#Principles of Genetic Engineering

[fate-motif]

i’ve seen pushback to my position that snw’s presentation of genome editing amounts to eugenics apologia, and tbh. maybe it’s too early to call it that. but you can’t deny that it is an unintelligent discussion of real life technologies that exist right now and that we’re talking about to regulate in present day

augments aren’t real. you can compare their plight to interracial marriage or closeted lgbt people, but the reality is that the writers of snw have forgotten that any technologies looking to alter or moderate people to fit a mold have to be analyzed by their potential to be abused. because in real life that’s what the principles of heredity were used for.

una says illyrians aren’t looking for galactic domination, and that’s nice, but i want to know what happens if a a disabled child is born in an illyrian family. or an immunocompromised one. do they submit their child to genome editing? are they forced to leave colonies where a child cannot thrive there because they don’t believe in terraforming, and therefore there is no place for that family? there’s worse scenarios to be considered, i’m just being nice here.

none of this is ever asked. the writers just refuse to talk about disability rights and the actual, real life racist principles which have intersected with the real life eugenics movements. instead they envision a fictional society supposedly unfairly maligned for using technology which we know, both in and out of universe, has the potential to uphold racist and anti-disability systems. and then they say “you’re just like apartheid south africa if you don’t accept them”.

it’s embarrassing, but like, even worse considering previous shows of the franchise actually put some thought into it and drew from real historical and theoretical discussions of genetics and genetic engineering. so all in all, insulting

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Principles of Asexual Heredity in the Phyrexian Organism

We know these things for sure about Phyrexian reproductive biology:

Phyrexians reproduce asexually; it is well known that one drop of oil, from one individual, is enough to birth a population of offspring (such as all of New Phyrexia) or convert a non-Phyrexian organism.

Phyrexians natively born of the oil ("core-born") inherit mnemonic and phenotypic (appearance) information from the oil that created them. For example, core-born Phyrexians of the Orthodoxy naturally develop porcelain metal; it is an inherited, lineage-specific trait. The oil also carries ancestral knowledge such as the Phyrexian language and echoes of history.

The five suns of Mirrodin somehow caused the originally mono-black lineage of Phyrexian oil to splinter into five colored lineages. They may have all arisen from one drop of oil, but they are phenotypically diverse.

(Little canon data is given about the genealogies of core-born newts, but it would most logically follow that Phyrexians descend from single-parent lines, a family tree with continually forking branches and no unions of mating as with sexually reproducing organisms.)

The mechanism I propose for the diversification of Phyrexians on Mirrodin is mana-induced mutagenesis. As a deeply magical material, it follows that Phyrexian oil is prone to being influenced by concentrated sources of mana, such as the suns of Mirrodin (which were trapped in the core, in close proximity to the progenitor oil, during the birth of New Phyrexia). Exposure to mana can thus cause de novo mutation in glistening oil that manifests as novel phenotypic traits in resulting Phyrexians. These mutations are not random, guiding phenotypes to align with the color causing the mutation.

Then there is the issue of inheritance via phyresis, or compleating another organism which was not originally Phyrexian by introducing Phyrexian genetic material into its body. To keep it simple I will begin with mono-color infections: an organism is infected with oil from a Phyrexian whose lineage traits (i.e. white-aligned Orthodoxy lineage, porcelain) may not match their own color identity.

Hypothesis: Phenotype (what color/type of Phyrexian an infected individual becomes) is determined solely by the color of infection, not the subject's own colors. Crucially this isn't the same as color identity; i.e. one can be a porcelain Phyrexian and still have a Boros identity by gaining red-aligned values or retaining them from a pre-compleation life, even though their phenotype is white only. (Much like how elves are associated with green mana, but Simic-identity elves exist.) This phenotype color, in turn, is also what would be passed down to any newts the turned individual creates, or subjects they themselves infect.

MOM corroborates this hypothesis. A mono-black-aligned human, upon exposure to Progress Engine oil, becomes a Phyrexian with a pure blue-aligned phenotype. The changes to their color identity are additive--they retain black alignment--but their phenotype is blue only. All the transforming creatures of MOM follow this pattern.

However, Planeswalkers in ONE did not. For example, Jace was infected by Vraska, who had both black color identity and a black/Thanes-aligned phenotype, but spontaneously developed eyestalks and other traits characteristic of blue Phyrexians from the Progress Engine.

New hypothesis: Individuals with a strong enough internal concentration of mana, i.e. Planeswalkers, cause oil to mutate in vivo to align with their own color, much like how the suns mutated oil in Mirrodin's core. This further shows that mana-induced mutagenesis is color-specific. This should however create a new blue lineage, independent of the Progress Engine, also spawned of blue mana but not necessarily identical. I do not have an explanation for Jace's resemblance to the Progress Engine besides convergent "evolution."

Proposed further study (not ethics-approved): Infect a colorless Planeswalker, i.e. Ugin, with colored oil to test whether a null color identity still has mutagenic effects.

To complicate this, though, we also have examples of Phyrexians who are chimeras of multiple colors, combining traits of different lineages. Vishgraz was assembled with material (genetic and otherwise) from a white, a green, and a black Phyrexian. It makes sense that Phyrexians put together in this patchwork way could have a combination phenotype. Atraxa was not assembled from scratch, but infected with four separate colors at once. Maybe there are just four types of oil circulating in her body?

I am, of course, interested in inheritance. If these Phyrexians show combined phenotypes, what colored trait(s) do they actually pass down? Do they have individual "cells" that are still only white, only green, only black, etc., or did the colors somehow combine on the most basic hereditary unit level? Thankfully, we actually do have an example of a "chimera" Phyrexian asexually producing core-born offspring: Ixhel.

Ixhel shares multiple colors with Atraxa, not only in her color identity but also apparent phenotype (she has both Orthodoxy porcelain and Swarm copper). Two possibilities here: 1) She truly inherited both genetically; Atraxa passes down multiple colors when she reproduces. 2) Her "core" physiology is still rooted in one color, i.e. white porcelain, and the green parts were added after the fact. I don't have an answer for this, but it's intriguing to consider.

Proposed further study: Attempt to isolate the smallest "unit" of Phyrexian heredity (one single nanobot of the oil) and test if it can only store information about one color, or multiple. See if a germ is formed from only one of these units, as with eukaryotic zygotes, or from multiple.

My theories of Phyrexian reproductive biology remain highly speculative, but every new piece of data adds fuel to this fire, and I have plenty to elaborate on in later posts. If only the interplanar ethics committee would stop delaying my research.

[alostwanderernotfound]

PANDEMICS- Hostile Power Takeover? Learnings on Urban & Domestic Warfare, “Disease: Bacteria Part 1, Fundamental Considerations”:

Let’s say the hostile power is more technologically advanced & half robot/half machine or full machine, so seemingly unkillable. Organic beings are very vulnerable to having disease used as a weapon against them.

Disease can be a major benefit to this type of hostile power & it would be an incredibly powerful weapon. This allows the destruction of an organic-based domestic population & it can also allow the harvesting of resources to build new bodies and/or reuse of the entire body depending on the disease process.

There are many insidious ways diseases develop & spread. This process DOES NOT just occur in a laboratory. Remember that there are many different “groupings” of entities we refer to as pathogens or things with the ability to cause disease.

Bacteria are an important one. Bacteria & other pathogens can reproduce by multiple means. Here I’m going to speak about bacteria with the capacity to do Bacterial conjugation. This involves passing characteristic between two different bacteria similar to how sexual reproduction can pass on characteristics. This is overall an important conversation because a lot of the most complex & common life forms in our daily lives also spread these characteristics through similar principles through sexual reproduction.

> A lot of bacteria to our awareness are able to pass on characteristics. Bacterial DNA contains the “instructions”/“resources” for bacteria to either have or not have characteristics.

-Bacterial conjugation for example allows one bacteria to attach to a second bacteria & send resources to the second bacteria. After this process, the second bacteria is able to transform and display the characteristics transferred to it. Example: Bacteria A can change colors like a chameleon. Bacteria B cannot change color. Once Bacteria A attaches to Bacteria B and they are compatible, Bacteria A passes on resources to Bacteria B. Bacteria B then acquires the ability to change color. Bacteria B now can change color & has attainted the same advantage as originally only bacteria A had. Now Bacteria A and Bacteria B can change color like a chameleon.

- The other way characteristics form & occur in a bacterial population is through mutation. If a bacteria’s DNA is altered or mutates then it can produce a bacteria with new traits & characteristics. Radiation for example, like from X-rays, often causes mutations. Sometimes mutations do “nothing” we can really perceive with our eyes. But overtime, they will eventually create large changes and can produce huge benefits for bacteria. For example: A bacteria could have always have been wiped out from nuclear weapons then overtime from mutations it can acquire the ability to survive living inside an area with nuclear radiation.

-This is a very important concept to fully understand so that you can become cognizant of how insidious this process is when discussing what bioterrorism in the modern world can look like. Pandemics are not caused just from mysterious lab leaks. The practices we do everyday are still contributing to the next pandemic occurring.

-This also gives everyone a better understanding of how MRSA or an antibiotic resistant bacteria really was “made” inside our hospitals.

> Bacteria can possibly have random or genetically engineered characteristics.

-If there are 100 random bacteria on an isolated surface that formed there naturally, some will have favorable characteristics to cause severe disease. But, some bacteria will not have those characteristics to cause severe disease. The bacteria lacking these deadly characteristics, but are still part of the same family of bacteria, would be considered weaker pathogens (weaker pathogen meaning they would cause less severe disease in organic beings).

-**But it is important to remember, If someone purposefully put bacteria down on a surface there is a chance it will not be a random distribution in strength of bacteria & they will mostly all be bacteria with strong characteristics. That group would probably be closer to 100 out of 100 of the bacteria carrying the deadly characteristic.**

>There are 2 main basic premises (which can be further subdivided and added onto when discussing what makes pathogens strong, but for now I’m discussing a more fundamentals explanation) we consider when determining bacterial pathogen strength: number of bacteria & the amount of deadly/harmful characteristics each bacteria possess.

-Reducing the overall number of bacteria in a group of random bacteria does not always mean you make a pathogen less strong. (Example: Purposefully killing 50 bacteria out of 100 and now there are only 50 bacteria in the group.)

If you destroy many of the weaker bacteria & only leave strong bacteria to reproduce, pathogens overtime can get stronger & more deadly. So, by destroying only the weaker bacteria in a group of bacteria, you slowly make pathogens stronger through this natural process & it doesn’t have to occur inside of a laboratory. To make a bacterial pathogen less strong by focusing on decreasing the overall number of those bacteria that exist in our world, you would also have to consider how many of each strength you eliminate. This is because we currently we do not use practices that wipe out groups of bacteria 100%, so we must consider these two elements together instead of separate when evaluating pathogen strength. Example: Lets say there are 100 bacteria and you wipe out 90. Bacteria A can cause humans to be paralyzed. Bacteria B cannot paralyze humans. Out of the 10 bacteria still alive, if all 10 are Bacteria A then you have eliminated the chance people would be infected with the less severe version of the disease, with Bacteria B. In the long term Bacteria A now has a strong chance to reproduce & when Bacteria A infects people it would then cause paralysis in everyone & the population could collapse. In another scenario, consider if you wiped out 90 bacteria out of 100, but you did it purposefully. Out of the 10 bacteria left, 9 were Bacteria that were Bacteria B & couldn’t cause paralysis. The last 1 out of the 10 left was Bacteria A. Then when those 10 bacteria reproduced it effectively helps “dilute” this negative characteristic in this bacterial family. Based off randomness & probability, when there this group reproduces to the size of 20 bacteria only approximately 2 of them may carry Bacteria A’s paralytic characteristic & 18 will carry bacteria B’s characteristic that does not cause paralysis. So, even though we can’t stop the bacteria number from growing, since we mindfully intervened we can still divert the trajectory of the pathogen from becoming a pathogen with the ability to become “pandemic level” and/or very very harmful.

>Two ways pathogens can get weaker is by lowering the amount of bacteria in the world & by lowering its severe disease characteristics, but this these two categories have an important interplay.

-This is an oversimplified explanation of how disease spreads & evolves, but the fundamental principles are VERY important to the overall understanding of what’s occurring. Imagine a group of bacteria you count has 100 total bacteria. 50 of them carry a gene to cause paralysis in humans & 50 do not carry this gene. When 100 people come in contact with the 50/50 bacteria distribution and get sick only 50 out of 100 of the people get paralyzed. This allows the other 50 people time to work on vaccinations & interventions to stop everyone from eventually being paralyzed.

-But, if you kill the 50 out of the 100 bacteria that do not carry the gene for paralysis then your bacteria group went from 100 to a total of 50 in size. In the short term the spread of the disease is likely to go down, as it is less likely people will randomly spread 50 objects instead of 100. BUT, those 50 bacteria with the gene to cause paralysis will only reproduce with other bacteria that also have that gene. So this bacteria, since you wiped out the 50 that don’t cause paralysis, now ALL cause paralysis & anyone who comes in contact with this bacteria strain will get paralyzed. So eventually with time the group of 50 bacteria will reproduce to 100 & spread at the same rate as they were originally, but now they cause more harm to people.

>When you unknowingly touch a colony of bacteria on an object or life form, you pick up a random sample of random “strength” of bacteria.

>****PLEASE READ: you can ALSO pickup a sample of bacteria that is all “strong bacteria” but this is NOT usually a natural occurrence you will see & is suggestive someone or something altered the bacteria and purposefully put those bacteria there. A group of bacteria that looks like it formed organically vs one that was purposefully placed there can be differentiated with taking samples of surfaces and people & counting how many strong bacteria vs weak bacteria there are, but we as a population do not regularly test for this in this way. Due to this I’m going to speak with the viewpoint of natural bacteria groups that have a gradient of “strengths”. In an ideal world we would identity groups of bacteria that have gradients of strength of bacteria vs groups of all similar strength, as interventions to stop them from becoming strong pathogens work DIFFERENTLY.)

>After you touch those bacteria they attempt to multiply and stay alive on you. Then if you touch other things they can be placed on another surface or thing. Sometimes they are placed on other surfaces in an environment or you touch your body & they are placed closer to an entrance to the inside or your body & then they are able to enter your body.

-This process will cause one of the following to occur: bacteria will stay in the area you touched & colonize it, they will die when attempting to enter the body, the bacteria will give you a disease , or in some cases the bacteria will live symbiotically inside you & help your body. If a bacteria lives symbiotically with you & does not cause harm then we do not refer to that as a pathogen, but rather just as a bacteria.

>Anytime you wipe out a group of bacteria by taking out 100% it causes that pathogen to get weaker overall, but the issue is that we do not do interventions that wipe out 100%.

-Currently anytime you clean an object in the hospital with a sanitizing wipe, you always kill less than 100% of the bacteria. This leaves behind a certain % of bacteria & they will be the strongest of that group of bacteria, because they were able to live even though you applied a cleaning product on them. This means the strongest bacteria left, even though there are less after cleaning, are now reproducing over and over again & getting stronger.

-So, when there is an environment with a large amount of bacteria variability (so all these new patients with new exposures to new bacteria that travel and touch things all the time), with shared equipment, with not 100% effective methods to destroy pathogens, & this long list of variables, we slowly produce very strong & deadly pathogens inside of hospitals.

-IF someone purposefully puts deadly bacteria ontop of a surface inside a hospital and it is a group of 100 strong & identical or cloned bacteria with no difference in genetics then wiping them out through imperfect cleaning will overall reduce pathogen deadliness. This is because there are no “stronger” pathogens vs “weaker” pathogens. They are all the same strength in this example and therefore will always get weaker when you reduce their number because they won’t reproduce to be more deadly.

>People often think when people are trying to cause them harm that would only occur when someone makes a pathogen in a lab & then deceptively goes and places some near you. This is not accurate.

-With knowing this do you see how for a hostile power there is actually LESS incentive to going through with all that work & instead a hostile power can abuse the system to cause harm? If you expect biological warfare to ONLY come out of a lab, this means you would be looking for the wrong patterns of behavior & pathogens will spiral out of control.

A lot of practices we currently use now unfortunately heavily contribute to this process that causes pathogens to get stronger.

[coochiequeens]

Unlike Maine’s female governor and 52-percent-female Democrat legislative contingent, all of whom benefited from Title IX recognizing and protecting them as women, they would have Maine girls be second-class citizens — forced to compete with males in sports, lose rights, and suffer injuries." - Robert Charles

There it is. A man, who is a father with a daughter, is calling out the women who benefited from Title IX throughout their education and now want to remove it from today's girls to toe the party line.

By Robert "Bobby" Charles March 9, 2025

Democrat-controlled states, from Maine to California, are becoming more extreme, not less. For the most part, they have learned nothing. From Title IX to higher taxes, they hurt their people. This just has to stop. Title IX provides an excellent example of Democratic extremism. On June 23, 1972, President Nixon signed Title IX, a civil rights law opening educational, sports, scholarship, and wider opportunities to girls and women. Why it took so long is another story, but suffice it to say, it was overdue. Prior to Title IX, discrimination against girls and women in education and elsewhere was defended on biology. It was rampant. Girls and women were disallowed from classes, majors, sports, learning, and hiring, forced to take certain classes and perform tasks not asked of boys. The notion that females might equal—or exceed—males in math, science, engineering, reading, writing, linguistics, law, or medicine was radical. Giving them a fair chance to try was, too. Over the next 50 years, Title IX protected biological girls and women, for the very reason that they are biologically different. Genetically, in bone, joint, muscle, respiratory structure, and dozens of other verifiable, unchangeable ways, from pre-birth to death, women are different. Just writing those words, realizing there is a need to write them, seems utterly silly. But that is the state of our political dialogue, the low bar or ridiculous nature of this debate, set by Democrats.

The main point remains: Biological girls and women — the only kind there are — deserve “equal protection,” benefits, opportunities, dignity, privacy, safety, and chances to realize their life dreams. They deserve — in society’s educational, employment, athletic, and other venues — the chance not to be intimidated, threatened, hurt, or overrun by males, dishonored, displaced, or pushed to sacrifice their God-given identity, dignity, privacy, safety, or opportunities by misapplied laws. Politics, pride, prejudice, and left-wing ideology will never redefine humanity, despite the Marxist hope to do so. They cannot redefine what is undefinable, like math, physics, chemistry, biology, the universe, and nature. They cannot redefine timeless constitutional principles or natural law.

So, where does that leave us? In places like Maine, it leaves the Democrat-controlled legislature, female governor, secretary of state, and attorney general looking silly, denying facts and law.

With girls and women succeeding under Title IX, experiencing equal treatment, accommodation, admissions, scholarships, and participation in education, from elementary to graduate schools, they are turning back the clock and disadvantaging biological women.

This crazy specter — in Maine and other states pushing ideological extremism, determined to “resist” President Trump — is a bad comedy, fast becoming a tragedy. It will end poorly, as bad policy always does. Trying to reverse Title IX’s protections is like trying to disown the Constitution.

Beyond a sweeping electoral reaction in 2026, what else might happen? Failing one-party states, like Maine under Democrat misrule, are hurting their people badly, measurably. It may get worse.

Unlike Maine’s female governor and 52-percent-female Democrat legislative contingent, all of whom benefited from Title IX recognizing and protecting them as women, they would have Maine girls be second-class citizens — forced to compete with males in sports, lose rights, and suffer injuries.

It is really, even in political terms, rather incredible. Missing is hard-won equal treatment, appreciation for biological uniqueness. Lost is the chance to shine, participate without fear of injury or injustice, scholarships, life-changing recognition, and privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms.

The brazen way this is done by Maine’s arrogant Democrat leaders is breathtaking and stirs anger. It should. As the father of a girl, Title IX and our Constitution must be honored, not lawlessly denied. Even far left California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has finally succumbed to logic and called biological males competing in female sports “deeply unfair.”

The final act, unless Maine Democrats find humility, will again slam Mainers. The Department of Justice will lawfully withhold education funds, conditioned on a governor violating established law. The same would be true, by the way, under any president and for any governor who knowingly violated civil rights. Here, the prejudice is not against a race, but against girls and women.

Bottom line: Maine Democrats — and others nationwide — need to pause, think, look at facts, and abide by the law. Otherwise, Maine families will be financially hammered. Democrats seem to care more about ideology than people. In truth, nutrition, special education, and other programs will continue — but with higher taxes. In places like Maine, already transparently mismanaged, facing a $450 million deficit, then new taxes for $120 million in Democrat overspending, taxpayers may face another $360 million in state taxes. All this was avoidable. Budgets and taxes must be cut, and girls protected. Does it get any simpler?

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC).

[tanadrin]

you say the people on Qefre know that they're non-native, but do not know how they came to be there, nor from whence they came

I understand that they've been there for some time, do they have anything on the level of myth, or even idk widespread conspiracy theory about how they got to Qefre?

There are widespread legends about the godlike beings that made Qefre habitable millennia ago and seeded it with life, eventually bringing (or some say, creating) humans to populate the planet. Many of these legends are probably even accurate in the broad strokes, they're just incredibly lacking in detail. The Qefrais generally recognize that these beings weren't literally supernatural, but were in some sense like themselves, only with much more advanced technology. They also believe that these godlike beings left behind a kind of artificial servitor-race, which advised and guided the early Qefrais, but which now are either also departed, or are no longer involved in human affairs. This is also accurate: the artificial intelligences which were once responsible for maintaining the terraforming network long ago apparently ceased to function, for uncertain reasons.

Qefre does have its superstition, ritual, and mythology, it's just that these things are not usually felt to be necessary to explain how humans came to live on this planet. It is also generally understood that, whether the original human population was created in situ or brought from elsewhere, humans originally come from another planet far away, and that this planet was probably a lot like Qefre is now. Since all life on Qefre is of common terrestrial lineage, it's probably possible to learn a bit about the natural history of that life just from studying its genetics and evolution, though of course this enterprise would be severely hampered by the lack of a fossil record or access to Earth's geological history, and by notable absences in extant species: Qefre has no non-human primates, for example. And some species, like the aquatic grasses in the equatorial seas, were genetically engineered to help manage the planet's long term climactic stability, in ways that might confuse attempts to construct a coherent phylogeny of the Plantae kingdom.

Qefrais civilization is at least 2,500 years old, and while that's quite a long time, there also was no equivalent of a long Neolithic age or hunter-gatherer societies. The earliest human communities on Qefre evidently lived in cities, already had writing and agriculture, and even (through the relics of ancient technology they obtained from various ruins) had limited access to the benefits of advanced metallurgy and sophisticated medical technology--though they did not clearly understand the principles by which these things worked.

[srbachchan]

DAY 5974

Jalsa, Mumbai June 26/27, 2024 Wed/Thu 12:56 am

🪔 ,

June 27 .. birthday wishes to : Ef Ravi Patel .. Ef Diyansh Kumbhat from Chennai .. and .. Ef Ayush Mishra from Bilaspur .. 🙏🏻❤️🚩

💍 .. wedding anniversary greeting to : Ef Rajesh Kejriwal from Kolkata .. completing 35 years of togetherness .. on June 26 .. our wishes and more .. 💐🙏🏻❤️🚩

..

Birthday - EF - Ravi Patel Thursday, 27 June our wishes for this day and the best ever .. love ❤️

Resistance .. its many forms and values and dimensions and usage .. so it became urgently important to apprise the self of it from sources ..

"Resistance is a multifaceted concept, encompassing physical, psychological, social, and political dimensions. Its definition and application can vary significantly depending on the context in which it is considered. At its core, resistance involves the act of opposing, withstanding, or striving against some force or condition. This broad definition can be applied to various fields, including physics, medicine, psychology, and social movements.

In physics, resistance is a measure of the opposition to the flow of electric current in a conductor. It is quantified by the unit ohm and symbolized by the Greek letter omega (Ω). The resistance of a conductor depends on its material, length, cross-sectional area, and temperature. For instance, materials like copper and aluminum have low resistance and are therefore good conductors, whereas materials like rubber and glass have high resistance and are good insulators. Ohm's Law, a fundamental principle in electrical engineering, states that the current flowing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points and inversely proportional to the resistance. This relationship is crucial in designing electrical circuits and understanding their behavior.

In medicine, resistance often refers to the ability of microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, to withstand the effects of drugs that are intended to kill or weaken them. Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health concern, as it makes infections harder to treat, leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. Resistance can develop through various mechanisms, such as genetic mutations or the acquisition of resistance genes from other bacteria. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals accelerate this process, making it imperative to use these medications judiciously and to develop new treatments.

Psychologically, resistance can manifest as a reluctance or refusal to accept certain thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. This concept is particularly relevant in therapy and counseling, where clients may resist discussing painful or traumatic experiences. This resistance can be conscious or unconscious and can hinder the therapeutic process. Understanding and addressing resistance is crucial for therapists, as it can provide insights into the client's internal conflicts and defenses. Techniques such as building a strong therapeutic alliance, using motivational interviewing, and gradually exposing clients to difficult topics can help in overcoming resistance.

In social and political contexts, resistance is often associated with efforts to oppose and challenge established power structures, policies, or social norms. Throughout history, resistance movements have played pivotal roles in advocating for social change and justice. Examples include the civil rights movement in the United States, the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, and the women's suffrage movement. These movements often involve a combination of nonviolent protest, civil disobedience, and sometimes armed struggle. The success of these movements typically depends on various factors, including leadership, organization, public support, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

In contemporary times, resistance continues to be a vital force in addressing issues such as climate change, systemic racism, and economic inequality. Activists and grassroots organizations worldwide are mobilizing to resist policies and practices that they perceive as unjust or harmful. Social media and digital communication have transformed the landscape of resistance, enabling rapid dissemination of information, coordination of actions, and amplification of marginalized voices.

Resistance, in its many forms, is an essential aspect of human experience and societal development. Whether in the realm of science, health, psychology, or social justice, resistance challenges the status quo and fosters progress. It embodies the struggle for survival, dignity, and betterment, reflecting the resilience and determination inherent in individuals and communities. As such, understanding and engaging with the concept of resistance is crucial for addressing the complex challenges of our world. "

... and at times the sources do not even address the most common of them all in the resistance ..

It be the pen and paper writing ..

When the pen has a resistance to the paper quality it is being written on the writing experience is determined as good bad or average ..

When the holding posture of the pen is conveniently comfortable to write, it produces the quality of writing exhibited ..

When the nib and flow of the ink on the pen is of desired like , the paper may be of the best resistance quality, the writing shall never be of the desired ..

paper same .. nib different , pen different .. sign same , but all different in form and appearance ..

GN 😴

Amitabh Bachchan

[hamliet]

Invincible: Proving the Superhero Genre Invincible

Another story I've watched recently is Invincible. I know it's based on comics, which I'll get around to eventually.

Despite masquerading as a dark deconstruction of the superhero story, the story is actually far more a hopeful coming-of-age story that just happens to don a gory costume. You can tell the writers love superhero comics, and that they aren't deconstructing it out of disdain but instead out of a desire to see what the main principles are.

In other words, it's far more akin to Hunter x Hunter's take on deconstructing shonen or even ASOIAF's spin on fantasy literature (matching the violence too) than it is a cynical, nihilistic tale with intent to ridicule. Love and friendships win the day. It's just complex to navigate them in a world where there has been so much hurt.

I wish Horikoshi had read a little more of this.

The tl;dr is that the world's Number One hero turns out to be working for a planet of alien colonizers who live forever and subjugate other lifeforms because they believe they're saving them. This gets to the heart of a thematic question often asked in the superhero genre but not often well-explored - what does it mean to save someone who doesn't want to be saved? Are there valid reasons to not want to be saved? What even counts as not wanting to be saved, and does perspective alter that? Is it not wanting to be saved for humans to cling to their fragile and short lives and free will when they could lose free will and have no more sickness and pain?

The story explores this through many different aspects and characters--from Eve being genetically engineered, to the boys turned into cyborgs, to Mark finding out his entire life has been a lie, to government bureaucracy running the superhero world. And just because the series affirms free will doesn't mean it's blind to the pitfalls of this, or that it doesn't explore the gray areas in which we live--namely, when to listen to others and obey orders, and when not to.

In addition to free will, the series affirms that one of the top gifts of humanity is love. Love is what wakes up the cyborgs when their emotions have been pried from their brains. Love is something intrinsic that can't be perfectly defined and doesn't listen to logic, yet also isn't purely emotional. It's powerful, and it's a weakness. It can save, but not always. (For example, Mark's love for his dad, the cyborg's love for his boyfriend, etc. But Eve's parents love for her doesn't save).

My favorite episode of the story is the final one in season 1, where Mark's father puts him through an overly literal lesson of the trolley problem and then tries to kill his own son. And then there's that one line:

Omni-Man: Why did you make me do this? You're fighting so you can watch everyone around you die! Think, Mark! You'll outlast every fragile, insignificant being on this planet. You'll live to see this world crumble to dust and blow away! Everyone and everything you know will be gone! What will have after 500 years? Mark: I'd still have you.

Really he has 0 reason to still want his father around at this point. And yet that single line contains so much power about what the series is saying.

Mark shouldn't still love his father, logically speaking. Even emotionally, he's determined to stop his father by any means necessary. But, he chooses to still love him, no matter what that means. Whether he lives or dies. Because whether he dies then or later, in that moment he loves his father. And it's so illogical and against what Omni-Man has been trying to literally beat into his son, yet so real, that it pauses destruction.

It doesn't fix anything. Not by a long shot. Not Mark and his father's relationship, not the world, not the plan of Omni-Man's Space!British Empire. Not Mark himself, as Mark will go on to make some pretty intensely Bad mistakes himself. But it means, in that moment, that a life is spared. And that single life is worth sparing (saving).

(This is how you write an abuser-son redemptive love arc!)

Mark and his parents are well done as characters, complex and flawed. I did wish the show had shown more of the ugly side of Debbie's grief (which they apparently do in the comics). I really would like women to be less sanitized, even if that means they act in despicable ways.

That said, the best female character is undoubtedly Eve. The special that chronicles her origin was brilliantly written--one of the best hours of TV I've watched. It's poignant and , despite being horror scifi cyberpunk in some ways, also realistic in how it portrays humanity. I appreciated that her adoptive parents were extremely complex for background characters. They desperately wanted a child, but not necessarily her. Her mom loves her, but still wishes she was someone else, and her father is just a bad dad. Of course, this is underscored by the fact that she's not their biological daughter, but I don't know that it would have been different if she was.

Plus, Eve and Mark are a great couple, though they take a bit too long to get together.

On that note, I also liked Amber as a character, but I thought the writing kind of didn't know what to do with Mark and Amber at times. Clearly they wanted this relationship to demonstrate the struggles of Mark trying to balance being a superhero with a normal high school life, but the writers were actually a bit too harsh on Mark at times. (I know, right?) I thought the main conflict between them in season 1 (about his identity) was unfairly framed as only Mark's fault when it wasn't, and it wasn't resolved in a satisfactory way.

Ultimately, though, the story is about humanity and all its ways of attempting to create superhumans. Science. Religion. Aliens. Living forever. Strength. Cyborgs. But what it affirms is that there is so much that is beautiful about humanity, and what transcends humanity are the traits we all can have--love and free will.

[eco-lite]

My favorite moments from David Mack's Control. Most of them are Garak, even though he's barely in this book...

[Text ID: “’I'm well aware that you're all fugitives of the highest order in the Federation. Nothing new for you, Doctor, or for your inamorata"—he let contempt drip off that last word—"though I have to imagine being the target of an interstellar dragnet must be something of a new experience for your friends.’” End ID]

Okay this is hilarious. David Mack establishes that Sarina Douglas (the genetically-engineered woman Julian helps in "Statistical Probabilities." Remember her?) and Julian have been in a relationship for a while, but he's also clearly a garashir shipper who loves to make Garak suffer. Jealous!Garak my beloved.

[Text ID: “Garak shot a wary look at his bodyguards, then he moved closer to Bashir. ‘Are you asking as a Starfleet officer? As a doctor? Or as a man in need of asylum?’ ‘I'm asking as your friend.... Help us, Elim.’ It might have been nothing more than Bashir's imagination, but he thought he saw the faintest hint of jealousy in Garak's eyes when the castellan glanced at Sarina. But then Garak looked back at Bashir and smiled. ‘Very well, Julian. For an old friend... anything is possible.’” End ID]

Poor Garak. This is truly painful. Especially since Julian recognizes his jealousy and doesn't ever address it.

[Text ID: “’Executions without judicial oversight? It's an obscenity masquerading as national security.’  ‘Yes. And it's also how the Obsidian Order kept total control over the Cardassian Union for nearly a century.’ That put an end to Bashir's perambulation. ‘Wait, no. I didn't mean to say—' ‘That any part of the Federation could ever have anything in common with the Obsidian Order? Or with the Tal Shiar? Oh, how I envy your naïveté, Doctor. To believe that any nation state could ever endure without having an appendage willing to stain itself in blood—what a luxury it must be to live in the arms of such delusion.’ He expected a tirade from Bashir. A red-faced defense of the Federation's principles, its integrity, its virtue. Instead the doctor reined in his dudgeon and approached Garak's desk. He set his knuckles on the polished wood and bowed his head while he drew a calming breath. ‘I can't deny there's rot in the core of Starfleet. In the heart of the Federation. I've seen it.’ He looked up at Garak, and his eyes had the hard, unyielding focus of a man ready to go to war. ‘I came to you because I need to know how to stop it. How to end it. How to destroy it.’ ‘Well, that's simple, Doctor. What worked for Cardassia will work for the Federation. To excise this cancer from your body politic, all you need to do is kill the body, burn it down to ash, then resurrect and rebuild it with wiser eyes and a sadder heart.’ Bashir's brow creased with scorn. ‘You mock me.’ ‘Not at all, Doctor. You saw what happened to this world at the end of the Dominion War—to all the planets of the Cardassian Union. The Dominion burned us to the ground. Slew all but a fraction of our population. Left us with nothing but cinders and cenotaphs. That is what it took to free Cardassia from the grip of the Obsidian Order. Are you ready to pay that price so the people of the Federation can bask in the purity of their liberty? Is it worth the blood of billions? Is it worth seeing your worlds on fire?’ ‘You make it sound as if there's no middle ground,’ Bashir protested. ‘No choice besides surrender or slaughter.’ Garak saw no reason to blunt the truth's cutting edge. ‘Why else would such programs exist, Doctor? What is the value of intelligence if it doesn't lead to action?’ This time Bashir rose to Garak's challenge. ‘What is the value of action if it betrays all that we stand for?’ His shoulders slumped as if they bore a terrible weight. ‘Garak, I didn't come here to be lectured, or to be told I'm too idealistic. I came here for advice.’ ‘Of what sort?’ ‘The kind that will help me stop Thirty-one. Permanently.’ Maybe the doctor was foolhardy. Perhaps his mission was doomed to fail. But there was no denying the man possessed the courage of his convictions. Garak tried to remember what that had felt like in his long-ago squandered youth—and then he realized, to his shame, that he had never known the sweet sting of such passions. ‘If you want to kill Section Thirty-one,’ he said, ‘you'll need to turn their greatest strength against them—transform it into their most dire weakness. They thrive on secrecy, on anonymity, just as the Obsidian Order once did. Take that away from them. Expose them and they'll be vulnerable—and that's when you strike the killing blow.’ He set his palms on the desktop and leaned forward to emphasize his final piece of counsel. ‘But make sure you leave nothing of your enemy intact. When your work is done, don't try to turn their assets to your advantage. Destroy them all, every last one—or else the monster will simply rise again.’” End ID]

Although the concept and plot of this book is really interesting, I was generally not impressed by the characterization in this book. But Garak is an exception. I love this passage because it's a brief return to Garak and Julian's cherished philosophical debates. And it so perfectly encapsulates Garak's world-view after all he's been through. He's under no delusions of how far a society will go to "protect itself." Or how hard it can be to dismantle a broken system. He's experienced both tragedies first-hand.

[Text ID: “’The codicil concerning Doctor Bashir indicated a ninety-four percent likelihood that he would seek the aid of his former lover and Deep Space Nine crewmate, Captain Ezri Dax. Instead, he ran to Castellan Elim Garak.’" End ID]

Ha. That's telling, isn't it...

[Text ID: “’Have you considered the possibility that you've chosen the wrong side?’ The question felt to Bashir like a vote of no confidence. He hoped he had heard Garak wrong. ‘What do you mean, the wrong side?’ ‘I merely mean to ask, Julian, if you've ever stopped to entertain the notion that perhaps Section Thirty-one serves a valid purpose?’ The question itself offended Bashir. ‘Don't be absurd, Garak. Thirty-one wields deadly power with absolutely no legal accountability or oversight. It commits countless crimes against Federation citizens and foreign peoples. It steals, defrauds, counterfeits, murders. It acts in the name of the Federation while betraying every principle for which we stand. Its continued existence is an insult to our entire civilization.’ Garak struck an imperious pose. ‘Really? An insult? What if that insult to your Federation is the only reason it still exists?’ He prowled forward, crossing Bashir's imaginary boundary of personal space. ‘Every nation-state in history has relied, at one time or another, on the services of such organizations for their very survival. Why should yours be any different?’” End ID]

Devil's advocate as always. But Garak has a point. Cardassia was only able to maintain it's strictly military society--the status quo--because of the Obsidian Order. Based on his own experience, it's reasonable to think that Section Thirty-one may be the only thing holding the Federation together. No matter how much its actions go against the holier-than-thou principles the Federation claims to uphold.

[Text ID: “’Beliefs are dangerous things, Julian. Once we invest in them, it can be hard to challenge them without invoking cognitive dissonance. But in this case, I suggest you try. Because if I'm correct, going to war with Section Thirty-one can only end badly for you. Either you will lose, and you and all your friends will suffer gruesome fates I'd rather not imagine; or you will win—and in so doing, end up inflicting more harm than good upon your beloved Federation.’" End ID]

Not Garak trying to predict the ending of the book. Somehow the real ending was a mix of both. And that "beliefs are dangerous things" line... Yeah.

[Text ID: (Referring to the décor of the Federation Headquarters in Paris, which is scientifically constructed to be soothing and discourage potential violent behavior) “Like the Federation's pervasive imperialism, the lobby's social controls were subtle and hideously effective.” End ID]

Damn, you said it, not me. I do love this book's determination to deconstruct every charitable feeling the reader might have about the Federation.

[Text ID: “Alone with Bashir, Garak looked at his friend. He circled in front of him. ‘Are you still with me, my dear doctor?’ He squatted in front of the hoverchair and tried in vain to make eye contact with his friend. ‘Are you blind to the sight of me? Deaf to the music of my voice?’ Bashir's silence and his wounded stare into an empty distance disturbed Garak in ways he feared to confront. This was not the man he remembered from Deep Space 9, or the confidant with whom he had trusted his private musings in the aftermath of the Dominion War. This man was detached from the world, in it but separated from it by a barrier as unbreachable as it was intangible. This was the shattered husk of a good man, the sorry remains of one who had refused to bend to the cruelties of the world and ended up broken instead.” End ID]

I didn't realize this book leads directly into Una McCormack's Enigma Tales (excellent book, go read it!) until this point. That knowledge makes this moment hurt more, I think.

[Text ID: “There was naught left for Garak to do now but keep his friend safe, in a clean and well-lit place, and give him whatever time he needed to heal himself—or at least to die in peace, with his last measure of privacy intact and jealously guarded by someone who loved him.” End ID]

Time to curl up in a ball and stare into the middle distance for a while...

[pheebslu]

Story #1

Guys, this is a Miguel O’Hara fanfic, my first ever work of fiction written ever (apart from all those English paper projects.) I wrote this when I was extra bored, and I kept it marinating on my notes app. English is NOT my first language, and I am NOT responsible for the second hand embarrassment I make y’all feel. Without further ado, hope you beautiful people enjoy.

11:59 PM Nueva York, April 2nd.

Party on a typical suburban mansion from a rich boy whom you barely even know of — he is the friend of one of your friends.

You had not planned to come. You didn’t even know of the event completely, your friend telling you about it just a few hours ago.

A few hours ago, when your boyfriend had just broken up with you — ex boyfriend, more so. It felt wrong to say such… yet, you kind of saw it coming. Him being the opposite of attentive, the contrary of emotionally intelligent. You wondered how you even allowed yourself to date this guy.

It was getting quite late, at least for what you were used to. You’d be better off at your dorm, finishing off any assignments due, taking advantage of time as best as you could. Yet here you were, partying — for what you understood of the term. It felt good to have a friend by your side, the day hadn’t gone exactly well.

“You okay, hun?” Your friend cut you off your daze.

“I’m alright, hun.” You blinked more than enough times, smiling up at them as they seemed to offer you a drink. You loved how affectionate with their words they were, repeating them yourself in a way of admiration.

They smiled back, a frown sliding across their face as soon as you seemed to cut eye contact.

“Look, I know what happened today. I know you might not feel your best— honestly, I don’t even know what I was doing by inviting you here but—“

“It’s alright.” Your voice remained calm in the midst of their anxiousness.

“I just thought distraction might be good…”

You sighed softly, a tiny smile decorating your lips.

“I’m fine, really. Parties might not be might thing, especially right now but— I get to be accompanied, and that I like.”

Your friend’s eyes seemed to shine, tears threatening to fall from how much your words and yourself meant to them.

“You’ll be fine, just know that.” They placed a hand on your shoulder blade, the warmth managing to comfort you a bit. You gave them an acknowledging nod.

“Let’s try and dance a bit. C’mon, girl.” You chuckled, grateful at their attempts to keep you away from it all.

1:03 AM Nueva York, April 3rd.

Seems that it is true when they say the party is just getting started. The music seemed to only get louder by the second and your feet ached immensely from the heels you dared to wear today.

You scurried away from the crowd, keeping an eye on your friend as they seemed to dance happily around everyone else. You smiled almost nostalgically, wondering how to be more like her. Maybe you just needed your time.

You roamed around the house, passing people by, finding comfort in the personal things that decorated the house. Photos, vases, pens and books. Finally, you found yourself a seat. The house was big, the amount of people in it even bigger. You considered yourself lucky for finding a free couch.

The room had a coffee table with several papers and documents in the center of it, other two sofas surrounding it. Several people were scattered around it, yet it was not the same chaos as the room you were once dancing in. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business, talking and laughing alongside their friends.

You sat down, a quiet exhausted gruff coming out from your mouth. Reaching down, deciding to remove your heels, you took note again of the documents in the coffee table. Genetics? You squinted your eyes, trying to read more of it. Genetical Engineering: VOLUME I - Principles, mechanism and expression. Well, someone’s a nerd around here. You leaned back in your seat, looking for something to distract yourself with — a rubik cube? Someone’s definitely a nerd around here, you though again chuckling at the thought.

You grabbed the cube, playing and distracting yourself with it for a while. You knew time had passed, the room getting quieter by the moment. Your eyes seemed to get tired, too. Quietly shutting them until you were half conscious.

Thud, thud, thud

Heavy muted steps were heard at the entrance of the room.

You would’ve liked to open your eyes, put a face to the presence you felt entering the area.

Too tired, your body decided to let go. The cube escaping from your fingertips.

Swoosh

You felt a breeze of air brush your face, opening your eyes from disconcert.

“You’re breaking my stuff, nena.”

You met gaze with a pair of pretty brown eyes, mellow profound voice. Adversary to the defined and sharp facial structure that stared up at you with amusement.

You shot yourself off the couch, tumbling and tripping from your fast, almost reflexive movement. You rested your hand on whatever offered you steadiness— his firm shoulder.

“Sorry!” You yelped, taking a quick step back from the figure.

“S’alright.” He got up from his kneeling position, rubik cube in hand.

His height kept getting larger and larger as he seemed to straighten up, a quick shiver running down your spine. You kept glancing around the room, his eyes themselves never really leaving yours.

“Someone’s past their bed time, eh?” He smirked, tilting his head to the side.

You relaxed a bit, comforted by his nonchalant nature. A soft chuckle escaped past your lips. “I was just taking a break— from dancing.”

“By solving a rubik cube? Don’t even want to know what you do in your free time at this point.” All over again, he made you smile. Looks like he knew how to ease someone’s nerves successfully.

“Y/N.” You extended your hand, warm smile plastered on your lips.

“Miguel.” He took your hand, a firm confident shake. It was cordial, seemingly entertained. It began to feel suspiciously long — you quickly retreated your hand.

“So…” You began, trying to continue the conversation. “The rubik cube, yours?” Of course it was his, are you deaf? You wanted earth to swallow you just for the question you just asked.

He nodded, his lips seeming to fail at hiding an even bigger smile.

“Ajá, mío. You were solving it, weren’t you?” He inspected the piece, his brows slightly kneading together.

“Trying to, at least.” You let out an airy cackle.

“Better than anything.” Creases formed around his eyes, a homely feeling lingering around the air of the room.

He sat down on one of the sofas, yourself following along by sitting on the opposite side from the coffee table. Then, there you saw him: furrowed brow, lower lip bitten down. Solving the cube like the strings that held his life together depended on it. Quick rough fingers working fervently on the block. Soon enough, the colors seemed to match. Each corresponding to a specific side. He extended his hand to you, a perfectly solved rubik cube that looked almost tiny in his palm.

You smiled eagerly, mouthing an amused wow. He laughed at the sight, a deep rumble that came from the bottom of his chest.

“I can teach you, chula. If you let me, I’ll show you the trick behind it.” He evidently winked, though you were to shy to admit it and process it yourself. You took the cube off his hand, careful fingertips taking ahold of it. You smiled.

“I’m a fast learner.” He smiled back at you, even bigger than before. He swore he could already feel the wrinkles form around his eyes, cheeks aching from how long his expression had unconsciously stayed the same. He really didn’t mind eitherway.

1:43 AM, Nueva York. April 3rd.

Time is relative. Passing by slowly when crucial moments rely on uncontrollable outcomes. Passing by quickly when enjoyment is found on the simple occurrences.

Time with your new acquaintance, Miguel, seemed to break all the rules.

Career choice, family relations, general hobbies were discussed in the first five minutes of the conversation. Turns out he actually lives in this very same house. His brother, Gabriel, being responsible for the occurrence of this party. You two quickly turned to topics like beliefs, specific niches, a tad of political overviews and controversial opinions around science. Laughs were shared, inside jokes were made. Time went rhythmically, at a specific nearly ideal pace.

“No, no, no!” Miguel screamed slightly, trying to hush himself immediately after he attracted attention to himself. “‘M not letting a roach nest form on my house just ‘cuz — ‘cuz you think it’s got a family to sustain and — and kids to… to care for!?” He pinched his nose bridge, tone in his voice that showed a tint of disappointment and disbelief.

You felt almost light heated from all the laughter, it was funny how over dramatic he was.

“It’s basic human decency. Moral etiquette, compass — you name it!” You responded, flickering tears off your eyes.

“Etiquette mis huevos. Dios mío.” He shook his head, dragging a hand across his face. Looking back at you, all teary eyed and beaming smile — he caved in, warm chortle whose vibrations you picked up even across the table.

You both took a second to calm down, eyes meeting once again with a tenderness that could make a thousand of glaciers melt easily.

You coughed into your hand, parting your gaze away.

He raised a hand onto his neck, scratching impulsively.

“Want to get a drink, chula?” You liked the softness and tenderness in which he said things.

You nodded. He stood up almost in command, walking besides your couch and offering you a hand. Oh. You took it. Timidly brave. He helped you stand up, close attention to detail in your face. Once your eyes found courage to look at his, he was now nervous. “Just so you don’t fall.” He added quickly as the tremble in his voice did him dirty. You smiled. He made you smile.

You two walked downstairs. Your hand on the railing, his on the middle of your back. The sound of music became louder, drowning your senses alongside your reasoning.

He guided you through the dance floor, more so — the living room. You two finally reached the kitchen. He made sure to sit you down on a stool near the counter, bowing jokingly after he did so. You giggled. He walked towards the opposite side of the counter.

“‘M gonna make you…” He opened the fridge, “Una de mis revolturas.” You raised an eyebrow, confused at the sudden change of language. You had practiced a bit of Spanish in High School, yet it never really stayed in your head.

“Special drink for a special person.” He clarified, grinning slightly at your expression. He took out a couple of lemons, condensed milk and a cup of ice. You’d wanted to see what he was making, yet the enormity of his annoying quite-sculptured-but-you-won’t-admit back was getting in your way. In between the loud music, you swore you heard a blender going off. Soon enough, Miguel placed in front of you a fizzy sparkling yellow colored drink.

“Okay, show off.” You teased him, not wanting to admit the drink looked quite appetizing. He laughed, tilting his head.

“Va pues, rate the show off.” He gave you a cheeky smile, wanting to reciprocate the behavior.

Placing the cup near your lips, you looked up at him. He gave you a nod, eager to see your reaction. You smirked, taking a swig. A rich smooth and bubbly flavor danced around your tongue, sweet and sour combining perfectly.

“Oh, okay, well — This is very nice!” You couldn’t help hiding the excitement in your eyes. Surprised at how good the drink actually was.

Miguel laughed audibly, pampered by your reaction. Crazy how he liked seeing you just like this. Crazy how he wanted more of your time.

Talking becomes an easy thing for the two of you, immediately finding a topic to discuss about. Everything was so easy, so casual. He talked, you talked. You talked, he inevitably followed along. Silences were not a sign of uneasiness, just veneration.

A tune catches his attention, his brows raise in thrill. He taps his fingers along the counter. You find the song rather nice, bopping your head from side to side. You look at his hand, following the same rhythm. You look into his eyes, now boring into yours. A smile is shared. A moment is saved.

“Let me dance with you, flaca.”

And so you did. Making your way onto the dance floor, his hand grasped softly around yours. And he didn’t strike you as a dancer. And he, himself, wasn’t even sure of his movements, yet he had the necessity of — dancing, with you. His hand didn’t let go, not like you wanted such. He gave you a twirl, earning a laugh from you. That eased him out, his shoulders relaxing visibly. Your feet adapted to the rhythm, Miguel looked down so he could follow you along. You cackled fondly at how out of rhythm he was, grabbing his forearms tightly so he didn’t loose a beat. He followed along, still laughing at himself. His hands left specks of warmth along your body, making everything feel out of focus. You liked the irony of that, feeling intimate around other million of people. Like a tulip. Many layers, the closer to the center, the more tender. And so you got closer to each other. Your hands in what could reach of his shoulders, his hands along the curve of you lower back. And you two probably looked like two awkward teenagers playing twister, and yet it felt right. And if you moved away the slightest, he pulled you back firmly. Although he wasn’t going to admit such.

“You know, you’re a pretty bad dancer for someone who has really nice reflexes.” You laughed, raising your voice so he could hear you clearly.

“Compliment?” He leaned down, not taking his eyes off of you. You shrugged, smirk tugging the corner of your lips.

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #36 – Life Does Not Allow Us To Meet by He Xi

I read this basically entirely because it got a hugo nomination, and assuredly would never have tried it otherwise – I literally wouldn’t even have heard of it, let alone be able to get my hands on a (digital) copy. So I went into this with frustratingly little context. Overall I’d call it an interesting read if not necessarily a loveable one.

The story follows a trio of explorers being sent to the colony of Caspian Sea, decades after the previous attempt to check on its progress was lost in a freak FTL accident. The planet, seeded with a population of genetically engineered ‘pioneers’ - humans modified to thrive in its environment - needs to be graded for suitability, and the colonists introduced to advanced technology and welcomed into humanity. Unsurprisingly, things do not go according to plan – the last mission’s destruction wasn’t as reported by the lone survivor, and the population has strayed increasingly far from the plan the Constitution of Earth demands.

Its heritage is of course entirely different, but the story was just incredibly reminiscent of old Golden Age American sci fi to me. The reason is some combination of style and content, I think. It’s overwhelmingly a novella of dialogue and exposition – pages at a time are dedicated to one character explaining a principle of the story’s science or technology to another. With the exception of the very final reveal, the whole plot is dialogue explaining the laws which the story is an expression of or decisions that they had already made – ‘action’ in any sense is in very short supply (despite the genocide). Reminded me of reading my dad’s ratty old paperbacks in the basement as a kid. Oddly nostalgic reading experience.

Prose-wise the story does come across as slightly stilted? Or maybe distant is the better word. Characters emote and have strong reactions, but in nearly every case it felt a bit tell-not-show. I’m not sure how much of that is from the original and how much is an artifact of translation (such is life for the tragically monolingual). While I mean, I’m fairly certain the translation could have been more graceful in places (I simply do not believe that referring to the original colony ship as Big Ship as a proper noun reads the same in English as whatever the original Mandarin was), but beyond that.

Speaking of being in translation – this is a story that made me desperately wish I was more properly familiar with the Chinese SF scene. If only because my initial reaction to it is that it’s obviously in conversation with the whole Three Body Problem series, but also those are literally the only two works of Chinese science fiction I’ve read so I really have no knowledge at all of the wider context they’re both swimming within.

Regardless, Life’s presentation of alien life absolutely does rhyme with Three Body’s, right down to the same examples of historical genocides being used to make the point. The xenophobia is presented as policy rather than an actual law of history, but it feels like a very intentional reference (and the story clearly considers it at least plausible if not necessarily self-evident). Which is what drives the central moral drama of the story – that despite the most careful possible genetic engineering, stellar radiation has left the pioneers of Caspian Sea incapable of reproducing with earth-born humans, and so made them functionally a different species. And thus, by the constitution of earth, axiomatically a potential threat to the survival of humanity that must be exterminated out of hand.

Going from Children of Memory (a series motivated in large part by wonder and joy at the idea of truly nonhuman intelligence, and possessed of ironclad faith in the potential of cosmopolitan, liberal societies to integrate wildly disparate parts) to this was something of a shock.

The book’s vision of humanity is kind of interesting, honestly. Subspecies modified to thrive on different planets, but capable of interbreeding to ensure some level of biological solidarity or shared destiny or something. Not making drastic changes to the appearance, even if it means awkwardly hiding gills under arm pits or not even trying to colonize worlds that would require exuding a thick mucus layer, basically explicitly to make sure that everyone will still find each other fuckable. Fascinatingly shallow, almost?

Anyways yes, interesting ideas and central drama, let down some by prose and execution. Very Asimov.

[justpentdraws]

very curious about your soldier au...

so glad to get an ask like that!

dropping some unposted art while i explain the long version under the cut

so the basic premise of this au follows xisuma - a geneticaly engineered special force soldier in a dystopic nation without a country; it's only known as "the Army", because the only thing left of it is the armed force, restlessly tearing through all land that isn't theirs and leaving behind only burnt remains and "the Fog" - thick smoke that seems to travel with them. generaly, their ideals are really racist and even holocaust-esque, following a principle that was forgotten so long ago there isnt a single source where it's been written down. all generals are dead set on one goal - to kill and burn, to burn and kill.

x and ex (pictured above) are both clones created from the genetic material of "the First General" - the legendary man who started this madness and died before he got to see the horrible consequences of his actions. the only difference is the two have been modified to have additional organs near their necks that allow them to manipulate the highly condensed Fog with their breath, which in a concentration as high as what they can produce is a deadly poison gas.

they might be geneticaly identical (which makes them sorta-twins), ex's Fog manipulation skills seem to be inactive; deemed more safe for direct contact with others, he is being trained to eventually take a high position in the Army. he's even thought to be eventually able to bring the nation back to its "former glory", back when the First General was alive.

xisuma, however, has proven to be quite skilled at breathing the Fog, and dispatched to lead a tiny special force division (consisting of whopping five people, himself included). the whole problematic of the au focuses on the contrast between him and ex; specificaly, the fact that it's specificaly being great at what he was made to do being the reason he gets constantly played down and dehumanised - the clone of the most important possible person for hypertraditionalists who are also fucked in the head is treated no better than a glorified smoke grenade. and the mask he wears? its airtight, designed to fit his face perfectly. when activated, it lets no liquid, gas, or any other state of matter for that matter (ba dum tss. that was pretty clever wasn't it) slip through, and to deactivate it, another person has to type in a code on the back, near the clasp. basicaly, once activated, the mask ensures that even if accidental (or deliberate) usage of the Fog takes place, the only casualty will be xisuma himself. oh yeah! he is not immune to his own poison, which means he can very much kill himself if he isn't careful.

now for the reason you probably asked, that is wels (and by proximity, hels, because it was a drawing of him that i posted earlier)! wels is obviously a part of xisuma's tiny division, and also a dragon in human(ish) form. he was taken hostage when he was a tiny baby and raised among the soldiers, which can only mean two things:

1) he was never properly taught how to dragon

and

2) what he was taught is that he is strange (killing machine style) and also a lot of propaganda.

so, as you can see, a delightful package indeed. the flaws are plentiful - one of the worst certainly being the fact that the difference between the Army's nation and dragons makes it plain impossible for a dragon raised by them to safisfy their natural urges and behaviours. you may be wondering, surely the soldiers have seen another dragon by now, how bad can it be? well, you would be correct. they saw the dragons, sure. they also killed every single one of them on sight, only finding the almost-abandoned nest by pure chance. as far as the Army is concerned, there are no other dragons. it led a war against them, like against every other nation it came across, and inevitably it won. wels is the last, with a deeply rooted imposter syndrome and an allarming amount of unresolved health issues (both mental and physical). a worth mentioning coping mechanism of his would be his fixation on knights - he is absolutely caught up with the idea of noble warriors in shining armour, protecting the weak and fighting for grace. the idea of fighting for a reason brings him peace - a reason he never had, but liked to tell himself he did.

okay but you are surely wondering, how does hels fit into all of this. and i would absolutely love to give you a full and satisfying answer, but i could talk about his character for the entire lenght of this post and then some more, and this one is already getting pretty long, so i will try to condense the most important stuff!

as you probably expected, there are still dragons. after all, its hard to kill out something as large and powerful as them. wounded and grieving, most of them never making full recovery, they retreated into the tallest mountains of the world, seeking shelter in their cold, stormy peaks. one of them happens to be hels - a terribly scarred dragonet, left out of the carnage just because he was thought to already been dead. everybody, including his parents (both died from wounds later on), were convinced he was the miracle, the only survivor from the ravaged nest. well, we know how that went so lets skip ahead! how do wels and hels meet? well, you see, wels' health issues get worse and worse, and the generals refuse to react. his division is told to either deal with it themselves, or to let him die. through a series of surprisingly convenient events, they get a hold of an appaerently surviving dragon, who, after seeing the terrible condition in which wels was left, decides to help. on one principle - they will get wels out of there, even if it costed them their life. hels in return teaches them how to treat dragon wounds, and how to prevent most common diseases.

and now, i slumber, cause its late at night and i just spent two hours typing this out

im so glad you asked anon! if you want any more info (other members of the division, clearance on some stuff, anything literaly), feel free to ask! figured it will be better to split the info between a few posts cause that is an absolute wall of text

[projectpandora]

𝚂𝚄𝙱𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 : PANDORA'S ANNUAL TEAM-BUILDING INITIATIVE, HELL WEEK. 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 : UNDISCLOSED, CLASSIFIED BIOSPHERE. 𝙳𝚄𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 : ONE-HUNDRED SIXTY-EIGHT HOURS. 𝙾𝙱𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙴 : SURVIVAL, ADAPTATION, OPERATIONAL COHESION. 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃 𝙻𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙻 : VARIABLE, DYNAMIC ESCALATION.

WELCOME TO HELL WEEK.

every  agent  thinks  they're  at  the  top  of  their  game—  until  they're  dropped  into  the  middle  of  nowhere  with  no  weapons,  no  gear,  and  only  the  people  they  can  trust. but pandora believes that the strongest bonds are forged in fire. and collaboration and cohesion have always been the  guiding  principles  behind  hell  week. this  annual  pandora  team-building  event  is  less  of  a  corporate  retreat  and  more  of  a  psychological  stress  test  wrapped  in  a  sadistic  survival  challenge, designed to force operatives to work together, weeding out those who refuse and cannot cooperate with others toward a common goal. operatives  will  be  unsupervised and unmonitored after being inserted  into  an  artificially  enclosed,  high-threat  environment  with  no  access  to  external  support,  weapons,  or  pre-supplied  resources.  and over  the  course  of  one  week,  they  will  be  subjected  to  hostile  terrain,  unpredictable  environmental  hazards,  and  relentless  adversaries  engineered  to  exploit  every  possible  weakness. failure  is  not  an  option.  there  is  no  quitting. trying to survive alone is nearly impossible and will most likely result in death. each agent will be placed separately from one another, thus, the  first  challenge  is  to  find  each  other before something else does.  then, you must survive  the  week.

𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴 & 𝙴𝙽𝚅𝙸𝚁𝙾𝙽𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂.

the  training  area  is  a  fully  self-contained  artificial biosphere,  a  vast  expanse  of  land  encased  in  an  invisible,  high-frequency  energy  dome.  this  construct  is  impassable  by  all  known  methods— climbing,  digging,  and  forced  breaching  are  ineffective. the surface  area is  approx.  400  square  miles,  comprising  multiple  biomes with unpredictable  light  cycles,  shifting  magnetic  fields,  and  active  environmental  manipulation  that can create  distorted  perceptions  of  time  and  space. sudden,  violent  temperature  shifts  ( ranging  from  -20°c  to  45°c )  will also occur  with  no  pattern.  hypothermia  and  heatstroke  are  imminent  risks. biomes found in this biosphere include : – the fog forest, where sight and sound dull into near-nothing. some areas with this biome also contain airborne fungal spores that can cause visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and increased disposition toward anger and violence. – the sink marshes, where land appears solid one moment but can collapse and swallow unwary agents whole the next. huge predatory amphibians also lurk beneath the surface, ready to attack whenever they sense anyone nearby. – the stone canyons, where a network of jagged cliffs, caverns, and narrow pathways can easily trap and disorient agents. the paths shift, landmarks vanish, and rock formations stretch and compress without warning, creating a maze difficult to get out of. food and water sources, supply caches, as well as wildlife, will be mostly present in these biomes, making them unavoidable for agents who want to survive. there will also be safer terrains scattered across the map where operatives can setup their camps, but they will not be safe from any invading or patrolling hostile entities.

𝙴𝙽𝙴𝙼𝚈 𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴 & 𝙷𝙾𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙴 𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙴𝚂.

aside from hostile genetically-engineered wildlife such as bears, wolves, coyotes, alligators, predatory birds, and various venomous insects, the artificial biosphere will also contain numerous atlantis life model decoys with their directives adjusted to hunt down our operatives. – porter, the hospitality models, are equipped with a voice modulator that can mimic voices perfectly, including operatives, luring them into traps. these androids will also use flash-inhibitor grenades, releasing hallucinogenic gas that causes delirium, distorted perception of time, and an overwhelming sense of comfort. they also have knives hidden in their forearms, deploying only when their victim is at their most vulnerable. – derek, the managerial models, are equipped with aerial surveillance drones that will track operatives' movement and relay locations to other units. they also carry high-frequency pulse batons capable of disrupting nerve signals upon impact and cause temporary paralysis. they also deploy shock mines near resources, designed to immobilize trespassers for easier capture. however, these androids will not pursue at full speed, but rather herd targets toward dead ends, choke points, on into the path of porter and manny models. – manny, the labor models, are built for raw power, tearing through any obstacle, not ever stopping even if damaged, continuing to move move forward and dragging himself if necessary until complete obliteration. these androids wield reinforced sledgehammers, capable of breaking barricades and bones, while also using concussion charges to disorient, deafen and leave targets vulnerable. these models can also adapt to an operative pain tolerance, inflicting worse if they fight through an injury, speeding up if they slow down, destroying everything in the way if they hide.

𝙾𝙾𝙲.

welcome to our first event, a camping trip meets hunger games ! while the event will only be one week in-game, we will threading this event from 12 midnight est of february 22nd to march 8th. please tag event starters with the usual pandora.start but also pandora.event ! you may choose to pause or continue non-event threads for the duration of the event, but any new starters ( closed and open ) must be for hell week. i also encourage everyone to plot each other as there are many possible circumstances they can find themselves in during this event. the goal is forge bonds with other agents and find all the ways they can work together !

[karmicgold]

for as long as he’s existed walking among the stars,   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊   went through a load of self discoveries.   both ethically and morally … and physically.    ⟢   𝙉𝙎𝙁𝙒   

SUMMARY : 𝙂𝙀𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙄𝘾 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙂𝙍𝘼𝙈𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙂

   ⟢      𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌's   genetically-engineered species alone was curated to find the “ideal mate” meeting their own genetic material in the pursuit of a new superhuman birthing of people.   it was confirmed they fashion themselves;   even if it means changing their clothes,    gender,    and proportions,    to try and seduce the targeted mate.   as seen through ayesha when she went from being a genetically - engineered man known as paragon,    to then being known as her,    otherwise now kismet,    who became pregnant with quesar’s child when she found him “suitable”.   when a superhuman finds their mate,    they don’t seek to stop in their instinctual pursuit to couple.   but if they don’t couple,    they usually tend to give up.   which is what   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  did.

now speaking in terms of intimacy for   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌,  he will subconsciously just watch others with his pale eyes. he cannot help but factually imprint what someone’s appearance / genes may contribute to the development of his race if not extend it.   like any human,    he does have the tendency to get aroused or become sexually active.

   ⟢   however,    he does find it incredulously difficult to appropriate his body’s needs into action.    he will usually just occupy himself when downtime is inevitably encountered.   reading in between the lines was not one of   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌's  strengths.   he is completely inexperienced in all matters of sexuality;    to which he only recently learnt of being frankly forthcoming with almost anyone,    regardless of the entity or gender.   he’s kissed a woman before,    though not much less lay with a woman.   he’s been in the body of a female but never bedded men.   he’s never followed the basic human principles.

he had never pictured himself forming any sexual relationships. how could he?   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  was a traveling cosmic voyager with little to no time to explore himself.   the fate of the world rested on his shoulders,    which,    to be fair,    it did.   how could he be so selfish as to delve into pleasures of the flesh when he should be more critically concerned with the fate of the universe he dwells in?   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  has insecurities that very well orchestrates into ignoring the instinctual needs he was genetically programmed to follow.

   ⟢   when encountered however,    he finds that he loves immersing himself in kissing / guidance leading up to.   it helps his body rekindle that lost instinct to help instruct and guide him.   be it with one or many partners,    he needs their guidance.   with their lips.   their hands.   anything to help assimilate what he was originally warranted to do.

   ⟢   with his vast knowledge and excessive attention to biology,   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  is very adept at spotting where blood runs hottest.   his keen eye because of his genetic programming helps guide him where it may bring pleasure to his partners.   he loves suckling the nipple and biting.   he loves giving head and stimulating the genitalia. there’s just something empowering about getting a reaction.

   ⟢   he really needs to be emotionally guided into sex.   he wants consent and will ask for consent.   he never does anything if it is not explicitly implied.   𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  isn’t a very gluttonous person,    often starving himself of pleasure when it doesn’t call for it.

   ⟢      𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  certainly masturbates.   but it is not an activity he avidly takes advantage of considering he is practically watched under the name of cosmic law and accordance.   if it is certainly someone he’s grown quite fond of,    he cannot help but use his cape and hide his golden body so he wouldn’t be ashamed of watching himself.   soft grunts and groans,    trying to coax friction into his rigid length.

   ⟢      𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌  is quite fond of missionary,   cowgirl,   and sometimes on the knees.   he wants to honor his partner’s body with his hands,    feeling along the fissures and definition of muscle,    see where their veins may lay lead him.   perfect human he is, he found perfection in his lovers.   he wants to honor his partners when having sex.   whether he’s allowing himself to be vulnerable or take control.

   ⟢   he had an affinity for laying back and feeling the sensation bestowed to him. he’s so often called ‘pretty’ or ‘handsome’ more often the feminine term — he subconsciously offers his body to be explored as well. he loves when his pectorals in particular are touched,    the rumbling through his artificial lips.   he might have a slight gratification for being revered in bed,    almost treated as some forbidden angelic entity engaging in sex.

[juniebugs]

assigning marvel heroes engineering majors (1)

i tried to write this so it makes sense even if you don't know much about engineering!! this post has my headcanons for peter parker, steve rogers, tony stark, and clint barton!!

as a preface, i am very aware that most of the marvel heroes would not in fact be in school for engineering even in an alternate universe. unfortunately, my fixation on both superheroes and engineering knows no bounds.

please feel free to ask me any questions about eng or for further explanation my reasons for these picks!! i am only in one type of eng but know many people in other disciplines so hopefully i'll be able to answer :)))

Peter Parker - Mechanical & Biomedical

I truly, truly believe the correct peter parker engineering take depends on what portrayal of spiderman you are looking at. like tobey's spiderman? would not touch biomed with a pole let alone mech. ... that peter parker is so far from engineer...... i dont even know where i would put him. materials? pls send your opinions if you have them.

BUT MCU, tom holland, spiderman would definitely definitely be in mechanical & biomedical. i actually got this from an irl friend, so if you see this somehow pls say hi LMAO

mechanical is one of the most common streams of eng and, while absolutely not something i ever want to touch, is really neat. it centers around keeping things in motion (contrary to civil engineering where if something is moving you're in trouble). it applies physics in really cool ways which i imagine would be a draw to peter just on the sole basis of personal interest. mech also plays with materials as it explores elasticity, deformation, fractures, yield strength, and other materials things i have blocked out LOL. when i think of that aspect i feel like it matches really well with the designed suit, the webs, and, if you listen to the science jargon he throws around in the movies, some of his prior knowledge.

biomedical engineering is actually used by some (the insane) as a gateway into med school. it covers human anatomy and genetic engineering (radioactive spider????). i do not believe peter would do med school too (because that student debt tho) but i also can't imagine him not trying to apply what he learns to helping others. i am personally partial to applying engineering principles to physiology and i can just imagine him implementing his mechanical knowledge into making prosthetics. if i had the brain power for this degree i would love to do that.

Steve Rogers - Civil Engineering

.... listen. steve rogers would fight a war before sitting in an hour lecture about dirt. i know this and acknowledge this wholeheartedly. HOWEVER,,,, I have a friend in civil with a special interest on sustainable design and you cannot, cannot tell me that isn't steven rogers coded.

civil engineering is not architecture, like at all, which i think is a common misconception if you don't know engineering well ( totally understandable!) unfortunately, i don't think civil caters to his artistic side that well but as someone who likes art but only does it as a hobby next to eng, i think thats okay.

civil engineering is kind of the mother to environmental engineering in the sense that they both look into wastewater treatments, geology, and even environmental planning (in some cases) but civil will also go into more detail with structural components and design of buildings. you'll find civil engineers involved in every building being made and in every town council ensuring clean drinking water and working sewage systems. typically they specialize into one or the other but shhhh ignore that for this post.

what i am trying to say here is that this would give steve a shit ton of wiggle room which i think he would use to help both the environment and people. paying engineers is expensiveeee especially for qualified, capable ones. i think steve would find deep satisfaction in working either for free or for the bare minimum cost (not that you should - know your worth :) ) and i think that he would actively use his work to call out designs that endanger communities or their environments.

this man knows his local engineering ethics code and WILL call someone out.

Tony Stark - Engineering Physics

when i started writing this section i thought it was going to be the easiest but unfortunately i did in fact have to phone a friend. tony stark is THE engineer so narrowing him down to one discipline felt impossible. my friend suggested engineering physics so i went with that.

the thing is eng phys is THE engineering degree. it is wonderful because you look at almost every thing mech, elec, and comp related (will explain more below) without specializing too greatly. it is also difficult because you don't specialize. for tony stark, who did not have to go into that internship grindset mentality, it would all be net positives.

to make the suit i immediately knew tony needed to have an extremely good knowledge on BOTH electrical (circuitry, coding, wires, magnetism, fun stuff) and mechanical (explained in peter's section!!). i was considering a double major but then was stumped because i love my elec and mech friends but they have no desire to produce a new element and also... creating an arc reactor??? plus AI's??? while likely related to software, it he would have bare minimum had to have had a good computer engineering (kind of how it sounds, engineering related to building and using computers and components of computers, lots of overlap w/ elec) background.

to wield the amount of science knowledge tony stark has an be able to apply it in an engineering context he would either have to be a genius (which like canonically he is so yknow) or take every course offered to engphys students (and some).

i think as a student he would have also enjoyed that not having to specify aspect. i imagine him always in the pursuit of knowledge. yay eng physics!!!

Clint Barton - Materials Engineering

If you've read the reasonings for some of the characters above you have likely thought to yourself "wow, such clear arguments, time must have been put into this" which like yes but also no because for this decision i am going exclusively on vibes.

materials focuses on, well, materials. it looks at both composition and properties (plus how composition effects properties). my friends in matls tell me its pretty research heavy which doesn't really fit with clint, i am aware. but every person i have met from this faculty i am convinced would get along with him.

I KNOW THIS ISN'T GREAT REASONING. i think that engineering would always be second to other things or interests in his life (even when he's a student) but I think the promise of a stable job and the hypothetical applications are really interesting. matls and mech can be surprisingly similar and i think he would find more satisfaction in manipulating materials to better fit his goals than in being stuck within predefined constraints.

plus, imagine creating a new material for like the tensile strength of your bow. incredibly cool

I'm thinking i'll work on doing more of these as i find the time!! i definitely have a few ideas for other characters, i just need to figure out how to articulate my reasonings haha.

if you have any ideas or shared interest in engineering and superheroes please let me know!! i have also been recently into the bat family, as you could probably tell by my reblogs, and am thinking of doing a version with them also!!

[iteratedextras]

Provide protection from gravity for ten years, then people's estimate of truthfulness of Newton's laws will decline.

The baseline rate of ethnic conflict in the 21st century is still unknown. We don't know what the long-term effects of the Internet and machine translation are, or what the impact of genetic engineering will be. (However, genetic engineering may merely result in a different variety of ethnic conflict, not the abolition thereof.) What we can say with certainty is that it isn't zero, and the Internet has not destroyed ethnic conflict yet. There is still a war going on in the Middle East, after all.

Telling the pro-immigration faction to try actually governing properly is a conditional fork.

Either the pro-immigration faction actually provide protection from ethnic conflict, or they don't.

If they are unwilling to provide protection, then there is no need to engage in detailed arguments about the exact elasticity of demand for guys with 30 years of MySQL experience. If they do not provide protection, then they are not committed to meritocracy as a general principle, so there is no need to engage them on it.

If they are willing to provide protection in the United States, but unable to do so, then supporting them will not obtain meritocracy, so any question of meritocracy is preceded by a question of how to obtain it.

If they are willing and able to provide protection within the United States, but ethnic conflict continues to rage around the globe and they are unable to shut it down in other countries, then we can have a discussion about the effectiveness of the shut-down mechanism and whether it can be exported.

If they are willing and able to provide protection in the United States and it turns out that the conflict everywhere else was just downstream of conflict in the United States for some reason (which makes more sense for Europe than it does for other places), then, congratulations! 🎉#the normative goal of economics is world peace🎉

Some day I will probably develop a more general and complete theory of immigration. For now, however, this conditional fork should help you to shut up members of the right-wing pro-immigration faction, including the "mediocre native men," "inferior natives lol," and "borders are DE&I" arguments that are designed to make opponents look like "losers that are afraid to compete on the global market."

[beer4breakfast19]

Dystopian authoritarian fiction has long served as a mirror reflecting society's fears and anxieties about power, control, and the loss of individuality. Authors like Aldous Huxley and George Orwell are central figures in this genre, crafting narratives that remain profoundly relevant.

The Foundations of Dystopian Fiction The genre gained prominence in the 20th century, with Huxley's Brave New World (1932) and Orwell's 1984 (1949) standing as seminal works. Huxley's vision depicted a society pacified by pleasure, consumerism, and genetic engineering, while Orwell's world was one of surveillance, propaganda, and brutal authoritarianism. Both authors explored themes of dehumanization, the manipulation of truth, and the suppression of dissent.

Other writers have expanded on these themes: - Ray Bradbury: His novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) critiques censorship and the erosion of intellectual freedom. - Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale (1985) examines gender oppression in a theocratic dystopia. - Philip K. Dick: Works like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) delve into questions of identity and reality under authoritarian systems. - Yevgeny Zamyatin: His novel We (1924) is often considered a precursor to Orwell's 1984, exploring a regimented society where individuality is suppressed.

Music and Film Inspired by Dystopian Themes The influence of these authors extends beyond literature into music and film: - Music: Bands like Pink Floyd (The Wall) and Radiohead (OK Computer) have drawn on dystopian themes, exploring alienation and societal control.

- Film: Movies such as Blade Runner (inspired by Philip K. Dick), The Matrix, and V for Vendetta reflect the genre's core concerns. Adaptations of 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale have brought these narratives to new audiences.

Nine Inch Nails and Gary Numan fit well into the realm of dystopian-inspired music. Both artists have explored themes of alienation, societal decay, and technological dystopia in their work. - Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor, the creative force behind Nine Inch Nails, has often delved into dark, dystopian themes. Albums like The Downward Spiral and Year Zero reflect a world grappling with control, despair, and the consequences of technological overreach.

Reznor's music combines industrial rock with haunting lyrics, creating soundscapes that resonate with dystopian fiction. - Gary Numan: Known for his pioneering electronic sound, Numan's work often portrays bleak, dystopian landscapes. Albums like Replicas and The Pleasure Principle explore themes of alienation and the dehumanizing effects of technology. His more recent works, such as Intruder, continue to reflect dystopian concerns, including environmental collapse and humanity's disconnection from nature. Both artists have drawn inspiration from dystopian narratives and have, in turn, influenced the genre with their unique musical interpretations. Their work complements the themes found in dystopian literature and film, making them integral to the broader cultural conversation.

Dystopian fiction continues to evolve, resonating with contemporary issues like surveillance, climate change, and technological overreach. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to challenge us to question authority and envision alternative futures.