#performance testing methodology

[accessiblemindstech]

Embark on a global bug hunt with our SDET team, leveraging cloud-based mobile testing to ensure your app achieves flawless performance across all devices and networks. With cutting-edge tools and a meticulous approach, we identify and eliminate bugs before they impact your users. https://rb.gy/jfueow #SDET #BugHunt #CloudTesting #MobileAppQuality #FlawlessPerformance SDET Tech Pvt. Ltd.

[poolvision]

https://thepoolvision.com/mvp/

Mastering Project Management with MVP: Building Successful Software

In the fast-paced world of software development, where innovation drives success, the concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has emerged as a game-changer. MVP project management has revolutionized how startups and entrepreneurs approach software development, allowing them to validate ideas, minimize risks, and maximize outcomes.

We'll delve into the depths of MVP software development, exploring its lifecycle, methodologies, benefits, and real-world success stories.

[theprettynosferatu]

Cover: @snootieenoot as Mia West

Breast Size and Cognitive Ability: A Rebuttal

Prof. Mia West

Overview and Project Objectives

This work originates from the publication of Prof. Lawson’s paper Breast Size and Cognitive Ability last month (Lawson, Breast Size and Cognitive Ability, Northwestern Journal of Science, 2025) and the ensuing discourse it has elicited both in the scientific community and society at large. Not only do we find it socially and politically harmful, but either intellectually dishonest or frankly substandard in both reasoning and the basic principles of experimental science.

Prof. Lawson posits that breast size in females is negatively correlated with academic ability and general I.Q. As this work will show, not only is Lawson’s methodology ruefully unsound, but his conclusions are so implausible one can only assume that, by his own logic, Professor Lawson must himself possess an impressive set of mammaries to believe such scholarship deserves serious consideration.

It is the objective of this paper to, entertaining such ludicrous premises, empirically disprove Prof. Lawson’s thesis on its own terms and hopefully set the matter to rest permanently.

Methodology

A research team comprised of four highly accomplished female experts (see Appendix A: Team Background and Initial Cognitive Tests), including the author, will take it upon ourselves to test Dr. Lawson’s hypothesis in a controlled, verifiable and reproducible basis. Having established a baseline for cognitive ability, we must consider the second element of Dr. Lawson’s proposed correlation; as we’re sure he’ll lament (given his manifest interests) all members of the team possess what can commonly be referred to as a modest chest size (see Fig.1: Team’s Initial Measurements).

In order to modify this factor gradually, we will be using Dr. Joanna’s Marsh experimental Focused Hormone Enhancement System, or FHES, which has shown remarkable results, even in its early stages of development (see Marsh, FHES Preliminary Observations, Oberlin, 2024).

Weekly breast measurements, as well as tests on cognitive ability, will be performed to track any changes in the research team, or most likely, lack thereof (at least in the intellectual side of Lawson’s correlation). Additionally, this author will provide any observations and comments that might be relevant to the purview of this paper. 

Observations: One Week Under the Effects of FHES

Initial results show that the effectiveness of Dr. Marsh’s compound not only meets the expectations established in her paper but, in the present use case, surpasses them (see Fig.2: Team’s Measurements, Week 1). All four team members have been forced to acquire new brassieres to work comfortably. 

A common reported side effect among the team is a degree of difficulty maintaining focus on complex tasks for even moderate periods of time- what is referred to as “brain fog” in common parlance. While not debilitating, this phenomenon has increased the difficulty inherent in writing a clear, concise overview. It does not, however, seem to be accompanied by physical exhaustion- activities which require movement have not been reported by the team as feeling more taxing.

We attribute this “brain fog” to the adaptation to the new hormonal load, and we expect it to subside soon. This also explains the slight decrease in the result of the team’s cognitive tests (see Appendix B: Cognitive Tests, Week 1).

Of additional note is that the team has experienced a slight but constant emission of clear, vaginal fluid. Testing shows it to be harmless and indeed to be the kind of fluid generated for lubrication normally during intercourse or arousal in general. We believe this to also be merely a temporary hormonal adjustment, but will keep monitoring it in the following weeks.

   Observations: Two Weeks Under the Effects of FHES

The effectiveness of FHES continues to astho asst surprise the team. Our tits breasts have expanded massively (See Fig 2: Team Measurements, Week 2), to the point that our standard lab uniforms no longer fit our curvy bodies and feel too tight and not in a cute way. To remedy this, the team was forced to go out and purchase new, more fitting and fashionable clothes (See Fig 3: Team Dressing Room Selfies). Obviously, new make-up was also necessary to match the vibe of the new fits, especially the goth-style gram garnm clothes chosen by April which just called out for some striking black eyeliner and a lighter shade of base. We collectively observed that the combination of her new clothes and make-up work really, really well on her: it’s giving bratty sub, as can be confirmed (See Fig. 4: April’s Selfies and Cute Pics Taken By Mia).

The Brain Fog is still there, probably because of the hormones and all other stuff, but the team reports it to be a pleasant sensation. While it makes writing these reports hard, it’s not really bad- more like floating in a pink, fluffy cloud. Prof. Lawson’s idea that tit size makes women dumber is still unproven, as the Pink (that’s what we have taken to calling the Brain Fog) is for sure the result of the treatment, not an effect of increased chest size. There are plenty of smart women with big boobs, after all, and I know for a fact Dr. Lawson has watched their videos on several adult sites. These women’s success in such a competitive industry is surely proof of their intelligence.

The constant most moiz wetness appears to have caused a few incidents among the team, since it now also involves an increased sensitivity and level of arousal. The distraction of feeling one’s pussy so needy all the time explains the lower test results this week (See Appendix C: Cognitive Tests, Week 2), as well as some notable events that took place this week.

It would be unprofessional to omit those events in this observation, so I’ll recount them as accurately as I possibly can. On Tuesday, before we went shopping, I walked into the Substance Storage Unit and encountered April and Sophia looking at a tablet. While I couldn’t see the screen, the video playing was at full volume, and I could make out the sound of a slut woman gurgling and choking on what, I can only assume, was a truly large cock penis. My teammates had both removed their (ugly) uniform pants, and unbuttoned their shirts (as mentioned, they had by this point become very uncomfortable, so that’s understandable). They were engaging in mutual masd mutul mmmmm fingering each other, drooling and moaning like stupid cunts in a way that showed their excitement. They shouted encouragement at the performer on the screen, which I feel demonstrates a high capacity to focus on engaging tasks; their choice of phrases (“take it deep you stupid bitch”, “fucking choke in it you dumb cow”, “use her fucking throat as a fleshlight!”) also proves their creativity. Witnessing this event produced a very strong effect on myself, but I managed to sneak into the bathroom before shoving my fingers inside my soaked pussy thus obtaining temporary relief.

Fuck. Okay, rubbing break over. Time to go back to writing.

A second incident took place on Friday. By then we had acquired new wardrobes, and the act of dancing, strutting and showing each other our new looks might have affected some team members in an unexpected manner. While we all identify as heterosexual, seeing our colleagues’ tight fucking bodies and huge, firm funbags aesthetic choices proved to be a stimulating experience. My recollection of events remains fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure I made out with April and at some point Hannah poured beer over April’s tits and I lapped it up and then sucked on her nipples while I rubbed myself silly and Sophia was filming on her phone so we both put on a show and I’m pretty sure she sent the video so someone but i don’t care encounters of an erotic nature may have taken place.

As each team member has clearly settled on a particular preference regarding their appearance, we have ordered more clothes and toys for the experiment.

We are confident that once our amazing bodies have adapted to the hormone treatment, such incidents will not reoccur. 

NOTE TO SELF: MIA, REMEMBER TO ERASE THE STRICKEN PARTS BEFORE UPLOADING UPDATE!!!

 Observations: Two Weeks Three Weeeks Under the Effects of FHES

So I have to write this to keep you updated because it’s my job and I’m a professional and stuff so ehre it goes. We had like massive tits before but now they are so huge and sensitibe and spectacular and they feel kind of like giant clits so I guess the copm compoud the thing we take to make them grow is also making them feel super good! We tried to take measurements but the tape rubbing against out funbags feels too good and we get distracted and we have to take care of that so we figured we’d just send you some nudes so you can see how much our stupid bimbo tits have expanded (see sexy pics attached) because we are not dumb and pics are better than illustrated numbers anyway. We got a bit carried away with the pics but I hope you’ll enjoy them! In like, a scientific way. Duh.

Reading back I guess I was keeping track of the Pink? I think? It’s hard to understand what I wrote before. So like, the Pink. It’s kinda hard to explain but it feels so fucking good, like we’re all so happy and floating and horny all the time and nothing feels super important anymore except doing whatever feels good at the moment, with whoever or whatever is around. We stopped storing the toys because having them all over the lab is super useful to play with one another or to just bounce on a big dildo looking at the tasty porn on the screens.

Oh shit I forgot to explain the porn thing! So like, we noticed that we can focus on porn a lot better than on boring lab stuff and we’re trying to demn demos prove big boobs don’t make sluts dumb so having porn blasting in every screen means we have something to keep us concentrated and so we’re not dumb because we can keep our attention on stuff. And we can like, really really watch porn. It’s like… we’re not just watching it with our eyes, we’re taking it in with our entire bodies and the Pink makes it so much better because it’s like the porn gets inside us and makes us better and we feel so, so good!

And another thing that proves we may be stupid cunts but we’re not dumb is that we learn really, really fast. We just left the pron running and the site kept showing us video after video after video and we all learned different things and we could put it in practice instantly! Like, April has gotten really into her new goth mommy thing and we saw a video and a girl in it was spanking another girl with a leather paddle and it was super hot but we didn’t have paddles (we ordered them, they should arrive today! Yay!) so April took a clipboard and made Sophia put her hands on the wall and April went to town on her cute bubble butt and it got so red and the rest of us watched and rubbed and drooled and Sophia came from being spanked! She’s becoming such a good slut. She really likes putting her hair in pigtails and wearing like, a sort of schoolgirl uniform with a microskirt and chewing gum and acting like a dumb whore around the lab and it kinda makes all of us want to do bad things to her. We saw a few videos where the cunt was sort of taken by force and Sophia loved them so now she keeps calling herself “good rapebait” and teasing us so we’ll be mean to her and fuck her with a toy or a strap. She cums so fast and screams what a rapedoll she is and begs to be used and abused forever! It’s super hot, so we are almost constantly shoving toys and fingers in her like, really hard.

Also, we have amazing stamina now! I can’t remember when I last slept. My desperate pussy needs me to take care of it all the time.

We’re using the computer labs to show off online, because the porn showed us that all good girls expose their slutty bodies. We’re sad that the webcams don’t look as good as the porn but we’ve ordered new cameras and like, some lights to make every inch of us look amazing. And the people we talk to on random sites are so helpful! They have ideas we never could imagine, and it’s so much easier to just do what they tell us to do and we learn so much doing it! Last night me and Emily spent like an hour just drooling and making out and rubbing each other’s tits in front of the camera because a nice Man told us to and it felt amazing to know he was jerking off his fat cock to us! We didn’t know just obeying Men made cunts feel useful but some Men told us and we did it and they were right! I think it was when April and I were going ass to ass with a double dildo because a Man told us to that I realized how amazing it is not having to choose and just drift in the Pink and be good sluts.

Sometimes they tell us to do hard things, like writing on each other’s bodies. Because our tits are so huge we have a lot of room to put tasty words in, but figuring out the spelling while we rub and lick each other is very, very hard! I can still spell kinda good, but Sophia couldn’t even spell “cumslave” right, so I had to write on Emily even though Sophia was supposed to and I got too excited and fuzzy and maybe some of the videos put thoughts in my head because I ended writing stuff like “mindless fuckdoll” and “brains are for boys” and “bitch in heat” on her instead of just “cumslave”, but the Men online liked that and told me to make myself cum as a reward and I didn’t know Men could just tell girls to cum but when they told me to cum I barely had to rub my cunt before I had like, the best orgasm. Maybe getting permission to cum always feels better? We should do a study on that after this one is done.

It’s funny how much Emily loves to have filthy words written on her body. She always was super shy and she’s so slutty now but she sstill gets all red and flustered and some men like that because it’s clear she likes to be a silly cunt but also she tries not to show it and so having someone writing on her lets her pretend she’s not thinking all those words even though like, we all totally know she’s thinking them and also when she wears a cute little mask she is shameless and so fucking desperate it’s like the mask lets her be her true self. That’s another thign we could study!

Speaking of studies, we kinda didn’t have time to take the test this week but I’m sure we would have aced it for sure. I have to send something in that section of this stupid form so I’m attaching a video of all of us training our throats with dildos, because it shows we can still do tasks so we aren’t dumb. 

Ugh, writing is so boring and I can hear Sophia being fucked behind me and I really want to make her eat me out while another girl makes her ass gape. 

We ordered more clothes and toys because Men deserve choices and we want to be able to be any kind of slut a Man could want. I guess I’ll write more next week.

   

obdertations weak for

i have to write i dont want to write this is so boring my head is to fuzzy and fuuuuck april is licking my pussy under the desk but i dont want to cum because good girls dont cum without permission and no Man told me i could cum but i want to cum so badly but also i dont want to cum because being edged makes me better makes me wetter makes me obey i want to obey i want to be a stupid cumrag forever and ever and get tasty cummies and my tits need to be covered so i can be super pretty

My stupid cow udders are so huge now one load cant cover them i need to be surrounded by cocks and make all of them cum just so i can feel that warm jizz all over them and i know because we tried it we gave the nice Men online the address to the lab and they came hihihi came and came came all over us and inside us and even three cocks cumming on my boobs isnt enough and also sometimes they aim to high and it lands on my face and that feels so amazing and tastes so fucking good but i like it on my sensitive bimbo tits better because theyre like my pussy and they always need more and more and more and there are never enough cocks around to share and we try to be good girls and serve together but we get greedy and end up fighting for the honor of wrosph worp woshi whoreshiping cocks but the Men help us and tell us what to do and whos turn it is and they even gave us a fun way to fight for cock and we have rubbing competitions where we dance and rub and tease and say so many filthy things anf the one that proves shes the more depraved slut gets the cum and i wish i was better because i want to win every time but sometimes another fucking cunt wins and i have to wait

pffff last night sophia did her hole pretending to be innocent thing and called the men daddy and said she would be the bestest girl for them and smiled and flirted and made it seem like she didnt know her skirt was riding up and she had no panties and they used her so much i only got like three loads on my tits and i had to get more Men to come into the lab because its sooo not fair that she got used in all her holes by like, ten guys and i only got three cocks in my tight asshole but in the end more Men came and i really slutted it up and called myself a piece of worthless fuckmeat and a mindless obedient set of holes with huge tits and explained to the Men why girls need to obey and be happy and how fenminism is boring and maybe us girls would be better off without rights and they liked that and they really liked it when they found out i have a PHD an stuff so in the end i got used lots so I was useful and it was a good night

Clothes are all over the floor and the desks but we need more because there are so many ways to be a cute slut and we want to please everyone and become anything they want us to be and do anything they want us to do and i tried ordering more clothes but i got confused but a Man ordered for us so they should be arriving soon and fuck we cant stop rubbing and licking each other imagining all the sexy stuff we’ll get to wear and also the new camera is so good and we look just like the girls in porn and i guess we are pron now because we keep filming or letting Men film us and they upload everything and people like it lots and i think about everyone jerking off to us and its the best feeling in the world knowing i dont have to be there to make a cock cum, i can be useful forever because the videos will always be around fuuuuuck i almost came April got sooo good at eating pussy but i don’t want to cum i really want to cum i 

I dont remeber how to ttach stuff but ill get a Man to put the best videos on the file so yall can see what good girls we are now and maybe you can cum to us please cum to us please rub your pussies and play with your cocks looking at us we want to make you happy and horny like we are i wish everyone could feel the Pink its so good and fuzzy and warm and makes people giggle and fuck nd be so happy maybe everyone should take what we take and grow big boobs and sink into the Pink I wonder if men get huge cocks from it that woud be amazing like giant cocks that cum buckets fuccccccc i dont wanna{p´.k

Fuck i came so hard but im still so fucking horny it’s never enough i need more i need to please i exist to please obeying makes me feel so good an cum makes me so pretty and i dont remember how i lived before because this feels like its who ive always been like its just right and natural and good but i started writin for a reason and i can’t figure out what it was i have to tell April to stop eating me out and find out what im supposed to rite 

Oh, duh! A Man said big boobs make girls dumb. And that’s a dumb thing to believe. But I have massive tits and I’m dumb so I guess I believe him because dumb feels good so I’ll believe any dumb thing a Man tells me!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This document is being published without edits or corrections at the request of Prof. Lawson. Given that the express intent of this “paper” is to disprove his theories, we felt it fair to show the resulting work unaltered.

Prof. Mia West has retired from Academia. She and her team seem determined to continue in the adult industry. The Northwestern Journal of Science has reached out to Prof. West, who requested readers to “log into the sites and cum yourselves silly to our stupid bimbo bodies”.

As far as we can ascertain, every one of the mentioned videos is available for free. It is unknown who obtains the ad revenue or funds the team; however, given the noticeable increase in production value in newer installments, as well as the establishment of what has been christened the “Slut House” to film, we must assume someone is managing the team’s career.

On an unrelated note, we’re delighted to announce Prof. Lawson’s new seminar, “Video Production, Marketing and Monetization in the Digital Age”, to take place this Fall.  

Did you enjoy this story? You can support my work at patreon.com/prettynosferatu

[259kmvn]

experiment

albedo conducts a test on his partner | albedo x f!reader smut (oral)

knock, knock, knock.

"come in."

you stand outside albedo's door, pressing the cold handle as you push it open. "hi, bedo!" you greet, sticking your head into his work-room. it's messy inside; papers line the walls and pepper the floor while vials of various natural elements are scattered around different surfaces. it's smaller than his actual workshop- tighter with less space to navigate. but this will do for as long as he'd like to live with you.

"how much longer do you think you need?"

"i'm almost done. i just need to compare my observations, then i'll join you." his smooth voice compliments his movements as he opens a nearby drawer to pull out a piece of paper.

the way his teal eyes glisten and eyebrows furrow as he scans it makes your tummy frizzle; he's hot when he's focused. and that shirt he has on... phew. it shapes his already nicely shaped body in just the right places. you just wish you could-

"...dear?"

ah. when did his gaze shift to you? "hmm? oh- nothing! yeah.. sorry... what did you say?" there was no hiding the guilty, sheepish tone in your voice.

"i asked if you required anything from me, dear." by this time a small smile is on his lips. amused eyes connected directly to yours.

"right," you bite your smile, "nothing. just- you, i suppose."

albedo raises an eyebrow. neither of you speak, and the gentle awkwardness makes you start tapping your fingers on the door. "i'll.. i'll just wait for you in the living room. sorry for disturbing!" you start to pull your head from his room.

this awkward tension isn't new. in fact, it was way worse when you first started dating him. many of your advances met with silence, and you've come to learn that that's just him assessing his options. unsurprisingly, your first intimate time did not go so well. he was methodological- too methodological. it felt like making love with a robot. but as time went on, and both he and you figure out what clicks, well... let's just say he brings you to another universe.

"wait. dear," he calls out just as you're about to pull the door shut, "i've got an experiment that i've been wanting to perform. perhaps you could help me with it." hope glistens within your heart and you smile.

"sure!" you entered his work-room with a new enthusiasm. "how can i help?"

you go to stand next to him, looking at the papers in his hand and the numerous circular diagrams on them. "look here," he starts, "i'm currently curious about the cyclical nature of life. cycles pervade every aspect of our known universe- do you follow?" you nod and scan the diagrams.

"ah! i see what you mean!" you lean closer to him, "and you drew all the different cycles you could find so far?" the fabrics of your clothes graze upon each other.

"that's right. smart girl." if there was a frizzle in your stomach, it's turned to a flutter. "but there is one more cycle that i'd like to explore that only you can help me achieve." you hold your breath. "i think you already know what it is."

you try to hide the smile that's creeping up your lips, but your rising cheekbones would not lie for you. "really, bedo? here?" your voice is but a whisper.

he nods, then gestures towards an empty chair- the only one in this room. "have a seat, dear. ah, clothes off first." so you take your clothes off and sit on the chair. its flat surface is cold against your bare soft cheeks. albedo leans over you, hands placed on both armrests by your sides. "good. this experiment is about you, so don't worry about me, is that clear?"

you nod, but he tuts. in a lower voice, he says, "use your words, dear. it is crucial in an experiment that you communicate your every experience. when i ask 'is that clear', what do you say?"

"yes," you whisper.

"good girl." he leans down and kisses your cheek. loose strands of his hair tickle your skin as he continues up to your ear. "mmm.." he hums, sending vibrations across your skin. "stage one of cycle one: pre-engagement." a tongue swipes up your earlobe. you gasp.

he continues his ministrations of licks and kisses on your ear, not neglecting the other by massaging it with his hand. every breath you take hitches and shakes. it tickles. it feels good. you can feel a tingling sensation poking at your core already, and the thought of it makes you whimper.

"your words," he sneaks a reminder amidst his kissing, "use them."

"it feels good," you manage through your sharp breaths. he hums in approval, and the vibrations shoot straight down. "i.. i want mo-re," vowels are especially difficult, because your jaw wishes to betray you for a less subtle moan. he hums again, this time in obedience.

albedo pulls back. looks at your naked figure on his well-used work-room chair. the sight turns him on. not once had he thought of being intimate with you in his workspace; the contexts had always been separate to him. but perhaps that doesn't have to be the case. having everything he loves in the same room sounds like an obvious ideal now.

you shift under his pondering gaze, and he notices. ah.. it must be because he's clothed and you're not. "shall i take my clothes off too, dear?"

you look up at him. to be honest, you like the way this particular shirt looks on him. even more is the way you feel being naked when he's not; vulnerable, powerless, like you're being experimented on. as he starts to unbutton his shirt, you interrupt. "bedo... can i say no?" he pauses in confusion. "i like it like this, it's- um, it really feels like you're experimenting on me." his eyes shut for a few seconds. a sign that he's recollecting his thoughts.

"understood, dear. this variable won't change." you can't help but notice how his shirt is still partly unbuttoned as he leans down to kiss your neck. he trails down your chest, leaving a constellation of kisses that you recognise as princeps cretaceus. you shiver. he's leaving his mark on you.

the hands he has on your legs gently push them apart- thumbs caressing your inner thighs. he crouches down completely and lifts your left leg, resting it on his shoulder. the added distance opens you up more, and albedo observes your glistening slit. his eyes are hooded, breaths getting heavier. you squirm at the sight of your aroused lover. "commencing stage two of cycle one: engagement."

albedo's licks are controlled and strategic. that is not to say that he's slow- rather, he's deliberate in choosing which speeds to eat you out with and where. his tongue is slow in sliding up and down your opening. fast when tasting your clit.

his eyebrows furrow as he's tongue-deep inside you, teal eyes alert to your every response. every buck of your hip makes him moan into your pulsing heat.

your whimpers run loose. there's so much you're feeling; the cold hard chair pressing against your back- the hand that's gently rubbing your left leg. his head between your legs, wisps of hair tickling your sensitive skin. his nose prodding at your clit as his tongue thrusts into your slit. "bedo- ah," you feel your core tighten. he does too. "i'm- i'm gonna cum-"

he hums in approval. "go ahead," his voice is muffled by your flesh, "cum for me." he presses his free hand on your lower tummy firmly. adding pressure to the already built up tension in your core.

"bedo, please, ah! mm-" your voice only gets higher and his tongue faster. at this point you're grinding on his face, chasing your high, and he keeps going. "please, please, please, hah-!"

you cum.

albedo lets you ride out your high on his tongue before putting your leg down and standing up. he wipes his mouth with his sleeve, juices and saliva smearing the shirt you love so much. every breath a heave for both you and him. your consciousness slowly restores and you realise you're in an unflattering slouch. you sit up, though your body still shivers and your sweaty skin sticks to the surfaces of the chair. you look up at albedo, who is silently catching his breath.

"i.. thank you," you don't know what to say. "is this.. enough for your experiment?" something tells you it's not. and that something is an obvious bulge in your lover's pants. you smile cheekily. somewhat proud of the effects you have on him. "..maybe not," you say in your cheekiness and stand up.

you meet his eyes and approach him, hands reaching down to play with his pants buckle. "you seem to be accurate, dear," he says as his hand cups your cheek, "i am unsatisfied with the experiment thus far." there's a restrained jerk in his hips when you teasingly glide over his bulge, "ah- i'd like to begin a new set of- mmph!"

you interrupt his line of thought with a kiss. his lips are soft and his eyes wide in shock. you pull back, and say amidst your shared air, "it's my turn to study you, dear. leave the thinking to me, hmm?"

his breaths stagger, and he nods hesitantly. "use your words, dear," you tease, tugging at his pants. he gulps.

"understood."

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

Every infection, no matter how mild, has a cumulative effect on your brain, reducing gray matter and altering function. Mask up. Keep yourself and others safe from a disease that can and will cause many varied lingering issues.

by Denis Storey

Clinical relevance: New research shows that even mild COVID-19 cases in young adults can lead to changes in brain structure and function.

Researchers found reduced connectivity in key brain regions, including the left hippocampus and amygdala. These changes were linked to deficits in spatial working memory and cognitive performance. The study highlights the need for further research into long-term neurological effects of COVID-19, even in mild cases. For all the damage the pandemic’s done, it seems as if the youngest generations will pay the steepest price. The latest proof of that has emerged in new research that’s discovered that even the mildest of COVID cases among young adults can lead to changes in brain structure and function. As a result, it could pose a threat to long-term cognitive performance.

The research provides new insight into the potential neurological impact of SARS-CoV-2 in populations that avoided severe illness. The study focused on adolescents and young adults since it’s a group that’s remained relatively understudied.

Methodology The study, part of the Public Health Impact of Metal Exposure (PHIME) cohort, included 40 participants. More than a dozen of them – 13 – tested positive for COVID-19, while 27 served as controls.

The researchers enrolled the participants in a longitudinal study, which offered pre-pandemic baseline data through MRI scans and cognitive assessments. This allowed the team a unique look into pre- and post-pandemic neural outcomes.

The researchers relied on the latest neuroimaging technology, such as resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) and structural MRI, to examine shifts in brain connectivity and cortical volume.

The researchers also subjected the participants to cognitive testing focused on spatial working memory. The team conducted the assessments both before the COVID-19 pandemic and after recovery from mild COVID-19 cases. These parallel evaluations allowed for a direct comparison of brain and cognitive changes.

COVID Affected Multiple Brain Regions The study exposed notable differences between COVID-19-positive and healthy participants in five critical brain regions:

The right intracalcarine cortex. The right lingual gyrus. The left hippocampus. The left amygdala. And the left frontal orbital cortex. Perhaps most notably, the left hippocampus revealed a significant drop in cortical volume among those who’d tested positive for COVID.

Researchers also found that the left amygdala showed much lower connectivity in participants who’d contracted COVID-19. This lack of connectivity appeared to be linked to deficits in spatial working memory. From this, the researchers inferred that even mild COVID-19 infection could impair one’s ability to perform tasks that rely on short-term memory.

Backing Up Previous Research The study results echo a mounting body of literature that suggests that COVID-19, despite its nature as a respiratory virus, appears to have far-reaching neurological implications. Earlier research has linked more serious cases of the virus with reduced gray matter thickness and cerebral volume loss, particularly in the hippocampus and amygdala.

The researchers add that the brain changes they observed could be related to the neurotoxic effects of SARS-CoV-2, which could have a lingering influence even among milder caes of infection. The paper’s authors theorize that it could be because the virus might be invading the brain through the olfactory system. That could cause inflammation and damage in important neural regions.

On the other hand, the authors also posit that the social and psychological stressors of the pandemic – whether its the social isolation or the lingering uncertainties – could be a factor in the changes appearing in the brains of the COVID-positive participants.

These results underscore the necessity for more research into the long-term neurological effects of the pandemic, especially among its younger survivors.

Moving Forward Finally, the research team hints that further investigation could clarify whether these neurological changes are permanent, and – if not – how long they might last.

The authors conclude by insisting that this study offers crucial new insight into the potentially long-term ramifications of COVID on the brain, even in mild cases. As we struggle with life in the shadow of the pandemic, a better grasp of what it means for everyone who’s been infected could help us develop more effective treatments.

[muiitoloko]

Had an idea for an Alan Rickman story. He and his girlfriend or wife, she’s either the same age or younger as I don’t know what age he could be, find out she is pregnant with their first child. Obviously overjoyed that they are having this child and the story goes through snippets of the 9 months. Like how she is coping during the pregnancy, buying clothes and furniture for the baby, the classes etc. Then it gets to where the baby arrives, could be a little early or the due date. Then to get ahead of the paparazzi breaking the news to the world, they choose to do it instead.

Just an idea.

Title: Tiny Fingers, Big Love

Summary: As Alan meets his newborn child, he is overcome with awe, humor, and the terrifying realization that he is completely at its mercy.

Pairing: Alan Rickman × Fem! Reader

Warnings: None.

Author's Notes: Thank you for your request. I hope you like it.

Also read on Ao3

Alan sat beside you on the bed, his fingers wrapped tightly around yours, warm and reassuring, but you could feel the tension in his grip. He was nervous. So were you. The pregnancy test lay on the nightstand, its small screen face-down, as if that would somehow keep the answer at bay.

You swallowed hard, your heart pounding against your ribs. “How much longer?” you asked, though you already knew the answer.

Alan glanced at his watch, his hazel eyes flickering with something unreadable. “Another minute,” he murmured, his baritone voice steady, but you could hear the way he cleared his throat, the telltale sign of his own nerves.

You exhaled slowly, squeezing his hand in return. “I hate this part.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’d say I enjoy the suspense, but I’d be lying.” His thumb traced small, absentminded circles against your palm. “Feels a bit like waiting for reviews after a premiere. You hope for the best, brace for the worst, and pretend you’re not absolutely terrified.”

You huffed out a weak laugh. “I don’t think critics ever made you cry in the bathroom, though.”

Alan made a thoughtful noise. “Oh, I don’t know. There was that one time The Guardian called my performance ‘alarmingly unsexy.’ Nearly broke my spirit.” His voice was teasing, but there was a softness beneath it, a quiet attempt to ease the weight pressing down on you both.

You leaned into him, letting the familiar scent of him calm you. “They were clearly blind. And tasteless.”

Alan chuckled, a low, soothing rumble. “A woman after my own heart.” His lips pressed briefly against your temple before he sighed. “You do feel different this time, don’t you?” His voice was quieter now, hesitant. “The dizziness, the nausea, the… the late period.” He didn’t say it out loud, but you both knew what he meant. The hope.

You nodded, though fear still twisted in your chest. “I do. But I felt it before, too.”

Alan’s jaw tensed, and you could see the way he was schooling his expression, keeping his emotions carefully in check. “Yes,” he said softly, squeezing your hand. “But if it’s not this time, it will be the next. And if not the next, then the one after. We will get there.” His words were firm, but his voice carried a weight, as if he were convincing himself as much as you.

You let out a small sigh, forcing a smirk as you nudged Alan’s shoulder. “Well, at least the process was enjoyable.”

Alan’s lips quirked into a half-smile, his fingers still entwined with yours. “Mmm,” he mused, his voice carrying that familiar teasing lilt. “I suppose if we must endure such hardship, we might as well take pleasure in the—shall we say—methodology.” He lifted an eyebrow, feigning seriousness. “Perhaps we simply need to work a little harder. You know, make it longer. More thorough.”

You huffed out a laugh, shaking your head as warmth spread through your chest. “Oh, for science, of course.”

“Precisely.” His eyes twinkled with mischief, though he pressed his lips together as if to maintain a stern facade. “Diligence is key. Can’t rush perfection.”

You playfully smacked his arm, but before you could respond, your phone’s timer erupted with a sharp chime, slicing through the moment.

Your heart stuttered, the room suddenly thick with silence despite the alarm still vibrating on the nightstand. Alan inhaled deeply but didn’t move. His fingers around yours twitched, betraying his carefully controlled composure.

You swallowed hard. “Do you want to look, or should I?”

Alan’s jaw flexed, and for a brief second, he hesitated, but then he shook his head. “Together.”

With your free hand, you reached for the test, fingers trembling as you turned it over. Your breath hitched. The tiny screen displayed a single, simple word.

Pregnant.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, time slowing to a crawl as the weight of the word settled between you. Alan’s grip on your hand tightened, and when you finally turned to look at him, you found him staring at the test, his expression unreadable.

Then, as if something inside him broke free, a breathless laugh escaped his lips—soft, disbelieving, utterly overwhelmed. “Oh, love,” he murmured, his voice hoarse, raw with emotion. “We did it.”

Tears welled in your eyes, a choked laugh bubbling up as you nodded. “We did.”

Alan exhaled sharply, as if the breath had been stolen from him. And then he was pulling you into his arms, burying his face against your neck, his hold almost crushing in its intensity. “I can’t believe it,” he whispered, his voice thick.

You clung to him, feeling the way his body shook ever so slightly, his breath warm against your skin. “Me neither.”

He pulled back just enough to cup your face, his thumbs sweeping gently over your cheeks. His hazel eyes burned with something fierce—something indescribable. “You’re going to be a mother,” he murmured, wonder lacing every syllable.

“And you’re going to be a father,” you whispered back, watching as the words settled into his soul, into the very core of him.

Alan let out a shaky laugh, his forehead pressing against yours. “God, I love you.”

Tears finally spilled down your cheeks, but you didn’t care. “I love you too.”

His lips captured yours in a kiss that was all-consuming—filled with joy, relief, and something else, something deeper. A promise. When he pulled back, his hands drifted to your stomach, hesitant, reverent. “Hello in there,” he murmured, his voice full of quiet awe. “I hope you like Shakespeare, because you’re going to hear a lot of it.”

You let out a watery laugh, placing your hands over his. “I think they’ll love it.”

Alan let out a breathless laugh, his hazel eyes shining with unrestrained joy as he pulled back just enough to cup your face in his hands. "Do you realize what this means?" he asked, his baritone voice thick with emotion. "Our child will have absolutely no sense of style because I will let them wear whatever they bloody well please." His lips curled into a grin, his fingers brushing over your cheeks. "Even if it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world. Stripes and polka dots? Sure. A cape to the grocery store? Why the hell not?"

You couldn’t help but laugh, warmth blooming in your chest as you pulled him into a tight embrace. "Oh, Alan, you’re going to be the most indulgent father, aren’t you?"

"Completely," he admitted without hesitation, his arms tightening around you. "I’ll be utterly hopeless. A lost cause. Our child will walk all over me, and I won’t even mind." His breath hitched slightly as he pressed a kiss against your temple. "God, I can’t wait to meet them."

And just like that, time began to move differently. The days blurred into weeks, and the weeks into months, each one filled with small moments that built the life you were creating together.

The first few weeks passed in a haze of disbelief and quiet excitement, as if speaking about the pregnancy too loudly might shatter its fragile reality. Alan, despite his usually unshakable composure, was almost reverent in his cautious joy, watching you like you might vanish if he blinked too long. He doted on you in quiet, thoughtful ways—bringing you ginger tea when the morning sickness hit, rubbing slow, soothing circles on your lower back when you winced after standing too long, murmuring Shakespearean sonnets against your skin as you drifted off to sleep.

By the time you reached the second trimester, the secrecy became a delicate dance, a thrilling little game between the two of you. Every time you stepped outside, Alan was meticulously careful, positioning himself in front of you when necessary, offering you his coat when your growing belly threatened to show. It was both frustrating and endearing—especially when he got too into character. “I feel like I’m sneaking around with a forbidden lover,” you teased one evening as he maneuvered you behind a strategically placed café menu.

Alan smirked, his hazel eyes twinkling with mischief. “A scandalous affair, indeed,” he mused, fingers brushing the back of your hand beneath the table. “Perhaps I should start wearing disguises. A trench coat, dark glasses, a terribly suspicious hat…” His voice dropped into a low, theatrical whisper. “You can be my femme fatale.”

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t hide the grin tugging at your lips.

At home, though, there was no need for secrecy. The nursery became an ongoing project, one that Alan approached with his usual meticulous attention to detail. He spent hours assembling furniture, grumbling under his breath when instructions were less than clear, though you caught the satisfied glint in his eye every time he finished a piece.

“You’re really quite good at this,” you mused one evening, watching as he stepped back to admire the crib he’d just finished assembling.

Alan arched an eyebrow. “Are you implying I had no prior experience with a screwdriver?”

“Not at all,” you said sweetly. “Just that I’ve never seen someone read an instruction manual with such… dramatic intensity.”

He hummed thoughtfully, folding his arms. “It’s all about commitment, love. If one is going to build a crib, one must do it with the same passion as, say, delivering Hamlet’s soliloquy.”

Your laughter filled the nursery, and when Alan pulled you into his arms, pressing a kiss to your temple, you felt a warmth settle deep in your chest—contentment, love, the quiet joy of building something together.

As your belly grew, so did Alan’s fascination with it. He would rest his hand over the gentle swell while the two of you lay in bed, murmuring quiet endearments, his baritone voice lulling you to sleep. When the baby first kicked, his reaction was immediate—a sharp inhale, followed by a look of pure, unfiltered wonder.

“Again,” he whispered, pressing his palm more firmly against your skin. “Do it again, little one.”

And when the baby did, Alan laughed—a deep, breathless sound that made your heart clench with love.

The parenting classes were another adventure entirely. Alan, ever the perfectionist, took diligent notes, his brow furrowed in deep concentration as he practiced swaddling the dolls provided by the instructor.

“This,” he declared one evening after another failed attempt, holding up the lopsided burrito he had made out of a practice blanket, “is utterly humiliating.”

You tried—and failed—not to laugh. “I think our baby will appreciate the effort.”

“Our baby,” Alan muttered darkly, “will escape this swaddle in mere seconds and proceed to judge me for the rest of my days.”

You leaned in, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Then we’ll just have to practice, won’t we?”

And practice he did. He swaddled dolls. He swaddled pillows. One night, you woke up to find him swaddling a loaf of bread in the kitchen. “Don’t say a word,” he warned, but his lips twitched when you burst into giggles.

By the third trimester, everything was becoming real. The nursery was ready, the tiny clothes neatly folded in drawers, the baby’s arrival no longer just a distant dream but an imminent reality. Alan still read to your belly every night, his fingers tracing absentminded patterns over your skin, his voice soft and reverent.

One evening, after a particularly strong kick, he sighed dramatically. “Our child is already protesting my monologues. A true critic before even being born.”

You grinned, placing your hands over his. “Or maybe they just want a different story.”

Alan huffed, pretending to be deeply offended. “Impossible. What could be better than Shakespeare?”

“Winnie the Pooh?”

He gasped, scandalized. “Blasphemy.”

The media had no idea. Despite every public appearance, every carefully coordinated outing, no one suspected a thing. You and Alan relished the secrecy, knowing that when the world finally found out, it would be because your child was already safely in your arms.

And as the final weeks approached, as Alan held you close every night, his hands never far from the life you carried, you knew one thing with absolute certainty—this baby would be loved beyond measure.

The day of the birth arrived faster than either of you had expected. One moment, you were waking up in the middle of the night to a sharp, unmistakable pain, and the next, Alan was a flurry of action—grabbing the hospital bag, helping you into the car, muttering half-coherent reassurances in between trying not to panic. By the time you arrived, his composure was hanging by a thread, though he refused to let it show. He stayed by your side the entire time, dressed from head to toe in hospital scrubs, his hazel eyes sharp with a mix of worry and awe.

“You’re doing brilliantly, love,” he murmured, squeezing your hand, though his own grip was noticeably clammy. “Far better than me, in fact. I think I might faint.”

Despite the pain, you let out a breathy laugh. “You better not. I need you conscious.”

Alan swallowed hard, nodding quickly, before turning his attention back to the doctor. “Yes, quite right. Conscious. Very necessary.” But even as he spoke, his free hand rubbed absentmindedly at his chest, as if he were trying to steady the frantic beat of his own heart.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, a sharp, piercing cry filled the room, and suddenly, the world shifted. Alan froze, his entire body going rigid as he turned toward the tiny, wriggling form now being cradled by the doctor.

A girl. A beautiful, perfect baby girl.

Alan barely breathed as they wrapped her in a blanket, his gaze locked onto the impossibly tiny creature, his brain struggling to reconcile the enormity of what had just happened. When the nurse turned to him expectantly, offering the baby, Alan took an instinctive step back.

“Oh. No, no, I—” He gestured weakly toward you, looking slightly horrified. “She should hold her first. I—I’ll just… watch.”

The nurse blinked, clearly confused, but then nodded, carefully placing the baby in your arms. Alan let out a breath that sounded suspiciously like relief, though his eyes never left his daughter’s face.

“She’s beautiful,” you whispered, overwhelmed with emotion as you traced a finger over her impossibly soft cheek.

Alan exhaled sharply, nodding. “Yes. Quite alarmingly so.” His voice was thick, hoarse, barely above a whisper. “God, she’s… she’s ours.”

You turned to look at him, expecting to see pride, wonder—perhaps even tears. But instead, Alan looked absolutely, utterly terrified.

He wanted to hold her, you could tell. It was there in the way his hands twitched, the way his gaze remained locked onto her tiny fingers. But he wouldn’t do it. Not yet. He was too afraid—afraid of hurting her, of doing something wrong, of being too big, too clumsy for something so delicate.

“Alan,” you murmured softly, nudging him.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, then he cleared his throat, straightening his shoulders as if he could will himself into confidence. “Later,” he murmured. “I’ll hold her later.”

And you knew he would. When the fear gave way to something bigger, something deeper, he would hold her, and he would never let go.

The baby had been taken to the nursery for routine tests and cleaning, and as much as you wanted to keep her in your arms, exhaustion was pulling you under. You knew Alan wouldn’t leave your side voluntarily, not when your body was still being tended to, so you gave him a pointed look and whispered, “Go with her, Alan. Make sure she’s alright.”

He hesitated, his fingers tightening around yours, hazel eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Are you sure? I can stay—”

“Go,” you insisted, squeezing his hand. “She needs her father.”

That seemed to shake him. Alan let out a slow breath, nodded, and pressed a lingering kiss to your temple. “Alright, love. But if they try to take any of your organs while I’m gone, do let me know.”

You snorted at his deadpan delivery, but it was enough to ease the tension in his face before he reluctantly let go of your hand. A nurse helped him out of the hospital scrubs, murmuring reassurances as he stumbled slightly, clearly still overwhelmed.

Once free of the disposable blue gown, Alan strode out of the delivery room, his long legs carrying him down the hallway at a clipped pace. He was a man on a mission. And outside the nursery, waiting for him, was a familiar figure.

Emma Thompson.

One of the very few people who had known about the pregnancy.

She was leaning casually against the wall, her face lighting up when she saw him. “There he is. The new father.”

Alan exhaled, a breathless, still-dazed sort of laugh escaping him as he approached. “Christ, Emma,” he muttered, running a hand over his face before pulling her into a tight hug. “You came.”

Emma squeezed him just as tightly, murmuring against his shoulder, “Of course I did, you idiot. You think I’d miss this?”

Alan let out a breath, stepping back, his hand still gripping her arm as if grounding himself. “She’s perfect,” he said, his voice thick with wonder. “Absolutely perfect. And I know every father says that about their child, but in this case, it’s objectively true.”

Emma smirked. “Naturally.”

“She’s got the tiniest fingers—impossibly small, really—and she makes these little noises—” Alan made a vague, helpless gesture, his eyes shining. “I don’t understand how something so small can exist.”

Emma laughed. “Alan, darling, that’s how babies work.”

Alan ignored her teasing, his expression suddenly turning serious. “She has my nose, though,” he admitted, grimacing slightly. “Poor thing.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Your nose is distinguished.”

“Mm. That’s one way to put it.” He cleared his throat, shaking his head. “Come on, you have to see her.”

Together, they approached the nursery, Alan practically pressing himself against the glass, scanning the rows of newborns with growing urgency. His hazel eyes darted from one tiny, swaddled form to another, searching, searching—until his brows furrowed. His chest tightened.

Where was she?

Panic flickered in his eyes. His hands braced against the glass. “Where—where is she?” His voice was sharp, tinged with something close to desperation. “Emma, I don’t see her—what if—” His voice dropped, horrified. “What if she was switched?”

Emma blinked at him. “Oh, for God’s sake.”

Alan’s fingers twitched. “They wear bracelets, don’t they? There are supposed to be bracelets!”

Emma barely suppressed a laugh. “Yes, Alan. They didn’t just dump them in a pile and hope for the best.”

Alan, however, was already turning toward the nurse on duty, his expression a mix of commanding and barely restrained hysteria. “Excuse me,” he said, his baritone voice dropping into that sharp, unmistakable timbre that made directors go silent on set. “Where is my daughter? She was just brought in, and I—”

The nurse, thoroughly unbothered by his dramatics, simply gestured toward the far end of the room. “Right there, Mr. Rickman. Second from the left.”

Alan turned—and his entire body sagged with relief.

There she was.

Tiny, wrapped snugly in a soft white blanket, her tiny fist curled against her cheek. The little plastic bracelet on her wrist read Baby Girl Rickman.

Alan let out a shaky breath. “Oh. Oh, thank God.”

Emma snickered. “That was genuinely one of the most unhinged things I’ve ever seen.”

Alan ignored her, his eyes glued to his daughter. “She’s alright,” he murmured, his fingers touching the glass, as if he could reach through it. “She’s perfect.”

Emma softened. “Yeah, she really is.”

They stood there for a long moment, Alan utterly transfixed, his fear melting into something else entirely. Something deeper.

“I’m going to be completely useless,” he muttered after a while. “Utterly wrapped around her little finger.”

Emma grinned. “Oh, obviously.”

Alan inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling as he exhaled. Then, after a pause, he turned to Emma with a smirk. “Would now be a bad time to tell the world?”

Emma laughed. “You mean before your wife even gets a chance to recover?”

Alan hummed, considering. “Perhaps. But I am rather eager to let the world know that my daughter is the most exquisite creature to have ever graced the earth.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Then go on, Shakespeare. Make your grand announcement.”

Alan smirked. “Don’t mind if I do.”

[big-ass-magnet]

I CANNOT BE STOPPED more Mechanicsburg/Ankh Morpork sister city shenaniganry.

Ankh Morpork has more in common with Mechanicsburg than you might think. The difference is, Ankh Morpork's masters have been gone since the days of Stoneface Vimes. (I wonder how soon after that came Mechanicsburg's Incredibly Brief Rebellion?)

I think the old Heterodynes would find the patricians confusing. You don't torture your own civilians. That's what other people are for. If you're so desperate for test subjects, just go out and get them! Assassination attempts are good exercise, they keep you on your toes! What do you mean you think your own citizens are out to get you?? They're minions, they don't do that. What are you talking about?

(The Heterodynes have a bit of a blind spot in understanding how unique their situation is. "Your people are fanatically loyal to you despite everything you are and do to them?" "What, like it's hard?" Yes. Yes it is. You have generations of selective breeding on your side, guys; not everyone has an army of super soldiers they can rely on to be 100% loyal.)

Vetinari almost certainly got the idea for the guilds from Mechanicsburg (and probably has a Monster's Guild, in this universe). He finds the Heterodynes fascinating. They're both better AND worse than the old patricians, and they have a dynasty that has worked for a thousand years. He is a scalpel watching a hammer more or less successfully perform surgery.

Vetinari and the Heterodyne Boys have a lot of respect for each other and what they're trying to do. It's the methodology they don't agree on. However, they all recognize that though their problems are very similar, their situations are not.

Bill and Barry were making Mechanicsburg not be the biggest threat to Europa. The people of Ankh Morpork are the biggest threat to the people of Ankh Morpork.

They are the masters their people were built for. He is Just Some Guy. They don't have to worry about making themselves too vital to assassinate. They can just force people to obey them.

The boys watch Vetinari's machinations with a sort of jealous longing, especially when they're in the process of civilizing Mechanicsburg. They may be Good, but they are also Heterodynes. It is not unthinkable that they are physically, nay, genetically incapable of subtlety 1. Look at him! He just sits there and raises an eyebrow and people do what he wants without realizing it. He can make people think they want to do what he wants them to do! He can make them think it was their idea.

1 Heterodyne genetics store up all the potential subtlety to bestow on the occasional individual; subterfuge is either extremely yes or extremely no.

[Bill, kicking a rock: I bet Vetinari wouldn't need an army of Jägers to get people to listen to him.]

[They'd be even more jealous of Carrot than they are of Vetinari. Carrot makes people want to do good just by standing there.]

Bill and Barry took what was wrong with Mechanicsburg and twisted it into something productive, and what couldn't be made productive, they burned out entirely. Vetinari kept what was wrong with Ankh Morpork and made it controllable and predictable.

Vetinari finds the Heterodyne boys refreshingly straightforward, but also exhaustingly heroic. Good for business, in the long run, to be sure, but their methods are rather inflexible--not to mention wasteful. Do you have any idea what he could do with an army that could survive serving as watchmen in the Shades? (Probably. If they patrolled in groups, almost certainly. And Jägers enjoy danger, don't they?) 

They have no hidden motivations, but they aren't stupid -- they know a sneaky devious plot when they see one, they'll just trample straight over it and do what they always intended to do in the first place. Do you have any idea how rare it is for him to have a conversation with a ruler who has no secret plans not because they are too stupid or incompetent to have them, but because they don't want them?

He likes Agatha more - she has that same straightforward earnestness, the same (relatively) grounded perspective, but she's more amenable. She's willing to make use of the things that aren't good. He's also aware that this makes her much, much more dangerous.

[evidence-based-activism]

IOC Study on Transgender Athletes Severely Flawed

So, to a certain extent, the question of "should transwomen be able to compete female sports?" is an ideological question (i.e., "should identity supersede reality?").

That being said, there's a recent report [1], funded by the IOC, that is being used to "prove" that transwomen do not have a biological advantage over non-trans women. This report is severely flawed and does not actually lend support to the idea that transwomen have no biological advantage in sports over female people.

(I will mimic the language used in the report (e.g., using "ciswomen").)

Significant differences noted by the report that do NOT support transwomen's inclusion in women's sports:

Transwomen were substantially taller than ciswomen

Transwomen had more lean/fat-free mass than ciswomen

Transwomen had better lung function than ciswomen, as measured by forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, and peak expiratory flow. (See the next section for a discussion on the ratio.)

Transwomen had greater hand grip strength (a proxy for overall strength measurement)

Transwomen had higher absolute peak power (lower extremity) compared to ciswomen. (See next section for a discussion on the relative measure.)

Transwomen had the same "absolute strength" as cismen

The data showing no significant difference between transwomen and ciswomen has substantial flaws:

The sample size was too small to reliably determine differences in bone mineral density

For lung function only the FEV1:FVC ratio was lower for transwomen, but the values are generally within the normal range for both groups. The impact of this difference is therefore questionable, as the transwomen have greater absolute values on each measurement and the ratio is not showing any abnormalities. In addition, the effect size (size of the difference) is much smaller than the effect size of the absolute differences described above. The conclusion here is simply that the participants do not have any obstructive respiratory diseases, and the transwomen have greater absolute lung function. (Although there are better tests for this.) There is also one outlier in the transwomen group that is likely driving this relationship in the ratio; unfortunately they do not perform the expected control analyses to demonstrate the retention of results without the outlier. [2]

The researchers decided to examine power in the lower extremities relative to lean/fat-free mass, which yielded a lower result for transwomen compared to ciswomen. However, this methodology make absolutely no sense. We have already established that transwomen have significantly greater lean/fat-free mass, and this paper is interested in determining equitably in sport performance. In general, sports aren't divided out by mass (and certainly not by lean mass), therefore we are interested in absolute differences, not in differences adjusted by some other factor. (Particularly not when that factor is established to be significantly different between transwomen and ciswomen!)

The same criticism applies to their analysis of cardiac function. But even more importantly, "the most crucial variable influencing VO2_max was not assessed in the present study" which is a significant oversight given the stated goals of this paper.

There are numerous other limitation and issues with this report:

This study is of "cross-sectional design, making it challenging to establish causation or examine if the performance of athletes changes as a result of undergoing GAHT"

"The athlete training intensity was self-reported. Therefore, the results may suffer from selection and recall bias." [emphasis mine] -> In other words, these results may be "comparing apples and oranges" with varying rates of fitness impacting the results.

"The athletes participating in the present study represented a variety of different sports, and this would have undoubtedly impacted the results of the study as different sports stress different training and sports modalities." [emphasis mine] -> This is a significant limitation, as comparing the strength of a ciswoman weight lifter to a transwomen distance runner (or vice versa) is meaningless. It's true that measures of fitness tend to correlate, but comparing across sport disciplines for highly competitive sports (where they are focusing on improving specific characteristics) distorts the results. (They explicitly note this: "Exercise type, intensity and duration all have an impact on physiological responses and overall laboratory performance metrics.")

"Social media recruitment leaves this study open to sample bias"

"The gender-affirming treatment of the transgender athletes was not controlled"

"The participants were not screened by a clinician before participation, and any medical conditions were self-reported"

The transwomen in this study all suppressed testosterone to ciswomen's levels and increased oestradiol above ciswomen's levels. This is a limitation because this degree of success in hormone suppression is uncommon, meaning that even these these poorly-supportive results are likely inapplicable to the majority of transwomen. [3]

There is a significant conflict of interest: this study was funded by the IOC after they had already changed the rules to remove the "hormone suppression" requirement [4]

All in all, this study is a classic case of researchers misrepresenting their data in the study's abstract. The data they actually collected shows that transwomen on hormone suppression maintain significant advantages over ciswomen. Further, the flaws in the study limit the applicability of their results.

---

In addition, there are other studies that contradict this result:

This review [3] discusses numerous sources describing "the inherent male physiological advantages that lead to superior athletic performance and then addresses how estrogen therapy fails to create a female-like physiology in the male"

This review [5] found "the performance gap between males and females becomes significant at puberty and often amounts to 10–50% depending on sport" and that "longitudinal studies examining the effects of testosterone suppression on muscle mass and strength in transgender women consistently show very modest changes, where the loss of lean body mass, muscle area and strength typically amounts to approximately 5% after 12 months of treatment. Thus, the muscular advantage enjoyed by transgender women is only minimally reduced when testosterone is suppressed."

This study [6] found that transwomen "generally maintained their strength level" during "gender-affirming therapy".

This study [7] found that all physical advantages were present after one year and that some are retained even after years on hormone suppression. They also specifically hypothesized that "gender dysphoria could stimulate the opposite behaviour [differences in exercise habits] in transwomen, decreasing push-up performance and explaining why transwomen performed fewer push-ups than [cismen] prior to starting oestrogen." This motivation difference likely won't apply to elite athletes, which further supports the idea that transwomen athletes should not be competing with female athletes.

As this position statement [8] indicates we know that there are substantial differences in athletic performance for male and female people.* However, there is little high-quality, definitive evidence concerning the effects of hormone suppression/replacement on people's athletic performance. The current state of evidence suggests that hormone suppression/replacement fails to bridge the physiological gap between male and female people, but we need further higher-quality evidence to definitively prove this.

(That being said, the burden of proof here is on the people attempting to initiate a change; that is equitably between transwomen and female people should be (have been) established prior to eliminating biological sex-separation.)

*Before anyone jumps on this: this is not a moral difference. There is absolutely no reason why running faster or lifting heavier things would make someone "better". The biological difference in performance exists, but it does not in anyway suggest superiority of men over women. Beyond that, it is unsurprising that men outperform women on traditional sports given that sports were designed by and for men. In sports that cater to women's physiological advantages (e.g., endurance, flexibility), women outperform men. [9]

---

So, given all this, what would we actually need to make determine transwomen's relative advantage over female people?

The "perfect" study would involve (at least) these elements:

Random selection from the desired population(s) of transwomen (e.g., top-ranked athletes in a specific sport, non-athletic, etc.) with matched (for population) non-trans female and non-trans male controls

Observation (not self-report) of activity level prior to, during, and following a standardized treatment (hormone suppression/replacement) initiation

Continual measurement of various physical and athletic performance, preferably with a range of laboratory (e.g., spirometry, body measurements) and naturalistic (e.g., actual sports competitions) tasks along with monitoring the treatment and clinical/health issues in all participants (again, not via self-report)

Large enough sample sizes to allow for sufficiently powered tests of all groups/differences of interest

A double-blinded assessment approach (or "placebo" controlled) such that both the researcher assessing the participants and the participants do not know what is being evaluated until the study is complete. For example, you may tell one half the transwomen participants that you are tracking the long term health effects of the intervention (hormone therapy), while you tell the other half that you are assessing differences in athletic performance as a result of the intervention. This will allow for the evaluation of demand characteristics like the ones impacting [7].

There are likely even more factors I have not currently thought of. Of course, completing the "perfect" study would likely be almost impossible. It would certainly be impossible to do for every population of interest (e.g., Olympic weight-lifters, adolescent track and field athletes, sedentary office workers) at the same time.

That being said, a study that fails to include all of these factors (particularly the blinded approach, matching of control participants, and sample size) is not going to meet the standard of evidence needed to make decisions of this magnitude (i.e., choosing to change the priority from biological categorization to ideological categorization). In reality, we would likely need many studies that individually evaluate each group of interest (e.g., transwomen olympic-level weight-lifters vs female olympic-level weight-lifters), each applying as many of the ideal study characteristics as possible.

In conclusion, the IOC has failed to perform their stated duty to regulate and ensure fair competition in sports. There is no current evidence suggesting that transwomen have lost their male-advantage in sports, much less any evidence suggesting they are at a disadvantage.

References below the cut:

Hamilton, B., Brown, A., Montagner-Moraes, S., Comeras-Chueca, C., Bush, P. G., Guppy, F. M., & Pitsiladis, Y. P. (2024). Strength, power and aerobic capacity of transgender athletes: a cross-sectional study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 58(11), 586-597.

Al-Ashkar, F., Mehra, R., & Mazzone, P. J. (2003). Interpreting pulmonary function tests: recognize the pattern, and the diagnosis will follow. Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine, 70(10), 866-881.

Heather, A. K. (2022). Transwoman elite athletes: their extra percentage relative to female physiology. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9103.

“International Olympic Committee Issues New Guidelines on Transgender Athletes.” NBC News, 3 Jan. 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/international-olympic-committee-issues-new-guidelines-transgender-athl-rcna5775.

Hilton, E. N., & Lundberg, T. R. (2021). Transgender women in the female category of sport: perspectives on testosterone suppression and performance advantage. Sports Medicine, 51, 199-214.

Wiik, A., Lundberg, T. R., Rullman, E., Andersson, D. P., Holmberg, M., Mandić, M., ... & Gustafsson, T. (2020). Muscle strength, size, and composition following 12 months of gender-affirming treatment in transgender individuals. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 105(3), e805-e813.

Roberts, T. A., Smalley, J., & Ahrendt, D. (2021). Effect of gender affirming hormones on athletic performance in transwomen and transmen: implications for sporting organisations and legislators. British journal of sports medicine, 55(11), 577-583.

Pitsiladis, Yannis MMedSci, PhD, FACSM; Harper, Joanna MS; Betancurt, Jonathan Ospina; Martinez-Patino, Maria-Jose; Parisi, Attilio MD; Wang, Guan; Pigozzi, Fabio MD, PhD. Beyond Fairness: The Biology of Inclusion for Transgender and Intersex Athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports 15(6):p 386-388, 11/12 2016. | DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000314

Ro, Christine. The sports where women outperform men. (2024). From https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240731-the-sports-where-women-outperform-men

[dayofaestheticorsubculture]

Studyblr

Studyblr is a portmanteau of “study” and “Tumblr,” referring to a subcommunity on the microblogging and social networking platform Tumblr that centers around academic motivation, study aesthetics, productivity, and educational self-improvement. It is part of a larger trend of internet-based productivity and self-betterment communities that use social media to share resources, inspiration, and personal progress. The Studyblr movement rose to prominence in the mid-2010s, particularly among high school and college students, and has since evolved into a broader cultural and pedagogical phenomenon. Unlike traditional educational tools or support systems, Studyblr is grassroots and peer-led, combining elements of digital journaling, lifestyle blogging, and academic coaching.

The Studyblr community emerged organically from Tumblr’s broader user base in the early 2010s. It was initially inspired by the pre-existing aesthetic blogging culture of Tumblr, which was characterized by curated visual content, moodboards, personal diaries, and thematic tagging. As users began sharing photos of their study spaces, handwritten notes, planners, and school routines, a distinct identity coalesced around the tag “#studyblr.”

This emergence coincided with growing global interest in academic competitiveness, mental wellness, and productivity among digital-native students. While the community had no official founding date or centralized leadership, key influencers—users who consistently posted high-quality, original content—helped shape its ethos. Over time, Studyblr expanded beyond static images to include long-form reflections on study strategies, mental health, goal-setting, and the lived experiences of students navigating academic systems.

Studyblr is perhaps best known for its distinctive visual and textual aesthetics. Content typically revolves around carefully arranged photos of notebooks, stationery, desks, laptops, and textbooks. These images often feature natural lighting, pastel color palettes, and neat handwriting in cursive or block letters. The emphasis on presentation serves both motivational and aspirational functions: it reflects the user’s effort and self-discipline, while also creating an idealized image of productive student life.

Beyond visuals, Studyblr content is deeply text-driven. Posts often include personal essays, daily study logs, motivational affirmations, study tips, productivity challenges, book reviews, and planning systems. Many users integrate bullet journaling and time management methodologies such as the Pomodoro Technique, Eisenhower Matrix, or Getting Things Done (GTD) framework into their content. The aestheticized academic life depicted in Studyblr is often aspirational, yet it can also contain candid reflections on academic burnout, impostor syndrome, and the pressure to perform.

Studyblr functions as a decentralized, informal learning network. Users share and exchange knowledge across disciplines, offering peer support, explanations, and curated resources. Unlike formal education systems that follow rigid curricula, Studyblr promotes autodidacticism—self-directed learning based on personal interest and need. It is common to find comprehensive guides written by users on how to study specific subjects, prepare for standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, or A-Levels, or learn foreign languages.

These peer-led instructional materials often emphasize metacognitive strategies, such as spaced repetition, active recall, mind mapping, and Cornell note-taking. Studyblr can thus be viewed as a space for educational praxis, where learners not only consume knowledge but also critically reflect on how to learn. In this sense, it parallels and intersects with the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement, albeit in a more informal and socially curated manner.

Studyblr supports a complex and multifaceted set of identities. Users often present themselves as diligent, growth-oriented individuals who are striving to improve their academic lives. However, the community is also interwoven with issues of self-image, performance, and socio-cultural pressures. Many Studyblr participants are women and girls, and there is a strong feminized aesthetic to the community, including a focus on journaling, pastel tones, and emotional self-care.

Despite its empowering potential, Studyblr has been critiqued for perpetuating perfectionism and romanticizing productivity. The aesthetic emphasis can lead to a performative culture where the appearance of studying becomes as important as the actual work done. This dynamic mirrors broader critiques of social media platforms where curated self-presentation can mask internal struggles and contribute to anxiety or imposter syndrome.

Studyblr also functions as a digital safe space for marginalized students, including LGBTQ+ individuals, neurodivergent learners, and those with mental health challenges. The community often provides emotional support, practical advice, and solidarity across identity lines, creating an inclusive environment that is often lacking in traditional academic institutions.

Tumblr’s platform design—featuring reblogs, tags, and anonymous messaging—facilitates the decentralized and viral nature of Studyblr content. The use of tags like #studyspo (study inspiration), #productivity, and #studentlife allows for rapid content discovery and thematic categorization. Reblogging allows users to build upon others’ posts, adding commentary or visual remixing, thus fostering a participatory culture.

Many Studyblr users extend their presence across platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and, more recently, TikTok. These migrations have contributed to the cross-pollination of related communities like Studygram (on Instagram), Studytwt (on Twitter), and StudyTube (on YouTube). Each of these platforms introduces distinct norms and media affordances, but they share common themes of academic productivity, peer support, and aesthetic curation.

While not formally recognized by most academic institutions, Studyblr can have measurable educational benefits. Its emphasis on goal-setting, reflective practice, and resource sharing encourages students to engage more deeply with their learning. It can enhance intrinsic motivation and help students develop executive functioning skills such as planning, prioritization, and time management.

However, critics argue that Studyblr may reinforce elitist or exclusionary narratives. The idealized images often feature expensive stationery, minimalist furniture, and uninterrupted time—luxuries not all students can afford. Furthermore, the emphasis on constant productivity may inadvertently glamorize overwork and contribute to toxic hustle culture.

There is also a tendency toward Eurocentric and Anglophone academic norms, which may marginalize students in non-Western contexts. While some Studyblr users challenge these biases by posting in other languages or highlighting alternative educational systems, the dominant aesthetic and rhetorical style remains rooted in Western liberal education ideals.

A distinctive feature of Studyblr is its intersection with mental health discourse. Many users openly discuss their struggles with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other psychological challenges. This openness creates a dual narrative: one of ambition and productivity, and another of vulnerability and resilience. It also reflects broader generational shifts in attitudes toward mental health, particularly among Gen Z and late Millennials.

Self-care routines, therapy experiences, and coping strategies are frequently discussed alongside study schedules and exam prep. This integration of mental wellness and academic performance represents a holistic approach to student life that stands in contrast to traditional educational discourses that often neglect emotional labor. However, this discourse is not without tension—there is an ongoing debate within the community about whether the focus on aesthetics and high achievement can undercut genuine mental health advocacy.

Studyblr is more than a niche interest group—it represents a convergence of education, technology, identity, and aesthetics in the digital age. As of the mid-2020s, while Tumblr’s overall user base has declined from its peak, the Studyblr ethos continues to influence newer platforms and educational content creation. The cultural DNA of Studyblr can be seen in online productivity communities, Notion dashboards, digital journaling apps, and even remote learning pedagogies that emphasize autonomy and engagement.

Its legacy lies in reshaping how students view learning—not merely as a path to grades or degrees, but as a personal, expressive, and communal act. Studyblr illustrates how digital communities can serve as sites of both empowerment and critique, offering new possibilities for how we understand motivation, knowledge, and the lived experience of education in a connected world.

[leolingo]

btw tubbo's theory about the eye guy or whoever running two separate experiments, one with the islanders and one with the eggs, matches perfectly with the points being raised a few days ago -> about the federation's protocol AB possibly referring to "a/b testing" (simply put, a research methodology to compare two versions of something to figure out which performs better)

[accessiblemindstech]

By ensuring your software is meticulously tested for global readiness, we help you deliver seamless user experiences across diverse languages and cultures. Let's transform your product into a global phenomenon, reaching audiences far and wide with precision and reliability. https://bit.ly/3EKzvs2 #SDET #GlobalProduct #LanguageGap #SoftwareTesting #UserExperience #Localization SDET Tech

[the-library-of-leitner]

The Queen & The Egg Sac

Appearance:

A soft saddle stitched pamphlet bound in worn leather. The cover is green and speckled with light and dark stains from an unknown source. It is 54 pages in length with every page contaminates by the same fluid staining the covers. The book appears to have been hand written.

Content:

The book is announced as “The methodology of attaining pure nigredo under the Great Putrefaction”. The initial section has the author explaining how they have found the magnum opus through nigredo alone by constructing something called the resurrection mound.

Following this they leave some notes about the physical appearance of the mound and its inhabitants. Apparently a Queen nurtures an egg sac that holds great power inside while workers assimilate flesh in to the mound and puppeteer the dead as guards.

Most of the book is alchemical equations of the methodology for constructing the mound, creating the Queen and safely extracting the Egg Sac. Most of these alchemical equations are nonsensical with unclear instructions speaking more conceptually than scientifically.

The final few pages suggest that the author gave themselves to the mound entirely.

Abnormality:

Two separate powers have been recorded from this book. The first can occur in any reader, shortly after exposure the victim will feel as though they are being stung by insects over the following few days with this escalating to actual physical injuries if exposure continues. This has yet to be found to be fatal.

The second power has only been confirmed based off the investigation associated with its acquisition. Certain people who resonate with the book are capable of following the book’s methodology to create the resurrection mound. All attempts to perform this during testing has failed.

Acquisition:

The Queen & The Egg Sac was found in the back offices of ███████ ████ pest control in ████. The search was performed as a part of an ongoing investigation where it was discovered the pest control building was being used as a make shift laboratory for experimentation on vermin and insects.

The investigation started after child protective services were called to ███████ where they found a large pile of rotten meat and bones in the back garden surrounded by a vast number of dead hornets. When questioned the Mother blamed the exterminators for it.

Neither of the exterminators have been able to be located and have been listed as missing person cases.

Classification:

“The Great Putrefaction” just another name for the crawling rot to add to the list. Another soul who stumbled on something they could not understand and tried to make it conform to their pre-existing beliefs.

It will be stored in the appropriate wing. Testing will not be performed for this book as it describes in great detail what the mound is and it does not sound beneficial in the slightest.

[hummingbeebuzz]

I'm taking the niche and running with it:

Thoughts on the genetically engineered vampire vegetables that have been proposed in the WFAO (Wizarding Food and Agricultural Organization)?

The general controversy surrounding them is blatantly fuelled by sanguivoriphobia.

Though any and all genetic engineering regularly falls under much more harsh criticism then innovations via more traditional methods this particular media frenzy has gone above and beyond the usual furore, despite the standardised seer regulations (introduced after the cane toad disaster) having been obeyed.

A concept of “monster plants” is clearly informing public view, which I’m sure you can immediately tell is fueled more by fear than logic.

Parasitic plants, on both other plants as well as fungi, are incredibly common in the natural world, as are carnivorous plants. Examples of the latter range from the common Venus Flytrap to the Southern Man Eating Pitcher.

The vegetables you mention, if they function as the early research seems to indicate, are in fact an innovation. They can utilise animal blood, a normal byproduct from both the food industry which would normally go to waste, in a productive way to enhance crop growth. It will not take blood away from the potions industry, no matter what some fear mongers may state, as the food industry produces a huge surplus, of which only a small percentage is required for potions making.

Normally, even when enchanted, no plant is capable of utilising blood as a fertiliser, due to high salt and metals content. However, the aforementioned genetic modifications, performed with the now standard transfiguration methodology, will enable the plants to successfully process the blood and the energy it contains.

In conclusion, though further testing will be necessary to ensure no cross-pollination with wild plants will occur, this appears to be a useful product that will fill a currently empty niche and utilises some interesting science to do so. However, whether they succeed in developing it further will depend on the court of public opinion and the degree of hysteria invoked by sanguivoriphobia in the media.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

A study reveals subtle, lasting cognitive impacts in healthy individuals following COVID-19 infection, highlighting the need for precise cognitive testing in future research.

A new analysis from Imperial College’s COVID-19 human challenge study has identified subtle changes in memory and cognition among healthy volunteers who were infected with SARS-CoV-2. These changes persisted for up to a year after infection.

Researchers noted that, despite the differences, all scores remained within the normal range for healthy individuals, and none of the participants reported lasting cognitive symptoms like brain fog.

Cognitive Impacts in Controlled Conditions The study, published in eClinical Medicine, found small but measurable differences in cognitive performance between 18 young, healthy participants who contracted the virus and those who did not, all monitored under carefully controlled conditions.

The team explains that incorporating such sensitive cognitive testing into future studies could help reveal more detailed insights into how infections may alter brain function and could help to find ways to reduce these processes when they cause symptoms.

Challenges and Methodologies Senior author Professor Adam Hampshire, from the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London and now based at King’s College London, explained: “We know that COVID-19 can have lasting impacts on our memory and ability to carry out common cognitive tasks. However, much of the scientific evidence we have comes from large studies based on self-testing and reporting, or where there’s a range of variables that could increase or reduce these effects.

“Our work shows that these cognitive effects are replicated even under carefully controlled conditions in healthy individuals – including infection with a comparable dose of virus – and further highlights how respiratory infections can impact specific aspects of brain function.

“We were only able the detect some of these effects because of the trial design, which used very sensitive tests and controlled conditions, with participant performance compared to their own pre-inoculation baselines. This enabled us to pick up on subtle changes of which the participants themselves appear not to have been aware.”

COVID-19 and Cognition Previous studies that included patients with a wide range of severities have shown COVID-19 can have a lasting impact on people’s brain function. One such study, led by Imperial and involving more than 140,000 people, found small deficits in the performance of cognitive and memory tasks in people who had recovered from COVID-19, with differences evident a year or more after infection.

In the latest study, researchers analyzed findings from a small group of healthy volunteers who were part of the world’s first human challenge study for COVID-19 in 2021. The findings reveal subtle differences in how they performed on the same tests, which lasted up to 12 months although later testing could have been affected by other and later factors.

Human Challenge Study Design and Results During the trial, 36 healthy, young participants with no previous immunity to the virus were infected with SARS-CoV-2 and monitored under controlled clinical conditions. They were carefully monitored and remained at the facility until they were no longer infectious. From the group, 18 participants became infected and developed mild illness, one without symptoms.

Participants also performed sets of tasks to measure multiple distinct aspects of their brain function, including memory, planning, language, and problem-solving, using the Cognitron platform. Participants took the tests before exposure to the virus, during the two weeks they spent in the clinical facility, and then at multiple points for up to a year.

Analysis showed that those who became infected with SARS-CoV-2 had statistically lower cognitive scores than uninfected volunteers – compared to baseline scores – during their infection as well as during the follow-up period. The main differences in scores were seen in memory and executive function tasks (including working memory, attention, and problem-solving).

Lasting Impacts and Future Research Directions Differences in scores between groups were seen up to one year after infection, with the uninfected group performing slightly better on tasks overall.

The researchers note that the observed differences were small and that none of the volunteers reported prolonged cognitive symptoms. They also highlight limitations of the study, including the small sample size and that the majority of participants were white males, and so caution is needed in extrapolating the findings to the general population.

They explain that future research could examine the biological links between respiratory infection and cognition in COVID-19, and even show how this impact compares with other conditions, such as Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or influenza.

Co-author Professor Christopher Chiu, from the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, who led the COVID-19 human challenge study, said: “These latest findings from our study add more fine detail to the picture we have of COVID-19 and other respiratory infectious diseases.

“Challenge studies can offer a tool to help us better understand how infections disrupt a range of biological functions. Here, by showing biological effects that fall below what could be considered symptoms or disease, we were able to identify the smallest changes in these pathways. This could ultimately help us to develop new treatments to reduce or even block some of these effects, which we know in other settings can have lasting impacts on people’s lives.”

Reference: “Changes in memory and cognition during the SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study” by William Trender, Peter J. Hellyer, Ben Killingley, Mariya Kalinova, Alex J. Mann, Andrew P. Catchpole, David Menon, Edward Needham, Ryan Thwaites, Christopher Chiu, Gregory Scott and Adam Hampshire, 21 September 2024, eClinicalMedicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102842 www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00421-8/fulltext

This study was funded through the UK Vaccine Taskforce of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The work was supported by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre.

[inspofromancientworld]

The Science of Discovering the Past: Archaeoastronomy

By Girtompir - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57252822

The stars have long been part of the human experience, with the night sky being a more vital part of life before the development of modern cities with their lights washing out a majority of the stars. Most cultures had a deep connection with the sky, recording their observations in stories and in their art and writings.

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=906430

Archaeoastronomy is an interdisicplinary study of how people 'have understood the phenomena in the sky, how they used these phenomena and what role the sky played in their cultures'. It involves ethnoastronomy, the 'anthropological study of sky watching in contemporary societies' as well as historical astronomy, which focuses on the astronomical records of the past. Unlike modern astronomy, which focuses on observations of the sky and scientific explanations of those observations, archaeoastronomy takes in account the cultural meanings of those observations.

By Alun Salt - https://www.flickr.com/photos/alun/2733498/in/set-68848/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=740899

Archaeoastronomy began with noting the astronomical orientation of ruins, including megalithic sites like Stonehenge, in the 17th and 18th centuries, though the term wasn't coined until 1973 by Elizabeth Chesley Baity. It wasn't until the 1960s that systemic work began by studying megalithic sites in the British Isles. Engineer Alexander Thom and astronomer Gerald Hawkins proposed that Stonehenge was an astronomical computer. While Hawkins' theory was dismissed, Thom performed a survey of megalithic sites in the British Isles. Euan MacKie sought to test Thom's theory by excavating the site of a standing stone at Kintraw in Argyllshire from 1970-1971 to verify if Thom's prediction that the site accurately showed the winter solstice. He found an observation platform on the hill above the stone that proved Thom's prediction correct. Because of this vindication, MacKie checked other sites to verify their alignments before broadly accepting Thom's conclusions.

By Adrian Hernandez - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71192285

Archaeoastronomy was used by anthropologists studying Amerindian civilization. This was different to the study of Neolithic structures in the British Isles in that there were sources about the prehistory, such as the records of colonizers, that were unavailable for British early civilizations. This allows more certain claims that possible in the Old World.

Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1126668

In 1981, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) released two volumes on the proceedings from the conference that sought to bring researchers together and encourage the move to interdisciplinary approaches, combining the contextuality of archaeological studies with astronomical studies, seeking to understand the why behind ancient people's fascination with the night sky.

By Fcb981 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3862230

There are many ways to do archaeoastronomy, but the two many methodologies are known as 'green archaeoastronomy' and 'brown archaeoastronomy'. Green archaeoastronomy is used where social evidence is relatively scant and relies more on statistical studies. The methods are similar to those developed and used by Thom. Many of these studies are based on the horizon rather than the full sky since that is the easiest part of the sky to align with archaeological sites. Brown archaeoastronomy is close to the history of astronomy or cultural history as it relies on records, both ethnographic records as well as the records of early astronomers with their calendars and rituals. This is the system used to study sites like Chichen Itza in Mexico, where researchers looked at records to find out what the Maya found important in the night sky and then looking at how the sites on the ground aligned to that. They were able to find in the writings that Maya held Venus in high regard, recording the risings and settings of it. They were able to find structures in Chichen Itza that aligned to these points on the horizon. Both have criticisms, with green archaeoastronomy being criticized for lacking social context and failing to answer the question 'why' people in the past built the structures they did and brown archaeoastronomy being criticized for lacking statistical and methodological rigor because each site is studied differently based on the documentation and evidence that has been found relating to the site.

[pranjj]

Udaan by InAmigos Foundation:  Elevating Women, Empowering Futures

In the rapidly evolving socio-economic landscape of India, millions of women remain underserved by mainstream development efforts—not due to a lack of talent, but a lack of access. In response, Project Udaan, a flagship initiative by the InAmigos Foundation, emerges not merely as a program, but as a model of scalable women's empowerment.

Udaan—meaning “flight” in Hindi—represents the aspirations of rural and semi-urban women striving to break free from intergenerational limitations. By engineering opportunity and integrating sustainable socio-technical models, Udaan transforms potential into productivity and promise into progress.

Mission: Creating the Blueprint for Women’s Self-Reliance

At its core, Project Udaan seeks to:

Empower women with industry-aligned, income-generating skills

Foster micro-entrepreneurship rooted in local demand and resources

Facilitate financial and digital inclusion

Strengthen leadership, health, and rights-based awareness

Embed resilience through holistic community engagement

Each intervention is data-informed, impact-monitored, and custom-built for long-term sustainability—a hallmark of InAmigos Foundation’s field-tested grassroots methodology.

A Multi-Layered Model for Empowerment

Project Udaan is built upon a structured architecture that integrates training, enterprise, and technology to ensure sustainable outcomes. This model moves beyond skill development into livelihood generation and measurable socio-economic change.

1. Skill Development Infrastructure

The first layer of Udaan is a robust skill development framework that delivers localized, employment-focused education. Training modules are modular, scalable, and aligned with the socio-economic profiles of the target communities.

Core domains include:

Digital Literacy: Basic computing, mobile internet use, app navigation, and digital payment systems

Tailoring and Textile Production: Pattern making, machine stitching, finishing techniques, and indigenous craft techniques

Food Processing and Packaging: Pickle-making, spice grinding, home-based snack units, sustainable packaging

Salon and Beauty Skills: Basic grooming, hygiene standards, customer interaction, and hygiene protocols

Financial Literacy and Budgeting: Saving schemes, credit access, banking interfaces, micro-investments

Communication and Self-Presentation: Workplace confidence, customer handling, local language fluency

2. Microenterprise Enablement and Livelihood Incubation

To ensure that learning transitions into economic self-reliance, Udaan incorporates a post-training enterprise enablement process. It identifies local market demand and builds backward linkages to equip women to launch sustainable businesses.

The support ecosystem includes:

Access to seed capital via self-help group (SHG) networks, microfinance partners, and NGO grants

Distribution of startup kits such as sewing machines, kitchen equipment, or salon tools

Digital onboarding support for online marketplaces such as Amazon Saheli, Flipkart Samarth, and Meesho

Offline retail support through tie-ups with local haats, trade exhibitions, and cooperative stores

Licensing and certification where applicable for food safety or textile quality standards

3. Tech-Driven Monitoring and Impact Tracking

Transparency and precision are fundamental to Udaan’s growth. InAmigos Foundation employs its in-house Tech4Change platform to manage operations, monitor performance, and scale the intervention scientifically.

The platform allows:

Real-time monitoring of attendance, skill mastery, and certification via QR codes and mobile tracking

Impact evaluation using household income change, asset ownership, and healthcare uptake metrics

GIS-based mapping of intervention zones and visualization of under-reached areas

Predictive modeling through AI to identify at-risk participants and suggest personalized intervention strategies

 

Human-Centered, Community-Rooted

Empowerment is not merely a process of economic inclusion—it is a cultural and psychological shift. Project Udaan incorporates gender-sensitive design and community-first outreach to create lasting change.

Key interventions include:

Strengthening of SHG structures and women-led federations to serve as peer mentors

Family sensitization programs targeting male allies—fathers, husbands, brothers—to reduce resistance and build trust

Legal and rights-based awareness campaigns focused on menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, domestic violence laws, and maternal care

Measured Impact and Proven Scalability

Project Udaan has consistently delivered quantifiable outcomes at the grassroots level. As of the latest cycle:

Over 900 women have completed intensive training programs across 60 villages and 4 districts

Nearly 70 percent of participating women reported an average income increase of 30 to 60 percent within 9 months of program completion

420+ micro-enterprises have been launched, 180 of which are now self-sustaining and generating employment for others

More than 5,000 indirect beneficiaries—including children, elderly dependents, and second-generation SHG members—have experienced improved access to nutrition, education, and mobility

Over 20 institutional partnerships and corporate CSR collaborations have supported infrastructure, curriculum design, and digital enablement.

Partnership Opportunities: Driving Collective Impact

The InAmigos Foundation invites corporations, philanthropic institutions, and ecosystem enablers to co-create impact through structured partnerships.

Opportunities include:

Funding the establishment of skill hubs in high-need regions

Supporting enterprise starter kits and training batches through CSR allocations

Mentoring women entrepreneurs via employee volunteering and capacity-building workshops

Co-hosting exhibitions, market linkages, and rural entrepreneurship fairs

Enabling long-term research and impact analytics for policy influence

These partnerships offer direct ESG alignment, brand elevation, and access to inclusive value chains while contributing to a model that demonstrably works.

What Makes Project Udaan Unique?

Unlike one-size-fits-all skilling programs, Project Udaan is rooted in real-world constraints and community aspirations. It succeeds because it combines:

Skill training aligned with current and emerging market demand

Income-first design that integrates microenterprise creation and financial access

Localized community ownership that ensures sustainability and adoption

Tech-enabled operations that ensure transparency and iterative learning

Holistic empowerment encompassing economic, social, and psychological dimensions

By balancing professional training with emotional transformation and economic opportunity, Udaan represents a new blueprint for inclusive growth.

 From Promise to Power

Project Udaan, driven by the InAmigos Foundation, proves that when equipped with tools, trust, and training, rural and semi-urban women are capable of becoming not just contributors, but catalysts for socio-economic renewal.

They don’t merely escape poverty—they design their own systems of progress. They don’t just participate—they lead.

Each sewing machine, digital training module, or microloan is not a transaction—it is a declaration of possibility.

This is not charity. This is infrastructure. This is equity, by design.

Udaan is not just a program. It is a platform for a new India.

For partnership inquiries, CSR collaborations, and donation pathways, contact: www.inamigosfoundation.org/Udaan Email: partnerships@inamigosfoundation.org