BlizzCon 2010: Give Us Your Lore Questions!

[Norfindel]

Elephants and dolphins communicate over great distances by using sound, so long-distance communication does exist. They cannot talk, but if they could, would that be that different from using telepathy?

I mean, telepathy is defined as direct mind to mind communication, but there's no proof that the brain emits any kind of substancial energy directly, but why would it? It's job is to think, not to transduce energy into another form, that's why vocal cords are there. Now, if we had some kind of organ that allows communication over great distances, would that be telepathy?

[DemolitionSquid]

I think the aspect of defining telepathy over echolocation you're missing is that telepathy involves no external physical sound. The noises elephants and dolphins use is just that: noise. Pressure waves traveling through the air or water which can be picked up by other beings. Telepathy would be more akin to a radio or a light beam; energy with no effect on its medium. I see no reason something such as a silicon based lifeform wouldn't be able to evolve an internal radio organ to communicate with others of its kind without effecting its external environment with pressure waves. We use a radio to convert electronic waves into sound, but if you had no need to convert that energy into sound and could simply absorb it as is, such a form of communication would technically classify as telepathy.

[Gradius]

Ok, are we talking about reality or fiction still? Because clearly no psychic organisms have evolved on Earth. :P

IMO, if psionic phenomena exist, they're probably going to be a result of quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superposition. Entanglement shows that two objects can be part of the same system despite the distance separating them, and superposition shows that objects can occupy a quantum state in a completely different location, meaning that the brain might be able to access it in this way. Telekinesis might simply be the brain affecting the hypothetical ocean of higgs particles that permeate all of space and give other particles their mass.

Elephants and dolphins communicate over great distances by using sound, so long-distance communication does exist. They cannot talk, but if they could, would that be that different from using telepathy?

I mean, telepathy is defined as direct mind to mind communication, but there's no proof that the brain emits any kind of substancial energy directly, but why would it? It's job is to think, not to transduce energy into another form, that's why vocal cords are there. Now, if we had some kind of organ that allows communication over great distances, would that be telepathy?

Though this would have a similar effect as telepathy, you've basically just described hearing, which is one of the five senses and therefore can't rightly be called telepathy. Also, this method of telepathy wouldn't work in a vacuum.

[FanaticTemplar]

Elephants and dolphins communicate over great distances by using sound, so long-distance communication does exist. They cannot talk, but if they could, would that be that different from using telepathy?

I mean, telepathy is defined as direct mind to mind communication, but there's no proof that the brain emits any kind of substancial energy directly, but why would it? It's job is to think, not to transduce energy into another form, that's why vocal cords are there. Now, if we had some kind of organ that allows communication over great distances, would that be telepathy?

I think that would be telephony, not telepathy .

[phazonjunkie]

Alright, I think we've derailed this thread enough for now.

Here's another question;

Just how do mutalisks fly in space?

Hehe don't worry, I've already acknowledged that they can as an acceptable break from reality, I'm just curious as to what Metzen will pull out of his ass in regards an expanation.

[DemolitionSquid]

Alright, I think we've derailed this thread enough for now.

Here's another question;

Just how do mutalisks fly in space?

Hehe don't worry, I've already acknowledged that they can as an acceptable break from reality, I'm just curious as to what Metzen will pull out of his ass in regards an expanation.

Unfortunately we already kind of have an answer.

[Pandonetho]

Pretty sure Metzan will avoid that question, because our last 'official' explanation was that scientists didn't know how Mutalisks fly... and that was in the Mutalisk page on the starcraft2.com site.

[Zero]

Alright. Thanks to everyone who posted their lore questions. Myself and the rest of the staff will filter through them and find the best to ask at the StarCraft II Story Q&A Session.