#tons of great data

[mountainbirb]

A beautiful day for fieldwork

[reasonsforhope]

If you're feeling anxious or depressed about the climate and want to do something to help right now, from your bed, for free...

Start helping with citizen science projects

What's a citizen science project? Basically, it's crowdsourced science. In this case, crowdsourced climate science, that you can help with!

You don't need qualifications or any training besides the slideshow at the start of a project. There are a lot of things that humans can do way better than machines can, even with only minimal training, that are vital to science - especially digitizing records and building searchable databases

Like labeling trees in aerial photos so that scientists have better datasets to use for restoration.

Or counting cells in fossilized plants to track the impacts of climate change.

Or digitizing old atmospheric data to help scientists track the warming effects of El Niño.

Or counting penguins to help scientists better protect them.

Those are all on one of the most prominent citizen science platforms, called Zooniverse, but there are a ton of others, too.

Oh, and btw, you don't have to worry about messing up, because several people see each image. Studies show that if you pool the opinions of however many regular people (different by field), it matches the accuracy rate of a trained scientist in the field.

--

I spent a lot of time doing this when I was really badly injured and housebound, and it was so good for me to be able to HELP and DO SOMETHING, even when I was in too much pain to leave my bed. So if you are chronically ill/disabled/for whatever reason can't participate or volunteer for things in person, I highly highly recommend.

Next time you wish you could do something - anything - to help

Remember that actually, you can. And help with some science.

[clouds-of-wings]

Fun fact: Divinity OS 2 Definitive Edition contains the entire original game too. As a separate game. That means when you install it you get 30GB of data that serves no purpose if you actually want to play the DE. You can basically delete the "Data" folder. Just keep the "DefEd/Data" folder.

(This is true for the GOG version, idk how it works on Steam.)

[volfoss]

Sincerely as a former user of both Excel and sheets, it is nuts how much easier libre office calc is. Not in the typical way that certain things are easier to access but moreso that the formulas and ways things are set up just work with my brain better. I never really had much need to learn formulas in Excel because there were so many and the layout felt over complicated, and don't even get me started on sheets. But with calc, there's a lot more freedom with the formulas and a lot of the skills you have from either of those other programs carries on here. Not a super big point or anything to this post, just simply very appreciative of what calc can do.

[flying-potato2]

YES PLEASE USE NEWPIPE its so good you can download video+audio in a ton of different formats or just audio as m4a, and then you can use video transcoder from fdroid or github to change the codec to whatever you want. It is so genuinely amazing and doubles as an alternative youtube client AND it has no ads

One thing I really love about seedy anime websites and YouTube mp3 converters is like. They actually do what they say they’re doing. But they WILL try to trick you into downloading a virus. Like it’s almost just a greeting at this point. I try to extract a song from a YouTube video and it says free VPN installer tonight perhaps? Free VPN installer tonight queen? And I say YouTube-mp3 converter you sly dog, you know what I’m here for. Show me the goods. And YouTube-mp3 converter says ahhh you got me, no getting one over on you. Thought it was worth a try tho. Here you go king x

[lakeeffectbitch]

British immunologist seems to have momentarily retreated after I made it clear that he was embarrassing himself claiming that evidence of NAD/NADH redox imbalance in ME/CFS would have already been found by people in the 80s doing nuclear magnetic resonance. Fuck you forever Jonathan you arrogant twerp. dedicated to making sure an entire subcommunity of ME/CFS patients trying to be science-literate devalue any work on mitochondrial function because Jonathan doesn’t “see how it explains anything.” Maybe that’s because you’ve got tunnel vision and a bad habit of disregarding things you don’t understand, Jonathan

[wordstome]

how c.ai works and why it's unethical

Okay, since the AI discourse is happening again, I want to make this very clear, because a few weeks ago I had to explain to a (well meaning) person in the community how AI works. I'm going to be addressing people who are maybe younger or aren't familiar with the latest type of "AI", not people who purposely devalue the work of creatives and/or are shills.

The name "Artificial Intelligence" is a bit misleading when it comes to things like AI chatbots. When you think of AI, you think of a robot, and you might think that by making a chatbot you're simply programming a robot to talk about something you want them to talk about, and it's similar to an rp partner. But with current technology, that's not how AI works. For a breakdown on how AI is programmed, CGP grey made a great video about this several years ago (he updated the title and thumbnail recently)

I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you watch this because CGP Grey is good at explaining, but the tl;dr for this post is this: bots are made with a metric shit-ton of data. In C.AI's case, the data is writing. Stolen writing, usually scraped fanfiction.

How do we know chatbots are stealing from fanfiction writers? It knows what omegaverse is [SOURCE] (it's a Wired article, put it in incognito mode if it won't let you read it), and when a Reddit user asked a chatbot to write a story about "Steve", it automatically wrote about characters named "Bucky" and "Tony" [SOURCE].

I also said this in the tags of a previous reblog, but when you're talking to C.AI bots, it's also taking your writing and using it in its algorithm: which seems fine until you realize 1. They're using your work uncredited 2. It's not staying private, they're using your work to make their service better, a service they're trying to make money off of.

"But Bucca," you might say. "Human writers work like that too. We read books and other fanfictions and that's how we come up with material for roleplay or fanfiction."

Well, what's the difference between plagiarism and original writing? The answer is that plagiarism is taking what someone else has made and simply editing it or mixing it up to look original. You didn't do any thinking yourself. C.AI doesn't "think" because it's not a brain, it takes all the fanfiction it was taught on, mixes it up with whatever topic you've given it, and generates a response like in old-timey mysteries where somebody cuts a bunch of letters out of magazines and pastes them together to write a letter.

(And might I remind you, people can't monetize their fanfiction the way C.AI is trying to monetize itself. Authors are very lax about fanfiction nowadays: we've come a long way since the Anne Rice days of terror. But this issue is cropping back up again with BookTok complaining that they can't pay someone else for bound copies of fanfiction. Don't do that either.)

Bottom line, here are the problems with using things like C.AI:

It is using material it doesn't have permission to use and doesn't credit anybody. Not only is it ethically wrong, but AI is already beginning to contend with copyright issues.

C.AI sucks at its job anyway. It's not good at basic story structure like building tension, and can't even remember things you've told it. I've also seen many instances of bots saying triggering or disgusting things that deeply upset the user. You don't get that with properly trigger tagged fanworks.

Your work and your time put into the app can be taken away from you at any moment and used to make money for someone else. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people who use AI panic about accidentally deleting a bot that they spent hours conversing with. Your time and effort is so much more stable and well-preserved if you wrote a fanfiction or roleplayed with someone and saved the chatlogs. The company that owns and runs C.AI can not only use whatever you've written as they see fit, they can take your shit away on a whim, either on purpose or by accident due to the nature of the Internet.

DON'T USE C.AI, OR AT THE VERY BARE MINIMUM DO NOT DO THE AI'S WORK FOR IT BY STEALING OTHER PEOPLES' WORK TO PUT INTO IT. Writing fanfiction is a communal labor of love. We share it with each other for free for the love of the original work and ideas we share. Not only can AI not replicate this, but it shouldn't.

(also, this goes without saying, but this entire post also applies to ai art)

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Ooo you’re doing Pressure!!

May I request an artist reader who, throughout the journey found some paper, pencil and made a little makeshift sketchbook and when later bought Sebastian’s document decided to try and draw him? Like maybe both when human and current (and maybe the monsters)? 

Perhaps he saw them sketching, got curious and decided to look through it when reader left it somewhere or just straight up snatched it and held it out of their reach and sees those sketches of him. Could be hurt/comfort or angst/fluff.

Of course you’re free to change any of the details but please keep it platonic TwT

Aw love this idea! And it works considering all the paper and notebooks in the drawers of the blacksite.

............

"Great, [y/n]. One moment, you're doing some harmless graffiti on a brick wall nobody cares about. And the next, you're risking your life for a stupid crystal in hopes you'll get a federal pardon.."

Sighing, you held onto the overhead handles within the sleek black submarine, feeling it shake and rumble as it breached the water's surface. And after hearing the chime, the door hissed and opened up, the platform extending out onto the dock of a place already familiar to you: Hadal Blacksite.

'No place like home..' As you stepped out of the submarine, you could hear HQ over the PDA system informing you of your objective in reaching the crystal and collecting any "loose assets" you find along the way...

As if you needed any reminders of what you were doing here.

Immediately, you unlocked the first door with the keycard and began your journey to room 100. Along the way, you found a good handful of research data. Nothing too special aside from folders, USB drives, and a couple blue DNA vials.

Then after narrowly dodging the Angler in one area and avoiding Eyefestation's gaze in the next, you reached a room requiring yet another keycard to exit. You checked the nearby office cubicle, finding it in the first drawer you opened.

But that isn't what made your eyes light up. Rather, it's what was right next to the card that did:

A brand new pencil to go with the sketchbook you've been carrying with you.

Because you weren't given the luxury of doodling while sitting in jail for over 90 days, you felt your creativity flames being snuffed out, leaving you itching to draw something again.

Before all of this, you had a decent following on social media with your art skills, and you could imagine that they're worried sick over your sudden absence. But you hoped that, if you survive and succeed in this mission, you'll be able to come back and reassure them that you're very much alive.

And perhaps show them what Urbanshade has been hiding from the public...that is to say the sea monsters that have taken up residence in the Blacksite since its lockdown, freely roaming and haunting nearly every room you step into.

With the makeshift sketchbook you had (and somehow kept even after death), you've filled its pages with simple and detailed sketches of each creature you encountered.

But you doubt that they would let you leave with physical evidence of entities nobody else in the world should know about...unless you somehow convinced the guards that they were "original characters" that so-happened to look like them, but you had a feeling that excuse wouldn't fly.

Regardless, they've given you tons of artistic inspiration, despite your many close-calls with them in pursuit of studying their features from afar.

Thanks to the files Sebastian Solace has shown you, you've learned how to safely observe the Angler from a distance and better remember their details. They were merely a grotesque face surrounded by smoke, so you didn't have to worry about drawing any limbs or tails (assuming they had those).

You encountered their variants so many times that you could recall the little things that made each them unique--like how Pinkie had four pupils, how Blitz was missing pupils in one socket completely, how Froger was..well..a big frog with lots of needle-shaped teeth, and Chainsmoker was a sluggish blobfish through all that smoke.

Making eye contact with Pandemonium was a death sentence..as you've already learned after trying (and failing) to safely observe him through a glass window. So you draw him as you see him in his file.

The Squiddles' "intimidating" faces were scary in the dark when you least expected them, but they served as amazing inspiration. You even had a page full of what faces you'd think they make up to frighten others. It's too bad you couldn't show them, however, as that required you getting in their personal space.

Eyefestation, Good People, and the Wall Dwellers were quite..risky to observe, as they had ways of quickly and painfully sending you back to square one if you weren't careful. Even so, you made some pretty damn good sketches..and you wish you could show them off to them, too, especially to the shark who'd probably appreciate a human's drawing of herself.

Even the DiVine, who were always frozen in poses for some reason, joined your ever-growing list of muses. The oxygen gardens were a nice place for you to rest and appreciate the flora for a few moments--before an Angler came along, of course.

Then there was Sebastian.

While he was fully aware of your artistic passions, in the beginning he seemed a bit annoyed whenever you came into his shop just to sketch.....or if you took an unusually long time to reach him. He just assumes you've stopped to "doodle" and wonders if you really care about getting out of this place alive.

He'd remind you that HQ could get suspicious if you're off their radar for too long, but you've stayed in his shop for 10-20 minutes at a time and not once did your diving gear beep. So you reassured him not to fret.

It was kinda sweet that he worried over you, an expendable, although maybe that's because you actually treat him with decency..and don't take his snarky comments to heart whenever you died.

Aside from the occasional eyeroll whenever you brought out your sketchbook, he did inquire about some of the things you've drawn, and you'd show him, bearing a little pride in your work.

All you'd get in response was a "neato" or "wowie, that's how you see them?" and nothing more.

It wasn't insulting, so...you'll take that.

Obviously he was more concerned about how much research data you were willing to fork over in exchange for supplies, and how far that equipment will carry you before your next demise. So you'd eventually close the book and barter with him for whatever wares were on his tail.

Unbeknownst to him, you've actually started sketching him as of late. Now that you've met him dozens of times, it was easy for you to recall his features without needing to stare at him for reference every five seconds.

That would not only be rude, but very creepy.

Then one day, you showed up to Sebastian's shop with enough data to be able to afford his document, which described him as Z-13, "The Saboteur" who the company wanted "dead on sight" if he was spotted or trying to escape.

When you had time to read the file on your own, you learned some..pretty shocking things about how he caused the lockdown, went through torturous experiments, and was falsely accused of nine murders and was proven innocent far too late.

The most upsetting part was that he was never informed of this.

He learned that after presumably stealing his own document.

It made you feel sick to your stomach, knowing he's the reason you're being terrorized by those beasts, but you couldn't find it in your heart to be angry at him.

If anything you were angry at Urbanshade for their "guilty until proven innocent" system--or in his case, being proven innocent didn't matter.

His human mugshot was also included in the file, and even with the black censor bar covering his eyes, he still looked like quite a handsome fellow. You could make out some details, and ended up drawing him on a separate page, too, although part of you wishes you never started.

You doubt he would kill you or rip apart your book for drawing him, but considering how volatile and rude he could be at a moment's notice..you did your best to conceal the sketches when you visited his shop.

You didn't want him to be offended or reminded of his past..and make him resent the one person who he almost considered a genuine friend.

Unfortunately, you'd soon come to realize that your actions were only heightening his suspicions.

And that it was going to come to a head next time you entered his shop.

...............

"Okay, I'm going to bite...what're you really hiding in that little book?"

"Pardon?" Pausing mid-sketch, you looked up at Sebastian, wondering why he appeared so disgruntled. "I'm..uh...just doodling like I always-"

"No, don't give me that "like always" crap." He huffed, flicking the end of his tail as he crossed his two arms over his chest, staring down at you. "Last time, you couldn't stop showing me a stupid face you'd think one of those S-Qs would make...and now you won't even let me have a sneak peak of your next "masterpiece"." He spat the last word, voice dripping with disdain. "Are you really drawing something...or are you secretly writing intel to give to Urbanshade?"

"...wha.." You blinked in disbelief, wondering where he'd get that assumption from. "Why would I ever do that?"

"Oh I dunno, maaaybe because you have access to my file and know my location? I bet you're gonna sell me out to those scumbags once you reach the crystal." He gnashed his teeth. "Did they say you'd get extra cash for leaving tips on my whereabouts, huh?"

"Sebastian, there's no reason for this hostility. I'm not giving any intel to anyone-"

"Then you wouldn't mind me taking a look at this, would you? Yyyyyyoink!" His third arm was quick to snatch your sketchbook away, holding it out of your reach as you jumped up in panic.

You were already dreading his reaction.

This could very well be the end for you.

"Please give that back! You'll tear it!"

"You look frightened. So maybe I should, considering you're writing secrets about.....about...." But as Sebastian finally looked at the page, all he saw were sketches of his current self, and you began to see a shift in his expression.

It went from pure anger, to surprise and confusion, and then to....something unreadable.

"These are...all of me?" His voice became quieter as he flipped the page, only for his breath to hitch upon finding the drawings of his human form.

And for once, he was completely speechless.

The details were immaculate, everything from his hair style to the scar he used to have across his face--given to him from an angry cellmate who thought he really did kill those people and tried giving him a "taste of his own medicine".

But the way you made him look was...incredible.

That's him.

That's really him.

The man--the human--he was before...

Before...

"Yes." Your face was burning with embarrassment, and your heart was pounding with fear of both death and ridicule, now knowing that your fate laid in his hands now. "I-I'm sorry. I should've asked for your permission and I know the details aren't perfect but you didn't let me........huh?"

Ceasing your ramblings, you noticed the tears welling in his eyes, and you were stunned. Then his shaking hands closed the sketchbook and returned it to you. "Um..are you okay? I'm really sorry if-"

"I...a-almost forgot what I looked like before all of this.." He raised a claw to wipe at his watery eyes, sniffling. "They're...good drawings, friend. I'm sorry..I...I-I didn't mean to..." His voice cracked, and he forced himself to stop, bringing his hands to his face. "Why am I crying over something like..t-this..?"

He hated looking so weak in front of you, yet he couldn't help the tears that kept slipping down his cheeks. A certain sadness was weighing heavily on his heart, yet at the same time he felt...honored that you wanted to draw him, putting your heart and soul into every sketch--with him getting the most effort.

You didn't overexaggerate him as the hideous beast he and everyone else was convinced he was, but just him as, well, himself. His smiles when he realizes it's you coming through the vent again, his cheeky grins when you buy up all his supplies, and even the one time he pouted when you died to Pandemonium because you risked it all trying to draw the moldy fish-creature.

The human ones, as you could tell from the way he broke down, especially hit home for him. Just from a mugshot alone, you were able to create a near-accurate depiction of him.

It made him wonder if you two have met before any of this happened.

Sebastian sniffled, struggling to stop the tears and expecting you to make fun of him as he finally uncovered his face. But instead he saw you standing there with your arms opened up. "I feel like you could use one of these. It's okay. I know you miss being human."

".........."

"C'mon, big guy. My arms are kinda hurting--oh!"

Without warning, he accepted your embrace and squeezed you tightly in his hold. Of course he was careful not to crush your diving tanks, and you smiled in appreciation and patted his back. "It's okay, it's alright..I got you. I didn't mean to make you cry."

He sniffled a few times, but otherwise said nothing and tried making sure you weren't supporting all of his upper body weight.

Curse his size. He wishes he could experience a normal hug again.

This one will do, though.

"I-It's...it's fine. Don't worry.." He finally spoke after a few moments, calming down. "As long as you don't tell anyone about this."

"I'll take it to my grave." You chuckled, letting go and stepping away so he could straighten his back out. While he did that, you gently tore a few pages from your book, to which he blinked in confusion.

"What are you doing with-?"

"Keep them." You insisted. "In case this sketchbook falls into a pit or gets waterlogged, I want you to hold onto these. Besides, I can tell you appreciate them a lot. So...consider it a gift."

"Why..thank you." A smile appeared on his face as he took the pages carefully. "Rest assured, they'll be safe and sound." He gazed at them both one more time, feeling a tug on his heart.

But it wasn't as heavy as before.

After neatly folding and stowing them away into his pockets, he saw you already sitting in one of the chairs, your sketchbook opened to a brand new blank page.

"Sooooooo what are you going to draw this time?" He tilted his head, ear fins twitching with curiosity.

"Hm...I did see a vision of a white glowing man a few rooms back. I think he was from...the Mindscape? There was a file talking about him and some floating gears and a white ball."

"Ohh yeah, he's an interesting guy. I'd love to see your interpretation of him." Now Sebastian was 100% invested, as he curled his tail around himself, resting his upper body on it so he could see your book better. "But y'know you won't be able to leave this place with sketches of-"

"I'm well aware of that...I could always change a few things and turn them into OCs."

"Hah. You should."

"Maybe I will." You snickered, grateful that you didn't have anything to fear.

At least somebody in the Blacksite appreciated your art.

[homoquartz]

🌈 wanna do something cool with me?

like, cool in the internet sense. because i have compiled all the data and i was right: queer shows are getting canceled twice as often. and earlier, too. we lost HALF of them this year!

i have all the data in a carrd (there's SO MUCH data) and it's kind of shaking out to be like. a legit thesis.

so even if your fave show is returning or finished already, it's still important to know this is going on in our current cultural landscape. and while LGBTQ book bans rise and our rights take hits, we need those messages that queer people deserve to be seen and loved.

i talked with a friend who organizes, and we're gonna make it a cross-fandom hashtag going live on Dec 16. 🥰

if you want to participate, reach out to me via message! anyone is welcome to join in.

even if your fandom is safe, even if you don't have a ton of followers. the goal is to get attention - not just for current rep, but for canceled shows too. it'll be a great opportunity to share why your fave matters to you, too.

stay silly ✌️

edit: idk why i wanted y'all to ask for it, the data is here

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives: Fic Recs

My latest hyperfixation is Dead Boy Detectives, so oc I've been reading and commenting on a ton of fic. And it's been really nice because the response of the authors has been so warm. I don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so quickly! Also, the fandom has inspired me to actually start writing again for the first time in two years and I've got a great idea for a fanvid. (Any tips on how to make one would be appreciated! 😅)

So in tribute to the lovely fandom, here's a fic rec post (nearly all payneland):

in this city there's a thousand things I want to say to you by laiqualaurelote

Edwin has a sexual awakening and it blows Charles' mind. And other things. Very funny and well written. Also features minor Edwin/Cat King and Edwardian flirting.

I also highly recommend the saviour of the broken, the beaten, and the damned by the same author, which is a kind of multiverse!Edwin fic? Featuring Edwin dying? And Niko time travelling? Trying to save time? Anyway, interesting to see Edwin alive, ageing and in different periods of time/his life.

For the First Time Twice by LikeMmmCookies

Amnesia fic! Charles loses his memories and thinks he and Edwin are married. Very cute (tandem bike date!) and well written, though Edwin's point of view still manages to be angsty. Also, the yearning is off the charts and the most recent chapter turned up the heat.

I guess you're stuck with me by Punny_Puck

AU in which Edwin and Charles actually got married pre-show. Funny, cute with a sweet marriage proposal prequel. Instant comfort fic.

Dance the Night by Gruoch

The gang are hunting an energy-sucking vampire that targets beautiful people, so naturally Edwin MUST disguise himself as the hottest girl in London. This one starts out fun and campy then takes a hard left turn into Serious Business. Prepare yourself for emotional moments, worldbuilding and some really excellent horror.

Long Past Time by sanctuary_for_all

Charles proposes to Edwin post canon. It's a short and sweet established relationship fic with some cool worldbuilding about ghosts and their ability to shape their clothing/appearances.

lay my hands on heaven by Opossum_Subatomic

I had to include a PWP and this is a great one. Extremely well written, in character and romantic. And explicit, obviously.

Data Points by Asidian

Edwin learns to cuddle. It's a production and completely adorable. I love a fic that explores the difference between the boys' physicality and this one's really on point. The writing and characterisation are great and it's nice to see Edwin taking care of Charles.

I also recommend Lanterns In the Dark, which sets the scene for Charles and Edwin's first meeting with some gut-wrenching details about Charles' homelife and Edwin's escape from Hell.

When I Was a Young Boy by flowerbritts

A Good Omens crossover and AU in which Aziraphale is Edwin's adopted father. Family reunions and revelations abound. Also, Edwin gets to be a teenager and slam doors while shouting, as he deserves.

The author has also written Wait, I'm Coming Too, which is a very sweet post canon 'Charles Worries About Edwin and Realises His Feelings' fic inspired by that 'Edwin reading Heartstopper' fanart. Both fics deserve more love!

A Slight Miscalculation by kantigone

Idiots in Love and Didn't Know They Were Dating. Crystal and Niko are the real MVPs, for real. A treat.

Terrible at Keeping Secrets (5+1) by ASingularSadSoggyPringle

Interesting demon!Edwin AU. Charles is a precious cupcake in this fic and Edwin is mostly the same with some Darker moments. I loved the concept and the author adds in some great, creepy details.

somaesthesia by perexcri

Edwin's journey from being touch-averse to touch-starved... at least when it comes to Charles. Palmistry is involved. I loved Edwin's characterisation and the unresolved sexual/romantic tension was on point.

And possibly I like the thrill (of under me you quite so new) by Leandra

Edwin explores his sexuality and re-negotiates his relationship with Charles. Meanwhile, the gang take on the case of a ghost who wants them to matchmake his still-living lover. Crosses over with The Sandman. And Edwin gets to be confident and flirty as a treat.

Always by How You Doing (FancyMeetingYouHere)

Hurt/Comfort fic in which Edwin has a traumatic flashback to the doll-head demon spider and Charles looks after him. Charles reading Good Omens to Edwin is a nice, meta touch.

Made You Look by Baby_Spinach

The agency are hunting an incubus that decides to take on Edwin's appearance. A repression explosion ensues. Fun fic.

Shape Me by dearheartdont

This one's actually a character study of Charles and his mixed race Indian heritage (so no Edwin) and it's so well done. It's also part of a series in progress about Charles growing up in the 80s with all the racism and homophobia that that entails. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

The Most Tender Place In My Heart by coloursflyaway

Edwin shares memories of how he fell in love with Charles, who figures out his own feelings in the process. It's super sweet and involves fun pre-show flashbacks and defintely deserves more attention!

I also loved Won't Fear Love by the same author, in which Charles takes Edwin out on dates and breaks the cuteness scales. And shout out to Good Enough which is the first fic I bookmarked for this fandom! 🥳

Anyway, thank you to all these amazing writers for making this fandom so special! 🥰

[blueiscoool]

Massive Blocks From the Lighthouse of Alexandria Hauled up From the Mediterranean

French and Egyptian researchers are making a "digital twin" of the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt after lifting its ancient submerged blocks out of the Mediterranean Sea.

Workers at the Egyptian port city of Alexandria have recovered 22 massive stone blocks that were used thousands of years ago to build the city's famous lighthouse, one of the wonders of the ancient world.

The stone blocks were raised from the harbor floor at Alexandria, on the southeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and will now be studied and digitally scanned. The results will be added to digital records of more than 100 stones discovered underwater over the past decade, according to a statement from the Dassault Systems Foundation, one of the project's sponsors.

The research is led by French archaeologist and architect Isabelle Hairy and brings together the expertise of historians, archaeologists, architects and engineers to create a virtual 3D model of the ancient lighthouse, which had already been badly damaged by earthquakes when it collapsed in the 14th century.

The recently recovered stones include pieces of a huge doorway that weighed "70 to 80 tons," according to the statement. The workers also recovered parts of a massive Egyptian-style "pylon," or ceremonial gateway, that may have been a monument.

Ancient wonder

The Lighthouse of Alexandria — also known as the Pharos of Alexandria, after a small island at the mouth of the harbor where it stood — was built in about 280 B.C. on the orders of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus (who had been born in Macedonia) mainly to guide approaching ships safely to the harbor.

The city was founded by and named after the Macedonian king Alexander the Great, who seized Egypt from the Persian Empire in 332 B.C. Alexandria then became the Egyptian capital under the Hellenistic (Greek) Ptolemaic dynasty of pharaohs (the first, known as Ptolemy I Soter, had been one of Alexander's most trusted generals) and one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world.

Alexandria's lighthouse was a technological marvel for its time. According to the statement, it was more than 328 feet (100 meters) high, making it one of the tallest structures in the ancient world, with a multitiered design of a square base, an octagonal middle section and a cylindrical top.

Its light was produced by a large fire, probably fueled by wood or oil, and it formed a concentrated beam that could be seen up to 30 miles (50 kilometers) away, according to ancient writers. The beam of light seems to have been created by reflecting the lighthouse fire with large, polished metal surfaces, perhaps of bronze or copper — although they have not survived, and little is known about them.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the ancient "wonders of the world" — a designation bestowed by ancient Greek writers. It was "highly celebrated" by the time of Pliny the Elder (lived A.D. 23 to 79) during the Roman Empire, who wrote about the lighthouse hundreds of years after it had been built.

Digital twin

The ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were discovered underwater in 1994 by French archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur, and the latest work at the site is the third research project there by academics from France.

Instead of physically rebuilding the collapsed lighthouse, however, the researchers are making a virtual reconstruction, or "digital twin," based on what they can learn from the ruins and historical records.

The newly recovered stone blocks will be digitally scanned, and the data will be given to volunteer engineers from the Dassault Systems Foundation, who will attempt to position them correctly in the reconstruction — "like pieces of a giant archaeological puzzle," according to the statement.

In addition to testing theories about its construction and collapse, the virtual model will "revive the lighthouse's original grandeur, allowing visitors to explore it as if they were on site," the statement said.

By Tom Metcalfe.

[pforestsims]

Why I started using DXT1 texture format for TS2 CC again (sometimes)

In the past I discouraged ppl from using it. But it has one benefit, which TS2 CC creators shouldn't ignore: DXT1 textures are about half the size of DXT3. In TS2 DXT1 is only used for textures without transparency.

There are two facts about textures that some ts2 cc creators and cc hoarders are probably unaware of:

Lossless compression (compressorizer etc) significantly reduces file sizes, but it does NOT help texture memory, because texture files get uncompressed before being stored in GPU texture memory cache

Byte size does NOT equal resolution. For example: Raw32Bit texture takes up around four times more space in texture memory cache than DXT5

DXT3 2048*2048 px takes up ~4MB, but DXT1 2048*2048, thanks to its harsh 8:1 compression, takes up only ~2MB of texture memory cache, which is an equivalent of two makeup textures 512*512 px Raw32Bit format (TS2 makeup creators' favourite :S ).

@episims posted a comparison of DXT formats here - but please note Epi compared texture sizes after those were compressorized. Also, I believe the DXT1 preview actually shows glitches that are not visible in the game.

To change texture format in SimPe you need to install Nvidia DDS utilities, which can be downloaded here (SFS). Also, Yape package editor is much faster and easy to use.

*This is about GPU texture memory. As far as I know, it's unclear how internal TS2 texture memory works - does it benefit from lossless file compression or not? No idea. But IMO we don't have a reason to be optimistic about it :/ What we know for sure is - the easiest way to summon pink soup in TS2 on modern systems, is to make the game load large amounts of texture data (large for TS2 standards anyway) in a short amount of time.

DXT1 built in SimPe with Nvidia DDS Tools tend to look bad - but as I had learned very recently, SimPe DXT1 preview (and export) is broken! It displays some artifacts that are not actually visible in game!

The only way to correctly view DXT1 created in SimPe outside of the game is the new YaPe package editor. You need to switch the texture format preview to AltRGB24 (Raw24Bit).

DXT formats use lossy compression which affects texture quality - this compression matters for texture memory.

DXT1 512*512*4 (4 bytes per pixel) / 8 (divided by 8, because of 8:1 compression ratio) = ~131 KB

DXT3 512x512 px (4:1 compression) = ~262 KB

Raw32Bit 512x512 px = ~1MB

2048x1024 px DXT1 texture takes up around as much texture memory as 1024x1024 px DXT3 or DXT5 (non transparent*) = ~1 MB

*Flat (non transparent) DXT3 size is the same as DXT5.

Fun fact: flat DXT1 and DXT5 built in GIMP look identical, and also not much better than SimPe DXT1 (in game!).

DXT5 has 4:1 compression just like DXT3 but it can store more data in alpha channel, and that allows for much better looking transparency (if smooth alpha is present, size is increased). As I already mentioned, DXT1 does not support alpha transparency.

I don't want my game to look like crap, but if texture looks OK as DXT1, then why not use it. Aside from hood decor, I've been reconverting some wall and floor textures for myself to DXT1 recently, instead of resizing.

Some ppl might cringe on seeing 2048x2048 skybox textures but to me large texture is justified for such a giant object. I cringe at Raw32Bit makeup.

I'm slowly turning all Raw32 makeup content in my game to DXT5 (no mipmaps). I've edited enough of those to know, that quite often the actual texture quality is not great. If a texture has been converted to DXT3 at some point, alpha channel is a bit choppy. "Upgrading" such texture to Raw32 doesn't do anything, other than multiplying texture size by four. I don't know how 'bout you, but I only use one or two skyboxes at a time, while my sims walk around with tons of face masks on them, so it's a real concern to me. And don't make me start on mip maps in CAS CC. My game certainly doesn't need 33% larger hair texture files :S

*note - another thing I've "discovered" after writing this post, SimPe DDS Builder can actually make crisp mipmaps as long as you set Sharpen to "None".

Note2: Raw8Bit (bump maps) / ExtRaw8Bit (shadows etc) are also uncompressed formats, but don't contain color data and weight around as much as DXT3.

/I've taken out this part from a long post I'm writing RN /

[mercury101]

Suburban Springs by alexspoom13 (2012)

Welcome to Suburban Springs

Nestled in suburbia, this town was once the heart of a thriving rural community. Seeking the perfect life, families found themselves drawn to Suburban Springs in great numbers. Now however, they have all left town in protest of new industries and commercial outputs that have tried to settle there. It seems the loss was theirs. With a bustling town centre, comfortable houses of all shapes and sizes and tons of venues to enjoy- not to mention dozens of blank lots to encourage your own creativity, the horizon is open and the possibilities are endless. Where better to start your new life?

Large World (2048) | Unpopulated | No CC

Requirements: All EPs until Seasons & All SPs until Master Suite Stuff (V3)

Store Content: Pets Limited Edition Pet Store

Known Issues:

My experience: I've played this world twice and you can really tell the creator poured their heart into every detail. However, there's a critical flaw: after 2 or 3 sims weeks, the game becomes so laggy and even freezes completely at times. Despite optimizing my game and fixing issues mentioned by above players, the problem persists. I suspect there may be hidden routing or lot-design issues that nobody's noticed yet. Regardless, the world is stunning and absolutely worth exploring if you're up for some patience :)

Original DL Links: V1 (Showtime) | V2 (Supernatural) | V3 (Seasons)

V3 world file Backup: SFS / MF (place it in The Sims 3/Game Data/Shared/NonPackaged/Worlds)

[probablyautistic-definitleygay]

ok before I get totally infected by the Bashir Brainworms I just gotta say that i love Data so much. he’s a machine with a human soul. he’s a human made of wires. he has a heartbeat. he’s curious. he’s autistic. he gets drunk. he loves to paint. he’s ambidextrous. he doesn’t pick up on social ques. his quarters are decorated with trinkets from his friends. he has a evil twin brother who got the reverse trauma. he misses his father. he values all life. he writes odes to his cat. his teeth are in great condition. he accidentally seduces people. he has dreams. he has nightmares. he is susceptible to finger traps. he’s a culture of one. he organises his closet by colour and function. he’s a cowboy. he’s canonically handsome. he sits up at 90°. he forgets to blink. he hovers outside conversations. he’s a Lieutenant Commander graduating class of ‘78. he tries so very much to sneeze. he can fly the Enterprise all on his own. he’s being so brave. he can sing. he’s so silly. he can be genuinely terrifying. he can pinch the barrel of a gun shut with two fingers. he wears a little visor when he plays poker. he went on trial for his own life and personhood and right to choose and won. he wonders about getting married someday. his voice is perfect. he’d love quiz bowl. he’s asexual. he’s programmed in multiple techniques. the first person he slept w was a lesbian. he keeps a hologram of her at his desk. he grieves. he’s been suicidal. he chose to stay. he glows in Geordi’s VISOR. he gets the emotion chip and immediately crashes out. he does standup comedy. he could take over the Federation in an afternoon but he just wants to play poker instead. he willingly violates the Prime Directive so he can save a little girl’s life. he can easily lift five tons with one hand but carries Spot with the same care as you would a baby. the only difference between him and a human is his physical form. he’s anxious. his side profile is gorgeous. he can control the rate of his hair growth. he fears he’s alone in the universe but considers the crew his family. he’s kindhearted. he’s gentle. he gives second chances. he has so many questions. he does drag. he loves his job. he’s immortal. he’s mortal. he’s genuinely funny as hell. he’s a poet. he’s a telephone. he makes a fedora look good. he hates Sigmund Freud. he twitches like a bird. he’s curious about romance. he can pry open metal doors with ease. he enjoys botany. he infodumps constantly. he plays the violin AND guitar. he gets kidnapped. he cares deeply. for 23 years he never knew what a friend was until he met Geordi. he joined Starfleet to help others. he loves Sherlock. he cosplays. he imprints on every small child he meets. he’s a cat dad. he’s a single father. he loves his daughter. he can breathe underwater. he once lost all memory and his first instinct was to help others. he’s made of circuits and wires. he’s so very warm. he looks damn good in a suit. kids love his peculiar swag. he’s a mafia boss. he values all life. he roleplays for fun. he cries when he reunites w Spot. he doesn’t understand hatred but he understands revenge when his family is hurt. he has an unwavering sense of justice. he’s a professor at Cambridge. the Enterprise is his home. he’s empathetic. he owns at least seven cats. he was fully willing to destroy the emotion chip bc he would not forsake his best friend‘s safety. his greatest desire is to be human. he says he has no emotions but he so so obviously does. he is a machine he is a person he is a microwave he is conscious he is alive he is sentient he’s my specialest little angel he’s my android husband he’s my sweet cheese he’s my good time boy he’s my dearest love he’s my favourite blorbo.

“this is your man?” yes he’s made of tripolymer composites and friendship <3

[dyns33]

The Rise and Fall of a SecUnit

So I did it. I wrote about Murderbot. Because it's great. Watch it please

Humans.

They were truly the stupidest, strangest, and most annoying species in the entire galaxy.

Okay, they were capable of doing incredible things, like The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, what a masterpiece, or me, even though they couldn't figure out I'd hacked my command module.

Honestly, a species that creates the object of its own destruction didn't deserve much respect. But just because I really like that show, I want to see the end.

Oh, and yeah, maybe not all humans were so terrible. For example, if you took the team of degenerates I was supposed to protect, Mensah was far superior to Gurathin. And Y/N was better than the entire crew.

Ah, Dr. Y/L/N, robotics specialist… I had trouble with her at first, without being able to understand why, since she was the only one who acted with any intelligence, listening to my advice, not forcing me to speak to her, look her in the eye, or sit down, and always making the right decisions.

I had made a list to try to determine why my sensors classified her as a threat, because even though she was the best placed to discover that I had hacked my module, she didn't seem to be paying attention to me.

No, she was focused on her mission, typing her reports quickly and accurately, recording her notes with her sweet voice, moving gracefully through the habitat, leaving her sweet scent behind…

It had taken me several days to understand that she was my Captain Hossein and that I was Nav Bot 337 Alt 66. Totally in love, and desperate not to have her attention.

Damn, was it possible for me to be in love ? I resented her as much for her indifference as for having made me discover this fact. I really didn't need that.

So I tried to make a list of all the reasons not to be in love with Y/N. But aside from the fact that she didn't see me as a potential partner, I hadn't been able to find any other data to complete this file.

It had gotten worse when the team discovered my secret and she was the only one to react logically.

"It's not our problem, but the Company's, which treats its units like slaves. So far, SecUnit hasn't done anything to endanger us, quite the opposite, and so at this point there's no reason not to trust them."

If I'd had a heart, it would have been pounding at that moment. I would have even kissed her if I could have moved, and if the others hadn't risked mistaking it as an attack. I think I knew it was true love when she was the only one who didn't yell at me about Leebeebee. I even got a thank you, with a little smile. So cute.

Then, as usual, that stupid Gurathin, even with a bullet in his knee, opened his big mouth.

"Why is it looking you in the eyes ?"

"Excuse me ?"

"I know from experience that SecUnit doesn't like eye contact. It said so itself when it was being hacked by the combat override module. But it looks at you often, and directly in the eyes when you talk to it."

"Now that you mention that, it's true it looks at Y/N a lot," Bharadwaj continued, approaching. "Why are you looking at her ? Do you want to kill her first because she knows how to unplug you ?"

"I have no intention of hurting Doctor Y/L/N." It was true.

"Yeah, my ass. I looked at your hard drive, there are tons of screenshots of her, almost as many as downloads of silly TV shows."

"We can talk about it !" Mensah interjected, raising her hands, placing herself in the center of the hopper. "SecUnit, can you explain why you have tons of pictures of Y/N ?"

"… I'd rather not talk about it."

"But we must, we can talk about it."

Seriously, why did they keep saying that while snapping their fingers ? If I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to fucking talk about it.

There are much more romantic declarations than being forced to confess my feelings in front of a group of assholes, who will laugh and call me a liar, making my poor Y/N uncomfortable in the process.

I was more envisioning that big moment after a great rescue, when I'd figured out who was trying to kill the team.

They'd have had the audacity to target her, so I'd have leapt in front of her to protect her, shooting the villain directly in the head. And while I'd have been on the ground, her pressing my wound and crying, I'd have recited the poem I'd written for her.

But that was a bit of a compromise. Fortunately, even if it messed up my brilliant scenario a bit, Y/N came to my rescue.

"We have more pressing matters to deal with, I think. Like finding a way to get off this planet alive."

Go ahead, my sweet, almost-captain, tell them. Honestly, she should take Mensah's place. In fact, she doesn't need a team at all. I could have her bride style mode, and we'd run away from this mess together.

"We'll figure out those photo issues later."

Oh, please, no, Y/N, forget all that. Maybe I was checking to make sure you slept well at night, that you didn't fall in the shower, and that you had enough water while working, but it's not weird at all, no need to know.

Really, it's not even weird. I have no sexual interests, I'm not a Pleasurebot, I don't have the physical ability for that kind of thing, and even if I did, I find it disgusting. I've seen Pin-Lee, Ratthi, and Arada together. No, thank you.

I wouldn't mind a kiss or holding hands if Y/N asked. Why not, to show our connection without having to use words. Her hands are clean and super soft. I know because she's the one who fixed me after the hopper accident.

But if we don't touch at all, that's fine with me too. A simple intellectual harmony. A symbiosis. It would be so great to be able to make love like in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, just by touching fingers, much simpler.

"SecUnit ? Are you with us ?" Y/N asked, placing her hand on my shoulder. As if necessary. I always listen when she speaks to me. Not when it's Gurathin, like now, so no, I wasn't with them before her intervention.

"I was checking…"

"The perimeter, we know." Mensah sighed. "And what does that give ? Because we really need to get to the nursery quickly."

"I can't guarantee the habitat is safe. I advise you not to go back there."

"I'll take note. Let's land at a safe distance."

Stupid humans. Gurathin obviously needed medical assistance, but it was either him or the whole team at this point, and frankly, he wasn't worth putting yourself in danger.

Completely ignoring me, they stepped off the ship, heading towards certain death. Except for Y/N, who looked at me for a moment, as if waiting for me to follow. Then she sighed sadly, turning her back on me.

Damn, this was like Season 15, Episode 36. I couldn't just let her go. She jumped slightly when I grabbed her arm before she could leave the hopper.

"Don't go," I said, echoing the beautiful words of Nav Bot 337 Alt 66, as Captain Hossein was about to risk his life for a primitive civilization, disobeying orders. "I can't lose you. You're… important."

"Oh. That's sweet, TechUn…"

"Murderbot."

"Huh ?"

"My name is Murderbot."

"Okay," Y/N agreed, not questioning me, with her beautiful smile, her eyes fixed on mine. "Thanks, Murderbot. But I have to go. I can't leave them, they're my teammates, and my friends."

Damn. That was such a cool line, what could I say against that ? So I watched her leave like a moron on standby. Now was the perfect time to get the hell out of here. Take the ship, find a dessert spot, and finish watching my shows in peace.

Except, you guessed it, did I do that ? Of course not. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. If anything happened to her, I'd destroy the planet just like Nav Bot seemed to destroy the ship in a spoiler I saw after the captain was murdered.

So I followed my Y/N into danger, praying for the opportunity to carry out my brilliant plan by saving her life, and saving her friends along the way if possible, to earn her well-deserved affection.

It was that or we'd all die anyway. We'd see.

[dekariosclan]

Sneaky God Gale Still Loves You

I want to take a moment to offer some reassurance to any of my fellow Galemancers who got the worst Gale romance ending—the infamous ‘Sneaky God Gale.’ (credit to @airydandelion, who I believe first coined the term and who did a ton of valuable research as noted at the end of this post!)

This ending happens when you think you’ve convinced Gale not to ascend. You turned down his offer for godhood in the boat! You didn’t push him towards the crown at all (or so you thought)! And most importantly, he seemed convinced!!

Then you get to the ending on the docks and suddenly he’s all: “that crown tho…🥵” And he leaves.

Worst of all, he won’t even offer to ascend you at the epilogue party.

So what gives?!

Putting aside that this happens because 1. There are some extremely subtle and not-great dialogue options pushing him towards the crown which should’ve been better written/more obvious, and 2. Gale ‘I’m-many-things-but-not-coy’ Dekarios should have been clearly displaying his intentions towards the crown in order to give fair warning to the player, I do still think we can explain his behavior.

The most important thing to remember is that he is not gaslighting you! He’s not smooching you and giving you those big lovey cow eyes while smugly thinking about how he’s going to dump you.

When Gale offers you godhood in the boat, it’s literally called the ‘Be My God Proposal’ in the data files. It’s a proposal. And what a proposal! Because he’s not just offering you a marriage where it’s a short span of mortal years together until death. He’s offering you a literal eternity together.

…and you turned him down.

You did it for all the right reasons, your heart was in the right place, BUT…Gale is uncertain. He loves you, but do you really love him? Just him? He’s still not sure he’s enough for you. You weren’t vehemently against the crown, you seemed to waffle. And you turned down his proposal…an eternity with him was something you did not wish for…

So when he gets to the brain stem, and then the docks, and he still feels uncertainty in his heart, well—it makes him very easily swayed by the orb’s hunger for the crown.

But he still loves you.

When you get to the epilogue, he doesn’t offer you ascension for the simple reason that you already turned it down. He respects your choice, and he’s not going to try and coax you into it; your desires are different than his, and that makes a life together impossible.

But he still loves you.

Well, but, you argue, why can’t we be together as a mortal and a god? Like Gale was with Mystra?

He would never expose you to such risk, because he still loves you.

‘Ok fine,’ you say. ‘Sure, he’s still got his kind heart buried underneath the arrogance. But even so, he chose to leave. There’s no absolute, definitive proof that he still loves me!’

Sneaky God Gale absolutely, 100%, still loves you! So go do yourself (and him) a favor and fix that ending:

You can use this amazing, incredible, fantastic guide created by @airydandelion to ensure you pick the right dialogue choices to get the Gale ending you want!

If you are on a PC and do not want to go back many hours of gameplay to replay/redo the dialogue choices, you can use this mod to convince Gale to stay human with the dice roll at the brain stem.

If you’re on a PS5 (which does not currently have the above mod) my best suggestion is to use the cheaters ring. This is a PS5 mod that essentially lets you cheese all combat and speedrun the game, saving you a ton of time if you need to replay Act 3 in order to get your human Gale.

Whatever you decide to do, you can go forth secure in the knowledge that Gale was 100% truthful when he told you this:

(One final shoutout: credit to @galebrainrott for their post sharing Gale’s datamined files!)