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Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... Phelix Send a noteboard - 18/12/2009 09:48:59 PM
Cadsuane tells us that when she was younger, there were more women of her strength level, but by NS, they'd begun to die off (or were killed). She says that there are a few women who are close to her in the "modern" generation, but they are few and the women below them are much more common.

This points to the general decline of the strength of Aes Sedai in the White Tower. We know that channelers are not growing weaker in general, but the Tower is for some reason.

I think that the culling theory makes sense, but not from the angle the Aes Sedai are thinking of it. They claim removing men from the gene pool has caused the decline in strength. I think, rather, that by removing a significant portion of the channeling women from the same areas generation after generation, and not adding to the subsequent generations by reproducing, the Aes Sedai have weakened the pool of potential candidates.

This is not to say that I agree that the curve should be set at 50%... I just wanted to point out a mechanism that the Tower is using that reduces the strength of their sisters in general.


RJ has commented on it himself, in interviews. Mankind has been culling the ability to channel out of themselves for 3000 years. So Forsaken strength women today are far rarer than they were 3000 years ago.

But this applies to the entire population, not just to Aes Sedai.



In the general population, people marry young (16-18 years old) which is plenty young enough for Men to have not begun touching the source yet, and for some women. The sparkers and learners out in the general population are still adding to the next generations. Even then, some will survive the channeling sickness and keep channeling (perhaps with a block), and will continue adding to the genetic pool.

Aes Sedai do not reproduce often, and they continually take women from the same regions. Caemlyn, Cairhien, Tear, the Borderlands, the region around Tar Valon. They are actively removing the women who could breed up new channelers, heightening the culling effect. They also spend significantly more time in these regions, and so are more likely to notice the signs of channeling in a man. The people there are more likely to notice those signs as well. Those two things would make them more efficient at removing male channelers from their population, again heightening the culling effect.

In the more distant regions where Aes Sedai rarely visit, the culling effect should be much diluted.
I was Phelix on wotmania, I will always be Phelix in the "real" world, and now I am Phelix on RAFO.

You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill

*MySmiley*
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The One Power Bell Curve: Proof that it is not centered on 50% of the strongest channeler's strength - 18/12/2009 08:37:55 AM 1430 Views
I always thought the curve was one sided - 18/12/2009 01:17:32 PM 819 Views
I would say that your sample is flawed. - 18/12/2009 05:02:02 PM 892 Views
well said *NM* - 18/12/2009 05:12:40 PM 419 Views
It doesn't matter... - 18/12/2009 10:02:38 PM 754 Views
But, it sort of does. - 18/12/2009 10:43:08 PM 810 Views
So you're saying that no modern Aes Sedai are even of average strength? - 18/12/2009 10:51:01 PM 898 Views
Are you sure it's the same bell curve from the AoL? - 18/12/2009 11:11:19 PM 847 Views
The Tower is restricted to the middle... - 18/12/2009 05:35:03 PM 977 Views
Two things... - 18/12/2009 09:28:25 PM 809 Views
The culling theory... - 18/12/2009 09:36:34 PM 758 Views
The culling theory applies to the ENTIRE population, not just Aes Sedai... - 18/12/2009 09:42:31 PM 879 Views
Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... - 18/12/2009 09:48:59 PM 947 Views
Re: Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... - 18/12/2009 10:06:15 PM 738 Views
Several more things... - 18/12/2009 11:26:19 PM 904 Views
You don't understand your own model... - 18/12/2009 11:38:05 PM 924 Views
So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution? - 19/12/2009 06:03:24 PM 817 Views
Re: So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution? - 19/12/2009 06:10:52 PM 781 Views
Its simple really... - 19/12/2009 06:15:23 PM 802 Views
Age-Related Sample Bias - 18/12/2009 06:41:03 PM 770 Views
A thought that occured to me, and I'd like your opinion... - 18/12/2009 07:38:29 PM 770 Views
Well Sharina isn't a sparker and she's the strongest AS - 18/12/2009 07:57:17 PM 774 Views
Yes... - 18/12/2009 08:01:57 PM 871 Views
Is it just my bad memory or is one of the wondergirls not a sparker? - 18/12/2009 10:12:59 PM 758 Views
I think it's just a bad memory... - 18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM 762 Views
Easier sulution, and real example. - 18/12/2009 10:03:20 PM 826 Views
And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with... - 18/12/2009 10:08:40 PM 782 Views
Re: And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with... - 19/12/2009 11:39:31 AM 1016 Views
Agree, but a little more curvy is better - 19/12/2009 11:17:16 PM 719 Views
*facepalm* - 18/12/2009 10:13:16 PM 803 Views
That's just the normalized value graphed on a log scale. - 19/12/2009 11:20:41 PM 777 Views
Dude, Seriously? - 18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM 793 Views
Indeed, and that's why I propose that... - 18/12/2009 10:31:23 PM 788 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution. - 19/12/2009 11:24:10 PM 771 Views
It does to RJ - 20/12/2009 03:12:30 PM 859 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution. - 19/12/2009 11:24:11 PM 747 Views
That's because outliers in IQ tests are excluded form the curve. *NM* - 18/12/2009 11:31:23 PM 446 Views
Really?!?! then what is the definition of a IQ of 200? - 19/12/2009 11:28:18 PM 1080 Views
You can have IQ's above that... - 20/12/2009 05:09:44 AM 790 Views
I said that in the other post and was half torn to pieces *NM* - 19/12/2009 11:38:25 AM 388 Views
Eh. Ignore the IQ value and draw it on a linear weight scale - 19/12/2009 11:26:23 PM 755 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve: Proof that it is not centered on 50% of the strongest channeler's stre - 19/12/2009 06:02:34 PM 730 Views
I like this idea - 20/12/2009 04:01:28 PM 931 Views
Accidental Post *NM* - 20/12/2009 07:11:09 PM 435 Views
Mathmatically this is very close to the system I proposed in another thread - 27/12/2009 01:23:51 AM 731 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve: - 27/12/2009 10:05:33 PM 889 Views
What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 27/12/2009 10:28:13 PM 1089 Views
Re: What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 28/12/2009 03:19:14 PM 769 Views
Re: What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 28/12/2009 03:30:44 PM 988 Views

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