Gunnerkrigg Court

[The_Codfish]

So, going to take a guess and say Coyote's personality is based on what people believe him to be like. And people think he's silly. Which makes Yes-and-grin maaaaad.

[unbridledExüberance]

If coyote is telling the truth, then that makes science so easy. Just come up with a theory that is internally consistent and doesn't contradict any current laws, and BAM. You just willed some laws of physics into existance!

I am now imagining the Gunnerkrigg laws of physics to have like a million different types of subatomic particles, mostly things made up to "fix" science into working how people think it does, and thus paradoxially making it work that way.

Or better yet, completely avoid all possible fields of science and myth, and just come up with the most impressive explanation for mundane things, willing magic items into existance! Convenience!

[Merfnad]

Hmm... You might not be entirely wrong, considering the weird science-magic they use in the court.

[Druplesnubb]

This chapter, and especially the latest pages and the ones to come in the near future, seems to like a cornerstone of the entire story to me, possibly of more importance than the revelations of Jeanne's past and of the reason for Surma's death. Som people on the Gunnerkrigg forums have pointed out what a scientific institution like the court could mean to the creatures who only exist because of man's belief in the supernatural (remember Coyote's remark that "the court is man's attempt to become god"?). This could give an entire new dimension to the conflict between the court and the forest.

[deathsbuddy]

But at the same time, Coyote can't help but love the court, can he?

The court is just humans exhibiting exactly the same traits that Coyote described, and the same qualities that made him "exist" in the first place.

[Druplesnubb]

Yes, one of the other reasons why this is so interesting storywise is because it means that the technological world and the etherical world are two sides of the same coin, so to speak.

[kwinse]

My impression is that it has to do with death and 'passing on' and such. Like, dying while believing in a myth adds to the power that makes that myth real.

Or something.

[bloodyEmissary]

If a tree falls alone in the forest, does it make a sound?

The coyote is still there, watching the man.

Edit: Also, this is probably pretty relevant re: creativity being a thing only humans have?

[Ace of Dark-Hearts]

why coyote why

[Walliard]

Or better yet, completely avoid all possible fields of science and myth, and just come up with the most impressive explanation for mundane things, willing magic items into existance! Convenience!

Etherics = anything willed into existence as such
Technology = anything that "actually" exists

maybe?

[Freack]

Obviously the gods in Gunnerkrigg work like the ones on Discworld. So long as someone believes int them they exist.

That or American Gods. It has been a while since I read either of those.

[deathsbuddy]

That or Okami, right?

[Freack]

Never played it.

But I assume that the crazy Fox thing is a god in a similar line as Coyote? How did that story work out?

[deathsbuddy]

(amaterasu's a wolf)

When you do something good, or purify an area, you get "praise" which can be used to increase your attributes. The in-game explanation for how weak you are at the beginning of the game is that "nobody believes in the gods anymore".

And that's not even getting into how you beat the final boss.

[ikkonoishi]

Here is an ongoing LP if you are interested.

[Wriggler needs a name]

I think that's a little too involved for the topic at hand.

If coyote is telling the truth, then that makes science so easy. Just come up with a theory that is internally consistent and doesn't contradict any current laws, and BAM. You just willed some laws of physics into existance!

I am now imagining the Gunnerkrigg laws of physics to have like a million different types of subatomic particles, mostly things made up to "fix" science into working how people think it does, and thus paradoxially making it work that way.

Or better yet, completely avoid all possible fields of science and myth, and just come up with the most impressive explanation for mundane things, willing magic items into existance! Convenience!

Well, according to Coyote there must be some workings below all the myth made real right? Think of it like some sort of, etheric uncertainty principle. The particles that actually exist and make the universe run are hidden and sometimes replaced by particles believed to be there. People don't understand their true nature, the misconception is commonly accepted and made more real.

[chimericWilder]

Im pretty certain that most people outside of the Court even know Coyote exists, so it cant work like Okami, but that doesnt mean its not atleast similar in some ways.

By which i mean, people believe in myths instead of directly believing in Coyote.

Or something. That seems to be what Coyote is saying, anyway.

[ArmsAreLoud]

Seems like American Gods to me. Even though Coyote is little more than historical data about a certain culture now he still exists in our minds and can live off that.

Also guys I finally read this comic last night and it is super duper good

That is all I have to say, really.

[Freack]

Welcome to the club it is great and also makes no sense sometimes.

And there is no fanfiction fandom, so that might be an upside.

[weirdguy]

so, wait, maybe that means the earlier robots were built based on what diego thought artificial beings based on carbon based organisms (as in, requiring organs based on organic forms) were supposed to look like, which is why they work despite not having much to do with how conventional looking technology works

and then after he died, the robots, with their own type of thought processes, came up with the designs that the current robots are using, based on how they perceived diego's work, observing things on a purely technical/functional level

going back even further, the buildings and the tiktoks or whatever they're called, they appear to be like manmade structures, but on some deeper level, they function in ways like organic creatures, but because they're based on perceptions of those concepts, they're able to violate rules like robot bird corpses not being able to reintegrate into the land like plants because somebody who lived back when organic and artificial life were the same thing during those early days of the court would have easily believed that to be the case

also it would explain how annie got a robot to work just by sticking it back together because that's how she thought robots worked

i know this sounds a bit strange to draw these conclusions this late and a bit of a tangent compared to the subject but yeah

[Bandages]

Coyote's right

It is funny how much people find meaning in things

[ArmsAreLoud]

Nothing has meaning until you fabricate your own.

I think it's worth the effort to fabricate meaning but maybe that's just me.

[ikkonoishi]

Man I wish the RSS feed updated when the comic does.

[kwinse]

Man I wish the RSS feed updated when the comic does.

Could always follow @gunnerkrigg, the latest I've seen him mention that the comic updated is like 11 minutes after the fact.

[unbridledExüberance]

For the record, it almost always updates at 3:00 AM EST