#laboratory layout and design

[petalruesimblr]

SimCare Medical Clinic

Sim File Share (currently slow due to traffic/site errors. I will keep trying to upload so check my Downloads page for updates.) Dropbox

Our SimCare team is dedicated to nurturing your health through proactive care and patient-centered treatment - whether you're seeking routine check-ups or specialized care. We’re here to support your journey toward a healthier life and ensure that you receive the best support for your health, every step of the way.

Price: 184, 065 Lot Size: 30x20 Lot Type: No Visitors Allowed Store Content: Click here CC Used: Click here File Type: Package Min. Required Game Version: 1.42 Packs Needed: The Sims 3, Pets (buydebug object), LN (elevator, floor, wallpaper), Ambitions, Generations, Seasons Simlish Clinic Signs (Add-on CC): Price: 1500 Environment: 7 HLOD: 122‬ Features: Shiftable, Frame is CASTable Category: Buy > Decor > Wall Decor Room: Living, Dining, Bedroom, Study EA Mesh Used: Painting Ranch 2x1 from The Sims 3 File Type: Package Min. Required Game Version: 1.42 Packs Needed: The Sims 3, Late Night

Hello and welcome back to my blog!

It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? Life got in the way and honestly, I’ve been taking my sweet time with this new build. It also didn’t help that the Sim File Share site kept giving me errors whenever I tried to upload it and I was supposed to post this last month.

Even now, I’m still dealing with errors on the site and after some frustration, I’ve decided to look into alternative sites for uploading content in the future. But after all the setbacks, it’s finally ready!

Thanks for sticking around and I really appreciate all the likes/reblogs, you all are the best! 💜

Click on the ’Keep Reading’ below for more information and pictures on this lot.

📣 Right-click on a picture and select ’Open image in new tab’ for a clearer view.

This clinic is designed to give a real-life feeling of visiting a healthcare facility. Inside, you’ll find a: reception area, consultation/exam rooms, pharmacy, laboratory, x-ray/radiology, restroom, locker room, staff break room, doctors office and a large empty room for the rabbit hole rug/door. Now, a couple of things to keep in mind - the layout is designed with a small staff in mind but you can use the extra space in the second floor, where the rabbit hole rug/door is placed, if you want to add more offices or any other services. Just make sure that there is enough space for the rabbit hole rug/door to avoid routing issues. I had to get creative with the signs for this build as I couldn’t find anything that felt right or any CCs that matches the layout of the clinic so I made my own directory signs. It is included in the download file and I’ve posted the details along with this post as it is an add-on for the clinic. I’m using a font called Simlish Deja Vu by gazifu@MTS for the signs and I’ve also included translations in the picture above. It’s not perfect but you know what? It does the job! I have also placed a big sign shown on the clinic that translates to 'Pharmacy' and I know it might seem a bit out of place but honestly, it’s the only large sign I liked that fit the building aesthetic I was going for. 📣 Please note that the CC included in the lot are not included on the download file. I’ve compiled a list for those interested in downloading them separately (please click the links above or go to WCIF Navigation page) but those are not required and will be automatically replaced in the game. Any expansion packs with build items listed in the Details section above may be required for this lot to show up in your game. This clinic has been such a fun build to put together and I hope you all enjoy the build. This lot has been play-tested and let me know if you experience any problems on your end!

TSR Tutorial - Create Custom Paintings Sims Wiki - Poly Counts for Creators TSR Workshop Simlish Deja Vu font by gazifu Pixabay

[ff12-ultimania]

Imperial City of Archades

The capital city of the Archadia Empire, Archades, is an academic hub that has existed since the time of the Galtean Alliance. The city is designed in an octagonal layout, with the Imperial Palace at its core. Surrounding the palace are government offices, followed by a bustling commercial district and residential areas. Towering skyscrapers dominate the skyline, reflecting the city's technological and cultural advancements.

Only the upper class of the Empire's citizens, Gentry and Ardent, live in the modern city area, and the residential areas for the political gentry and ardent citizens are clearly separated.

One of the city's most secretive landmarks is the Draklor Laboratory, hidden within the political district, where advanced weapons development takes place. However, the nature of its research remains shrouded in mystery.

Beyond the skyscrapers of central Archades lies Old Archades, a relic from the city’s earlier days as a city-state before the rise of the Empire. This area, filled with stone buildings from the Galtean Alliance era, has been neglected by the government and abandoned to foreigners and those without citizenship.

<- Located above the ardent district, this area is accessible only to citizens of sufficient status. Exclusive air cabs connect the two districts.

-> A stark contrast to the modern city, this neglected district preserves stone structures from the Galtean Alliance period. It remains an impoverished and forgotten corner of the Empire, with no plans for redevelopment.

[trudemaethien]

Kyrimorut

I’ve just done another reread/skim of the repcomm books for details of Kyrimorut for @ossidae-passeridae, who encouraged me to do a write up for reference. Some of these facts are explicitly stated, scattered throughout the series, and some are my own surmises. (My main conclusion is that KT considered architecture just about as carefully as the TCW creators did the GAR ranking system. lolsob)

So. In this essay I will

Kyrimorut, Kal Skirata’s refuge for his clone sons, was called a bastion, and frequently described in siege terms. It was also referred to as a homestead and a farmhouse.

“It was yaim—part barracks, part hotel, part married quarters, part farmhouse, the archetypal Mandalorian clan home.”

This stronghold was located in the heavily forested northern hemisphere of the planet Mandalore, a few hours flight north of Keldabe City, within 100 kilometers of a small town called Enceri, and just south of a lake. It boasted a main house and numerous outbuildings, including at least one medical laboratory, animal pens, and a hangar large enough for multiple craft.

Rav Bralor, another of the Cuy’val Dar, rebuilt it at Kal’s request during the war, and it was finished enough by a year in, to house some members of their group temporarily, but was still undergoing renovations up to the last moment before they moved in. She used droids to aid in the construction. The building was composed of brick, wood, stone, and rammed earth, and the (probably local, veshok) planks were joined with interlocking joints. The interior walls were plastered and painted, likely with naturally derived mineral paints; one room was mentioned to be “honey-colored.” The windows were narrow, described as arrow-slits, and the doors were unpowered hinged wooden slabs. The whole thing was large, and the rooms were characterized as airy and roomy at various points.

The layout seems to have been vaguely circular, or a circle of chained hubs, with a central karyai. The lobby was another hub, and there were both surface and underground passages connecting the hubs, radiating out like “the spokes of an eccentric wheel.” For this reason I think there were two floors in the main house with one above, the other underground. There was also a sheltered circular atrium off the main hub, with a roof that slid back, where they roasted meat.

The house had gutters and down-pipes to deal with snowmelt and rain, and given the nearby lake, they would have to have a good vapor barrier for the underground portion. Since the place was rural rather than urban, it was largely quiet, and the homestead's acoustics were such that sound carried well. This indicates to me that likely only the exterior walls were fortified of heavy stone and rammed earth; interior walls were more likely built of wood and plaster and easier to modify if they had some need. Power was unreliable in such a remote setting, so they used wood fires for heating and cooking; everything smelled of wood-smoke. The entire structure was designed to be unnoticeable from the air, and the clearing was not visible until the last moment upon aerial approach.

The karyai was the main living room. In one scene, Kad played on the floor with toy animals (nerf, bantha, shatual, nuna, jackrab, vhe’viin) Atin had carved from veshok wood, Wade Tay’haai played a purple-painted bes’bev (sharp flute), and Rav Bralor brought throat-searing tihaar for everyone. She lived on her own clan’s farm a few kilometers away, and had brought Yayax squad, who mostly stayed there, to visit Kyrimorut. They were learning carpentry from manuals, as one does.

People had their own rooms for sleeping, with couples sharing, along the corridors. Arla and Uthan’s rooms both had exterior windows. Quarters were pleasant, plain but comfortable, with generous mattresses on the beds and a table for personal use.

Then there was a room Etain thought of as the interrogation room, so that’s uhhh lovely.

It’s unclear whether the large table where they gathered for communal meals was in the karyai, the kitchen (which was separated from other areas by a door), or some other room. Wherever it was located, it was possible for someone seated at the table to lean back without getting up and fetch a bottle of tihaar from where it was stored. The table was made of a single large slab of veshok wood, and was big and sturdy enough to use for surgical operation, dismantling engines, or seating a whole clan of armored Mandalorians. They sat in chairs around this table, and Kad sat in a highchair. They used porceplast plates, and mugs for ne’tra gal, a sweet black beer. The head of the household summoned everyone to the table for meals.

The kitchen contained a fireplace and hearth, a chair (where Kal slept), ovens and stovetops, a conservator, enough workspace for at least four people at once, and an adjoining storage area. The kitchen could be a busy, noisy, bustling place, but it was separate from other living areas; people sometimes went there to avoid others.

The 20-30 occupants ate constantly and prodigiously, and never seemed to be lacking. The food was described as filling but not elegant, and was heavy on the protein. They consumed a lot of game; Lord Mirdalan the strill was an animal native to Mandalore and a hunter. Roast shatual, nerf, and roba were mentioned, and they would leave a joint of meat on the table to be eaten all day down to the bone (I shuddered in food hygiene). Fish from the lake were fried in a pan, and they made broth from gihaal, dried smoked fish with a pungent aroma stored in metal containers, one of the staples of Mandalorian ration packs because it kept for years without refrigeration. Also what Kal called Kaminoans, but that’s another story!

We were worried they only ate meat for a while until we came across some vegetables. Kad had pureed kaneta at one point, and for breakfast boiled grain porridge and shirred eggs were on offer. Jilka diced amber root for some dish. Mealbread rolls were also plentiful, and there was a vat of stew at one point. Listed imports via Ny Vollen included flour, grassgrain, pickles, powdered milk, sacks of denta beans, soap, dried fruit, and a bantha bone which was hard to get on Mandalore. The roba they raised themselves.

The roba pen had multiple animals witht at least one boar and one sow with a litter, and despite having veshok posts and walls, the gate was left open. I’m extrapolating that these animals were semi-domesticated and allowed to forage for food but came home to their pen for safety at night. There were rail fences, crop fields, and plans for raising nerf on the property as well. Outbuildings were mentioned frequently, but this was one of the few actually described.

Notable native species mentioned were the large, ancient veshok trees, which were evergreen, hardwood, and straight enough that the table slab was cut out of one large piece. They were ice-glazed and dripping in the spring thaw, so presumably had some defenses against freezing and exploding, or breaking under the weight of the ice, and they populated all the way up to the the polar cap. There was underbrush and bushes, and groundthorn weed, which was very stubborn and difficult to remove entirely. The roba would have helped with uprooting this as they foraged. Vhe’viine were small rodents with white winter coats that lived in burrows in the fields.

The medical laboratory behind the main house (it was necessary to walk around the bastion after exiting to approach it) was a mobile genetics lab/agricultural trailer of the sort usually used for breeding livestock and at racetracks. It was occupied first by Ko Sai and later by Ovolot Qail Uthan. Mereel acquired it, and Mij Gilamar stocked it with stolen/black market medical equipment. When Uthan took over, they built her more lab space. There were rural veterinarians in the community as well; Etain mentioned getting a cryocontainer for a sample from a neighboring farm.

The hangar was situated in a shallow slope to the north of the main house, half-buried in the soil and disguised with netting. It was large enough to house several craft at a time, including Ny Vollen’s ship, Mereel’s speeder, and the Aay’han, among others. Swabbing down the compartments of the Aay’han, replenishing stores, and prepping the ship for the next flight managed to occupy most of an afternoon for four men.

The lake was also to the north, and I believe it was a very large lake, functioning as a heat-sink. It had not fully frozen despite the bitter winter, described as minus eight and thirty degrees colder than tropical (although the temperature scale is not mentioned, it’s likely celsius because of the author’s background). There was ice extending from the shore like a pier, but also mist rising above it in the early morning and frost on the shore, even though layers of snow deep enough for feet to crunch through the surface were mentioned elsewhere at various times. This led my friend to speculate that there could be geothermal activity in/under that lake. Kal and Walon Vau were planning to build a memorial on the near lake shore featuring the armor tallies of fallen clone soldiers.

There was granite in the area, which also gave support to the concept of historical volcanic activity. Their yard sported four chunks, each large enough for at least two people to climb up and perch upon, which had erupted from the surface long ago and been worn down to a weathered polish. Winds came in off a nearby plain. A clear (muddy) area large enough to play mesh’geroya was also near the house.

Enceri had at least one cantina, there was a landmark grain silo at the edge of town, and it was big enough to host a bustling market square, despite being described as more of a trading post than a town. There they could buy, among other things, preserved vegetables, engine parts, and local triple-distilled tihaar, which could double as degreaser for said engine parts.

If they needed more than Enceri had to offer, they could go south to Keldabe. Landmarks of note there included the River Kelita and the Oyu’baat tavern. The Imperial garrison was located near Keldabe.

“But then Mandalore itself was one big contradiction, with heavy industry and shipbuilding sitting cheek-by-jowl with farms that hadn't changed in centuries, sophisticated electronics and ancient metalworking skills side-by-side in the same suit of armor.”

Established clan homes seem to be the usual way of things despite Mandalorians supposedly being nomadic. Their “temporary” structures being wattle and daub also indicates the nomad thing to be a bit of a fallacy. Even so, they had planned a possible relocation for Kyrimorut in the worst case, a bolt-hole on Cheravh. Jaing had taken to calling it offsite hot standby.

So that’s Kyrimorut, which means Final Haven, where Kal Skirata and his chosen family hunkered down in the aftermath of Order 66. My friend says it’s basically Aberdeen, down to the detail of players getting plastered mid footie limmie game. I gathered these details from four books (Hard Contact does not mention Kyrimorut) and compiled them for anyone who’d like to make use of the rundown. Oya!

[melinoelabs]

You Screamed, We Listened!

The Melinoë Labs Gift Shop is Open!

There were delays due to our graphic design team's unscheduled liquidation but we've got a new one and now six of our impressive and peer-reviewed workplace posters are available for use by the general public!

We've updated the aspect ratios and layouts for that clean, professional look every lab demands. Offerings will expand in the coming months, so stay tuned!

[prickcest]

Rick looked around, somewhat apprehensive as he leaned against the shiny operating table located in the center of the room. Despite working closely with Prime for a couple months now, he had no idea this room existed or when it had even been built. Rick remembered having asked to see the blueprints of the lab within the first few weeks of hanging out with his cosmic twin, just out of sheer interest and curiosity when Prime had mentioned he’d designed a whole custom laboratory for himself. Rick couldn’t completely hide his envy since he’d been making do with the old garage that came with the house and battered equipment sourced through several local yard sales. It was undeniably perfect, Rick grudgingly thought to himself, poring over every inch of the blueprints with rapt fascination and a smidgen jealousy. The lab seemed to have everything and anything he could possibly need or want in the pursuit of knowledge. Whatever the lab lacked, Prime always turned up with it the next day. Rick never asked how; Prime never answered why.

But somehow, Rick couldn’t say he was completely surprised that Prime had either concealed or conveniently left this room off the layouts. There’d been many times Prime had “forgot” to mention a crucial detail that would have swayed Rick’s desire to accompany his twin on an outing. A trip to the store could mean just that— or, more often than not, spending an afternoon being chased by bullets, aliens or both. Rick was always short of a few pieces of the puzzle and always seemed to, quite crossly, find them hidden in his twin’s hands. Though, sometimes having plausible deniability wasn’t such a terrible thing. 

Rick wondered if now was one of those moments as he spotted a large drain in the corner of the room and a clearly bloodstained mop and bucket. He honestly didn’t want to know how much or how often it was being used. 

The room was spotless and minimal. Contrary to how he behaved during off hours, Prime tended to keep a surprisingly neat workspace. Sleek sterile surfaces gleamed under fluorescent operating lights and the L shaped countertop lining the walls was bare apart from a silver tray containing an array of surgical equipment and a large sink. A large mirror was fitted to one wall, spanning across from one side to the other, making the room appear to be much bigger than it actually was. 

Prime stood in front of this mirrored wall, busy pouring fluid from beakers into test tubes, swirling the contents with a careful eye. Rick watched as he pulled up a syringe full of bright orange liquid. He shivered, rubbing his arms lightly, as if already feeling the prick of the needle.

He trusted Prime enough to know that whatever was in there wouldn’t kill him exactly, but there was still some wariness around putting unknown substances into his body. He had no idea what might happen to him. Though, he supposed, that was precisely why they were doing this. To find out, right? It was just one little shot. How bad could it be?

“Nervous?” Prime smirked, catching his eye through the mirror as he locked and set the syringe to one side. “You’re not backing out of testing my new healing serum, are you?”

“No!” Rick lied, “It’s just cold in here.” A half truth— the room certainly did feel a lot colder compared to the lab upstairs where they had spent most of their time. He crossed his arms over his chest instead in an effort to look less fidgety. 

“Better get used to it. It’s about to get a lot colder.” Prime turned around grinning, leaning against the counter behind him. “Take off your clothes and lie down. Feet towards this side.” He patted the end of the operating table closest to him. 

“T-take off my clothes? Not just my shirt?” Rick balked a little, already starting to regret agreeing to this. “Aren’t we just— I thought you said— you said I only needed to take a shot!”

“I said we were testing the shot.” 

“I still don’t see why—“

“Standard operating procedure.” Prime said, waving an impatient hand, “chop chop, Sanchez, let’s go. I haven’t got all day to stand around and debate semantics with you.” 

Rick scowled but Prime refused to elaborate or explain, fixing him with a look that said get on with it. 

Grumbling, he began unbuttoning his shirt slowly. He could feel Prime’s piercing gaze as he focused on removing each button, revealing his torso bit by bit. Shrugging the shirt off, he carefully set it on the counter next to him and sighed before he began unbuckling his pants. He’d just gotten them over his feet when Prime spoke up again, amusement in his voice. 

“Boxers too.” 

“What!” Rick protested, flushing red, “W-why!” 

“Listen, Rick,” the corner of Prime’s lip twitched, “I know you’re insecure about me seeing your tiny dick given how much of a schlong I’m packing— trust me, it’s not as easy as you might think, walking around with a donger this—“

“I do not have a tiny dick—“ Rick’s ears went red as he retorted. “It’s literally the same size—“

“If you needed help taking your underwear off, you should’ve just said—“ the grin on Prime’s face was insufferable as he began to walk toward Rick. “Or did you want me to undress you? ‘Cause I can do that too.”

“I can do it myself!” Rick made a face as he took a hasty step back from his advancing twin. “Don’t look.”

“Why? It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” Prime rolled his eyes, tutting as Rick turned away from him. “Unless you’re the Rick with two dicks?” 

Rick ignored the laughter, still feeling hot. Being completely naked in front of anyone was still an incredibly vulnerable feeling and he could feel Prime’s gaze rake over his back as he tugged his boxers down reluctantly. The warm fabric slipped over his hips and then dropped down to his ankles, pooling on the floor. He wasn’t that small, Rick thought to himself as he looked down to step out of them. Taking a deep breath, he turned back around, hands automatically covering his crotch lightly as he turned to face his reflection. 

Rick flinched when he caught sight of himself in the mirror behind Prime. The cold fluorescence made his pale skin take on a sickly tinge of bloodless blue. Gaunt shadows cut into his body sharply making him look more like a mannequin or a living doll. A tiny seed of dread and foreboding planted into his stomach. 

“Up you get.” Prime patted the table cheerfully. 

There was no way to get onto the operating table without using his hands. Rick sighed inwardly as he pulled his hands away from himself, face reddening as his twin’s grin widened, obviously taking a full unashamed look at what was dangling between his legs. 

“Take a picture, pal,” Rick complained as he climbed onto the slightly higher than comfortable table, “it’ll still be better than anything you’ve got saved in your spank bank.”

“Great idea— I should make it my screensaver.” Prime winked as he pretended to reach for his phone in his pocket. 

“Don’t you fucking dare.” Rick flipped him off as he lay down. As soon as his back hit the cold steel, he jumped a little— a smattering of goosebumps rising as he fought off the chill that sapped away his warmth instantly upon contact but before he could fully rise, four metal bands seamlessly emerged to wrap around his wrists and ankles. “Hey! What the hell!”

Prime pulled on a pair of latex gloves with a snap before taking the syringe in hand. Carefully checking each restraint, he circled the operating table holding his squirming twin down. 

“Squirm all you want,” Prime’s free hand clamped around his forearm, “but don’t blame me if I have to stick this in twice because you made me miss a vein.”

“Restraints for a shot of healing serum are a little excessive, don’t you think?” Rick’s hand clenched into a fist as the needle approached the crook of his arm. “You scared I’m gonna hulk out or something?”

“Haha, nah,” Prime shook his head, “this is for your protection, not mine. I could put you down like an animal even without them.” 

“What do you mean my protection—“ Rick stifled a grunt as the needle punctured the soft, thin skin of his arm. The serum travelled through his veins like a warm burn of whiskey taken neat, leaving his skin feeling oddly tingly and sensitive. 

Rick’s body went slack for a moment as he gazed up at the blinding lights above him. The room still felt oppressively cold but Rick could barely feel it through the warm protective net wrapping around his organs and muscles.

“Feel okay?” Prime asked as he rubbed his hand over his arm lightly, “you don’t mind a bit of bruising, do you?” He turned around without waiting for an answer, pulling the silver tray closer to him. “Isn’t this exciting, Rick? How often do you get to experiment on live test subjects? Much less ones that will give you such personalised results.” Prime whistled a casual tune as he surveyed his collection of bright blades lined up like sharp teeth. 

Rick wouldn’t call what he was feeling excitement as he lay strapped to the table— every hair on his body raised at the suspiciously breezy tone that only came out of his twin when he was up to no good. 

Prime grinned as he selected a medium sized scalpel that glinted in his hand. 

“Isn’t she pretty?” He turned the silver blade, catching the glare of fluorescent light, “I sharpened her myself. You won’t feel a thing, I promise.”

“You—“ Rick swallowed, mouth feeling dry as dust, “y-you’re…. You’re cutting me open?” 

Suddenly, being naked in front of his twin seemed like a trivial concern as he eyed the scalpel warily. No anesthesia? Was he expected to— to—

“Duh,” Prime was amused as he twirled the knife between his fingers nonchalantly, “How else am I going to test the healing serum if there’s nothing to heal? But if you’re feeling brave, I suppose I could toss you in the trash compactor— see how long it takes to heal from that. That was actually my first choice, but you know what? I thought that carving you out would be a way more intimate affair—” 

The scalpel gleamed, catching light as Prime gestured with it casually, listing off other gristly ways to push the human body to its limits. 

A cold muted chill settled over Rick as he watched Prime talk at him, mouth opening and closing— barely registering what was being said to him over the loud thoughts of what was about to happen to him. 

Sliced open like a carcass or crushed to death by machine violence. Both sent bolts of icy fear shooting down his spine. 

The seeds of dread and foreboding turned into thick vines of horror, wrapping around his body tightly— rooting him to the surface where he lay trapped like a butterfly mounted on a cork board. 

“P-Prime—“ Rick’s eyes widened, a cold sweat soaking his naked body. “W-wait— hold on— l-let’s talk about this for a sec—“

Prime raised his arm high like he was about to plunge the blade in up to his wrist. The curve of the blade matched his twin’s gleaming grin. Rick could already feel the sharp tip piercing his skin— a hot gush of blood spraying from his chest like one of those cheesy slashers they watched on Friday nights sometimes. 

His vision started to flicker as he struggled against the steel bands, trying to shrink away from the knife. But it was only putting off the inevitable. As soon as cold metal touched his skin— Rick jolted, gasping out. His eyes were screwed shut— certain that the quick action had caused the blade to sink in further than it was supposed to. 

Prime started laughing as he tapped Rick’s cheek with the butt of the scalpel.

[hexjulia]

reading more about atomic gardening and this is so much fun. to read about that is. it also seems fun to do, but. you know. anyway:

"The story of these citizen-pioneers of mutagenesis (the technical term for creating genetic change through the application of chemical, physical, and biological agents) is full of fantastic details, from Muriel Howorth’s propagandising ballet-mime, Isotopia, which involved a cast of Knowledge, Electron, Proton, Neutron, Rat, and Cow, as well as a working geiger counter, to Tennessee-based atomic entrepreneur C.J. Speas irradiating trays of seedlings into his backyard bunker.

IMAGE: C.J. Speas giving a tour of his radioactive bunker to high school students, photo by Grey Villet for Life, via Pruned.

Perhaps the most bizarre detail in the interview, however, is the news that these gamma gardens are still in operation, relatively unchanged in design since the 50s, in the grounds of national laboratories today. Their circular form, which, as Johnson notes, bears more than a passing resemblance to the atomic danger symbol, “was simply based upon the need to arrange the plants in concentric circles around the radiation source which stood like a totem in the center of the field.”

It was basically a slug of radioactive material within a pole; when workers needed to enter the field it was lowered below ground into a lead lined chamber. There were a series of fences and alarms to keep people from entering the field when the source was above ground. The amount of radiation received by the plants naturally varied according to how close they were to the pole. So usually a single variety would be arranged as a ‘wedge’ leading away from the pole, so that the effects of a range of radiation levels could be evaluated. Most of the plants close to the pole simply died. A little further away, they would be so genetically altered that they were riddled with tumors and other growth abnormalities. It was generally the rows where the plants ‘looked’ normal, but still had genetic alterations, that were of the most interest, that were ‘just right’ as far as mutation breeding was concerned!

Over at GOOD, Peter Smith recently described a similar layout at the still-active Institute of Radiation Breeding, in Hitachiohmiya, Japan, which has “has a 88.8 Terabecquerel Cobalt-60 source, ringed by a 3,608-foot radius Gamma field (the world’s largest), and a 28-foot high shield dike around the perimeter.”

IMAGE: A gamma garden at Brookhaven National Labs, New York, c. 1958; image provided by Paige Johnson, via Pruned.

IMAGE: Aerial view of the Institute of Radiation Breeding, Hitachiohmiya, Japan.

As it turns out, far from being a fantastic fossil from the future that never was, along with jetpacks and flying cars, atomic gardening is alive and well today. According to a 2007 New York Times story, which quotes Dr. Pierre Lagoda, head of plant breeding and genetics at the International Atomic Energy Agency, radiation breeding is actually experiencing a renaissance, due to the introduction of “new methods that speed up the identification of mutants.”

IMAGE: Mutant crop varieties mapped by The New York Times.

What’s more, the Times adds, nearly 2,000 gamma radiation-induced mutant crop varieties have been registered around the world, including Calrose 76, a dwarf varietal that accounts for about half the rice grown in California, and the popular Star Ruby and Rio Red grapefruits, whose deep colour is a mutation produced through radiation breeding in the 1970s. Similarly, Johnson tells Pruned that “most of the global production of mint oil,” with an annual market value estimated at $930 million, is extracted from the “wilt-resistant ‘Todd’s Mitcham’ cultivar, a product of thermal neutron irradiation.” She adds that “the exact nature of the genetic changes that cause it to be wilt-resistant remain unknown.”

IMAGE: “Pierre Lagoda, the head of plant breeding and genetics at the International Atomic Energy Agency, showing mutated plants at a greenhouse in Austria,” photo by Herwig Prammer for The New York Times."

[deadrose-compound]

About Deadrose Compound.

There are 8 distinct places within Deadrose Compound, each will be summarized here and any additional information will be in a separate post. Deadrose Compound’s dynamics and history will not be gone over in detail here, but may be referenced.

About the Compound:

Deadrose compound is a 19 building community deep within thick woods that border a large city. The compound is private land surrounded by stone walls, thick and around 40 feet tall. The walls are solid, not hollow. There is a single entrance to the inside of the compound, and a dirt road that leads from it to the highway into the city. The primary purpose of the compound is to house anything/anyone that Adeline Rose has chosen to “keep” for whatever reason, and Slenderman brings there for her. She often chooses targets that have nowhere else to go, and offers them security and safety in her compound. The compound as a whole seems to be entirely undetectable by the rest of the world, likely by Slenderman’s reality-warping powers.

There is little known of Deadrose Compound’s origins or history, but it is confirmed that Adeline Rose founded it with the help of Slenderman (making them the owners/executives of the compound). The compound’s history has been covered up or destroyed entirely, if recorded at all.

(WIP, I will write more about the history eventually and link it here!)

Deadrose Manor:

The Deadrose Manor is the largest building, where the compound executives reside. Only the compound executives may enter the middle and top floors, making it a complete mystery for all inhabitants other than executives to know what’s actually up there at all. Inhabitants that attempt to go up there learn they are physically incapable of opening the doors to the stairwell that leads there, and it’s well known that there are punishments for inhabitants that break this rule to stay out of the top two floors. However, the bottom floor is accessible to the inhabitants and holds many rooms including offices, guest rooms, meeting rooms, bathrooms, and even a jail section with 10 concrete cells.

Recreation Center:

The recreation center is a very large house with 3 floors (ground floor, second floor, basement) that is well-kept and bright. It is where most inhabitants go to socialize, but other things can be done there. There’s a gym in the basement, a well-ventilated painting and craft room, a kitchen with a walk-in fridge and freezer, a dining room, some bathrooms, a couple lounges, a TV room, and a couple rooms dedicated to storage. Its ground floor also has a medium-sized indoor pool with lockers for towels and the like.

Medical Center:

An identical building in structure to the Recreation Center, instead of being decorated and designed for comfort and socialization has been made into a makeshift hospital. The ground floor is used for direct medical care and has rooms for surgery, checkup and sterilization for the medical staff. The top floor is used for in-patient care and other necessary rooms. There is an elevator that is connected to the outside of the building that makes it possible to get to the second floor without walking up the stairs. The basement is converted into two sections, a laboratory with a surgery room, and a morgue. This is used by some inhabitants to keep corpses or human body parts for whatever purpose they want (often cannibalization).

Inhabitant Housing:

The Inhabitant Housing area is a group of 12 houses in a clearing between the Medical Center and the Parking lot. Each house is a shared space for up to 3 inhabitants, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, an attic for storage, and a basement for storage and laundry. The houses are identical in layout, and each have electricity. Inhabitants are not expected to pay rent, but does have a minimum requirement of keeping their home and the compound clean and well-kept. Giving up or refusing any operative duties is grounds for eviction which includes getting killed by a proxy.

Proxy Housing:

The Proxy Housing area is a group of 4 houses just across from the Inhabitant Housing. Each house is for one proxy, and has two bedrooms (one larger than the other), a bathroom, a kitchen/dining room, a living room, an attic for storage, and a basement for laundry and storage. The houses are almost identical to the Inhabitant Housing homes, except a bit smaller with less rooms. All Proxy Houses are identical in layout and have electricity just as the Inhabitant Housing.

Proxies are expected to keep the other inhabitants in line with their duties (with the exception of proxies with Watchovers. A proxy's watchover cannot be ordered by the proxy they are assigned to). They are also expected to uphold their own duties and keep their home and the compound clean and well-kept just as other inhabitants. Giving up, fighting against or refusing to perform proxy duties is grounds for the executives to evict you in a much more brutal fashion than any other inhabitant.

Mudrot Pond:

Mudrot pond is by all means a natural looking pond with reeds and cattails, as well as some clear banks and a dingy boat that sits on the side of the largest clear bank for all inhabitants to use if they want. Turtles, fish, and bugs made the pond home. The bottom of the pond goes undisturbed by inhabitants who don’t want to get stuck or covered in thick, slimy mud, making it an ideal home for shy and freshwater aquatic wildlife.

The pond is held as a quiet, almost sacred place. The pond is known to have a thick fog surrounding it after dark during Summer, so thick you’d wonder if you could cut it with a knife. It freezes over solid enough to jump on in the Winter as well, which makes it a place to skate on or simply exist in the middle of the pond without the dingy. It’s common knowledge to never disrespect the pond with litter, corpses, or anything of the like. To keep the pond natural and clean of waste is a rule that is highly enforced by Slenderman.

Parking lot and Entrance:

The Parking lot is mostly filled by unused, old, or broken down cars. But some of them are used by inhabitants. The inhabitants are expected to take care of their vehicles and not overflow parking onto the road up to the entrance, or off the parking lot in general. The Entrance is the only place in the walls that you can get through, and has a large portcullis above it that no inhabitant has any recollection of closing even once. Regardless, it's formidable and intimidating, due to the blood often dripping from its spikes and the fact it has the ability to lock all inhabitants inside the compound at any time.

[leibal]

The Clinic is a minimalist space located in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, designed by Salty Architects. The 180-square-meter clinic includes three treatment rooms, a surgery room, a CT room, and a laboratory, all tailored to meet the needs of both patients and staff efficiently. Despite its compact layout, the clinic’s design fosters a sense of spaciousness and tranquility.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

AI finds new ways to observe the most extreme events in the universe

Extreme cosmic events such as colliding black holes or the explosions of stars can cause ripples in spacetime, so-called gravitational waves. Their discovery opened a new window into the universe. To observe them, ultra-precise detectors are required. Designing them remains a major scientific challenge for humans. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) have been working on how an artificial intelligence system could explore an unimaginably vast space of possible designs to find entirely new solutions. The results were recently published in the journal ›Physical Review X‹.

More than a century ago, Einstein theoretically predicted gravitational waves. They could only be directly detected in 2016 because the development of the necessary detectors was extremely complex. Dr. Mario Krenn, head of the research group ›Artificial Scientist Lab‹ at MPL, in collaboration with the team of LIGO (“Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory”), who built those detectors successfully, has designed an AI-based algorithm called ›Urania‹ to design novel interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Interferometry describes a measurement method which uses the interference of waves, i.e. their superposition when they meet. Detector design requires optimizing both layout and parameters. The scientists have converted this challenge into a continuous optimization problem and solved it using methods inspired by modern machine learning. They have found many new experimental designs which outperform the best known next-generation detectors. These results have the potential to improve the range of detectable signals by more than an order of magnitude.

Nonconformist and creative: that’s what Urania discovered

In the algorithm’s solutions, the researchers rediscovered numerous known techniques. ›Urania‹ also proposed unorthodox designs which could reshape our understanding of detector technology. “After roughly two years of developing and running our AI algorithms, we discovered dozens of new solutions that seem to be better than experimental blueprints by human scientists. We asked ourselves what humans overlooked in comparison to the machine,” says Krenn. The researchers expanded their scientific approach to understand the AI-discovered tricks, ideas, and techniques. Many of them are still completely alien to them. They have compiled 50 top-performing designs in a public ›Detector Zoo‹ and made them available to the scientific community for further research.

The recently published work shows that AI can uncover novel detector designs and inspire human researchers to explore new experimental and theoretical ideas. More broadly, it suggests that AI could play a major role in designing future tools for exploring the universe, from the smallest to the largest scales. “We are in an era where machines can discover new super-human solutions in science, and the task of humans is to understand what the machine has done. This will certainly become a very prominent part of the future of science,” says Krenn.

IMAGE: Illustration of the first gravitational wave event observed by LIGO. The detected wave forms from LIGO Hanford (orange) and LIGO Livingston (blue) are superimposed beneath illustrations of the merging black holes. Credit Aurore Simmonet (Sonoma State University), Courtesy Caltech/MIT/LIGO Laboratory

[gaast]

I think my thoughts on SOMA are these:

I actually really like it, and I like it all the more because of how much I want to argue with it.

Also, the environment designs rule, as do many of the enemy designs. Again, it is incredible that they managed to make claustrophobic, twisting, mazelike levels that feel perfectly natural to navigate. I am sold that I am in futuristic laboratory spaces. I didn't notice anything in terms of layout that perplexed me.

I do have some issues with the gameplay, as I think that some of the ways the interface is diegetic are unhelpful. For example, how much health you have, and how much damage an enemy attack may cause. Getting attacked can also be far too disorienting in certain cases (as with the Leviathan).

I also think I dislike Simon. I want to launch the ARK for entirely different reasons than he does. I hate that he tries to measure the worth of the lives he's saving against the anthropocentric standard. In many ways, Simon is the antagonist of the game, who does the right thing for the wrong reasons. Oh, and we can't forget that he kills Catherine. He kills her just because he is a big stupid baby.

Apart from the things I can argue, I do have problems with the writing, particularly with Catherine's characterization. If she was reticent and weird, then why is she so gregarious now? Sure, she prefers being in a robot body, but considering how characterized Catherine was post-scan, it makes no sense that she is currently so energetic. Oh, also, remember how Simon had to convince her to try to launch the ARK? And how she later becomes the more gung-ho about it?

Also, what in the ever-loving fuck was Ross even fucking talking about with that shit about the only way to make sure the WAU can't come back is to destroy the one who is immune to it? I dunno, man. That whole character bothers me a LOT.

But I wouldn't keep thinking and talking about this game if it didn't strike the right chords with me. Fascinating little game.

[ultimate-worldbuilding]

Creating a Space Station

Name and Location:

Name of the space station

Orbital location (e.g., around a planet, moon, or in deep space)

Any unique features or characteristics of the location

Background and Purpose:

Brief history and reasons for the station's construction

Primary purpose or mission of the station (e.g., research, colonization, defense, trade, mining, etc.)

Key organizations or entities involved in its establishment

Design and Structure:

Overview of the station's architectural design and layout

Different modules or sections of the station (e.g., living quarters, research labs, docking bays, etc.)

Key engineering feats or technological advancements used in its construction

Size and Population:

Dimensions of the space station (length, width, height)

Estimated population and demographics (humans, aliens, robots, etc.)

Capacity for expansion and accommodating future growth

Systems and Resources:

Life support and Resource systems: Air generation and filtration, Water purification and recycling, Waste management, Artificial gravity, Temperature and air pressure control, Radiation protection, Fire suppression systems, Medical supplies and tools, Food production, Maintenance and Repair tools and facilities

Energy source and storage: Solar power, Nuclear fusion, Advanced batteries, Fusion reactors, Harvesting solar flares

Living Quarters and Facilities

Description of residential areas (individual quarters, communal spaces, recreational facilities)

Water block

Medical facilities and healthcare services available

Education and training facilities for residents and their families

Scientific Research and Laboratories

Different types of laboratories and equipment available depending on the stations’s mission

Astronomical observatories, Biological Laboratory, Climate and Environmental Studies, Planet observation and Research, Rock Analysis Facility

Transportation and Docking:

Docking bays for spacecraft and shuttle services

Transportation systems within the station (elevators, maglev trains, etc.)

Maintenance and repair facilities for visiting spacecraft

Security and Defense:

Security measures and protocols

Defense systems against potential threats: Shielding technology, Defensive satellites & space drones, Cloaking Technology, Countermeasures (flares, countershots, etc), Intruder Detection Systems, Surveillance and AI protection, Protection by AI or Hacker from outside hacks, Self-Repair System

Security personnel and their roles and ranks

Communication and Information Systems:

Communication technology used for inter-station and interstellar communication

Data storage and retrieval systems

Access to networks anddatabases

Trade and Economy:

Types of goods and resources traded on the station

Cargo of the space station

Economic systems

Currency used

Marketplaces within the station

Social and Cultural Aspects:

Societal norms and cultural diversity among the station's residents

Recreational and entertainment facilities (cinemas, sports arenas, etc.)

Events or celebrations unique to the station's culture

Governance and Administration:

Station hierarchy and governing bodies (administrators, council, etc.)

Laws and regulations specific to the station

Interactions with external governing entities (planetary governments, interstellar alliances, etc.)

Exploration and Discovery:

Expeditions or missions launched from the station

Discoveries made during exploration and sample gathering efforts

Spacecrafts and vehicles associated with the station's exploration activities

Environmental Considerations:

Measures taken to mitigate the effects of microgravity or radiation on residents' health

Environmental controls and simulations for recreating gravity and natural environments

Preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity on the station (if applicable)

Emergency Response and Crisis Management:

Protocols for handling emergencies (fires, system failures, medical emergencies, etc.)

Emergency evacuation plans and escape pods

Training programs for emergency response teams

Relations with Other Space Stations or Entities:

Collaborative projects or joint initiatives with other space stations

Trade agreements or diplomatic relations with neighboring stations or colonies

Conflict resolution mechanisms for inter-station disputes

Notable Individuals or Figures:

Prominent leaders from the station

Accomplishments and contributions of notable residents

Astronauts, scientists, or pioneers who have called the station home

Challenges and Risks:

Environmental and technological risks faced by the station

Political and social tensions within the station's community

External threats and conflicts affecting the station's stability

Future Expansion and Development:

Plans for future expansion and upgrades (where are they gonna get the resources for this?)

Integration of new technologies, scientific advancements into the station's infrastructure

Long-term goals for the station

[doctorstrangereview]

0061: Strange Tales #166

Cover Date: March 1968 On-Sale Date: November 30, 1967

Doc returns to the front of the magazine. Issues where Doc is the featured cover now have his story in the prominent front seat. Our duel with Yandroth continues, with George Tuska filling in on art duties this month only. We get to see Victoria Bentley for a whole page! Considering she's the reason Doc's in the mess, it's good for her to occupy more than a panel as a target for Yandroth's sneering. The ending will give us a change of venue and a surprise guest star who's appearance was spoiled by last issues final panel.

Continuing from last issue, Doc is menaced by a terribly designed robot that must have escaped from an aborted Phil Tucker movie. This is "Robot Monster" levels of bad. The darn think is actually waddling toward Doc! It's freaking hilarious!

Voltorg's (it was Voltorr last issue, but what's a changed letter between friends) attack isn't really effective. Doc casts a "gloomy" spell (which you can see in the panel) and Voltorg goes blind and crashes into a bank of Yandroth's equipment setting it on fire. Yandroth does manage to fix Voltorg who uses one of his big wands on Doc, narrowly missing. Yandroth takes the opportunity to do what Yandroth does. Run away.

You go, Yandroth. The colorist should have picked yellow for your costume. The next bold doesn't miss, but it's blunted by something called the invisible shield of everlasting enchantment. Well, that was convenient. It's never been used before and won't be again. I think I need to compile of list of Doc's one-shot spells that would have come in incredibly handy in future battles. Voltorg fires again and misses. This time it's due to a slow processor.

Doc's luck continues to hold out. Intel hasn't been founded yet. Next, Doc reaches back into his bag of tricks for an old favorite. He confuses Voltorg with a bunch of images of himself.

As usual, this works and Doc manages to chase down Yandroth. Doc is like "Time's up, dude!" and Yandroth's like "Nuh-uh! We're gonna do the time warp to slow you down! Then I'll license it to The Rocky Horror Picture Show!" Yandroth then flees again from Doc to pick up Vicky. Lawrence and Tuska burn a couple of panels repeating some key plot points while Doc catches up with him. He used the chanted charm of the demons beyond dimensions to nullify the time warp. Doc decides to not license this to anyone. Yandroth fires a Doc with yet another Q-Ray blaster and the weapon that failed multiple times already fails again. I'm shocked!!! Doc doesn't have much time to react again as Voltorg has found him, yet again!

Voltorg is really out for blood now, but Doc has a cunning plan!

Good for Doc! He literally melts his face off!

Voltorg isn't feeling too well after this. He bumps into a wall, falls through it and falls the heck apart! Darn Yandroth! You need some better QC.

Running to Yandroth's next laboratory, he finds Yandroth in Vicky in a pair of Justice League transporters. Yandroth must have raided their satellite. Doc changes the destination to what he thinks is Earth. Then gets in a tube to follow them.

Doc's molecules fly through space, but Tuska draws this as Doc's body in space. Artistic license I guess. Not only does Doc wind up back on Earth, but he's at Stonehenge! That's where this all began with Umar/Zom/Mordo/The Living Tribunal/Nebulos/etc... He even gets a friendly face phantasm waiting for him!

This is mainly an extension of the previous issue. Doc and Yandroth face off. Doc doesn't have too much trouble with Yandroth's stuff, mainly able to cast them aside without too much effort. Yandroth's surrogates manage to get a shot in here and there, but it's nothing Doc can't handle. Things pick up at the end when we finally get out of Yandroth's complex and back to earth.

Tuska's art is serviceable, but uninspired. I'm guessing this was a last minute fill in request to Tuska. Tuska was a golden age artist. His panel layouts are more traditional than compared to Adkins. The linework itself is more akin to Everett than Severin or Adkins. Still, it works for what probably was a rush job. Adkins returns to us next month where we see what The Ancient One has in store for us.

[erhangwang]

DP2 - Wandering Earth

Week 14:

For this week, I focused on designing different facades of the building. I first analysed the requirements for different surfaces on the previous plan and identified the needs for at least three types of facades. I made a physical section model for facade A by using technologies including water jet cutting. The model shows how the facade, wall, floor and roof maybe connected and the rain fuel panels are rotatable. I also started drawing the ideas for Facade B and C.

It was the first time I tried doing a hand drawing for the section of my building. The drawing shows the relationship between the path for people, trees and roof structures of the plant nursery; the interior layout and structure of the laboratories and its position relative to the main testing chamber.

For the next weeks, the focus should be testing the design of my facades by using software including CFD simulation to find the best engineered solution for each facade. I need to consider different types of wind and how they influence my design and communicate the facade module with interior space on a larger scale.

[fermentertechnologies]

What is the Difference Between Pilot Plant and Scale Up?

What is a Pilot Plant?

A Pilot Scale Bioreactor is a small-scale version of an industrial process used to test and refine production methods before scaling up to full-scale production. It is essentially a prototype that allows engineers and scientists to simulate real-world conditions on a smaller scale. Pilot plants are critical in bridging the gap between laboratory research and full-scale manufacturing.

Key Characteristics of a Pilot Plant:

Scale: Pilot plants operate on a scale that is larger than laboratory experiments but smaller than full production. The size can vary widely depending on the industry and the specific process being tested.

Purpose: The primary aim of a pilot plant is to validate the feasibility of a process or product. It allows for the testing of various aspects such as process efficiency, equipment performance, and product quality under near-production conditions.

Flexibility: Pilot plants are designed to be adaptable. They can be adjusted to test different process parameters, materials, or operating conditions.

Data Collection: Data from pilot plants helps in understanding the potential challenges and limitations of a process. This includes assessing yield, energy consumption, and potential environmental impacts.

What is Scale-Up?

Scale-up refers to the process of increasing the production scale from a pilot plant or laboratory setup to full industrial scale. It involves translating the successful results obtained in a pilot plant into a larger, commercial-scale production process.

Key Characteristics of Scale-Up:

Scale: Scale-up involves moving from a pilot plant scale to full-scale manufacturing. This can mean a significant increase in size and capacity, often requiring new or modified equipment and infrastructure.

Purpose: The goal of scale-up is to reproduce the successful outcomes of the pilot phase at a larger scale. It involves optimizing and validating the process to ensure it is economically viable and capable of meeting market demands.

Challenges: Scale-up can present new challenges that were not evident at the pilot scale. These might include issues related to equipment design, process control, and raw material sourcing.

Economic Considerations: Scale-up requires a detailed analysis of cost implications, including capital investment, operational costs, and potential market pricing. Economic feasibility is a key factor in deciding whether to proceed with full-scale production.

How Pilot Plants and Scale-Up Work Together

The transition from a pilot plant to full-scale production is not always straightforward. The insights gained from the pilot phase are crucial for a successful scale-up. Here’s how the two stages interact:

Feasibility Testing: Pilot plants provide the data necessary to evaluate the feasibility of scaling up. They help identify potential issues that might arise when moving to a larger scale.

Process Optimization: Information from the pilot phase is used to refine and optimize the process for scale-up. This includes adjusting process parameters, improving efficiency, and ensuring consistency.

Design Considerations: Lessons learned from the pilot plant can influence the design of the full-scale production system. This includes selecting appropriate equipment, designing efficient layouts, and implementing control systems.

Risk Mitigation: By thoroughly testing processes on a smaller scale, pilot plants help mitigate risks associated with scaling up. They provide a platform to address problems before committing to large-scale production.

Conclusion

In summary, pilot plants and scale-up are two crucial steps in the journey from research and development to full-scale production. Pilot plants serve as a testing ground for validating and refining processes, while scale-up involves translating those validated processes into commercial-scale production. Understanding the differences between these stages helps in managing the transition effectively and ensures that products are developed efficiently and economically.

For more details, please contact us!

Website :- https://www.fermentertechnologies.com/

Contact No. :- +91–8896456000

Email :- instechsystems@gmail.com

[mathsinfluencer]

Did You Know the Math Simulation Software Desmos Graphing Calculator? 📊✨

Mathematics can be a daunting subject for many, but thanks to the incredible Desmos Graphing Calculator, the world of numbers, equations, and graphs has become more accessible and engaging than ever before! 🌟 Whether you’re a student, teacher, or math enthusiast, Desmos offers a fantastic tool that brings equations to life in a visually stunning way. Let’s dive into what makes this graphing calculator so special! 🚀

A User-Friendly Interface 🖥️😊

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Desmos Graphing Calculator is its clean and intuitive interface. You don’t need to be a tech genius to start plotting graphs. The layout is simple, making it easy for users of all ages to navigate through the various features. Just type in your equation, and watch as it instantly appears on the graph! ✍️➡️📈

Dynamic and Interactive Graphs 📉✨

Gone are the days of static and boring graphs. With Desmos, you can interact with your graphs in real-time. Want to see how a parabola shifts when you change the coefficient? Or how a sine wave stretches with different frequencies? Desmos lets you adjust parameters on the fly, showing you the immediate impact on the graph. It’s like having a math laboratory right at your fingertips! 🧪🔍

Supports a Wide Range of Functions 📚🔢

From basic algebraic equations to complex calculus functions, Desmos has got you covered. It supports a wide range of mathematical functions including trigonometry, logarithms, and even piecewise functions. This versatility makes it a valuable tool for both high school and college-level math. 📏🔍

Perfect for Teachers and Students 🧑‍🏫👩‍🎓

For educators, Desmos is a game-changer in the classroom. It allows teachers to create interactive lessons that can be shared with students, making learning more engaging. Students can experiment with equations and visualize concepts in a way that textbooks simply can’t match. Plus, the Desmos community is a treasure trove of shared graphs and activities, perfect for enhancing the learning experience. 📚📝

Accessibility and Collaboration 🤝🌍

Desmos is committed to accessibility. It’s available on any device with a web browser, and it’s free! Plus, with the collaborative features, students and teachers can work together on projects, making it a fantastic tool for group studies and classroom activities. The ability to save and share graphs means you can continue learning and exploring, anytime and anywhere. 🌐💡

Beyond Math: Creative Uses 🎨🌈

While Desmos is a powerhouse for mathematical graphing, its utility doesn’t stop there. Many users have found creative ways to use Desmos for art and design. By manipulating equations and parameters, you can create beautiful and intricate patterns. Who knew math could be so artistic? 🎨🖌️

Conclusion: Math Made Magical ✨🔮

The Desmos Graphing Calculator is more than just a tool; it’s a gateway to understanding and appreciating the beauty of mathematics. Its user-friendly interface, dynamic graphing capabilities, and vast range of functions make it an indispensable resource for anyone interested in math. Whether you’re solving complex problems or simply exploring the world of equations, Desmos makes the journey enjoyable and enlightening. So why wait? Dive into the world of Desmos and let the magic of math unfold before your eyes! 🌟📐🧮

[100beep]

To Catch a Harbinger

“In addition to your regular commissions, there is an available S-plus ranked commission,” Katheryne tells Bennett.

“What would it be?” asks Bennett warily. S-plus commissions are rare, nearly always extremely dangerous, and represent additional opportunities for advancement within the Guild.

“Capture a Fatui Harbinger,” Katheryne replies.

“Can I get more details?” asks Bennett, a moment after recovering from the shock.

“Certainly. You are to deliver alive any Fatui Harbinger captive to the Mondstadt Adventurer’s Guild headquarters on any day at midnight. Upon verification of the captive’s identity, you will be paid one hundred million Mora, plus an additional ten million Mora per Harbinger ranked beneath them, plus an additional fifty million Mora for the delivery of Il Dottore. As is typical for S-plus ranked commissions, completion gives all benefits of a typical S-ranked commission, and there are no penalties for declining.”

“Can I have some time to think about it?” asks Bennett. One hundred million is a lot of Mora, but he’s not sure he wants to work as a kidnapper - or can capture a Harbinger, for that matter.

“You can, but the commission will continue to be offered,” Katheryne replies.

With Bennett’s luck, any amount of time later and the commission will be taken. “Can I reserve it while I consult with my team?” he asks. He thinks he knows what Xiao will say, but wants to talk it through anyways.

“Of course. You have five minutes.”

Bennett walks over to a somewhat secluded alley and calls “Xiao.”

Xiao appears in a gust of wind, spear in hand. “You called?” he asks, looking around for danger. Once he’s assured they’re in no danger, his spear vanishes.

“There’s a new commission available - to catch a Fatui Harbinger,” Bennett states with no preamble.

Xiao raises an eyebrow. “Mondstadt has that much of a grudge? I didn’t think you cared for Barbatos that much.”

“Mondstadt’s views on gods are weird. If it’s someone looking for revenge on Barbatos, it’ll be one of the extremely devout church members. But we don’t have time for that now. What do you think about us taking the commission?”

“I’ll do it,” Xiao answers without hesitation. “I have my own grudges.”

Bennett nods and walks over to Kathryne to accept the commission.

He returns, and asks Xiao “Is there any specific Harbinger that you want to capture?”

“Yes, but we won’t be able to capture him,” Xiao answers. “Unless you know a way to get into Zapolyarny Palace.”

“You can’t get in as wind?” Bennett asks, surprised.

“Nearly every important building in Teyvat has general elemental wards designed to protect it. As a side effect, they keep out the wind, which includes me. Someone calling me, on the other hand, gets past anything.”

“Interesting,” says Bennett, thinking. “I might be able to get us in - I used to know one of the guards. Which Harbinger is it you’re targeting?”

“The Doctor,” Xiao answers.

“Whoever commissioned this also seems to dislike Il Dottore,” Bennett says. “What is it he did to you?”

“We have a history,” Xiao answers. “Not one I like to talk about.”

“That’s alright,” Bennett replies. “What do you know about the layout of the palace where Dottore is?”

“I was there once, and don’t have Morax’s photographic memory. But you don’t want to confront him anywhere he knows he’ll be often. And especially not in his laboratory. Our best chance would be to take him outside. I don’t suppose your guard is an inside guard?”

“No, she’s a door guard. On the upside, that means she’ll be able to get us in. On the downside, I don’t think she’s ever been beyond the walls.”

“Are all the guards consistently in the same place?” Xiao asks.

“Yes. It’s supposed to keep the guards knowing what’s going on in every place. And before you ask, no, she doesn’t know any of those guards.”

“Well, that doesn’t help much. You’re decent at stealth, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” Bennett responds. “I’d have to be, to consider sneaking into Zapolyarny Palace.”

“Can you get in to watch the Doctor? You can call me whenever he’d be vulnerable - I can’t get in unless you call me, and we’ll need to fight our way out.”

“I’m good at stealth, but not that good,” Bennett protests. “I can get to Dottore - probably - but if I stay near him, I’ll get caught eventually.”

After a moment of silence, Bennett says “I suppose if I could find wherever he sleeps, I could keep hidden for long enough for him to leave whatever protections he has.”

“You’d want to get in really early, follow him for longer than you think you need to, and make sure he’s not going to his lab,” says Xiao. “But that would work. Assuming you could find it.”

“I have enough experience finding people that want to stay hidden,” Bennett answers. “And once he’s vulnerable, I can call you.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Xiao says. “Shall we go?”

Bennett nods. Xiao takes his hand, pulls him close, and gusts away towards Snezhnaya. Less than a minute later, the pair are on a hill overlooking the bustling city, Bennett looking extremely windblown.

“There’s the palace,” Bennett says, looking at the central collection of buildings behind a wall.”

The first thing Bennett does is find his guard friend. If she can’t get them in, they’ll need to come up with a completely new plan. She will, of course, get him in, even without knowing why, and even provides him with a spare guard’s uniform.

After half a day and half a night of sleep in a rather sketchy inn, he gets into the palace complex at around three in the morning. Looking like a guard, he’s mostly ignored by the few people around at this time of night. Getting past the other guards is also surprisingly easy, as they have predictable, strict patrols.

Assuming that he’ll find Dottore’s chambers in one of the buildings in the center of a cluster, he looks through the windows of the larger buildings, occasionally using Elemental Sight. There are a few important officials, including Capitano, but there is no sign of Dottore.

Sighing inwardly, he turns around, ready to leave and do proper reconnaissance this time. He’s stopped by three Dottores.

“What have we here?” one of them asks.

“A volunteer for our testing?” another answers.

“No, look at him. He wouldn’t stand up to anything,” the third replies.

“He seems like a warrior - maybe we could give him to Tartaglia. When he gets back, he’s going to be pissed at us.”

“That’s Signora’s job, and she won’t credit us for anything,” the first responds.

While the three are arguing amongst themselves, Bennett whispers “Xiao.”

Xiao appears in a second with his spear drawn, taking in the situation. After a few seconds when the Dottores are shocked by the appearance of another person and Xiao is shocked by the existence of multiple Dottores, Bennett attacks. Xiao follows him, immediately knocking one of the Dottores unconscious with the spear butt before the others have time to react.

“I’ll sound the alarm,” one of the remaining two says, before running away.

“Bloody coward,” the other grumbles, fending off the intruder’s coordinated attacks with a hastily conjured ice staff. He’s still being forced backwards, until he dashes into a building.

“Let’s grab that one,” Bennett says, gesturing at the unconscious Dottore on the ground.

Xiao wordlessly grabs the unconscious Dottore’s legs. Bennett grabs the head, and they start running towards the exit. They’re stopped by the roar of what appears to be an Electro Lawachrul, nearly twice the size of a normal one.

“Ignore it,” Bennett pants. “They look scary but leave you alone if you don’t - oh shit.” The last part is in response to the lawachurl charging straight at them.

“I did warn you, don’t confront him anywhere he normally is,” Xiao says, dropping the Dottore and jumping out of the way. Once it’s past and returning for another charge, Xiao picks up the Dottore and holds the point of his spar to his throat. “Call it off or this one dies,” he says, shouting at the Dottore in what he assumes to be a control booth. That Dottor comes out with a blowgun and shoots the lawachurl almost immediately, causing it to collapse. “What is it you want?” he asks, somewhat desperately.

“Safe passage out,” Bennett says. “We’ll let him go once we’re outside the walls.”

Xiao almost smiles.

“Agreed,” the conscious Dottore says. As he does, a deafening siren goes off.

Xiao and Bennett start walking towards the exit, Xiao keeping his spear on Dottore’s throat, with Bennett constantly turning, looking for any hint of treachery. There are a lot of guards coming out, most prepared to fight, but Dottore tells them to hold back and to open the gates. Capitano awakens, the third Dottore returns, and the two start arguing, dragging the second Dottore into it. The gist of it, from what Bennett can make out, is that Capitano wants to sacrifice the Dottore ‘segment’ and neither of the Dottores care to. It appears that the Dottores win, given that they aren’t stopped.

Once they’re out of the gates, Xiao immediately gusts off, carrying Dottore with him. The remaining two Dottores and dozens of soldiers prepare to attack, but Xiao returns within seconds to remove Bennett from the situation.

The two arrive on the same hill overlooking the city as they arrive on. From there, they can see the entire palace in chaos, with the surrounding area’s people getting up to observe whatever’s going on.

“You can’t take two people at once?” Bennett asks.

“I can, but I’m vulnerable when doing it,” Xiao answers. “And a bit slower.”

“That’s fair,” Bennett replies. “That wasn’t a situation in which you’d want to be able to be attacked. I suppose you’ll need to take us one at a time back to Mondstadt, then?”

“No, it’s not that much slower,” Xiao answers. Then he picks up Dottore and grabs Bennett close and sets off to return to Mondstadt.

Three minutes or so later, the three arrive behind the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters in Mondstadt.

“Also a lot more uncomfortable,” Bennett says, even more windblown than normal. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Really? I don’t notice a difference,” Xiao says. “Maybe it only affects passengers.”

“Doesn’t really matter,” says Bennett. Gesturing at Dottore, he continues “Where do you suppose we should put him for the next twenty hours?”

“Why do we need to keep him?” Xiao asks.

“The commission was to deliver him at midnight right around here,” Bennett replies. “I don’t know why, but I also don’t know who posted it, so I can’t exactly deliver him.

“Strange,” Xiao says. “You could probably keep him inside the Guild headquarters, if you think people won’t question it. Is he recognisable?”

“He was rather infamous a few years ago - something to do with missing children. I don’t think many people would recognize him, but if anyone does, they really won’t be happy. It doesn’t matter anyways, I have private storage. As long as I can keep him quiet, there shouldn’t be any troubles.”

Xiao whacks him on the head again. “That should keep him out for a while. Tie him up, gag him, and stick him in a sack, and as long as he’s somewhat secluded, he won’t be able to draw any attention to himself or escape without outside help. Even the most powerful can be rendered useless with good rope.”

“I can do that,” Bennett says.

Twenty hours later, Bennett waits outside with a bound and still unconscious Dottore. At two minutes to midnight, a masked Diluc arrives, not expecting to find anyone.

“That was surprisingly fast,” Diluc says. “I didn’t think there were any Harbingers left in Mondstadt.”

“There weren’t,” Bennett replies.

Diluc looks at the body. “Dottore. I’m impressed. How exactly did you manage to travel outside of Mondstadt and return in one day?”

“I had help,” Bennett answers.

“Can you tell me where exactly you found Dottore? I was under the impression that this version never left the capitol.”

“I found him in the capitol,” Bennett replies. Then he does a double-take. “What do you mean, this version? Are the three that I sw different?”

“You managed to survive three Dottores? That is… beyond impressive. But yes, there are various versions of the Doctor. I don’t know how - or why - but I intend to find out. But that’s enough talk. Find me at the winery tomorrow for your payment - two hundred and forty million mora.”

“That is what you agreed on,” Bennett says, somewhat shocked by the sheer amount of money.

Diluc picks up Dottore, slings him over his shoulder, and walks off. Bennett returns to the Guild headquarters to sleep.

“Congratulations!” Katheryne tells Bennett. “Payment is to be arranged with the commissioner. As you have now completed one S or S-plus ranked commission, you are now eligible for Adventure Rank 35, at which point you will be eligible for another Ascension Quest.”

“Thank you,” says Bennett. “It’s been so long since I’ve thought I could do it, with my luck…”

Katheryne continues. “To complete this next Ascension Quest, you will need…”

“No, you were as much a part of this as me,” Bennett says to an unmoving Xiao, piles of coins behind him.

“What would I do with any amount of mora, let alone a hundred and twenty million?” Xiao insists.

“I don’t know! Hire a full-time chef to make almond tofu!”

Xiao starts. “Fine. I’ll take ten million. Final offer.”