#How the New Scientific Reality Can Change Us and Our World

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

New Fear

I have been on tumblr a long time. A looooong time. Far longer than I should have been, really.

And I've been arguing with schmucks about birds being dinosaurs... pretty much that whole time. Folks tend to get angry when a dinosaur blog posts birds, after all. It happens.

And while the game of whack a mole is ancient, it's not unpredictable. Usually, it ends in one of two ways:

the person admits they were wrong, and they back down

the person stops arguing with me and blocks me

I'm okay with either one, really. the former is ideal, the latter at least brings me peace.

Never before this past weekend has someone insisted they were right no matter what I say

And this isn't a coincidence.

Over the past few decades, anti-science sentiment has risen worldwide. I mean you just have to look at the COVID19 pandemic, or general reactions to the problems of climate change.

While of course people who think their opinion matters more than evidence have always existed, they have never been quite this bold before.

The idea that the colloquial definition of dinosaur matters, at all, is a completely new idea and one that has no basis in reality.

And yet, multiple people this past weekend argued exactly that.

And it sounds exceptionally similar to the idea that people could pick and choose things about COVID19 to believe, or the general republican position on science (only things that back up their bigotry are true).

It really seems to reflect a general increase in anti science sentiment and public anti-intellectualism.

Reality isn't actually up for debate. Reality isn't actually subjective. And science is the measure of reality

This isn't the same as the biases of society impacting science and making it worse. Saying "what people think is more important than science" is not the same as saying "science forgot a very important variable / factor / to consider data gained by different cultures / to have a wide variety of perspectives/ etc."

And allowing people to continue to perpetuate and believe in delusions leads directly to the spread of misinformation, leading to more people not understanding reality, and so on

This matters because reality matters. Because the reality of our world is not something we can change or escape. And, in fact, us ignoring the reality of the world - like thinking we can have infinite growth on a finite planet - is directly leading to the destruction of that world (climate change).

I am terrified of the rise of anti-science sentiment. I am terrified of the rise of cherry picking, deciding reality is what you want it to be, ignoring evidence. We see this from purely scientific topics all the way to social justice (how much of racism is ignoring the evidence of a) race being a social construct and b) how much racism impacts people's lives? Almost all of it).

This is bigger than birds being dinosaurs or evolution or climate change. This is about our society going on a deeply disturbing and self-destructive path.

And I really don't know what to do about it.

[shiftinglea]

I would like to share some personal things that I would like to create/manifest during this lifetime.

Aside from enjoying abundance in the world, traveling, shifting, and doing all these great things for my enjoyment, there are other things that I’m planning that (hopefully) will contribute to our society.

I have always been drawn to helping others, and I would love to make my work global and help people remember that we are all one and infinite power beings.

When I look at the world we live in, I see that we as human beings have made great technological advancements, but as spiritual beings, most people are still very primitive. And unless humanity starts to awaken, this world will be doomed. The number of people dying of starvation, lacking proper shelter, people killing each other, and exploiting the planet’s resources only grows each year, so obviously, the way we are doing things is not working. This world needs to change. And it starts with you, me, all of us.

So here are my current ideas on how I could help change the world:

1. I want to create public schools that will teach the new ways so that kids don’t grow up with limitations in their minds. The current educational system teaches facts (mostly filtered and changed to fit the government’s agenda), and they want kids to think as they (adults) think. I envision a school where critical thinking is encouraged, where it’s not about memorizing facts but analyzing how people’s behavior, thought process, and emotions play a part in creating their own reality. Where the principles of quantum mechanics are taught so that they understand on a scientific level how they create their own realities. The connection between body, mind, and soul and how to use them to create the lives they want. It would also teach how to be loving, compassionate, and see each other as one. How to embrace our similarities and differences, and many other things.

2. I would love to create hospices. (A hospice is a place of care focused on providing support for dying people). In my hospice, people would be taught more about death, that it’s a joyous and wonderful process. That it’s not death at all, that it’s merely a changing of form and entering a new stage of life. To instill joy and happiness in people before their last breath, to not be fearful of it. Such hospice would also provide care and help to family members of a dying person. To help them go through the grieving process and also remind them that death is just a new stage of life. To guide them through their feelings and help them to see the beauty in the passing of their loved ones.

These are my current ideas. I would also probably create some spiritual retreats with the same concepts. But yeah, such opportunities make me excited. I know it won’t be easy, that I’ll have to get a second degree in order to do that, but I’m here for it. I know I can manifest it being easy, but I don’t mind a challenge

Do you have any ideas that excite you?

[talonabraxas]

Urna, Buddha's Third Eye Talon Abraxas

Third Eye Chakra Affirmations The third eye is the energy center of intuition and divine wisdom. I will show you how can quickly start energizing this chakra using my favorite 35 third eye chakra affirmations.

Third eye chakra affirmations encourage you to become more connected with your Third Eye or Ajna Chakra.

Affirmations empower and restore your chakra and as a result, you acquire greater self-awareness and razor-sharp intuition.

The Third Eye Chakra seats the eyes of your soul. You will be able to discern the world with greater perspectives when you activate your third eye using affirmations. You will be able to see, hear, and feel the energy around you. You may even be able to perceive psychically and with very strong intuition.

Awakening your Third Eye enables you to comprehend complex concepts and situations you may not have understood in the past.

You will see other angles of your circumstances with sharper vision. You will also be able to communicate thoughts and feelings easily.

Your Third Eye Chakra The word chakra originates from the Sanskrit word for circle or a spinning wheel.

At times, chakras are referred to as the wheels of life. Chakras are aligned in ascending order from the spine’s base to the top of your head.

Chakras have perpetually been referred to as a classical element, an aspect of consciousness and related to bodily functions.

The Third Eye Chakra emanates from between the eyebrows on your forehead.

Essentially, chakras are multiple subtle body focal points used in various ancient practices of meditation.

Denominated collectively as esoteric, inner traditions of Hinduism, also known as Tantra.

The area between the eyebrows is where we direct our attention when doing third eye affirmations.

Early traditions of Hinduism reveal the concept of chakras. Between religions of India, beliefs vary.

Buddhism texts mention five chakras consistently while sources of Hinduism offer six to seven chakras.

Regardless of belief, early Sanskrit text revels meditation visualizations combine mantras and flowers as the physical body’s physical entities.

35 Third Eye Chakra Affirmations

I listen to my deepest intuition

I am in touch with internal guidance

My intuition always works to serve my highest purpose.

I and my intuition are made with perfection

I am blessed with an inner voice.

I always know exactly what to do, all the time.

I am full of wisdom and knowledge.

I always look within when making decisions

My intuition always tells me what to do.

My intuition is never wrong.

I am complete with inner knowing.

We are all growing and learning. I am growing and learning

I was born to fulfill my God-given purpose.

I love discovering new things every day.

I see life everywhere I look.

I am here for a reason.

I accept that I have weaknesses. I accept that I have strengths.

I completely accept myself.

I accept everything my third eye tells me.

I accept the things I cannot change.

I can only control my reactions to things.

I can always see clearly

I am sensitive to the world around me.

I am shielded from harm by my intuition

I can see clearly.

I attract everything I have in my reality.

I am enough as I am

I always know the right thing to do

I live to serve my highest purpose

I was born to serve a greater purpose

I am born with everything I need to survive.

Everything I need to know, I already know

My inner-knowing never fails

I always know exactly what to do in every situation.

I trust my inner guidance

Why Are Affirmations So Powerful? The reason is that words are, like everything else, a type of energy with their own frequency.

There is tremendous power in spoken words.

Words can heal or they can wound. They are powerful and can be used as a powerful weapon. They have the power to recreate your world and alter your life.

The reason that positive affirmations work is because of neuroplasticity, which is a proven scientific principle. Neuroplasticity is the ability to rewire your brain with the power of words. There is a major role that affirmations play in actualizing our subconscious and manifesting desires.

Words can be used to balance your chakras and can have a significant impact on the outcome of your health. One example of the power of affirmations is when we have a positive attitude and feel good about ourselves.

The Energy of Words This raises the body’s vibration into something positive and attracts renewed health, stronger chakra, and as a result clarity of vision, perfect health, a relaxed mind, and total well-being. Holistic tradition suggests that positive affirmations raise your chakra’s frequency and make your energetic body stronger.

When you believe and act as if something you are saying is true, and that you have acquired the outcome you long for, then the more you actualize the affirmation.

Thus when you tell yourself “I am tranquil,” This will affect your energetic chakra body and you will, inevitably, become tranquil. Scientifically, affirmations have been proven to work. The fact that they have been around for centuries means that generations of human beings have reaped the benefits of using affirmations.

The best method of proving that affirmations work is to see for yourself first hand. After a few days, you will notice real results in your life and might finally understand what has made millions of people true believers in the power of affirmations.

[kr1msun]

My Thoughts on Atheism (as an agnostic 14 yo)

atheism, to me, misses something crucial. while i respect people’s right to choose their beliefs, i disagree with atheism because it focuses only on what we can see or prove right now, ignoring something deeper. let’s start with science. science exists because people believed there was order in the universe, that things followed rules. but where did that expectation come from? it came from the belief that there was a lawgiver, something or someone who created these rules. the reason people even thought to study nature and look for patterns was that they believed those patterns were put in place by a higher power. think about it: if there was no order, no structure, would science even work? scientists rely on the idea that the world operates in a way we can understand, that laws like gravity or the way plants grow will always be the same. and why do they trust that? because, deep down, there’s a belief in something constant, something bigger than us that makes everything work the way it does. this is why science and religion aren’t enemies, they’re actually complements to one another. science tries to understand how things work, while religion seeks to understand why they exist in the first place. however, it’s also important to recognize that science is ever-changing. what we know today may be different from what we understand tomorrow. new discoveries often challenge our previous beliefs, which shows that our knowledge is limited and constantly evolving. this uncertainty highlights that we still have so much to learn about the universe, and perhaps we never will know everything. in many ways, science is man-made, a tool we’ve created to help us grasp the idea of existence. it’s a framework we use to make sense of the complex world around us, yet it can never fully capture the vastness of reality. atheism, by rejecting the idea of any higher power, leaves out the “why.” it’s like having the rules to a game but never questioning who made the rules or why the game exists at all. for me, that’s where atheism falls short. it’s not enough to just know the mechanics of the universe; we also have to ask about the purpose behind it. there’s also another reason i disagree with atheism: it leaves out something essential in human nature. humans are more than just logic and reason, we have emotions, morals, a sense of awe, and a drive to find meaning. while our morals may be man-made, they are often inspired by religious teachings and traditions. religion provides a foundation for understanding right and wrong, helping shape our sense of ethics and guiding our actions. without this inspiration, our moral frameworks could be arbitrary and lack the depth that religion provides. religion isn’t just about believing in a god; it’s about recognizing the spiritual side of ourselves. it’s about cultivating that part of the soul that seeks meaning, purpose, and connection with something greater. atheism often ignores this or dismisses it as unimportant, but i believe that if we want to live in balance, we have to recognize the religious or spiritual part of life. without acknowledging that religious element, we risk becoming unbalanced. we can be logical and scientific all we want, but if we don’t nurture the spiritual side, the part of us that asks about meaning and purpose, we’re not using all of our human potential. science and religion should work together in harmony, science gives us the tools to understand the world, and religion gives us the wisdom to understand ourselves and our place in it. so, while atheism may reject religion, i see it as an incomplete view of life. if we truly want to live fully, we have to accept that both science and religion have important roles. they balance each other out, and together, they help us not just understand the world but also find our purpose in it.

[rachellaurengray]

Embracing the Unexpected: 40 Surprising Events That Could Happen to Anyone

Have you ever had one of those moments when you suddenly realized that life is full of possibilities you hadn’t even considered? Sometimes, we get so caught up in our routines and expectations that we forget how wildly unpredictable and extraordinary our lives can be. It’s in those moments of surprise and wonder that we truly grasp the vast array of experiences life has in store for us.

Here’s a list of 40 unexpected events that could happen to anyone, each one a reminder of the limitless potential for change and excitement in our lives.

Winning a Major Lottery: Finding yourself with a life-changing sum of money overnight.

Reuniting with a Long-Lost Sibling: Discovering and reconnecting with a family member you never knew existed.

Being Featured in a Viral Video: Suddenly becoming a sensation on social media or the news.

Encountering a UFO: Witnessing something in the sky that challenges your understanding of the world.

Receiving an Unexpected Inheritance: Gaining a significant amount of wealth from an unknown relative or estate.

Meeting A Celebrity: Having a chance encounter with someone you’ve admired for years.

Participating in a Groundbreaking Scientific Study: Being selected for a cutting-edge research project or clinical trial.

Surviving a Major Natural Disaster: Experiencing a catastrophic event and coming through it.

Discovering Hidden Family Secrets: Uncovering intriguing or shocking details about your family’s history.

Finding a Rare and Valuable Artifact: Stumbling upon something precious or historically significant.

Becoming an Overnight Internet Star: Gaining widespread recognition from an unexpected online phenomenon.

Witnessing a Rare Celestial Event: Seeing a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical occurrence.

Experiencing a Major Career Shift: Transitioning into a completely different profession or industry.

Participating in a Cultural Festival Abroad: Immersing yourself in an unusual and vibrant cultural celebration.

Encountering a Mythical Creature: Observing something that seems out of the ordinary or legendary.

Being Part of a High-Stakes Reality Show: Competing or participating in a popular reality TV program.

Receiving a Personal Message from a Historical Figure: Feeling a deep connection to someone from history through an unexpected experience.

Living Through a Historic Event: Being present during a momentous occasion that shapes history.

Having a Profound Spiritual Awakening: Experiencing a transformative spiritual realization or insight.

Discovering a Hidden Talent: Finding out you have an extraordinary skill or ability you never knew you had.

Becoming a Published Author: Seeing your writing or creative work in print and gaining public attention.

Joining an Exclusive Club or Organization: Becoming part of a prestigious or secretive group.

Finding a Significant Treasure: Discovering a hidden or buried object of great value.

Experiencing a Miraculous Recovery: Overcoming a severe illness or injury in a way that defies medical expectations.

Participating in an Experimental Art Project: Engaging in a unique and avant-garde artistic endeavor.

Winning a Major Competition: Securing victory in a high-profile contest or event.

Facing an Unexpected Heroic Moment: Stepping up to help others in a critical situation.

Embarking on a Spontaneous Adventure: Going on an unplanned trip or journey that changes your perspective.

Experiencing an Unexpected Romantic Connection: Meeting someone who profoundly impacts your love life.

Receiving a Unique Award or Honor: Being recognized in an unconventional or surprising way.

Witnessing a Historic Scientific Discovery: Observing or being involved in a groundbreaking scientific breakthrough.

Encountering an Unsolved Mystery: Coming across a puzzle or enigma that captivates your curiosity.

Becoming a Community Leader: Unexpectedly stepping into a role of influence or leadership in your local area.

Living Through an Unusual Weather Phenomenon: Experiencing rare or extreme weather conditions firsthand.

Joining a Revolutionary Movement: Becoming involved in a transformative social or political cause.

Discovering a Hidden Gem: Finding a secret or overlooked place that becomes special to you.

Experiencing a Unique Cultural Exchange: Engaging deeply with a different culture in a meaningful way.

Becoming a Subject of a Documentary: Having your life or experiences captured and shared in a film.

Participating in a Space Mission: Being involved in an exploratory or research mission beyond Earth.

Encountering a Profound Life-Changing Event: Experiencing something so impactful that it reshapes your entire outlook on life.

Each of these events serves as a reminder that life is full of surprises and opportunities. Embrace the unknown, stay open to new experiences, and remember that anything truly can happen.

[cmhenvs3000f24]

Unit 09: Most Amazing Thing about Nature

To gain inspiration for this week's blog post, I went on a walk to decipher my current knowledge of nature facts and what makes nature genuinely amazing. Then, I accidentally stepped into a giant puddle that had accumulated from the day's downpour. Of course, my shoe was soaked as I continued my walk, but then I realized I had nothing to lose! So, I continued to jump and splash in every puddle within my path. I felt like a little kid again, free to get messy and enjoy the refreshing feeling of the cool water on my feet. Upon arriving home, my roommates found me taking off my soaked layers, and we all laughed hysterically! It brought a little laughter to a gloomy day. 

As a result, I will speak on why rain is one of nature's most impressive elements. 

Rain holds alot of power and symbolism. I have always loved how the clouds bundle together at the beginning of a big storm, and all the surroundings get dark. This surge of energy coming together, then releasing as solid sheets of water, can be tied to the emotional and physical liberation of bottled-up feelings and letting go (Ashton, 2024). We see a alot of this in cinematic movies, especially romance movies, when the main characters finally reveal thier true feelings and dive into each other's arms (Mattsinger, 2018). The rain allows the characters to forget about the reality of life and enjoy the present moment as is (Mattsinger, 2018). 

Rain can also provide a cleansing vibrancy. As I mentioned before, I felt very whole and free when I splashed around in the rain during my walk. The rain helps clear any negative thoughts from the mind (Ashton, 2024). For me, this included due dates for assignments, looking dumb as I had fun and the mess that it might make afterward. I was living in the moment.  

Rain has also been scientifically proven to improve our bodily conditions and mental space (Brockway, 2024). It is proven when in close proximity to water, such as raindrops, charged negative ions are emitted (Brockway, 2024). When we walk by and inhale such energy, these particles can reduce stress and increase our liveliness (Brockway, 2024). It also helps that breathing in fresh air when it rains is much more refreshing and aromatic. This makes sense, as rainy air is cleaner (Brockway, 2024). This is because the water aids in taking the dirt out of the air (Brockway, 2024).

Rain's power is also necessary for yielding agriculture and harvest (Ashton, 2024). In turn, growing food sources help support vast communities and other natural organisms' survival (Ashton, 2024). 

Rain, one of nature’s elements, has many positive attributes, culturally, spiritually, and physically. I am very excited about the next rain shower and its magnificent aspects. 

However, as climate change continues to affect the world at an alarming rate, areas are experiencing less rainfall than usual, which will not benefit the ecosystems or the human populations nearby. 

I have attached a photo I took during a rain storm. I enjoyed hearing the rain's calming sound effects and the plant life rejuvenating around me. 

Ashton, K. (2024, August 26). What is the spiritual meaning of rain. EtherVI. https://ethervi.com/what-is-the-spiritual-meaning-of-rain/#:~:text=In%20many%20traditions%2C%20rain%20symbolizes,and%20bringing%20forth%20new%20life.

Brockway, D. (2024, May 28). Weather: Walk in Rain can make us happier, scientists say. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51157ep524o

Mattsinger. (2018, February 13). Why do we love movies where people kiss in the rain?. ScreenCrush. https://screencrush.com/people-kissing-in-the-rain-in-movies/

[thesquidkid]

Who says science isn't exciting?

4x08 Missing my baby

I know that it has been a while since I last updated my science meta, life happened and I wasn't really in the mood to write. I also did a thesis in between, so I suppose I now have proper experience in writing a scientific paper.

Disclaimer: I am still not a biologist and it's been quite some time since I last watched the show, so please feel free to correct me if you see anything inaccurate. I also really like talking about science so if anything is unclear I will happily explain it in more details.

The first mention of science is Liz talking to Maria in the Wild Pony:

Liz: "There has to be a scientific explanation for how Alex is reaching out to you."

She then proceeds to explain her scientific theory:

"At first, I thought this was a resurgence of your powers, like a vision of Alex manifesting itself. But your brain scans match up with your last checkup, post-cure, which means this is not a vision. Alex is alive. And he's figuring out a way to communicate with you. We've seen versions of this before. You did it in the coma. Max talked to Rosa in the pod."

I should probably go ahead and say that this falls in the realm of science-fiction. Well, mostly. In reality, people in a coma can `communicate' with the outside world. More or less. Studies have shown that when talking to people in a vegetative state, asking them to perform certain tasks, the brain reacts in the same way it would for someone that is not in vegetative state. For example, when doctors asked a few yes-no questions to a patient in vegetative state, they found out that he knew where he was, what kind of program he enjoyed on TV, etc [x]. This was done by monitoring the brain activity of the patient and looking at the pattern in his brain activity.

This kind of research [x] allowed scientists to conclude that some comatose patients were conscious.

Going back to our lovely little alien show, we can argue that Maria communicating with Liz while in her coma is scientifically possible. However, Alex being in another dimension and communicating through with Maria is fiction.

(As a side note, Liz mentions a few time in that scene that it's all science, except it's not.)

Next, Liz and Shivani are doing science in Shivani's lab:

Liz: "The regenerative enzymes in the blood sample we brought back from New York... Isn't healing the diseased cells in our subject." Liz: "The fluid stimulates the proteins momentarily, but it isn't potent enough to sustain their viability."

As defined in my meta for 1x08 [x, x], an enzyme is a protein that accelerates a chemical reaction. Here, regenerative enzymes refers to enzymes that have the ability to regenerate their cofactors.

A cofactor (in biology) is a non-proteinic chemical compound that is required for enzymes to act as catalyst (i.e. to accelerate a chemical reaction) [x].

Now, from what I read on the internet, enzymes are used in cellular apoptosis, which is a programmed cell death (happening naturally in our body, I talked about it more in my meta for 2x02 [x]), and the regenerative aspect of enzymes comes into play with regards to their cofactors. Furthermore, I have found a few sources about regenerating dead cells (namely after injuries) that mention enzymes as `executioner' rather than reconstructive. In other words, it appears that enzymes (regenerative or not) are present when it comes to killing cells, but not resuscitating them [x, x].

So, really, it's not that surprising that Liz's enzymes aren't healing the deceased cells...

The next bit of science happening in Shivani's lab is purely fictive as it revolves around the cracked pod that Shivani has:

Shivani: "The viscous liquid we developed was formulated using the fluid from within [the pod]. It contains restorative properties identical to the ones that you've been researching." Liz: "In gene-sequencing your work, I found micromolecular inconsistencies, and this crack explains why. Oxygen is changing the fluid's chemical composition. In order to continue testing, we need a pod that's in working condition."

As Michael points out in 2x03, the pods keep the person inside in stasis by regenerating the cells at the rate they decay. He also says "this current will speed up the regeneration". So, by regenerating the cells at the rate they decay, the pod would also (slowly) regenerate the cells that are already dead. Namely, it would regenerate the dead cells at the rate that the alive cells are decaying, since the pod wouldn't select which cells to regenerate, and which to not.

Personally, I am not a big fan of the pods being the answer the everything, namely here providing a regenerative cure, especially when we saw Liz figure it all out using science before, and since her research is about vascular regeneration.

The part on oxygen altering the fluid's chemical composition is accurate to what we saw before, with Noah's pod. Hence, this would fall into the realm of science within the fiction, since at least the results are consistent.

We then see Rosa and Maria trying to communicate with Alex at the Wild Pony. This is once again clearly fiction, but they use science words that I thus will look into. We start with (another) mention of frequencies:

Rosa: "I can hear the frequency of Alex's DNA in the hair, but... nowhere else."

At first, the mention of frequencies in the show was very nice and (mostly) accurate. Then, it became too much (as @angrycowboy pointed out about 4x13)

DNA does have frequency, and it particular it generates a wave that propagates in the direction of the magnetic field vector [x]. Magnetic field vector refers to the direction and the dimension of the magnetic field. These magnetic waves are what allow the cells to communicate with each other.

It is also possible to detect the frequency of DNA, namely it is around 20 GHz. Note that 20 GHz falls into the domain of super high electromagnetic frequency, which is the same frequency range as satellite communication and microwave ovens. Suppose Rosa can hear the frequency of Alex's DNA in his hair. This would mean that she is able to hear satellite communication happening nearby, and considering there is a military base not too far away (I don't know anything about actual Roswell geography, but the show does mention the base a few times), she would be able to pick up on those conversations. Useful espionnage tool.

Rosa does mention something about Isobel teaching her how to listen:

Rosa: "Isobel taught me that in order to silence all the noise, you have to find a place inside yourself where you feel safe and calm."

And in real life, radios can tune to a particular frequency (hence how you only hear a single radio channel and not everything at once). However, a radio is also able to detect other frequencies, hence how you can switch channel. The reason why you do not hear the other radio channels when you switch on your radio is that radio emitters in a region have an agreement to distinguish each frequency. This means that the frequency of each channel has to be sufficiently distinct.

DNA is different for everyone, hence it's frequency differs. Since Alex, Maria, Rosa, and any one else who came to the Wild Pony are not twins, Rosa would be able to distinguish Alex from the other DNA frequencies.

However, there are three things I find strange. First, I am assuming Alex was at the Pony before disappearing, so there should be traces of his DNA left, hence Rosa would hear somewhere else. Secondly, the choice of detecting DNA at the Wild Pony is weird, in my opinion, since there are many more frequencies that Rosa has to tune out, as it is presented to be a popular bar.

Thirdly, as much as DNA can be extracted from hair, there is no guarantee that DNA is always available in a hair sample. Namely, the DNA is present at the root of the hair [x]. Without the root of the hair, the procedure to get DNA is much more complex. So, for the sake of the argument, I am assuming that Rosa has the root of Alex's hair.

But, even having the root of the hair, typical DNA testing that is done in forensics requires an electron microscope (which uses a beam of electron as a light source, and thus has a better resolution than a typical light microscope [x]), since it is the only way to visualise the small bits of DNA. The second test is through mitochondrial DNA, but such a test will not distinguish between siblings, as they share the same mitochondrial DNA profile [x]. DNA testing from hair also requires more than 1 hair to have an accurate test [x].

To conclude on the topic of hair DNA and frequency, despite DNA having a frequency, and hair having DNA, I doubt the accuracy of Rosa's test, since too little DNA is present in a single strand of hair.

The next bit of science is also said by Rosa:

Rosa: "Energy rises from the ground into your feet, and since consciousness is a tangible form of energy connecting us to all matter, astrophysicists believe that... meditation could open you up to speaking over universes, even dimensions."

I am not going to touch on this topic, other than say that Rosa probably meant astrologists and not astrophysicists. Astrology is the field of divinatory practices, recognised as a pseudo-science (it used to be a science until a more scientific theory came along), while astrophysics is the study of astronomical objects using physics and chemistry. Meditation falls into the category of astrology, not astronomy.

The next two pieces of science (the last ones for this episode) are all between Liz and Shivani, during different scenes.

Shivani: "Why atomize the fluid into a mist?" Liz: "I made slight genetic modifications to accelerate enzyme inhibitors for swift cell regeneration. Molecules, they travel faster in a gaseous state than in liquid form." Shivani: "If this cure eradicates the alien virus, could it be repurposed to fight off human illness?" Liz: "Like a universal vaccine? Interspecies scaling at this level would be a huge leap."

So. Liz's first sentence is already hurting my brain.

An enzyme inhibitor is a molecule that attaches itself to an enzyme and stops its activity [x].

Since enzymes are used in process of cell death, inhibiting its activity would then slow this process. In fact, inhibitors can be used to start the process of cell regeneration (in some circumstances, although I am not sure I understood what those circumstances were precisely) [x]. So, if Liz accelerates the inhibitors, it could lead to an acceleration of the regeneration process (or at least, make it begin faster).

It is true that molecules travel faster as gas than liquid. In fact, molecules are always moving, but in a solid they are moving so slow that it can be considered static. In a liquid, the molecules glide past each other, and hence are faster in movement than in a sold. In a gas the molecules are further apart from each other, and move faster [x].

Shivani then asks if a vaccine to cure all human illnesses is possible. Liz is right with her response, that interspecies vaccines are tricky to work with.

We first need to note that interspecies contamination is possible (coronaviruses are example of this). However, interspecies vaccination is not as simple; consider the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in poultry, for which different vaccines have to be created for the different species of poultry. Even species which are similar (poultry for instance) would reach very differently to the same vaccine, and would not be offered the same protection [x]. So, despite humans and oasians being similar, a vaccine that would protect both is also unlikely.

Furthermore, a universal vaccine in the sense of a single vaccine that would protect against everything in scientifically improbably. The point of a vaccine is to inject into the human body a small dose of a virus to teach the body how to defend itself against it. Therefore, a universal vaccine would have to consist of a small dose of every virus known to mankind, which would very likely kill the patient. Imagine having your body fight against all the viruses ever.

So what Shivani is suggesting is rather improbable.

The final bit of science is later in the episode, still in Shivani's lab:

Shivani: "What if we altered the protein receptors to perform some, not all, of their functions? If we folded the principle alpha helices and stabilized the covalent bonds between the amino acids..."

(I won't go into the rest of that scene, since it's mostly about ethics)

If I am being honest, the sentence "altered the protein receptors to perform some, not all, of their functions" confuses me. So I am ignoring it for the sake of my mental health (also because I don't understand what the `their' is referring to).

The next bit of science that Shivani mentions is "principle alpha helices".

An alpha helix is a sequence of amino acids in a protein that are twisted in a helix shape [x]. This structure is the most common type of secondary structure in proteins.

In everything that I've read online about alpha helices, there isn't really a notion of principle alpha helix. So, I don't really know why this is specified by Shivani here (probably to make the sentence sound science-y...).

Folding in chemistry is the process by which a molecule assumes its shape. Protein folding refers to the shape that is assumed by a specific sequence of amino acids in a protein [x].

So, from what I understand, folding the protein would give it its alpha helix structure, but folding the alpha helix structure doesn't really mean anything...

A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involved sharing electrons to form electron pairs between atoms [x].

The different structures in a protein are attached via covalent bonds [x], so indeed, there are covalent bonds between some amino acids (the ones that are found in two different structures). Alpha helices are considered to be the stabler structure of a protein, but their stability, from what I've read, is not quite due to the covalent bonds. So, again, despite the different elements of the sentence making sense, they are quite confusing and lack proper meaning when being put together.

Liz and Shivani share another scene together in Shivani's lab, at the end of the episode where Liz breathes the mist. However, this scene does not contain much science in it, so I'm stopping my analysis here.

[there-was-a-hole-here-itsgonenow]

Disney’s Figment in the Bingham house: A Symbol of Breaking Convention

Ep6 of S4, titled “The Dive,” contains the Bingham house segments. We are well aware of how symbolism, foreshadowing, parallels and more for the show and it’s characters fills this house to the brim. Metaphorically, there is so much to dive into—to uncover—regarding this house. This includes a Disney World Figment the dragon plush doll sitting below Suzie’s window.

Figment is Epcot’s (one of the four Disney World Orlando parks) mascot. Figment himself is meant to be the literal embodiment of the phrase “figment of the imagination,” which matches Epcot’s brand of innovation. Basically, don’t let a figment (an idea or thought) of the mind stay in the mind; bring it into reality. I was working in Epcot when Stranger Things 4 aired, funnily enough in what’s called the Land Pavilion, which is directly beside an attraction called Journey Into Imagination with Figment.

In Journey Into Imagination, you sit on a slow-moving compartment that takes you through the “Imagination Institute” on an open house tour led by a character called Dr. Nigel Channing. He’s the chairman of this institute that researches and develops technological innovation in ways to harness the power of creativity. This research is what led to the discovery of Figment (in lore, not the ride).

Now, as I mentioned above, Figment does not simply represent imagination; he is imagination literally, completely unrestrained and unwilling to yield in his sense of creativity despite being told to stop causing [harmless] chaos by Nigel.

While Nigel is enthusiastic in sharing the institute’s discoveries with the public (you, on this tour, and his goal is to stimulate your creativity through the five senses in order for you to harness your creativity), he is constantly voicing his wariness and disapproval of Figment’s mischievous but still harmless insistence to share his perspective throughout the tour (Figment expresses his tests/experiments/thoughts through song; I will explain momentarily because this is important). However, as you approach the ride’s end, Nigel has a change of mind. Nigel at first states “imagination must be captured and controlled.” Figment promptly replies, “Nuh-uh! Imagination works best when it’s set free!”

Soon enough, Figment figuratively and literally turns everything upside down. Because, as Nigel learns, “Imagination is the act of turning your thinking upside down!”

I mentioned Figment expresses his creativity through song, along with key pieces of dialogue that challenge your basic understanding of the senses (sight and hearing especially stand out). Rather than post the entire song and it’s dialogue, these are moments of intrigue I strung together:

FIGMENT: It’s not about listening with your ears—it’s about listening with your imagination.

For every sound your ears are hearing,
A thousand thoughts can start appearing.
And each of us imagines different things,
From just a sound, your mind has wings!

DR. NIGEL CHANNING: Continuing now, if I may, in a calm, scientific, Figment-free manner—the things we see with our eyes can control the eyes of the imagination. Let’s begin by using the eye chart to test your vision.

FIGMENT: With F-I-G-M-E-N-T,
You can see things differently!

Sure, you can see with your eyes. But imagine what you could see if you used your imagination!

One spark of light can light your fancy.
Your mind sees more than what your eyes see.
Your sense of sight can make your fancy fly.
There’s more to sight than meets the eye!

…

DR. NIGEL CHANNING: Figment, what is going on? You’re turning this entire open house upside down!

FIGMENT: Upside down? Now you’re talkin’!

With just a spark of inspiration,

I’ve made my house an innovation.

Imagination really clowns around:

Makes downside up, and upside down!

- after change of mind -

FIGMENT: A dream can be a dream come true. With just that spark from me and you.

DR. NIGEL CHANNING:

One little spark of inspiration

Is at the heart of all creation.

Right at the start of everything that’s new,

One little spark lights up for you.

-

There’s a lot to unpack here, but the first thing to take from all this is the importance of freeing your mind. Not just freeing your mind, but placing no restrictions upon yourself! Hear and see and be beyond the surface to open your perspective! All it takes is a spark of something new—something that could bring new light to you. To more than just yourself as well. Figment isn’t just imagination incarnate; he is non-conforming freedom.

In bringing this around to ST, this requires a dive through some ideas Figment could be associated with. There’s more than one meaning or foreshadowing we can grab from Figment in-frame.

The first association that comes to mind is Will and Mike. Will and Mike getting together and the GA reacting. Byler is in motion right now and there’s a desire from certain parts of the GA to control it—to stop this ‘harmful chaos,’ so to say. They want restriction on this ‘way of thinking,’ refusing to open up their minds to more and understanding how harmless it is for same-sex couples to exist. To people like this, who think so shortly, they believe queerness should be a figment of the imagination that never exists. But queerness does exist, queer people do exist, and it’s the opposing parts of the GA who haven’t freed their minds from restriction not acknowledging that truth. One spark of something new—a new ‘spark’/perspective to turn your thoughts upside down—is what can lead someone to understanding others’ differences. I don’t have to go into detail as to why “forced conformity is killing the kids” is such a vastly important line in Stranger Things.

But who else controls and restricts? Henry. He wants the world adapted to his mindset, his ideal, and he’s incapable of viewing any other perspective other than his own at this point. He tried to manipulate El into joining him and attempted to kill her when she wouldn’t. He bent what we know as the Mind Flayer to his whims, controlling it and using it to further control others. Now, we can gather that Henry wants Will to meet that standard of control in whatever way Henry intends to use him for. To possibly control Will’s powers.

If we take Dr. Nigel’s lyric “One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation” and apply it to Will, this may align with the theory that Will created the current version of the Upside Down on the night he was kidnapped. Unintentionally perhaps, unknowing of what was happening to him in the moment and horribly shaken, something ‘sparked’ in Will’s mind that allowed him to reshape the UD to what we’re familiar with—maybe to what Will was familiar with.

From the tons of analysis we’ve undergone since S4 aired, we can infer Henry was stalking Will before he took him. Henry sees himself in Will and preys on him to accomplish what he couldn’t with El, and from that it isn’t hard to consider Will has powers Henry wants to manipulate. I currently have thoughts that Will could be multi-powered (like a wizard), and creation abilities would tie well into this idea. It could explain the frozen-in-time Hawkins appearance. Creation and imagination are tied to artistry, and that would be an on-the-nose alignment for Will. Will takes a blank canvas and paints—creates what his mind sees. Henry took the canvas of the unspoiled UD and started creating what he wants it to be. And if Will had an effect on Henry’s creation, if Will could have a greater effect on what Henry further intends to create, Henry would aim to harness all Will can do and make the upside down his downside up.

HOWEVER. The controlling way Henry thinks will be undone by our characters needing to think outside-of-the-box, breaking out of Henry’s mould and standard. And I analyze this by linking the shot of Figment in Suzie’s room—

—to Mike’s Rubik’s cube and bedsheets in S1 + Mike’s blanket fort in S2.

How? Color theory, web/gridgate, my rubikscubegate, and the mere presence of Figment. Figment is non-conforming freedom, an unrelenting force who strives to make anything possible. This includes breaking the standard of Dr. Nigel, who formerly believed imagination/thoughts should be controlled. My Rubik’s cube theory, which I recommend checking out here if you haven’t and are interested in greater details on it, discusses how Mike’s Rubik’s cube is a grid in and of itself. The colors we see directly on it are yellow, blue, and orange. I thought it was red at first, but it’s definitely orange. We know to associate Will with yellow and Mike with blue, but we’re missing our other primary color red: El. We see groupings of these three colors quite a lot, and yet red is missing here.

Or is it? Just as we know who to associate with yellow and blue, we know Mike and Will together are green. To make orange, you need red and yellow. El is included on the cube but combined with Will. We even see a square on Mike’s fort that is half yellow and orange (along with half blue&green and half blue&yellow squares; all three of these squares are near Mike’s head—his brain). And because this Rubik’s cube is solved and we can assume Mike did it, my theory is that Mike will be the one to figure out how they will defeat Henry. And for Mike’s strategy to work, Will and El need to team up specifically, as well as Will and Mike. The Rubik’s cube’s color scheme directly correlates to the grids and color schemes on Mike’s bedsheets and fort: Yellow, Blue, Y + B = Green, Red, and R + Y = Orange. You can get all these colors on their own or through combination on the cube and sheets.

And in this shot too.

Figment against the blue and yellow wall, under the orange window sill and yellow curtains with blue trim… and there outside is green.

Green, outside the conventional box.

What makes this theory stronger is this series of words and character placement before and after seeing the above shot with Figment:

‘Make sure to give that selfish shit a nice little shove for me.’

*Cue Mike at the front, looking at—through—the window first, piecing together the answer.

‘Give [him] a shove.’

We know Mike has been targeted by Henry, and Mike is going to suffer because of Henry. But Henry is also going to suffer because of Mike. Mike will figure him out and create a plan—through a spark of inspiration, if you will—that breaks Henry’s web of entrapments with a strategy that requires El, Will, and himself to work. And, ultimately, the final keys to Henry’s defeat are Will and Mike themselves.

(Taken from my 7+7gate post, with the perfect additions from @stranger-chichka and @lilitblaukatz)

(Picture credits and thoughts to @stranger-chichka.)

Henry’s way of thinking is going to get turned upside down and obliterated, by individuals who aim beyond controlled conformity and fight to set themselves free.

For Will and Mike, they will realize their own ‘spark’ (hello “Are Friends Electric?”) is what will set them free from withholding themselves.

And it’s something the GA will hopefully come to understand: Why this sense of freedom from society-placed restriction is so important for Will and Mike and the people they represent. In turning their thinking upside down and seeing—really seeing—the other side, more conventional standards may break.

-

Additional post on Figment as a queer icon and rainbow association + Creation powers for Will here.

[mbenvs3000w23]

My Connection to Nature & It's Evolution

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog!

Today I'll be discussing my relationship with nature and its evolution over the years.

As I’ve progressed through university, I’ve found myself developing a greater appreciation of nature. Not that I ever didn't respect or appreciate it, but it was just always there, so I never took the time to truly immerse myself in its entirety. That's kind of the reality of growing up; you learn that life isn't simple and easy but rather that things can change quite quickly. When I was a kid I never thought about the future of the planet or of the colossal impacts we have on our environment. Now that I’ve grown up and taken classes detailing the science behind our planet and environment, I know how fragile it is and how unpromised its future is. 

I grew up in Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury is a city in northern Canada known for its rich natural surroundings and historical significance. The city is located on the Canadian Shield, and as such, has an abundance of rocky terrain and greenery. My house was 30 minutes out of town and ‘deep into the bush’ as some would say (I've included a picture below for context). Due to this, I was surrounded by forests and lakes with really no urban influence. Living there, surrounded solely by nature, I found a “sense of place”. Nature was not just a backdrop in Sudbury; it was an intrinsic component of my daily life. The trees provided a safe place, the lakes brought serenity, and the hard terrain was like a huge playground. Growing up I had a deep connection with the land, creating memories that were linked with the rustling of leaves, the smell of fresh pine, and the cool winds that blew around us while we played outside. As we had no real neighbours and about 140 acres of land with our house, me and my brother were often left to do whatever we pleased outside. This allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in nature and, honestly, gave us no other choice even if we didn't want to play outside. There was nothing even remotely close; just us and nature. This led to me having a more recreational connection to nature. I think this is why as a child I never truly appreciated nature, as I thought that it was just standard to always have it around us. It was only when I was old enough to understand the realities of the world that I developed a stronger appreciation for nature. 

Over the last several years, I've been fortunate enough to have taken various courses and learned a lot about nature. So far, Climate Change Biology (ENVS*3010) has by far been my favourite and truly opened my eyes about our impacts on the environment. As a result, my viewpoint on nature as a whole has changed significantly. I have also developed new kinds of connections with nature recently, including therapeutic, scientific, and sustainable-based connections. I now use my early memories as a source of reflection and thankfulness, displaying the long-term evolution of my relationship with nature. 

I also have such a love for nature as it allows me to spend time with my family. Going out for walks and looking at all the diverse scenery is a great way to clear your head and take in its beauty. Recently, I've been training my new puppy how to walk on her leash. My parent's house is up north still so there aren't any sidewalks. Due to this, it's been challenging to get her to stay on the side of the road and walk off the paved road when cars pass. She seems to love cars so this has been quite a challenge. Especially when she tries to run in front of them or after them 🙃

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Andrew Doyle

Published: May 4, 2023

What happened to the art of disagreement? In 2017, I addressed this very question in my stand-up show, Thought Crimes, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. My main topic was the aftermath of the Brexit vote and how so many of my friends had developed a strange new determination to reduce all political disputes to a matter of good vs evil, with those who voted to leave the EU falling firmly in the latter camp. I felt there was something inherently amusing about this sudden surge of mass infantilism.

I performed the show every evening during the fringe at The Stand comedy club, and I very much enjoyed working with such a pleasant and professional team. I remember, on one occasion, chatting to a member of staff who completely disagreed with my political views. The conversation was stimulating and, above all, amiable. Had I suggested at the time that, just a few years later, a show at this same venue would be cancelled because members of staff found the opinions of those involved offensive, she would have laughed. I’m confident that nobody at The Stand, either performers or staff, would have considered this a remote possibility. Surely it would be absurd for a comedy club, of all places, to reject the principle of free speech?

Yet this is precisely what happened this week when The Stand cancelled the booking of SNP politician Joanna Cherry, who had been scheduled to appear as part of the club’s ‘In Conversation With’ series. Cherry is a lesbian who campaigned against Section 28, and has recently been vocal about the threat to women’s rights and single-sex spaces posed by the rise of gender-identity ideology. This is her thoughtcrime.

If I were keeping a tally of Things I Never Thought Would Happen, it would by now have grown too long to maintain. When I performed that show in 2017, I had assumed that I was observing a momentary glitch, and that within the year everyone would be shaking their heads and laughing about their brief bout of hysteria. I was wrong. The insane tribalism of the Brexit vote was merely a symptom of a much more worrying trend, and we have since allowed ourselves to descend into a Manichean world of angels and devils.

My book, The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World, is my attempt to grapple with this disturbing new reality. A new paperback edition has been published this week, and I had hoped that by this point, it would already have started to seem out of date. In truth, the problems I describe in the book are accelerating. Novels by Roald Dahl, PG Wodehouse and Agatha Christie have since been rewritten by ‘sensitivity readers’ (newspeak for ‘censors’). The Irish government is currently passing new hate-speech laws that are similarly draconian to those passed by the Scottish government in 2021. Prestigious scientific journals are publishing pseudoscience in order to uphold this new ideology, too. Only this week the Scientific American ran a piece entitled ‘Here’s why human sex is not binary’, illustrated with an image of the male and female gametes that prove that it is.

It’s difficult to keep up with these baffling developments. Most of us have noticed the rise of this new ideology that is now dominant in all of our major cultural, educational, political and corporate institutions. We can see that its impact is divisive, regressive and illiberal, and yet it describes itself using progressive-sounding terminology, such as ‘social justice’, ‘anti-racism’ and ‘equity’. When language becomes unmoored from meaning, we are all at risk of mistaking change for progress.

We have seen that the disciples of this new religion are pushing for more and more censorship, whether that be through the cancellation of comedians, the deletion of potentially offensive scenes in old television shows, or stronger ‘hate speech’ laws. We have seen women physically assaulted for standing up for their sex-based rights. We have seen how anyone who questions the new orthodoxies jeopardises their career prospects and risks being publicly shamed. The existence of what we now call ‘cancel culture’ is often denied by those who indulge in it the most, but its list of casualties expands by the day.

Those of us who are taking a stand against these cultural revolutionaries are often told that we should just ignore them. Who cares if a few zealots are demanding that we attend ‘unconscious bias’ training sessions? Who cares if civil servants and teachers and staff at the BBC are being encouraged to announce their pronouns in emails and at the beginning of meetings? Who cares if the Ministry of Defence is holding LGBTQIA+ coffee mornings to discuss pansexuality? If we let them get on with it, the logic goes, all of this will just go away.

But this is very wrong. If we ignore these developments, the culture warriors won’t fade away – they’ll win. These activists are promoting an authoritarian creed, and are doing untold damage to our world, while believing they are making it better. If your toddler starts smashing up the crockery, you don’t just politely wait for it to finish. Sometimes you have to intervene in order to prevent further damage.

I wrote The New Puritans in the hope that the book would become obsolete. Judging from recent events, this won’t be happening any time soon.

[everythingseasoning]

Just hung out with a new friend and they told me I’m so insightful and kind and sociable and that they never once felt uncomfortable by me. (Girls I’m so surprised that I am deemed as socially acceptable. What a crazy twist of events). We talked for likeee 5.5 hours straight about many things and they shared with me about their life and relationships (cause I tend to like to go deep fast in any and all conversations), and I was listening in, fine-tuned to how they’re doing, and why they were struggling with something in the relationship, why their partner reacted a certain way (it’s a complicated situation but I can’t give details), and why their partner did that and why everyone is struggling and having some friction. I could analyze the situation easily because I can see that everyone needs something in order to feel safe & helped my friend with a lot :)! —basically I’m saying all this to say I realized I’ve grown so much and truly can care for people in such a genuine and deeper way than I could even a few months ago— I can do a certain balance that I struggled with before. I offer a almost- therapist level compassion and understanding of how they’re doing and why things are affecting them, plus seeing instantly into how they’re affecting the world around them even if (oftentimes) unintentional. It’s a tricky balance in order to juggle both the needs and harms that a single person does with that of another persons needs and own emotional harms to others, in order to find the most fair peace and love for all, a balance that is one that requires relinquishing any and all judgment and just seeking the useful solutions to make everyone feel safe and happy. It’s a complicated task. I still have a long ways to go but I’ve been known as a therapist friend by at least 4 people now, (they all just have in the past called me up to talk about crises’ situations they’re in), so I like to think I’m doing something right. Plus I’ve been in therapy since I was 17, with the most amazing therapist who is truly the definition of compassionate and understanding and wise (no surprise they love biology, Buddhism, teaching, psychology and scientific analysis, and had even previously in their life trained to be a priest). I’m blessed to have gotten therapy for years now from this amazingly wise and most compassionate and perceptive person :) and I’m excited to learn to keep learning and hopefully being such an intensively thoughtful and perceptive and wiser person. Today my friend told me they have a lot of ideas they took away from our convo and they told me it was nice being listened to. Idk how to do anything BUT go beneath the surface lol so I was surprised it was like the first time they had this and they’re like 13 years older than me. They even said they were starting to feel cynical and shrouded by disappointment in humanity— but they’re a GOOD person who has only ever been friendly and seems pretty open-minded so I was surprised hearing this— and today they told me that our time together today was already so refreshing and that they’re starting to get hope back from people. I’ve got a lot to reflect on regarding her reality and events in life, in order to understand the trueness of her experience. it’s good that they’re getting some growth and change and it’s cool I can help but I’m terrified of messing it up by saying something wrong or not being the most compassionate person I can be. Ahhh

[muhammadarslanalvi]

Seeing Beyond the Pixel: An Introduction to Digital Image Processing

Have you ever stopped to wonder how that blurry picture from your phone gets transformed into a crystal-clear masterpiece on social media?

Or how scientists can analyze faraway galaxies using images captured by telescopes? The secret sauce behind these feats is Digital Image Processing (DIP)!

Imagine DIP (Digital Image Processing) as a cool toolbox for your digital images. It lets you manipulate and analyze them using powerful computer algorithms. You can think of it as giving your pictures a makeover, but on a whole new level.

The Image Makeover Process

DIP works in a series of steps, like a recipe for image perfection:

Snap Happy! (Image Acquisition) - This is where it all starts. You capture the image using a camera, scanner, or even a scientific instrument like a telescope!

Person taking a picture with smartphone

Picture Prep (Preprocessing) - Sometimes, images need a little prep work before the real magic happens. Think of it like trimming the edges or adjusting the lighting to ensure better analysis.

Person editing a photo on a computer

Enhance Me! (Enhancement) - Here's where your image gets a glow-up! Techniques like adjusting brightness, contrast, or sharpening details can make all the difference in clarity and visual appeal.

Blurry photo becoming clear after editing

Fixing the Funky (Restoration) - Did your old family photo get a little scratched or blurry over time? DIP can help remove those imperfections like a digital eraser, restoring the image to its former glory.

Scratched photo being restored

Info Time! (Analysis) - This is where things get interesting. DIP can actually extract information from the image, like identifying objects, recognizing patterns, or even measuring distances. Pretty cool, right?

Xray being analyzed by a doctor on a computer

Size Matters (Compression) - Ever struggled to send a massive photo via email? DIP can shrink the file size without losing too much detail, making it easier to store and share images efficiently.

Large image file being compressed

Voila! (Output) - The final step is presenting your masterpiece! This could be a stunningly clear picture, a detailed analysis report, or anything in between, depending on the purpose of the image processing.

Highquality image after processing

Real World Wow Factor

DIP isn't just about making pretty pictures (although that's a valuable application too!). It has a wide range of real-world uses that benefit various fields:

Medical Marvels (Medical Field) - DIP helps doctors analyze X-rays, MRIs, and other medical scans with greater accuracy and efficiency, leading to faster and more precise diagnoses.

Cosmic Companions (Astronomy) - Scientists use DIP to analyze images from space telescopes, revealing the secrets of stars, galaxies, and other wonders of the universe. By enhancing faint details and removing noise, DIP allows astronomers to peer deeper into the cosmos.

Space telescope capturing an image of a galaxy

Eagle Eye from Above (Remote Sensing) - Satellites use DIP to monitor Earth, tracking weather patterns, deforestation, and other environmental changes. By analyzing satellite imagery, researchers can gain valuable insights into the health of our planet.

Satellite image of Earth

Unlocking Your Face (Security Systems) - Facial recognition systems use DIP to identify people in images and videos, which can be used for security purposes or even to personalize user experiences.

Facial recognition system unlocking a phone

Selfie Magic (Consumer Electronics) - Your smartphone uses DIP to enhance your photos, automatically adjusting brightness, contrast, and other factors to make your selfies look their best.

Person taking a selfie

The Future's Looking Sharp

DIP is constantly evolving, thanks to advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Imagine self-driving cars using DIP for super-accurate navigation in real-time, or virtual reality experiences that seamlessly blend real and digital worlds with exceptional clarity. The possibilities are endless!

So, the next time you look at an image, remember, there's a whole world of technology working behind the scenes to make it what it is. With DIP, we can truly see beyond the pixel and unlock the hidden potential of the visual world around us.

References:

Gonzalez, Rafael C., and Richard E. Woods. "Digital image processing." Pearson Education India, 2008.

Jain, Anil K. "Fundamentals of digital image processing." Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1989.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). "Digital Image Processing: An Introduction." https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Digital-Image-Processing/dp/0134806743

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). "Image Processing and Analysis." https://www.baeldung.com/cs/energy-image-processing

Patel, Meet, et al. "Image Processing Techniques in Medical Field: A Literature Review." Journal of Medical Physics, vol. 40, no. 4, 2019, pp. 140001. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3782694/

[geekyglimpses-nest]

6. She's (Not) The One

Warnings: +18 minor don't interact, slow burn, graphic language, humor, sexual content, physical trauma, blood (gore), bodies/corpses, death, drug use, guns, murder (atempted), PTSD, violence, english is not my first language.

Summary: Delaney finds herself on a rollercoaster of emotions and unexpected twists. As she grapples with some pretty tough challenges, she's also unsure about where she stands with Layla, making her question the strength of their bond. Delaney's visions hint at a future that's both intriguing and uncertainfor her and those around her.

Word Count: 4,352 words (26 minutes max)

Notes at the end of chapter

♪ The Ink From Books - Sleeping At Last♪

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

“I’ve had a vision” says the asgardian “A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life, and at it’s center is that” says as he points at his head

“What? the gem?” asks the scientific

“It’s the Mind Stone. It’s one of the six Infinity Stones, the greatest power of the universes unparalleled in its destructive capabilities.”

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

“I looked in your head and saw annihilation”

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

“Their powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultron himself they all come from the Mind Stone. And they’re nothing compared to what it can unleash.” Says the asgardian.

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

The Nine Realms are not eternal. They had a dawn as they will have a dusk. But before that dawn the dark forces, The Dark Elves, reigned absolute and unchallenged” says the Asgardian God “Their leader Malekeith made a weapon out of that darkness and it was called the Aether. While the other relics often appear as stones the Aether is fluid and ever changing. It changes matter into dark matter. It seeks out host bodies, drawing strength from their life force. Malekith sought to use the Aether’s power to return the universe to one of darkness”

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

“The Tesseract was the jewel of Odin’s treasure room. It is not something one buries” says Schmidt when he breaks the fake Tesseract “Yggdrasil. Tree of the world. Guardian of wisdom. And fate, also” he says as he takes the real Tesseract

“Fool! You cannot control the power you hold. You will burn!” says the old man as he is shot by Schmidt

“I have the power of the Gods in my hands”

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

“At the dawn of the universe, there was nothing. Then… BOOM! The Big Bang sent six elemental crystals… hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence.” says the librarian

“Space. Reality. Power. Soul. Mind. And Time” says the Sourcer Supreme.

“Tell me his name again” asks the multimillionaire

“Thanos. He’s a plague Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes put half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York, that’s him.” says the scientific desperate

“This is it” whispers the philanthropist “What’s our timeline?”

“No telling. He has the Power Stone and Space Stones. That already makes him the strongest creature in the whole universe. If he gets his hands on all six stones, Tony…”

“He could destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamed of.”

─━─━─━─「✦」─━─━─━─

1 year 4 months later (2018)…

The dreams are back, they invade my sleep every night. I haven’t slept for weeks now.

My body, my brain, something in me screams that something is wrong, horribly wrong. I wake up bathed in sweat, my body pulses and vibrates with an energy that accompanies me for the rest of my days, since I rise until I lay in bed. Only to stare at the ceiling as a terrible pressure installs on my body and endless headaches plague my sleep.

I haven’t seen Layla for the same reason. She’s been staying in her apartment the last week or so because she’s been preparing for a very important presentation to some investors to finally open her own design studio. We talk to each other when we both have free time, lately that seems to be more difficult to find.

I have found that the possible reason for this… dreams is because of how much hours Elodie and I have been spending on the quantum and time traveling research and the multiverse theories.

These visions… or dreams seem to be too specific to be merely elaborated by a tired mind full of data and information. Everything about them feels too real to just be mere dreams. I’ve had this kind of very vivid dreams since I’ve had a memory, they’ve been with me most of my life but this time… they seem more intense. I’m conscious in them, my mind is aware that I’m dreaming but there’s a voice in the back of my head that says they’re not just dreams. They’re always short, very short. Just when I start to piece things together, or at least I think I am, It all ends and I wake up with nothing but fragments of this dreams. Voices. Must of them are…warnings of something.

Yesterday I ended up sleeping in one of the coaches in my office. As I stand an almost electric flow of energy runs through my body and I shake. The day hasn’t even started and a headache is splitting my head in two already, it usually happens when I sleep in a very uncomfortable position. I look at my phone and see I have two missed calls from Layla, I listen to the voicemail she leaves behind as I go to the bathroom to wash my face and teeth.

“Hey beautiful, I just got home and I hadn’t read the text of you staying in the lab tonight, so now I’m kinda of in a bad mood cause I really wanted to come home to you and I don’t know… watch a movie or something before tomorrow, but don’t worry, I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I know how important is this research for you. So I guess I’ll take this time to work on my own stuff before going to sleep. Anyway I just wanted to say I love you and I hope everything works fine over there and please for gods sake, don’t forget tomorrows date because I’m very exited about it. Love you and please rest, bye.”

Yeah, I definitely forgot and she knows it, that’s her subtle reminder to me, I sigh and exit the office. The first thing I see is Elodie’s slopped body on her desk, her glasses are long gone and her mouth is slightly open, gentle snoring coming out of it. I call for Brixton and his by my side in seconds, I grab his leash and we both walk outside. There’s a small coffee shop a few steps away from the lab, is not as good as the one Layla used to work at but it does the job to wake me and shake the bad mood off my body.

Today’s morning on Enumclaw is gray and windy, seems like rain is going to happen very soon. On my walk there I see people on their daily morning runs, some of them recognize me and they wave at me, I do the same with a bit less energy. I see mothers, fathers, sons and daughters walking to the school bus stop.

When I reach the small coffee shop, the cashier and bartender, Adam recognizes me.

“Doctor, good morning and hello to you too Brixton” Brixton barks once, Adam smiles at him “The usual?”

“Please, make it two” he nods and starts to work on my order. The T.V. in the cafeteria is on the news channel

“Hey Adam, would you mind turning up the volume of the T.V?” says the young lady who’s having coffee, she’s here every morning when I come for coffee too, her laptop prompt in front of her, she takes her glasses of and looks at the T.V. Adam does as he’s asked and also stares at the T.V. I do too out of curiosity.

“Good morning Washington. Today we were woken with the news that once again, New York City was visited and attacked by aliens. Jackson Norris is on the ground and has more details about this event, we’re listening to you Jackson”

“Good morning Will. We’re currently located in the W. 43rd St. We were told by witnesses here is where everything began. They say a circular spaceship came out of nowhere and that’s when fear and panic invaded the streets of New York once again. People started running and seeking for shelter of the terror that had begun on the streets. First responders were alerted to evacuate all citizens south of 43rd st. by the Iron Man” I tense. Shit, that’s part of Hell’s Kitchen “In the battle field that was left behind witness say the Iron Man, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange and Wong were seen speaking with such aliens before they started to engage on a brutal fight that certainly left wreckage and destruction behind”

The image of Jackson Norris is interrupted to be replaced by a shaky video taken by someone inside one of the buildings. One of two alien like forms speak on one side of the street and Stark, Banner, Strange and Wong in the other. Winds of dust and trash travel through the streets, cars are on fire, fallen light stops, debris everywhere to be seen. Local shops have shattered windows, behind them frighten civilians hide from the streets.

“Hear me and rejoice” pronounces one of the aliens “You are about to die at the hands of The Children of Thanos. Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now contributing…”

“I’m sorry, Earth is closed today” interrupts Tony Stark “You better pack it up and get outta here.”

“Stonekeeper. Does this chattering animal speak for you?”

“Certainly not. I speak for myself. You’re trespassing in this city and on this planet.” Strange and Wong come forward and orange circles surround their fists.

“He means get lost, Squidward” says Stark

The other alien starts to run towards them and Tony Stark’s body is soon transformed and protected by the Iron Man suit. The alien seems is about to hit Iron Man but is surprised by one of his potent light beams, the video ends with the screams of the people behind the video. The image of Jackson Norris is back on the screen

“The fight then moved to a nearby park where the local superhero, Spider-man was also seen joining this fight. Not shortly after this, Stephen Strange and Spider-man where abducted by the spaceship and taken away from the atmosphere of our planet, the figure of Iron Man was seen flying behind them too. For all we know they’re all reported as MIA. The people of New York were saved from a possible tragic event that fortunately ended before it started. Nearby hospitals report there are no losses to be mourned, just a couple injured. The citizens of this city have developed yet another trauma related to alien invasions. Thankfully another of New York’s local heroes known as The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen has been spotted helping civilians get to their homes safe or to nearby hospitals to be treated. It’s been hours since the attack and the press hasn’t received any updates from the Avengers organization or the UN. A press conference will be held in couple hours in the White house where the president will address the nation and their latest concerns on regards this recent alien invasion. For WHiH World News this was Jackson Norris, back to you Will”

“Thank you Jackson. We will update you as soon as this press conference happens. For now let go with Mikael, for the latest report on the weather…”

“Well just another day on Earth right?” says Adam

“Yeah, let’s just hope it’s nothing serious” says the young lady who’s now returned to her laptop

“Your coffee’s doctor” says Adam and extends two hot cups at me. I take them and pay for them “Have a good day doctor, goodbye Brixton” he says with a smile.

I leave the cafeteria with a dream like feeling on me, my body feels like it’s floating. Once again, the echo of a voice makes me halt.

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

“The entire time I knew Thanos, he only had one goal. To bring balance to the universe by wiping out half of all life. He used to kill people planet by planet, massacre by massacre. If he gets all six Infinity Stones, he can do it with the snap of his fingers like this”

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

The sharp sound of a horn and barking wake me. I’m in the middle of the street. I turn and see a car that’s a few inches of hitting me, the driver keeps honking at me to get out of the way, Brixton pulls me so I walk. I cross the street and a woman stares at me as if I’m crazy.

Why did I cross the street like that? I don’t remember walking there. My heart pounds against my chest, my ears ring, my vision has black spots and I have to stop to breathe to stop myself from fainting from the adrenaline overload.

The lab is now in front of me. Once I regulate my myself and the adrenaline I go in.

As soon as I get in, the sound of music invades the space, the vocals of a woman are loud “Elodie?” I ask

“Yeah! I’m making breakfast, or at least I was trying” she says with her back turned to me. I see her in the kitchen.

“I brought coffee” I say

“Good! I burned the one we had in here, sorry. I’ll buy more.” she says “Looks like we're going to have to go with bagels, at least I didn’t burned them all” she says turning with a plate of 4 bagels, some of them with black spots “Well… they’re eatable. Oh… by the way, Layla was here earlier. She was hoping to see you before going to work. She asked me to tell you to please call her”

“I’ll call her after breakfast. I didn’t wake up with the best of moods and I haven’t had my coffee yet” I say as I sit in the breakfast counter where Elodie has displayed dishes and utensils.

“You heard about that whole thing about the alien invasion in New York City” she asks as she sips through her coffee.

I nod “Yeah, that might be part of the reason I’m in a bad mood” she hums

“I called my grandma to make sure she was alright you now? She lives in Hell’s Kitchen, you used to live there too right?” I nod

“Yeah, long time ago. We should get started, I’ll be leaving early today, I have a date with Layla, and… it is Friday, you should leave too, if you want to” she nods and wipes her mouth “Yeah, probably will, I have some sleep to catch on, besides my girlfriend is on leave anyway I want to spend some time with her too” I stand “Great, meet me in my office in half an hour for a meeting please, we’re so close to finish going through all the research” she walks to her space and powers up the systems.

I enter my office and first thing I do is call Layla

“Hey honey” she says with that sweet undertone of hers when picking up a call “I was in your office earlier but you weren’t there, everything okay?”

“Yeah, I went out for an early coffee run for me and Elodie”

“Oh! that’s okey. I just wanted to know if you had slept at all. Elodie told me you guys had a really long night”

“We did, but we actually made a lot of progress”

“Good, that’s good news. You sound tired, maybe we should cancel our date, order in and stay home tonight?”

“No, no, don’t cancel it. I’m fine, besides I know how exited you’re for that date. You even bought a dress, and I can’t wait to see you on it, I’ve been waiting since last week.”

“You sure?” she asks concerned

“100%” I assure her

“Alright. Well, I dropped off some fresh and clean clothes for you to change into, and I also left you your personal cleaning bag” I sigh

“Your an angel sweetheart, thank you.”

“Alright, I gotta go, meeting is about to start, they’re waiting for me” she says in a low voice

“Kick ass sweetheart. You worked very hard on that presentation” I say

“Always do. Love you” she says and she hangs up the phone.

After the call with Layla I call Mrs. Durmaz, she picks up immediately.

“My darling girl, hello, how are you?” with Turkish accent in her voice

“Hello Mrs. Durmaz. Well you know just checking in, how are you?”

“I just came home from our early run” she says

“How is Arturo?”

“Still here dear, he at his studio, working.”

“That reminds me, how was the moving? Did the guys I recommend any good?” I ask as I wait for my computer to boot up

“They were perfect dear, they stored and accommodated everything how I wanted”

“Good, they sure weren’t cheap”

“By the way, how much do I owe you?”

“Nothing, and that’s it on that matter”

“Okey, I won’t insist but I warn you I will return the favor. How are the plans for Christmas coming along?”

“Well. I already booked the hotel you wanted, since you refused to stay at my home, in which I could’ve accommodate you easily”

“Believe me darling, you don’t want us in there. You won’t be able to sleep”

“Yep, that’s enough information Mrs. Durmaz”

“How’s that girlfriend of yours? You putting a ring on that finger any time soon?”

“She’s fine, she’s about to fulfill a long time dream. And about the ring… I don’t know. I think it’s to early yet, we just moved in”

“Dear I’m going to be honest with you, I always have. Last time I asked you how you truly felt about Layla, you said everything you loved about her and how good she made you feel. Basically you told me you liked who you were around her, but I did notice you never actually told me you loved her. Have you thought… that…maybe she’s not the one dear and that’s why you feel like it’s rushed. I mean you guys have been dating for a while now. Dear I’m not saying this because traditionally marriage is what follow, I say it because Layla has said to me and you, she wants to take your relationship the next stage and to her… that’s marriage. Have you ever thought you’re with her just because it’s comfortable? Have you even say I love you back to her?” she asks.

It’s too damn early for this kind of conversation.

I’m grateful that she’s came into my life, and that after this long she hasn’t left. She’s everything I could’ve dreamed of, understanding, loving, caring, thoughtful and so much more. I was doomed and in a hole I thought I’d never get out of. Being with Layla feels so easy and… logical. She saved me. She held my hand when I needed it the most.

But love… What if Mrs. Durmaz is right, maybe she might not be the one for me, and the last thing I want to do is hurt her. I’d always noticed that she does experience this relationship far more intensely than I do. She says it constantly. She knows what she wants, I don’t. Is it fair to pretend to be right there with her but not really?

She deserves someone much better, in a better state of mind, healthy. She deserves what she’s giving. She’s given everything of her to me and I haven’t reciprocated and sometimes I think she pretends she’s okey with it, but I don’t think it’s fair. She needs someone who loves her just as intensely.

“Dear you must realize that this silence says everything I need to know. You must talk to her soon, don’t keep her next to you if you have no intentions of taking her seriously, at least the way she must be expecting you to. Believe me, by own experience, that hurts too much” I know “Just think about it dear. It’s okey to not be in the same place that she is, but it’s not okey for you not to tell her that. The final decision has to hers, not your. Don’t keep her there if you’re just going to break her heart tomorrow, or next month, or next year”

“I know… I’ve actually been thinking the same this last couple weeks. Now that we’ve moved in together, she’s starting to bring up subjects about our future and every time she brings them up it’s like my body goes completely tense”

“It’s a sign dear. Your own brain is telling you that your not ready to go into something so serious. Even though your heart wants to and even if you want to trick yourself into believing that she’s the one” she sighs and I can hear her shifting on the other side of the line “I married my husband not because I loved him, I married him because it was the only way I saw to get out of my country safely, start a new life and forget about my past. Mr. Durmaz was 13 years older than me, he was cold and distant because of the war, death and destruction he saw, but he was never cruel or violent. I cared for him and I was grateful because even after everything he always took care of me and our family, he was a good man and father. But I didn’t love him the way he would’ve wanted me to and that hurt and hunted him the rest of his life. He became bitter with time and then died. What I’m trying to say is don’t do force yourself to feel something that you don’t feel, safe her and yourself a worst pain”

“I’m scared”

“Why are you scared?” she asks

“Because after everything that went down on New York and D.C I thought I was dead, that I would never feel like that again. She gave me that. She gave me hope, she made me realize that I could still feel like that. What if I won’t find anyone again?”

“Oh dear. You say that because you’re young, you feel like a breakup might be the end of the world, but it isn’t. The world is more complex than that, you will get through this. But you can’t keep this up anymore. I’m not saying do it right now, just think about it and see if this could be true”

“I will Mrs. Durmaz” I can hear someone saying her name in the background “That sounds like Arturo, I’ll let you go Mrs. Durmaz”

“Promise me you’ll think about what we talked about”

“Promise”

“Please take care dear. Don’t forget to eat, drink water and sleep. I love you”

“Take care too Mrs. Durmaz, I’ll talk to you soon”

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

The light of the sun hits my closed eyes. I can hear birds singing and water running. The breeze weaves it’s way through the grass and flowers, conducting a symphony of whispers. I open my eyes, the sight is breathtaking. Above, the sky transitions through the tranquil depths of cobalt blue to the regal richness of purple, and finally, to the fiery embrace of orange. Each color seems to dance with the others, painting the heavens in a symphony of celestial beauty. It’s as if the sky itself is a grand theater, putting on a spectacular performance for all who care to look up and marvel at its splendor. The sun is setting in the background, waving it’s last goodbye. Next to the sun is a moon on a waning crescent, this one much bigger than ours. Closer too.

I’m barefoot, the tall grass under my feet is wet, it’s not unpleasant. A fresh breeze is present. The gentle caresses of each blade and petal inviting one to linger and lose oneself in the enchanting embrace of the meadow’s embrace. Tall green mountains stand in front of me, waterfalls run through them.

On the land stands a small wooden house.

The place feels like a place where you come to have a vacation from everything happening in the world. Peace and silence is everywhere, it’s the kind of a place where you retire to once your old enough. But it also feels lonely and deserted. There’s something dark about this place. The energy that surrounds it is good but the closer I get to the small house, a darker energy seems to rise, something pulls me away from it. It feels like I’m fighting against the wind.

I stop, someone is in the house. They’re tall, broad back and purple skin, half it’s body is burned. They turn, half their face is also burned. They look at me, I look at them, shivers run through my body. The darkness grows by the second. They wear a gauntlet with glowing stones, each different color and size, they’re broken. They have a particular energy running through them but the stones seem to potentiates the darkness in them. They suffer.

I see pain, I see loss, I see loneliness.

I try to walk towards them but they rise the golden gauntlet and snap their fingers.

An expansive wave hits my body and I fly through the air.

══════⊹⊱≼≽⊰⊹══════

Modern Big Bang theories predict that our local universe came into existence with an instant of inflation, in other words, a small fraction of a second after the Big Bang in which the universe expanded at a colossal exponential rate.

The observable part of our universe would then be just a kind of ‘cozy’ pocket universe, a region in which inflation has ended and stars, galaxies and planets, like our own, could form. The usual theory of eternal inflation predicts that, on a global scale, our universe is like an infinite fractal, with a mosaic of different pocket universes, separated by an inflationary ocean.

Elodie knocks on my glass door and I glance at her acknowledging her presence

“I’m leaving Dr. Kingsley, my girlfriend just got here. Isn’t your date suppose to be in like twenty minutes?” she says looking at her watch.

Oh… right.

I stand from my chair and turn the computer off “I left all the systems on so that if there’s any changes we can get notified, if it’s important of course” I continue to get ready to leave “Thank you Elodie, say hi to Jess for me please” she nods “I’ll see you Monday boss, have a great weekend” I smile at her, she leaves the lab and I see through the glass she gets into a car and head off.

I make sure all the systems are on and close the lab. I head off on to the address Layla has sent. I sent her a text

“On my way to you”

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Notes: I was gone for a bit but I think I'm back. This chapter is a long one, with the progression of the story the chapters will progresively get longer and more packed with info. We're getting there, just you wait.

Thank you for reading and please, if you can, interact with the story. Coment your thoughts, theories, etc. I'd love to talk to you. Share if you like it and you feel someone would be interested in reading it. The interaction really helps me so much.

With love, geekyglimpses-nest out 👋🏽

[jechristine]

I’ve had those thoughts about class distinction (and perception since it’s all about how people perceive Tom and Tim and not really reality) and how its rooted in some elitism in a way as well. It feel like ‘film twitter’ forgets there are many kinds of types of intelligence and I hope that Tom knows that as well - since looking at what Dom’s said, I don’t particularly think that he was encouraged in his intellectual strengths (he does certainly seem to have them) in the right way by his dad (which is a big generalization that disclaimer, might not be accurate either since I’m only going by what Dom’s stated in his blogs - he could be a much better or different father than he comes off as, who knows).

But looking at that twitter drama and knowing you’re a teacher, have you noticed social media interfering with education over the years? It just seems ironic to me that these accounts that preach intellectualism actually their voice arguments in a very anti-intellectual way. Looking at someone and reducing them to a failure lacks as much critical thinking as ‘stanning’ them, but all these people act like their opinion is fact and they’re often not interested in an actual debate where both sides are open to new info.

I feel like twitter might have benefits in making friends and also for sure spreading knowledge of social justice, but I also think that the short word count and engagement discourages critical thought and nuance so often that idk if the benefits outweigh what it might be doing to users. I know that when I take a break from twitter I feel less reactive and angry all the time, I can focus more - which is personal since I’m sure not everyone gets that way but for me the difference is huge.

This is a long and slightly disorganized way of asking your thoughts on twitter as a platform - do you think a short form app like that could be contributing to critical thinking skills shrinking too? Tumblr is more of an echo chamber with niche communities but I also feel like the extended word count gives the opportunity for complex discussions

Hey, Anon!

This is probably not what you’re asking for, but there are so many angles from which I want to think about your question. They’re all sort of related.

As a former medievalist & early modernist: the parallels between current outcries against social media and the 16th/17th century outcries against print culture and the printing presses are strong. We’re seeing just so many more people contributing their voices, languages, and ideas to the public space, and consuming so many others’. It can be messy because people don’t all have great things to say, and there are so many of them, but also the democratization of social discourse is so consequential. The printing presses in Europe (which is what I know) changed the course of history, leading as some have argued to the Enlightenment, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and…capitalism. We don’t really know where social media will take us, but probably someplace new.

As a high school English teacher: I’ve been immersed in PD lately in what’s being called “the Science of Reading.” A lot of the American education system has fucked up the way we teach kids to read in the last 20 years, and we’ve created a huge problem, especially for our students furthest from opportunity, i.e. the majority of my students at a high-poverty Title 1 school with many English-language learners. (If interested, this podcast is so illuminating/horrifying.) I know this is American-centric, but that’s what I know. Problems exist in terms of who has access to knowledge and ideas that are so much deeper than character count on social media. I’d bet this is true in other parts of the world, too.

And I think one more layer, connected to that one, is that lots of people are engaging with subjects on such a superficial level, just kind of repeating what they’ve seen said elsewhere without the knowledge background or frame of reference to dig deeper or be critical. I’ve seen a ton of really excellent Twitter threads from which I’ve learned a lot—so I don’t think character count is really an issue. I think lots of people don’t use the thread function because they simply don’t have much to say.

(Finally, I know what you mean about tumblr being an echo chamber but also I do think my mutuals and I disagree plenty without being shitty about it. Sometimes disagreement is really narrow. In fact, I think the best disagreement is when “opponents” share values and thoughtfulness but come to different conclusions. I also think tumblr would be just as bad if it had as many users as Twitter does.)

[stereotypesclass1teachercarmen]

Acknowledge science's role when people stereotype others, is important.

By Nina Preto

What would you do if you knew your brain induces you to stereotype other people? According to Perry Hinton, over the last 30 years, the study of implicit stereotypes has increased. In addition to this, even the people who reject stereotypes and tend to be fair in their judgment of others can’t escape. Altogether, it’s important to acknowledge science's role when people stereotype others.

Studies reveal that there are intrinsic connections between the brain and stereotypes. For instance, both male and female black faces were categorized as "angry", additionally, Asian men's faces were initially perceived as "female." Furthermore, in a specific moment, the neural connection between the responsive orbital frontal cortex and the facial recognition fusiform cortex overlapped reality, replacing the actual facial expression with the biased expectations. Subsequently, the potential lies in those initial perceptions that could intensify the existing biases in our society, even though the participants didn't purposefully make those assumptions, therefore it was clear that they were infiltrated in their subconscious. With studies, it became possible to observe that: stereotypes can appear as innate activities of our brain, however, they are also acquired in the world we live in. 

Implicit bias is related to different brain activities. The term "implicit bias" refers to the inclination to harbor suspicion towards individuals who are different from us and it relates to the term “heuristics”, a concept that sustains the notion that group membership determines innate qualities, referred to as essentialism. According to studies is most likely that this developed in our past.. This survival instinct emerged during competition between humans, it was vital to comprehend and address these different individuals as a potential threat. Nonetheless, through non-invasive brain stimulation, scientists can directly influence brain activity, providing compelling evidence linking specific brain regions to distinct social behaviors. Moreover, Dr. Pascual-Leone and colleagues conducted a test, where participants needed to rapidly categorize words related to social characteristics, like "obese" or "thin," alongside words conveying value judgments, such as "lazy" or "good," all while undergoing non-invasive brain stimulation. In addition, it was observed that stimulation of the anterior temporal lobe of the brain led to a reduction in participants' stereotypical associations between "Arab" and "terrorist.

The stereotypes we hold about others can influence our brain’s visual system. As revealed by neuroscientists at New York University, our preconceived biases systematically mold the brain's representation of a face, distorting our perception to align with our prejudiced expectations, particularly within the fusiform cortex, a region crucial for facial visual processing. Undoubtedly, their findings were important as support for the assertions presented, now it's possible to prove scientifically that stereotypes change how humans see others. For instance, in an experiment with black male faces, it was shown that individuals related the face with an angry one, however, the face didn't have any angry features.

Furthermore, it's important to recognize stereotypes as a concept related to science, so it's possible to study ways to minimize their impact on how individuals see others and work for a more accepting society. However, under no circumstance should it be allowed to neglect the social facet of stereotypes and focusing only on their innate origins, would be supporting the idea that we live in a society with no salvation.

[zerogate]

In 2013, the Foundational Questions Institute held an essay contest on John Wheeler’s famous question, “It from bit or bit from it?” The contest attracted 170 entries. The institute’s 2015 contest was on the topic “The mysterious connection between physics and mathematics.” In 2017, the theme was “How can mindless mathematical laws give rise to aims and intention?” The director of the Foundational Questions Institute, MIT physicist Max Tegmark, described the burgeoning interest in these questions in his 2014 book, Our Mathematical Universe:

There’s something very mathematical about our Universe, and…the more carefully we look, the more math we seem to find. So what do we make of all these hints of mathematics in our physical world? Most of my physics colleagues take them to mean that nature is for some reason described by mathematics, at least approximately, and leave it at that. But I’m convinced that there’s more to it.

Tegmark assumes that “there exists an external physical reality completely independent of us humans.” But as we’ve already discussed, there are good reasons to believe that reality is actually not completely independent of observation. So what Tegmark is getting at is that the abstract structures provided by mathematics seem to have a life of their own. They don’t just describe it; in some sense, he believes, the purely symbolic language of mathematics literally is the universe.

[...]

In 2014, the online journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, the #1 most-cited journal in academic psychology, published an article entitled “A Call for an Open, Informed Study of All Aspects of Consciousness.” It was signed by 101 scientists from universities and research institutes around the world. As of mid-2017 this article was viewed nearly fifty thousand times, which is greater than 99 percent of all articles published in the Frontiers collection of fifty-nine open-access journals. The article called for increased tolerance for thinking about consciousness in new ways, including ways that challenge the materialistic scientific worldview.

This trend can also be seen in a 2015 article in the ultra-orthodox Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin and Christof Koch of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, both influential thought leaders in mainstream neuroscience, wrote:

Is consciousness—subjective experience—…not only in other people’s heads, but also in the head of animals? And perhaps everywhere, pervading the cosmos, as in old panpsychist traditions and in the Beatles’ song? While these kinds of questions may seem scientifically inappropriate, we argue below that they can be approached in a principled and testable manner.

Entire journal issues are now devoted to the mathematics and physics of consciousness. And post-materialistic ideas are appearing in new journals dedicated to consciousness studies, including Psychology of Consciousness, published by the voice of mainstream academic psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA).

In 2016, the APA also published a book entitled Transcendent Mind, by psychologist Imants Barušs of King’s University College in Canada and neuroscientist Julia Mossbridge of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Barušs and Mossbridge emphasized this growing movement:

We are in the midst of a sea change. Receding from view is materialism, whereby physical phenomena are assumed to be primary and consciousness is regarded as secondary. Approaching our sights is a complete reversal of perspective. According to this alternative view, consciousness is primary and the physical is secondary. In other words, materialism is receding and giving way to ideas about reality in which consciousness plays a key role.

Philosophers Robert Koons, of the University of Texas at Austin, and George Bealer, of Yale University, write in their 2010 book, The Waning of Materialism:

Materialism is waning in a number of significant respects—one of which is the ever-growing number of major philosophers who reject materialism or at least have strong sympathies with anti-materialist views. It is of course commonly thought that over the course of the last sixty or so years materialism achieved hegemony in academic philosophy….It is therefore surprising that an examination of the major philosophers active in this period reveals that a majority, or something approaching a majority, either rejected materialism or had serious and specific doubts about its ultimate viability.

One of those “major philosophers” is Jerry Fodor from Rutgers University, who wrote, “I think it’s strictly true that we can’t, as things stand now, so much as imagine the solution of the hard problem [of explaining subjective awareness]….I would prefer that the hard problem should turn out to be unsolvable if the alternative is that we’re all too dumb to solve it.” And in case his position was not clear enough, Fodor emphasized that “nobody has the slightest idea how anything material could be conscious. Nobody even knows what it would be like to have the slightest idea about how anything could be conscious.” In a similar vein, the distinguished philosopher Thomas Nagel from New York University writes in his 2012 book, Mind and Cosmos,

It is prima facie highly implausible that life as we know it is the result of a sequence of physical accidents together with the mechanism of natural selection….My skepticism is not based on religious belief, or on a belief in any definite alternative….I realize that such doubts will strike many people as outrageous, but that is because almost everyone in our secular culture has been browbeaten into regarding the reductive research program as sacrosanct.

The bottom line is this: Throughout science and scholarship a basic principle of the Perennial Philosophy—that consciousness is fundamental—is slowly becoming acceptable to talk about. Within science this notion tends to be cast into the more conventional language of information and mathematics, but the connection with consciousness is undeniable. After centuries of life-threatening suppression, the societal shift that now allows scientists and scholars to publicly discuss consciousness in a new light might seem like a trifling matter. But it’s a positively astounding transformation.

-- Dean Radin, Real Magic