Game Theory: Why Living on BioShock Infinite's Floating City Would Suck!

Transcript

Columbia - Floating city in the clouds impossible feat of video game fiction but not for the reasons you might expect! [Game Theory Theme Plays] Hello internet. Welcome to Game Theory. We're like Zoomin Games if you replaced big breasted babes with big brained bros Speaking of brainy. BioShock Infinite is one smart game. I mean really any game who... Read More

Key Insights

• 😶‍🌫️ BioShock Infinite explores a fascinating concept of a floating city called Columbia in the clouds.
• 😒 The floating city is made possible through the use of quantum particles and flux pinning, which allows superconductors to levitate and lock into different angles.
• 🥶 Living in Columbia would involve challenges such as adapting to high altitudes, extreme cold temperatures, and potential motion sickness caused by constant movement.
• 👻 Humans have survived at high altitudes before, suggesting that adaptation could allow some people to live in Columbia comfortably.
• 🏙️ The concept of a floating city like Columbia is theoretically possible but would require advanced technology, magnets, and a deep understanding of quantum physics.
• ⛔ Columbia's existence would not be limited by the physics or the environment but rather by the constant motion that would cause motion sickness.
• 😶‍🌫️ Building a city in the clouds may be possible, but the practical challenges and adaptations required for long-term habitation would make it difficult for most people.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why would living on BioShock Infinite’s floating city of Columbia suck?

Columbia’s altitude would expose residents to extreme cold and thin air, while the moving platforms or clouds could cause persistent motion sickness and spatial disorientation. Even if the city could remain airborne, these environmental and physical effects would make daily life difficult for most people.

Q: Could BioShock Infinite’s floating city of Columbia actually exist?

Columbia is theoretically possible through flux pinning, which can make a superconductor levitate and lock into position. A real version would require enormous tracks of magnets on the ground and lots of liquid nitrogen to keep the floating discs cool.

Q: How does flux pinning keep Columbia afloat?

When certain thin superconductors are cooled below a critical temperature, magnetic fields penetrate them in tiny amounts called flux tubes. At low temperatures, those tubes become pinned and cannot move, allowing the superconductor to levitate and remain locked in place.

Q: How strong is the flux-pinning effect described for Columbia?

The demonstrated disc has nearly 100 billion flux tubes. According to the explanation, they can hold 70,000 times the conductor’s weight while locking the disc into position.

Q: How high above sea level is Columbia?

Columbia is estimated to float between 15,000 and 20,000 feet above sea level. That is approximately 4.5 to 6 kilometers in the air.

Q: How cold would Columbia be?

At Columbia’s estimated altitude, the average air temperature would range from 5 to -12 degrees Fahrenheit. That corresponds to about -15 to -24 degrees Celsius, making its pools and elaborate landscaping impractical.

Q: Could people breathe in Columbia?

Breathing would be difficult because air pressure and air density decrease with altitude. At 6,000 meters above sea level, the transcript says the air provides about 50% less oxygen, although someone who climbed gradually could acclimate over time.

Q: How might Columbia’s residents adapt to the high altitude?

People born in high-altitude societies can develop traits such as enlarged lung capacity, greater stamina, and lower rates of obesity. Over time, Columbia’s population could therefore become more comfortable living in its thin air.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• BioShock Infinite's explanation for the floating city of Columbia involves quantum particles suspended in space time at a fixed height.

• This concept, called flux pinning, is possible through the use of superconductors that expel magnetic fields but allow tiny flux tubes to penetrate them.

• To live in Columbia, people would need to adapt to the high altitude, cold temperatures, and potential motion sickness caused by the constant movement of the floating platforms.