Bob Schroeck Wrote:A minor digression here, just for the sake of verisimilitude -- some months back I came across a video about cosmology on YouTube that said pretty much outright -- with some very elegant graphic visualizations -- that 11 or 12 dimensions (I can't remember which now), is the maximum dimensionality possible in current cosmological schemes, much in the same way that c is the maximum speed in a 4D-spacetime.I was thinking of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse#M-theory, where the max dimensionality was 11 or 26, depending on the Chirality ("handedness") of the observer.
Bob Schroeck Wrote:That said, I like the idea that handwavium is actually the local expression of an N-dimensional something; assuming you don't mean "entity" in the sense of "living creature", that is. I've been musing on the idea that it was actually part of an extraterrestrial "emergency kit", but there's something definitely appealing about the idea that it spans dimensions all by itself. And won't that make Centrum and Infinity crap their pants...I personally don't mean 'entity' in the 'living creature' sense but some people would, hence the bit about people being put off by that interpretation. I was toying with N-dimensional quantum foam (for lack of a better term), allowing the Observer Effect to be what causes the 'wave to change things.
robkelk Wrote:Which means that Noah's success rate (ten manifesting exactly as desired, Agatha (and Honami, in an alt-story) manifesting almost as desired, the other four not manifesting at all) is phenomenal. This would be his special connection to handwavium (the way "industrial applications" is WireGeek's special connection, or "Mad Science" is the Professor's connection)... and he rarely uses it.The way I see this is that Noah's focus on the outcome and helping set the scene with accurate representations of the characters in question (in physical characteristics and knowledge) make it easier for the 'wave to get the right 'imprint' as it doesn't also have to do the rest. In essence, Noah's prep work is what allows him to be so successful creating andriods. Similar attention to detail has got favourable results for other people in Fenspace IIRC.