#most interesting examples are in higher dimensions

[pilsbury-bland-bread]

Thanks for this response, which was definitely more thorough than my post actually deserved.

For context, I'm a PhD researcher in low-dimensional topology. My response was more snarkier than it should have been. I read your tone as pretty dismissive of the actual difficulty of working in higher dimensions – "What is all the fuss about..?", "everyone alive can and should be able to comprehend 4d. It's just the [...] terminology that gets most people stumbling". Your post also felt a bit "oh you work with 4 dimensions? Isn't the fourth dimension just time?" – which rubbed me up the wrong way. And I committed a pretty egregious xkcd 2501 with the RP² thing. Sorry about that.

But I'll try to actually respond to what you said in a helpful way!

"maybe true in some very technical sense, but not in an actually meaningful way."

What is this strange arbitrary division by which what I said isn't actually meaningfully true?

I guess twofold. First a more vibes-based complaint – it's misleading to always treat 4+ dimensional things as being composed of lower dimensional things. All of your examples were "take a thing and add dimensions". But most (and definitely most interesting!) higher dimensional phenomena don't arise like this. So when learning to visualise higher dimensional things (at least interesting ones) it probably won't get you super far.

The second is similar but more concrete – the type of approach described just isn't actually helpful when doing real maths. Mathematicians have lots of real tools to help them think about 4 dimensional things (Kirby calculus is cool) but very few follow this pattern of dividing up spaces into different dimensions.

neither @max1461 nor myself claimed to be able to or even mentioned anything to the magnitude of perfroming detailed (!) algebraic analysis in 3+ dimensions using solely mental capacity enabled by ~human constrains

No, but my point is that you can! This is very standard! The first two are pretty approachable using the standard techniques we have for visualising 4-dimensional spaces. I would expect a lowdimtop PhD student (who max did discuss) to be able to understand them visually within a few months.

For example, "take the Möbius band in R³, glue a disc to the boundary, then push this disc into R⁴ to get an embedding."

Ok so the idea is this. Inside R⁴ there's a copy of R³, say the one given by points with coordinates (x,y,z,0). In this copy of R³, put a Möbius band in the usual way. The boundary of the Möbius band is a circle. The boundary of a disc is also a circle, so we can glue (read: attach) a disc along the boundary of the Möbius band. This looks weird in 3D, in particular it has lots of self-intersections. Something like this.

However, we have a fourth dimension to play with! So by "pushing the disc into R⁴" (read: making the 4th coordinate of the points in the disc non-zero) we can remove all of these intersections. I find colour helpful here: if you can visualise the disc with its self-intersections in R³, try colouring the disc so that no two intersecting points have the same colour, but the whole boundary is the same colour.

Now that we have no intersections, we've embedded RP² (which is just a Möbius band glued to a disc) in R⁴! Neat.

I am yet to encounter anyone else who knows that the Möbius band and the Klein bottle are not actually a 3D object and a 4D object respectively in the typical collectively human way of understanding dimensions.

Yeah I spend too much time around mathematicians. Apologies.

People can see in its entirety the Möbius band not intersecting itself in one uninterrupted 3D space, and they then naïvely assume that there must be this mysterious way of likewise seeing the entirety of the Klein bottle in a singular uninterrupted 4D space. [...] Newsflash: no one can see a Klein bottle like that, because that's not how the 4th (or 7th, or any first series) dimension specifically works.

I'm not entirely sure how to respond to this. There is a way of seeing the Klein bottle as an uninterrupted surface embedded in 4D space. This is exactly how the 4th dimension works. You can do this in a similar way to above. Take two identical copies of a Möbius band in R³. On one copy, increase the fourth coordinate to be positive away from the circle on the boundary; on the other, negative. This gives you a surface embedded in R⁴ formed by gluing two Möbius bands. That's a Klein bottle! Cool right?

I'll come back to your "series" later.

A Klein bottle is simply partially located in separate 3D spaces, and the ~portal(s) between these spaces (which is what allows for the connection) is an instance of 4D, and hence the whole object is classified as being a 4D object.

If I'm understanding you right, this is untrue. A Klein bottle is a surface. When I "visualise" the Klein bottle in the abstract, it is usually not embedded anywhere, it's just a 2D surface. I have spent enough time thinking about topology and visualising stuff (not unlike the mediation originally discussed) that this is natural to me now. When you say it's "partially located in separate 3D spaces" I might know what you mean? But I wouldn't be confident enough to guess. It doesn't have to be located anywhere. It can just exist. We can embed it in R⁴ as above. We can't embed it in R³, but we can in other 3-dimensional spaces. But it is not fundamentally a "4D object".

And that is why, according to my current best theory, it is misleading to expect to ever visualize 3+ dimensions as if they compound in mysteriously unimaginable ways, instead of cyclically nest in each other with repeating properties, and hence why the texts that I provided are, in fact, rather helpful.

Ok so I guess it's time to think about your "series". I genuinely don't understand what you mean. Why are 1 and 4 and 7 dimensions similar? And how does this link to what you were saying in your first post? I can't think of a single property that those dimensions have in common beyond being 1 mod 3. I can't tell if you do mean something concrete, but I'm kind of curious to hear more.

Some mathematicians claim they can visualize R^4, or even higher-dimensional spaces. I think this is probably possible for the human mind to do, in principle; the human mind often proves surprisingly flexible. But I think it probably takes a lot of concerted practice, and because you are stretching your mind beyond its intended limits in a purely-internal, imaginative way with no external reference points to check against, I think it probably has some things in common with certain types of meditative practice.

It's also common to hear mathematicians say that if humans had visual intuition for dimensions higher than 3, higher-dimensional geometry may have advanced much farther, since visual intuition is so often crucial in thinking of proofs.

So, ok, I suspect that AI will obviate the utility of this before it could ever have the chance to get off the ground, but this all makes me imagine a world where techniques for learning to visualize higher dimensions are well-known and practiced, and have become a functional necessity for being a working geometer in higher-than-3-dimensions. And these techniques require a lot of persistent practice and training, which (by the nature of the thing) is hard to precisely communicate to students. So part of becoming a geometer involves training in what is basically a meditative practice, where, à la Zen, much of the process involves not directly teaching the student but giving them prompts and mental exercises that are meant to trigger internal, incommunicable revelation. But instead of enlightenment it's geometric intuition. And so if we're getting a math PhD in, say, differential equations or something, it's mostly like it is today. But if your PhD is in low-dimensional topology there's like a whole monastic apprenticeship style thing that just comes along with it. People sometimes drive themselves insane. People sometimes drive themselves insane.

[evelineheaven]

ℭ𝔩𝔬𝔲𝔡 𝔊𝔞𝔱𝔢

𝔑𝔲𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 200025

hello, i discovered a new asteroid, cloud gate. very interesting, this is about where you are heavenly connected. And what is heavenly about you, what goes out the physical realm. This are about the houses, you can look what house your cloud gate is in, and see where you are heavenly connected, or what is heavenly about you. The Cloud Gate is seen as a gateway between realms between the physical world and higher dimensions of spiritual awareness. When located in a house or making aspects to personal planets, Cloud Gate reveals where your life becomes a vessel for spiritual embodiment, often through trial, purification, or deep transformation. Houses are from 1 - 6 in this post.

𝔉𝔦𝔯𝔰𝔱 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 with cloud gate in your 1H, it is in your appearance, aura, the way they come across. This is just you as an identity. They look like you are heavenly, a beauty that goes beyond physical, a beauty that keeps people up at night, there is magic in the way they walk, the way they look, they are just a full plate of magic. They are the most heavenly here, the appearance, they are a walking magic. They have always had a deep feeling, with magic, they are extremely spiritual, they just get information every day, whether they are conscious of it or not, heaven is behind you. They often radiate something heavenly or otherworldly. People may immediately sense that there is something special, unusual or spiritual about them even if they are not consciously aware of it themselves. These people often have a transformative aura. Others can feel attracted to them, or even triggered, because their presence triggers inner processes in others. They often have something striking or unique about their appearance that can be in their eyes, facial features, style, or just a vibe that is different from the norm. They stand out without necessarily trying to.

Through the transformative energy of a gate these people can change their appearance or style frequently Adapt chameleon-like to situations sometimes even literally “look different” at different stages of their lives (in face, weight, hairstyle, etc.)

𝔖𝔢𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔡 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 your patience, your stability, how grounded you are, how calm you are, that is heavenly. Nobody does it like you. By the way, when it comes to money, Your body and physical world are a channel for spiritual growth. You learn to ground spiritual energy into matter, literally living your worth in the here and now. The senses (touch, smell, taste) can be heightened or energetically influenced by non-visible fields. You feel energy in food, objects, clothing, etc. Material things have a vibration for you. Money in your life is rarely ‘just money’. It is a carrier of energy a language in which universal value makes itself tangible. You may experience physical complaints that cannot be explained medically, but are completely logical energetically. Another deep theme at this gate is the mystical realization that everything you own is an extension of your energy. You may have few things, but everything you own carries a certain beauty, purity or intention. You intuitively choose what belongs to you. For example, you can be sensitive to materials, smells, colors or textures. Every object, every piece of clothing, every piece of land can speak for you in vibration. The main shadow or growth lesson here is self-worth.

𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔡 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 your intelligence, the way you talk, you talk with words that come from heaven, as if you are channeling from heaven. Your intelligence is heavenly addictive, people will think you are a reincarnated being from heaven when they hear how intelligent you are. Your siblings probably think you're weird, like you're not one of them, and you've probably been excluded by them too. You probably had teachers who admired you. The could see you as in the purest form. Your thinking and communication are imbued with an unconscious desire to find deeper truths. Instead of superficial conversations, you are constantly seeking ways to understand the hidden layers of information. You may find that your thoughts evolve more quickly than those of others what is obvious to most people is often just the beginning of a much larger search for meaning for you. This placement means that you have a great spiritual curiosity. It is not enough for you to simply communicate, you want to delve deeply into the essence of words, symbols and ideas. It is not just what is said, but what is between the lines. You have an innate ability to hear between the words what is really meant. You may have a gift for writing, speaking, or teaching because you are able to see things in a new light, helping others gain insights they have not seen before.

𝔉𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔱𝔥 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 Your emotional world becomes a rich source of spiritual knowledge and insight. People with this placement may feel that their feelings, memories, and emotional depths are not purely personal, but instead carry energies from past generations or even past lives. In your childhood, you may have felt particularly impacted by your home environment. This could have been both positive and negative, depending on the energetic situation within your family. Unconscious patterns from your parents or early experiences may resurface, but the Cloud Gate in the 4th house makes it possible for these patterns to not only be experienced by you but also consciously processed and healed. This placement may also bring stories or memories from past lives to the surface. You may feel that there are certain, unspoken emotional conflicts within your family history that are calling to be understood and healed. There is a karmic layer to your family relationships particularly with your parental relationships. especially the mother, you may find that there are unconscious energetic bonds between you and your parents that are not always clear or visible. People with this placement are often spiritual seekers, trying to connect with the larger mysteries of life through their emotions. They may have an inner knowing that their emotional experiences.

𝔉𝔦𝔣𝔱𝔥 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 You might experience moments where you feel inspired or divinely guided during creative pursuits, as if your art or creations are being channeled from a higher place. These moments of inspiration may not always be fully understood on a conscious level, but they have the power to bring you profound spiritual insight or clarity. Your creations could even serve as spiritual messages, healing tools, or beacons of light for others. Romance and love affairs are another key area affected by the Astroid Cloud Gate in the 5th house. The 5th house governs romantic relationships, flirtations, and the joy we derive from being loved. However, with the Astroid Cloud Gate here, you may find that your romantic experiences are deeply spiritual or karmic in nature. Love affairs and relationships may not simply be about fun or pleasure, but they could feel like soul contracts. You may feel that the people you meet romantically are often drawn to you for reasons that go beyond the surface. These relationships may bring you closer to your higher self or push you to confront deeper parts of your psyche. While you likely have a natural magnetism and a love of pleasure, there is an element of sacredness to your romantic experiences. You might crave deep connections, and your romantic life might feel like a sacred dance, where you are learning about love, vulnerability, and emotional transformation.

𝔖𝔦𝔵𝔱𝔥 𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔰𝔢 This placement often creates a bridge between the physical and the spiritual realms, and you may be someone who intuitively senses that the path to enlightenment isn’t always through grand experiences, but through presence, mindfulness, and devotion to the small things. You might be prone to energetic imbalances, fatigue, or psychosomatic symptoms, particularly if you’re disconnected from your deeper truth or ignoring your soul’s needs. But with awareness, you also have powerful capacity to heal yourself. You may naturally be drawn to holistic healing, energy work, herbal medicine, or body mind therapies like yoga, Reiki, or breathwork. Over time, you’re likely to discover that health is not just physical, but also emotional, spiritual, and energetic. You might become a guide for others in this, helping people see how daily habits and spiritual alignment are interwoven. You could even feel called to develop rituals of self-care that support your own spiritual path. meditation, mindful eating, grounding practices, or intuitive movement. There’s also potential here for ancestral healing or karmic cleansing through the body. Old family patterns around work, servitude, or self-worth may be stored in your system, and the Cloud Gate gives you the spiritual strength to transmute and heal these energies.

[talon-dragonbeast]

do you ever think about theories of origin? i do. sometimes i like to look into all the different explanations for alterhumanity that ive seen in the past, just for fun. of course, all my identities are still psychological, so i dont even need to think about this on the first place... but shower thoughts are shower thoughts, and pondering things for fun is a hobby of mine.

my favourite theory of origin is, undoubtedly, the soul misplacement theory. the notion that, before you were born, a soul was placed inside your body, one that didnt match the one that was "supposed" to inhabit the body... so, for example, if im a dragon, the theory says that the soul of a dragon was mistakenly put in this human body, and that this soul was supposed to go somewhere else (maybe a parallel world, a different dimension/plane of existence, or just a different planet very far away from here) but is now trapped here.

i dont know, i just find it very sweet. if you think about it, this theory requires the belief that somehow, somewhere, there is a world where dragons exist (and also, it requires you to assume that your human soul, the displaced one, is now in a dragons body in this other world, which i find hilarious). this theory is in itself very comforting to those who uphold it, because it makes you able to believe that, no matter how bad this life is, theres a world out there where you could live or have lived the life of your dreams. maybe you are able to remember what this life is or was like (through noemata or past life regression), maybe not; but you know that it could be out there, and that is enough.

it also lays out some very interesting questions: if this was a mistake, how is that possible? who puts souls inside bodies in the first place? is it a god? some other higher being? if it is a god or something similar, does this mean that gods are capable of making mistakes? is this theory compatible with other religious beliefs, or is it a religious belief on its own? what even is a soul? what will happen to my dragon soul when i die; will it go to a dragon body like how it was supposed to in the first place, or will it remain trapped in this plane of existence forever? do all dragonkin come from the same "dragon world", or are they different ones? and if they indeed are different ones, does that mean that dragons are common enough in the universe that there are not one, but multiple worlds with dragons out there? are dragons the crabs of the universe? this and other questions i yell into the void, because i know that by their very nature they wont have one single answer, and because everyone is different every being will have different theories for their own existence.

other theory which i find fascinating is the parallel life theory. not because of the theory itself, but because of the implications of it. if your soul, your mind, your counciousness or whatever, was really able to exist in two different realities at once, what would this mean for psychology, for science? are only some brains especially wired to jump from one world to another, or is everyone capable of doing so with the right training? in these other lifes, would you retain the knowledge from this one, or would you lose it every time you switch between worlds? and also (and forgive me if this may sound insensitive, this is a rhetorical question and not meant to have an answer), which one of these worlds would be considered "the most important one", or even "the real one"? is it the first? is it the one you discover later in life? is it the most "mundane" one? the one you like the most? i think this theory leaves more questions than it answers, and while that may work for some people it does make me somewhat uneasy, as if there is more to learn about it. but thats just my personal opinion.

and finally, the Everyones Otherkin theory. this is of course the funniest one and the one i would most wish to be true, mainly because i wholeheartedly believe that it would make a better world this way. it would also explain some things like the "spirit animal" phenomenon from a decade or so ago, or the fact that almost all humans unconsciously align themselves with animals/mythical creatures/objects/colors, in some way (via archetypes or symbolism) throughout their lives. its true that sometimes i like to assign kintypes to the people i know, but i only do it for my own strange amusement and would never take it more seriously than i should.

so yeah, while none of these theories apply to me, i still like to think about them from time to time because i believe theyre interesting. so, just out of curiosity: whats your theory of origin? whats your favorite one (regardless of if you believe in it or not)? and finally, whats the weirdest theory that youve come across over your time in the community?

[cyberjello]

An Analysis of Alex Hill

Aka: "In Which Cyberjello Spends Too Many Words Projecting Onto One of His Favourite Characters"

If you're here from the SRS discord server, Hi! I noticed something neat about Alex, and because I either have nothing to say or way too much, I wrote this whole… thing about it. Enjoy!

On the other hand, if it's the future and you stumbled upon this post by chance and are still here because you like reading character analyses even when you know nothing about the character (like me), this is about Alex Hill. He's a main character from a webtoon called The Last Dimension, which you can read here (and should because it's great)! This pile of words contains some spoilers for the first and second seasons. Enjoy!

Alex is a pretty interesting character. Sometimes he's a massive jerk, and sometimes he feels really bad about having been a massive jerk. But 90% of the time he's a pretty chill dude (if a little insensitive) who doesn't seem to care about any particular issue. I've pointed out an example of this before; how in the span of a couple days he switched from harassing Phillip about not being normal, to telling him in no uncertain terms that his otherness didn't matter. At first I was a little mystified. It seemed weird for him to change his stance like that so quickly, yet at the same time it didn't feel out of character for him. So I thought about it a bit more, and then I had an epiphany.

Alex differs from the others in how he thinks. He doesn't worry about what could happen in the near future, like Fai does. He doesn't dwell on the implications behind pieces of information, like Phillip does. He's impulsive, quick to say whatever pops into his head, and rarely stops to consider the long-term consequences of his actions.

And gee, as a young fellow with ADHD who's only been medicated for less than ten years, that all sounds awfully familiar. And rereading TLD with that connection in mind has been quite interesting.

See, ADHD—or at least my particular flavour of it—does some interesting things with one's sense of importance. Past, present, and future are tossed aside in favour of a much simpler system: "Now" and "Not Now". Things that happen during "Not Now" are rarely factored into decisions made during "Now". Desires, ideas, and thoughts that happen "Now" are almost always a higher priority and given more immediate attention.

The most visible manifestation of this is impulsiveness: the moment at which you have an idea, something you could say or do, is Now. Anything else—be it a task you were just in the middle of doing, a favour somebody asked of you an hour ago that you should really get started on, or the possible future consequences of executing this idea—those are all Not Now, and therefore not important, in the unlikely event that they even come to mind. And you can definitely see that impulsiveness in Alex whenever he says something he really, really shouldn't.

But impulsiveness isn't the only thing that the Now/Not Now dichotomy is responsible for. One of the clearest places I've also noticed it is in how he treats Phillip. Remember how he switches from jerk to friendly almost on a dime? Yeah, he actually does that a lot in season 1, doesn't he? In fact, I've gone and taken SIXTEEN FRICKING SCREENSHOTS BETWEEN EPISODES 2-15 AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS BECAUSE I'M INSANE!!!

To start off though, I'm going to say what should be obvious to anyone who's read TLD: Alex isn't a mean person at heart. He cares a lot about those around him, including Phillip.

Anyway, in Episode 2 he acts like an absolute jerk to Phillip:

Clearly not the best of friends, are they? Well, you could have fooled me, because 15 minutes later, Alex is cheering him on and then looking out for him as he bluntly tells Phillip to "shift into [his] normal self".

And he proves to be a pretty good person after this. He's genuinely worried about Fai when she nearly drowns, and he's pretty friendly, if a bit cranky. But eventually it becomes clear how bad their situation is and all of a sudden—

—he's back to being a jerk.

But then Fai calls him out on it, and the effect is immediate.

He feels bad. He knows what he just did wasn't right. BUT THEN FIVE MINUTES LATER HE DOES IT AGAIN

Twice more this happens, where Alex is acting pretty friendly but then says something stupid, Fai tells him off, and he clearly feels bad immediately after—

—and then he acts like it never happened and he's genuinely friendly and nice again.

In fact, after that first day on Imash, he never says anything mean-spirited to or about Phillip again. Insensitive, sure, but not outright mean.

This isn't just Alex changing his opinion over the course of a couple days. This little flip-flop he does is a whole pattern that I'm going to go ahead and examine a little closer.

To start, let's compare the first two scenes I mentioned. In their room the Institute, Alex is frustrated that he has to share a room with Phillip. There's a good reason for him to not be upset; he does care about Phillip, and sharing a room with him would really help Phillip stay hidden. But Phillip's predicament—and more to the point, the effect it has on him that Alex perceives—currently rests in the far-off land of Not Now. Meanwhile in the land of Now, Alex doesn't get to be in a room with his other friends. Phillip's visible otherness is a painful reminder of the perceived betrayal from when he revealed his true form. To top it off, there's the background noise of Alex's frequent use as a guinea pig. There's a lot going on, and only one target to lash out at.

15 minutes later during the fall to Imash, all those things have entered Not Now. On the other hand, "I'm no longer falling to my doom thanks to Phillip" and "Fai and Anne are coming and are about to see Phillip" become Now. Looking out for Phillip is the Now Problem, sharing a room with him is a Not Now Problem.

But that's fairly normal, isn't it? Of course Alex is going to be nice to the person who just saved his life. Let's continue.

After they swim the shore, Alex is actually relatively friendly with Fai, in contrast to the name-calling and snarkery he used with her and Susi back at the Institute. Because Now, Fai isn't someone annoying trying to get in his way, she's just someone stuck here along with him.

Speaking of which, he doesn't seem all too concerned about what just happened. Annoyed, maybe, but not worried. After all, nothing bad is happening Now. But then Anne finds a tablet with an alien language on it, and the fact that they're not in Kansas anymore suddenly becomes a very big, very obvious Now Problem. Alex finally feels the true gravity of the situation, and lashes out at Phillip. (This provides a decent example of that impulsiveness again, where Alex's brain makes a connection and he acts on it Now.) Which brings me to my next observation, which is that Fai, by intervening, basically gives Alex the opportunity to realize when he's in the wrong.

Now, this part brings back a lot of memories from before I started taking medication for my ADHD. I used to tease my sister relentlessly. As Paranatural's Ed Burger puts it:

As I myself can testify, that bit about the reactions is the key here, ESPECIALLY when one has ADHD and that immediate reaction, the thing that happens Now, is practically the only thing that matters here. When I used to mess with my sister, I hated making her sad and felt awful wherever that happened. But angry? When she got angry and chased me around the house I thought was hilarious. It was that brief but very much Now moment of entertainment that motivated me. However, we've seen that Phillip doesn't give much of a reaction when bullied. He freezes up and then afterward, he disappears somewhere for half an hour to cry where no-one will see it:

And I believe that LACK of an immediate reaction is just as important. Alex has a lot of crap in his life to move him to take it out on Phillip. He doesn't need a reaction to do it, but the absence thereof means he never immediately sees how much Phillip suffers because of it. It never becomes apparent Now, when he's able to notice. But then along comes Fai, who does react when he says something hurtful about somebody else. And it's her reaction that makes him stop and become able to realize that what he was doing. He genuinely feels bad because as I said earlier, he doesn't want to be mean, he's just never able to notice when he is.

There's one other things I want to point out about the Now/Not Now thing. When you have something that could happen or will happen in the future, something that could affect you in some way, it doesn't really seem real. It's not immediately affecting you, it's Not Now, so there's no need to worry. And I see this in Alex a LOT.

These are his thoughts about seeing a giant energy beam appear in the distance: "I'm tired; it's not a Now Problem, I don't feel like thinking about it right now." The reason I find this familiar is because it's exactly what my brain would tell me whenever I sat down to do homework with a far-off deadline. And later, when Alex and Fai tell Phillip about Fai's bad vision about him, he very clearly isn't thinking about the contents of the vision itself; they're not happening Now, after all. He doesn't seem even a little worried about it, unlike Fai.

Now, I'm not going to outright say "Alex might canonically have ADHD" because I'm not a brain biologist who knows how to look for this stuff, nor do I know if this was intentional. (I'm also never been one to form headcanons, I typically stare at canon and go, "yup, that's pretty cool!") But I will say that I have ADHD, and I see a lot of myself in Alex, which is pretty neat.

[khnuvr]

Opinion from the opposing side: I love computers for pure math! There's nothing better for calculating examples to check your hypotheses and visualizing the objects you're working with. They're also great at checking cases if you have long list of them. I only learned how useful they can really be recently when using sage for everything mentioned above in a research setting. Computers are invaluable in that context imo. They can do so much more that just arithmetic, if you know how to model it right.

Calculators are flawed and aside from computing large numbers have not much purpose in pure mathematics.

This is not a statement about generative ai (although it would be completely useless in all facets of mathematics).

I will not pretend that I am an expert, I am no mathematician, but I absolutely adore the subject. It is what I want to spend my life doing. I will not pretend that I am the most knowledgeable so I would be delighted to hear some other opinions.

In my experience I have found the standard scientific calculator to be flawed. It has failed to give a distinct answer when the answer logically is different. As in, the difference between the numbers is so small it counts it as the same number. However, this is not 0.999... = 1. This has a finite number of decimals.

Aside from the actual calculation calculators can only aid in checking arithmetic really. The basis of mathematics is proof, which requires the human mind. I believe that in no way can the human mind can ever be replaced in terms of proofs and concepts.

Thank you for coming to my uninformed shittalk.

[caw4brandon]

The Power of Stop-Motion

Media in today's standard is quick and easy. Rarely is a show more than 2 hours long or 13-epiodes per-season. With that, animated movies are a lot slower than the typical films.

There is a discussion on if animation is suitable for film purposes and while it is often shunned by the Golden Globes or the Oscars or other awards. The very few outliers can prove these awards and the world very wrong.

But that is not what we will be talking about today. Because while animation is popular, there is a dark horse among its sphere. One with a rich history and strong filmography that should be shared. Let's talk about;

- Have I possibly gone daffy? -

Stop-motion is a film making style that compiles multiple still images of an object being physically manipulated in small movements into one whole scene.

Majority of Stop-motion films and videos use [Clay Animation] or [Paper Animation] with several more varieties of new innovations emerging under the umbrella of stop-motion. The most popular of them in the modern era towards kids is [Lego animation] which is the manipulation of Lego models in motion.

The earliest trace of Stop-motion in films is the 1898 short [The Humpty Dumpty Circus] by Albert E. Smith and James Stuart Blackton which is said to be a lost media. To compensate, please watch [A Tribute to Stop Motion]

In its early concept, Stop-motion was used as a method to create impossible things or do practical effects under budget constrains. Such as the iconic King Kong scene at the Empire State building. Since then, Stop-motion has evolved into a full production industry. From Indies; [Righteous Robot] to Juggernauts; [Laika Studios]

- Shimmer a Little at The Edges -

Unconventional media such as stop-motion is often not a style suited for every story. Its a rather expensive type of media that requires worthy innovations top break the niche barrier. Just looking at Laika Studios alone, we see that they've develop a lot of interesting ways to improve visual effects while staying to their stop-motion roots.

One perfect example is seen in < Kubo and the Two Strings > where the animators need to create water in a still image world that feels natural. [A Perfect Storm] one other part of the stop-motion puzzle is the iron-willed discipline it to conceptualize, animate and edit a production that can take about 3 to 5 years to complete. More so of a time frame than a normal film.

This difficult curve lead to budgeted methods such as using models that already exist to tell new stories. Such as; Legos or with crude multi-jointed figures of existing characters. [MOONSHINE]

While I may say its crude, the low budget production is the selling point. Assisted with sound bites taken from gaming sessions or from shows featuring a lot of inside jokes and memes. Also, its hilarious to see a Teletubby turned into a Eldritch monster.

These attempts to make stop-motion productions accessible has captured the attention of other like-minded channels to collaborate and elevate one another. [ERB: Harry Potter vs Luke Skywalker]

- For Better Tomorrows -

With all that is said, what is the power of stop-motion? As a media that is tediously overlapping across processes. What are the better tomorrows for our inanimate subjects?

I like to think, that as filmmaking grows. Stop-motion will continue to remain as a sacred tug against live action films and traditional animation. It can be used to tell complicated stories with concepts that may look strange if its adapted in a live action.

As I have mentioned in [The Beautiful World of Hilda] animation's greatest strength is simplification. Stop-motion takes the opposite side of that philosophy.

Its a higher level of world building of the materials with willingness to accept mistakes and ruggedness that gives them that little flavor of life. As an actual touchable thing, the various cartoonish styles can take on a whole new dimension to heighten the style and give it that detail that is less polished.

Stop-motion shows that filmmaking magic can still exist despite already knowing the tricks. Its a media where every frame shown has a significant purpose that invokes a specific flow. That's the power of stop-motion.

[changbinsboobs]

I only had like 3 dreams of idols so its cool if someone else gets to have further dreams of them and often I wonder if it reflect the idols day to day emotions / situations or if they just trying to reach out to someone?

do u think we have to do tarot on idols to gain that connection to them in order to dream of them more frequently? not that id care or not just would be cool or different at the very least. my dream was specially abt chan and felix it was like in another world / realm and they had some type of super power or like they saw themselves as being heros. i dont know if that reflected in how they view themselves wanting to protect their fans but i dont overwatch them and i dont even think abt the members that much? skz are more like a casual interest i have once in awhile

can u then do a reading on what skz dream about themselves? i dont think anyones asked that to a tarot reader before but they too must have some crazy dreams

Finally i got to answer this one, it took a while im sry😅

So i don't think ones dreams about idols affect them in any way except if you habe a significant connection to them, which i doubt. Like i think if for examples han's mom were to often have vivid dreams about him, it would really be connected to him in some way, but even then, not in the way where he feels it, but rather his moms dreams for example tell her how her son is doing etc. yk

And i also don't think doing tarot has a significant role in how often you dream of people/ idols and who you dream about. I do readings on idols every day for idk like a month already - and i haven't had a single dream with anyone during that time. In fact i haven't had dreams with them for a very long while.

And so here is the long awaited reading for their dreams:) i used the 3rd Eye Tarot (tbh i think i should stop announcing it in every reading, ya'll already know i use it for all my readings, except spicy ones.

*Please take the reading with a grain of salt, its for entertainment purposes only!

Enjoy💗

What do Skz dream about? (when they sleep)

Chan - Ace of Wands, 2 of Wands

For him im seeing he just dreams about his goals and him getting there. I think his subconscious is so preoccupied with proving himself constantly that his subconscious mind projects it into his dreams. Or he gets pulled into parallel realities and experiences another chan's waking life in just working, planing and running towards his goals.

Lee Know - The World, 3 of Cups, Knight of Swords

Not surprised with his reading I've already mentioned that i've been seeing him the most in dreams in the past and that he seemed very aware and like ugh idk like real? Lucid? Idk how to describe it just in a few words but thats the same if been getting from the cards. He seems very active in his dreams. Very aware while dreaming. I believe he travels different universes and worlds, different domains. I think he likes to explore the astral realm and would say has really a gift for that! I think he also has great control over that dimension and can at will take or remove himself to/from different dreams and spaces. And i think he has met lots of people, entities, energies etc along the way and would say has made quite some friends.

Changbin - The Sun, Death, Queen of Cups, 2 of Pentacles

Why do i even bother to lay cards for him at this point?🥲 its almost the same each reading.🫠 So in his dreams he is unaware i would say - like he doesnt really remember what he dreamt about when he wakes up, or he can just remember a vague theme or feeling, or some incoherent scenes and all of that doesn't make sense to him, but it also does, yk that feeling. I think he has that. And i think the reason for that is cuz his higher self takes over and works hard in his dreams to pick his subconscious minds, to heal him, to implement seeds and truths, sometimes through dreams (when he has ones he remembers and or understands). I also think that if he has a dream he remembers theres always a message in there for him. He receives guidance through his dreams. And what all that hustling is about? U guessed it😂 - to find his wife👰🏻‍♀️🤰🏻 i think his higher self might be "searching" for her and working behind the scenes to bring them two together.

Hyunjin - The Empress, King of Cups

His dreams are very creative usually. And are more a fruit of his own subconscious mind, rather than astral travel etc. Just like Chan. I think he has lots of overflowing creativity he just can't pour all out in one day, so it gets used up in his dreams at the end of the day to like - bring balance in his being. I think he has wild and crazy and very rich and interesting dreams. I would love to take a peak.🥰 And i think he actually can remember lots of them with lots of detail as well. If you were to ask him about it he would wipe out a journal and start reading them to you like a short-story. Oh yeah and i think he might journal his dreams from time to time. Maybe not everything, but what he deems as important whenever he remembers. He thinks there could be lots of wisdom in them and if he ever gets in a rut or gets bored he wipes that journal out again and reads it to get some inspiration and ideas back. Thats what im getting for him.

Han - 9 of Cups, The Magician

I can't quite pick up if his dreams are more astral or subconscious but i definitely pick up on peace and release and fun and excitement. I would say it could be a mix of both. Like some dreams he has are subconscious and he releases lots of build up stress, emotions etc from them. Others are astral and he goes out (nit too far out tho) and just enjoys the funs an astral body and a world not bound by the laws of physics offers. I think he does fun stuff like learning how to fly. Going on a quest to find interesting animals (that don't exist on earth), visiting a neighbor galaxy/planet/universe whatever, talking with the local entities/spirits and whatever😂 and just overall having fun. Yk whats very fitting for him - i actually see him as a ghibli character having a whimsical adventure whenever he goes to sleep☺️love that for him. Just overall very lighthearted fun and pleasant energy. I think he loves sleeping😂 even if he can't remember when he wakes up, his brain does and his body does as well. Oh also i think he might be developing some skills in his dreams that he is using in the real world. Or like finding knowledge within his dreams that he can use in the real world to further improve his skills.

Felix - The Star, Knight of Cups

Also very nice energy! I think he dreams quite a lot about his crushes when he's having subconscious dreams. On the other side when his dreams are aware its not him but rather his higher self thats operating in that realm. I can't quite pick out what he does for sure but i think it has to do with some sort of socializing. For example going to other galaxies etc to visit friends from past lives or beyond life on earth or whatever. I think he also enjoys meeting new "people". Overall very cute, well balanced energy.

Seungmin - The Fool

He just rests😂 thats it. Thats the reading! If he dreams, its "meaningless" processing of the day and like anything thats not needed gets cleaned out and he's just getting a restart and rest for the new day.

I.N - Knight of Wands

I think his dreams are quite action packed. I think he's constantly on an adventure and is dreaming very much! Like dreaming every night, and every night being jam packed, yk those dreams where you sleep for 8h, but you've spent 2 months in your dream. I think he has those kind of dreams. Very realistic, very heartrace-inducing(?). I think he also remembers them pretty well, at least while he's freshly awakened. Idk about remembering them later on. Maybe not if he didn't care about the dream, but also maybe yes if he thought that dream was special or interesting or something grabbed his attention.

[blood-starved-beast]

Can we talk about the Nameless Moon Presence and Gehrman and the Hunters being like those animals who have higher rates of fecudity as to combat high infant mortality rates?

So every great one loses its child and yearns for a surrogate we know that we get it. We see variations on this all over. What's interesting with the Nameless Moon Presence's version is that as opposed to say, Oedon or even Kos, is that while she's got Gehrman locked in as surrogate baby, he's not 100% secure in his situation. He can be replaced if you do either the Honoring Wishes Ending or the Childhood's Beginning Ending (the latter more extremely so, cause you do become her Child in the very very literal sense). In order to achieve those endings, you have to kill him. And for all we know, Flora doesn't seem to mourn that, now turning her interest towards you.

In population biology, one of the theories around species fecundity is the r/K selection theory - basically states that in nature, there is a tradeoff between quantity vs quality of offspring and parental investment. In species that have high numbers of babies born per litter (r-selected) there is notable less parental investment. In frogs or fish for example, infants are left to fend for themselves, or in alligators, mother gators do protect their young, but it's not as involved as such a great ape or an elephant. In species with less babies born per litter (K-selected), there is more parental investment - again elephants, humans, apes. Colloquially, r-selected reproduction is seen as "cheap and fast" vs K-selected being "expensive and slow." More parental resources are devoted to caring for their young in K-selected species, and the loss of a child in these species is more devastating (in more ways than one). But the guarantee that a specific child would survive is greater there.

But how does this apply to the Moon Presence and Bloodborne?

Interestingly enough, the theory posits that r-selection is favored in more unstable environments. There is a high chance that most children won't survive, so reproduce as much as possible so at least one survives. Yharnam, by the events of the game, is virtually collapsed. Refuse and corpses liter the streets, Huntsmen have gone mad and are attacking people On Sight, there is no order and the Beast Plague runs rampant. We find a lot of dead Hunter corpses all over the place. If you were a great one searching for human surrogate children, r-selection seems like a good option here. Get a lot of Hunters, so hopefully, maybe, at least one ascends or becomes your kid. And that's what the Moon Presence uses Gehrman to do. If you, the Good Hunter, are lucky You become that special baby!! Congrats!!

But there's also another dimension working here. Cause when you reach Bloodborne endgame, you don't just ascend. Gehrman gets up from his chair to fight you. Now he has his reasons (claiming to save you from your fate) but if we're to take a biologist's perspective - consider. In many species, infant animals are competing with their siblings and relatives since birth, even beforehand in some like sharks, where fetus sharks will kill and consume their siblings in-utero.* Larger tadpoles eat their smaller cousins and siblings so they've got a higher chance of survival later. Sometimes, parents get involved - they discard or kill one of their infants if they believe the chances of their other offspring surviving is greater as a result. Egrets have been found to do this, among others.

Gehrman believes that by killing you, he is saving you from achieving his Fate - his reasons one can argue are justified, but he is also defending his position as Flora's chosen surrogate child as a result. Only he can be the surrogate, no other Hunter. It is just like a frog to cannibalize their siblings. And Flora permits this, cause in the end, the most Fit child - the one that has the best chance of survival - will be the one that remains. And until our Hunter arrives, that child had always been Gehrman.

(Sidenote: Kos arguably used K-selection. One child, likely in a Deal with a male partner to produce the Orphan. Lot of parent investment, such a shame when of that was lost.)

*Note scientists believe fetal cannibalism in sharks is an extension of sexual selection. Shark litters with less fetuses tend to have one father, whereas larger litters have multiple. It's believe the smaller litters had older fetuses - the male had copulated with the female earlier than the other father - resulting in older babies that in turn, ate their smaller siblings. Either way the larger fetuses were born larger, and thus had higher chances of survival than the smaller, less 'fit' half-siblings.

[blake447]

Combinatorics of n-Dimensional Chess

So my current project of n-dimensional chess has involved perhaps, some of the most interesting combinatorics I've ever handled. Let's talk about them! It's a perfect showcase of what I think are the 3 most important parts of math 1.> Start with simple, easy examples 2.> Break large problems into smaller parts 3.> Shift your perspective and abstract problems in a way that they are easier to deal with, while retaining a way to shift back once you've solved it to reapply what you've done. So, let's first start with the problem. Here's a piece in 5D chess known as a unicorn. It can move along any triagonal, which means it has to pick 3 out of the 5 dimensions available. in 4D time travel chess, it actually gets to move in 6 dimensional space, but it was originally introduced in space chess, a 3D variant. My point here is that n-dimensional chess means that we have to be able to list these kinds of moves for a lot of different dimensionalities, and hard coding them quite simply isnt an option. So, we turn to combinatorics!

We'll start with point 1.> by starting with our easiest example. Let's take a look at a bishop's movement in 2D space first to get a good baseline. The directions a bishop can travel along in 2D space are as follows

Now I purposely arranged this in a way that if we replace negative numbers with 0, we get

And hey! That's just counting in binary! Which makes sense, because we only have two choices, positive and negative. Once we move up to 3D space, we can actually re-use this tactic as well. Let's list all the possible combinations of directions in 3D space first, without worrying about the sign. This is what I mean in part 2.> by breaking complex problems into smaller ones, in this case breaking the movement into directions and signs.

Basically, now we can take each one of these 3 possibilities and just apply our same trick by ignoring whichever part the 0 is in. And this works for triagonals and quadragonals in higher dimensional space as well. This makes iterating through signs the easier part Of course, that means the other half is going to be the hard part. Now, with diagonals it isn't too bad. Lets look at diagonals in 5D space. Get ready because this one is a bit more of a jump

Basically what I'm doing here is I'm starting with each 1 as far left as possible, and sliding them over repeatably. not the best explanation, but its doesn't matter because this method doesn't extend well to triagonals very well (choosing 3 directions at once). Instead, we take a shift of perspective, demonstrating point 3.> Instead of representing this as a series of 1's and zeros, we simply represent the *position* of each 1. For example

We have a 1 in the 0th and 3rd locations, so we can simply represent this as just (0, 3). Suddenly, instead of trying to figure out how many ways there are to arrange 1's and 0's, we are asking how many ways can we choose 2 numbers out of 0-4. Now, there is a slight catch in that (0, 3) and (3, 0) are the same thing, so when counting them order doesn't matter, making this a simple combination problem. However we don't just want to count them, we also want to iterate over them. Lets try to generate all possible triagaonals within 7D space. That means we want to choose 3 numbers ranging from 0-6. We start with our easiest one

In order to avoid repeats (no pun intended) we maintain a strict order that is always increasing. Each number should always be larger than the previous one. To iterate through new combinations, we simply increase the last number until we can't anymore.

Now at this point, we can't increase the last number any more, so we increase the second to last and start over

And since the number after 2 has to be larger than 2, the smallest number we can roll over to is 3. From here we continue. Basically, it turns this complicated problem into a type of counting game. Just like with regular numbers, we increase the last one until it can't go anymore, then we increase the next one over and restart, just instead of restarting to 0, we restart to the smallest allowed number that keeps things in order.

And at this point, we now have to increase our first number. I'll go ahead and finish this up despite it being pretty long, so that we can make sure we have all the possibilities

Now if we do some quick calculations for how many combinations we have of 3 numbers out of 7 total we get 3 choose 7 = 7! / ( 3! * (7-3)! ) = 7! / ( 3! * 4! ) = (7 * 6 * 5) / (3 * 2 * 1) = (7 * 5) = 35

Which is exactly how much we counted to! There are a few reasons we know there aren't any repeats but this has gotten long enough, and I can't quite articulate them off the top of my head. From here we convert back into 1's and 0's, then we count up in binary for each one of them to get the sign permutations. To wrap things up, I'll finish up by demonstrating all those sign permutations for one of these direction combinations. As stated in point 3.> we can translate back from our abstraction back to the original problem, so we can apply the smaller part that is generating the sign permutations.

There we go. A little bit of a mess, but that's it! And that's how I generate arbitrary m-agonals in arbitrary n-dimensional space for my chess engine. Finally, here's a picture of a queen's movement allowed to move along any agonal up to heptagonals (seven!) on a 7D board generated in a precursor to my current iteration of nDimensional chess

Y'know, not that anyone would ever play that lol. Here's a bishop on the same board, which is (somewhat) more... manageable lol.

And that's all I got! this math right here is the bread and butter of what makes n-dimensional chess possible! and is potentially one of my favorite problems I've worked on.

[yvetteheiser]

Yvette Heiser : Deliciously Dark Guide to Night-time Food Photography

In the world of food photography, capturing the essence of a dish goes beyond just snapping a picture. It involves careful consideration of composition, lighting, props, and styling to evoke emotions and convey the story behind the food. While daytime photography often takes centre stage, there’s a unique charm in capturing culinary delights under the enchanting glow of night, Yvette Heiser-Deliciously Dark: Exploring Food Photography in Night Settings, a renowned food photographer, has mastered this art, and her guide to night-time food photography offers invaluable insights for aspiring photographers. Let’s delve into Yvette Heiser’s techniques and tips for creating stunning food images in low-light settings.

The Allure of Night-time Photography

Night-time food photography presents a distinct set of challenges and opportunities. The absence of natural light requires photographers to be more creative with their lighting setups, but it also allows for a moodier, more atmospheric aesthetic. Yvette Heiser believes that night-time photography can add a layer of sophistication and intrigue to food images, making them stand out in a sea of brightly lit photos.

Essential Equipment

To excel in night-time food photography, having the right equipment is crucial. Yvette Heiser recommends the following gear:

Camera: A DSLR or mirror less camera with good low-light performance is essential. Look for models with high ISO capabilities and minimal noise at higher settings.

Lenses: Fast prime lenses with wide apertures (e.g., f/1.8 or f/2.8) are ideal for capturing sharp images in low light. A 50mm or 85mm lens is a great choice for food photography.

Tripod: A sturdy tripod is a must-have for night-time photography to avoid camera shake and ensure sharp images.

Mastering Lighting Techniques

Lighting is the most critical aspect of night-time food photography. Yvette Heiser emphasizes the importance of experimenting with different light sources and angles to achieve the desired effect. Here are some of her top lighting tips:

Use Multiple Light Sources: Combining different light sources can create depth and dimension in your photos. For example, use a main light to illuminate the food and a secondary light to highlight specific details or create a rim light effect.

Play with Shadows: Shadows can add drama and texture to your images. Experiment with the placement of your lights to create interesting shadow patterns that enhance the visual appeal of the dish.

Control the Light: Use diffusers to soften harsh light and reflectors to bounce light back onto the subject. This helps create a more even and flattering illumination.

Composition and Styling

Composition and styling are key elements in creating visually compelling food photographs. Yvette Heiser’s approach to composition involves a mix of classic techniques and creative experimentation:

Rule of Thirds: This classic composition technique involves dividing the frame into a 3x3 grid and placing the main subject along the grid lines or at their intersections. This creates a balanced and visually appealing image.

Adjust Exposure and Contrast: Fine-tune the exposure and contrast to ensure the image is well-balanced and the details are clearly visible.

In the realm of photography, filters have long been a tool of choice for both amateur and professional photographers and Yvette Heiser– Texas, talks about the importance of filters in photos, a renowned photographer based in Texas, has extensively explored the use of filters in her work, particularly in food and wedding photography. Her insights into the importance of filters reveal how these tools can transform ordinary photos into extraordinary visual stories. This article delves into Yvette Heiser’s perspective on the significance of filters in photography, offering valuable tips and techniques for enhancing your photographic skills.

The Role of Filters in Photography

Filters are optical accessories that attach to the front of a camera lens. They serve various purposes, from protecting the lens to enhancing colours and reducing reflections. Yvette Heiser emphasizes that filters are not just about adding effects; they are about controlling light and improving image quality. By understanding the different types of filters and their applications, photographers can elevate their work to new heights.

Types of Filters and Their Uses

UV Filters: Originally designed to block ultraviolet light and protect the lens, UV filters are now primarily used as a protective layer. Yvette Heiser recommends using UV filters to safeguard expensive lenses from scratches, dust, and moisture.

Polarizing Filters: These filters are essential for reducing glare and reflections, especially when photographing water, glass, or shiny surfaces. Yvette explains that polarizing filters enhance colour saturation and contrast, making skies appear bluer and foliage greener. They are particularly useful in landscape photography.

Neutral Density (ND) Filters: ND filters reduce the amount of light entering the lens without affecting colour balance. Yvette uses ND filters to achieve long exposure shots, creating smooth, flowing water effects or capturing motion blur in busy urban scenes. They are also helpful in bright conditions when a slower shutter speed is needed.

Enhancing Aesthetics with Filters

Yvette Heiser believes that filters play a crucial role in enhancing the aesthetic quality of photographs. By carefully selecting and using filters, photographers can achieve a desired mood or atmosphere. For instance, a polarizing filter can make a landscape photo look more vibrant and dynamic, while an ND filter can add a sense of tranquillity to a seascape.

Conclusion

Night-time food photography offers a unique and captivating way to showcase culinary creations. Yvette Heiser’s guide provides aspiring photographers with the tools and techniques needed to master this challenging yet rewarding art form. By experimenting with lighting, composition, and post-processing, you can create stunning images that capture the essence and allure of food under the enchanting glow of night. Whether you’re photographing a gourmet dish at a fine dining restaurant or a cozy meal at home, Yvette Heiser’s insights will help you elevate your food photography to new heights.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Hair for the brown ask game?

Thanks for the ask!! (From this world building ask game).

Answering for Alium, the alternate dimension in The Secret Portal.

HAIR - What kinds of discrimination are there? Are they the same as reality?

Oh. OH THIS IS A DOOZY

Ok alright.

The world in terms of culture is all pretty happy to co-exist. There are 10 Sectors but no one really cares where you're from. It's not uncommon for people to be of various cultural descent and you can go anywhere in the world and it won't have a completely monogamous population. So for the most part, racism/xenophobia/any kind of discrimination of culture or origin isn't really a thing.

Same goes for homophobia/transphobia/sexism. Not really a thing. I've kind of in the process of fixing surnames so women don't have to change their names in a M/F relationship and the children can have the names of either parent or both. I did make it a little patriarchal, but I'm working on it.

This isn't to say no one in Alium holds these prejudices. It's just not widespread or institutionalized.

Now ableism - that's the big one. In terms of disabilities that actually exist, there's a lot of technology available for accomodation. Stairs aren't a thing, so people who couldn't use stairs to begin with will be fine. There are gloves/sleeves/etc to help translate gesture-based languages to speech - though they are completely optional to the individual and not enforced. Any real-disability accommodations actually are taught to be entirely up to the individual, who can reject them and not be shamed or mocked for doing so. There's no push - they're just there.

But then come the powers. This is where the root of the discrimination is in TSP.

There are ones specific to a power - such as stereotypes. Telepaths, for example, are stereotyped to be mentally unstable, and most psychological hospitals are populated with telepaths. Telepaths often have to wear dampeners in certain locations. Teleporters can also be warded off. As soon as they're identified, chronokinetics (time manipulants) have their time traveling power suppressed, limited to only smaller changes.

The Class system for power rarity is also sometimes misinterpreted as a hierarchy by those who want to be seen as better for having a more rare power. In general, there are individuals who believe Their Power, or only specific powers, are superior. People with flying and intangibility and other less practical powers can be seen as inferior. Same goes for differing Levels of power - some people don't have the potential for higher abilities.

There are also traditional jobs they are expected to take. Those with superstrength should go into physical work and terrakinetics into construction.

But the most prominent is the Inutilia - the name given to those who never develop powers. If you know your Latin roots, you'd know this means useless. This is a relatively recent mutation where an Alii never develops powers - and in this society this is seen as a disability. This is where the ableism comes in. Society doesn't see a point to them.

The Big Conflict is the prejudice of the Inutilia. After decades of violence toward them, one group had enough and decided to basically attempt to overthrow the oppressive governments of the world and replace it with a new one. Another group was like "hey, how about we try to solve the prejudice without violence!?" And now the two sides are pissed at each other to say the absolute least.

Second group is the focus. As the series goes on, I deconstruct the bias in its leadership and actual more productive ways to counter the prejudice and promote equity. A lot of power corrupts themes. Hehe good luck to me lol.

So that's the basic overview of it? That was a lot. Working on this is super hard but super interesting. Figuring out all the social implications, bias, etc is a LOT. A lot of research too.

Hope that was a sufficient answer lol.

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @fairy-tales-of-yesterday

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

Ape Canyon’s Bizarre 1924 Bigfoot Attack

In July 1924 five miners claimed that they were attacked by a group of apemen. The story goes that a member of the mining party, a man named Fred Beck, took a shot at one of the creatures after being spooked. Later that night, the monsters appeared at the miners’ cabin, tossing boulders and rushing the door to break it down.

According to The Oregonian, the first paper to break the story, the apemen were covered in long black hair. They stood at 7 feet, weighed over 400 pounds, and possessed great strength. At one point, they made a hole in the cabin’s roof and dropped a rock inside, knocking Beck in the head. Despite the apemen’s mastery of rock-throwing, the gun-toting miners were able to hold their ground. By the morning, the creatures had retreated, allowing Beck and the other humans to run out the log-fort and return to civilization.

At a time when the word “Bigfoot” hadn’t been coined yet, people referred to the miners’ violent apemen as “mountain devils” and “gorillas.” As word of the ambush spread, the story also became increasingly outlandish. A skeptical mention in the Engineering and Mining Journal put the number of combatants involved at “more than twenty animals,” while one Native American editor tied the apemen to the Seeahtik, a mythical tribe who used hypnotism to hunt for their game.

Although the Washington media’s interest in the Bigfoot assault eventually faded, the gorge where it happened was christened “Ape Canyon,” ensuring that the battle remained a part of local folklore. After the modern conception of Sasquatch took off in the late 1950s, researchers like journalist Betty Allen rediscovered the Ape Canyon incident and incorporated it into Bigfoot mythology. Probably encouraged by this new Bigfoot mania, Fred Beck sat down with his son Roland to create a memoir of the failed 1924 siege, titling his 1967 booklet “I Fought the Ape Men of Mt. St. Helens.”

Despite the long passage of time, Beck remembered the greatest Bigfoot brawl of the century rather well. Before that fateful day in July, Beck and the other miners had already come across large, unfamiliar tracks. The week of the incident, they heard whistling outside every evening, as though two creatures were trying to communicate with one another. During his description of the attack in the booklet’s first chapter, Beck clarifies a couple details that were misreported in the press. It was actually his friend “Hank” (a pseudonym) who shot the first apeman, for example, and it wasn’t true that Beck was hit in the head by a rock.

At most, Beck and his mining party saw only three apemen at a time, although there might have been more. When things quieted down in the morning, the miners came out of their cabin, and Beck spotted one of the creatures standing near a cliff. He shot it three times, sending the damn dirty ape over the edge, down to a fall that was four hundred feet below. After fleeing to a park ranger station at Spirit Lake, Beck wanted to keep the whole ordeal a secret, but “Hank” couldn’t keep his mouth shut. The story spread, journalists requested interviews, and curiosity-seekers and law officers scoured the area for signs of the attackers.

In the second chapter of the booklet, Beck reprints a 1964 news article about the Mt. St. Helen apemen, mentioning his own incident and the 1950 disappearance of a skier on the mountain. Further on, he admits to having been clairvoyant since childhood, noting a history of “visions” and “spiritual meetings.” Because a psychic element just wasn’t enough, Beck completely twists his story and speculates that the apemen were beings from a lower plane of existence. As a lost link between humans and their ancestors, the apemen sometimes manifested into our own dimension, anxious to ascend their petty state. They are curious, largely harmless critters, and are only searching for a higher consciousness.

This spiritual gobbledygook, although not entirely unwelcome for entertainment purposes, is entirely absent from the original ’20s reportage. There’s been debate over how much influence Roland had on his father’s written account, and even whether Fred Beck could remember the story as accurately as he thought he did. In terms of more practical solutions, a logger named Rant Mullins admitted in 1982 that he rolled rocks onto a cabin in the Mt. St. Helen area in 1924. Mullins had also faked giant footprints for decades, suggesting he was responsible for another important part of Beck’s “ambush.”

Another theory argues that the miners mistook a rock slide that hit their cabin for the monsters, and yet a third maintains that the assailants were teenagers from a local YMCA, who couldn’t be seen clearly due to the time of night. As for the Bigfoot that Beck shot and sent down into oblivion, this was either the case of an overactive imagination, or the brutal assassination of an innocent apeman attempting to reach a higher consciousness.

[scarlet--wiccan]

Tbh, I don't get the appeal of Marvel magic users being potential candidates for the Sorcerer Supreme title when many of these characters in question deal in different fields of magic that doesn't work in the same way as Sorcery: Which according to the Wiki requires to walk the 3 paths of ego-, eco- and exo-centric magic and if I recall: Illyana, Billy, Wanda, etc are never seen doing these kinds of things. And it's frustrating to see fans of them brag about it like some badge of honor. I feel like fans of Marvel Mystics, in general, don't have a deep thinking about what's interesting about it.

Yeah, unfortunately, I do sometimes see the whole Sorcerer Supreme thing get turned into a powerscale talking point-- people get caught up in which character can pull the highest rank, and where these positions fit into arbitrary hierarchies of power. To me, it's not a rewarding way to engage with comics, and it's not how most writers are actually approaching the material.

Nevertheless, the Sorcerer Supreme is an important position in the Marvel world, and it is fun to play with different characters filling that position in future timelines, alternate realities, and so forth-- and sometimes the politics and machinations around how the title is appointed can make for a good story, which I think is something MacKay accomplished during his run. But, yeah, I don't find it to be an important goal or aspiration for any of my favorite characters, because most of them already have their own stuff going on.

Just to be super clear, a lot of the characters in Doctor Strange titles practice similar forms of magic that are based around a particular cosmology which is endemic to the series, but-- and I could be wrong-- I don't think that "sorcery" itself is specific or exclusive, and it's not a requirement to be Sorcerer Supreme, either. By virtue of association, a lot of those motifs do get transferred to other characters when they adopt the title-- and there's something to be said for the fact that Doctor Strange sets the tone for all magic in the Marvel world, which has more to do with writers not being creative enough than anything else-- but a lot of those characters come from different magical and cultural backgrounds. I guess you could argue that "sorcery" specifically refers to the magic that was discovered and later taught by Agamotto and the Vishanti, but again, you absolutely don't need to come from that tradition to be Sorcerer Supreme.

Additionally, the laws of eco-, ego-, and exo-centricism apply to all forms of magic, not just "sorcery." These principles were discovered by Agamotto, but it's not exclusive. At the end of the day, this system really just describes where you source your magical power from-- yourself, your environment, or other dimensions/higher beings. Most mages and spellcasters use all three, in some capacity.

For example, if witchcraft is primarily governed by the Witchcraft goddess and the Witches' Road, then that's exocentric, but we also know that Wanda possesses innate spiritual powers, like magical sight and astral projection, so that's ego-centric-- and I would argue that, with how much emphasis is put on nature and the elements, there must be a degree of ecocentric magic as well. Illyana's Soul Sword is clearly a form of egocentric magic, and when she invokes the power of Limbo, that's exocentric. And I'm pretty sure she cast the Winds of Watoomb in a recent issue.

[visual-calc]

Say, does quantum physics correlate with time traveling journey? Time traveling machine quite tempting to be made..

VISUAL CALCULUS [Heroic: Success] — Quantum physics actually has very little to do with our understanding of time, or the possibility of time travel. Most of the relevant theory falls under the theory of relativity, with a little bit of thermodynamics sprinkled in.

At its most basic level, relativity states that our reality exists in four dimensions: the three spatial dimensions we usually think of, and time, which is why we sometimes refer to it as "spacetime". Time is connected to the other three dimensions in a special way: the faster you move through space, the slower you move through time. Similarly, the closer you are to very massive object, such as a black hole or Elysium's core, the slower time passes for you.

This means that it is almost trivially easy to travel forward in time— just steal an aerostatic and fly very, very fast, or take a vacation at the bottom of the ocean. Either of these will cause you to experience less time than a friend who stays stationary or at sea level, so upon your return you will have effectively traveled to the future— by a few billionths of a second. A difference in elevation of a few thousand feet is not enough to create a significant difference in time, nor are there any means of transportation able to reach the necessary speeds to make this a practical means of time travel. But traveling forward is at least theoretically possible.

However, based on your prior interaction with Savoir Faire and Interfacing, I suspect that you are interested in traveling backwards, and I am afraid I need to be the bearer of bad news: it is simply impossible. The arrow of time only points forward. This is a law higher than you, or me, or Authority, or any of us. There is nothing we can do to reverse it, in any normal reality.

Physically, this is intrinsically linked to the idea of entropy, a measure of disorder. Entropy can never decrease— any process that is possible can only increase disorder, never decrease it. Reversing the flow of time and traveling backwards through it would allow you to increase order. For example, if you broke a glass, then traveled back to a time where the glass was whole again, you would be returning it to its ordered state, making backwards time travel impossible just from a physics standpoint. That doesn't even scratch the surface of the possible paradoxes of causality such travel would cause.

However. Not all of Elysium is part of our normal sense of reality. Entropy and entroponetic share the same root, after all— the Pale is entropy incarnate, disorder made manifest. Deep enough in the Pale, this disorder is great enough that our usual notions of time and space have no meaning. Reality ceases to have dimensions at all and the laws of physics break down.

The only way we can travel through the Pale at all is using Pale latitude compressors— devices that allow us to force the Pale into having dimensions again, taking on the shape of our familiar four-dimensional spacetime. No one has ever tried forcing the pale into being anything else. It's easy to see why— for transport of human beings, you want to make sure that they stay cocooned in a reality they can safely exist in. But, I do confess to having wondered whether it might be possible to use a Pale latitude compressor to impose a different type of reality on the Pale. If we're imposing dimensions anyway, perhaps it's possible to pick how they relate to each other such that traveling backwards in time is possible?

Please do note that I do not recommend that you try this, Turtle. Harry's brief encounter with the latitude compressor in Martinaise has more than convinced me that they are not to be trifled with. Additionally, there's no telling whether a set of dimensions that would allow time travel would also allow you to exist, or whether such a set would even exist at all. Most of us have come to like you quite a lot— I would hate to see you perish as a result of an entroponetic accident because you tried to time travel.

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: Creation: Part 8

Why does one creature’s life depend on the death of another?

Just as the day replaces night, spring follows winter, and autumn takes the place of summer, death follows life. The Creator, Who governs everything, does nothing in vain. He creates the most beautiful and intricate beings out of the lowest, seemingly unpromising, materials. Since it is the very nature of His creation to bestow freshness and novelty continually upon His creation, and since He sets on and motivates everything to mature and develop, risings and settings necessarily succeed each in this world.

Before going further into the subject, let’s define death.

Death is not final exhaustion of nature, an annihilation that operates of itself, or a total extinction into a void. Rather, it is a transformation, a change of place, state, and dimension; a completion of service, a release from its burden, to attain peace and ease. For every living thing, it is a sort of retreat or transition to its own essence and truth. For this reason, death is as desirable as life. It is as pleasing as meeting friends, and a blessing as great as acquiring immortality.

Materialists who do not grasp death’s meaning and truth always see it as horrifying and so compose gloomy odes to it. All such people have seen and felt the same things about death, and have made the same complaints about it.

Since death is a separation from life and living, it affects our minds and those sentiments that make us human. It is impossible to deny such an influence, to silence the heart in the face of death. Death arouses considerable tumult in our hearts and minds, though it may be short-lived. Belief in the Resurrection causes all such sorrows to be forgotten, for it is like presenting a kingdom to a person who has lost everything or assuring a person about to be hanged of eternal life and happiness.

According to those who understand the real meaning of death, death is no more than a release from service, a change of abode, and a journey to where most of one’s friends have already gone. Those who do not understand this see only its horrifying surface meaning: death as an executioner, a gallows, a bottomless pit, a dark passage into the void.

When believers begin to experience death, the beauties and rewards of Heaven begin to appear before them. When unbelievers, who are deprived of this pleasure of faith, think of death, they begin to feel the torment and fire of Hell that they nurture within their conscience. Their suffering is not just limited to their own feelings, for in their hearts they also feel the grief and suffering of all those with whom they share interests, pleasures, and concerns. Their suffering and loss of happiness increase the burden of grief for whoever regards death as a final end.

Believers consider death a release from service and life’s burdens and hardships and know that everything continues to exist in other realms (in its identity as form and idea). Thus, they view death as an advancement, a perfection, an acquisition of a higher essence and nature. Since death carries the fruit of eternal existence and bliss, it is also a great blessing and a Divine gift.

However, every advancement and perfecting, every blessing and acquisition of it, must pass through preparatory stages: close examination, molding and purifying. Spiritual progress and the subsequent advancement to higher levels come only through such trials and purifications. For example, crude ores perish in the purifying furnace before they yield the pure metal. Until the ores are processed in this way, they continue to exist in soil and rock, without the metal ever being tested and then presented in its true form.

If we accept this analogy, we can understand that while death appears to be a cessation, a passing into extinction or nothingness, in reality, it is passing into a higher, more elevated mode of being. When every non-sentient particle appears to move with an eager animation toward its apparent extinction, it actually is running toward the perfection prescribed for it. When oxygen and hydrogen atoms combine, they die in their separate identities only to be reborn as water, which is essential to the vitality of all living forms. Thus we can say that death is a changing of place and form, not an end or extinction. From the tiniest particles to the greatest compounds within the universe, all changes, transformations, and decompositions result in what is most beautiful, fresh, and excellent. That is why we define death as the movement of beings to a higher mode rather than as their extinction.

In another respect, death is the time when one being resigns and hands over its affairs to its successor(s). This is enacted in the sight of Him Who has sovereignty and dominion over all things. Each creature is charged with presenting itself in a unique parade before the presence of the One Who gave it existence. Just before its parade is over, and the picture or record of it made and stored, the parade of its successor(s) begins, which relieves the parade ground of sameness and refreshes the scene with new and active beings. Each being acted out its role and moves aside so that others may appear, act out their roles, and show their skills. The freshness, liveliness, beauty, and excellent diversity is seen in creation is the result of these comings and goings.

Death also may be understood as silent advice, in the sense that nothing is self-existent. In other words, nothing can survive by itself or has permanence. A fading and ultimately dead light indicates a source of light that is unfailing and eternal. For those who grieve and complain about the transience and perishing of all things, this is a good lesson on how to mature and attain true happiness. Whatever or whoever captivates our hearts will leave us one day, which causes us to yearn for an eternal being to love and to be loved by. In our transient world, such a yearning is the first stage of moving toward or attaining eternity. Death is the mysterious uplifter that raises people to that dignity.

Given this, we can liken death to a healing hand, one that nurses to full health, that hurts us only as a doctor would hurt us: by giving a necessary inoculation or lancing, rather than a grim sword or sickle laying everything to waste. Considering death as a merely utilitarian way of making room for new generations is mistaken, for death is not absolute annihilation or extinction. Rather, what disappears does so only from within the horizons of our limited understanding, for the identity of every particular (as form and idea) continues to exist in our memories, in the Preserved Record, and in God’s all-encompassing knowledge. They also exist in different dimensions and in realms beyond those dimensions, beyond corporeal understanding. For example, seeds and flowers bloom and die, but their identity as form and idea continues in the many seeds and flowers that will bloom after them.

Consider the subject from another angle. If there were no death, would we not live in a hell of unrelieved terror as we faced an endless existence without a break or relief? How could we measure the worth or value of anyone or anything, conserve or concentrate our energy, make or carry out an intention, if time was limitless? If such a situation existed, those who now mourn the fact of transience and death would mourn their absence. Moreover, we would not experience creation’s inexhaustible variety, with all the prompts and images it gives to the human mind of beauty, freshness, and loss with renewability. How, in the absence of such a panorama of novelty within stability, could the human mind be inspired to contemplate that which lies beyond and sustains the visible world? How could we seek and worship the One who creates and provides for the whole.

Let’s deal with the subject from a different angle. If everything depended on life instead of death if beings continued to live through calamities, and if all events and life followed one direction forever, what could have happened? What could happen mean?

Basing ourselves on what we said earlier, death contains blessing and wisdom. Life without death would be such an absurdity and horrible disaster that, if such a situation could be fully described, people would cry and mourn about staying alive instead of dying.

If nothing died, neither a fly nor a human being could have lived in the early ages of this world, for ants and varieties of ivy would have invaded and occupied the entire planet. Nothing else could have survived or thrived. And later on, if no ant or ivy ever died, there would have been thick layers of them covering the Earth. As such statements cannot be disputed, we can see what a great blessing death is, and the great wisdom in allowing dead things to decompose.

How much of the Earth’s enthralling beauty and splendor could be seen with such a huge number of ivy plants and ants? What would this world, created to exhibit the splendor and magnificence of His art, be if such a situation prevailed? How could we witness the power, might, knowledge, and grace of the Creator and Owner of this world?

The absence of death also would give rise to another problem: The magnificent wisdom and order in the rule of this universe show that nothing in it was created in vain. The Absolute Owner of the physical and spiritual domains creates the most worthwhile things out of what may appear to us the most worthless, making the valueless into the priceless. New and excellent creations are engendered from the cells serving as bodily forms for His servants, especially those making up the human souls that God has recalled and holds in His realms. If the bodies, which He valued so highly that He “breathed” human souls in them, were allowed to decompose into nothing, the Creator’s Omniscient Wisdom would be contradicted. Any such notion is absolutely contrary to His Divine Honor, and so cannot be entertained.

In conclusion, all of creation, its balance, and order, the control, and administration by which its complex harmonies are sustained, is so magnificent that it inspires all people whose hearts and minds are open to the beauty and pleasure around them. The dividing, combining, and moving of atoms; the growth of plants and trees; the gushing of rivers to the sea; the oceans’ expanse, grandeur, and incalculable power; the evaporation of saltwater and its return as life-giving rain—everything races ardently from one stage to another, higher and better.

[realm-sweet-realm]

Curious. How would 035, 049, and 106 be as a mob boss? What would they do

I know very little about mob bosses. All my knowledge of this sort of thing comes from an autobiography by a former drug dealer that I read a few years ago, and I understand that it's not the same thing. But here goes!

Fair warning that this will include discussion of drug use, addiction, and violence.

SCP 049

-Scp 049 is the most powerful of the trio, and has control of the black market in most of the area that the three compete in. His abilities over medicine and chemistry would allow him to make psychoactive drugs unlike anything else found on the street, and they could be as addictive as he so chose.

-His subordinates would be controlled not only through their pay and the strict hierarchy, but by promises of drugs and having their injuries healed. Being deprived of the drug is a natural consequence for leaving the gang, so understandably few do.

-In addition to psychoactive drugs, Doc sells organs on the black market, which he has taken from people he's cured and thus who need them no longer. He also sells supplies for occult magic.

SCP 106

-106 would be by far the most brutal. As a master of torture, he would have all kinds of nasty tricks for those who try to rip him off, or for rival gang members trying to encroach on their territory. These are inspired by his dimension, but always performed in the real world, to be an example to others.

-The reason Doc hasn't crushed him yet? It simply isn't worth the trouble. Doc would simply prefer not to have his subordinates and possibly one day himself subjected to unimaginable pain. The two stay out of each others' territory, and fighting between their respective gang members is not officially allowed (it happens, but is kept away from the eyes and ears of their higher ups and certainly isn't organized by them).

-Larry hosts parties at which great amounts of illegal drugs are purchased and consumed. These parties are popular amongst military recruits, a demographic that Larry knows well. In addition to drugs, he sells steroids and other contraband that military types would be interested in.

SPC 035

-In addition to his rank and file, 035 has a few dozen people who are willing to fetch him new bodies. To these people, who are aware of his true form, 035 is not only their boss but something akin to a cult leader. Oftentimes, his new body is that of a subordinate that disobeyed or disappointed. However, he may just chose to kill a subordinate because he wanted to have their body specifically- something he typically does to large and strong men.

-035 is not nearly so powerful a gang leader as the other two, but he is content with this. Rather than being power-hungry, he merely wants to keep himself in hosts and in comfort, and it's not as though he can get a job in his condition.

-He and his subordinates sell contraband of various types on the territory of the other two, but he is not a big enough threat that they are terribly concerned about it. The mask's subordinates tend to go missing if they try to sell at the wrong parties, or to the wrong people. This is not ideal, but the mask prefers it to submitting to a bigger fish.