).

 

In addition, a stupid channeller would be alot more likely to kill/burn out his/herself. In a very real sense it would be survival of the smartest.

[Jedimuppet]

As far as the gateway question: My thought has always been that if you bump into the border from the outside, you get sliced,but if you were to touch from the inside, you would not.

J

[RobertAlexWillis]

If any part of you comes in contact with the edge of a gateway, in any direction, from any direction, those parts begin to exist in separate locations, thus severing anything with which it comes into contact.

[Jedimuppet]

How do you know that? It's not happened. The spinning gates in KoD were outside edges. I can't say for sure that the interior doesn't hurt you, though it makes sense to me, but I don't think anyone can for certain say that it does.

J

[RobertAlexWillis]

There is no interior of a gateway, there is this side, and that side. The gateway itself does not occupy any space. It exists in only two dimensions, so anything three dimensional that contacts it has the third dimension separated at the contact point. Or line segment, geometric-spatially speaking.

[Jedimuppet]

There is no interior of a gateway, there is this side, and that side. The gateway itself does not occupy any space. It exists in only two dimensions, so anything three dimensional that contacts it has the third dimension separated at the contact point. Or line segment, geometric-spatially speaking.

 

By that logic, if an interior does not exist, there's no way to brush up against it from the inside at all then, and hence no cutting.

J

[RobertAlexWillis]

You're correct. Whatever "contacts" the threshold is not "cut". It is transported to different locations. But the effect is the same as being cut. If you make a gateway in Saldaea, to Tear, and put you hand where the "edge" is, part of your hand will be in Saldaea, and part in Tear, but no longer connected by a gateway. Therefore separated, just as if it had been cut.

[Luckers]

Sharper then the sharpest razor. :)

 

Roberts right, the gateway is literally an opening, not a doorway. It exists in two dimensions, and has no mass of its own. If you missed then both parts of your body would continue forward, in two different places.