Tactile telekinesis vs Extra-dense Tissue

[bruceleegreyhulk]

If someone who had super dense tissue had Buoyancy Manipulation. They could straight up ignore how their own buoyancy properties work.

[Sharkerbob]

The thing about Dense Tissue is that in the event you do get seriously injured, it might be very difficult for doctors to help you. Need surgery? Better hope they can cut into you with power tools with surgical precision.

[Sol_M]

The thing about Dense Tissue is that in the event you do get seriously injured, it might be very difficult for doctors to help you. Need surgery? Better hope they can cut into you with power tools with surgical precision.

Unless you're so durable that you never get hurt to begin with. But that would still backfire if you, say, grew a tumor.

[Twickster]

Many things could still screw you over. You could have a stroke or a heart attack, you could have appendicitis, you could have an allergy and need an injection to save your life, etc.

[Masonicon]

not to mention Circumcision can make Extra-dense tissue backfires IRL often as much as Surgery did

[Ptrvc]

All my injuries come from things I don't see coming. Dense Tissues all the way.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Frankly, I'd prefer tactile telekinesis.

The issue with super dense tissue, is that it'll work both for and against you. Especially if you ever get hurt (admittedly unlikely) or seriously ill (far more probable in the current world).

[Johnathan]

True - there actually are serious conditions where skin density and bone density increases to fatal levels.

Now, from a basic scientific perspective, how "dense" could something actually become? I mean, density is not the fundamental element of toughness. A diamond is probably the densest carbon based substance, but its crystalline structure is what makes it tough (though obviously not indestructible as almost every diamond we'll see is a "cut" diamond).

Lead and gold are far more dense than iron or titanium, but the latter elements can be reformed into a far tougher structure as steel alloys. Often, the denser something is, the more malleable it becomes.

So I really think we're referring to a super-dense and tough structure - which obviously leads to problems of weight as mentioned before. It's not just the density of muscles that gives them strength but the leverage of their construction. If you increased muscle density by three times, you'd be a gorilla of a man, but that gorilla would still be stronger as its body shape is what gives it such massive power.

However, if you increase muscle density by ten times, you'd be too heavy for the leverage in your body's structure to move you.

So, maybe replace the idea of "super-dense" with a more imaginary "super-tough" analogue to human physical material that conveys virtual indestructibility - with some theoretically unbreakable chemical bonding process.

Even then, you'd basically be just a little better off than wearing body armor or an exo-skeleton.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

It could also be an amusingly short stint as a metahuman as well, because like... what if your heart explodes because of the strain of trying to pump blood through your super dense tissue.

[Twickster]

I would think your heart would be durable enough to match.

I think super durability would still kill you though. A simple thing such as an inflamed pimple could lead to cellulitis. Good luck getting IV antibiotics to treat it. Even better luck trying to amputate that limb when it eventually degenerates into gangrene.

Or, again, appendecitis, or a tooth infection, or choke on something and need an emergency tracheotomy. There are any number of mundane bodily issues that will f* you up if you're too durable to be treated by real world science.

[MichaelC]

Well then it basically comes to how many "required secondary powers" you possess. Because if you have none, then the density kills you almost instantly for the various reasons everyone has stated, and the TK kills you when the force from your brain tries to travel to your hands and rips your body apart on its way.

So in order for this question to be meaningfully asked, we must first establish the amount of "required secondary powers" we also get. Otherwise the answer is none, as both powers are a near instant, painful, and gruesome death.

[Johnathan]

Well then it basically comes to how many "required secondary powers" you possess. Because if you have none, then the density kills you almost instantly for the various reasons everyone has stated, and the TK kills you when the force from your brain tries to travel to your hands and rips your body apart on its way.

So in order for this question to be meaningfully asked, we must first establish the amount of "required secondary powers" we also get. Otherwise the answer is none, as both powers are a near instant, painful, and gruesome death.

True - or to actually define it. There is no practical definition of telekinesis much less tactile telekinesis. Density is not the same as hardness or durability so we obviously don't mean super-dense as that is no advantage at all.

Just putting it down to its basics - would you prefer to be able to control the motion and momentum of anything you touch but still be physically vulnerable especially to long range sniper attacks faster than you can perceive or would you prefer to be physically indestructible but not particularly stronger (about as strong as the strongest person on the planet possibly could be, but not as strong as an elephant, gorilla or bear).

If I was in a battle, I'd still likely choose tactile telekinesis because... I can always wear body armor to neutralize the weakness to speedster or sniper attacks. Even at its most optimal, super-durability or even indestructibility would leave you vulnerable to being trapped or evaded. You're not really a "tank" on the team and your powers in practical terms are the equivalent of wearing armor which anyone can do.

[Sol_M]

True - or to actually define it. There is no practical definition of telekinesis much less tactile telekinesis. Density is not the same as hardness or durability so we obviously don't mean super-dense as that is no advantage at all.

Just putting it down to its basics - would you prefer to be able to control the motion and momentum of anything you touch but still be physically vulnerable especially to long range sniper attacks faster than you can perceive or would you prefer to be physically indestructible but not particularly stronger (about as strong as the strongest person on the planet possibly could be, but not as strong as an elephant, gorilla or bear).

If I was in a battle, I'd still likely choose tactile telekinesis because... I can always wear body armor to neutralize the weakness to speedster or sniper attacks. Even at its most optimal, super-durability or even indestructibility would leave you vulnerable to being trapped or evaded. You're not really a "tank" on the team and your powers in practical terms are the equivalent of wearing armor which anyone can do.

While it's nice to avoid accidental injuries, the sniper bullet thing is not the best example of it being useful as most people are never going to be shot at. For things like stubbing your toe, hurting your back trying to lift too much, etc though, it's great.

The problem when comparing it to Tactile TK though, is, while I don't think tactile telekinesis has a proper definition (as you mentioned), in fiction, the only place I've seen it used is for people like Superboy - who isn't exactly vulnerable to accidental trauma. So there's really no benefit to extra durable tissues in this case over Tactile TK and has actual downsides that tactile TK does not.

It could be that the intent of the question was actually just to see if people would rather have comic book super strength or comic book super durability, but that's not how it was worded. If that was the intent though, having the ability not be hurt is probably going to be more useful, but only if it also comes with immunity to dangerous conditions that are a result of the body's own natural processes.

[Johnathan]

I think the basic precondition should be "if you want to be a superhero, would you prefer..."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

extra dense tissue won't protect a person from something that moves internal organs around.