#Granular Materials
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fuckyeahfluiddynamics · 2 months ago
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Jamming Soft Grains
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Hard granular materials -- sand, gravel, glass beads, and so on -- can flow, but, in narrow regions or under large forces, they can also jam up, essentially turning into a solid. Soft particles can also flow and jam, but do so under different conditions than hard particles. (Image credit: Girl with red hat; research credit: F. Tapia et al.; via APS Physics) Read the full article
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Calculating the number of oranges that can be plucked from a fruit stand before it collapses
A small team of physicists and mechanical engineers from Universidad de Antofagasta, Universidad Autónoma de Chile and Universidad de O'Higgins, all in Chile, has found a way to find the stability points of granularly arranged monolayers in a single pile with tilted slopes. In their study, published in the journal Physical Review E, the group used computer simulations to model spheres, such as oranges, stacked with varying slope edges to discover the point at which the pile will collapse when one or more of the spheres are removed from an edge. Many grocery stores display fruit for sale by assembling piles aimed at showing off their deliciousness. Such piles tend to have sloped edges, giving an overall image of instability—unwary shoppers who grab a single orange from the wrong part of the pile may set off a collapse with fruit rolling off the shelf and onto the floor. In this new effort, the research team found the tipping points of such piles.
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jcmarchi · 1 year ago
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Challenge: Novel Applications for High-Purity Granular Carbon - Technology Org
New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/challenge-novel-applications-for-high-purity-granular-carbon-technology-org/
Challenge: Novel Applications for High-Purity Granular Carbon - Technology Org
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Solid carbon materials are produced and consumed across numerous industries at a global scale. From graphite to amorphous carbon to diamond, solid carbons come in many forms, each with its own set of physical properties. Along with the purity and form factor, these attributes determine the uses and value proposition for each particular solid carbon.
The Seeker is interested in new applications for a solid carbon product with the following characteristics: (1) granular form, with particle sizes less than 400 micrometers, (2) high carbon purity, and (3) a microcrystalline (turbostratic) microstructure. This material is henceforth referred to as high-purity, granular carbon.
The goal of this Challenge is to develop robust, scalable applications for high-purity, granular carbon.
Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on November 19, 2023.
Source: Wazoku
You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.
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mellotronmkll · 10 days ago
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I know this is really rich coming from me as an autistic person with extreme social difficulties but because of those difficulties I think a lot about this kind of thing and have spent a lot of time like. Testing different things out and I have to say in case someone really takes this advice like genuinely the bottom thing is sweet but really not a good way to start a conversation. my advice to you as someone who struggles to start conversations and wants to talk to / get more friendly with people is to message them about something specific ! Like if you want to have conversations about a fictional character you both like: message them a specific question about that character! Or if you notice oh they seem to like talking about xyz themes in this piece of media or like. they're really passionate about this specific thing I also like. Just ask them a question about it! Or If they post art you like message them directly about a specific piece of art etc ... you should start with something small and specific rather than being like Hey we are similar let's talk about this thing it's best to be like Hey your take on this specific thing you posted is super interesting, I totally agree and I was also thinking about how ...etc you know what I mean. I find a really good way if you want to start talking to someone but are nervous about messaging first to kind of make it seem less scary/out of the blue is rather than reblogging one of their posts and adding commentary in the tags, if it's something you know you can both get excited about..just send them the post and tell them what you were gonna say in the tags directly. But like you're gonna have a way better time if you find something really specific you know you both are excited about to talk to them about rather than just sending a vague "hey I think you're really cool and wanna be friends" type message. I understand that that it feels like a lot easier but I know from experience being on both ends it's not really gonna go anywhere. You just have to start a little conversation about something small and specific. And maybe it will fizzle out after a few exchanges but then you can keep doing that. That's how that starts and it just takes time. Like just sending someone a post and being like this reminded me of you because its something you know they like is a way better start. Also like I think that post that was going around the other day shows that a lot of people on this site (myself included) feel a lot of anxiety about like . Noticing things about people and then talking to them about those things but. It's okay to do that and if you remember things about people and bring them up to them its actually like. How you form connections
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bacchuschucklefuck · 5 months ago
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I love how you completely changed everyone’s wardrobe for the Beach Episode, save for gorgug’s hoodie (do they take it in the water?) do you wanna talk about the outfit choices at all?
I mean there's not a lot to talk about there I think? I'm a big fashion-focused character design artist, I'll say that, but a lot of that I can't really translate into words sadly... there are just certain character-specific silhouettes that once u've picked out u can hang onto to give them new clothes and it'll usually be good that's kinda how I do it. I fully see gorgug going Anywhere in that hoodie tho I think by this point babygirl's like I have a theory it's indestructible and I intend to test it
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k-star-holic · 1 year ago
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Lim Young-woong 79-year-old Grandma's Boy fan donates 'a number of times' to low-income children in Korea
Source: k-star-holic.blogspot.com
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unproduciblesmackdown · 2 years ago
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truly fitting re: billions to have the lose-lose that if winston is written out i get to be disappointed for obvious reasons and if winston isn't written out i get to be disappointed for being denied ever knowing peace
#winston billions#winston rotation is evidently not contingent on ''is there new & recent canon material''#taking it back to the original [showing up for season four] days like i got to be mad abt like what; having to wait until may & june???#having More to wait on at all???? like Win in theory absolutely. in practice like at least once a half yr i have to reckon w/mortality like#or even the [suppose i'm alive though] precarity of like ughhh if i can't Readily know Of new billions material?? gonna be so mad fr....#think winston's been treated as pretty disposable the whole time so if they just actually do kick him out ever it'd be perfectly in line...#annoying & disappointing too but that also applies re like. The Limits Re Approaching Your Autistic Character That You Could Easily Surpass#i Don't give billions a lot of benefit of the doubt regarding whether its writing sees winston so much more differently than characters do#however it does see him as a funny little guy who adds flair & flavor and will can so readily wrangle & crush even this material thrown out#talking to michael greif about it all again. an edit of him in that one deh video#just substitute in some ''taylor mason''s and ''scintillating dynamic'' and etc like yeah it all still applies so hard#Not Thrilled abt the plausibility they write him off early or sm shit but also just like sigh yeah they would. if i'd be upset abt it more#then i guess that's just something to find out if it happens lol. did some work on being deeply bothered out of the way back w/s5 even....#anyways i'm half sort of humorous abt all this half sort of serious all [humor isn't Unserious anyways. it's not not a framework that#allows for and is even all the more capacious for completely genuine matters] and the nuance & granularity betwixt them is a secret.#really what it is is simply I'm Having My Very Exact Experiences and the internal philosopher symposium has it all covered#like sighing & invariably facing disappointment from billions? regardless does not mean in general complaining abt billions lol#profound differences in complaining probably. got things covered like i'm Liking & [Smh]ing in my exact & thorough ways thank you#like the completely self contained [winston billions] times....#anyways it Will be more of a direct disappointment if he's banished in ep two or some shit of course.#just also as usual: it wouldn't be the middle of billions production / anticipating the next season if it didn't seem perfectly possible#at least by this point i'll upgrade expectations to ''yeah i don't think they'd simply write him off offscreen between seasons'' but eh.#that's still a ''Probably not'' scenario....but writing him out at all? giving it a generous 50/50
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gammija · 2 months ago
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let's see what the people think
the further i get into translating tsv the more im realizing that my decision to use 'zavel' instead of 'silt' cause it sounds better and 'silt' can be easily misheard/read as 'zilt'... is one that makes sense from an aesthetic pov but from the meaning of the words it rlly should be -silt-. i have become what i despised... OTL - someone using words that sound cool unless you're someone who actually knows what they mean
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fuckyeahfluiddynamics · 9 months ago
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A Jamming Framework for Soft Granular Materials
Experiments on soft granular materials have allowed researchers to derive a rheological description for these materials by extending an established framework valid for hard granular materials. [...] One outstanding challenge in the field of granular materials is to fully understand the jamming transition—the point at which a granular material flowing through a confined space becomes so tightly packed that it behaves as a solid. Physicists have investigated the dynamics of this transition theoretically and experimentally, but most studies have focused on systems made up of hard grains. Now Franco Tapia at Aix-Marseille University, France, and colleagues have performed a comprehensive series of experiments to extend the description of this transition to an aggregate of soft particles [1]. Understanding how soft granular materials flow might have implications in cancer research (see Viewpoint: Physics of Cancer Takes Shape).
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little-p-eng-engineering · 9 months ago
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The Importance of Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) Studies and What Problems It Can Solve
In today's rapidly advancing world of science and engineering, the need for accurate and efficient simulation tools has never been greater. One such tool that has gained significant prominence in recent years is Discrete Element Modeling (DEM). DEM is a numerical technique used to simulate the behavior of granular materials, such as powders, grains, and particles, on a microscale level. This modeling approach has proven to be invaluable in a wide range of industries, from pharmaceuticals to civil engineering. In this article, we will explore the importance of DEM studies and delve into the various problems it can solve, demonstrating its versatility and impact across diverse fields.
I. Understanding Discrete Element Modeling (DEM)
Before we dive into the importance of DEM studies, it's essential to grasp the fundamentals of Discrete Element Modeling itself. DEM is a computational technique that simulates the behavior of a large number of individual particles. Each particle is treated as a discrete entity and follows specific rules and interactions with other particles. These interactions are governed by various force laws, including contact forces, friction, and collision dynamics. By tracking the motion and interactions of these particles over time, DEM can provide valuable insights into the behavior of granular materials.
DEM Fundamentals
At the core of DEM lies the discrete nature of particles. Unlike continuum-based methods, DEM models materials as a collection of individual particles, each with its own properties and interactions. These particles move within a virtual space and collide with one another, creating complex dynamics that mirror real-world granular materials.
The essential components of a DEM simulation include:
Particles: These represent the individual grains or particles within the material.
Interactions: DEM defines the rules governing how particles interact with each other, including contact forces, friction, and restitution coefficients.
Time Integration: DEM calculates the motion of particles over discrete time steps, accounting for forces and interactions at each step.
Boundaries and Constraints: The simulation environment often includes boundaries and constraints to model specific scenarios accurately.
DEM Applications
The versatility of DEM has led to its adoption in various fields and industries. Some notable applications of DEM include:
Geotechnical Engineering: DEM is used to study soil mechanics, soil-structure interactions, and landslide prediction.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: DEM helps optimize drug formulation, tablet compression, and powder flow in pharmaceutical processes.
Mining and Minerals Processing: DEM is employed to understand the behavior of ore materials during crushing, grinding, and transport.
Food Processing: DEM studies can improve the design of food processing equipment and optimize the handling of food particles.
Civil Engineering: DEM is applied to simulate granular materials in construction, such as concrete mixing and soil compaction.
Powder Technology: In industries like powder metallurgy and ceramics, DEM assists in optimizing powder compaction and sintering processes.
Now that we have a fundamental understanding of DEM, let's explore the significance of DEM studies and the diverse range of problems it can solve across these industries.
II. The Importance of DEM Studies
DEM studies have become increasingly important in various fields, offering valuable insights, solutions, and advancements. Here, we will delve into the significance of DEM studies by examining the critical problems it addresses across industries.
Geotechnical Engineering
a. Soil Mechanics
In geotechnical engineering, understanding the behavior of soils is paramount for infrastructure design and construction. DEM studies provide insights into soil mechanics by simulating the interaction between soil particles under various loading conditions. This allows engineers to predict soil settlement, shear strength, and bearing capacity, all of which are crucial for designing stable foundations for buildings, bridges, and other structures.
b. Landslide Prediction
Landslides pose a significant threat in hilly and mountainous regions. DEM can simulate the movement of soil and rocks on slopes, aiding in landslide prediction and risk assessment. By analyzing factors like particle size, shape, and cohesion, DEM models can help identify areas prone to landslides and develop mitigation strategies.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
a. Tablet Compression
In the pharmaceutical industry, tablet compression is a critical process in drug manufacturing. DEM studies help optimize tablet formulation by simulating the compaction of powder blends. By varying particle properties and compaction conditions, researchers can predict tablet properties like hardness, friability, and dissolution rate, leading to improved drug formulations and reduced development costs.
b. Powder Flow and Mixing
Powder flow and mixing are crucial steps in pharmaceutical manufacturing. DEM models can simulate the flow of powders through equipment like hoppers, silos, and blenders. This enables the identification of potential flow problems, such as segregation or arching, and the design of equipment modifications to enhance powder handling and mixing efficiency.
Mining and Minerals Processing
a. Crushing and Grinding
In mining and minerals processing, the efficient comminution of ore materials is essential for resource extraction. DEM studies simulate the crushing and grinding of ore particles in crushers and mills, allowing engineers to optimize equipment design and operating conditions. This leads to improved energy efficiency and increased mineral recovery rates.
b. Material Handling
The transport of bulk materials within mining and processing facilities can be challenging. DEM helps analyze conveyor belt behavior, chute design, and transfer point performance. By studying particle trajectories and interaction forces, engineers can minimize material spillage, dust generation, and equipment wear, ultimately reducing operational costs.
Food Processing
a. Mixing and Blending
In the food processing industry, achieving uniform mixing and blending of ingredients is critical for product quality. DEM simulations of mixing processes help optimize equipment design and operating parameters. By visualizing particle distribution and movement, manufacturers can ensure consistent product quality and reduce waste.
b. Powder Handling
Powder handling in the food industry can be complex due to the diverse properties of food powders. DEM studies assist in designing equipment such as pneumatic conveyors and feeders. By predicting powder flow behavior and potential issues like segregation, DEM helps ensure the efficient and hygienic handling of food ingredients.
Civil Engineering
a. Concrete Mixing and Placement
In civil engineering, the proper mixing and placement of concrete are essential for constructing durable structures. DEM can model the behavior of concrete constituents, such as aggregates and cement particles, during mixing and placement processes. This allows engineers to optimize concrete mix designs and construction techniques, leading to improved performance and longevity of concrete structures.
b. Soil Compaction
Achieving adequate soil compaction is crucial for road construction, embankment construction, and foundation preparation. DEM simulations can replicate the compaction process, considering factors like soil particle properties, compactor geometry, and dynamic loading. Engineers can use DEM to optimize compaction equipment and procedures, ensuring the desired level of soil compaction is achieved.
III. Challenges and Advances in DEM Studies
While DEM has proven to be a valuable tool in addressing various problems, it is not without its challenges and limitations. Researchers continue to work on improving DEM techniques and expanding their capabilities. Let's explore some of the challenges and recent advances in DEM studies:
Computational Intensity
DEM simulations involving a large number of particles can be computationally intensive and time-consuming. To address this challenge, researchers have developed parallel algorithms and utilized high-performance computing clusters to accelerate simulations. Additionally, advancements in graphics processing units (GPUs) have significantly improved the efficiency of DEM simulations.
Particle-Particle Interactions
Accurately modeling complex particle-particle interactions, including adhesive forces and agglomeration, remains a challenge in DEM. Recent research has focused on refining contact models to better capture these interactions, allowing for more realistic simulations of cohesive and adhesive materials.
Scale-Up and Scale-Down
Scaling DEM simulations from laboratory-scale experiments to real-world applications can be challenging due to differences in length and time scales. Researchers are developing multiscale modeling approaches to bridge this gap, enabling more accurate predictions in practical engineering applications.
Integration with Other Simulation Techniques
In some cases, it is necessary to combine DEM with other simulation techniques, such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or Finite Element Analysis (FEA), to study complex multiphysics problems. Integrating DEM with these techniques and developing robust coupling methods are active areas of research.
Calibration and Validation
Calibrating DEM models to match real-world behavior and validating simulations against experimental data are crucial for model accuracy. Researchers are developing techniques for parameter calibration and validation, including advanced imaging and tracking technologies for particle characterization.
GPU Acceleration and Cloud Computing
As computing power continues to advance, the use of GPUs and cloud computing resources has become more accessible for DEM simulations. These technologies enable researchers and engineers to perform more extensive and detailed simulations, opening new possibilities for problem-solving and optimization.
Machine Learning and AI Integration
The integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) with DEM is a promising avenue for advancing the field. These techniques can aid in data analysis, model parameterization, and real-time decision-making in DEM simulations.
IV. Conclusion
Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) has emerged as a powerful and versatile tool for simulating the behavior of granular materials in various industries. Its ability to address critical problems in geotechnical engineering, pharmaceutical manufacturing, mining, food processing, and civil engineering has led to its widespread adoption and continued development.
DEM studies have provided engineers and researchers with valuable insights into the behavior of granular materials, enabling them to optimize processes, design equipment, and make informed decisions. Despite its challenges, ongoing advancements in computational methods, particle interactions, and multiscale modeling are expanding the capabilities of DEM and enhancing its accuracy.
As industries continue to evolve and face new challenges, DEM will likely play an increasingly vital role in solving complex problems and driving innovation. Its integration with emerging technologies like machine learning and AI holds promise for further enhancing its capabilities and broadening its application areas.
In conclusion, Discrete Element Modeling stands as a testament to the power of computational simulations in shaping the future of science and engineering. Its importance in solving real-world problems cannot be overstated, and its continued development promises to revolutionize the way we understand and manipulate granular materials in the years to come.
V. The Capabilities of Newton DEM Software
In the realm of Discrete Element Modeling (DEM), the choice of software is paramount to achieving accurate and insightful simulations. One software package that has gained recognition for its capabilities and versatility in solving complex granular material problems is Newton DEM Software. In this section, we will explore the unique features and advantages that Newton DEM Software offers in the context of DEM studies.
High-Performance Simulations
Newton DEM Software is renowned for its high-performance capabilities. It leverages advanced algorithms and efficient parallel processing to handle simulations involving a vast number of particles seamlessly. This makes it suitable for tackling large-scale industrial problems, such as those encountered in mining, pharmaceuticals, and construction.
Comprehensive Material Models
One of the standout features of Newton DEM Software is its extensive library of material models. It provides users with the flexibility to simulate a wide range of granular materials, including various shapes, sizes, and properties. This enables researchers and engineers to model materials accurately, whether they are dealing with cohesive powders, irregularly shaped particles, or even mixtures of different materials.
Advanced Contact Mechanics
Accurate modeling of particle-particle interactions is crucial for DEM simulations. Newton DEM Software employs advanced contact mechanics algorithms to precisely capture complex interactions, such as rolling, sliding, and friction. Additionally, it allows users to define custom contact models, ensuring that simulations closely mirror real-world behavior.
Multiscale Modeling Capabilities
Newton DEM Software recognizes the importance of bridging the gap between laboratory-scale experiments and practical engineering applications. It offers multiscale modeling capabilities that enable users to perform simulations at various length and time scales. This flexibility is particularly valuable when dealing with materials that exhibit different behaviors under different conditions.
Coupling with Other Simulation Techniques
Many real-world problems require a multiphysics approach, combining DEM with other simulation techniques like Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Newton DEM Software supports seamless coupling with these techniques, allowing users to investigate complex interactions between granular materials and fluid flows or structural elements.
User-Friendly Interface
Usability is a key consideration in software tools, and Newton DEM Software excels in this regard. Its user-friendly interface streamlines the simulation setup and visualization processes, making it accessible to both seasoned researchers and newcomers to DEM. The software provides an intuitive environment for defining particle properties, boundary conditions, and analysis parameters.
Visualization and Data Analysis
Newton DEM Software offers robust visualization and data analysis tools. Users can visualize simulation results in real-time, enabling immediate insights into particle behavior. Additionally, the software provides tools for post-processing and data analysis, allowing users to extract valuable information from their simulations and make informed decisions.
Integration with Machine Learning and AI
To stay at the forefront of technological advancements, Newton DEM Software has embraced the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Users can leverage these capabilities to enhance their DEM simulations, from automating parameter tuning to making real-time predictions based on simulation data.
Scalability and Cloud Computing
Recognizing the growing demand for scalability and accessibility, Newton DEM Software is compatible with cloud computing platforms. This facilitates the execution of resource-intensive simulations on remote clusters, reducing computational bottlenecks and accelerating research and development efforts.
Comprehensive Support and Training
Effective use of DEM software requires proper training and support. Newton DEM Software provides comprehensive training materials, documentation, and customer support to assist users at every stage of their simulations. This ensures that users can leverage the full potential of the software and achieve meaningful results.
Incorporating Newton DEM Software into DEM studies enhances the capabilities of researchers and engineers, enabling them to tackle increasingly complex granular material problems across a spectrum of industries. Its combination of high-performance simulations, advanced contact mechanics, multiscale modeling, and integration with other simulation techniques makes it a valuable asset for those seeking to push the boundaries of DEM.
In conclusion, the capabilities of Newton DEM Software exemplify the ongoing evolution of computational tools in solving real-world problems. Its user-friendly interface, extensive material models, and support for multiscale modeling and coupling with other simulation techniques empower researchers and engineers to explore the behavior of granular materials with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. As industries continue to advance, Newton DEM Software stands as a reliable and indispensable tool in the realm of Discrete Element Modeling.
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Little P.Eng. for Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) Services: Unveiling the Power of Simulation
Little P.Eng. for Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) Services
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Artificial Intelligence
Discrete Element Modeling
Mixing
Geotechnical Engineering
Granular Materials
DEM Studies
Simulation
Particle Interaction
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Mining
Food Processing
Civil Engineering
Soil Mechanics
Landslide Prediction
Tablet Compression
Powder Flow
Crushing
Material Handling
Concrete Mixing
Soil Compaction
Computational Intensity
Particle-Particle Interactions
Multiscale Modeling
Machine Learning
GPU Acceleration
High-Performance Computing
Newton DEM Software
Contact Mechanics
Cloud Computing
Validation
Bulk Material Handling & Processing
Engineering Services
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comicaurora · 2 years ago
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do you have any tips on writing soft magic systems? I only ever see them talked about when people are comparing it to hard magic systems or criticising it, which is a shame because I love systems where magic is just in the background being unimportant, with implied rules that will never be explained
god I wrote up like eight paragraphs of explanation and I was really working out some cool stuff there and then the app glitched and destroyed it all and I'm so upset
Unfortunately this reduces to a previous problem, which is "figure out how Tolkien did it and then do that."
Middle Earth is laden with magic. Hobbits being good at hiding is magic. There's a random throne in the ruins at the end of Fellowship that lets whoever sits in it see literally the entire world, and that's hella magic. Aragorn radiates One True King magic and occasionally heals people with a touch. Galadriel's mirror lets people see any point in time, past or future. Gandalf knows several spells, but most of the time he's doing less granular stuff by making lights or small fires or going all Servant Of The Secret Fire Wielder Of The Flame Of Anor etc etc. Elves are inherently so magical that the words of their language are never forgotten by anyone who hears them, the laws of physics don't apply to them, their havens are magically pleasant and beautiful, and the planet itself is magical for them - flat for the elves, round for everybody else.
The benefit of a soft magic system is that it produces a feeling in the characters and audience that the world is vast, wonderful and unknowable. It's at its best when it can answer why, but not how.
Why did the old empire of men have a throne that let you see the entire world? That makes sense! It's hugely tactically advantageous! HOW did they get the damn thing? No idea, doesn't matter, they clearly made it work somehow because the throne's right there. Why does Galadriel's mirror give you limited, randomized omniscience? Because while it's a useful tool if you can use it, seeing the future is a dicey and weird game, and the future can change if someone knows it's coming. HOW does riverwater in a birdbath do that? No idea.
Soft magic systems start running into difficulties when the writer needs to decide how it can or can't solve a given situation, which is a very common issue in storytelling, a format almost entirely centered on problems and solutions. For hard magic systems with clear parameters on what is and isn't possible, this is comparatively quite easy. The wizard can't magic this problem away because-
They're out of spell slots :(
They don't know a specific spell that can do that specific thing
There's another caster nearby stopping them
The object that lets them do magic isn't working
They need to speak words/do gestures/use materials to cast, and they can't for whatever reason
There's something "antimagic" around stopping them
Etc etc. The possibilities are easy to run through, because the "how" is clearly defined, and can be negated into a "how NOT." If magic uses spell slots, stop the characters using it by taking those slots away. If magic needs a material focus, break or destroy it. This prevents magic from feeling like an unsatisfying "a wizard did it" fix for all difficulties because the wizards can only do specific things under specific circumstances.
Soft magic systems can contrive answers to this too, but it can be a bit tricky to justify, and if it's Too Convenient it can feel like the magic system really just does what the writer needs it to do. When asked "why can't magic solve this problem?" soft magic systems can answer in several ways:
Too tired, sorry :( magic is Taxing and stuff so the caster can tip over whenever's convenient
They're in a Bad Vibes zone that's hindering their ability to cast because soft magic can be impeded by soft problems like "somebody was very mean here once"
That specific magic is tied to a specific location, like a magical elf forest, and doesn't work outside of it because it's intrinsic to the place and can't be replicated
There's another magical being around and their kung-fu is more powerful
These explanations work, but that's conditional on the story not making the audience think the magic SHOULD work in this situation, and this is entirely based on what's been established in the story thus far. If the wizard has been able to fly up until now, parking the gang at the bottom of the cliff and saying "sorry, fly machine broke" feels contrived. But if we've only ever seen other, intrinsically magical beings fly, the audience is unlikely to expect that the party's humble wizard will suddenly bust out a set of feathery wings as a gift from baby jesus himself. On the writing side, it's really a matter of feeling it out and making sure nothing feels too jarring - if the character who's previously displayed a certain specific space of abilities suddenly does something completely unrelated (like going from clairvoyance to slinging fireballs, or from a healing touch to earthbending) that feels inconsistent AND it teaches the audience that this soft magic system is softer than they realized, and can then make it much harder for the writer to then convince them that this caster CAN'T spontaneously manifest a power or gimmick that'll save them. But if the magical characters or objects operate within a specific space - one character that specializes in fire, one object that specializes in remote viewing, one artifact that lets its holder control the winds - then the audience will expect and accept things that fit in those broad, soft categories without speculating too much on the underlying "how" of their mechanics.
But the temptation to explain "how" is very strong for writers, and soft magic systems especially have trouble with this, because soft magic systems start calcifying into fragmentary hard systems when they're forced to explain "how". It locks in a hard-defined axiom that can be logically extrapolated. Because a soft system is not DESIGNED for that kind of internal logic, doing that will usually cause axiomatic collisions as they contradict one another. If a hard system is a crisp, geometric crystalline structure where any tangent line drawn through it will intersect cleanly with other lines in very predictable ways, adding "how"s to a soft magic system is like drawing tangent lines through a bowl of pudding - you're gonna get a lot of intersections in awkward places.
To pull an example out of absolutely nowhere, if a soft system without clear rules establishes something like "this spell can be used to summon an object towards the caster, but it DOES NOT WORK on living things", there are a number of questions that can become relevant:
Who made that spell to have those limitations?
Why can't WE make spells that DON'T have that limitation?
How is the spell defining "living things"? Would it work on a plant or a skeleton or a piercing in someone's body?
Why did you let this character use it on a living thing anyway, joanne?
In a lot of soft systems that try to lock in hard spell parameters, "who made these spells" and "why can't WE make spells" become the first and most obvious axiomatic clash. If magic can be created to do what the caster wants, why and how does that work, and why can't WE do it? This forces the writer to come up with an explanation to solve the clash without letting the protagonists make up whatever spells they want, therefore solving all plot problems forever - sometimes something like "the inventors of spells were intrinsically magical beings, like elves or dragons or whatever, and thus we ordinary scrub mortals can't make new ones." That's a functional explanation, but it reduces to a previous problem again - that this hard-ish magic system was created by someone with access to an unstructured soft system.
In a soft magic system, the only answer to the question "how does this magical thing work" is "because magic." If any other explanation is needed, things rapidly collapse into hard lines and axioms and covering for edge cases. How can elves run on powder snow, shoot targets in the dark and see for hundreds of miles? They're magical. Does that mean they can fly like a balrog or sling fire like gandalf or control weather like saruman maybe can? No, of course not, that's not their kind of magic and we have no reason to expect it from them. They're just magic. Magic means a lot of different things, and in a soft system the audience has to operate based on vibes rather than rules.
This can be difficult to balance. For instance, Star Wars has a soft system in The Force, and if you squint, every single movie and show uses it differently. It's not super disruptive to the audience's immersion because it's never framed like a Hard System with Hard Rules and it almost never pulls something out of COMPLETELY nowhere, but if you look at what it does from movie to movie and then show to show, it expands from "influence the wills of the weak-minded", "seeing the future a little bit" and "force choking" to "general telekinesis" and "limited telepathy" to "FUCKING LIGHTNING FROM THE HANDS MAN" which is a hell of a twist the first time you see it, to some even more buckwild stuff in the two different animated Clone Wars (like Mace Windu fighting an entire droid army Samurai Jack style and using the force to pull every bolt out of one of them at once, or the planet with the living incarnations of the Light and Dark Side) and the explanation never goes further than "The Force is magic, it's in everything, people who are good at The Force can use it to do a buncha stuff." It's not consistent, it doesn't have rules, but the audience accepts that Force users can just kind of do stuff that fits the Vibes of the stuff it's already been shown it can do. And as SOON as they tried to say "The Force is strong in people who have LOTS OF MIDICHLORIANS" everybody hated it, because it gave us a "how" answer to a question nobody wanted to ask and it made this pervasive, wonderous, soft magic system that Surrounds And Binds Us Luminous Beings Are We into "we are space wizards because we contain an above-average number of bugs."
As a chronic worldbuilder myself, I absolutely understand the impulse to explain and overexplain and lock in the Hows and the Whys, but as far as I can figure it, soft magic systems live and die on the writer's ability to restrain themselves from saying "how." The answer is "magic." The rest is just writing the story in such a way that "magic" doesn't become plot-breaking.
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tavina-writes · 2 months ago
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I'm not exactly sure how I want to phrase this yet, but I think a lot of the utterly weird takes I see sometimes float by me on our cursed blue hellsite (esp when it comes to mdzscql fandom) is coming from a refusal to meet the genre where it's at.
Like, why are we trying to interrogate classism in MDZS society, MDZS is a romance, the societal worldbuilding is just enough to support some general big ideas and the provide context for the romance. We can't get ANY kind of read on general classim/sexism/anything else from. this source material. if you think you can get granular when your sample size of characters from various social and gender strata are so small and we don't know how the vast majority of people in here live you are making stuff up.
Like, meet the story where it's at: it's a romance novel.
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prokopetz · 1 year ago
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so I've been considering trying to make a ttrpg instead of just criticising all the ones that exist, but I thought I should ask someone who would know - have there been any successful projects in the "universal" sort of scope in recent memory? every example I can think of is so granular as to become totally inaccessible, even if I appreciate what they aspire to do. somehow it seems that every design which aims to cover every use case somehow circles back to rigidity and prescriptivism, perhaps reflexively in order to retain a distinct identity as a "game" unto itself rather than a set of steps to construct games?
There's no such thing as a "universal" tabletop RPG. Game rules by their very nature encode assumptions about how the game ought to be played. Any time a game claims to be universal, either it's lying to you for marketing, or its designer has mistaken being setting agnostic for being unopinionated about what player characters actually do.
To pose an obvious example, it's fairly easy to stat up the cast of Pride and Prejudice in GURPS, but the actual gameplay loop of GURPS has nothing interesting to say about the things that Pride and Prejudice is about – i.e., it can construct a game-mechanical model of the setting, but that model doesn't have the tools to address the source material's premise, and the latter is where the trouble starts.
About the best you can realistically expect to manage is to bash together a tabletop RPG which supports a grouping of closely related ideas about what player characters do. The trick is that the shape of play isn't particularly tied to the aesthetics of the setting, so material that doesn't seem to be closely related can often fall into the same grouping of gameplay assumptions.
For example, it's feasible to construct a game which can do fantasy dungeon crawls, contemporary heist capers, and cyperbunk netruns, because in gameplay terms those are all fundamentally similar activities, with similar resource-and-reward loops, similar preoccupations with logistical play, and so forth – and it can be awfully tempting to look at a game like that and say "well, it can do fantasy, contemporary, and science fiction settings, therefore it's universal", but what the game assumes player characters are going to do within those settings is the important part, and that's a much narrower remit.
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k-star-holic · 1 year ago
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Lim Young-woong's own song 'Sand Granular material', Movie 'Picnic' Listen ... Lim Young-woong Song Inserts First Movie
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omgthatdress · 11 days ago
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First of all, what is plastic?
I know fuck all about chemistry, so I'm just gonna let some other people explain this shit for me:
"Plastics are polymers, which means they are made by linking chains of the molecules (called monomers) together to create a large molecule (a polymer)" Plastics Europe
"Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be molded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus a wide range of other properties, such as being lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive to produce, has led to their widespread use." Wikipedia
The history of plastics is actually really interesting. Plastic is inexpensive, pretty, and durable, so that means it is used heavily throughout fashion and design, and most early plastics were used to make jewelry and little trinkets.
Given that in the early plastics era you had many, many different chemists & scientists trying to make new plastics and better variations of old plastics, so going over the history of it all can get SUPER granular. I'm gonna try to stick to the big & important ones.
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