Telepathic Communication Devices

[BiggusBeardus]

Hello!

As it stand right now, I have a magical power grid of ley lines that cover the world. In my main setting where the story takes place there used to be these highly advanced people similar to "the Ancients" in Stargate Atlantis. They developed technology that uses that power grid to power all their technology in the valley where they lived.

One piece of tech is a telepathic communication system. I don't have a cool name for it yet. But it basically works like the Palantir stones in LOTR. You place your hand on it, or hold a personal device, and envision the person or place you are trying to contact. The receiving end glows slightly and might make a quiet chime or something. Then the person receiving the "call" touches the device and then the two parties can hear each others thoughts. They aren't as mystical as Palantir stones. They don't show the past or anything else and other people using their own device can't necessarily tap into your communication (although some magic may allow this somehow).

As I think about this more, I am wondering about the potential of such a communication system. I was just writing a part of my story and a boy saw his father get attacked. He ran home to his mother and told her what happened and the mother goes to call the police. Then I thought, could the boy technically "show" the police on the other end of the call what happened and where it happened? Or are only words transmitted?

Now I'm wondering what that means about crime in this city. The story is about this boy and his friends being "robin hood" style thieves. But if people can call the police and "show" them who committed the crime and where it took place, that seems like it could make crime very difficult. It is a HUGE city (over 1 million people), so it might be tough to track people down, but would this communication system make it easier?

What other implications can you think of that would go along with a telepathic communication system?

I keep making up all this stuff and then run into problems in my story.

 

[pmmg]

If the world was such that images of people were common and crimes could be shown, the criminal sorts would adjust and mask their identities. So...its one thing to introduce a system, and it will change things, but there will be a reaction to it, and many will find ways to thwart it, specially if its important.

 

[BiggusBeardus]

If the world was such that images of people were common and crimes could be shown, the criminal sorts would adjust and mask their identities. So...its one thing to introduce a system, and it will change things, but there will be a reaction to it, and many will find ways to thwart it, specially if its important.

Good point. I guess that is why many criminals wear masks even today lol

 

[pmmg]

In fact...it might make for a good mystery plot if one was able to deceive the device. Make a clear memory of someone doing something, and it was always someone else instead.

 

[Fyri]

Yeah! So, if you were to use "visual memory" as part of the telepathy, then it would be like biased cameras. Yes, you've got a record like we do in actual security cameras today, but it's also more like eye witness reporting--sometimes people misremember, misidentify, or misinterpret things.

And...yeah, if there is a will, I think crime will find a way. I have the opposite problems. I focus on making my antagonists so powerful that I don't how my protagonists will stop them. Gotta be smarter than yourself at all times! XD

 

[BiggusBeardus]

Yeah! So, if you were to use "visual memory" as part of the telepathy, then it would be like biased cameras. Yes, you've got a record like we do in actual security cameras today, but it's also more like eye witness reporting--sometimes people misremember, misidentify, or misinterpret things.

And...yeah, if there is a will, I think crime will find a way. I have the opposite problems. I focus on making my antagonists so powerful that I don't how my protagonists will stop them. Gotta be smarter than yourself at all times! XD

That's a really cool idea about misremembering things. Thanks!

 

[Orc Knight]

This is probably not going to help much, but when I saw the Telepathic Communication System I imagined illithid's standing on street corners ready to be used like good old fashioned telephone boxes.

 

[BiggusBeardus]

This is probably not going to help much, but when I saw the Telepathic Communication System I imagined illithid's standing on street corners ready to be used like good old fashioned telephone boxes.