Spark
From Girl Genius
The Spark, short for "the spark of genius", is the mental attribute which is the sine qua non of a mad scientist, who is therefore referred to as "a Spark". To quote the Professors Foglio, the Spark is "whatever it is that makes Mad Scientists what they are. A poorly understood concept that identifies and incorporates a batch of personality traits shared by those who have it." They are "people who seem to have the ability to tinker with the laws of physics as we know them. They are brilliant, focused, and often impatient with those whose thoughts don't run with the speed or in the direction of their own. Because of this, some of those thoughts have veered off in truly alarming directions. This makes them dangerous and shortsighted..."[1].
There can be competent, even brilliant, engineers and researchers who are nevertheless not Sparks and therefore will never make the intuitive leaps necessary to "truly warp the laws of nature" and arrive at such creations as Dr. Jekyll's formula, Dr. Frankenstein's monster, a Strong AI implemented in clockwork, or even the absolutely perfect cup of coffee. (However, some apparently sparky creations — such as nuclear submarines equivalent to Captain Nemo's Nautilus, heavier-than-air flying machines, Google AdSense, and mortgage-backed securities — actually do exist in our world.)
It is a rare hereditary trait found mostly within a small number of families - most of the common population that "break through" are either relatively weak or lack the education to make full use of their abilities. Most of those who survive quickly gain minions through sheer charisma[2], and eventually gather tremendous support unless killed by rival Sparks. Those that survive this process of attrition become the power players of their fictional world, and if they successfully reproduce they begin lineages that are nothing less than royalty – right down to personal heraldic sigils: the Heterodyne Trilobite, the Sturmvoraus Sword-and-Gear, and the Wulfenbach Winged Tower, for example. However, this does little to satisfy their obsessions, and they spend most of their time dueling rivals when not engaging in dangerous experiments — which is what makes the world of Girl Genius one of unending conflict and cataclysm.
They are thus almost always generally despised, and are colloquially called "madboys" and "madgirls". But calling one this to his or her face is generally considered hazardous to one's health.
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[edit] Breaking through
The first trip into the madness place is the definitive point at which one may be called a Spark. Prior to breaking through, the individual may have not shown any particular signs; afterwards, there's no turning back. This is usually traumatic for the Spark and dangerous for bystanders, since breakthrough devices are notoriously destructive (with few exceptions).
If the breakthrough device does not kill its creator and everyone in the general vicinity, and the new Spark also survives the retribution of other survivors, he or she becomes part of the incessant power politics of the Gifted, usually as the pawn of an existing power who noticed the chaos, but sometimes (especially with appropriate protection and mentoring) they become players in their own right.
[edit] The crazy
Main article: The madness place
Even if they're not actually driven insane by the breakthrough, Sparks often lose rationality while they're working. This state tends to be marked by megalomania, increased aggression (especially if interrupted), and a serious loss of perspective.
[edit] General characteristics
Sparks tend to inspire loyalty (or at least obedient fear) in lesser mortals and thus acquire a coterie of minions. This intuitive ability and associated charisma come at a price, however: Sparks are mad scientists who lose awareness of practical and ethical concerns in their pursuit of technical apotheosis.
The fact that many of the musical characters are also Sparky suggests that the Spark may be associated with musical ability. At the very least, the mathematical construction of music may "click" with the Sparky ability to warp physics, even a little.
[edit] Each Spark's characteristic style
One of the features of the Spark is that each mad scientist has a unique style. At the grossest level this refers to the spark's preferred medium — which is often fairly easy to describe: Agatha Heterodyne works mainly with clanks and small-to-medium sized weaponry, for example; while Dr. Dimitri Vapnoople appears to have worked primarily with uplifting animals.
See also: List of sparky styles
There's more to it than that, however. A Spark's style seems to remain consistent and recognizable (at least to those who know what they're looking for) across projects, types of project, and technology levels.
It has been compared to the distinctive style of a painter, except that artistic styles are generally not inherited.
Sparky styles can be.
[edit] Distribution of the Spark
Apparently, only a small minority of the European population have the Spark.
[edit] Degrees and limitations
The common perception of the Spark is personified by most of the main characters of Girl Genius (Agatha, Tarvek, Gil, the Baron) - mad geniuses whose genius and madness have shaped the world. This is not always the case.[3]
Just as in real life, many talented individuals are born in poor areas, cut off from the education that would enable them to put their talents to real use. Also, there are varying degrees of talent; just because one has the ill-defined ability to "warp the laws of nature" does not mean one can do it in an effective manner. Many with the Spark have just enough talent and/or knowledge to draw unwanted attention but not enough to protect themselves.
Master Payne's Circus of Adventure is filled with such Sparks; by disguising their talents as performance art they are able to hide their talents while applying them towards earning livelihoods. In addition, Dr. Dimitri Vapnoople was apparently incapacitated by the Baron's brain coring.
[edit] Null sex correlation
It is (or has become) generally understood that, despite the title Girl Genius, there is no (measurable) inherent difference in probability of males and females breaking through.
But there are many more male than female Sparks in Agatha Heterodyne's Europa, but this is apparently due to external forces[4].
[edit] Associated traits
[edit] Physical hardiness
Sparks are known for generally having a stronger constitution than ordinary human beings.[5] For example, Othar Tryggvassen, Gentleman Adventurer, has repeatedly survived falling off airships. Sparks are also capable of rejecting or resisting ordinary slaver wasps [6].
[edit] See also
References
- ↑ Secret Blueprints, Volume One, page 2
- ↑ "Ah, it is part of the power of the Gifted. Those around them wish to aid them. To serve them. Even when we know them to be monsters."
- ↑ "Except it doesn't always work like that."
- ↑ "Girls with the Spark — they usually just — disappear."
- ↑ Zeetha: "Ha! I've heard Sparks were tough!"
- ↑ Anevka: "...you surely know that your Lady's filthy wasps— don't work on Sparks."
