#Building Materials Testing Laboratories

[lateralspreadofflamemanufacturer]

🔥 Lateral Spread of Flame Test – Essential for Fire Safety Compliance 🔥

Fire safety is critical in industries such as construction, transportation, aviation, and marine. The ISO 5658 Lateral Spread of Flame Test is designed to measure how fire propagates across the surface of materials. This test ensures that materials used in high-risk environments meet global fire safety regulations.

🔥 What is the ISO 5658 Lateral Spread of Flame Test?

The ISO 5658 test evaluates the fire performance of materials by exposing them to a controlled flame. This test determines:

Flame Spread Rate: How quickly fire spreads across the material's surface.

Ignition Time: The time it takes for the material to catch fire.

Burning Behavior: The reaction of the material when exposed to direct flame.

Industries such as railway, aerospace, and construction require this test to ensure fire-resistant materials are used in buildings, trains, aircraft, and marine vessels.

🌍 Why Choose KDM Global for Fire Testing Equipment?

At KDM Global, we manufacture high-quality fire testing equipment, including the ISO 5658 Lateral Spread of Flame Test Apparatus. Our advanced testing solutions ensure:

Precision & Accuracy: Reliable data for material safety certification.

Compliance with ISO 5658 Standards: Meeting global fire testing requirements.

Robust & Durable Equipment: Built for long-term, high-performance testing.

🚆 Industries That Require Lateral Spread of Flame Testing

Various industries rely on the ISO 5658 test to assess the fire behavior of materials:

🏗️ Construction: Fire-resistant materials for safer buildings.

🚄 Railway: Ensuring compliance with railway safety regulations.

✈️ Aerospace: Testing aircraft cabin materials for fire resistance.

🚢 Marine: Ensuring ship interiors meet safety standards.

🔍 Get the Best Fire Testing Equipment from KDM Global!

Looking for the most reliable fire testing machines? KDM Global's ISO 5658 Lateral Spread of Flame Test Apparatus is designed to provide accurate results for your fire safety compliance needs.

🌐 Learn More About Our Product: ISO 5658 Lateral Spread of Flame Test Apparatus

📌 Visit Our Website: KDM Global

📞 Contact Us: +91 8218470498 | +91 7983475310

Ensure fire safety compliance with KDM Global’s high-precision fire testing equipment today! 🔥

[acetesthouse]

Choose the Right Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi

Looking for a reliable Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi? At Ace Test House, we provide comprehensive testing services for all types of building materials, ensuring quality and safety. Our state-of-the-art equipment and experienced professionals guarantee accurate results. We also specialize as a Brick Testing Lab in Delhi, offering detailed analysis to meet your construction standards. Trust us for precise, dependable testing solutions to support your projects. Visit our website for more information!

[rkctlaboratory]

RKCT Laboratory PVT LTD

RKCT Laboratory, based in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, is a leading provider of comprehensive laboratory testing and analysis services. We offer a wide range of services including soil, water, material, environmental, chemical, and geotechnical testing, supported by a team of highly skilled professionals and state-of-the-art technology. We are committed to delivering precise, reliable, and timely results across all testing domains. Our accreditation and certifications underscore our dedication to quality and excellence, making us a trusted partner for industries and individuals seeking accurate and thorough analyses.

P 316/3, raigwa, Patan Bypass, Road, in front of green valley school, Karmeta, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482002

9424508844

[mariacallous]

Last month, the Trump administration placed a $1 spending limit on most government-issued credit cards that federal employees use to cover travel and work expenses. The impacts are already widely felt.

At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, scientists aren’t able to order equipment used to repair ships and radars. At the Food and Drug Administration, laboratories are experiencing delays in ordering basic supplies. At the National Park Service, employees are canceling trips to oversee crucial maintenance work. And at the Department of Agriculture and the Federal Aviation Administration, employees worry that mission-critical projects could be stalled. In many cases, employees are already unable to carry out the basic functions of their job.

“The longer this disruption lasts, the more the system will break,” says a USDA official who was granted anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak to the media about the looming crisis.

A researcher at the National Institutes of Health who tests new vaccines and treatments in rodents says he has had to put experiments on hold; his lab is not able to get certain necessary materials, such as antibodies, which are needed to assess immune response. “We have animals here that are aging that will pretty soon be too old to work with,” says the researcher, who requested anonymity as they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the agency. Young mice and rats that are 6 to 8 weeks old are typically used for drug and vaccine studies, but some of the animals in their lab have now aged out of that window and may have to be euthanized.

They say NIH workers have been using internal listservs to ask for reagents and lab equipment from other buildings or institutions to try to compensate for shortages, but they’re not always able to track down what they need. The NIH is made up of 27 institutes and centers, and its Bethesda, Maryland, campus is spread across more than 75 buildings. “Sometimes you need something that's really niche, and you're just not going to find it from someone else on campus,” they say.

The change comes as Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency continues to hunt for alleged examples of waste across the federal government. Late last month, DOGE announced that it was working to “simplify” the government’s largest credit card program, which issues GSA SmartPay travel and purchase cards for federal employees. Last Wednesday, the agency claimed 24,000 cards had been deactivated.

The credit card program allows federal workers to bypass the typical procurement process required to buy goods and services. A 2002 report from the Department of Commerce said that, “by avoiding the formal procurement process, GSA estimates the annual savings to be $1.2 billion.” It also enables federal employees to avoid paying sales tax on expenses that the government is exempt from.

At the FDA, labs that analyze samples to ensure that food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics are safe and meet regulatory standards are already facing shortages. "While we are always acutely aware of when Congress’ funding is going to run out, we are able to order supplies to keep things going in the lab. This abrupt ending felt like the rug was being pulled out from under us," says an employee at the FDA who requested anonymity because they aren't authorized to speak with the media.

The employee recently placed an order for pipette tips, an essential laboratory supply, but found that order was put on hold. "Now we are running out, asking colleagues at other offices to share what they might not be using,” they told WIRED.

In addition, workers say FDA labs now have to go through a lengthy process to order liquid nitrogen, which is used to keep ultra-cold freezers running. These freezers preserve samples of cells and other biological material that reflect years, and sometimes decades, of research. Delays in getting liquid nitrogen tanks could destroy that material. Previously, new tanks could usually be acquired the same day as putting in a request. Now, it takes a week or so to receive a tank after initiating a request.

An employee at the Environmental Protection Agency says her facility is not able to place regular orders of liquid nitrogen at the moment. “We have dozens of these freezers full of important environmental samples that are imminently at risk of being lost because we can no longer get our regular shipments of liquid nitrogen,” says the employee, who requested anonymity. These samples are used as part of research on detection and remediation methods for chemicals such as PFAS, which are found in many products and break down very slowly over time.

“Scientists are being forced to jerry-rig the connection points on these freezers to accept pressures of liquid nitrogen they were not designed to handle,” the employee says. “Divisions are resorting to bartering with each other to obtain needed items.”

The FDA and EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED.

The credit card freeze also means that federal researchers who were working on scientific manuscripts can’t pay journal fees, meaning they can’t submit their work to certain journals for publication.

An employee at a federal forensics lab told WIRED that spending limits mean the lab is no longer able to pay to ship evidence back to agents, effectively halting its ability to do casework. Before a case goes to trial, defendants have the right to access and review evidence that the prosecution intends to use against them, which includes access to the evidence in their case. Defendants are able to send that evidence to an outside lab for analysis if they choose. “Cases can’t progress until we return the evidence,” says the forensics lab worker, who asked to remain anonymous. “I basically can’t do my job right now.”

NIH employees were told that travel cards could not be used at all for 30 days, forcing scientists to cancel plans to attend a major infectious disease conference next week. USDA employees at the Pest Identification Technology Laboratory have stockpiled reagents used for molecular tests in advance of the spending limits, according to the USDA official.

FAA employees who travel to work on and test aviation systems worry the credit card freeze will prevent them from completing their projects. “We are allowed to use our personal cards in emergencies but none of us trust them to pay us back now,” says one employee.

The impacts have hit the National Park Service as well. One employee was poised to go on a trip to oversee road maintenance at a national monument when the change went into effect on February 20. “Unless I want to pay for it myself, I can’t go. I can’t pay for my hotel, my rental car, fuel for the car. Now I can’t carry out the mission,” the employee says. “Today, instead of focusing on other work, I’m focused on three different contingencies on how to handle this. Do I go? Do I call my engineering team and tell them to reschedule? And if so, when? The project is on an indefinite hold.”

A memo written to staff at the National Park Service specified that “all travel that is NOT related to national security, public safety, or immigration enforcement should be canceled if it begins on Wednesday, February 26, through the end of March 2025.” A long-term decision on the travel policy, it said, will come “at a later date.” Some NPS staffers were able to travel in February despite not getting official clearance. They have now been told no travel will be allowed in March. To date, roughly 75 trips have been canceled or rescheduled, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The National Park Service did not respond to a request for comment from WIRED.

Some government employees say they were given a warning prior to the change being announced on February 20. “We went out and bought cases and cases of toilet paper the night before,” another current employee at the National Park Service says. “There’s a general acknowledgement that things are going to break.”

That employee works in the Pacific West Region, which manages federal land in California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada, as well as parks in Arizona, Montana, Guam, and American Samoa. While the GSA did allow for the possibility of exceptions to the clamp-down, the employee claims there are only four purchase cards with spending limits above $1 available for the entire region.

Some of these parks pay for services like internet and wireless on purchase cards—leaving staffers wondering if their work devices could soon be cut off. “Before someone can fix a bathroom a work order has to be issued,” the current employee explains. “That happens electronically. Like any business, we rely on email, Teams, and chat to get things done.”

The spending limits reflect Musk’s belief in zero-based budgeting. After he purchased Twitter, he slashed the budget to zero and forced employees to justify every expense. He also froze people’s corporate credit cards.

“With the Twitter pausing of payments, at some point we were in a meeting at 1 am on a Saturday, and it was like, ‘Hey, let's turn the credit cards off to see what bounces, and what happens,’" explained angel investor Jason Calacanis on the All In podcast in February. (Calacanis was part of Musk’s transition team at Twitter.) “And of course, we started getting calls ... The people who come first, they're probably the ones who are in on the biggest grift.”

Employees see it a different way. “There are so many controls in place to make sure fraud doesn’t happen,” alleges the current NPS staffer. “I honestly believe the only fraud occurring is being committed by Musk, [Russell] Vought, and [Donald] Trump.”

[whencyclopedia]

Archaeology

Archaeology is a wide subject and definitions can vary, but broadly, it is the study of the culture and history of past peoples and their societies by uncovering and studying their material remains, i.e. tools, ruins, and pottery. Archaeology and history are different subjects but have things in common and constantly work with each other. While historians study books, tablets, and other written information to learn about the past, archaeologists uncover, date, and trace the source of such items, and in their turn focus on learning through material culture.

As much of human history is prehistoric (before written records), archaeology plays an important role in understanding the past. Different environments and climates help or hinder the survival of materials, e.g. papyri can survive thousands of years in the hot and dry desert but would not survive in damp conditions. Waterlogged conditions, such as bogs, can preserve organic material, like wood, and underwater wrecks are also excavated using diving equipment. Working everywhere from digging in the ground to testing samples in laboratories, archaeology is a wide-ranging discipline and has many subsections of expertise. The two rapidly widening areas are experimental archaeology and ethnoarchaeology. Experimental archaeology tries to recreate ancient techniques, such as glass making or Egyptian beer brewing. Ethnoarchaeology is living among modern ethnic communities, with the purpose of understanding how they hunt, work, and live. Using this information, archaeologists hope to better understand ancient communities.

Archaeology of the Past

Archaeology as an academic study, career, and university subject is a fairly recent development. Nevertheless an interest in the past is not new. Humankind has always been interested in its history. Most cultures have a myth or story that explains their foundation and distant ancestors. Ancient rulers have sometimes collected ancient relics or rebuilt monuments and buildings. This can often be seen as political strategy - a leader wanting to be identified with a great figure or civilisation from the past. On the other hand, ancient leaders have also been known for their curiosity and learning. King Nabonidus of Babylon, for example, had a keen interest in the past and investigated many sites and buildings. In one temple, he found the foundation stone from 2200 years before. He housed his finds in a kind of museum at his capital of Babylon. The Roman and Greek historians wrote books about the past, and the stories of famous heroes and leaders have come down to us.

However, modern archaeology, or at least its theories and practice, stem from the antiquarian tradition. In the 17th and 18th centuries CE, wealthy gentleman scholars, or antiquarians as they are also known, began to collect classical artefacts. Fuelled by interest, they began to make some of the first studies of sites like Pompeii and drew ancient monuments in detail. The first scientific excavation has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson (third president of the United States of America) who dug up some of the burial mounds on his property in the state of Virginia, USA. The beginnings of modern field techniques were pioneered by General Augustus Lane-Fox Pitt Rivers, who excavated barrows at Camborne Chase with systematic recording and procedure. In the USA in the 1960s CE, archaeology went through a phase of new theories, often called processual archaeology. This approach has a scientific approach to questions and designs models to suggest answers and test its theories.

Continue reading...

[femenaces]

I may or may not be one of the anonymous sources in this article

Edit, the text of the article for those who can’t view it (under the cut):

Last month, the Trump administration placed a $1 spending limit on most government-issued credit cards that federal employees use to cover travel and work expenses. The impacts are already widely felt.

At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, scientists aren’t able to order equipment used to repair ships and radars. At the Food and Drug Administration, laboratories are experiencing delays in ordering basic supplies. At the National Park Service, employees are canceling trips to oversee crucial maintenance work. And at the Department of Agriculture and the Federal Aviation Administration, employees worry that mission-critical projects could be stalled. In many cases, employees are already unable to carry out the basic functions of their job.

“The longer this disruption lasts, the more the system will break,” says a USDA official who was granted anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak to the media about the looming crisis.

A researcher at the National Institutes of Health who tests new vaccines and treatments in rodents says he has had to put experiments on hold; his lab is not able to get certain necessary materials, such as antibodies, which are needed to assess immune response. “We have animals here that are aging that will pretty soon be too old to work with,” says the researcher, who requested anonymity as they aren’t authorized to speak publicly about the agency. Young mice and rats that are 6 to 8 weeks old are typically used for drug and vaccine studies, but some of the animals in their lab have now aged out of that window and may have to be euthanized.

They say NIH workers have been using internal listservs to ask for reagents and lab equipment from other buildings or institutions to try to compensate for shortages, but they’re not always able to track down what they need. The NIH is made up of 27 institutes and centers, and its Bethesda, Maryland, campus is spread across more than 75 buildings. “Sometimes you need something that's really niche, and you're just not going to find it from someone else on campus,” they say.

The change comes as Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency continues to hunt for alleged examples of waste across the federal government. Late last month, DOGE announced that it was working to “simplify” the government’s largest credit card program, which issues GSA SmartPay travel and purchase cards for federal employees. Last Wednesday, the agency claimed 24,000 cards had been deactivated.

The credit card program allows federal workers to bypass the typical procurement process required to buy goods and services. A 2002 report from the Department of Commerce said that, “by avoiding the formal procurement process, GSA estimates the annual savings to be $1.2 billion.” It also enables federal employees to avoid paying sales tax on expenses that the government is exempt from.

At the FDA, labs that analyze samples to ensure that food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics are safe and meet regulatory standards are already facing shortages. "While we are always acutely aware of when Congress’ funding is going to run out, we are able to order supplies to keep things going in the lab. This abrupt ending felt like the rug was being pulled out from under us," says an employee at the FDA who requested anonymity because they aren't authorized to speak with the media.

The employee recently placed an order for pipette tips, an essential laboratory supply, but found that order was put on hold. "Now we are running out, asking colleagues at other offices to share what they might not be using,” they told WIRED.

In addition, workers say FDA labs now have to go through a lengthy process to order liquid nitrogen, which is used to keep ultra-cold freezers running. These freezers preserve samples of cells and other biological material that reflect years, and sometimes decades, of research. Delays in getting liquid nitrogen tanks could destroy that material. Previously, new tanks could usually be acquired the same day as putting in a request. Now, it takes a week or so to receive a tank after initiating a request.

An employee at the Environmental Protection Agency says her facility is not able to place regular orders of liquid nitrogen at the moment. “We have dozens of these freezers full of important environmental samples that are imminently at risk of being lost because we can no longer get our regular shipments of liquid nitrogen,” says the employee, who requested anonymity. These samples are used as part of research on detection and remediation methods for chemicals such as PFAS, which are found in many products and break down very slowly over time.

“Scientists are being forced to jerry-rig the connection points on these freezers to accept pressures of liquid nitrogen they were not designed to handle,” the employee says. “Divisions are resorting to bartering with each other to obtain needed items.”

The FDA and EPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from WIRED.

The credit card freeze also means that federal researchers who were working on scientific manuscripts can’t pay journal fees, meaning they can’t submit their work to certain journals for publication.

An employee at a federal forensics lab told WIRED that spending limits mean the lab is no longer able to pay to ship evidence back to agents, effectively halting its ability to do casework. Before a case goes to trial, defendants have the right to access and review evidence that the prosecution intends to use against them, which includes access to the evidence in their case. Defendants are able to send that evidence to an outside lab for analysis if they choose. “Cases can’t progress until we return the evidence,” says the forensics lab worker, who asked to remain anonymous. “I basically can’t do my job right now.”

NIH employees were told that travel cards could not be used at all for 30 days, forcing scientists to cancel plans to attend a major infectious disease conference next week. USDA employees at the Pest Identification Technology Laboratory have stockpiled reagents used for molecular tests in advance of the spending limits, according to the USDA official.

FAA employees who travel to work on and test aviation systems worry the credit card freeze will prevent them from completing their projects. “We are allowed to use our personal cards in emergencies but none of us trust them to pay us back now,” says one employee.

The impacts have hit the National Park Service as well. One employee was poised to go on a trip to oversee road maintenance at a national monument when the change went into effect on February 20. “Unless I want to pay for it myself, I can’t go. I can’t pay for my hotel, my rental car, fuel for the car. Now I can’t carry out the mission,” the employee says. “Today, instead of focusing on other work, I’m focused on three different contingencies on how to handle this. Do I go? Do I call my engineering team and tell them to reschedule? And if so, when? The project is on an indefinite hold.”

A memo written to staff at the National Park Service specified that “all travel that is NOT related to national security, public safety, or immigration enforcement should be canceled if it begins on Wednesday, February 26, through the end of March 2025.” A long-term decision on the travel policy, it said, will come “at a later date.” Some NPS staffers were able to travel in February despite not getting official clearance. They have now been told no travel will be allowed in March. To date, roughly 75 trips have been canceled or rescheduled, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The National Park Service did not respond to a request for comment from WIRED.

Some government employees say they were given a warning prior to the change being announced on February 20. “We went out and bought cases and cases of toilet paper the night before,” another current employee at the National Park Service says. “There’s a general acknowledgement that things are going to break.”

That employee works in the Pacific West Region, which manages federal land in California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada, as well as parks in Arizona, Montana, Guam, and American Samoa. While the GSA did allow for the possibility of exceptions to the clamp-down, the employee claims there are only four purchase cards with spending limits above $1 available for the entire region.

Some of these parks pay for services like internet and wireless on purchase cards—leaving staffers wondering if their work devices could soon be cut off. “Before someone can fix a bathroom a work order has to be issued,” the current employee explains. “That happens electronically. Like any business, we rely on email, Teams, and chat to get things done.”

The spending limits reflect Musk’s belief in zero-based budgeting. After he purchased Twitter, he slashed the budget to zero and forced employees to justify every expense. He also froze people’s corporate credit cards.

“With the Twitter pausing of payments, at some point we were in a meeting at 1 am on a Saturday, and it was like, ‘Hey, let's turn the credit cards off to see what bounces, and what happens,’" explained angel investor Jason Calacanis on the All In podcast in February. (Calacanis was part of Musk’s transition team at Twitter.) “And of course, we started getting calls ... The people who come first, they're probably the ones who are in on the biggest grift.”

Employees see it a different way. “There are so many controls in place to make sure fraud doesn’t happen,” alleges the current NPS staffer. “I honestly believe the only fraud occurring is being committed by Musk, [Russell] Vought, and [Donald] Trump.”

[manic-maniac-man]

Raf Simons

SS08 interview

What is the most important point in this collection?

Let me put it like this: For the spring-summer collection one key element was the re-introduction of more body conscious silhouette and a more fitted cut The other key-word was light ness. In terms of weight, con struction, transparency and colour. I wanted to create a perfectly shaped look that gives you an ultra-light feel.

Im especially interested in half-sleeved jackets. Where did you get the idea from?

To create this lightness we were working alot on layering fabrics and garments. That's how we ended up also with a kind of fusion piece which is a shirt-jacket. It combines the ease and comfort of a shirt with the construction and functionality of a jacket.

There is something very special about the choice of mate rials and fabrics in your work for Jil Sander. How do you develop materials and fabrics?

Fabrics and materials have always been a major topic in the world of Jil Sander. I think it is one of Jil Sander core competencies. This attracted me already in the past and now I'm in this luxurious situation to cre ate, to develop exactly the mate rial blends the colors and the fabric structures we need for building up the collection. For this collection we were working on this sense of lightness and some very subtle patterns. Some we used as prints and for other materials we developed them as a woven micro jacquard. All these fabrics we develop exclusive together with our suppliers and many of them come from Japan.

What is different about creating a men's collection? What are the different points when you design women's collections compared to those for men?

I actually do not feel it is so different. Of course, you work with a different body structure but I feel a lot of freedom. I even might say it is almost easier to work in the women's, but with the men's collection I felt immediately comfortable from the very first moment.

Concerning the approach to design, is there any difference between the Jil Sander brand and the Raf Simons brand

I felt very comfortable, very attracted from the first moment I was asked to take over the design of Jil Sander. Actually it was one of my favored brands especially during the nineties. But there is a big difference: first of all Jil Sander is a brand. Built up over more than 35 years, it has quite a strong history and luxury branding, while my own brand is still a young brand compared to that. So the responsibilities are very different and very challenging at the same time. Second, my work is so much mare based on an conceptual approach, while in Jil Sander my approach to the design is very much product oriented. Collection-wise Jil Sander Collections involve no references. whether historic or political, and that's something I still see as an important part of my own brand, even if it is not so directly visible.

What is the most important thing for you when you create the Jil Sander collection?

The development of a Jil Sander Collection is like working in a big laboratory I can develop. I can test, we need always very special ingredients and treat- ments to come to a perfect product, which is defined by the proportion, the shape, the material and the color.

As this is fourth season, many now see Jil Sander by Raf Simons as having become firmly established. How do you feel?

I think we were able to show a big step of development with this collection. We started with more "old Jil" related collections in the beginning now we can turn it more and more into the future side of the brand and I feel very comfortable with that. And I'm very proud that our audience appreciates this development.

Are your creations for the Raf Simons brand influenced by your designs for the Jil Sander brand?

I cannot deny that the work on one collection is influencing the other collection, it's natural to me because if I believe in something I believe in it for both brands. But I will always take care that it fits to the identity of the two which are very distinctive.

Where are you based for your work?

Milan and Antwerp I live one week in here and one in there and in both cities I have my teams. So it's never colliding.

We see there is a substantial increase of bag, shoes and accessories since last season. Moreover, a new fragrance has been launched. Please let us know about the vision you have for Jil Sander as a brand.

I intended to put more focus on accessories, that's why we built up a strong accessory division. Shoes and bags can be so supportive to build up the right balance in a silhouette to make it strong and edgy. And I believe in a strong total look. So we will continue and even increase this focus. The fragrance is a different level of this total look. It is my first fragrance and I was very much involved in the whole process which I enjoyed as it was really a new experience for me. In the meanwhile we are already working on a new perfume for women. For the future we want to create a new eyewear line, which should come on the market next year.

[homestuckreplay]

hauntingly relaxing basslines to grow/disappearify pumpkins to

(page 818-825)

Jade irradiates a tasty dinner for Bec, leaving it full of ‘nice depleted steak isotopes’ (p.819). I was wondering about the science behind this, and learned that while radioactive decay naturally gives off heat, it’s probably not enough to cook a steak. Radioisotope thermal generators convert the heat of radiation into electricity, and there’s a lot of theory about radioisotopic batteries that could operate similarly to solar cells, but their efficiency is below 2% in laboratory tests.

This got me thinking about Skaia as a perfect conserver of energy – on page 193, Rose expends six units of build grist to construct three Perfectly Generic Objects. On p.261, she deletes them and regains six build grist. Next page, she uses the recovered grist to build a platform extending from John’s house, and finally on p.485 turns that platform back into six grist to build more stairs. In the real world, there is always a loss of energy and raw materials when changing something’s form, and many games model this (for example, an in game item costing 100 gold but only sold back for 50) to discourage players changing their minds. But Sburb explicitly allows for this experimentation, and a similar principle could explain why Jade’s uranium powered devices are so efficient.

Speaking of Jade’s technology, we see her ECLECTIC BASS, which is a kind of triple keytar. It definitely does not need to exist but it is so cool that it does. Jade (via the narrator) is frustratingly vague again with ‘obviously it's too complicated to play it in person like this’, refusing to clarify what ‘in person’ means, but I’d guess it’s a remote controlled hand or several that can play bass remotely without the limitations of human fingers. Possibly controlled through her other invention: the computer.

Instead of a regular desktop, Jade’s LUNCHTOP works through beams of light emitting from small floating polyhedrons, positioning her literally within the digital space. Amidst floating clouds, extra pixels and jpeg debris, and spinning chromosomes of light is a cool dragon as a wallpaper, icons for Pesterchum, Echidna (probably a browser) and Fresh Jamz!, which has an icon of a musical note over a jar of fruit jam. Is Jade a composer too? Did she write her own hauntingly relaxing bassline that caused the plants to grow? Is this a hobby she and Dave have in common?

Jade’s hauntingly relaxing bassline (p.822) is a great companion piece to WV: Ascend, showing Jade’s island in its current state as opposed to in extended timelapse. The house, with its orbs atop spires, is clearly modeled on a now broken part of the frog statue, and was designed to fit in with the existing architecture and shape of the island (it forms a peak to the small second mountain). The house was built for aesthetics, not function, and is primarily vertical especially towards the top. No wonder Jade ‘almost never use[s] the stairs’.

Putting the timeline together, we know that Jade is about to message John at 16:34 his time (p.110), but they don’t actually talk until 17:25 (p.169), almost an hour later, at which point there’s an explosion outside Jade’s house. In page 822’s animation, an aeroplane flies low over Jade’s island and drops off a delivery (a blue package – something from John, perhaps?). This must be an uncommonly loud sound in a remote area. Depending on how this flash syncs with the timeline, this may or may not be the ‘explosion’. Either way, Jade will be on the computer during the explosion, and as her likely homemade computer involves complete immersion in the digital surroundings, I can believe that she would interpret a noise from her computer as something that’s happening outside her house.

We’ve explored Jade’s room, interests, musical talents, fetch modus, and now computer. In all of these she’s been set up differently to her friends. We have yet to explore the rest of her house and its surroundings (featuring, presumably, strange themed decor, a large humanoid doll and a piece of visual art Jade has created) and to meet Jade’s grandfather, witnessing her attempts to evade and eventually strife with him.

> Jade: Open Echidna and watch your favorite Squiddles episode.

[aventurineswife]

Watching an Outlast Whistleblower stream and I’m in a mood. I forgot how terrifying Gluskin was—

Reader who used to be a researcher working for a laboratory dabbling in the Abundance.

After so many unethical and horrific experiments, they initially tried to blow the whistle by contacting the Xianzhou Alliance and anonymously sending them documents, footage, photos, everything they could get their hands on. (They know full well the IPC would simply take and exploit the hell out of anything they can get their hands on, and some of the Genius Society members are notoriously greedy for knowledge, hence Reader skipping all other factions in favor of the Xianzhou.)

Except another colleague intercepted the signal, and knowing they were at risk and most likely going to be exposed anyway, Reader decided to let hell break loose by releasing all of the prisoners and test subjects even at the risk of being attacked themself; though, they were able to outmaneuver everyone and steal many items and documents along the way as further evidence, while also hacking into the systems to destroy all electronic files and even the system itself.

At one point they were caught by their handler and, knowing that dead men tell no tales, Reader made pretty good use of the axe they picked up earlier…

Once they gathered enough damning evidence (one piece being a list of all employees — including themself, though they have written themself off as having been killed to hide from the laboratory’s higher-ups) they set the whole building ablaze, torch the other facilities and made their escape.

They hitchhiked for several months, keeping their head down, never staying in one place for longer than a couple of days, uploading all of their evidence to the Xianzhou, crafting a new identity and erasing all traces of their old life (they’re extremely lucky that the hallway cameras’ quality is so badly grainy as to barely be detailed) while trying to figure out how they’ll leave their planet—

—and they stumble across the Astral Express, with only a week left before they move on to the next world.

Reader wastes no time getting to know the crew, asking about their adventures and expressing interest in their stories while helping out whenever they can; and they don’t even have to ask before Himeko asks Reader to travel with them as the crew. If anyone asks, Reader’s old job really wasn’t working out for them, so they decided it was time to leave and seek new horizons; and if anyone tries to pry, well, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that Reader was sort of in a toxic situation, would it?

Reader hurriedly packs their bags and does a little extra emergency shopping to prepare for their stay and travels. Not only will they be able to finish up turning in evidence in the safety of the Express, but they might also be able to find better and more meaningful work somewhere else.

They were able to finish up sending all the evidence to the Xianzhou, and rather than risk keeping copies of the files for safekeeping, they upload their old study materials from college into their flash drives before doing a full wipe of their laptop and mobile devices.

Finally, they can relax now.

They also have to put up with March and the Trailblazer’s antics.

Reader: “Are those two always like this?”

Welt: “Well, not always…”

Himeko: “They’re just a bit lively, is all!”

Dan Heng: “Welcome to the club.”

This? This is peak storytelling. It’s got everything—thriller, horror, espionage, a desperate fight for survival, and then a perfect shift into a found-family dynamic on the Astral Express.

The reader’s escape from that hellhole of a lab is so cinematic. The slow unraveling of their whistleblowing attempt, the horrifying realization that their cover’s been blown, and the sheer chaos of releasing all the test subjects just to cover their tracks? That’s the kind of desperate, last-ditch move that could go horribly wrong, but the reader is smart—they outmaneuver everyone, take what they need, and leave nothing behind except fire and ruin.

And the detail about listing themselves as deceased? Chef’s kiss. It’s such a calculated move, but also deeply sad—essentially erasing their own identity to ensure survival. They’re a ghost now, existing on the fringes, always looking over their shoulder. That paranoia doesn’t just vanish overnight, either, even after they find the Express.

I love how they stumble across the crew while frantically planning their next move. You can imagine them listening to March’s ridiculous stories, the Trailblazer’s wild antics, and Dan Heng’s dry commentary, all while internally thinking, 'Is this real? Can I actually let my guard down here?'

And Himeko, wise as ever, just knows something’s up but doesn’t push. Instead, she offers them a ticket out—not just from the planet, but from the life they’ve been desperately running from. That moment of hesitation before the reader says yes? That’s a big one.

Also, the little exchange at the end is gold. Dan Heng being the deadpan voice of reason, March and Trailblazer just being absolute menaces, and Welt and Himeko giving that gentle reassurance—it’s such a warm contrast to the horrors the reader just survived.

The slow unraveling of their trauma, the moments where their paranoia gets the better of them, maybe even a confrontation where someone from their past does track them down—so much potential.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Engineers simulate lunar lighting for Artemis III moon landing

Better understanding the lunar lighting environment will help NASA prepare astronauts for the harsh environment Artemis III Moonwalkers will experience on their mission. NASA's Artemis III mission will build on earlier test flights and add new capabilities with the human landing system and advanced spacesuits to send the first astronauts to explore the lunar South Pole and prepare humanity to go to Mars.

Using high-intensity lighting and low-fidelity mock-ups of a lunar lander, lunar surface, and lunar rocks, NASA engineers are simulating the moon's environment at the Flat Floor Facility to study and experience the extreme lighting condition. The facility is located at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

"The goal is really to understand how shadows will affect lander visual inspection and assessment efforts throughout a future crewed mission," said Emma Jaynes, test engineer at the facility. "Because the Flat Floor Facility is similar to an inverted air hockey table, NASA and our industry partners can rearrange large, heavy structures with ease—and inspect the shadows' effects from multiple angles, helping to ensure mission success and astronaut safety for Artemis III."

Data and analysis from testing at NASA are improving models that Artemis astronauts will use in preparation for lander and surface operations on the moon during Artemis III. The testing also is helping cross-agency teams evaluate various tools astronauts may use.

The 86-foot-long by 44-foot-wide facility at NASA is one of the largest, flattest, and most stable air-bearing floors in the world, allowing objects to move across the floor without friction on a cushion of air.

Test teams use large, 12-kilowatt and 6-kilowatt lights to replicate the low-angle, high contrast conditions of the lunar South Pole. Large swaths of fabric are placed on top of the epoxy floor to imitate the reflective properties of lunar regolith. All the mockups are placed on air bearings, allowing engineers to easily move and situate structures on the floor.

"The sun is at a permanent low angle at the south pole of the moon, meaning astronauts will experience high contrasts between the lit and shadowed regions," Jaynes said. "The color white can become blinding in direct sunlight, while the shadows behind a rock could stretch for feet and ones behind a lander could extend for miles."

The laboratory is large enough for people to walk around and experience this phenomenon with the naked eye, adding insight to what NASA calls human in-the-loop testing.

NASA is working with SpaceX to develop the company's Starship Human Landing System to safely send Artemis astronauts to the moon's surface and back to lunar orbit for Artemis III.

Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars—for the benefit of all.

TOP IMAGE: NASA engineers inside the Flat Floor Facility at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, mimic lander inspection and assessment tasks future Artemis astronauts may do during Artemis III. Lights are positioned at a low angle to replicate the strong shadows that are cast across the lunar South Pole. Credit: NASA/Charles Beason

LOWER IMAGE: The Flat Floor Facility is an air-bearing floor, providing full-scale simulation capabilities for lunar surface systems by simulating zero gravity in two dimensions. Wearing low-fidelity materials, test engineers can understand how the extreme lighting of the Moon’s South Pole could affect surface operations during Artemis III. Credit: NASA/Charles Beason

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Red Fountain Campus Facilities

Vanguard Campus Facilities

Tactical Combat Arenas

Varied arenas designed for tactical combat training and simulations.

Environments mimic diverse terrains for realistic combat scenarios.

Leadership and Command Center

Dedicated space for strategic planning and leadership development.

Simulation rooms for command exercises and decision-making scenarios.

Freelance Operations Hub

Space designed for independent contracting simulations and diverse combat scenario training.

Rooms for role-play exercises in navigating solo contracts or team-based operations.

Squadron Collaboration Center:

Meeting space for students to form and strategize with their squads.

Equipped with planning boards, discussion areas, and team collaboration tools.

Military History Archives

Extensive collection of historical records and artifacts related to warfare and strategy.

Rooms for discussions and analyses on historical battles and strategies.

Field Operations Training Grounds

Outdoor areas equipped for survival tactics training and field operations simulations.

Includes obstacle courses and wilderness environments for practical survival exercises.

Arcane Campus Facilities

Enchantment Workshops

Workspaces dedicated to practicing and mastering enchantment techniques.

Areas for experimenting with various enchantments and spellcraft.

Magical Artifact Studios

Studios designed for creating and studying magical artifacts.

Workspaces with tools and materials for crafting and analyzing magical items.

Creature Conservation Habitats

Sanctuaries and habitats for mystical creatures, focusing on their preservation and ethical treatment.

Areas for students to observe and study the behavior of these creatures.

Grand Archives of Magic

Renowned repository containing ancient tomes, magical texts, and theoretical studies on magic.

Research areas for delving into magical theory and historical practices.

Elixir and Potion Brewing Laboratories

Integrated labs for alchemical experimentation, potion brewing, and magical elixir creation.

Equipped for hands-on exploration of alchemical processes and potion concoction.

Beast Taming and Riding Grounds

Specially designed grounds for students to practice beast taming and riding.

Various enclosures to safely interact with and learn to ride different mystical creatures.

Magical Lineage Chambers

Chambers dedicated to the study of noble lineages and their magical heritage.

Spaces for discussions and analyses on the magical significance of lineage connections.

TechForge Campus Facilities

Techno-Magic Integration Center

Central hub for merging technology and magic.

Advanced labs equipped for coding enchantments, spell-powered systems, and magical-technological fusion.

Techno-Magic Artificer's Workshop:

Specialized workspace for crafting and enhancing magical artifacts and tools.

Enchantment stations and forging areas for creating enchanted devices.

Aerospace Complex

High-tech laboratories dedicated to aerospace engineering and dimensional travel studies.

Simulated flight environments and testing areas for aircraft and dimensional travel prototypes.

Techno-Magic Innovation Hub

Collaborative space for cutting-edge research and innovation in techno-magic fusion.

Project rooms and brainstorming areas for interdisciplinary collaborations.

Techno-Magic Programming Center

State-of-the-art computing facilities for magical coding and program development.

Coding environments specialized for techno-magical integration and spell-driven systems.

Techno-Magic Prototype Hangar

Facility for prototyping and testing new techno-magic devices and vehicles.

Workspaces for students to build and refine their techno-magic creations.

___

Note:

I hope everyone had a good Christmas, or if you don't celebrate I hope this time of the year is treating you well. I took a few days to just be with my family. I want to get back into posting at least once a day, so I can just keep myself disciplined. This isn't what I wanted to post today, but I just needed to make sure I was posting something. I'm trying to build up the habit of not being worried about every single detail.

[acetesthouse]

Choose the Right Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi

When it comes to construction, the quality of building materials is critical to ensuring long-term stability, safety, and adherence to industry standards. In a city like Delhi, with its fast-growing infrastructure and urban development, testing building materials is essential to avoid potential hazards or long-term degradation. For project managers, architects, and builders, finding the right Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi can be the difference between a strong, enduring structure and one that may fail prematurely. In this article, we will explore how to choose the right lab and why services such as brick testing are crucial for your construction project.

Importance of Building Material Testing

Before diving into how to choose the best Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi, it’s important to understand why testing building materials is a necessity. Every construction project has to comply with various codes and regulations set by government bodies and standard organizations. This ensures that the materials used in a project are durable, safe, and environmentally sustainable. Testing can identify deficiencies in materials such as bricks, cement, concrete, steel, and more, which could lead to structural problems down the road.

Additionally, testing helps in cost optimization. By confirming that the materials meet the required standards, the likelihood of rework or material replacement is minimized, saving both time and money.

What to Look for in a Building Material Testing Laboratory

1. Accreditation and Certification

The first step in choosing a Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi is to ensure that the lab is accredited by recognized organizations such as NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories). Accreditation ensures that the lab follows rigorous standards and that its test results are reliable and accurate. Also, make sure the lab adheres to ISO standards, which are internationally recognized benchmarks for quality.

2. Comprehensive Testing Capabilities

Different construction projects require testing for a variety of materials, including concrete, cement, sand, steel, and bricks. It's crucial to choose a lab that offers a comprehensive range of tests for all these materials. For example, if you're focusing on brick testing, make sure that the laboratory specializes as a Brick Testing Lab in Delhi and offers in-depth services like water absorption tests, compressive strength tests, and efflorescence tests.

3. State-of-the-Art Equipment

The quality of testing is heavily influenced by the type of equipment used in the laboratory. A good Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi will use state-of-the-art equipment to perform accurate and reliable tests. Automated and digital testing tools provide a higher degree of precision, reducing the chance for human error.

4. Experience and Expertise

Experience matters in the field of material testing. Opt for a lab with years of experience in testing different building materials. Skilled and experienced technicians can often identify issues more effectively than less experienced counterparts. Labs like Ace Test House have established themselves as trusted names in the industry, offering years of reliable service.

5. Timely and Accurate Results

Time is often of the essence in construction projects. A good testing laboratory will not only provide accurate results but also deliver them in a timely manner. Delays in receiving test reports can disrupt project timelines, leading to financial losses. When choosing a Brick Testing Lab in Delhi, make sure they are known for prompt service and efficient turnaround times.

Main Heading: Why Brick Testing Is Essential for Your Project

Bricks are one of the oldest and most widely used building materials in construction. They form the backbone of many structures, and ensuring their quality is essential for long-term durability and safety. A specialized Brick Testing Lab in Delhi can help you assess whether the bricks you're using are up to par with industry standards.

Subheading: What Does Brick Testing Involve?

Brick testing typically involves a variety of tests to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of the bricks. Some of the most important tests include:

Compressive Strength Test: This measures the ability of the brick to withstand the pressure that it will face in a real-world scenario. A brick with insufficient compressive strength could result in structural failure.

Water Absorption Test: The ability of bricks to absorb water is crucial, as high levels of water absorption can lead to efflorescence or even structural damage over time.

Efflorescence Test: Efflorescence is the crystalline deposit of salts that can form on the surface of bricks. This test helps to determine the salt content and whether or not the brick is prone to efflorescence.

By ensuring that your materials have undergone thorough testing in a Brick Testing Lab in Delhi, you can mitigate risks such as premature cracking, efflorescence, or even collapse under stress.

Choosing the Right Lab: The Ace Test House Advantage

When looking for a trusted Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi, it’s essential to consider the reputation of the lab, its range of services, and its ability to provide accurate results promptly. This is where Ace Test House excels.

Ace Test House is one of the leading names in building material testing, offering a comprehensive suite of services ranging from soil testing to concrete analysis. What sets Ace Test House apart is its commitment to using state-of-the-art equipment, following international testing standards, and delivering fast, accurate results. Whether you're in need of routine material testing or specialized brick testing, Ace Test House has the expertise to meet your requirements.

Subheading: Why Choose Ace Test House for Brick Testing?

If you're specifically searching for a Brick Testing Lab in Delhi, Ace Test House offers a robust set of tests to ensure that the bricks meet all required standards. Their team of experts will help you assess the suitability of your bricks for any project, offering services that include water absorption, compressive strength, and efflorescence testing, among others.

Moreover, Ace Test House stands out for its timely delivery of test results, ensuring that your project stays on track without delays. With years of experience and a reputation for accuracy, Ace Test House is a top choice for construction professionals throughout Delhi.

Selecting the right Building Material Testing Laboratory in Delhi is not just about meeting regulatory requirements; it’s about ensuring the safety and longevity of your construction project. By choosing a reputable lab like Ace Test House, you’re not only complying with industry standards but also safeguarding the integrity of your building. Whether it’s general building materials or specialized brick testing, ensuring thorough and accurate testing will help in delivering a durable and safe structure.

[mariacallous]

On Monday, September 16, the US Coast Guard is convening a Marine Board of Investigation hearing into the loss of OceanGate’s Titan submersible in June 2023 and the deaths of the five people on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. It intends to use the two-week livestreamed hearing in Charleston, South Carolina, to help it determine the cause of sub’s implosion, if incompetence or negligence was involved, and whether any laws were broken. It could then refer the matter to criminal prosecutors and make recommendations to improve marine safety.

It hopes to do all that without publicly hearing from most of OceanGate’s remaining executives or Rush’s wife Wendy, who sometimes took a leading role during Stockton’s dives. Nor will the investigation include public testimony from any of the companies that designed and built the Titan’s innovative carbon fiber hulls, or any of the senior operations staff who prepared, maintained, or supported the Titan on its 2023 expedition.

In fact, it seems few of the 24 witnesses subpoenaed were even on board the Titan’s support vessel, the Polar Prince, for the final mission: Renata Rojas, an unpaid volunteer, and Tym Catterson, a contractor with experience of piloting submersibles.

Anonymous sources close to the investigation but not authorized to talk with the media told WIRED that the Coast Guard had approached some contemporary OceanGate staff and executives, and third-party suppliers, but was told that if compelled to appear they would assert their Fifth Amendment rights. That means that they could refuse to testify on the grounds that their responses might incriminate them or expose them to legal risk.

WIRED approached OceanGate and the hull manufacturers for comment. A lawyer for Janicki Industries, which cured and machined a portion of the hull, wrote that it was not participating in the hearings. WIRED did not receive replies from the others before publication.

There was speculation that former US Coast Guard rear admiral John Lockwood, who joined OceanGate’s board in 2013, would testify, but he is also missing from the list.

The absence of people who would appear to have relevant knowledge has caused consternation among former OceanGate employees and marine experts, who are skeptical that the full story of the Titan’s demise can be told without them.

“Personally, if I was in the Coast Guard, I’d bring them in and make them take the Fifth,” says Alton J. Hall Jr., a maritime lawyer. “They do have subpoena power, so I’m not really sure why they’re not.”

Melissa Leake, a Coast Guard public information officer and its deputy public affairs officer for the Atlantic area, noted that the Coast Guard does not comment on reasons for not calling specific witnesses. However, she denied that the Coast Guard did not subpoena certain individuals or organizations because they would plead the Fifth.

What the board has is a wealth of digital and physical evidence, such as data from previous dives and wreckage of the Titan recovered from the Atlantic seafloor, including some of its carbon fiber hull. One of the expert witnesses being called is a materials engineer from the National Transportation Safety Board’s Materials Laboratory.

The board will open on Monday morning by hearing from Tony Nissen, OceanGate’s engineering director from 2016 to 2019. Nissen was responsible for taking the concept of a carbon fiber submersible and delivering finished blueprints for the Titan. His testimony should shed light on the building and testing of the vessel’s first carbon fiber hull. WIRED reported that a crack appeared in that hull in 2019, during testing in the Bahamas. The crack led the company to scrap the hull and replace it with a new carbon fiber hull of the same shape but created by different manufacturers using a different process. In the meantime, Nissen left OceanGate.

The next day is devoted entirely to former director of operations David Lochridge. Lochridge was fired by Rush in early 2018 after raising safety concerns about the hull and other aspects of the Titan’s design and manufacture. He made a whistleblower complaint to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration but later withdrew it after being sued by OceanGate. As part of the settlement for that lawsuit, Lochridge paid OceanGate nearly $10,000 and was subject to a nondisclosure agreement.

Following witnesses will then spin the clock forward to when the Titan—now with its new hull—began diving to the Titanic in 2021. These include a paying passenger and OceanGate’s former science director, Steven Ross, a fisheries biologist.

The second week of the board will start with testimony from OceanGate cofounder Guillermo Söhnlein, and then from Phil Brooks, who was the company’s engineering director from late 2021 to early 2023. Brooks’ testimony could clear up uncertainty about how and where the Titan was rebuilt with its new hull, and address questions about new lifting points that were added to the vessel for getting it in and out of the water, as well as how the Titan was stored during the winter off-seasons. All have been suggested as potential risks to the integrity of the submersible by former members of OceanGate’s engineering team.

The sole contemporary OceanGate executive to give testimony will then be Amber Bay, who led administration at the startup from 2019 until after the accident. She will be followed by a variety of submersible industry and carbon fiber experts, including Mark Negley of Boeing, who once sent Rush a safety analysis of the Titan’s hull, illustrated with a skull and crossbones at around the depth of the Titanic to indicate what he believed was a “high risk of significant failure” at that depth. The final few witnesses will be from the US Coast Guard, including some involved in the search-and-rescue mission.

Whatever the Coast Guard’s technical analysis of the wreckage reveals, the absence of public testimony from the hull’s manufacturers, OceanGate’s leadership, and some staff who worked on the Titan’s final voyage will doubtless leave many questions unanswered. But there is a possibility that more hearings will follow.

Leake of the Coast Guard told WIRED: “It is important to note that it is common practice for Marine Boards of Investigation to hold multiple hearing sessions or conduct additional witness depositions for complex cases.”

At some point, the Coast Guard will compile a detailed report that may include information from witnesses who were not part of the public hearings. Such reports can take a year or more to produce. Meanwhile, the family of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the people who died in the Titan, has filed a $50 million wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against OceanGate, Nissen, and suppliers of Titan’s second carbon fiber hull.

A spokesperson from PR agency TrailRunner International, which claims to represent OceanGate, said in an emailed statement: “OceanGate, which ceased all operations shortly after the tragedy and has no full-time employees, is a party in interest in the Coast Guard proceeding. The company has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began, including at the upcoming public hearing convened by the Coast Guard.” The spokesperson declined to answer any specific questions from WIRED on the involvement of former OceanGate employees in the hearings.

WIRED will be reporting regularly from the hearings over the next two weeks.

[halfghcst]

Terms and Titles to Know

This page may not end up being too long. It’s mostly to give you terms you may see at any given time on the blog and explain them in case they’re confusing or have more to them than you would think at first glance.  I may also add more as time goes on, in case others ask for clarification. 

—✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

✦Ectoplasm✦ In real life, ectoplasm first was given to a mysterious substance that would come from spirit mediums during a séance. In the show, it is given to a usually glowing slime or liquid that comes from ghosts. I will explain more about ectoplasm in the ghost physiology page, all you need to know here is that it’s basically everything a ghost is made up of and many ghost hunters use a synthetic ectoplasm to create their gear and weaponry with. Many things made with or having something to do with ectoplasm gets the term shortened to “ecto” and then follows with another word.

✦Synthetic Ectoplasm✦ A substance created from actual ectoplasmic material in a laboratory setting. It has been tested to be harmless to the living with the exception of being turned into a hot plasma or into obvious weaponry to combat ghosts. A blade or a gun with bullets, even made with anti-ghost materials will still do the basic damage that weapon would do normally to the living. The substance is also mixed with or used to coat building materials, cleaning supplies, tools, tech, and even clothing to give buildings and other properties some kind of resistance to ghost related damages. These are typically more common in ghost hot spots and may be impossible to find locally if ghosts aren’t a normal occurrence. 

✦Ecto-Alloys✦ There are special ore veins found in ghost hot spots. These ores can be surprisingly easy to obtain and mix with other types of metals. Somehow, they seem to replenish themselves overtime if an ore vein becomes too depleted. This ore makes several metal alloys that are resistant or harmful to ghosts. And can bypass their passive immunities. Government scientists and other specialized researchers assume based on several findings that the ore comes from the Ghost Zone itself.    

✦Blood Blossoms✦ Less common in the wild than they used to be, Blood Blossoms are a type of flowering plant similar in appearance to roses, with pinkish-red petals and black or purple stems, thorns, and leaves, that has anti-ghost properties. Once used as a ghost repellant, Blood Blossoms only grew in locations with high ghost activity. They are now mainly grown in laboratories and are used for many of the same things as synthetic ectoplasm. Except Blood Blossom materials are far more potent and longer lasting. They can also be eaten by the living, which over time gives many natural anti-ghost resistances to those that consume them. 

 ✦Ghost Zone✦

The Ghost Zone is an attached parallel dimension to the living realm. It is where most ghosts go after they die, although they don’t have to stay there. When the living is in the Ghost Zone, they gain some of the basic passive abilities a ghost has in the living realm. Like intangibility.  

✦Doors✦ I know this may seem obvious. A door is a door after all. But in this instance, what the blog is referring to is a special kind of floating door. Within the ghost zone, each ghost has it’s own “door” usually they’re some shade of purple but sometimes they are unique colors and shapes. The door leads to small pocket dimensions that can range from the size of a small room to as large as a seemingly endless void. For example, one such larger door (shaped like a huge castle gate) leads to a realm as large as a kingdom and a surrounding forest and lake. It is initially stuck in the dark ages and no modern tech works there.

 ✦Windows✦

Like the doors, there are windows floating aimlessly around the ghost zone. While the series doesn’t expand upon them, the blog assumes they can peer into random door realms they’re close to. Sometimes, they hold the next term in their frames. 

✦Temporary Portals✦ Sometimes random portals to different times and places in the living realm will rip themselves open in the Ghost Zone. They don’t stay open for very long, but they literally could lead to anywhere and anytime. FYI, people can also fall into the Ghost Zone from the living realm side on accident if one of these appears close enough to them. 

✦Guys in White✦ Or the GiW. This is the governments ghost squad. They specialize in studying, fighting, and containing anything pertaining to ghosts, seeing them primarily as a threat. They all wear white. Of course.