Glowbulbs, the Bore and more!

[DaughterOfNight]

 

My thoughts are all over the place so please excuse the lack of details and bouncing from topic to topic...

 

Anyway! [glow=red,2,300]Glowbulbs[/glow]... these useful little instruments of light from AoL.  Will someone please tell me WHY Aes Sedai are always reading and doing other work by candlelight or lamp instead of a globe of light?  Seriously, I can't imagine that a simple weave such as that would require much effort and even if she could not channel two weaves at once, she could unravel the light globe.  Perhaps the AoL glowbulbs were ter'angreal but still... it doesn't take a (channeling) genius to put two and two together: the lack of oil and the abundance of saidar.

 

Next... this Gulf oil spill.  I can't help but to make similarities here along with a few other ideas.  The Bore: that seemingly endless well of power, unknown and deep.  AoL AS tapped into it and regretted that one -- the world paid for it.  Now we have this Deepwater Horizon drilling project gone wrong and who knows the kind of devastation we have yet to see.  As Suian Sanche has said, "For every intended consequence, there are three more you didn't expect and two are usually unpleasant."  Another idea: the end of the Mayan Calendar.  I'm pretty certain that the word, Maya, means illusion so basically we have The End of Illusion.  That's three years from now, apparently... just in time for the release of the final WoT book!

 

That being said, wouldn't it be such a cruel cruel joke if our world were to end just in time for the Randland world to end -- especially because RJ has always told us, "I've had the ending in mind for 25 years."

 

Lastly, a few weeks ago, someone posted a thought saying he'd go to his grave with the belief that RJ meant for Taim to be Demandred but for some unknown reason, he decided to change it during writing.  To add to that, I wonder if there IS truth to this.  With the introduction of Os'angar and Ar'angar (sp?) and their symbolic characteristics (playing against each other but both dying / White Tower vs Black Tower), Taim as Demandred would shadow the DO's plan for those two and so he moved Demandred elsewhere.

 

Like I said, I haven't elaborated too much and I know there are holes in my thoughts here and there so I am looking forward to hearing others' ideas!!

 

Kristen

[Durinax]

glowbulbs where lightbulbs, AS probably used them cause electricity and such where all over the place, and using the power for something so simplistic, they would probably not want to 'waste' the power for light when you have lightbulbs. Plus with the majority of the population unable to channel it makes sense that glowbulbs didnt require an channeller to use, since the average person would want to read also.

 

Now with current AS they probably dont use the power for light that often because they dont want to have to seize the power and be drained of it if they just wanted to read for a hour or so, plus it would mentally and physically drain them. Also with candles you can mark some sort of passage of time with them.

[Luckers]

Indeed. It's because they don't want to use the Power too frequently, for too inane a task. That can result in drawing too often, holding the Power too long, and ultimately burning yourself out.

 

Of course its curious what tasks they reguard as inane. Heating tea or spiced wine is fine, but they won't heat water for a bath. Ironing is cool, but they won't create a globe of light to read by.

[Kathleen]

Indeed. It's because they don't want to use the Power too frequently, for too inane a task. That can result in drawing too often, holding the Power too long, and ultimately burning yourself out.

 

Of course its curious what tasks they reguard as inane. Heating tea or spiced wine is fine, but they won't heat water for a bath. Ironing is cool, but they won't create a globe of light to read by.

 

I think it is the amount of time and energy put in that makes them choose what to use it for and what not to. Tea and wine heat up far faster than a bath of water. Less liquid to heat in a smaller container wouldn't take as much out of you or time to heat it. Ironing wouldn't take as long as possibly reading, plus to told the globe and to read would be distracting any maybe they don't want to divide their attention. Though I wonder if they could tie off the weave and just let it hover..

[DaughterOfNight]

Though I wonder if they could tie off the weave and just let it hover..

 

That's what I'm saying!  The only AS that comes to mind that uses globes of light is Suian.  I understand not wanting to 'waste' power and that non-channelers are at a disadvantage in regard to these globes of light, but tying off a simple weave of small power shouldn't be too difficult.  I mean, if AS can maintain (and/or tie off) a shield for long periods of time, why not something as simple as light.  And yes, I also get using candles to tell time.

 

As for AoL and the glowbulbs as a standard form of electricity en masse, that makes sense as well.  I almost see AoL as a more 'magical' world not unlike the one we live in -- transportation, electricity and other inventions.  Regardless, Randland AS should stop being selfish and let the common folk have their primitive light sources :)

[farthammer]

I think there are hints throughout the books where AS have a non reliance attitude towards using saidar for everyday tasks.

[Agitel]

As has been said, Aes Sedai are taught early on not to "waste" the One Power on trivial things.

 

Glowbulbs are not exactly lightbulbs, they're more advanced. But they're still a technological advancement that just doesn't exist in the Third Age, as they are not dependent on, at least not entirely, on the One Power.

[Kaznen]

Remember in tGH when Suian was teaching Egwene and Nynaeve and she went into a long lecture about using the OP to make tools, in this instance a knife, yes an AS can make a knife from air that is just as functional as a knife from steel but the effort isn't worth it when a good steel knife works just as well.

 

She said something like, "Let the smiths make your knives and save the OP for the important stuff."  It is probally easier to light a few candles then to weave a balls of light.

[Durinax]

Remember in tGH when Suian was teaching Egwene and Nynaeve and she went into a long lecture about using the OP to make tools, in this instance a knife, yes an AS can make a knife from air that is just as functional as a knife from steel but the effort isn't worth it when a good steel knife works just as well.

 

She said something like, "Let the smiths make your knives and save the OP for the important stuff."  It is probally easier to light a few candles then to weave a balls of light.

especially since if you start using the power for everything, when it comes to a point when you really need it you will have drained yourself too far and could lead to disaster

[Kaznen]

Remember in tGH when Suian was teaching Egwene and Nynaeve and she went into a long lecture about using the OP to make tools, in this instance a knife, yes an AS can make a knife from air that is just as functional as a knife from steel but the effort isn't worth it when a good steel knife works just as well.

 

She said something like, "Let the smiths make your knives and save the OP for the important stuff."  It is probally easier to light a few candles then to weave a balls of light.

especially since if you start using the power for everything, when it comes to a point when you really need it you will have drained yourself too far and could lead to disaster

^^quit right

[Charlz Guybon]

glowbulbs where lightbulbs, AS probably used them cause electricity and such where all over the place, and using the power for something so simplistic, they would probably not want to 'waste' the power for light when you have lightbulbs. Plus with the majority of the population unable to channel it makes sense that glowbulbs didnt require an channeller to use, since the average person would want to read also.

 

 

The electricity was probably created by the standing flows.

[azrael.1289]

I could have sworn I read something about it being very dangerous to tie off fire weaves and that's the reason they weren't used as sources of light. I could be wrong though.

[Mcpatrick]

I don't recall reading anything that general, only that Rand messed up when he tried to tie of the weave for heating the room and woke up with the carpet starting to smoke. (FoH, while in rhuidean.)

[Andvari]

I wonder if you can get AC and DC versions of saidar and saidin.  :)

[Vassili]

Aes Sedai don't use glowbulbs simply becuase the technology has been lost.

 

As for why they don't just weave a simple ball of light... Aes Sedai have a long standing tradition of doing what they have always done. Their predecesors used candles, so they use candles. Personally, I think its a consequence of the Breaking. Society was so dependent on the OP and "standing flows" that when they were lost during the Breaking, it was like what we would experience if we lost all electricity. Those who survived did so by relying on more primitive means. Since the world never really fully recovered from the Breaking, this mentality stuck.

[DaughterOfNight]

As for why they don't just weave a simple ball of light... Aes Sedai have a long standing tradition of doing what they have always done. Their predecesors used candles, so they use candles.

 

I understand this and how AS do not want to 'waste' the power on simple tasks but desperate times call for desperate measures.  Candles and oil are quickly becoming scarce so I would assume that need would trump tradition, eventually. 

 

As for draining power, I could not imagine that a simple globe of light, used briefly, would consume so much of the power to leave an AS vulnerable if an attack were to occur or something.  On the other side, I could understand why an AS would hesitate to use the power or not even think to use it in the first place, given that novices and accepted alike are forbidden to use the power for everyday tasks or anything to simplify their routine.

[Durinax]

As for why they don't just weave a simple ball of light... Aes Sedai have a long standing tradition of doing what they have always done. Their predecesors used candles, so they use candles.

 

I understand this and how AS do not want to 'waste' the power on simple tasks but desperate times call for desperate measures.  Candles and oil are quickly becoming scarce so I would assume that need would trump tradition, eventually. 

 

As for draining power, I could not imagine that a simple globe of light, used briefly, would consume so much of the power to leave an AS vulnerable if an attack were to occur or something.  On the other side, I could understand why an AS would hesitate to use the power or not even think to use it in the first place, given that novices and accepted alike are forbidden to use the power for everyday tasks or anything to simplify their routine.

well keep in mind that when an AS has to read things it usually takes hours and hours, so maintaining a weave for an excedingly long time would drain them

[Guest jontiben]

I wonder if you can get AC and DC versions of saidar and saidin.  :)

Somewhere, buried deep beneath an ancient mountain, lies a massive Power converter.

[Azrayne]

Get yo necro on

 

[mb]

About Taim being Demandred, not sure whether or not Robert Jordan intended it.

Robert Jordan was asked about the statement during the book signing of Crossroads of Twilight.  http://wotfaq.dragonmount.com/node/35

Not sure when he first told it.

[threadnecromancer]

 

glowbulbs where lightbulbs, AS probably used them cause electricity and such where all over the place, and using the power for something so simplistic, they would probably not want to 'waste' the power for light when you have lightbulbs. Plus with the majority of the population unable to channel it makes sense that glowbulbs didnt require an channeller to use, since the average person would want to read also.

 

The electricity was probably created by the standing flows.

 

I'm not so certain, Domon had one and when he broke it it started a fire, which would seem to indicate something chemical (also I thought there was something wrong with the standing flows in the Third Age?). Is there any evidence that they are Ter'Angreal in the text?

[Azrayne]

At the end of the day we just don't know enough about how the AoL technology worked to say either way. Starting a fire doesn't necessarily mean chemicals, there could have been some form of energy stored in the bulb which was vented when it broke.

[Ea'V_FOTV_Fan]

 

I wonder if you can get AC and DC versions of saidar and saidin.  :)

 

Somewhere, buried deep beneath an ancient mountain, lies a massive Power converter.

Hah!! Good one!

 

Before the girls questioned Moghedien, the Aes Sedai of the Third Age didn't know how to tie off weaves. Therefore maintaining even a simple weave for a globe of light meant holding on to the Power that whole time.

There were many unfortunate consequences stemming from the Breaking. Fewer channelers since males were killed instead of breeding with women who could channel, the loss of Standing Flows so glow bulbs and every other AoL technology lost, etc. I'm sure the Dark One was cackling with glee during those years when, as a result of his 'loss' and the tainting of the Source, humanity was thrown back into medieval times and his ultimate victory, to him at least, became more certain.

[Azrayne]

Before the girls questioned Moghedien, the Aes Sedai of the Third Age didn't know how to tie off weaves.

 

 

Pretty sure they knew how to tie them off, they just didn't know how to invert them.

[Ea'V_FOTV_Fan]

 

Before the girls questioned Moghedien, the Aes Sedai of the Third Age didn't know how to tie off weaves.

 

 

Pretty sure they knew how to tie them off, they just didn't know how to invert them.

Pretty sure I'm right, but not willing to go back and sift through the books to find the proof. Tieing off, inverting and masking ability were all things learned from Moghedien. Amongst many other things the girls took credit for in Salidar.