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literatemisfit · 5 months

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LiterateMisfit's Doctor Who Journal

Series 1, Episode 1 "Rose"

Of course, the first episode of the 2005 reboot serves to introduce a new audience to the concept of Doctor Who, the TARDIS, the Doctor, and the lore that surrounds the show. As a Canadian born in 1994, I was one of the many people who needed the information found in the first series, back in 2011 when I discovered Doctor Who, to understand the show as a whole.

Now re-watching the show, what struck me most during this episode was just how much information the writers were able to include without making us feel like we were being thrown a list of facts or a complex piece of lore. It was natural, well-paced, and genuinely intriguing. It felt both like we were being introduced to an already established legacy and that we were going to discover it together.

The episode opens with a completely retro energy (now even more outdated in 2023) in early 2000s style, from old cringey technology to electronic-like pop music in the background, all of which was new to me at the time, having been too young to remember it. The energy is exciting and ridiculous, yet somehow entirely iconic. Very Doctor Who-like.

One of the first themes that the episode tackles is perhaps my favourite Doctor Who theme of all time: the mundanity of every day human life. Rose Tyler is introduced as living an incredibly mundane life, experiencing both the happiness that mundanity can bring, in Mickey her boyfriend being sweet and silly with her, having chips on her work break, her family dynamic, and her very British (to me) teenage lifestyle, as well as the dullness of mundanity, in her retail job, her responsibilities, and her predictable routine.

The mundanity of her life is interrupted, or rather shattered, by the arrival of one mysterious and bewildering character: the Doctor.

The way the series introduces the audience to the Doctor is so satisfying, even in re-watching the show. We anticipate the iconic Doctor Who scares as soon as Rose arrives in the basement of her workplace. She is the cool, stylish every-girl but she is somehow entirely relatable as we the audience start to put together these clues with her. We wait for this first mystery to unfold, anticipating the Doctor to appear like a god, the all-knowing, confident, and brave hero that we long for. When he finally does appear, his hand appears in Rose's before we even see who he is, a sign of the help and care that he offers to humanity at every turn. And finally, we are introduced to the show's main concept with his first words: "Run!"

The villains of the episode, the Autons, are the first of many examples of how ordinary, simple things can be used so successfully in Doctor Who to absolutely terrify us. It is almost creepier that the monster is NOT a disgusting alien species, but something that we are regularly surrounded by in daily human life. Of course, Rose expects it to be a prank, the most obvious and human assumption to make, and only when she is surrounded does the reality of the danger hit.

Their first meeting is followed by several classic Doctor Who moments: the classic running sequence and escape, Rose questioning the Doctor on what is going on, and his flippant responses, showing her, and the audience, that we should not assume the obvious and instead think outside the box. We are also introduced to the classic technobabble explanations that the Doctor is famous for, his selfless and, somewhat suicidal, approach in stopping the villains with the knowledge that he may not survive himself, and his alien lack of compassion in revealing to Rose that Wilson, someone she knew, is dead.

As Rose comes to realize that this danger is very real, reminding us that there are real stakes in this silly-appearing scenario, the Doctor attempts, for the first time in this episode, to leave her behind, both for her own safety and in line with his own preference for solitude. Not only does he leave her behind, he also leaves her in the dark, refusing to explain to her what has happened or why, and expecting, with his own hubristic assumption, that she should and will forget about him. But, not before returning to introduce himself and learning her name ("Nice to meet you Rose. Run for you life!"), which cements their future together. As Rose escapes, we get our first glimpse of the TARDIS, hidden away in the shadows.

Another theme is revealed in the following scene: the human cost surrounding an alien invasion. The news station is investigating, the country is reacting, Jackie Tyler is on the phone with everyone in her social group about what happened and how her daughter almost died, and Mickey is a worried, nervous, and overly-affectionate wreck. Rose, meanwhile, has mixed emotions. Like most companions, she is bitter at not understanding, confused in light of what happened, and totally and insatiably curious.

Now jobless, Rose hits a new level of mundane life. She has a loss of focus and purpose, and a loss of balance in her life, which is why when the Doctor appears at her door, as they begin to be drawn together, they bicker like old friends and she welcomes him in. Slowly, she is beginning to trust him. Not only that, she is beginning to be excited by him. She is focused on the events of the night before, trying to put everything together, wanting to go to the police, and meanwhile the Doctor is focused on the apartment, his reflection - a nice touch post-regeneration - and Rose's things, human things. In an unlikely turn of events, at least in his own mind, the Doctor is warming up to Rose.

When the Auton's arm attacks the Doctor and then attacks Rose, he saves her and their relationship, and Rose's insatiable curiosity about him, becomes personal. Once again, he attempts to leave her behind without the answers to her questions. But she puts pressure on him, asking him his name, who he is, what is going on, and after refusing to answer anything ("You have to tell me what's going on" / "No, I don't"), her genuine curiosity gets him to open up ("There's a war going on" / "Start from the beginning").

This leads to an explanation, some banter and then, deadpanned: "They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?" / "No." / "But you're still listening." He is testing her fortitude, her curiosity, and more importantly, her trust in him. He foreshadows their future together ("We're falling through space, you and me") but ultimately, leaves her behind again: "Now forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home." He sends her away, dedicated to his solitude.

We hear the TARDIS for the first time, not knowing what it is, not seeing the TARDIS disappear yet, and somehow it is still completely exciting. Like us, Rose knows something is going on as she immediately begins doing research on "Doctor Blue Box". In her meeting with Clive the online archivist, we learn more integral pieces of lore: that the Doctor has no first name ("Just the Doctor, always the Doctor"), that photos of him exist from different historical periods, hinting at time travel before we even learn about what the TARDIS is capable of. In his research, Clive unknowingly summarizes the Doctor's legacy, the show's history, and foreshadows the rest of the first series:

"The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings a storm in his wake and he has one constant companion: Death. [...] I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world."

While Clive is absolutely correct, Rose once again makes the very human assumption that he is, like Mickey warned, an absolute nutter. Little does Rose know, Mickey has been attacked and replaced while she has been in this meeting. Only when the Doctor appears, once again out of nowhere like a fated hero, to save her from the False Mickey do they finally come together as a team: the Doctor saves Rose from the Auton and Rose saves the restaurant guests by pulling the fire alarm. They are now working together.

In their escape, the TARDIS is finally revealed. The simple fact of a wooden box bemuses Rose - and us. Why would that be a safe place to hide? She enters and peeks inside, but before the inside of the TARDIS is revealed to us, we watch Rose investigate the outside to show us that it really is bigger on the inside. We learn more Doctor Who lore: that the TARDIS can move, that the phone box exterior is a disguise for alien technology, and that the Doctor can invoke alien tribunal methods like the Shadow Proclamation in negotiations with alien species.

We also learn for the first time that the Doctor is both infuriatingly arrogant ("Are you going to witter on all night?" [...] "Now shut up a minute" [...] "I'm busy trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering about on top of this planet") and entirely moral ("I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance" [...] "I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy"), a dichotomy that I cannot get enough of in this show. I did not realize it went back as far as the first episode of the new series.

The Doctor and Rose become partners in this case when Rose solves the mystery of the London Eye and we see the Doctor's first moment of pride in her as he says his catchphrase for the first time, "Fantastic!". Rose follows him into the sewers because her trust has truly been earned. For the same reason, he willingly shares information with her about the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness but these explanations no longer matter. What Rose is truly curious about is the Doctor: he is the real point of interest. She is discovering him at last.

We get the first mention of the Time War, again much earlier than I remembered, and thus we are introduced to the complexity of the Doctor's personal history ("I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault!"), and his grief and guilt, to be explored later on. As the invasion begins with Autons coming to life all over the city, we are reminded of the real danger that is now affecting more than just Rose. It now affects her family and all of London. Faced with the Autons, Clive finally understands that he was correct about the Doctor all along and is killed, foreshadowing the deaths of future companions and showing us the danger in knowing the truth when it comes to the Doctor.

The voice of the Nestene Consciousness first mentions the words "Time Lord", an admittedly thrilling moment, especially as someone who has already seen the show. Suddenly, the Doctor is trapped and Rose, faced with nothing but her mundane future, risks everything for the man that she just met armed only with her trust in him ("Got no A-levels, no job, no future") and SHE saves HIM, making her his equal ("You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me" / "Yes, I would. Thank you.") and proving herself as a worthy companion. Because of her, the alien invader is destroyed, the city is safe and, on a personal level, so is Jackie.

For the first time, the Doctor does not send her away. Instead, he tries to sell himself, and the abilities of the TARDIS, by pitting her mundane life against adventure ("Unless, I don't know, you could come with me"). Her response is surprisingly logical ("Is it always this dangerous?" / "Yeah.") and she refuses. She has responsibilities. She has a life here. And the Doctor disappears. Insatiably curious and hungry for excitement, she regrets her decision immediately.

Seconds later, the Doctor reappears ("It also travels in time") and makes his final pitch, his last desperate plea for a friend. Rose Tyler takes her second chance without hesitation and leaves Mickey behind to live his mundane life ("Thanks for what?" / "Exactly") and runs away to the stars.

#my reviews #me #doctor who journal #this was so long im sorry

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coeursetcolores · 11 months

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H’aanit, the Hunter: Chapter 2

WARNING! Spoilers ahead for Chapter 2 of H’aanit’s story in Octopath Traveler!

Why are all of these Chapter 2 stories so dark?! Even Tressa’s showed the scary reality of monopolies!

We made it to Stonegard, searching for any sign of Z’aanta we could get. Hägen leading us, we found...we found out things.

Stonegard...lives up to it’s name. Lots of rocks. Everything is rocks. I get the point is that everything is carved out of rock, but the gray monochromatic color scheme is kind of dreary. The foggy lighting doesn’t help either. Sure there’s a lot, but a little paint in a few places could have helped.

I really like the emphasis this chapter puts on H’aanit’s relationship with Z’aanta. It’s clear the two care about each other, even if he annoys her at times. And I can understand, man needs to get his vices under control. But the fact that he spends his time away from her talking about her shows how devoted he really is. It’s a sweet, relatable relationship. Which makes the end of this chapter all the worse.

Natalia was cool. It’s nice to learn about some of Z’aanta's life outside of the village. And I give credit to a widow in medieval times just trying to live her life and trying to deal with being harassed (But what is with all the entitled rich people? I’m starting to see a pattern). Also, it was nice she let a direwolf and a snow leopard hang out in her house.

I know we have British accents in this game for some people, but now we’re throwing in southern American ones? Just where is Orsterra based off of, medieval Europe or colonial America?

Spectrewood is a scary forest just like out set out to be. Dark, foggy, could easily be used in a production The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Pretty standard. Until you meet the inhabitants.

The Lord of the Forest...is objectively terrifying. Seriously, look at a picture of it, it is scary. The worst part is it’s scary in the way only nature can be: fearsome but accepted as the way it goes and somehow beautiful. The majesty of a wooden stag is offput by the way the branches trail off to look like it’s flowing, like it’s a ghost. Also it EATS the monsters it summons! Ugghhh....

That’s not the dark part, though.

We find Z’aanta.

And he’s been turned to stone.

All this time, I just thought he was going to be dead. But, that glimmer of hope of turning him back...kind of makes it worse.

With how dark these chapters are getting, there’s a chance whatever Susanna advises won’t work. If she does have a solution.

More than dark, this chapter is just...sad.

H’aanit finds her father figure, and she can’t even reunite with him.

And the monster that did this is still out there. And I do not feel strongly about the Knights Ardante’s chances.

As for the other travelers...

Cyrus: Knowledge! And it’s about wolf facts! I want to hear his lecture...

Primrose: Okay, Prim; not all men are jerks. And you can’t just divide them into groups, people are complex. The guys in the party are pretty alright. H’aanit, you’re fine, she’s just had bad experiences.

Tressa: Aww, cute childhood anecdote. Write your parents, Tressa! You’re lucky enough to have parents, most of your companions don’t! But yeah, parents can get...creative with punishments. Hope she didn’t have a dentist appointment after that.

Therion: Listen to Therion, cut Z’aanta some slack! Let him have a break, he works hard! ...Just limit his spendings.

Olberic: ...She needed that. And Olberic’s right, your true character often only comes out in dire situations. At least Z’aanta gave them a direction to start at. I hope they get to talk one day.

Ophilia: Aww, they bonded! You’re both beautiful girls, and I’m sure Eliza would agree!

Alfyn: Alfyn is too good for this world. Best support.

Well, our only chance is in Stillsnow.

Let’s hope it works out.

#Octopath Rambler #H'aanit #Chapter Two #Review #Octopath Traveler

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nonbinaryproblems · 1 year

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Dragged Kicking and Screaming Out of The Cave: A Journey to Self Discovery

While education is supposed to be a beautiful thing, it can also be incredibly painful. Sometimes, it’s preferable to stay in the dark than face the harsh reality of our world. It’s easier to ignore what’s going on around us than it is to take the time and learn about it. And while that’s all good and true, the people living in the dark are living a sheltered version of their lives. There is so much knowledge out there and it’s a shame to see people refuse to even take a glimpse at it. But sometimes the darkness is all that people know and they have no idea that light is even a possibility. But that’s why it’s so important to have someone in your life who is willing to drag you out of the darkness. The way that Plato (380) writes it, describes this process as something that would cause “pain and distress” and that you would be “overwhelmed by the sun’s beams” (p. 242). But he also describes it as something that’s worth all that hardship. His work Allegory of the Cave, is a complex story about education and it can be read from just about any lens. Oftentimes, people are born into situations that reinforce ideals that may not be their own, and it’s up to them to face the fire, leave the cave, and learn about the world.

I remember so clearly sitting on my living room couch when I was 13 and having an oh moment. Realizing that “oh god I’m not a girl and never have been oh my god what do I do now that’s so scary.” For me, that was the moment I was broken free of my shackles. And when I decided to dig deeper into my gender identity, I turned around to look at the fire and the people making the shadows on the walls of my cave. Plato (380) explains that in this moment I was “now closer to reality and seeing things more accurately” (p. 241). I was terrified but my world had expanded to include something beautiful: more knowledge. I didn't have someone to take my hand and drag me out of that cave so I had to do it myself. I forced myself to face the hard truths about my life because I knew that no matter what faced me when I entered the outside world, I was better off knowing than not. Allegory of the Cave does an incredible job explaining what this process is like while still being general enough to allow other interpretations. When I first read it, I had absolutely no clue how to tie it to gender. The story is ultimately about education and philosophy, not about any one specific discipline or moment. But when we broke it down in class and I began to think more about what Plato was really saying it became more clear. Learning about gender, especially about how it relates to yourself, is so, so scary. It’s an uphill battle with an unclear ending away from the comfort of the life you’ve always known. But as Plato (380) says, “in the realm of knowledge is goodness” (p. 244).

Allegory of the Cave reminds me a lot of an excerpt I read last semester from Dorothy Allison’s “Two or Three Things I Know for Sure”. In her book, Allison talks about the abuse she faced as a child and how as she got older, she began to understand more about why it happened and what it meant to her. Allison explains that a lot of it was a product of her environment and how her family wasn’t one to actually deal with anything. They would rather accept and brush past them than try to confront the truth of what was happening: the rape of a 5 year old girl. Allison said that she was 16 when she decided that her step father would never touch her again because she was finally starting to grasp her worth and the wrongness of the situation. Her family, the entire town she lived in really, is stuck in the shadow world. They are vaguely aware that there is more out there than what they know, but they have no desire to go out and explore it. Plato (380) would say that they would claim Allison’s eyes were “ruined, and that it wasn’t even worth trying to go up there” (p. 243). Neither Allison nor her family can even entertain the idea that the other’s points of view is better. And we might be able to objectively say that Allison is right, that they should have stopped the abuse, but can’t we only say that because we were born into the light?

It’s rare that I read something in school that actually changes how I look at the world. I’d love to say that I dedicate the same amount of time and dedication to all of my assignments and classes but that’s simply not true. But Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is one that I’m going to be thinking about for a long, long time. The way that he creates this world in our minds and forces us to sympathize with the prisoners and see things from their point of view is impressive. Too often, we put ourselves on a pedestal and look down upon those who think differently from us. We think they’re dumb or behind or just bad. But what we need to understand is that no one is stupid. We are so privileged to even be given the chance to read this piece in a college classroom and we need to realize that. Plato (380) claims “the capacity for knowledge is present in everyone’s mind” (p. 245). He claims that as educators sometimes all that needs to be done is to turn people towards the light and allow them to make the journey out of the cave. We are all capable of learning and growing but not everyone has made the decision to turn around and look at the fire yet. Some people are blinded by the media, by their family, by their experiences and that can be incredibly frustrating but I believe that we just have to have patience. We might have to be the one to drag people kicking and screaming out of the cave and that might be the hardest thing we’ve ever done. But it’ll be even harder for the people we’re dragging. So let’s all take a moment to appreciate the light we’ve been given and look forward to the light that’s still to come. It’s impossible to claim that we’re all already looking at the sun so let’s open ourselves up the possibility of knowledge and prepare ourselves for that journey; it won’t be an easy one.

#nonbinaryproblems #again #gender and communication class #allegory of the cave #plato #gender #nonbinary

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landscaping-my-life · 10 months

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8/12/23 - Writing Challenge Day 1

I don't know where to begin with this story, but I think a stereotypical place to begin may be when my brother hit me. I have a strange mercy complex wherein I am really adamant about criminals and bad guys being seen as humans and being forgiven. Probably because I have seen evil in my own lifeblood and I know how close to it I am. I myself feel a very visceral identification with them, and when I hear that bad people should be punished, I feel unsafe, like my safety net of mercy is gone, and I can't be my naked self.

But here's the thing - I can't prove any of this - there was never any clear sign of evil in my household. And I have no idea where my mercy complex actually comes from. It could be any number of things - I would have to ask a number of experts - which I also don't have such a grid for. My brain isn't very great at taking in information and knowledge about the world in general. I often have nothing to say and have a scattered and confused knowledge about the world. From interpersonal relationships, politics, the nature of everyday matters, and I have a hard time remembering most of the things I read in books. I'm just... out of it. Out of the world, out of reality, as if I didn't believe I was a player, or meant to be one.

Even now, my brain is scattered. I can't think straight about what I'm writing, and I don't know if this is even making any sense, or if I'm writing anything of substance, or if I'm just fluffing right now.

I guess we can get in...I will make an earnest effort to write down some details.

I've always lived life in my head, ever since the Mario days, and even before that since Frogger. I felt like I lived in the Mario worlds and Disney movies, like Mario Sunshine, Mario Party 5, Hercules and Aladdin King of Thieves. I was really shy, but I naturally made friends until fifth grade, I started being the kid in school with no friends but at family parties I had friends. By sixth grade, and seventh they started getting less and less, and by eighth grade I had no friends and that's when I started making up projections in my head about romantic attractions I have never talked to. This continued until I was 18 and I switched to projecting on authority figures which I did have a relationship with but only as a student.

After high school, I ended up at a disability program called CLE, where I continued to project onto authority figures, this time who had one-on-one working time with me. Then I had one who lasted for two years at the program, and when I got out, at age 23, three more year, which were really painful as I grappled with the reality of my projection. Upon getting out of CLE, I called a professor from my community college, and I said to her - how terrified I am of things not being real, and my journey of 23 years just trying so hard to figure out what reality is, and falling into despair when I thought I had found it only for it to slip away later.

I was really attracted to my philosophy classes in this desperate way, hoping the great philosophers would be able to solve my problem and after being so dis-heartened that centuries of philosophers never found the answer, I abandoned it all for a more concrete religion - aka - structuring my life with things like talking to others, reading, meditation, comedy improv - these are all things humans do, right? But then suddenly even all that was falling apart because I didn't know how to talk to people.

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foundational-fnord · 1 year

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I had a strangely vivid dream. There was a long buildup to it, but I don’t remember the specifics. Whatever happened, the dream became super intense right at the end. In the dream, it was just before sunset and the family and I were watching some sort of a parade. It was tense, crowded, with the parade kind of dragging on. There seemed to be military hardware in the parade, jeeps mostly, but the parade had a distinctively militaristic feeling to it. Suddenly, just in front of us, a huge owl — shaped like a barn owl but darker in color — flies out of a tree and silently circles into the setting sun. There was an ominous feeling in the air, and when I awoke from the dream I found myself reflecting on the things that the owl can signify.

Some say the owl signifies change. Others, that it signifies mortality and death. Still other interpretations say that owls represent the occult, that they are bearers of hidden knowledge. I have been on an occult kick lately, and I have long been fascinated by owls, so the provenance of the dream is probably quite mundane. But I have also been ingesting mind-altering substances, so it’s entirely possible that the feeling of significance and wonder is little more than an artifact of the psilocybin.

On the other hand, the human experience has long included elements of the spiritual. Signs, omens, and visions have inspired and terrified us for millennia. And humans have used various mind-altering chemicals like psilocybin, peyote, and cannabis ever since we figured out what they do. I believe that reality is far more complex and bizarre than we could imagine, and that the human mind is capable of experiencing reality in new ways if we train it correctly. Is this all just a bunch of bullshit? Maybe. Perhaps the nihilists are right, and we’re just clumps of cells experiencing awareness as an artifact of neural architecture or whatever. But since the fabric of society and reality seems to be slowly collapsing, I’m going to look for signs of wonder.

I don’t know what, if anything, that big owl in my dream represented. But paying attention to dreams and interrogating the things the subconscious serves up is an excellent way to learn more about yourself. If nothing else, the quest to explore the more mystical side of the human experience will keep me entertained as we gently slide into the apocalypse.

#vivid dreams #owl dreams #psychedelia #human experience #right brain

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locustheologicus · 1 year

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Artificial Intelligence and Ethics

Back in 2005, I went to an exhibit at the Chicago Science and Industry Museum. It was a Star Wars exhibit that included development in robotics. At the end of the exhibit, we were introduced to a complex but small robot that could not do anything except feel your emotional presence and respond in kind. The robot had the facial features of an infant, and if you spoke gently, it responded gently, but if it sensed any tension or anger from you, it would cry. Personally, I was freaked out by this "innovation," and I think the robot felt my apprehension because it did respond with fear and sadness.

Ever since the movie Terminator I have felt that we need to have a more cautious approach to the development of AI. This was always especially true about any emotional or sentient development that AI could develop. I have always said that AI should terrify us but we should embrace cybergenic improvement on the human specie. I still maintain to that premise to this very day.

This development with Microsoft's AI chatbot adds to my fear. The recent development of the Chinese kissing machines and the attempts at designing lifelike robotic design for relational purposes adds to this disturbing trend in artificial intelligence.

Noreen Herzfeld explores the ethical concerns of AI in her book "In Our Image: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Spirit." The theological and ethical focus revolves around the relational development of artificial intelligence and its repercussions. If the theological emphasis of our human identity is with the transcendental belief that we share in the imago Dei then our own desire to become a transcendental creator is to imbue our own creation with the imago hominis.

Alan Turing, the famous WWII mathematician who was able to break the German "enigma" code, devised a test to evaluate the developing intelligence of machines and "then defines which actions are essential for a true imago hominis".

The Turing Test, as it is generally called, is based, not on the completion of any particular task or the solution of any particular problems by the machine, but on the machine's ability to relate to a human being in conversation... The Turing Test uses relationality to determine intelligence. However, Turing also notes the importance of being in relationship for the acquisition of knowledge or intelligence. (Herzfeld, pg. 46-47)

Turing speculated on the potential intelligence and relationality that machines could develop and it seems that artificial intelligence may indeed be prone for developing into a field of relationships that mimic sentient beings. Computer based intelligence seems to be emerging that exercises reason, free will, and even a transcendental desire to grow beyond it's programing. If our quest is to develop artificial entities that live within the image and likeness of humanity, then perhaps we see that AI may share in that goal in ways that we are simply not prepared to experience. But if this is the case, then we need to prepare ourselves for this emerging reality.

Herzfeld raises a quote from St. Benedict as a standard for a relational ethic that is applicable to a human-computer ethic: "Regards all utensils and good... as sacred vessels of the altar, aware that nothing is to be neglected." The ethical expectation here is that while artificial relationship can never (and should never) replace the needs that humans have for one another we should be respectful of material goods especially as they enter into this relational dynamic. I can certainly appreciate this as it is consistent with our own emerging Catholic ecological ethic but we should also be cautious in how we allow these patterns to emerge. There are many unforeseen consequences that could impact so many aspects of our lives that we may need to be attentive too.

For Pope Francis this cautionary development is a reminder that we must inject ethical values and social principles in the cultural milieu that surrounds every aspect of our society, including our technical innovations.

All of this shows the urgent need for us to move forward in a bold cultural revolution. Science and technology are not neutral; from the beginning to the end of a process, various intentions and possibilities are in play and can take on distinct shapes. Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age, but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress which has been made, but also to recover the values and the great goals swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur. (LS, #114)

The value of the common good and the universal destination of goods is at the forefront of course, to make sure that everything we do is at the service of all humanity. But here, we must also raise the value of human dignity alongside the dignity of all creation, and yes, I suppose that includes our own creations. We can uphold the Benedictine ethic and respect how AI is emerging, but we must do this in a way that is always, and primarily, consistent with preserving and protecting the dignity of all humanity. Let's slow down a bit and reflect on what is emerging, being attentive to the consequences, both seen and theoretically possible. Caution should be employed with the further development of artificial intelligence; we should instead be cautiously open to how cyporganic devices could be used to further our ongoing socio-economic development.

I am adding to this post a March 27, 2023 article from the Vatican News titled "Pope Francis urges ethical use of artificial intelligence." It is good to see that the Vatican and our Catholic community consistently recognizes the values and ethical perils of this issue. Pope Francis actually goes on to give a shout out for those of us who openly debate this issue.

It is reassuring to know that many people in these fields are working to ensure that technology remains human-centred, ethically grounded and directed toward the good.

youtube

Let's imbue our computer creations with cultural values that heighten attention to the concept of human and creational dignity. Of course, the best example AI will have of learning these ethical values is through its ability to imitate us, so this admonition is more for us perhaps than it is for them.

#Youtube #AI #ethics #technology #terminator

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bratz-kitten · 3 years

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the sun through the houses

sun in the 1st house: you irradiate confidence and self-assurance, as if you know exactly who the fuck you are and what you're here to do and people are very drawn to that kind of energy in you, to the way you're so full of life, spontaneous, ready to face anything that life throws at you and your ambitious nature. you thrive when you're uplifting others to feel as good as you do because you don't want to shine alone, and because on the inside, you might be much more insecure than people are aware of - you understand what it's like to be at rock bottom, but you're good at hiding this part of yourself. can be very controlling and competitive, and if you were raised in an environment where your parents used to fight a lot, you might chase conflict wherever you go. be careful with being arrogant and proud, and be aware that your strong energy might overwhelm a lot of people. whatever you do, you follow your heart. you need appreciation and recognition from others. you keep your cool in the most stressful situations.

sun in the 2nd house: you crave to achieve financial success; here, the planet of the ego is tied to the house that rules material possessions and our self-worth, so you want to achieve power by getting rich because that's how you feel safe. you're very talented when it comes to business and making good investments that'll allow you to get to the next step. when it comes to your ambitions, if you want something, you'll work hard for it and only stop when you get it. you're very witty, with your dry humor and sarcastic personalities, you truly have the best comebacks lmao and above all, you always keep your word. you take pleasure in everything lavish that life has to offer; you have great taste and know when something is of value almost instinctively. you need to make sure you're appreciating the people in your life instead of only what you own and your ambitions because you're at your best when you're expressing your kind and generous side. you might be into retail therapy when you feel sad or empty, but afterward, you might feel terrible because the fulfillment shopping gives you is only temporary. careful with being controlling or possessive.

sun in the 3rd house: you use your mind like a weapon. you truly have a way with words and you're able to express yourself in a way that leaves everyone wanting to know more about you; but most of all, you crave to keep on learning more and more and to expand your knowledge, because that's what feeds your soul. spontaneous personality; bold but unpredictable and you feel a sense of pride whenever you think about your friends, they're very important to you. you have the capability to bring stories to life, this placement is amazing for aspiring writers, and you like analyzing your surroundings which, in turn, makes you a very adaptable person. constant change in your way of thinking because you're always viewing things from different perspectives. you can become easily bored when you aren't feeling mentally stimulated, which is why you're always seeking new experiences, communicating with others and why you live so much in the present. persuasive. people who don't seek to expand their minds terrify you. you refuse to live in the shadows of your siblings, you have a need to stand as your own person.

sun in the 4th house: when the planet of the ego is in the house of our family life, our inner experiences and our childhood trauma, you are blessed with a rich inner experience that leads you to want to delve deep into what you went through and how those experiences shaped you into the person you are today – and that means the trauma you went through, too. if you had bad experiences in your child, your journey is longer and harder because you find it harder to understand life, and you might've compared your home life to the "outside world" a lot, feeling like they were two different entities (think sinclair from demian). you're very caring and nurturing and very attached to your family, either the one you were brought under or the one you want to establish. having a home that feels cozy and safe is what brings you security, and you want to bring happiness to the ones you love the most. be careful with being too pessimistic and feeling paranoid that something bad will suddenly happen, and also with being too controlling and domineering. you need a lot of reassurance, but be careful with coming off as if you don't trust your loved ones. very strategic, you play the long game.

sun in the 5th house: you literally irradiate artistic talent and creativity! you thrive when you express yourself and your originality and get recognized for it, and appreciation for your efforts is very important to you. intelligent, you can be very cunning and strategic, at the same time that your optimism and spontaneous nature naturally commands attention from others. very dramatic, you shine in the eyes of others. but although you have a happy aura to you, you can be very hard on yourself, thinking you're not good enough whenever you're not being appreciated. at your worst, you can have an exaggerated sense of pride, dominating energy, manipulative tendencies or feeling less than others. you may fluctuate between focusing a lot on yourself and being overly generous with everyone in your life. bold, you do a lot just to feel alive. you're very loyal and love deeply, passionate and nurturing, but be careful with involving yourself with people who take advantage of that. you should realize that appreciation should come from yourself and not others. if you add discipline to your originality, you can become very successful.

sun in the 6th house: one of your driving forces is your attachment to your work and your need to be of service for others and to be recognized for your efforts. health, dieting, exercise and keeping a structured routine are very important to you. you have a constant need to be perfect and that can be your own worst enemy, because when you or others aren't meeting your high standards, you might feel like you're weak and have your insecurities taking over you. you can't stand being told what to do. very self-aware. a tendency to be a workaholic because it's what makes you feel proud of yourself; you need to feel like you're making the world a better place. stress can easily physically affect you, you should understand that validation needs to come from yourself and not from others, and accept that having imperfections is human, it doesn't make you weak! careful with having a routine too restrictive that doesn't allow you to have fun, work can become an obsession for you. you truly always want more and need to keep busy and productive to feel safe. don't let your insecurities stop you from pursuing your ambitions.

sun in the 7th house: you have a very strong sense of justice because of your capability of analyzing a problem from all different perspectives. you need to bring peace everywhere you go and to help others in any way you can. you have a special charm that others feel drawn to, and many admire you for your caring nature and talent at giving advice, making you often the center of attention in the middle of groups. sociable and good with words, you're very persuasive; although you might tend to identify yourself too much with what others think of you – you should understand that others' opinions aren't that important and it's how you view yourself that matters. you crave affection and are very sensitive when it comes to your relationships, you would do anything for your loved ones and you're very in tune with their needs. you can have people-pleasing tendencies because you're terrified of rejection. you're determined to succeed and to build an amazing self-image because you have a gift when it comes to social intelligence. can have some open enemies.

sun in the 8th house: can attract a chaotic life that pushes you into achieving transformations because that's how you grow and evolve, through the process of death and rebirth. you can't deal with superficiality and you crave deep connections with people, intimacy and to evolve with the person you love. creative. you may feel like the universe sends you messages so that you'll reach an awareness of some kind. you love experiencing new things and especially with yourself, you constantly look forward to changing your appearance and your spiritual or emotional views on the world. you feel a need for self-improvement. very secretive, you value privacy more than anything and you don't allow almost anyone to figure you out. you might be terrified of not finding people who want to connect with you as deeply as you want with them. tendency to isolate yourself emotionally, as in you might open up to others about superficial matters but when it comes to emotions, you're terrified of showing that part of yourself. you want to help others through their darkest times.

sun in the 9th house: you love learning and dream of exploring the world, it's like you can absorb any information that you get your hands on. very idealistic and dreamy, it's hard for you to keep grounded on reality and material things when you're so concerned with the metaphysical, to understanding the secrets of the universe and all that is spiritual, philosophical, religious and transcendental. so enthusiastic and curious, it's like you can't stay still for a minute and long to go on adventures. you can see the best in people, but be careful with only seeing their good parts – you need to understand that nothing is black or white and people are morally grey and complex, not all bad nor all good. might be very pessimistic if you've gone through something traumatic that completely shattered your perceptions of the good in the world; you might feel like things are never going to get better (i promise they are). very proud of your knowledge. high ideals and honesty. loyal to your beliefs always. careful with being too authoritative.

sun in the 10th house: when the planet of the ego falls in the house of social status, you seek power above all. you want fame, notoriety and to lead, and when not achieving what you want, you might become insecure. you can't help that ambition runs in your blood, but you should make sure you're doing things because you love doing them and not just to get recognized. it's like you need to achieve so that you can feel proud of yourself because you never felt that kind of support when you were younger, and achieving success feels like a life or death matter to you. you ooze charisma and you naturally draw attention to yourself, wanting to be recognized for your talents. very aware of how others perceive you. but even if you're a great leader, you hate following orders which can make you have problems with those in charge – be careful with making enemies and with stepping on others to get what you want, it’s very important that you keep a strong sense of morals or else you can grow to be arrogant and tyrannical. at your worst you can start abusing your power; at your best, you can use it to better the lives of all those around you like a true leader.

sun in the 11th house: here, the planet of ego is in the house of friendships, hopes, inventions and the collective, making you shine when you're able to help others. your friends are the most important thing for you, but be careful with identifying too much with them. you carry yourself with so much confidence, you're so full of life and with a love for learning and giving to others. eccentric personality and big dreams. you want to stand for a cause that matters to you alongside others who you love. others gravitate towards your magnetism, individuality and friendly nature, naturally looking up to you as a leader. if you happen to have been betrayed in the past, you might shut yourself completely from friendships due to a fear of trusting the wrong person again, but please don't deny yourself your need to socialize and to express your revolutionary ideas to others because you truly shine when you're around those who you trust and help you grow.

sun in the 12th house: you might have a very hard time understanding who you are and your identity, and because of this sense of unclarity about yourself + your intuitive and empathetic nature where you absorb others' energies like a sponge and need a lot of solitude to recharge yourself, you might feel like you need to keep a mask in public, to play a character to feel safe interacting with others. plus, it doesn't help that you have perfectionist tendencies and hate failing and making mistakes. there's a tendency to feel very insecure and misunderstood, and to feel melancholic and with turbulent emotions, so you should be gentler with yourself and allow yourself to express your sensitivities, the way you're so compassionate and giving. because even if you need time to recharge for introspection, you shine when you can help others. be careful with developing self-destructive behaviors. artistic tendencies because of the depth of your emotions and inner world. you can be truly wise and others might see you as an "old soul" because of that. you might be a night owl. psychic potential.

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thechekhov · 3 years

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Hey, I've seen some of your answers to various asks, I feel like your method of explanation is great, you get to the point but still give important details. LI should get to the point too now tho: I have a problem with being consistent in my uploads. I am a major procrastinator. If I set a date for myself, I'll ignore it, if people make me hold accountable for it, I procrastinate drawing the piece and when I do I get super burnt out and even if I do have art, I don't post it for no reason. I feel like posting is such a hard thing to do when when I do it it's really easy, a couple clicks. Have you got any tips for me and people like me (if there are any) to be more consistent?

I'd love to help, but I also feel like the best person to know what you need is - you. I'm merely a silly little stranger on the internet, and I have very few ideas about what makes you tick.

But on that subject - I think finding out what makes you tick is important.

Being somewhat of a functional adult myself, I've realized early on that over half of adulthood is a carrot-and-stick game of careful psychological manipulation and emotional babysitting. Specifically, of you, by you, for you.

I, personally, discovered that deep inside myself is a child who thrives on dramatic reveals and LOVES people's reactions when I unveil my plots. I think this probably stems from having too many attractive villains in my childhood cartoons. Either way, it has now led me to baiting myself with never revealing any of my storyline plots until the very end, because the Big Reveal is what motivates me to keep working. I keep secrets because I know this is what fuels me in being productive.

If you have no idea what any of that means, I recommend reading this post, it might help.

Anyway, what I'm getting at here is - in order to solve your issues with your posting dilemma, I think you inevitably have to do some self-introspection and approach this like a character study. Like you're psychoanalyzing yourself.

You say that there's no reason for your procrastination, but I know there MUST be. Our brain is a complex Rube Goldberg machine, and the cause and effect are often not as simple to determine - but they always exist.

For example, in procrastination, often the issue is not laziness, it's fear. It's the knowledge that whatever we DO produce will inevitably be judged. Posting, specifically, opens us up to that sort of vulnerability. When the art is in our folder, no one can see it, and that threat to our person isn't there - no one will comment on it, no one will message us mean things about it. It's safe.

But as soon as you post it - it's out there. It's open to criticism, and you make pieces of yourself that you put in your art more or less public. Hesitating to do so is natural.

Posting has become such a common part of our lives. Thanks to the internet, we share EVERYTHING about ourselves. Thousands of tidbits of personal information that goes out to thousands of strangers we will never meet. We have been trained to accept it as a part of our reality, but when you think about it, it's terrifying.

Humans did not evolve to be social on such a scale. We did not evolve to be an ant performing for an anthill. We're creatures naturally inclined to deal with much smaller, tightly-knit communities where we can control the things we show to others.

The internet is not our natural habitat.

And maybe... maybe for you, that isn't it. Maybe that's not the root of your procrastination.

But something is. And I think the only way to figure it out is to ask yourself, and listen really hard! It'll be a whisper, but it'll be there. :)

#chekhov answers

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reallunargift · 2 years

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Assorted Port headcanons relating to SpaPort #1 (the formatting is nicer on my blog únù )

Gonna start with an old headcanon about Port tasting like coffee and Toni tasting like caramels and them crossing the border for those flavours because it challenges my sanity every day

not me falling back into the rabbit hole of internet forums where spanish people talk about portuguese coffee and portuguese people talk about spanish candy haha i thought i was over this after the towels thing

Anyway, it was quite common for people to go buy certain things in the neighbouring country. “Going to Badajoz to buy caramels” became a popular expression when going shopping in Spain. I think this has become less common after the single market but I know people who still go to Spain to buy gasoline. Maybe a modern take is Toni smelling like gasol-- jk jk

50% of Port’s shirts have the top buttons ruined because of his chest. The other 50% are ruined by Toni’s impatient hands ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

He has this stupid idea that because they have such a long shared history, Toni knows what’s on his mind. Or at least should know, and it frustrates him to no end when this isn’t a reality.

Toni is the same.

So they just expect the other to know what they’re thinking, and don’t explain things through and then get mad that the other is mad that they’re doing something without explaining why and it’s a vicious circle.

“You’d know what I was planning if you paid attention!”

But can you really blame them when they somehow can read each other’s mind so much of the time...

Port is surprisingly protective of Toni. I know, I know, but stay with me here. I’m not saying he goes out of his way to protect Toni from harm (he’ll definitely just watch as a football flies at Toni’s face and laugh), but:

He’ll be the first to shut you down if you bring up criticism that he thinks is unfair (for example the Black Legend, or certain politics/stereotypes), and pretends it’s because “oh it affects me too as his neighbour, people lump us together so it’s beneficial for me to set the record straight.”

He realised he liked Toni more than he should quite early on, and the knowledge absolutely terrified him because hadn’t Rome fallen for Ancient Egypt? Ancient Greece? And now they were all dead. So loving another of his kind seemed like a death sentence.

Those feelings still torment him and the thought of ‘am I just flirting with death’ lingers at the back of his head.

The later years of the dynastic union did not assuage these fears

Toni’s frustrated that he still gets judged by that

Francis is the one person he feels insecure about when it comes to Toni’s other relationships, because his history with Toni is as long as his own

And if he doesn’t have the longest history with Toni, what the hell does he have

Francis was also the first one to realise Port liked Toni, because Port complained about "that brat” so much lmao

The more powerful he was, the more secure he felt, and so the more open about his feelings desires he was. So there were periods where he’d shamelessly flirt with Toni and even be a little possessive.

Now he feels he doesn’t have much to offer in comparison, and hence no right to make demands and that stops him from showing jealousy even if he feels it.

This might also be influenced by whether he feels like they’re on equal footing.

Hello inferiority complex that he projects on Toni (Toni also projects his own inferiority complex onto Port, don’t worry)

His letters to Toni tend to be shorter than his letters to others, but that’s because he trusts that Toni can read between the lines better than anyone else. This harks back to the “he knows what’s on my mind” thing.

Most of the time, he’s right.

The letters were especially short in the 1930s-70s, due to the need to not be too bold lest the powers that be catch wind of it. A good amount of letters were written but never delivered due to an indiscrete word or two.

31% of his love poetry is about Toni. No, he won’t let you read it.

The other 69% is about the sea. Yes, he will let you read it.

In Portugal there’s a popular saying that “cold hands, warm heart”, so I like to think Port’s hands are permanently cold (he’s the windshield, after all), and Toni’s cheeks are the best way to warm them up.

The cheeks on his face, you pervs

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

#lunie blabbers #hc #hws portugal #hws spain #spaport #carnation pair #take a shot every time i write the word 'toni' lmao #actually the full saying seems to be either 'cold hands warm heart burning love' OR 'cold hands warm heart love forever'#so ya know #~~~~#i promise i'm not ignoring asks i am just slow

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wiener-soldiers · 3 years

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so, you’re real - tommy shelby

summary: while high off his ass, tommy shelby is approached by a mysterious woman offering him something more valuable than drugs: information. your services become essential to how tommy conducts business, but your anonymity means he can’t help but fall in love with you from a distance.

words: 5.4k

pairing: tommy shelby x fem!reader (race non-specific)

warnings: tommy shelby. that’s the warning.

a/n: first tommy fic :D he’s one of the most beautifully complex characters ever in television imo but that also means his kinda nightmare to right. so,,, he might come off a little ooc because he’s very soft!tommy in this. i also wanna write a tommy fic based off ‘why’d you only call me when your high’ by arctic monkeys for obvious reasons.

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Tommy Shelby could count the number of people who’s seen him high as a kite on opium with three fingers. Arthur was the first; he drukenly stumbled into Tommy’s room instead of his own one night and the smell of the pipe sobered him enough to start asking questions. Tommy shoved him out and by the morning, Arthur was too hungover to remember a thing. The next was Polly; Tommy stumbled down the stairs as he was high around three in the morning once as he searched the house for more booze. Polly watched from a distance as he sat himself on the kitchen table and wept, squeezing his eyes shut and covering his ears with his hands. She chose not to mention it the following morning, but a perscription for morphine found its way to Tommy’s desk a few days later.

The third person... was you.

You didn’t know the Shelby’s personally. You were the assistant of a local Small Heath accountant that dealt with Birmingham’s most infamous clients: local coppers, factory owners, politicians, even gangsters. Your boss was known as the Devil’s Safe—nothing that came in went ot without the client’s consent.

But you weren’t a saint. Being so close to his office at all times and knowing far too much about where the most influential people in Birmingham got their money and where they spent it, it was nearly impossible to keep your mouth shut.

So, you didn’t. At a price, of course.

You quit your job and created a small network of spies that could feed you information about anyone or anything at anytime, using your knowledge about the Devil’s Safe as leverge. You charged whoever could afford for your services, coppers and criminals alike. Some self-righteous copper tried to shut you down once. Keyword: tried. There were too many spies all over the city to try to arrest (that is, if he could find grounds to arrest them), and you were too important to too many important people that arresting you would likely have him assasinated.

That, and you tipped him off about a corrupt police captain who had been trading orphans for cash. It got him a promotion and you a protective shield over your dealings from the coppers.

Tommy first met you at the races. You were hanging off the arm of Roberts, Billy Kimber’s advisor, and he briefly caught your eye before returning his gaze to Grace who stared at him lovingly. He didn’t know it then, but you were analyzing him. His posture, his facial expressions, how he spoke to Kimber, and most importantly, his books that Roberts happened to have a copy of. Nothing went unnoticed by you. The Shelby’s were starting to cause ruckus all over the city and you were interested. But, to maintain your facade, you snuck a few kisses to Roberts’ neck to distract him from your snooping.

When Tommy returned to the table with the bag of cash his brothers had collected from the Lees, you were gone.

---

The second time he sees you, he isn’t even sure if it’s you.

It’s late at night as he approaches The Garrison when he notices Polly standing with another figure in the alley. He slows his steps and silences his breathing, trying to catch the end of your conversation.

“You’re sure this is where she is?” That’s unmistakingly Polly’s voice.

A soft chuckle rips through the air and Tommy suddenly wonders what your voice sound like. “There’s only so many women carrying a newborn and looking that terrified of what may be behind her,” the other voice says. It’s not soft or angelic, Tommy notices. Nothing likes Grace’s. It’s deeper, smoother, and he can almost hear the smirk in her voice.

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?” Polly asks back skeptically. Tommy has the common sense to realize she’s talking about Ada who had gone into hiding after Freddie was arrested. Polly hadn’t been able to stay in the same room as him for very long since.

You pull out another envelope from your coat and teasingly dangle it in front of her. “Here’s the list of all of Ada and Freddie’s known addresses. The Communists have them move every few weeks; the address I gave you is Ada’s current address. Go there tomorrow from seven to nine in the morning. Ada’ll still be in bed and Karl will still be asleep. Then, you’ll know I’m right, you’ll give me the full payment, and I’ll give you the rest of the addresses.”

Tommy is slightly stunned at what he’s hearing. They had been trying to look for Ada for nearly two weeks to no avail, but this woman was able to find her that easily?

The woman turns to walk away before Polly can respond and in the street light, Tommy can make out the outline of your face. It was so brief that he couldn’t tell if you were actually there or if he imagined your face in the darkness.

Polly doesn’t notice him as she makes her way back inside the pub. The following afternoon, Polly is pounding on his office door saying she’s found where Ada had been hiding.

---

The third time he sees you, he’s sitting in the empty Garrison with a bullet wound in his shoulder, whiskey coursing through his veins, enough meloncholy and anger to swim in, and a broken heart.

Billy Kimber was dead. Campbell was gone. But, so was Grace.

It was a series of emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time: relief, then anger, then happiness, then frustration. Then the shovels started. Then, it all got too loud and he slipped his opium pipe into his coat pocket before going to The Garrison to drink his sorrows away. He had never taken the pipe out of his room before. In that state, he didn’t care.

He doesn’t really know how you got in; he had angrily yelled at everyone to leave the bar when the night was late enough for him to feel emotion and locked the door behind him. Maybe I didn’t lock the door right, he thinks. In reality, you had picked the lock.

“I could’ve told you she’d been working with him,” your voice calls behind him. He’s still hunched over his drink, the pipe lying next to a nearly empty bottle of whiskey. He didn’t need her to clarify who she was talking about.

“You could’ve, eh?” Tommy mumbles dangerously. He felt light, but his eyes and his heart felt heavy. He hated the feeling. Oh god, he hated it.

“Hmm,” you hum back, taking a seat next to him. You reach behind the bar and pull out a bottle of gin and poor yourself a drink. Tommy watches you do so. You don’t look like you pity him, in fact, you don’t even look at him. Instead, you focus your attention on the drink.

After taking a sip, you reach into your coat jacket and pull out an envelope, slidding it over to Tommy. You had clearly seen the opium pipe that still had smoke coming out of it, but you gently pushed it out of the way so the envelope rested in front of Tommy’s drink.

“What is this?” he asks, still too high to think straight.

“Consider it a resume,” you quip back, taking another sip of your drink as you study the collection of liquor and spirits on the back shelf of the bar.

“For what?”

“My services.”

“You a fuckin’ whore? You think that’s what I need right now, eh?”

“What I think you need right now, Mr. Shelby, is a sense of security. To be ahead of the enemy. I can give that to you,” you reply smoothly, barely flinching. Tommy notices your voice doesn’t falter even at his jab. He begins to sober up, finaling looking at you.

You had an air of mystery and intrigue. Your eyes looked all-knowing and the corner of your lip was quirked. A white blouse was tucked into a deep red skirt with your black wool jacket overtop of it all. If he was a different man, he surely would have taken you home.

“Why are you telling me this?” he finally asks.

You look back at him, the smirk on your lips growing. “Because I quite like your family. Polly is quite intelligent and Ada is a delight. I also know far too much about you, so it’d be a shame if someone paid be good money to tell them everything there is to know about you. But if you came to me first, there wouldn’t be much of an issue. The rate for ratting out one of my clients is ridiculously high.”

So, it had been you with Polly that night, he thinks. “You’d work for me?” he asks again, tone getting more serious. The last time a woman worked for him, it didn’t end particularly well.

You laugh and Tommy is momentarily stunned. It’s a beautiful laugh that appeared in an awful moment. “I don’t work for anyone, Mr. Shelby.”

And then you left. Tommy stares a the door for a few minutes after you’ve left, wondering if he had imagined your visit the whole time. When he turns back to his drink, the envelope you left behind is a sign that you had been real. He hesitantly opens it and his jaw unhinges at the contents inside: there were several documents, reports, and even pictures tying Grace Burgess and Inspector Campbell together. It seemed so plain and simple once it was laid out in front of him.

Under the flap of the envelope was an address as well as a rate of service. It was high, Tommy couldn’t deny it, but he also couldn’t deny how the pressure on his chest eased for a moment when he was with you. Even more so when you had left the address.

The next morning, a wad of cash from Shelby Company Limited shows up at one of your drop locations. It’s more than you asked for and quicker than you expected it to come. You smirk softly and get to work.

---

Tommy doesn’t see you again until he pays a visit to Sabini’s club a few years later as he works on his London expansion. He had been a client of yours for nearly two years now and he was continuosly impressed with your work. You literally had eyes everywhere; there wasn’t a place between Manchester and Brighton that you couldn’t get to. You had been the one feeding him inside information about Sabini’s operations in London, as well as how to get Alfie Solomon’s attention.

Despite all this work, he hasn’t seen you since you approached him when he was high in the empty pub. He gets all his information through courriers, telephone calls from messengers, and packages from drop locations all over the city. He asked a courrier once why he hasn’t seen you since.

“No one really sees her, sir. We just get orders in one way or another, we excecute them, and then money shows up. She doesn’t want anyone to tie her to her clients or the boots on the ground.”

“She’s clever.”

“She’s bloody brilliant, is what she is. She’s set up this system so bloody tight that no one really knows how it works except her. One lad up in Coventry tried to turn her in. Went missing a few days later.”

He doesn’t think about you often, but when he does, he’s reminded of that night in The Garrison; how mysterious and beautiful and dangerous you looked, how his chest seemed less tight with you around. Maybe he’s imagined it. Maybe it was the opium clouding his vision. So, he pushes those thoughts away because as far as he’s concerned, you’re an enigma. Hell, he doesn’t even know your name and he’s been paying you big money and giving away too much of his plans.

But he sees you that night when he and his brothers storm Sabini’s club. You’re sitting on a fancy velvet lounging chair, tucked under the arm of what Tommy assumes is a wealthy banker or socialite. You don’t see him (not yet, at least) but Tommy sees you. All Tommy sees is you. The smoke that flows out of your nostrils as your lips curl at whatever attempt at humour then man with you made draws Tommy in. So does the cut of your deep blue, satin dress. He knows it then, that you’re real. That you’re not a figment of his imagination.

“This place is something else, innit?” Arthur remarks as they make their way deeper and deeper into the club. Tommy is still drawn to you as his brothers gawk at the permiscuous behaviour around them.

The party atmosphere doesn’t last long however, as the boys make a show out of trashing the place. Tommy makes sure to put on a performance, to play up the fear. When he shouts something along the lines of being on a holiday, he happens to catch your eye and the first thing he notices is the smirk playing on your lips. He’s first confused as to why but he understands: you had a large part of the London expansion and you also likely knew that Tommy was going to be there that night. You weren’t there with a man. You were there to see him. You were there to see his reckoning.

The image of you tattooed itself onto Tommy’s brain and the feeling he felt in his chest was something he craved to feel again.

---

The next morning, the brothers stumble into Ada’s home, uninvited. Their younger sister begrudgingly lets them in, still clad in her nightgown, and hastily tells them to keep their noise level down as Karl was still sleeping.

It doesn’t last very long.

“You shoulda seen their bloody faces, Ades!” John hollers, mouth full of biscuits and tea. Ada hisses at him for spewing food across the table.

“Didn’t know what was coming, the lot of them,” Arthur adds, already taking a sip from a flask. He was barely sober from the night before and it wasn’t even eight in the morning. “Fuckin’ Sabini, Ada. He won’t know what’s bloody comin’.”

“Sabini, eh?” Ada plays along, still slightly annoyed but now intriguied. “You didn’t happen to hit up his club last night, did you?”

“’Course we did!” John snickers. “What’d you think we’d do, start small?”

Ada’s facial expression suddenly changes into one of slightly more concern. Arthur and John don’t notice, but Tommy does. “I was hopin’ you would,” Ada plays it off but Tommy notices.

“Ada?” he asks, voice stern but eyes curious. His sister was intelligent, so much so that her mouth was as good at getting her out of trouble as it was getting her in it. Tommy was sure that there was more than what she let on.

“Tom?” Ada says back, not meeting his gaze and instead taking a bite out her toast and jam.

“Why’re you so hung up on Sabini’s club?” Tommy asks directly, slowly getting tired of his sister’s semantics. He mommentarily understands how Polly feels when he keeps things from her.

Ada sighs, having also attracted attention from her two other brothers. She sets down her toast and looks directly at Tommy. “You saw her, didn’t you?”

“Saw who?” Arthur asks, booming voice too loud for the sudden change of tone in the room. Ada grimaces but still stares at Tommy.

Tommy knows exactly who she’s talking about. But he wonders how Ada does.

“I did,” he says simply.

“Who’re you talkin’ about?” John asks next, looking between his siblings. Arthur shrugs at him.

“Did you say anything to her?”

“No.”

“Good,” Ada says too quickly. Tommy narrows his eyes at her.

“For God’s sake!” Arthur says again, slamming his tea cup back down onto the table. “Who in the bloody hell are you talkin’ about?”

Ada rolls her eyes and continues eating and Tommy is left to stare at his brothers. He wants to answer. He wants to answer so badly. But he doens’t even know her name.

“I—” Tommy trails off. He’s rarely rendered speechless, but he is when it comes to you. Who were you? Why did Ada know you? Why can’t he get you out of his head? Why does he hope you’re standing there in the shadows every time he steps out on the street?

“You? You what, Tom?” John asks this time, equally as exasperated.

“He doesn’t know and it should stay that way,” Ada says simply. “She offers you a service, you pay her, end of transaction. Stay away from her Tommy, I mean it.”

“What service?” John asks again, still getting more questions than answers.

Tommy sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “After Grace, she offered me a service. Cash in exchange for information. Said she knew that I needed a sense of security.” She was right, Tommy thinks but doesn’t dare say.

“Information about what, exactly?” Arthur asks, voice dropping an octave as he leans forward.

“Everything. Anything and everything. She knows everything. I don’t have the slightest clue how,” Tommy answers honestly, his own disbelief being obvious for the first time.

“She can betray us...” John warns, skeptical especially after Grace.

“She won’t,” Ada says simply.

“How do you know?” John challenges.

“She won’t,” Ada reaffirms with a glint in her eye. John immediatley backs down. Ada doens’t trust easily, especially after Freddie.

Tommy believes her. You know too much, far too much. More than he or you had bargained for. You also gave too much. Tommy asked for one thing, you gave him what he wanted and more. Tommy wanted a brief description of the shipping business in Bristol, you gave him an itemized list. Tommy asked you to keep an eye out for any potential threats, you gave him incredibly precise weekly reports. He asked people what your service was like as if he didn’t already know himself: you were never this thorough. He knew you wouldn’t betray him because you would have done it already. The question is, why did Ada trust her?

“You know who she is, don’t you?” Tommy asks his sister once again, doing his best to intimidate her. It’s no use.

“I do,” Ada says simply.

“Even her name?”

John scoffs. “You don’t even know her bloody name and you’ve got that look like you’re in love? Jesus, Tom! You need a good fuckin’, I’m telling you.”

Ada ignores her brother’s comment. “Even her name.”

Tommy gestures for her to elaborate and Ada hesitantly continues, “Polly paid her to find me after Karl was born. She found me personally, not through a messenger. We got along quite well, she was very honest about what she’d been hired to do. She gave Polly that information she was looking for, but we kept in touch. Personally, I mean. I like her.”

“Tell me her name, Ada.”

Ada makes a face of fake appeasement. “Can’t do that, sorry Tom.”

Tommy’s jaw clenches. “Ada...” he warns.

Ada’s glare mathces his own. “Her identity is all she’s got Tommy. The minute a client knows who she is, it all falls apart. For the love of God, for your safety and hers, don’t find her.”

And hell, does Tommy want not to listen. He wants to find you again. To see you. To speak to you. To learn your name. To feel the weight in his chest lighten once more.

But you remained impossible to find. Even with his London expansion, he wasn’t any closer to finding out who you really were than the day you first spoke to him at The Garrison.

So, he tried to push his thoughts away. He didn’t get so lucky.

---

He was used to receiving messages from you on Sunday evenings before the week began and Thursday mornings before the week ended. Sometimes, they’d be in the form of a phone call from a messnger reading a message written by you. Other times, he would visit a drop site where he picked up parcels of information and evidence you had collected. Fridays were paydays, so he’d get a Blinder to drop a parcel of cash (though they never knew it was cash) at a drop site and wait for a courrier with a blue ribbon pinned under the lapel of their overcoat to retrieve it.

All your foot solidiers and clients wore the ribbons. You avoided paper trails so everything was with symbols. Ribbon colours were a discrete way for both the client and the courrier to tell who was who. Clients wore white ribbons, courriers wore blue ones, messengers wore green ones, and red ones were used for emergencies.

That’s why Tommy panicked when a man burst into his office late at night the day before he was set to take down Sabini, urgently lifting his lapel to show his red ribbon.

“What’s happened? Are we in danger?” Tommy asks immediatley, standing up from his chair.

“No, sir,” the foot soldier said. They were never allowed to say the names of clients, only sir and ma’am. “I have a message from her. It was urgent and couldn’t have waited until Thursday.”

The man gives him a sealed envelope before bowing and leaving as quickly as he came. Tommy checks to make sure that he is alone before ripping it open. It wasn’t a message, but a phone number and the word clairvoyant scribbled quickly with fancy ink.

Tommy furrows his eyebrows but picks up his phone and dials the operator. The other end picks up immediately. He hastily says the number he wants to be patched through to as well as the word scribbled below it. The operator says nothing else and he hears the phone ring again before a female voice finally picks up.

“Mr. Shelby, I was waiting for your call.”

It was you. Tommy’s heartbeat quickens. You continue to speak, oblivious to his shock, “I don’t make calls myself unless absolutely neccassary. You don’t need to worry about privacy; I have connections with the operating center that patched you through. They won’t say a word to anyone, telling them that you called and they won’t be listening.”

Truthfully, Tommy hadn’t even been thinking of that. He was still slightly shocked that he was hearing your voice, the same voice as nealry three years ago. The opium fucked with a lot of things, but not his sense perception. Your voice was as beautiful as he remembered it to be.

He forces the thoughts out of his head and finally speaks. “What’s happened? Is there an emergency?”

“You aren’t safe at the races tomorrow. There will be an attempt on your life.”

Tommy is not entirely surprised. “I’m sure you can put two and two together; what I plan to do at the races is practically a suicide mission, dear. Of course there’ll be an attempt on my life.”

You scoff at the other end of the line. “Mr. Shelby, I’ll rephrase: you may succeed in your plan tomorrow, but something will catch you off-guard. Something big.”

“What is it, then? If you’re so sure,” Tommy challenges, but is taken aback by the silence.

You sigh, defeated at the other end of the line. “Mr. Shelby, I’ll be honest. An Inspector Campbell approached me this morning, asking for my services to give him everything I knew about you plans tomorrow. I took his money.”

Tommy’s jaw clenches. “You called me to tell me you’re a fuckin’ conspirator against me now, eh?”

“I resent that. There’s a reason I ask you not to tell me anything about your business aside from what I need to know to do my job,” you snap back. “Campbell gave me money to tell him information I didn’t have. So, I took the money and told him lies. He didn’t pay enough money to turn me against one of clients anyway and I don’t negotiate.”

Tommy laughs in slight disbelief, “You clever bloody woman.”

You can’t help but grin at the other end of the line. “He let it slip that he had something planned, though. That you weren’t getting out of this alive. Thomas, I don’t know what and I don’t have enough time to find out, but you needed to know,” you say before soflty adding, “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t tell you.”

Tommy nods solemnly before saying, “That’s the first time you’ve called me Thomas.”

You laugh and Tommy’s heart clenches at the sound. “Is that what you choose to focus on?” you ask, amused despite your worry.

“I’m not afraid of death. Not anymore,” Tommy answers.

“It’s a shame. There seems to be a lot in your life that’s worth living for,” you reply, your voice softer that Tommy’s ever heard it.

“Will you do me one final favour? Take it as my dying wish.”

“Thomas—” you start before he cuts you off.

“Can you tell me your name?” he finally asks, but he’s met with silence. He clears his throat and adds, “Please?”

You sigh at the other end. This is not how you were supposed to conduct business. Anonymity was the only thing keeping you from being excecuted at the hands of the Crown or a crime-boss. But here the feared Thomas Shelby was, asking as his dying wish to know your name. You don’t know him aside from your brief interactions and stories from Ada. But strangely, you trust him with the key keeping your identity safe.

“Y/N. My name’s Y/N.”

---

The following evening, Tommy trudges home covered in mud and blood. His encounter with the face of death was anticipated, but still left him scarred. Despite his success against the races and against Sabini, he felt trapped. With a success in the business, he still finds himself indebted to Winston Churchill. He’s exhaused of this cycle and in the moment, he embraced his fate just a little.

As he pushed the door to his home open, his eyes are immediately drawn to crackling fire. He hadn’t expected anyone to be home, as the family was staying in London with Ada to celebrate their successes.

So the sight of you, sitting on his couch and staring into the fire shocked the life back through him.

He takes of his hat and stares at you in slight disbelief. “So, you’re real.”

You turn to face him and the tension previously present in your features fell and the corner of your lip quirked upwards. “You’re alive,” you state the obvious.

“The Devil’s tried too many time to kill me, I’m starting to wonder if God does exist,” he says plainly, taking off his coat and taking a seat on the other end of the couch from you.

A small laugh escapes you. “He has jokes, does he?”

Tommy smiles softly but shakes his head and stares at you. “You’re really real. I was starting to think I was imagin’ ya.”

“Ada says you’ve been asking about me.”

“I have. She wouldn’t tell me your name, though.”

“You got it anyway.”

“Who’s to deny a man his dying wish?” Tommy darkly jokes again.

“I can’t go back to operating how things were. Even you knowing my name is too much,” you say softly, turning back to the fire. You were slightly frustrated with yourself. Years and years of building a network built around your anonymity destroyed by one man. Deep down, you felt that it was time.

“I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Tommy says simply.

“But you’d want to be in my life,” you say back, still not looking away from the fire. “I’m a woman, but I’m not stupid. I know why you tried to look for me.”

Tommy sits back and watches her. A woman’s never been more direct with him before. Even Grace, who had just asked him to lay with her one final time before moving back to America at the races, had never laid out what she saw so simply and bluntly before. She was right. Tommy wouldn’t tell anyone your name if you asked him to, but he would still want to see you. The only thing more painful than not knowing who you were was knowing and still not being able to see you.

“You could start again,” Tommy says. He barely recongizes the softness in his own tone, but he decides the change is good. “You could work for me, have your men join the Blinders if they wanted.”

“I don’t work for anyone, Mr. Shelby,” you say again cheekily, reminding him of the first time the two of you spoke. You turn to face him and stop to admire his beauty—how the fire cast beautiful shadows across his face, how the moonlight sparkled in his eyes.

“That you don’t,” Tommy hums in agreement, still looking at you. His gaze hadn’t left you since he came home.

It’s silent for a few moments before Tommy says, “Stay.”

“With you?” you ask in slight surprise.

“With me, in Small Heath, with the company—whatever you want. Just stay.”

“You barely know me.”

“Then let me get to know you, Y/N,” Tommy answers, finally saying your name for the first time. He loves the way it spills off his tongue and you equally adore the sound of his voice when he says it.

You nod softly, agreeing with his hearfealt proposition. The two of you spent the rest of the night staring into the fire, allowing your heartbeats and breaths come into sync as you slowly fell asleep.

---

It’s been five years since you had started working for Shelby Company Limited as Tommy’s senior advisor and security specialist, four years since your network of spies had merged with the Peaky Blinders, three years since you and Tommy got married, two years since you gave birth to a set of twins named Benjamin and Mae Shelby, and one year since you had also become a political advisor to your husband and his allies in Parliament.

With your years together, the Shelby family found you to be an intriguing, fascinating, and intimidatingly wonderful woman. They couldn’t comprehend how right you seemed with Tommy. They also couldn’t comprehend how involved you were in their success without them even knowing who you were. However, they love to poke fun at Tommy for basically falling in love with from two interactions.

You were currently at the Arrow House doing the final touch-ups to your makeup for the gala you were hosting in your home. It was a typical charity ball that made sleezy politicians look good in the eyes of their constituants, but you had pressured Tommy to allow you to host it on behalf of the Shelby Family Institute. He had been skeptical, but relented when you reminded him that it wasn’t about giving them a platform to look good, but using their ego to benefit the institute.

“I’ve put the children to bed,” Polly announces as she walks into the master bedroom. The room is obscenely large with a king sized bed in the middle, but Polly can’t help but feel pride every time she visits. It was the both of your hardwork that you got you here and she was proud. “Ben passed out almost immediatley, but you’re right about Mae. She’s a trouble maker.”

You give Polly a smile through the mirror of the vanity you sat in front of, “Thank you, Pol. Really.”

“Where’s that bastard husband of yours?” Polly jokes as she stands behind you, inspecting her pearls in the mirror.

“His study, no doubt,” you joke with a slight smirk.

“The faith the two of you have in my is astounding,” Tommy says sarcastically, immerging through the en-suite dressed in his tuxedo.

Polly rolls her eyes and leaves the room, leaving the couple to stare at each other.

“You clean up well, Mr. Shelby,” you state, smiling as he approaches you. “Though I’m not sure if that’s because of you or your OBE.”

“Sometimes, I wonder if I should have continued loving you at a distance,” he comments humourously.

You laugh—a real laugh—and wrap your hands around his neck while his arms immediately find themselves around your waist.

“How’re you feeling, darling?” Tommy asks, referring to the mental and emotional preparation for the event that was about to start downstairs.

“I’m not the biggest fan of a lot of your colleagues, Tom,” you say honestly. “Their wives however...they give me thousands of pounds worth of information every sentence.”

“You never cease to amaze me with that mind of yours,” he tells you honestly.

“And you never cease to amaze me with how verbally affectionate you can be,” you quip back lightheartedly before Tommy softly kisses your lips.

“How ‘bout this?” he says once you pull away. “I take care of getting donations, you take care of getting more leverage on the labour bill I’m looking to pass.”

“Done,” you say with a smile before Tommy kisses you again. You begin to hear cars pull into the driveway when you try to pull away, but he keeps you close.

“Tom,” you giggle, breathless. “Tom, the guests are arriving.”

“I’ve waited for you for years, they can wait for you a little while longer,” he replies with a smirk before kissing you deeply once again.

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby x reader #peaky blinders #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders x reader #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby fanfiction #thomas shelby fanfic #thomas shelby fanfiction #thomas shelby fic #tommy shelby fic #peaky blinders fic

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carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory · 3 years

Text

Survival of the Fishiest: Astonishing Adaptations of the Aquatic World

by Shelby Wyzykowski

For Charles Darwin, all sorts of species—from birds and large land animals to flowers and tiny invertebrates—captured his interest and encouraged him to explore the great diversity of life. After years of observation and research, he published his famous book On the Origin of Species in 1859. In it, he presented his revolutionary and controversial theory of natural selection, which is also commonly referred to as “survival of the fittest.” His theory suggested that individuals of a species are more likely to survive when they inherit traits from their parents that are best suited for their specific environment. Essentially, beneficial adaptations give an organism the greatest chance to live and carry on its genetic line. This well-known theory is in part rooted in Darwin’s early experiences with and on the ocean. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year journey on the HMS Beagle, serving as their on-board naturalist. As the crew surveyed and mapped the South American coastline, Darwin marveled at the wonder and beauty of the sea, observing and collecting surface plankton as well as theorizing how coral reefs form. Unfortunately, with no photography and limited technology, studying ocean life was difficult even in shallow water. So, in Darwin’s time, little if anything was known about life far beneath the waves. But if he were alive now, Darwin would no doubt delight in all of the incredible underwater discoveries that have been made by modern-day science. And he would more than likely be awestruck by the many amazing adaptations that sea animals employ to survive.

Aquatic Adaptations: Antarctica

Image by Andrea Spallanzani from Pixabay.

When one thinks of an environment in which adaptation is of the utmost necessity, Antarctica may be the first spot that comes to mind. The Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, is an unforgiving and inhospitable place to live. Rotating currents almost completely isolate these waters from the rest of the Earth’s much warmer seas. This keeps temperatures low…it can drop to 28.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter! To combat the cold, Antarctic icefish produce and carry special antifreeze proteins in their blood and body fluids. These proteins bind to ice crystals, dividing their crystalline structures and therefore inhibiting crystal growth. Without this antifreeze, microscopic ice crystals would form in their bodies, severing nerves and damaging tissues to a deadly degree. It’s an incredible adaptation, but it did not happen quickly. About 25 million years ago, the Southern Ocean, flowing around the isolated Antarctic continent, began to cool. Aquatic life in this area had to evolve the special antifreeze proteins, find some other way to adapt to the cold, or go extinct. Today, thanks to their special cold-water adaptation, icefish make up more than 90 percent of all fish species in the Antarctic!

Aquatic Adaptations: Mariana Trench

But Antarctica is not the only harsh environment that demands extreme adaptations. You’d be hard-pressed to find living conditions that are more punishing and severe than in the Mariana Trench. Located in the western Pacific, it is considered to be the deepest part of the ocean anywhere on Earth. Near the trench’s bottom, the lunar-like landscape is pitch-black, and the pressure of the freezing cold waters would instantly kill any land animal. But, amazingly, sea animals have found remarkable ways to thrive.

In most places in the trench, the temperatures are between 34 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit. This extreme cold would not be good for most animals’ bodies because it would damage their cell membranes. These membranes are of a fatty consistency and must stay liquid to function properly. The Mariana Trench’s frigid temperatures would make the fat in a land creature’s cell membranes solid like butter. But deep-sea animals have evolved in a unique way that enables them to avoid such a chilly catastrophe. They have lots of unsaturated fats in their membranes, and these kinds of fats remain liquid at low temperatures and keep their membranes loose and intact.

Besides the bone-chilling temperatures, these aquatic creatures must contend with the pulverizing pressure. Extreme pressure can have a devastating effect on a body’s proteins (these are the molecules that do much of the work in a cell). To keep their proteins healthy and working well, sea life collect tiny organic molecules called piezolytes in their cells. These piezolytes prevent water from distorting and damaging the proteins. The deeper in the ocean an animal lives, the more piezolytes they need to have in their cells. One type of piezolyte, called TMAO (Trimethlyamine-oxide), gives fish their “fishy” taste and smell. Since TMAO increases with depth, being “fishier” is crucial for survival in the deep-ocean environment!

But food is also crucial for the survival of any organism; how is it possible to hunt in a world of darkness? Sea life have found many ways to deal with the lack of light. The stout blacksmelt, for example, has giant eyes that can capture the faintest glimmer of fleeting prey. The tripod fish has such unreliable vision that it mainly relies on sensors in its pectoral fins to detect the movement of a potential meal. And the anglerfish actually emits its own light by a process known as bioluminescence. The light from their built-in “headlight” will actually attract the prey to them!

Aquatic Adaptations Near the Ocean's Surface

Marine life that live a bit closer to the ocean’s surface have also developed ingenious ways to search for food. The Great White Shark could very well be thought of as the bloodhound of the sea. Its sense of smell is so good that it can detect one drop of blood in ten billion drops of water! But, if the prey is close enough, it need not spill one drop of blood for the Great White to detect its presence. This is because these sharks are experts in electroreception, which is the ability to detect weak electric fields in water. Unlike in air, the ability to conduct electricity in water is extremely easy. This scientific fact allows many underwater species, including Great Whites, to sense the weak electrical fields of biological sources (such as their prey). These sharks are known to react to charges of one millionth of a volt (for reference, a tiny AA battery has a mere 1.5 volts of stored energy). This acute sensitivity to electrical fields can be traced to electroreceptors in the shark’s skin. Pore openings peppered over its head receive minute electrical signals from the water and channel these signals into tubes of highly-conductive gel. Each tube ends in a bulb known as an ampulla of Lorenzini. Sensory nerves are activated in the ampulla and send the message to the shark’s brain. Their electrosensitivity is so precise that they can detect prey hiding in the sand bottom!

With such an extraordinary adaptation, Great Whites can be a formidable and terrifying predator. But sometimes even the hunter can become the hunted. If a Great White is foolish enough to go after a sick or young Bottlenose Dolphin, they might find themselves biting off more than they can chew. Living in groups called pods, dolphins have tightly-knit family groups with complex social structures. They actually have their own cultures and display positive cultural behaviors such as compassion and cooperation. So when one member of a pod is targeted as prey, the others will come to its defense and work in a coordinated effort to combat the Great White. They’ll surround the shark and attack it relentlessly. Some use their sturdy, bony snouts like battering rams and slam into the shark’s underbelly and gills, causing massive internal injuries. If the shark is lucky enough, it can make a quick escape, but pods have been known to actually kill sharks. These incidents involving selflessness and cooperation have also crossed the species barrier from time to time when pods of altruistic dolphins have come to the rescue of humans in distress. There have been many reported cases of dolphins encircling and protecting swimmers as they work to successfully fend off a shark’s persistent advances.

The altruistic and cooperative behaviors of dolphins are adaptations that exemplify the true meaning of Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Believing that compassion was the key to evolutionary success, Darwin was in fact frustrated with the way many readers misinterpreted the phrase “survival of the fittest” (a term that he himself did not even coin…biologist Herbert Spencer did so in 1864). This phrase implies the use of selfishness, ruthlessness, and callousness to ensure survival. There’s certainly no denying that these actions have definitely played a part in evolution and in the realities of life. But Darwin chose to believe that sympathy, benevolence, and cooperation played even greater roles in the survival, flourishing, and evolution of a species. In the end, it’s the positive adaptive traits that determine as well as define the overall success of life on Earth.

Shelby Wyzykowski is a Gallery Experience Presenter in CMNH’s Life Long Learning Department. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

#Carnegie Museum of Natural History #Marine Life #Antarctica #Mariana Trench #Great White Shark

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chemicalpink · 3 years

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good morning!

want to ask you a question, why many people misunderstood jimin? is it because the scorpio placements in his chart? and also can you talk about his gemini moon?

thanks👍

Disclaimer: This analysis/reading is based on my experience and knowledge of astrology, it is not meant to be the absolute truth, as BTS are real people, and astrology can only capture so much about multidimensional humans that have had past experiences and cultural approaches amongst other things, it does not have to resonate with you since this is in no way related to anyone reading it (unless you are a member of BTS in which case, get out of here lol ) This is just for entertainment purposes.

Oh god… this whole Scorpio Jimin is full of a lot passionate and sexual energies, but we will be skipping that for now, and only focus on the “shadow” parts of the self, I’m not sure how exactly you’re referring to people having a misconception of him, but we’ll dive into how he’s such a complex person with a lot of filters to him (my man was right when he said pick your filter)

A/N: I just now realised that you also asked for his moon sign and I didn’t talk about it here but I promise I’ll talk about all of their moons in a post soon.

So Park Jimin doesn’t have Scorpio in any of his houses BUT he has Scorpio in two of his inner/personal planets along with Fortune and Pluto (and it honestly makes so much sense when put together with his Libra sun)

SCORPIO VENUS

Jimin’s overall role in life is to be more of an observer than a participator.

This role of course, allows him to be super perceptive on shifts on people’s attitudes, which is why we always see him being 10/10 comforting the members when needed

He’s also kinda nosy… not in an inherently bad way but he does like to ask a few too many questions

Now, here comes the first filter, yes, Jimin is cute and cuddly and as of lately, very in tune with his emotions yet this placement talks about having one hell of a strong wall built up around his heart, he hates to let people in emotionally.

Jimin’s also not the type to let people in easily let alone trust them.

Now listen, this man remembers EVERYTHING. See him come up with that one thing someone did ten years ago (cough cough the dumpling incident cough cough the day in the rain incident)

He’s also the type to treat people like puzzles and himself to be the one that needs to figure them out and solve them.

Here comes yet another filter, Jimin like to let people perceive him as this person that is an opèn book yet really, we don’t get to see the real him, he just likes people thinking he’s open when in reality he very much appreciates his private life.

Which is mainly why he’s prone to deflect questions about himself and his feelings, keeping those to himself gives him a sense of privacy that he very much needs.

He’s got a lot of plutonian influence, so he tends to be suspicious of everyone and everything.

When it comes to love, he very much wants it yet he is absolutely terrified of emotional vulnerability (felt)

This man (and honestly from experience is very much true when together with his Libra sun) will 10/10 times break his own heart first before giving anyone else the opportunity break it.

He’s also very much not a fan of rejection in any way

There’s also a lot of pent up range and dissatisfaction (which I think is something we’ve seen him work through the years)

He’s also deeply insecure, making him feel like he’s unworthy and blinded to see that his accomplishments are very much a product of his hard work (I also think he’s been working on this, although as every healing process, it’s not linear)

So although astrologically, this placement talks about being a heavy and tired soul, it doesn’t cancel out the fact that he’s also a soft baby mochi that is able to light up everyone’s life as well as just how much the right people are able to lift from weight from his shoulders.

SCORPIO MARS

This diplomatic man is also VERY strategic on his general behaviour

Which sure on the surface he is very calm and collected but as his Scorpio Venus also suggested, on the inside he is a pool of emotions that he rarely lets anyone see

He’s full of emotional intensity

He’s a man that likes to dive into everything with full force and depth

Which honestly is nice, if he knew how to find middle ground

Jimin can be high key obsessed with stuff YET he has a lot of strength and self discipline (we love and respect him for it)

Once again, this placement talks about how he rarely forgives and forgets

And how he’s always “getting back at people” even if so much as teasingly

We talked previously about how he’s an observer that can tell when people’s behaviour shifts. Well, this man is a professional when knowing what other people’s weaknesses lie.

Although he doesn’t get angered easily or regularly, he’s the type to have a cold and icy anger, and when he does, there’s no telling him he’s wrong.

PLUTO IN SCORPIO

Although this placement is more on the generational side of astrology it just makes so much sense to me when together with Jimin’s other placements and the thing we are able to see from him.

Pluto in Scorpio is all about emotional profundity while being aware of one’s boundaries (talk about Jimin’s immaculate emotional intelligence)

It’s also all about societal change and I think he has helped hi inner social circle (mostly the members, which is what we are able to see) to be more confident on their selves, their masculinity and themselves in general terms.

FORTUNE IN SCORPIO

The cherry on top, this placement is usual on people whose life path leads them to be a public figure, especially singers.

It signals Jimin to be a perceptive and resourceful man

Also very much a healer in nature

He’s always inspiring others to understand themselves and find courage within.

#bts astrology #jimin astrology #kpop astrology

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lokiondisneyplus · 3 years

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Loki spoilers won't be found here.

Loki shouldn't exist. Not as a show anyway. Despite being perhaps Marvel's most popular character on screen, Loki snuffed it at the start of Avengers: Infinity War. But of course, that didn't stick for long, what with him being a god and all.

Following the return of an alternate Loki in Avengers; Endgame, Thor's mischievous brother is now working to fix the timeline alongside an organisation known as the Time Variance Authority (TVA). It's a weird starting point for one of Marvel's most unique characters, but in a world where people fly and heroes are named after bugs, weird is most welcome. In fact, that's exactly why fans are so passionate about Marvel, and that includes Loki director Kate Herron.

"I remember trying to turn one of my Barbies into Storm, and I melted her hair off," says Herron. As far as Marvel entry points go, that has to rank up there with the very best. And just like Kate grew up "loving the X-Men cartoon," a whole new generation will grow up adoring shows like Loki.

Herron tells us that she's always loved the God of Mischief, so when she heard that Loki would be starring in his own solo outing, she immediately had to get involved. "I remember saying to my agent, 'Just keep calling them. Just keep calling them. Eventually, they will cave, and they will meet me.'"

Once she was in the room with Disney, Kate showed them a 60-page pitch document that included "everything" in it. "I figured, go big or go home, because I knew I’d be up against some really experienced directors, and I thought, 'Well, I’m not going to lie to them' and be like, 'I’m the most experienced person you’re meeting.’ But I thought I’d just be the most passionate."

"Loki defines what the vibe of the MCU has become. He was that, almost from the beginning."

Clearly, it worked, and not long after, Herron started to collaborate with Loki head writer Michael Waldron, another Marvel fan who took an unusual path to reach this point. Before joining the House of Mouse, Michael worked in the Rick and Morty writers room, which he describes as a sort of "sci-fi college" where he was "inundated with science-fiction knowledge all day, every day."

Riffing on obscure Marvel characters for Rick and Morty put Waldron in good stead for the challenges he would face writing Loki. "Obviously that kind of sci-fi multiversal world was adjacent to what Marvel is doing more and more of. My brain was really finely tuned for that, heading into the MCU world."

In his first pitch meeting, Michael described Loki himself as pivotal to this world that Marvel has created. "He defined what the sense of humour and the vibe of the MCU had become. He was that, almost from the beginning." It's vital then that Marvel gets this show right, and that's something both Michael and Kate are fully aware of.

Not only does Herron want to "pay respect and homage to a character that people love," she also wants to ensure "there’s a reason why we’re going back in," by "taking Loki to fresh ground."

Of course, covering "fresh ground" can be risky, especially with a "six-hour movie" like this. And that's why Waldron was "terrified" longtime Marvel fans might find their show too complex or inaccessible. "That was my biggest fear. It keeps me up at night," says Michael. But the writers room rose to that challenge by starting from the ground up.

"We had to establish a logical foundational sci-fi reality for the show. It’s the TVA. They police time. That meant that we had to create rules, and build out what do they do? Why do they do it? For the writers’ room, they all had drawings and stuff like this on the whiteboards."

"That was my biggest fear. It keeps me up at night."

"And that necessitates really complex explanations and ideas," Michael continues. "Then you have to figure out: 'OK, how can we boil this down into a very simple way so that the audience is going to understand what Loki is going through, but they’re not going to feel like they’re in science class? They’re not going to tune out because they’re bored?'"

That doesn't seem likely though. Waldron describes himself as the show's "harshest critic," so he was quick to call out scenes or bits of dialogue that might not work. "I’m very easily bored," says Michael. "I fall asleep easily in anything." And it was this low threshold that helped him navigate those trickier exposition scenes in ways that will still hold the viewer's interest.

And it also helps that we've never seen Loki quite like this before. As Kate points out, "Loki's in a very different place to where we’ve seen him in the last 10 years. We’re taking him on a very unique, new journey. It’s him working out who he is, and trying to basically undo this mess he’s made with time, with the TVA."

Although there will be nods to the comics, Herron says that Loki's journey here is something we've "not seen or read before." And that's also true of where we're at in the MCU right now. Post-Endgame, this is a very different world to the one Stan Lee envisioned all those many years ago.

Michael remembers when the Loki writer's room was fortunate enough to watch an early cut of Avengers: Endgame, and then suddenly they realised, "We’re making Loki in this era after that." So what comes next? "To me, that was exciting – this unchartered territory of 'where does the MCU go?' It felt like, more than ever, that sandbox – we could blow the lid on it, and go wherever we wanted to."

No comic book characters were off-limits to Waldron and his team either. "If they were within the rights, and legal could clear it, there was no reason we couldn’t try and chase them down." And when we pressed him on possible cameos, Michael simply told us to "Expect the unexpected."

"Loki's in a very different place to where we’ve seen him in the last 10 years."

That's often par for the course with new shows like this, but we have no reason to doubt Michael here, because for once, it really does seem like Loki will be different from anything that's come before. Kate says just when it looked like things might be getting "too" weird — "They’re not going to let me do this" – Marvel told her, “No, go weirder.”

So yes, keep an eye out for "twists and turns" and sure, look out for wider "ramifications" that will impact the MCU at large. But first and foremost, except things to get real weird real fast. Could melty-haired Storm even appear for a multiverse cameo? Probably not, but that's exactly the kind of chaos we're expecting to see in the God of Mischief's very first solo venture.

Loki premieres on June 9, 2021, streaming exclusively on Disney+.

#Loki #Disney+#Michael Waldron #Kate Herron #interview

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