That Secret Idea You Have That You Really Want To Happen, But Won't

[Random Man]

I remember an idea being tossed around some time earlier about whether it would be feasible to create large cuendillar tubes (just a few feet long and as large in diameter as you want the opening to be) and insert them into open gateways, and then let the weave collapse. Hypothetically, the connection would still remain open because the tube would prevent gateway from collapsing completely -- essentially preventing the Pattern from closing the slice connecting two distant points. No idea whether this would even work in theory, though.

 

I like this idea, so of course I thought of all sorts of ways it could end up closing! I think space starts putting increasing pressure on the weaves. So if you're lucky they warp around the side of the cuendillar device and close normally. If you aren't lucky, it unweaves like we saw in tPoD and the gateway vanishes without having to close. And possibly explodes horribly!

I thought of perhaps the Pattern being able to mend itself from multiple points instead of just along the edges of the incision, which would close the gap from within the tube, turning it into essentially a playground toy or piece of obstacle-course equipment in two places at once -- perhaps you'd be able to see the whole tube from both points as one solid piece. If we look at how a gateway is formed by a man, though, which is basically making an incision in the Pattern that rotates outward and expands (and IIRC contracts in the same way), if you let the weave collapse, the gateway should contract until it hits the outer edges of the tube and stop. There's no weaves involved, just the Pattern exerting pressure along the razor-thin edge of the former gateway, pressure that the cuendillar tube should be able to absorb, preventing the Pattern from closing. I believe the reason the gateway creates such a sharp slice through anything it contacts is because the diameter of the "cutting edge" of the gateway is so small, likely on the microscopic level (even possibly less than an atom thick, if the edge isn't really anything but space cutting through space) and so doesn't necessarily require much pressure. The sharper your cutting implement, the less pressure required to cut through something.

[FarShainMael]

I like to think of the 'cutting edge' thickness being a Planck length, 10^-35m, or about 10^20 times smaller than the diameter of a proton:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_length

 

In some theories or forms of quantum gravity, it is the length scale at which the structure of spacetime becomes dominated by quantum effects, giving it a discrete or foamy structure

 

Translation: spacetime is a lattice of 'rods' 10^-35m long.

 

(Sorry about that. I'll go and sit quietly with a cup of tea for a bit while it wears off.)

 

[Random Man]

I like to think of the 'cutting edge' thickness being a Planck length, 10^-35m, or about 10^20 times smaller than the diameter of a proton:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_length

 

In some theories or forms of quantum gravity, it is the length scale at which the structure of spacetime becomes dominated by quantum effects, giving it a discrete or foamy structure

 

Translation: spacetime is a lattice of 'rods' 10^-35m long.

 

(Sorry about that. I'll go and sit quietly with a cup of tea for a bit while it wears off.)

 

 

Ah, yes, thanks for bringing that up, that's exactly what I was thinking of in terms of thickness of a gateway, except for that a Planck length isn't exactly in my everyday vocabulary for measurement of distances. In fact, I only know what a Plank length is thanks to viewing that page a few years ago while having a Wiki-ADD moment. You learn some things you'd never learn otherwise while following one link after another on Wikipedia.

 

Guess you could say a person Traveling by Gateway is in reality just "Walking the Planck."  ;D

[FarShainMael]

G  R  O  A  N !!!  Get your coat!!

;)

 

[Owayn The Traveller]

Oh perilously close to five exclamation points there FarShain

[FarShainMael]

:P  Let's see.. was that 'a sure sign of a disturbed mind' in Maskerade? Wish that was on IdealSeek, then I could find the quote!

 

I'd like to have seen LTT do his mad laughter in copperplate calligraphy..  *whistle*

 

 

[Owayn The Traveller]

Yes it was and I think i was in Maskerade or The Truth maybe.

??? He's kinda close to it as well.

[FarShainMael]

Here you go.. enjoy  ;)

 

http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Multiple_exclamation_marks

 

Oh yes, and:

 

http://wiki.lspace.org/wiki/Opera_Ghost

 

 

[Cirin]

Every major city has Traveling buildings where permanently tied off gateways are linked to Traveling buildings in each other major city.  You could then have smaller Traveling buildings with tied off gateways for more local travel.  Basically, train stations with gateways.

 

i've fantasized about these in our world.... better than transporter technology from Star Trek. No disassembling of no atoms.

I remember an idea being tossed around some time earlier about whether it would be feasible to create large cuendillar tubes (just a few feet long and as large in diameter as you want the opening to be) and insert them into open gateways, and then let the weave collapse. Hypothetically, the connection would still remain open because the tube would prevent gateway from collapsing completely -- essentially preventing the Pattern from closing the slice connecting two distant points. No idea whether this would even work in theory, though.

 

Hmmm... so they could take Warp Pipes to every major city?  Plumbers of the world rejoice!

[neugebms]

With the cuendilar/gateway idea, I pictured something more like the deposit tubes at the drivethru at the bank.  I could be in Tear and make a deposit at the First National Bank of Shienar...!

[Cirin]

As for an idea that I always thought would be kind of cool, I always thought while reading that it would have been kind of cool if the Hundred Companions had sealed away some good Aes Sedai in the Bore as well, to serve as a sort of insurance policy - that should six of the seven seals be broken, these Aes Sedai would come out of stasis to fight again.  Of course, I don't know that they ever counted on the seals breaking (seeing as they were made of cuendillar and were meant to be indestructible), but still, it would have been nifty, as Luckers said, to see some real Age of Legends Aes Sedai ripping it up and putting everyone to shame.

[Hadilmir]

I remember an idea being tossed around some time earlier about whether it would be feasible to create large cuendillar tubes (just a few feet long and as large in diameter as you want the opening to be) and insert them into open gateways, and then let the weave collapse. Hypothetically, the connection would still remain open because the tube would prevent gateway from collapsing completely -- essentially preventing the Pattern from closing the slice connecting two distant points. No idea whether this would even work in theory, though.

The cuendillar tube would be forced out one side. A Ter'angreal doorway that permanently holds open a gateway is the better option anyway...

[Random Man]

I remember an idea being tossed around some time earlier about whether it would be feasible to create large cuendillar tubes (just a few feet long and as large in diameter as you want the opening to be) and insert them into open gateways, and then let the weave collapse. Hypothetically, the connection would still remain open because the tube would prevent gateway from collapsing completely -- essentially preventing the Pattern from closing the slice connecting two distant points. No idea whether this would even work in theory, though.

The cuendillar tube would be forced out one side. A Ter'angreal doorway that permanently holds open a gateway is the better option anyway...

It's only a better option if someone knows how to make it in the first place. Our 3rd Agers know how to make anything they want out of Cuendillar. And I'm not as sure about whether such a tube would be forced out of one side of the gateway. In fact, considering that Rand was able to create a "plug" of the Power (for lack of a better word) to keep Avi's gateway open when it started to collapse in tFoH (the Pattern didn't bend itself around it to close the gap or anything), this suggests you can hold such a connection open using external means such as a cuendillar tube, unless the gateway closing is capable of slicing clean through it (which it may be -- if the edge of a gateway measures a Planck length, a gateway should be able to pass through just about anything, but Cuendillar's mysterious atomic structure is still mostly unknown).

[Hadilmir]

And I'm not as sure about whether such a tube would be forced out of one side of the gateway. In fact, considering that Rand was able to create a "plug" of the Power (for lack of a better word) to keep Avi's gateway open when it started to collapse in tFoH (the Pattern didn't bend itself around it to close the gap or anything), this suggests you can hold such a connection open using external means such as a cuendillar tube, unless the gateway closing is capable of slicing clean through it (which it may be -- if the edge of a gateway measures a Planck length, a gateway should be able to pass through just about anything, but Cuendillar's mysterious atomic structure is still mostly unknown).

There is an RJ quote somewhere that says cuendillar is displaced to one side by a closing gateway, I'm just too lazy to look for it. For the second part, I'm not seeing any significant relation between Rand keeping the gateway open and a cuendillar tube. Also, I don't believe gateways work the same way you believe they do.

[FarShainMael]

this suggests you can hold such a connection open using external means such as a cuendillar tube, unless the gateway closing is capable of slicing clean through it (which it may be -- if the edge of a gateway measures a Planck length, a gateway should be able to pass through just about anything, but Cuendillar's mysterious atomic structure is still mostly unknown).

 

OK, I'll bite..

 

We have seen Egwene (and some others) make cuendillar out of iron/steel, including the iron chains at the TV harbour gates.

 

The iron is likely to be wrought iron, which has a highish carbon content, around 2% IIRC. Carbon crystal (diamond) is the hardest naturally occurring substance known; it's formed of a lattice of carbon atoms hanging on to each other like grim death. If iron atoms can be persuaded to do something similar, perhaps egged on by their carbon neighbours and possibly perfused by the OP, we may get something like cuendillar.

 

[Majsju]

Since someone mentioned plumbers...

 

The White Tower starts using tiny Gateways  when going to the toilet, radically improving waste management in Tar Valon.

 

The Seafolk, whose ships by pure accident always happens to be on the recieving end are not amused...

[Crael123]

min dumps rand. that would be helarrioooous.

 

Min: Rand, its over. we dont have any chemistry, and i kind of dont know you at all

 

Rand: eh whatever go back to Baerlon. now where is avienda.....

[Cirin]

Since someone mentioned plumbers...

 

The White Tower starts using tiny Gateways  when going to the toilet, radically improving waste management in Tar Valon.

 

The Seafolk, whose ships by pure accident always happens to be on the recieving end are not amused...

 

Wow, from Aes Sedai to ___ in the sky.

[OptimusPrime]

min dumps rand. that would be helarrioooous.

 

Min: Rand, its over. we dont have any chemistry, and i kind of dont know you at all

 

Rand: eh whatever go back to Baerlon. now where is avienda.....

 

Win.

[Fains nose]

A POV from Lews Therin in the age of legends, maybe him planning to seal the DO's prison with the hundred companions or after when hes starting to go mad and hes hearing Rands voice in his head, something that wil have relevance to the curent plot and wil give us an insite into how they sealed the bore or if they thought of trying to kil the DO. A pov from Lews would rock my and many peoples socks off so i hope they do it

[Majsju]

To be a bit more serious, I would love to see the scene where LTT "earns" the name Kinslayer, preferably through a mix of his and Ilyenas POV. Epic!

[Luckers]

Harsh. I love it.

[Cirin]

I actually wouldn't be totally surprised if we got to see a rehashing of the Hundred Companions assault on Shayol Ghul, since Rand now (likely) has Llews Therin's memories incorporated with his own.  I don't know if we'll actually get a chapter on it from Llews Therin's POV, but it's possible.  The Kinslayer scene is possible too, since it was a fairly traumatic experience for Llews Therin (to put it mildly), but I think it would be more flashbacks then an actual chapter - but my point was it MIGHT happen.

 

 

I'd really like to all of Mat's friends find out about his new vocation in the business of Empire in a really awesome way, since Mat was always my favorite character (well, since about book three, anyway).  Like them totally ignoring Egwene during some peace negotiation (if such a thing were to take place), and then all stopping and bowing when Mat walks in, only addressing him as "Your Highness," etc.  That would make me happy.  Since Tuon didn't mention that she was actually married to Mat when she brought him up, I'm still hopeful, but more than likely they'll just hear it via rumor and just find it out.  ~sigh~

[Dreamwalker]

I actually wouldn't be totally surprised if we got to see a rehashing of the Hundred Companions assault on Shayol Ghul, since Rand now (likely) has Llews Therin's memories incorporated with his own.  I don't know if we'll actually get a chapter on it from Llews Therin's POV, but it's possible.  The Kinslayer scene is possible too, since it was a fairly traumatic experience for Llews Therin (to put it mildly), but I think it would be more flashbacks then an actual chapter - but my point was it MIGHT happen.

 

 

I'd really like to all of Mat's friends find out about his new vocation in the business of Empire in a really awesome way, since Mat was always my favorite character (well, since about book three, anyway).  Like them totally ignoring Egwene during some peace negotiation (if such a thing were to take place), and then all stopping and bowing when Mat walks in, only addressing him as "Your Highness," etc.  That would make me happy.  Since Tuon didn't mention that she was actually married to Mat when she brought him up, I'm still hopeful, but more than likely they'll just hear it via rumor and just find it out.  ~sigh~

I love that little scenario you described with Mat and Egwene, that would be awesome! ;D

 

I do think they'll have some dramatic reveal of Mat's marriage - it's just screaming for it. It's too good of an opportunity for hilarity and awesomeness to pass up. But maybe that's just the optimist in me. ::) Preferably, this dramatic revelation would happen to Rand or Egwene, or maybe Nynaeve or Elayne, to achieve maximum jaw-dropping.  :)

[lordofsoup]

Somebody should kill Far Madding, they are almost as bad as the Tinkerers with the no fighting thing.  I was rereading book 9 and it really ticked me off.  Its a dangerous world out there, people need to defend themselves.  Now if somebody has an enormous army of trollocs somewhere...