#non linear cognition

[glowettee]

hi there! im a fan of your page 💕

can you give me the best studying techniques?

hi angel!! @mythicalmarion tysm for asking about study techniques 🤍 i'm so excited to share my secret methods that helped me maintain perfect grades while still having a dreamy lifestyle + time for self-care!! and thank you for being a fan of my blog, it means everything to me. <3

~ ♡ my non-basic study secrets that actually work ♡ ~

(don't mind the number formatting)

the neural bridging technique this is literally my favorite discovery!! instead of traditional note-taking, i create what i call "neural bridges" between different subjects. for example, when studying both literature + history, i connect historical events with the literature written during that time. i use a special notebook divided into sections where each page has two columns - one for each subject. the connections help you understand both subjects deeper + create stronger memory patterns!!

here's how i do it:

example:

left column: historical event

right column: literary connection

middle: draw connecting lines + add small insights

bottom: write how they influenced each other

the shadow expert method this changed everything for me!! i pretend i'm going to be interviewed as an expert on the topic i'm studying. i create potential interview questions + prepare detailed answers. but here's the twist - i record myself answering these questions in three different ways:

basic explanation (like i'm talking to a friend)

detailed analysis (like i'm teaching a class)

complex discussion (like i'm at a conference)

this forces you to understand the topic from multiple angles + helps you explain concepts in different ways!!

the reverse engineering study system instead of starting with the basics, i begin with the most complex example i can find and work backwards to understand the fundamentals. for example, in calculus, i start with a complicated equation + break it down into smaller parts until i reach the basic concepts.

my process looks like:

find the hardest example in the textbook

list every concept needed to understand it

create a concept map working backwards

study each component separately

rebuild the complex example step by step

the sensory anchoring technique this is seriously game-changing!! i associate different types of information with specific sensory experiences:

theoretical concepts - study while standing

factual information - sitting at my desk

problem-solving - walking slowly

memorization - gentle swaying

review - lying down

your body literally creates muscle memory associated with different types of learning!!

the metacognition mapping strategy i created this method where i track my understanding using what i call "clarity scores":

level 1: can recognize it

level 2: can explain it simply

level 3: can teach it

level 4: can apply it to new situations

level 5: can connect it to other topics

i keep a spreadsheet tracking my clarity levels for each topic + focus my study time on moving everything to level 5!!

the information architecture method instead of linear notes, i create what i call "knowledge buildings":

foundation: basic principles

first floor: key concepts

second floor: applications

top floor: advanced ideas

roof: real-world connections

each "floor" must be solid before moving up + i review from top to bottom weekly!!

the cognitive stamina training this is my absolute secret weapon!! i use a special interval system based on brain wave patterns:

32 minutes of focused study

8 minutes of active recall

16 minutes of teaching the material to my plushies

4 minutes of complete rest

the specific timing helps maintain peak mental performance + prevents study fatigue!!

the synthesis spiral evolution this method literally transformed how i retain information:

create main concept spirals

add branch spirals for subtopics

connect related concepts with colored lines

review by tracing the spiral paths

add new connections each study session

your notes evolve into a beautiful web of knowledge that grows with your understanding!!

these methods might seem different from typical study advice, but they're based on how our brains actually process + store information!! i developed these through lots of research + personal experimentation, and they've helped me maintain perfect grades while still having time for self-care, hobbies + fun!!

sending you the biggest hug + all my good study vibes!! remember that effective studying is about working with your brain, not against it <3

p.s. if you try any of these methods, please let me know how they work for you!! i love hearing about your study journeys!!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

glowettee hotline is still open, drop your dilemmas before the next advice post 💌: https://bit.ly/glowetteehotline

[dalesramblingsblog]

ah fuck lads this one is not gonna go down well with the brain fog

oh shit almost forgot to subtitle the eye of heaven review with "the bleakverse"

[whencyclopedia]

Philology

Philology is derived from the Greek terms φίλος (love) and λόγος (word, reason) and literally means a love of words. It is the study of language in literary sources and is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics. Philology is generally associated with Greek and Classical Latin, in which it is termed philologia. The study of philology originated in European Renaissance Humanism in regards to Classical Philology but this has since been combined to include in its definition the study of both European and non-European languages. The idea of philology has been carried through the Greek and Latin literature into the English language around the sixteenth century through the French term philologie meaning a 'love of literature'

Generally philology has a focus on historical development. It helps establish the authenticity of literary texts and their original form and with this the determination of their meaning. It is a branch of knowledge that deals with the structure, historical development and relationships of a language or languages.

The Branches of Philological Studies

Comparative philology is a branch of philology which analyses the relationship between languages. For instance, the commonalities between Latin and Etruscan or further flung languages of Asian or African provinces.

Cognitive philology studies written and oral texts in consideration of the human mental processes. It uses science to compare the results of research using psychological and artificial systems.

Decipherment is another branch of philology which looks at resurrecting dead languages such as done achieved by Jean-Francois Champollion in the decipherment of Hieroglyphs with the use of the Rosetta Stone and more recently by Michael Ventris in the decipherment of Linear B. Decipherment would be key to the understanding of still little understood languages such as Linear A.

Textual philology editing is yet another branch of philology with includes the study of texts and their history in a sense including textual criticism. This branch was created in relation to the long traditions of Biblical studies; in particular with the variations of manuscripts. It looks at the authorship, date and provenance of the text to place it in its historical context and to produce 'critical editions' of the texts.

Continue reading...

[onlycosmere]

Ironeyes: So, uh, we know that the charcoal creatures are afraid of coins.

Brandon Sanderson: Yes.

Ironeyes: So are the white chalk creatures, which I think are called Shadowblazes…

Brandon Sanderson: Yes.

Ironeyes: Are they also afraid of coins?

Brandon Sanderson Are they also afraid of coins? To a much lesser extent. I can give you guys some backstory on this.

What’s going on here is that the place these things come from linear structure and things like this are frightening to them, like they come from a non-linear location. Time does not move linearly where they come from. When they come into this world, structure and linear time progression, is bizarre to them.

And there are some who have embraced it, and been like, “This is cool and different!” and there are others that are still terrified of it, as a representation of what is so alien from the world they came from.

So that’s why we’ve got this whole clocks, and even structure, as a metaphor for something that is terrifying to them.

Rithmatist started in the Cosmere. The magic shares a lot of its roots, then, in Cosmere magic worldbuilding. I split if off because I wrote the whole first book with it being in the Cosmere. I split it off, saying “No, I don’t want Earth to be in the Cosmere.”

Even an alternate version of Earth. It just raises too many questions about the nature of Earth being involved in this. I want the Cosmere to be its own dwarf galaxy of which not even a dimension of Earth is involved.

And when I made that decision, I broke Rithmatist off. That’s the only one I had written that didn’t belong, but it still has, so, it means that the magic is going to feel very familiar to you, uh, it’s going to feel like the magic of the Cosmere. And Cosmere magic is based around, usually, human beings making a symbiotic bond with an entity made out of the magic.

This is, kind of, one of the origins of Cosmere magic, and Rithmatist has, therefore, its roots in that. I’ve done some things since I’ve split it off in the outlines to distinguish it, but it’s going to have the same roots. So you’ll notice some things like that, that are similar.

Questioner: Before you split The Rithmatist from the Cosmere, did the Shadowblazes come from the Cognitive realm?

Brandon Sanderson: Yeah. Yeah, the Shadowblazes were in the Cognitive realm, they’re--you know, well, they’re more Spiritual Realm. They were Spiritual Realm, sorry. They were Spiritual realm entities that got pulled into the Physical realm.

And the Spiritual realm has no time, it exists independent of time and location, all times and all places are one, and so, when something that’s from the Spiritual Realm got pulled into the Physical realm, it was like, “This is so weird!” And there are very few things in the Cosmere that exist only on the Spiritual Realm, which was a really fun thing I could do with this book, was show that. Cause most things exist on all three Realms. Um, so, yeah.

So, yeah, I mean if you’ve got, if you’re a Cosmere theologian--not theologian, magic, what do you call it? They call that, I have a word for it in-world. But anyway, if you’re a realmatic theorist, you can kind of pick out how the Spiritual Realm beings were related, originally, to the Realmatic theory.

[elwenyere]

Operation Nightshade (Inception, Arthur x Eames)

Word Count: 7.3k

Rating: M (for violence)

Tags: Canon-Typical Violence, References to Suicide, Canon Compliant, Non-Linear Narrative, Hyper-Competent Idiots in Love, Angst with a Happy Ending

Author’s Note: Went a little bonkers writing this one, lads. I hope you enjoy. It's an honor to write for such a creative, killer fandom.

Summary:

“You remember the last job we ran?” Eames asks. Arthur feels a stitch pull taut between his brows: of course he remembers. He remembers every exercise from every day of training, despite their respective armies’ least ethical experiments in psycho-cognitive readjustment, and if any of them were to go, it wouldn’t be the one responsible for the three years Eames has spent avoiding him. ----- Or, the road to the Fischer job wasn't straight or easy.

Read the Fic on AO3

[serendipitysparks]

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): One of the key psychological elements of Boogiepop Phantom involves characters experiencing fragmented identities. This is akin to Dissociative Identity Disorder, where an individual manifests distinct identities or personalities, often as a coping mechanism for severe trauma. The titular Boogiepop figure itself can be seen as an expression of these disassociated identities or repressed memories of trauma, which is common in DID. The shifting perspectives of characters and the ambiguous nature of Boogiepop’s true identity also reflect dissociative states of consciousness.

Existential Psychology: The series grapples with the concept of existential dread, a key feature of existential psychology. Characters confront the meaninglessness of life and the inevitability of death, themes central to figures like Jean-Paul Sartre and Viktor Frankl. The notion of a ‘phantom’ wandering through a world of uncertainties mirrors the human condition's fear of insignificance and the search for meaning.

Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress: The characters, especially the survivors of the mysterious and violent events, exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These individuals experience heightened anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks, which are often interwoven with distorted perceptions of reality, illustrating how trauma can disrupt an individual's sense of self and their understanding of the world.

The Unconscious and Archetypes: Drawing on Carl Jung's concept of the unconscious mind, Boogiepop Phantom illustrates how unresolved psychological conflicts manifest as archetypes. Boogiepop, as a figure, could be interpreted as a Jungian shadow, representing the darker, repressed parts of the psyche. These archetypes come into conflict within the characters, pushing them toward self-discovery or destruction.

Psychosis and Perception of Reality: Many characters experience psychotic episodes, where their perception of reality becomes distorted. This mirrors psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, where a breakdown in reality testing leads to hallucinations and delusions. The fragmented storytelling and unreliable narration further emphasize the chaotic mental states of the characters.

Self-Objectification and the Loss of Agency: The philosophical underpinnings of Boogiepop Phantom suggest an underlying critique of society's treatment of individuals, especially youth, as objects. This aligns with theories from psychologists like Erich Fromm, who posited that alienation from one's own self leads to a sense of powerlessness and a loss of agency.

Advanced Psychological Terminology and Analysis:

Ontological Anxieties: The characters are not only struggling with personal or interpersonal dilemmas, but also engage with profound ontological anxieties. These are concerns about their very existence, the nature of their being, and their role in a seemingly indifferent or even hostile universe. These anxieties can result in alienation, which is central to existential psychology.

Cognitive Dissonance: The disjointed narrative structure, with different perspectives and unreliable accounts of events, mirrors the psychological concept of cognitive dissonance. Characters experience internal conflicts between their perceptions of reality and the actions they take, creating a psychological tension that can lead to self-destructive behavior or dissociation.

Unreliable Narratives as a Mechanism of Defense: The use of fragmented and non-linear storytelling reflects the unconscious defense mechanisms at play. Characters' minds may employ repression, denial, and projection to make sense of traumatic events or experiences that cannot be fully integrated into their understanding of the world. This creates a narrative that is as much about the psyche's defense mechanisms as it is about the plot itself.

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Nous

The philosophy of nous, an ancient Greek term often translated as "mind" or "intellect," plays a significant role in both classical and medieval philosophy. Nous represents the highest aspect of human cognition and is understood as the rational and divine part of the mind that connects with universal truths, knowledge, and even the divine itself. In different philosophical contexts, it has been interpreted as the purest form of reasoning, the "inner eye" that can perceive reality beyond sensory experience, or the unifying principle that brings order to the cosmos.

Key Concepts and Interpretations of Nous

Anaxagoras and the Cosmic Mind: An early understanding of nous comes from the Pre-Socratic philosopher Anaxagoras, who described it as the cosmic force that organizes and animates the universe. For Anaxagoras, nous is an all-pervading mind that brings order to the chaotic materials of the world, an abstract principle that initiates motion and guides natural processes. This conception of nous as the organizing intelligence behind all existence is one of the first attempts to explain the universe through rational, non-mythological means.

Plato's Nous as Divine Intelligence: In Platonic philosophy, nous is associated with the realm of the Forms, or ideal essences. Plato considered nous to be the rational faculty of the soul that enables individuals to access these timeless truths. Through the exercise of nous, one can understand reality not just as it appears but as it truly is. In this sense, nous is the intellectual faculty that enables people to grasp abstract concepts, such as beauty, justice, and goodness, as reflections of their pure forms.

Aristotle's Nous as the Active Intellect: Aristotle built on Plato’s ideas but offered a more detailed exploration of nous in relation to human cognition. He distinguished between nous poietikos (active intellect) and nous pathetikos (passive intellect). The active intellect, according to Aristotle, is the faculty that enables individuals to actualize knowledge from potential understanding, allowing one to abstract universals from particular experiences. Aristotle’s concept of nous bridges the gap between sense perception and universal knowledge, suggesting it has an immortal, impersonal quality that transcends individual experience.

Neoplatonism and Nous as the Divine Mind: In Neoplatonism, nous took on a more mystical dimension, regarded as the first emanation from the One (the absolute, transcendent source of all existence). For philosophers like Plotinus, nous was the realm of divine ideas, embodying pure, universal knowledge that the soul can access through contemplation. Here, nous is not just an aspect of human cognition but an intermediate cosmic principle that reflects the divine and provides a model of intellectual and spiritual ascent.

Medieval Christian Interpretations: In medieval Christian philosophy, nous was often associated with the divine intellect, God’s knowledge, or the rational soul. Philosophers like Thomas Aquinas integrated the concept of nous into Christian thought, seeing it as the rational aspect of the soul that could contemplate God and participate in divine wisdom. This interpretation of nous upheld its role as a bridge between humanity and the divine, interpreting it as a faculty through which people can seek knowledge of God.

Modern Interpretations and Psychology: While the concept of nous lost prominence in early modern philosophy, its implications have persisted in psychology and discussions about consciousness, intuition, and rationality. Some contemporary thinkers interpret nous as an intrinsic human capacity for insight, intuition, or holistic thinking, distinguishing it from the linear logic often associated with analytic reasoning.

Key Themes in the Philosophy of Nous

Intellect as the Bridge to Transcendence: Across its interpretations, nous is often seen as a faculty or principle that connects humans to a higher reality or the divine. Whether it is the realm of Platonic Forms, Aristotelian universals, or Neoplatonic divine ideas, nous is a means of transcending material reality and accessing something eternal and unchanging.

Unity and Order: As the organizing principle of the cosmos (especially in Anaxagoras’ view), nous represents unity, order, and coherence. It is a faculty that perceives relationships, patterns, and structures, implying that the cosmos itself is not random but inherently intelligible and purposeful.

Rational Intuition and Insight: Nous is often associated with a form of knowledge that is immediate, direct, and intuitive. This differs from discursive reasoning (logikos), which is step-by-step and analytical. Nous suggests a way of knowing that grasps the essence of things in an unmediated way, as a "light of reason."

Human Potential and Ethical Implications: Philosophers like Aristotle linked nous to the highest potential of human beings, as it allows one to pursue wisdom, virtue, and self-actualization. Nous implies a life led by reason, self-awareness, and contemplation, which has ethical dimensions in guiding human conduct toward the good.

Mystical Union and Contemplation: In Neoplatonism, nous is central to the mystical ascent of the soul, where contemplation leads to a direct encounter with the divine. This reflects a spiritual and philosophical ideal where knowledge and being are united, aligning human intellect with divine intellect.

Philosophical Implications of Nous

Epistemological Implications: The concept of nous raises questions about how we know what we know, especially regarding abstract or universal truths. Is there a faculty within us that connects us to eternal truths, or is all knowledge derived from sensory experience and logical deduction?

Metaphysical Significance: In many interpretations, nous is not just a human faculty but a fundamental cosmic principle, implying that reality itself has a rational structure. This idea has implications for metaphysics, suggesting that the universe is, at its core, intelligible and that human minds can resonate with this intelligibility.

Human Nature and Purpose: In Aristotelian and Neoplatonic frameworks, nous signifies the highest part of human nature and the path to true fulfillment. This has ethical implications, encouraging individuals to cultivate intellect, reason, and contemplation to achieve their potential.

Philosophy and Mysticism: The mystical dimensions of nous, especially in Neoplatonism, point to a convergence of philosophy and mysticism. Through nous, the soul is thought to access divine knowledge, suggesting that intellectual and spiritual life are not separate but interconnected paths to ultimate understanding.

[interested-pig]

I am not rational in the moment of an immediate decision? Research shows that I tend to make emotional decisions without cognitive processing. Cognitive science informs me that I invent narratives post choice for why I took that option. So if I make a decision where there is no reflection that I am selecting, and if not what is doing the choosing?

When I choose long term, cognitive thought is clearly employed. I rationally choose an imagined future that meets my aims. But these aims are assessed non-cognitively, in-the-moment, according to current emotional preferences, even if the purpose is to reduce emotional turmoil. All decisions then are fundamentally emotional.

The self then, presenting only in the cognitive, is an avatar for the emotions, playing games to create emotional narratives to guide longer-term decisions. The self is a heroic fiction assembling the complexity of a current emotional state to create a linear story line.

It would appear that the current emotional state is truer to circumstances than the ego’s past. The emotional state changes the experience of linear time and that which exists within it. Does evoking the feeling of love reforge a whole life story imbued with care whilst creating a gentle world?

Time to start practicing the Brahmaviharas I think.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between transgender or gender-questioning identity and screen use (recreational screen time and problematic screen use) in a demographically diverse national sample of early adolescents in the U.S.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from Year 3 of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®, N = 9859, 2019-2021, mostly 12-13-years-old). Multiple linear regression analyses estimated the associations between transgender or questioning gender identity and screen time, as well as problematic use of video games, social media, and mobile phones, adjusting for confounders.

Results: In a sample of 9859 adolescents (48.8% female, 47.6% racial/ethnic minority, 1.0% transgender, 1.1% gender-questioning), transgender adolescents reported 4.51 (95% CI 1.17-7.85) more hours of total daily recreational screen time including more time on television/movies, video games, texting, social media, and the internet, compared to cisgender adolescents. Gender-questioning adolescents reported 3.41 (95% CI 1.16-5.67) more hours of total daily recreational screen time compared to cisgender adolescents. Transgender identification and questioning one's gender identity was associated with higher problematic social media, video game, and mobile phone use, compared to cisgender identification.

Conclusions: Transgender and gender-questioning adolescents spend a disproportionate amount of time engaging in screen-based activities and have more problematic use across social media, video game, and mobile phone platforms.

Introduction

Screen-based digital media is integral to the daily lives of adolescents in multifaceted ways [1] but problematic screen use (characterized by inability to control usage and detrimental consequences from excessive use including preoccupation, tolerance, relapse, withdrawal, and conflict) [2], [3], has been linked with harmful mental and physical health outcomes, such as depression, poor sleep, and cardiometabolic disease [4], [5]. Transgender and gender-questioning adolescents (i.e., adolescents who are questioning their gender identity) experience a higher prevalence of bullying (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.88 and 1.62), suicide attempts (aPR 2.65 and 2.26), and binge drinking (aPR 1.80 and 1.50), respectively, compared to their cisgender peers [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]. Transgender and gender-questioning adolescents may engage in screen-based activities that are problematic and associated with negative health outcomes but also in a way that is different from their cisgender peers in order to form communities, explore health education about their gender identity, and seek refuge from isolating or unsafe environments [11].

One study found that sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender), aged 13–18 years old, spent an average of 5 h per day online, approximately 45 min more than non-SGM adolescents in 2010–2011 [12]. However, this study grouped SGM together as a single group, conflating the experiences of gender minorities (e.g., transgender, gender-questioning) with those of sexual minorites (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual), and the data are now over a decade old. In a nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 13–18 years old in the U.S., transgender adolescents had higher probabilities of problematic internet use than cisgender adolescents. However, this analysis did not measure modality-specific problematic screen use such as problematic social media, video game, or mobile phone use, which may further inform the function that media use plays in the lives of gender minority adolescents [13]. While this prior research provides important groundwork to understand screen time and problematic use in gender minority adolescents, gaps remain in understanding differences in screen time and specific modalities of problematic screen use in gender minority early adolescents.

Our study aims to address the gaps in the current literature by studying associations between transgender and gender-questioning identity and screen time across several modalities including recreational and problematic social media, video game, and mobile phone use in a large, national sample of early adolescents. We hypothesized that among early adolescents, transgender identification and questioning one’s gender identity would be positively associated with greater recreational screen time and problematic screen use compared to cisgender identification.

==

tl;dr: Gender-mania is an online social contagion.

No shit. That's why these "authentic selves" and "innate identities" tend to evaporate when kids are detoxed from the internet.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

What would happen if a Ravager and a time lord loomed a child together?

What would happen if a Ravager* and a Time Lord loomed a child?

*very much assumed you're talking about the species of Swarm and Azure and not the alternative

We don't know very much about Ravager biology regarding their genetics, so this is a lot of guesswork.

⚗️ Biological Compatibility

First things first, let's talk about the fundamentals:

Time Lord DNA: Time Lords have a complex inheritable triple helix DNA structure that includes not just biological information but also elements related to their time sensitivity and regenerative abilities. Their ability to regenerate is powered by 'packets' of energy in a nice, orderly way.

Ravager Biology: Ravagers are humanoid but with a crystalline, temporal nature that allows them to manipulate time, disintegrate objects through touch, and teleport across spacetime at will. They're something of a 'temporal poison,' which complicates any genetic merging. Their regeneration method is also far less polite than a Time Lord—they need to harvest the life force of others to initiate their regenerative process.

In short, the loom would need significant modifications to handle the merging of these two hugely different genetic templates.

⚠️ Potential Challenges and Risks

Here's where things get tricky:

Genetic Stability: Integrating Ravager crystalline structures with the Time Lord's organic DNA could lead to severe genetic instability. The resulting child might suffer from extreme biological anomalies or even outright rejection of their own biology.

Temporal Instability: The child might inherit the Ravager's ability to manipulate time without the necessary controls and sensitivities that a Time Lord's physiology provides, which could lead to some pretty chaotic outcomes.

Conflicting Regenerative Methods: One of the most significant hurdles would be the child's potential regenerative process. Would they inherit the Time Lord's polite way of regeneration or the Ravager's method of consuming life force? If the latter, the child could find themselves in constant conflict, leading to severe psychological trauma and a fractured sense of identity.

Psychological and Cognitive Impact: Given Ravager's non-linear perception and ability to telepathically manipulate others, the child could experience severe cognitive dissonance. They might struggle to perceive reality in a stable, linear fashion, making it difficult to interact with other beings or understand their surroundings.

🧪 Hypothetical Outcomes

If, somehow, the loom managed to successfully combine the genetic material, the resulting hybrid could possess a mix of abilities:

Enhanced Temporal Abilities: The child might have extraordinary control over time, surpassing that of both its parents. However, this might come with a cost—potentially making them a living temporal anomaly.

Crystalline Physiology: They could inherit some of the Ravager's crystalline features, possibly giving them enhanced durability or unique regenerative abilities. But, these features might also make them more vulnerable to temporal disruption.

Unique Regenerative Process: The child might possess a hybrid regenerative ability, combining elements of both parents. Maybe they could regenerate like a Time Lord under normal circumstances but might resort to absorbing life force if pushed to the brink, like the oddest Jekyll and Hyde situation.

Unique Cognitive Perception: The child might perceive time and reality in a way that's completely alien to both Time Lords and Ravagers, potentially giving them insights and abilities neither parent could possess alone.

🏫 So ...

The honest answer? It's highly unlikely that such a child could be viable. The fundamental differences in how Time Lords and Ravagers interact with time and space might make it impossible for their genetic material to result in a stable life form. Even if a loom could theoretically merge their DNA, the child might not survive long due to the inherent instabilities and contradictions in their makeup.

Related:

💬|🍼🧶Could a Word Lord and a Time Lord loom a child together?: If Word Lords and Time Lords could reproduce, and what the result would be.

💬|🍼🧶Can a human and a Time Lord loom a child?: Overview of the looming process for hybrids.

🤔|🍼👨‍👩‍👦 Do Gallifreyan parents pass down Time Lord abilities?

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features: ⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[sonicasura]

The younger of the Jasper Trio were ecstatic to meet Chival, who was Optimus’ own monster partner. (Jack was a little hesitant to be around the dragon since Null’s beat down on Megatron. Sure, the crazy warlord deserved it for manipulating Optimus’ amnesia… but the sheer rage had been terrifying to witness.) She technically was a Digimon—whatever that was—specifically a Dracomon? The terminology didn’t matter when there was a legitimate dragon on base! Miko thought so anyway.

.

.

.

Though, Chival mostly spoke cybertronian and kept accidentally switching between languages when talking to them. A side effect of spawning from a reverted Optimus or so Ratchet said.

She also tended to keep surprising the ‘bots. Everyone panicked when she hoped into the main console screen and came out a few minutes later chewing on Energon. Raf wanted to study the way these Digimon could enter networks, but especially the seamless shift. One moment a physical being with simulated(?) organics then the next an eight bit character on his laptop. Other digimon appeared there too.

Raf could try to get Chival out while her “character” fought against the other digital monsters. The fight looked like something out of an old RPG yet eventually the Dracomon popped back out of his lap top very winded. She had some more energon in her mouth.

“I really… have to ask Null… more about being… a digimon.” She heaved out, dropping the energon crystals onto the couch. “Smaller ones dropped these when I defeated them.”

———————————

Contacting Null again proved to be a very frustrating endeavor as the paler digimon didn’t have a comm frequency. Ratchet swore in cybertronian, then grimaced when he realized that Chival understood him unlike the kids.

“Don’t repeat that.” He told her in cybertronian, then switched back to English to continue attempting to hail Null. “Null? Cybertron? Do you copy?” The medic had been trying to reach their homeplanet for an hour already. If a young dinosaur dragon could, then actual equipment should be able to do the inverse. Right?

The comm spat back static until—

“(It isn’t be necessary to contact the Gammamon.)” A woman’s voice spoke over the communication channel, in a language partially familiar though it took a moment to translate. Miko piped up in her first language to ask the caller a question, only for a young woman with butterfly wings coming out of her head to appear on screen. “(Forgive the intrusion in your systems, but we need to discuss Pen. Please bring over the entirety of your team.)”

“Are you another Digimon?” The medic questioned despite already sending a small alert to the rest of the team to regroup.

“(Technically, yes. I am Hudiemon.)”

——————————

“As you have no doubt come to realize, there are individuals who bond to and direct Digimon for various purposes.” The human-butterfly digimon began thankfully switching over to English for the boys’ sakes. “To clear up the basics. Digital monsters or digimon are beings comprised of data in various states. They come from the or a Digital World, which does not always form due to humanity’s technological advancement. Digimon have very varied forms, species, and multiple stages. Sort of similar to a frog’s life style being so varied from egg to tad pole to frog.”

She spoke the information in an almost practiced manner as if she had to explain this multiple times before. “Digimon can cross over to the non-digital world through any piece of technology powered by electricity. All digimon are capable of speech—with some limited exceptions. The combative ones often found in digital spaces are usually very young and haven’t quite matured for high cognition.”

“Be that as it may, how on this planet do your species have access to Energon?” Ratchet questioned holding out a minuscule crystal that the resident Dracomon managed to collect.

“Digimon collect all sorts of things and time between the two worlds isn’t always linear. Moving on. Pen.” She steered the discussion back to Null’s ‘tamer’, an odd phrase the digimon used to describe the young teen. “The cyber sleuth—I’ll explain the term in a moment—assigned to monitor for Eaters here.” An image of the cyborg cephalopod appeared on the monitor. “Lifeform a corrupted from their original purpose and now consume data.”

Hudiemon dithered for a moment, then dropped a verbal bombshell. “A hunger that led them to be a widespread threat across multiple universes including this one.”

Looks like the bots finally get their much needed answers in the form of Hudiemon. Even if some of it is horrific like the Eaters.

[thelivingfractal]

The Schumann Resonance Hypothesis: Are We Tuning In or Losing Signal?

What if human consciousness isn’t just happening inside the brain, but is instead a bioelectric field interacting with Earth’s own resonance?

The Schumann resonance—Earth’s natural electromagnetic frequency—oscillates at 7.83 Hz, aligning with Theta brainwaves. The realm of deep intuition, subconscious access, and non-linear awareness.

Now ask yourself: 🔹 Did we evolve in coherence with this field? 🔹 Is modern civilization disrupting this resonance, forcing us into cognitive dissonance? 🔹 Is our growing reliance on digital reality a nervous system adaptation to bioelectric instability?

If perception itself is a function of frequency, then the shift in human awareness isn’t just psychological—it’s electromagnetic. The Earth’s nervous system and our own might not be separate at all.

The question isn’t just what’s happening. It’s: Are we remembering, or are we being recalibrated?

This is a living experiment. Let’s find out.

[baublekute]

On Writing with ADHD - Coming to Terms

I get bored writing the same chapter for too long, so I skip to a different chapter and eventually come back. Even if it's actually an interesting scene. Sometimes writing out the scene is just too slow.

This means I have chunks of chapters written or literal pages of word vomit or brain dumps of the most random things in no logical order or structure. And no complete chapters. YET.

I know the day will come when I do.

It's hard knowing that many fanfic authors post chapters as chapters that follow are still being written.

I commend and respect the authors that are able to do this!

It's been hard for me to even think about posting to AO3, cause my brain works in such non-linear ways.

Most of my brain notes are written down and organized in writing software programs. But the actual logical line-by-line/step-by-step writing is happening by hand in a notebook (one where I can move the pages around), while my laptop is open with my notes. It forces me to slow down and think. It also makes the result slower which can be frustrating.

I'm still working on "progress, not perfection" and learning how to accept progress on a long-term project when the silly brain wants (and often thinks is somehow possible) to magically create a finished project overnight.

I've been through ADHD cognitive behavioral therapy, and I'm learning to accept my brain the way it is. There are days I still want to fight against it and for it to "work better." But I also know I shouldn't discount what my progress looks like just cause it might look different than someone else's.

I'm recording these thoughts publicly in case it's able to help someone else no matter what you might be struggling with.

Keep going.

P.S. I'm remembering that this is often how films are made. Later scenes are often filmed first and in no particular order. It's the edits that weave them together.

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 41, 2023

Extended perceptive field revealed in humans with binocular fusion disorders. Benhaim-Sitbon, L., Lev, M., & Polat, U. (2023). Scientific Reports, 13, 6584.

View cells in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of macaques during virtual navigation. Corrigan, B. W., Gulli, R. A., Doucet, G., Mahmoudian, B., Abbass, M., Roussy, M., … Martinez‐Trujillo, J. C. (2023). Hippocampus, 33(5), 573–585.

Decision heuristics in contexts integrating action selection and execution. Dundon, N. M., Colas, J. T., Garrett, N., Babenko, V., Rizor, E., Yang, D., … Grafton, S. T. (2023). Scientific Reports, 13, 6486.

Independent effects of emotional arousal and reward anticipation on episodic memory formation. Gieske, A., & Sommer, T. (2023). Cerebral Cortex, 33(8), 4527–4541.

Molecular encoding of stimulus features in a single sensory neuron type enables neuronal and behavioral plasticity. Harris, N., Bates, S. G., Zhuang, Z., Bernstein, M., Stonemetz, J. M., Hill, T. J., … Sengupta, P. (2023). Current Biology, 33(8), 1487-1501.e7.

The temporal and contextual stability of activity levels in hippocampal CA1 cells. Hayashi, Y., Kobayakawa, K., & Kobayakawa, R. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(17), e2221141120.

Accounting for endogenous effects in decision-making with a non-linear diffusion decision model. Hoxha, I., Chevallier, S., Ciarchi, M., Glasauer, S., Delorme, A., & Amorim, M.-A. (2023). Scientific Reports, 13, 6323.

A model for transforming egocentric views into goal‐directed behavior. LaChance, P. A., & Taube, J. S. (2023). Hippocampus, 33(5), 488–504.

Cognitive influences on fixational eye movements. Lin, Y.-C., Intoy, J., Clark, A. M., Rucci, M., & Victor, J. D. (2023). Current Biology, 33(8), 1606-1612.e4.

Environmental context-dependent activation of dopamine neurons via putative amygdala-nigra pathway in macaques. Maeda, K., Inoue, K., Takada, M., & Hikosaka, O. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 2282.

Threat and Reward Imminence Processing in the Human Brain. Murty, D. V. P. S., Song, S., Surampudi, S. G., & Pessoa, L. (2023). Journal of Neuroscience, 43(16), 2973–2987.

Danger Changes the Way the Brain Consolidates Neutral Information; and Does So by Interacting with Processes Involved in the Encoding of That Information. Qureshi, O. A., Leake, J., Delaney, A. J., Killcross, S., Westbrook, R. F., & Holmes, N. M. (2023). Journal of Neuroscience, 43(16), 2934–2949.

Neural Index of Reinforcement Learning Predicts Improved Stimulus-Response Retention under High Working Memory Load. Rac-Lubashevsky, R., Cremer, A., Collins, A. G. E., Frank, M. J., & Schwabe, L. (2023). Journal of Neuroscience, 43(17), 3131–3143.

Proprioception gates visual object fixation in flying flies. Rimniceanu, M., Currea, J. P., & Frye, M. A. (2023). Current Biology, 33(8), 1459-1471.e3.

Cross-stage neural pattern similarity in the hippocampus predicts false memory derived from post-event inaccurate information. Shao, X., Li, A., Chen, C., Loftus, E. F., & Zhu, B. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 2299.

Superficial‐layer versus deep‐layer lateral entorhinal cortex: Coding of allocentric space, egocentric space, speed, boundaries, and corners. Wang, C., Lee, H., Rao, G., Doreswamy, Y., Savelli, F., & Knierim, J. J. (2023). Hippocampus, 33(5), 448–464.

Dendrites help mitigate the plasticity-stability dilemma. Wilmes, K. A., & Clopath, C. (2023). Scientific Reports, 13, 6543.

Infants and toddlers leverage their understanding of action goals to evaluate agents who help others. Woo, B. M., & Spelke, E. S. (2023). Child Development, 94(3), 734–751.

Plastic and stimulus-specific coding of salient events in the central amygdala. Yang, T., Yu, K., Zhang, X., Xiao, X., Chen, X., Fu, Y., & Li, B. (2023). Nature, 616(7957), 510–519.

Unsupervised approach to decomposing neural tuning variability. Zhu, R. J. B., & Wei, X.-X. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 2298.

[autumnalwalker]

hello and how are you?

Trick or Treat? 🦇

🪷 🪄 Natsume Rune, @365runesoftheamalgamations

Thank you for the ask.

Assuming this is referring to this Trick-Or-Treat ask game.

Here's a bit of a worldbuilding Treat for Empty Names.

In that setting, the phrase "Lovecraftian" is considered a slur. The preferred term is "eldritch" or, at times, "the eldritch" for referring to the broad classification of entities residing in and/or originating from the weird non-space that metaphysically lies between/outside of worlds. The logic goes that old Howard was a xenophobic racist by the standards of his time who thought that air conditioning units were unnatural and frightening, so obviously he was going to paint the alien entities he was accidentally making contact with in his dreams in the worst possible light as fundamentally incomprehensible and inimical to human existence. With how "perception influences reality" is the ultimate root of the setting's magic system, there's a whole ongoing debate in academic circles as to whether or not his writings (especially with the modern surge in popular awareness) have caused a ripple effect in the collective consciousness that actually makes communion with the eldritch more difficult and dangerous than it was before.

Now, granted, contact with the greater eldritch can cause localized reality warping and long-term alterations in an individual's personality and capacity for temporally linear cognition if proper precautions are not taken first, but with those protections in place, mutual comprehension, communication, and understanding is (while still difficult) not quite so impossible as one might expect. While eldritch that can be classified as genuinely hostile to baseline mortal existence do exist and care must be taken not to draw their attention, they are not the norm.

There are even some greater eldritch that have long made a point of beneficently (in intent anyway) connecting with mortal society and whose unintentional warping mental effects can be seen as relatively benign. The most well-known example of this is Santa Claus. Or rather, the entity for which the Santa Claus archetype is a common mortal avatar manifestation of. The eldritch, similar to deiform entities (the modern parascience term for most gods) can derive sustenance and power from mortal belief and worship, although they are not solely dependent on it. Santa Claus has formed a symbiotic relationship (or a parasitic one, depending on who you ask) with a number of religions across many worlds by inserting its imagery, iconography, and conceptual thematics into existing cultures, adapting where needed. Santa Claus siphons off a relatively small portion of those faiths' adherents belief and in return it produces mutated holiday rituals and practices capable of gathering a sort of pseudo-reverence from strictly secular practitioners and cultural participants.

This is why so many fantasy worlds have such close analogs to the holiday we know as Christmas despite lacking the religious or historical context that gave rise to the holiday on most iterations of Earth. A sort of guided convergent cultural evolution. Study into whether the recurring motif of parasitic plants (e.g. mistletoe on most Earth iterations) being used as symbols of love during these holidays is a manifestation of Santa Claus's relationship to religions is ongoing.

Mental effects of unprotected exposure to Santa Claus, its avatars, servants, and other manifestations generally take the form of increased tendencies towards merriment, generosity, and favoring cold weather. While communion with the greater eldritch is generally considered the sort of taboo that would get a mage labeled as a sorcerer for breaking (due more to the high inherent risk of collateral damage if proper protections are not taken prior to communion or if the wrong entity is contacted than to moral or ethical reasons), cults explicitly dedicated to Santa Claus are common across many worlds and are often seen as an exception to this taboo.

Cult members often undergo physical alterations as well as mental ones, resulting in the stories of Christmas elves. These cultists will inevitably be drawn to one or more of their planet's magnetic poles (if present) and draw upon their eldritch patron's power to instantiate a phase-shifted pocket dimension wherein they will begin labor on year-long mass rituals to grant quasi-divine blessings on gifts given in Santa Claus's name. Summoning a corporeal avatar of Santa Claus to deliver such gifts itself is a rarity and on most worlds the blessings are globally dispersed to gifts interchanged between laypersons that may or may not consciously believe in Santa Claus. Such dispersal, for better or for worth, tends to greatly decrease the strength of these blessings.

On anchor worlds at least - wherein a critical mass of common belief in the supernatural would cause cascading reality failures across multiple worlds - this dispersal is probably for the best.

[serendipitysparks]

(Part 2) Cognitively, Mello’s intelligence is irrefutable, though it manifests in ways that are distinct from traditional academia or theoretical problem-solving. His cognitive architecture is marked by a non-linear, intuitive grasp of complex situations, enabling him to quickly adapt to the ever-shifting dynamics of his rivalry with Kira. He is a master of improvisation, leveraging resources and networks in ways that reflect a profound understanding of human nature, manipulation, and the intricacies of power dynamics. Yet, his tendency to prioritize action over contemplation occasionally leads him into errors of judgment, resulting in suboptimal outcomes despite his intellectual prowess. Mello’s existential struggle is thus framed by an ongoing battle to reconcile his intellectual gifts with his deep-seated emotional turmoil. His desire to outpace Near and avenge L’s death signifies a desperate attempt to regain a sense of control over his fractured identity, one that is haunted by the specter of unacknowledged brilliance and an unyielding drive for recognition.