SCP Foundation

Anyone remember those plasma balls that had electricity climb to your fingers when you touched it? Okay, now this ball makes it impossible to do critical thinking and makes it difficult to comprehend ideas within a certain range of effect.

For example, let's say a scientist is considering something for a test, and then enters the range of effect. The idea would be forgotten, but the scientist would still feel the need for some idea and recognize its importance to his or her everyday life. The scientist would not be capable of coming up with the idea itself, but knows it is supposed to exist. Now, let's say that you're within the range of effect and are looking at some memetic hazard. Considering the mindshielding effect of this SCP, you would not be able to comprehend the effect and render the SCP useless.

Now, let's consider cognitohazards. There are a few questions that can answer whether this SCP will work.

1. Does it rely on you thinking about something? If so, it works against it
2. Does it rely on you having seen it? If so, it works against it
3. Does it rely on you feeling emotions? If so, it doesn't work
4. Does it rely on you hearing it? This depends on the audio's effect. In the case that the noise can change the way you think, it works against it. In the case that the noise causes damage itself, it doesn't work.

I'm almost considering making this a thaumiel class considering this could counteract memetic hazards similar to what SCP-714 does.

Should I continue with this idea, or send it back to RnD?

The effect is interesting enough in its specificities and practical applications, but it feels disconnected from a random plasma ball toy. It gives a feeling of dissonance and makes me as a reader assume that it was just a random object picked to attach the effect to, rather than a more thought out way of introducing the anomaly to the plot.

I would also caution against getting so caught up in the logistics of how it works that you don't properly develop a plot. Remember, skips are short stories first and foremost. I could describe a very useful anomalous flashlight in great technical detail but it will still be boring if that isn't in service to an encompassing narrative.