Vvardenfell Dwemer “Radio” Technology
Facts and Basics
In Morrowind we have these strange Dwemer coherers and tubes. Coherers are the key here as coherer is infact real and existing device. A coherer is an early radio signal detector used in “wireless telegraphy” of late 19th and early 20th century. There are some problems with coherer technology. Most importantly, applying it beyong telegraphy was practically impossible, since it couldn’t receive audio transmissions.
Tubes are probably just vacuum tubes, but we all know those played important part in RL radio signal transmitting, amplification and receiving among their other uses. However vacuum tubes are far newer thing than coherers and it could be used to receive audio signals. Perhaps this technology was so new to Dwemer they hadn’t completely replaced old coherers?
Aside quite obvious coherers and tubes we have yet another evidence of some sort of “radio” technology being used in Vvardenfell. This is some sort antennas appearing all over Dwemer ruins in Vvardenfell. See fig 3. for description.
Only thing we lack is the receivers and transmitters themselves, but seeing how few things dwemer built have survived I’m guessing these things simply got disassembled and repurposed or just rusted away long ago.
The Theory
I’m not an expert on how anti-creation works, but as far as I understand it involves combining several souls into one and ends up sould being fractured (or atomized) into small particles and reaching back to lower subgradience. Word “anti-creation” itself is kinda confusing itself, since one would assume destruction (against creation), but I guess fracturing souls into small particles qualifies as destruction of some sort. Also it kinda makes sense as anti-created souls move closer to their original form before they were created thus going against creation.
These anti-created soul particles would then orbit their site of “creation”, but existing on different subgradient and thus impossible to perveive or utilize without special tools. This is what Dwemer “radio” technology was conceived for. It was meant to receive and transmit echoes (or radiation) of these fragmented souls and utilize them for various purposes. Coherer was the simplest detector of anti-created soul radiation. It was most likely used for telegraphy, but possibly had many other uses too. Sadly we don’t have any example of devices used to transmit signals that coherers were to receive, so we are limited to pure speculation.
Tube receiver was much more advanced Dwemeri invention, but technically functioned on same principles anti-soul radiation. These devices along with their transmitters were probably what “calling” was all about and could be used for receiving and transmitting wider range of signals. Yet again, we sadly lack any examples of devices these tubes were used for.
Usage of anti-soul radiation as heating source is another theory proposed quite often and it is quite logical one. We all know dwemer aren’t burning any coal, gas or any sort of fuel anywhere, so sources of heat for their steam boilers are mystery. However what if anti-soul radiation could infact be used for heating? High powered radio transmitters are known to be capable of producing heat. In fact many of us use them daily to heat our food in form of microwave oven. Perhaps somewhat similar side effect of utilizing high powered anti-soul transmitters was discovered by Dwemer and applied for use in their steam engines. I know microwave heating (or any type of RF heating) has severe limitations IRL and thus limited uses, but “microsoul heating” could be another story and might be viable as a source of heat for steam engines.
Last, but not least, there is one strange example in Tribunal in which a powered coherer was used to start Weather Witch, an extremely advanced Dwemeri weather control machine. What was the function of this coherer? It certainly didn’t have anything to do with powering the machine. Power generators on Bamz-Amschend were up and running supplying power to electric lighting and probably to Weather Witch too. I suspect the explanation might be that in order to function Weather Witch required some sort of telemetry from external sources and the coherer was required for picking up those signals.
Soul Gems as an Alternative
Notice how in Vvardenfell we never see Dwemer using soul gems, but in Skyrim every centurion seems to have one. Skyrim Dwemer also lack coherer, tubes and antennas. From this we can guess they weren’t familiar with Vvardenfell’s Dwemer “radio” technology. This could also be explanation why they were less united than Vvardenfell dwemer as they seem to have lacked any sort of long range communication.
However they were almost certainly familiar with anti-creation and perhaps Skyrim Dwemer figured out a way to make soul gems produce heat by utilizing anti-soul radiation. This process is a mystery, but I suspect the soul gem somehow act as transmitter of anti-soul radiation producing heat in similar ways of Vvardenfell Dwemeri devices designed for same purpose. Conditions required for this to happen are uknown, but certainly soul gems in their normal state can’t be used for this purpose.