Four Elements a lie...

[dandonio]

WARNING WALL OF TEXT! I can't really make up what you're trying to say there but afaik you didn't say that greek people made microscopes and discovered that everything is made out of atoms

...Democritos was a philosopher and assumed that all matter existed out of ultra-tiny-balls of solid matter. So he was wrong. He didn't knew of electrons or protons or anything like that. He just imagined the existence of these tiny balls of matter which he refered to as 'atomos'. This word being the origin of the word 'atom'

[mieralunar]

my appologies I haven't read other posts in this threat but i'm a little short in time now :P
To give a short answer: mythological aspect ;) science seems to look like the major thing to explain how the world functions, but people haven't always believed in that kind of things. The mere basics of understanding the world (i believe it were the greeks who tought this) was about trying to understand the world. After several steps they came to the 4-elemental lore (1st they tought it just was water. But this still was better then believing gods had created the world :P)

[vesperlight]

the 4 elements in the show are more based on the ancient culture and weather cycle than science.

Winter=Water
Spring=Earth
Summer=Fire
Autum=Air

not the Literal elements.

[fade]

roku:
"reaction" as a noun is derived, believe it or not, from a verb. therefore for anything to ware "reaction" as a name it has to be in a state of reaction. it has to be reacting. fire is reacting and so is a reaction. the molecules constantly combine and break apart, reacting to what all the other molecules are doing. water on the other hand isn't reacting on the global level that fire is. water molecules are stable, they don't combine or break apart (at least not easily) they don't react. water is a product of a reaction, namely the oxidization of hydrogen. but it is not a reaction itself. it is a compound as you said.

please study English before bickering with me over definitions.


hehehe you believe in science then brag about how logic is better than belief. worse you believe in logic to the point that it blinds you. it fills you with bias against this "folklore" preventing you from looking at it objectively, analytically, logically. you see things only through the lens of "is it scientific?" you ignore the fact (if you are not simply ignorant) that science is only the accumulation of observation and therefore can only sharpen our definitions, not rewrite them.

all of this, however, pales beside the paradox of you asking that a show where the characters throw fire balls and levitate rocks to fit perfectly with what is "scientific".

[aikidude]

your last sentence... it's really all you needed to say to get your point across...

my appologies I haven't read other posts in this threat but i'm a little short in time now :P
To give a short answer: mythological aspect ;) science seems to look like the major thing to explain how the world functions, but people haven't always believed in that kind of things. The mere basics of understanding the world (i believe it were the greeks who tought this) was about trying to understand the world. After several steps they came to the 4-elemental lore (1st they tought it just was water. But this still was better then believing gods had created the world :P)

Well the greek seemed quite close to the truth... Life originated in water, and every element we know has evolved from Hydrogen, the main component of water.

[jiexika]

I dunno you make sence but maybe it's just refering to spiritual Elements.

On a pentagram there are five points for each element. Starting up the top there is spirit, then going down your left and around in order there is water, fire, Earth Then Air.

I don't think these are just elements of our planet, just spiritual Elements.

BUT!! Then in a way Earth, Fire, Water, air. ARE elements of earth in a way. We have fires caused by heat, Floods caused by rain & rain it's self, Tornados Twisters caused by air, Earth quakes and land slides.

[neraru]

This what my older sister, who is also a fan of the show, has to say on the matter:

Well, if you want to get scientific...

a) Water isn't a reaction. It's the product of a reaction that's already occurred i.e. a compound.
b) Fire isn't a chemical reaction either. Fire is a stream of high energy photons (packets of electromagnetic radiation) that are released as a result of a reaction (e.g. combustion).

Just thought I'd clear that up.

Also in Avatar they are not referring to the chemical definition of an element. They are referring to the ancient elements that people defined as the forces that shaped our planet. Earth and Fire controlled the plate tectonics, shaping our continents and creating mountains. Air and Water are the forces of erosion, creating canyons and deserts, etc.

But I think the main point that we're missing is that this program is entirely fictional and in no way are the creators actually implying people can actually control the elements. If you want to get annoyed about that why not raise the issue that people can't survive for 100 years in an iceberg? Or that giant six-legged bisons can't fly?

So nyeh. :)

[purplegoatman]

Why are you bringing science into this? If you're simply trying to show off the fact that you payed attention in chem class, great, but do it somewhere else.
Sorry, that OP annoyed me.
**MODIFICATION**
OP=original post

[zuko614]

don't apply science to avatar. that simplifies all of the posts here.

[purplegoatman]

Simplified even more: don't be dumb. <3

[bumi]

This what my older sister, who is also a fan of the show, has to say on the matter:

Well, if you want to get scientific...

a) Water isn't a reaction. It's the product of a reaction that's already occurred i.e. a compound.
b) Fire isn't a chemical reaction either. Fire is a stream of high energy photons (packets of electromagnetic radiation) that are released as a result of a reaction (e.g. combustion).

Just thought I'd clear that up.

Also in Avatar they are not referring to the chemical definition of an element. They are referring to the ancient elements that people defined as the forces that shaped our planet. Earth and Fire controlled the plate tectonics, shaping our continents and creating mountains. Air and Water are the forces of erosion, creating canyons and deserts, etc.

But I think the main point that we're missing is that this program is entirely fictional and in no way are the creators actually implying people can actually control the elements. If you want to get annoyed about that why not raise the issue that people can't survive for 100 years in an iceberg? Or that giant six-legged bisons can't fly?

So nyeh. :)

Well we could survive in an iceberg for much longer than 100 years...
But we couldn't survive for 230years like Kyoshi did, or bisons can't fly...

Also, have anyone ever seen a molecule, leave be an atom? i don't think so: boor made a model out of the shadow that was casted by an atom...

THIS IS A MODEL

science hasn't proven that everything is made out of atoms and molecules, it just would be the most logic solution...
SO DONT GO GRASPING BACK AT BOOR, he thought it was like this, he's never sure...

So if you want to be scientific: say the model of boor states that... or the most logic explanation would be, don't say it IS

OK enough complaining about non scientific people ;)

Also the greek thought, anything contained all four of the elements: a tree had aswell fire as earth in himself, cause it can burn, but it is a solid...
oil: fire, water, (little bit of air, little bit of earth)

and avatar is clearly based on the chinese elements blended with the greek science :-X

[zuko614]

whoa.^^
sciency.
you just got me more confused

[orpheus]

Yeah, it's a show. Science isn't relevant.

Besides, Aristotle was the one who defined the elements as water, air, fire, earth. It's not scientifically accurate, but who cares it's still awesome. =)

[zuko614]

why don't we just watch it and not worry about the science of it.

[bumi]

Yeah, it's a show. Science isn't relevant.

Besides, Aristotle was the one who defined the elements as water, air, fire, earth. It's not scientifically accurate, but who cares it's still awesome. =)

i like you ;) liking the Aristotle and all