DNA question

[Arin he/him]

My question is about the concept of DNA in the Cosmere.  I have seen on the forums the sDNA used as spiritual DNA so I assume BS has discussed DNA at some point.  If this is just a 17th Shard thing, please let me know. 

 

My question is about the changes to DNA.  If a normal Cosmere Human, without powers, acquires a power (like becoming a mistborn with a bead of metal from the well), does that change his DNA in some way?  Spiritual, Cognitive or Physical? 

 

Would that be the same for each world's magic system?  Would a normal cosmere person's DNA change when granted new powers? 

 

With someone like Hoid who appears to be gathering powers, would his DNA be changing with each new power?  What would he be changing into? 

Edited April 26, 2014 by Arin

[Satsuoni he/him]

My question is about the concept of DNA in the Cosmere.  I have seen on the forums the sDNA used as spiritual DNA so I assume BS has discussed DNA at some point.  If this is just a 17th Shard thing, please let me know.

Brandon mentioned sDNA a few times in the interviews, so, as far as I am aware, that is his term. It is a part of the spiritual aspect that is passed much like the normal DNA. It is, as far as I can tell, not the same thing as DNA, but can have an effect on Physical realm, so probably normal DNA as well. I don't think there is cognitive DNA per se.

 

My question is about the changes to DNA.  If a normal Cosmere Human, without powers, acquires a power (like becoming a mistborn with a bead of metal from the well), does that change his DNA in some way?  Spiritual, Cognitive or Physical?

Would that be the same for each world's magic system? Would a normal cosmere person's DNA change when granted new powers?

It changes his sDNA, usually, though there is uncertainty. For example, all people on Roshar have a possibility of acquiring a Nahel bond, and having one doesn't seem to affect probability of your children having one, beyond environmental factors. Lerasium does rewrite sDNA.

 

 

 

With someone like Hoid who appears to be gathering powers, would his DNA be changing with each new power?  What would he be changing into?

Nothing good (strictly IMO)

[Tempus]

In the cosmere, there are three realms - Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual. Everything has three aspects, one for each realm. Humans have three DNAs, one for each aspect. We call them DNA, cDNA, and sDNA. Physical DNA is what you might imagine - just like the real world. We know almost nothing for certain about cognitive DNA other than that it exists, and that it likely is based on some sort of modification of Platonic Forms to one extent or another. 

 

Spiritual DNA, or sDNA, is the most interesting. It encodes the investitures you are able to access, and thus the magics you can use. As far as we know for sure, only Lerasium and Hemalurgy can change a spiritual aspect permanently. Forging seems to be able to change a spiritual aspect temporarily. Lerasium has been described as a spiritual DNA rewrite ability. Hemalurgy apparently tears off bits of the spiritual aspect and staples them onto the recipient.

 

Regular magic systems do not seem to change the sDNA. Instead, use of those magics is already encoded into your sDNA, and that is why you can use them. This is why so many cosmere systems require bloodlines. On Sel, sDNA is required to access the area specific magics. On Scadrial, Allomancy and Feruchemy are inherited traits, provided no Lerasium or Hemalurgy is involved. On Nalthis, everyone has the spiritual DNA for Breath, and comes with one at birth. Roshar's magic of Nahel Bonds is dependent on bonding a spren into a tear in your spiritual aspect, and is not inherited. Tears are caused by extreme emotional stress.

[Satsuoni he/him]

In the cosmere, there are three realms - Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual. Everything has three aspects, one for each realm. Humans have three DNAs, one for each aspect. We call them DNA, cDNA, and sDNA. Physical DNA is what you might imagine - just like the real world. We know almost nothing for certain about cognitive DNA other than that it exists, and that it likely is based on some sort of modification of Platonic Forms to one extent or another. 

 

Um, what? I've never seen cDNA mentioned at all, and platonic Forms and Ideals are related to spiritual realm, not cognitive:

 

 

Kurkistan

And is that sitting in the Spiritual Realm?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, we're using sort of a Platonic Ideal, and that concept is in force, so < sounds hesitant > "yes", but [spren] are manifestations of it.

[Tempus]

Here you go:

 

 

Q:  [Paraphrased]In order to use magic from one world on another world, do they need a bit of [the first world's] Shard with you?

A:  It helps a lot.  But there are other ways to do it.  What's going on in the Cosmere is people have 3 sets of DNA.  They have Physical DNA, Spiritual DNA, and Cognitive DNA.  Their Spiritual DNA is what encodes the magic system into them, their Investiture.  So if you can find a way to rewrite your Spiritual DNA, you can do all kinds of funky things.  That's what Hemalurgy does.  It rips off a piece of someone else's soul, staples it to yours.  So if you went with a Hemalurgic spike to the right place, ripped off a piece of someone's soul and stapled it to yourself, you could create short circuits that will let you do all kinds of goofy stuff.

 

DC Signing

 

 

 

 

NEPENE ()

You've mentioned several philosophical concepts used in the writing of your books, like Jung's collective unconsciousness, Plato's cave. Could you expand a bit on your use of those in your books, and whether you think it is necessary to use philosophy to make a good fantasy world?

BRANDON SANDERSON

I don't think it's necessary at all. The writer's own fascinations—whatever they are—can add to the writing experience. But yes, some philosophical ideas worked into my fiction. Plato's theory of the forms has always fascinated, and so the idea of a physical/cognitive/spiritual realm is certainly a product of this. Human perception of ideals has a lot to do with the cognitive realm, and a true ideal has a lot to do with the spiritual realm.

 

Platonic forms is a theory that postulates that there is a separate realm wherein the 'ideal' and perfect version of all things are kept, and a mimic realm. In the mimic realm, which is the world we can see through our senses, everything is constantly in flux and changing, but we can correctly perceive and identify things through our knowledge of the ideal forms. This should ring some bells! =D