A few thoughts on the Final Battle and the nature of the Power.

 

The ability to channel the One Power seems to be linked to a genetic curiousity in a few humans. That it is linked to genetics is fairly clear as it follows bloodlines. (and also the Reborn Souls) The Reborn Souls ability to channel seems to superced the biological aspect. Anyway there are hints in the last few books that the reliance on the Power as a vehicle for progress (as in the AoL) might be coming to an end. The hints that the newly invented steam engine will transform the world. also the emergence of militarized use of gunpowder. in our own history these inventions did transform the world and heralded new technological advancement. however why would any of these things matter if by the end of Tarmon Gai'don the Power is cleansed and male and female Aes Sedais once more can access it freely. It wouldn't. what would spark the need for technological advancement if the Power can do all the things technology can, but better and faster. So I think that the Final Battle will see the end of the usage of the Power itself. How. well it seems unlikely that it would somehow be culled from the human race, after all if the genetic peculiarity that allows channeling could come about once it sure would again, and this is not even counting the Reborn Souls angle. So I think there might be something else happening at the Final Battle. I think that the relationship between the Power, the Wheel and The Pattern itself will change. remove the relationship between these things and regardless of genetics or Rebirth humans would be unable to touch the One Power as it's no longer suffucing reality.

 

The Death if Time might not be a bad thing as it would sever the connection between The One Power and the Pattern. And without this link the DO would have no interest or capacity to reach the world.

 

What do you think?

 

 

the AS finally get a crapload of new novices, bind ties to most of the non AS channelers... and the power goes bye bye.

 

yeah that'd tick some women off.

I think the problem with the theory is that the Age of Legends was far more technologically advanced than the things you see in the Third Age. It's not like their technology was all powered by the One Power.

 

I think part of the point is to hint that things could go to ways. TG could end and they could enter an Age of progress, or TG could end and they could be thrown back to the stone age.

Perhaps, but I wonder at the level of their technology, all the great researchers we've heard about through the series have all been channelers. perhaps their technology was based on the power, perhaps not a hundred percent directly, but their advancements all seem linked to the Power.

 

 

I don't think that the Power would just go away.  I think that the invention of steam engines and other things of the nature would just close the gap between channellers and non-channellers. 

 

We see throughout the series what happens when an army with channellers fights an army of non-channellers.  But if non-channellers can use, say, a tank, then why do they need to throw fireballs???

however why would any of these things matter if by the end of Tarmon Gai'don the Power is cleansed and male and female Aes Sedais once more can access it freely. It wouldn't. what would spark the need for technological advancement if the Power can do all the things technology can, but better and faster.

About 1% of the population can channel. Take transportation, for example. Traveling is faster than a steam wagon, but a lot of channelers aren't strong enough to Travel. And of those that can, they won't necessarily want to spend all their time sticking aroun making Gateways. So goods will still need to be moved around via regular methods. And improving those regular methods, making them faster, will have advantages. Perishable goods can go farther, for example. Or take firearms. Is it easier to replace an Asha'man or a cannon? Which is easier to mass produce? If there are distinct advantages to doing things without the Power, people will. The Power disappearing all at once after TG would almost certainly be disappointing. People had reasons to begin technological change when the Pwer existed in the past and present of the series, they will still have those reasons in the future.

Isn't it mentioned somewhere that the Aes Sedai of the AoL created objects that made the One Power available to the public, so that non-channelers could use ter'angreal that they ordinarily shouldn't have been able to use? I interpreted that as the OP being used almost like electricty, to power things and make machines work. The people using the machines weren't necessarily channelers, but the One Power was still required.

 

And it would be disappointing if the One Power just disappeared at the end of the series. Deeply disappointing.