The Bell Curve fits perfectly if one simple fact is true... - Edit 1
Before modification by Shannow at 10/06/2010 09:35:55 PM
Or maybe you're trying to put a triangular block into a square hole.
It's a screwed-up half-ass magic system that has huge flaws in it. Amys can't do it properly, but we're expected to eat the theory that Barasine or Katerine can at a much later stage in the books when Egwene is getting really skilled and powerful. Sometimes I can't believe we give this stuff the time of day. It's clearly got huge errors in it.
All I know, Sidious, is that by my explanation, there are few holes in the OP strength issue, it matches what the author stated outside the books and seems sensible to me.
Your list is years old, never took RJ's bell curve statement into account, and shows some inconsistencies based on the text itself.
The Bell curve says that the average woman must be half as strong as Lanfear.
Moiraine is barely half as strong as Egwene.
What does that mean with regards to the average woman? It means the average woman must be between Cadsuane and Egwene's strength level.
If this simple fact is true, then the entire Bell Curve first perfectly. So, there should be more woman at Cadsuane's strength level or slightly above, than at any other strength, because the Bell Curve peaks in the middle.
Where are all these women? And why is the Aes Sedai channeling pool skewed so far to the weaker end of the scale? Why are ALL modern Aes Sedai weaker than the average woman?