#Modeling Ecosystem

[chattingwithmodels]

The Contemporary Modeling Ecosystem

Trends, Advancements, and Interdisciplinary Connections 🌍 TLDR: The State of Modern Modeling — From Runways to Research Labs 🔥 AI is the game-changer across all types of modeling — fashion, science, 3D, math, and stats — accelerating innovation and reshaping entire industries. 👗 Fashion Modeling 📱 Social Media = New Runway: Models are now influencers, building brands online. 🌈 Diversity &…

[mc-car]

Ray Toro - 1997 Honda Prelude listed on facebook marketplace

[eldritch-muppetshow]

pikmin swap au where olimar (in louie’s role) is a perfectly average guy who ends up driven mad by The Horrors of being stranded and it being all his coworker’s fault. he’s as pleasant as he is in canon when he isn’t being stranded on alien planets to be clear, but it just seems to keep happening and louie isn’t doing his due diligence in preventing that

[pyrriax]

sorry guys i've been lost in my enrichment. anyways guess who's been learning how figura works (and learning how to model in blockbench)

[welcometoteyvat]

i already malded but sethoscara... hmm... (moderate haterisms below)

generally i find cyno and sethos more interesting, and not just as a ship i swear, bc like. ok i understand sethos story 2. "busy little bee" vs "bow down worm". the whole "you're not just a normal guy, aren't you?" exchange and how wanderer seems to have met the one (not so) normal human who might be able to level with him without knowing anything about his past. yeah thats a cool dynamic and all

but based on flat material, sethos is introduced in cyno's sq2, has two stories mentioning him—they seem to have gotten closer post story quest, gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

why do i not see more sethos and cyno posts focusing on them and them alone pls.... the most popular or frequent depictions as of now are sethos as a 5th (?) wheel to cynonari and haikaveh. i understand ppl not wanting to take apart their ships and whatever, but oh my god. their visual designs, the entire thing that happened when sethos and cyno were children, how they grew up, how that ties into the separation between the rainforest and desert, etc. also sethos's story 5 is lit like '[Sethos] couldn't tell you exactly what he'd forgotten. Perhaps his birth parents, or the faces of his childhood friends. Fortunately, with the exception of Cyno, all of his childhood friends lived at the Temple of Silence, so learning what they looked like again wasn't difficult.' helloooooooooo baggage? sethos picking up hearsay abt cyno's past and maybe glimpsing him in passing in sumeru, while cyno knows nothing about him??? they both knew each other once, and then forgot, and then sethos/bamoun engineered it so they'd meet again.... like bro

i have a bunch of other gripes about sethoscara from scara's POV and the thoughts he'd have in canon (eg why does the current fandom portrayal seem to skew towards fluff and cuddling where sethos is golden retriever maxxing and scara's a tsundere) but yadda yadda ships are people's sandbox for potential so i'll try not to yap about that... basically: what im saying is please give me at least one [fan creation in any medium] exploring sethos cyno's past please. LISTENNN the bamoun cyrus sethos cyno storyline was underutilized in his quest they need expansion i'm begging

ok why did i bring sethoscara into this? bc fandom has the tendency to have ship tunnel vision, and this could be doomposting, but i generally find that when there's one dominant ship for a character (especially if they're a 4* lol 💀) creations/thoughts/posts about the rest of their relationships start dying out one by one :\\\\ ok yapping done good night everyone

[imitationgirl]

I think more bands should be all girls and a token boy for diversity

[forever-stuck-on-java-8]

Google killed another thing...

As I went to renew my website domain registration tonight since I got the email that it expires in a month, I learned that Google sold their domain business to SquareSpace back in September. I moved my registration to CloudFlare instead.

I guess Google will kill literally any service that doesn't make infinity dollars.

[padawan-historian]

it's kinda wild to think that no one probably has ever told vivek that there's no such thing as the model minority --- this guy believes he is immune to racism so long as he work hard and pulls himself up by his designer boots

[thetechempire]

Kai-Fu Lee has declared war on Nvidia and the entire US AI ecosystem.

🔹 Lee emphasizes the need to focus on reducing the cost of inference, which is crucial for making AI applications more accessible to businesses. He highlights that the current pricing model for services like GPT-4 — $4.40 per million tokens — is prohibitively expensive compared to traditional search queries. This high cost hampers the widespread adoption of AI applications in business, necessitating a shift in how AI models are developed and priced. By lowering inference costs, companies can enhance the practicality and demand for AI solutions.

🔹 Another critical direction Lee advocates is the transition from universal models to “expert models,” which are tailored to specific industries using targeted data. He argues that businesses do not benefit from generic models trained on vast amounts of unlabeled data, as these often lack the precision needed for specific applications. Instead, creating specialized neural networks that cater to particular sectors can deliver comparable intelligence with reduced computational demands. This expert model approach aligns with Lee’s vision of a more efficient and cost-effective AI ecosystem.

🔹 Lee’s startup, 01. ai, is already implementing these concepts successfully. Its Yi-Lightning model has achieved impressive performance, ranking sixth globally while being extremely cost-effective at just $0.14 per million tokens. This model was trained with far fewer resources than competitors, illustrating that high costs and extensive data are not always necessary for effective AI training. Additionally, Lee points out that China’s engineering expertise and lower costs can enhance data collection and processing, positioning the country to not just catch up to the U.S. in AI but potentially surpass it in the near future. He envisions a future where AI becomes integral to business operations, fundamentally changing how industries function and reducing the reliance on traditional devices like smartphones.

[mediocrephd]

I attended my first in-person conference on Tuesday, the British Ecological Society Aquatic Group annual meeting at Lancaster University! It was quite a small conference, but really enjoyable! So many incredibly interesting talks, ranging from global warming and ocean acidification to using meeting sponges to assess community diversity through eDNA!

Despite the grey, drizzly weather, it was a great experience, and I definitely have a few more papers to read and connections to make!

Lancaster uni also had a lovely campus with pretty architecture and lots of little green spaces! There was a gorgeous coffee shop on campus (who do amazing vegan hot chocolate!) called Coastal and co. If you're ever on campus, I highly recommend them! :)

Please enjoy this little photo I took outside of where the conference was! You can just about see the coffee shop I mentioned in the back!

[gsasustainability]

Keeping in mind that buildings are our built habitats; They would embody resilience and resourcefulness if collectively envisioned

An Academic Research Project for the Advanced Research Centre of the University of Glasgow under the Glasgow School of Arts and in association with the Centre for Sustainable Solutions of the University of Glasgow and GALLANT, by Shravya Dayaneni. Supervisor: Dr Simon Beeson

As cities grapple with environmental challenges ranging from dwindling resources to climate change, the need for sustainable socio-ecological inhabitation has never been more pressing. But what if, instead of merely sustaining, we aim to regenerate? The article highlights a comprehensive project intervention, through a collaboration with ‘the Advanced Research Center’ of the University of Glasgow. This project not only aims to address social, economic and environmental challenges but also enriches conventional retrofitting methods with a holistic solution for introducing interdependence and ecological democracy into organisational/ institutional spheres. It is possible to promote regeneration through the seamless integration of science, technology, fiscal prudence, and biomimicry with regenerative design. This paradigm shift to ‘Regerative Design’ requires us to look at buildings merely as built habitats, like a microdiverse environment or a nest that must solve for all of its needs.

Keywords: Ecological Integration, Biomimicry, Social Innovation, Symbiocene Adaptation, Ecosystem Services, Interdependence, Institutional Buildings, Regeneration, Design Thinking, Fiscal Mindfulness, Social-Identity Theory, Behavioral Modeling, Strategic Visualization, Resiliency, Dynamism, Holistic Design, Ecological-Social-Economic Convergence, Design Emergence

Regenerative Design; The most fascinating ‘Bio-reflective Design Paradigm’

Conventional views often perceive regenerative design goals as impractical or utopian. This project dispels such notions by marrying financial viability, environmental efficiency, and social well-being. It aims to reintroduce the principle of interdependence into modern structures, a concept illustrated by Martin Avila (2022) in his book ‘Designing for Interdependence - A Poetics of Relating’. Inspired by Bill Caplan's "Buildings Are for People - Human Ecological Design" (2016) has been invaluable in focusing attention on the human experience and in recognizing challenges as opportunities for creativity, rather than obstacles. Overall, the idea of interdependence and human-ecological design emphasizes the idea of collaboration, and how people and their environment are connected. It's about creating a relationship between people, their environment, and the structures created by them, and how they all interact to create a system that works for everyone. By reintroducing the concept of interdependence, the aim is to create a system that is more equitable, and that accounts for the human experience.

The Participatory Approach: Why Stakeholder Involvement is Crucial? Buildings are for people

Given the complexity of real-world challenges, a participatory approach involving diverse stakeholders ensures that the project stays grounded and effective. Initial consultations have set the stage for a long-term commitment to ‘ecological democracy’ as defined by Hester, R.T. (2006) and sustainable practices. It was important to delve deep into participatory methodologies, crafting a simulator tool (image in the next section) enriched with contextual theories like utilizing occupants’ motivations and socio-cultural relationships of users with the buildings such as ‘Social-Identity Theory’ Hogg (2006) as an opportunity to drive eco-responsible practices in our conventional built-environments.

A Versatile Tool: The Eco-systematic and Bio-mimetic Simulator

Developed through design synthesis, this tool serves as both a practical guide and a framework for understanding the larger ecological and social implications of built environments. The tool employed a unique "eco-systematic innovations deck," a curated set of cards containing innovative ecological concepts to service interventions thoroughly researched and colour-coded for different user personas, and a 'bio-mimetic library' for ecological visual inspirations. These elements could be laid out on a canvas that includes spaces for notes, challenges, and evaluative measures, offering a versatile tool for stakeholders. The goal was to enable the co-creation of the possible synergies for a problem or a scenario with a socio-economic-ecological convergence for all the stakeholders including, University estate management, building management, funders, users-occupants, and visitors and make it inclusive for all types of workplace-minority-groups like ‘parents’, ‘the differently-abled’ and even ‘the pet-owners’.

There are three pillars to the project

1. Navigate Opportunities: Investigate practical avenues for embedding ecosystem services within built frameworks and aligning human structures with ecosystems.

2. Maximize Benefits: Forge integrative solutions that cater to both human and non-human species, all the while respecting financial limitations, to establish a model of regeneration.

3. Visualize Possibilities: Employ design thinking to facilitate the visualization of ecological integration and civic innovation to drive informed choices for all stakeholders' management.

Toward a New Standard in Building Design

This project aims to position the ARC Building as a paradigm of ecological-social-economic convergence, laying down a blueprint for future developments in institutional architecture. We are at an inflection point where our buildings can either continue to be part of the problem or can become part of the solution. The conceptualization of this project takes a bold step in the latter direction, and it sets the stage for similar initiatives across the globe. By forging an environment where the ecological, social, and economic dimensions are considered as a unified entity, the goal is to lead the change in creating a new standard for what our built habitats could and should be.

Practical Implementation for Building Investors as well as Managers

For practical application with building owners and managers, addressing their concerns and highlighting the long-term benefits of regenerative design is crucial. It's recognized that some solutions may involve initial investments, and emphasis should be placed on how these investments can yield significant returns, not only in terms of sustainability but also in staff recruitment, welfare, happiness, productivity, and retention.

1. Emphasizing Benefits to Building Owners and Managers:

   - Staff Recruitment and Retention: The implementation of regenerative design can enhance a building's appeal as a workplace, fostering a healthier, more engaging environment that can attract and retain talented employees.

   - Productivity and Well-being: A regenerative building promotes the well-being and productivity of occupants. Improved indoor air quality, access to green spaces, and a connection to nature within the workplace are factors that enhance employee satisfaction and performance.

2. Managing Risk:

   - Quick Return on Investment: It's understood that building owners and managers may have concerns about financial implications. Many regenerative solutions offer a quick return on investment by reducing operational costs, such as energy consumption and maintenance expenses.

   - Budget and Financial Synergies: The regenerative approach aligns with budget and financial requirements, aiming to provide cost-effective solutions that don't strain financial resources but, instead, contribute to long-term savings and sustainability.

3. Realistic Expectations and User Involvement:

   - Setting Realistic Expectations: It's important to manage expectations realistically, acknowledging that not all ideas may be immediately implemented, and some may require ongoing evaluation and adaptation.

   - Inclusivity for All Users: The approach considers all users of the building, including employees from diverse backgrounds, parents, differently-abled individuals, and even pet owners. The aim is to create an inclusive environment that benefits everyone.

By addressing these concerns and emphasizing the tangible benefits of regenerative design, the adoption of these principles becomes not only practical but also highly rewarding for building owners and managers. Together, the creation of environments that are not just sustainable but truly regenerative contributes to a more resilient and prosperous future.

What Lies Ahead

The future of this project includes rigorous testing of the 'Eco-systematic and Bio-mimetic Simulator' tool, refinement based on stakeholder feedback, and eventually scaling it for broader applications. With looming climate crises and dwindling resources, it is projects like these that offer a glimmer of hope for taking the best solutions possible and a roadmap for building resilient, nurturing, and sustainable communities for the future.

Measuring Success is a crucial part

Based on stakeholder meetings with experts like Dr Jaime Toney, the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Solutions, the project intends to set forth measurable objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can be evaluated in two years' time.

By incorporating a holistic view that synergizes ecological, social, and economic dimensions, this project promises not just to build but to regenerate and revive built environments, making a compelling case for a more resilient and sustainable urban society and development.

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to all our stakeholders, including the Centre for Sustainable Solutions, the University of Glasgow, the GALLANT project, ARC Building Management and the Glasgow School of Arts for their invaluable insights, collaboration and ongoing commitment to Responsible Development. And a shoutout to Dr Simon Beeson and Dr Michael Pierre Johnson for guiding the project.

[elodieunderglass]

I think it’s possible that we’ve got different intentions here. To me this post is a pretty clear setup in its intentions. You can see someone who says, several times: “I am not an expert or pretending to be one, but I have a question.” I could have pretended perfectly easily to be an expert. It would have been less work and words.

So why would someone who is not an expert ask a question or make an observation? Curiosity mostly! I do actually like horror enough to be conversant with my friends, I just don’t have a lot of time to prioritise it.

Why is it important to be open about not being an expert? Because otherwise when a post is out of context people will believe that you are, or are pretending to be, one. I was open about this to specifically to invite discussion with my friends which I said a few times in the post.

Is it okay to wonder publicly about the things that impact on your life and shape your world even if you don’t understand them? Yes.

Why did I, multiple times, invite “cleverer and more expert” people to comment on my thoughts? Because I wanted help articulating them and knew that I’m friends with cleverer, more expert and more articulate people who are writers and readers in the horror genre

Why is it so bad and doesn’t know anything about horror? I feel like I can’t answer for the badness, but I’ve answered for not knowing anything!

Why was this garbage take on your dash? Because one of the reblog chains that you didn’t see involved some of my clever and articulate horror-fan friends explaining what I meant to me, adding their own reflections and contextualizing it in a really interesting way that lots of other horror fans found useful and interesting. This made it a low-notes but widely-spread post and was therefore the OP without the commentary was probably suggested to you by tumblr.

No harm done and I’m not mad. your additions were interesting and I still think the post has a lot of added value!

changes and trends in horror-genre films are linked to the anxieties of the culture in its time and place. Vampires are the manifestation of grappling with sexuality; aliens, of foreign influence. Horror from the Cold War is about apathy and annihilation; classic Japanese horror is characterised by “nature’s revenge”; psychological horror plays with anxieties that absorbed its audience, like pregnancy/abortion, mental illness, femininity. Some horror presses on the bruise of being trapped in a situation with upsetting tasks to complete, especially ones that compromise you as a person - reflecting the horrors and anxieties of capitalism etc etc etc. Cosmic horror is slightly out of fashion because our culture is more comfortable with, even wistful for, “the unknown.” Monster horror now has to be aware of itself, as a contingent of people now live in the freedom and comfort of saying “I would willingly, gladly, even preferentially fuck that monster.” But I don’t know much about films or genres: that ground has been covered by cleverer people.

I don’t actually like horror or movies. What interests me at the moment is how horror of the 2020s has an element of perception and paying attention.

Multiple movies in one year discussed monsters that killed you if you perceived them. There are monsters you can’t look at; monsters that kill you instantly if you get their attention. Monsters where you have to be silent, look down, hold still: pray that they pass over you. M Zombies have changed from a hand-waved virus that covers extras in splashy gore, to insidious spores. A disaster film is called Don’t Look Up, a horror film is called Nope. Even trashy nun horror sets up strange premises of keeping your eyes fixed on something as the devil GETS you.

No idea if this is anything. (I haven’t seen any of these things because, unfortunately, I hate them.) Someone who understands better than me could say something clever here, and I hope they do.

But the thing I’m thinking about is what this will look like to the future, as the Victorian sex vampires and Cold War anxieties look to us. I think they’ll have a little sympathy, but they probably won’t. You poor little prey animals, the kids will say, you were awfully afraid of facing up to things, weren’t you?

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Science Literacy Week: September 18-24 – Fostering Curiosity and Knowledge in Saskatchewan Schools

[thebigshoutout]

Apple WWDC 2024: Tim Cook Unveils iOS 18, Siri Enhancements, and ChatGPT Integration

At WWDC 2024, Apple made groundbreaking announcements that set the tech world abuzz. CEO Tim Cook took the stage to unveil iOS 18, featuring significant upgrades designed to enhance user experience and productivity. Key improvements include a revamped Siri with advanced natural language processing capabilities and deeper integration with third-party apps, promising more fluid and intelligent…

[mysticalmagickial]

We're not supposed to be able to live without romance?

Ha-ha! We defy you, uptight importance of the world! We know a secret you don't. We have evil little schemes and malicious little plans and they're working.

Call us witches. Call us evil masterminds. Call us tragic; but we are not bound to the terms of this life. We've searched and experimented and found, and we continue to find, and share, and love. Just not in the way that you believe to be necessary, yet we are connected to one another in ways which some have never imagined.

Being aromantic is fucking awesome. There's this idea of some Grand Fucking Thing that is supposed to be the most important part of life, something that you apparently can't live without, and it means Absolutely Nothing to me. That's really the only way to say it. It sounds so tragic to some people but to me it's fucking amazing

[onpassivereseller]

Automaattinen Tienaaminen - Owning Your Domain (in English)

Owning Your Domain. The article discusses the concept of owning one’s domain in the context of ONPASSIVE, emphasizing the significance of providing users with full ownership and control over their digital property. It highlights the uniqueness and credibility that such ownership grants, with the assertion that individuals will have ownership of their properties within the ONPASSIVE ecosystem. The…