What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type?

b-dog · 03-30-2016, 06:32 PM

I was wondering what would happen if things were really made of atoms of their own type. For instance, apples would be made of apple atoms, the smallest piece of matter that still has the properties of atoms. The same would be true of humans, dogs and anything else. There would be human atoms that combine to make human beings, dog atoms to make dogs and so on. Maybe this would make alchemy make sense when it combines eye of newt and so on. What would be the implications of this?

simply Nathan · 03-30-2016, 06:45 PM

Digestive systems would have to be alchemical for anything other than pure obligate cannibals.

Anthony · 03-30-2016, 06:56 PM

Then the way the world worked would be so alien that it's hard to analyze. Also, is an apple pie made out of apple atoms and sugar atoms and.... or is it made out of apple pie atoms?

b-dog · 03-30-2016, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simply Nathan

Digestive systems would have to be alchemical for anything other than pure obligate cannibals.

Yes, that was what I was thinking.

b-dog · 03-30-2016, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony

Then the way the world worked would be so alien that it's hard to analyze. Also, is an apple pie made out of apple atoms and sugar atoms and.... or is it made out of apple pie atoms?

I would argue that there are still apple atoms in apple pie as the chucks of apple would be composed of apple atoms. The crust would be grain atoms.

Nereidalbel · 03-30-2016, 07:15 PM

Then you have a world where physics are so radically different that they defy examination.

RyanW · 03-30-2016, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Then you have a world where physics are so radically different that they defy examination.

Or rather, no hypothetical examination is more valid than any other. There are no implications, as there is no groundwork there for anything to imply anything.

There is a subtle line between "the rules are different" and "there are no rules", and quite frankly, a world of the latter is scenery, not a setting. I want to punch someone every time someone dismisses a question with "magic exists, I don't have to explain anything."

Boomerang · 03-30-2016, 09:28 PM

Everything in the universe would already be in its purest form. One of the implications of such a universe is that everything would be near indestructible. For example you could not squeeze the water (water molecules) out of an orange because it is constructed solely from orange atoms. At worst your atoms could be separated, but they could simply be assembled again and you are as good as new.

mr beer · 03-30-2016, 09:36 PM

How do we explain things that are part of the whole but clearly different e.g. apple stems and apple seeds and apple flesh? Are these apple allotropes? If so, can one allotrope be changed into another?

Celjabba · 03-31-2016, 12:14 AM

Transmutation would have to happen for fire and eating at the very least. .. wood to fire, grass to beef to steak to human, ... Outside of those, the world would be sort of frozen, with everything unchanging ?
No chemistry but alchemy.
Art and crafting may be unchanged (stone stay stone) or a transmutation process ( stone become statue or house)
It would impact similarities law in RPM magic and magic alchemy if such exist in setting.
A world traveller would find his usual chemistry skill (also biology, physics and pharmacy) to be useless.

03-30-2016, 06:32 PM	#1
b-dog Join Date: Nov 2006	What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? I was wondering what would happen if things were really made of atoms of their own type. For instance, apples would be made of apple atoms, the smallest piece of matter that still has the properties of atoms. The same would be true of humans, dogs and anything else. There would be human atoms that combine to make human beings, dog atoms to make dogs and so on. Maybe this would make alchemy make sense when it combines eye of newt and so on. What would be the implications of this?

03-30-2016, 06:45 PM	#2
simply Nathan formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans' Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wyoming, Michigan	Re: What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? Digestive systems would have to be alchemical for anything other than pure obligate cannibals. __________________ Ba-weep granah wheep minibon. Wubba lubba dub dub.

03-30-2016, 06:56 PM	#3
Anthony Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Berkeley, CA	Re: What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? Then the way the world worked would be so alien that it's hard to analyze. Also, is an apple pie made out of apple atoms and sugar atoms and.... or is it made out of apple pie atoms? __________________ My GURPS site and Blog.

03-30-2016, 07:15 PM	#6
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? Then you have a world where physics are so radically different that they defy examination.

03-30-2016, 09:28 PM	#8
Boomerang Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Melbourne, Australia (also known as zone Brisbane)	Re: What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? Everything in the universe would already be in its purest form. One of the implications of such a universe is that everything would be near indestructible. For example you could not squeeze the water (water molecules) out of an orange because it is constructed solely from orange atoms. At worst your atoms could be separated, but they could simply be assembled again and you are as good as new.

03-30-2016, 09:36 PM	#9
mr beer Join Date: Mar 2013	Re: What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? How do we explain things that are part of the whole but clearly different e.g. apple stems and apple seeds and apple flesh? Are these apple allotropes? If so, can one allotrope be changed into another?

03-31-2016, 12:14 AM	#10
Celjabba Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Luxembourg	Re: What if all types of things were made of atoms of their own type? Transmutation would have to happen for fire and eating at the very least. .. wood to fire, grass to beef to steak to human, ... Outside of those, the world would be sort of frozen, with everything unchanging ? No chemistry but alchemy. Art and crafting may be unchanged (stone stay stone) or a transmutation process ( stone become statue or house) It would impact similarities law in RPM magic and magic alchemy if such exist in setting. A world traveller would find his usual chemistry skill (also biology, physics and pharmacy) to be useless.