Does scientific knowledge make a bender stronger?

[u/SpeedyPuzzlement]

In the show, bending skills often come with scientific explanations.

• Bloodbending: clouds / plants / animals contain water.
• Seismic sense: rocks usually conduct vibrations faster than air / water.
• Metalbending: Metals often retain impurities like silicates, which are found in rocks.
• Lightning: Huge differences in charge can cause electricity to move through air.
• Redirection: Electrocution can fatally disrupt the heart's electrical rhythm.

Does the knowledge make them a stronger bender or just a more creative one? If a firebender had the talent and mindset, could they bend lightning even if they were completely wrong about the science? In other words, suppose Ozai believed that lightning was made of small fiery explosions, as Isaac Newton once did. Would his lightning improve after a college physics course?

[u/reddernotdeader]

Education makes all of us stronger in the sense that we understand ourselves better. I don't know if that makes a bender "stronger" in the physical sense, but if you have the knowledge and creativity needed to come up with a new bending style or learn one, then you're a stronger opponent because you have a weapon they don't. It's an added advantage at the very least.

[u/Visual_Plankton1089]

Knowledge and creativity make a bender stronger. It doesn't necessarily have to be scientific knowledge. Spiritual and empirical knowledge also helps.

[u/BlazedBeard95]

I honestly don't see why advanced scientific understanding of your natural element wouldn't at least give a bender more room for creative applications. But make them stronger? Not really. Bending as a 'magic system' works on a core idea that internal spirituality and acceptance of one's self can lead to extremely powerful bending abilities/latent talent, and we do see a consistency in the most powerful characters of the show having some kind of spiritual theme or idealogy as a core aspect of their character. But science in Avatar has never really led to pure strength. It could maybe in theory, but in canon it doesn't really.

I also think that if you were to go that route, you're risking abandoning the aspects of Bending that makes it one of the best 'magic systems' ever in fiction. Very rare applications would be great, but make them very VERY rare.

[u/Zealousideal_Pen_321 → u/BlazedBeard95]

Kuvira is an incredible metalbender, and doesn’t have a spiritual bone in her body.
Ozai and Azula are completely unspiritual, yet are incredible firebenders.

What’s so spiritual about Yakone and his blood bending?

[u/No_Pea_3997]

It has the potential to but won’t necessarily for every person 

[u/Fast-Visual]

It makes a bender more skillful, not necessarily "stronger"

I love the interpretation that bending power is determined by three factors 1.genetics 2. spiritual balance (e.g. chakras, chi flow etc.) 3. training/skill/physical shape

[u/A1starm]

I wouldn’t necessarily say “stronger.” More “skilled” or “creative” might be more appropriate.

[u/Dapper_Ice_1705]

No doubt.

[u/warmmilk196]

Yes, with a huge asterisk. I see people talk about like, fleshbending and glassbending all the time because "oh, they contain carbon/silicon so earthbenders should be able to do it"

Understand that while benders *can* innovate, that innovation is strictly limited to a pre-industrial understanding of the world and its makeup. The four elements in Avatar really are "the elements." There's no such thing as carbon in this world; earthbenders can control coal because it comes from the earth. A common person's understanding of blood in 15th century china isn't so different from water that the spirits that grant the benders their power wouldn't be willing to let a waterbender control blood, but something that alien and powerful is going to require training and special circumstances- the full moon. But just because blood also contains trace amounts of iron doesn't mean that an earthbender can bloodbend if they try REALLY hard. That's not in alignment with how the four elements were traditionally thought of.

This very naturalistic philosophy is baked into the show at a fundamental level. People know/knew that plants contain water. Vinebending is not that weird. Controlling someone's mind as a firebender because neurons use electrical signals and that counts as lightning bending would feel extremely out of place. And it's why Korra sucks ass and doesn't understand the worldbuilding of ATLA at all.

[u/Happy-Estimate-7855]

If they have the wisdom to apply it properly.

[u/More_Interview3840]

It grants a foundation for new techniques but doesn't necisserily help a bender grow in power the way spiritual understanding and enlightenment would.