Two Theories

[Sephie913]

I recently had two theories pop into my head. One crazy, the other (seemingly) not so much. Neither are incredibly researched, so forgive me if they're outlandish. And seeing as I'd be posting the theories so close together, it didn't feel right to start two separate threads.

 

1: Siuan and Leane's healing was COMPLETELY successful.

 

This one is a tad out there, and it seems likely that there is be a single quote I missed that might refute this. Here's my theory, anyway: Siuan and Leane were returned to their youth(Well, 20-25). Is it possible that Nyneave healed them successfully, and Channeling strength--not capped, but the development from starting strength to capped strength--has to do with the body? Maybe the rejuvination from being severed literally gave them back their bodies from however-odd years ago, which means that they will have to build their strength to the max again.

 

This would explain why Siuan seems no stronger than Morgase soon after healing, but later seems able to do more and more.

 

This is outlandish mainly because it would seem Siuan would notice herself growing in strength as time went on, and I don't remember any mention of that.

 

Anyone know more about this?

 

2: The rate at which a weave unravels after being tied off has to do with the type and amount of the energy used.

 

This seems more likely to me than my theory 1. We know that RJ had a background in physics, and enjoyed injecting real physics into WoT Channeling. I was reading a theoryland question about tying off Gateways, and how the weave unravels quickly once tied off. It also discussed how much energy it must take to open a Gateway--it is the way we can effectively measure a male channeler's strength.

 

All weaves unravel eventually when knotted off, which seems in line with real-world physics. Would it not ALSO be in-line with physics that the more energy the weave holds, the more quickly it unravels? Also, I'd like to suppose that kinetic energy contained in the weave(such as a Gateway) is much harder to tie off than potential energy(such as the traps Rand placed around Callandor).

 

I'm an amateur student of physics, rather than a professional one, but this seems logical to me. Does this sound right to anyone else, or is it completely whacky?

[AltonJakeStorey]

For your first, I don't think so. Nyn healed Logain and he was to full power. She healed Siuan and Leana and they were weak. Flynn healed the other stilled Sisters and they were to full strength. I think it's fairly obvious that it's a matter of opposites. Saidar is best at healing Saidin, and Saidin is best at healing Saidar. As Nyn healed Saidar with Saidar, it was weaker.

 

For your second, that makes a lot of sense to me. I wouldn't be surprised.

[Terez]

RJ confirmed that the Healing is imperfect when done by the same gender.

[Sephie913]

Gotcha. Scratch theory #1.

 

I'd forgotten all about the Asha'man healing the AS. That's what happens when you're stuck on those stinkin' Egwene chapters in ACoS. :) Two hundred pages of Napoleon Syndrome? No thank you.

[Mr Ares]

The implication from the books and RJ is that if a weave is tied off, the knot will last indefinitely unless it is set to dissolve in a certain time - something which has to do with how it is knotted, nothing more.

[BrainFireBob]

Tying off a knot bypasses the channeler.

 

My degree is in physics, although I now work with circuit design. Summarizing RJ quotes from over the years:

 

The Source is everywhere, and it's not limitless. Channellers tap into it like a waterwheel, the energy dissipates "back" into the Source when they're done. Channelers pull the Power through them and into their weave- there's a directionality to the flow.

 

A channeler "knotting" or "tying off" a weave bypasses their person- they tie the Source "directly" into the weave, like creating a little culvert stream. If you prefer, they create an outlet link to bypass the battery (their own ability to maintain the weave).

 

Theoretically, any weave could be tied off, I suppose- whether the weave is maintained would then depend on what the weave does.

 

Given you have a background in physics, we'll discuss the specific of gateways. Men fold space and then use quantum tunnelling- they create an area of extremely low potential barrier to travel between two points. Rand's description of male travelling is pretty clear on this point. Women put two areas of the pattern into quantum phase (they are identical)- there is no energy barrier between the two points, which would explain why a woman's gateway opens on its own but a man's gateway must be bored. Each side of the gateway will naturally "drift" after the weave is tied off- it must actively maintain the connection, which is probably why they dissipate if tied.

 

At least, that's how all the quotes stack up to me.

[Saguin Venart]

One thing I'd always been curious about is if Nynaeve had re tried as they'd asked her to in LoC. Would their powers be halved again?

 

Or if an Asha'ma tried to do it, would it restore their full strength?

[Terez]

I suspect that, if it's possible to fix it, we won't see it. Too tidy.

[Sharaman]

Mwahaha - I love the thought of Suian and Leane being forcibly re-severed and re-healed by Flynn while they kick and scream.

Ditto for Cyndane (who may not be healable).

More seriously for Martine Janata (who anyhow may not be healable).

[Thor]

Like I have always fervently stated, there was no way that Cyndane was severed then healed, since she couldn't have been stronger than Graendal if she was.

 

And I doubt if Cyndane's power can be recovered, the Finns are totally different.

[csnyder]

Although refuted, I think there was one oddity that occurred once Nynaeve healed Siuan and Leane and that is, as far as we can tell, Siuan's increased skill in Healing despite her obvious weakened state and perhaps this is what you meant by her power increasing over time. Theory - sort of relating to the Finder-like ability post-Healing, Nynaeve's connection to the Source became a conduit through which Siuan and Leane reach to the Source.

Another oddity, relating to this existential link, was once Aviendha and Elayne became first-sisters/bonded Rand was that seemingly out-of-nowhere both Elayne and Aviendha had Talents relating to angreal (what Elayne obtained from the bonding would be like her weapon-Unweaving seen way back in TPoD. Similar to Aviendha's, but still different just the same.) somewhat later in the series. Would this be considered a synchrocity with the Power that comes with sharing one's existence?

[Thrasymachus]

I believe Nynaeve did attempt to re-Heal Suian and Leane, and found that there was nothing more to Heal. An interesting idea about Suian's new talent with Healing weaves being because Nyn was already very talented in them, but you'd think that Leane would show a similar increase in facility with them. And I think Aviendha's newly discovered Talent is just that, an ordinary Talent, not connected to Elayne's Talent in creating ter'angreal.

[Orderofolde]

Tying off a knot bypasses the channeler.

 

My degree is in physics, although I now work with circuit design. Summarizing RJ quotes from over the years:

 

The Source is everywhere, and it's not limitless. Channellers tap into it like a waterwheel, the energy dissipates "back" into the Source when they're done. Channelers pull the Power through them and into their weave- there's a directionality to the flow.

 

A channeler "knotting" or "tying off" a weave bypasses their person- they tie the Source "directly" into the weave, like creating a little culvert stream. If you prefer, they create an outlet link to bypass the battery (their own ability to maintain the weave).

 

Theoretically, any weave could be tied off, I suppose- whether the weave is maintained would then depend on what the weave does.

 

Given you have a background in physics, we'll discuss the specific of gateways. Men fold space and then use quantum tunnelling- they create an area of extremely low potential barrier to travel between two points. Rand's description of male travelling is pretty clear on this point. Women put two areas of the pattern into quantum phase (they are identical)- there is no energy barrier between the two points, which would explain why a woman's gateway opens on its own but a man's gateway must be bored. Each side of the gateway will naturally "drift" after the weave is tied off- it must actively maintain the connection, which is probably why they dissipate if tied.

 

At least, that's how all the quotes stack up to me.

I believe RJ said that the power is not returned, but while the power is not limitless, it "replenishes" itself, sort of how Rand was able to remove all of the taint by drawing all of Saidin through the CK, at one moment after hours of channeling he reached the one point it was used up getting all of the taint out of the source, which was immense remembering that it formed a concentrated blob that negated an entire city of evil. Sort of like purging a poisoned well. Draw all the water out, then over time the well refills.

[Ferdawoon]

Tying off a knot bypasses the channeler.

 

My degree is in physics, although I now work with circuit design. Summarizing RJ quotes from over the years:

 

The Source is everywhere, and it's not limitless. Channellers tap into it like a waterwheel, the energy dissipates "back" into the Source when they're done. Channelers pull the Power through them and into their weave- there's a directionality to the flow.

 

A channeler "knotting" or "tying off" a weave bypasses their person- they tie the Source "directly" into the weave, like creating a little culvert stream. If you prefer, they create an outlet link to bypass the battery (their own ability to maintain the weave).

 

Theoretically, any weave could be tied off, I suppose- whether the weave is maintained would then depend on what the weave does.

 

Given you have a background in physics, we'll discuss the specific of gateways. Men fold space and then use quantum tunnelling- they create an area of extremely low potential barrier to travel between two points. Rand's description of male travelling is pretty clear on this point. Women put two areas of the pattern into quantum phase (they are identical)- there is no energy barrier between the two points, which would explain why a woman's gateway opens on its own but a man's gateway must be bored. Each side of the gateway will naturally "drift" after the weave is tied off- it must actively maintain the connection, which is probably why they dissipate if tied.

 

At least, that's how all the quotes stack up to me.

I believe RJ said that the power is not returned, but while the power is not limitless, it "replenishes" itself, sort of how Rand was able to remove all of the taint by drawing all of Saidin through the CK, at one moment after hours of channeling he reached the one point it was used up getting all of the taint out of the source, which was immense remembering that it formed a concentrated blob that negated an entire city of evil. Sort of like purging a poisoned well. Draw all the water out, then over time the well refills.

 

INTERVIEW: Oct 13th, 2005

KOD Signing Report - Basri (Paraphrased)

BASRI

During the signing, I got to ask whether there exists a type of balance or opposite to the True Power the way there is with saidar and saidin.

ROBERT JORDAN

He said no, and described how they are different, mostly stuff that is already known. The two sides of the One Power being different and from the Creator and keeping the Wheel turning and all that. He did mention that when a channeler uses a weave (either saidar or saidin) and releases the weave, the Power flows back into the available pool of saidar or saidin. It is never used up, and so it is like an infinite reservoir of Power. The True Power is not like this at all. The True Power comes from the Dark One of course.

BASRI

I thought this was interesting. Did this imply that the amount of True Power is finite? Does it drain the Dark One to use the True Power? I didn't get to ask. Maybe there's a way to destroy the Dark One here?

[Sharaman]

Soldier-officer relationships.

22-year Lieutenants have the habit of addressing to grizzled old vets under their command as "Children", Son", etc.

Generals normally refer to their troops as "my boys".

Ditto naval. The captain is always the "old man" and everyone's his "boys".

 

I think rapid and careless editing rather than Sanderson should be blamed for oddities in linguistic use.

The letter was frankly, deeply incongruous.

Elayne would have been far more stunned by a perfect composed courtly and acidly sarcastic letter from Mat Cauthon, who as we know, (ACoS) is well capable of composing such missives.