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.
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*
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*
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
- 1314 Views
I always thought the curve was one sided
18/12/2009 01:17:32 PM
- 723 Views
The Curve only refers to the channeling population, not to non-channelers.
18/12/2009 01:56:25 PM
- 724 Views
I would say that your sample is flawed.
18/12/2009 05:02:02 PM
- 804 Views
It doesn't matter...
18/12/2009 10:02:38 PM
- 656 Views
But, it sort of does.
18/12/2009 10:43:08 PM
- 705 Views
So you're saying that no modern Aes Sedai are even of average strength?
18/12/2009 10:51:01 PM
- 784 Views
The Tower is restricted to the middle...
18/12/2009 05:35:03 PM
- 870 Views
Two things...
18/12/2009 09:28:25 PM
- 716 Views
The culling theory...
18/12/2009 09:36:34 PM
- 646 Views
The culling theory applies to the ENTIRE population, not just Aes Sedai...
18/12/2009 09:42:31 PM
- 770 Views
Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level...
18/12/2009 09:48:59 PM
- 833 Views
Several more things...
18/12/2009 11:26:19 PM
- 815 Views
You don't understand your own model...
18/12/2009 11:38:05 PM
- 823 Views
So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution?
19/12/2009 06:03:24 PM
- 731 Views
So, Aviendha trumps RJ? A woman who, as late as tGS, doesn't know what she's doing with the OP?
19/12/2009 06:12:42 PM
- 711 Views
Age-Related Sample Bias
18/12/2009 06:41:03 PM
- 673 Views
I have no problem with that...but it implies that the average woman today isn't at 50% of Lanfear...
18/12/2009 09:46:00 PM
- 798 Views
Partially agreed...
18/12/2009 10:13:46 PM
- 680 Views
Well, the Aes Sedai are the only group that we have detailed strength info about...
18/12/2009 10:26:48 PM
- 785 Views
Sharina is AS ... she'd be dead in a few years if she hadn't gone to the Tower *NM*
28/12/2009 01:08:20 AM
- 819 Views
A thought that occured to me, and I'd like your opinion...
18/12/2009 07:38:29 PM
- 669 Views
Is it just my bad memory or is one of the wondergirls not a sparker?
18/12/2009 10:12:59 PM
- 661 Views
Easier sulution, and real example.
18/12/2009 10:03:20 PM
- 708 Views
And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with...
18/12/2009 10:08:40 PM
- 684 Views
Re: And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with...
19/12/2009 11:39:31 AM
- 922 Views
Dude, Seriously?
18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM
- 708 Views
Indeed, and that's why I propose that...
18/12/2009 10:31:23 PM
- 688 Views
So RJ used two separate scales, one actual one relative, to explain the same thing?
18/12/2009 11:33:20 PM
- 618 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution.
19/12/2009 11:24:10 PM
- 668 Views
I'm sorry, but I've never heard of a non-Gaussian bell curve. Can you prove its existence? *NM*
20/12/2009 03:24:22 AM
- 397 Views
Maybe people in my field just use the term in a non-technical way. We do things with ...
21/12/2009 07:24:43 PM
- 627 Views
That's because outliers in IQ tests are excluded form the curve. *NM*
18/12/2009 11:31:23 PM
- 399 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
- 626 Views
Mathmatically this is very close to the system I proposed in another thread
27/12/2009 01:23:51 AM
- 632 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve:
27/12/2009 10:05:33 PM
- 775 Views
What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"?
27/12/2009 10:28:13 PM
- 982 Views