From: cassidy@indian.cps.msu.edu (John J Cassidy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Psionics
Date: 28 Jul 92 16:47:46 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Michigan State University

In article <13742@mindlink.bc.ca> Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow) writes:
>a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu (Brandon Cope) writes:
>
>> Most games I've seen generally do this (treat it[psionics] as a science); any
>> 'inconsistancies' are easily explained by some races being more 'psychically
>> aware' than others.
>
>That's mere handwaving.  The "explanations" don't include a plausible
>scientific explanation for why a basic force (along the lines of gravity and
>the strong nuclear force) in the universe can't be detected on instruments, yet
>can be detected and controlled by a sack of electrochemical activity (a brain).
>The common way around this is to claim that there is something special about
>life or sentient life.  This translates as "magic".

	I hate to have to seem mystical on this point, but information is a 
"force" that cannot be measured quantitatively.  I can send information to 
another person over a long distance and his sack of electro-chemical energy can
translate information into actual physical force.  I can be a construction    	
contracter and be making the a deal in New York, and I can call my partner in LAover a small narrow signal which can trigger actions of energy that can dwarf 
the quantitiy of power used to set that motion into action.  Yet that small
signal is indeed a "cause" of the massive earth-moving that is being done on the
other coast.  If I hadn't called, or if the deal hadn't gone through, the 
earth-movers and the backhoes would have just sat there instead.  On the other hand I can use a LOT of bandwidth on a worldwide network and say nothing ( c.v.
alt )  I can create a macro that puts in random strokes in a more or less struictured fashion.  Without an understanding of what my message means we can have no
estimation about the amount of information in my message.  

	Now if we accept that this is something that can be done by not only 
the human brain, but a configuration of forces somewhat similar-- at least in  
effect, perhaps not structure, we can begin to see how more massive effects can
be accomplished my a tramittance of a signal that is a effectively invisible in
the magnitude that the effect is visible.  For example, about the construction
idea, a spy sattelite would find tracing the signal energy almost impossible 
over a continent, but would well be able to spot the construction site.

	About life or sentient life being "special" being indentical to magic: 
we already know that there is something special about sentience, Scientists 
know it.  Perhaps we don't know in what exact way sentience is special. 
Perhaps there are special consequences to sentience in order to create all the 
effects that sentience requires?  Any future investigation of science into this
would be its own science, proposing a new avenue of scientific investigation is
fair game for SF.  Do we really KNOW all the ways that science will evolve?
If this all seems like handwaving to you, you can ignore it.  But I would be   
interested in specific questions on this subject if you wish.


>
>The way I see it, if you postulate a previously unknown force/effect--something
>that can be detected/controlled through some odd quantum mechanical effect--and
>work that into your game as FTL, instantaneous communication or whatever, that
>can be SF.  If you want to add "wish fulfillment" powers for characters, like
>those old childhood desires ("I wish I could be somewhere just by thinking it."
>"I wish I could know what that person was thinking."  "I wish I could kill
>someone with just a thought."), and then wrap it in pseudo-scientific
>explanations, then it's fantasy.
>--
>Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca

	John J Cassidy		Cassidy@indian.cps.msu.edu
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy