Armok_GoB comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 13, chapter 81 - Less Wrong

6 Post author: bogdanb 27 March 2012 06:07PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (1099)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Armok_GoB 29 March 2012 08:14:32PM *  5 points [-]

That shouldn't be a problem, polyjuce has been shown able to change gender, and to sustain the transformation indefinitely if taken regularly.

Edit: This also explains (and is made more likely by) how harry getting Malfoy pregnant got taken seriously enough to end up in a newspaper.

Comment author: QuicklyStarfish 29 March 2012 11:12:10PM 4 points [-]

Urg... you now have me imagining what happens if polyjuice wears off someone eight-months pregnant.

Comment author: NihilCredo 02 April 2012 10:15:10AM 1 point [-]
Comment author: Armok_GoB 30 March 2012 02:35:27PM 0 points [-]

Thanks, mission accomplished! ^_^

Comment author: Karl 02 April 2012 07:31:24PM 1 point [-]

I don't think taking polyjuice modify your genetic code. If that was the case, using polyjuice to take the form of a muggle or a squib would leave you without your magical powers.

Comment author: Armok_GoB 02 April 2012 11:14:52PM 2 points [-]

So? It should still create egg cells. There's some lower fertility from the yy possibility, and 66/33% rather than 50/50% of a boy. And maybe some increased risk of chromosomal diseases, but that should be it.

Comment author: pedanterrific 02 April 2012 07:37:22PM 1 point [-]

Do we know that it doesn't?

Comment author: TheOtherDave 02 April 2012 07:43:12PM 0 points [-]

This comment makes no sense to me at all. Are you presuming that genetic code controls the presence of magical powers independent of phenotypic expression?

Comment author: Karl 02 April 2012 08:19:34PM 1 point [-]

It's explained in detail in chapter 25 that the genes that make a person a wizard do not do so by building some complex machinery which allow you to become a wizard; the genes that make you a wizard constitute a marker which indicate to the source of magic that you should be allowed to cast spells.

Comment author: TheOtherDave 02 April 2012 08:33:04PM 0 points [-]

Whoops! Shows you how long it's been since I've read ch25. Thanks for clarifying that.