Channelknight Fadran Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 It's a general consensus among a lot of Sanderson fans I've met that stormlight is a gaseous investiture. This makes sense; it acts like a gas, it moves like a gas, it looks like a gas. Only... it doesn't. It's my own opinion that stormlight is actually a plasma. Gases, in the real world, don't tend to glow. Plasma does. Plasma also has a lot of properties similar to that of a gas. "But Channelknight!" I hear you cry. "Plasma is a superheated gas! How could someone hold it inside of themselves without burning?" Yeah, yeah, whatever. LIES! Plasma is not a superheated gas, regardless of whatever your fifth grade science teacher taught you. It's true that most plasmas are, in fact, "superheated," but not all of them. The best example of plasma in everyday life is neon. It's a gas that, if in contact with an electric current, glows. This is because that current is transforming the gas into a plasma. Certainly you wouldn't want to touch this stuff, but it wouldn't shear your flesh from your bones in a matter of seconds. All elements have their own points when they become solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas. It's not ridiculous to say that stormlight simply occurs in the plasmatic phase at room temperature. Correct me if I'm wrong, folks. Edibility is better than incredibility. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ILuvHats Posted January 18, 2020 Report Share Posted January 18, 2020 Interesting post, but it should probably be in the Stormlight forum instead of this one. Hopefully a mod will get around to moving it soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channelknight Fadran Posted January 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2020 Ah, did I put this in the wrong place? My apologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karger Posted January 19, 2020 Report Share Posted January 19, 2020 45 minutes ago, Channelknight said: Ah, did I put this in the wrong place? My apologies. No worries it has been moved. Also Welcome! I wonder if Stormlight stops glowing at lower temperatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weltall Posted January 19, 2020 Report Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) Stormlight glows not because it's a plasma but for the same reason that metal glows in the Cogntive Realm on Scadrial: The Investiture trying to flow through from the Spiritual Realm casues it to glow. Edited January 19, 2020 by Weltall 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookish Ocelot Posted January 19, 2020 Report Share Posted January 19, 2020 I feel like it is a gas or a plasma. But what would be good to know is if magnets or metal affect stormlight in any way. (Plasmas are affected by magnetic fields) As far as I recall, there are neither magnets nor electricity on Roshar. Lightning is made of plasma though. Hmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channelknight Fadran Posted January 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2020 42 minutes ago, Ookla the Ocelot said: I feel like it is a gas or a plasma. But what would be good to know is if magnets or metal affect stormlight in any way. (Plasmas are affected by magnetic fields) As far as I recall, there are neither magnets nor electricity on Roshar. Lightning is made of plasma though. Hmmm. I definitely think that it could, possibly, be affected by magnets. Surges on Roshar are directly connected to the fundamental forces of nature, like Gravity (Lashings). It would make sense that the source of the surges could be affected by the very forces that they're manipulating. For every Push, their is a Pull, then? : D Also whenever a surgebinder finds themselves in a Highstorm, their stormlight stores are constantly renewing themselves. Could this be a result of lightning in the area? My wording here is rough, but in theory could this lightning be stormlight, its own plasma? In fact, could it be that the lightning is the stormlight, which would confirm the theory that stormlight is affected by magnetic fields? I give this one final push of evidence, as Voidspren are often described as "acting like lightning." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookish Ocelot Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 5 hours ago, Channelknight said: I definitely think that it could, possibly, be affected by magnets. Surges on Roshar are directly connected to the fundamental forces of nature, like Gravity (Lashings). It would make sense that the source of the surges could be affected by the very forces that they're manipulating. For every Push, their is a Pull, then? : D Also whenever a surgebinder finds themselves in a Highstorm, their stormlight stores are constantly renewing themselves. Could this be a result of lightning in the area? My wording here is rough, but in theory could this lightning be stormlight, its own plasma? In fact, could it be that the lightning is the stormlight, which would confirm the theory that stormlight is affected by magnetic fields? I give this one final push of evidence, as Voidspren are often described as "acting like lightning." That is a really good point! I wonder if the lightning is in someway connected to the stormlight? That would make a lot of sense. Also, that would make the stormlight actually connected to the storms because as far as I recall stormlight doesn't appear in the storms, but appears in the spheres. How much detail do we have on lightning in the highstorms? Is it similar to Earthen lightning with thunderbolts? I recall strikes of thunder or at least loud rumbling associated with the storms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channelknight Fadran Posted January 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Ookla the Ocelot said: That is a really good point! I wonder if the lightning is in someway connected to the stormlight? That would make a lot of sense. Also, that would make the stormlight actually connected to the storms because as far as I recall stormlight doesn't appear in the storms, but appears in the spheres. How much detail do we have on lightning in the highstorms? Is it similar to Earthen lightning with thunderbolts? I recall strikes of thunder or at least loud rumbling associated with the storms. However, now that I think about... wouldn't this mean that the red lightning in Odium's storm would fill up their spheres with his own stormlight, as feared by Kaladin and the others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookish Ocelot Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Channelknight said: However, now that I think about... wouldn't this mean that the red lightning in Odium's storm would fill up their spheres with his own stormlight, as feared by Kaladin and the others? Hmm. I wonder if that relates to the mysterious black sphere gavilar has. Is voidlight red? I'm rereading Oathbringer but I don't think I'm that far yet. Also, stormlight being a plasma might explain how it condenses on shardblades whenever it is summoned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channelknight Fadran Posted January 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Ookla the Ocelot said: Hmm. I wonder if that relates to the mysterious black sphere gavilar has. Is voidlight red? I'm rereading Oathbringer but I don't think I'm that far yet. Also, stormlight being a plasma might explain how it condenses on shardblades whenever it is summoned. I imagine it's red. So many mysteries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frustration Posted January 20, 2020 Report Share Posted January 20, 2020 When Brandon talks about investiture he says it usually manifests as solid, liquid, or gas. I do note that plasma is not mentioned. Also plasma would probably shock the people using it, so Kal would be deep fried if it where plasma, so, either gas, or maybe magic Photons(J.K that has no evidence at all). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookish Ocelot Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 Plasma is usually hot. But its just an ionized gas and we have seen other rules of physics being bent- why not plasma temperature? My theory is that stormlight is in some way related to the lightning in highstorms. (Lightning as pure investiture?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honorless Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 I think Stormlight is gaseous Investiture, as for plasma Spoiler that's the Dor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karger Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 29 minutes ago, Honorless said: as for plasma That is not even in the PR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honorless Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) On 1/21/2020 at 9:39 PM, Karger said: That is not even in the PR. No? So? Brandon describes it as such: Quote Questioner Can you describe what Shadesmar looks like on either Nalthis or Sel. Brandon Sanderson Yeah. On Sel? Looks like a big old storm that will destroy you. More than a storm, it's like a big pressurized-- it's like plasma, almost. It is really dangerous. Really dangerous. That 'cause the Dor is hanging out there. Oathbringer release party (Nov. 13, 2017) Quote Blaze1616 The Dor: Is it gaseous Investiture or is it something else completely? Brandon Sanderson Oh that's a great question. People have not been asking enough about the Dor. Blaze1616 And if it is gaseous—or not gaseous—is it plasma? Brandon Sanderson *Long pause* You got it. *said definitively* It's super sup-- not plasm-- yeah, it's super-dense to the point that's it's liquefied and dense-- does that make sense? So it's plasma, basically. It's its own weird thing, so yeah. What you can write is that it's its own weird thing that's kind of plasma-like. Shadows of Self Lansing signing (Oct. 13, 2015) Quote Brightlord Maelstrom Quesion about Selish magic systems. So, you've described, in the past, the Dor in the Cognitive Realm as being almost like magma. Is that just in consistency, or also does that also include in its temperature? Brandon Sanderson No, it's more temperature than consistency. Plasma-ish is maybe even a better way of putting it. Oathbringer release party (Nov. 13, 2017) Quote Brightlord Maelstrom If you were to somehow use a receptacle to gather some part of the Dor, say there was a way of doing that. And you were to do one on both extremes of the planet. Would it be the same thing? ...Say, you have a container than can contain part of this plasma? ...Theoretically? You do that, taking one part of the planet, say Elantris, seal it up. And then you were to take another one, and fill it up in MaiPon and compare them, would it be the same Investiture? Brandon Sanderson Yes, it would. Oathbringer release party (Nov. 13, 2017) Edited January 25, 2020 by Honorless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karger Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 5 minutes ago, Honorless said: Brandon describes it as such: Quote He said like a plasma when speaking in terms of appearance. I am not sure what to call things that exist in the CR. The entire place is wonky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honorless Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) On 1/22/2020 at 0:58 AM, Karger said: Quote He said like a plasma when speaking in terms of appearance. I am not sure what to call things that exist in the CR. The entire place is wonky. Close enough. And definitely more than just mere appearance I wouldn't call Stormlight a gas either, but that's the closest analogue for describing it. Solid, liquid, gas, plasma: these are states of matter and in the Cosmere, there's energy, matter & Investiture across three planes of existence Edited February 9, 2020 by Honorless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karger Posted January 21, 2020 Report Share Posted January 21, 2020 4 minutes ago, Honorless said: Close enough. I wouldn't call Stormlight a gas either, but that's the closest analogue for describing it Personally I think it changes states fairly often but it seems to freeze and condense regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honorless Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 Bose-Einstein Condensate Investiture analogue, where are you hiding? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllNsickly Posted January 25, 2020 Report Share Posted January 25, 2020 2 hours ago, Honorless said: Bose-Einstein Condensate Investiture analogue, where are you hiding? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 or 2° Kelvin would be my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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