#data visualization ethics

[saidatascience]

Data Visualization: Striking the Right Balance between Accuracy and Impact

In today’s data-oriented world, data visualization ethics plays a significant as a tool for successfully passing on important information, hence helping organizations in their communication efforts. However, this ability carries a substantial responsibility — the commitment to guarantee that data visualizations not only impart knowledge but are also accountable for ethical standards.

[darkwood-sleddog]

you know i think it's really funny (derogatory) that tumblr seemingly has the ability to create popups for ad-free, crabs, anything that will get them money, but when it comes to using popups to guide new users around the website layout they're just like "uww what can we POSSIBLY do?? all these new people only know twitter and they couldn't possibly read a popup explaining how to use the site!! let's just change everything visually appealing about tumblr to cater to our inability to make popups for helpful reasons uwu!!".

like you know what i want? If you're testing a change on me I want a pop up that says so. I don't want to have to rely on the @changes blog to see that. If i'm testing a change I should be given a feedback form that is specifically about that change. I want the results of the feedback forms for changes to be publicly viewable to the userbase. you could learn so much about how this website actually functions for users through that, but no. we can only make popups when it fiscally benefits us! we can't use polls to get a sense of what the userbase is feeling! we can't publicize what % of feedback about a change was positive or negative. we couldn't...possibly...

[midnightactual]

to talk about AI in art more specifically, I think in so far as AI has any legitimate use in art, it's exclusively as an artistic aid. if you generate an AI image of a character, then draw on top of it using it as a loose reference (I'm not talking about tracing here), that's not really any different than using any other photo reference or inspiration. if you feed all of a character's dialogue to an AI, then have it crosscheck versus dialogue you wrote for them and make adjustments to your writing (I'm not talking about copying and pasting here), that's not really any different than having someone beta-read for voice or doing it manually yourself. it can be an effective tool for doing very specific and technical things faster and thus developing a better personal artistic intuition for them. it's acceptable as training wheels, like spellcheck but much more sophisticated

what is broadly unacceptable is to just let AI generate something and release it into the wild as-is or edited. AI making your life easier or giving you more confidence in making your art is fine. using AI to substitute for and try and shortcut the artistic process is not

[manmishra]

🚀 Dive into the future of data storytelling! Discover how AI and innovative tech are transforming the way we communicate insights and engage audiences. Explore the essential role of human creativity in this evolving landscape and learn how to leverage these tools for impactful narratives. Read more about it in our latest article! 🌐📊 #DataStorytelling #AI #Innovation #MarketingStrategy

[karinadele]

Hydromorphone

Ratchet x Reader pt:2

pt:1

pt:3

Warnings: Still on the pregnancy talk. Deaddove ideation from Ratchet, Talks of AFAB body, Obsessed!Ratchet

He feels it, sees it grow over the months. Even recalibrating his optics to run scans himself, visually seeing a human sparkling –as you’ve corrected him, a ‘baby’.

“It comes out where?!” Ratchet exclaimed. Utterly shocked, he figured that humans can’t just shift their plating for the delivery of sparklings, but did not expect that a newspark would have to come out from your valve. And to think that it will stretch to 10 cm to accommodate that?! Was that even possible?

You groan. This was going to be a long night. Birds and the bees? Adult Alien version.

“Yeah. Not just the vaginal canal. The cervix also dilates. Everything has to come out.”

Ratchet’s processors were struggling to string together the imagery. Can a human valve really stretch that much?! Isn’t it painful? Between flabbergasted and worried, he shifts his optics and resets them a couple times. Rubbing his servo on his forehead as it hides the view of his faceplace from you, a hint of something else also arises into him. A small flush of blue coats his cheeks. What a ridiculous thought that he’s thinking right now. Forget imagining seeing it, he’s long gone from that now. He’s thinking more sinister thoughts.

Mass displacement. He’s always thought it was a necessity to interface with you, but with this new information? It was revolutionary, yet he dared not to think about it.

Thoughts on what a sparkling between the two of you would be like. Hypothetical. There’s no way CNA and DNA were compatible, let alone frame sizes and oh primus. Just the thought of an interspecies organic and Cybertronian would have never crossed his mind if this conversation did not happen.

Yet now, it’s consumed him. The thought of wanting to know what your sparkling would be, an offspring of your own genes, integrated with his data. Without thinking about the ethical and legality issues of it, just purely if it’s optics would be the same as your eyes– or his. The frame definitely would be his colour right? Or would it not have a frame and be soft and malleable? A protoform? Would it have your spunk and will for life? Or perhaps his dedication.

As the days creep by, becoming closer and closer to your delivery date, he continues to monitor you, giving you regular scans as these thoughts eat away at him. Every moment with you, was like an eternity, to want to know what it would be– to have you carry his sparkling. An obsessive desire to fill you with him, go claim you as his. Even if nothing happens with it, just the concept of having the opportunity to lay his servos on you, mixing the very bases of his workings with yours. For the very lines of his binary coding to be intertwined with your DNA in the smallest molecular structure that even his optics can’t zoom on into.

You let out a content sigh of relief as he holds your belly. Melting down from the weight being carried off your back as you crack out a smile, closing your eyes. Humans holding it up? Try a bot. That’s where it’s at.

Hearing you hum out in response to him just gently lifting a barely tangible weight to him as you blissfully embrace yourself into his trust. Such a simple action, yet ironically, he’s now physically carrying your weight. Your child. Oh how he wishes this was his sparkling. To hold the newspark growing in you, as he made sure both of you are fulfilled.

“You know?” You squint and start puckering your lips. “We actually had a very high death rate of mothers in the past.” 

Ratchet freezes. Death of carriers? Of you?

“Yeah” You continue. “We didn’t learn about hand washing until recently, honestly.” You sigh out as you think about how ridiculous the situation with Semmeiweis was. “Like seriously! No one even believed that washing your hands and sanitization was important when delivering?!”

“That’s ridiculous.” Ratchet huffed out. Yes, your species was primitive, but there’s no way humans were that incompetent right? 

“It was only 2 centuries ago when they finally realized sanitation was important. And you know what?!” You continue. “They only believed it after the dude was dead!” You know you’re not winning any brownie points for the human race right now, but the truth is the truth. And you’re mad.

If it wasn’t for you, he still would have found humans repulsive. They’re a primitive species, way behind on their sciences and technology. But you? You’ve managed to show him the beauty of leaving things organic. That not everything has to be skyrise buildings and urban living. Once finding the fleshiness of humans and organic nature of the planet to be revolting, but the late nights spent with him by the lakes, the trails, showing him the mesmerizing beauty of planet Earth.

Not realizing Ratchet is lost in his own thoughts, you continued to complain. “We’ve made so many medical discoveries, yet the only thing holding us back is the idiocy and people’s stupid beliefs on things! Can you believe it? If I was so hard strung about life, I wouldn’t have accepted you!” You huffed out.

Ratchet halted his thoughts. What did you mean by accept? For a fleeting moment he toyed with the idea you meant ‘accepting him’. Only to be quickly replaced with the reality of ‘accepting of the autobots’. 

Cybertron is made out of metal. Hell, it’s Primus himself. Everything evolved based on his will and however much transfornium can handle. The rest being transplanted or modified. But Earth? There is no one substance, almost everything is created from their own version of biological evolution. One where if you leave it, it will still continue to flourish. And now, having learned how your species reproduce, he’s only grown to be more appreciative. 

“... I accept you too.” He managed to mumble out, with a bit of static. Hoping you couldn’t hear. Couldn’t hear his thoughts of if you accept cybertronians, then he will protect you, alongside whatever of earth is needed. Despite its intolerable species. For you, –and his sparkling. Unbeknownst to you. 

Next

[nurse-floyd]

F1 and Biometrics

Biometric gloves came into play in F1 in 2018 to give medical teams immediate access to important information regarding driver conditions after an incident. It allows for vitals to be measured before, at the time of an incident and after the crash until they are rescued and more advanced monitoring is able to be applied. It is also a big help if a driver is involved in a crash that means they are not accessible straight away or cannot be visualized for monitoring so this allows teams to get immediate access to this information.

According to the FIA website, this was a difficulty by medical teams when Carlos Sainz crashed in the 2015 Russian GP where he hit the barrier head-on at 153km/h (roughly 95mph). The first row of the barrier was resting on top of him, so medical teams had to wait for this to be removed before they had access to him. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt during this crash, but medical teams didn’t know this initially as this technology wasn’t available and being used.

The sensors were basically made custom to F1 drivers. Regular sensors had not been fire tested and were not comfortable enough for the drivers to wear for long races. They use Bluetooth technology and can send data within a 500m and are powered by a small battery that drivers charge before races.

Drivers gloves have a 3mm sensor that is stitched into the palm of the fabric and monitors their vital signs during races. They measure pulse oximetry which measures the amount of oxygen being carried in the blood as well as drivers pulse rates. Obviously if a driver has an injury that is affecting their breathing, this will show in the saturations that would decline rapidly. Having this technology allows physiological readings and biometrics to be continuously monitored throughout the race from start to finish. Data from the sensor transmits to an iPhone app and gives medical crews remote and advance information on the driver’s condition. The small biometric readers are flexible and fire resistant up to 1,800 degrees Celsius (3,272 degrees Fahrenheit) for 22 seconds.

In the future there are even plans to implement sensors for respiratory rate and temperature to further monitor drivers which will not only enhance safety features but allow teams and drivers to monitor performance better.

OMP, an equipment supplier, has been developing wearable biometric monitoring systems since the introduction of the biometric sensors in 2019. An undershirt equipped with sensors and a measurement unit would transmit and record biometric data allowing for real-time monitoring of health through ECG and thoracic expansion. This would allow monitoring of drivers heart rhythms and breathing rate which would not only benefit medical teams in the case of an incident but also help identify stress, fatigue and any alteration in conditions. This would be useful considering the amount of stress drivers have been put through in the past in hot countries for example Saudi Arabia GP 2023 when many drivers retired, had to be taken to medical, threw up in their helmets or passed out after the race.

TV crews can also display biometric data during broadcasts to show the physical condition of a driver as they battle on track. However, there have been questions about the ethics and use of biometrics and why can’t we as an audience see drivers heart rates etc on screen if this data is being constantly collected. The FIA has strict guidelines about the use of raw biometric data. Section 2.4 of the FIA Guidelines for the Collection and Usage of Biometric Data in Motorsport, states that the use of biometric data can be used for more than just medical and performance monitoring and can be used for entertainment and marketing purposes but only if it is changed from raw data into a variable to protect the private health information of the driver. The FIA won’t allow the use of biometric data to be publicly available in the original form/ measurement unless the driver provides informed consent.

Essentially, driver onboard vitals are likely not to be available live due to strict laws on data protection and sharing health related information about drivers as it is protected health information. In the case of an accident or emergency, data is not allowed to be used even if the information is changed to protect the driver unless it is for medical and rescue use and post-accident information.

Sources: (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

This also led me down a rabbit hole and found another study (it was anonymous but if you’re a sleuth you can probably take a guess at what F1 driver it was) where they monitored his heart rate during qualifying to see what his average was throughout the race to test the cardiovascular strain F1 drivers are put under!

[the-fictive-haven]

Sure, AI can replicate the visual, aesthetic qualities of art.

You know what it can't do?

Understand the emotional value and impact of art and aesthetics.

Comprehend beauty.

Give an artist the joy of receiving a commission to create something they love. Or working on that commission. Or successfully completing a commission.

Build meaningful relationships between artists and clients/consumers.

Ask thoughtful questions to ensure the end result is not only satisfactory, but special.

Help a hardworking artist find success in their career.

Pay an artist's bills.

Encourage and inspire aspiring artists to practice and refine their craft.

Learn from its mistakes and seek to grow in a meaningful way.

Understand the personal experiences artists put into their work.

Comprehend morals or ethics.

Understand that it is trained on stolen work nor why that is wrong.

And the AI doesn't care.

AI lacks all of the qualities that make an artist an artist. The AI isn't thoughtful. The AI isn't passionate. The AI has no empathy for artists who are struggling to find enough work to survive.

The AI doesn't care about art, or humans. All it does is take in huge amounts of data and attempt to produce a visual image according to a prompt and specifications. All it is is a soulless attempt at mimicry, and you can feel that emptiness, like when an actor has lost their passion for their role but continues to play it.

The argument was never about whether AI can, but if it should. And if it harms well-meaning human (or nonhuman) beings to achieve what it can, the answer is no. It should not.

Art is not just visual information.

AI are not artists.

[mariacallous]

Over the past couple of decades, a number of US government officials have left their roles for lucrative jobs at tech companies. Plenty of tech executives have also departed to take leadership positions inside federal agencies. But four experts who track the federal workforce tell WIRED they were stunned last week by a development unlike any other they could recall: The Department of Treasury internally announced that Tom Krause had been appointed its fiscal assistant secretary, but that he would simultaneously continue his job as CEO of the company Cloud Software Group.

Krause is now in charge of both a sensitive government payment system and a company that has millions of dollars’ worth of active contracts with various federal agencies through distribution partners, according to a WIRED review of searchable spending records. The Department of Treasury alone accounts for a dozen ongoing contracts tied to Krause’s company that are together valued between $7.3 million to $11.8 million. These include licenses for the data visualization tool ibi WebFocus and purchases of systems called Citrix NetScaler that help manage traffic to apps. (Some publicly posted procurement records do not break out contract details, so actual figures may be even higher.)

Critics have expressed concern about the alleged conflicts of interest posed by Krause’s decision to keep his role in the private sector. Cloud Software could benefit from extending its federal contracts or securing additional ones, though there is no public evidence that Krause has done anything improper with his dual roles. Existing federal regulations also bar actual and apparent unjust favoritism in contracting. “Public trust in those safeguards is nonnegotiable,” says Scott Amey, general counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

As Krause moves forward with two jobs, he could have to potentially navigate not only contracting conflicts, but also dueling crises. “What would happen if a Citrix emergency emerges at the same time as Treasury obligations?” says Jeff Hauser, founder and executive director of the Revolving Door Project, which researches federal appointees. “Generally, the thicket of restrictions on full-time employees would make a CEO role impossible in an administration which took adherence to ethics laws seriously.”

Krause, the Treasury Department, and Cloud Software didn’t respond to requests for comment. Cloud Software investors also didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Treasury Department has told Congress that Krause is a “special government employee”—a type of temporary role—that is supposed to be held to “the same ethical standards of privacy, confidentiality, conflicts of interest assessment, and professionalism of other government employees.” In a foreword to a code of conduct policy posted on Cloud Software’s website, Krause states, “Cloud Software Group is committed to ensuring that its business is conducted ethically, in compliance with the law, and according to its values of integrity, honesty and respect.”

Krause is among a group of several dozen veteran tech executives, mid-level tech operations managers, and fresh-out-of-school software coders who have been recently installed across a series of federal agencies under the auspices of the self-styled Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE’s authority is being challenged by some Democratic state attorneys general. In the meantime, its representatives have been carrying out an order from President Donald Trump to cut costs and modernize technology across the government.

There is some precedent for corporate executives to simultaneously work in the US government. When the US was at war in the early 1900s, the federal government recruited business leaders to fill key posts. They retained their private sector jobs and wages; the government pitched in a $1 annual salary to the executives who became known as “dollar-a-year men.” Congress later raised concerns that some of them had engaged in self-dealing.

Since then, other executives have continued to retain their jobs as they serve on government boards and commissions, typically in a part-time capacity. But maintaining a day-to-day operational role in both the federal government and at a corporation is now virtually unheard of, says David E. Lewis, a political scientist who wrote a book on appointed government bureaucrats. “Most persons in regular executive positions divest themselves of private interests before government service,” he says.

Trump, according to his company, has handed management of his businesses, including hotels and golf courses, to his children for the duration of his presidency (though he reportedly still takes meetings that have raised questions among ethics experts). Musk, who is CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and has oversight of four other companies, including X and Neuralink, has been a vocal figure in DOGE’s operations, but the White House has said he’s not actually in charge—without specifying who is leading the project. Some of the other individuals associated with DOGE are otherwise unemployed, have taken leave, or maintain dual roles but at lower levels than chief executive.

Krause is the only Trump administration official identified so far as being a CEO and a day-to-day decisionmaker inside one particular agency. After years of working as an executive at chip companies, Krause joined Florida-based Cloud Software Group in 2022. The company was created that year as part of a private-equity-backed acquisition of Citrix, followed by a merger with Tibco, another tech company. At the time, Citrix was saddled with an extensive amount of debt and generating essentially stagnant revenues, and while Tibco had not recently publicly disclosed its finances, analysts had considered the company’s outlook to be “negative.”

The US government, including state and local agencies, is expected to spend $287 billion on technology this year, or about 14 percent of overall US tech spending, according to Forrester, a research and advisory company. Whether DOGE’s efforts to boost the quality and efficiency of federal IT systems will lead that spending to increase or decrease isn’t clear. So far, DOGE has both tried to purchase emerging technologies and moved to cancel some existing contracts. But Krause’s inside access could potentially provide an advantage to Cloud Software at a pivotal moment for the company.

Over the past couple of years, Cloud Software has laid off thousands of people and faced accusations that it potentially became lax with cybersecurity. Cloud Software’s most well-known offering, Citrix, enables groups of workers to access data and run apps that are located on a remote machine. But increasing adoption of tools that can operate on any device has chipped away at some of Citrix’s dominance, according to Will McKeon-White, senior analyst for infrastructure and operations at Forrester. There are other options now, he says, including from Microsoft and smaller companies such as Island.

Cloud Software’s Tibco program, which helps workers automate tasks such as adding a new user to multiple internal databases, is often mentioned in the wrong sort of conversations these days, according to David Mooter, a Forrester principal analyst. “They tend to come up more when somebody wants to abandon them,” he says.

That said, some Cloud Software services are more affordable than alternatives for governments, and they also are better suited for the older infrastructure used by some agencies. Last year appears to have been one of Citrix’s best in a long time financially, says Shannon Kalvar, a research director for enterprise systems management and other areas at IDC. One reason for the upswing is that Citrix has put more emphasis on catering to the feature demands of its largest customers, including governments.

[genjyoandgojyoandhakkai]

Interview Notes

Read on AO3 or below!

~900 more words about The CROWS of ANTIVA.

Ft. Viago, Teia, and mentions of Excel functions.

😝

The ICU season was critical to ANTIVA’s success. Fostering a safe and ethical workplace while minimizing legal risks was paramount to the smooth function of any business. Naturally, Viago wanted to ensure operations ran flawlessly—he had requested daily updates on completions.

Once he received the raw data, he would merge it with HR reports, categorizing them by manager, department, and job family. Visualizations and charts would be generated and emailed to the XCOM team by lunchtime daily, starting Tuesday. Caterina Dellamorte and the C-Suite would not be disappointed in either the completion rate or the presentation of Viago’s pet project.

Speaking of lunchtime...

It was 11:36 AM, and Viago was not happy. The Rookie and Arthik had taken so long finding him a desk that he’d sent a strongly worded email to the entire team about productivity—an email Arthik had seen, responded to, and then dutifully returned to his desk, as was expected.

Now, Viago sat logged into the ANTIVA learning management system, glaring at a page displaying the names of the ten diligent employees who had already begun their training.

Among them were Caterina and her son, Lucanis Dellamorte—as was only right. L. Dellamorte was the best corporate negotiator ANTIVA employed, executing every task to perfection. Viago would have looked up to him, but the man was too short for that. A pity. In another life, they might have been friends.

He shook off the thought and focused on mission-critical items. 147 names throbbed at him from the “Not Started” section.

“It’s been three hours. What is taking them so long? The deadline is next Friday,” Viago muttered into his mustache. “More people should have started. At this rate, we won’t achieve 80% by Wednesday.”

Arthik knocked on the door. “Hey, boss, I’m sending the Rookie for lunch. He did all right with the coffee, eh?”

“Hmph,” Viago replied, leaning an elbow on his mouse pad. “This Aydenne doesn’t look like he can afford lunch for nine people. Give him my corporate card. I’ll allow you both an extra thirty minutes after lunch to show him how to submit an expense report. And Arthik?”

“Yup?” Arthik’s voice was muffled; he was already digging through his locked desk drawer for Viago’s gold card.

“If he submits the expense report incorrectly, I’ll be deducting the amount from your next check.”

Arthik straightened up and gave a salute. “You got it, boss.”

Was that sarcasm in his voice? No. Arthik was too loyal for that. He knew better than to risk getting busted back to answering phones at the front desk over something like this.

Viago hit refresh on his browser and was gratified to see another name move from “Not Started” to “In Progress.”

“Are you busy?”

The sound of that voice made him sit ramrod straight in his chair, both feet firmly on the floor. He’d already been sitting that way, but now there was intention behind it.

Andarateia Cantori—or Teia to her friends (of whom Viago sometimes counted)—Human Optimization & Talent, Director, leaned against his doorframe. She wore an impeccably tailored white pantsuit that set off her rich ochre skin, and the curls that rioted down her slender shoulders were the perfect balance of chaos and professionalism. Her lipstick was bright red, a shade that wasn’t easy for just anyone to wear, but Teia’s lips looked—

Viago swallowed hard and thought about advanced IF(OR) use cases.

Teia smiled, seeming to know exactly what Viago was (not) thinking about. “How is your new hire settling in?” she asked.

Viago made a noise somewhere between buh and chhhaa and leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling. He knew exactly who had hired Aydenne de Riva, and he and Teia played a dangerous game.

He couldn’t get enough of it.

“Is it possible for me to see the interview notes?” he asked noncommittally.

“Hmm. I brought them with me, but I need to take them - and myself - back to my desk soon,” Teia warned, producing a manila folder from behind her back.

Viago held out an imperious hand. Teia smiled slyly and placed the folder on the desk beneath his monitor, then took a seat in the chair by the door.

“Tch,” Viago said, reaching across his keyboard and nudging the pencil cup out of the way to avoid knocking everything over.

Ignoring the brilliance of Teia’s smirk, he flipped open the folder.

Aydenne de Riva 952 Dock Town Rd…

“Unfortunate,” Viago commented.

“Where someone lives is legally not allowed to affect the hiring process,” Teia reminded him in a heavy tone.

Teia could practically read his mind, and if he thought about that for too long, he’d need to take an extra bathroom break.

He didn’t have time for that today.

“BATNA skills, MESO simulations, complex implementation and project management… I suppose the Rookie’s - ahem - Aydenne’s base skillset meets the requirements,” Viago said grudgingly.

“Naturally. And my notes?” Teia prompted.

Across the top of the second page in Teia’s flowery, precise writing were two questions:

COMPARABLE SKILLS? WILLING TO SIGN NDA?

Stars were written next to each.

“This isn’t—”

“—Flip to the last page,” Teia said, a little impatiently.

Viago flipped.

Specializing in proprietary workforce optimization protocols and Risk Mitigation Analysis!!

No further reading was required.

When he glanced up, one of Teia’s perfect eyebrows was quirked triumphantly.

“Fine,” Viago huffed. “Aydenne de Riva’s CROW contract is accepted.”

“Good,” Teia said. “I knew it would be. I have to go, but I’ll ping you later to see how things are going.”

Viago was so satisfied he forgot to ask Teia when he should expect her message.

[saidatascience]

Empower Your Child's Future with AI & Coding Courses in Edmonton!

Sai Data Science's innovative AI and data science courses, available in Edmonton, Canada, can help your child reach his or her full ability! Our programs are designed for curious young minds, making learning entertaining and interactive while teaching critical tech skills through hands-on projects.

[panemsonlydoctor]

LAB REPORT #312 — 'Tracker Jacker Venom': Composition and Application

Date of Submission: [REDACTED] Clearance Level: Tier-4 (Military/Medical) Secondary Review: Dr. Anton Frell, Dr. Saline Virtus Author's Note: This study reflects data extracted under controlled aggression protocols; all venom extracted from stabilized hives D12-114 through D12-117.

1. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Vespidae Genus & Species: Vespa mortem Capitol Designation: Tracker Jacker

2. VENOM COMPOSITION

Primary Components:

Neurotoxin A5 ("Mortexin"): A synapse-destabilizing compound that induces hallucinatory cycles via serotonin receptor flooding. Histamine-accelerant Protein (HAP-3): Induces severe inflammation and increased capillary permeability, leading to rapid swelling and dermal pain. Retroactive Memory Trigger (RMT-7): Disrupts hippocampal stability, activating emotionally charged memories with distorted framing. Stabilizer Enzyme: Preserves venom integrity outside of biological containment up to 13 hours.

3. PATHWAY OF EFFECT

Upon injection (via sting), the venom enters the bloodstream within 4 seconds. The neurotoxin crosses the blood-brain barrier rapidly, localizing in the amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex. Observable effects occur within 15–23 seconds.

Phase I – Neurological Overload: Tremors, confusion, pupil dilation, auditory hallucinations. Phase II – Hallucinogenic Response: Visual overlays of emotionally-charged hallucinations. Phase III – Emotional Collapse: Identity disruption, self-destructive ideation, paranoia.

In 82% of test subjects, the hallucinations persist beyond venom metabolization, suggesting long-term neural rewiring.

4. CASE STUDY: Subject T-098 (Peeta Mellark)

Dosage: 0.3 mL refined venom Method: Intravenous, controlled drip Response: Severe perceptual distortion within 12 seconds Verbal fixations on familiar anchors Long-term paranoia and identity inversion successfully induced Subject maintains affective inversion post-venom clearance

5. SYNTHETIC REPLICATION TRIALS

Version V6.2 : Successful in 3/5 trials; unstable in elevated temperature environments. Version V6.8 : Improved memory disruption, reduced inflammatory response; currently under ethical review. Further trials ongoing for oral and aerosolized delivery mechanisms.

6. CONCLUSION

Continued research is recommended into targeted fragmentation and programmed reformation using venom-adjacent compounds.

[theaceofspaades]

Orwell Franchise

Star Ranking: ★★★★⯪

Tags (on Steam): Indie, Simulation, Political, Dystopian, Story Rich, Choices Matter, Political, Adventure, Singleplayer, Detective, Interactive Fiction, Mystery, Hacking, Visual Novel, Puzzle, Atmospheric, Great Soundtrack, Point & Click, Multiple Endings, Investigation 

Steam Reviews: Mostly Positive (as of 3/9/25)

Reviews: 1,278 (as of 3/9/25)

Developer: Osmotic Studios

Publisher: Fellow Traveller

Orwell: Keeping An Eye on You and Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength might be two of the most relevant games in this day and age. In an era of digital surveillance, we find ourselves extremely used to being watched, observed, or monitored. We are all, on some level, aware of the fact that nothing we say online is private. Yet many people don’t take this fact seriously. To me, the Orwell games felt like a call to action on that front. 

Though fictional, the Orwell franchise served as a reminder to me that we do not know everything that goes on within the government and that we can never be sure about what we read. Everyone has a bias, some are positive and some are negative, but even things marketed as “bias-free” are never truly free from the little demon we all carry known as bias. This is what makes the world interesting, and by extension, what makes people formulate ideas. Even if something is still grounded in fact, it does serve to further an agenda or idea. 

Although these games show an anti-government bias as villainous and a pro-government bias as heroic, many of the messages portrayed in these games (rather laid out plainly or in subtext) are very against government surveillance and full-scale government control. I look at the Orwell games as a warning for what may be to come in this digital world we inhabit. 

In the Orwell games, you work for the government of an area known as “The Nation,” specifically a specialized division known as “The Office.” In both Orwell games, you are an investigator. Not just any investigator, though, you’re part of the team responsible for using a software called Orwell. What is Orwell?

Orwell is a digital surveillance software used by The Nation’s government. As an investigator, you are responsible for utilizing this top-secret software to gather information on possible suspects of crimes. While most of these crimes are heinous and large-scale, most of them build off of smaller, less severe crimes. In the case of Orwell: Keeping An Eye on You, your main suspect (Cassandra Watergate), was involved in a protest against The Nation’s government that turned violent quickly. Cassandra was responsible for injuring a police officer in an area known as “Freedom Plaza.” The Orwell software allows you to go through her internet posts, her criminal record, et cetera. All while dealing with the ethical and moral dilemma that comes with the fact that you are essentially stalking her. 

While this is legal under something called the “Safety Bill,” it still raises a few questions. Are you doing the right thing? Do you trust the information you see from her social posts or do you trust her friends? When faced with conflicting evidence, you’re required to make a choice: Which do you think best fits the situation? 

You’re given the option to arrest Cassandra Watergate based on information you submit to Orwell, but some of the information may not be necessarily true. Was Cassandra at the wrong place at the wrong time or was she associated with the violent acts of terrorism you’re tasked to solve? That all depends on the information you submit and what you find. You dig through news articles from The Nation’s main news source: The National Beholder, while also looking at conflicting blog posts from Cassandra and her friends that may lead you to question the integrity of The National Beholder and The Nation altogether. 

You choose what you want to submit and what you wish to believe, but the game may never confirm or deny if the data chunks you submit to Orwell were correct or not. When a data chunk has no conflict, it’s assumed that is the correct information. However, data chunks tend to conflict with each other. Do you trust the medical reports of a patient or do you trust their story? The choice is yours. 

In the second installment of the Orwell franchise, Orwell: Ignorance is Strength, the game is shorter but the message is much deeper and darker. While the information you receive in the first Orwell game doesn’t necessarily tie into the main part of the second game, certain characters (Such as the previous game’s Adviser/Interpreter, a man with the codename of Symes) do make smaller cameos and may be referenced. You don’t necessarily have to play the first Orwell game to play the second one, but it does provide some interesting background. 

While the main conflicting character, Raban Vhart, is a new character with no real connection to the previous game, he does show the same ideologies as some of the previous conflicting characters. Characters from the original game like Abraham Goldfels and Nina Maternova mix in the form of Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength’s main antagonist. 

Much like the previous game’s antagonist, Vhart is in opposition to the Government and The Nation as a whole and he is a notorious blogger with a large following. Similar to the original game’s Thought group, Vhart runs an internet blog called The People’s Voice. While I won’t cover everything related to The People’s Voice here, much like Thought in the original game, they’re an outspoken activist group that is rooted in anti-National beliefs*, while Vhart is portrayed as an antagonist, most of his beliefs are very reasonable.

Similar to Thought in the original Orwell, The People’s Voice is heavily biased and has been put under investigation because one or more of their members have been linked directly back to a violent crime. As the game progresses, you follow Rhaban Vhart and various other members of The People’s Voice as they try to navigate their complicated personal lives, all while being somewhat unaware of the fact that they’re being watched.

Unlike in the original Orwell game, Vhart is much more experienced at dodging or evading Government interference than the members of Thought were. While the concept of “Orwell” or a government surveillance device was met with skepticism and disdain, when Vhart is presented with the idea of a Government agency watching him or his site, he is already well aware of the possibility and he weaponizes it against the members of the Nation’s government, including the player character. 

Throughout Orwell: Ignorance is Strength, unlike in Orwell: Keeping An Eye on You, you find yourself actively fighting the media. As the game progresses, it grants you the ability to manipulate the media and requires you to turn those affiliated with The People’s Voice against Rhaban Vhart. It’s an interesting addition to the Orwell storyline that adds another level of depth to the game and its story.

The main problem I have with Orwell is how short the games are. Specifically in the second Orwell installment. While Orwell: Keeping An Eye on You had a relatively average playtime (4-5 hours) just to complete the base game, and approximately 2 extra hours of playtime if you decided to go and progress through the side-quests and additional objectives. While this isn’t a major gripe, Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength was noticeably shorter. Despite this fact, the story was still satisfactory and had an interesting conclusion. 

All in all, I would heavily recommend these games for a variety of reasons. Still, the main reason I had to play them personally is the fact that they are highly relevant to the current and possible future of the world we live in, especially with the rise of ethical surveillance and spyware. The Orwell franchise reminds us that everything we post, in or out of context, is permanent and can be used against us. 

[breachedmycontainment]

Mickey 17 7.8/10

Strong concept

Humour throughout

Some actually very nice visuals

6.2/10 script

Less than 100% hit on the jokes for me personally

Full review + spoilers below cut

Mickey 17 was certainly a new and high-quality experience. It was like a blend between Moon (2009), Okja (2017) and Groundhog Day (1993) while also being a political and historical satire.

Themes / topics:

The human experience ™️

Ethics of lab testing & the value of a human body

Cloning (duh)

Love

Political strategy, colonisation & propaganda

Drug abuse

Mickey 17:

I quite liked the main character, if a little bored by his dopeyness. He is a little freak with guilt problems though so I’ll let it slide. Personality closely resembled Jason from The Good Place (2016). Deliberate dorkass haircut.

Mickey 18:

Rightfully enraged, arguably hotter. Excellent character I enjoyed greatly.

Naja:

Thought she was done a little dirty by the script bc those lines were a little clunky and over the top. Must respect a horny freaky woman though.

The creepers:

They should not have named them that. Reminded me of the creatures from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and the hogs from Princess Mononoke (1997).

Mark Ruffalo’s character:

Obvious Trump parody, but not the worst execution. May age poorly. Also seemed to be blended with parody/satire of Elon Musk. Or was that a different character? I remember there being a bit that sounded like a Tesla announcement. When the character has his hair slicked back I think it was a visual reference to Napoleon? Or Columbus maybe??

The wife isn’t so much like Melania, more seems to be a representative of republican white women.

I think the whole cast was excellent, but there were some less brilliant parts that were probably down to bits of the script that were trying too hard and were heavy handed with the satire.

The fashion in the film absolutely serves. Gorpcore and District 13 minimalism + scifi aesthetics hit a major sweet spot for me.

The Ecstasy-ish drug plotline was kinda unnecessary but thats ok it didn’t hog too much runtime.

I also wonder if Mickey was the only expendable?? If they only used him, then that could be commentary on the lack of women’s medical research, as they’d be getting data from one (1) white man.

The transition the movie hit into that university lecture hall was so good too.

Twilight references:

- something something how long have you been 17

- The painkiller scene was sooo Bella injected with vampire venom coded but he actually screamed a lot when she didn’t (cinema paralleles ? 🧐). Even the syringes looked similar.

- maybe I just see Twilight wherever I go

[smart-academic-solutions]

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[irradiatedsnakes]

i'm of the opinion that one of the largest ethical issues with generative visual ai is the whole. using training data without permission thing and i'm generally not opposed if a model is trained on public domain or artwork obtained with permission. anyways i'd be pretty curious to see what a style model trained on my own stuff would end up looking like? especially since my mostly-sketchy stuff is a very far cry from what the vast majority of generated stuff looks like. i'm not sure of the feasibility of that but since i do write my own id's i do already have a big body of work with associated descriptions. i don't have any technical knowledge, though, for this sort of thing so unlikely to ever happen. but i think it would be interested to be able to generate vague weirdness that is in some way reminiscent of my own work