[TV] The Legend of Korra - Page 115

On June 20 2012 07:59 Acetone wrote:

Yes, that's what I was getting at. However, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "bending the sound itself." Sound is just how our eardrums interpret longitudinal waves in a certain range of frequencies (I think the approximate range is between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz), so the only type of soundbending I can imagine is generating a specific sound by controlling your medium of choice (air, water or earth) at the molecular level and exercising some limited control over the direction of propagation. As far as I'm concerned, that'd be some Grandmaster-level bending. Hmmm, perhaps, if it were really studied and developed, we could hear some musicbending and conversationbending. O.O

EDIT: I felt like I should mention that I share you frustration with the idea of earthbending. Really, what ARE they bending? o.O

On June 20 2012 08:58 Acetone wrote:

Nothing. On the surface, it's easily explained and understood, but if you start wondering what exactly is being bent in what we're referring to as "earth" and "rock" (i.e. metals? metallic and/or other inorganic oxides? organics?), things get difficult. Well, impossible, really, as far as I'm concerned. I've wasted more than enough time pondering it already. I think the last discussion about it in this thread was maybe 10-20 pages back, but that's a pretty rough guess, and nothing definitive was really settled, from what I remember of it.

On June 20 2012 09:08 Belgo wrote:


I think you are way over thinking it, if *that* is what you are confused about. Remember this is all based on the 4(plus self) classical elements. Don't try to impart scientific knowledge in a very philosophical area, or you will be forever confounded.

On June 20 2012 09:31 Acetone wrote:

I don't disagree. However, being the engineer that I am, I'm usually unable to keep myself from thinking about things scientifically.


If you look at the average composition of the Earth's crust, you'll get an idea for what elements, compounds, and classes of compounds might be considered earthbendable in the Avatar universe. The graph on the right of that page is also helpful, especially for its highlighting of what it calls "rock-forming elements."
Your airbending question is another one that I've wondered about myself, and despite the fact that air's composition is much easier to consider than earth's, we really have nothing to go on in terms of what aspects of it in particular (or as you suggested, gases in general) make it airbendable. So airbending and earthbending are somewhat similar in terms of their evasion of a clear understanding of what exactly the bender is controlling. I could (and probably should) lump firebending in with them, but flames and combustion are very complex phenomena, so given the difficulties presented by airbending and earthbending (which are quite simple by comparison), I'll probably never bother considering firebending in a similar fashion.

On June 20 2012 09:43 Derme wrote:


The thing about any world involving the supernatural is that the usual laws of physics have to apply at some level for the supernatural-ness to be significant at all. For example, you could hit someone with a rock and the only reason it matters is that the law of momentum still works as it's meant to. The question he seemed to be asking is where to draw the line. I personally am unable to understand how earthbenders can manipulate the earth and all the metallic oxides, metals, non-metals and various other compounds and yet not pure platinum, which is just another element.

On June 20 2012 10:46 Belgo wrote:


Yes. He is Zuko's Grandson.

On June 20 2012 13:21 HuggyBear wrote:


I would assume son though, since he is named after General Iroh

EDIT: Checked the wiki, guess I was wrong =/

On June 20 2012 13:27 Belgo wrote:


What are you talking about? You are right http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Iroh_(Legend_of_Korra)

On June 20 2012 13:33 ClysmiC wrote:

He assumed it was his son. It's his grandson.