Lak

Um, oh hell, I really don't know where this would go, but it's pretty out there so it's in TParanoia for now...

Im sure most of you would have read/heard of/heard bits of the trilogy His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman.
If you havn't read at least the first book in this series, and don't want it ruined, I advise you to stop reading my post as it will be spoilery.

Ok. As you probably know, the main character in the story, Lyra, possesses the instrument known as the Alethiometer. It has three windable hands, a compass-like needle, and 36 symbols. An diagram of one is here, accompanied by a breif explanation:
http://mary.enchanted-seas.net/alethiometer.htm

I would like to build one. I do think it is possible to create some kind of instrument along these lines, but it obviously will not be easy.

Here are my thought so far:

#1: It wouldnt need an actual pocket-watch style one obviously. Something resembling an ouija board would be more realistic. Paper and pen, you know.
#2: 36 symbols accompanied by infinite levels of meaning is painfully elaborate. I was thinking of creating a simplified version, with say, 8 symbols, all of the meanings for which I would determine beforehand. However on further consideration, it makes sense to me that the meanings can't be forcefully assigned, but rather must emerge, or be discovered if you like, in a similar fashion to mathematical axioms and relationships. Therefore creating a "simplified" version would actually leave me with a brand new kind of alethiometer, which would have a more limited vocabulary with which to express itself, and the language of which i would have to work out as I went. Of course, as the "established" model of the alethiometer is in fact, entirely fictional, this may be the case anyway.
#3: In the books, the device is powered by Dust. Well, erm... this clearly poses a problem. According to the books Dust is a particle form of the consciousness of beings. If there is an equivalent in real life, it is more that likely the elusive 'psi', the energy involved in performing feats of the paranormal. I realise I sound like I'm straying into la-la land here, but all of these ideas, however absurd they may appear, make sense to me so bear with me for the sake of interest.
#4: If I am to attempt to build a device akin to Pullman's alethiometer using psi, or any kind of psionic energy or phenomena, then the use of the device would be somewhat similar to the art of pendling, or other forms of dowsing. Some experience or general know-how in dowsing is then obviously advantageous.
#5: The idea of the ouija-board model becomes problematic, because it would require two or more people to drive it. A model with a spinning needle would be great, but then I imagine some sort of telekinetic ability would be necessary as well as dowsing ability.

So, there are a great many problems in my way. The foremost being that I'm being quite exceeding ambitious in attempting to recreate a fictitous device that is far fetched even in its ficticious world. But that won't stop me trying.

So if anyone at all has any ideas, or even wants to say "Good fucking luck you basketcase" drop a post off for me.
If you're still reading by this stage and actually want to impart advice, and/or have experience in dowsing and variants of it, I really need help in these main fields, but of course anything at all is greatly appreciated:
- Can I forcefully assign my own meanings to the symbols, and thus build a simplified device?
- Do you have in idea for a better, easier to use model?
- Do you have helpful tips for dowsing, pendling or even some kind of one-man-ouija technique.

Hoo-boy. Tricky.

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tecoyah

Good fucking luck you basket case

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Lak

I figured as much, Tec. cheers

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zen_tom

Magic 8 Ball

No but seriously, it's an interesting idea - but not one I can see working.

Good luck (basket case)

Lak

Pretty much on the money, actually. Using random events to extract answers from one's subconscious. Like pendling, or the Magic 8 Ball, but with more than yes/no/maybe responses.

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Charlatan

I'd love to know that someone actually build a model of one but to make it actually work?

"Good fucking luck you basketcase"

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SaltPork

Lak, that is incredibly ambitious. While I admire your zeal, I can offer little in the way of help. So I leave you with this: Good luck, basketcase.

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scout

Just about the time you think you have heard or seen it all............ Good Luck!!

ranger

How long did it take you to come up with all of that? I have read the Subtle Knife and part of the Dark Compass and i gave up trying to figure the thing out.

tecoyah

Perhaps a good quality Yo-Yo (Duncan Bearing unit), attached to the end of a titanium rod no more than 3mm in diameter. Perfectly balanced on the top of an atomic clock spinning against the Earths rotation?

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Lak

You may just be on to something.
Care to finance my atomic clock? I'm struggling...

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raeanna74

Well perhaps you could build a model that appears to work using one of those self-winding watches. I've seen them around. Get a larger watch and replace the face with the symbols and extra hands. It would appear to move. Not that it would truely function as the fictional one. But it would be cool to see and mess with.

Good luck.

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Kid_Karysma

Raeanna, you pretty much said what I was going to. To build this thing, you should check out watchmaking and the complex gears that go into them. It seems possible, but the building of one with 36 symbols would be incredible. 8 will be quite a feat.

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Lak

I appreciate the input, but as I said in my little speal im not even going to attempt to build a watch. I'm just going to make a mock-up alethiometer, and concentrate on getting an answer out of it, before even going near making it look pretty.

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raeanna74

You could use the workings of a watch to make this work. Not make it as small as a watch but use it as a pattern and possibly scavange parts. That sort of thing.

Are you serious about trying to get an answer out of this?? A legit answer?? You're joking right?

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Lak

In my present design, it'd work like dowsing, or pendling. I'm going to be doing a lot of research and practise into dowsing and the various forms it takes. If I can get a response from downsing instruments then I might have a chance of getting a response out of an alethiometer - this is why I want a very 'user-friendly' design. I want it to be simple to interface with. I don't know if i'll even need question hands. And just to make this clear - I will NOT be building any kind of device that resembles a watch, a compass, or any other 'handed' instrument. I'm still thinking about the design, and it will be based more on translating dowsing techniques than it will on the fiction by Pullman.
Yes, I'm serious. I have wandered into this stuff before, with modest success. To be honest, I don't like my chances, but hey, it's worth a shot.

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