Velorien comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 26, chapter 97 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: palladias 15 August 2013 02:18AM

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Comment author: Baughn 15 August 2013 10:19:06AM 8 points [-]

It doesn't look like he can read it while it's folded up, for whatever reason, or the reveal at the end of the chapter couldn't have gone as it did.

Comment author: Benito 15 August 2013 03:01:36PM 6 points [-]

That's a bit stretched. He can see through things but not when they're folded up? I think he was just waiting for the writing to stop being upside down.

Comment author: Velorien 15 August 2013 05:36:53PM 15 points [-]

Presumably while they're folded up, he's seeing two overlapping sets of writing at the same time, and they interfere with each other, like overlapping OHP slides. To overcome this effect, he'd have to spontaneously tune his x-ray vision to the fineness of a millimetre or so (the thickness of the parchment), which may plausibly be difficult or impossible.

Comment author: Baughn 16 August 2013 01:37:55PM 0 points [-]

All that scene really needs is for such tuning to be annoyingly difficult when Harry is already unrolling the paper, i.e. so there's no point in trying when he'll see the text clearly in another few seconds anyway.

Comment author: thomblake 16 August 2013 03:38:26PM 4 points [-]

The problem was Moody not having read the paper when Harry brought it into the meeting.

Comment author: drethelin 20 August 2013 05:52:01PM 2 points [-]

doesn't harry just need to carry a few sheets of paper or have it folded into a book? I don't remember this being the case but it would prevent moody from reading it, presumably.

Comment author: hairyfigment 18 August 2013 08:27:39PM -1 points [-]

A good point. But of course he was looking for threats to Harry, not threats from Harry.

Comment author: linkhyrule5 20 August 2013 09:07:50AM *  2 points [-]

Yes, but this is Alastor CONSTANT VIGILANCE Moody dealing with someone who actually landed a hit on him. Even if it involved massive cheating and handicaps.

Comment author: Benquo 20 August 2013 05:57:06PM 3 points [-]

Constant vigilance does not mean unlimited attention.

Comment author: ikrase 16 August 2013 02:45:46AM 0 points [-]

Also isn't there a suggestion that his eye gravitates towards magic (such as Harry's invisible flash grenade attack or Disillusionment (which seems to just be active camo) marking one as 'trying to hide')?