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I would say that your sample is flawed. RugbyPlayingAshaman Send a noteboard - 18/12/2009 05:02:02 PM
The Tower isn't skewed towards stronger or weaker women - it is skewed towards women who sought it out.

It makes sense to me that so many of the channelers that came after the Novice books were opened were stronger than the average Sister - the Tower's population never had the strongest channelers; it had females who shared certain ideals and personality types.

This would be like trying to figure out the average IQ of the American population by testing a representative sample of the American Bar Association; sure many of them will be very smart and intelligent in whichever measure would be reflected on the IQ test but the broader population of the country would contain many smarter people who never went into the legal field by the virtue of having more members.

In terms of channeler strength, another factor keeps coming to mind, in my opinion - too weak to test for the Shawl is a very different thing than being too weak to make a good Aes Sedai, so their standards need updating as well. Berowin, for example, has such a Talent in Shielding, despite her overall weakness, that you might as well throw out most of the usual estimations as to who can Shield who - she could hold Moghedien at the point in the story we saw her, and with her lack of struggle holding Nynaeve, she may be able to hold more powerful women, as well.

Here is my alternative answer: The women occupying the 50% mark (ie: the elusive average female channeler) is busy in the world raising children, running businesses and minding her own business most likely with a block preventing her from channeling if she had the ability inborn or no training to bring it out with absolutely no interest to become an Aes Sedai in the first place. Even with the Novice books open we are only seeing the segment of the population that wants to be affiliated with the White Tower.
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
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The One Power Bell Curve: Proof that it is not centered on 50% of the strongest channeler's strength - 18/12/2009 08:37:55 AM 1458 Views
I always thought the curve was one sided - 18/12/2009 01:17:32 PM 845 Views
I would say that your sample is flawed. - 18/12/2009 05:02:02 PM 917 Views
well said *NM* - 18/12/2009 05:12:40 PM 431 Views
It doesn't matter... - 18/12/2009 10:02:38 PM 780 Views
But, it sort of does. - 18/12/2009 10:43:08 PM 838 Views
So you're saying that no modern Aes Sedai are even of average strength? - 18/12/2009 10:51:01 PM 926 Views
Are you sure it's the same bell curve from the AoL? - 18/12/2009 11:11:19 PM 875 Views
The Tower is restricted to the middle... - 18/12/2009 05:35:03 PM 1000 Views
Two things... - 18/12/2009 09:28:25 PM 832 Views
The culling theory... - 18/12/2009 09:36:34 PM 783 Views
The culling theory applies to the ENTIRE population, not just Aes Sedai... - 18/12/2009 09:42:31 PM 899 Views
Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... - 18/12/2009 09:48:59 PM 971 Views
Re: Yes, but Aes Sedai take it to a new level... - 18/12/2009 10:06:15 PM 760 Views
Several more things... - 18/12/2009 11:26:19 PM 926 Views
You don't understand your own model... - 18/12/2009 11:38:05 PM 948 Views
So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution? - 19/12/2009 06:03:24 PM 841 Views
Re: So RJ was wrong about Bell Curve distribution? - 19/12/2009 06:10:52 PM 807 Views
Its simple really... - 19/12/2009 06:15:23 PM 825 Views
Age-Related Sample Bias - 18/12/2009 06:41:03 PM 794 Views
A thought that occured to me, and I'd like your opinion... - 18/12/2009 07:38:29 PM 794 Views
Well Sharina isn't a sparker and she's the strongest AS - 18/12/2009 07:57:17 PM 800 Views
Yes... - 18/12/2009 08:01:57 PM 893 Views
Is it just my bad memory or is one of the wondergirls not a sparker? - 18/12/2009 10:12:59 PM 781 Views
I think it's just a bad memory... - 18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM 787 Views
Easier sulution, and real example. - 18/12/2009 10:03:20 PM 847 Views
And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with... - 18/12/2009 10:08:40 PM 804 Views
Re: And that is indeed the solution I feel most comfortable with... - 19/12/2009 11:39:31 AM 1038 Views
Agree, but a little more curvy is better - 19/12/2009 11:17:16 PM 746 Views
*facepalm* - 18/12/2009 10:13:16 PM 824 Views
That's just the normalized value graphed on a log scale. - 19/12/2009 11:20:41 PM 798 Views
Dude, Seriously? - 18/12/2009 10:19:25 PM 818 Views
Indeed, and that's why I propose that... - 18/12/2009 10:31:23 PM 809 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution. - 19/12/2009 11:24:10 PM 798 Views
It does to RJ - 20/12/2009 03:12:30 PM 888 Views
Yes, "Bell Curve" does not mean Gausian. Or normal distribution. - 19/12/2009 11:24:11 PM 774 Views
That's because outliers in IQ tests are excluded form the curve. *NM* - 18/12/2009 11:31:23 PM 458 Views
Really?!?! then what is the definition of a IQ of 200? - 19/12/2009 11:28:18 PM 1102 Views
You can have IQ's above that... - 20/12/2009 05:09:44 AM 820 Views
I said that in the other post and was half torn to pieces *NM* - 19/12/2009 11:38:25 AM 398 Views
Eh. Ignore the IQ value and draw it on a linear weight scale - 19/12/2009 11:26:23 PM 779 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve: Proof that it is not centered on 50% of the strongest channeler's stre - 19/12/2009 06:02:34 PM 752 Views
I like this idea - 20/12/2009 04:01:28 PM 956 Views
Accidental Post *NM* - 20/12/2009 07:11:09 PM 446 Views
Mathmatically this is very close to the system I proposed in another thread - 27/12/2009 01:23:51 AM 757 Views
Re: The One Power Bell Curve: - 27/12/2009 10:05:33 PM 911 Views
What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 27/12/2009 10:28:13 PM 1112 Views
Re: What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 28/12/2009 03:19:14 PM 792 Views
Re: What makes you think Alviarin is "middling"? - 28/12/2009 03:30:44 PM 1010 Views

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