#Civil Engineering Services Provider

[ajcapstone]

The world of civil engineering services, from infrastructure design to construction management, is explored in our guide. Let's see how these services mold the face of our built world and ensure its safe development for generations to come!

[prototechsolutionsblog]

How Land Survey Drafting Services Can Help Engineers

Land survey drafting services play a crucial role in modern engineering projects, providing accurate and detailed representations of land and structures. These services are indispensable in industries like construction, urban planning, real estate development, and infrastructure design. Engineers rely on precise land survey drafting to ensure the success of their projects, as it impacts everything from feasibility studies to final construction.

This blog will explore how land survey drafting services assist engineers, highlighting their importance, applications, and benefits.

Understanding Land Survey Drafting Services

Land survey drafting involves converting survey data into detailed drawings and maps. These drafts represent the physical features, boundaries, elevations, and other critical aspects of a site. The drafting process uses specialized software like AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit to create highly accurate and scalable plans.

Key elements included in land survey drafting:

Boundary surveys: Define property lines and ownership.

Topographic surveys: Map land elevations and contours.

As-built surveys: Show existing structures and site conditions.

Construction staking: Provide precise location data for construction.

Subdivision plans: Guide the division of land into plots for development.

Benefits of Land Survey Drafting for Engineers

1. Enhanced Project Planning and Feasibility Studies

Accurate land survey drafting is the foundation of effective project planning. Engineers use these detailed drafts to:

Assess site conditions.

Identify potential challenges like uneven terrain or drainage issues.

Plan infrastructure layouts such as roads, pipelines, and utilities.

With reliable data at hand, engineers can make informed decisions, reducing the risk of costly mistakes.

2. Improved Design Accuracy

Engineers rely on survey drafts for precise design work. These drafts ensure that:

Architectural and structural designs align with site constraints.

Grading plans meet environmental regulations.

Utility placements are optimized.

Accurate survey data minimizes discrepancies between design intent and construction outcomes, ensuring seamless project execution.

3. Streamlined Regulatory Approvals

Compliance with local zoning laws and building codes is a critical step in any engineering project. Land survey drafting services provide the necessary documentation to:

Demonstrate property boundaries.

Show adherence to setback requirements.

Present accurate topographical data for environmental assessments.

Well-prepared survey drafts accelerate the approval process, saving engineers time and effort.

4. Enhanced Collaboration Across Disciplines

Land survey drafting bridges the gap between multiple stakeholders, including architects, engineers, and contractors. Clear and accurate drafts enable:

Better communication of design intent.

Improved coordination of workflows.

Faster resolution of potential conflicts.

Collaborative planning ensures projects stay on track and within budget.

Applications of Land Survey Drafting in Engineering

1. Civil Engineering

Civil engineers use survey drafting for designing and constructing roads, bridges, dams, and drainage systems. Topographic and boundary surveys provide crucial insights into terrain and land use, enabling efficient project execution.

2. Structural Engineering

Structural engineers rely on survey drafts to ensure that foundations and other structural components align with the site’s geotechnical conditions. Accurate as-built surveys help them verify that construction adheres to design specifications.

3. Urban Planning and Development

In urban planning, survey drafting services help engineers design layouts for residential and commercial developments. Subdivision plans, combined with topographic data, guide efficient land use and infrastructure development.

4. Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineers use survey drafting to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of projects. This includes mapping flood zones, evaluating drainage systems, and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.

5. Utility and Infrastructure Projects

Utility engineers depend on survey drafting for designing water supply systems, electrical grids, and telecommunications networks. Drafts provide critical data on terrain, property boundaries, and existing infrastructure.

Technology Driving Land Survey Drafting

Modern land survey drafting leverages advanced tools and technologies to deliver highly accurate results. These include:

1. CAD Software

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools like AutoCAD and Civil 3D allow engineers to create detailed 2D and 3D drafts. These tools improve drafting efficiency and provide precise representations of site conditions.

2. GIS Integration

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrate spatial data with survey drafts, providing engineers with insights into land use, zoning, and environmental factors.

3. Drone Surveys

Drones equipped with LiDAR and photogrammetry capture high-resolution data, which is then processed into detailed drafts. This technology significantly reduces the time and cost of traditional surveying methods.

4. Laser Scanning

Laser scanning generates accurate 3D models of existing structures and landscapes. Engineers use these models to ensure designs align with real-world conditions.

Why Engineers Should Outsource Land Survey Drafting

Outsourcing land survey drafting services to specialized firms offers several advantages for engineers:

1. Access to Expertise

Professional drafting firms employ experienced drafters who are well-versed in industry standards and software. This expertise ensures high-quality outputs.

2. Cost Efficiency

Outsourcing eliminates the need for in-house resources and software investments. Engineers can allocate their budgets more effectively by partnering with drafting service providers.

3. Faster Turnaround

Dedicated drafting teams can deliver accurate survey drafts within tight deadlines, allowing engineers to focus on core project tasks.

4. Scalability

Drafting service providers can handle projects of varying complexity and size, making them a flexible solution for engineers working on multiple projects.

Conclusion

Land survey drafting services are indispensable for engineers across disciplines, providing the foundation for accurate designs, streamlined workflows, and successful project execution. By leveraging advanced technologies and partnering with expert drafting firms, engineers can overcome challenges and deliver high-quality outcomes.

Whether it’s designing infrastructure, planning urban developments, or ensuring regulatory compliance, land survey drafting empowers engineers to build with confidence.

[3d-labs-blog]

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[moderntrendz]

Modern Trendz: Your trusted construction partner in Coimbatore. We build dreams with innovation, quality, and a commitment to excellence.

[bootleg-nessie]

Things that will happen in the future (based on my own experiences with time travel):

***FAQs at the end***

*All of these observations are copied directly from my notes in roughly the order I took them in

*Don’t ask about the interchanging use of past/present/future tense, you know how that stuff is with time travel

Women just started all growing three boobs instead of two. Scientists baffled

Genetically engineered catboys (no literally)

The great pyramid of Giza has been converted into a Bass Pro Shop

The entire state of Rhode Island was bought by some rich tech CEO who promptly dug a 500 foot wide trench around the entire state so that it could in fact be an island. It was soon converted into the world’s largest parking lot

Pollution has gotten so bad that fresh oxygen is now delivered straight to most homes via a subscription service

Basic necessities such as food, water, and housing are now provided for free by the government, but only for the top 1% of wealth holders

Insulin now costs twice as much as rent. “Get fucked,” say pharma companies

92.6% of new electronic appliances now have smartphone integration and require a monthly subscription to use

Most billionaires have real estate on earth’s moon

As an ongoing film experiment, Taika Waititi successfully convinced a Nebraska man that he’s been raptured and is now in heaven. He actually got Truman Show’d and now millions of viewers tune in every week to watch God (played by John DiMaggio) manipulate Robert into confronting his own views, battle cognitive dissonance, and face the realization that he might not have been as good of a person on Earth as he thought he was

Carrots have gone extinct, as have highland cows

Species of extinct animals and plants now are being posthumously renamed after the billionaires and elites most directly responsible for killing then off

Researchers discovered a sentient colony of fungus off the coast of Chile, it prefers to go by Fleebo and appears to have a incredibly complex intelligence far greater than any other observed organic being

Nobody knows where Ireland went. It literally just disappeared off the face of the earth one day and nobody bothered to question it. The story couldn’t compete in the news cycle with the recent news about a company in China that made the first real life pokemon. An entire civilization of people gone and I’m the only one who seems to remember it or even care

Fleebo and its offspring have annexed Madagascar and are threatening any retaliation with nuclear warfare and “making The Last of Us a reality.” Nobody knows if Fleebo actually has the capabilities to do this, but after the Lovecraft incident we’re all TOO goddam scared to fuck around and find out

Large snails have replaced cats and dogs as the most common household pet. Snail culture has largely taken over the world, especially Japan

The president of the United States is now decided with an oiled up twerking competition. Most people were hesitant at first but this has produced vastly more competent leaders so now everyone just kinda goes along with it

With the cost of living crisis only worsening with time, selling tattoo space on your body to advertisers has become common as people struggle to afford rent and pay their bills

North and South Korea have reunited into “Korea 2.0”

Germany has split up into East and West Germany again

Belgium and France have been annexed by West Germany and renamed “Wester Germany” and “Westest Germany” respectively

The entirety of Florida is now underwater. Most of Kansas is too for some reason that scientists refuse to explain because they’ve “sworn an oath to the eldritch gods” and that “much worse things would happen” if they did

The melting ice caps in Antarctica unveiled a lost civilization of intelligent creatures descended from a species of lungfish, predating human civilization by millions of years. They planned on hibernating for another 10-15 million years to observe the course of evolution on Earth and are very very angry at humans for waking them up prematurely and ruining all of that with global warming

The politically correct term for lungfish people is “Dipnoid” but most people refer to them by a variety of slurs, such as “finwalker” and “kelp muncher” (not that they even eat kelp)

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has now increased to nearly half the size of what was formerly known as Canada and has been colonized entirely by pirates (the flag is actually pretty cool). The pirate nation has the 17th largest economy in the world and is projected to surpass the United States in GDP

Africa is about 2% smaller. Nobody knows why. Most people point to Fleebo, who denies having any involvement

All human-Dipnoid interaction was promptly banned by most world governments, except for the GPGPRP (Great Pacific Garbage Patch Republic of Pirates), whom the Dipnoids rely upon extensively for trade

Scientists have used DNA from fossils to recreate other species of humans. We now live alongside them like we did for thousands of years before everyone besides Homo sapiens went extinct. Racism is at an all time high

Class C and above robots are now legally recognized by most progressive countries as people

The United States government has been exposed for secretly funneling billions of dollars into the GPGPRP and using it to fund terrorist operations all over the world.

A new major religion revolving around Dave Grohl has skyrocketed in popularity. Grohilsm is now the world’s largest religion, second only to Fleeboism

Scientists discovered a new continent in the Pacific Ocean, and then promptly lost it again. Most people are convinced this was just an elaborate practical joke, but scientists “swear it definitely happened”

For a brief period of about 30 years, everything in George Orwell’s 1984 happened almost exactly as written in the book. Literally 1984

It was revealed that Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself. He actually faked his death and spent the next few years in a drug-fueled episode of psychosis making sock puppets in a cave in Italy and then molesting said sock puppets until he died from a sock puppet related illness

Bigfoot was discovered off the coast of Georgia doing cocaine with a congregation of alligators. When questioned, he said he normally lives in Montana and was only there on vacation. He is now a celebrity, and has been featured in a number of tv shows and films, two of which he won an Oscar for. Last I checked, he was a washed up actor living in Hollywood with a reanimated Neanderthal woman

The GPGPRP raided most of England’s museums with the object of “doing exactly what they did for the last few centuries” England was understandably furious, but the rest of the world found it rather amusing

England declared war on the GPGPRP, which it promptly lost after hackers brought down the entire country’s military overnight. Much like in the 21st century, England is the world’s laughing stock

The entirety of Luxembourg relocated itself to the moon

Russia attempted to take over most of Eurasia. In retaliation to the full global effort to stop them, they launched nukes at the world’s 600 most populous cities outside of its current territory. Most of the warheads were stopped in time, but a few major metropolitan areas got hit pretty badly, including Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Mexico City, and Istanbul. Japan was understandably super pissed that Hiroshima and Nagasaki got nuked for a second time

In the wake of the nuclear holocaust, Canada assumed control over what was formerly Russia and assimilated many of its citizens and leaders into its own society and government. Under the new rule of formerly Russian leaders, Canada became a puppet state for the second coming of Russia. It annexed much of the United States, Mongolia, China, and a handful of other countries, becoming “the world’s first megacountry.” Crungolaska now controls a majority of the northern hemisphere

As part of a practical joke by Adam Sandler, Tom Hanks was actually marooned on a desert island like in Castaway. He lasted less than a week before he died. When I left this era of the future, Adam Sandler was serving a lifetime sentence in prison for murder

Fringe groups of crows with above-average intelligence have started popping up around the world. So far they have been observed forming small communities, crafting relatively complex tools, using rudimentary speech, performing rituals, and creating music

Aliens visited earth and had a formal meeting with many of our world leaders, but decided to leave us alone for a few thousand more years because humanity is “not yet mature enough to handle the responsibilities of interstellar travel.” They have incentivized us with a the blueprints for an Alcubierre Drive and a means to produce the exotic matter to fuel it once they deem us as being ready

The original colony of settlers on Mars has declared independence, officially becoming the first country not on Earth

We sent Tom Cruise back to space but this time we just left him there

The tether for the space elevator broke. The town known as Vatorville, famous for being the location of the takeoff point of the elevator shuttle on Earth, was completely decimated as tens of thousands of miles of steel cable came crashing back down. There were no survivors

Most people in first and second world countries have mandatory microchip implants that serve as a personal ID

Last Thursdayism has been largely denounced by quantum physicists. Current theories now revolve around “Next Thursdayism,” the belief that the entire universe was created in the future and that we all exist as a memory in the past

Synthetic organ farms for transplants and research have become a massive industry worth billions of dollars. However, there is still a huge black market for organically grown human organs, as they’re much cheaper to acquire and aren’t taxed at the exorbitant rates that lab-grown organs are

China dug a hole all the way to the center of the Earth. Turns out it’s hollow and there are people living inside. Who knew?

A university reconstructed the entire city of Rome as it was in its early days during the Roman Empire. It’s actually pretty historically accurate, except for the fact that there’s a lot less sex because it’s run by a bunch of sweaty history nerds

After Rome 2 resulted in the creation of a cult revolving around the Roman god of the dead that gained traction as a minor religion, Pluto was officially reinstated as a planet by NASA when cultists picketed their headquarters every day for nearly 3 years straight. “Fine, we’ll give these fucking virgins what they want so they’ll finally shut the hell up,” said NASA’s administrator in chief

In a display of the biotechnical prowess of Disney’s Imagineers, all the animatronics in Disney’s Hall of Presidents were replaced with clones of the originals, which went about exactly as well as you’d expect. After reports of the presidents hurling a series of racial slurs and other obscenities at the first black family to enter surfaced, the project was shut down almost immediately after it had opened. Minority admission to Magic Kingdom plummeted to 2.3% of its numbers from the previous year, making it the second whitest place on earth after a taylor swift concert

Plastic now makes up about 3% of every organism on earth by weight

Public officials are now required by law to take shrooms before running for office

Trees are considered a rare and highly sought after commodity, and are usually only owned by public institutions and the rich (the vast majority of oxygen farms use algae to produce oxygen)

FAQs:

FAQ: What time period(s) did you go to?

A: I have no fucking clue. The world stopped using the Gregorian calendar in 2063 after a gamma ray burst hit the sun. The GRB led to stellar ablation, which changed the length of a year on Earth. The sun would continue to lose mass at an accelerated rate for several more years, with the length of the year changing slightly from year to year. The world adopted a variety of different calendars which kept being updated frequently and were often super confusing and contradictory. I traveled to about a dozen different points in time, which based on my best estimates spanned within a few millennia of the current date.

FAQ: How did you obtain a time machine?

A: I think it was the 17th or 18th of June, 2055? That night, a large sci-fi looking box thingy roughly the size of a VW Bus appeared a few hundred yards away in the open field in front of my house. I tried to take a picture of the box, but for some reason the closer I got, the more the image on my camera started to become fuzzy, and by the time I got close enough to take a decent picture, the camera had stopped working altogether. I pulled open a door to reveal a corpse inside that was charred beyond recognition, who appeared to have suffocated and/or burned to death during a fire that damaged most of the interior. I also noticed a number of strange tumors and growths on the body. I pressed a random button on the remains of what I believed to be a control panel, expecting nothing to happen, but the door closed automatically and I suddenly lost consciousness. When I came to, I exited the box, expecting to still be in the field in front of my house, but instead found myself a ways outside of a small snowy village that based on my best estimates, was somewhere in northern Asia around 2-3 thousand years ago. The villagers started coming after me with spears, so I quickly ran back to the box and pressed another button, hoping it would return me to from whence I came. This time, the people I found (who were thankfully much nicer and spoke a dialect of English that I could mostly understand) told me that it was the year 506 of the PGRB-Δ4 calendar (the calendar that the United Territories was using at the time). I repeated this maybe a dozen more times trying to get home until I landed in 2023, which as far as I could tell, was the closest I had gotten back to my original time so far. It was at this point that I decided to stay and seek medical attention, as I was rather concerned about some nasty new growths on my arms and legs similar to that which I had seen on the corpse.

FAQ: Where is the time machine now?

A: No idea. It disappeared a few days after I landed in 2023. My best guess is that some poor sap found it and ended up sometime else.

(I never ask for likes/reblogs but I literally spent fucking WEEKS on this one so if you liked it pls show me some love <3)

[empirearchives]

Paris Fire Brigade — The fire department of the city of Paris

The Paris Fire Brigade was created by Napoleon on 18 September 1811 after a devastating fire in Paris in 1810. The brigade remains the same firefighting service of Paris to this day.

Illustrations created by Aaron Martinet between 1807 and 1814. Top: Imperial Guard, Engineer Sapper. Bottom: Imperial Guard, Officer of Engineer Sappers. These were the military positions which were transitioned into the fire department.

The deadly fire at the Austrian embassy ball in July 1810, during the festivities for his marriage to Marie Louise, reminded the Emperor of the importance of a well-functioning fire service in the capital.

Despite the courage and dedication of the gardes pompes [firefighters of the old organization], who are sometimes falsely accused of numerous shortcomings, the firefighting service revealed its weaknesses: delays, insufficient and unreliable equipment, poorly trained personnel and incompetent managers. The staff present at the embassy on the day of the tragedy were cleared of all suspicion by an investigation led by the Count of Montalivet. On the other hand, the leaders of the old organization were dismissed, and the corps des gardes pompes was abolished.

After this catastrophe, the Emperor reorganized this public service by creating the first military corps of firefighters, made up of the engineers from the Imperial Guard who were dedicated to defending the imperial chateaux against fire.

At the behest of Emperor Napoleon I, the creation of the Paris fire department [bataillon de sapeurs pompiers de Paris] by imperial decree on 18 September 1811 was an original and innovative step, marking the transition from a civil and municipal organization to a military body. The choice of such an atypical status for a public service echoes the creation, eleven years earlier, of the Paris Police Prefecture, an equally singular legal administrative body.

From its creation, this military corps was placed under the authority of the Paris Police Prefecture, who was responsible for the security of the capital. After a long process, this military status and subordination to a prefect became the logical consequence of the spirit of the decree of 12 messidor year 8.

When the battalion was formed in 1811, the Paris fire department took on a new mission: fighting fires, the importance and development of which they were still unaware of.

Four companies were then created to respond to fires. Relying on a typically military functional triptych (extensive training of men, systematic technological research and implementation of efficient operational procedures), the battalion quickly made its new environment its own, and by the end of the second half of the 19th century, had become a model for the organization of public fire-fighting services and a national, even international reference.

Several fire chiefs succeeded one another until 1814. At that date, command was entrusted to battalion commander Plazanet. He provided the battalion with an instruction manual, made it compulsory for sappers to be stationed in barracks, and introduced gymnastics to train efficient and daring rescuers.

Source: Brigade de sapeurs-pompiers de Paris — Le Bataillon

Picture source: Napoleon's Army: 1807-1814 as Depicted in the Prints of Aaron Martinet, By Guy C. Dempsey, Jr., (Section: Support Troops)

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Spider

The Spider was the first BattleMech produced by Newhart Industries, designed in 2650 as a light reconnaissance and attack 'Mech to be used by Star League Defense Force Special Operations forces such as the Blackhearts. Beyond exceeding all of the SLDF's minimum requirements, Newhart had actually designed the Spider before receiving the Star League's request for proposals and were ready to begin production immediately, factors which helped the company win the contract very quickly. In terms of maneuverability, the Spider has a ground speed comparable to a Locust and can outjump either the vaunted Wasp or Stinger light 'Mechs. Built with top-of-the-line reliable parts, sophisticated reconnaissance equipment, and an energy weapon payload which allowed for extended operations without resupply, the Spider was a great success. While not produced in large numbers, it could be rapidly manufactured, which enabled its service to the end of the Star League.

Newhart's Spider factory on New Earth was destroyed in 2776 as part of the Amaris Civil War and very few Spiders ended up in the hands of the Successor States when the Star League dissolved. As their numbers began to dwindle during the Succession Wars, entire offensive operations were conducted simply to secure spare parts for these 'Mechs. So rare was the Spider that Wolf's Dragoons were notable for having an entire lance of Spiders, albeit split among the various regiments. This trend towards extinction was finally reversed when the Free Worlds League was able to secure the schematics for the Spider and, in a deal with Nimakachi Fusion Products Limited, the company was given exclusive control of the 'Mech's technical specifications in exchange for building them for the Free Worlds League. Nimakachi began building new Spiders from their factory on Tematagi and later expanded their facilities on Lapida II to produce them as well. This resulted in the Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine having the largest number of Spiders in active service in the late Succession War period.

The recovery of lost Star League technology inspired Nimakachi to update the Spider with new upgrades, resulting in the improved SDR-7M and the derivative Venom. While the Free Worlds League did not express much interest in these 'Mechs, Nimakachi found ready buyers among the other Great Houses, in particular the Draconis Combine, which had lost a large number of light 'Mechs during the Clan Invasion and bought up both local- and foreign-made Spiders to replenish their ranks. The Word of Blake also expressed an interest in these Spiders and bought several to outfit their military. These Spiders were used as part of the Blakist conquest of Terra and were later gifted to the Protectorate Militia, where they fought in the Jihad. Starting in 3067, the Spider was restyled by Nimakachi, which allowed the addition of an ejection system to the cockpit of the new SDR-7K, 7K2, and 7KC models.

The Spider carries a very light armament of two Aberdovey Mk III medium lasers mounted in its center torso next to the fusion engine. While more expensive than the common Martell lasers mounted on other 'Mechs, they are of superior quality and require very little maintenance. Waste heat generated by the lasers are handled by the standard number of 10 single heat sinks mounted in the fusion engine. Three and a half tons of armor provide some measure of protection, although most Spider pilots agree that speed is the best defense. The unique armor alignment on the front of the Spider is what gave the 'Mech its name, and this spiderweb pattern is further emphasized by a bright red fiberglass sealant in the seams between armor plates.

The Spider carries a grand total of eight jump jets, four each in the left and right torso, giving it an incredible jumping distance of 240 meters. Using cutting-edge components, the jump jets can pivot the 'Mech in mid-flight while still reaching its original landing point thanks to its advanced computer tracking. This ability for the Spider to "twitch" in the air gives it greater protection, as even the most advanced targeting computers can have a hard time acquiring a lock.

The O/P communications system and targeting-tracking system are fully integrated in the Spider, meaning both verbal communications and sensor readings can be transmitted back to headquarters. This advanced computer setup even includes an entertainment system for those long, lonely nights on recon duty. However, it also has a serious drawback in that the system combined with the head's armor layout leaves no space for a proper ejection system: the pilot must manually reach the lower hatch on their own in order to exit the 'Mech. Many Spider pilots therefore practice quickly exiting the 'Mech during their downtime, especially those variants which carry vulnerable ammunition liable to cook off.

[drethelin]

Good evening, sir. May I ask you to explain why capitalism is a force for good? This is a genuine question. Thank you, have a good day.

^_^

Trade means different resources can be combined to achieve results greater than the sum of their parts. It also means shortages in one place can be alleviated by trading with other places. It also means people can specialize and gain the ability to provide services that no one could provide if they had to do everything for themselves. Money means you can do trade between many many more people without having to do billions of barter negotiations deciding on the value of every good and service in an ad-hoc way. Capitalism, ie financialization and debt and large-scale transactions and corporations, allow all of this to be multiplied across civilization and to take place on national and international scales. You have not just the town blacksmith making metal tools for a few hundred villagers, you have factories making machine tools which allow other factories to make cars or farm tools which allow a relatively tiny amount of labor to feed billions of people. Capitalism's ability to produce greater returns on labor and capital also enable science and engineering research which increases health and wealth for everyone

[fatehbaz]

Scientific knowledge and technology played a significant role in the expansion of colonial rule in India and the consequent incorporation of the Indian sub-continent into the [commercialized, imperial] world-system [...]. The colonization of nature, territory and people in British India led to a mutually constitutive interplay [...].

By the time the East India Company managed to establish a foothold in Bengal in 1757, [...] [a]fter the acquisition of the formal rights to collect revenues in the states of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, the issue of obtaining accurate information about the extent of the produce, the population and other social statistics assumed significance. The detailed scientific surveys [...] were possible due to the large number of amateur scientists employed by the Company. Over time, these surveys played a major role in the transformation of a trading company into a colonial state [...] and the incorporation of India into the modern world-system. [...]

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Considered the founder of British geography, James Rennell arrived in India in 1760 barely three years after the decisive battle of Plassey. Rennell’s cartographic skills caught the attention of the governor of Bengal presidency, who was ‘anxious to inaugurate some system for correcting and revising the geography of Bengal’ [...]. Rennell’s mapping out in great detail the area under the Company was indispensable for the rationalization of the extraction of surplus, administrative strategies and techniques of control. [...] In 1777 he left for England, and two years later he published the Bengal Atlas that led to his election to the Royal Society. [...] With reference to the ‘science wars’, [...] Rennell’s work was also incorporated in the key text[s] of the time, C. Lyell’s Principles of Geology (1830) [...] [and] the work of [...] Humboldt and Carl Ritter. Rennell’s surveys contributed to the organized [...] surveys [across wider regions of India] that followed after the defeat of Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1799. [...] [Mysore's] sustained resistance to British power had a major impact on the general consciousness in Britain. [...]

Thomas de Quincey extolled the virtues of the ‘British bulldog’ against [...] the tyrannical ‘Bengal tiger’ [...]. The scientific knowledge that emerged as a consequence of the surveys of Mysore contributed [...] to the consolidation of administrative power [...]. The key figures associated with the surveys [included] Colin Mackenzie [...]. Mackenzie’s ethnographic notes contributed to imperial perceptions of the [...] [people of South Asia] and the grid of anthropological knowledge through which administrative power was deployed. [...]

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Nature, culture and colonial power were inextricably implicated in the production of scientific knowledge and of colonial society. [...] The establishment the Public Works Department in 1854 provided fresh impetus for the deployment of science and technology in grappling with problems precipitated by colonial rule. Declining revenues for the Company focused attention on gigantic irrigation and other public works projects. [...]

The irrigation projects were expanded to include the railways (1849), the telegraph (1852), and the postal system (1850). Together, they represented the largest state-sponsored enterprise undertaken anywhere at that time. Lord Dalhousie, under whose tenure these projects were inaugurated, declared the railways, the telegraph and the postal system as the ‘three great engines of social improvement’.

His predecessor William Bentinck had already termed the railways ‘the great engine of moral improvement’ in a country ‘cursed from one end to the other by the vice, the ignorance, [...] the barbarous and cruel customs that have been the growth of ages under every description of Asian misrule’ [...]. Later observers were to wax ever more eloquent on the role of the railways in the modernization of India. For W. A. Rogers of the Indian Civil Service, railways ‘are opening the eyes of the people … they teach them that speed attained is time, and therefore money, saved or made’ (Adas1989: 226). The importance of a network of railways, connecting the cotton plantations of the Deccan region to the ports became significant especially during the 'cotton famine' of 1846 [...].

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Almost immediately after Dalhousie left India, secure in the belief that the double engines of moral improvement and legitimacy were at work, the rebellion of 1857 put an end to such expectations. The rebellion was partly triggered in response to the wide-ranging transformations [...] triggered off by the introduction of [these] new [colonial infrastructures] [...].

In the end, the rebellion was violently suppressed by the very technologies that had precipitated it in the first place. [...]

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All text above by: Zaheer Baber. "Colonizing nature: scientific knowledge, colonial power and the incorporation of India into the modern world-system". British Journal of Sociology 52(1), pages 37-58. April 2001. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[banji-effect]

So, like, what exactly is DOGE (aside from a tastelessly juvenile desecration of a beautiful dog's memory) and what is it supposed to do? The lack of disclosure around any of that is pretty troubling, if u ask me. I understand it's supposedly a new incarnation of the U.S. Digital Service, the purpose of which was to provide "consultation services to federal agencies on information technology" and "improve federal websites," but that seems like a stretch from the new stated intent of cutting billions from the federal budget. Much as I find the Washington Post also pretty execrable these days, I think this article has some notable points:

In his new role, Musk appears to have vast access to the inner workings of government that far exceeds the plan as initially conceived. The DOGE leader, also the chief executive of one company that has won billions of dollars in federal contracts and others that have faced significant federal scrutiny, will be able to deploy a team of handpicked software engineers to every government agency, where under Trump’s executive order they will be granted “full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.” (Musk already has a White House email address, according to Bloomberg News.) Armed with sensitive data, Musk could draw on expertise gathered from his business empire — including deploying artificial intelligence — to achieve his aims, people familiar with the matter said. Musk has suggested the DOGE effort is necessary to rein in the U.S. government, which he has characterized as essential for bringing human civilization to another planet through space exploration.

I think that sounds pretty fucking different from streamlining "the IRS’s Direct File program and the State Department’s online passport renewal system." I also think Musk has come into the government somewhat like Jack Parsons and the Jet Propulsion Lab. I'd be a great boon to this nation if he goes out like Parsons, too.

[notfinancialadvice]

WordPress Shifts in industry news I am not a part of but enjoy gossiping about

I used to do a a lot of work using WordPress as a system. It's easy, cheap to build and maintain with, etc.

I do not anymore. This has nothing to do with WordPress. It was exclusively a "a few years ago I received the opportunity to bow out of the industry as a graphic designer in order to pursue a cocktail of art, fantasy, economy, and business"

I used to be a customer of Advanced Custom Fields. I am no longer, for the same reason as above, I am no longer a web developer. Their service was good to me and I enjoyed it tremendously while I had it.

I have therefore no stake in this game and thus no public opinion.

And yet I enjoy the drama of it all so here we are.

WordPress is forking.

Or maybe it isn't a fork.

The core, mesmerizing, (and I do not say this lightly) potentially civilization changing beauty of open source software is the ability to meet different, often diametrically opposing, priorities.

"Civilization-changing is kinda heavy language?"

via

No :)

A significant portion of the internet as we know it today is powered by WordPress. It has and will continue to shape the entire scope and scale of internet development for longer than anyone reading this will be alive -- for good and for ill.

WordPress was primarily a blogging system that could build websites as well. With the introduction of externally-based Advanced Custom Fields, it became a powerhouse web builder as well.

The short version: You could easily say "put this image / text / whatever here in the template."

It was a game changer to many smaller scale developers (hi) with a tiny staff. It allowed us (me + team) to grow much more powerful very quickly and very affordably.

Digging into the news further, there is / was chatter about pulling in the core functionality of ACF into WP's main system.

It brings an interesting point to the open source space.

And goes to my original points above.

If you make something open, how much control do you have over it? If you profit from it, how long can this last before it gets pulled into the core?

That is a risk as a developer -- you could potentially lose your business because it gets folded into the larger entity, but on the other hand, until that point, your reward was immediate accessibility to a market / system a million times larger than you, that you had previously no hand in building.

It is a tragedy of the commons.

I had long forgotten this phrase.

I'm familiar with the concept -- a public finite resource is at risk of overuse from all because it is available to all -- it largely joins with the core issue of economics itself -- how do you find balance with finite resources and infinite desires.

It is the nature of art on the internet.

Artists want to make art and it to be seen, they put it online. Audiences do not by nature owe them anything, the art is available to view for free, but without audience support, the art will stop or degrade in posting frequency.

More directly, to the WordPress sphere, what is the responsibility to the core system (thus other users)? What is the responsibility of the users to the core system?

Objectively speaking, building and maintaining a system like WordPress requires a lot of resources.

The open source nature allows for competing priorities to be served provided enough resources, because you can always say "I don't want to follow your path of ABC, I want to do BCD" and then do that.

The open source nature also allows you to say "I made a widget, it costs $100/year"

But the core can say "Hm. That would make our system stronger. Yoink. Now it's ours and is free."

Then you have a market race to push to build the better whatever.

I...

...do not have answers.

To any of this.

I am left realizing.

It feels like macroeconomics and personal economics grinding against each other in a way that is traditionally seen across countries (if not the world) and decades (if not centuries) -- but in this instance, it's a much smaller scale (kinda? WP powers a lot of the internet and influences a significant portion of what it doesn't power).

And weeks and months.

Instead of decades and centuries.

This is a fun piece of bone to chew on.

I freely admit it is fun exclusively because I am not involved. If I were, it would be fucking nerve wracking.

[bleue-flora]

Ok sooo, I can’t stop thinking about the line from this post [here] by @swordfright , “Sam is a builder and dream is the ultimate engineering project: challenging (psychologically taxing to guard), important (to the stability of the server), rewarding (on those sporadic occasions when dream obeys him without question), and ceaseless (because the ideal prisoner always needs a warden to keep them in line.)” Because the idea that Dream is Sam’s “ultimate engineering project” really got me thinking about the definition of the duties of an engineer as per the Code of Ethics, which I studied in college.

As an engineer it is basically our responsibility to maintain sustainable development, which The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) defines [here] in the Code of Ethics as, “meeting human needs for natural resources, industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter, and effective waste management while conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for future development.” Even further, as a civil engineer (which I am and Sam is as a primary builder) it is our job to help provide the infrastructure and necessities to life, (shelter, water and by extension food +) with civil engineering encompassing the engineering fields of Structural (bridges, buildings, dams… etc), Utilities (power, gas, water, waste water… etc), Geotechnical (analyze and maintain that the ground can support projects), Environmental (protecting the stability of the environment like for example protecting the habitat of an endangered species), Transportation (roads for cars, train tracks, airplane runways… etc). Pretty much the necessities of civilization (lol hence civil). And I found this interesting because it is Sam’s job as the warden to provide the fundamental and basic necessities of Dream’s life in every way. So, in this way Dream would actually be the society Sam’s engineering is meant to benefit from and depends on (which he obviously denies and uses to abuse.)

But on the other side, interestingly a 2004 definition, [found here] of civil engineering based on Thomas Tredgold’s 1828 original is, “the art of working with the great sources of power in nature for the use and benefit of society”. And oh, the use of power here could very well be a good representation of Dream, making him actually the engineering project. Further, The NSPE Code of Ethics states, “Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.” In this sense, Sam’s position as the warden was dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare, which by keeping Dream locked up, weakening him physically and mentally he was in essence trying to protect the server as well as working to strip the sources of power Dream had over everyone. And when his methods didn’t work, he let Quackity in, which funnily enough goes along with one of the The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISS)’s summarizing stated [here] fundamental canons, “Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.” And clearly Sam was not competent in getting the book from Dream, so he teams up with Quackity, his contractor, to finish the project as is typical in the engineering industry.

All this to say, that Sam as an engineer, while not sworn to follow a defined code of ethics, still followed the general defined duties of engineering and strived to work for the betterment of the server. A personality and behavior, that Dream saw in him as they grew as friends and worked to build the prison - Sam’s passion for helping, to provide for and develop the necessities of society. His passion for wanting to use his skills to improve the world and help people. His strong principles of dependability, efficiency, justice, work ethic. If Sam was given a job to help people he was going to see it through to the best of his ability. He would not abandon his post, he would protect and serve the common good. - His strong engineering attitude made him a good choice in Dream’s mind for the warden, because of these qualities, which makes sense. What Dream did not realize is that he was not included in the society and all people Sam felt obligated to serve and provide for.

Instead, Dream was but a resource of power - the revival book - needing to be made efficient and accessible, so that everyone could benefit and share that power. Dream thought he’d be provided for and taken care of, but he was the project instead. Sam’s “ultimate engineering project” he deemed too damaged like a bumpy road or crumbling building that wasn’t worthy of patching and filling in the cracks or reinforcing, that’s too eroded to be fixed and preserved. So, Sam strived to tear him down to the bedrock so he could remake, remold, and reengineer Dream according to his design for the common safety, public health and well-fair. He was such a good engineer just like Dream knew he would be, he just forgot the whole teeny weeny ethics part of being an engineer that kind of comes with the job description… Oh well. ;)

[prototechsolutionsblog]

How to Choose the Perfect Outsourcing CAD Drafting for Your Architectural Project

In the dynamic world of architecture, precision and efficiency are paramount. With the growing complexity of projects and the need for meticulous detail, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drafting has become a cornerstone of the architectural process. However, maintaining an in-house CAD drafting team can be costly and resource-intensive. This is where outsourcing CAD drafting services can offer significant advantages. This blog post will guide you through the essential steps to choose the perfect outsourcing partner for your architectural projects.

Understanding Your Needs

Before diving into the selection process, it's crucial to clearly understand your project’s requirements. Ask yourself the following questions:

Project Scope and Scale: What is the size and complexity of your project? Different firms specialize in various types of projects, from small residential designs to large commercial buildings.

Specific Services Required: Do you need 2D drafting, 3D modeling, rendering, or all of the above? Some firms offer comprehensive services, while others might focus on specific aspects.

Timeline and Deadlines: What are your project deadlines? Ensure that the outsourcing partner can deliver within your required timeframe.

By having a clear understanding of your needs, you can better evaluate potential outsourcing partners and ensure they can meet your expectations.

Researching Potential Firms

Once you have a clear idea of your requirements, the next step is to research potential CAD drafting firms. Here are some tips to conduct thorough research:

Online Reviews and Testimonials: Check reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and industry-specific forums. Testimonials on the firm’s website can also provide insights into their reliability and quality of work.

Portfolio Examination: A firm’s portfolio showcases its previous work and expertise. Look for projects similar to yours to gauge their capability.

Industry Experience: Firms with extensive experience in your industry are more likely to understand your specific needs and challenges.

 Evaluating Technical Expertise

Technical expertise is the backbone of CAD drafting services. Here are some factors to consider:

Software Proficiency: Ensure that the firm uses the latest versions of industry-standard software such as AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks, or ArchiCAD. Compatibility with your own software and file formats is crucial.

Skill Level of Drafters: Inquire about the qualifications and experience of the drafting team. Skilled drafters can significantly enhance the quality and accuracy of the work.

Quality Assurance Processes: Ask about the firm’s quality control measures. Reliable firms have stringent QA processes to minimize errors and ensure high standards.

 Assessing Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is key to successful outsourcing. Here’s how to assess a firm’s communication capabilities:

Language Proficiency: Ensure that there are no language barriers that could lead to misunderstandings. Clear communication is vital for conveying complex architectural concepts.

Collaboration Tools: Modern collaboration tools like BIM 360, Slack, or Asana can streamline communication and project management. Check if the firm uses such tools.

Responsiveness: Quick and clear responses indicate a firm’s dedication to customer service. Test their responsiveness during your initial interactions.

Understanding Pricing and Contracts

Cost is a significant factor in outsourcing. Here’s how to navigate pricing and contracts:

Transparent Pricing: Ensure the firm provides a clear and detailed pricing structure. Be wary of hidden costs that can inflate your budget.

Flexible Pricing Models: Different projects may benefit from different pricing models—fixed-price contracts for well-defined projects or hourly rates for more flexible, evolving projects.

Contract Terms: Review the contract carefully. Look for terms related to confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and termination clauses to protect your interests.

Evaluating Turnaround Time

Timeliness is crucial in the fast-paced architectural industry. Here’s how to ensure your outsourcing partner can deliver on time:

Track Record: Check the firm’s history of meeting deadlines. This can often be gleaned from reviews and testimonials.

Resource Availability: Ensure the firm has enough resources to dedicate to your project, especially during peak times.

Project Management Approach: Firms with a robust project management system are more likely to deliver on time. Inquire about their workflow and project management strategies.

Trial Projects and Samples

Before committing to a long-term partnership, consider conducting a trial project. This allows you to:

1. Evaluate Quality: Assess the quality of work and attention to detail.

2. Test Communication: Experience their communication and collaboration firsthand.

3. Gauge Reliability: Ensure they can meet deadlines and handle your project’s specific requirements.

Building a Long-Term Partnership

If the trial project is successful, you can move towards building a long-term partnership. Here are some tips:

1. Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular meetings to review progress and address any issues promptly.

2. Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback loop to continuously improve collaboration and project outcomes.

3. Scalability: Ensure the firm can scale its services to meet your growing needs.

Conclusion

Choosing the perfect outsourcing CAD drafting service for your architectural project is a multi-faceted process that requires careful consideration and due diligence. By understanding your needs, researching potential firms, evaluating technical expertise, and assessing communication, pricing, and security, you can make an informed decision. Conducting trial projects and seeking cultural compatibility further ensure a smooth and productive partnership. With the right outsourcing partner, you can enhance the efficiency and quality of your architectural projects, allowing you to focus on innovation and design excellence.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

I asked chatgbt to make an image of Florida running out of homeowners insurance and flooded by a hurricane.

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 27, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 28, 2024

Last night, at about 11:10 local time, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida, where the state’s panhandle curves down toward the peninsula. It was classified as a Category 4 storm when it hit, bringing winds of 140 miles per hour (225 km per hour). The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane wind scale, developed in 1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson, divides storms according to sustained wind intensity in an attempt to explain storms on a scale similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes. 

The Saffir-Simpson scale defines a Category 4 hurricane as one that brings catastrophic damage. According to the National Weather Service, which was established in 1870 to give notice of “the approach and force of storms,” and is now part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a Category 4 hurricane has winds of 134–156 miles (209–251 km) per hour. “Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.” 

Hurricane Helene hit with a 15-foot (4.6 meter) storm surge and left a path of destruction across Florida before moving up into Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky with torrential rain, flash floods, high winds, and tornadoes. A record level of more than eleven inches of rain fell in Atlanta, Georgia. At least 45 people have died in the path of the storm, and more than 4.5 million homes and businesses across ten states are without power. The roads in western North Carolina are closed. Moody’s Analytics said it expects the storm to leave $15 to $26 billion in property damage.

Officials from NOAA, the scientific and regulatory agency that forecasts weather and monitors conditions in the oceans and skies, predict that record-warm ocean temperatures this year will produce more storms than usual. NOAA hurricane scientist Jeff Masters noted that Helene’s landfall “gives the U.S. a record eight Cat 4 or Cat 5 Atlantic hurricane landfalls in the past eight years (2017–2024), seven of them being continental U.S. landfalls. That’s as many Cat 4 and 5 landfalls as occurred in the prior 57 years.”

President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina before Helene made landfall. Tennessee governor Bill Lee, a Republican, did not ask for such a declaration until this evening, instead proclaiming September 27 a “voluntary Day of Prayer and Fasting.” Observers pointed out that with people stuck on a hospital roof in the midst of catastrophic flooding in his state, maybe an emergency declaration would be more on point. 

After a state or a tribal government asks for federal help, an emergency declaration enables the federal government to provide funds to supplement local and state emergency efforts, as well as to deploy the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help save lives, protect property, and protect health and safety. Before Helene made landfall, the federal government placed personnel and resources across the region, ready to help with search and rescue, restore power, and provide food and water and emergency generators. 

The federal government sent 1,500 federal personnel to the region, as well as about 8,000 members of the U.S. Coast Guard and teams from the Army Corps of Engineers to provide emergency power. It provided two health and medical task forces to help local hospitals and critical care facilities, and sent in more than 2.7 million meals, 1.6 million liters of water, 50,000 tarps, 10,000 cots, 20,000 blankets, 70,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and 40,000 gallons of gasoline to provide supplies for those hit by the catastrophe. 

FEMA was created in 1979 after the National Governors Association asked President Jimmy Carter to centralize federal emergency management functions. That centralization recognized the need for coordination as people across the country responded to a disaster in any one part of it. When a devastating fire ripped through Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the day after Christmas in 1802, Congress agreed to send aid to the town, but volunteers organized by local and state governments and funded by wealthy community members provided most of the response and recovery efforts for the many disasters of the 1800s. 

When a deadly hurricane wiped out Galveston, Texas, in 1900, killing at least 6,000 residents and destroying most of the city’s buildings, the inept machine government proved unable to manage the donations pouring in from across the country to help survivors. Six years later, when an earthquake badly damaged San Francisco and ensuing fires from broken gas lines engulfed the city in flames, the interim fire chief—who took over when the fire chief was gravely injured—called in federal troops to patrol the streets and guard buildings. More than 4,000 Army troops also fed, sheltered, and clothed displaced city residents. 

When the Mississippi River flooded in 1927, sending up to 30 feet (9 meters) of  water across ten states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, killing about 500 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more, President Calvin Coolidge appointed Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover to coordinate the federal disaster response and pull together the many private-sector interests eager to help out under federal organization. This marked the first time the federal government took charge after a disaster. 

In 1950, Congress authorized federal response to disasters when it passed the Federal Disaster Assistance Program. In response to the many disasters of the 1960s—the 1964 Alaska Earthquake, Hurricane Betsy in 1965, and Hurricane Camille in 1969—the Department of Housing and Urban Development established a way to provide housing for disaster survivors. Congress provided guaranteed flood insurance to homeowners, and in 1970 it also authorized federal loans and federal funding for those affected by disasters. 

When he signed the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, Republican president Richard Nixon said: “I am pleased with this bill which responds to a vital need of the American people. The bill demonstrates that the Federal Government in cooperation with State and local authorities is capable of providing compassionate assistance to the innocent victims of natural disasters.”

Four years later, Congress established the process for a presidential disaster declaration. By then, more than 100 different federal departments and agencies had a role in responding to disasters, and the attempts of state, tribal, and local governments to interface with them created confusion. So the National Governors Association asked President Carter to streamline the process. In Executive Order 12127 he brought order to the system with the creation of FEMA.

In 2003, after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., the George W. Bush administration brought FEMA into its newly-created Department of Homeland Security, along with 21 other agencies, wrapping natural disasters together with terrorist attacks as matters of national security. After 2005’s Hurricane Katrina required the largest disaster response in U.S. history, FEMA’s inadequate response prompted a 2006 reform act that distinguished responding to natural disasters from responding to terrorist attacks. In 2018, another reform focused on funding for disaster mitigation before the crisis hits.  

The federal government’s efficient organization of responses to natural disasters illustrates that as citizens of a republic, we are part of a larger community that responds to our needs in times of crisis.

But that system is currently under attack. Project 2025, a playbook for the next Republican administration, authored by allies of the right-wing Heritage Foundation and closely associated with Republican presidential candidate Trump and vice presidential candidate Ohio senator J.D. Vance, calls for slashing FEMA’s budget and returning disaster responses to states and localities. 

Project 2025 also calls for dismantling the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and either eliminating its functions, sending them to other agencies, privatizing them, or putting them under the control of states and territories. It complains that NOAA, whose duties include issuing hurricane warnings, is “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[moderntrendz]

Modern Trendz: Your trusted construction partner in Coimbatore. We build dreams with innovation, quality, and a commitment to excellence.

[wyvernsoup]

Worldbuilding a dark academia low fantasy world! 🎆🐦‍🔥🦢🦄🐈‍⬛

The world is set in an era of technology equivalent to the 1930-40s. Magic and fantastical creatures are real but extremely rare, its been centuries since mages stepped out of anonymity in the context of a magical world war.

Magic is the rare ability to control reality with intent instead of normal physics, tapping into the energy that is inside every material or element.

Magic can only be used by less than 1% of the population, making it so rare that it's research, practice and exploit is a luxury.

Since magic is so rare, there is much need for it. The Arcane University of the Nation of Io has fought to be a centralised, and public place to study and learn magic. Every year they admit new students who possess the Arcane gift, some are admitted for free as long as they provide their services to the public administration or army for a few years after. The wealthy, however, can pay the expensive tuition to just attend the seven years of Arcane studies. Many rich families enroll their children, even if they do not possess the gift, for being literate in the Arcane sciences is indeed an advantage.

There are different types of mages, most (95%) of those who have the gift have it as a spontaneous and congenital trait, probably due to a somatic mutation. Meaning it is not hereditary and it occurs naturally, some say it is the result of being radiated by low doses of magic during development, and these "arcanists" as they are called usually can't have children, and when the do, the gift is usually not passed down. Typically the gift debuts during childhood, a child showing early signs of telekinesis or elemental magic is then reported to their doctors and the University archives their name and location, so that when they are mature enough, they are invited to the Arcane studies. It is a privileged opportunity no common family cand deny, specially if they were poor. These mages are called arcanists, they can tap into any type of magic, and most do not have a special affinity, but can become very powerfull or even specialise in a specific arcane art with study and dedication. Most end up being battlemages, engineers and artificers, alchemists and healers. After their years of public service to the Nation of Io, some work as an independent arcanist, opening a potion shop, for example.

In some occasions, the magical debut is a public danger and a sad event. Imagine a seven year old discovering they can invoke fire, only to then discover they can not control it fully.

There are other types of mages that possess the gift through their bloodline. These are the Sorcerers, able to wield magic with a bit more affinity than the normal spontaneus arcanist, with a unique attunement to pure elemental magic like water, ice, fire, stone, minerals, air, and its combinations. Usually these families are wealthy nobles who carefully choose their unions and matrimonies, and can trace their magical heritage through centuries in history. The most powerfull noble houses in the Nation of Io are made of mostly Sorcerers that base their power and influence in magical indusor services, and also in commerce, the army, even law and politics. This aristocracy is what some call the arcanocracy, because the power of the Nation not only falls in the Hands of the Imperial House of Augustus (also Sorcerers), but because the other powerfull noble houses are mostly Sorcerers.

There is a smaller percentage of mages that inherit the magical gift through their bloodline, but in these cases it is inherited following a predominantly female line, Witches and, even rarer, male wizards. They are fewer families of witches in the present, due to a selective genocidal wipe-out carried in the past, which has stopped a few decades ago. During the Last Civil War, a group of witches united under the name "Bone Coven" raised an undead army that almost destroyed the continent. The Nation and its allies fought hard to win, and the Allies of noble sorcerers houses decided it was best to burn all those witches and families involved in the unholy rituals, even if they had very little evidence. It was probably a way to wipe out a potential adversary force against the hegemonic arcanocracy by claiming punishment.

Witches, unlike sorcerers, are not attuned to raw elemental power of the world around. Instead they are attuned to a complex and mostly dark power of "the world inside", magic tied to the souls of mortals, controlling life and death, dreams, souls...

Every type of mage: arcanist, sorcerers and witches are able to tap into the magical energies of any being, inanimate or not, but those who inherit magic through a bloodline (sorcery and witchcraft) have an affinity to a certain type of magic. So anyone that studied magic would be able to invoke fire and shape it, but sorcerers would have it easier, specially those who come from an "fire bloodline". And anyone would be able to magically cure a wound, but witches would have it easier.

Since the socialisation of magic thanks to the efforts of the University, even witches can attend the Arcane studies, for there is too much need in the industry and commerce. But there are laws on what is permitted to teach and practice. Forbidden magic consists mostly of witchcraft rituals like communicating with the dead, playing with the mind, invoking diseases and curses, and obviously, raising the dead. Healing magic, even if it falls under the witchcraft spectrum, is allowed and encouraged. Few arts that fall under the sorcery spectrum are prohibited, and most prohibitions detail specific crimes: its okay to invoke fire to light a candle or power a furnace, but you can't use it to cause harm to people or property, outside of a war context, of course. And there are some elemental arts that are also restricted: controlling heavy metals, plasma and radiation is reserved for specialists, mostly Sorcerers with a lot of experience in earthy magic, because it can result fatal for both the caster and their surroundings.

Finally, there are other even rarer types of mages: those who acquire a gift, although it is not always a gift. These are the cursed by an affliction (a magical curse or a disease like the demonpox), those who make pacts with unholy beings such as the fae, fiends and demons, and theoretically, those who are blessed by a holy being. The only widespread "evidence" of this last type of pact was the legendary first coming of the Prophet, centuries ago, during the First Magical War. It's popularity evolved into a religion that, ironically, does not encourage magical studies, for it preaches it is too dangerous.

The common religion of the Nation worships Angels, Saints and the Prophet and considers magic to be a luxury, dangerous and an unworthy gift for mortals. However, it is okay to benefit from it, as long as poeple don't forget to be humble and not exploit it. Since the majority of the population is non-magical, it is widespread, however in modern days its devotion has weakened. The religion is politically independent from the Nation Politics, but it still holds power.

The Nation of Io is a union of many countries or old kingdoms. Most of these are governed by elected figures, and most candidates come from noble sorcerer houses, of course. There is also an elected prime minister and a symbolic empire. This imperial head of state is, of course, the most powerful noble house, coming from a dynasty of monarchies of the ancient kingdoms, the House of Augustus. They are the most powerful family in the whole continent, and traditionally, the Church has to accept each successor as a benefactor for the people. That way, there is a symbolic peace between religion and the arcanocracy. Each coronation of the Emperor is a performative pact of balance between the mages' ambition and the well-being of the common people under the eyes of the Heavens.