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What if we look at Uiharu Kazari in a more (pseudo)-scientific way. The ability of fixate the temperature - which is called (定温保存 [サーマルハンド]) "Fixed Temperature Preservation (Thermal Hand)", BTW - can be utilized to weaken the molecular connection within materials by alternating between high and low temperatures. It might take more than a few cycles, and it will be time consuming, but if used beforehand, it can be a major element in a fight.

Also, Temperature is, basically, the vibration of molecules in the air - the faster the vibration, the higher the temperatures, and vice versa. What if we expend the scope a bit, and assume that the ability isn't to affixiate just temperatures, but the vibration of the molecules? Now, I can't recall who gave the various abilities their names, in-universe, but I think that it is possible that due to Uiharu's low level, and the ability to affect just temperatures, the ability was named as such (yes, I'm aware it a bit of a stretch, considering that the name came from the author himself, Kamachi Kazuma; but, in-universe, it might happen).

From a sober scientific perspective, there really isn't much of a difference between "esper" and "magic", it's just psychic powers generally get classified under paranormal while "magic" has more occultic connotations.

Granted, in the real world, there have been scientists who have attempted to quantify empirically psychic phenomenon while I don't think there's any serious study of "magic" (as a force that has measurable effects, I'm not talking about things like anthropologists studying tribes who have religious practices where they believe they're using magic), but it's all pseudoscience, really.

Raildex espers are an application of quantum mechanics so if you had to classify it, I think it would be science-fiction and not magic.

Another difference I will grant between "magic" and "ESPer" abilities is that "magic" is generally depicted as an outside force that people with knowledge of how to wield it can tap into, while ESPer/psychic powers are generally depicted as innate, coming from within the brain/nervous system of the user, but it's not enough of a practical difference that I'd have any problem with Uiharu's inclusion on a "magic" list.

Maybe I'd have called the list "7 Useless Paranormal Attacks", but I'm just splitting hairs at this point.

Uiharu's power could stop nuclear reactors from overheating. I know it's sad that was the first thing I thought of in 2011 when they had the disaster, but I was obsessed with Index/Railgun at the time. She herself probably can't, but her power itself for sure. If she could use it remotely...

When I saw this weeks list, I immediately thought of the main character from Modern Magic Made Simple who can only summon wash basins. I didn't finish it, so maybe it changes, but other then hitting someone on the head, not that useful.
How about in place of #6...

If we're talking about useless magic in Slayers I prefer Sylphiel's Flare ~~Arrow~~ Carrot.

EricJ2 wrote:

What about Jurai Andou's "Dark and Dark" from When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace?
An anemic flicker of dark flame from the hands doesn't really look all that impressive when the other members have powers that actually do something, but he manages to build up the hype through overacting.

This was my first thought for the list. The power is completely useless, and even when he does figure out spoiler[how to make it do something it only burns himself.] It's only useful because he's a convincing liar.

SilverTalon01 wrote:

Hameyadea wrote:

Maybe the user can adjust the temperature, instead of keeping it at its current degree, or the ability changes from direct contact to a spatial one, meaning that the user can affect (or maybe even adjust) the temperature of the inside of a car, room, building.

Probably not. Kongou is level 4 and she still needs to touch things for her hand ability. The "hand" part probably means they can only influence the area directly around them. It would likely be similar to how Accelerator can only change vectors of things he touches even at level 5.

Although, it could just mean her hands are the source of her powers; she isn't going to burn her shoes off or something. It's not like we haven't seen other ESPer abilities go from touch to remote. Awaki started with normal teleportation (herself and whatever she touches), but after becoming traumatized by getting her foot stuck in a wall she developed Move Point (remote teleportation). It's been theorized by fans that if she got over her fears of self teleportation she could become a level 5. Likewise it's believed that developing Move Point is the only thing keeping Kuroko from level 5. It's actually interesting how those two were both able to achieve level 4 by honing different skills in the same ability. It means that not all abilities have a distinct path to leveling.

EMerje

Miroku's Wind Tunnel is shown to be able to suck in even Naraku with no hope of escaping when those poisonous wasps are removed from the equation, though it would kill Miroku too. So I would disagree that the Wind Tunnel is useless--it's kryptonite is simply abundant for some reason.

By the way, one of my favorite things to see in a story is someone taking a useless power and thinking up creative ways to use that power. When used creatively enough, I feel there is no such thing as a useless power. I'm sure even the Thermal Hand could have some deadly application if I thought for long enough. It certainly would be useful in conjunction with some other power or a partner though, considering this power is a middle finger to thermodynamics.

An exception to a useless power, though, is if someone else has a power that can do everything the other power can do and more. Even then though, they can work together.

Hiroki not Takuya wrote:

Yes, Wind tunnel gets rid of a couple of otherwise intractable demons if I'm not mistaken, so very useful. And don't dis Sweets Conjuring too much either, in D.C.2 Junichi conjures a banana filled treat and "saves" Minatsu-chan in her story arc so...ya who am I kidding, it's useless otherwise. What a pain...

Depends on how Conjuring Sweets works. Can the user also control the exact location where the sweets forms? Is there a limit to how many he can produce? If the limit is high, he can be quite useful on a disaster relief team. If he can locate an enemy's aorta and conjure up a jawbreaker at that spot...

CrimsonDX wrote:

I totally disagree with Uiharu. Her thermal hand may be rather useless as a level 1, but you have to realize that all abilities in Index can become insanely powerful at higher levels. I've always seen her ability as essentially negating entropy through the manipulation of thermal dynamics. You can imagine what kind of power that could hold at higher levels. Complete control of thermal dynamics, entropy etc.

Even at Level 1, if Thermal hand applies to the entire object or person she comes in contact with and not just the region, she can inflict serious harm by keeping, say, a steam iron that she touched when it was on and continues to hold onto via its handle. She can also prevent heat sources from functioning if she touches them while still cold.

Tenchi wrote:

Granted, in the real world, there have been scientists who have attempted to quantify empirically psychic phenomenon while I don't think there's any serious study of "magic" (as a force that has measurable effects, I'm not talking about things like anthropologists studying tribes who have religious practices where they believe they're using magic), but it's all pseudoscience, really.

I don't know if it falls under magic, psychic stuff, or something else, but there was an attempt to weigh a soul using scientific means. (According to Dr. MacDougall, it comes out to about 21 grams.)

Kougeru wrote:

Uiharu's power could stop nuclear reactors from overheating. I know it's sad that was the first thing I thought of in 2011 when they had the disaster, but I was obsessed with Index/Railgun at the time. She herself probably can't, but her power itself for sure. If she could use it remotely...

She can also prevent a power plant that's been shut down from ever operating again for as long as she touches it, cutting off power to whatever area it serves.

I've never seen or read the series, so I'm just making guesses based on what I'm reading here about the Thermal Hand.

Be fair. Pink Sugar Heart Attack is more useful than most of the other Guardians' attacks by that point. Razz

The call on Miroku's power was bad. There's no way that should be on the list, particularly as even at the absolute limit it would be a heck of a kamikaze attack.

Also don't get calling Lina's attack useless because even if you don't know the whole backstory behind it, and while she only used it once, it did exactly what she needed and wanted it to do.

As for Uiharu's, I do have to agree, only in so far as the fact that it is so far useless, and all theories about what it might become are purely conjecture as her power has never received any further explanation or exposition. Guessing on what it can and can't become, what aspects it will retain or lose, is completely hypothetical, and beyond the ability to judge at this point.

And Yaya... she's adorable, but pretty much useless.

Certain chemicals can change the properties of others without any sort of reaction or temperature change(the most common being antifreeze); if Thermal Hand can disrupt this process, it can be quite powerful indeed, especially if, as leafy sea dragon proposed, it can affect entire objects or areas. She could just even be the world's savior if some idiot gets careless with their ice-9.

CrimsonDX wrote:

I totally disagree with Uiharu. Her thermal hand may be rather useless as a level 1, but ...

I wonder if she would be able to keep a bomb from exploding or a reactor from melting down. That would be pretty useful at times.

Covnam wrote:

When I saw this weeks list, I immediately thought of the main character from Modern Magic Made Simple who can only summon wash basins. I didn't finish it, so maybe it changes, but other then hitting someone on the head, not that useful.
How about in place of #6...

spoiler[She goes all Imagine Breaker with it, eventually. Turns other people's offensive spells into washbasins.]

everyone and their dachshund wrote:

Uiharu's power is better than that!

She can keep a thing at its existing temperature. It's limited by what she can hold comfortably, so the object must still transfer heat away from itself (or into itself.) So she could keep a heater running by touching it when it ran out of fuel. She can keep an ice cube cold in the middle of the desert. Her existence violates the laws of thermodynamics. It violates conservation of matter/energy. She. is. a. perpetual. motion. machine. The Philosopher's Stone of physics, with an adorable headband.

Kougeru wrote:

Uiharu's power could stop nuclear reactors from overheating.

I don't think Uiharu could keep a reactor from overheating without getting a almost-certainly fatal dose of radiation.

The Academy City version of TEPCO would probably use someone with Water Hand in a pinch, although do they even have nuclear reactors in Academy City? I was under the impression they get all of their powers from the windmills prominently visible in the first ED of A Certain Scientific Railgun. (I don't know if you could run a whole city on windmill power in real life, but everything in Academy City is decades more advanced than the rest of Japan, so I presume each of their windmills can produce as much power as a nuclear reactor because, you know, "science" and "magic").

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