On the Nature of Gorean Technologies

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May 2012

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May 28 - Memorial Day

[Padraig Swordthain]

In the books, very little mention is made of the technological advances of Gor, and the fact that they do rival Earth, although in different fields. While on Earth, a greater part of technology has risen from various experiments in warfare, on Gor, that'll earn you some blue flame. Gorean advances seem mostly to have come in the area of medicine and biology.

All the same, the books make offhand reference to a few things that leave a good many doors open in terms of what could be made natively, on Gor. For instance, the tarn goad seems to be an electrical device, and by extension, the slave goad, as well. This implies contained electricity -- batteries, if you will -- since they're not exactly running on wall current.

Now, we've got electricity, an understanding (presumably) of electrical and magnetic currents in living bodies, and a healthy respect for performance and musicians... However, we lack an understanding of radio waves and other related principles. So, the question becomes: would inventing the theremin get a man the flame death?

Debate among yourselves, or throw rotten larma at my head... It's all the same to me.

[Havoc Rau]

Since i am currently out of rotten larma...

You missed a few, Scanning electronic microscopes and other medical electronics includeing (presumably) CRT screens, Lightbulbs and electric blankets, though its the bed itself, come to mind

But these are important and essential, would the builders go through all the for a musical instrument is the questions i would have to ask.

[Padraig Swordthain]

And this is why I shouldn't try to write speculative things after not sleeping for a few days -- I leave out all the stupidly obvious stuff... Duhr. Hello, Paddy, electron microscopes don't work without power... *shakes head*

But, seriously -- just because a man's an electrical engineer doesn't mean he's got no love of music. A couple of the more entertaining musicians I've hung out with IRL were computer scientists when they were offstage. One actually wrote a synthesizer for the 386 in assembly, because he was bored. So, yeah... I don't see being a Builder as necessarily being a bar to inventing weird-ass instruments.

I do see building the oscillators necessary for the theremin as potentially smite-worthy, though. Very similar components are used in broadcast and reception equipment, and if it weren't for the Priest Kings disapproval of wide-range communications, there would be absolutely no reason for Gor to be without radio. So, it comes down to that fine line... is it close enough to get the flames, or is it just different enough to slide by?

[Nia Dinzeo]

I will leave the big thinking to folks like you, all I got from that was "
blah blah blah blah thermon"  But hey if you ever need to know the diference between first slave, and second.  Or the different styles of slave garments, I'm your girl! Or was *coughs and smooths the wrinkles in her new gown*