#Development of Modern State

[kittenscookie]

Imagine Luke and M. E Hermes going on like, a father son date of sorts and there talking, having a fun time.

Then all of a sudden Luke starts spilling this tear jerking trauma from no where as if it’s normal and Hermes if like “oh- no darling no-“

10-Year-Old Luke: *Rambling innocently about how he would hide during his mom's episodes/the times he had to ease her out of one when he was a very young child*

M.E Hermes: *Realizing that he sacrificed a good portion of Luke's childhood in an attempt to keep May somewhat sane*

Luke: Dad? You okay?

M.E Hermes Internally: Holy shit, I've failed you as a father! I deserve Tartarus for this!

M.E Hermes: ...Fine darling, fine! Um did you grab your doctors records and the like when you ran away?

Luke: I got my birth certificate!

M.E Hermes: *Mumbling* That'll have to be enough

Luke: Hm?

M.E Hermes: Nothing! I just think I should take you to see a...doctor sometime soon...

Luke: But I already got a check up this year?

M.E Hermes: Not a body type of doctor Luke...

[merge-conflict]

would you ever write a modern au?

No– to be honest I'm generally not a fan of any AU that changes the setting wholesale, because the setting itself is such an important piece of the story to me. To take the characters out of it would require a whole layer of translation in how they were raised, what they believe, the trajectory of their lives... it can be done! But that is not work I would want to do. Valentine is the way she is (fucked up) because she grew up in a world where she was destined to work for The Company in a way that just doesn't have a modern equivalent, and her way of interacting with the world would be entirely different if she did not have cyberware or access to insane medical technology.

Also, the trouble with a modern AU is the suspension of disbelief is an entirely different ballgame than the original cyberpunk setting (or any other setting I write for). I like to complain about the way cyberpunk does tech, but my belief is still suspended on a lot of other things, like the way that cyberware works and tech works, and corps operate. If you translate that to a modern era world, then people are a lot more familiar with how things work, and if you get details wrong then they will Notice.

My third problem with modern aus is they require filing off a lot of the intensity and interesting setting interactions, because either you change the tone of the piece to have a lot of crazy shit happening at Google or you say maybe everyone isn't walking around with guns and melee weapons in their wrists and you start running up into the problem of whether or not you want to mess with very real world dynamics to create conflict and that is a whole other nest of bees. And to end it off, modern fiction is just not fun for me because I already live in this world and I'm not that great at it and would be at a complete loss to think of an interesting plot or interactions. Lots of extra work for ???? payoff. Goro and Valentine meet at a work conference and hit it off and then go home, I guess? I can't think of a story that would be easier or more fun for me to tell in the setting.

[racefortheironthrone]

Why do economists need to shut up about mercantilism, as you alluded to in your post about Louis XIV's chief ministers?

In part due to their supposed intellectual descent from Adam Smith and the other classical economists, contemporary economists are pretty uniformly hostile to mercantilism, seeing it as a wrong-headed political economy that held back human progress until it was replaced by that best of all ideas: capitalism.

As a student of economic history and the history of political economy, I find that economists generally have a pretty poor understanding of what mercantilists actually believed and what economic policies they actually supported. In reality, a lot of the things that economists see as key advances in the creation of capitalism - the invention of the joint-stock company, the creation of financial markets, etc. - were all accomplishments of mercantiism.

Rather than the crude stereotype of mercantilists as a bunch of monetary weirdos who thought the secret to prosperity was the hoarding of precious metals, mercantilists were actually lazer-focused on economic development. The whole business about trying to achieve a positive balance of trade and financial liquidity and restraining wages was all a means to an end of economic development. Trade surpluses could be invested in manufacturing and shipping, gold reserves played an important role in deepening capital pools and thus increasing levels of investment at lower interest rates that could support larger-scale and more capital intensive enterprises, and so forth.

Indeed, the arch-sin of mercantilism in the eyes of classical and contemporary economists, their interference in free trade through tariffs, monopolies, and other interventions, was all directed at the overriding economic goal of climbing the value-added ladder.

Thus, England (and later Britain) put a tariff on foreign textiles and an export tax on raw wool and forbade the emigration of skilled workers (while supporting the immigration of skilled workers to England) and other mercantilist policies to move up from being exporters of raw wool (which meant that most of the profits from the higher value-added part of the industry went to Burgundy) to being exporters of cheap wool cloth to being exporters of more advanced textiles. Hell, even Adam Smith saw the logic of the Navigation Acts!

And this is what brings me to the most devastating critique of the standard economist narrative about mercantilism: the majority of the countries that successfully industrialized did so using mercantilist principles rather than laissez-faire principles:

When England became the first industrial economy, it did so under strict protectionist policies and only converted to free trade once it had gained enough of a technological and economic advantage over its competitors that it didn't need protectionism any more.

When the United States industrialized in the 19th century and transformed itself into the largest economy in the world, it did so from behind high tariff walls.

When Germany made itself the leading industrial power on the Continent, it did so by rejecting English free trade economics and having the state invest heavily in coal, steel, and railroads. Free trade was only for within the Zollverein, not with the outside world.

And as Dani Rodrik, Ha-Joon Chang, and others have pointed out, you see the same thing with Japan, South Korea, China...everywhere you look, you see protectionism as the means of achieving economic development, and then free trade only working for already-developed economies.

[brightquang]

Article 70(15) of Constitution of SRV

According to Article 70 (15) of the Constitution of the Socialism Republic of Vietnam held a Referendum which is why the Geneva Conference in 1954, and the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 requested the referendum which is why the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam had never carried out Article 70(15) this expressed to National Reconciliation by the referendum which is different with the national general elections. If the Socialist Republic of Vietnam organized a Referendum, if someone stood up against the right to self-determination, the one must be punished by the current law and constitution. Finally, Vietnam wishes to develop technology and science into modern civilized Vietnam. So, the government of Vietnam ought to organize the referendum quickly, but the Socialist Republic of Vietnam didn't enforce both international treaties. Let the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam nationalize the property, detain, and appropriate his business tools. Let the plaintiff Bright Quang carry out the Geneva Conference that has agreed in this Article said: Final Declaration of the Geneva Conference on the problem of restoring peace in Indochina (with (1) declarations by Cambodia, France, Laos, the State of Viet-Nam and the United States of America. (2) the Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Viet-Nam between the Commander--in-Chief of the People's Army of Viet-Nam and the Commander-in-Chief of the French Union Forces in Indo-China, signed at Geneva (3) the Agreement on the cessation of hostilities on 20 July 1954 (with maps); in Laos between the Commander-in-Chief of the forces of the French Union in Indo-China, on the one hand, and the Commanders-in-Chief of the fighting units of " Pathet Lao” and of the People's Army of Viet-Nam, on the other hand, done at Geneva on 20 July 1954, and (4) the Agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Cambodia between the Commander-in-Chief of the Khmer National Armed Forces, on the one hand, and the Commanders-in-chief of the Khmer Resistance Forces and of the Viet-Namese Military Units, on the other hand, done in Geneva on 20 July 1954). Done at Geneva on 21 July 1954, The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was enacted for the referendum which is why the government of Vietnam didn't enforce this Article during the Paris Peace Accords was solemnly signed by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam- therefore, the plaintiff would like to request the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that should carry out this Article to be ongoing. By Bright Quang

[byanyan]

main verse updates, developments, & additional headcanons

ㅤthanks to lena practically dragging them into it, byan is on the track team that she coaches at school. though they initially weren't all that interested, it's something they've come to enjoy a lot (even if they sometimes have to stop running for a little coughing fit) — they've always enjoyed physical activity, always enjoyed sports, but have never been particularly cooperative when it came to team sports (and always broke rules and got too violent when they'd try martial arts or boxing), so track suits them quite well. they quickly became one of the top performing team members and, though things were certainly rough in the beginning with byan being very abrasive and uninterested in their teammates, they've actually ended up pretty friendly with most of them over the months since they joined.

ㅤalthough they never planned to go to college, having zero interest in continuing in school once they were finally out of the hell of high school, they've come around on it a bit. this is mostly thanks to both lena and sol's encouragement and helping them realize they can go to learn something they actually care about — fashion design. almost entirely because of these two, byan is planning to apply to the local community college and is in the process of building a portfolio of their work for this purpose.

ㅤbecause of this plan, they're slowly becoming a (slightly) better student: attending class more regularly (though still skipping fairly often), paying a bit more attention in class, and even completing and handing in homework. they're actually on track to graduate now rather than flunking out. they may not graduate with flying colours, but it's enough for a diploma and that's all they care about.

ㅤjust because they're doing better doesn't mean that things are perfect, though. they still get discouraged a lot in their struggle with their (still undiagnosed) dyslexia, general inferiority complex, and overall difficulty in the typical school setting. it's not uncommon to hear them ranting about changing their mind about college, see them throw a textbook across the room, or catch them straight up burning their homework out of frustration. if they're feeling particularly awful and discouraged, they have a tendency to disappear for a few days, get themself into even more trouble than usual, get themself into more fights, and numb themself with drugs and/or alcohol. they come back around eventually, but sometimes it takes a bit of coaxing.

ㅤthough they still technically live in the group home, they spend almost no time there anymore, only really stopping by for food or appointments (when they don't blow them off, anyway). most nights they're either crashing on lena's couch or at sol's place, and even most of their belongings have been moved and split between these two locations.

ㅤat this point, the caretakers at the group home have more or less given up on trying to keep an eye on them or expecting any different behaviour from them. they've been in this particular home for several years at this point and, with their eighteenth birthday fast approaching (and with it the time where they'll be unable to stay there any longer), not much point is seen in trying to change anything anymore. byan has always been difficult to keep a handle on, efforts at controlling them to any extent met with aggressive rebellion, and it isn't seen as worth the hassle anymore. at least if they're off doing their own thing all the time, it means they're causing less trouble around the home.

ㅤthe boy they share a room with in the home, si-u, still covers for them a lot of the time, telling the caretakers and staff that oh yeah, byan was totally here last night. byan suspects he mostly does this because he likes having a room to himself, but it results in them being hounded a little less all the same, so they appreciate it.

ㅤof course, just because their future is looking a little less grim doesn't mean that everything has changed. they might have a boyfriend now, might have found themself some actual friends and even some familial figures, but they're still byan. they still love to go out and get themself into trouble, still love to fight, steal, and cause havoc for others, and still have a tendency to get themself in over their head or disappear without warning when their ptsd acts up. things are looking up and they might be feeling more fulfilled but, when it comes down to it, they're still them, and they still have a long way to go.

[biologusputrifier777-blog]

>If X was really a total dictator who cared only about power, it would be much easier for him to align with a super-power that could protect their position >X is aligned with a super-power that can protect their position It's like pottery

The thing is that if Kim Jong Un really was a total dictator who cared only about power and cruelty, it would be so much easier for him to ally with the US and be just like the Gulf monarchs or Pol Pot or one of the other million of criminals on Washington’s payroll. Recent wars have demonstrated very blatantly that US puppet leader is a great job for someone whose primary passions are killing babies and threatening their neighbors with nukes. For heads of state looking to sell out their people, Washington is the top buyer.

Literally what is there to be gained from the DPRK’s “isolationist” policies other than the security of its people?!

[plushhomesllp]

Explore Omaxe State Dwarka, a premium commercial project offering world-class office spaces, retail outlets, and entertainment zones. Strategically located in Delhi NCR, it promises high footfall, excellent connectivity, and modern amenities—ideal for businesses and investors seeking growth and visibility.

[naija247new]

Enugu State Launches “One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate Initiative” with N2 Billion Budget for 260 Estates

Enugu, March 31, 2025 (Naija247news) – In a groundbreaking move aimed at transforming agriculture and improving local economies, the Enugu State Government has announced the launch of its “One Ward, One Smart Farm Estate Initiative.” This ambitious project will see the creation of 260 Smart Farm Estates across the state’s political wards, with the goal of boosting agricultural output and engaging…

[schoolsinnagawara]

Schools in Nagawara

Daniyal Modern School, established in 1998, is a premier educational institution located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, near HKBK College on Govindapura Main Road. Over the years, the school has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted schools in Nagawara, offering an exceptional learning experience. The school is known for fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment that inspires academic excellence, critical thinking, and moral integrity. By focusing on the holistic development of each student, Daniyal Modern School ensures that every child not only excels academically but also grows into a responsible and well-rounded individual, making it one of the top schools in Nagawara.

With a highly favorable student-teacher ratio of 15:1, Daniyal Modern School ensures that each student receives personalized attention. This approach allows for tailored support to help students succeed in their academic journey. The school follows the State Board curriculum, providing a comprehensive education that prepares students for success in board exams and beyond. Combining traditional academic disciplines with innovative teaching methods, Daniyal Modern School creates an engaging and effective learning experience. For parents seeking quality education in the region, Daniyal Modern School has proven itself to be one of the most reliable schools in Nagawara.

Holistic development is at the core of Daniyal Modern School’s educational philosophy. In addition to its strong academic curriculum, the school places great importance on extracurricular activities such as sports, arts, and cultural programs. These activities allow students to develop skills beyond the classroom, encouraging creativity, teamwork, and leadership. As one of the standout schools in Nagawara, Daniyal Modern School offers a comprehensive approach to education, ensuring that students are strong academically and confident, creative, and socially responsible individuals.

Daniyal Modern School's impressive academic track record further solidifies its position as one of the best schools in Nagawara. Since 2010, the school has consistently achieved 100% success in the SSLC Board Exams, showcasing its commitment to academic excellence. This unmatched track record in board exams highlights the quality of education and the dedication of its teachers. With this level of academic success, Daniyal Modern School stands out as one of the top schools in Nagawara, making it the preferred choice for many parents in the region.

Daniyal Modern School is dedicated to providing a learning environment that empowers each student to reach their fullest potential. By offering equal opportunities for growth and development, the school ensures that every student has access to the resources needed for success. Fostering values such as respect, integrity, and empathy, Daniyal Modern School aims to shape responsible global citizens. Recognized at the national level for its contributions to education, Daniyal Modern School is a respected name among schools in Nagawara, continuing to make a positive impact on the community.

As one of the leading schools in Nagawara, Daniyal Modern School is not just an educational institution but a place where students can explore their passions, develop leadership skills, and grow into responsible adults. The school’s emphasis on holistic development, personalized attention, and academic excellence ensures that it remains a top choice for parents. For those seeking an institution that prioritizes both academic success and character development, Daniyal Modern School is the ideal choice—preparing students for tomorrow’s challenges while grounding them in strong ethical values today.

Contact Us:Daniyal Modern School Govindapura, Nagawara, Bangalore, Karnataka 560045

Phone: 088679 01832

Website : https://daniyalmodernschool.com/

Google Map Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ceFZgiYUuzEySVMs9

[orionrealtor]

Exploring Residential Projects in Gurgaon: Luxurious 2/3/4 BHK Flats

Gurgaon, located in the state of Haryana, has emerged as one of India's most sought-after real estate destinations. With its rapidly growing infrastructure, world-class amenities, and proximity to the national capital, Gurgaon has become a hub for residential projects that cater to the aspirations of modern homebuyers. This article aims to delve into the thriving real estate market in Gurgaon, focusing specifically on the availability of luxurious 2/3/4 BHK flats in the city. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or looking to upgrade your living space, Gurgaon offers a wide range of residential projects that provide comfort, convenience, and opulence.

The Growing Real Estate Landscape in Gurgaon

Gurgaon has witnessed a remarkable transformation in recent years, evolving into a bustling metropolis known for its corporate offices, commercial establishments, and residential complexes. The city's strategic location, excellent connectivity, and robust infrastructure have made it a preferred choice for real estate developers. With an increasing demand for quality housing, several prominent developers have launched residential projects across Gurgaon, catering to different budgets and preferences.

Luxury Living: The Essence of 2/3/4 BHK Flats

In response to the evolving lifestyle preferences of homebuyers, Residential Projects in Gurgaon offer a wide range of 2/3/4 BHK flats that exude luxury and sophistication. These flats are designed to provide residents with spacious and well-planned living spaces, along with a host of modern amenities. From well-equipped kitchens to plush interiors and from landscaped gardens to state-of-the-art security systems, these residential projects leave no stone unturned in offering a comfortable and lavish lifestyle.

Top Residential Projects in Gurgaon

Gurgaon boasts a plethora of residential projects that cater to the varying needs of homebuyers. Here are some of the top projects known for their luxurious 2/3/4 BHK flats:

Imperia Esfera: Located in the heart of Gurgaon, Imperia Esfera offers a range of 2/3/4 BHK flats designed to provide residents with a blend of modern amenities and a serene environment.

Ramprastha Primera: Situated in a prime location, Ramprastha Primera is known for its spacious 2/3/4 BHK flats that come with top-of-the-line facilities, including a swimming pool, clubhouse, and landscaped gardens.

Navraj The Antalyas: Navraj The Antalyas is a gated residential project that offers 2/3/4 BHK flats with contemporary designs and world-class amenities. The project focuses on providing a sustainable and eco-friendly living experience.

Conclusion

Gurgaon's real estate market offers a plethora of residential projects that cater to the growing demand for luxurious 2/3/4 BHK flats. With their well-designed living spaces, premium amenities, and prime locations, these projects redefine modern living. Whether you seek a comfortable home or a lucrative investment opportunity, Gurgaon's residential projects are worth exploring. Embrace the charm of luxury living and make Gurgaon your

dream destination for a perfect home.

Visit: https://www.orionrealtors.com/residential.html

[saritawolff]

Phew. This one took, uh… a bit longer than expected due to other projects both irl and art-wise, but it’s finally here. The long-awaited domestic animal infographic! Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough space to cover every single domestic animal (I’m so sorry, reindeer and koi, my beloveds) but I tried to include as many of the “major ones” as possible.

I made this chart in response to a lot of the misunderstandings I hear concerning domestic animals, so I hope it’s helpful!

Further information I didn’t have any room to add or expand on:

🐈 “Breed” and “species” are not synonyms! Breeds are specific to domesticated animals. A Bengal Tiger is a species of tiger. A Siamese is a breed of domestic cat.

🐀 Different colors are also not what makes a breed. A breed is determined by having genetics that are unique to that breed. So a “bluenose pitbull” is not a different breed from a “rednose pitbull”, but an American Pitbull Terrier is a different breed from an American Bully! Animals that have been domesticated for longer tend to have more seperate breeds as these differing genetics have had time to develop.

🐕 It takes hundreds of generations for an animal to become domesticated. While the “domesticated fox experiment” had interesting results, there were not enough generations involved for the foxes to become truly domesticated and their differences from wild foxes were more due to epigenetics (heritable traits that do not change the DNA sequence but rather activate or deactivate parts of it; owed to the specific circumstances of its parents’ behavior and environment.)

🐎 Wild animals that are raised in human care are not domesticated, but they can be considered “tamed.” This means that they still have all their wild instincts, but are less inclined to attack or be frightened of humans. A wild animal that lives in the wild but near human settlements and is less afraid of humans is considered “habituated.” Tamed and habituated animals are not any less dangerous than wild animals, and should still be treated with the same respect. Foxes, otters, raccoons, servals, caracals, bush babies, opossums, owls, monkeys, alligators, and other wild animals can be tamed or habituated, but they have not undergone hundreds of generations of domestication, so they are not domesticated animals.

🐄 Also, as seen above, these animals have all been domesticated for a reason, be it food, transport, pest control, or otherwise, at a time when less practical options existed. There is no benefit to domesticating other species in the modern day, so if you’ve got a hankering for keeping a wild animal as a pet, instead try to find the domestic equivalent of that wild animal! There are several dog breeds that look and behave like wolves or foxes, pigeons and chickens can make great pet birds and have hundreds of colorful fancy breeds, rats can be just as intelligent and social as a small monkey (and less expensive and dangerous to boot,) and ferrets are pretty darn close to minks and otters! There’s no need to keep a wolf in a house when our ancestors have already spent 20,000+ years to make them house-compatible.

🐖 This was stated in the infographic, but I feel like I must again reiterate that domestic animals do not belong in the wild, and often become invasive when feral. Their genetics have been specifically altered in such a way that they depend on humans for optimal health. We are their habitat. This is why you only really see feral pigeons in cities, and feral cats around settlements. They are specifically adapted to live with humans, so they stay even when unwanted. However, this does not mean they should live in a way that doesn’t put their health and comfort as a top priority! If we are their world, it is our duty to make it as good as possible. Please research any pet you get before bringing them home!

[newageworldschoolbangalore]

Welcome to NewAge World School, where excellence in education is our hallmark. Located in the vibrant community of Yelahanka, Bangalore, we pride ourselves on offering a holistic learning experience that goes beyond academics. Our innovative teaching methods, state-of-the-art facilities, and focus on overall development make us the best ICSE school in north Bangalore.

[racefortheironthrone]

Many of your economic development plans call for the LPs to climb the "value-added chain". In a late medieval context, what value-added product would give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to timber?

Timber is a bit trickier than the classic case of textiles (where there are more links in the value-added chain from raw wool to carded wool to spun thread to plain woven cloth to dyed cloth to higher-end fabrics).

The first place to start is to shift from timber (i.e, the harvesting of raw, unprocessed logs from trees) to lumber (treating and seasoning, and sawing the logs into standardized boards, planks, beams, posts, and the like that can be used by carpenters to make furniture, housing, etc.). This requires the construction of sawmills (usually water- or wind-powered), usually downstream from the timberland so that logs can be easily floated down to the sawmill rather than going to the effort and expense of carting them overland.

The next step is to encourage the development of associated industries like furniture-making, construction...and most prized of all, ship-building. These industries continue to climb the value-added chain, because there's more money to be made from selling artisan furniture than selling raw logs and more money to be made in real estate than selling planks retail, and thus they allow you to maximize your profits from your natural resources. More importantly, if you can get into ship-building, you not only make money from selling and repairing the ships, but it's a pretty easy step from there to branch out into commerce on your own account (since you are already producing the main capital investment that seaborn commerce requires).

This is why various forms of Navigation Acts were often a key strategy of mercantilist policy during the Commercial Revolution, because if you could make sure that foreign trade was carried out by your nation's ships crewed by your sailors and your pilots and financed by your merchants, that the profits from trade would be more likely to be re-invested at home rather than exported to someone else's country.

[reasonsforhope]

Scientists have for the first time in 185 years confirmed the presence of the Asian small-clawed otter in Nepal, thrilling conservationists and researchers looking for clues to its existence here.

The last time the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), the smallest of the world’s 13 known otter species, was recorded by scientists in Nepal was in 1839.

“After years of speculation about its presence in Nepal, we can finally confirm that the small-clawed otter lives on in the country,” said Mohan Bikram Shrestha, the lead author of a short note published in the latest edition of the bulletin of the Otter Specialist Group at the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority.

Although historically three species of otters are believed to occur in Nepal, modern researchers had until now only confirmed the presence of smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) and Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra), with a question mark hanging over the small-clawed otter. During that time, reports have come in, never confirmed until now, of small-clawed otter sightings in Makalu Barun National Park in Nepal’s eastern Himalayas and Kailali and Kapilvastu districts in the western plains...

“As it was found in a fragile and injured state, the forest officers decided to feed and nurse it, but they didn’t know which species it belonged to,” Shrestha. The forest officers, led by Rajeev Chaudhary, shared the images and video of the animal, known locally as saano owt, with the IUCN Otter Specialist Group. The members of the group then confirmed it to be a small-clawed otter.

The discovery comes after the species was confirmed for the first time in 2022 in the Darjeeling area of neighboring India, which shares a similar topography with eastern Nepal. “Following the discovery in Darjeeling, we had been keeping our eyes open for the species in eastern Nepal, but it showed up in the west,” Shrestha said.

There have also been reports of sightings of the animal in the eastern parts of the country, but none of them have been confirmed.

The Asian small-clawed otter is classified as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List. Its range stretches from Indonesia in the east to Nepal in the west...

As for smooth-coated otters, although their presence in the country has never been in question, sightings of them still excite conservationists. This was especially the case in Chitwan National Park, where their reappearance in September 2023 after two decades spurred calls for more research.

“This is an incredibly significant finding,” Sanjan Thapa, deputy coordinator of the Otter Specialist Group’s Himalayan region, said of the latest development. “We had long suspected that the Asian small-clawed otter might still survive in Nepal, but without concrete evidence, its status remained uncertain.”

Thapa, part of the team that confirmed the 2023 sighting of the smooth-coated otter in Chitwan, said researchers tend to feel a bit edgy about a species when it hasn’t been reported for more than 50 years.

“We had received suggestions that we remove the small-clawed otter from the Nepal otter list as it hadn’t been found for a long time,” he said. “However, we decided not to do so in the hope that it would be rediscovered sooner or later.”

The discovery adds to the challenge of saving Nepal’s otters as the country prepares to finalize and implement an action plan for otters, Thapa said. “Now that we have concrete proof that the small-clawed otter is also found in Nepal, we need to incorporate it in our policies and programs,” he said.

Both Eurasian and smooth-coated otters are protected under the country’s Aquatic Animal Protection Act. The newly rediscovered species, however, isn’t on the list. “The first step would be to add the species to the list,” Thapa said."

-via Mongabay, February 5, 2025

[great-and-small]

Horse people are such a specific type of crazy (I know as I am one myself) because they’ve been staring at their horses for millennia with such meticulous fervor that they’ve developed a kind of weird equine phrenology where owners feel like they can predict a horse’s temperament and behavior just from the pattern of hair swirls (called whorls) on their face. Which results in absolutely unhinged diagrams like this

The craziest thing about this? It may be based in truth. There has been a decent amount of study into the connection between hair whorls and horse behavior. Many scientists theorize that because these hair patterns develop in the fetal horse at the same time as the nervous system, certain information about a horse’s behavior can be predicted by the whorls.

A 2021 article in Livestock Science explored the genetic heritability of these swirl patterns and found that a whorl on the forehead is highly influenced by genetic factors and could potentially be used to select more docile animals. Temple Grandin researched the phenomenon as well with several studies at Colorado state and made the same connection between the growth of hair whorls and the development of the horse’s brain, leading to certain manifestations of anxiety or docility. Obviously temperament in any animal is more complicated than just genetics or histology, and it would be silly to try and extrapolate a horse’s entire personality from its hair, but the connection is interesting and worth investigating all the same.

There is an ancient history to these whorls. An Indian veterinarian mentioned them in a treatise on equine medicine from the third century, and the Bedouin people (who had an extremely developed lore around whorls) used the marks to determine the price of horses prior to sale. It’s pretty cool that our modern understanding of embryology and veterinary medicine is illuminating a phenomenon that ancient people first noted and passed down through folklore.

[river-taxbird]

The most common mistake people make when thinking about prehistory and how to avoid it.

In "The Dawn of Everything, A New History for Humanity" David Graeber gives what I think might be the best piece of advice I've ever heard for understanding deep human history, and that is to get your mind out of the Garden of Eden.

People speculating about prehistory before modern archeology were quick to frame early humanity as existing in a "state of nature", either with pure innocent tribal communism, or being brutish barbarous cavemen, then something happened to bring us from the state of nature into "society". Did we make a Faustian bargain by domesticating plants and animals? Why is evidence of intergroup violence in prehistory so rare? How did we fall from the innocent state of nature? This, of course, smacks of the biblical creation story, so even if people don't believe it literally, they seem to have a hard time letting go of it spiritually even in a secular context.

This is pretty much nonsense, of course. Humans have existed for over 2 million years. Anatomically modern humans have existed for at least 300 thousand years. Behaviourally modern humans (with symbolism, art, long distance trade, political awareness) have existed for at least 50 thousand years, from our best evidence, but possibly a lot longer. The time between the Sumerians inventing writing and urban living 5,000 years ago and now is only a narrow slice of human history.

If we want to understand human history properly, we shouldn't understand people of the past as fundamentally different from us. They were intelligent, politically aware people doing their best in the world they found themselves in, just like we are today. We didn't fall from innocence with the development of behavioral modernity, religion, farming, war, money, capitalism, computers, or anything else. The world has changed a lot, but people have been experimenting with different ways to live for as long as there have been people, like this example I've posted before about disabled people's role in late pleistocene Eurasian society.

People have been the same as we are now for at least the last 50 thousand years. We have lived in countless different ways and will continue to experiment. There was no fall, and we don't live at the end of history.