As many saturday morning cartoons, anime and video games led me to believe in my childhood, energy is something mysterious, and the senses perceive it this way:
- Sight: Usually invisible, but when there's a lot of it, bright light comes out of thin air, usually with a dominating appearance to it. It can only be made by very powerful people. It is seldom misty, usually curvy or jagged-looking.
- Sound: Really powerful sounding. In retrospect, the sounds I remember were probably made in studio by someone ripping a thick sheet of paper, running the sound through a flanger module, and giving it a thick bass boost.
- Touch: It depends. If someone flings energy at you, there are definite consequences. This, of course, is dependent on that person's intent. If the intent is of malice, they will probably tense up their muscles, and the energy will inflict pain upon you all over. If the intent is of kindness, the energy might make you feel good, and even heal your wounds.
- Smell, Taste: Not applicable. No one ever tastes or smells energy. It's just not done.
Energy is not matter. It does take up space, but it has no mass. Where do we witness energy? All around us. Anime characters have some hefty battle auras, and I can tell you those are made of pure energy. Anyone played Unreal? Weapon number 1, the Dispersion Pistol shoots energy shots. They look misty and sound exactly the way I described above.
All throughout my childhood, I asked adults what energy was, and never did I get a straight answer. The definition of energy seemed to escape them. It was not until grade eleven physics that I realized the true nature of energy:
Energy is the capacity to do work.
That made everything so simple, and a light flicked on in my mind at that precise moment, clearing up all the ambiguities and misconceptions that pop culture had taught me. So the next time your child asks you what energy is, there's the answer, plain and simple.