Talk:Electromagnetism

Archives	Archived Topics
Nov/Dec 2006	Name · Re: Ted's power · The dying patient. · Split? · To Summarize the Above · Rename Template · Then let's get the vote down. · Consensus · Note, Events & Archival · Electrogenesis · Bliss and Horror All Over Again · If which ever side wins, WINS
Jan/Nov 2007	Lightning · A good solution to the electrical name calling! · Split · Split or Rename · Consensus Check · *cough*, *cough* · Do it like flight · Electricity Manipulation · On lumping and spliting las pesonas electricos... · Archive the above mess?

Ability Naming Conventions
The following sources are used for determining evolved human ability names, in order:
1. Canon Sources	Episodes
2. Near-canon Sources	Webisodes, Graphic Novels, iStories, Heroes Evolutions
3. Secondary Sources	Episode commentary, Interviews, Heroes: Survival
4. Common names for abilities	Names from other works
5. Descriptions of abilities	Descriptions
6. Possessor's name	If no non-speculative description is possible
Note: The highlighted row represents the level of the source used to determine electromagnetism's name.
Source/Explanation
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Electric propulsion

• Electromagnetism is not the only type of electric propulsion. I see no reason not to merge this back with lightning. -Lөvөl 13:54, 29 November 2007 (EST)
  • Wikipedia lists the others as a) electrostatic, b) electrothermal and c) vacuum arc thrusters... a) electrostatic force is the force between subatomic particles... The Agent isn't microscopic, he's not using a stream of particles to levitate, and he's not charging the ground; b) electrothermal is described as using electromagnetic fields to heat a plasma to heat yet another propellant... no plasma or other propellant on the Agent, and this method still uses electromagnetism indirectly' c) vacuum arc thrusters require a vacuum... and the Agent is not in outer space. Electromagnetism is the only rl force known to cause said levitation. Think MagLev trains.--MiamiVolts (talk) 15:09, 29 November 2007 (EST)
    • MagLev's use two objects with the same magnetic charge (the track and the train), electricity works the same. Opposites attract and likes repel. Electric repulsion can and does happen as can be seen with some affects of a Van de Graaff generator, or even by rubbing two balloons in your hair and holding them near each other. The Agent doesn't have to charge the ground, just have the same charge, and how do you know he isn't charging the ground? Electric levitation is just as possible as magnetic levitation, it is just unstable and more dangerous. And it is called lightning in the graphic novel. -Lөvөl 04:31, 5 December 2007 (EST)
      • Van de Graff generators and rubbing two balloons together are good examples of static repulsion. With a Van de Graaff generator, if you hold your hand on the metal conductor of the generator, your hair rises and you are okay; but if you remove your hand just a bit, you get shocked as the electric particles must then connect to you through the air (don't try this at home kids, it's not fun). Thus, if it is static repulsion the lightning should be flowing from his hands to the ground at all times to keep him in the air and it isn't. Also, if his power was somehow magically charging the ground, that would quickly be felt by those on the ground. And again, as you mentioned, static repulsion is an unstable form of repulsion, not very suitable for levitating in the air as the Agent clearly was. Future Peter calls his own ability "lightning" in the GN, and I agree Future Peter's ability should be named thus. But since Peter didn't levitate like the Agent, the Agent's power must be assumed a different ability.--MiamiVolts (talk) 08:00, 5 December 2007 (EST)
        • The arcs would happen when there are parts of the objects that have opposite charges, it would happen frequently but not necessarily constantly. It would be easier to use electric levitation then to levitate in the earth's magnetic field, as earth's magnetic field is too weak locally to even levitate a very powerful magnet, in order for it to work the object would have to have a very large magnetic field. The insatiability would mean he would have to be constantly adjusting the field, not that it wouldn't work. It is actually easier to explain the Agent's levitation by electricity, then it is to explain Elle's "sharp shooting", witch would require the two objects to be the strongest oppositely charged objects in the area, with nothing between them to interfere or conduct. Ted could produce an EM pulse, Peter hasn't, it doesn't mean they are different powers. -Lөvөl 12:16, 5 December 2007 (EST)
          1. It would be constantly cause if the Agent was charging a portion of the ground and himself to match it as you suggest, then the uncharged ground closest to him would create an arc, not necessarily only towards him but potentially also towards the sky. There's also the problem of a charge affecting the others on the ground, which isn't a problem for magnetism. The earth is already one large magnet, so theoretically the Agent just has to have a strong enough magnetic field around himself to levitate. There is some cool info. about diamagnetism research performed at a Netherlands university, that shows how they made frogs levitate.--MiamiVolts (talk) 13:10, 5 December 2007 (EST)
          2. With Ted, we saw him use radioactivity first. If Ted's first action with his ability was the EM pulse, we might have thought the radioactivity was a bonus effect and not the main power. With the Agent, we don't have the advantage to know which came first (the levitation or the lightning bolts), so we need to assume they came at the same time.--MiamiVolts (talk) 13:10, 5 December 2007 (EST)
          3. And as for Elle's ability, this is fiction, so you have to suspend a certain amount of disbelief. My thought is that Elle charges herself and her target to opposite polarity in order to generate the lightning.--MiamiVolts (talk) 13:10, 5 December 2007 (EST)