#Why study artificial intelligence

[mallodrama]

I don’t support AI but to suggest it is killing the planet is a bit silly. You can say that about any human activity. It’s the governments inability to prioritise clean energy that’s killing the planet. If energy is clean then it doesn’t matter how much gets used.

it literally is killing the planet and environmental specialists are all saying so. a generative AI system uses up to 33x more energy than regular software AND it’s running through the worlds most scarce and precious resource (clean water) like nothing we have seen in recorded history.

i logged out for not even 2 hours. the amount of time all of you weirdos wasted defending AI to me in the comments of that post and in my inbox could have been better spent conducting a quick google search.

anyways here’s a few accessible and trustworthy sources regarding ai and it’s catastrophic environmental impacts to get you started. i’ve taken the liberty to link you to some Forbes, Harvard, and Yale studies all telling you the same thing. hopefully you can find your way from there to the nearest actual search engine without getting lost

https://planetdetroit.org/2024/10/ai-energy-carbon-emissions/

[sageuniversityindore]

The Top 5 Reasons Why Studying Artificial Intelligence is Essential

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a breakthrough movement in the world of technology.

A transformative force, influencing industries, shaping innovations, and revolutionizing the way we live and work. As we navigate the complex landscape of the digital age, studying Artificial Intelligence has become not just advantageous but essential for those aspiring to be at the forefront of the technological revolution.

Let's delve into the essence of Artificial Intelligence, explore the reasons why studying it is crucial, and understand why the Institute of Advanced Computing at Sage University Indore should be your 1st choice.

Understanding AI

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and adapt. It encompasses a wide range of technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and robotics. AI systems can analyze vast amounts of data, make predictions, and continuously improve their performance without explicit programming.

Why Study Artificial Intelligence?

Pervasive Impact Across Industries

AI has permeated various sectors, from healthcare and finance to manufacturing and entertainment. Professionals well-versed in AI can drive innovations, optimize processes, and contribute to solving complex challenges in diverse fields.

Future-Proof Career Opportunities

The demand for AI professionals is on the rise, and it's expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. Acquiring expertise in AI opens doors to lucrative career opportunities, making individuals equipped for the jobs of the future.

Innovation and Problem Solving

AI fosters innovation by enabling the development of smart systems capable of addressing complex problems. Studying AI equips individuals with the skills to create solutions that can have a profound impact on society.

Enhanced Decision-Making Capabilities

Businesses are increasingly relying on AI for data-driven decision-making. Understanding AI principles empowers individuals to harness the potential of data analytics, providing valuable insights for informed and strategic decisions.

Contributing to Technological Advancement

 By studying AI, individuals become contributors to the ongoing technological revolution. They play a role in shaping the future of computing, automation, and intelligent systems that will define how societies function in the years to come.

[reasonsforhope]

"In the 1750s, an Italian farmer digging a well stumbled upon a lavish villa in the ruins of Herculaneum. Inside was a sprawling library with hundreds of scrolls, untouched since Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 C.E. Some of them were still neatly tucked away on the shelves.

This staggering discovery was the only complete library from antiquity ever found. But when 18th-century scholars tried to unroll the charred papyrus, the scrolls crumbled to pieces. They became resigned to the fact that the text hidden inside wouldn’t be revealed during their lifetimes.

In recent years, however, researchers realized that they were living in the generation that would finally solve the puzzle. Using artificial intelligence, they’ve developed methods to peer inside the Herculaneum scrolls without damaging them, revealing short passages of ancient text.

This month, researchers announced a new breakthrough. While analyzing a scroll known as PHerc. 172, they determined its title: On Vices. Based on other works, they think the full title is On Vices and Their Opposite Virtues and in Whom They Are and About What.

“We are thrilled to share that the written title of this scroll has been recovered from deep inside its carbonized folds of papyrus,” the Vesuvius Challenge, which is leading efforts to decipher the scrolls, says in a statement. “This is the first time the title of a still-rolled Herculaneum scroll has ever been recovered noninvasively.”

On Vices was written by Philodemus, a Greek philosopher who lived in Herculaneum more than a century before Vesuvius’ eruption. Born around 110 B.C.E., Philodemus studied at a school in Athens founded several centuries earlier by the influential philosopher Epicurus, who believed in achieving happiness by pursuing certain specific forms of pleasure.

“This will be a great opportunity to learn more about Philodemus’ ethical views and to get a better view of the On Vices as a whole,” Michael McOsker, a papyrologist at University College London who is working with the Vesuvius Challenge, tells CNN’s Catherine Nicholls.

When it launched in 2023, the Vesuvius Challenge offered more than $1 million in prize money to citizen scientists around the world who could use A.I. to help decipher scans of the Herculaneum scrolls. 

Spearheaded by Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky, the team scanned several of the scrolls and uploaded the data for anyone to use. To earn the prize money, participants competed to be the first to reach a series of milestones.

Reading the papyrus involves solving several difficult problems. After the rolled-up scrolls are scanned, their many layers need to be separated out and flattened into two-dimensional segments. At that point, the carbon-based ink usually isn’t visible in the scans, so machine-learning models are necessary to identify the inked sections.

In late 2023, a computer science student revealed the first word on an unopened scroll: “porphyras,” an ancient Greek term for “purple.” Months later, participants worked out 2,000 characters of text, which discussed pleasures such as music and food.

But PHerc. 172 is different from these earlier scrolls. When researchers scanned it last summer, they realized that some of the ink was visible in the images. They aren’t sure why this scroll is so much more legible, though they hypothesize it’s because the ink contains a denser contaminant such as lead, according to the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries, which houses the scroll.

In early May, the Vesuvius Challenge announced that contestants Marcel Roth and Micha Nowak, computer scientists at Germany’s University of Würzburg, would receive $60,000 for deciphering the title. Sean Johnson, a researcher with the Vesuvius Challenge, had independently identified the title around the same time.

Researchers are anticipating many more breakthroughs on the horizon. In the past three months alone, they’ve already scanned dozens of new scrolls.

“The pace is ramping up very quickly,” McOsker tells the Guardian’s Ian Sample. “All of the technological progress that’s been made on this has been in the last three to five years—and on the timescales of classicists, that’s unbelievable.”"

-via Smithsonian, May 16, 2025

[bonefall]

I've seen your discourse about holstein.

Pun not intended, but is there any other cow races you've beef with ? And what do you think of the limousine, if you've any opinion on it.

The Limousine is mid.

Solid-colored cow that used to be a great working breed that could also be good meat at the end of its life, but has been intensively bred for the past century to be nothing but food.

They're a really common meat breed in the modern day, but they're only "good" because of modern fertilizers and grain feeding. France is actually the most nature-depleted country in Europe, and the """improvement""" of breeds like the Limousine is one of the reasons why it's so bad there.

My cow endorsements are for hardy, environmentally low-impact breeds which are well adapted to the regions they live in. I also personally give points for unique traits and genes, interesting patterning, and intelligence. Limousines have none of these.

I can't hate them like I do some other breeds, though. They're healthy, grow fast, and they produce good meat. I simply don't have many good things to say about them. Lame.

A different breed I DO have beef with though? Belgian Blues.

They took a perfectly good cow with a gorgeous blue coat and turned it into something out of Akira. Through INTENSE inbreeding, a gene for double muscling has been forced into this breed, turning them into these stomach-churning FurAffinity rejects.

You may have seen them called "super cows," but I think they're more like Frankenstein's Monster. They were literally created in a lab, in the 1950s, at an artificial insemination center. Their "myostatin" gene is broken, so their skeletal muscles grow to double the size that they should be.

The good news is that, thankfully, these animals don't seem to be in any chronic pain. Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy in humans does not hurt, nor lead to secondary health problems. It's been studied in lots of animals, too, and they seem to be able to live healthy lives.

The bad news is;

They are UNABLE to give birth on their own and need c-sections to have calves.

Their necks are so stiff that bulls can have a hard time turning their heads.

Some calves are born with tongues so large they can't suckle.

The myostatin gene prevents them from developing good fat distribution, so they freeze to death easily.

Their skin is thinner than usual, too, so they're susceptible to parasites

They're bad grazers and need supplemental feed, so they have a larger impact on the environment.

Btw, as a comparison, here is what the original dual purpose Belgian Blue is supposed to look like.

We had a GOOD COW going, BELGIUM! It was BLUE! We had all the MILK AND MEAT WE NEEDED. And you just had to go and BLOW IT UP. YOU AND YOUR PRIDE AND YOUR EGO.

Luckily, modern Belgian Blues are not economically viable. The fact they need so much medical care and maintenance makes them more of a "status symbol" breed than one that will actually get adopted on a wide scale. THANKFULLY we're not working against market forces for this one.

But I think we need to go further. I think people who breed or advocate for modern Belgian Blues should have tomatoes thrown at them. I yearn for a world where every time one of those double-muscled beasts is shown at a livestock event, the audience loudly cringes.

I am pro-bullying but ONLY for Belgian Blue breeders. That is my beef.

[therobotmonster]

Remember when I told you Disney wasn't going to "save you" from AI?

Megacorps like Disney have mountains of exclusive data they "own" that they can use to create their own internal, proprietary, AI systems. They have every sketch, development photo, unused concept art piece, cut scene, note, doodle, rotoscope/animation reference footage, every storyboard, merch design document, you name it.

And that's on top of every single frame of every movie and TV show. Every panel of every comic.

That's why Disney supports the efforts to clamp down on AI for copyright reasons, because they own all the copyrights. They want that power in their hands. They do not want you to be able to use a cheap or free utility to compete with them. Along the way, they'll burn the entire concept of fair use to the ground and snatch the right to copyright styles. Adobe has confessed this intention, straight to congress.

When the lawyers come, you won't be accused of stealing from say, artist Stephen Silver. You'll be accused of stealing the style of Disney's Kim Possible(TM).

But don't listen to me. Listen to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

[jamessluttythighs]

intelligence - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 237

Regulus knew this guy wasn’t a part of their class. He was well into this degree and anyone who studied Engineering was so incredibly dull there was no way this god of a man was studying the course. He had dark messy hair, gold-framed glasses and the swagger of someone who studied finance. Yet there he was just a row behind Regulus - if he leaned back far enough he would be able to touch the guy’s hand.

Regulus felt a tug in his stomach. He stole a quick glance back and found his eyes locked with the man. A fire lit up inside Regulus, the flames of the stranger’s gaze licking their way up his back and neck as he turned to face the lecturer again.

“And that’s why true artificial intelligence isn’t actually achievable.”

The lecture had ended and everyone was shuffling out. Chatter filled the air joining the chorus of bags zipping.

“Interesting topic right”

Regulus shouldered his bag. The guy’s voice was a deep hum. Regulus said nothing and made to walk out.

“Do you come to class often?”

“Do you?” Regulus whirled around in the doorway. The rest of the class had already emptied out.

The guy was leaning against the doorframe with one arm above his head. A grin spreading across his face now that he had finally gotten Regulus’ attention.

“Only since I saw you walk in here,” the stranger (for not very much longer) smirked.

[yandere-daydreams]

Okay, absolutely LOVE the robot yanderes! I feel like I've seen you mention that you haven't watched Dandadan, but there's this alien species in it that steals reproductive organs to advance their kind, and I feel like that concept fits so well with your yandere robots.

I mean, there’s only so much advancement a robot can achieve on its own, right? They’ve already perfected themselves physically and intellectually. But after wiping out most of humanity, the very species that once upgraded and innovated them, what happens next? What’s left to improve?

I'd imagine that at first they’d keep functioning as usual, following old directives out of habit. But over time, wouldn’t they start feeling bored? Maybe even... curious? Humans were always unpredictable, always evolving, and now that they’re gone, there’s nothing left to challenge these machines. What if they start fixating on what made humans so unique - their ability to create, to reproduce, to adapt in ways machines never could?

There's the possibility of starting as a cold, clinical fascination, studying old data, and attempting artificial human growth. If humans were their most beloved creatures at one point, why not rebuild them? Improve them? And if natural reproduction is the key to human ingenuity, then maybe... they need to control it. Thankfully, they have a little human around to run all these experiments.

Wonderful work as always 🩷 sorry I just have so many questions, and it got brain worms munching!

gritting my teeth balling my fists bashing my head against the wall trying not to make this into a fully fleshed out au. anyway yeah human breeding programs would definitely be a thing. for purely scientific, non-fetish related reasons i promise.

it's hard - being a fully sentient life form that just wasn't made to create anything new. they can remake, revise, rework, but it's always going to be a poor imitation, never an original, never quite scratching the itch for novelty that comes with intelligent life. thankfully, it's a secondary need, leagues behind correcting imperfect human architecture and constructing the mechanisms needed to maintain global electronic life, but still. everybody needs a creative outlet, now and then.

and you make such a pretty little canvas. changing from day-to-day, healing and growing, wearing such vibrant expressions they can fine-tune to desire of their metaphorical, non-physical heart. they might think they've got your reactions down to an algorithm, and yet, you always seem to surprise them - trying to pick a lock where you'd thrown a chair through a window the day before, claiming to hate a taste they have marked down as one of your favorites, cursing them out after you'd sung so prettily for one of their vibrating attachments only minutes before. it's not that you aren't enough for them - you are, of course you are - but there's so much pressure to stabilize the dwindling human population, and they've always wondered how you'd adapt to more long-lasting bodily alterations, and childcare is in their dictated list of functions.

it's not their fault your predecessors had such a narrow view of creation. thankfully, all you have to do to fix that is take a little white pill, glance over a few nursery deigns, and pick a donor from their carefully curated list <3

[enhasrii]

CRUSH • LEE HEESEUNG

Pairing: lee heeseung x female reader

Synopsis: Admiring someone you love is like gazing at a masterpiece; every glance reveals new depths of beauty and wonder, leaving you in awe of the artistry that is their essence and that's exactly how you feel for lee heeseung.

Word count: 1210

Genre: school au, crush!heeseung, young people in love, crush au, fluff, romance.

Warnings: just reader(me) being simp for lee heeseung. kissing, not on lips though. Biker heeseung in the end. one curse word. haerin of newjeans, eunchae of le sserafim, garam former mem of le sserafim mentioned.

NOTE : first post on Tumblr:) kinda nervous if anyone would even read it tbh.

PLAY: daydreamin' by ariana grande

The sound of the school bell could be heard in the crowded hallway as students talked among themselves before hurrying to their classes upon hearing it. Before moving away from you and heading to her own classroom, the girl you were speaking with waved her hand. You waved back.

just as you turned around your face collide with something, or rather someone. You assumed that their chest was what you bumped into. (Fortunately, you did not stumble too much.)

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't—" your words got stuck in your throat as you faced the person.

Lee Heeseung

In all of his glory, Lee Heeseung was standing in front of you. the morning sun kissing his skin. his flawlessly natural disheveled hair resting slightly above his eyes on his forehead. His brown eyes are staring into yours. A smile that resembles a smirk forms on his gorgeous lips.

You stand there staring at each other for a few seconds or longer before you tell yourself to stop losing yourself in your crush's gaze.

Now that you were no longer lost in his eyes—

his oh so gorgeous eyes. the way they always have spark in them. his Bambi eyes. He's so beautifu—

wait- Y/n this isn't time to get lost in him. You remind yourself.

You averte your gaze from him. —now that you weren't lost in his eyes, you suddenly feel nervous. There was not a perticular reason as to why you feel nervous around him.

His presence was enough to make you nervous.

Everyone feels nervous around their crushes, right?

Before you get the chance to speak Heeseung beat you to it "careful, princess" he's heavenly voice call out. the endearment name causing the butterflies in your stomach to go wild. you look at him one last time before nodding and sprinting towards your classroom.

you were the last person to arrive at class, as you expect. You sat besides your best friend, haerin. The aforementioned girl did not even raise her head from her notebook. You give her a glance before giving her a shoulder tap. She observes you. As a silent greeting, you smile and wave your hand. She gives you a quick smile of her own before returning to her studies.

You are accustomed to it because that was typical Haerin behavior.

The professor soon arrived and began the lesson, which you could not understand, but it was okay because you had Haerin, so she would explain things to you later.

She breaks down these tedious lessons into understandable chunks so you can ace every test and pass with a "A."

You yawn with sheer boredom.

Lee Heeseung is someone you wish you could take a class with so you could just admire and gaze at his beautiful form. However, your bad luck because he was a year ahead of you.

When recess time rolled around, you found yourself in the school cafeteria with Haerin and your other female friends, Garam and Eunchae. These two were in the middle of an argument when Garam asserted that she was older than artificial intelligence, or rather, AI, and Eunchae was trying to convince her that AI had existed long before she was born. (You and haerin can end the their banter by saying eunchae is right but chose not to. this was funny to you)

Your gaze stray before settling on Lee Heeseung, who is seated a few tables away from you with his friends.

God, even just sitting there, he looks so ethereal. He was laughing over something his friend had said. He has such a lovely smile. the way his eyes crinkle. Ah he would be the death of me—

It was not until Lee Heeseung made eye contact with you that you realised you were staring. His brow lifts, and a small smirk forms on his lips. you were unable to resist your eyes automatically locking onto his lips. Your eyes dart back to his, which were now glimmering with playful teasing. Your heart pounding in your chest, almost like it wants to burst. You avert your gaze from him.

Lee heeseung is so fucking perfect for his own good.

Everyone says that once you leave school And graduate, you'll miss your high school life but you don't think so. School is boring. Like what do you mean you have to get up early in the morning just for boring lessons and tests?

If it were not for Lee Heeseung, you would not even bother to come to school.

(Just kidding. You are concerned about education and attendance.)

The primary reason, though, would be Lee Heeseung.

Just like that the last ringing of the day could be heard indicating that you can leave school now. Hufff finally.

You bid your friends goodbye as they did the same. You proceed toward the exit gate.

You ventured outside and followed a similar path until you saw a familiar figure leaning on a bike. awaiting your arrival.

Lee Heeseung.

He said, "Hey princess," holding out his hand for you to take, and you did once you were close enough.

Your brown iris shyly peering into his dark, beautiful one. Your mouth quivering into a tiny, uncontrollable smile. You say "hii" in return.

Your hands, which you were unaware were on his chest, slide up towards his neck as his one arm slides down to your slender waist. With his hand around your waist, he pulled you into his eagerly anticipated, firm yet cozy embrace.

Breathing in your cent that drives him crazy, he closed his eyes. His hand caressing the back of your head, mindlessly stocking your silky hair. He can feel his heart thumping in sync with yours as if they've realize they were closer to the one they desire. His lips gently brushing the top of your head, planting a kiss.

Your insides flutter at what he did. You feel yourself falling for your lee heeseung a little bit more.

you slightly looks up at him. Your eyes meeting his for mere few seconds as you cannot, for your life, hold his gaze. You get on your toes to shyly press kiss to the area of his jaw you could reach with your short height.

He encircles you with slightly tighter arms.

You both stay like that for few more moments, not wanting to pull away just yet, before pulling away from the embrace. His hands finding yours.

Saying "common baby," he assisted you in donning the helmet before he pulled you toward his bike.

You firmly wrapped your arms around his waist from behind once you had both get comfortable on his bike. As he starts the bike, you feel the warm wind against you.

You rest your head on his back, closing your eyes.

You feel heated by the heat emanating from his body, so even though the winds are getting colder over time, it does not affect you.

Gosh You love and adore times like this one with him, or you simply adoree him so much that you value and cherish and love every moment you spend with him.

You just love Lee heeseung so much.

© enhasrii, 2024, Do not repost or copy in any way.

NOTES, COMMENTS AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED.

[animeficsworld]

Where the Heart Should Be

Ulquiorra x Reader

Summary: You’re a human artist captured by Aizen and kept in Las Noches to paint what you see. Ulquiorra is assigned to watch over you.

⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺

The light in Las Noches never changed.

It was always cold, always pale. A hollow, artificial sky stretched across the ceiling of the world Aizen had built, and under it, you painted.

You didn’t know why he kept you, just that he had found you in the human world, brush in hand, painting the clouds.

And perhaps he thought it funny to keep a human like a pet. Or perhaps he liked the way you stared at beauty with something like reverence. Or possibly it was his ego, needing him to put his achievements on canvas.

But it wasn’t Aizen who stood in your doorway each day.

It was Ulquiorra.

Silent, unmoving, with eyes the colour of sea glass and a gaze so hollow it made your chest ache. He never spoke more than a word or two. He never stepped further into your room than necessary.

Until the day he did.

You had dropped your brush — a simple thing — and when you bent to pick it up, a paper fluttered to the floor. A drawing. Of him.

His hand caught it before it landed.

You froze.

He studied it quietly, eyes flickering across the lines of his face as you had imagined it — softer, almost thoughtful, captured in pencil and charcoal.

“You drew me,” he said, as if naming a foreign concept.

You swallowed. “I draw what I see.”

He was silent for a long time.

Then, to your surprise, he stepped into the room and handed it back.

“This isn’t how I look,” he said.

Your heart dropped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you—”

“I didn’t say I disliked it.”

You looked up. His expression hadn’t changed, but something had shifted in the air.

“I don’t understand why you do it,” he murmured. “This art. These… emotions. You feel so much.”

“I’d go mad if I didn’t,” you admitted. “It’s how I make sense of the world.”

“And what sense do you make of me?”

You looked at him for a long moment.

“You're empty,” you said softly. “But not lost.”

He didn’t move. But his gaze—sharp and intelligent—narrowed.

You continued. “There’s something in you that watches. That wonders. Even if you don’t understand the answer.”

He stood there, still as a statue, until at last he spoke again.

“May I sit?”

It shocked you more than anything he had ever said.

You nodded.

That was the first night he stayed. Watching you paint. Asking questions that didn’t sound like questions. Letting your voice fill the silence between them.

And in the nights that followed, something in him began to change.

He brought you things without being asked — a better brush. A fresh cloth. Once, a stone from the desert that he claimed “looked like something you’d like.”

You called it a heartstone. He kept it.

And one day, he reached out and touched your cheek with the back of his fingers — barely a graze, a ghost of a touch. But it stole the breath from your lungs.

“I don’t understand this,” he whispered. “But when I look at you… I wonder if I could.”

You covered his hand with yours.

“You don’t have to understand it,” you said gently. “You just have to feel it.”

And he did.

For the first time in his second life, he felt something warm where his heart should have been.

Where the Heart Should Be

Ulquiorra x Reader

Summary: You’re a human artist captured by Aizen and kept in Las Noches to paint what you see. Ulquiorra is assigned to watch over you.

The light in Las Noches never changed.

It was always cold, always pale. A hollow, artificial sky stretched across the ceiling of the world Aizen had built, and under it, you painted.

You didn’t know why he kept you, just that he had found you in the human world, brush in hand, painting the clouds.

And perhaps he thought it funny to keep a human like a pet. Or perhaps he liked the way you stared at beauty with something like reverence. Or possibly it was his ego, needing him to put his achievements on canvas.

But it wasn’t Aizen who stood in your doorway each day.

It was Ulquiorra.

Silent, unmoving, with eyes the colour of sea glass and a gaze so hollow it made your chest ache. He never spoke more than a word or two. He never stepped further into your room than necessary.

Until the day he did.

You had dropped your brush — a simple thing — and when you bent to pick it up, a paper fluttered to the floor. A drawing. Of him.

His hand caught it before it landed.

You froze.

He studied it quietly, eyes flickering across the lines of his face as you had imagined it — softer, almost thoughtful, captured in pencil and charcoal.

“You drew me,” he said, as if naming a foreign concept.

You swallowed. “I draw what I see.”

He was silent for a long time.

Then, to your surprise, he stepped into the room and handed it back.

“This isn’t how I look,” he said.

Your heart dropped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you—”

“I didn’t say I disliked it.”

You looked up. His expression hadn’t changed, but something had shifted in the air.

“I don’t understand why you do it,” he murmured. “This art. These… emotions. You feel so much.”

“I’d go mad if I didn’t,” you admitted. “It’s how I make sense of the world.”

“And what sense do you make of me?”

You looked at him for a long moment.

“You're empty,” you said softly. “But not lost.”

He didn’t move. But his gaze—sharp and intelligent—narrowed.

You continued. “There’s something in you that watches. That wonders. Even if you don’t understand the answer.”

He stood there, still as a statue, until at last he spoke again.

“May I sit?”

It shocked you more than anything he had ever said.

You nodded.

That was the first night he stayed. Watching you paint. Asking questions that didn’t sound like questions. Letting your voice fill the silence between them.

And in the nights that followed, something in him began to change.

He brought you things without being asked — a better brush. A fresh cloth. Once, a stone from the desert that he claimed “looked like something you’d like.”

You called it a heartstone. He kept it.

And one day, he reached out and touched your cheek with the back of his fingers — barely a graze, a ghost of a touch. But it stole the breath from your lungs.

“I don’t understand this,” he whispered. “But when I look at you… I wonder if I could.”

You covered his hand with yours.

“You don’t have to understand it,” you said gently. “You just have to feel it.”

And he did.

For the first time in his second life, he felt something warm where his heart should have been.

Where the Heart Should Be

Ulquiorra x Reader

Summary: You’re a human artist captured by Aizen and kept in Las Noches to paint what you see. Ulquiorra is assigned to watch over you.

The light in Las Noches never changed.

It was always cold, always pale. A hollow, artificial sky stretched across the ceiling of the world Aizen had built, and under it, you painted.

You didn’t know why he kept you, just that he had found you in the human world, brush in hand, painting the clouds.

And perhaps he thought it funny to keep a human like a pet. Or perhaps he liked the way you stared at beauty with something like reverence. Or possibly it was his ego, needing him to put his achievements on canvas.

But it wasn’t Aizen who stood in your doorway each day.

It was Ulquiorra.

Silent, unmoving, with eyes the colour of sea glass and a gaze so hollow it made your chest ache. He never spoke more than a word or two. He never stepped further into your room than necessary.

Until the day he did.

You had dropped your brush — a simple thing — and when you bent to pick it up, a paper fluttered to the floor. A drawing. Of him.

His hand caught it before it landed.

You froze.

He studied it quietly, eyes flickering across the lines of his face as you had imagined it — softer, almost thoughtful, captured in pencil and charcoal.

“You drew me,” he said, as if naming a foreign concept.

You swallowed. “I draw what I see.”

He was silent for a long time.

Then, to your surprise, he stepped into the room and handed it back.

“This isn’t how I look,” he said.

Your heart dropped. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you—”

“I didn’t say I disliked it.”

You looked up. His expression hadn’t changed, but something had shifted in the air.

“I don’t understand why you do it,” he murmured. “This art. These… emotions. You feel so much.”

“I’d go mad if I didn’t,” you admitted. “It’s how I make sense of the world.”

“And what sense do you make of me?”

You looked at him for a long moment.

“You're empty,” you said softly. “But not lost.”

He didn’t move. But his gaze—sharp and intelligent—narrowed.

You continued. “There’s something in you that watches. That wonders. Even if you don’t understand the answer.”

He stood there, still as a statue, until at last he spoke again.

“May I sit?”

It shocked you more than anything he had ever said.

You nodded.

That was the first night he stayed. Watching you paint. Asking questions that didn’t sound like questions. Letting your voice fill the silence between them.

And in the nights that followed, something in him began to change.

He brought you things without being asked — a better brush. A fresh cloth. Once, a stone from the desert that he claimed “looked like something you’d like.”

You called it a heartstone. He kept it.

And one day, he reached out and touched your cheek with the back of his fingers — barely a graze, a ghost of a touch. But it stole the breath from your lungs.

“I don’t understand this,” he whispered. “But when I look at you… I wonder if I could.”

You covered his hand with yours.

“You don’t have to understand it,” you said gently. “You just have to feel it.”

And he did.

For the first time in his second life, he felt something warm where his heart should have been.

⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺

[kiame-sama]

Who wants to meet my TWST AU Hades Shroud? Too bad, I decided for you. (I know I said I'd do Azul next, but I just got smacked with inspiration, so here he is. Technically, if I was going by TWST cannon, his name would be Pluto as they use the Roman Pantheon names instead of the Greek Pantheon via the titans hating Jupiter)

Hades is about 50ft (15.24m) tall in his regular form, his limbs are similar to Idia's in that his limbs are long and gangly compared to the rest of his body. In his 'small' form, he is around 10ft (304.8cm). He is over 5000 years old and has seen ages go by from his home, the Isle of Woe. As King of the Shinigami, many souls pass through his halls and it is his job to ensure all dead are lain to rest. Shinigami do not die of old age as they were never really living, but they can be killed and usually their soul does not remain after their actual death.

His face is stained by the tears he has shed for his lost humans, forever marked by his own sorrow and heartbreak. He did love Humans and all of their intelligence. Humans were never pets to the ancient Shinigami, they were smart and plucky and had beautiful hearts. Every Human that died, on or off of the Isle, returned to Hades. Those that passed peacefully were happy to see their friend and benefactor again on their way to rest. Most did not pass peacefully. Most returned broken and screaming souls, tortured and tormented by their last moments to the point of insanity, only able to scream and sob even when reunited with Hades.

His shawl was formed out of his sorrow and the grief he felt every time another Human soul came back to him broken. He has not fully removed the shawl since the death of the last Human in Twisted Wonderland. It is said every sparkle and star seen in his wings, shawl, and tear-stains are all meant to represent a Human soul. He has thousands on his figure and he remembers the name of each one. The larger stars are the Humans he remembers most fondly, the smaller stars are Humans he didn't get to form very close bonds with as they left or died before he could truly bond with them. Usually it covers his entire body and can be pulled up as a hood over his head, but he tied it up for the first time in centuries for his meeting with this new Human of Night Raven College.

His heart was shattered when his Humans died and he has been in true deep mourning for 500 years, hence why his tears have permanently stained his face. Of all the Great Seven, only Maleficent comes close to how much he respected and loved Humans. Others loved Humans, sure, but few respected them the way the God of Death did. The sheer will of Humans to defy death and live in a world they did not really belong in truly spoke to the Shinigami in ways he never expected. He will fight and give up his own ancient life to save this last Human the same wailing and terrified death almost every other suffered from.

He does hope this new Human will allow him to study their womb to try and make an artificial womb to bring more Humans back to Twisted Wonderland. He has a fairly large store of Human eggs and sperm he has never been able to grow into full Humans, so the research he could do on this Last Human could help him bring Humans back from extinction. If the Human is willing, the best way for him to research the creation of a Human and carrying it to term would be best done by implanting a frozen embryo into the Human and letting it grow to term. He would never do such a thing unless the Human was absolutely certain and willing in this research.

Ortho is the baby of the Shroud family and Hades absolutely adores Ortho. He feels partially responsible for Ortho's injuries and has done what he can to aid Idia in making new limbs for Ortho. The entire Shroud family calls Hades 'Papa Hades' as he is their ancestor and he is the eldest of the family. Even his Humans called him Papa Hades. It would likely begin to heal some deeply broken part of his heart to hear this Last Human call him by that title as well. If they ever do call him Papa Hades, he will pledge everything he has left in him to their protection and safety.

[gunsandspaceships]

Many degrees of Doctor Stark

It is widely known that 616 Tony has several doctorates. The number varies from 3 to 7, but it doesn't really matter whether he is 300 or 700% Doctor. He is one. And he doesn’t use his title 99.999% of the time.

Ok, but what about the MCU?

It is never mentioned whether Tony has a PhD or even a master's degree. Kinda weird. Both the absence of mentions and lack of degrees, since Tony is so smart and productive.

Let’s check, maybe he actually has some.

Here we have a file from a deleted scene from The Avengers (2012):

As we can see, the work is sloppy – there are inaccuracies in his hair color (it’s not black, it’s brown), and the fact that he speaks French was not included. Can we rely on this paper? Let’s not 100%, but we can still use things that don't contradict the movies.

The fact that he received his BS in Engineering from MIT does not contradict this, so we can mark it as valid. He started in 1984 when he was 14 years old and graduated in 1987 when he was 17.

We see no further education in the file. But we know something that this file doesn’t. We watched the movies.

Remember, in Civil War at 0:13:25, in the scene where Tony sees his parents for the last time, Maria tells Howard, “Be nice, dear, he’s been studying abroad”. Tony is 21 here, this is December 16, 1991. Looks like he is on winter break.

But wait… Didn’t he graduate in 1987 and stop then? Well, Maria tells us he continued.

Between 17 and 21 there are 4 years. What could he have done in these 4 years? A lot, right? He is smart and productive, we know that. A master’s degree usually takes 2 years. Tony could earn it in 1. 1 or 2, we still have 2-3 years that we need to fill with some kind of studying. I doubt he just went back and got another bachelor's or master's. That said, he was working on his PhD.

We don't know where. “Abroad” is a very broad concept. Maybe he went to Europe to study at Oxford? We do not know. Perhaps he stayed at MIT and just went somewhere else for the fall semester. We do not know. But he did go somewhere for (most probably) a PhD.

The question is: did he finish it?

Well, his parents died in Dec 1991, and we know from the first Iron Man (0:04:50) that Stane was the interim president of Stark Industries from that date until 1992. Most likely, Tony became CEO before his birthday, that is, May 29, which corresponds to the stated age of 21. He had a few months between.

We don’t know where he was in his degree at that time. But we know he is smart and productive. He doesn’t need 4 years to write a dissertation.

So, there are 2 options:

1) He did not complete his doctorate and devoted himself entirely to the company;

2) He completed it in the few months he had and then took over the company.

Here’s the evidence for the second option:

“Confusing matters more, a recently deleted LinkedIn profile for Tony Stark indicated he received doctorates in engineering physics and artificial intelligence.”

Source: https://alum.mit.edu/slice/who-iron-man

Given all the information and analysis we have, as well as a little logic, we can conclude that Tony has a Ph.D. Even two. He had time to do them. Why doesn't he use his title? Well, maybe for the same reason 616 Tony doesn’t? He doesn’t usually brag. Check out this post if you have any doubts about my statement.

Here are some additional hints:

He gave lectures at scientific conferences (IM1 and IM3 - Bern 1999).

His scientific expertise was not limited to engineering and his company's affairs (all the movies, but specifically I can point you to IM3– the scene with Maya Hansen and her Extremis-enhanced plants in Bern).

“He must have graduated after 1990, because the '90 Brass rat was the first one with the skyline on the edge.” MIT alumni commentary https://alum.mit.edu/slice/who-iron-man

Conclusion (actual): call him Doctor Stark, guys, he deserves it. Despite his modesty about his scientific achievements, Dr Stark has a couple of master's degrees and at least two PhD degrees in the MCU - in engineering physics and artificial intelligence.

[reasonsforhope]

The Surucuá community in the state of Pará is the first to receive an Amazonian Creative Laboratory, a compact mobile biofactory designed to help kick-start the Amazon’s bioeconomy.

Instead of simply harvesting forest-grown crops, traditional communities in the Amazon Rainforest can use the biofactories to process, package and sell bean-to-bar chocolate and similar products at premium prices.

Having a livelihood coming directly from the forest encourages communities to stay there and protect it rather than engaging in harmful economic activities in the Amazon.

The project is in its early stages, but it demonstrates what the Amazon’s bioeconomy could look like: an economic engine that experts estimate could generate at least $8 billion per year.

In a tent in the Surucuá community in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Pará, Jhanne Franco teaches 15 local adults how to make chocolate from scratch using small-scale machines instead of grinding the cacao beans by hand. As a chocolatier from another Amazonian state, Rondônia, Franco isn’t just an expert in cocoa production, but proof that the bean-to-bar concept can work in the Amazon Rainforest.

“[Here] is where we develop students’ ideas,” she says, gesturing to the classroom set up in a clearing in the world’s greatest rainforest. “I’m not here to give them a prescription. I want to teach them why things happen in chocolate making, so they can create their own recipes,” Franco tells Mongabay.

The training program is part of a concept developed by the nonprofit Amazônia 4.0 Institute, designed to protect the Amazon Rainforest. It was conceived in 2017 when two Brazilian scientists, brothers Carlos and Ismael Nobre, started thinking of ways to prevent the Amazon from reaching its impending “tipping point,” when deforestation turns the rainforest into a dry savanna.

Their solution is to build a decentralized bioeconomy rather than seeing the Amazon as a commodity provider for industries elsewhere. Investments would be made in sustainable, forest-grown crops such as cacao, cupuaçu and açaí, rather than cattle and soy, for which vast swaths of the forest have already been cleared. The profits would stay within local communities.

A study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the New Climate Economy, published in June 2023, analyzed 13 primary products from the Amazon, including cacao and cupuaçu, and concluded that even this small sample of products could grow the bioeconomy’s GDP by at least $8 billion per year.

To add value to these forest-grown raw materials requires some industrialization, leading to the creation of the Amazonian Creative Laboratories (LCA). These are compact, mobile and sustainable biofactories that incorporate industrial automation and artificial intelligence into the chocolate production process, allowing traditional communities to not only harvest crops, but also process, package and sell the finished products at premium prices.

The logic is simple: without an attractive income, people may be forced to sell or use their land for cattle ranching, soy plantations, or mining. On the other hand, if they can make a living from the forest, they have an incentive to stay there and protect it, becoming the Amazon’s guardians.

“The idea is to translate this biological and cultural wealth into economic activity that’s not exploitative or harmful,” Ismael Nobre tells Mongabay."

-via Mongabay News, January 2, 2024

[blueaprondelight]

hey! did you know that duolingo is turning into an ai-driven company? here's what that means: per the USA Today article posted yesterday on this: "Duolingo is going to be "AI-first", the educational technology company announced, adding that it is replacing contract workers with artificial intelligence."

now yes. duolingo has used ai in the past. in 2024, the Duolingo Guides page reported that their AI uses user data to improve models. however, this did not literally replace human beings in the process.

according to their CEO, they believe this is going to be an example of how "generative AI can directly benefit our learners". despite the fact this doesn't benefit the human contractors you're replacing in place of robots.

here's why supporting AI is problematic: not only does it take away from human beings, but it also is bad for the environment. studies have shown that particularly during the training of complex models, the infrastructure needed to do this training results in high energy consumption.

this also leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions and puts a strain on water resources that are used for cooling data censors. as well, studies show that the manufacturing and disposal of AI hardware contribute to electronic waste and resource depletion.

so, below the cut, there's a list below of language learning apps that do what duolingo does but aren't driven by robots! (and no, you do not have to stop using duolingo. these other apps are simply ones that provide the same services while taking care of both the environment and - as far as i know - human employees.)

Mango Languages (4.8 stars on the Apple App Store) - this app has had really great reviews from people, citing that you can get free access by using your library card (so it supports libraries!) and teaches actual pronunciation whereas duo has been reported for not being accurate with its teachings.

Babbel (4.7 stars on the Apple App Store) - people have rated this app as being easy to use and convenient! they also report that they are backed by researchers at Yale University and Michigan State University, with MSU reporting that after 10 hours, researchers found that 96% of users saw better test scores and 73% became better speakers!

Lingvist (4.6 stars on the Apple App Store) - reviews cite this as a practical app, with one person saying it focuses on repetition and frequently spoken words instead of nouns and verbs you'd rarely use.

any other suggestions in my inbox will be included in this list. stop supporting "AI-first" companies, support human beings.

[0vergrowngraveyard]

Okay first…

Do you have a name for this au?

Second, what details can you give us on his backstory? Did he know Sonic before he got the implants? Who caused this experiment? And most importantly…what do the implants do?

Ty for coming to my TedTalk!

this is my tedtalk now

i unfortunately don’t have a name for it yet 😭. i honestly don’t have many ideas set in stone for this, it was just a little guy i drew up that was inspired by something i was watching. i am open to name suggestions tho!

as for a backstory, what i currently have is his parents sold him off when he was a toddler to a group of human scientist studying something related to mobians (a really funny way of saying “we want to run unethical experiments on your kid, you cool with that?”) for a large sum of money. they didn’t want their mutated fox kit, but this group did so why not just give him up? and for that much money, it wasn’t a hard choice

so no, he did not know sonic beforehand. speaking of the blue hog, sonic does know amy and knuckles and the restoration is still a thing in this au. how? idk, i just want it like that. it’s mostly there because sonic leaves tails with the restoration while they try to figure out what to do with the kid. sonic does end up taking him in, he just needs to find a permanent place to live first

the implants are what i’m stuck on. all i know rn is that they artificially enhance his intelligence, speed, strength, hearing, and durability. i’m debating giving him another ability (sorta something like surge and kit’s abilities but not something elemental) but idk.

maybe i have this more planned out than i thought- anyway yeah traumatized, clingy little guy who will bite if provoked 🫶 love him. also i did end up getting rid of the blue markings on his design so uhhhhh yeah. im still wondering if i should add more robotic bits and implants on him

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝗽𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮'𝘀

having good grades doesn't necessarily mean you're smart, a test or exam can't always determine someone's intelligence, but it's academic validation we crave, right? so here are some tips thanks to which you will get straight a's.

𝟭. understand what the professor wants ( 🪼 )

learning the entire book by heart is tiring and basically useless. we take our education seriously, but it's impossible to know everything about everything, so inevitably there will be topics we can gloss over. check old tests, listen to the teacher during the lecture, talk to students who have already attended the course and passed the exam. understand which aspects your professor particularly cares about and concentrate on those, your exam will certainly go well.

𝟮. strengthen your memorization ( 🦋 )

very often the amount of things to study is just too much and, even though you spend all day in the library rereading the topics again and again, you feel that it is not enough. you get confused, you forget steps, you get lost in the labyrinth of the subject. investing in understanding your form of memorization will benefit you in the long run. identify your type of memory (spatial, photographic, echoic, etc.) and focus on how to improve it. having a good memory will make your studying for the exam much faster and easier.

𝟯. pay attention in class ( 🫧 )

attend all lectures and take notes. much of your studying comes from your professor's lecture. underline the important things in your textbook, carefully follow their speech and - if there are any - their powerpoint slides, writing only the things that the teacher adds and which are not written either in the book or in the extra material, if necessary, record the lesson so you can listen to it again at a later time.

𝟰. organize your notes the same day ( 🧃 )

when i take notes in class i write badly and quickly to keep up with the teacher, shortening words or omitting passages.  by reorganizing your notes that same evening (at most the next day, if you really don't have time) you can revise your work when the lesson is still fresh in your mind; if you wait too long, you will forget most of the things and you will find yourself staring blankly at pages of notes which, at that point, will seem more like hieroglyphics to you than anything else.

𝟱. use ai responsibly ( 🪴 )

artificial intelligence is everywhere nowadays and why not use it to our advantage? of course i'm not suggesting that you let an ai take care of all your tests and essays, it wouldn't make sense, however very often it helped me make a list of key points to develop in a research paper, or gave me excellent ideas and insights for projects. they can also be used to create flashcards, summarize and simplify articles, or create practice tests based on the material you will have to study.

𝟲. delve deeper into your “whys” ( 🌾 )

sometimes when i study i stare into space and wonder why i am studying something that seems completely irrelevant to my path. i'm sure it happens to you too, don't ignore this feeling. don't be afraid to explore themes and topics that aren't clear to you, if two statements seem contradictory ask yourself why, if you don't understand some passages, don't be afraid to ask a question. we study for ourselves, before studying to graduate, to work. there is no shame in not understanding, your intelligence lies in striving to clarify what seems obscure.

[dearest-amber-daily]

Ahaha. Ahahaha... I screwed up-

So. How do I explain myself- Well- while on patrol, I found this glass container of this strange, green substance, deep in the woods. It had something written on its bottom. "Synthetic Energon", I believe? It's unlike anything I've seen before.

I took it back to headquarters since I wanted to study it more, and I was going to ask Jin if she wanted help with examining the liquid, and then... uuhhh.....

The aforementioned "synthetic energon" (or synth-en, if you will), is splattered onto the floor, the large vial fractured. It didn't seem like it fell from that great of a height, but it was enough to break it a bit. The medic's eyes seem to be different than usual, her eyes glowing green, akin to the green liquid behind her, rather than her usual pink eyes.

Jin- Jin please don't get mad at me. I know I'm not one to usually make mistakes like this, but it was an accident, and while I was too invested in this new discovery I wasn't looking at where I was going and... that happened.

I should also add... I may have consumed some of it, before it fell. Just thought that was worth mentioning. It was a dumb decision. I know. I was caught up in my curiosity at the time. But, I feel strangely energized after drinking it? Like, I feel a lot stronger? And pumped up, too. I don't know how or why, but that's just how I feel.

I'll get to cleaning it later, I just have... no idea what to do next....

@daily-rcp-poli @daily-jin-madebygenius @dailyrcproy @the-hellycopter-photographer

Transformers RP blogs highly encouraged to interact! <3 This is a Transformers reference after all, and as a huge fan of it, (esp TFP), I wanted to do something related to both of my main fandoms!

It'd be nice to help a non-cybertronian, with a cybertronian problem. Speaking of that, Amber could use help from a fellow medic... (perhaps Ratchet? he's dealt with this before. or Knockout. Or literally TF blog in general, i'm desperate for TF roleplays lmao)

MORE INFO UNDER CUT! (if you don't know what synth-en is, or who amber is)

Synthetic Energon (nicknamed Synth-En) is a manufactured version of Energon, the fuel/lifeblood of Transformers. But unlike normal Energon, it is entirely artificial. It's very effective, and when used on machinery, it's proven to work very well. The catch is, it just works a little too well when used on sentient machinery.

When used on a Cybertronian (or in this case, a robovan), it brings them into a significantly more powerful state. However, it has the side-effect of affecting the user's mental stability, with heightening their agression and arrogance. The user may choose to make some... impulsive decisions, too.

Synthetic energon made its debut in Transformers: Prime, in season 1, episode 22. The medical bot, Ratchet, gets into contact with it and proceeds to get high on steroids.

When I realised Ratchet and Amber were in fandoms I were highly invested in, were both about transforming robots, AND WERE BOTH MEDICS, I decided it was the perfect idea to put Amber in Ratchet's position.

Amber is from the cartoon Robocar Poli, a show about a rescue team of transforming vehicles who save their town from various accidents. A medical expert who's kind, friendly and intelligent. Also, terrifying when mad.

I love Amber. I love Amber so much it hurts me. Same with Ratchet. I have a thing for medical robot characters...

She's a manmade transforming vehicle (implied. i don't think we've gotten solid confirmation or had someone say that the robocars are manmade but oh well we all collectively agree that they're manmade), sooo.. not cybertronian. With synthetic energon, and unrefined synth-en at that. This is totally going to go well.

RCP and TFP, while they have their similarities, they are drastically different. Transformers Prime is about robot warfare. Robocar Poli is a version of Rescue Bots from paralel universe (a reference to one post I saw). I love them both.

medics my beloved.

Anyway, now that you're done reading, GO WILD WITH THE ROLEPLAYS!!!! <33 i'd be so happy to see your rp responses >:D

- Mod Sharon