#higher applications of mathematics

[warwearyvillein]

Next week is looking fun

[badkitty3000]

Please do a silly little drabble of Five helping reader (primarily a biology (you can change the subject to whatever) researcher and is good at maths but that is not her speciality. she is having to study some advanced maths (or physics) concept as an extension of her biology research) with a certain mathematics concept and as she is growing a bit tired and frustrated of it all, Five turns it into a (sex) reward system after she figures out every problem .

Done! Not sure it's technically a drabble, but it's fairly short compared to my normal stuff 😽❤️

Study Date

Five x female reader, 1.7k words, one-shot, request

Warnings: Smut, sex, you know the drill

The dim light of the desk lamp illuminated the pages of numbers and alien symbols on the pages in front of you. You had been sitting there for hours, trying to make sense of it all. Your exam was coming up in a few days and it seemed no amount of studying was helping. In fact, you seemed to be getting dumber. Or at least, that’s how you felt.

You threw your pencil across the room in frustration. “I’m never going to understand this crap!”

As you put your head in your hands, closing your eyes, you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“You alright?” Five asked.

You shook your head, not bothering to lift it. “No. I’m not,” you muttered miserably.

Five massaged your shoulders, immediately making you feel more relaxed. “Do you want any help?”

You sighed, then looked up. He was smiling at you in that know-it-all way of his. “You’re just going to make fun of me.”

“I would never do that.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You always do that.”

Five laughed. “Ok, you got me there. But I promise in this particular case I will not make fun of you.”

With another heavy sigh you looked back down at the impossible equations you were supposed to understand. “This is just so stupid. All I’m trying to do is finish my master’s in microbiology. I’m not sure why learning advanced calculus has anything to do with that. Give me some bacteria to identify and it’s no problem. But this shit? No thank you.”

“Math is applicable everywhere and in every situation,” Five answered, running his hands down your arms.

“Maybe for you.”

Five came around and perched on the desk in front of you, still wearing that cocky smirk of his. You had been studying for your exam for the last few days and it had been a while since the two of you had been intimate. Now, looking at him sitting there, his green eyes flashing under dark hair, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and the top few buttons of his shirt undone, you were suddenly reminded of this fact.

Running your hands up and down his thighs, you looked up at him with a sexy smile. “I know how you can help me.”

Five cocked his head to the side, clearly amused. “And how is that, darling?”

You moved your hands to the front of his pants, tugging at his belt loops. “Fuck me,” you said plainly and confidently. No use in sugar coating it.

Five took your hands in his and shook his head. “You have to study.”

You whined, throwing your head back like a child and stomped your foot. “No! I’m sick of it. And I’m horny. And you’re so hot. It’s not fair!”

Laughing at your little sex tantrum, Five leaned down, cupping your chin in his hand and kissed you. “Sweetheart, if you don’t learn this material, you’re going to regret it. I would love nothing more than to throw you on top of this desk and ruin you, but we can do that later.”

The groan that left your mouth was embarrassing, but you didn’t care. “Five… you just made this ten times worse! Now all I can think about is you fucking me on this desk.” You caressed his thighs again, this time sneaking your fingers up higher and grazing his crotch. “Please…?”

He shook his head and stood up. Then he walked up behind you again, and you felt the soft rush of his breath against your neck. His hair swept across your cheek as he brushed his lips under your jaw.

“I’ll tell you what… I’ll give you what you want. But I’m going to make sure you learn this stuff,” he whispered before rubbing his cheek against yours. 

Your breath caught in your throat. “Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that?”

Leaning over you, Five tapped his finger on one of the problems that had been irking you. “Look at this right here. You need to simplify the equation. Do you know how to do that?”

His voice was low and gentle, and the subtle scent of his cologne mixed with his own natural scent was driving you wild. You nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

“Good. Show me how.”

You still weren’t sure what the hell he was getting at, but you grabbed another pencil off the desk and broke down the equation until you were fairly certain it was correct. “There. Is that it?”

Five moved his hands to your shoulders again, this time continuing down the front of your chest. He cupped your breasts, squeezing them lightly while simultaneously placing a line of sucking kisses down the side of your neck.

With your eyes closed and your head tipped back, you moaned. “What are you doing?”

“Rewarding you,” he explained, and you could feel his cocky smirk as he kissed you again. “Every time you get something right, I’ll give you a little more.”

You let out a short laugh. “What am I? One of Pavlov’s dogs?”

He squeezed your tits harder and you gasped. “I’m sure I can make you salivate, if that’s what you mean.”

With another small whimper, you nodded. “I have no doubt that you can.”

“Alright, then,” he said, removing his hands from your chest. He remained close to you though, hovering over your shoulder. “Let’s get to work.”

Over the next thirty minutes, his torture was exquisite. For every correct answer you gave him, he gave you something in return. It was a goddamn miracle that you could even focus at all, but you knew you had to learn this stuff and you also were dying for more of his touch. As the minutes ticked by and the equations got more complicated, his “rewards” got more heated.

When you solved for ‘x’, he tilted your head back with a hand under your jaw, scraping his teeth across the delicate skin of your neck while humming contentedly.

You defined pointwise convergence after a few tries, and Five roughly massaged your tits again; this time shoving his hands up your shirt, pinching your nipples through your bra and murmuring soft praises next to your ear.

After working relentlessly to determine the volume of a solid torus using Cavalieri’s Principle, you breathed hard and raggedly, your chest heaving as Five’s hands traced down your sides and onto your hips. You leaned back so you could kiss his mouth, hungrily devouring him as he slipped his fingers under your skirt and into your panties.

When he stopped, waiting for you to solve the hardest and final equation, you moaned pitifully.

“Five… please,” you whined. “I can’t even think… I need you… “

He shook his head slowly, kissing you lightly on the cheek while his fingers remained excruciatingly still between your legs.

“One more, darling… you can do it. Remember what I told you about the arclength interval.”

“You saying length is not helping matters,” you groaned with a breathy laugh.

Five flicked the tip of his tongue against your jawline. “Come on, focus,” he told you with a vicious grin. 

With another sad moan, you got to work, trying desperately to squeeze your thighs together as he continued to deny you what you really wanted.

Finally, you had it, and when you got the confirmation from Five that it was the correct answer, you threw your pencil across the room again. This time in celebration.

“Yes! I did it!” you cried with a smile.

Before you could contemplate much of anything else, you were being blinked out of your chair and slammed onto the desk, your papers and books flying off onto the floor. Five had you trapped beneath his body, his breathing hard and loud as he pressed his erection against your hip. His fingers were still inside your underwear, and he finished what he started by stroking your wet slit and toying with your clit.

He kissed you hard, his tongue venturing inside your mouth. When he pulled back, he was panting, mouth agape. His hand worked fast between your legs until you were arching your back and begging him for more.

“Fiive,” you whimpered sadly. “Please…”

Five nodded and pushed off of you just long enough for him to unzip his fly and pull his hard and waiting cock out. He stood between your legs and yanked your panties down and off.

“Fuck, I was about ready to solve that last one myself,” he told you between harsh breaths. He sunk his dick slowly inside you, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. “Oh, shiiit…fuck, you feel amazing.”

When he fucked you, he fucked you hard and relentlessly, your back sliding across the top of the desk while he pushed and pulled you rhythmically over his cock. His hands gripped the undersides of your thighs tightly. Each time he slammed into you, he hit that perfect spot each time.

Your fist clenched around a piece of paper, crushing it into a ball while you cried out his name. Five was cursing and groaning loudly until he stiffened against you, filling you up with his cum. He leaned over you, his hands on either side of your head as you both fought to catch your breath. He smiled down at you, his hair hanging over his eyes and his arms trembling from their intense workout. 

“Best. Study session. Ever,” you said with a long exhale, making Five laugh.

“I told you you could do it,” he answered, moving off of you and helping you sit up by taking your hand.

He pulled up his pants and you straightened your skirt out before pulling him down for a kiss. You looked him in his eyes and smiled, tracing a finger over his jaw. “Thank you,” you said softly.

“You’re welcome, my love,” he said before giving you another kiss. “But I’m not sure you really needed me. Not only are you beautiful, but you’re brilliant as well.”

On the day of the exam, you came rushing home and jumped into Five’s arms, wrapping your legs around his waist.

“I aced it!” you cried before kissing him.

“I knew you could do it,” he said with a loving smile.

“There was only one problem, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I have never been so horny taking a calculus exam in my entire life!” you told him with a laugh. “Seriously, I almost had to excuse myself to go take care of things in the bathroom. You really did Pavlov me.”

Five laughed and hugged you tighter. “Sorry about that.”

You shook your head. “I don’t think you are. But, good news… I have another test next week.”

“Well, then,” Five said with a sly grin. “Guess we better get studying.”

[niteshade925]

April 14, Xi'an, China, Shaanxi History Museum, Qin and Han Dynasties Branch (Part 3 – Innovations and Philosophies):

(Edit: sorry this post came out so late, I got hit by the truck named life and had to get some rest, and this post in itself took some effort to research. But anyway it's finally up, please enjoy!)

A little background first, because this naming might lead to some confusions.....when you see location adjectives like "eastern", "western", "northern", "southern" added to the front of Zhou dynasty, Han dynasty, Song dynasty, and Jin/晋 dynasty, it just means the location of the capital city has changed. For example Han dynasty had its capital at Chang'an (Xi'an today) in the beginning, but after the very brief but not officially recognized "Xin dynasty" (9 - 23 AD; not officially recognized in traditional Chinese historiography, it's usually seen as a part of Han dynasty), Luoyang became the new capital. Because Chang'an is geographically to the west of Luoyang, the Han dynasty pre-Xin is called Western Han dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD), and the Han dynasty post-Xin is called Eastern Han dynasty (25 - 220 AD). As you can see here, in these cases this sort of adjective is simply used to indicate different time periods in the same dynasty.

Model of a dragonbone water lift/龙骨水车, Eastern Han dynasty. This is mainly used to push water up to higher elevations for the purpose of irrigation:

Model of a water-powered bellows/冶铁水排, Eastern Han dynasty. Just as the name implies, as flowing water pushes the water wheel around, the parts connected to the axle will pull and push on the bellows alternately, delivering more air to the furnace for the purpose of casting iron.

The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art/《九章算术》, Fangcheng/方程 chapter. It’s a compilation of the work of many scholars from 10 th century BC until 2 nd century AD, and while the earliest authors are unknown, it has been edited and supplemented by known scholars during Western Han dynasty (also when the final version of this book was compiled), then commented on by scholars during Three Kingdoms period (Kingdom of Wei) and Tang dynasty. The final version contains 246 example problems and solutions that focus on practical applications, for example measuring land, surveying land, construction, trading, and distributing taxes. This focus on practicality is because it has been used as a textbook to train civil servants. Note that during Han dynasty, fangcheng means the method of solving systems of linear equations; today, fangcheng simply means equation. For anyone who wants to know a little more about this book and math in ancient China, here’s an article about it. (link goes to pdf)

Diagram of a circle in a right triangle (called “勾股容圆” in Chinese), from the book Ceyuan Haijing/《测圆海镜》 by Yuan-era mathematician Li Ye/李冶 (his name was originally Li Zhi/李治) in 1248.  Note that Pythagorean Theorem was known by the name Gougu Theorem/勾股定理 in ancient China, where gou/勾 and gu/股 mean the shorter and longer legs of the right triangle respectively, and the hypotenuse is named xian/弦 (unlike what the above linked article suggests, this naming has more to do with the ancient Chinese percussion instrument qing/磬, which is shaped similar to a right triangle).  Gougu Theorem was recorded in the ancient Chinese mathematical work Zhoubi Suanjing/《周髀算经》, and the name Gougu Theorem is still used in China today.

Diagram of the proof for Gougu Theorem in Zhoubi Suanjing. The sentence on the left translates to "gou (shorter leg) squared and gu (longer leg) squared makes up xian (hypotenuse) squared", which is basically the equation a² + b² = c². Note that the character for "squared" here (mi/幂) means "power" today.

This is a diagram of Zhang Heng’s seismoscope, called houfeng didong yi/候风地动仪 (lit. “instrument that measures the winds and the movements of the earth”).  It was invented during Eastern Han dynasty, but no artifact of houfeng didong yi has been discovered yet, this is presumably due to constant wars at the end of Eastern Han dynasty.  All models and diagrams that exist right now are what historians and seismologists think it should look like based on descriptions from Eastern Han dynasty. This diagram is based on the most popular model by Wang Zhenduo that has an inverted column at the center, but this model has been widely criticized for its ability to actually detect earthquakes. A newer model that came out in 2005 with a swinging column pendulum in the center has shown the ability to detect earthquakes, but has yet to demonstrate ability to reliably detect the direction where the waves originate, and is also inconsistent with the descriptions recorded in ancient texts. What houfeng didong yi really looks like and how it really works remains a mystery.

Xin dynasty bronze calipers, the earliest sliding caliper found as of now (not the earliest caliper btw). This diagram is the line drawing of the actual artifact (right).

Ancient Chinese "Jacquard" loom (called 提花机 or simply 花机 in Chinese, lit. "raise pattern machine"), which first appeared no later than 1st century BC. The illustration here is from the Ming-era (1368 - 1644) encyclopedia Tiangong Kaiwu/《天工开物》. Basically it's a giant loom operated by two people, the person below is the weaver, and the person sitting atop is the one who controls which warp threads should be lifted at what time (all already determined at the designing stage before any weaving begins), which creates patterns woven into the fabric. Here is a video that briefly shows how this type of loom works (start from around 1:00). For Hanfu lovers, this is how zhuanghua/妆花 fabric used to be woven, and how traditional silk fabrics like yunjin/云锦 continue to be woven. Because it is so labor intensive, real jacquard silk brocade woven this way are extremely expensive, so the vast majority of zhuanghua hanfu on the market are made from machine woven synthetic materials.

Chinese purple is a synthetic pigment with the chemical formula BaCuSi2O6. There's also a Chinese blue pigment. If anyone is interested in the chemistry of these two compounds, here's a paper on the topic. (link goes to pdf)

A list of common colors used in Qin and Han dynasties and the pigments involved. White pigment comes from chalk, lead compounds, and powdered sea shells; green pigment comes from malachite mineral; blue pigment usually comes from azurite mineral; black comes from pine soot and graphite; red comes from cinnabar; ochre comes from hematite; and yellow comes from realgar and orpiment minerals.

Also here are names of different colors and shades during Han dynasty. It's worth noting that qing/青 can mean green (ex: 青草, "green grass"), blue (ex: 青天, "blue sky"), any shade between green and blue, or even black (ex: 青丝, "black hair") in ancient Chinese depending on the context. Today 青 can mean green, blue, and everything in between.

Western Han-era bronze lamp shaped like a goose holding a fish in its beak. This lamp is interesting as the whole thing is hollow, so the smoke from the fire in the lamp (the fish shaped part) will go up into the neck of the goose, then go down into the body of the goose where there's water to catch the smoke, this way the smoke will not be released to the surrounding environment. There are also other lamps from around the same time designed like this, for example the famous gilt bronze lamp that's shaped like a kneeling person holding a lamp.

Part of a Qin-era (?) clay drainage pipe system:

A list of canals that was dug during Warring States period, Qin dynasty, and pre-Emperor Wu of Han Han dynasty (475 - 141 BC). Their purposes vary from transportation to irrigation. The name of the first canal on the list, Hong Gou/鸿沟, has already become a word in Chinese language, a metaphor for a clear separation that cannot be crossed (ex: 不可逾越的鸿沟, meaning "a gulf that cannot be crossed").

Han-era wooden boat. This boat is special in that its construction has clear inspirations from the ancient Romans, another indication of the amount of information exchange that took place along the Silk Road:

A model that shows how the Great Wall was constructed in Qin dynasty. Laborers would use bamboo to construct a scaffold (bamboo scaffolding is still used in construction today btw, though it's being gradually phased out) so people and materials (stone bricks and dirt) can get up onto the wall. Then the dirt in the middle of the wall would be compressed into rammed earth, called hangtu/夯土. A layer of stone bricks may be added to the outside of the hangtu wall to protect it from the elements. This was also the method of construction for many city walls in ancient China.

A list of the schools of thought that existed during Warring States period, their most influential figures, their scholars, and their most famous works. These include Confucianism (called Ru Jia/儒家 in Chinese; usually the suffix "家" at the end denotes a school of thought, not a religion; the suffix "教" is that one that denotes a religion), Daoism/道家, Legalism (Fa Jia/法家), Mohism/墨家, etc.

The "Five Classics" (五经) in the "Four Books and Five Classics" (四书五经) associated with the Confucian tradition, they are Shijing/《诗经》 (Classic of Poetry), Yijing/《易经》 (also known as I Ching), Shangshu/《��书》 (Classic of History), Liji/《礼记》 (Book of Rites), and Chunqiu/《春秋》 (Spring and Autumn Annals). The "Four Books" (四书) are Daxue/《大学》 (Great Learning), Zhongyong/《中庸》 (Doctrine of the Mean), Lunyu/《论语》 (Analects), and Mengzi/《孟子》 (known as Mencius).

And finally the souvenir shop! Here's a Chinese chess (xiangqi/象棋) set where the pieces are fashioned like Western chess, in that they actually look like the things they are supposed to represent, compared to traditional Chinese chess pieces where each one is just a round wooden piece with the Chinese character for the piece on top:

A blind box set of small figurines that are supposed to mimic Shang and Zhou era animal-shaped bronze vessels. Fun fact, in Shang dynasty people revered owls, and there was a female general named Fu Hao/��好 who was buried with an owl-shaped bronze vessel, so that's why this set has three different owls (top left, top right, and middle). I got one of these owls (I love birds so yay!)

And that concludes the museums I visited while in Xi'an!

[errant-heron]

on reflection, I think that the deal with grad students is that they come across as normal only if you have already the defect that causes you to become a grad student. therefore you can certainly have conversations with six or seven people that derail because all participants simultaneously reveal themselves as too socially stunted to interact at this level; but these people generally do not present as weird™ in line with the very online image of the transgender grad student who will talk to you at length about [fungi] while dressed in the least conventional way imaginable.

it is very simple to understand why: there are not many people matching this image in the world to begin with, and the additional strangeness beyond being very interested in your field is likely not an advantage in applications. in fact, if one cannot pretend to be well-adjusted for interviews and meetings, it is likely to be a disadvantage. the result is maybe a few-percent level presence, at least in theoretical physics. probably a bit higher in pure mathematics

[askviktor]

What's your PhD in? How about Jayce's? How many years did it take? Did you have to write and defend a thesis? I'm curious about how higher ed works in Piltover and what the process was like for you and your partner.

Our degrees are earned much like yours. Jayce has a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, the final semester of which he completed while we developed Hextech. I have a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Theoretical Physics. For me, these took a combined six years to complete. I completed my undergraduate degree in three years, which I began when I was sixteen. I was a very... single-minded student. I suppose I still am.

My Master’s thesis in Applied Mathematics explored nonlinear dynamical systems in self-regulating mechanisms - how complex, seemingly chaotic systems could stabilize themselves through feedback loops.

My Theoretical Physics PhD dissertation was titled "Harmonic Resonance and the Theory of Energy Optimization in Adaptive Constructs." I proposed that energy could be manipulated more efficiently through resonance patterns, allowing mechanical systems to function with minimal external input. In essence, I sought to create machines that could power themselves.

Of course, it was not until I encountered Hextech that my theories found their true application.

[comicaurora]

Are you willing to make a long personal post about how Math should be presented in an educational environment or in general conversation trying to convince the other participants about its daily usage. How it can advance a person’s problem-solving skills and approach in life.

I’m really good in Mathematics. I’ve given help for my classmates and friends about Math when they are having trouble or ask for it. But I have never been convinced of its importance outside of the classroom, outside of the test papers that gives me the variables to substitute in the given equation of that test of the day.

How can Math and it’s many properties relate back to everyday life in a casual manner?

Hm. Well, as someone who hasn't had to solve an antiderivative in years, my perspective on this is that the most important and widely-applicable skill math can teach you is the stuff behind the math - mostly the muscle-memory you get from proofs.

Math is, at its core, puzzles and logic and pattern-recognition. You learn a set of tools, you practice those tools on a set of simple problems until you get a feel for them, you are presented with a bigger problem, you recall which tools best applied to problems that are shaped like this, you break the problem down using your tools and eventually reduce it to something you know how to solve.

The fact of the matter is, the tools that are specific to branches of math don't really have much widespread use outside pure mathematics, and unless you go out of your way to keep using them you're likely to lose track of them. Studying math is not going to turn you into a super-calculator-wizard who can bounce stuff off the walls at perfect angles and do six-figure arithmetic in seconds, and I think some people feel overwhelmed at the assumption that that's what's expected of them if they learn math, and some other people feel cheated when they learn that that's absolutely not going to happen, because most writers don't know math and when they tell stories with math in them their best guess is it makes you a wizard.

I think the most advanced math I've used lately was trigonometry, and that was just because I was curious about how fast my plane was traveling relative to the sun's apparent movement at my latitude. We were flying back to the US from Iceland and we'd taken off at sunset, and we had been in that sunset for at least an hour by the time I got curious how the math worked out and started estimating our latitude, the circumference of the slice of the earth at that latitude, and correspondingly how fast we were flying vs how fast it was spinning to complete a full rotation in 24 hours. But even if the math involved didn't tap into any of the higher-level stuff I'd learned post-trig, those years doing proofs and figuring out which tools applied to which geometry meant that I could use the tools and my training applying those tools to calculate what I wanted to know, and confirm that our plane was actually outflying the sun when we were at iceland latitude, but as we curved south the sun's apparent relative movement (aka the rotational speed of that latitude of the earth) slowly accelerated until we were falling behind, landing right as the sun finally set. The math involved was high school level, but if I'd been given that problem in high school it would've taken more work and more stress to figure out how the tools I had needed to be applied to the problem I was facing. The years of practice I had tackling much more complicated proofs made the diagnostic process much faster.

I saw someone once analogize studying math to lifting weights. Where am I going to use this in real life? How often will I really be faced with two dumbbells that need to be lifted in three sets of twenty? Where am I going to apply the skill of holding a heavy thing straight out to one side of my body?

You don't lift weights because lifting weights is such a valuable and widely-applicable skillset, you do it because lifting weights makes you better at lifting everything.

You don't study math because math is going to fill your daily life with concepts that you need to prove true for 1 and for n+1 given true for n, or complex solids that you need to sum an approximate volume for, or a surplus of sunset plane flights that demand you calculate a bunch of cosines. You study math because it is the skillset of making things make sense. It trains you to break a huge, incomprehensible problem down into a series of small problems you already know how to solve. It lets you reach true and correct conclusions by starting from facts and transforming them through operations that preserve truth, and correspondingly that if you reach a false conclusion from these methods, then either the methods are flawed or the initial assumption is not as true as you believed. It teaches you to put two and two together and be confident, once you've double-checked your work, that you can say four.

This is stuff I use all the time in both my video research and my freeform writing. Building out a slow picture of how a story was told or changed over time involves finding the context it was created in, and reverse-engineering what parts of that context could have produced what standout portions of the story - what authorial or cultural bias results in this standout story element. Worldbuilding where I take two wildly disparate parts of the world, put them together and see what web of implications springs out of combining them, following the threads to new and interesting concepts that follow from what I've already established. Building a character arc by breaking down exactly what events are happening to them and what transformation each component will apply to the underlying character. If I want the story to go in a certain direction, what transformations do I need to apply to make that happen while still preserving truth? If I'm faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem, what methods can I use to break it down into bite-sized pieces?

This isn't something I think about most of the time. It's just how my brain works at this point, and I can't promise it'd work for anyone else. But thanks to all my years of hard work and training, my brain has been buff enough to solve every problem I've tangled with since graduation, and that feels pretty good.

[strangebiology]

Paleontology Job Opening!

If anyone is looking for a paleontology job, this one in the Green River Formation in Wyoming is hiring! It's a lot of 52-MYA fish. TONS of fish. Very occasionally, there's other stuff like bats, birds, and very early horse ancestors.

$19/hour

Full time with federal benefits

App due November 25, 2024 or when they receive 80 applications (whichever comes first, so hurry!) Requirements:

One year of experience required (paid or unpaid, professional or volunteer) in "the fields of paleontology, geophysics, or geology; assisting fossil preparation, field work in paleontology, paleontology research, paleontology database management, paleontology monitoring, paleo art, or specimen management of fossils; assisting with natural resources research projects; compiling and analyzing scientific data into reports; operating complex sampling, monitoring, and laboratory equipment; or using computer programs such as databases to compile, store, retrieve, analyze and report resource management data. Experience as a laboratory mechanic or in a trade or craft may be credited as specialized experience when the work was performed in close association with physical scientists or other technical personnel and provided intensive knowledge of appropriate scientific principles, methods, techniques, and precedents."

Successful completion of at least a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in an appropriate field of physical science, such as paleontology, geology, earth science, earth history or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as physical science, engineering, or any branch of mathematics except for financial and commercial mathematics. 

I don't know if paleontologists usually have to have higher levels of education, but I think this job is called "physical technician (paleontology)" to evade that.

If you're interested, go ahead and send in an application sooner rather than later. You can always withdraw later.

This is very close to me, so if you have questions about life here (that aren't easily Googlable) I'm happy to help! It's quite rural. If you're wondering what the rental market looks like, here's a Facebook group where people post rentals. I'm mostly JTM (just the messenger) but I may have a little more insight.

[raisinchallah]

like i dont think i really agree with the getting rid of academic tracked mathematics education for public school children as a way to try and eliminate the educational disparities in math and try to instead teach more real world applications of math because that will just further work to keep out disadvantaged students from math and acts like the problem is just real world applicability and not providing the opportunity for someone to have the fundamentals to pursue this in their future and leave that door open for them instead of getting tracked out of ever getting a chance to engage with higher level math because theyre deemed bad at it when theyre 12 like not that that isnt already whats happening but i really think further efforts can be made to improve math education instead of saying nobody except the few we already deem good at it and worth educating get to learn algebra

[anremithrl]

I've TAed a number of math classes. And I've seen a lot of students come at math with this... axiom, that they are bad at it. They already feel like they're going to lose before they enter the room. Especially with people taking some math GE they feel like they're going to struggle through, barely pass, and not use.

And to be fair, I don't know why the university mandates calculus as a GE. Is it that hard? No. Not really. Like... most things in anyone's major are going to be harder.

But, what does a history major need with calculus?

It's not a relevant skill, and especially the way I've seen it taught, it's not shown as particularly interesting. It's taught as calculations, to the point where I've met well-meaning people that ask if I've calculated anything interesting recently because they have not even the slightest knowledge of what mathematics becomes. They aren't taught ideas. They are taught disconnected formulas and expected to apply them blindly. And then what happens is that wihh to put a fundamental understanding, they get lost on edge cases. Not because they're bad at math. Though the more clever ones can figure out edge cases, the real problem is the lesson is this large task of memorisation that misses this edge case. So they feel like math sucks. And have not the slightest idea what it is about.

And how would they? Math teaching... isn't great. I had a lot of awesome teachers as I went higher into mathematics, but very few ones in lower mathematics. This isn't just a problem with mathematics. Basically any GE is a massive class with hundreds of students, most of which are studying things completely orthogonal to the class and have next to no interest in them. And the only way to grade such a large class is by rote, oversimplified, contrived tasks. I wouldn't want to teach a GE for that reason. I imagine a lot of professors feel the same way.

There's a few alternative classes they can take instead of calculus. I happened to see that there's an introduction to logic there on the list and I decided to nose in and see what was being taught, and it was a rudimentary introduction to proofs and sentential logic, along with some fallacies and whatnot. Some amount of hand-waviness was going on but it seemed a much better beginning to mathematics than calculus. Calculus is a very important foundation to engineers and physicists and anyone going into stem, but logic feels... really fundamental? Like, just basic logical reasoning, that we do every day, formalised just a bit. It gives the students confidence in their skills, and a good foundation for the formalisation required for mathematics. And it felt more creative and less rote. And probably more connected to reality than calculus. And even if I don't like applications... a lot of people do. A lot of credit needs to go to the professor. But it did serve as an example that a large GE class can be interesting. And that calculus is a terrible travesty we inflict on future historians.

There are so many problems with education. And we often forget to teach people math is very much a creative act.

[labellefleur-sauvage]

The Curse of Sleepy Hollow

In the quiet village of Sleepy Hollow in the human lands south of the Wall, there’s a local legend: that every All Hallow’s Eve, the ghostly form of a headless fae on a horse from the lands north of the Wall haunts the town for an evening, looking for his missing head and a human woman to take as his bride.

Too bad for Elain Archeron, the headless fae has found his head; now he’s looking for a bride, and he’s set his eyes on her.

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 7K

Read on AO3

Happy Monstertober! Thank you to @wilde-knight for the gentle encouragement and inspiration you provided for this fic. I guess if we want ye olde sexy times, we gotta write it ourselves.

XXX

“Don’t forget your letters, Timothy! I’m expecting a perfect assignment from you on Monday!”

Elain sighed to herself as she watched the crowd of schoolchildren tear off down the hill towards the small village. Young Timothy, in particular, paid his teacher no heed, his school bag full of hand me down books, crumpled parchment and half-broken pencils hanging precariously from his bone thin shoulder. In truth, Elain was surprised he’d come back to school this year; after the untimely death of his older brother, she thought for sure the young boy would be pulled into the fields to work day in and day out to harvest what meager crops managed to grow in the family’s rocky soil. 

Some of her other charges showed more promise, or at least a more stable home life. Clare had dreams of becoming a school teacher herself, and Isaac, with his parent’s approval and coin, had applied to the University in the south to study mathematics. 

Whatever became of these children, Elain hoped they would do what she couldn’t seem to do: get far, far away from this desolate, cursed town, and the nearby Wall haunting everyone who lived nearby.

Elain shivered as a sudden cold breeze whipped the air around her. She pulled her shaw closer around her shoulders. Just thinking about that damned Wall—what it stood for, and what was on the other side—always seemed to bring ill omens to her.

No one had warned Elain about the peculiarities of Sleepy Hollow when she took the school teacher position just a year ago. “The position is usually vacant,” her professor had said haltingly, avoiding her eager gaze. “The village may be willing to pay more, considering…”

Elain had ignored—hadn’t even noticed—her lecturer’s clear hesitation to speak about the job opening, too caught up in jealousy over her peers who had no trouble landing teaching positions around the realm. When the small piece of faded paper had been tacked onto the jobs board that morning, the weekly pay crossed out time and time again and a new, higher amount subsequently written in, Elain had grabbed it and sent her application letter that very day. 

And Elain had regretted that decision for the past 364 days. 

She shook herself from her memories. “No point in standing outside gazing at nothing like a crazy woman,” she muttered to herself. Elain walked back into her one room schoolhouse and tidied up as best she could and as much as she wanted. Like everyone else, she wanted to get home as soon as possible to enjoy her weekend.

When the floor had been swept, the chairs pushed in, the slates wiped clean and the books straightened out, dusk had fallen. Elain glanced down the hill towards Sleepy Hollow. The town was tucked in a small valley, and isolated from other settlements and villages. Warm, cozy lights flooded the dirt streets out of small houses. Chimney smoke lazily floated above the settlement. 

If only Elain were going there. When she’d arrived in town for her teaching position a few weeks after she’d applied, she’d been dismayed to learn the small house included in the job’s room and board had inexplicably burnt down the day she had sent her application. “But don’t worry,” the aldorman had said, putting on a brave face. “Housing was included in the posting, so housing you’ll get!”

What she had gotten was a small, cozy stone cottage that had been previously abandoned but quickly tidied up by the village when word of a new school teacher got out. The bed was large and comfortable, the rugs surprisingly soft, and the fireplace busy with an unlimited supply of wood from the villagers, all free.

If only it weren’t through the forest, on the other side of the town, and far too close to the Wall.

Gathering her cloak around her, Elain set off down the hill towards the forest. Most evenings she didn’t mind the stroll back home. It was an easy walk, one she could complete at a leisurely pace and admire the beautiful trees and singing birds. 

Tonight was different. Tonight was All Hallows Eve, and Elain had been a fool to forget it. 

As Elain neared the forest, she paused. The back of her neck prickled in unease. There was no one around her, yet she felt eyes on her, appraising her form, her appearance. Her breath escaped her mouth in a white vapor as something dragged across her neck, her throat—

Elain whipped around. She was alone. Even the birds had abandoned her.

Breathing harshly, the sudden chill making her weak, Elain turned back to the forest and marched onwards.

XXX

Sleepy Hollow had a…heaviness to it. It was as if the town was stuck in a permanent dream-like haze, a stupor hanging like the morning fog over the area. The town had a way of sinking its claws into anyone who stayed there too long, dragging them into its lair until it was too late, until they realized that they just couldn’t leave. Your one horse might fall and turn lame and need to be put down, or the money you’d been saving for months, years, had to go towards putting food on the table because you lost your job or the fields suddenly turned barren. Even those attempting to leave on foot always came back, one way or the other: they got lost in the woods and somehow turned around so badly they ended right where they started, or, in Timothy’s older brother’s case, his body returned in a wooden casket after it was fished out of the river, his neck unnaturally bent. 

And Elain worried that she had been here too long now, that Sleepy Hollow would never let her go. 

She had tried, this past spring. Deciding that life in the valley wasn’t want she wanted and missing her family, she’d written home to her father, requesting a small advance to ship all her belongings home and to secure passage home. But he had gotten sick, his following letter revealed, and could no longer work. With no income and all his money going towards his medicine, there was no money left to bring Elain home. Elain hadn’t earned nearly enough money as the one schoolteacher for Sleepy Hollow, and so, she had stayed. It was just an unfortunate turn of events, she reasoned. 

But Elain couldn’t help blaming it all on the Wall. 

That damned Wall, put in place to separate the weak human lands from the unnatural fae lands to the north. Erected more than 500 years ago, after a long and bloody war, it was supposed to keep the two sides apart, supposed to keep the humans safe and the cruel, animalistic Fae sanctioned away.

If only it actually worked. 

Elain heard it all, eventually, whether overheard from villagers along the streets or in the one lone pub, or from her pupils who blurted out the long held truth they didn’t know they were supposed to keep secret: the Wall had never held in Sleepy Hollow, and the town had been cursed by the Fae because of it.

At first, Elain dismissed it as false, the silly superstitions of a backwards, barely literate isolated village that needed to blame its bad luck on something other than themselves, rather than admit its own shortcomings. But then odd things started happening.

It started small: lentils scattered within her ashy fireplace when Elain certainly hadn’t spilled them there, or her clean stream water suddenly turning brown and filthy whenever she tried to scrub the floors. 

Then it progressed: a dead rabbit, clean of its fur, left on someone’s doorstep. The local blacksmith’s tools melted down overnight and his forge ruined, forcing him to use his life’s savings to keep his family in their home.

Then winter came. 

“It comes—hiccup!—in waves,” the town drunk, Aranea, whisper-shouted to her one winter evening in the corner of the pub. A local child had gone missing that day, and everyone gathered at the pub after a long day of searching to regroup and warm themselves up. “First, small things: broken cups, stolen food, things like that. Then, as spring comes and summer deepens, things get worse. Destroyed crops. Someone vanishes. Then it’s All Hallows Eve and…”

“And?”

“Get me another cup of wine and I’ll tell you.”

Gritting her teeth and returning with wine, Elain set it down in front of Aranea. “And then, on All Hallows Eve?”

Aranea reached a shaking hand out and drank half the glass in one gulp. In the low light of the pub, sweat dotted the older woman’s temple and upper lip. “Then He comes.”

Elain had to use all of her patience learned through dealing with unruly children to keep herself calm. “And who is this man?”

“Not a man.” Aranea looked around, reaching for her drink and taking another large gulp. “A fae.”

Elain’s stomach dropped. She put on a false bravado. “If it’s just a fae—“

“But it’s not just a fae.” The corners of her mouth turned down and Aranea swallowed. “He’s worse. Different. Only one night a year, just one, He—“

Perhaps the wine was not needed to soothe Aranea’s drunken ache, Elain realized, watching the terror gradually overwhelm the old woman’s face, her eyes red and panicked. Perhaps the sweat was not due to the roaring fire. 

“But you need to know,” Aranea said quietly, like she was talking to herself. “It’s not right.”

“What’s not right?”

Aranea looked around again and lowered her voice. “The aldorman doesn’t like us talking about Him. But it’s not right that you’re left out.” She took a deep breath, and Elain forgot to breathe in anticipation. “The fae’s got no head—“

Elain couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her mouth. Clearly, she was getting worked up over nothing. 

“It’s not a joke,” Aranea replied harshly, and Elain stopped. “Every All Hallows Eve, the headless fae rides on his horse through the Wall and into the valley, looking for his missing head he lost in the war over 500 years ago. He only has a night, and when he finds his head, he goes on a rampage, killing and murdering. But some say…”

“Some say what?”

“Some think he’s looking for more. Looking for a woman to take as his own.”

The din of the pub quieted. Glancing around, Elain saw several groups filing out, no doubt starting another patrol for the missing child. She should go too. Soon. 

“Has anyone ever actually seen this fae?”

Aranea paused. “I did. When I was younger. He cut down my husband when we were walking back to town. A flash of red on a steed as black as night, then my husband’s head rolling down the road.”

Elain stared wide eyed, open mouthed at the old woman. “I’m sorry,” she whispered eventually. Then, confused. “Why doesn’t everyone leave, move away?”

Aranea turned towards Elain, and where her eyes had been red, bleary and hazy before, now they were dull, flat. Dead. “You don’t think we’ve tried?”

XXX

They found the child, eventually. The girl’s mother opened their door one morning to find the child sleeping on the dirt right outside the door, curled around her stuffed straw doll and looking like she had never left.

(The child wasn’t the same, though, Elain heard later on. A shame, the women of the village clucked amongst themselves, to be cursed with a changling for a child.)

The year progressed as Aranea had predicted: the random and odd events became dangerous, threatening, culminating in the death of Timothy’s older brother. A part of Elain—the educated, logical part—still railed against everyone and thought these were all just unfortunate and odd situations. Accidents, or the work of a mischievous child. As for what Aranea said, her own history, well, clearly a red-haired highwayman murdered her poor husband. It was tragic, but not a dead Fae come to reclaim his head and wreak havoc. 

But a smaller part couldn’t completely dismiss what she’d seen and been told, and it wasn’t a stretch to imagine a galloping headless fae terrorizing the woods, especially on a night like this. The wind seeped into Elain’s wool cloak, making the fabric feel thinner and lighter than the lace doily covering her kitchen table. Above her, the bare tree branches creaked and groaned in agony, like they too wanted to be free of these woods and put their roots somewhere else. 

She scoffed to herself. This was another normal night in a completely normal wood. Soon, she’d be in her perfectly normal cottage to settle down with a cup of tea and a good book by the fire. 

In fact, Elain thought happily, she could see one of the last landmarks along the forest path that signaled her walk was almost over. She had four such landmarks: a wide tree with a particularly large knot at its base, a rock worn down by the elements so that the top was a natural basin, two snarled and thorny bushes, and a small trickle of a stream. She’d just passed the snarled bushes, and right around the bend should be the stream—

Except there was the wide, knotted tree that marked the beginning of the path when she entered the forest. “What is this?” Elain murmured, looking around. Had she gotten mixed up by mistake? 

She must have, she decided, walking a bit faster now. Most of the trees above her were bare, but the thick branches still managed to conceal the last weak rays of light the sun had to offer. It would be dark soon, and Elain had never traversed the path at night.

Picking up the bottom of her cloak so as not to trip, Elain moved as fast as she dared. There was the basin rock, there the bushes and there—

Elain felt a sob rising in her throat, her chest tight. There was the knotted tree. It made no sense, she knew she hadn’t walked off the path or gotten twisted around. She ran now, heedless of her cloak. The cool air bit her cheeks. If she could just run fast enough, surely she’d get home.

Somewhere behind her, a faint gallop echoed throughout the trees.

Eyes wide and breath choppy, Elain stopped, nearly tripping over herself. She listened, but all she could hear was the hammering of her heart. Eventually it slowed. It was silent around her. ‘A trick,’ she thought to herself. ‘Just my nerves playing with me.’

The galloping resumed. Closer. Louder.

Elain didn’t wait. She sprinted down the dirt path, the path she’d already walked down thrice. The galloping was now accompanied by harsh, animalistic breathing and grunting, like whatever hoofed beast was working as hard as she was. She darted a look behind her and wished she hadn’t: through the slim sliver of moonlight that passed between the branches, Elain could make out a huge, black horse, its eyes blood red, and a cloaked figure atop it.

Pumping her arms and legs faster, Elain charged ahead. Perhaps she could get off the path, run into the woods. But she knew that would only put her in more danger, that she had no hope of evading her pursuer through an ancient forest she wasn’t familiar with.

There—there was the stream, the last landmark before her cottage. If she’d had the air in her burning lungs for it, Elain would have cried. She could feel the giant beast’s warm breath right behind her, its presence looming. Just a bit further, almost safe…

A strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her easily onto the back of the horse. She landed hard on her stomach on the back of the running horse and whatever breath that was in her lungs fled.

Momentarily dazed, Elain looked up. She couldn’t see her captive’s face, but she could just make out a jagged, rough cut around his entire neck and a shock of long, red hair.  

There was screaming coming from somewhere, louder and louder, a wail that reminded Elain of her mother’s funeral when she’d been a little girl. It took several seconds to realize the sound was coming from her. Her capture’s bare hand darted out. A large, warm hand settled on the nape of her neck, and Elain knew nothing else.

XXX

Elain’s back ached. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so horribly—probably the first night in the stone cottage outside Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow. Her cottage. The woods. The Headless Fae.

She gasped. It wasn’t a nightmare, what had happened to her. Elain tried to roll over but couldn’t. She flailed her limbs but made no purchase. 

“I’d stop struggling if I were you. It would be a shame for your beautiful skin to bear such ugly bruises.”

Elain blinked and finally took in her surroundings. She was laying on a large, stone slab several feet off the ground. Some fabric was underneath her body, protecting her from the brunt of the cold, sharp stone—small mercies, but she acutely felt the sting of the wind across her body. Her arms were tied above her head and the rope secured to the stone; her legs were spread and similarly tied and bound to the stone. Dozens of wax candles were placed on the ground and hanging from tree branches above her, creating a hazy, shimmering effect that her eyes struggled to adjust to.

And there, sitting at the foot of an ancient tree several feet away, watching her, was a man so handsome Elain thought he must be the devil.

But no, that can’t be right, she thought groggily, her brain gradually waking up. Not unless the devil was actually fae.

Odder things have happened.

The figure wore a flowing, long-sleeved, deep green shirt, the top few buttons undone to reveal bronze skin. His shirt was tucked into brown trousers, and riding boots covered his calves. Overall, his outfit wouldn’t be out of place in a more affluent town south of the Wall.

The rest of him, however, would mark him as other. His long, luscious red hair hung straight down past his wide shoulders, more vibrant than any human hair could hope to be. His ears were long and pointed, as all fae’s were. The eyes staring at her were mismatched: one was dark brown, and the other looked…golden. No, Elain realized, squinting at his left eye, one of his eyes appeared to be made of actual gold. It glittered in the candlelight. Long, white scars criss crossed over the side of his face as his golden eye.

“Had I known you would be looking at me so much, I would have procured some painting supplies.”

His voice was raspy, like he wasn’t used to talking much. Or maybe, Elain thought, panic bubbling inside her, it was because his head and body had only recently been reunited. A grim, jagged line was etched across the long column of his throat, and his face appeared slightly ashen looking.

It was true, then. The silly, far-fetched tale she assumed the bumbling villagers of Sleepy Hollow concocted to blame their misfortunes on was real. Very real, sitting just a few feet from her, and looking at her like she was his next meal.

“Or perhaps I should have brought the paints for myself, to paint your beauty. Your eyes are like stars—“

“Where am I? Why am I here?” She tugged on her bonds. Elain didn’t want to hear whatever mocking words he had for her. The sooner she figured out why this creature had abducted her, the sooner she could plan her escape.

The being frowned at her. He sighed. “Fine, no pleasantries then, human. You’re in my realm, north of the Wall.”

Elain’s stomach tightened. She wanted to scream, but what good would it do? She’d been warned, when she first moved to Sleepy Hollow, to never cross the Wall, and to stay as far away from it as possible. Not that she didn’t already know that. Although fae were nonexistent in her home in the south, everyone knew the threat they were to those who dwelled in the north.

There were humans who didn’t share the same view of the fae, though. The Children of the Blessed worshiped the fae for some twisted reason, too easily charmed by their supposed riches and otherworldly beauty. Every now and then rumor reached the Hollow that a few of the fanatics had breached the wall, but they haven’t been seen since.

She’d never heard of a human who ventured beyond the wall and returned, Elain realized, cold dread trickling down her spine. What hope did she have of ever returning to the human lands, dreary and dangerous as it was?

“Who are you?” Elain croaked. “Why did you take me?”

He gave her a calculated look. “Are you aware of the curse that hangs over this land?”

“Er, not really,” Elain said haltingly. “I know odd happenings occur to the people in Sleepy Hollow. Stolen goods, ruined crops. And the headless fae who, who…”

He nodded his head to her. “My name is Lucien.”

Lucien. A nice name. Certainly a nicer name than Elain assumed her dead fae captor would have.

Lucien’s posture was casual—sitting, leaning back against the base of the tree, one long leg stuck straight out, the other bent at the knee, an arm lazily resting on top, like this was a normal situation to find oneself in. Like Elain was perfectly safe. 

She wasn’t fooled by his relaxed demeanor, however: whatever this being was, whether ghost, demon, or devil, she knew, in her gut and her brain, that he was dangerous.

Elain should have been terrified, and she was, but she also felt curiosity towards the fae in front of her despite the danger, like a mischievous kitten tempting an old, ornery work horse. She knew she needed to tread carefully, but…

“Alright, Lucien,” Elain said as calmly as possible, noticing the flash of surprise that flicked across his face. “You say there’s a curse.”

He nodded slightly. “A fae curse. Cast over 500 years ago at the Wall. A human general from the valley betrayed his fae lover, and her sister cursed his people to suffer forever in their homes in the valley.” Lucien looked at her shrewdly. “But you’re not from Sleepy Hollow, are you, human?”

“No. How can you tell?”

“There’s more…life to you,” he replied, looking around her. “It clings to you, barely. But give it another few months and you’ll be stuck here like everyone else.”

Elain scrunched her eyebrows. “What do you mean stuck?”

“Well, human, as I just said—“

“My name is Elain!” she interrupted. “If you’re going to steal me away and tie me up, at least have the courtesy to use my name!”

Lucien smirked. “Very well, Elain,” he purred, and Elain momentarily lost her breath. “The curse over Sleepy Hollow ensures the humans here are to suffer forever in the valley. Those who dwell in Sleepy Hollow cannot leave, no matter how hard they try.”

“But I wasn’t born in Sleepy Hollow!” Elain exclaimed, stomach sinking. “I’ve only been here a year!”

Lucien shrugged. “That makes no difference. The curse prefers adults. It doesn’t mind letting a youth wander free every few years. Not the adults though. The curse feeds and grows more powerful off the misery and despair of those under its thrall, and nothing is more delicious than humans realizing their lives are forfeit, and that they’ll only be more miserable year after year after year, and are powerless to stop it. Children with their innocence usually don’t realize this until their late teens, and by then it’s too late.”

Silence. There was a buzzing in Elain’s ears. “I’m, I’m stuck? I can’t move home, or leave? I’m trapped in this cursed town forever, to be tormented by a fae curse?”

Lucien shrugged again and began inspecting his finger nails. “Appears so. Seems you’re doomed to a life of loneliness and constantly watching your back so the curse doesn’t finish you off.” His head was lowered but his eyes darted up to look at her. “Unless…”

“Unless?”

“I too am affected by a curse. Help me break mine, and I’ll see if we can break the human curse after.”

“You're cursed?” Elain asked, surprised.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Did you think I was a ghost or a dead abomination?”

Elain flushed. “Well, you’re headless! I just assumed…”

“Stupid humans,” Lucien tsked. “I’m not quite dead, though not quite living except for one night a year. Every All Hallows Eve I am doomed to ride south of the Wall to retrieve my head—that’s not difficult, it’s usually in one of two or three places every year—but it’s the second part that’s tricky.”

“Second part?” Elain asked faintly, head swimming.

“To break my curse, I am to find a human bride and she is to live with me for one year and a day. Then, I’ll be fully restored and free to live my life.” He said this without any dramatics, as if he were inquiring about the weather, or what Elain had had for breakfast that morning. 

“What a specific curse,” Elain muttered. Her head felt like it was being smothered by cotton. She bit her lip. “But surely you don’t mean…?”

“Oh my dear,” Lucien said silkily, in a voice that sent heat straight between her legs, “I most certainly do. Become my bride, and once my curse is broken, I’ll work on breaking the curse that hangs over Sleepy Hollow and you.”

It was ludicrous. Madness. Become a cursed fae’s bride? In what world was this possible?

But then she remembered what Aranea had told her, all those months ago. Some think he’s looking for more. Looking for a woman to take as his own. 

“Why me? Surely there are other humans you could have chosen over the centuries.”

“You’re the first outsider to move to Sleepy Hollow in decades. I can still see the faint vestiges of life surrounding you, life the curse hasn’t completely sapped away yet. Any other human from Sleepy Hollow I would have taken would have died the instant they crossed the Wall, as the curse dictates.”

Elain took a steadying breath. “And what if you can’t break the curse over Sleepy Hollow?”

He raked a long hand through his long hair. “I’m not that concerned about it. It’ll probably involve tricking the fae who placed the original curse, or beating them in a duel.”

Elain stared at the fae before her. He seemed a bit too confident for her taste, with a barely concealed danger to him that kept the gooseflesh on her body raised. What if he was lying to her?

Did she have a choice?

She mustered what little confidence she had. “I accept. How are we to, uh, seal our arrangement?”

Quicker than she could see, Lucien was suddenly above her, standing above her at the head of the altar. This close, she could smell a faint whiff of smoke and damp earth lingering on his skin. It wasn’t unpleasant.

Lucien cocked his head and stared down at her. “With a kiss,” he said, then bent down to press his lips to her.

As far as kisses went, it was rather tame, especially considering the reputation fae had for their passions. Elain held herself still, the faint press of Lucien’s lips surprisingly warm against hers. A faint stab of disappointment pierced her—she had expected a bit more than this.

He withdrew, and Elain sighed. She was about to ask him to untie her when sharp teeth nipped her bottom lip. She gasped, and Lucien’s lips and tongue tangled with hers.

This was the passion Elain had heard whispered about the fae. Still above her, and upside down from her, Lucien slotted his mouth fully against hers while his tongue stroked hers. His hands, warm like his lips, cradled the sides of her face and stroked her cheeks lightly. 

“So responsive,” he murmured when he broke their kiss and Elain objected. “Will you make such sweet noises for me if we continue?”

“Yes,” she whispered, craning her neck towards Lucien. Smiling, his mismatched eyes gleaming in the candlelight, he trailed a hand down her throat, squeezing slightly. Elain gasped, more heat flooding her core. 

“Such sweet sounds you make, my bride,” Lucien said appreciatively. Elain blushed. His hand released her throat then slowly made its way down her chest. “I wonder if I can create a symphony with you by the end of the night.” He caressed a breast through her thin shift, stroking an erect nipple, and Elain moaned loud enough to be heard south of the Wall.

Lucien chuckled and withdrew his hand, stepping away from her. Elain arched her back. “Don’t stop!”

“I can smell your desire,” his voice slithered out from around her. Elain couldn’t see him but she knew he was nearby. She squirmed against her bindings on the stone—an altar, she realized at last, to her and their union—desperate to be free for reasons she never thought: to touch, taste and feel the cursed fae she had bound herself to for the next year. 

Cool air hit her breasts and legs and dripping core. Elain looked down to see Lucien tearing her shift from her body and stepping in between her feet at the other end of the stone slab. In the low light, he looked otherworldly: his face sharp, pointed teeth just barely visible from his panting mouth, shoulders hunched. His eyes were focused on her spread legs. “Do you taste as sweet as you smell?”

Without waiting Lucien leaned down and licked a hot stripe through her wet folds. Elain let out a strangled groan as his tongue swiped over her sensitive bud. 

“You do,” Lucien remarked, raising his head. “Better than the sweetest wine.” He gave her an appraising look. “Although I love your moans, I think I can put your mouth to better use.”

His hands came up to his neck and Elain stared, first in confusion, then horror, as with a wet pop Lucien tugged his head from his body. She screamed as his headless body set his head down between her legs. His head was alive, conscious, and Lucien’s head immediately stroked her sensitive pearl, his eyes intensely staring at her.

Elain wasn’t sure whether to scream in terror or ecstasy. A fae, who had just detached his head from his body, was licking her folds, tasting her, bringing her such intense pleasure she thought she might faint from the emotions tearing through her body. She struggled on the altar.

There was a hand on her shoulder. Elain leaned her head back and shrieked. She’d been expecting it, but seeing a headless body above her, moving on its own, was unsettling and disturbing in a way she’d never before thought. 

“Be still, wife, and open your mouth.” Lucien’s head stopped feasting between her legs to utter the command. Elain broke out of her terror and bared her teeth down at her new husband. She was about to tell him where he could shove his head when his hands grabbed her head and shoved the tip of his throbbing cock in her mouth. 

Elain froze, shocked. Lucien’s hips gently rocked into her mouth, putting more of his thick length in her mouth. Through the dim light, Elain could just make out the rest of his substantial manhood she still had yet to take. She hadn’t been aware of when he’d taken off his trousers.

“So good,” Lucien praised from between her legs, giving her bud a small kiss. “Relax your jaw and use your tongue, just like that. Good girl.”

Elain whimpered, his praise sending bolts of lightning to her quim. Above her, Lucien’s body kept using her mouth for his pleasure, gradually thrusting more and more of his length down her throat, all while his head continued his sensual assault on her lower lips. Elain gagged and tensed as a particularly rough pump of Lucien’s hips cut off her air. 

“You look so good with my cock stuffed down your throat,” Lucien’s bodiless head said. She coughed when he withdrew his length and Lucien’s hands stroked her cheeks. Without waiting, Elain silently opened her mouth.

“So perfect for me,” Lucien sighed as his body placed his cock back in her mouth and resumed a gentler thrusting pace within her. Elain focused on licking and sucking the fat tip of his length while Lucien took her bud between his lips and sucked hard.

Elain moaned around his cock as a tingling began in her lower spine. It grew, quick and intense, and Elain came, whimpering around Lucien’s hard girth as his tongue stroked her pearl. 

Lucien’s body withdrew his cock from her mouth. Elain gasped, her chest heaving. She wasn’t aware of Lucien’s body reattaching his head, or the bindings falling away from her trembling body. The next thing she knew was Lucien, in one piece, as naked as her, taking her head in his hands and kissing her. 

“Magnificent,” he whispered. Lucien pulled her off the altar and turned her around so she was bent over the stone with her legs on the ground.

But Elain needed more, now. Keeping one leg on the ground for leverage, she lifted her other leg onto the altar and crooked it at the knee, widening herself for Lucien.

Lucien hummed appreciatively. “My good little human, spreading her legs for me, dripping for me. All it took was licking your perfect cunt and you’re willing to offer yourself completely to me, aren’t you, Elain?”

She didn’t answer, instead continuing to move her hips against the altar, hoping to entice the fae into finishing what he started. 

“Use your words.”

“Oh, please,” Elain whispered, wishing he would just slide himself inside her, quench the fire he’d somehow ignited within her. She could feel her release dripping down her thigh, the moisture cooling against her heated skin.

Lucien hummed. She felt him step behind her and Elain tensed with anticipation, excitement. Just a short time ago she’d been scared for her life. Now…

Now, she’d been pleasured beyond words by a cursed headless fae (who she still wasn’t quite convinced wasn’t at least partly dead), who wanted her to be his bride and help break his curse. Elain was too lust drunk to think how ludicrous this all was.

Her thoughts were broken by a pressure at her entrance, and his finger entered her in one stroke. Elain gasped as Lucien leisurely thrust his finger inside her.

“So tight,” he praised her. More pressure, and Elain felt her walls stretch as he pumped two of his long fingers into her willing channel. 

“What a perfect bride you’ll be,” Lucien whispered into the back of her neck. “I think you need more.” Three of his fingers slowly entered her body, working her tight quim open. 

Elain buried her head into her arm and groaned. Now the stretch was tinged with pain, pain that gradually lessened as Lucien cooed praises in her ear and stroked her tender and swollen bud with his other hand. She was going to come again. She rocked back onto Lucien’s fingers, taking everything he had to offer, wanting to feel him inside her as she found her release…

“No!” she begged when Lucien withdrew his hands from her between her legs. She tried to rise off the altar but one of Lucien’s hands pressed between her shoulder blades, keeping her top half against the stone. One of her legs was still propped up on the altar, the other on the ground.

“I think you’re ready,” Lucien growled, deep from his chest, and Elain remembered that this wasn’t a human man she was with, this was an undead fae male who stole her from the Human Lands for the sole purpose of claiming her. A thrill of excitement shot through her lower stomach as Lucien fit the wide head of his cock at her entrance and thrust inside her.

They gasped in unison. Even though Elain had had his cock down her throat, she didn’t realize how thick he’d be in her channel. He was right to ready her with his fingers, Elain conceded, resting her forehead on the altar and gripping the stone as he pulled out to the tip and sunk back in.

“Good,” Lucien praised her, working more of his thick length inside her. “So good. My beautiful bride. My perfect mate.”

Elain didn’t know what a mate was, but she didn’t particularly care at the moment, not when she felt his hips finally reach her bottom. She moaned at how full she felt. 

Above her, Lucien’s body quivered, from his strong legs pressed to the back of hers, to his hands gripping her hips. He snarled something in a foreign language—harsh, full of hisses and sharp consonants—then withdrew his cock and slammed back deep within her. 

He gave Elain no further time to adjust to his conquering manhood. Keeping his hands on her lush body—squeezing the fat of her hip, plucking a peaked nipple, digging his hands into her shoulder—Lucien claimed Elain like a male on a mission. Which he was, Elain thought dazedly, holding onto the stone as he pumped within her, hitting a sensitive spot of her walls.

All the while, Lucien murmured words—some she couldn’t understand—into her skin and into the wind: “So lovely, so soft,” he rasped against the shell of her ear; “Mine. Only mine,” he grunted as he bit where her neck met her shoulder. It was pain and euphoria all in one, and Elain never wanted it to end.

One of his hands slammed down on the altar not far from hers. His forearm was corded with muscles, the brown skin gleaming with sweat. Elain watched, hypnotized by the strength in his body when his other hand reached between her legs and began stroking her bud again in time with his hard thrusts.

She squeezed her eyes shut and moaned. She was going to find release again, soon. Without thinking, her hand nearest to Lucien’s reached out and touched his, just barely grazing his smallest finger, wanting to feel more of him. Lucien stuttered and stopped. Elain wanted to cry. She’d ruined it, gotten sentimental, human—

Lucien resumed pumping his cock into her cunt and his fingers touched her bud at the same time he moved his hand over hers and intertwined his fingers awkwardly with hers. He was so warm, so big, and she felt the pulse in his wrist beat erratically against her arm.

Pleasure unlike she’d ever felt before—bone deep, primal, and all-encompassing—ripped through her body as Lucien’s clever fingers and cock worked between her legs. He paused, letting Elain work through her release. Eventually her breathing evened out.

Lucien withdrew his cock and gathered Elain in his arms. Snatching their cloaks and throwing them on the ground, he gently laid her down on her back and spread her legs. “Again.” His hips snapped into hers with brutal efficiency, hitting deep inside her. “I want to see your face when you come on my cock.”

Elain could only hold onto Lucien’s shoulders as he rode her and drove her higher and higher towards another steep precipice. He bent her legs over his arms and opened herself even wider. The angle of his cock and the closeness of his body made her see stars behind her eyelids. Elain felt drunk and dazed, having never felt so exhausted before in her life.

His hand reached between them towards her cunt again and Elain shivered. “I—I can’t,” she gasped. “Not again.”

“You will,” Lucien said simply, his thumb brushing the tender hood of her bud. He looked down between their bodies and growled so fiercely Elain craned her head to see what elicited such a response. She felt her face redden: in the orange candlelight, she could make out her swollen folds, his slick cock, and the white cream of her release staining the base of his length. 

“My beautiful bride,” he whispered against her lips. He kissed her, slow, steady, completely at odds with what the rest of his body was doing. If Elain didn’t know any better, she would say it was almost loving. 

Lucien tenderly cradled her head as he kissed her. It was far too early to have feelings for him, Elain knew as she stared at him deep in the eyes, and he stared back, but there was something there. They both knew it. 

“Mine,” she whispered against him, her tongue darting into his mouth, and Lucien groaned. His thumb circled her bud as his hips thrust wildly into her. With a shout to the skies Lucien came, emptying himself within Elain’s body. She took everything he gave her, even one final release that seemed to rob her of her bones and leave her a shaking, tender mess.

Eventually, Elain’s heart slowed. “I’m assuming you haven’t done that for 500 years?”

“No.”

Elain huffed a breath. “That’s impressive, considering.”

Lucien chuckled. He rolled them over so he was on his back and she was laying against his chest. They were silent for a few moments, the only sounds their hearts beating together. Eventually, Elain spoke. “What has the last 500 years been like for you?”

Lucien didn’t answer right away. “I’ll tell you everything sometime later. It’s…difficult for me.” He kissed her forehead. “Besides, we have a year together, I don’t want to run out of things to talk about well before then.”

“Only a year?” Elain asked hopefully, casting a shy glance up at her headless fae. 

Lucien grinned.

[recurring-polynya]

Procrastinating from writing my fanfic to ponder this question: Which lieutenants are good at math?

Sasakibe: He's fine. Really enjoys writing out long columns of numbers in his fancy-ass handwriting. Is the primary reason that the Gotei made the shift to Arabic numerals for math, against Yamamoto's vehement objections.

Omaeda: Absolutely not.

Kira: Too gay to do math.

Isane: In a high-pressure situation, like emergency surgery, can crunch numbers like a calculator. Can also do math fine if she's in a quiet place and can concentrate. If she has do math in her head during a low-stakes interaction with people watching (say, calculating a tip...do they do tips in Soul Society??), gets completely flustered and loses track of what she's trying to do.

Momo: Perfectly competent, took all the higher level courses at the Academy.

Renji: Oddly good at math, but pretends he's not. Can add stacks of numbers in his head, took all the same school courses as Momo and claims she carried his ass, which is absolutely not true.

Iba: Doesn't like it and is not good at it, but slogs through and always double checks his own work. Is not too proud to ask Renji to calculate things for him.

Nanao: Fantastically good at it, including topics in pure mathematics like formal proof and number theory (I assume this kind of stuff has application to kidou, particularly the creation of). Has authored numerous monographs.

Shuuhei: Severe dyscalculia. :( It's okay, he's got many other fine qualities and he's pretty.

Matsumoto: Pretty decent at it, especially calculating things in her head. Like, Renji, pretends to be bad at it, but she does it to get out of being given work (he does it for image-related reasons). She makes mistakes in her paperwork because she gets bored with it and doesn't like to check her work, plus she knows Hitsugaya is gonna check it anyway. She says she leaves the mistakes in "for his enrichment."

Ikkaku: Marginally better at math than he is at spelling, but that's saying basically nothing.

Yumichika (included here because he actually keeps the books at Squad 11): Very competent and detail oriented. Also enjoys his own handwriting. Not above using his accounting skills in slightly unethical ways.

Nemu: This goes without saying.

Akon: Compared to other people on this list, he's a genius, but does not consider himself a "math guy" by Squad 12 standards. Extremely well versed in applied math and statistics, but those are just tools for doing his other work, y'know? Would always rather write a script or make a spreadsheet than actually calculate a thing himself.

Kiyone and Sentaro: Oh, no. Oh, dear.

Rukia: Decent, but it's not her favorite. Also not too proud to ask Renji to calculate things for her.

[room-surprise]

So cool! Excerpts:

Founded in 427 CE, Nalanda is considered the world's first residential university, a sort of medieval Ivy League institution home to nine million books that attracted 10,000 students from across Eastern and Central Asia. They gathered here to learn medicine, logic, mathematics and – above all – Buddhist principles from some of the era's most revered scholars.

Monarchs of the Gupta Empire that founded the Buddhist monastic university were devout Hindus, but sympathetic and accepting towards Buddhism and the growing Buddhist intellectual fervour and philosophical writings of the time. The liberal cultural and religious traditions that evolved under their reign would form the core of Nalanda's multidisciplinary academic curriculum, which blended intellectual Buddhism with a higher knowledge in different fields. 

Aryabhata, considered the father of Indian mathematics, is speculated to have headed the university in the 6th Century CE. "We believe that Aryabhata was the first to assign zero as a digit, a revolutionary concept, which simplified mathematical computations and helped evolve more complex avenues such as algebra and calculus," said Anuradha Mitra, a Kolkata-based professor of mathematics. "Without zero, we wouldn't have computers," she added. "He also did pioneering works in extracting square and cubic roots, and applications of trigonometrical functions to spherical geometry. He was also the first to attribute radiance of the moon to reflected sunlight." 

The library's nine million handwritten, palm-leaf manuscripts was the richest repository of Buddhist wisdom in the world, and one of its three library buildings was described by Tibetan Buddhist scholar Taranatha as a nine-storey building "soaring into the clouds".

History is so fucking cool. I love stumbling across articles that teach me incredible details about things I only knew about in a very general sense (there were important centers of learning in India!). Learning mundane things like "universities have always had students sharing rooms" is just fascinating to me.

One of the small rooms that lined the courtyard where students from as far away as Afghanistan lived. Two alcoves facing each other were meant to hold oil lamps and personal belongings, and Singh explained that the small, square-shaped hollow near the entrance of the cell served as each student's personal letterbox. 

How cool is that!!!

[teatitty]

Dandelion, in book and game canon, is noted for being a master of the seven liberal arts. For those that don't know, the liberal arts irl are: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Astronomy, Music and Geometry; so lets briefly breakdown what each one was back in the medieval and middle ages [since those eras are the basis for the series] and see exactly how intellectually smart Dandelion was

First we have the Trivium, which were the three basic tools of reasoning and expression and were the gateways into much higher fields of learning

Grammar: The study of written works and forms of writing, usually through memorisation and reading of classical texts. Learning and diagraming the parts of speech became common, and other language-related knowledge like spelling and vocabulary have grown out of grammar studies

Logic: The easiest way to describe this is basically philosophy - there's a lot of "discussions and investigations into truth and opinions" which would be why Dandelion has so many Thoughts about things

Rhetoric: Closely related to Logic studies, this one was about learning how to express your opinions and make clear concise arguments

Next we have the Quadrivium, which are all about maths and the traditional arts we know of

Arithmetic: The basic mathematics such as addition, subtraction, division, multiplication etc as well as mathematic notation

Music: Though less widespread now, back in the day music studies were incredibly important for students to understand and appreciate creation by learning about the various forms and instruments of music - in short, Dandelion would be able to play far more than just the lute if he wanted to

Geometry: This one would have covered everything from architecture to engineering to surveying, all of which are now their own separate disciplines of study. So, in ye olde times, Geometry used to be far more practical in application. This is why I like to joke that Dandelion is like if Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci were fused into one person

Astronomy: The contemplation of the heavens and humankind’s place in them received more emphasis in an era where less was known and more was imagined than today. Astronomy was at first considered essential for fields such as navigation and determining dates, but grew to include more advanced mathematics and physics studies

Plato is probably the most famous of real life masters of these arts to give an example of how impactful and important they are in our history, so Dandelion being a master of all 7 and being qualified to teach at the university itself is no small feat by any means. Intellectually speaking, Dandelion is easily one of the smartest characters in the books - but he's also impulsive, curious to a fault, tempermental and often doesn't follow his own common sense, which is why he has Geralt and the Hansa to look out for him lol

[jkzmathodysseyquest]

Mathematics plays a crucial role in elementary education for several reasons:

Foundation Building: It lays the groundwork for understanding more complex mathematical concepts in higher grades.

Problem-Solving Skills: Math teaches children how to think logically, analyze situations, and solve problems systematically.

Critical Thinking: It fosters critical thinking skills by encouraging students to evaluate situations, make connections, and draw conclusions.

Real-Life Application: Math concepts such as counting, measuring, and geometry are applied in everyday activities like cooking, shopping, and building.

Preparation for Future Learning: A strong foundation in elementary math prepares students for advanced math topics they will encounter in middle school and beyond.

Certainly! For more comprehensive information on the importance of math in elementary education, you can visit the website https://jkzmathodysseyquest.com/. This resource may offer additional insights, strategies, and resources to enhance math learning experiences for elementary students.

[udonlawyers]

Thailand SMART Visa

The Thailand SMART Visa is a long-term visa designed to attract highly skilled professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, and executives to work and live in Thailand. Introduced by the Thai government, this visa aims to support the country’s technological, industrial, and economic development by facilitating foreign expertise and investment in targeted industries.

Unlike traditional work visas, the SMART Visa provides longer validity, work permit exemptions, and streamlined reporting requirements, making it an attractive option for foreign talent and businesses.

1. Key Benefits of the SMART Visa

Up to 4 years of residency without the need for yearly renewals.

Work permit exemption, allowing holders to work immediately without additional authorization.

90-day reporting extended to 1-year reporting at the Thai Immigration Bureau.

Dependent visa benefits for spouses and children, with permission to work.

Fast-track service at Thai airports and immigration offices.

2. SMART Visa Categories

There are five main categories under the SMART Visa program, each catering to different types of foreign professionals and investors.

2.1 SMART "T" (Talent) – Highly Skilled Professionals

For experts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Must be employed in targeted industries such as biotechnology, robotics, digital economy, aviation, and healthcare.

Requires a minimum monthly salary of 100,000 THB.

2.2 SMART "I" (Investor) – Foreign Investors

For individuals investing at least 20 million THB in tech-based businesses or government-approved startups.

Investment must be made in companies operating in targeted industries.

2.3 SMART "E" (Executive) – Senior Executives

For C-level executives in targeted industries.

Must hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher and have at least 10 years of work experience.

Requires a minimum monthly salary of 200,000 THB.

2.4 SMART "S" (Startup) – Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders

For those establishing a tech startup in Thailand.

Must hold at least 25% shares in the company or be a board member.

Requires participation in a government-approved incubator program.

2.5 SMART "O" (Other) – Dependents and Spouses

Spouses and children of SMART Visa holders receive a visa with the same duration.

Unlike other dependent visas, SMART "O" allows spouses to work in Thailand without a work permit.

3. Eligibility and Requirements

The SMART Visa is available only for industries identified as crucial for Thailand’s economic development. These include:

Next-Generation Automotive

Aviation and Logistics

Biotechnology and Agriculture

Medical and Healthcare

Automation and Robotics

Digital Economy

Alternative Energy

Applicants must:

Meet financial and employment criteria as per their visa category.

Have an employer or business in one of the targeted industries.

Pass background and qualifications verification by relevant Thai authorities.

4. Application Process

Qualification Endorsement – Submit an application to the Board of Investment (BOI) and relevant agencies for industry verification.

Approval from the SMART Visa Unit – The BOI forwards the application to the Immigration Bureau and Ministry of Labor.

Visa Issuance – Once approved, the applicant receives the SMART Visa from a Thai embassy, consulate, or immigration office.

Post-Arrival Reporting – Holders must report to Thai Immigration every 1 year instead of the standard 90-day report.

The application process typically takes 30–45 days.

5. Tax and Work Regulations for SMART Visa Holders

Tax Residency: SMART Visa holders residing in Thailand for over 180 days per year are considered tax residents and subject to Thai personal income tax laws.

Corporate Tax Exemptions: Businesses established under the SMART Visa program may qualify for Board of Investment (BOI) tax incentives.

6. Common Challenges and Solutions

ChallengeSolutionIndustry-Specific LimitationsEnsure your job or business fits a targeted industry.High Salary RequirementsProvide proof of employment contracts, income, and experience.Lengthy Approval ProcessWork with BOI and relevant agencies to streamline the application.

Conclusion

The Thailand SMART Visa is an excellent option for highly skilled professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking long-term residency and work flexibility in Thailand. With a streamlined application process, work permit exemption, and extensive benefits, it is ideal for those in targeted industries looking to contribute to Thailand’s economic and technological growth.

[karanfartiyal]

BSC Full Form

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) is a three-year undergraduate program designed for students who have completed their 10+2 education with a focus on science subjects. This degree offers a wide array of specializations, including Medical/Life Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Zoology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Food Technology, Electronic Science, Forensic Science, Biomedical Science, Physical Science, Operational Research, Statistics, and Anthropology.

The curriculum is structured to balance theoretical knowledge with practical application, fostering critical thinking, technical proficiency, and research skills among students. Admission to BSc programs typically involves merit-based selection or entrance examinations such as CUET, CUCET, NPAT, TS EAMCET, SET, BHU UET, and KCET. Prominent institutions offering BSc degrees in India include St. Stephen's College (New Delhi), Hansraj College (New Delhi), Hindu College (New Delhi), Presidency College (Chennai), Parul University (Vadodara), and Fergusson College (Pune).

The annual fees for a BSc program range from INR 20,000 to INR 2,00,000, varying by institution and specialization. Graduates with a BSc degree have diverse career opportunities in sectors such as information technology, education, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Common roles include private tutor, nurse, food safety officer, lab technician, software tester, IT developer, agriculture specialist, and microbiologist. The average salary for BSc graduates ranges between INR 3 to 5 lakh per annum, depending on the chosen field and experience.

Specializations within BSc

One of the most compelling aspects of a BSc degree is the plethora of specializations available. Students can tailor their education based on their interests and career aspirations. Some prominent BSc specializations include:

Physics: Exploring the fundamental principles governing matter and energy.

Chemistry: Delving into the composition, properties, and reactions of substances.

Biology: Studying living organisms, their functions, and their interactions.

Computer Science: Focusing on computational systems, programming, and software development.

Environmental Science: Examining the environment and solutions to environmental challenges.

Biotechnology: Merging biology and technology to develop innovative products and solutions.

Microbiology: Investigating microscopic organisms and their roles in various environments.

Mathematics: Concentrating on abstract concepts, numbers, and quantitative analysis.

Each specialization is crafted to provide in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience, preparing students for diverse professional pathways.

Eligibility Criteria

Admission into a BSc program typically requires candidates to have completed their higher secondary education (10+2) with a strong foundation in science subjects. While specific requirements can vary based on the institution and country, a minimum aggregate score in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and/or Mathematics is commonly expected. Some universities also conduct entrance examinations to assess the aptitude and proficiency of prospective students.

Admission Process

The pathway to securing a seat in a BSc program generally involves:

Application Submission: Filling out application forms of desired universities or colleges, either online or offline.

Entrance Examination: Appearing for standardized tests if required by the institution.

Merit List Announcement: Institutions release lists based on entrance exam scores and/or academic performance.

Counseling Sessions: Some colleges conduct counseling to guide students in selecting appropriate specializations.

Final Enrollment: Completing necessary documentation and fee submission to confirm admission.

It's imperative for aspirants to stay updated with the specific admission timelines and criteria of each institution to ensure a smooth application process.

Course Structure and Curriculum

The BSc curriculum is thoughtfully designed to balance theoretical understanding with practical application. While the exact structure can vary based on the chosen specialization and institution, a typical BSc program encompasses:

Core Subjects: Fundamental courses central to the chosen specialization.

Elective Subjects: Courses that allow students to explore related areas of interest.

Laboratory Work: Hands-on experiments and practical sessions to reinforce theoretical concepts.

Research Projects: Opportunities to undertake independent or guided research, fostering analytical and investigative skills.

Workshops and Seminars: Interactive sessions with experts to stay abreast of the latest advancements in the field.

This comprehensive approach ensures that graduates are not only knowledgeable but also adept at applying their learning in real-world scenarios.

Fee Structure

The financial investment required for a BSc degree can vary widely based on factors such as the institution's prestige, location, chosen specialization, and available facilities. On average, annual tuition fees for BSc programs range from INR 20,000 to INR 2,00,000. It's advisable for students to research and consider additional expenses, including laboratory fees, study materials, and other ancillary costs.

Career Prospects and Opportunities

A BSc degree opens a multitude of career avenues across various sectors. Graduates are equipped with skills and knowledge that make them valuable assets in industries such as:

Information Technology: Roles like software developers, data analysts, and system administrators.

Healthcare: Positions such as lab technicians, clinical researchers, and healthcare consultants.

Research and Development: Opportunities as research scientists, project assistants, and technical analysts.

Education: Careers as educators, academic counselors, and curriculum developers.

Environmental Management: Roles like environmental analysts, conservationists, and sustainability consultants.

Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals: Positions in quality control, clinical trials, and product development.

The versatility of a BSc degree ensures that graduates can adapt to various roles and industries, making it a prudent choice for those passionate about science and its applications.

Top Institutions Offering BSc Programs

Several esteemed institutions worldwide offer BSc programs renowned for their academic excellence and research opportunities. Some of these include:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA: Celebrated for its cutting-edge research and innovation in science and technology.

University of Cambridge, UK: Offers a rich tradition of scientific inquiry and discovery.