#deterministic chaos

[knotty-et-al]

Knotty's art of today [2023/08/07]

[goodoldbandit]

Harnessing the Chaos: Transforming Uncertainty into Innovation.

Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo Sanjay Kumar Mohindroo. skm.stayingalive.in How Chaos Theory Ignites Breakthroughs in Business, Technology, and Life Discover how chaos theory transforms uncertainty into opportunity with the butterfly effect, fractals, and innovative leadership in business and life. Embracing the Unpredictable Discover the transformative role of chaos theory in redefining our approach…

[exquisitespoopy]

I got back into Destiny again... Gyrfalcon + Deterministic Chaos go brrrrrrr

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

been thinking about god and free will. their hand-in-hand existences. godswill like spacetime. distance as time. been reading about iterative bifurcation. things split in two over and over to fit pseudo-infinite distance into finite spaces. we have 48.000 miles of capillaries in our bodies. this takes up 3% of our body volume. tardis voice: so much bigger on the inside. the doctor was adam and the master was eve, but the master was the older (greater) so he was cain and the doctor was abel. who came first, god or time?

[augustjoy]

Who Are You Again?

Based on the following ask: I had another plot thought! Aaron x BAU Reader (female or gender neutral) where Reader disobeys an order to save a victim and gets hurt really bad. Reader wakes up in the hospital to Aaron who is angry at first but then is shocked when it turns out that Reader has retrograde amnesia from the injury. Reader has forgotten their entire career in the BAU and even that They and Aaron were secretly dating! Last thing Reader actually remembers was attending a lecture in college where Aaron was a guest speaker and Reader developed a crush on him! Now Aaron has to carefully navigate helping Reader recover without outing their relationship to anyone else. Or maybe he wonders if it's better they forget? But for a HEA ending definitely Aaron doing something romantic sparks a memory and helps everything come flooding back. @nyxwolph thank you for requesting again and trusting me with your ideas! – I did have to change things up a bit (I struggled big time with this one)

Aaron Hotchner x BAU! Fem Reader

Angst/Fluff

Word count: 5336

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Requests are open and feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, age gap, some language, BAU canon typical violence, mention of parent death, mention of kidnapping, mention of Haley and Jack, secret relationship, let me know if I missed any!!

That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

“In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state.” Essentially, something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings could cause something as catastrophic as a tornado.  

Aaron wondered what small event happened that led to this moment right now. A moment that would change the trajectory of your lives forever.

*36 hours earlier*

“Garcia has the unsubs location; he’s headed down a backroad just east of the 95.” Aaron said.

“He’s devolving, he’s probably going to try and dispose of his latest victim.” Morgan chimed in.

“Not if we have anything to do with it.” JJ replied.

“His location is being shared with you all, everyone be safe, at this point he’s going to be willing to do anything to avoid prison.” Hotch added.

“I’m close by, I am going to go try and cut him off.” You suggested.

The team expressed their worry and care and urged you to be careful. The only thing you had on your mind, however, was saving the five-year-old boy this unsub had hidden. You drove as fast as your vehicle would allow, you had to get to the unsub. You had to save that boy.

As you got closer to the location Garcia had shared, you could see the dust trail the unsubs car was leaving down the road. You thought about your options, and you made a snap decision. Drive on, no matter the consequences – take out the unsub’s car. So that’s what you did.

You drove forward and your car t-boned the unsubs, only you hadn’t considered that he’d be driving a semi tractor. Upon impact, your SUV was crushed, in your rush to get to the unsub you’d forgotten to put on your seatbelt and your body was ejected through the windshield.

The accident was enough to stop the unsub long enough for the team to arrive. As they surveyed the scene, Aaron’s stomach dropped. He immediately began barking orders, demanding medics, and sending agents to the unsubs’ farm to find the boy.  Throughout everything he refused to leave your side.

*Present Day*

“Sir, we had to place her in a medically induced coma to allow the swelling in her brain to go down.” The doctor explained.

“Is there an estimate as to how long it’ll be until she wakes up?” Aaron asked.

“With these kinds of injuries, it’s hard to say. The brain is a tricky thing, and no two injuries are alike. We just have to wait and see.”

“Thank you.” Aaron said, shaking the doctor’s hand.

Your doctor made her exit and Aaron moved to the seat beside your bed. He gently took your hand in his own placing a kiss to the back of it before returning it to your side. Aaron had thought back to the night everything changed.

*One year earlier*

“Hey Hotch, here’s that report you asked for. You aren’t staying are you?” You asked, glancing at your watch.

“Thanks, and yeah I had a few things I needed to finish up.”

You made your way over to Aaron’s couch, dropped your bag to the floor, and shrugged your jacket off. You pulled your phone out to see what was still open for delivery in the area. Aaron and you had shared many nights like this, spending late nights together in his office. The two of you had grown very close over the years, so much so that David had outright asked Aaron if you two were dating. To which Aaron let out an awkward chuckle and denied the accusation. If only he knew.

“What are you doing? You should head home.” Aaron said.

“Well, you should too, and you aren’t, so I guess that means we’re ordering dinner.” You smiled at him.

“I love you.” Aaron said simply.

“What?” You were stunned.

“I’m sorry, that was inappropriate. I didn’t – I um….”

“Say it again.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Aaron made his way over to you, gently caressed your face and kissed you. It was everything you had ever imagined. There had been this tension between the two of you over the last two years and it was all finally coming together.

After that night, Aaron and you had agreed to keep your relationship under wraps, to avoid any potential disruption to the team, but also any question as to your position on the team. Aaron didn’t want anyone to question the fact that it was your skills and resume alone that got you to where you are.

Yours and Aaron’s relationship blossomed after that night, but not without hardships. Aaron and you faced a lot of adversity in multiple aspects of your relationship; you had a hard time trusting people, Aaron had been self-conscious of your age gap, and you both couldn’t help but feel that you weren’t good enough for the other (not that either of you would bring it up).

*Present Day*

A tear fell from Aaron’s eye, he couldn’t fathom losing you. This was all part of the reason he didn’t want to get serious with someone after Haley, but then you came into his life. You’d come in and made yourself known with your kind eyes and witty charm; how could he not fall in love with you.

Aaron fell for you slowly then all at once, it came naturally, and he couldn’t help it. He knew that the team had their suspicions and honestly over the last year there had been some close calls, but you had ultimately maintained the secrecy of your relationship.

In this moment, Aaron couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt and regret over the fact that he’d asked you to keep things quiet. Had he let the team in on your relationship, he could’ve done a better job at keeping you safe.

*2 Weeks Later*

Aaron had been by your side as much as possible over the last two weeks, which is exactly where he was when you started to stir. Aaron shot straight up in his seat, his hand quickly reaching for your own.

You couldn’t help the groan that escaped your throat, your body hurt so bad, and you felt very confused. You attempted to open your eyes but immediately regretted it – the bright fluorescents adding to the pounding in your head. As you blinked through the brightness of the room, you glanced over to your bedside, noticing a tall man seated there.

“What on earth were you thinking? Driving into the unsub like that, you could’ve been killed. Your actions were reckless and unacceptable.” The man scolded you.

You couldn’t find it in you to reply, your head was pounding. You brought your hand up to your forehead and gently press the heel of your palm into it, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure.

“Sweetheart hold on, I’ll go get your doctor.” A deep voice sounded from your bedside.

Before you could question the pet name, you heard the sound of his dress shoes clicking against the linoleum floors.

The man returned with your doctor; he dimmed the lights slightly on his way back to your bedside. He moved to grab your hand again, to which you shifted, wringing your hands nervously in your lap.

“Hello, I’m doctor Raynor. How are you feeling?”

“Like I was hit by a truck, what happened?” You questioned, giving your doctor and the man a once over.

You recognized the man; it was Special Agent Hotchner of the BAU. What was he doing here? What happened?

“Well, you were involved in an accident, can you tell me what you remember?” Dr. Raynor inquired.

“I um, well, I was leaving a lecture.” Your gaze shifted to Agent Hotchner “Your lecture actually, you were talking about MO’s. I guess the accident was after that?” You couldn’t help but notice Agent Hotchner’s expression faulter.

Your doctor looked over at Agent Hotchner and he shook his head. The two of them seemingly knew something you didn’t. You couldn’t help but feel like you’d just given the wrong answer in front of the class. Dr. Raynor had gone through the rest of your injuries with you, multiple lacerations that had required stitches, a few broken ribs, a broken wrist, and of course your TBI. Once she was done she gave you a somber look.

“Would you excuse us for just a moment? I am going to send in one of your nurses to check you over and I’ll be back in just a moment.” Dr. Raynor said.

“Oh, okay.”

Dr. Raynor and Agent Hotchner left your room, and you tried your best to listen to their conversation.

*Hotch’s POV*

She doesn’t remember me, well us. It’s like the last five years have just disappeared.

“Agent Hotchner, I gather that the lecture she’s referring to did not occur two weeks ago when she was brought in.”

“No, that lecture was nearly five years ago.” I explained.

“This would be a case of retrograde amnesia, if she’s lost recent memories.” Dr. Raynor replied.

“Will her memory return?”

“It’s hard to say.”

While Aaron was completely devastated, he couldn’t help the doubt that creeped into his mind, telling him “This is for the best”.

*Normal POV*

Dr. Raynor and Agent Hotchner looked extremely serious, and you started to feel nauseous. Something was obviously wrong. You watched as their conversation ceased and they made their way back into the room.

Something must have happened, why would Agent Hotchner be here.

“Alright, it would appear that due to the brain trauma you sustained in your accident, you are experiencing what we describe as retrograde amnesia. This is when you can’t recall memories from your past. Based on your most recent memory, it appears as if you’ve lost approximately five years.” Dr. Raynor explained.

“Five years? Five years of memories are just gone. I don’t understand. If that’s true then why are you here?” You asked gesturing to Agent Hotchner.

“Well, you work for the BAU. You have for about three years now.”

“I do? I – I, this is a lot. What does this mean? Have you called my emergency contact?” You asked.

“I uh – I am your emergency contact.” Agent Hotchner spoke up.

“What, why? It has always been my mom, I don’t understand.”

“I’m so sorry, your mom, she uh – she passed last year. That’s when you switched it over to me.” Agent Hotchner’s gaze shifted down to his shoes.

“She’s gone?” Your voice cracked.

“Okay, this has been quite a bit of information. The most important thing right now is getting healthy. We want to keep you here a little longer to continue monitoring the swelling in your brain. Once we’ve confirmed it has gone down, you’ll want to get back in your usual routine, that is the best shot at getting your memory back.” Dr. Raynor gently patted your leg.

“How am I meant to get back to my normal routine when I don’t know it? The one person I had, I just found out is dead.”

“Given that Agent Hotchner is your emergency contact, we would be able to release you into his care. For now, we just need to stay positive.” With that, Dr. Raynor made her exit.

“I know this is a lot, but the BAU, we’re like a family, that includes you. Each member of the team is going to be willing to do anything to help you throughout this process.” Agent Hotchner said.

Part of you knew you could trust him; he had kind eyes, and you knew he was genuine. However, the other part of you felt so hopeless, like a lost kid in a department store. How were you meant to go home with this man who you didn’t know.

*Five Days Later*

“Do you have everything?” Aaron asked.

He had been with you every day for the last five days. He had brought you some things from your apartment and asked you to call him Aaron for now while you were “getting to know him”. You had to admit, it had been pretty nice talking with him the last few days.

“I think so!” You looked over at him. “I know that I am meant to be staying with you, at least until I’m fully healed, but could we go to my apartment first? I’d like to see it and maybe go through some of my things?”

“Of course we can.” Aaron nodded, gesturing towards the door.

The drive to your place was filled with small talk, mostly you asking Aaron questions about the BAU and the time you’ve spent there. It felt weird asking the man who is technically your boss about your personal life.

When you arrived, Aaron made sure to open your door for you and carry your bag into your home. He led you inside and you couldn’t help but notice how comfortable he seemed in your place, like he’d been there before. Like he belonged there. You shook the thought from your mind.

“I got you a new phone, it’s all set up for you.” Aaron said handing you the device.

“Thanks! Were they able to back up the old one? I was hoping to go through old texts and pictures to gather some insight into my life. God that sounds weird.” You huffed out a breath.

“I have our technical analyst Penelope Garcia working on that for you.” Aaron informed you.

“That’s great, thank you.”

The truth was, Aaron didn’t have Garcia backing up your old phone, at least not yet. He knew that if he had brought it to her she would uncover all the private texts and photos that you two had shared over the last year. He didn’t want to risk everyone finding out about your relationship, especially now when he wasn’t sure what your future would hold.

Aaron watched you as you made your way around your apartment. You wandered slowly around letting your fingers graze the spines of books on your shelves, picture frames on the walls and tchotchkes that were strewn about your desk and shelves. 

He so badly wanted to pull you into his arms, kiss your head and tell you that everything was going to be okay. He wanted you to know that he wasn’t just your boss. But he also thought about all the things that could go wrong if he told you. You could question your own ethics and fall into self-loathing with the thought that you’d potentially slept your way to the top – this was the furthest thing from the truth, but he knew you and the way your mind spiraled. He wondered if it would just be easier if he let you find yourself all on your own, to let this thing between you go and hope that maybe you’d find your way back to him again.

When he looked over to you once again, he saw that you had found a photo album. It was one he was very familiar with; Garcia had gotten it for you on your 1-year BAU anniversary and filled it halfway. Since then, you’d continue to add to it all the photos you’d taken with the team.

You hadn’t realized you were crying until a tear had fallen onto the picture you were currently examining. Your emotions were running high, looking through the album was so strange it felt like looking at a stranger and yet it was you in photo after photo looking happier than ever with these people you couldn’t remember.

You felt the couch dip beside you and Aaron gently rubbed his hand up and down your back.

“I can’t imagine how overwhelming this all must be. I know that I can’t understand but I am here for you and I’m happy to lend an ear if you want to talk about it.” Aaron quietly soothed you.

“Thank you so much Aaron. I just don’t know how to wrap my head around this being me but not remembering it. Clearly you all mean so much to me and yet I have no recollection of any of this.” You sobbed.

Aaron and you sat like that on your couch for a while. He gave you the time you needed to calm down, while holding you, whispering sweet nothings to you. You felt oddly comfortable there in his arms, your mind shifted to the thought that enjoying the way his arms felt around you was also incredibly inappropriate given that he was your boss. At that thought you shifted slightly. You thought back to why you had signed up to audit Aaron’s lecture and while the main reason was the knowledge he’d lend you, a part of you allowed his looks to give you that final push in signing up.

“I should probably grab a few things so we can head out.” You whispered.

“Do you need any help?” Aaron asked.

“I should be okay, but I’ll let you know!”

Aaron drove the two of you back to his apartment, for the time being he had asked Jessica to keep Jack, this way you could adjust, and Jack also wouldn’t out your relationship. Aaron had his guest bedroom set up for you, he’d set it up with some of your favorite things. A lavender scented candle, extra pillows, a fluffy blanket, and he made sure to set a small trinket dish on the dresser, so you’d have a place to put your jewelry.

These of course were all things Aaron had previously had at his place for you. When you two had gotten increasingly more serious, he encouraged you to leave some stuff at his place and he’d gone as far as to supply some of your favorites around his home for you.

Aaron led you into his home and you couldn’t help but glance around, really taking in your surroundings. You couldn’t help but take note of a few things as he showed you around; there was a photo missing from the side table next to the couch (you could see the tiny bit of dust that must’ve collected around it), the pantry was stocked with quite a few of your favorite snacks, there was a pink coffee mug in the cabinet, and lastly, tucked under the shoe rack near the front door were a pair of fluffy gray slippers.

You couldn’t explain why, but there was a slight pang of jealousy in you as you thought of Aaron having a girlfriend. You knew you had no right to feel that way and it would be incredibly inappropriate, but it was a gut reaction.

*One Week Later*

Aaron and you had fallen into a weird sort of routine, it started to feel a lot like the 50’s, you making dinner and cleaning while he worked. You were starting to get a bit stir crazy, which is exactly why you were so excited today. Garcia would be coming by to see you; she was bringing over a bunch of photos and videos of you with the team throughout the last three years.

It was a paperwork catch-up day for the BAU, so Aaron had given Penelope the go ahead to take a long lunch and spend some time with you. So, when a knock on the door rang through the apartment, you couldn’t help the burst of excitement that coursed its way through your veins.

“Hi Penelope!”

“Hey babe! How are you feeling?” She asked, giving you a look of concern.

“I’m feeling pretty good, you know, except for the missing five years of memories thing.”  You let out a low chuckle.

“Oh goodness! Well, I’ve brought a ton of stuff that might help bring some stuff back. I read that sense of smell is the sense that links with memories the strongest so have a bunch of things for you to smell while you look at photos in hopes something will come back to you.”

“That sounds like a great idea!” You smiled at Penelope.

The next hour or so went by with Penelope showing you photos and videos along with passing you various items to smell in hopes of bringing back some of your memories. And while it wasn’t like a wave crashing over you, bringing all your memories back, it did bring some things back. You could remember the members of the BAU and some of their quirks, you remembered the feeling of being in the bullpen (thanks to the smell of some very burnt coffee). What you were struggling to regain was your emotional memories, you couldn’t quite pinpoint the relationships you had with anyone from the team. 

“I am glad that this helped! I should probably get out of your hair though; I can tell you have headache.” Penelope

“Thank you Penelope, I really appreciate all of this!”

You led her to the door, and she reminded you to get some rest and to take it easy. She also suggested that you come by the BAU for lunch in the next week or so to see everyone. The team had been doing a good job of not overwhelming you and allowing you time to get back in the swing of things.

“Oh, Penelope before you go, did you get a chance to back up my old phone? Aaron said you were working on it.”

“Oh, hon. He must’ve forgotten to mention it, but I will get started on that right away! I’ll text you as soon as I’m done, okay? We will just be able to pull the backup and put it on your new phone!” She said pulling you into a tight hug, before making her exit.

Why would Aaron have lied to you about your old phone? Maybe Penelope was right, and it just slipped his mind, he had been dealing with a lot, taking care of you, and having you stay with him.

You hadn’t meant to snoop, honestly, but after having talked with Penelope, the feeling Aaron was hiding something from you was extremely prevalent. You decided to look around a bit, you know, while putting the laundry away. You needed to put the towels away in Aaron’s bathroom, you just happened to notice the second toothbrush in the holder, the dress hanging inside his closet (come on, the door was already open), the ring box tucked in his sock drawer, what shocked you the most were the photos in the hall closet. It was a photo of him and a tall brunette that had you spiraling, where was this woman? You had clearly been invading his space long enough and you couldn’t bear the thought of coming between him and this woman who was to be his fiancé.

You needed to get back to your life, and out of Aaron’s hair. You decided that you’d tell him that night over dinner, you were going to move back home.

“Hey, I’m home!” Aaron called.

“Hey, how was your day?” You asked.

Aaron explained that his day was good, and he asked you about your get together with Penelope as you finished up dinner. Aaron set the table as you followed behind him plating up the food.

“I’m glad to hear things went well with Penelope. I think lunch with the team is a great idea.”

“Aaron I’m gonna move back home.” The words flew out of your mouth faster than your brain could catch up. “I’m sorry, I just don’t want to impose on your life any more than I already have.”

“It’s truly not an imposition, but if that’s what you want.” Aaron looked deflated.

“I just think it’s important we both get back to our usual every day.”

“If you think that’s best.”

You two ate in silence. Afterwards you both went to the kitchen, cleaned up the dishes and made your way to your separate rooms. You began packing up your belongings and Aaron scrolled through photos of the two of you from before the accident.

*Two Days Later*

“Good morning gorgeous!!! I am calling to inform you that the backup from your old phone is ready, and I also think it is the perfect day for you to come in and have lunch with everyone!” Penelope sang over the phone.

“Okay, what time should I come down there?”

“Ummm maybe around 12:30? Everyone is usually ready to eat by then. I can call and order in something too!”

“Oh, and uh Pen, I don’t know the address, and I’m not cleared to drive.” You said shyly.

“Oh shoot, okay! I’ll see who is available to come and pick you up, no worries.” Penelope reassured you.

You took some time getting ready, most of the team hadn’t seen you since before the injuries, and while the cuts and bruises have faded and scarred, you still had a very broken wrist and frequent headaches, along with PTSD and anxiety attacks thanks to the TBI. You felt like you had been doing well, and based on your recent check-up with your neurologist, things are trending up in regard to your health. Though you began to worry that the worst had yet to come.

A knock on your door shook you out of your thoughts, as you made your way to answer it, you wondered who Penelope sent to get you. Pulling the door open revealed someone you were hoping you wouldn’t see so soon.

“Hi Aaron.”

“Hello, were going to go pick up the food on the way back to the BAU, if that’s okay.” Aaron explained.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” You nodded.

The drive was filled with tense silence. You couldn’t help but wonder why Aaron would harbor any negative feelings towards you. You’d only moved out of his apartment so he could get back on to his life, if anything he should be grateful that you’ve gone home. One of the main reasons you’d really decided to go home was because of the fact that you were growing far too comfortable.

Things at Aaron’s house were starting to feel right, like it was where you belong. You had no idea how you had been able to work with him over the last few years, the crush you had on him all those years ago had only proven to grow stronger.

“I’ll run in and grab the food.” Aaron said, pulling you out of your thoughts.

Before you could reply, he stepped out of the car and made his way into the restaurant.  

Aaron got you signed in with a visitor’s badge (as you weren’t cleared to work) and then he led you up to the sixth floor, BAU bullpen. Upon walking in, you felt an odd sense of familiarity. You knew that it would make sense for the BAU to bring memories back and that you would have muscle memory to help lead you through the building, but it felt very strange.

You looked over at Aaron, “I need to go see Garcia, do you mind pointing me in the right direction?”

“Of course, her office is that way. Second door on the right.”

“Thanks.” You smiled.

You wandered through the corridor, catching a glimpse of Garcia through her open door. You lightly knocked on her door and walked into her office.

“Oh! Hello gorgeous!” Garcia squealed, standing, and pulling you into a hug.

“Hey Pen!”

“Let’s get your phone squared away and then we will go eat.”

You handed your phone over to Penelope and she began downloading the last backup from your old phone.

“This should only take a few minutes.”

Penelope and you made idle chit chat for a few moments while waiting on your phone. When it finished uploading, she unplugged it and handed it to you. The two of you then made your way to the bullpen.

Lunch with the BAU was overwhelming to say the least. It was fun talking to everyone, but you could tell everyone was walking on eggshells and you could see the pity flash behind their eyes as you sat and explained your lack of memories with the people sitting before you.

After lunch, Aaron let everyone leave early. It had been a paperwork day and the team had been very productive. He told them all to go home, but of course to leave their phones on, just in case they had to leave. Emily offered to drive you home, given the close proximity of your apartments.

When you got home, you changed into some comfortable clothes and sat on the couch. You took a deep breath and unlocked your phone. There were two things you noticed while going through everything, the first being a significant number of photos saved and the second being the texts exchanged between you and your boss.

You decided to go through the photos first. There were plenty of you with the various members of the BAU, but what caught your attention was one image in particular, in it, you were laid in bed with your head resting on a man’s chest…the man being none other than Aaron.

You quickly switched over to your messages app. Clicking Aaron’s name, you saw the most recent text…

“Be careful sweetheart. I love you.”

Your mind was racing, what were you meant to think, why would he keep this from you? Was the ring meant for you? You needed to see him.

You ordered an Uber and made your way to the FBI building. You signed in, getting a visitors’ badge and headed up to the sixth floor.

“Aaron” You called out into the bullpen.

“Is everything okay? What are you doing here?” Aaron asked as he walked out of his office.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Aaron questioned.

“That we were together.”

You gestured to your phone. Aaron dropped his gaze for a moment, before looking back to you. You could see the pain behind his eyes.

“Sweetheart, we had been keeping it a secret, and I don’t know, I guess I thought that maybe you’d be better off. I figured you might find someone more appropriate for you.”

“That wasn’t a choice for you to make. Aaron things have been confusing enough, losing my memory. But to have you lying to me, it’s total bullshit. How am I supposed to get my memories back if you are keeping such a big part of me a secret.” You couldn’t help the frustrated tears from slipping down your cheek.

Aaron reached for you and let his thumb brush the tear off your cheek. He stepped closer to you and brought his other hand to your cheek.

“I am so sorry. I should’ve told you from the get-go, I was scared. I thought that maybe I would tell you and you’d have to get to know me again and maybe you wouldn’t love me the way you did before. I also couldn’t help but think that I don’t deserve you and this was your perfect out. But that was selfish, I should’ve told you the truth.”

You leaned your head onto Aaron’s chest, and he wrapped his arms around you. He pressed a gentle kiss to your hairline and then he pulled back.

“Can I show you something?” Aaron asked.

You nodded and followed him to his office. Aaron led you around his desk and gestured for you to sit in his chair. He pointed to his computer screen, and you took note of the screen saver. It was a slideshow of pictures taken throughout your relationship, there were pictures of you at the FBI Gala, Jack’s soccer game, art museums, at Aaron’s home, at your apartment, etc..

It happened slowly, then all at once. A warm feeling flooded your veins, and a dull ache filled your head. Tears were steadily streaming down your face. You looked up at Aaron, and he met your gaze. A moment was shared before understanding washed over Aaron.

“I remember.”

[maddzgt]

The Principle of the Universe

Theia and Proto comic, more context below.

These designs are not official, neither are their depictions and this dialogue as a whole. I was not planning on drawing these two up until they actually appear in canon, but I couldn't hold myself from drawing this idea I had.

Let's talk about the setting first: we see Proto-Earth (or just Proto) and Theia somewhere in the inner solar system having a discussion on why Theia wants life. This comic is meant to take place before this dialogue (Alvaro, @ SolarBalls Discord Server), which is widely assumed to be a dialogue between Theia and Proto.

Now, what is this 'principle of the universe' Proto talks about? There is a natural flow of things, and one of those things that governs the spontaneousness in our universe is entropy. In an isolated system, which we suppose our universe is, the entropy increases, which means the chaos increases, a state our universe once was in. Going against the natural flow requires you to put work into something (a.k.a. energy). Proto lives by the principle that everything in our universe is predetermined by this law. For life to flourish, you need to put in a lot of work, which in his eyes is a waste of time and energy, because life is fragile and won't last long - so why waste your time on something like that?

But Proto does not try to convince Theia just because of this belief that life is useless. He knows that you need to do a lot of work for life to be possible in a universe such as ours - an amount one may not be able to carry out. He's worried about Theia, he deeply cares about her even if he struggles to show it.

But why do we still do everything despite possible failure? Theia sees life as something unique and special. It may not be something that will last for a million years, it's something very small and fragile, but despite everything it's still worthwhile. It's something you put effort in, it's something you create despite no one having hope for its success. It's a little light in the darkness of our cold universe.

Now, I image Proto to be a hopeless determinist and Theia a naive but lighthearted character. Both are standing in a constant contrast in this comic: Theia's will for life is represented by the "light". All frames she is in, there is also more warm colours and more stars in the background. Theia's asset has more curves, representing how life is something that flows within us. And a little addition.. while talking with Proto about the universe, she was using "our universe" at the start, but upon hearing what Proto said, she no longer wanted to be part of that universe and thus responded with "your universe" at the end.

Proto has not only a darker assets with more edgy lines, he is also 'standing' in a darker background. Him facing away from the light represents his neglect of what Theia is trying to tell him, resulting in her giving up on trying to convince Proto in the end, leaving him (slowly, in the end he starts to understand Theia as the background becomes lighter). There is a fallacy in his claim about "wasting energy": presumably, he thinks that wasting energy on unnecessary things is, well, unnecessary, but he's worrying about Theia which kinda speaks against his beliefs.

Theia may have not immediately brought light into Proto's darkness, but she showed him the path. A path both of them will take on..

[the-necromancer-wife]

"I could explain more about the Laplace Demon concept if you, dear readers, are interested but that would be for another occasion. Another essay hehe."

Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease 🛐

Explaining Laplace's Demon tehory in the context of 14dwy.

Thank you so much for giving me an excuse to talk about this dear anon!

In this post i'll elaborate further about something i said in the end of this super long post. As always TW for 14dwy spoilers!

(Joke's on you, sir, i DID come here for the tales of old)

And this tale in specific is really old. Around two hundred years old to be specific. In 1814 a man known by the name Pierre-Simon de Laplace wrote an essay about a deterministic concept known later as the "Laplace's demon" (although he already seemed to be exploring this concept since 1773)

We may regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its past and the cause of its future. An intellect which at a certain moment would know all forces that set nature in motion, and all positions of all items of which nature is composed, if this intellect were also vast enough to submit these data to analysis, it would embrace in a single formula the movements of the greatest bodies of the universe and those of the tiniest atom; for such an intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the past could be present before its eyes.

(Pierre Simon Laplace, Philosophical Essay on Probabilities.)

But what does this all mean? Well basically this man spoke about a hypothetical "intelligence" (he didn't precisely used the word "demon") that, knowing the precise location of every particle in the universe and where they were headed, they would be able to guess the past and future values for any given time. In other words, we would be referring to an almighty hypothetical "thing" able to see the past and future of every single thing in the universe.

Of course this is all a model, a theory, an exploration on what would happen if something like this existed in the first place. After all, it was all a philosophical essay in the first place, wasn't it?

"Une intelligence ... Rien ne serait incertain pour elle, et l'avenir, comme le passé, serait présent à ses yeux."

Of course, Mr. Laplace wasn't the only one to explore the idea of an almighty intelligence since other philosophers like Condorcet, Holbach and Diderot also wrote about it.

Now there are several theories (some more modern than others) to explain why an intelligence of this nature will never be possible to exist but there is one that might ring a bell for some people "The Chaos Theory"

Or as some might know it: The butterfly effect.

This theory basically poses that minor variations between the starting conditions of two systems can result in major differences. That's why you say that "A butterfly flying in certain direction today can lead to huge catastrophes tomorrow" it's not something (so) literal but it is useful to illustrate how small can be the variation and how huge can be the result. Of course the change doesn't have to be huge. It can be a minor change, but a change nonetheless.

Btw chaos theory is applicable when knowledge of the system is imperfect, whereas Laplace's demon assumes perfect knowledge of the system, therefore the variability leading to chaos in chaos theory and non-variability in the knowledge of the world Laplace's demon holds are noncomparable.

But, What does this all has to do with 14dwy?

Glad you ask. Actually a lot.

Starting off with the idea of how perfect is this game integrating even its genre (Visual Novel) to the theory. I believe there is no bigger example of the butterfly efect than a Visual Novel, where choosing (or not) certain options can lead to certain results (big or small). Very much like the butterfly effect. And funnily enough, it's us, the player, the embodiment of this umpredictability, since we are the ones that make the choices in the game. We are the antagonists of a hypothetical Laplace's Demon. We are it's antonym. We are an angel. The idea of a change that the system cannot predict. Of course this is questionable. Because as much as we have certain "freedom" we still need to abide by the choices that the very game gives to us.

This takes us back to the question of who is the entity that speaks to us in this cryptic messages on day four? Who is this (allegedly) Laplace's Demon? and what are my personal arguments on why i don't think it's [REDACTED].

Let's start by breaking down the messages. I have them all decoded in my previous post along with a really easy (i hope so) explanation on how the cipher works.

"...ATTEMPTING TO REWRITE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ORDAINED SINCE THE BEGINNING"

Here, the entity mentions the certainty of the past, but not the certainty of the future.

"...ATTEMPTING TO DIG UP THE ROOTS OF FATE AS THOUGH IT WERE A WEED AND PLANTING YOUR OWN CORRUPT SEEDLING IN ITS PLACE"

Here, the entity presumably refers to the idea of our (very limited) free will and how we're pushing the limits of the system (in this case by attempting to keep advancing on a route that supposedly leads nowhere else). To make this more clear, this entity speaks to us when we load the save file multiple times trying to keep advancing down that path when the course of action contemplated is that we should just stop and load another save file. We're persistent creatures, after all.

"PERHAPS WE ARE THE SAME, THEN"

Of course fucking ✨not✨

"I TOO FIND ENJOYMENT IN DISRUPTING THE VINES OF KISMET AND WATCHING HIM STRUGGLE"

Now i swear i never heard the word "kismet" before this day. But it seems to be some sort of archaic synonim of the word "fate". Although according to Cambridge Dictionary it is actually "A force that (some people) think controls what happens in the future, and is outside human control"

Also, this entity seems to be having its fun with Ren/REDACTED's struggles. It doesn't really see our unpredictability (yet) as a threat.

"TWAS I WHO GAVE HIM HIS GIFT, AS I DID WITH OTHERS..."

AND THIS

This right here boy oh boy.

I gave him his gift: A rant about human deities through the holy act of programming.

(As pretentious as this title is, please hear me out)

There's a really interesting article named Embracing Λόγος: Programming as Imitation of the Divine that basically says:

The programmer must begin by defining things – material or conceptual. “We are unable to reason or communicate effectively if we do not first make the effort to know what each thing is.” (Rayside, Campbell) By considering the ontological questions of the things in our world, in order to represent them accurately (and therefore ethically) in our programs, the programmer enters into the philosophical praxis. Next, the programmer adds layers of identity and logic on top of their ontological discovery, continuing in the praxis.

But the programmer takes it a step further – the outcome of their investigation is not only their immaterial thought but, in executing the program, the manifestation of their philosophical endeavor into material reality. The program choreographs trillions of elementary charges through a crystalline maze, harnessing the virtually infinite charge of the Earth, incinerating the remains of starlight-fueled ancient beings in order to realize the reasoning of its programmer. Here the affair enters into the realm of Ethics.

“The programmer is attempting to solve a practical problem by instructing a computer to act in a particular fashion. This requires moving from the indicative to the imperative: from can or may to should. For a philosopher in the tradition, this move from the indicative to the imperative is the domain of moral science.” (Rayside, Campbell) Any actions taken by the program are the direct ethical responsibility of the programmer.

Furthermore, the programmer, as the source of reason and will driving a program, manifesting it into existence, becomes in that instant the λόγος σπερματικός (“logos spermatikos”) incarnate. The programmer’s reason, tapped into the divine Reason (λόγος), is generated into existence in the Universe and commands reasonable actions of inanimate matter.

Basically the programmer goes through each and every stage a deity would go through when creating the universe.

AND GUESS WHO IS A PROGRAMMER IN 14DWY???

(Ren/REDACTED in case you don't know hehe)

When the entity says "I gave him his gift" i believe this is exactly what he is referring to. While a Laplace's Demon knows every particle in the physical systems (and assumes it's knowledge of said system is perfect), a programmer works with Operative Systems (Windows, Linux, Ubuntu).

As for us, the angel, the antagonist of the demon of Laplace, we are the chaos theory, the one that conceives the knowledge of the system as imperfect.

Btw the person manipulating some choices in certain moments? Totally Ren/REDACTED. As they have the power of messing with the game and are totally self-aware of this being a visual novel.

But who gave Ren/REDACTED this power? Was Ren/REDACTED so skillful that they were able to defy the laws of worldbuilding? Picture this: the equivalent would be a programmer in the real world so skillful that they become able to defy the reality itself.

I believe the responsible is this "all knowing entity" since it just said it itself "It was I who gave him his gift". After all he is, and i quote, "THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, COMBINED INTO ONE" really ominous shit.

There are obvious gaps in this theory but it's the best i can do with the limited knowledge i have. I am not a physicist so i can't really dwell in formulas and numbers as much as i would. Maybe i'll interview a professor in college in the future but for now i hope this is enough.

[orvllnki]

In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state.

[lacunammmm]

Care to talk about Nighteye? Bc what has this asshole done to warrant his arrogance? Nothing.

He tortured his FEMALE employee. We don't have basis to assume he would to that with the male characters, maybe, maybe not. But he did with the only female one we saw.

And he insults Izu bc ...how dare you?! Mirio is the best(he isn't) and while he dies...the insult is never mentioned, and he is right. Bc fuck you Izu.

Am and Mirio cried about his death and....fuck what Izu is feeling.

Some fics make his agency deal with investigation but canon show us how this man is stupid and can't plan shit. It was a lucky thing Izu was there bc this could have lead to many many deaths.

I just....he is on the same level of Aizawa (they enter in the club "we hate Izu") but the thing is...he was killed. He didn't get consequences for his actions, he just dies.

(i don't even get why he was AM sidekick)

Well, I'm treating the tickle torture thing as how Nighteye disciplines all his sidekicks. What sense would it make, I reason, for him to have bought/created that machine just for Bubblegirl? Yeah, she's the token girl of the crew, but I wouldn't assume he only tickle tortures women unless told otherwise. I wouldn't compare Nighteye to Aizawa because Shota is only meant to be an antagonist for the first time you see him. He's an asshole but he stops singling Izuku out after he impressed him at the aptitude test. Aizawa's a toothless dragon. A dog who barks and never bites. He pairs Izuku and Bakugo together for the finals, yeah, but the narrative and Izuku think Bakugo is his rival and friend. Even when they broke the law to go rescue Bakugo, he still doesn't do a single thing. Izuku and Bakugo get into a fight unsanctioned after curfew and their punishment is cleaning duty and house arrest. It created one of the most unintentionally hilarious scenes in the series where Iida comes to mock Izuku for being under house arrest, despite Izuku having previously come to save Iida from his own attempt to murder a guy in cold blood. I'm not saying Aizawa isn't toxic, by the way, just that he's a visible tumor you could operate on vs Nighteye being sepsis. Nighteye is legions worse since his big idea was to bully a kid out of his quirk. He taught Mirio to prioritize the mission and the agenda over innocent victims, leading to them letting a victim walk back to a man who abuses her, and because this is MHA, no one gets punished for that braindead decision. He then dies and never has to answer for anything after learning that his quirk wasn't infallible. It was a cheap way to write him and his quirk out of the series. Now, since you want to read me dunking on Nighteye, I suppose I'll talk about how he was also an idiot who wasted his power. There's three possibilities for how Foresight works: -1, the MHA world is deterministic. "Fate" exists and everyone's destiny is written before they're even born. Foresight lets you glimpse at the structure of the world, its true nature. No one is actually responsible for anything they do. The only way to defy fate is to have immense power like Izuku and Eri, and to have the collective wishing energy of a bunch of people. Everyone who can't do this is a puppet. -2, Foresight actually takes the chaos of the universe and it forges it into order. It enforces a path on the future that cannot be changed or deviated from meaningfully. The use of Foresight does indeed rob people of their free will and set everyone on the path Nighteye sees. -3, Foresight shows a highly likely outcome, and the reason things seem like they can't be prevented is because by acting on this information, you enforce the prophecy. It's self fulfilling. Given the evidence, I lean towards the first one. This page and the events in the final war arc convince me. https://imgur.com/842jJkw So, Deku and Eri were fated to lose to Overhaul. The original timeline said he was meant to kill Deku, capture Eri and escape. They twisted fate thanks to their powers and the wishing energy of everyone's hopes and dreams. When we first see these pages, we can assume that it's the rationalizations of a dying man. But then the series does it again in the final war arc. So. -Nighteye had a 100% accurate means of telling the future with the exception of special cases that he'd never seen before involving wishing energy. -He didn't use this to create a 1984 dystopian society where criminals are caught moments after they do their crimes.

-With his power, all he needs to do is have someone he predicts the future of sit at a computer in the future. They'll slowly scroll down the pages that are filled with notes for Nighteye to read in the past. It'll include all of the details on new inventions, on what crimes were committed, on who becomes a big hero. And in the present day, this is used to ensure heroes always win. The events he sees are welded in time, but having access to the real names and locations of villains moments after they flee is invaluable for law enforcement. Not to mention how this could effortlessly let you win the lottery and abuse the stock market. You could take blackmail information acquired from Japan's spies and use it in the current day and age. You could plot strike teams for every single crime that happens before they happen, and then have your squads take people out without them ever having a chance to fight back, your guys perfectly countering their moves. The man could have been more powerful than All Might. A GOD who turned Japan into the strongest, richest and most politically powerful society on the planet. But instead his legacy was that he was a nobody hero who trained the eventual number 1 hero because he was obsessed with All Might and wanted to create another version of him. I'll end this by saying that the original fated timeline was WILD. Overhaul escapes with Eri, Midoriya's dead, OFA is gone, Mirio remains quirkless, Nighteye dies, and...what, the villains win? The League would want to go fight Overhaul as revenge for Magne but do they even stand a chance against him? If he took out Midoriya, probably not. The story doesn't go into the implications of what happens in a world in which Overhaul won that fight and fate was allowed to continue its designs, but that universe is fascinating.

[thefirstknife]

NEW OBSESSION DROPPED.

Scatter Signal fusion rifle lore. Baffling as soon as I saw it, mostly because I could not figure out what "NM:O" means, but then the lore tab with Eris talking to Osiris cleared it up. NM:O is Osiris. He is... Doing something. Sending some sort of a signal somewhere and tracking it. And then the signal found something and transmitted information back.

I knew this was code, but I couldn't look for it right away so I dropped this to the bestie Osiris Understander ( @infinitewarden ). He searched for it, it's hexadecimal code. The text of this pile of numbers and letters is the following:

"A churning singularity of shadow and mimicry beats again within cultivated chaos. Minds orbit its gravity, to bridge communion with a Voice, to move from parallel to entanglement. They dream of a dark core, contained within a timeless structure. A suspended return to the primordial. If not for this truth, why kneel? If not for this truth, why does it elude definition? Though not all agree on all, all agree on this. Sol is Salvation."

I'm losing my mind. What does it mean. What does this mean. From what little we can gather, it must be that Osiris somehow managed to catch a Vex signal (or something that can transmit a Vex signal) and it spoke back. And it said this. The Vex are doing something in the background, something we don't understand and something we don't have time to deal with right now, but might come back to bite us. And with the Sol Divisive's involvement this season... I don't know.

Given that we've seen a glimpse of some stuff in the Black Garden for this season... I am very intrigued. I'm mostly thinking that Osiris got the signal from the Black Garden (as he was studying the Conceptual Mind we killed, the architect of the Black Heart, from the Deterministic Chaos quest). Either way, something is happening to the Vex and lest we forget, their most thoroughly converted world in the system (Mercury) is still gone.

[04k96]

I don’t care, probabilities is my favourite type of maths: reoccurring patterns within infinity

1. Mathematical Perspective: Chaos and Order

In mathematics, chaos theory and the study of complex systems suggest that while systems can behave unpredictably in the short term, underlying patterns can emerge over time or across large scales.

• Deterministic Chaos: Even in systems that appear random (like weather patterns), there can be underlying deterministic rules that, over long periods, produce complex but often recognizable patterns.

• Poincaré Recurrence Theorem: In certain types of systems, if the system has a finite number of states and operates under specific conditions, it will eventually return to a state very close to its starting point. This suggests that, over an infinite amount of time, even highly chaotic systems will exhibit some form of recurrence.

This means that even in infinite possibilities, certain patterns may inevitably repeat themselves, though the complexity and unpredictability of the outcomes may make these patterns hard to detect without long-term observation.

2. Physical Perspective: Entropy and the Universe

From the standpoint of physics, especially in the context of thermodynamics, the concept of entropy plays a crucial role. Entropy is often described as a measure of disorder or randomness, and in most closed systems, entropy increases over time (the second law of thermodynamics).

• In an infinite universe: If we imagine the universe continuing infinitely, patterns of energy distribution, formation of structures, or even recurrent cosmic events (like star formation) could emerge. However, over infinite time, entropy would likely dominate, and the universe would move toward a state of maximum disorder (heat death), where predictability and patterns would cease to exist in the traditional sense.

In this view, while local or temporary patterns could emerge (like the formation of galaxies, planets, and stars), over an infinite timespan, the decay into disorder could prevent large-scale, sustained patterns from emerging or persisting in the same way.

3. Philosophical Perspective: Infinite Possibilities and Recurrence

From a philosophical or metaphysical perspective, the idea of infinity opens up the possibility that every conceivable event or pattern could occur, but with varying likelihoods:

• Eternal Recurrence: The concept of eternal recurrence, first proposed by Nietzsche, suggests that all events in the universe will repeat infinitely in the exact same way. This implies that over infinite time, every possible pattern (even chaotic or unlikely ones) will play out, potentially more than once. However, this idea assumes that time and events are cyclical and finite in their fundamental properties, even within the context of infinity.

• Infinite Outcomes: In a truly infinite universe, some philosophical views posit that every possible outcome could eventually occur. This could mean that while large-scale patterns may emerge in some realms, in others, the recurrence of entirely new or unique patterns might overwhelm previously observable regularities. For instance, if there are infinite ways the universe could unfold, the probability of new, emergent patterns becomes higher, even if previously established ones still reoccur.

4. **The Role of Randomness and Probabilities

In the realm of probability, especially in statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics, randomness plays a central role. If we consider infinite possibilities, it’s important to understand that:

• Random processes don’t necessarily eliminate all patterns, but they can make the predictability of patterns much harder to identify over time.

• In some cases, infinite possibilities could lead to an infinite number of unique configurations (especially at the quantum level), but also ensure that patterns within those configurations would still be recurring, due to probabilistic laws and underlying constants of nature (such as physical laws that govern particle interactions).

5. Anthropic Principle and Human Perception of Patterns

The anthropic principle suggests that humans, as observers, are more likely to notice patterns that are meaningful within the contexts they experience. This means that the pattern recognition we see may be more of a human construct rather than an inherent property of the universe. In an infinite universe, while patterns may persist, the way we interpret or even recognize them might depend on our frame of reference.

Conclusion:

The likelihood of patterns recurring in every possible outcome over infinite time depends on several factors, including the nature of the system (deterministic vs. chaotic), entropy, the laws of probability, and philosophical interpretations of infinity. In a finite system, repetitive patterns may eventually emerge due to deterministic laws or chaotic systems, but in an infinite universe, new patterns could emerge continuously, often overwhelming earlier, established ones.

• Short term: Predictable patterns may emerge (chaotic systems, quantum processes, biological cycles).

• Long term (infinite): The decay of order (through entropy) might cause ultimate unpredictability, though some patterns (even very complex ones) might still emerge due to the deterministic nature of underlying laws.

[somethingusefulfromflorida]

Stories about prophecies have always bugged me because they never adequately explain WHY the universe works the way it does, WHY specific events are inevitable. "It is your destiny," the fuck does that even mean? Says who? Which metaphysical/eldritch entity wrote this prophecy? How do they enforce it? If an Oracle says something, was it always going to be true or did they change the future? Is there only one future? Is the world deterministic?

Well, I've started thinking about it through a scientific lense. In a world where magic exists, it is simply another fundamental force of the universe. It can be studied and understood, and, most importantly, predictions can be made based off it. Before chemists discovered specific elements they'd look at where it would be on the periodic table, they'd look at all of its neighbors, and they would be able to accurately predict certain properties about it. "It'll be this color, this density, it'll have these stable isotopes, and'll form these types of bonds," etc. They aren't prophesying willy-nilly, they are making informed hypotheses.

An astronomer can give you the exact orbital periods of planets many lightyears away based on the mass of their host star; Kepler's Laws ring true no matter where you look. They can predict the exact time and location of eclipses a thousand years in advance. I don't know what a Higgs Boson is, but physicists knew it existed long before they ever actually observed it.

Prophecies are magical hypotheses. Prophets aren't just granted foreknowledge out of nowhere for shiggles, they simply observe the current state of the universe and extrapolate forward. If souls and chakras and mystical energies exist, their influences on the material world can be measured and accounted for. I don't understand quantum mechanics or general relativity, but I trust that scientists aren't just making shit up. I don't understand magic, but wizards aren't just making shit up either!

Some prophecies are wrong. Many, in fact. There are just too many variables, too many unknowns. Schrödinger's cat, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, the Butterfly Effect, Chaos Theory, there would be magical equivalents. Meteorologists can tell you what the weather will look like tomorrow, but nobody knows what it'll be like in a month, a year, a century. They can tell you that Hurricane Season will have higher or lower activity than average based on ocean surface temperatures, the El Niño/La Niña cycle, etc., but they can't give you the exact dates of storm formation, strength, or duration.

I really like the idea of prophecies having varying degrees of certainty. Lines like "it is your destiny" or "it has been foreseen" aren't cop-outs, they're just predictions. If I drop a rock, it WILL fall towards the Earth; it's not destiny, it's gravity. Magic works the same way.

TLDR: prophecies are like election forecasts!

[churchofnix]

Hypothesis of Indeterminacy

No Quantum of Reality

Reality is not quantized; it's infinitely divisible. There is no fundamental "smallest" unit of space, time, or any other physical quantity.

Infinite Reality

The universe, at its core, is infinite. This could mean infinite in extent or infinitely divisible, or both.

Emergent Reality

Macroscopic properties and phenomena emerge from the interactions of infinite underlying components.

Statistical Probability

Due to the infinite nature of reality, every outcome is ultimately a statistical probability, leading to indeterminism.

Potential Criticisms and Counterarguments

- Criticism: Even if reality is infinitely divisible, couldn't it still be deterministic? If the laws of physics governing the infinitesimal components are deterministic, the overall system would also be deterministic.

- Counterargument: This assumes a "bottom-up" causality where the behavior of infinitesimal components rigidly determines macroscopic events. In an emergent system, the infinite interactions and complexity could lead to unpredictable outcomes. Think of it like this: even with deterministic rules (e.g., the laws of physics), if you have an infinite number of "players" (infinitesimal components) interacting in an infinite space, predicting the overall outcome with certainty becomes impossible. This is analogous to chaos theory, where even simple deterministic systems can exhibit unpredictable behavior due to their sensitivity to initial conditions.

- Criticism: Quantum mechanics already incorporates indeterminism. Your theory seems to just "push the problem down" to a sub-quantum level.

- Counterargument: Quantum mechanics introduces indeterminism at the Planck scale, but it still assumes a quantized reality at that level. This theory goes further, suggesting that even the Planck scale is not the fundamental limit. This leads to a deeper level of indeterminacy where the very concept of definite states and fixed laws may break down.

- Criticism: How can we make any predictions or have any scientific understanding in a completely indeterminate universe?

- Counterargument: Even in an indeterminate universe, patterns and probabilities can emerge. While specific events might be unpredictable, overall trends and statistical distributions can still be observed and studied. This is similar to how we understand weather patterns: we can't predict the exact path of a single raindrop, but we can make probabilistic forecasts about overall weather conditions.

- Criticism: Is there any evidence to support the idea of an infinitely divisible reality?

- Counterargument: Currently, there is no direct empirical evidence for or against the infinite divisibility of reality. However, the concept has a long history in philosophy and mathematics (e.g., Zeno's paradoxes). Furthermore, some theoretical frameworks, like certain interpretations of string theory or loop quantum gravity, hint at the possibility of a reality without a fundamental quantum.

The Infinity of a Circle

A circle is a continuous curve, meaning that there are no gaps or breaks in its path. Mathematically, we say it contains an infinite number of points.

Here's why:

- Divisibility: You can divide any arc of a circle into two smaller arcs. You can then divide those arcs again, and again, and again, infinitely. There's no limit to how small you can make the arcs.

- No "Smallest" Unit: Unlike a pixelated image on a screen, a perfect mathematical circle doesn't have a smallest unit. There's no "circle pixel" or smallest possible arc length.

The Challenge of Specifying Points

While a circle has infinitely many points, it's surprisingly difficult to precisely specify the location of any individual point. Here's the catch:

- Irrational Numbers: The coordinates of most points on a circle involve irrational numbers like pi (π). Irrational numbers have decimal representations that go on forever without repeating. This means you can never write down their exact value.

- Approximations: In practice, we use approximations for pi and other irrational numbers. This means any point we specify on a circle is actually an approximation, not its exact location.

Four Special Points

There are only four points on a circle that we can specify precisely:

- (1, 0): The point where the circle intersects the positive x-axis.

- (0, 1): The point where the circle intersects the positive y-axis.

- (-1, 0): The point where the circle intersects the negative x-axis.

- (0, -1): The point where the circle intersects the negative y-axis.

These points have coordinates that are whole numbers, making them easy to define.

Even though the circle is a well-defined mathematical object, the precise location of most of its points remains elusive due to the nature of infinity and irrational numbers.

This could suggest that even in a seemingly well-defined system (like a circle or, perhaps, the universe), the infinite nature of reality might introduce a fundamental level of indeterminacy due to the approximation required at the point of determination.

In other words, at the point of any decision, there are infinite approximations of reality statistically coalescing/emerging into a decisive result.

This fundamental indeterminacy could extend to the neural processes underlying decision-making.

That is the basis of free will.

Past experiences, beliefs, and values shape the probability distribution of potential decisions, but don’t determine the outcome. And events are even influenced by conscious intention, allowing for agency in decision-making. Moreover, this ability to shape decision probabilities can be developed over time, supporting the idea of moral growth and education.

[zalia]

Quick solo visit to the veiled statue in Garden of Salvation (well, technically in the Deterministic Chaos mission in Neomuna, but same difference). The route is a bit of a pain in the ass, but it was worth it! The pyramid scales extend beneath the map quite a long way and are creepy and intimidating as fuck. You really get the feeling that they're burrowing into the Garden itself.

[cognitivefunctionscomics]

INTP functions characters

Titania: Analytical, reserved, unconventional, and self-assured, Ti is critical and sometimes sarcastic. She strives for fairness and can sometimes come off as unintentionally arrogant, cold, self-absorbed, and even destructive. Her dream is to understand everything, setting aside human bias and limitation. She perceives reality as a system with hidden variables that could be controlled if comprehended. She doesn't intentionally exude a "back off" aura but is bothered by those she views as intrusive or disrespectful, especially when they invade her space with too many questions. As such, she’s wary of overly friendly or charming people. While observant, her focus isn't always on the tangible world, like what others wear or current events, unless there's a reason. Instead, she's keen on spotting theoretical flaws and is therefore hard to deceive. Even her friends are scrutinized; she prioritizes caution over instinct. She holds some misanthropic, deterministic, and nihilistic views, even if she identifies as "unbiased", to better deal with stress, ensuring she doesn't take things personally. She appears detached even when engaged, constantly building mental models to understand things from the inside out. When allowed the freedom to explore her often taboo interests, she's endlessly inquisitive. While Ti values intelligence, she sometimes overlooks the obvious or fails to consider the emotional aspects of issues. She adheres to binary logic until undeniable evidence proves otherwise and is irritated by elusive answers. Disliking incompetence and emotional reasoning, she thinks humanity should focus on conquering nature and understanding existence, freeing themselves from ignorance, making informed decisions, and not getting sidetracked by trivial matters, or worse, hindering scientific progress.

Looks: She dresses in practical urban wear, covered from head to toe. A large dark red zippered hoodie with pockets is worn over a turtleneck, paired with denim shorts, leggings, and ankle boots. Ti's short, layered orange hair is chin-length in front and cropped at the back. Her pale complexion contrasts with dark red eyes that seem to absorb light. These eyes often appear both distant and intense, accentuated by dark circles. Her expression, typically flat, gives her an air of fatigue or inaccessibility. When she does display happiness, it's subtle—a twitch of a closed smile.

Theme: Knowledge. With complete understanding, existence would lose its dominion over individuals, allowing them to manifest absolute individuality, control, and intelligence within their confines.

Nereida: Energetic and spontaneous, Ne is a dreamer. She's inventive, flexible, and inclusive, bringing a burst of bubbly energy everywhere she goes, but struggles with commitment to her grand visions. Going with the flow, she absorbs a plethora of information, always aiming to make last-minute optimal decisions. With a belief that every problem has a solution, she’s curious about everything, often applying knowledge from one domain to another. Her passion for learning mirrors Ti's focus, but Ne's is rooted in the joy of the process, always seeking to master her surroundings for maximum freedom. Disliking confinement, she occasionally gives up too quickly. Yet, when she persists, she finds ways to revel in challenges, cherishing the journey more than the destination. Although her plans can seem scattered, she thrives in unpredictability. She’s wary of those who wield power to control others, and in defiance, sometimes exercises her own control to observe the outcomes, which makes her morally grey. She thinks that it's her duty to challenge norms and pioneer change for the greater good when many are chained by ethics and fear, but has her own struggles, sometimes instigating chaos out of boredom.

Looks: Her attire is eclectic, pieced together from items she adores, without much regard for current trends. She sports a white buttoned shirt with teal insides, the sleeves rolled up and the front slightly unbuttoned to show a hint of cleavage. This is paired with a high-waisted, knee-length pleated teal skirt, ¾ leggings, and white Mary Janes with black heels. Her shoulder-length turquoise hair is pulled into a high side ponytail with a few loose strands framing her face. Her expression is vibrant, with large, curious blue eyes. Ne moves with a slight bounce, always seeming to be lost in a daydream and ignoring finer details.

Theme: Freedom. In a world without limitations, anything is possible.

Sienna: Grounded and diligent, Si is a model of consistency. She’s logical, practical, and knowledgeable, balancing her hardworking nature with humility and patience. She upholds tradition, believing that if everyone collaborates harmoniously, all aspirations, including universal comfort and understanding, are attainable. She derives a sense of duty and belonging from viewing herself as part of a whole, even if this sometimes stifles her creativity and subjects her to rigid standards. Si is at peace with her role but occasionally grapples with existential questions for not knowing herself in depth, or maybe suppressing philosophical musings. She values comfort, ensuring she always has moments of relaxation amidst her responsibilities, and appreciates nature and man-made wonders. Si always honors her commitments, but some may perceive her as mundane or lacking ambition.

Looks: Traditional and sensible, albeit slightly outdated. She dons a dark long-sleeved ruffled shirt buttoned entirely, paired with a lab coat, tailored trousers, and oxfords. Sleek glasses frame her earnest eyes. Her dark blonde hair reaches nearly to her waist, meticulously combed and pulled into a low ponytail, with bangs neatly clipped away from her face. While her movements are usually unhurried, she can be agile when needed, displaying remarkable dexterity.

Theme: Predictability. In a stable and comprehensible world, challenges would be preventable or at least manageable.

Felicity: Compassionate and giving, Fe is the embodiment of empathy. She is emotional yet fiercely loyal, often putting others' needs above her own. Her ideal world is one filled with loved ones she can protect and cherish forever. While she enjoys being the center of attention and reciprocated care, she sometimes neglects her needs, leading to periods of resentment. Her emotions can be volatile, especially when faced with disillusionment. Fe spends her days analyzing interpersonal dynamics, immersing herself in ethical discussions, and enjoying moral tales. Affected by poignant movies and easily manipulated, she doesn’t understand the saying, “hell is full of well-intentioned people”.

Looks: A blend of loose and tight-fitting garments. She wears a lilac boho dress that exposes her shoulders and collarbones with silk strips wrapped around her waist, neck, and wrists. Her footwear is burgundy heels with ankle clasps. Her purple hair cascades down her back, held in place by a ribbon, while her face boasts rosy cheeks and expressive eyes.

Theme: Unity. If everyone were the same, there’d be no conflict, and life would be fulfilling regardless of circumstances.

[colourprinter]

Day 16) I'd probably wish to be happy and fulfilled

However given that I'm mentally weak, I'd probably end up as some weird Joker (DC) like character but on a strict routine, like 10 minutes of causing chaos for having things different for the day and if I'm kept from the routine, I'd start completely freaking out.

I think I'd slowly start to see "through" everything, I wished for it so why would it be real (genuinely have this kind of issue with anyone paid to listen to and support me so it's not off the mark) and why would anyone actually care about me if they were forced to because of my wish? And the sanity would fall off from there

Makes me think of Flowey from Undertale a bit actually, the pointlessness of choice if nothing really can change, where Flowey had the time loops to make outcomes deterministic, I'd have people that would have to make me happy, people that couldn't refuse, a hollow existence