Definition of size and the cosmere standard in Arcanum Unbounded

[NiceBleach]

In Khriss's system introductions at the beginning of each new section of the book, she refers to the size and gravitation of the planets in the cosmere relative to a "cosmere standard" of size and gravitation. What is size defined as? Is it mean radius? Is the cosmere standard also equivalent to Earth's gravitation and size?

[CrazyRioter she/her]

I assume "cosmere standard" is the same as Earth's for reader convenience.

[imriel452]

It could also be a measurement we haven’t seen yet - possibly in comparison to the planet Silverlight is based?

[RShara she/her]

Cosmere standard, I'm pretty sure, is based on Yolen, as the originating planet for most of the species. Yolen likely is going to be an Earth analogue, at least in terms of mass, gravitation, atmosphere, etc. It makes it easier all the way around.

[Calderis he/him]

Yolen (and Scadrial) are earth equivalents. Their size and day/year length are pretty much the same as ours. 

Environment wise Scadrial post Catacendre is the most "earthlike" planet. 

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A_Dunyain

This is just a stab based on perceived hints, but is Yolen the most "Earth-like" planet in the Cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

Scadrial is, actually. Sel isn't too far off either. Yolen has some strangeness to it. Two competing ecologies, and some strange geography. But I have wavered on how to convey all of this, so none of it is set in stone yet.

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BeskarKomrk

When you say Scadrial has an earth similar year, are you referring to the time it takes the planet to go around the sun? Or the year as people on the planet would measure it (e.g. Vin is fifteen years old when her brother leaves her)? Are these the same thing?

While I'm here, a selection of related questions for you if you have the time:

1. Did the length of a year (as measured by the people on the planet) change when Scadrial was moved by The Lord Ruler/Harmony?
2. I've assumed that lengths of time given in the books use that world's time lengths. For example, the Reod happens ten Selish years before Elantris (which may not correspond exactly to Scadrian years or Earth years), or that the 4500 years between the prelude and the prologue of Way of Kings is in Rosharan years. Is this an accurate assumption?
3. I've assumed in the past that all the major shardworld planets we've seen have roughly earth similar years. Can you confirm/deny this for any of them specifically? I'm especially interested in Sel and Nalthis. (Specific numbers would be ideal, but even a yes/no for any of the planets would be super super awesome!)

Brandon Sanderson

1. I mentioned in another post that I'll wait a bit to give you exact numbers, because I want to make sure Peter has run all the right calculations. But yes, changing the orbit had an effect on things--though official calendars didn't need to change, as they'd been used since before the original shift happened anyway. When we talk about 'Years' in the Final Empire, it's original (pre LR) orbit anyway. I knew I was going to go back to them later in the series, and when characters were actually aware of things like the calendar, it would be close to earth standard.

2. Though, since you mention it, all numbers mentioned in their respective series are in-world numbers. This makes things tricky, as Rosharan years (with the five hundred days) are blatant enough to start the average reader wondering about these things.

3. Mostly, Roshar is the big one (not in actual deviation--I think a Roshar year is only 1.1 Earth years--but in how the scope and terminology of the novel will make people start to notice and ask questions.) Other planets have deviations from Earth, but it's not as noticeable. We'll give specific numbers eventually. I promise.

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[Weltall]

'Cosmere Standard' is Yolen, which just happens to also fit Scadrial because Leras and Ati deliberately patterned the world and it's biosphere on what they were familiar with. Hence Khriss' comment that pre-Final Empire/post-Catacendre Scadrial resembles the non-fain parts of Yolen. And Brandon's been very explicit that unless we're told otherwise, we can think of Scadrial as being like Earth. Here's some more examples.

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Questioner

Are there cats anywhere in the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes there are cats in the cosmere. There are lions in Mistborn, and have been mentioned numerous times, so you can assume, extrapolation, that there are also cats in the worlds somewhere. Scadrial, the Mistborn world... is my Earth analogue. When I was designing I'm like, I'm gonna design this one in such a way that I can-- because I knew I was going to be doing 1900's fiction, and 1980's fiction, I wanted it to have some sort of parallel societal evolution and so I put in a lot of parallel cultural things, and things like that. So you can make an assumption that, unless I say otherwise, on Scadrial they have basic Earth ecology, particularly now after events that I can't talk about because they're spoilers.

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Questioner

We know Elantris and all the other worlds have their own calendars. What does Scadrial's calendar look like, especially relative to Earth?

Brandon Sanderson

For those who don't know, the Mistborn world was designed as my earth analogue. Meaning, if you go look at Scadrial and say, "Does this creature exist on Scadrial?" It probably doesn't exist on Roshar, and it's a toss-up if it exists on Sel, the Elantris world. But on Scadrial, if I haven't said otherwise, you can guess that it does exist. And that's why the cultures and the languages and the linguistics, I just built that one to kind of be the familiar place. And that's because... so, you would say, like, seven-day week. Basically seven-day week, like our calendar-ish.

Roshar's, by the way, is pretty bizarre. Roshar is five-day week, set into fifty-day months, which there are ten months in the year, with a double-year cycle of highstorms. So, it's a thousand-day cycle with two years in between those. It's this really bizarre thing we came up with, but Roshar's supposed to have bizarre stuff.

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Edited July 31, 2018 by Weltall

[NiceBleach]

I know that cosmere standard is defined by Yolen. I was basically looking for some WoB's which would say if the "size" (I guess I'll just assume that size refers to mean radius) and gravitation of Yolen and Scadrial were equivalent to Earth or not.