Post by Austria on May 15, 2013 12:30:42 GMT -5
So... I, Austria's admin, have no life, and this is official. I was thinking about the scientific ideas of this AU... Some I imagine will be covered in further missions, so I was thinking less zombies themselves, and more on the sigma rays... I have a feeling they are a given, and we're not supposed to think too hard about their actual make-up. I gather location of scource and/or cause of their creation is also something Iggy-admin has ideas for...
Seeing as Iggy-admin and zombie-mod obviously have a lot of things planned out, maybe we shold steer of contemplating the actual effects, what could have generated the sigma rays and anything which would be necessary to solve the problem, at least until we're told we're allowed to. Feel free to add your own ideas, too!
Anyway...
Sigma Rays
The sorts of electromagnetic (EM) wave which we know of are, for the most part, well studied and people use them in everyday life. However, it is clearly specifie that sigma waves are EM. Although Terahertz radiation is not often studied, I think it is fairly safe to say that it is not another same for sigma rays.
Which, in turn, leaves the question what could they be?
EM waves, as far as I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong) interact with matter on a scale, ie different types of wave interact with different potencies depending on their wavelengths, energies and what they are going to interact with.
The 'correct' wavelengths to damage DNA, rather than general cells, have already been closely studied, and shown to not have enough energy to do so. Those which can damage full cells have also been carefully studied, as they are used in treatments of cancer - and, no cancer patient has ever become one of the living dead.
Another thing about EM waves: like normal transverse waves, they can interefere (I believe; this is why the radio crackles). When they interefere, it makes waves of varying amplitude and wavelength.
This leads to my proposal. The Sigma wave is not actually any specific EM wave, but rather it is a specific combination of them. Through exact levels of amplification between the different waves, and their various intereference patters, it is plausible - remotely, but plausible - that an paticular combination could cause the effects described. It could have a selection of wavelengths to interefer with the DNA, as well as some other frequencies giving the high energy - and, there would be many of them. Also, nobody has tested exact combinations - it is rather a waste of time.
This could also explain why only some people were effected by the first burst of sigma radiation; people would have had to have been angled and moving correctly so as not to disrupt the waves as they interfered with the DNA. Despite what you may think, it's actually unlikely that nobody would be effected, simply due to the huge numbers involved. And, if there were multiple bursts of this combination of EM waves called Sigma, it would easily infect enough people for it to become epidemic. Plus, once the reanimated and started infecting by transfer of bodily fluids, humanity would be screwed. Potency would also decreased with distance from the source, what- or where- ever that may be.
And, here you have my day's worth of musings. Anything you would like to say?
Other than the fact: WARNING I am not an EM physics specialist; take everything with a pinch of salt. Just because the theory works does not mean the practice will, and the theory might even be wrong on my part.
Seeing as Iggy-admin and zombie-mod obviously have a lot of things planned out, maybe we shold steer of contemplating the actual effects, what could have generated the sigma rays and anything which would be necessary to solve the problem, at least until we're told we're allowed to. Feel free to add your own ideas, too!
Anyway...
Sigma Rays
The sorts of electromagnetic (EM) wave which we know of are, for the most part, well studied and people use them in everyday life. However, it is clearly specifie that sigma waves are EM. Although Terahertz radiation is not often studied, I think it is fairly safe to say that it is not another same for sigma rays.
Which, in turn, leaves the question what could they be?
EM waves, as far as I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong) interact with matter on a scale, ie different types of wave interact with different potencies depending on their wavelengths, energies and what they are going to interact with.
The 'correct' wavelengths to damage DNA, rather than general cells, have already been closely studied, and shown to not have enough energy to do so. Those which can damage full cells have also been carefully studied, as they are used in treatments of cancer - and, no cancer patient has ever become one of the living dead.
Another thing about EM waves: like normal transverse waves, they can interefere (I believe; this is why the radio crackles). When they interefere, it makes waves of varying amplitude and wavelength.
This leads to my proposal. The Sigma wave is not actually any specific EM wave, but rather it is a specific combination of them. Through exact levels of amplification between the different waves, and their various intereference patters, it is plausible - remotely, but plausible - that an paticular combination could cause the effects described. It could have a selection of wavelengths to interefer with the DNA, as well as some other frequencies giving the high energy - and, there would be many of them. Also, nobody has tested exact combinations - it is rather a waste of time.
This could also explain why only some people were effected by the first burst of sigma radiation; people would have had to have been angled and moving correctly so as not to disrupt the waves as they interfered with the DNA. Despite what you may think, it's actually unlikely that nobody would be effected, simply due to the huge numbers involved. And, if there were multiple bursts of this combination of EM waves called Sigma, it would easily infect enough people for it to become epidemic. Plus, once the reanimated and started infecting by transfer of bodily fluids, humanity would be screwed. Potency would also decreased with distance from the source, what- or where- ever that may be.
And, here you have my day's worth of musings. Anything you would like to say?
Other than the fact: WARNING I am not an EM physics specialist; take everything with a pinch of salt. Just because the theory works does not mean the practice will, and the theory might even be wrong on my part.
I'm also very glad that it made sense.