Psionics

[DED]

In CT, MT, TNE, and T4, psionics is vaguely defined as "the powers of the mind." In fact, all 4 of these editions state exactly the following:

"The powers of the mind are incredible, and perhaps some day the study of these powers will enable every individual to use them as an active part of his life."

If psionics are just "powers of the mind", then by that definition Virus could have psionic-like abilities. Virus does has a mind of some sort, especially the more stable varieties.

Elliot wrote:
I dont see that Virus was psionic but I am prepared to accept that it may use energies that are akin to the energies generated by psionic minds and that there may be cross interference.

I have to agree.

Maybe if Marc himself put in his 2 cents on the matter, this would be resolved. And let's remember something else, Martin is the one that received Marc's permission to continue the TNE story and resolve it. I have to presume that Martin ran all of these ideas by Marc. If any of these ideas bugged him, I'm sure he would've put the kibosh on them.

 

[Malenfant]

There's a lot more about Psionics on p83 of the Regency Sourcebook. That seems to imply that telepathy, telepresence, and teleportation at least are due to a conscious interaction between the real world and a 'higher reality' (that could be jumpspace) where everything is connected and all places are the same point. Sounds a bit like quantum theory in some ways. That I'm fine with.

Telekinesis on the other hand doesn't fit into that view, hence why it's probably down to manipulation of electric or magnetic fields.

I can believe that Virus might occupy 'psionic computers' - if such things exist - and become psionic in that hardware only. But I don't think Virus can be inherently 'psionic' itself - it's just code. It seems like psionic ability is down to the HARDWARE involved - the physical structure of the brain or AI core and what it's built into - and not something that can be written into a mere program, even one like Virus.

 

[Whipsnade]

Malenfant opined:

"I can believe that Virus might occupy 'psionic computers' - if such things exist - and become psionic in that hardware only."


Mr. Malenfant,

Bingo! Give the man a cigar!

If Virus infects the wrong hardware it isn't even sentient. The same should hold for any psionic ability; Virus has the psionic abilities of the hardware it infects - just as it only has the physical abilities of whatever hardware it infects. The type of hardware even effects the personality of Virus.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Whipsnade]

DED wrote:

"And let's remember something else, Martin is the one that received Marc's permission to continue the TNE story and resolve it. I have to presume that Martin ran all of these ideas by Marc. If any of these ideas bugged him, I'm sure he would've put the kibosh on them."


Mr. DED,

Very true. Let's also remember that Mr. Miller also okayed T4. He also insists that, despite all evidence to the contrary and explanations from Loren Wiseman and Hans Rancke-Madsen, that the Imperial Warrant found aboard the Kinunir is the same one Norris uses to sack Santanocheev.

Infallibility is fine in religious leaders, let's leave it there.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[MJD]

Virus is not intrisically psionic.

Some of its characteristics include an ability to reconfigure its hardarew when it exists only as code - a 'mind' if you will.

The best parallel in human experience is psionics, and indeed there may be some crossover given what little is known about psionics.

But Virus is not a psionic phenomenon. Virus is a code that somehow makes the jump to full sentience of it becomes sufficiently complex and has enough hardware capability.

Perhaps some viral entities can become psionic (as it is conventiaonally understood), as can some organic minds. That's a different question.

But no, Virus has not suddenly become psionic. It merely has some abilities to do things that fall outside the realm of normal human experience in a simialr way to psionics does, and which are in some ways similar.

It may be that these abilities turn out to be done by the esame mechanism as psionics does things - ie they may be real psionic powers as defined by the human experience. Or it may not. Nobody knows at this time.

But one thing is certain. Virus is not intrinsically psionic in the manner of a psionic human. Your infected toaster does not get to roll for Claivoyance and Teleportation.

 

[Erik Boielle]

00000Infallibility is fine in religious leaders, let's leave it there.00000

Midichlorians!

Counterpoint - The Orange Advert. With Spike Lee.

And the hat?

 

[DED]

Originally posted by Larsen E. Whipsnade:
Mr. DED,

Very true. Let's also remember that Mr. Miller also okayed T4. He also insists that, despite all evidence to the contrary and explanations from Loren Wiseman and Hans Rancke-Madsen, that the Imperial Warrant found aboard the Kinunir is the same one Norris uses to sack Santanocheev.

Infallibility is fine in religious leaders, let's leave it there.

I would never suggest that anyone is infallible. And I'm certainly not suggesting that MM is. But that isn't the point.

Right and wrong isn't the point either.

The point is, Traveller is Marc Miller's game. He calls the shots for the OTU. If he wants to rewrite the history of the OTU he can. If he wants to come out and say, "Virus was a mistake, I'm sorry. It never happened," he can. If he suddenly wants to put unicorns and fairies into the game, he can. I'm sure that most of us wouldn't like it and people wouldn't buy the game anymore, but he could still do it anyway. It's his game.

Right now, Martin has been given permission to take the wheel and steer Traveller in a direction he thinks it should go. We may disagree with things along the way, or the course in general, but in the end, all we can do is vote with our wallets.

 

[flykiller]

Your infected toaster does not get to roll for Claivoyance and Teleportation.

of course not. it gets automatic low-level pyrokinesis.

 

[MJD]

Heh. Some toasters I'vwe owned also had the ability of random telekinesis, but only in one axis...

 

[Elliot]

Get a Dualit - they're awesome - nice even toast everytime. My grandpa bought me one, I thought crummy present. Now its: thanks grandpa, perfect marmite toasts everytime.

 

[MJD]

Marmite is a biological warfare agent, not food...

 

[TheDS]

Originally posted by MJD:
Marmite is a biological warfare agent, not food...

No wonder he suddenly stopped posting! I thought maybe Erik had frothed on him too much or something...