From: Chris Pearce <cpearce@morticia.cnns.unt.edu>
Subject: Re: Axiom levels, etc.
X-Gated-By: The Black Marble Wombat@morticia.cnns.unt.edu
X-Gated-From: torg mailing list
Organization: University of North Texas
X-Gatemail-Version: 1.0b
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 20:00:46 GMT

> > At least, that is what I believe the changing of a Tech axiom represents:
> > incremental changes to the actual laws of Physics. 
> 
> Does a change from Aristotelian to Copernican cosmology change the way
> that the planets move, or merely how people _believe_ that the planets
> move?

I propose that the WEG Infiniverse follows the former behavior.

> Until Galileo dropped the two cannonballs from the Leaning Tower of
> Pisa, the _accepted_ physical law was that heavy objects fell faster
> than lighter objects; this was accepted as something that was clearly
> true, with no proof being needed.

In WEG pre-Galilean physics, objects *did* fall at differing rates. Galileo
thought "Hmmm. Is this assumption indeed true? In testing it, he changed
the laws of physics -- first for himself and, then, as his ideas became
accepted, globally.

> The Tech chart is incredibly Eurocentric in nature, and has nothing to
> do with the laws of physics per se, but define what will and will not
> work or be believed on the basis of when the advances came in Western
> history. Was the Tech axiom of Earth higher in China than everywhere
> else until the Renaissance? The MesoAmerican cultures (Aztec, Maya,
> Toltec, Inca) displayed Tech 11 medical skills and extensive
> irrigation and acqueduct systems (Tech 10), but never developed the
> wheel as a form of transportation (Tech 5) or metal armor (Tech 8).

Yeah, but I think you are taking the chart way too seriously anyway. 
I think the chart is meant more as a guideline. Besides, the WEG
Infiniverse *isn't* our universe -- so it will fail a couple of these
reality checks... The Tech axiom, IMHO, is a matter of convenience.
Any system which tried to detail feasible Law of Physics for each realm
would become way too complex to play -- so you get the Tech axiom
approximation.

Places *within* a cosm can have differing tech axioms -- different
Laws of Physics. In WEG Peru, wheels weren't possible but irrigation
was, which means that WEG Peru had a set of Laws that allowed such
differences to exist. However, since detailing complete physical laws
would make the game unplayable... WEG turns a blind eye to Peru and
instead creates one simple number that can apply across all cosms. As
a result, such micro-detail of Technology fails reality checks, but
I figure that WEG says, 'If you want your Incas to have more 
historically accurate Tech, then by all means, ignore the Tech chart!'

> Birds fly; insects fly. If the laws of physics permit flight, then a
> machine which passively exploits those laws can fly, but it takes the
> capability to _comprehend_ that law as something which can be
> exploited before a flying machine can be created. The LL Tech axiom is
> too low to permit someone bound by its axioms to understand the laws
> that make it possible for a 'made thing' to fly.

In the Living Land, birds and insects fly by taking advantage of
different laws than the way in which our current airplanes do. In the
WEG Living Land, since the natives don't understand that inanimate
objects can fly, they don't. Perhaps the Living Land Law is 'Living things
with flapping wings can fly.' Perhaps one day an edeinos will see a
blowing leaf and conceive of the possibility of a primitive hang glider.
He might build a prototype, which -- even if it had only limited success --
might excite him so much that he continued to try to improve the design.
Then maybe he brings his tribe in on the secret... and the story of the
flying edeinos spreads. In this way, the LL Tech axiom changes!

> Okay, if you want me to render it into Tech 7 equivalents: A bent
> stick will try to straighten out, and will push against anything
> keeping it bent; a thicker stick will try harder, and will push
> harder. A bow uses this push to throw an arrow; if the bow pushes
> harder, the arrow will be thrown harder. Bows are made from sticks;
> so, to get a bow that throws arrows harder, you use a thicker stick
> when you make the bow.

Or: 'By stringing a stick with animal sinew or plant vines, you create
a device that channels the residual life energy of the dead creature into a 
stick that you correctly place on the string. The size of the stick doesn't 
matter: only the ferocity of the animal with which the stick is strung.
A fierce animal will throw the stick harder and faster than a tame one.'

> -- 
> random sig #1:
> Sean Malloy                                  | A child of five could understand
> Navy Personnel Research & Development Center | this.
> San Diego, CA 92152-6800                     | Fetch me a child of five.
> malloy@nprdc.navy.mil                        | 
> 


-- 
Chris Pearce -- cpearce@morticia.cnns.unt.edu
--
  "We're in a sticky situation all right. This is the stickiest situation 
   since Sticky the Stick insect got caught on a sticky bun."
      - EB, BA4
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