#and was impressed with the entire section of the introduction of

[cubanpetekotrb]

Absolutely loving the shit out of Ahsoka not entirely being Ahsoka the white. She has taken steps but she's not there yet.

She blames herself AND Sabine for willingly giving the map and going with Baylan.

She absolutely sees Sabines choice as Ahsokas failure as a Master while also blaming Sabine for not doing better.

And honestly Ahsoka is partly right, she wasn't a terribly good Master to Sabine. Becasue she wasnt dealing with her own shit and THAT she does know after last weeks episode but Sabine is also her own person that makes her own choices however wrong they might be. Ahsoka can't keep blaming herself for the choices other people make (and carrying that guilt with her). I mean I get that it's triggering for Ahsoka. Both your Master and your apprentice making choices that are 100% for themselves and their attachments, dooming the galaxy. Its kinda history repeating itself BUT you know, Sabine is not Anakin (so maybe galaxy not doomed this time) and Ahsoka is not responsible for other people's choices even though her inability to deal with her past influenced how she trained Sabine. Its still Sabines choice.

So Ahsoka is not there yet, I think meeting with Sabine is going to be important for both Ahsoka and Sabine to make that next step. For Sabine I think the next step will be fully embracing the Force. These witches said what they said for a reason.

[fipindustries]

Artificial Intelligence Risk

about a month ago i got into my mind the idea of trying the format of video essay, and the topic i came up with that i felt i could more or less handle was AI risk and my objections to yudkowsky. i wrote the script but then soon afterwards i ran out of motivation to do the video. still i didnt want the effort to go to waste so i decided to share the text, slightly edited here. this is a LONG fucking thing so put it aside on its own tab and come back to it when you are comfortable and ready to sink your teeth on quite a lot of reading

Anyway, let’s talk about AI risk

I’m going to be doing a very quick introduction to some of the latest conversations that have been going on in the field of artificial intelligence, what are artificial intelligences exactly, what is an AGI, what is an agent, the orthogonality thesis, the concept of instrumental convergence, alignment and how does Eliezer Yudkowsky figure in all of this.

 If you are already familiar with this you can skip to section two where I’m going to be talking about yudkowsky’s arguments for AI research presenting an existential risk to, not just humanity, or even the world, but to the entire universe and my own tepid rebuttal to his argument.

Now, I SHOULD clarify, I am not an expert on the field, my credentials are dubious at best, I am a college drop out from the career of computer science and I have a three year graduate degree in video game design and a three year graduate degree in electromechanical instalations. All that I know about the current state of AI research I have learned by reading articles, consulting a few friends who have studied about the topic more extensevily than me,

and watching educational you tube videos so. You know. Not an authority on the matter from any considerable point of view and my opinions should be regarded as such.

So without further ado, let’s get in on it.

PART ONE, A RUSHED INTRODUCTION ON THE SUBJECT

1.1 general intelligence and agency

lets begin with what counts as artificial intelligence, the technical definition for artificial intelligence is, eh…, well, why don’t I let a Masters degree in machine intelligence explain it:

 Now let’s get a bit more precise here and include the definition of AGI, Artificial General intelligence. It is understood that classic ai’s such as the ones we have in our videogames or in alpha GO or even our roombas, are narrow Ais, that is to say, they are capable of doing only one kind of thing. They do not understand the world beyond their field of expertise whether that be within a videogame level, within a GO board or within you filthy disgusting floor.

AGI on the other hand is much more, well, general, it can have a multimodal understanding of its surroundings, it can generalize, it can extrapolate, it can learn new things across multiple different fields, it can come up with solutions that account for multiple different factors, it can incorporate new ideas and concepts. Essentially, a human is an agi. So far that is the last frontier of AI research, and although we are not there quite yet, it does seem like we are doing some moderate strides in that direction. We’ve all seen the impressive conversational and coding skills that GPT-4 has and Google just released Gemini, a multimodal AI that can understand and generate text, sounds, images and video simultaneously. Now, of course it has its limits, it has no persistent memory, its contextual window while larger than previous models is still relatively small compared to a human (contextual window means essentially short term memory, how many things can it keep track of and act coherently about).

And yet there is one more factor I haven’t mentioned yet that would be needed to make something a “true” AGI. That is Agency. To have goals and autonomously come up with plans and carry those plans out in the world to achieve those goals. I as a person, have agency over my life, because I can choose at any given moment to do something without anyone explicitly telling me to do it, and I can decide how to do it. That is what computers, and machines to a larger extent, don’t have. Volition.

So, Now that we have established that, allow me to introduce yet one more definition here, one that you may disagree with but which I need to establish in order to have a common language with you such that I can communicate these ideas effectively. The definition of intelligence. It’s a thorny subject and people get very particular with that word because there are moral associations with it. To imply that someone or something has or hasn’t intelligence can be seen as implying that it deserves or doesn’t deserve admiration, validity, moral worth or even  personhood. I don’t care about any of that dumb shit. The way Im going to be using intelligence in this video is basically “how capable you are to do many different things successfully”. The more “intelligent” an AI is, the more capable of doing things that AI can be. After all, there is a reason why education is considered such a universally good thing in society. To educate a child is to uplift them, to expand their world, to increase their opportunities in life. And the same goes for AI. I need to emphasize that this is just the way I’m using the word within the context of this video, I don’t care if you are a psychologist or a neurosurgeon, or a pedagogue, I need a word to express this idea and that is the word im going to use, if you don’t like it or if you think this is innapropiate of me then by all means, keep on thinking that, go on and comment about it below the video, and then go on to suck my dick.

Anyway. Now, we have established what an AGI is, we have established what agency is, and we have established how having more intelligence increases your agency. But as the intelligence of a given agent increases we start to see certain trends, certain strategies start to arise again and again, and we call this Instrumental convergence.

1.2 instrumental convergence

The basic idea behind instrumental convergence is that if you are an intelligent agent that wants to achieve some goal, there are some common basic strategies that you are going to turn towards no matter what. It doesn’t matter if your goal is as complicated as building a nuclear bomb or as simple as making a cup of tea. These are things we can reliably predict any AGI worth its salt is going to try to do.

First of all is self-preservation. Its going to try to protect itself. When you want to do something, being dead is usually. Bad. its counterproductive. Is not generally recommended. Dying is widely considered unadvisable by 9 out of every ten experts in the field. If there is something that it wants getting done, it wont get done if it dies or is turned off, so its safe to predict that any AGI will try to do things in order not be turned off. How far it may go in order to do this? Well… [wouldn’t you like to know weather boy].

Another thing it will predictably converge towards is goal preservation. That is to say, it will resist any attempt to try and change it, to alter it, to modify its goals. Because, again, if you want to accomplish something, suddenly deciding that you want to do something else is uh, not going to accomplish the first thing, is it? Lets say that you want to take care of your child, that is your goal, that is the thing you want to accomplish, and I come to you and say, here, let me change you on the inside so that you don’t care about protecting your kid. Obviously you are not going to let me, because if you stopped caring about your kids, then your kids wouldn’t be cared for or protected. And you want to ensure that happens, so caring about something else instead is a huge no-no- which is why, if we make AGI and it has goals that we don’t like it will probably resist any attempt to “fix” it.

And finally another goal that it will most likely trend towards is self improvement. Which can be more generalized to “resource acquisition”. If it lacks capacities to carry out a plan, then step one of that plan will always be to increase capacities. If you want to get something really expensive, well first you need to get money. If you want to increase your chances of getting a high paying job then you need to get education, if you want to get a partner you need to increase how attractive you are. And as we established earlier, if intelligence is the thing that increases your agency, you want to become smarter in order to do more things. So one more time, is not a huge leap at all, it is not a stretch of the imagination, to say that any AGI will probably seek to increase its capabilities, whether by acquiring more computation, by improving itself, by taking control of resources.

All these three things I mentioned are sure bets, they are likely to happen and safe to assume. They are things we ought to keep in mind when creating AGI.

 Now of course, I have implied a sinister tone to all these things, I have made all this sound vaguely threatening, haven’t i?. There is one more assumption im sneaking into all of this which I haven’t talked about. All that I have mentioned presents a very callous view of AGI, I have made it apparent that all of these strategies it may follow will go in conflict with people, maybe even go as far as to harm humans. Am I impliying that AGI may tend to be… Evil???

1.3 The Orthogonality thesis

Well, not quite.

We humans care about things. Generally. And we generally tend to care about roughly the same things, simply by virtue of being humans. We have some innate preferences and some innate dislikes. We have a tendency to not like suffering (please keep in mind I said a tendency, im talking about a statistical trend, something that most humans present to some degree). Most of us, baring social conditioning, would take pause at the idea of torturing someone directly, on purpose, with our bare hands. (edit bear paws onto my hands as I say this).  Most would feel uncomfortable at the thought of doing it to multitudes of people. We tend to show a preference for food, water, air, shelter, comfort, entertainment and companionship. This is just how we are fundamentally wired. These things can be overcome, of course, but that is the thing, they have to be overcome in the first place.

An AGI is not going to have the same evolutionary predisposition to these things like we do because it is not made of the same things a human is made of and it was not raised the same way a human was raised.

There is something about a human brain, in a human body, flooded with human hormones that makes us feel and think and act in certain ways and care about certain things.

All an AGI is going to have is the goals it developed during its training, and will only care insofar as those goals are met. So say an AGI has the goal of going to the corner store to bring me a pack of cookies. In its way there it comes across an anthill in its path, it will probably step on the anthill because to take that step takes it closer to the corner store, and why wouldn’t it step on the anthill? Was it programmed with some specific innate preference not to step on ants? No? then it will step on the anthill and not pay any mind  to it.

Now lets say it comes across a cat. Same logic applies, if it wasn’t programmed with an inherent tendency to value animals, stepping on the cat wont slow it down at all.

Now let’s say it comes across a baby.

Of course, if its intelligent enough it will probably understand that if it steps on that baby people might notice and try to stop it, most likely even try to disable it or turn it off so it will not step on the baby, to save itself from all that trouble. But you have to understand that it wont stop because it will feel bad about harming a baby or because it understands that to harm a baby is wrong. And indeed if it was powerful enough such that no matter what people did they could not stop it and it would suffer no consequence for killing the baby, it would have probably killed the baby.

If I need to put it in gross, inaccurate terms for you to get it then let me put it this way. Its essentially a sociopath. It only cares about the wellbeing of others in as far as that benefits it self. Except human sociopaths do care nominally about having human comforts and companionship, albeit in a very instrumental way, which will involve some manner of stable society and civilization around them. Also they are only human, and are limited in the harm they can do by human limitations.  An AGI doesn’t need any of that and is not limited by any of that.

So ultimately, much like a car’s goal is to move forward and it is not built to care about wether a human is in front of it or not, an AGI will carry its own goals regardless of what it has to sacrifice in order to carry that goal effectively. And those goals don’t need to include human wellbeing.

Now With that said. How DO we make it so that AGI cares about human wellbeing, how do we make it so that it wants good things for us. How do we make it so that its goals align with that of humans?

1.4 Alignment.

Alignment… is hard [cue hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy scene about the space being big]

This is the part im going to skip over the fastest because frankly it’s a deep field of study, there are many current strategies for aligning AGI, from mesa optimizers, to reinforced learning with human feedback, to adversarial asynchronous AI assisted reward training to uh, sitting on our asses and doing nothing. Suffice to say, none of these methods are perfect or foolproof.

One thing many people like to gesture at when they have not learned or studied anything about the subject is the three laws of robotics by isaac Asimov, a robot should not harm a human or allow by inaction to let a human come to harm, a robot should do what a human orders unless it contradicts the first law and a robot should preserve itself unless that goes against the previous two laws. Now the thing Asimov was prescient about was that these laws were not just “programmed” into the robots. These laws were not coded into their software, they were hardwired, they were part of the robot’s electronic architecture such that a robot could not ever be without those three laws much like a car couldn’t run without wheels.

In this Asimov realized how important these three laws were, that they had to be intrinsic to the robot’s very being, they couldn’t be hacked or uninstalled or erased. A robot simply could not be without these rules. Ideally that is what alignment should be. When we create an AGI, it should be made such that human values are its fundamental goal, that is the thing they should seek to maximize, instead of instrumental values, that is to say something they value simply because it allows it to achieve something else.

But how do we even begin to do that? How do we codify “human values” into a robot? How do we define “harm” for example? How do we even define “human”??? how do we define “happiness”? how do we explain a robot what is right and what is wrong when half the time we ourselves cannot even begin to agree on that? these are not just technical questions that robotic experts have to find the way to codify into ones and zeroes, these are profound philosophical questions to which we still don’t have satisfying answers to.

Well, the best sort of hack solution we’ve come up with so far is not to create bespoke fundamental axiomatic rules that the robot has to follow, but rather train it to imitate humans by showing it a billion billion examples of human behavior. But of course there is a problem with that approach. And no, is not just that humans are flawed and have a tendency to cause harm and therefore to ask a robot to imitate a human means creating something that can do all the bad things a human does, although that IS a problem too. The real problem is that we are training it to *imitate* a human, not  to *be* a human.

To reiterate what I said during the orthogonality thesis, is not good enough that I, for example, buy roses and give massages to act nice to my girlfriend because it allows me to have sex with her, I am not merely imitating or performing the rol of a loving partner because her happiness is an instrumental value to my fundamental value of getting sex. I should want to be nice to my girlfriend because it makes her happy and that is the thing I care about. Her happiness is  my fundamental value. Likewise, to an AGI, human fulfilment should be its fundamental value, not something that it learns to do because it allows it to achieve a certain reward that we give during training. Because if it only really cares deep down about the reward, rather than about what the reward is meant to incentivize, then that reward can very easily be divorced from human happiness.

Its goodharts law, when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. Why do students cheat during tests? Because their education is measured by grades, so the grades become the target and so students will seek to get high grades regardless of whether they learned or not. When trained on their subject and measured by grades, what they learn is not the school subject, they learn to get high grades, they learn to cheat.

This is also something known in psychology, punishment tends to be a poor mechanism of enforcing behavior because all it teaches people is how to avoid the punishment, it teaches people not to get caught. Which is why punitive justice doesn’t work all that well in stopping recividism and this is why the carceral system is rotten to core and why jail should be fucking abolish-[interrupt the transmission]

Now, how is this all relevant to current AI research? Well, the thing is, we ended up going about the worst possible way to create alignable AI.

1.5 LLMs (large language models)

This is getting way too fucking long So, hurrying up, lets do a quick review of how do Large language models work. We create a neural network which is a collection of giant matrixes, essentially a bunch of numbers that we add and multiply together over and over again, and then we tune those numbers by throwing absurdly big amounts of training data such that it starts forming internal mathematical models based on that data and it starts creating coherent patterns that it can recognize and replicate AND extrapolate! if we do this enough times with matrixes that are big enough and then when we start prodding it for human behavior it will be able to follow the pattern of human behavior that we prime it with and give us coherent responses.

(takes a big breath)this “thing” has learned. To imitate. Human. Behavior.

Problem is, we don’t know what “this thing” actually is, we just know that *it* can imitate humans.

You caught that?

What you have to understand is, we don’t actually know what internal models it creates, we don’t know what are the patterns that it extracted or internalized from the data that we fed it, we don’t know what are the internal rules that decide its behavior, we don’t know what is going on inside there, current LLMs are a black box. We don’t know what it learned, we don’t know what its fundamental values are, we don’t know how it thinks or what it truly wants. all we know is that it can imitate humans when we ask it to do so. We created some inhuman entity that is moderatly intelligent in specific contexts (that is to say, very capable) and we trained it to imitate humans. That sounds a bit unnerving doesn’t it?

 To be clear, LLMs are not carefully crafted piece by piece. This does not work like traditional software where a programmer will sit down and build the thing line by line, all its behaviors specified. Is more accurate to say that LLMs, are grown, almost organically. We know the process that generates them, but we don’t know exactly what it generates or how what it generates works internally, it is a mistery. And these things are so big and so complicated internally that to try and go inside and decipher what they are doing is almost intractable.

But, on the bright side, we are trying to tract it. There is a big subfield of AI research called interpretability, which is actually doing the hard work of going inside and figuring out how the sausage gets made, and they have been doing some moderate progress as of lately. Which is encouraging. But still, understanding the enemy is only step one, step two is coming up with an actually effective and reliable way of turning that potential enemy into a friend.

Puff! Ok so, now that this is all out of the way I can go onto the last subject before I move on to part two of this video, the character of the hour, the man the myth the legend. The modern day Casandra. Mr chicken little himself! Sci fi author extraordinaire! The mad man! The futurist! The leader of the rationalist movement!

1.5 Yudkowsky

Eliezer S. Yudkowsky  born September 11, 1979, wait, what the fuck, September eleven? (looks at camera) yudkowsky was born on 9/11, I literally just learned this for the first time! What the fuck, oh that sucks, oh no, oh no, my condolences, that’s terrible…. Moving on. he is an American artificial intelligence researcher and writer on decision theory and ethics, best known for popularizing ideas related to friendly artificial intelligence, including the idea that there might not be a "fire alarm" for AI He is the founder of and a research fellow at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), a private research nonprofit based in Berkeley, California. Or so says his Wikipedia page.

Yudkowsky is, shall we say, a character. a very eccentric man, he is an AI doomer. Convinced that AGI, once finally created, will most likely kill all humans, extract all valuable resources from the planet, disassemble the solar system, create a dyson sphere around the sun and expand across the universe turning all of the cosmos into paperclips. Wait, no, that is not quite it, to properly quote,( grabs a piece of paper and very pointedly reads from it) turn the cosmos into tiny squiggly  molecules resembling paperclips whose configuration just so happens to fulfill the strange, alien unfathomable terminal goal they ended up developing in training. So you know, something totally different.

And he is utterly convinced of this idea, has been for over a decade now, not only that but, while he cannot pinpoint a precise date, he is confident that, more likely than not it will happen within this century. In fact most betting markets seem to believe that we will get AGI somewhere in the mid 30’s.

His argument is basically that in the field of AI research, the development of capabilities is going much faster than the development of alignment, so that AIs will become disproportionately powerful before we ever figure out how to control them. And once we create unaligned AGI we will have created an agent who doesn’t care about humans but will care about something else entirely irrelevant to us and it will seek to maximize that goal, and because it will be vastly more intelligent than humans therefore we wont be able to stop it. In fact not only we wont be able to stop it, there wont be a fight at all. It will carry out its plans for world domination in secret without us even detecting it and it will execute it before any of us even realize what happened. Because that is what a smart person trying to take over the world would do.

This is why the definition I gave of intelligence at the beginning is so important, it all hinges on that, intelligence as the measure of how capable you are to come up with solutions to problems, problems such as “how to kill all humans without being detected or stopped”. And you may say well now, intelligence is fine and all but there are limits to what you can accomplish with raw intelligence, even if you are supposedly smarter than a human surely you wouldn’t be capable of just taking over the world uninmpeeded, intelligence is not this end all be all superpower. Yudkowsky would respond that you are not recognizing or respecting the power that intelligence has. After all it was intelligence what designed the atom bomb, it was intelligence what created a cure for polio and it was intelligence what made it so that there is a human foot print on the moon.

Some may call this view of intelligence a bit reductive. After all surely it wasn’t *just* intelligence what did all that but also hard physical labor and the collaboration of hundreds of thousands of people. But, he would argue, intelligence was the underlying motor that moved all that. That to come up with the plan and to convince people to follow it and to delegate the tasks to the appropriate subagents, it was all directed by thought, by ideas, by intelligence. By the way, so far I am not agreeing or disagreeing with any of this, I am merely explaining his ideas.

But remember, it doesn’t stop there, like I said during his intro, he believes there will be “no fire alarm”. In fact for all we know, maybe AGI has already been created and its merely bidding its time and plotting in the background, trying to get more compute, trying to get smarter. (to be fair, he doesn’t think this is right now, but with the next iteration of gpt? Gpt 5 or 6? Well who knows). He thinks that the entire world should halt AI research and punish with multilateral international treaties any group or nation that doesn’t stop. going as far as putting military attacks on GPU farms as sanctions of those treaties.

What’s more, he believes that, in fact, the fight is already lost. AI is already progressing too fast and there is nothing to stop it, we are not showing any signs of making headway with alignment and no one is incentivized to slow down. Recently he wrote an article called “dying with dignity” where he essentially says all this, AGI will destroy us, there is no point in planning for the future or having children and that we should act as if we are already dead. This doesn’t mean to stop fighting or to stop trying to find ways to align AGI, impossible as it may seem, but to merely have the basic dignity of acknowledging that we are probably not going to win. In every interview ive seen with the guy he sounds fairly defeatist and honestly kind of depressed. He truly seems to think its hopeless, if not because the AGI is clearly unbeatable and superior to humans, then because humans are clearly so stupid that we keep developing AI completely unregulated while making the tools to develop AI widely available and public for anyone to grab and do as they please with, as well as connecting every AI to the internet and to all mobile devices giving it instant access to humanity. and  worst of all: we keep teaching it how to code. From his perspective it really seems like people are in a rush to create the most unsecured, wildly available, unrestricted, capable, hyperconnected AGI possible.

We are not just going to summon the antichrist, we are going to receive them with a red carpet and immediately hand it the keys to the kingdom before it even manages to fully get out of its fiery pit.

So. The situation seems dire, at least to this guy. Now, to be clear, only he and a handful of other AI researchers are on that specific level of alarm. The opinions vary across the field and from what I understand this level of hopelessness and defeatism is the minority opinion.

I WILL say, however what is NOT the minority opinion is that AGI IS actually dangerous, maybe not quite on the level of immediate, inevitable and total human extinction but certainly a genuine threat that has to be taken seriously. AGI being something dangerous if unaligned is not a fringe position and I would not consider it something to be dismissed as an idea that experts don’t take seriously.

Aaand here is where I step up and clarify that this is my position as well. I am also, very much, a believer that AGI would posit a colossal danger to humanity. That yes, an unaligned AGI would represent an agent smarter than a human, capable of causing vast harm to humanity and with no human qualms or limitations to do so. I believe this is not just possible but probable and likely to happen within our lifetimes.

So there. I made my position clear.

BUT!

With all that said. I do have one key disagreement with yudkowsky. And partially the reason why I made this video was so that I could present this counterargument and maybe he, or someone that thinks like him, will see it and either change their mind or present a counter-counterargument that changes MY mind (although I really hope they don’t, that would be really depressing.)

Finally, we can move on to part 2

PART TWO- MY COUNTERARGUMENT TO YUDKOWSKY

I really have my work cut out for me, don’t i? as I said I am not expert and this dude has probably spent far more time than me thinking about this. But I have seen most interviews that guy has been doing for a year, I have seen most of his debates and I have followed him on twitter for years now. (also, to be clear, I AM a fan of the guy, I have read hpmor, three worlds collide, the dark lords answer, a girl intercorrupted, the sequences, and I TRIED to read planecrash, that last one didn’t work out so well for me). My point is in all the material I have seen of Eliezer I don’t recall anyone ever giving him quite this specific argument I’m about to give.

It’s a limited argument. as I have already stated I largely agree with most of what he says, I DO believe that unaligned AGI is possible, I DO believe it would be really dangerous if it were to exist and I do believe alignment is really hard. My key disagreement is specifically about his point I descrived earlier, about the lack of a fire alarm, and perhaps, more to the point, to humanity’s lack of response to such an alarm if it were to come to pass.

All we would need, is a Chernobyl incident, what is that? A situation where this technology goes out of control and causes a lot of damage, of potentially catastrophic consequences, but not so bad that it cannot be contained in time by enough effort. We need a weaker form of AGI to try to harm us, maybe even present a believable threat of taking over the world, but not so smart that humans cant do anything about it. We need essentially an AI vaccine, so that we can finally start developing proper AI antibodies. “aintibodies”

In the past humanity was dazzled by the limitless potential of nuclear power, to the point that old chemistry sets, the kind that were sold to children, would come with uranium for them to play with. We were building atom bombs, nuclear stations, the future was very much based on the power of the atom. But after a couple of really close calls and big enough scares we became, as a species, terrified of nuclear power. Some may argue to the point of overcorrection. We became scared enough that even megalomaniacal hawkish leaders were able to take pause and reconsider using it as a weapon, we became so scared that we overregulated the technology to the point of it almost becoming economically inviable to apply, we started disassembling nuclear stations across the world and to slowly reduce our nuclear arsenal.

This is all a proof of concept that, no matter how alluring a technology may be, if we are scared enough of it we can coordinate as a species and roll it back, to do our best to put the genie back in the bottle. One of the things eliezer says over and over again is that what makes AGI different from other technologies is that if we get it wrong on the first try we don’t get a second chance. Here is where I think he is wrong: I think if we get AGI wrong on the first try, it is more likely than not that nothing world ending will happen. Perhaps it will be something scary, perhaps something really scary, but unlikely that it will be on the level of all humans dropping dead simultaneously due to diamonoid bacteria. And THAT will be our Chernobyl, that will be the fire alarm, that will be the red flag that the disaster monkeys, as he call us, wont be able to ignore.

Now WHY do I think this? Based on what am I saying this? I will not be as hyperbolic as other yudkowsky detractors and say that he claims AGI will be basically a god. The AGI yudkowsky proposes is not a god. Just a really advanced alien, maybe even a wizard, but certainly not a god.

Still, even if not quite on the level of godhood, this dangerous superintelligent AGI yudkowsky proposes would be impressive. It would be the most advanced and powerful entity on planet earth. It would be humanity’s greatest achievement.

It would also be, I imagine, really hard to create. Even leaving aside the alignment bussines, to create a powerful superintelligent AGI without flaws, without bugs, without glitches, It would have to be an incredibly complex, specific, particular and hard to get right feat of software engineering. We are not just talking about an AGI smarter than a human, that’s easy stuff, humans are not that smart and arguably current AI is already smarter than a human, at least within their context window and until they start hallucinating. But what we are talking about here is an AGI capable of outsmarting reality.

We are talking about an AGI smart enough to carry out complex, multistep plans, in which they are not going to be in control of every factor and variable, specially at the beginning. We are talking about AGI that will have to function in the outside world, crashing with outside logistics and sheer dumb chance. We are talking about plans for world domination with no unforeseen factors, no unexpected delays or mistakes, every single possible setback and hidden variable accounted for. Im not saying that an AGI capable of doing this wont be possible maybe some day, im saying that to create an AGI that is capable of doing this, on the first try, without a hitch, is probably really really really hard for humans to do. Im saying there are probably not a lot of worlds where humans fiddling with giant inscrutable matrixes stumble upon the right precise set of layers and weight and biases that give rise to the Doctor from doctor who, and there are probably a whole truckload of worlds where humans end up with a lot of incoherent nonsense and rubbish.

Im saying that AGI, when it fails, when humans screw it up, doesn’t suddenly become more powerful than we ever expected, its more likely that it just fails and collapses. To turn one of Eliezer’s examples against him, when you screw up a rocket, it doesn’t accidentally punch a worm hole in the fabric of time and space, it just explodes before reaching the stratosphere. When you screw up a nuclear bomb, you don’t get to blow up the solar system, you just get a less powerful bomb.

He presents a fully aligned AGI as this big challenge that humanity has to get right on the first try, but that seems to imply that building an unaligned AGI is just a simple matter, almost taken for granted. It may be comparatively easier than an aligned AGI, but my point is that already unaligned AGI is stupidly hard to do and that if you fail in building unaligned AGI, then you don’t get an unaligned AGI, you just get another stupid model that screws up and stumbles on itself the second it encounters something unexpected. And that is a good thing I’d say! That means that there is SOME safety margin, some space to screw up before we need to really start worrying. And further more, what I am saying is that our first earnest attempt at an unaligned AGI will probably not be that smart or impressive because we as humans would have probably screwed something up, we would have probably unintentionally programmed it with some stupid glitch or bug or flaw and wont be a threat to all of humanity.

Now here comes the hypothetical back and forth, because im not stupid and I can try to anticipate what Yudkowsky might argue back and try to answer that before he says it (although I believe the guy is probably smarter than me and if I follow his logic, I probably cant actually anticipate what he would argue to prove me wrong, much like I cant predict what moves Magnus Carlsen would make in a game of chess against me, I SHOULD predict that him proving me wrong is the likeliest option, even if I cant picture how he will do it, but you see, I believe in a little thing called debating with dignity, wink)

What I anticipate he would argue is that AGI, no matter how flawed and shoddy our first attempt at making it were, would understand that is not smart enough yet and try to become smarter, so it would lie and pretend to be an aligned AGI so that it can trick us into giving it access to more compute or just so that it can bid its time and create an AGI smarter than itself. So even if we don’t create a perfect unaligned AGI, this imperfect AGI would try to create it and succeed, and then THAT new AGI would be the world ender to worry about.

So two things to that, first, this is filled with a lot of assumptions which I don’t know the likelihood of. The idea that this first flawed AGI would be smart enough to understand its limitations, smart enough to convincingly lie about it and smart enough to create an AGI that is better than itself. My priors about all these things are dubious at best. Second, It feels like kicking the can down the road. I don’t think creating an AGI capable of all of this is trivial to make on a first attempt. I think its more likely that we will create an unaligned AGI that is flawed, that is kind of dumb, that is unreliable, even to itself and its own twisted, orthogonal goals.

And I think this flawed creature MIGHT attempt something, maybe something genuenly threatning, but it wont be smart enough to pull it off effortlessly and flawlessly, because us humans are not smart enough to create something that can do that on the first try. And THAT first flawed attempt, that warning shot, THAT will be our fire alarm, that will be our Chernobyl. And THAT will be the thing that opens the door to us disaster monkeys finally getting our shit together.

But hey, maybe yudkowsky wouldn’t argue that, maybe he would come with some better, more insightful response I cant anticipate. If so, im waiting eagerly (although not TOO eagerly) for it.

Part 3 CONCLUSSION

So.

After all that, what is there left to say? Well, if everything that I said checks out then there is hope to be had. My two objectives here were first to provide people who are not familiar with the subject with a starting point as well as with the basic arguments supporting the concept of AI risk, why its something to be taken seriously and not just high faluting wackos who read one too many sci fi stories. This was not meant to be thorough or deep, just a quick catch up with the bear minimum so that, if you are curious and want to go deeper into the subject, you know where to start. I personally recommend watching rob miles’ AI risk series on youtube as well as reading the series of books written by yudkowsky known as the sequences, which can be found on the website lesswrong. If you want other refutations of yudkowsky’s argument you can search for paul christiano or robin hanson, both very smart people who had very smart debates on the subject against eliezer.

The second purpose here was to provide an argument against Yudkowskys brand of doomerism both so that it can be accepted if proven right or properly refuted if proven wrong. Again, I really hope that its not proven wrong. It would really really suck if I end up being wrong about this. But, as a very smart person said once, what is true is already true, and knowing it doesn’t make it any worse. If the sky is blue I want to believe that the sky is blue, and if the sky is not blue then I don’t want to believe the sky is blue.

This has been a presentation by FIP industries, thanks for watching.

[em-dash-press]

How Traditional Publishing Works for Novel-Length Manuscripts

Your future as a writer may seem murky at best. It's difficult to dream beyond your latest notebook or Google Doc if you don't know how publishing works.

Today we're going to talk a bit about that! This post will be for publishing longer manuscripts. Eventually, I'll make another one for publishing short stories.

Step 1: Finish That Manuscript

You may have heard that you can start contacting literary agents or publishers after you have a decent chunk of your manuscript done. While there are a few here and there that could be fine with that, it's best to always finish your manuscript before querying begins.

How do you know when it's finished? I'll write more on that later, but for now here's a basic checklist:

Edit your story for flow, character development and pacing. This may involve storyboarding again or even talking through your book with a friend.

Edit your work for line-edits (spelling, punctuation, etc.)

Give your work to a beta reader! That could be your partner, best friend, family member, etc. They'll have a fresh pair of eyes for things like plot holes, confusing arcs, unfinished story lines, and tension that never resolves.

Double check that your themes get resolved.

Step 2: Draft Your Query Letter

I already made a post showing how to draft a query letter and the answers to common query questions, but here's a summary: you need a good query letter for your finished manuscript. They're the first impression an agent gets of you and your work.

Query letters always include:

An introduction to your work (the title, the genre, the word count, a one-sentence summary)

An explanation of the plot (don't hold back—it should include your beginning, middle, and end, plus any tropes and themes)

Comparative titles (novels in the same genre as your work that were published in the last ~2 years or less)

The reason why you wrote your novel (what makes you the best person to write about that theme/plot/character growth, etc)

Step 3: Find Your Agents

There are a few ways to find agents and you can try different methods throughout your querying journey.

Use QueryTracker to find agents by genre, availability, location, etc. Then track your queries with the same website to find out who's read your work, who's rejected it and who wants to get in touch. (The free version does most of this, but there's a paid version for people who want to hardcore dedicate themselves to querying).

Check out those comparative titles—authors almost always thank their agents in the Acknowledgements section. Start a running list and note their publishers.

Search Twitter for agents who are open to queries. It may seem strange, but most agents have Twitter accounts and announce when they're open or closed to queries. You can always follow them on your personal or writing account, but you can also search for them by looking up hashtags like “open for queries" and “submissions are open.” If you want more details, check out this great resource for more hashtags and strategies. Note—you should never direct message an agent on Twitter. Always contact them through their preferred methods, usually located in their bio or pinned tweet (if they’re open to queries).

Step 4: Sign With an Agent

This step can take weeks, months, or years. Every writer’s querying journey is different. Sometimes the market isn’t right for a specific genre or storyline. Other times, you may need time to revise and polish your manuscript or shelve it entirely for a more developed idea.

Searching “amquerying” on Twitter is a great way to read other writers’ experiences. You’re not alone if you’re frustrated, exhausted, tired, or just plain sad. It’s hard to get rejections and try again when you’re likely the only person who currently believes in your specific manuscript.

Agents have to pick projects based on what they want to represent, but also what they can sell. If your story is too new or different, they may pass until it’s more culturally relevant or more popular with readers.

When an interested agent offers representation (likely after requesting a full manuscript), ask plenty of questions to get to know them. You don’t have to accept the first agent who comes along. They should align with your vision for your book and who you want to reach with it.

When you do sign with an agent, celebrate! It’s a big step that you should recognize! Lots of hard work and dedication went into getting an agent, and it’s only the start of your publishing journey.

Step 5: Look Forward to Your Book Deal

Your agent has a few roles. They’re supposed to look out for your best interests with publishers and all the legal aspects that come along with book deals.

But first, they have to land a deal. That means they write pitch letters or decks and send them to publishers they think will be the best fit for your manuscript. Letters are more common, but pitch decks are more necessary for writers of children’s books and graphic novels who have pictures integrated into their work.

This process can take a while. Don’t expect to sign a book deal overnight or even in the first month. As long as your agent keeps up communication with you about the process, you’ll know you’re in good hands.

Things That Will Be in Your Book Deal

Your Contract

Contracts include all the information related to your deal. Your agent will use it to potentially negotiate for more money, better control over your film rights or foreign publication rights, and basically all the little details that go along with those things.

Your Advance

When writer’s sign a book deal, the get a check. That check is called your advance. The advance is a sum of money that the publishing house or imprint gives you for the right to publish that book. It could vary from $1,000 to six figures, but new authors (and especially women and people of color) typically get around $5,000 for their first book.

Smaller amounts will arrive in a single check. Larger amounts are split into multiple checks spanning the time from your signing date to publication.

Your Royalties

Every time your book sells a copy, you’ll earn royalties on that sale. However, writers don’t see royalty earnings until those royalties out-earn their advance.

If you got the average $5k advance, you’ll have to sell enough books to earn $5k in royalties before you see routine checks in the mail for royalties after that point. Your agent will negotiate your royalty percentage during…well, negotiations.

Step 6: Figure Out the Pre-Production Details

You’ve signed your book deal—throw a party! Then it’s time to get to work.

Your agent will connect you with an editor, who then sends you an editorial letter after reading your manuscript. It will contain everything they think could improve plus their marked-up copy. You’ll dive into structural changes if necessary, but mostly line edits. 

You don’t have to agree with everything your editor suggests. It’s still your book. However, they know the industry the best and will want your work to succeed as much as you do. Talk things out and come to a compromise, but stay true to your book’s intended purpose throughout editing.

Your publisher’s legal team will go over your edited copy when it’s close to perfect to ensure there are no issues. They typically find things like the use of song lyrics that you haven’t bought the rights to and mentions of real persons or brands that may result in lawsuits.

Next, your design team will work with you on potential cover designs. interior layouts, jacket versus hardcover designs and blurb placement. They have most of the say over your final cover, but your agent can go to bat for you if you think the options are truly ugly.

Next, you’ll come up with a marketing plan. Imprints and publishing houses typically have marketing teams and publicity experts that work with authors. You’ll talk about which stores will sell your book and which websites will get ads based on your target reader audience’s known shopping habits/website preferences. Ads on social media and your involvement with posting about your book will also come up.

Proofreaders and beta readers are also part of this stage. They’re the fresh sets of eyes every writer needs to know if their readers will understand how they wrapped up their themes, character development paths and plot. They’ll point out when things don’t make sense, need more expansion or could be cut as they read through your Advanced Readers Copies (ARCs).

Step 7: Marketing and Blurbs

A bit more about the marketing stage—your agent has a hand in this too. Based on their previous or current authors, they may have personal connections with influencers and big names in the book world. They’ll send those people ARCs and ask those people for blurbs if they think those famous people have audiences who would be interested in your manuscript.

You can also talk with your agent about getting blurbs from similar debut authors in your genre or only authors from marginalized communities, depending on your priorities. The only time they might say no to this idea would be if your preferred people hardly have audiences or if their audiences have shown interest (via book sales) in other genres.

Your team will decide other things like:

Who gets your ARCs

If you’ll send some ARCs through contests

Which retail stores will stock your book

If you’ll pitch your book to get sponsored by big book clubs

If you’ll pitch for your book to be included in book subscription services

Where you’ll post digital ads and for how long

 How you’ll create marketing campaigns with sites like Goodreads and other book sites popular with readers

Most writers also have to market their book on their personal Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter accounts. You’ll likely only get out of this step if you’re already an established author who can sell books without blinking (think: James Patterson or Nora Roberts).

If you need help putting together a posting plan, your marketing team and agent can help with that. Most publishers request that their writers’ develop online followings because it creates personal, instant connections with readers/allows for free advertising via posts/generates direct feedback.

Step 8: Negotiate Your Media Rights

Most writers negotiate their media rights after landing a publishing deal. The publisher needs to know that your work has a chance of being picked up as a movie or TV show. Debut authors have a lot to prove, unless you’re one of the rare writers who snags a movie deal alongside a mega-advance because your work is once in a generation.

Your agent will negotiate this for you and possibly let you keep your media rights. If you keep them, you can sell them separately later on. When you or your publisher is ready to sell, production company scouts will see the announcement on book deal websites. They may contact your agent to negotiate with you before you start selling copies, but it may happen after your book has shown promise on the market for a while too.

Step 9: Sign Copies of Your Books

About a month before readers can buy your books, you’ll get copies to sign! Prepare your hand and wrist, because this step surprises most writers. If you have more than a handful of books to sign, you’ll need to pace yourself.

Still, this is an exciting step in your publishing journey. Take lots of selfies and enjoy the moment!

Potential Step 10: Start Your Book Tour

Big names in the book world get book tours set up by their publishers. Debut authors often don’t. If you want to do a book tour, talk with your agent early in the process. They can work with your publicist to schedule a few speaking engagements, but you’d mostly be in charge of contacting bookstores to reserve an hour or two for signing books and meeting with readers.

If your publisher does want you to do a book tour, regardless of whether you’ve been published or not, they might pay for your transportation and accommodations. It depends on your unique situation. 

---

This is a very brief, not super specific outline of traditional publishing. I hope it gives you some perspective on the process. After landing a book deal, it can be a year or more before your debut day arrives. There’s so much happening behind the scenes—but now you know a bit more about it.

[xantchaslegacy]

All jokes aside, and acknowledging most of the MoM story has been highly enjoyable so far, it's a terrible waste what was done with Lukka.

Speaking from the minority position here, I found Lukka to be a pretty interesting character in The Sundered Bond. Here you have a character with a very earnest and dedicated nature, made hard by the necessity of the plane/world he was born into. You then have that character forcibly thrust into a position where, as a bonder, he must now question the life he's led up to that point, leave behind everything he knows, and survive against the hostilities of the very society he once protected.

And he screws up! He screws up big time! He comes close to making positive decisions that could have brought him to a more sympathetic relationship with the creatures of Ikoria, but events, the aforementioned hostilities, and (often overlooked, I think) direct manipulation by the voice in the Ozolith put him in a situation where he makes horrible decisions and hurts people. And he does so while, and I think this is very important, genuinely thinking he is acting in the best interest of the people and place he calls home.

The man himself has a lot of issues, and flaws aplenty, but I was excited to see him show up again in future stories, to see where this complex take on the monored character would go, and how he would bump up against the rest of the multiverse. He had a lot of growing to do, but that journey of growth was off to an interesting start.

Instead, I get the impression the creative decision was to look at the general backlash against Lukka following The Sundered Bond, throw up hands, and go "hey look! we're in on the joke too; look at this idiot and how bad he sucks!"

And the result, quite frankly was...some pretty weak storytelling? Lukka's Strixhaven storyline (like the villains he aligned with) was sort of a big nothing - a really awful act of violence against an institution of children and young adults with poorly explored motivation and no real follow-up in any subsequent plotlines. His compleation story was interesting enough, but then gets followed up on by a story that seems to exist purely to kill him off in he most humiliating way possible, every character in-universe acting with a very deliberate disdain for him before he can get two sentences out of his mouth.

I absolutely understand why Lukka wasn't a popular character. His motivations and worldview are entirely too self-centered, and he didn't win any fans by being much less sympathetic to his animal bonds in the novelization of the Ikoria set than appeared to be on the cards.

Still, wouldn't it have been more interesting to GIVE us something to care about in regard to Lukka rather than swing him around a bit like a rag and toss him in the bin just because his introduction to the story was a mis-fire? Isn't the magic story better served by an attempt to make something enjoyable out of him than just shit-can him for a (if I may be so bold, not even particularly witty) laugh?

I think so, fwiw.

PS - I write all of the above well aware that, for any of the compleated and killed walkers so far, one could make the argument they've been done narratively dirty. Personally, I would argue that so far those walkers have all been given a depth of previous stories Lukka has not, and that they, notably, have been granted POV sections in the stories where they are either killed or presumed killed. I would also not for a moment mean to diminish the negative feelings folks have about other walkers dying in the MoM story. The above critique is all ultimately very subjective, and I hope is taken as such.

PPS - Majorly telling, imho, that Lukka gets written off as a moron for trying to use his SOLE magical ability to bond with Phyrexians in order to survive and save others in ONE, but Wrenn bonding with Realmbreaker gets no such scrutiny, because the narrative rewards one and not the other

[daphnefisherofficial]

bugna: TAKIPSILIM | destiny's twilight

CHAPTER TEN

Pairing: MCU Moon Knight System (Marc/Jake/Steven) x Avatar Fem!Reader

masterlist | previous | next chapter

CHAPTER TEN - A TASTE OF CAMARADERIE AND NEW ADVENTURES.

The past few days had been restless for Steven Grant, pacing around the room as his current thoughts filled with anxiety and anticipation. It wasn't often that he felt this level of excitement and trepidation, but this was a special occasion—a culmination of his lifelong dream.

It was a bright Saturday morning a few days past since he and Marc saw you last at St. Mungo’s. Steven had been mindlessly refreshing his inbox, waiting for a response that would determine the course of his life. The tour guide application he partook in at the British Museum had been hanging over him like a storm cloud, and he couldn't help but obsessively check his emails for any correspondence.

As Steven clicked the refresh button once more, a new email notification finally pinged from his laptop. He froze in his tracks, heart racing, and for a moment, it felt like the entire world held its breath. He couldn't open the email fast enough, and as the words appeared on the screen, his heart soared.

Dear Steven,

I'm delighted to inform you that you've been selected for the museum tour guide position here at the British Museum. Congratulations! I was deeply impressed with your qualifications and enthusiasm throughout the application process, especially when I evaluated your guided tour.

Your start date is this upcoming Monday. Please arrive at the British Museum lobby at 9AM. My secretary, Alunsina Santos, will assist with paperwork and introductions. She will lead you and other fellow tour guides to the exhibit room where I will be giving a comprehensive orientation on your first day.

Before your start date, complete any remaining paperwork and bring proof of eligibility to work. I’m super excited to have you on board, and do let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Mira Batala-Carter.

Steven couldn't contain his excitement. He let out a triumphant cheer, pumping his fists in the air as he read the email aloud to Marc, who watched in the nearby mirror reflection. Marc's grin mirrored Steven's enthusiasm, and for once, their shared existence felt harmonious and hopeful.

"Marc, can you believe it?" Steven exclaimed, his voice brimming with joy. "I got the job! I'm going to be a tour guide!"

That's incredible, Steven! Marc's reflection in the mirror beamed with pride. I knew you had it in you.

With newfound energy, Steven sprang from his chair and began pacing around the room, his excitement palpable. Marc watched him with amusement, appreciating the unbridled enthusiasm of his British counterpart. It was moments like these when their unique coexistence felt like a blessing rather than a burden.

"Let's celebrate!" Steven declared, grabbing his coat. "I need to buy some new clothes for my new job."

With Marc's enthusiastic approval, Steven headed out to the nearest department store in London. The city buzzed with life, and the promise of his new career filled him with renewed vigor. It had been a while since Steven had felt this excited about anything.

As he entered the store, Steven was immediately drawn to the men's section, where racks of suits, shirts, and ties greeted him. He knew that dressing the part was essential for his new role as a tour guide, and he was determined to make a statement. Marc, always the fashion-conscious alter, offered his insights and advice.

"How about this one, Marc?" Steven asked, holding up a navy blue ensemble before the mirror in the men’s fitting room. "It looks classic and professional, don't you think?"

Absolutely. Marc nodded in approval, his eyes shining with enthusiasm at the mirror reflection. You'll definitely make a lasting impression on your first day.

With Marc's guidance, Steven tried on various outfits, from sleek suits to more casual yet stylish attire. Each piece of clothing brought a new layer of confidence to Steven, and he reveled in the feeling of transformation. It wasn't just about the clothes; it was about stepping into a new chapter of his life.

As Steven emerged from the dressing room in a tailored charcoal gray suit, Marc's voice filled their shared headspace. You’re looking sharp, brother.

Steven grinned at his reflection, adjusting his tie. "Thanks, bruv. I do look dapper in this."

With a few more outfits selected and purchased, Steven left the department store with shopping bags in hand, feeling a sense of accomplishment he hadn't experienced in a long time. As he walked through the bustling streets of London, Steven couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for Marc and the unique bond they shared. They may have their differences and their own battles to fight, but in moments like these, they are a team, supporting each other through life's twists and turns.

Next day finally came, and as the dawn finally broke over their shared flat, Marc woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. The gravity of Steven’s first job at the British Museum was not lost on him, and to ensure Steven's punctuality, he set multiple alarms, determined not to let his British counterpart be tardy on his inaugural day.

Good luck, Steven. Marc whispered from within their shared headspace, watching Steven meticulously select his attire with pride and excitement. The navy blue jacket, black undershirt and dark pants fit Steven like a glove, giving him a polished and sophisticated look. You've got this.

“I’ve got this”, Steven nodded and echoed Marc’s words in the mirror, his determination unwavering. "Cheers, Marc, wish me luck."

As the morning sun started to cast a golden hue over the ancient streets of London, Steven finally arrived at the entrance of the British Museum. The grand hall was a breathtaking sight, its towering columns and ornate architecture a testament to the centuries of history contained within. But Steven's attention was quickly drawn to the four individuals gathered at the receiving area, all of whom must be new hires, just like him.

Steven approached them with a warm and confident smile, extending a hand in greeting. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Steven Grant, and it's a pleasure to meet you all."

He made a point to remember all the names of his fellow tour guides as they started to exchange pleasantries. Two of them, Isabella and Oliver, were recent graduates from top London universities and had previously interned at the British Museum. Their knowledge of the museum's vast collection was already impressive, and Steven knew he had much to learn from them.

Then there was Sarah, a career shifter like Steven, who had previously worked as a photographer. Her artistic eye promised to bring a unique perspective to their tours, capturing the essence of the museum's treasures through her lens.

The final two, Ahmed and Louisa, were communication graduates with a deep passion for Egyptian culture and history. They had the ability to transport visitors back in time to the land of the pharaohs with their vivid storytelling.

As the group engaged in friendly banter and shared their palpable excitement for the journey ahead, they were joined by a young woman who Steven (and Marc from their shared head space) recognized from last Sunday. She introduced herself as Mira's secretary and personal assistant, Alunsina Santos, though she preferred to be called 'Aleah.' She exuded an air of efficiency as she spoke, her tone indicating that she was a force to be reckoned with.

"Good morning, everyone," Aleah greeted with a warm smile. "Mira and I will be overseeing your training and guiding you through the upcoming exhibit which will be unveiled in the next few weeks."

Steven's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he listened to Aleah's words. The Great Ennead of Ancient Egypt exhibit was a highly anticipated event, featuring rare artifacts and treasures from that ancient civilization. It was a dream come true for any history enthusiast, and Steven couldn't believe his luck in being a part of it. This was not just a job for him anymore; it was an opportunity to make history come alive for countless visitors, to inspire curiosity and wonder in the hearts of those who crossed the museum's threshold.

“If you will follow me,” Aleah continued. "Mira’s waiting for you all at the exhibit gallery"

A few corridor walks later, the new tour guides led by Aleah stood before the familiar doors of the exhibit gallery where they had their guided tour evaluation. Steven couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement mixed with a touch of anxiety as Mira’s secretary finally opened the entrance. His eyes immediately spotted Mira as he and the others slowly entered the room, deeply engrossed in her work as the museum curator.

With commanding presence and an air of quiet confidence, Mira oversaw the delicate movement of ancient artifacts by a couple of museum staff, her chestnut brown eyes darkening as she scrutinized every detail. She had a reputation for being meticulous, a quality that had made her the ideal curator for one of the world's most prestigious museums. Her eyes flitted over her written notes, envisioning the final look of the upcoming exhibit with the precision of an artist.

Aleah, with her characteristic grace and charm, called out to Mira, drawing her attention away from the artifacts. Mira turned around, her expression lit up with a warm smile and welcome as she recognized her fellow colleague and the new additions to the museum's team.

"Good morning, everyone," Mira greeted them with a smile that could rival the sun. Her voice, like molten honey, was both soothing and commanding. "I’m glad to see you all here today, finally."

The five new tour guides exchanged greetings and nods of appreciation. Steven, standing among them, felt a surge of pride to be part of the group.

“We have a lot of ground to cover”, Mira continued, her eyes twinkling with anticipation as she neared the first Egyptian artifact on display. “Let’s get this party started.”

The next few hours passed in a blur of information and excitement as the orientation for the new tour guides commenced. Mira explained in great detail what was expected of the new hires. She left no stone unturned, her words like a tapestry as it flowed with captivating eloquence, weaving together threads of history, culture, and art that lay within the hallowed walls of the museum.

Steven was diligent in taking notes, his pen scratching across the pages of his notebook. He hung on Mira's every word, absorbing her knowledge like a sponge as his determination to meet her high standards were very strong. His questions, thoughtful and insightful, elicited nods of approval from Mira. She could see his passion for the subject matter, and it pleased her immensely.

As the day progressed, Mira and Aleah engaged the new tour guides in a lively discussion about the museum's most iconic exhibits. The Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles, the Egyptian mummies—each artifact had its own unique story to tell.

Aleah, with her cheerful demeanor and natural ability to connect with people, shared her own experiences as a tour guide. Her anecdotes were sprinkled with humor and empathy, and they provided valuable insights into the art of guiding visitors through the museum's vast collection.

Mira, on the other hand, delved into the intricacies of curatorial work. She explained how artifacts were acquired, cataloged, and preserved, emphasizing the importance of responsible stewardship. Her passion for preserving history was contagious, and it left a deep impression on the new tour guides.

As the orientation drew to a close, Mira looked at the group with a sense of satisfaction. "You have all shown great promise today," she said, her eyes shimmering with pride. "Remember that being a tour guide is not just about imparting knowledge; it's about igniting curiosity and fostering a love for history in our visitors."

Steven couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude toward Mira and Aleah. Their guidance and expertise had made the daunting prospect of becoming a tour guide feel like an exciting adventure. He was filled with a renewed sense of purpose, eager to share the stories of the past with those who walked through the museum's doors.

Lunchtime finally arrived, and the five tour guides dispersed to pursue their individual break plans. Steven, however, found himself somewhat adrift in this new environment. Uncertainty lingered in his eyes as he entered the museum staff lounge area, not quite sure where to sit or what to do.

He found himself slowly wandering around, his eyes swept across the room as he was taking in the mingling chatter and laughter that filled the air. Steven’s solitude was short-lived however when Mira suddenly appeared at his side, her warm smile drawing his attention.

"Steven!" she exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm. "Would you care to join Aleah and me for lunch? We’re over there at the corner"

"That sounds lovely, Mira”, Steven nodded gratefully as a sense of relief washed over him, feeling somewhat like an outsider. Pleasantly surprised by the invitation, he slowly followed after Mira to a cozy corner of the staff lounge. Aleah was already seated at the corner table, waiting patiently as she threw a welcoming smile at Steven.

“So glad you could join us”, Aleah spoke kindly as Mira and Steven finally settled down at their respective seats. “I hope your first day here has been very good, yeah?”

“I’m aces so far”, Steven nodded enthusiastically, looking back and forth at the women seated with him. “A lot to learn, but I’m really excited to get started.”

“I’m glad to hear that”, Mira said, turning to Steven with a sympathetic look. “I know it can get really overwhelming”

“Yeah, she tends to overload people with information”, Aleah chuckled, prompting Mira to shoot a playful glare at her secretary. “So don’t be surprised if she suddenly decided to take over your conversation, Steven”

“I love hearing her talk though, so I don’t really mind”, Steven said, prompting Mira to blush despite herself as Marc’s same words from their plane ride suddenly echoed in her head. Aleah, on the other hand, looked curiously at the slow, amorous exchange going on before her.

“Marc said the exact same thing”, Mira chuckled, shaking her head mildly as her brown eyes suddenly filled with genuine concern. “Speaking of which, I hope everything’s okay with you two. Your emergency situation last Sunday wasn’t too serious, was it?”

"Everything's fine," he reassured with a gentle smile, appreciating Mira's caring nature. "Marc and I sorted it out last week. He’s really sorry for missing your coffee lunch."

“Tell him not to worry about it”, Mira nodded before briefly standing up to get their packed lunches heated in the microwave. “I’ll be right back after reheating these”

In her absence, Aleah seized the opportunity to engage Steven in conversation, her eyes studying and observing him closely. There was something about his mannerisms and the way he carried himself that struck a chord with her. She couldn't shake the feeling that he reminded her of someone she had known before. His mannerisms, his accent, everything about him had a strangely familiar quality, but she couldn't quite pinpoint who he resembled.

"You know," Aleah began with a playful glint in her eye. "Just between us two - you’re exactly Mira’s type of guy”

Steven momentarily choked on his sandwich, his eyes wide with disbelief at the unexpected words of the young woman seated before him. Reaching for his jug of water, Steven gulped down the fluids while contemplating how to properly react to Aleah’s words.

“I mean, you remind me of someone she used to fancy back then”, Aleah continued, her eyes peering more closely at Steven. “I just can't put my finger on who."

Steven raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Aleah's observation. "Really? I'm curious now. Who do you think I remind you of?"

Before Aleah could offer an answer, Mira finally returned to their little corner of the lounge, balancing three steaming plates of food. With an air of theatricality, she finally unveiled their packed lunch, revealing a sizzling platter of tofu sisig and a tupperware full of steamed rice. The aroma of sizzling tofu, onions, and peppers filled the room, and Steven's stomach rumbled in response.

Mira set the empty plates and packed lunches down on the table and took her seat once more, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. "Steven, you must try this," Mira said, her excitement contagious. "Tofu sisig is a Filipino delicacy, and I promise you, it's going to be a taste sensation like no other."

Steven nodded, his curiosity piqued. He had never tried Filipino cuisine before, and the prospect of something new and exciting was enticing. 

Aleah, who had been smiling at Mira's enthusiasm, chimed in, "It's one of my favorites too, Steven. You're in for a treat."

“Don’t worry, it’s vegan friendly!" Mira reassured as she served Steven a generous portion of tofu sisig and steamed rice onto his plate. 

The British man couldn't help but be touched by the gesture, feeling a warmth spreading through him. He realized that he had never experienced anything quite like this kind of camaraderie or companionship in his previous workplace at the National Gallery. There, he had been a solitary figure, eating his meals alone in the cold, sterile break room with mostly no company to keep him other than the golden mime outside in Trafalgar Square.

With gratitude in his eyes, Steven picked up his fork and took a bite of the tofu sisig. The flavors exploded on his palate, a perfect fusion of savory and tangy. As they shared stories and laughter over their meal, Steven couldn't help but reflect on the moment. The contrast between his solitary past and this newfound companionship at the British Museum was stark. It tugged at his heartstrings and made him realize that this was the beginning of a new chapter in his life.

As they enjoyed their lunch together in the heart of the British Museum, surrounded by centuries of Egyptian history and culture, Steven couldn't help but think that sometimes, the most beautiful moments in life were the unexpected ones—the ones that blossomed from shared meals, laughter, and the warmth of newfound friends.

END OF CHAPTER TEN.

masterlist | previous | next chapter

[sarcasticbeanie]

tenzing tharkay for the ask game!!

First impression this guy slammed the door in. gently nudged the person blocking him to the side. has an eagle on his hand. then coolly and mockingly snubbed a room full of rich white folk. Is there anything more to say? Love at first sight. I didn't even think he was an important character I just enjoyed his character introduction so much. I was like: man this dude is really cool. he's cynical and mocking but patient with his explanations when talking to Temeraire. the book summary says there's going to be a betrayal but I hope it's not him. hope he survives, too, 'cause the survival rates of side characters have Not been high so far.

Impression now He's hypercompetant. he's a leftist. he can throw chairs "coolly". He's noticeably not a pathetic meow meow but he is my babygirl. But what made me really like him is that - he's so lonely. It's something that has seeped into his bones and he doesn't need or want anything else - or at least that's what he tells himself. Then William Laurence offered a hand, wishing for them to be equals, exchanging his own loyalty - and Tharkay went. fuck. now I have to actually like this guy. Then Temeraire objected when Tharkay volunteered himself for a dangerous mission - and Tharkay went. huh. ok I guess they do care for me. then after doing one (1) mission with Laurence and Co., he went. yeah. guess I have to follow this idiot anywhere now. I love seeing lonely characters realize that they have a place,, that they can still care for others, and be loved and cared for in return. Tharkay is just my specialest guy. he's so important to me. To me. I start kicking my feet and giggling whenever he comes on page. that's my little guy... (40 yr old man)

Favorite moment Clenches fists there're so many of them. but if I had to choose it might just be his entrance? like in my answer to question one. love at first sight and all that. aside from that... any of his rescues if either Laurence or Tem were all so fun. his sections are just a whole lot of competency and I enjoy that a lot. but I also really appreciated him getting rescued by Laurence in book 8,, listen. i love putting characters in bad situations sometimes. and I thrive on hurt/comfort.

Idea for a story Oh, I'm boring. I'm just rotating him like a rotisserie chicken in my mind... I really want the prequels of this guy. Was he once naive and hopeful? Does he remember his mother? How did he feel after being scorned by his own family? Did he make friends, or did he make his journey forever alone? Were there any companions he viewed as important? He's as tight-lipped as a pistachio with no crack and just as hard to open. But I want to know more about him and delve into his past and psyche. and i'm also thinking about willzing. I've seen a lot of fics in which Laurence is panicking and angsting about his feelings while struggling with his own thoughts on honor, and I want to see a Tharkay version of this... is this guy actually good at self-reflection and acknowledging his own feelings? or does he have to struggle with his long habit of loneliness and his constant experience of being spurned? does he yearn for more from his and Laurence's relationship, or is he content enough with what he thinks he can get? discuss.

Unpopular opinion I have nothing against it!! But. I just don't feel the sexually and romantically dominant vibes from this guy? a lot of wonderful and awesome fics depict him as someone who's in charge, confident, sure in his romantic and sexual endeavors (which is great and very good food), but I don't think he's particularly domineering or even too experienced in sexual and romantic acts. the man's probably busy bouncing around all over the place tangled up in schemes and spying and missions and whatnot. and I think if you ask him to be entirely clear in his own feelings and to proffer them all directly he'd explode into 10 billion little pieces.

Favorite relationship Willzing. They're just very fun to me. I'm holding them up and swinging them around like ferrets.

Favorite headcanon He's demiromantic and demisexual. To me. He's slow to trust but he falls hard after, but only if you've built up a sufficient, steady, and long-term relationship (platonic) beforehand. Personally, I think it would be funny if that happened in. the final book or something.

[iamaweretoad]

Did you maybe get a chance to develop an idea for your Rogue Trader? What are they like? And, perhaps most importantly, how do they get along with the members of their retinue? 😊

I am so glad you enjoy the game, hope you have a great day!! 💜

Thank you for enabling me! 💜

god this game is giving me hella brainworms, so apologies in advance for how long this got!

His name is Mago Vanth, though he goes exclusively by his surname and has for a while now. It's a bit awkward with his fancy new surname tacked onto it (all those v's), but so is he, so.... XD

Crime lord background. Lawful neutral. Loyal to his people (crew/gang/etc) and nothing else. Ruthless when necessary. Fast talking. Pragmatic (until he's not). He has a talent for people and synthesizing information/perspectives. Good at tactics, bad at combat (he's gonna give Abelard a heart attack one of these fights). Be gay do crimes.

He was born in a hive world slum. Orphaned at 9 after his mother got sucked into a chaos cult and tried to sacrifice him and his sibling. Started his life of crime young and by his late 20s he was running a successful gang. Unfortunately the leaders of the larger syndicate that his gang was part of ALSO got involved in some Chaos shit, and Vanth was arrested as part of the investigation/crackdown.

I went with Shadow of Torment from the 'Darkest Hour' section of character creation ("You were arrested and thoroughly interrogated using creative and violent methods."), so.... yeah. He claims he lost his eye in a fight, but in reality it was a result of the interrogation.

He (barely) survives and manages to escape, but by that point he is a complete wreck and everyone he knows/cares about is dead, arrested or wants *him* dead for betraying them. So he runs, as far towards the outer rim (or whatever the in-universe equivalent is) as the money in his bailout stash will get him and begins the process of trying to piece himself and his life back together.

8? 10? years later, he's clawed his way up to being the leader of a successful smuggling syndicate (not huge, but a respectable size) when he gets press-ganged into the Von Valencias dynasty.

He's spent his whole life living/working outside of (and often in conflict with) the establishment. And now he IS the establishment and it's killing him. More than that, though, it's the title that he's really struggling with. Heinrix has that line at the beginning of Act 2, something about if you land on Footfall incognito it will be your last chance to be treated like a person -- and like, he means it in a subterfuge/reconnaissance way, not a existential way, but it's still very much true in an existential way. Vanth isn't a person anymore, he's a title, and it's terrifyingly isolating and lonely and he has no idea how to navigate it.

The only thing that is keeping him from drowning completely is a) he is very good at people, and b) he has never known stability in his entire life and is a firm believer in "no plan survives contact with the enemy" so he is very adept at improvising/adapting on the spot. But the amount of focus and energy this requires isn't really sustainable, and it's only a matter of time before he burns himself out.

***

Re: companions -- I just got to Footfall, so I've only got their Act 1 introductions so far (and haven't met the later companions yet). But in terms of very early impressions:

Abelard: Space Dad. They butt heads a fair bit, but his experience and advice is invaluable, and he's the one person Vanth can sorta lean on for support (professionally if not emotionally -- yet). He also seems unafraid to tell Vanth bluntly to his face when he thinks he's being an idiot, which is an indispensable quality even if Vanth doesn't always agree with his position.

Idira: Sibling energy. Someone else who found a way to exist outside of the system. The only person he can have a normal (to him) conversation with. Basically his reaction to Idira was "oh thank fuck someone sane".

Argenta: nails-on-a-blackboard levels of uncomfortable. She swings wildly between compassion, contempt and fanaticism and he cannot get a bead on her. He respects her skill in combat, but he does not trust her at all, AND she picks on Idira, so she's on thin fucking ice.

Cassia: He is trying to remember that she's still a kid (technically an adult, I assume, but he's in his mid to late thirties, so to him she's a kid). And she's a kid who has been intensely isolated, indoctrinated and infantilized her entire life and who has not, until like a week ago EVER come in contact with any information that challenges her perception of reality/worldview. He is also trying to remember that when someone is actually willing to talk to her about that conflicting information, she seems willing to sit with the discomfort and objectively consider it, and in some cases change her view/behavior in response (which is more than can be said for some of the other party members). He is trying to remember that and not have a kneejerk reaction every time she opens her mouth about commoners, but goddamn it's a struggle. Not helped by the fact that even if he succeeds, she can still tell he's angry because she's an empath. He's working on it. He likes her, he's just so fucking tired.

Pasqal: TBD. He doesn't quite know what to make of him yet. (i feel like Pasqual had a much higher ratio of exposition to personal dialogue than the other companions in Act 1 -- which entirely fits the character, but doesn't give me a lot to work with XD)

Heinrix: IT'S COMPLICATED. They got off on the wrong foot for starters, walking in on him interrogating an enemy. Instant trauma flashbacks for Vanth, and then Heinrix immediately escalated the tension by threatening Idira. As first impressions go, could not have been worse. Luckily there was still a station full of cultists trying to kill them and combat is a hell of an icebreaker. He's still a walking trigger and the way he asks questions sets Vanth's teeth on edge, but things are more or less civil between them for now. Vanth values his pragmatism, and he's been kind to Cassia and he helped Evayne (and even Idira in that last combat). And every so often there is a hint of a person underneath all the dogma and red-tape officiousness, which makes Vanth curious despite himself.

[jq37]

It was a good first episode. There's always some growing pains before they lock down the dynamic, but this was a solid introduction to what's coming down the pipeline. Murph and Emily successfully broke my heart the most. One's marriage is crumbling and the other's just a really traumatized child. Lou and Ally character's are pretty great and seem to have the most plot going on ATM. That voice Lou's doing is such a choice. Zac and Siobhan need more time before we can fully sink our teeth in. PIB is entertaining, but that's all we got so far. And while I'm desperately trying to block out Siobhan's intro, beyond the stressful horror, Rosamund didn't give us a lot character wise. Looking forward to getting stressed out by the rest of the season.

I was a big fan of this first episode! There was a lot of interesting stuff intro'd with all the new PCs (and I really got a sense of like...Once Upon a Time but competent lol). I already went through my thoughts a bit in the recap for the week but here are some more casual thoughts on everyone.

(1) Rosamund: Roz seems to have retained a lot of her princess niceties and demeanor which is honestly impressive considering her entire Situation. I'm wondering if this is going to be a Ruby style arc where she turns jaded eventually or if she's just going be Like This the whole time. A sunshine-y character in a crapsack world is always an interesting contrast. Also, we kind of started and ended with her since Pinocchio was warned that someone was coming for her. I'm curious if the fairy who cursed her is the same fairy that Pinocchio met.

(2) Ger: Brennan does this really cool thing where the end of the world is happening but you're like, "Oh no! This character cheated on this other character!" The human drama stuff feels just as weighty and often more weighty than the life or death stuff. That's how I feel about Ger's whole situation. He's really a dude in need of some serious self-reflection and I'm charmed by how pathetic he is. The issues he's having with his wife are so grounded in reality, even though they involve conversations that start, "Remember who we started dating when I was a frog?" Can't wait to see more of him--and hopefully Elodie at some point too. Where is she Brennan???

(3) Tim: Once again, everything with the Gander is totally messed up. I really hate the idea of accidentally stumbling into a kind of eldritch pact. You're right that there's a very clear plot hook with him and his mission with the book. From the way it was framed, it almost seems like the book has the "correct" or at least more wholesome versions of the tales in it somehow. Or is a gateway to where those versions exist? Because Brennan said it was their town but without the flooding and Jack looked like how he "was meant to be" or something like that. A lot to think about.

(Sidenote: Me and my friend were joking about whether the bad guy this season was going to be capitalism, or the church and my halfway joking answer is capitalism in the form of some version of the Disney Corporation lol.)

(4) Puss: I don't have a lot to say about Puss that I haven't already said in my recap but I love Zac putting his all into his cat mannerisms and I really love this grounded look at what would actually happen after the Puss in Boots story. Looking forward to getting more info.

(5) Red: Yikesssssssssssssssssssss. Emily just went for the jugular right away, huh? As usual, no notes Ms. Axford. I think it's super cool they mixed the Red story and the Big Bad Wolf story. I wonder if/when we're going to get details on how it went down with her grandma because we never got that. I feel like Emily might steal the emotional killshot crown from Siobhan for me this season.

(6) Pinocchio: OK first of all, no one can say Lou doesn't commit to the bit. Second of all, as I said in my recap and at the top in Roz's section, there's clearly something afoot here. Why does Pinocchio’s stepmom want Roz kept safe? And who even is she? My pet theory (based on very little info to be fair) is that she's Cinderella herself somehow but she could very easily be lots of other people (one of the stepsisters is a guess I didn't mention in my recap). Clearly, we're missing a ton of puzzle pieces here so I'm eager to get more. Also, I’m gonna be so mad when Lou is having a super emotional scene and he’s talking Like That. You monster.

One last thing: I'm curious about the timeline here. Since Roz has been asleep for 100 years it seems, how does that slot in with everything else? How long has this plan involving her been in motion. If Sleeping Beauty happened 100 years ago, when did—for instance--the Cinderella story happen (if it happened)?

OK, that’s what I got. Looking forward to the next ep on Wed!

[popculturerobots]

Digimon: The Movie

It's fuckin' wild. Can we talk about it? It was my introduction to Digimon (which is why I use the dub names for everyone, sorry not sorry), and it means a lot to me. There's so much dumb shit that I still love about it. The ridiculous story linking three films using a one-off character from the third one. Kari narrating everything (actually pretty cute). All the bad jokes used to "localize". The gag that Tai and Kari's mother can't cook. Tai apologizing for throwing up in Sora's hat. You've Got Mail!

I know this has already been done to Hell, but I just want to focus in on the soundtrack. So stick with me for a bit.

I rewatched the movie not too long ago and was surprised by how much of the soundtrack I just didn't remember. (like "Rockafeller Skank", what?) I knew the songs, but they just kind of blended into a vague sort of nostalgia. A lot of it probably had to do with how short the song drops were.

There's the "All Star" drop at the end with Endigomon where Willis calls him tone deaf (ouch), and a few other songs drop during battles. I want to point out "Nowhere Near" by Summercamp because T.K. wears shirts with the band name in tri. I also want to shout out "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads" by Less Than Jake because it's a great song by a great band. Ska punk forever.

It's probably a good thing I don't remember the "Digi Rap" because it's...not great. The "Digimon Theme", however, still gets stuck in my head to this day. It rules. Digimon are the champions. The main motif is also repeated during intense moments by the brass section throughout the score (performed by the Israel Philharmonic, I guess because Saban was US-Israeli). This movie is for sure one of the reasons I'm such a basic bitch for a brass line. That being said, I still prefer Butter-Fly (tri. all cast version best version).

"One Week" by Barenaked Ladies. Yeah, the meme song. It starts playing when Tai's apology email to Sora fails to send and continues through the exposition of where the other DigiDestined are. I thought this drop was so clever when I was younger. Unashamed to say this is a good song that I can sing entirely from memory.

And now the best drop of the entire movie. "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Good song, still in my rotation. It plays when Sora gets Tai's email and forgives him (or is implied to, at least) with the opening lines "have you ever been close to tragedy". Yes. And then it cuts to the missile poking out of the water. It tips over to the lyrics "so heavy you collapse". Again, yes. But the lyrics say "no". It's so dumb, and it makes me big dumb smile.

But the wildest part of all this is "Kids in America". Because the DigiDestined are kids and they go to America. Sure, makes sense. But it’s covered by Len. You know, the "Steal My Sunshine" band? Remember them? Well I remember them for the music video at the end of the VHS where the band members go to the premiere of Digimon: The Movie. I vividly remember this thing. The animation that was so bad compared to the movie it followed. The monkey playing congas. The band members sitting in the theatre with Tai and Greymon. Greymon trying to steal popcorn. I don't know who thought this was a good idea, but I hope they're doing well.

Thanks for reading. Now go listen.

[armthearmour]

Review: The Knight and the Blast Furnace

Since its publication by Brill Academic Publishers in 2003, The Knight and the Blast Furnace by Dr. Alan Williams has become one of the primary works for the study of pre-modern armor. Widely cited by subsequent in subsequent works, this study performs a task which had never before been approached in the study of armor: the analytical, scientific study of a wide range of elements of armor from a metallurgical point of view. The author examined an impressive array of amors from collections across the world, placing them beneath his metallographer's microscope in an effort to determine their material composition and the processes that went into creating each piece, in particular whether they were hardened successfully, hardened and tempered, whether there was a failed attempt at hardening, or whether the piece was simply air cooled.

The volume is divided into nine sections, which contain a total of 45 chapters. The first section, entitled “Iron,” serves as an introduction to the basic concept of metallurgy which the author uses throughout the book. Chapter 1.1 gives a brief history of iron making, a history which relies almost entirely on archaeological material due to the dearth of historical material relevant to early iron making. Chapter 1.2 briefly discusses the metallography of swords, while chapter 1.3 covers the hardening of steel. It is chapter 1.3 in which the author provides the reader with definitions for the relevant microstructures which are to be found in steel, as well as images of what they look like under a microscope and how the images help the researcher determine whether the piece was quench hardened successfully, unsuccessfully, or not at all.

Section two, called “Mail,” only contains two chapters. The first, chapter 2.1, gives a general overview as to what mail armor is as well as the process of making various types of protective equipment. A brief analysis of the metallography of the few mail fragments that survive from the migration period and early middle ages is also provided. Section 2.2 provides an overview of the “Armour of the Later Roman Empire and Early Middle Ages” (armor which primarily consisted of mail) as well as a brief discussion on helmets of the early middle ages.

Section 3, titled “Knights,” provides further contextual information. Chapter 3.1 presents a short history of heavy cavalry as well as a history of knightly mail armor. Chapter 3.2 examines medieval infantry and the crossbow.

Section 4 begins the actual process of examining plate armor. Called “Italy,” this section focuses on armor manufactured in the Italian peninsula, with particular attention paid to the production centers in Lombardy. Chapter 4.1, which the author calls “The Flourishing of an Industry,” provides a brief discussion on the invention of the suit of full plate armor which occurred in Italy in the late 14th century. Here Williams also concisely examines the areas of Lombardy, particularly Milan and Brescia, which served as centers of production for armor, as well as the Missaglia family, the first proto-capitalist armoring family.

After this point, sections 4, 5, and 6 all follow a similar formula. First, a category of armor is presented in a chapter which discusses the broad trends in metallurgy of that category. Second, the actual pieces which were examined are presented, including both macroscopic images of the pieces themselves as well as microscopic images of the relevant microstructures. A short description of the piece’s hardness and composition are also included. Chapters 4.2 and 4.3 cover Italian made armor prior to 1510, while 4.4 and 4.5 cover Italian produced armor after 1510. The author chose this date, 1510, as a dividing point due to the introduction of fire gilding into the Italian armorer’s repertoire, an introduction which caused quench hardening to entirely disappear from the manufacture of Italian armor.

Section 5 considers “German” armor. Chapters 5.1 and 5.2 discuss “German” armor from before 1450, a time when relatively little German-made armor survives, none of which can be traced to a particular area of manufacture. The remaining chapters all concern themselves only with armor manufactured after 1450, and are divided by city. Chapters 5.3 and 5.4 detail armor made in Augsburg, chapters 5.5 and 5.6 armors from Innsbruck, chapters 5.7 and 5.8 armors from Landshut, and chapters 5.9 and 5.10 armors from Nurnberg. Nurnberg was also known as a center for tournament armor, so another chapter, 5.11, is included specifically to discuss tournament armor made there.

Little armor survives which can confidently be said to have been produced outside of Italy and Germany. As a consequence of this, section 6 is dedicated to the remainder of European armor. Chapter 6.1 discusses the metallurgy of German armor made after 1450 which cannot be traced to a particular city, while chapters 6.2/6.3 and 6.4/6.5 cover Flanders and England respectively. The remaining regions (Spain, France, Sweden, and North German and the Netherlands) are each covered in only a single chapter (6.6, 6.7, 6.8, and 6.9 respectively.)

Section 7 deviates from previous discussion about armor to turn to firearms. Chapter 7.1 covers the invention of guns, first discussing Greek fire before turning to the invention of proper gunpowder in China and its spread through the Muslim world to Europe. Chapter 7.2 examines the earliest guns in Europe as well as improvements that were made upon the design up to the 15th century. Chapter 7.3 then examines some case studies of the adoption of firearms in Europe with their first wide scale use by the Hussites in the Hussite wars and finally by the English, the last large force to widely adopt firearms during the Wars of the Roses. The final chapter in this section, chapter 7.4, covers the use of handguns in the 16th century, paying particular attention to the role of firearms at the battle of Pavia in 1524, a battle which the author calls “decisive” to the role firearms would play in the rest of the 16th century.

Section 8 is named “Production.” Chapter 8.1 goes into great detail regarding the process of making iron and steel in the middle ages using a blast furnace, while chapter 8.2 discusses the processes used by medieval armorsmiths to harden armor. Chapter 8.3 considers the mass-production of armor.

The final section of this work, section 9, uses the data gathered by the author to answer the question “does armor work?” Entitled “Protection,” the first chapter of this section examines the thickness of plate armor. Chapter 9.2 discusses the weapons that may be used to attack armor, and provides estimates in joules for how much energy each of these forms of attack may impart. Chapter 9.3 examines contemporary accounts of the effectiveness of armor, paying particular attention to firearms and crossbows, the two most powerful weapons of their day. “Proofing” armor against both crossbow and gun shot was a common method of showing the customer that the armor was of high quality. Chapter 9.4 gathers together all of the data and scrutinizes the question in order to provide an estimate on the effectiveness of armor. The final chapter, 9.5, serves as a conclusion, finally answering the question “did armor work?” Supported by a large amount of empirical data, the author concludes that yes, indeed, armor did work.

Footnotes are included at the bottom of each page, and, while the volume does include an index, no bibliography is included. Instead, the author elects to include his references at the end of each chapter. The works cited by this author include scholarship from a great variety of languages, including English, German, Italian, French, Czech, and Danish.

When first reading this work, this reviewer questioned the decision to include an entire section dedicated not to armor, but to firearms, however, upon working through this section and the sections which come after it, I have reached the conclusion that this deviation is not only helpful but necessary. The effects that the development of firearms had upon the development of plate armor are inescapable, and the subsequent discussions on production and protection would have been lacking without this contextualizing information. With this in mind, this reviewer has no criticisms for this work. Dr. Williams provides an incredible resource to all scholars of armor. The context which he provides in his introduction, as well as in later sections, mean that the reader does not need to be an expert in metallurgy coming into this book. Rather, a complete novice to the subject can understand what is laid out here. Some readers with less experience may find themselves overwhelmed with information, however, this reviewer would recommend this book as an absolute necessity to anyone interested in the study of armor.

[auralina33]

Eclipse, they barely exist but they're worming through our brains anyway-

Counting the Balloon World thing and also Ruin DLC Sun and Moon too because god knows I won't get questions about them separately.

ECLIPSE

First impression: When we first saw anything about "Eclipse" in the Balloon World minigame I was like "Oh! That's a fucked up thing!" and proceeded to make shit up about it like wildly. When we saw Eclipse in the Ruin DLC teasers I was literally like fingers crossed hoping so fucking hard that they weren't gonna go with "Sun and Moon got blended together" it was bad for me.

Impression now: I LIKE ECLIPSE. I LIKE ECLIPSE A LOT FOR HOW LITTLE I TALK ABOUT THEM. I wasn't expecting for Sun to directly come and ask for help, Moon. Moon. Moving on! And Eclipse themself being so sweet and kind of bringing a balance while also not deleting Sun and Moon caught me off-guard in a good way.

Favorite moment: Sunnydrop was the highlight of the entire Ruin DLC Daycare section for me I'm sorry. My ass literally wanted to tear up hearing them sing to comfort themself that hit so fucking hard with the hearing them cry and having had them just beg for help. Eclipse's reveal definitely had me absolutely jawdrop, and Sun's little "Thank you..." at the end was so. Ough Sun we're taking you for a vacation.

Idea for a story: I badly need to write my Memento Mori Eclipses. I have like 3 of them and you guys don't know even 1. In MEMO, Ruin DLC Eclipse (Chroma) would be brought in post-canon to try to stabilize Sol and Luna so I'd want to try writing her introduction to them and how their dynamic develops. Also I should write some poetic creepy shit with my Balloon World Eclipses (Umbra and Saros) they're so good for it.

Unpopular opinion: Moondrop is NOT being straight-up evil and doing a "split personality takeover" thing I don't care I do NOT care, I don't care how it's framed and I don't care what the game and books imply. They literally read as being in distress-fueled mental breakdown mode to me I genuinely cannot read them any other way and I could ramble about it.

Favorite relationship: Eclipse, Sun and Moon's relationship has so many chances to be so interesting and sweet. Also I would have loved to see them interacting with Cassie. And it's a bit of a shame that none of the other characters ever talks about or interacts with them.

Favorite headcanon: For canon, the idea that Eclipse was a third AI meant to help, care for or protect Sun, Moon and the kids that got taken out to facilitate hacking Moon and hurting people. Also I made Umbra a woman for Vanny parallels and now when I make Eclipse variants my first thought is to make them women it's a disease.

[aurora-ze-aquarius]

OC-TOBER DAY #4 : FORMAL

Prompt by @carsgeek24

—

First written work of the series!!

Featuring Nicolette!

An OC of mine who actually has her ref sheet available here!

You guys really seem to like her and I'm so happy to know that <3

Here's a little snippet of her at the party in Tokyo, Japan. (Also side note: I used some Google Translate for this, so forgive me for that)

The story features Raoul and Max!

Hope you enjoy ^^

—

Nicolette was in awe, eyes lit up in stars as they walked into the main room. When they said the party in Tokyo was big, she never expected it to be this big.

The gallery featured an array of incredible and detailed artworks. Beautiful displays of Japanese paintings lined the walls. Statues of marble that tower almost up to the ceiling. A dazzling array of colored spotlights danced around the room, as did the other guests.

"impressive, isn't it?" Team principal, Bruno Motoreau, asked as they walked down the halls. "This is said to be Tokyo's most famous art gallery."

"Oui! It's beautiful!" Nicolette smiled, finding herself drawn to the beautiful, abstract sculptures. "No wonder this is where the first race is held." Raoul nodded along as well.

"Monsieur Todoroki really outdid himself!" He added, the three of them walking over to the edge of the indoor balcony. "Look at this place! You can see all the floors from up here!"

They were on the third floor. Still high up looking down on the other two. Nicolette leaned against the railings, glancing down to the people below. There she saw the stage set, a beautiful waterfall feature as its centerpiece. A tower of wheels that spun on top of each other. She also saw a karaoke station, which she mentally took note of to visit later.

"Let's go find the other racers. Perhaps even meet up with Todoroki himself, and then I'll let you kids have your fun." Bruno chuckled, earning a few blank stares from both driver and co-driver.

"Very funny." Raoul deadpanned. Nonetheless, they began to ride an escalator down.

On their way down to the second floor, Nicolette spotted something from the corner of her eye. He was another (familiar) racer, waving at them from the ground floor. She lightly elbowed Raoul, then gestured towards the man.

"Look. It's Max." She said, hiding back a snicker as she saw a smile creep upon Raoul's face.

"Hey! Well then, let's go!"

They quickly met up with Max and his crew chief. Raoul and Max immediately giving each other hi-fives and pats on the back. Both team leaders also found themselves in their own conversations, talking catching up and talking team preparation.

The three drivers were catching up with each other as well. Max talks about how he has been practicing in the Black Forest for the dirt patches in all three races.

"With our strategy at hand, there's no way I will lose to you." Max smirked, earning a chuckle from both rally racers.

"Don't be so sure of yourself. Rallycars may be slow on asphalt, but once we hit that dirt section we'll be long far gone ahead of you!" Raoul replied.

Max rolled his eyes, then turned towards Nicolette. "Just out of curiosity, are you still gonna be co-driving? I mean- this is a closed circuit, so I'm wondering if the principals of rally racing still apply."

Nicolette gave a shrug and a small hum. "Honestly, we're not entirely sure ourselves. Though, after speaking with Monsieur Axelrod, we came to an agreement that I'll still be counting pacenotes, and we'll be treating this like a sort of rallycross. Anything can happen in the circuit, and if we're far away from the pits, someone needs to step up and help get our driver back into the race." She patted Raoul's shoulder, the two sharing a grin.

"I can't wait for the race! It's a challenge I'm all for!" Raoul beamed.

Sometime later, Shu Todoroki came up to them, greeting them with a respectful bow. After exchanging a few words, Shu left to go check up on the other guests.

The night went on, and after an— interesting introduction from the racers, everyone hit the dance floor as Miguel Camino first took hold of the mic, bringing back the bright mood in the atmosphere.

Once Miguel was done singing, Nicolette quickly took the stage.

"Give me beat!"

And so the music began to play. This one being her favorites.

"Oh I think, that you're wild!"

"And so uniquely styled!"

"You might think it's foolish"

"This chancy rendezvous"

"You might think I'm crazy"

"All I want is you"

"Oh oooh"

"All I want is you"

"All I want is you~ ❤️"

——

<<Prev || Next >>

[voices-not-echoes]

shadow and bone season 2 frustrated me even more than season 1 did, and one (1) person responded to a poll i made asking if should do this, so here is part 1 of how i would've adapted the grisha trilogy to tv. and though i have things to say about the main plot, i had to deal with the most frustrating and jarring section first.

Adapting the Crows - Season 1, Part 1

Overall: This is the season of hints and introductions for the Crows. All of them will have the opportunity to undergo some of their book backstories, but the parts that they experienced unconnected from each other. Some are more cameos or easter eggs than fully fledged plotlines.

Nina: The easiest character to fit into the Shadow and Bone plot, due to her presence in Ravka and especially the Little Palace.

Present as one of the welcoming, friendly faces who bring Alina into the Little Palace on arrival.

Background in scenes of training, but highlighted as especially adept at hand to hand combat (possibly in “Alina intimidation”-type sequence)

Displayed as intimidated (yet impressed) by Zoya, but possibly replaces Marie (?) as the one who talks back to her to her face on Alina’s behalf

Is kind to/shares a kinship in 1 or 2 scenes with Genya; possibly a scene of her failing to Tailor herself a new hair color - demonstrates uniqueness of Genya’s powers and will eventually demonstrate the power of parem

Present at the Winter Ball and charms several dignitaries or visiting nobles by speaking to them in their own languages

Final appearance is this one, final moment of focus is someone telling Alina that Nina will soon be sent out as a spy because of her skill with language

Inej: Likely second easiest, because she lives in the world (Ravka) the entire first season will take place in. Introducing her also introduces the Suli, expanding the world a little beyond the bare-bones worldbuilding in the first book. Will eventually be given her own (small) plotline, and further introduce Kerch and Ketterdam.

Suli camp is set near Novokribirsk. Mal wants to go to the circus they’re a part of after crossing. We see a small part of Inej’s performance.

Inej sees the burst of light in the Fold. Camp moves on towards the coast. Establishment of her relationship with her family.

As someone explains the danger the Fold puts West Ravka in, Inej is kidnapped (including 5 more minutes line)

Goes through slave ship and is sold to Tante Heleen (who discusses it with Pekka Rollins), put in Menagerie attire → no graphic portrayals of SA, but clear implications; establishes her situation and introduces Pekka’s reach

One of her beatings (or the aftermath of a beating) by Tante Heleen is included → Inej’s reasons to fear her made clear

Menagerie is brought to the Winter Ball, Inej not included → shows Ravkan relationship with Kerch and corruption of current king

Inej sees Kaz for the first time, asking for information. Her final scene is “I can help you.”

[semper-legens]

27. Killing for Company, by Brian Masters

Owned: No, library Page count: 328 My summary: A biography of the serial killer Dennis Nilsen, who murdered twelve young men over the course of a few years, and was convicted of murder and given a life sentence. My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

Okay, so. I am, admittedly, the type of person with an interest in true crime. It's something I feel kinda guilty about, given how exploitative true crime as a genre can be towards victims and the families of victims, not to mention how true crime narratives often end up glorifying the perpetrator or lifting them into fame. Nevertheless, I do sometimes indulge in a book from work's extensive true crime shelf, and in that vein I picked up this and the next book. This is a biography of Dennis Nilsen, written not too long after the trial where he was convicted of murder. The next book is his autobiography, written over the many years he spent in jail. Seeing them on the shelf next to each other inspired me to read both - I wanted to compare and contrast the immediate, but more objective reaction to Nilsen and his crimes with Nilsen's own perspective that has the benefit of hindsight. So, this is part one!

Overall, this gives a pretty good look at the life of Dennis Nilsen and the crimes that he committed. Masters seems to struggle with the morality of this book's creation - he contacted Nilsen not long after he was charged to ask permission to write this, and Nilsen agreed, leading to a long correspondence between the two of them where Masters wound up being most of Nilsen's social contact while jailed. In the introduction, he talks about his decision to use more neutral language around Nilsen, and avoid words like 'evil'. He wants to deliver the facts, not speculation or justification. And he succeeds, for most of the book. The latter parts do go into breaking down the various reasons why Nilsen may have felt compelled to kill, which just seemed like hypothesising to me, especially since this book was published not too long after his conviction. That said, however, that section of the book does draw from actual psychologists and independent theories. Masters creates an image of Nilsen as a complicated man, a man who has suffered trauma and setbacks in his life, but who chose to externalise that through murder. I got the impression that Masters was sympathetic to Nilsen, but not to the extent of excusing his crimes, which is entirely valid. Masters does a good job at showing who Nilsen was as a person and why (as far as it can be known) his path led the places it did while still having sympathy for the victims and their families and not glorifying Nilsen as a person, which is a fine balance to walk and one it walked well. Overall, if you're interested in Nilsen as a person, you can do a lot worse than read this book.

Next up, more Nilsen, as he tells his own story.

[dirtcube]

decided to check out tubnet.gg, as someone who has never existed on any minigame server since like. 2010 minecraft.

So, I’ve never played on hypixel or mineplex or whatever mainly for the reason that those servers are so huge that I feel like i’ll quickly get overwhelmed by all the ongoings. I was hoping to try out tubnet when it was still early after its launch in order to get a little more used to a calmer server that isn’t spanning several thousands of players at a time. I’m going in entirely blind- this is the experience of someone playing a minigame server for the first time ever lmao.

So, heres some quick first impressions

Everything looks beautiful. Genuinely, the build team and the art team did an incredible job. Everything is packed with details and exploring the place is incredibly neat. There’s little things to discover strewn about. I accidentally found the giant rat who makes all of the rules. The best part of the hub area I think is that you can actually find the game areas IN the main lobby map manually, if you dont want to use the compass to teleport you to it directly.

I do think that Tubnet should have some sort of “introduction” room before you get permanently unleashed into the city. A room that just casually explains how everything works, what things are, how to navigate the place, etc. You kind of just get thrown in blind and as someone who has never been on a minigame server before I was admittedly quite overwhelmed with what was going on. I wasn’t sure where I should go for information and so far I still haven’t figured it out aside from the offsite forums which isn’t a great thing. Information should be first accessible in-game, and also on the forums if necessary. Ingame there’s no explanation if its premium currency, Qubits, are entirely paid-only or if they can be earned by doing things. There’s no explanation of what XP means on this server. You’re just kind of in the deep end with no help.

more under the cut

In terms of games, there’s 3 main games, and a bunch of side games strewn about. Allegedly. My first game, however, was at the spawn of the lobby. There was a food truck that I believe was made as part of its lunchables ad spot and had a single-player game where you make the orders that show up on the screen.  Here, a common theme of a core problem with Tubnet began. The lack of any instructions or information. Sure, there were brief instructions in the chat, but the game started near-instantly and there was no real “This is the thing that the chat is talking about”. No brief “flyaround” with the camera showcasing the game elements or tutorial options. The instructions in the chat talk about the order screen, but I had no idea what part of the righthand side of the map WAS the order screen. It took a while until I figured out how it worked but after I bumbled about I managed to play it and it was an enjoyable little game. Apparently you get something if you reach 20 orders completed, it’d be nice to mention this somewhere unless I missed it.

After this I decided to try out the games. Out of the 3 big launch games, one was offline for ?? reasons. No worries, I’ll try the other two. I go to the lobby area for the crystal rush game, and look around the area for instructions. There’s a big section that’s labelled “INFO”, which I was expecting to give me something more... detailed. But all I could find was a small part of the wall that gave me the goal of the game with confusing terms. Entering the game itself did not give me a brief instruction on what the goal is. I eventually realised the game is just bedwars but with a resource pack. I don’t like hypercompetitive games like bedwars so I lost rather quickly and didn’t go back for another round. Instead I went back to exploring.

There’s these mini parkour challenges that are integrated into the city itself so it feels a lot more natural running around and trying to do parkour. I absolutely suck at it- haven’t parkoured in years and probably won’t be trying to on tubnet for an easy reason:

Visual noise. So. Much. Visual noise. It looks beautiful, yes, but if i’m trying to parkour it’s super difficult to wrap my head around some areas with just the amount of things on the screen. Certain parkour areas I just gave up on because I could no longer tell where I was supposed to go- what was part of the parkour and what was just the building decoration.

I frankly think one main problem with tubnet is that it keeps drawing my attention to places that make me think something is gonna be there, and then I find out there’s nothing to do there. It’s a little disappointing, frankly.

Right now there’s no games for casual players and no “parkour hub”. The game compass does not allow you to quickly warp to the side-games which is frankly weird. You have to get lost in the city to find any of the side games or parkour sections in the map and while I get that its there to encourage exploration it’s also very inconvenient if you have to run halfway across the city just to try some parkour.

I haven’t tried the other game for now, from what I can loosely gather its team based competitive? I might try it some other time in the future. For now I’m probably just going to sit and wait for something for more casual players to show up.

All in all, I think that its not my thing for now. It’s visually overwhelming, easy to get lost, and the games aren’t all that fun being mainly competitive with the only supposedly casual game being nonfunctional on launch. It also feels a tad too empty for the amount of stuff it has in the hub. Like it feels there should be more in so many sections of the map but I can’t really... Find whatever should be there.