scrape_r_rational/data/cache2/5rz0sq.md

[RST] Mathemagical Ch 1: Equations in Meditations + Announcement Post

• Author: u/None *

• URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/5rz0sq/rst_mathemagical_ch_1_equations_in_meditations/

• Score: 15

• Created: 2017-02-04T05:34:28

Post:

Hey everyone,

I'm excited to announce that I'll be writing an extension to my Weekly Challenge story, Equations in Meditations! I'm calling the story "Mathemagical".

Short plot summary: Sarah, our protagonist on Earth, develops pseudo-telekinesis. Trying hard to stick to her ethics, she figures out how to best use her abilities to save the world. As she delves deeper into grander plots, questions about the nature of her world and abilities arise.

Chapter One link

So I've got the overall plot stretched out, and I think it'll be a fun ride. I know I tagged it as "rationalist", and I really want this to be a fun, engaging read. However, as an aspiring rationalist/writer myself, I can't guarantee that the plots will be super clever or that the characters will always be smart. But I'm definitely trying to make it more than just rational.

I think the story will comprise somewhere between 5 and 15 chapters, of about 20 pages each. I will try to release chapters at the beginning of every month.

I'm pretty new to all this, so if you guys have suggestions, theories, ways to make it even more awesome, etc. that'd be greatly appreciated!

(EX: Where should I be hosting this besides my blog?)

Comments:

u/ToaKraka [+6] https://i.imgur.com/OQGHleQ.png (6 hours later)

Where should I be hosting this besides my blog?

FictionPress

u/None [+2] (19 hours later)

Thanks! new link up on fictionpress

u/MereInterest [+2] (8 hours later)

I like it so far, and am looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Thoughts so far (mostly about powergaming the ability)

• Further testing, range/mass. Implied to have no such limits. Short-term test, attempt to move Pluto. Long-term test, attempt to move Alpha Centauri, if Sarah is willing to wait 4 years for the results to arrive. Both tests would require
• Further testing, conditional limits. Does Sarah need to have line of sight to the object being moved? Does it need to be known to exist, or can there be more complicated conditions? For example, "Let L be the set of all blue cubes on the other side of the wall. Move all elements of L up 1 meter."
• Further testing, additional effects. First chapter implies that the power may be more general than just moving objects, being a method for applying functions onto reality, but that the operands of these functions must be at a human-level of understanding. Could, for example, the temperature of an object be modified, f(T) = T+N? Or affecting the probability of developing cancer, f(p) = 0*p?
• Permanency of effects. Kevin levitated a few inches, then fell. This implies that after an effect is applied, the normal physical processes revert.
• Sarah's background will play a role in which of these are most interested. She is mentioned to have quit grad school, but it is not mentioned which subject she is studying. Her commenting of "hacking physics" suggests that it is one of the physical sciences.
• Internal thoughts, morality. The first goal would be establishing limits of the power. The second would be creating appropriate restrictions to keep others from gaining the power. The more abstract the power is, the greater the restrictions necessary, but also the easier it is to establish restrictions. For example, f(p) = 0*p, where p is the probability of somebody independently discovering the power.

u/None [+1] (9 hours later)

Hello, thanks for the helpful comments!

I mentioned Sarah was studying philosophy early on, but that was only a sentence. She's altruistically-minded and familiar with general "gaming the universe" scenarios, so that's where the physics quote comes from.

Spoilers for Ch 2

There are in-universe justifications for the above things, but I also set them as hard limits to avoid fast takeoff scenarios.

Hopfully that still leads to an interesting story.

u/Gurkenglas [+2] (15 hours later)

Response

u/None [+1] (16 hours later)

;-)

u/Gurkenglas [+1] (15 hours later)

Pluto

You do not want to make it clear to everyone with a telescope that's no worse than yours that magic can move planets.

For example, f(p) = 0*p, where p is the probability of somebody independently discovering the power.

What is f?

u/MereInterest [+1] (15 hours later)

You do not want to make it clear to everyone with a telescope that's no worse than yours that magic can move planets.

In the real world, if Pluto were to disappear, my first guess would be that it was gravitationally thrown out by an intruder from the Oort cloud. After all, Pluto hasn't cleared out its orbit of all debris, and it is difficult to track objects that far from the sun.

Now, granted, in-story, the prior for magic being able to move a planet is much greater than it is in real life, since magic has been shown to exist. That said, an increase in affected mass by 20 orders of magnitude (120 kg person to 1.2*10^22 kg planet) would not be a reasonable first guess.

What is f?

It is my attempt at using the same terminology as the chapter itself, using f as the function being applied onto reality.

u/MoralRelativity [+1] (23 hours later)

That's a good start. I've followed you on fictionpress so I won't miss a chapter.

u/None [+1] (a day later)

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!

u/PenultimatePresence [+1] I shall make a promisement to not perform malice (3 days later)

So... could someone literally make the universe divide by zero?

u/None [+1] (3 days later)

Let's, uh, hope that doesn't happen.

u/None [+1] (3 days later)

Also, I have a rough draft of Ch 2 finished. Would anyone like to help give feedback on how to make it better?

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