A question about flying

[chemteach1977]

My feeling is they are not walking on solidified air but on flows of air. It is the OP itself that forms the stairs, clubs, etc. It just so happens that making such things uses weaves of the air "portion" of the OP.

[Luckers]

Actually Bob, its perfectly reasonable. Physics dictates that if you can slow the movements of molecules they will become solid, all Rand would need is some method of exerting a force on the molecular structure of the air around him, and since an aspect of the power resonates with gasous structures suggesting that utilizing the one power to influence the movement of oxygen molecules into a stable solid state--even one with little to no light index, and therefore invisible--is not implausible.

 

This does not, however, simple remove the effect of the force of gravity on Rands mass, all that Rand is doing is displacing it down through a braced structure of solidified gasous molecules. Kind of like standing on a platform. However about a certain height the molecules would be too spacious, they wouldn't be able to sustain their solidity against the influence of a downward force.

 

This is a fantasy series, we are being asked to accept a fantastical thing--specifically the one power--but after that point RJ does what every good fantasy writer should do, he makes everything as realistic as possible. Remember too that RJ has a background in physics.

 

As for your science... sorry man this doesn't involve either cooling or heating (which we know from the simple fact that there was no verefiable change in the temperature) it involves manipulation of the position of atoms, akin to how MRI utilize the direction of hydrogence atoms. The use of an electromagnetic wave that resonates with the atomic nature of the molecular stricture in question. We have already seen in lightning that the one power has a similar energetic state as electromagnetic waves so its certainly not out of the question.

[Bob T Dwarf]

Sorry, Luckers, but the nature of atomic particles is that they move. Slowing them to the point where they stop moving wouldn't make them solid, it would just make them cold. Very, very cold. Absolute zero cold. Energy death of the universe cold.

 

Yup, this is a fantasy, alright. My point is, that in a fantasy, no one thing is any more "impossible" than another. Flying is no more "impossible" than stairways of air. If you can construct the stairway, ( or a skimming platform ) then you can construct a support that also moves along above the ground.

 

The reason we have one thing and not the other is entirely because that's how Jordan wants it, and not for any scientific reason.

[KaptainKaos]

The reason we have one thing and not the other is entirely because that's how Jordan wants it, and not for any scientific reason.

 

Just to specify this is your opinion in comparison to the author who actually has a degree in physics from the Citadel and did work as an engineer for many years and in any case your opinion is one that I for one don't agree with simply because I have seen the basic explanation and it fits with the flow of the story. Plus from what I have seen of his Blog and interviews Robert Jordan is an extremely intelligent individual with a mind for tying up loose ends. Not to mention I am confident that if he was the one posting right now he could give even Bob a perfectly understandable explanation and Bob would still argue until hell froze over that it is only that way because Robert Jordan wants it to be. I just don't understand why people can't get past the whole flying with the one power deal it is explained in almost every FAQ including the one on this site...

[Thor]

Link please.

 

And anyways, I know I'm right, in order to fly, there must be some sort of energy storing-converting weave.

[KaptainKaos]

http://www.dragonmount.com/Faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=4&id=33&artlang=en