% $Id: science.tex,v 1.10 1999/10/25 02:02:12 jemorris Exp $
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\name{\Gscience}

\topquote{\noindent \emph{Science, n.}
	Accumulated and established knowledge, which has been
        systematized and formulated with reference to the
        discovery of general truths or the operation of general
        laws; knowledge classified and made available in work,
        life, or the search for truth; comprehensive, profound, or
        philosophical knowledge.}
{Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)}


Every piece of scientific knowledge can be succinctly expressed as a
single English sentence---a Scientific Fact\tm{}.  Any given Fact
involves some of each of the four sciences---Biochemistry (B),
Electronics (E), Physics (P), and Psychology ($\Psi$).  We express
this by saying that Fact $B^bE^eP^p\Psi^\psi$ has $b$ bits of Biochem,
$e$ of Electronics, $p$ of Physics, and $\psi$ of Psych (whole
numbers).  The \emph{level} of a Fact is the total \#bits in it,
$b+e+p+\psi$.  Conveniently enough, there's exactly one Fact for each
$(b, e, p, \psi)$ with level greater than one.

(Biochemistry covers all of Biology and Chemistry, not just their overlap;
if you see something that says Biology or Chemistry, this is the Science
it means.)

Some of the cross-sciences are more obvious than others.  A few
examples for each: Bioelectronics ($BE$) includes pacemakers and most
other artificial internal organs, cybernetics, etc.  Biophysics ($BP$)
(really bio-chem-physics) covers chemical and nuclear explosives, much 
materials science, artificial limbs, medical radiation.
Psychobiology ($B\Psi$) includes neurobiology, neurochemistry,
and psychoactive drugs.  Electrophysics ($EP$) also covers some
nuclear and explosives areas, as well as general uses of radiation/radio/radar,
electronic warfare and counterwarfare.  Psychoelectronics ($E\Psi$)
focuses on user interface issues, direct or indirect interactions between
mind and machine.  Psychophysics ($P\Psi$) studies sensory perception 
(e.g.~that perceived sound intensity is logarhythmic in energy is a 
real-world psychoacoustical finding).

Obviously many of those have further overlap; presumably 
if you want to directly plug a brain into a computer you'll
want $BE\Psi$, and if you want a drug to alter perception you'd
go for $BP\Psi$.  Such deep crossovers are not yet well-explored.

The Facts of level two have all been discovered and are known to be:
\tmpdim=\parindent
\begin{tightlist} \itemindent=\tmpdim
\item[$B^{~}$] ...
\item[$B^2$] ...
\item[$E^{~}$] ...
\item[$E^2$] ...
\item[$P^{~}$] ...
\item[$P^2$] ...
\item[$\Psi^{~}$] ...
\item[$\Psi^2$] ...
\item[$BE$] 
\item[$BP$]
\item[$B\Psi$]
\item[$EP$]
\item[$E\Psi$]
\item[$P\Psi$]
\end{tightlist}

As you see, while Facts are grammatical sentences, they don't always
make much sense\footnote{The GMs generated them by computer.}.  The
obviously scientific words in them do indicate their content---that
is, what the Fact is about, what kinds of things it's useful for.  For
instance, if $B^2E\Psi^4$ (no Physics, some Electronics, more Biochem,
even more Psych) turned out to be ``\emph{Cerebral} \emph{stimulus}
fits smoothly with \emph{behavioral} \emph{feedback} and random
\emph{inductive} \emph{memory} to large \emph{circuits},'' it would be
a good idea to worry about brainwashing machines.  Facts near each
other (similar $(b, e, p, \psi)$) will have similar terms in them.
\footnote{Obviously science hasn't always worked the same way; you
will not during game double and triple the total scientific knowledge
of the world.  Scientific progress goes in phases; calculus and other
cool math moved it from one phase to another, as did the scientific
method.  With the discovery of the last level-two Fact, the last phase
ended and the new phase, which will last until the Facts are filled in
through level nine, began.}

The quest for knowledge (or money, or power) will undoubtedly lead you
to seek new Facts.  You'll need to use old Facts, scientists, RTIs,
and Labs to do experimental research.

For each of the four Sciences there's one basic science skill; if you have
it, it will have some level indicating how good you are at it, 
e.g.{} ``Physics 3.''  A typical competent scientist has skill 4, top people
in a field can get up to about 6.  Grad student skills tend to be around 2.

For each of the sciences there's also exactly one kind of
RTI\footnote{Random Technical Item; a sorta technological thingy whose
exact nature you don't care about too much, but which you can use to
do science stuff.}---i.e.{} there are Physics RTIs, Electronics RTIs,
Biochem RTIs, and Psych RTIs, but there aren't capacitors vs diodes.
RTIs are normal, non-bulky items, represented by item cards as usual.
There are also STIs\footnote{Specific Technical Items}, but we'll cover 
those later.

To discover a new Fact, you need one of the Facts right next to it
(that is, plus or minus one unit of one science) and to do an
Experiment for the science they're different in (e.g.{} $B^3P
\longleftrightarrow B^3P^2$ takes a Physics Experiment either way; $B^3P
\longleftrightarrow B^3PE$ takes an Electronics Experiment either way).
This must be done in a Lab that has the Experimental Science (note
most Labs do more than one science).

**** list the Labs here or in the rules or in the scenario,
plus on the map ****

With all the scientists who will be Experimenting in the Lab, you
announce what Fact you have and what it is, and perform the
verification *** write verification mechanic *** on it.

You must have RTIs that at least match the higher Fact (``match'' means that
if the Fact has $n$ bits of some Science, you have $n$ whatevers of that
Science) present; they will not necessarily be consumed.

The scientists must scientifically expend Creativity that at least
matches the Fact.  Expending Creativity or RTIs for a Science takes
skill in that Science---the skill level is the maximum amount of
Creativity, and the maximum number of RTIs, you can expend for that
Science in any given Experiment.  If you have multiple Science skills,
you can use as many of them as you like in each Experiment, assuming
you have enough Creativity available.  Many scientists also have
further scientific skills.

For each Science in the Fact, the total of (Creativity spent
[brainstorming] + RTIs \emph{destroyed} by a scientist [trial and
error] + money/\computercost{} [computer simulations]) must be {\em
double} that Science in the Fact; it must be \emph{triple} for the
Experimental Science.

% Could say that you can expend STIs, with a pure-science one being
% worth its cost in RTIs, and a two-science one having that split
% evenly between them, but frankly it complicates the greensheet too much.


So, if you go for pure brainstorming, then you have matching RTIs just
sitting there (unconsumed) and you Creatively double-match the Fact
and triple-match the Experimental part.  If you go for pure trial and
error, then you single-match in Creativity, and you burn your matching
set of RTIs, and you burn another set for the Experimental Science.
If you go for pure computer simulation, you have matching RTIs sitting
there, you single-match in Creativity, and you spend 
\computercost{} $*$ (Fact level $+$ experiment level) money.

If a Lab has two Sciences, then after the minimum for each is
satisfied (Creativity equal to it expended, and RTIs equal to it
present), further Creativity or RTIs expended for either one may be
used instead for the other at half effectiveness.  Expenditures
via Tools cannot be changed this way.

% It might be worth getting rid of some of the Tool restrictions
% for the sake of keeping things easy to remember for the players.
%
An item marked ``Tool'' can be used to aid in either Experiments or
Construction (see below) or both; specifics will be on the item card.
General restrictions which always apply unless special skills are
involved: Only people contributing Creativity to the Experiment can
use a Tool for it (the Tool may be what allows them to do this); each
person may only use one Tool at a time, each Tool may only be used by
one person at a time.  Any given Experiment cannot benefit from two of
the same type of Tool, and the maximum number of Tools is half the
level of the higher Fact (round down).  Finally, if the effect of the
Tool is to let you get extra points for a particular Science, these
points may \emph{not} be switched to another Science of the Lab.

*** how to actually get the fact, ie look it up in the lab book ***

One thing people often want to do with Facts is build Devices.
You must have complete blueprints for the Device; ``complete'' means
that it has all the information the GMs put on the original, and
no extraneous information.  When you get a blueprint, it and the information
on it are completely in game; copy it, falsify it, etc.{} as much as you 
want, but you'd better be able to reconstruct the original when it's
time to build, or you're screwed.  What the GM really wants to see is
something that looks just like the GM copy they've got, so be conservative.
The blueprints will have an imperfect, incomplete description of the Device,
and a list of what Facts are required to build it, which tells you
everything you'll need (see below).

Come to the GM room and give us the blueprints you're about to use.
We will look at them and then give them back to you along with an
envelope, which you don't get to look in yet---this does not (yet)
exist in game.  Go to a Lab of the Science most heavily involved in
the Device (more bits of it in the Facts than of anything else; you
pick if there's a tie) with some Scientists, some RTIs, and one STI
for each Fact.  A Fact in which one Science is a majority needs an STI
of that Science; other Facts need an STI crossing the top two Sciences
involved (you pick if there's a tie).  (Fact $B^5P^3E$ takes a
pure-Biochem STI; Fact $B^5P^3E^3$ takes a Biophysics or a
Bioelectronics STI.)

The RTIs must match the total Facts.  The total skill present in each
Science must be at least the \emph{maximum} of that in any of the
Facts.  So a Device with $B^3P^2$ and $B^4E^3$ takes 7 Biochem, 2
Physics, and 3 Electronics RTIs; required total skill is
4 Biochem, 2 Physics, 3 Electronics.  \emph{Following a blueprint
does not use any Creativity.}

Verify each of the Facts.  Put the blueprints you showed the GMs out
on the table with the parts.  Take a deep breath and open the envelope
we gave you (you could stop at any point before this, but not now).

If your blueprints are valid, the envelope will contain an item card
for the Device.  Good for you; attach the item card to the envelope,
and stick the RTIs and the STIs inside the envelope.  You now have a
working Device.  The item card will say exactly what it is, what it
does, and any requirements there are to use it, and have a copy of the
blueprints.

If your blueprints weren't valid, the envelope will contain a card
telling you so.  Choose one-third the RTIs (round down) to save; the
rest are destroyed.  The STIs all remain.

Anyone can pull parts out of a Device; if you do, write ``broken'' on
the item card (but keep it attached to the envelope).  To remove an
RTI, pull out two of the RTIs (your choice), destroy one (your choice),
and keep the other.  Any STIs you remove are destroyed.  You may keep
removing pieces from a broken Device the same way.

If you have a working Device, you can Experiment on it in any Lab to
learn its Facts.  A careful probe for a Fact from the Device requires
the appropriate STI (as for building), skill matching the Fact, and
(Creativity + supercomputer use) double-matching the Fact.  The STI is
consumed.

If you have a working Device and you're in a hurry, you can learn how
it works by tearing it apart in a Lab.  This utterly destroys the
Device (leaving no remains), but doesn't take any Creativity, RTIs,
STIs, or computer time.  For each of the Facts, if the total skill
present at least matches it, you get it.  Isn't it cool destroying
someone else's hard work for your own sinister ends?

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