On 1/2/23 05:23, Jim Vassilakos - jim.vassilakos at gmail.com (via tml
list) wrote:
> Do you have Psi Detectors (Psion, p87) in your Traveller Universe, and
> if so, how do they work?
>
> Psion says "...the psi detector is a hand-held device that detects
> residual or active psi energy within a radius of 500 metres. Where
> active psi energy is detected (in other words, psionic powers under
> use), the detector can provide an indication of the amount of psi
> energy involved; the indication is low, medium and high, relating to
> the number of psi points invested in the particular power under use.
> For residual energy, the reading will always be low but retrograde
> analysis on rates of decay can offer a general indication of how long
> ago a power was used, with an accuracy of up to 3 hours."
>
> 500 metres is a fairly long way, although it detects active psi
> energy, not potential psi energy, so if a police station had one, it
> might light up for a moment but tell them nothing about the direction
> or distance of the activity in question. But what about residual
> energy? How distant from the source does residual psionic energy embed
> itself (presumably in matter), and for long does it last? At what
> distance can it be detected, and does the detector give any indication
> of the degree of proximity? In short, could the police potentially
> walk from house to house, looking for residual psionic energy to
> determine where the psions live?
>
I don't have them in the Advisoryverse because understanding of psi
gubbins isn't that advanced, except _maybe_ in the Zhodani Consulate,
who have very little motivation to design/build one.

The Naturallyverse never really addressed the question, but I'd again
say no - they don't work with the descriptions of the post-Suppressions
3I, where underground psions do exist, and survive.

Assuming the detection effect/signal propagates at some determinable,
finite speed (eg c ), time difference of arrival multilateration (to
10-to-100-nanosecond accuracy for lightspeed signals) across a network
of at least 4 such detectors (such as mounted in traffic lights, or
speed cameras) would give reasonably good location of an event detected
by four such detectors (assuming different events can be distinguished
somehow).  Fewer number of detections (EVE Online players who've done a
lot of scanning would be familiar with this) would still significantly
constrain where the event happened.

One thing that really, really, bugs me about MGT1/2 is the fixed maximum
sensor ranges, _regardless of the source signal's strength and/or
receiver detector's sensitivity_.

According to Mongoose:

     If I can (carefully) _see_ (with the ol' factory-standard Mk 1
OPDAR) a 2 tonne dumpster being launched at J Random Poorbastard from
600 metres away, the psi detector _active, in my hand, and pointed at
the dumpster launch_ does three fifths of one half of bugger all.

     Presuming a vehicle-mounted detector is (say) 10x more sensitive,
all else equal, it still can't signal "DUMPSTER LAUNCH DETECTED" from
600 metres away.

Alex