#gas detection method

[gothamite-rambler]

Clark and Diana must've had a field day at Damian's existence

*and the rape part was a second canon that I think was retconned again. comics are weird*

Clark: I'm sorry… You have a child… again?

Bruce: Yes.

Clark: And he's yours… like DNA test, yours?

Bruce took a deep inhale and then sighed.

Bruce: Yes.

Clark: And the kid is also related to Talia Al Ghul?

Bruce: Yep… Yep… I thought the condom wouldn't break.

Clark: I… I… I'm— You thought the what wouldn't break?

Diana (amused): I'm surprised you didn't try the pull-out method with that thought process. You had a child with Talia and he's the new Robin, did I miss anything?

Bruce: No... no. You're about right.

Clark: I'm not sure how to react.

Diana: I got you on this. The dark knight, master detective, stoic emo billionaire had a child with one of your arch-enemies? The one you said you'd never have relations with again?

Bruce: …Yep.

Diana nodded and pointed at Bruce, laughing accordingly. The man covered his face, embarrassed.

Clark: Ignore her. You said you weren't even aware he was… alive. That there was a being that shares your DNA? You have plans that can defeat us, but you never thought to check in on the woman you slept with eight years ago?

Diana laughed harder, falling out of her seat in hysterics. Clark shook his head.

Bruce: Okay, at first I was aware she was pregnant, and then she said she lost the baby, so… I never called her about that. You can stop laughing, Diana!

Diana: I can't stop! This is too funny! It’s funnier than when Hermes tricked Zeus into drinking fermented wine. I can't breathe! Wait, wait— when Zeus found out about his child…

Clark (jokingly): Which one?

Bruce: I wasn’t aware he existed! I didn’t know the child I had with a crazy woman was around! Can she not laugh at me? I’m now linked to Ra's Al Ghul! This is a lot for me! Can you show me some pity?

Clark and Diana: No!

Bruce: Why are you judging me?!

Clark: Because you look hypocritical in the funniest way possible.

Diana: Exactly! You had a kid from a booty call. Wait, wait, serious time.

Diana got back in her seat and cleared her throat.

Diana: It was consensual, correct?

Bruce: Yes.

Diana: And you used a condom from where?

Bruce: …A gas station.

Diana: And you thought it would do the job? A gas station condom?

Bruce: I was hoping it would, or at the very least she'd have protection. I didn't know she wanted kids!

Diana (chuckling): You thought the woman who's been wanting to marry you for years wouldn't want kids?!

Clark (laughing): We listen and we judge!

Bruce: I hate you both. Stop judging me. I'm the Dark Knight.

Bruce covered his face, groaning.

Clark: We're just messing with you. I, for one, am happy you took the kid in. I imagine being raised around the Ghuls wasn't great… or safe.

Bruce: Um… okay, he wasn't just raised around them… Jason helped babysit him. He’s known for eight years.

Clark and Diana (mocking him): We listen and we judge!

Diana burst into laughter again.

Diana: I knew there was a reason I like him!

Clark: I'm pretty sure she's happy for you too. Just the—

Bruce (mortified): Yeah, the situation is humorous because it's at my expense and ironic that I fumbled like that. I'm going to be dealing with this a lot now. I do love him, though. He's a cute kid… He's neat, like all my other sons.

Clark: Aww, that's sweet and reassuring, honestly. A rich white man with a baby from a booty call usually doesn’t go well.

Bruce: The fact I know that's true really says something, but thank you for the compliment.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

GHOST spies ultra-hot Jupiter with ultra-fast winds

In the hunt for exoplanets, many seek out habitable worlds. There's comfort in discovering planets that remind us of home—ones at a perfect distance from their host star, with oceans of water covering their surfaces and breathable atmospheres.

Some astrophysicists, however, are curious about an entirely different type of exoplanet: the treacherous hot Jupiter. One such scientist is Emily Deibert, a science fellow at Gemini South in Chile, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, operated by NSF NOIRLab.

An ultra-hot Jupiter named HAT-P-70 b was the focus of a recent study conducted at Gemini South, led by Adam Langeveld, assistant research scientist at Johns Hopkins University, with a team of astronomers including Deibert.

The results of this study are presented in a paper appearing in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The team's investigation utilized a new instrument on the Gemini South telescope called the Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST). GHOST is a powerful instrument that has the ability to observe a wide range of wavelengths simultaneously.

It can also complete observations with high efficiency while achieving world-class resolution. These capabilities allowed the team to peer deep into HAT-P-70 b's atmosphere where they discovered winds blowing at incredible speeds.

Hot Jupiters are gas giants that are similar to our Jupiter in size, but that differ greatly in temperament. They sit much closer to their host stars than our planetary neighbor does, giving them notably different physical properties.

To illustrate their distances, it takes our Jupiter almost 12 years to orbit the sun, while hot Jupiters take 10 days or less. Some have even been observed whipping around their suns in less than a day.

Orbiting at such a close distance gives these planets incredibly high surface temperatures, hence their name. They are oftentimes tidally locked, meaning they have one side constantly facing their star experiencing an extremely hot "day" and one side constantly facing away experiencing a colder "night."

HAT-P-70 b is a very "puffy" planet with a radius almost double that of Jupiter. It sits so close to its host star that its orbit is 2.7 Earth days and it has a temperature of about 2,300° Celsius (around 4,200° Fahrenheit), making it one of the hottest planets known to date. The extreme temperatures give this ultra-hot Jupiter an exotic atmosphere with a diverse array of gaseous metallic atoms and ions.

"These ultra-hot atmospheres are ideal laboratories to study exoplanets on a wider scale due to the fantastic opportunity to detect and study multiple chemical species," Langeveld explains. "By measuring the amounts of different elements—especially comparing 'rocky' elements like calcium and iron to 'icy' elements like water and carbon—we can learn about how they formed and evolved."

To study HAT-P-70 b's atmosphere, the team observed the planet transit, or pass in front of, its host star. As the star's light passes through the planet's atmosphere, the chemicals within the atmosphere act like a filter that absorbs specific wavelengths of light.

Using spectroscopy—a method of observation where an object's light is spread out into a spectrum—the team can determine which chemicals exist in the atmosphere by identifying the fingerprint-like patterns of absorption lines that appear in the spectrum.

In HAT-P-70 b's atmosphere, the team detected signatures of ionized calcium—a gaseous and highly energetic form of calcium that can only exist in environments of incredibly intense heat.

They found that the calcium signal extends tens of thousands of kilometers into the upper atmosphere. But more importantly, GHOST's incredible sensitivity allowed them to "time-resolve" the calcium signal. This means they could track how calcium absorption changes from the planet's day to night side.

Deibert shares her experience probing HAT-P-70 b's atmosphere: "We were surprised by the exceptional sensitivity of GHOST, which allowed us to measure minute variations in the individual absorption lines from the ionized calcium, thereby providing information about different regions of the atmosphere. This level of detail has traditionally been difficult to achieve in exoplanet studies, especially for individual absorption lines in transmission spectra."

From these observations, the team determined that HAT-P-70 b hosts powerful winds that rush from the scorching dayside to the cooler nightside at speeds of up to 18,000 kilometers per hour (11,000 miles per hour). They also used the detected signals to infer the planet's mass, revealing that it is likely much lighter than previously thought—a crucial parameter for future comparisons of ultra-hot Jupiter atmospheres.

"This level of detail is only possible with the most advanced spectrographs," says Langeveld, "making GHOST one of the few instruments in the world capable of such measurements."

Deibert adds, "This study showcases that GHOST has the potential to make major contributions towards advancing our understanding of the 3D nature of exoplanet atmospheres, for which there are still many big unanswered questions."

The time-resolving power of GHOST will continue to push the boundaries of exoplanet studies. In fact, Gemini is changing the game for astronomers like Deibert and Langeveld who are looking to gather spectroscopic data, as well as optical and infrared information through its Large and Long Programs.

Langeveld and Deibert's work is part of an approved Large program that they are co-leading, meaning they and their collaborators have secured observing time with Gemini for multi-year research projects in planetary studies.

Gemini's Large programs will promote collaborations and provide significant impact in all areas of astrophysics, paving the way for the future of the field.

IMAGE: Test spectra viewed through the red camera on the GHOST optical bench while John Pazder (National Research Council of Canada (NRC)) performs the final alignment of spectrograph optics. Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. Bassett

[emptyjunior]

The concept of Riz dying decades or in some cases Centuries before his friends is too sad for me, anyways Riz isekai/regression au. 

So Riz, at the end of his life, I assume a decorated private investigator, maybe in and out of many agencies until he like unearthed corruption in them and got kicked out, you know just general Riz stuff.  

I think he would honestly get Jacked, but in like a wiry way, I think by the time he was old his combat sense and powers of deduction would be Insane even if his body cannot keep up with his mind anymore. 

And then I assume he’d die peacefully in bed OR in a dramatic and horrifying conspiracy, possibly on a sinking boat or a waterfall, that all his friends would have to investigate in his honour. 

So Riz dead, gone, finally at peace. 

Or at least he Thinks, BEEP BEEP annoying sound of alarm clock waking him up for his first day of school. 

Chronomancy is most likely to blame. 

So general premise is Riz instantly goes from an awkward teen scrambling to solve his babysitter’s disappearance, with no resources or social skills, twitchy and underfed to a calm and seasoned detective. I think that morning when Sklonda goes to see where he is, he’s made her breakfast, bacon and pancakes. And as she sits down in shock at the table, he quietly slides a file over to her which is every active case she’s working on, methodically solved with notes and clearly explained timelines to the culprit. And if she turns it over to the back, there’s also a resignation letter in there and an application to law school ready to be filled out. And when Sklonda looks up at Riz shaken, he just gives her a kiss on the forehead and a smile like he’s seeing someone he hasn’t seen for many years and then calmly goes to class. 

I also want: 

-Dealing with bullies that first day like Ragh and Fabian like he’s greeting loved ones. Darting out of their attempts to grab him with a dancer’s flourish that he could have only learnt from a high elf... 

-I think Fabian would be a Big Part of his plans (because the most fun part of regression time travel stories is when they start Amassing wealth) so I think he honestly just goes straight to his house, tells Bill Seacaster that him and his son are best friends (which Fabian would SCREAM at if he got humiliated by this goblin earlier that day) and then challenges Bill to a shooting contest and thrashes him, which makes Bill keel over with laughter, offer him a place on his crew, offers him his son’s hand (Fabian is hitting critical levels of red anger embarrassed face at this point) 

-Other fun ways to gather wealth, Riz just robs Kalvaxus. Just remembers every little detail about the accounts from his files, goes to the bank, gives all the current passwords, transfers the Entire dragonhoard to his own account 

-And yes the plot would all be decimating Goldenhoard that first year, so Riz just saves every girl before they’re captured, the maidens that have already been taken, hunts them down. I think he goes to the gas station that Johnny Spells and his friend’s occupy, locks the door and walks right into this den of bikers, just full Kingsman fight sequence decimates them. Because I think he would feel So good getting a body back that hasn’t been rung with years of stress and Kristen Shenanigans that he is in like peak condition 

-First Day finds the rogue teacher which is why he has so much time for running around preparing everyone’s future

-I think, honestly, he shoots Coach Daybreak in the head on sight and gets sent to the principal’s office and Aguefort’s like “are you doing a chronomancy?” and he says yea and Aguefort’s like sweet, carry on 

I think he finds Jawbone taking terrible paying bouncer jobs, and just offers him a bodyguard/assistant job so he has a little buddy to investigate with.

Starts a full out war with Helio followers because they had way too much reach in town, and when they try to debate with him he has Way more knowledge about their scripture than they do and some truly dangerous deity blackmail locked and loaded and Helio himself comes down and says haha leave this kid alone he just implied he can reincarnate a God, let’s go, let’s go.

Finds some insane legal loophole that absolutely strips Adaine and Aelwyn’s parents of influence and gives their children power over all their assets. Weirdly becomes very close friends with Aelwyn, maybe it’s because they both have the same taste in liquor now.

I think he’d start an information guild that involves like Zayn Darkshadow, Fig in her many disguises, Aelwyn and surprisingly Kipperlilly. Also Kalina! And he knows exactly how to summon her and keeps saying things to her that are friendly yet intimidating and it freaks her out.

Walks up to gorgug, hands him a study plan pathway to MCAT and walks off leaving gorgug very confused (and probably asking if he was his dad) 

Just fun time travel future knowledge shenanigans! And I cannot restate again, we saw how quick a Junior Year Riz is at investigating and making leaps to the right answer. By the time he is at the end of his life, I feel like he’s reached moriarty levels of detective prowess. The many new enemies he keeps making keep coming to him and he just strips them down with his powers of deduction. He’s looking at how one person favours their left side, or the crumbs on their wrist and knows everything there is to know about them. 

So just Freshman Year, the perfect run, Riz with a lot of angst in a very satisfying detective story getting closure for a lot of things. 

[malecardiolove]

The Test, Chapter 5

Jack remained strapped to the metal stretcher, his hands and feet bound, his chest exposed as the pink gas filled the room like a dense fog. Though his heart continued to resist, his mind fought to avoid succumbing to despair. The rapid beeping of the monitor beside him was the only sound breaking the silence, the only reminder that he was still alive—but not for long.

Dr. Ruiz’s voice filled the room once more, sharp and methodical as ever. "Your heart has endured more than I anticipated, Jack. I must admit, I’m impressed. But you know what this means, don’t you? You’re an anomaly. The goal has always been to find someone like you—a heart that not only survives but improves under pressure. But I’m not done yet."

Jack swallowed hard, the weight of the doctor’s words pressing down on him. He knew Ruiz wouldn’t stop, not as long as there was more to test. The certainty of what lay ahead paralyzed him with fear.

Suddenly, a low, menacing hum emanated from the machines around him. Jack felt the electrodes attached to his chest begin to vibrate, sending small jolts through his skin—not enough to harm him, but enough to remind him that he was entirely at the mercy of the system.

The echocardiogram monitor flickered slightly, showing that Jack’s heart was still responding to the stress, pumping with steady force. Yet, Ruiz wasn’t satisfied.

"This will be your final test," Ruiz announced, and a chill ran down Jack’s spine. "The pink gas has started to dissipate, but the real trial begins now."

The hum of the machines grew louder, and Jack felt a sudden, piercing cold in his chest. It wasn’t like the cooling tank from earlier; this was sharper, more invasive, as though something were reaching into his very heartbeat.

"I’ve modified the electrodes," Ruiz continued in a calculated tone. "Now, they’re designed to stimulate your heart directly—but not like a pacemaker. This time, I want to see how your heart responds to pain."

Jack’s eyes widened in horror as the first shock struck his chest. It wasn’t the sharp jolt of a defibrillator; it was slower, more controlled. The impact didn’t make him jump but pressed into him from within, as though his own heart was being forced to beat with brutal strength.

Jack screamed. His chest convulsed painfully as the electrodes delivered another shock, this one stronger. On the screen, his heart rate spiked wildly, his heartbeat growing erratic as it struggled to match the rhythm Ruiz demanded.

"The resilience of your heart is extraordinary, but… can it withstand prolonged pain?" Ruiz’s voice was clinically detached, yet Jack could detect the excitement beneath it.

The monitor’s beeping grew frenzied, each sound echoing Jack’s body’s desperate fight. He felt his pulse in every fiber of his being, the pain radiating from his chest to his limbs. The stretcher seemed to vibrate under the intensity of his heartbeats. Though his vision blurred, he could still make out the echocardiogram’s flashing numbers—alarming, yet not failing.

Ruiz didn’t stop.

The shocks came one after another, each more powerful than the last. Jack’s muscles tensed involuntarily with each impact. His heart, though large and resilient, began to show signs of strain. Its rhythm grew increasingly irregular, and Jack felt as if his chest might shatter from the overwhelming stimulation.

"Incredible, Jack. Your heart continues to beat despite everything. But this will be the ultimate test."

The hum of the machines reached its peak. Ruiz, observing through a glass barrier, watched with calculating eyes as he initiated the final phase of the trial. This time, the shocks became continuous, almost without pause. The pain was unbearable. Jack screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the echo of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

The echocardiogram monitor displayed numbers climbing into impossible ranges. Jack’s heart was on the brink of collapse, and he knew it. Each beat felt like a hammer blow, each breath an impossible effort.

And then, suddenly, everything stopped.

The beating. The sound. The pain.

The screen showed a flat line. His heart had stopped.

Ruiz stood silent for a moment, observing. Then, without urgency, he activated the emergency defibrillator, sending a shock directly to Jack’s chest. His body jerked violently on the stretcher, but there was no response.

A second shock. Still nothing.

Ruiz frowned slightly, then picked up a syringe containing a bright orange liquid. He carefully injected it directly into Jack’s heart through a long needle that pierced the center of his chest.

Slowly, the heartbeat returned. First, a faint thud, then another. The monitor came back to life. Against all odds, Jack’s heart continued to fight.

Ruiz smiled. "It seems you’ve survived once again. But this time, Jack…" His voice grew darker, more menacing. "It’s time to finish this."

The final chapter is coming...

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Photoacoustic spectroscopy approach achieves real-time detection of low gas concentrations

Researchers have developed a new method for quickly detecting and identifying very low concentrations of gases. The new approach, called coherently controlled quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy, could form the basis for highly sensitive real-time sensors for applications such as environmental monitoring, breath analysis and chemical process control. "Most gases are present in small amounts, so detecting gases at low concentrations is important in a wide variety of industries and applications," said research team leader Simon Angstenberger from the University of Stuttgart in Germany. "Unlike other trace gas detection methods that rely on photoacoustics, ours is not limited to specific gases and does not require prior knowledge of the gas that might be present." In Optica, the researchers report the acquisition of a complete methane spectrum spanning 3,050 to 3,450 nanometers in just three seconds, a feat that would typically take around 30 minutes.

Read more.

[girl-detector]

What happened if someone other than you tried to detect you

- @boy-detector

Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis and C4 photosynthesis are very common in plants that are from arid environments or are somewhere that regularly experienced drought as a part of the seasonal cycle as the species developed into what it is now

CAM photosynthesis is characterized by the plant performing photosynthesis while only performing gas exchange at night when there's a lower risk of excessive evaporation. It's also not necessarily an obligate method of photosynthesis, since some plants that use it only do so certain parts of the year or situationally

C4 photosynthesis is characterized by photosynthesis and gas exchange being done in distant parts of the plant, increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide through converting it into organic acids to be diffused into where photosynthesis is being performed, to allow a reduction in how much gas needs to be exchanged at a time. It operates with this as a part before conventional C3 photosynthesis

[morgu3mvp]

Lunnile crumbs!!! These are from back when i did crack or something the hair details were DETAILINGGGGGG

Anyways lore under the cut!!!!

Tw for mentions of death, half-assingly accurate illogical medical procedures and blood (only after the third point), scientific experiments akin to torture (second point and beyond, not explained in depth but still mentioned) you have been warned!!!

What point is this in the timeline?

This is pretty early on in Lunniles life, shes around 14 in these sketches—This is before she met Libitina and before shit hit the fan.

Whats with all the bandages?

The UNRC is bacically hell for orphan Magicis hominibus (Latin for 'Magical people', i changed it to this since its not only magical girls but other genders too!) And Fae—who are all subjected to experiments to try and create a malleable and cheap workforce and military. So Lunnie got a """""little""""" scuffed.

Whats with the collar?

To prevent her and others from going 'rogue'. A 'rogue' subject is a subject that has gone mad and is sick of the torture they are put through, so they get highly aggressive.

How does it work?

The DDP collar (or the Detect Destroy Pacify collar) looks like a regular collar at first glance, but it posses a needle that stabs into the cervical nerves of the subject. This needle is in place to; one—detect any aggression (The needle is a bit too sensitive, so it mistakes anger for aggression. So just being in a pissy mood can get you killed.) And two—serve as an insant method of pacification, since damage to cervical nerves can cause paralysis to certain groups of muscles.

Thats just the needle though! Which does the 'detect' part, what about 'destroy'? Well, see those shard looking things on the fourth image? Those are highly condenced magical energy atoms that take the form of thick, sharp, glass shards. These collars have the ability to pull magical energy straight out of the atmosphere! Magical energy has a similar effect to radiation, so that means that it can take any and all forms of matter (gas, liquid, solid) and like radiation can has long lasting effects to those who are exposed to it for too long.

Anyways, these shards will stab the subject in the neck, taking aim for the carotid arteries which will either cause instant death or the subject to bleed out.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Thirteenth Step: Part One

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.4k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Summary: Two unsubs. Two mental disorders. A boatload of trauma. What can go wrong?

Season Six Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

"What really raises one's indignation against suffering is not suffering intrinsically, but the senselessness of suffering." - Frederich Nietzsche

You walk into work alone since Spencer left before you. With his headaches, he's been sleeping less so he's been going to work earlier. It's been like this since Valentine's Day but you think it's getting better. He got some pretty powerful painkillers from the doctor that usually helps if he's not stressed.

You got something that might help Spencer which came in the mail yesterday. Spencer is at his desk leaning back with his eyes closed, and you pass his desk to set your things on your desk. You grab the present and set it on his desk, and he opens his eyes when he hears you.

"What is that?"

"It's a headband you wear over your eyes. With a push of a button, it can turn hot or cold depending on your needs. I hear they're good for headaches. Plus, it's green for St. Patrick's Day." 

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

You lean down and kiss him just when Emily and Penelope come in. They're close enough for you to overhear their conversation.

"How's it going, stranger?" Penelope asks.

"Oh, I'm a little tired. I went Salsa dancing last night."

"Oh, my God, like I need another reason to find you amazing." Penelope hands her a piece of paper. "This call for you from Sean McAllister came to my phone accidentally. He sounded very hot and very important."

Emily looks at her so quickly that you think she might snap her neck. That got her attention. She tries to play it cool but you feel her desperation.

"Did he leave a message?"

"No, but it's from Paris. A Scottish guy calling from Paris. Know this, Emily--even if he is ugly, Scottish guys are hot. It's the accent."

"I'll keep that in mind," she chuckles.

"So, what's the skinny? Is he an ex? International booty call?"

"No. He's a friend."

You and Spencer head to the briefing room alongside Penelope and Emily.

"Where's Seaver?" Rossi asks.

"She had to take a test at the Academy," Emily answers.

"By now you must have seen the news," Hotch starts. "Mass murder in Miles City, Montana. Six people were shot and killed at a gas station. There isn't an apparent motive as of yet."

"Any security footage?" Spencer asks.

"No. No cameras, no witnesses, and ballistics say we're looking at two shooters."

"Something at the station must have triggered them. It doesn't look like they had much of a plan, and it may happen again. Spree Killers often repeat themselves."

It takes about six hours to get to Miles City, but you were redirected from that city to Billings, Montana which is two hours away. This time, they blew up the gas station after they were done with their murder spree. Fire burns energies so you're not able to see much. However, if you can see the victims, you might have a better chance with them.

"I'm sorry to reroute you to Billings, but last night, this went down," Detective Bates says when you get there.

"Have you released a statement to the press?"

"No, but it's already hit the air."

"Where's the car they dumped?" Derek asks.

"It's over there." She points to the woods behind the gas station. "Agents are searching it now."

"One of the vics said the shooters were a male and a female. How many people were murdered here?"

"Eight. If you add the Miles City killings, we're up to fourteen."

"Male-female teams are usually committed to pleasing each other, both mentally and physically. These guys are thrill killers. They're aroused by the adrenaline rush. So, they're not gonna stop until we catch them."

You walk inside what's left of the gas station. There are pools of blood where the victims were before they were taken away.

"They took the store owner in the back. They got the schoolteacher over here. The kid over here thought he was safe." Derek notices a chain on the front door. "Why chain them in?"

"They thrive on sadistic power."

"Hotch, I'm going to the ME's office and see what I can get from the victims," you say.

"Take Prentiss with you."

You leave the gas station and notice Emily on her phone. She quickly puts it away when you approach.

"Fancy a ride with me to the ME's office?"

"Let's do it."

You two leave the crime scene and go to the medical examiner's office which is expecting you. She greets you two with a handshake before escorting you to the back where the bodies are.

"I've seen dead bodies before, but this is insane. They're like Bonnie and Clyde. They smashed one guy's vertebrae so bad, it looked like a derailed train."

"Extreme brutality to this degree is what's known as an obliteration attack. The unsub wants to completely erase these victims from existence," you say.

She takes you to the back where one of the bodies is on display on the table.

"Two of the victims were shot at point-blank range."

There is a deep gash on the torso. "What made those?"

"That was a crowbar."

"The unsubs are becoming more and more confident which means their weapons are becoming more and more personal. The excitement of the brutality allows them to overcome their human inhibitions." The ME pulls out a second body from the coolers. "Why is this one covered?"

"It's the store clerk. The guy got hit pretty bad."

You pull the sheet back to reveal a badly beaten face.

"In medieval times, it would just be another Monday," you comment.

"He was sodomized with a tire iron. That kind of overkill suggests he was the root of their aggression. Maybe they're zeroing in on what's really pissing them off."

The only thing you're getting from the bodies is that there are two unsubs, one male and one female. Both of them have severe mental illnesses that they don't take medicine for, so they are completely unhinged. You and Emily leave the ME's office and head back to the gas station. As you're driving, you look at Emily who is looking out of the window in thought.

"So, Sean?"

"Not you too," she sighs.

"When are we going to meet him?"

"He's just a friend. Please, drop it."

You briefly look at her and frown. "I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't," she sighs. "I'm sorry. I just don't like talking about him."

"I get it," you nod.

You pull into the parking lot of the burnt gas station and rejoin the group who are on the phone with Penelope. The sun is starting to set so there isn't much sunlight left.

"Okay, I checked the surrounding areas. Seventy-two people applied for marriage licenses in Montana in the last three days."

"Do any of them have records?"

"Thirty-one do. The rest are clean."

"Send over all the names of the suspects with their ages, Garcia," Derek says.

"Lover, they're already sent. Check your phones," she smirks.

"You think they're newlyweds?" you ask when you join their side.

"There was rice all over the crime scene, and a bunch of alcohol was missing from the store. They're on their honeymoon."

"What did you find out from the ME?"

"Overkill on the store clerk and sodomy--object penetration. I wasn't able to see much from the energies, but I do know they both suffer from mental illness. Severely. I just don't know which one, but I do know they don't take medicine for it."

"Garcia, check any store clerks killed in the states east of Montana in the last thirty days," Hotch says. 

"Wow. There was a savagely beaten store clerk outside Jamestown at the beginning of the month, and then another one two days later in Bowman, North Dakota."

"That's probably where they got started."

"Thanks, Garcia."

It's only a matter of time before the unsubs strike again, this time at an AA meeting. Several victims were inside and one outside, away from the others. You reach down and touch the body with a gloved hand. You're taken back to last night when this happened. The unsub's car was parked in the back where the female unsub was sitting. You can see her long legs hanging out the window. The man on the ground approaches the car and starts to flirt with her. They get handsy before she beats him with the butt of the gun.

The male unsub must have been inside the meeting. You're not sure what was said but someone said something that pissed him off. After the killing spree, they took off down the road, but you're only able to see so far before they disappear out of view.

"This is one hundred miles west of the last gas station," Derek says, bringing you back to the present. "We anticipated them hitting this area, but not here." He looks down at the ma who was shot in the head. "Maybe this guy tried to have sex with one of our unsubs while the other one was inside."

"Yeah, he did. I saw it," you confirm.

"Cheating on your honeymoon. Someone's got a twisted sense of commitment," Emily scoffs.

You leave their side and join Hotch's inside.

"So, they steal the liquor from the gas station, they go on a binge, and then they come to a meeting?"

"What if the unsubs met at a meeting? They hear each other's stories and develop a bond because of their similar backgrounds," you theorize.

"That makes sense. People typically drink to excess because they're unhappy with themselves or their past," Spencer backs you up.

"From the looks of it, at least one of the unsubs shot from up front."

"Yeah, the male unsub was in here doing the meeting. The female was waiting in the car out back. I saw the victim out there trying to have sex with her."

"Well, if the meeting started at eight, and this happened at eight-forty-five, they were probably in the sharing portion of the meeting. Maybe they didn't come here to kill."

"What if they're really struggling with sobriety? That's the mental illness I saw. If they're really working on the program, they could be working on the hardest steps."

Hotch looks between you and Spencer. "Which are?"

"Seven, eight, and nine. Acknowledge your shortcomings, accept responsibility, and make amends. The trouble is, these unsubs already broke one of the most important steps."

"The thirteenth step," you finish Spencer's thought. "Members aren't supposed to enter relationships with each other while trying to get sober."

Both unsubs are easy to figure out so the team has come up with a profile easily. You gather the police outside of the empty gym where the AA meeting took place. You go where the unsubs go, and the police go where you go.

"We're looking for a young couple from North Dakota in their late teens to mid-twenties. We believe they may have recently been married. We're seeing that alcohol plays a significant role in these crimes. It's allowing them to kill freely and recklessly," Hotch begins.

"Our unsubs are killing surrogates who represent those responsible for deep-seated wounds. These two most likely met at alcohol support, and they get a sexual charge out of the kills. The change from gas station to alcohol support meetings suggests one of them might have a slight moral compass that led them to get help. Ultimately, we believe one of the pair is a sociopath, while the other is a psychopath."

"What's the difference?" Detective Bates asks.

You and Spencer answer at the same time and Spencer motions for you to take the stage.

"They're similar pathologies, but a sociopath is less likely to participate in criminal activity and can be lured by a dominant while a psychopath is a consummate leader and likely to engage and destroy anyone in their way. The most recent attack was twelve hours ago, which means they're most likely heading west of Helena and towards Idaho. All surrounding areas should be on alert."

"These alcohol support groups are based on anonymity. There'll be no record of who attended the meeting."

You step off to the side and take out your phone to call Penelope.

"Pen, our unsubs attended an alcohol support meeting last night, but they're not from the area. Can you trace who accessed their website yesterday?"

She pauses. "Three people went to that website, one on mobile, two on DSL."

"Cross-check that with a list of anyone married in Montana in the last two days."

"I'm coming up empty."

"See if anyone on the list who accessed the site is from North Dakota."

"Bingo. Ray Donovan of Devil's Lake."

"Hotch, we got something," you call out. The team walks over to you and you put Penelope on speakerphone. "Ray Donovan checked into the website, and he's from North Dakota."

"What's his story?" Hotch asks.

"He's twenty-seven. He's been in and out of foster care since he was ten. He looks like kind of a lush and a bit of a meanie. He's had two DUIs in the last two years. He was slapped with a restraining order by an ex-girlfriend."

"Sounds like our boy," Rossi comments.

"What's her name?" Emily asks. "She might be his partner."

"No, she's not," Penelope says. "Her name's Amy Wichowsky. She died a year ago of an overdose from a mix of alcohol and heroin."

"Garcia, get us the address of the foster home. Somebody there might know something."

"Sure. Sending now."

Ray has been with four foster families before the age of eighteen, and you spend the next couple of hours calling and speaking to all of them.

"Okay, I talked to all four of Ray's foster families. They say he was removed from his parent's home because of drugs and abuse."

"Garcia?" Hotch asks Pen who is on the phone.

"Yes?"

"Can we confirm that with the biological family?"

"I'm going to patch you through."

The phone rings and continues to ring, and you look at Hotch with a worried look.

"What if he's already there?"

"Garcia, send the address."

"Already sent."

By the time you get to Ray's father's house, he and his partner are already gone and his father is dead. His mother is still alive, which is a good thing. She might be able to shed some light on what is going on. You step foot into the small trailer and immediately see the blood stain on the window. Five bullets on the table which means Ray was playing Russian Roulette with his father.

Ray and his wife are spiraling.

"Ray must have been sitting right here, playing Russian Roulette with his dad," you say.

"Mr. Donovan was shot from across the room. Ray couldn't have done it sitting there," Emily says.

You turn to face the area where he was shot and see the female unsub standing there with a gun. Her features aren't super noticeable but you do notice her dull blue eyes. You look at Emily and notice she is staring at her phone with an ashen look.

"Em?" She looks up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's nothing."

"Is it Sean?" She nods. "Still don't want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know."

"I don't think Ray shot his father. I think his wife did. Actually, I know she did. I can see her."

"Why would Ray let her do that? He was the one with the grudge."

"I don't think she gave him the choice."

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[ironwoodatl01]

Batman; Gotham by Gaslight

Within the annals of cultural, pop cultural, and historical crime, there are few whose macabre methods could reach the bloody depths that 'yours truly,' Jack the Ripper, managed to plumb.

Five brutal deaths were all it took for that deadly name to resound for Five centuries. The echo of the deed has so scarred the psyche of man that Man collectively found 'champions' of their own to face the blood-soaked beast on the battlefield of 'what if' in an attempt, perhaps, to find a semblance of cold closure on one of the most famous cold cases in history.

A murderer must be hunted by a detective, and there is no more excellent detective at DC's disposal than Batman to solve the mystery of Jack the Ripper. It is a contest between legendary figures, a Dark Knight on a quest to capture a monster, two ghosts playing a grisly game of hide-and-seek through the foggy alleys of a Victorian-era Gotham lit not by neon ...but by Gaslight.

Ironically, even though Batman is DC's greatest detective, barely any detective work is done in both the movie and the original comic it is adapted from. Any investigative work done by Batman in both mediums to uncover the identity of Jack is brushed over, and the reveal of the killer's identity had nothing to do with anything Batman had done throughout the narrative.

Ultimately, Batman is almost railroaded into solving the mystery, and the climax is somewhat underwhelming and blunts the effect of the twist reveal of Jack the Ripper's true identity.

YES. Commissioner James Gordon IS Jack the Ripper. This risky reimagining elevated this adaptation to a height that its original comic did not achieve. The twist shocked the system for any DC fan familiar with Batman's relationship with Gordon. It is also expertly hinted at throughout the film for any sharp-eyed viewer interested in a whodunit, as the narrative presented many possible suspects, but Gordon was the only one who would have fit all the facts of the mystery. The twist was further muddied by the inspired decision to design Jack the Ripper to be as angular as possible, while Gordon had a softer, more rounded silhouette.

This culminates in a climactic showdown atop a burning Ferris wheel, which was ironically begun by a knocked-over gas lamp. At the end of a brutally animated brawl, Gordon allows himself to be consumed by the fire of the burning wheel. He is a good man driven into hellfire by his hellish desires. Was he the last evil of a bygone age sacrificed for a better future? Or was he just the latest in a never-ending cycle of self-destruction, doomed to go around in a wheel until the wheel eats itself alive?

Whatever the case, Gotham by Gaslight turned a throwaway 'what if' comic story into a film that embodies everything that makes a Batman story great. The film shows that, even if lit by gas, Gotham is still a city that needs its Dark Knight, regardless of what the city deserves.

[4tlasb0und]

Aura and Shilo parallels in thinking a Zing type feeling is vampiric thralls or some form of control similar to a bloodbond, something Shilo has experience with and Aura almost got in too deep to one

Aura thinking it’s some off shoot of Mesmerize with how her attention focuses on Shilo

Shilo losing composure thinking it’s a form of intimidation since he’s seen this woman’s proficiency in dirty fighting

Aura’s bloodline classification is essentially a werewolf equivalent of a Dhampir, keeping most human attributes, but having some pretty noticeable powers and flaws

Aura who’s first feral(werewolf frenzy ik ik dorky) was in a gaggle of toreador passing her around like a play thing experiencing it again from spiking heart rate only amplified further by the belief she’s being dominated again

Shilo who’s only experience with werewolves being TAYLOR LAUTNER, and recalling his own experience with frenzying with Emizel’s gang

This would be after witnessing each other’s fighting methods about three times.

The gas station run in was pre cullen games and they would only bump into eachother after the finale likely because she recognized Shilo as not a threat upon first meeting, even possibly finding his very clearly not from anywhere close to here attitude and appearance endearing after having dealt with vampires who were way too experienced

Between her feral rampage and the gas station, she would’ve bumped into Deacon with Shilo as they tried catching up after Cullen Games. I assumed Grefgor would’ve recognized her as someone that made his prince smile and so Grefgor would be the one to regroup them

The fight with Deacon was caused by the fact that aura reading checks(ironic) are at a lower difficulty cuz higher power vampires can practically smell a Van Helsing, esp with how close the group she took out was to California. There’d be a warning that a new Helsing was rising. The most fucked thing that could happen to your prince would be a Van Helsing getting a hold of him. So ofc Deacon would do the whole “get away from her Shilo” All while he doesnt know wtf is wrong cuz he didn’t know she was a Helsing or what that would mean for him.

And she’s trying to defend Shilo cuz for all she knows this very clearly vampire sheriff is messing with a touristing lower gen vamp + shilo’s aura is mortal, so he smells relatively normal to her detect kindred ability

Ill go over more later, eventually write drabbles, but heres some content for you guys

[gothamite-rambler]

Dick, Roy, Donna, and Kara were locked in a room, each waiting for their partners to rescue them. Kara was feeling the effects of kryptonite, leaving her too weak to break them out.

Dick sat on the floor, idly circling his finger in the dust. The tension in the room lingered as they each contemplated their situation.

Dick: While we wait to be rescued, I have a confession… I don’t actually think Batman is that smart.

Roy: Wait, what?

Dick: Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. It's just... He thinks he can do everything on his own, but he really can’t.

Donna: Why are you confessing this now?

Dick: Because he’s my father and I grew up with him. I’m bored, and honestly, I’m frustrated by how long it’s taking him to save us. He’s an egotistical, blunt, traumatized guy who acts like he knows it all, but he doesn’t.

Roy: Um, can he—

Kara (raising her hand while lounging on the floor): Hold on, let him cook.

Dick: This guy has contingency plans for every hero out there but refuses to call them friends. He can’t maintain a relationship; I’m shocked he’s still with Selina. And for a master detective, he sure doesn’t seem to realize that gas station condoms or the pull-out method aren’t exactly foolproof!

Roy (interested now): Keep going.

Dick: He always has to insist on being right.

Donna and Kara: What? No.

Roy: No, I get what he’s saying.

Dick: He’s so difficult! He still refuses to admit that Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight" isn't about a drowning man! I’ll give him credit; he knows how to apologize when he’s wrong, he just sucks at always doing it. I grew up with that man in his twenties. I’ve seen all his mistakes. If it weren’t for Alfred, Jim, and honestly me, he’d be a complete train wreck—

Just then, Batman kicked open the door, clearly having overheard the entire conversation. Roy covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. Dick waved nonchalantly, unfazed.

Dick: Hey, Papa! You made it... five hours later.

Batman (enraged): You… You... You are grounded! Grounded until... next month!

Dick pouted.

Kara: He’s an adult!

Dick: I mean, he can ground me. Totally worth it.

Batman grabbed Dick by the leg and started dragging him out, but Dick didn’t seem to mind, arms still crossed and a grin on his face.

Dick: I want McDonald’s!

Batman: No!

Dick (whining): I want McDonald’s!

Batman: Fine, but you’re still grounded.

Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow watched the father-son argue for a moment, then turned to their respective family members.

Roy: Can you ground us?

Green Arrow (sighing): No. Just walk to the car.

Roy followed Green Arrow out while Donna linked arms with Wonder Woman and left alongside her. Meanwhile, Kara lifted her leg in front of Superman.

Superman: The effects of the kryptonite wore off.

Kara: Do it, or I’ll spill the beans about that Christmas party.

Superman (groaning): Fine.

He grabbed her leg and began dragging her along the smooth floor.

[tawked]

I'm now just over the half-way mark on Matt Wagner's Sandman Mystery Theatre, and it's kind of remarkable how a lot of what I've seen people saying that they want out of Batman for years is just... here.

It has:

supervillains but they're written like adventure novel pulpy mad scientists with coherent motives that often aren't "eeeheheh I am mentally ill and therefore of a fiendish nature!" None of them are dialed up to Joker levels where they're just doing genocides weekly.

an eccentric superhero detective with dead parents and The Traumas, where this is played in a way very distinct from "he does violence on criminals b/c cycle of abuse."

a thorough exploration of the contradiction of antifascism from a white billionaire perspective (the "why doesn't Bruce Wayne just buy everybody a house" criticism).

a superhero that doesn't beat up on the poor or marginalized, and in fact uses the most nonviolent method possible. His villains are never just some broke dude trying to jack a TV.

the best, most compelling woman co-lead - and she is sincerely a co-lead, not just a love interest - I've personally seen in a comic.

she's bi and flirting with her self-identity and the possibility of lezzing out with her weird friend.

Sandman remains outside of the police system at all times; there is no real Commissioner Gordon analogue. He builds some allies, namely the District Attorney, who doesn't know how to deal with him, and with Dr. Klein, a forensic coroner usually working for the police, but The Sandman remains outside of law for the majority of stories.

a healthier version of the Alfred & Julia Pennyworth narrative.

nazis getting fucked up.

What it does not have:

a small legion of kids running around the city fighting crime. Wesley does not remain a solitary hero for very long, in fact a handful of storylines feature him meeting and in some way teaming up with future Justice Society of America members, and Dian is always around, but the Robin Army has no analogue here.

gadgets. Outside of the gas gun it's pretty mild.

Barbara Gordon, but Dian is pretty close to what Barbara Gordon was in the 1960s, actually.

recurring villains. Most villains end the narrative perma-arrested or dead. Sometimes the deaths are kinda lame but that's a consciously invoked trope of pulp fiction.

While I am obviously recommending this series especially to Batman people who would find a remix interesting, I feel that it's the kind of series that needs to be recommended with trigger warnings:

sexual violence: there is a tone / threat of sexual violence throughout and sometimes it is very candidly portrayed. Especially The Brute, the story that spans #8 - #12, which includes a very graphic and imo debatably tasteless CSA scene.

racism: every single character is in some way a racist as a way of demonstrating the nature and threat of fascism in the United States, as well as flaws in policing and the cultural concept of crime.

clumsier racism: some of the attempts at anti-racist writing feel dated or a little clumsy. Asian Americans are broadly poorly written, imo - the intent of humanizing the characters is there but the Tong feels written as if out of "Oriental Tales to Shock and Delight" or whatever. There's one narrative about a German man getting radicalized into Nazism, and the twist is, the specific Jewish community he's targeting does run a corrupt union that is extorting the local businesses. The clasic mafia trope, but Jewish.

The series does have a diverse cast of Jewish characters, but it is worth noting the "Good Jews" are usually secular / reform, while this union is visibly Orthodox. I'm also a gentile from a country where like 0.4% of the population are Jewish lol, I am honestly not aware of the tropes and context to watch out for, so I might be accidentally recommending something gross in ignorance here. Still, the work doesn't seem to be actively attempting to vilify "Jews" so much as this one rabbi, his sons and their network of friends, who are humanized in that theyh are forced into crime due to the systemic realities of antisemitism. It seems to be aiming for, "okay, let's say a corrupt Jewish union exists - what might have led to them being corrupt?" and the answer is surviving in an antisemitic world.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Astronomers find Earth-like exoplanets common across the cosmos

New study debunks a single planet-formation scenario

Using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), an international team of researchers has discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought, according to a new study. 

By studying light anomalies made by the newly found planet’s host star and combining their results with a larger sample from a KMTNet microlensing survey, the team found that super-Earths can exist as far from their host star as our gas giants are from the sun, said Andrew Gould, co-author of the study and professor emeritus of astronomy at The Ohio State University. 

“Scientists knew there were more small planets than big planets, but in this study, we were able to show that within this overall pattern, there are excesses and deficits,” he said. “It’s very interesting.”

While it can be relatively easy to locate worlds that orbit close to their star, planets with wider paths can be difficult to detect. Still, researchers further estimated that for every three stars, there should be at least one super-Earth present with a Jupiter-like orbital period, suggesting these massive worlds are extremely prevalent across the universe, said Gould, whose early theoretical research helped develop the field of planetary microlensing.

The findings in this study were made via microlensing, an observational effect that occurs when the presence of mass warps the fabric of space-time to a detectable degree. When a foreground object, such as a star or planet, passes between an observer and a more distant star, light is curved from the source, causing an apparent increase in the object’s brightness that can last anywhere from a few hours to several months. 

Astronomers can use these fluctuations, or bumps, in brightness to help locate alien worlds unlike our own. In this case, microlensing signals were used to locate OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, a super-Earth with a mass ratio roughly double that of Earth’s and an orbit wider than Saturn’s. 

These observations allowed the team to divide exoplanets into two groups, one that consists of super-Earths and Neptune-like planets and the other comprising gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn. This discovery opens new doors for planetary system science: Having a better understanding of exoplanet distribution can reveal new insights about the processes by which they form and evolve.

The study, led by researchers in China, Korea and at Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution in the United States, was recently published in the journal Science.

To explain their results, researchers also compared their findings to predictions made from theoretical simulations of planet formation. Their results showed that while exoplanets can be separated into groups by mass and makeup, the mechanisms that may produce them can vary.

“The dominant theory of gas-giant formation is through runaway gas accretion, but other people have said that it could be both accretion and gravitational instability,” said Gould. “We’re saying we can’t distinguish between those two yet.”

Doing so will likely require greater swaths of long-term data from specialized systems such as KMTNet and other microlensing instruments like it, said Richard Pogge, another co-author of the study and a professor of astronomy at Ohio State. 

“Finding a microlensing star event is hard. Finding a microlensing star with a planet is hard-squared,” he said. “We have to look at hundreds of millions of stars to find even a hundred of these things.” 

These alignments are so rare that only 237 out of the more than 5,000 exoplanets ever discovered have been identified using the microlensing method. Now, with the help of three powerful custom-built telescopes located in South Africa, Chile and Australia, the KMTNet system routinely allows scientists to scour the cosmos for these amazing events, said Pogge. 

Most notably, it was scientists in Ohio State’s Imaging Sciences Laboratory who designed and built the Korean Microlensing Telescope Network Cameras (KMTCam) that the system relies on to identify exoplanets. And as technology continues to evolve, having dedicated, global collaborations like this one will turn visions of scientific theory into real discoveries, said Pogge.

“We’re like paleontologists reconstructing not only the history of the universe we live in but the processes that govern it,” he said. “So helping to bring both of those pieces together into one picture has been enormously satisfying.”

[hivemindomega]

'I'm not going to do down THIS rabbit hole' Says I, a fool little notes from an unknown journalist. Mostly an excuse to render some pikmin with my personal headcanons. i love textures.

(captions under readmore because I know this text isn't very readable)

2nd Img: Red Pikmin are the most common Pikmin species in PNF-404, and likely an explorer's first encounter. They are identified by their signature, nose-like facial thorn. Red Pikmin display heightened aggression in comparison to other colors. They use their 'nose' to pierce the hide of their foes, who quickly succumb to the painful assault. Despite this, they are very friendly to spacefarers. Fire is a common defense mechanism, and so it is thought Red Pikmin developed their immunity to prey on the likes of the Fiery Blowhog, and clear up territory by 'borrowing' their fire. 3rd Img: Yellow Pikmin are a common species of surface dwelling Pikmin characterized by their large ear-like appendages. Their light weight and love of high perches hint towards semi-arboreal preferences, although this is mere conjecture.

These Pikmin resist and are attracted by electricity, a trait possibly developed due to their habitat being more susceptible to storms.

They are also known for their hoarding behavior, being avid resource diggers and lovers of shiny objects.

Yellows are the first confirmed case of tool use (bombrocks) among Pikmin. 4rth Img: Blue Pikmin are semi-aquatic and the third most common Pikmin on the surface.

Blue Pikmin appear to have a permanently open, downturned mouth. However, while often used for emoting, this 'mouth' is in fact a gill. It facilitates gas exchange, enabling the Pikmin to operate underwater without suffocating. Like all other Pikmin, a Blue's disgestive system is only suitable for consuming liquids, such as nectar.

Blue Pikmin usually prefer to walk along a body of water's bottom. However, they're capable of incredible bursts of speed by using their powerful stems as a caudal fin, vibrating their leaves through the water. 5th Img: White and Purple Pikmin are rare, cave-dwelling species.

Whites are matched with Winged Pikmin as the smallest species, and the fastest. Their only pigment is the chlorophyll of their leaves and are otherwise albino. A White's main method of defense is their speed, and their poison, lethal enough to kill an adult Bulborb. Their oversized eyes are adapted to the dark. They have a remarkably foul temperament.

Purple Pikmin are incredibly dense. Weighing ten times their size, they have an extremely heavy core, making them powerhouses and also very, very hefty. Their hairlike trichomes are used as whiskers, navigating tunnels and detecting threats by feeling air movement.

Both species often cohabitate, and are known to attach themselves to surface colonies. 6th Img: Winged Pikmin, alo called Pink Pikmin, are a close relative of White Pikmin. However, their small size and large eyes are about where their similarities end. Wings are, notably, naturally ocurring transgenic organisms. By repeatedly preying on flying insects, their host Onion appears to have recombined their DNA into a functional flighted form. The implications of this and the medical applications of Onions are yet unresearched.

Rock Pikmin are part of a classification dubbed 'Hermikmin'. Though coloquially referred to as parasitic, their choice of host (inert stones, usually graphite) make this claim incorrect. Rocks root inside their chosen stone permanently. This makes them very durable, and unappetizing to predators. However, this makes them clumsy and their internal structures are distorted. Rock Pikmin with cracked shells will die quickly without the internal pressure. 7th Img: Ice Pikmin are another subspecies of Hermikmin which have evolved for rooting inside slabs of ice. Even less appetizing than their rocky cousins, Ice Pikmin maintain body temperatures low enough to give would-be predators hypothermia and a bad case of brainfreeze. Their bodies are full of anti-freeze. They are very rare, requiring temperate to sub-zero habitats to maintain homeostasis, and are very vulnerable to fire or heat.

Glow Pikmin are an exclusively nocturnal species. Rather than being seeded from Onions, Glows spawn from a subterranean 'Lumiknoll' that emerges at sundown. They possess many abilities that are hardly explainable by science and are rumored to be unable to die. Glow Pikmin might not be Pikmin at all.

[scotianostra]

May 2nd 1860 saw the birth of physiologist John Scott Haldane in Edinburgh.

Haldane has been described as a versatile genius who solved several problems of great practical significance. His work on high altitude physiology, diving physiology, oxygen therapy, and carbon monoxide poisoning led to a sea change in clinical medicine and improved safety and reduced mortality and morbidity in many high risk situations.

John Haldane attended Edinburgh Academy, Edinburgh University and the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. He graduated in medicine from Edinburgh University Medical School in 1884. In 1906, Haldane, discovered that the respiratory reflex was triggered by an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood, rather than a lack of oxygen. He went on to experiment on himself breathing several toxic gases to find out more about them, the main discovery was that carbon monoxide was the cause of deaths in the depths of mines, he suggested that miners carry small animals like mice or canaries to detect dangerous levels of the gas in their working environment, it wasn’t until the 80’s that this method was replaced by electronic gas detectors.

The following year again using himself as the “guinea pig” he made great strides in making deep sea diving safer when he designed a decompression chamber.

During the First World War Haldane was able to identify the use of disabling chlorine and phosgene gas by the Germans, and designed the first gas masks for use in chemical warfare and also an oxygen therapy equipment to treat its victims.

John Scott Haldane died in Oxford on the night of 14 March/15 March 1936, soon after returning from a trip to investigate cases of heat stroke in the oil refineries in Persia, he made lasting contributions to improved working conditions years before health and safety itself became an industry, and he never failed to give credit to colleagues. He is considered as ‘Father of Oxygen Therapy Ponies Scotland

Pics are of Haldane and some showing his aparatus, you have to say, that's an impressive moustache the man had!

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Laser-based device can scan almost any sample of gas and tell you what's in it

Expert sommeliers can take a whiff of a glass of wine and tell you a lot about what's in your pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon. A team of physicists at CU Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have achieved a similar feat of sensing, only for a much wider range of substances. The group has developed a new laser-based device that can take any sample of gas and identify a huge variety of the molecules within it. It is sensitive enough to detect those molecules at minute concentrations all the way down to parts per trillion. Its design is also simple enough that researchers could employ the method quickly and at a low cost in a range of settings, from diagnosing illnesses in human patients to tracking greenhouse gas emissions from factories.

Read more.