Re: I've discussed this before... - Edit 1
Before modification by fionwe1987 at 18/12/2009 05:12:35 AM
Seriously, a circle of thirteen would have a strength of 650 - do you really need to be six times stronger than someone to cut them off from the Source? We've seen already that high level channelers can shield one another, even at the same strength, so it makes no sense that this would require some insane boost.
So, all Aes Sedai are of strength fifty? Even if they are... why the hell not? These are women with lower dexterity than Rand trying to shield him. Their strengths are added up in the circle, the precision of the weave increases, but the dexterity of the weave is going to be the dexterity of the woman leading the circle.
Meaning if the dexterity advantage is what makes each of their effective strengths 50, from a raw strength of 30, say, in a circle, its going to be 3/5
(30*13)-10), ie. 228 effective strength (The ten negated is due to the loss of power when a circle is formed). Are you saying slightly more than twice the effective strength is an impossible situation when women are shielding men?This is assuming each Aes Sedai has the same level of dexterity. If it is different, different circles of thirteen are going to be lesser or more than 228.
As for Rand shielding Alanna and Verin, the answer is simple. Dexterity makes no difference when a man is shielding a woman. His weave uses both his dexterity and strength, but the woman's dexterity has absolutely no impact on her holding the power. She is, in effect, losing her dexterity advantage when being shielded. Thus, when Rand is shielding Alanna and Verin, their raw strengths of 30*2-10, ie. 50, is all he is fighting against with his effective strength of 100. Again, twice as strong. What is tough to understand here?
Linking has a clear advantage in all aspects of the Power. The fact that it takes three or four of these women to link to Travel is the first blight on the theory that women cluster around 50 strength. The average woman is weak in the Power - only a fraction of Rand's strength. Rand himself can make six gateways of huge dimensions, and these women need a community to make one. There's nothing vague about it.
You assume again that Travelling is the same for men and women. On that flimsy basis, you're dismissing RJ's quotes and mathematical evidence?