#Imperial Science Facility 9 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mariacallous · 1 year

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The form reached my inbox as part of routine paperwork, but I sensed a tinge of accusation. I had been invited to speak at a national laboratory. In order to access the facility, I was required to attest that I wasn’t a participant in a foreign talent recruitment program. China, my birth country, topped a short list of “countries of risk.”

I found the vigilance slightly amusing. I was going to give a talk! In a dash of mischievousness, I thought of scrawling over the form: “D-I-S-S-I-D-E-N-T!”

I have never liked the word “dissident” or claimed to be one, though others have labeled me as such. The point of the story is not that I’m special, but that I should have nothing to prove in the first place. No amount of public critique of Beijing’s policies or the personal cost dissent exacts can spare me from the extra scrutiny. As a Chinese person living in the US, I’m often treated as a potential spy before I’m seen as a human being.

Espionage was once considered antithetical to American individualism. The term invoked imperial European courts—the word spy originated from Old French, espie—and British secret agents, symbols of an old world that the young republic was trying to break away and distinguish itself from. The carnage of World War II shattered America’s isolationist proposition. Joining its newly founded clandestine services was lauded as patriotic. In the long shadows of the Cold War, the enemy agent in the popular imagination was someone hiding a Russian accent. Three decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, as China emerges as a new superpower and contests US hegemony, the face of foreign espionage in the West has become Chinese.

It’s not just that Chinese students and scientists are routinely depicted as puppets of Beijing and conduits of intellectual property theft. The tint of racialized suspicion has seeped into anything “made in China.” Communications equipment from Huawei and ZTE are lurking in the airwaves. TikTok is “the spy in Americans’ pockets.” US authorities deem Chinese-manufactured cargo cranes a possible national security threat; in the words of a former head of counterintelligence, “cranes can be the new Huawei.” The acquisition of American farmlands by Chinese firms has also been met with alarm: The properties could be used as a “perch for spying,” so the argument goes. When a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon flew across parts of the US before it was shot down over the Atlantic, the mass hysteria had less to do with the balloon itself—even the Pentagon acknowledged it posed minimal risk—and more to do with the state of the national psyche. The floating object was the materialization of a constant dread, the embodiment of an alien intrusion.

Each time an objectionable act becomes racialized, such as how “crime” is coded as Black and “terrorism” as Muslim after 9/11, the problem is not that every individual from the minority group is innocent but that the collective is regarded as uniquely guilty, and anyone who shares the identity is implicated by association. The ethnicization of espionage in the US as a distinctly Chinese threat is rooted in centuries-old Orientalism and reinforces racial stereotypes. The rhetoric is weaponized to expand state power and advance special interests. The illusion of protection by discriminatory means obscures fundamental questions about our relationships with technology and the state, as well as how to navigate between our intimate and communal selves. In a world of privatized commons and militarized borders, who sees or cannot be seen? For whose benefit, and to what end?

A prominent 19th-century science manual instructs that a person’s “faculty of Secretiveness” can be measured by how much the shape of the nostrils resembles that of a Chinese nose. Published in New York in 1849, the book asserts that the people of China “are the most remarkable people in the world for secretiveness.” This view, widely held at the time, was echoed by the American diplomat and travel writer Bayard Taylor, who claimed that “the Chinese are, morally, the most debased people on the face of the earth,” whose “character cannot even be hinted.”

As waves of Chinese migrants left a crumbling Qing empire for distant shores, their presence disrupted a fragile white identity based on native dispossession and the transatlantic slave trade. Moral panic ensued. Popular literature described the Chinese people as mysterious, with inner worlds as cryptic as their written script. The new arrivals were treated as an invading species, who were stealing jobs, spreading disease, and corrupting the body politic.

In 1912, the British novelist Sax Rohmer, a white man, invented a character who epitomized the West’s fears and fantasies about the Orient: Dr. Fu Manchu. The supervillain and mad scientist is “Yellow Peril incarnate.” Inspired by the works of Bayard Taylor, Rohmer described Fu Manchu’s face as inscrutable, an impenetrable mask concealing his evil plots. Ironically, in over a dozen film adaptations over the decades, the character has only been played by white actors.

The projection of one’s insecurities onto the other is always riddled with contradictions. In the West, the Chinese people are portrayed as both primitive—so they need to steal technology—and scientifically advanced, with superior spying capabilities. The Middle Kingdom is either hopelessly stuck in the past or already inhabiting the future, where an ancient wisdom bestows startling foresight. The only consistency in these conflicting prejudices is an othering stance. The people of China are regarded as so radically different they’re relegated to a different temporal plane, while the present belongs to the West.

During the Mao era, Western writers used the phrase “blue ants” to describe the Chinese population, in reference to the light navy uniforms of the time. This image of the Chinese people as faceless, mindless automatons has also shaped American perceptions of Chinese spycraft, most notably in the so-called “thousand grains of sand” theory. Proposed by FBI analysts in the 1980s, the metaphor goes like this: To gather intelligence about a beach, the Russians would send in a submarine and frogmen, the Americans would use satellites, and the Chinese would simply dispatch a thousand tourists, each collecting a single grain of sand. The theory has been refuted—Beijing’s intelligence operations are not so different from those in other countries and mostly rely on professionals—but not before it had been hailed as doctrine for decades and cast a distorting light on every Chinese visitor as a potential foreign agent.

This February, during the first hearing by the newly established House Select Committee on China, former national security adviser H. R. McMaster described the pervasiveness of Chinese industrial espionage in graphic terms: “If you bolt your front door, they’re coming through the window. If you bolt your windows and put up screens, they’re going to tunnel under your house.” According to the retired general, the “many vectors of attack” demanded “a holistic approach.” As I listened to the hearing, I wondered how many who had heard these words pictured an army of ants creeping through the cracks, sweeping up every grain of sand.

Three days before its debut hearing, the House Select Committee on China held a rally and press conference in Manhattan, outside a commercial building in Chinatown.

"This innocent-looking building that you see behind me has an unauthorized secret police station linked to the Chinese Communist Party," said Congressman Mike Gallagher, who chairs the committee. According to law enforcement officials and some human rights groups, the Chinese government operates dozens of overseas police outposts, including three in the US, which can be used to surveil local Chinese communities and suppress dissent. Weeks after the press conference, the FBI arrested two men associated with the office in Manhattan on charges of conspiring to act as foreign agents and destroying evidence. On the same day, the Justice Department also charged 44 individuals, believed to be based in China, on crimes related to online harassment and intimidation against Chinese nationals in the US.

I watched a video of the press conference. Members of the Chinese and Tibetan diaspora stood behind the congressional delegates. They held up signs that read “Condemn the CCP’s transnational repression.” But one item from the demonstration caught my attention: a pale balloon with a Chinese national flag sticker on one side, and three letters on the other, “SPY.”

I reckon that the choice of prop might have been tactical. By holding up a white party balloon, the protesters were trying to invoke a common angst over Beijing’s aggression. For those of us who have crossed oceans and political systems, to still live under the watchful eyes of the home government can be a profoundly lonely experience, not unlike that of being a racialized minority. In the words of a Chinese human rights activist who spoke at the rally, “This is the first time that the Chinese basic community feel that their grievance is heard by the American public.”

However, the emotional appeal from minority members for official intervention can inadvertently imperil the same communities in need of protection. By casting violations of civil liberties through the sweeping lens of national security, Washington’s hardened response helps fuel racial bias, which can easily mistake targets of transnational repression as its suspected perpetrators. The emphasis on legal status and political allegiance in immigrant communities normalizes the nation and its borders, and reinforces a Cold War binarism where China and the US stand as polar opposites.

In 2001, as a member of the Washington state legislature, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers blocked a bill that would replace the word “Oriental” with “Asian” in official documents. This March, at the highly anticipated congressional hearing featuring TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Rodgers, now chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, declared at the start, “We do not trust that TikTok will ever embrace American values.”

For the next five and a half hours, Chew, who is Singaporean of Chinese descent, tried valiantly to distance his employer as well as himself from ties to China. During his five-minute opening remarks, Chew mentioned his Singaporean upbringing, his education in the UK and the US, and that his wife was born in Virginia. In response to questions of whether TikTok or its parent company ByteDance is “a Chinese company,” Chew was evasive: “What is a company that is now global?”

Chew’s responses, packaged in notably Americanized English, did little to assuage skeptics on the committee. Many lawmakers believe the short-video app is a weapon in disguise, developed by a foreign adversary to poison American minds and extract Americans’ data. One piece of evidence, repeatedly cited to corroborate the claim that TikTok is de facto spyware, is China’s National Intelligence Law. Enacted in 2017, the legislation states that “all organizations and citizens shall support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts.”

The focus on the Chinese government’s subpoena power as a unique feature of its authoritarian system overlooks the many ways American companies cooperate with the state. Local and federal law enforcement routinely utilize access to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, private security cameras, and cell phone networks to criminalize and surveil, at times without proper authorization. The sweeps have been directed against migrants at the southern border, people seeking abortion services, and Black Lives Matter protesters. On the other hand, Chinese companies like Alibaba and Tencent have refused requests from state agencies to hand over customer data.

The caricature of an almighty Beijing with absolute control feeds into the age-old misconception that the Chinese people are submissive subjects devoid of individual agency, who can only act out of national loyalty or political coercion, but never for personal interest or financial gain like their counterparts in the West. While the ruling party of China is nominally communist and maintains a Leninist structure, the country has been an integral player in global capitalism for decades. Yet, during the TikTok hearing, the word “communist” is frequently uttered, not to inform but to exoticize. The tone is reminiscent of an earlier era, when the United States claimed the holy mantle to save the colored masses of the world from the red menace.

TikTok is not a product of communism but of surveillance capitalism. As China moves from the margins to the center of global capitalism, the panic over Chinese espionage is inseparable from the apprehension about the West in decline. History repeats itself as Florida and several other states pass or propose legislation restricting Chinese citizens from purchasing property, citing security concerns. Similar excuses were used for the “alien land laws” in the early 1900s that barred Chinese and Japanese immigrants from land ownership. The spying allegations against TikTok and other Chinese products are often hypothetical: It’s not so much about what the companies have done or even what they can do; China is used as a foil to project American fears and desires. After all, the US military and intelligence agencies are pioneers in surveillance technology and foreign interference. As it was in the aftermath of 9/11, a perceived threat is used to justify massive expansions of executive power, which also include the ability to monitor and manipulate, both at home and abroad. The Senate bill to ban TikTok has been aptly called a “Patriot Act for the internet.”

To continue operating in the US under ByteDance ownership, TikTok has proposed to store American user data exclusively on US-based servers run by Oracle. The plan, Project Texas, is named after the state Oracle is headquartered in. The software giant, proudly American, boasts clients that include “all four branches of the US military,” the CIA, and local law enforcement. It has also marketed surveillance tools to Chinese police. Without universal data protection standards, the mere imposition of a national border around data does little to mitigate risk or reduce harm; instead, the border only helps determine who has the right to exploit the data and commit harm.

Oracle is one of the largest data brokers in the world. In a report released in June, the US Intelligence Community acknowledged that commercially available information, which “includes information on nearly everyone,” has reached a scale and sophistication on par with targeted, more intrusive surveillance techniques. The private data market is loosely regulated and open to all. US spy agencies are among its countless clients.

“Everyone is being surveilled constantly, but it’s always ‘Shoot the balloon!’ and never ‘Unplug Alexa.’” This line, delivered by comedian Bowen Yang on Saturday Night Live, encapsulates the quotidian reality of mass surveillance and the hypocrisy in official responses. After capitalism has commodified just about everything that sustains life—land, water, health care, to name a few, its latest site of extraction is life itself: our time, attention, movements, and presence. All can be captured, converted into data, and traded as commerce.

For years, this virtually unfettered transaction has benefited US companies and is aligned with Washington’s agenda. China’s economic rise, coupled with Beijing’s belligerence, has shifted this calculus. As US authorities place more restrictions on the transnational exchange of money, goods, information, and people in the name of security, at times in conflict with the demands of capital, the two superpowers increasingly mirror each other in their paranoia and protectionist stance. The Chinese government recently revised its anti-espionage legislation. The new law, which went into effect on July 1, broadens the definition of spying, grants the state more power to inspect facilities and electronic devices, and further limits foreign access to domestic data. Citing the new legislation, China’s Ministry of State Security proclaimed in a social media post that “Counterespionage needs mobilization from all of society,” while FBI director Christopher Wray has repeatedly stated that a “whole-of-society” approach is necessary to fight against threats from China. In Beijing's propaganda materials alerting Chinese citizens of foreign intelligence activities, the spy is routinely depicted as a white man.

The bodies we inhabit are never ours alone. In the age of surveillance capitalism, the bounds of our private existence are endlessly encroached on by the richest and mightiest of interests, who also dictate the terms of extraction and exploitation. In this uneven battle, privacy is more than an individual right; it’s a form of communal care. An encrypted message requires effort and trust from both the sender and the receiver. The decisions we make about seeing or not being seen also configure the spaces we move in; they affect how others see and are seen. To reclaim our sovereign yet porous selves, we must reimagine space—physical as well as digital, social as well as legal—and interrogate its many borders: around nation, race, gender, class, property and the commons.

What if safety is achieved not by violent organs of the state but through their abolition? What if we reject the false binaries proposed by status quo powers and choose liberation? What if, instead of imprisoning our identities within predefined labels, we refuse to be categorized? What if we make ourselves illegible to convention, corrupt the code, glitch the mainframe, and disrupt the ceaseless flow of datafication? A secret language opens up pathways to fugitive spaces, where an uncompromised presence is restored and alternative futures are in rehearsal.

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btechndassignmenthelp · 4 months

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Top Universities in the UK for Medical Degrees | HND Assignment Help

Discover the top 10 universities in the UK for medical degrees based on rankings and facts. Explore the best options for medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and more. HND Assignment Help provides academic writing services to medical students.

Top Universities in the UK for Medical Degrees

The United Kingdom is renowned for its prestigious universities, offering top-notch education across various fields. For medical students, choosing the right university is crucial. This article explores the top universities in the UK for medical degrees, focusing on multiple specializations such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and more. We will also provide insights into the best private universities in the UK and the cheapest universities for international students in the UK.

1. Best Universities for Medicine in the UK

1.1 University of Oxford

The University of Oxford consistently ranks as the top university in the UK for medicine. Known for its cutting-edge research and comprehensive medical curriculum, Oxford provides students with unparalleled educational opportunities.

1.2 University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is another leading institution renowned for its medical research and teaching. Cambridge offers a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience, making it one of the top universities for medicine in the UK.

1.3 Imperial College London

Imperial College London excels in clinical and medical research. It is considered one of the best universities in the UK for medicine, offering state-of-the-art facilities and a robust academic environment.

1.4 University College London (UCL)

University College London (UCL) is highly regarded for its medical programs. UCL’s integrated approach to medical education makes it a top choice for students pursuing a medical degree in the UK.

1.5 University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh offers one of the most comprehensive medical programs in the UK. It is known for its innovative research and high teaching standards.

2. Top Universities for Nursing

2.1 King’s College London

King’s College London is a leader in nursing education, providing extensive clinical experience and research opportunities. It is considered the top university for nursing in the UK.

2.2 University of Manchester

The University of Manchester offers excellent nursing programs, combining practical training with academic excellence. It is one of the best choices for aspiring nurses.

3. Best Universities for Pharmacy

3.1 University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham is recognized for its pharmacy programs, offering a blend of scientific knowledge and practical skills.

3.2 University of Strathclyde

The University of Strathclyde is renowned for its pharmacy education, which provides students with the skills needed for a successful career in pharmacy.

4. Cheapest Universities in the UK for International Students

4.1 University of Chester

The University of Chester is one of the cheapest universities in the UK for international students. It offers affordable tuition fees without compromising on quality.

4.2 University of Cumbria

The University of Cumbria provides cost-effective education, making it a popular choice for international students seeking quality education at lower costs.

5. Top 10 Universities in the UK for Medical Degrees

Based on rankings, research output, and student satisfaction, here is a list of the top 10 universities in the UK for medical degrees:

1. University of Oxford

2. University of Cambridge

3. Imperial College London

4. University College London (UCL)

5. University of Edinburgh

6. King’s College London

7. University of Manchester

8. University of Glasgow

9. University of Bristol

10. University of Birmingham

5.1 University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow is noted for its medical and veterinary science programs, offering comprehensive courses and excellent research facilities.

5.2 University of Bristol

The University of Bristol has a strong reputation in medical sciences, providing top-tier education and research opportunities.

5.3 University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is known for its medical and dental schools, offering extensive research and clinical training.

Conclusion

Choosing the right university for medical studies is a critical decision. The top universities in the UK provide excellent education, research opportunities, and practical training to prepare students for successful careers in the medical field. Whether you’re looking for the best university for engineering, architecture, economics, or medicine, the UK offers a plethora of choices. At HND Assignment Help, we provide academic writing services to assist medical students in achieving their educational goals.

#hnd #medical information #medical student #university student #university life #top university #mbbs abroad #uk universities #united kingdom 🇬🇧

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abroadstudy24 · 7 months

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Benefits of Choosing The UK for Higher Education

Discover the top reasons to study in the UK. The Western European nation is one of the best places to live in today’s globalised world. It offers a world-class learning environment to British and international students as well to make them ready to join a global workplace.

The United Kingdom includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Now, we can have a look at the UK universities that are recognized internationally.

Top 5 Internationally Recognized Universities in the UK

As per QS World University Ranking 2024, these are the top 5 universities in the UK.

Cambridge University

One of the top and most preferred Universities of the UK, currently ranked no. 2 in the world as per QS university ranking. India’s first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as well as the great economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen have completed their education at the Trinity College of Cambridge University.

Oxford University

Perhaps the most renowned university in the world and currently occupying 3rd position in the world. Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh completed their education at Oxford.

Imperial College of London

The university is famous for its Science courses. Currently holding the number 6 position, ICL (one of the oldest universities in the world) has produced many Nobel laureates. Sir Alexander Fleming, the inventor of Penicillin, had studied here.

University College London

The University College London or UCL is one of the top universities of the UK with a worldwide ranking of number 9. The Father of the Nation of India, Mahatma Gandhi studied from here.

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh holds its place among the world’s prestigious academic institutions. Currently ranked 22nd in the QS world university rankings, it boasts a rich history and world-renowned alumni like inventor Alexander Graham Bell and economist Adam Smith.

High-Quality Education

The UK for a long time, has been a famous higher education destination after the USA. According to a report published by the UK Home Office, there were 142,848 sponsored study visas granted to Indian nationals by the UK by June 2023 which is a 54% increase from the previous year.

The universities of the UK are also reputed for their world-class research facility. They motivate the students towards critical thinking, perfecting their skills to ensure a better future.

Some of the UK universities offer sponsorship to the Tier 4 visa extension and many of the universities would lay an opportunity for a quality PG (Post-Graduate) study program.

Opportunities Offered by the UK Universities

The UK universities offer more than 150,000 courses to be picked by the student. The students also can contact the university directly to order the prospectus.

Eventually, a student pursuing a Master’s degree gets a lot of benefits like the UK Master’s program can be completed within one year. It is combined with a Ph.D. and that can save one more year for the student. Such a short duration is definitely going to save tuition and accommodation expenses for the student.

The university helps the students in developing language skills that are crucial to their educational career for a successful future.

Universities have advisors and counsellors to help their students in any aspect of education-related matters.

Research Infrastructure

Here are some interesting facts; the United Kingdom constituting only 0.9% of the world’s total population puts across 11.6% of citations, 6.4% of global articles and 15.9% of the world’s highly cited articles.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) which is authorised to assess the research quality of more than 154 top universities in the UK has classified 30% of the research as ‘world-leading’ and 46% of the research as ‘internationally excellent’.

Finally, according to the International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base, a report has been produced by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. It states that the UK maintains a very keen quality in its research departments. Some fields of medical and clinical sciences, as well as business and humanities, have a strong emphasis on UK research.

Reasonable Cost of Living

The affordable cost of living is one of the prominent reasons why a person is planning to study abroad in the UK as it is one of the prime study abroad destinations. It is nothing but the cost of living in the United Kingdom.

The fact is that the costs in the UK are very reasonable to live in. Costs are a little higher in cities like London but not everywhere in the UK. But, before stepping into a particular region in the UK, it is better to go through a little research.

The UK has an institutionalised national health care system that very few countries have. So, there is no reason to worry (it will reduce healthcare costs). Besides, the NHS (National Health Service will support you to stay healthy until you stay in the country.

Financial Support

UK universities offer various forms of financial support to students through scholarships, grants, and financial aid programs.

Scholarships

Many UK universities offer scholarships based on academic merit, extracurricular achievements, or specific criteria such as subject area. These scholarships can cover all or part of tuition fees and may also include additional benefits such as stipends for living expenses or funding for research projects.

Grants

Some UK universities provide grants to students based on financial need. These grants are often awarded to students from low-income backgrounds to help them cover tuition fees, accommodation costs, and other essential expenses.

UK universities have always been supporting students from diverse backgrounds while ensuring financial constraints do not stand as an obstacle to their access to higher education.

Conclusion

Selecting the United Kingdom for post-graduation studies is a perfect option that you can take. British Universities are experts in dealing with international students as it has been for generations; students from foreign countries come here to study.

Texas Review is considered one of the best overseas consultants in Hyderabad to make your journey to the United Kingdom for studying purposes successful. From guiding you to pass the English proficiency test like TOEFL and IELTS to supporting you with accommodation arrangements, Texas Review is the perfect choice for you to fulfil your UK-study dream.

#studyinuk

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mgrgfan · 7 years

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Memory, part 5 (mini-fic).

Compulink system active.

Please, enter login and password.

Accessing “GY-PLFU-LOG-1″ datafile…

EDIT MODE

Goncharenko Yevgeniy, personal bioresearch log.

Third stage.

09.01.425 AFE, 21:27

Liya is most certainly getting better. I like that. The work is still hard, though, but I’m getting a “window” tomorrow. What was the last time I’ve visited my dad? Good thing he works here, in the reactor complex, so, taking the monorail ride will be sufficient to meet him (and when I finally go on vacation, I’m going straight to the capital to meet mom).

EDIT: Apparently, there’ll be a new portion of nuclear fuel, loaded into reactors. I’ve managed to get security clearance for me and Liya, so, tomorrow we are going to go even deeper into facility than before! Gah, this line is SO awful...

[Attached files: personal observation and log datafile, general health monitoring datafile, optical and thermographic photos, full biological screening record datafile, Liya’s personal terminal activity log datafile]

Compulink system deactivated.

- -

*So, are we here yet?* - somewhat nervously asked Latias, looking around. Right now, they were in one of the deeper parts of the facility, where the nuclear reactors were installed. The sheer constant roar of machinery in the turbine hall was unnerving, but now, they were closing to the reactors themselves.

- Almost... - started speaking microbiologist, when the not very old, but well-built man stopped near them and gave them a wide, even somewhat scary, smile.

- Son? Hello! - happily said aged man, pulling Yevgeniy into almost bone-crushing hug. - So, how’re the things going up here, if you didn’t have enough time to write mails to your old dad Klim at least once a week?

- Very busy, - tried to defend himself microbiologist.

- Don’t say ‘dat, where you’ve learned to defend like this, I was the one teaching it! - laughed Klim. - So, where’s my granddaughter?

*I’m here,* - replied Liya, coming out of shadow, still slightly afraid.

- So, that’s it? You know, son, I think you’ve made a damn good job! - proudly said sort-of-grandfather of young Latias. - Don’t dare you think, that we, down there, don’t know a s... something! We, power engineers, know loads of things! I’ve heard she’s very smart for her not even a year! So, Liya, can you tell me, how does the nuclear power plant work?

*Nuclear power plants obtain the heat needed to produce steam to drive the turbines through a nuclear physical process. This process, called fission, entails the splitting of atoms of...*

- Enough, I see ya’ know this. I’m damn proud of my son and you! Ya know, I think you’ll, in time, make a damn good part of the staff up there, in one of the main Divisions, and you’re sure a fine addition to our family from now on!

*So... does me not being human...*

- Shut it at once and don’t say such a stupid things! Of course you’re my granddaughter! - announced Klim, earning some strange looks from his colleagues in process. - No, it does not!

- Warning, shift number 5 - come to your stations! - sounded an announcement from the loudspeaker.

- Time, - shrugged Yevgeniy’s father, then turned to his son and granddaughter. - So, do you come with me or no? I’ve heard you have all clearances, so, just try to follow my instructions and not do anything stupid, okay?

- Okay, - agreed young man and Latias at the same time, proceeding with Klim shortly after. After some walk and taking a ride on the elevator, they’ve found themselves in the long gallery with thick glass, which encirled the fuel storage hall. In one of the corners, there was an entrance to the cabin of parked electrical overhead crane, along with remote control terminal nearby.

- We’ll be loading full set today, and I’m the crane operator. Not that hard, actually. Or, - suddenly turned Klim to the Liya, - does my nice little girl want to try to use the electric overhead crane herself?

*I... not s...* - tried to reply shocked Latias.

- Don’t be afraid, it’s very simple - right stick controls the movement of the crane itself, left - elevation of the grabber and grab-release control, screen shows you the map of working zone and all the data you need. Don’t worry, the automatics will prevent you from crashing fuel rods into anything or like this!

*But...*

- Come on, it can be once-in-a-life event! Do you want to regret it later? Even your dad rode the crane once, when he was fifteen! - continued father of Yevgeniy, not mentioning, that he got a severe reprimand from both superiors and his wife afterwards.

*Okay,* - decided to agree Liya, looking at the seat inside the cabin, turned, for some reason, towards her. - *What do I do now?*

- Take a seat and flick the switches, labeled S1 and S2. This will activate the crane and shift the seat into work mode. Afterwards... well, I’ll contact you, there’s an intercom system inside.

*Understood,* - replied dragon, disguised as human, doing as an old man advised. After two flicks, seat suddenly moved towards the very front of the cabin with a characteristic growl of low-speed engine, then shifted backwards a bit and turned around, giving a nice view on the work zone, while the doors behind her closed, cutting apart the cabin and the gallery, as well as protecting the against the air in the hall.

- -

- You’re sure about this? - asked his father Yevgeniy.

- Absolutely, I’ve let you control the crane back during the work in seaport, after all, - said Klim, taking a seat before the RC terminal. - From here, I can instantly override her controls, if she does something wrong. In fact, I can easily operate the crane remotely every time, it’s just that I prefer controlling it from the cabin.

- For thrill?

- For thrill, - agreed honorable crane operator, activating the intercom to crane’s cabin, - Shift the stick ahead, don’t be afraid!

Since the cabin was cut from the rest of the world by the double-reinforced protective glass and alloys, blocking the radiation and telepathy alike, they didn’t hear her answer, but the sound of engines and movement of crane told them more than that.

- -

“Wow,” - thought Latias, carefully pushing the control stick forward and hearing roar of powerful electric motors, as the entirety of machine started to move.

- Look at the screen. On it, you can see two points, one marked yellow, and one marked blue. The blue point is where you take the fuel assemblies, the yellow one - where you load them into refueling machine. When the refueling machine is operating, it’ll be marked green, but as soon as it’s empty and waiting for another supply, it’ll turn yellow again. Don’t worry - the automatic assist system will prevent you from colliding assemblies or mis-loading them. Move the crane to the stack of fuel, don’t be afraid!

*Okay,* - replied Liya, too concentrated on operating machine to notice, that her telepathy was not able to go beyond walls of radiation-proof cabin, which also blocked psychic abilities.

- Contact zone reached, - notified her computer, when the grabber was positioned right above one of the assemblies in the storage pool. She instantly released the right stick, stopping movement of the crane.

- Good, I see you’re in the right position. Now, open the grabber by pressing the lower button on the left control stick and then gently lower the grabber. As soon as it reaches fuel assembly, it will automatically grab it and lock, then raise itself to safe position. In fact, it shall also open automatically upon reaching the assembly, but better play safe.

This time, Liya did not attempt to reply, too concentrated on carefully lowering the grabber. Keen dragon eyes helped her a little, but the inertia of this thing and water refracting the image made it somewhat harder.

- Attention: assembly retrieval in progress! - finally announced automatic system, when the grabber locked onto a stack of fuel rods and rose up, although not leaving the water.

- Very good. Now, move the crane to the designated point and, as soon as you reach the contact zone, lower it gently. After the lower part of assembly passes the hole’s border, the automatics will take control and finish the procedure.

*Okay...* - telepathically “murmured” Latias, shifting the stick again and carefully passing the stack of the fuel rods through the small channel between pools and driving the crane all the way to the end of the second pool.

- Contact zone reached, - said the assist system once again, so Liya gently lowered the payload.

- Attention: assembly load in progress! - reported the automatics, when the gripper disengaged the fuel assembly got loaded into some machine on the bottom of the pool.

- One loaded into the transfer machine, 65 more to go! - sounded Klim’s voice from the intercom. Just as the Liya got horrified at the very thought of it, microbioligist’s father continued. - No need for you to finish this, though. Drive the crane back here, flick the S2 switch back to open the doors and exit the cabin, then let me take my place. Or you can press the red button, so the crane will drive itself back here. Wait, don’t do it - it’ll count as an accident.

Latias, which was slowly giving in to the realization of the sheer bizareness of the current events, had somehow managed to drive the crane back and exit it, allowing the rightful operator to take his place and continue the operation.

- My dad can be pretty weird sometimes, - commented Yevgeniy on it, seeing, how fast and professionally his father was driving the machine, loading fuel assemblies one after another.

*Maybe,* - agreed Liya, still somewhat shocked by what has just happened. - *So, what do we do now?*

- I suggest we get back to surface, onto test range, and you practice with your moves... your true form moves, I mean.

*Sweet!*

- -

- Aaand another Mist Ball. - said human, looking, how the fifth test dummy already was blown apart by the powerful Psychic move. - Is it your favorite attack?

*Of course!* - replied Latias, shifted into her true form and trying to commence sort-of-a strafing run, which was pretty hard, considering the not-so-big size of the range, - *No one but my kind can use it!*

- Okay, whatever. Are you satisfied yet?

*I am now!* - “said” she after blowing up the last dummy with Hyper Beam and melting a decent patch of snow around it, then slowing down and moving to Yevgeniy’ side. - *So, what do we do now?*

- Go home, I guess, - answered her human, looking at the wristwatch. - It’s almost night already, and I’ve got a lot of work tomorrow.

*Then let’s go!* - cheerfully agreed Liya, finally calming down Yevgeniy, who was still afraid worried her near-depression after the New Year disaster. Several minutes later, they’ve arrived into their quarters (though Liya was forced to temporarily switch from her form to the human one in order to pass through doorframes), then, after a small supper, each went to check their respective terminal.

- -

Compulink system active.

Please, enter login and password.

Two new infomail messages received.

Opening message number one...

09.01.425 AFE, 19:49

From:

Klim Goncharenko, Imperial Science Facility 9, Production Division, Underground Complex, Power Production Sub-Sector

To:

Yevgeniy Goncharenko, Imperial Science Facility 9, Bioscience Division, Surface Complex, Extraregional Pokemon Study Lab.

Topic:

Grampa’s musings.

Son, I’ve seen your girl, and, let me say it again, I’m damn proud of you. I’ve already phoned your mom and she’s very happy about it. Oh, and I also sent a small edutainment program to our little Liya Yevgeniyevna, which will teach her the basics of operating nuclear powerplant. Of course, I’m sure, that she’ll find something better in her life, but it’s pretty interesting to play and is good for overall development.

Love,

Your rusty old dad.

Opening the second infomail message...

09.01.425 AFE, 21:05

From:

Vladislav Pobegov, Imperial Science Facility 9, Central Office, Underground Complex.

To:

Yevgeniy Goncharenko, Imperial Science Facility 9, Bioscience Division, Surface Complex, Extraregional Pokemon Study Lab.

Topic:

Shenanigans.

Look, Zhenya, I know you’re my favorite student and microbiologist, I know your great skills and achievements... but isn’t this going a little bit far? And I don’t mean putting just Lati into operating an overhead crane, transporting the nuclear fuel - I mean putting someone with zero experience into operating such a machinery! I know, I know, Klim was ready to take it over at any second, should such a need arise, and she operated it for only a single loading, but still... I hope you’ve got my point. Please, don’t do it again. Think of our image! Though what I’m talking about, being an overseer of this chaos... Please, just don’t make the things worse for us, you and your Lati “daughter”. Thank you for understanding.

With sincere hope,

Vladislav Pobegov.

Compulink system deactivated.

#mgrgfan does worldbuilding #mgrgfan writes mini-fics #Ancient Soris Empire #The tales from the Ancient Soris Empire #Imperial Science Facility 9 #Soris region #AFE stands for After Foundation of the Empire #I hope those events were not too bizzare or outright crazy

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friendship-korea-japan · 3 years

Text

CONTENTS

Questions for people in the world For everlasting friendship between Korea and Japan

CONTENTS

Introduction

Question 1: Beginning of Korea

1.1. Prehistoric time

1.1.1. Emergence of archaic humans

1.1.2. Emergence of contemporary humans

1.1.3. Beginning of farming

1.2. Gojoseon period

1.2.1. Dangun Joseon

1.2.2. Gija Joseon

1.2.3. Wiman Joseon

1.3. Annexation of Korea by the Han Dynasty

1.4. Beginning of the era of the Three Kingdoms

1.4.1. Proto–Three Kingdoms period

1.4.2. Appearance of Goguryeo

1.4.3. Samhan and king of Jin

1.5. East Asia depicted in Account of Encounter with East Barbarians

1.5.1. Buyeo

1.5.2. Goguryeo

1.5.3. East Okjeo

1.5.4. Yilou

1.5.5. Ye

1.5.6. Han

1.6. Founding myths of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

1.6.1. Founding myth of Silla

1.6.2. Founding myth of Goguryeo

1.6.3. Founding myth of Baekje

1.7. Origins of Korean people seen through DNA analysis

1.8. Summary on the beginning of Korea

Question 2: Foundation and fall of the unified Silla 2.1. Era of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

2.1.1. Goguryeo

2.1.2. Baekje

2.1.3. Silla

2.1.4. Gaya confederacy

2.1.5. Tribes of the Korean Peninsula

2.2. Unification of the Korean Peninsula by Silla

2.2.1. Military conquest by Silla

2.2.2. Why was Baekje defeated by Silla?

2.2.3. Elimination of Tang by Silla

2.3. Development and decline of Silla

2.3.1. Ruling system and development of Silla

2.3.2. Decline of Silla and the Later Three Kingdoms period

2.3.3. Why did Silla fall?

2.3.4. Gyeongsun of Silla

2.4. Summary on the foundation and fall of the unified Silla

Question 3: Foundation and fall of Goryeo

3.1. Foundation of the Later Three Kingdoms

3.2. Unification of the Korean Peninsula by Goryeo

3.3. Administration system of Goryeo

3.3.1. Existence of slaves

3.3.2. Imperial Examination System

3.3.3. Decadence of Buddhism

3.3.4. The tribes of Goryeo and the Korean race

3.3.5. Significance of the foundation of Goryeo

3.4. Foundation of the military regime

3.4.1. Formation of the ruling class by well-connected officials

3.4.2. Myocheong Rebellion

3.4.3. Birth of the military regime

3.4.4. Popular rebellions

3.5. Rule of Korea by the Mongols

3.5.1. Invasions and rule by the Mongols

3.5.2. Adoption of world cultures

3.6. Fall of Goryeo

3.6.1. Elimination of pro-Yuan forces

3.6.2. Achievement by Yi Seong-gye

3.6.3. Causes of the fall of Goryeo

3.7. Summary on the foundation and fall of Goryeo

Question 4: Foundation and administration of the Joseon Dynasty

4.1. Foundation of the Joseon Dynasty

4.1.1. Beginning of the Joseon Dynasty

4.1.2. Is “serving the Great” an attitude of submission?

4.1.3. Strife of the princes

4.1.4. Construction of the royal capital

4.2. System of governance of the Joseon Dynasty

4.2.1. Governing structure

4.2.2. Establishment of the Hangul alphabet

4.2.3. Compilation of the Grand Code for State Administration

4.2.4. Class system

4.3. Summary on the foundation and administration of the Joseon Dynasty

Question 5: Conditions in the middle part of the Joseon era

5.1. About Neo-Confucianism

5.2. Hungu and Sarim factions

5.3. Struggles for power inside the royal court

5.4. Split of the Sarim faction

5.5. Factional disputes

5.6. Invasion of Korea by Hideyoshi

5.7. Mentality of “respecting the Ming and rejecting the Qing” and the Sojunghwa ideology

5.8. Summary on the middle period of the Joseon Dynasty

Question 6: Conditions in the last years of the Joseon era

6.1. Famine among farmers and exploitation by officials

6.2. Bald mountains

6.3. Situation of urban areas in such cities as Busan and Seoul

6.4. Roads, railways and ports in Korea

6.5. Korean way of working

6.6. Kings of Korea

6.7. Gwageo and the Yangbans

6.8. Class system

6.9. Courts and torture

6.10. Science, industry and commerce in the final years of the Joseon era

6.11. Oppression of Christianity and moves by Western countries

6.12. Defense system

6.13. Summary of the last years of the Joseon era

Question 7: Modernization of Korea and its obstruction

7.1. Beginning of the rule by Daewongun

7.1.1 Relationship with France

7.1.2 Battle with the U.S. Armed Forces

7.2. Conclusion of the Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity (Treaty of Ganghwa Island)

7.3. Moves toward the modernization of Korea

7.4. Development of the Yuejungchugsa movement

7.5. Uprising of soldiers and act of treachery by Queen Min

7.6. The Gapsin Coup

7.7. Situation following the Gapsin Coup

7.7.1. Reinforcement of Qing’s interference in the internal politics of Korea

7.7.2. Moves by various countries

7.7.3. Conclusion of the Treaty of Tianjin

7.7.4. Corruption of the Min Administration

7.8. Donghak Peasant Movement

7.9. Sino-Japanese War and the Second Donghak Peasant Movement

7.10. Promotion of Korea’s modernization

7.11. Hair-cropping Edict and Kim Hong-jip Administration

7.12. Russia’s expansion in Korea

7.13. Independence Association

7.14. Establishment of the Korean Empire

7.15. Summary on the modernization of Korea and the moves against it

Question 8: About the shift of Korea

8.1. The population growth rate of Korea jumped by around 15 times

8.2. No more people starved to death

8.3. Four billion trees were planted on bald mountains of Korea

8.4. Seoul was drastically modernized

8.5. Haircutting became popular on a voluntary basis

8.6. Road network covered all over Korea

8.7. The cruel whipping penalty was abolished

8.8. Sewage facilities were built

8.9. Class discrimination ended

8.10. Widespread illegal exploitation disappeared

8.11. Post, telegraph and telephone services were established

8.12. Sanitary conditions improved thanks to the development of water supply

8.13. Agricultural production increased significantly

8.14. Improved medical and sanitary environment

8.15. Sericulture greatly developed

8.16. Educational institutions developed to the same level as in Japan

8.17. Prisons were expanded and prisoner education was conducted

8.18. No more fear of being attacked by bandits

8.19. The fishery industry also developed dramatically

8.20. Electricity became available to many households

8.21. The financial system was well developed, paving the way for the modernization of the state

8.22. The railway network was built across the Korean Peninsula, making transportation convenient

8.23. The changing of names was allowed for six months only on a voluntarily basis

8.24. The rise of industry and the birth of business owners

8.25. Koreans and Japanese were equals

8.26. Summary of the evolution of Korea

Question 9: Korea’s situation after Japan’s withdrawal

9.1. Japan’s unconditional surrender and the status of Korea

9.2. Tangible assets that Japan left behind in Korea

9.3. Intangible assets with Japanese influences

9.4. The treaty concluded between Japan and South Korea

9.4.1. Establishment of the Republic of Korea

9.4.2. “Treaty on Japan-South Korea Basic Relations”

9.4.3. “Agreement on Claims and Economic Cooperation with South Korea”

9.5. ODA from Japan to South Korea

9.6. The comfort women and wartime laborers

9.6.1. Wartime laborers

9.6.2. The comfort women

9.7. South Korean enterprises and Japan’s influence

9.7.1. The Samsung Group and Japan’s influence

7.2. Relationship between Pohang Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. (POSCO) and Japan

9.8. The reality under Japanese rule experienced by the Koreans

9.9. Apology statements made by Japan to South Korea

9.9.1. Apology statements of Emperors of Japan

9.9.2. Apology statements of Japanese Prime Ministers

9.9.3. Apology statements of Japanese ministers and chief

9.10. Summary - After Japan’s withdrawal from Korea

#Joseon #Korea #about south korea #history of korea #korea-japan

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iol247 · 4 years

Text

The careful massacre of the bourgeoisie

Ivo Vegter

May 19, 2020

Government’s own advisors called the extended lockdown ‘unscientific and nonsensical’. Unicef warned it could kill more than Covid-19, including 1.2 million children. StatsSA reported the crippling business impact. By any logic, the lockdown must be ended, but it won’t, because it suits the ANC’s agenda to sustain it.

As long ago as the middle of April, the chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Committee and the country’s epidemiologist-in-chief, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, first mooted the idea that the lockdown had achieved its purpose of postponing the peak of Covid-19 infections – giving the healthcare sector precious time to get ready – and that extending the lockdown would not produce significant additional benefits.

On 6 May, health minister Zweli Mkhize reiterated this view: ‘In terms of our scientific focus, we were able to push the peak. If we were to prolong the lockdown, it would not have delayed the peak substantially.’

Still, we’re stuck at a level of lockdown that isn’t much different from the hard lockdown of the first five weeks, and is in some respects even stricter, until at least the end of the month.

Even then, it is possible that major metros, where most of the country’s economic activity happens, will not see any relief. And when the anticipated peak does come, in August or September, higher lockdown levels will again be imposed.

The government keeps insisting that it is acting according to the best available science, but, as Steven Friedman wrote last week in the Mail & Guardian, government’s Covid-19 science mask is slipping.

The available science is not very good, as we saw with the unravelling of the vaunted Imperial College model upon which many lockdown decisions were based.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his speech to the nation on 13 May in which he infamously announced basically nothing, did say Cabinet is ‘determined and committed … to be transparent, to take the nation into confidence and to do so regularly…’, and other such niceties.

Still, however, the deliberations of the National Command Council remain ‘classified’, the epidemiological model projections that would trigger lockdown level changes remain secret, and only the most basic of data have been released to the public.

The government has not taken the nation into its confidence at all. It has merely dictated the terms of lockdown, often in farcical detail.

‘Unscientific and nonsensical’

Government has been quick to administer a public spanking to several of its top science advisors, including Dr Glenda Gray, chairperson of the South African Medical Research Council and head of the research division of the Ministerial Advisory Council (MAC), Dr Ian Sanne, associate professor at the clinical HIV Research Unit at Wits University and CEO of Right to Care and a MAC member, and Professor Marc Mendelson, head of the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine at the UCT Department of Medicine and head of the clinical division of the MAC.

All three spoke to News24 to express harsh criticism of the government’s lockdown strategy, saying that it is ‘unscientific and nonsensical’. Gray said the lockdown should be lifted completely, in favour of non-pharmaceutical interventions such as handwashing, wearing masks, social distancing and prohibitions on gatherings. ‘[It’s] almost as if someone is sucking regulations out of their thumb and implementing rubbish, quite frankly,’ she told News24.

In a recent StatsSA survey on behavioural and health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, almost everyone knew the main symptoms of Covid-19, and almost everyone was able to minimise their risk of infection through hand washing, social distancing, avoiding crowds, and remaining at home. This demonstrates that non-pharmaceutical interventions could be very successful.

Sanne told News24 that the lockdown was having a negative effect on the country’s healthcare system, and that between 40% and 60% of patients with chronic diseases such as HIV and diabetes were simply not being seen to. There had also been a substantial decline in childhood vaccinations, he said, raising the spectre of deadly epidemics down the line.

In the StatsSA survey, 54.1% of people who wanted to visit healthcare facilities but decided against it did so out of fear of contracting Covid-19, while another 25.5% feared they would get arrested or fined for being outside their homes.

‘Infections are inevitable. Sixty percent or so of our country will become infected over the next two years, but limiting the rate of infection is not going to come through lockdown,’ Mendelson told News24, adding that there should be a ‘rapid de-escalation’ of the lockdown to Level 1.

Sacrificing the young to protect the old

Gray warned that malnutrition cases were beginning to arrive in hospitals, for the first time in decades. According to Dr Stefan Peterson, chief of health at Unicef, the blanket lockdowns imposed in countries like South Africa are not an effective way to control Covid-19. He told The Telegraph that the risk of children dying from malaria, pneumonia or diarrhoea in developing countries is spiralling due to the pandemic and ‘far outweighs any threat presented by the coronavirus’

Unicef warned that 1.2 million children could die as a result of lockdowns across the world, which would outweigh the likely Covid-19 deaths. A study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University likewise found that disruption of health services could have a catastrophic impact on maternal and child mortality.

Essentially, we’re trying to protect old people and people with pre-existing conditions at the cost of killing young mothers and children, instead.

Economic toll

Meanwhile, the economic toll of the interminable lockdown, now in its eighth week, is evident in the Business Impact Surveys conducted by StatsSA. The second such survey was published on 14 May 2020, and covers the last two weeks of April.

Only 14.4% of businesses said they were confident they had the financial resources to survive the pandemic. Only 6.7% said they could survive more than three months of lockdown.

Eighty-three percent of survey respondents said they expected the economic fallout from the lockdown to be worse than the 2008/9 financial crisis, and 75.7% said it would be substantially worse.

More than half of surveyed businesses indicated that they were unable to get the required material, goods or services to conduct day-to-day operations. Almost half said they expect their workforce size to decrease, and 14.9% had already made 80% or more of their workforce redundant.

By the end of April, the lockdown had already cost South Africa 8.6% of all its businesses. Small and medium-sized businesses were hit the hardest. Fewer have been able to continue trading, more have had to close temporarily, and more have closed their doors for good.

In its behavioural and health impacts survey, StatsSA found that by far the biggest concern among respondents about the pandemic and the resulting lockdown was that it would ‘contribute to economic collapse’. More than 99% of respondents said they were somewhat, very or extremely concerned, with by far the majority being extremely concerned.

Lockdown must be lifted

So we have a situation in which the government’s own advisors oppose the continued lockdown, health authorities are warning that lockdowns could kill more (and younger) people than Covid-19 will, and the economy has been critically damaged, and most of what’s left can’t survive further lockdown for long. The biggest concern among the general population is no longer health, but economic survival.

On top of that, there are various Constitutional questions surrounding the legitimacy of the National Command Council, the lack of parliamentary oversight of the Executive, the secrecy of government’s data and deliberations, and many of the specific regulations. A State of Disaster does not suspend the Constitution, which means that the entire project of locking people in their homes, imposing a military curfew, requiring pass books for movement, and shutting down businesses violates numerous rights conferred upon citizens by the nation’s supreme law.

The president declared that government would ‘ensure that all government decisions are taken in good faith, that they are reasonable and based on empirical evidence, and that they do not cause more harm than good’.

A continued lockdown violates all of these criteria. It must be lifted, as rapidly as is reasonably possible.

It won’t be, however. And the reason is that this plays right into the playbook of the ANC.

‘Class suicide’

I’ve pointed out before that Ramaphosa is a committed socialist. He told the nation: ‘We are resolved not to merely return our economy to where it was before the coronavirus, but to forge a new economy… to restructure the economy and to achieve inclusive growth. … [W]e will forge a compact for radical economic transformation… Our new economy must be founded on fairness, empowerment, justice and equality.’

That is the blueprint of a socialist economy. His former – and probably current – rival for the presidency, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, was also clear: ‘…COVID-19 also offers us an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of some long agreed-upon structural changes to enable reconstruction, development and growth. These opportunities call for more sacrifices and – if needs be – what Amilcar Cabral called “class suicide” wherein we must rally behind the common cause’.

Cabral was a revolutionary socialist and leader of Guinea-Bissau’s liberation movement, who was assassinated only months before achieving this goal. According to Tom Meisenhelder, writing in 1993, Cabral believed that ‘real social change involved winning indigenous control over the forces of production while mere political independence would result in the continuation of imperialism as neocolonialism’.

Socialist revolution, according to Cabral, requires that the petty-bourgeois leadership of the liberation movement, which otherwise would act in its own narrow class interest and perpetuate the monopoly of capitalism as a privileged class, must commit a kind of ‘class suicide’.

That is, the leadership class must surrender its class position, privilege and power, both political and economic, to the working masses. Only then can true socialist democracy, in which the means of production are owned by the proletariat and the state withers away, be achieved.

Of course, all of that is a pipe dream. It has never, ever happened. However, establishing a socialist or ‘state-capitalist’ state under an authoritarian government certainly has. In fact, that has historically been the outcome of every socialist revolution.

The careful massacre of the bourgeoisie

The ANC is committed to a second, socialist revolution, through the communist-penned National Democratic Revolution to which the party recommits itself at every Congress.

Whether the ambition of individual factions are to create a ‘developmental state’ in which market forces are harnessed in the interest of the collective, à la China, or an authoritarian state-capitalist society ripe for looting and corruption, à la Russia, an agrarian paradise à la Cambodia, or a socialist utopia à la Zimbabwe or Venezuela, the power of the capitalist class, the bourgeoisie, the middle and upper classes, must first be destroyed.

The Covid-19 lockdown is doing exactly that. As early as 9 April 2020, President Ramaphosa looked forward to ‘a process of fundamental reconstruction’. That, too, requires destruction.

All the signs of socialist zeal are there. The government has become autocratic, xenophobic, paranoid, and repressive. With apologies to Mr Robot, what we’re witnessing is the careful massacre of the bourgeoisie.

The end goal appears to be to destroy the vibrant market economy over which the state has no control, to make the poor masses dependent upon government for basics such as their income and their food, extend government ownership or control over increasing swathes of the economy, and harness big business in service of the state.

All the supposed mistakes, such as ordering companies to employ a majority of South Africans, denying food aid to poor white communities, imposing BBBEE requirements on business support packages, imposing onerous permit requirements on private charities offering food aid, and making regulations that seem specifically targeted at crushing the spirit of the middle class, play into this agenda.

Pusillanimous and obsequious

The people and small enterprise have hardly any voice in this matter. Their concerns and proposals are routinely ignored, under the guise of ‘consultation’.

Big business, which is least impacted by the lockdown and stands to profit even under a new socialist or state-capitalist regime, has been pusillanimous in resisting. Witness the obsequious gratitude and praise expressed by the clothing industry when Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel graciously permitted them to sell T-shirts, provided they were intended to be worn for warmth under other clothing.

The extended lockdown, during which all commerce will likewise be planned by capricious communist nincompoops, will not be lifted, as scientists, business lobbies, academics, and the general public have implored.

It will be continued, not despite the damage it will do to the economy, but because of it.

Viva la revolución!

https://dailyfriend.co.za/2020/05/19/the-careful-massacre-of-the-bourgeoisie/

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thinkveganworld · 6 years

Text

For anybody interested, the following is from an article I wrote in ‘06 about the phony war on terror and ways the war has been used to eliminate civil liberties, justify torture and erode democracy. My article was published at the late Robert Parry’s Consortium News, Online Journal (now Intrepid Report) and other Internet sites. This is a look at fairly recent history, and it shows the extent to which government will lie to the public to deceive us to support war and other unsavory policies.

Robert Dreyfuss covers national security for Rolling Stone. He interviewed nearly a dozen former high-ranking counterterrorism officials about Bush's approach to the war on terrorism. In his article, "The Phony War," (Rolling Stone, 9/21/06) Dreyfuss says these officials conclude:

· The war on terror is bogus. Terrorism shouldn't be treated as if it were a nation to be battled with the military, but should instead be fought with police work and intelligence agencies.

· Terrorism is not an enemy, but a method. Even if the United States were to wipe out every terrorist cell in the world today, terrorism would be back tomorrow.

· Bush lacks a clear understanding of the nature of the "enemy" and has no real strategy for dealing with them.

· The Bush administration confuses the issue by grouping "Al Qaeda" with everything from Iraq's resistance movement to states such as Syria and Iran.

· Today, there's virtually no real "Al Qaeda threat" to Americans.

· Bush's policies have spawned a new generation of "amateur terrorists," but there are few of them, and they're not likely to pose a major threat to the U.S.

· Though Bush has said he will fight his "war" until every last terrorist is eliminated, terrorism can never be defeated, merely "contained and reduced."

Dreyfuss says, "In the short term, the cops and spies can continue to do their best to watch for terrorist threats as they emerge, and occasionally, as in London, they will succeed. But they are the first to admit that stopping a plot before it can unfold involved, more than anything, plain dumb luck."

Not only has the Bush administration falsely characterized and exaggerated the threat of terrorism; they have gone out of their way to mislead the public by claiming credit for preventing attacks. Dreyfuss points out that although Bush has claimed we've fended off 10 terrorist plots since 9/11, "on closer examination all 10 are either bogus or were to take place overseas."

Dreyfuss also notes that, although in 2002 the Bush administration leaked to the press that Al Qaeda had 5,000 "sleepers" in the U.S., there were, in fact, none. (Or, as Dreyfuss says, not a single one has been found.) If the administration believes the facts bolster their case for a war on terrorism, why do they find it necessary to leak false information?

The administration has done little to secure U.S. borders, ports, airports and nuclear facilities. What could logically explain their inattention to these vulnerabilities if they believe a terrorist threat here is likely? Bush has said he'll do anything it takes in order to protect the American people. Why hasn't he secured our nuclear facilities?

Exaggerating the terrorist threat does give the Bush team an excuse to seize more power for the Executive and shred the Constitution. In an article for Foreign Affairs (September/October 2006), political science professor John Mueller supports Dreyfuss's view that the war on terrorism is bogus.

Mueller points out that not only have there been no terrorist incidents here in the past five years, but there were none in the five years before 9/11. Mueller asks: "If it is so easy to pull off an attack and if terrorists are so demonically competent, why have they not done it? Why have they not been sniping at people in shopping centers, collapsing tunnels, poisoning the food supply, cutting electrical lines, derailing trains, blowing up oil pipelines, causing massive traffic jams, or exploiting the countless other vulnerabilities that, according to security experts, could be so easily exploited?"

He also bolsters Dreyfuss's conclusion that the Bush administration can't take credit for the fact that we haven't been attacked again. He says, "the government's protective measures would have to be nearly perfect to thwart all such plans. Given the monumental imperfection of the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, and the debacle of FBI and National Security Agency programs to upgrade their computers to better coordinate intelligence information, that explanation seems far-fetched."

Mueller addresses Bush's irrational argument that we're "fighting terrorists in Iraq so we don't have to fight them here." He points out that terrorists with Al Qaeda sympathies have managed to carry out attacks in a variety of countries (Egypt, Jordan Turkey, the United Kingdom), not merely in Iraq.

He adds that a reasonable explanation for the fact that no terrorists have attacked since 9/11 is that the terrorist threat "has been massively exaggerated." He notes that "it is worth remembering that the total number of people killed since 9/11 by Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda-like operatives outside of Afghanistan and Iraq is not much higher than the number who drown in bathtubs in the United States in a single year, and that the lifetime chance of an American being killed by international terrorism is about one in 80,000 - about the same chance of being killed by a comet or a meteor."

Although Bush's justification for the war on terror has been illogical and deceptive, the administration has used it as an excuse to abuse the U.S. military in Iraq, tear down our system of government at home and seize power on his own behalf.

Can George W. Bush be trusted with absolute power? Here are some things he has done with his unchecked power:

· Stolen two presidential elections.

· Exaggerated and falsely characterized the terrorist threat.

· Misled the country into war with Iraq.

· Urged the U.S. intelligence agencies to fix the intelligence around the Iraq war policy (as confirmed by the Downing Street Memo and other sources) in order to mislead the Congress and public into supporting war with Iraq.

· Abused human rights by promoting the use of torture and setting up virtual gulags.

· Suspended habeas corpus for some.

· Tried to silence political opposition by pronouncing them "weak on terrorism" or somehow "with the terrorists," and

· Placed himself above the law by issuing more legislation-challenging signing statements (around 800) than all of his predecessors put together.

Bush's unnecessary invasion of Iraq alone has cost nearly 3,000 American lives. An October 11, 2006 article by Greg Mitchell at Editor and Publisher says that a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, "suggests that more than 600,000 Iraqis have met a violent or otherwise war-related end since the U.S. arrived in March 2003."

The Bush administration's policies have not only resulted in high death counts, but also in widespread, out of control torture. A September 22, 2006 Christian Science Monitor report says:

"The United Nation's special investigator on torture said Thursday that torture may now be worse in Iraq than it was during the regime of deposed leader Saddam Hussein. The Associated Press reports that Manfred Nowak, who was making a brief to the United Nations Human Rights Council about the treatment of detainees at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, said the torture situation in Iraq was 'totally out of hand.'"

The CS Monitor mentions the fact that the recent compromise between the Bush White House and dissident Republicans (including Senator John McCain) allows torture to continue. The article quotes a Washington Post piece:

"The bad news is Mr. Bush, as he made clear yesterday, intends to continue using the CIA to secretly detain and abuse certain terrorist suspects…It's hard to credit the statement by [McCain] yesterday that 'there's no doubt that the integrity and letter and spirit of the Geneva Conventions have been preserved.' In effect, the agreement means that U.S. violations of international human rights law can continue as long as Mr. Bush is president, with Congress's tacit assent."

Congress has given Bush a blank check as he's bulldozed toward an imperial presidency. We have the outward forms of democratic institutions such as Congress and a so-called free press. However, the people currently managing those institutions behave as if they're being forced to serve a totalitarian dictator.

A perfect example of this surrender to Bush's virtual despotism is Congress's and the mainstream media's compliance regarding Bush's Military Commissions Act. Congress has done little to challenge Bush, and, overall, the press is eerily silent.

In The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich, William L. Shirer said the Reich Press Law of October 4, 1933, ordered editors not to publish (among other things) anything which "tends to weaken the strength of the German Reich or offends the honor and dignity of Germany." According to Shirer, Max Amman, Hitler's top sergeant during the war and head of the Nazi Party's publishing firm and financial head of its press said that after the Nazis seized power in 1933, it was "a true statement to say that the basic purpose of the Nazi press program was to eliminate all the press which was in opposition to the party."

The U.S. mainstream press doesn't have to be coerced by a government Press Law to avoid publicly opposing Bush's most egregious policies. Television news networks, in particular, have voluntarily held back serious scrutiny. They have not only failed to discuss the recent Military Commissions Act at length, but in the run-up to the Iraq war, liberal talk show host Phil Donahue and comedian Bill Maher were fired for challenging the White House spin about Iraq and the 9/11 attacks.

Shirer also describes the ease with which the German Reichstag gave Hitler the power to change the nature of Germany's parliamentary democracy. He writes:

"One by one, Germany's most powerful institutions now began to surrender to Hitler and to pass quietly, unprotestingly, out of existence…It cannot be said they went down fighting. On May 19, 1933, the Social Democrats - those who were not in jail or in exile - voted in the Reichstag without a dissenting voice to approve Hitler's foreign policy."

Shirer concludes: "The one-party totalitarian state had been achieved with scarcely a ripple of opposition or defiance, and within four months after the Reichstag had abdicated its democratic responsibilities."

The U.S. Congress, like the German Reichstag, has abdicated its democratic responsibilities by granting Bush an inordinate amount of power - "with scarcely a ripple of opposition or defiance." The U.S. press has abandoned its role as democracy's watchdog by failing to question this development. Both of these institutions have failed the American people.

Considering Bush is using the war on terror to justify seizing undue power, both Congress and the media should question his reasoning and offer opposition. Just as they didn't effectively challenge the administration's shifting excuses for attacking Iraq, these institutions haven't scrutinized Bush's claims about the need for the Military Commissions Act and the apparently endless war on terrorism.

Among things Congress and the media should challenge is George W. Bush's false claim that the United States does not torture. In an article published at the CommonDreams.org site, journalist Molly Ivins reports that in one case of death from torture by Americans, the military at first said the prisoner's death was caused by a heart attack. Ivins adds that the coroner later said the heart attack occurred after the prisoner "had been beaten so often on his legs that they had 'basically been pulpified.'"

She adds that the Bush administration's officially sanctioning torture "throws out legal and moral restraints as the president deems necessary -- these are fundamental principles of basic decency, as well as law." Ivins isn't inclined to hyperbole, yet she says of Americans' passive acceptance of this new law: "Do not pretend to be shocked when the world begins comparing us to the Nazis." Future generations will wonder why the U.S. Congress and mainstream press helped Bush build up an imperial presidency and eliminate Constitutional protections. Coming generations will also ask why there were so many who failed to notice the obvious holes in Bush's logic and why so many turned a blind eye to his numerous false assertions and cruel policies. They'll wonder why so many supported, whether by direct action or by silence, the Bush administration's changing the fundamental nature of the democratic Republic we were given by America's founders, based on the flimsy excuse of fighting a war on terrorism - a "war" Bush defines falsely and fights ineffectively.

Generations to come might ask why this president who lied so often, about Iraq and other critical matters, was ever entrusted with enough power to damage this country's founding principles and wage endless, unprovoked war on other nations. If Congress and the media would ask these questions now, they might prevent Bush from doing further harm. This might save many lives, prevent much unnecessary suffering and possibly steer this country out of its present darkness.

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Doctor Who: Previous Guest Stars Who’d Be Great as the New Doctor

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It’s not unusual, in the world of Doctor Who, for the same actor to play more than one role on screen. From classic to modern Doctor Who, Nicholas Courtney, Ian Marter, Lalla Ward, Jaqueline Hill, Jean Marsh, Adjoa Andoh, Eve Myles, Naoko Mori, Vinette Robinson and more have all played multiple parts in the whoniverse. Before she debuted as companion Martha Jones, Freema Agyeman was a Torchwood employee who fell foul of the Cybermen in series two’s ‘Army of Ghosts’. Karen Gillan was a seer in series four episode ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ before she recurred as Eleven’s companion Amy Pond. Even the Doctor has had test runs. Colin Baker played a Gallifreyan commander in season twenty before taking over from Peter Davison. Peter Capaldi appeared in ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ as well as playing John Frobisher on Torchwood before taking up residence in the TARDIS.

In the search for the new Doctor then, it makes sense to rifle through those actors the show already picked once to see who might be asked back. Continuity can be handled if need be – just do what Russell T. Davies did and make up something about spacial genetic multiplicity, or what Steven Moffat did and pretend it was all part of the Doctor’s plan to remind him to be a good man. In a few cases, the shared genetics wouldn’t even be an issue as the actor in question’s first appearance was either solely as a voice, or beneath too many layers of prosthetics to matter.

Gliding over a few previous guest stars whose current filming commitments likely take them out of the running (Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, James Norton, Felicity Jones, Gemma Chan and Gugu Mbutha-Raw are probably all tied up…), here’s a choice selection of guest actors since 2005 who could all make fantastic, and very different, Doctors.

Chris Addison

Played: AI interface ‘Seb’, who greeted the recently deceased to Missy’s Nethersphere. Appeared in: Two-part Series Eight finale ‘Dark Water/Death in Heaven‘. Watch his stand-up and there’s a real Tenth Doctor energy about writer-director-producer-comedian-actor Chris Addison (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep). That probably means his time has come and gone on Doctor Who, as the show isn’t likely to want to repeat itself at this stage. Addison also has his plate full with the third series of Sky/FX’s excellent comedy-drama Breeders, but you could definitely picture him at the TARDIS console, couldn’t you?

Arsher Ali

Played: Bennett, a bookish recent military recruit to a Scottish underwater mining facility in 2119. Appeared in: Series 9 two-parter ‘Under the Lake/Before the Flood‘ Part of a large crew (initially at least) we didn’t see loads of Arsher Ali in his Doctor Who role, but what we saw was enough to convince that he has the presence and bearing of a potential Doctor. He was great as the lead in BBC’s Informer and as a conflicted journalist in the first series of The Missing, as well as in supporting role in Line of Duty‘s best series. Add all that to his breadth of stage experience and he’s a highly intriguing prospect.

Percelle Ascott

Played: Delph, a member of the Ux, humanoid aliens who live for thousands of years and have the power of telepathic inter-dimensional engineering (they can teleport planets). Appeared in: Season 11, Episode 10 ‘The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos‘. Not the only entry on this list with a Doctor Who-adjacent role in his back catalogue (see also: Anjli Mohindra in The Sarah-Jane Adventures), as a teenager, Ascott played science geek Benny in Russell T. Davies’ Wizards Vs Aliens. He was great then, but really showed his range in cancelled-too-soon Netflix supernatural drama The Innocents, where he stole the show. When he popped back up opposite Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor as the wise and conscience-led Delph, it was hard not to imagine what he might do in the Doctor’s role.

Zawe Ashton

Played: Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance, a solider on the Aristotle. Appeared in: the Ben Wheatley-directed Series 8 episode ‘Into the Dalek‘. A regular on ‘Next Doctor’ wishlists for some time now, Zawe Ashton is a terrific actor who came to fame as hedonist Vod in Channel 4 student comedy Fresh Meat and who’s recently been seen in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. In ‘Into the Dalek’ she played a ‘shoot first ask questions later’ soldier, but Ashton has the range for serious, absurd and very funny – in short, everything required to make a great Doctor.

Maxim Baldry

Played: Dr Polidori, a nineteenth century character who was part of Mary and Percy Shelley’s social circle. Appeared in: Series 12’s ‘The Haunting of Villa Diodati‘, about the summer Mary Shelley conceived her famous science-fiction novel Frankenstein. Baldry’s scored a role in Amazon Prime Video’s new mega-money Lord of the Rings TV series, so his dance card is likely full for now, but he’s just the sort of actor to breathe fresh life into the role of the Doctor, much in the way Matt Smith did back in 2010. He’s probably best recognised right now as Viktor, the asylum-seeking boyfriend of Russell Tovey’s character in Russell T. Davies’ future-predicting Years and Years, but the Russian-British actor has been acting in films since he was a child.

Sanjeev Bhaskar

Played: UNIT’s Colonel Ahmed, a colleague of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in the fight against Missy’s Cybermen-from-corpses wicked plan. Appeared in: Series 8 finale ‘Death in Heaven‘. This Doctor Who role was just not enough of Sanjeev Bhaskar, an actor-writer-comedian whose role as DS Sunny Khan in ITV detective series Unforgotten has elevated him to the status of national treasure (partly because of his backpack, but mostly because of his decency and warm humour). Bhaskar is playing Cain opposite Asim Chaudhry’s Abel in Netflix’s forthcoming The Sandman series, and there’s series five of Unforgotten on the way, but wouldn’t he be great as the Doctor? As would another member of his family (see below)…

Mark Bonnar

Played: 22nd century miner Jimmy Wicks in the one with the ‘ganger’ clones. Appeared in: Series 6 two-parter ‘The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People’. No, of course they won’t let another funny, clever, slightly scary Scot with a brilliant face be the Doctor so soon after Peter Capaldi, but in a parallel universe, Mark Bonnar would make a very fine Doctor – something that hasn’t escaped Big Finish. He’s got it all (funny, clever, slightly scary, brilliant face) and frequently steals whichever show he’s in. Watch this two-parter, Catastrophe, Unforgotten series two and the brilliant Guilt (series two of which is approaching) for evidence of that.

Kevin Eldon

Played: Ribbons of the Seven Stomachs, a trader in the ‘Antizone’ obsessed with the Doctor’s “tubular” (or Sonic Screwdriver), and the voice of companion Antimony in an animated online adventure. Appeared in: Series 11’s ‘It Takes You Away‘ and 2001 webcast ‘Death Comes to Time’. It just seems a waste for the multi-talented Kevin Eldon to only play just one (or technically two, but just one on-screen) role on Doctor Who. And because his series 11 appearance was under a faceful of prosthetics, it wouldn’t even cause any continuity errors for him to come back in the role of the Doctor. Or a companion. Or another alien. Whatever it is, just give us more Eldon please.

O-T Fagbenle

Played: ‘Other Dave’, an engineer on an expedition to The Library who was eaten by the Vashta Nerada but brought back to life in the computer core. Appeared in: Series 4 two-parter ‘Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead‘ Fagbenle has recently been seen as Natasha’s fixer in Black Widow, June’s husband Luke in The Handmaid’s Tale, and as the lead character in sitcom Maxxx, about a washed-up former boy band member. The man has dramatic and comedy range, a very good American accent (not necessarily relevant here) and excellent screen presence. He’d rock the role of the Doctor.

Siobhan Finneran

Played: 17th century landlady/witch prosecutor Becka Savage/Morax queen Appeared in: Series 11’s ‘The Witchfinders‘. If the new Doctor’s going to be a woman in her early fifties, then it should really go to Jo Martin, but if she’s busy, how great would Siobhan Finneran be? The Happy Valley and Downton Abbey actor’s a treat in everything. She can be equal parts funny and imperious, and you can easily imagine her running circles around alien fiends and having a load of fun doing it.

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Tamsin Grieg

Played: the Nurse who inserts Adam’s infospike on Satellite 5. Appeared in: Series 1 Simon Pegg-starring episode ‘The Long Game’, alongside Anna Maxwell-Martin (who might also deserve a place on this list come to think about it). Tamsin Grieg would make such a good Doctor it almost makes you angry she’s never played the role. She has the dramatic chops to deliver all the world-saving speeches, and the comedic skill to give it all a sparkling light touch. She was chilling in her small Series 1 role, but it only showed a tiny portion of what she can do. Also, wouldn’t she look great in a signature coat.

Suranne Jones

Played: Idris, into whom the ‘soul’ of the TARDIS was poured, making her the ship incarnate until her body died. Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘The Doctor’s Wife‘, written by Neil Gaiman. Perhaps a bit too similar to Jodie Whittaker to be a likely successor, but you only have to see Suranne Jones in BBC/HBO drama Gentleman Jack to know that she’s made of Doctor material. As nineteenth-century landowner and famed lesbian Anne Lister, she’s cleverer and faster than everybody else, with a fierce sense of boundary-breaking why-not-ness, and plenty of emotion. Look at most of Jones’ roles, including that of the TARDIS itself, and she’d be great in the part, especially if her regular collaborator Sally Wainwright is enticed into the showrunner gig.

Paterson Joseph

Played: the venal Rodrick, who competed against Rose Tyler in The Weakest Link on the Game Station. Appeared in: Series 1 two-parter ‘Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways’. Paterson Joseph was famously up for the role of the Eleventh Doctor that ultimately went to Matt Smith, and has been a stalwart entry in ‘Who next?’ lists of this sort ever since, so… this isn’t going to happen, but wouldn’t it have been great if it had? The Peep Show, The Leftovers, Noughts + Crosses actor and Big Finish voice artist is currently showing off his commander chops in BBC One submarine thriller Vigil.

Ralf Little

Played: Steadfast, one of the few crew members of an off-world colony ship who weren’t murdered by nano-bots. Appeared in: Series 10 episode ‘Smile‘. He’s currently solving baroque murders on a fictional Caribbean island in Death in Paradise, but none of that lot ever last long, which could free Little up for another spin in the TARDIS. Little has been a familiar face on British TV for years, after playing feckless teenager Anthony on The Royle Family and starring in a BBC Three sitcom that spanned the entire noughties, but now a little older, with plenty of experience under his belt, it could be Ralf Little’s time.

Susan Lynch

Played: Pilot Angstrom, a competitor in an intergalactic race who meets Thirteen on her second ever adventure. Appeared in: Series 11 episode ‘The Ghost Monument’. You don’t need telling why Susan Lynch would make a great Doctor, just watch any decent British drama from the last decade and she’s in it, showing you. From Save Me to Unforgotten to Happy Valley to Killing Eve to any number of TV and film roles, she’s a scene-stealer who can play mystery, tragedy, power… everything the role calls for.

Daniel Mays

Played: Alex, the unwitting foster dad of a Tenza-in-human-form son, George. Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘Night Terrors‘ written by Mark Gatiss. RADA-trained Danny Mays can do comedy, drama, has some serious dance moves, and was a Line of Duty guest star, so we know he’d have no problem at all learning the Doctor’s long speeches. If the TARDIS wanted to cast a Gallifreyan Doctor by way of Essex, he’d be top of the list.

T’Nia Miller

Played: The General, Military Commander of the Time Lords, in their Twelfth Regeneration. Appeared in: Series 9 finale ‘Hell Bent’. The Years & Years and Foundation star played a Time Lord in her Doctor Who debut and can even already tick ‘Regeneration’ off the to-do list. Miller clearly has the bearing and gravitas required of the Doctor, looks great even in impractically massive armour, and was the absolute stand-out in Netflix’s 2020 horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor. If they could work out the continuity for a reappearance, she’d rock the role.

Lucian Msamati

Played: Guido, the father of Isabella, a new enrolment at Rosanna Calvierri’s school for girls. Appeared in: Series 5 episode ‘The Vampires of Venice.’ Since appearing in this 2010 Doctor Who episode, Msamati has gone on to appear in major series, from Game of Thrones to Gangs of London and His Dark Materials. He’s an experienced stage actor too, who’d be sure to bring dramatic heft to the role of the Doctor.

Anjli Mohindra

Played: the Scorpion-like Queen of the Skithra, a species that relies on other species for their engineering. Appeared in: Series 12 episode ‘Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror‘. Anjli Mohindra already has a long history with Doctor Who, having appeared under layers of prosthetics and make-up in Series 12, provided the voice of the Mechanoid Queen for animated Time Lord Victorious series Daleks!, and playing the recurring role of Rani Chandra from series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Would that preclude the Vigil and Bodyguard star from stepping behind the TARDIS console in the top role? Nah.

Sophie Okonedo

Played: Elizabeth X of The United Kingdom aka Liz 10 of Starship UK. Appeared in: Series 5 episodes ‘The Beast Below’ and ‘The Pandorica Opens’. One of our finest actors, Sophie Okonedo not only played the future queen opposite Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in Doctor Who, she was also the voice of the Shalka Doctor’s companion in the BBC’s ‘Scream of the Shalka’ animated webcast, way back when. She’s currently starring in Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation and voices the key role of angel Xaphania in His Dark Materials, so probably has too full a plate to step into the TARDIS, but casting her as the Doctor would be a no-brainer.

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Tom Riley

Played: Robin Hood. Appeared in: 2014 Series 8 episode written by Mark Gatiss ‘Robot of Sherwood’. Tom Riley played a legendary genius and multi-hyphenate over three seasons of Da Vinci’s Demons so taking on the role of the Doctor wouldn’t really be a stretch. The actor is currently playing Augie in HBO/Sky drama The Nevers, which started life as a Joss Whedon-created supernatural fantasy before the showrunner left the project after the first six episodes.

Danny Sapani

Played: Colonel Manton/Runaway (depending on your perspective). Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘A Good Man Goes to War’. The River Song/Melody Pond revelation overshadowed much else that happened in ‘A Good Man Goes to War’, but nonetheless, seasoned Brit actor Danny Sapani made an impression as enemy of the Doctor, Colonel Manton, who conspired with Madame Kovarian to kidnap Amy and Rory’s baby. Sapani’s enjoying a long career on screen and stage, with stand-out TV roles in Penny Dreadful, Harlots and Killing Eve, as well as the upcoming part of Captain Jacob Keyes in video game adaptation Halo.

Amit Shah

Played: Rahul, brother to missing person Asha Chandra, both victims of Tzim-Sha. Appeared in: The Series 11 opener ‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth‘. A skilled comedic actor who has a habit of stealing scenes, even in serious supporting roles like this one, or last year’s turn as a doctor experimenting on children in His Dark Materials, Amit Shah would be a great surprise to find in the TARDIS. Experienced but not yet a household name, there’s a Matt Smith vibe about this one. Revive him as a companion, at the very least?

Peter Serafinowicz

Played: the voice of alien warlord The Fisher King (though the character’s screams were provided by Slipknot front man Corey Taylor). Appeared in: Series 9 episode ‘Before the Flood‘. Likely not the photo of Peter Serafinowicz his Nan keeps on the mantelpiece, this is the villain he voiced in a Series 9 two-parter. It’s Serafinowicz out of the make-up and prosthetics though, who’d make an intriguing prospect as the Doctor. Great voice(s), great face, serious presence, humour, loads of experience… what else do you need?

Nina Sosanya

Played: Trish Webber, mother of Chloe Webber, the little girl endowed with the psychic powers of an Isolus. (And in Big Finish audio adventure ‘Aquitaine’ Captain Maynard’). Appeared in: Series 2 Olympics episode ‘Fear Her‘. A regular RTD collaborator, with previous roles in Casanova and Wizards Vs Aliens as well as Doctor Who, Nina Sosanya is a joy to see in any cast, which must be why she’s (thankfully) in everything. She’s great in comedy (Good Omens, WIA, Staged, Nathan Barley) and in drama (Last Tango in Halifax, Killing Eve, His Dark Materials, Little Birds) and would no doubt make a very convincing centuries-old two-hearted big-brained Time Lord. Get her a statement coat and get her in the TARDIS.

Meera Syal

Played: Dr Nasreen Chaudhry, the scientist in charge of an ill-fated deep drilling mission in a Welsh village. (As well as voicing audio stories and audiobook Borrowed Time). Appeared in: Series 5 two-parter ‘The Hungry Earth’ and ‘Cold Blood‘. Actor-writer-comedian Meera Syal, CBE, had a fair crack of the whip in Series 5 Silurian two-parter, but would always, always be welcome back for more. As well as comedic talent, she has the dramatic presence, brains and stature to play the Doctor. Her husband Sanjeev Bhaskar (see above) will just have to fight her for the role.

Joivan Wade

Played: Bristol graffiti artist Christopher Riggens aka Rigsy. Appeared in: Series 8’s ‘Flatline’ and Series 9’s ‘Face the Raven‘. Joivan Wade is currently starring as Victor Stone in Doom Patrol for the MCU, so it may be a while before he returns to the UK, but his two appearances in Doctor Who proved him to be a charismatic talent who’d energise the TARDIS if welcomed back.

Harriet Walter

Played: British Technology Secretary and later, Prime Minister Jo Patterson. Appeared in: Series 12’s ‘Revolution of the Daleks‘ (as well as voicing the role of Beatrice in audio story ‘The Boy That Time Forgot’). Having a Dame in the TARDIS would be quite something; that Dame being Harriet Walter would be off the charts brilliant. Just look at her – the face, the voice, the hard-to-define quality that means the moment she opens her mouth, everybody shuts up and listens. Harriet Walter, stage and screen star of Killing Eve, Succession, The Crown, Downton Abbey and so much more, would make a very fine Doctor indeed.

Marc Warren

Played: Elton Pope, co-founder member of LINDA, a group of humans who meet to swap stories on their encounters with the Doctor. Appeared in: Little-loved Series 2 episode ‘Love & Monsters‘. A very familiar face on British screens, with regular roles in hits including Hustle, Mad Dogs, The Good Wife and The Musketeers, there’s always been something about Marc Warren that makes you think he’d make a really great alien. See him as The Gentleman in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, or Mr Teatime in The Hogfather, and you’ll agree. Top Doctor potential.

Gemma Whelan

Played: the voice of loads of characters for Big Finish audio adventures, but never (yet) on screen. Appeared in: ‘Ninth Doctor Adventures’, ‘Dalek Universe’, ‘Counter-Measures’ and more. Always a treat wherever you find her on screen, actor-comedian Gemma Whelan is best recognised as warrior leader of the Iron Islands, Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones but she’s been great in Killing Eve, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow, The End of the F***ing World, and recently, a killer episode of Inside No. 9. If Doctor Who is looking for another late-thirties Yorkshire lass to take on the Doctor’s mantle in future, go Whelan or go home.

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Doctor Who Series 13 will air on BBC One and BBC America this autumn.

The post Doctor Who: Previous Guest Stars Who’d Be Great as the New Doctor appeared first on Den of Geek.

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architectnews · 3 years

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Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub

Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub Manchester, University Science Building, Architect

Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub News

University of Manchester Building, North West England design by NBBJ Architects, UK

7 September 2021

Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub Opening

Location: University of Manchester, Manchester, north west England, UK

Design: NBBJ Architects

Opening of the Henry Royce Institute, Manchester

The new home of materials science, the Henry Royce Institute Hub Building at the University of Manchester, had its official opening today. Designed by NBBJ and delivered by Laing O’Rourke, the building and new equipment totalling £150 million forms part of the wider £235m investment by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, across Royce’s national partnership.

The design:

Supports the Institute’s goal of accelerating the invention of new materials systems that will meet global challenges, enhance industrial competitiveness, and shape more sustainable societies.

Located on campus at The University of Manchester, the ‘science on show’ approach includes laboratories revealing their complex workings to those on the outside, alongside spaces for visitor engagement and imaginative displays of research material and products.

Previously on e-architect:

14 Sep 2020

New Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub

Location: University of Manchester, Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Architecture: NBBJ Architects

£105m Henry Royce Institute Hub Building at University of Manchester

The Henry Royce Institute for advanced materials research and innovation celebrated a key milestone earlier this year ahead of the new national hub becoming fully operational in 2021.

The Royce Hub Building based at The University of Manchester will draw together facilities and expertise from the Institute’s partner organisations: the National Nuclear Laboratory, UK Atomic Energy Authority, Imperial College London and the Universities of Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, Oxford and Sheffield, as well as engaging widely with UK academics and industry.

Extending across 9 floors and located at the heart of The University of Manchester’s campus, it will foster world-class collaborative research in tandem with industry to act as an international convener for materials research excellence.

Following the construction phase, the state-of-the-art Royce Hub Building was handed over by the contractors Laing O’Rourke in March 2020 and the first operational staff were just hours away from moving in before non-essential facilities closure was initiated in line with government guidance.

Progress on the interiors still continues and the Institute can now share a first look inside the £105m building which will act as a national hub for driving advanced materials research, development and commercialisation in the UK.

Contractors continue the fit-out to minimise disruption when equipment and staff move in following the University of Manchester’s phased reopening of campus. The first labs are expected to be completed towards the end of 2020.

The building will host £45 million worth of new equipment at Manchester for biomedical materials, metals processing, digital fabrication, and sustainable materials research. Alongside this will be collaborative space for industry engagement, helping to accelerate the development and commercialisation of advanced materials for a sustainable society.

The building and equipment totalling £150 million forms part of the wider £235m investment by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council across Royce’s national partnership. An investment of £500,000 has also be made by the The Wolfson Foundation to support the biomedical materials facility within the building.

Regius Professor of Materials and Royce Chief Scientist Philip Withers said: “The new Royce Hub Building will act as a centre of scientific excellence for advanced materials and a meeting place for the national community. By bringing together the UK’s academic and industrial materials leaders, Royce will identify new opportunities, workshop ideas, and develop new strategies and approaches to tomorrow’s materials demands.”

Professor David Knowles, CEO of the Henry Royce Institute said: “Royce has come a long way since its inception in 2016 and the handover of the new Royce Hub Building in Manchester represents the next chapter in our story. Although COVID-19 has delivered some unprecedented challenges and delays, we are confident that the physical space will demonstrate that the national institute is truly open for business. We can now look to address challenge-led research that will have positive impact on UK and global citizens, underpinning the Royce vision of ‘Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Society’.”

Manchester is a world-leader in developing new and existing materials and is already known globally as the home of graphene – a game-changing two-dimensional material first isolated at The University of Manchester in 2004.

Dr Diana Hampson, Director of Estates for The University of Manchester said: “We are delighted to have successfully delivered the construction phase of the Henry Royce Institute Hub Building which sits alongside the University’s growing advanced materials campus including the National Graphene Institute and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. The research that will take place in these buildings will consolidate Manchester’s role at the centre of materials characterisation – measuring and exploring materials that will help us fully understand their properties and potential.”

The Royce Hub Building, under the Project and Cost Management of Arcadis was designed by NBBJ, an international architectural practice, alongside civil and structural engineers Ramboll and building services engineers Arup. The building was delivered by Laing O’Rourke, the appointed University of Manchester contractor.

Handover of the new Henry Royce Institute Hub Building

About the design and delivery team

The University of Manchester appointed Arcadis as project manager, cost manager and Full Design Team (PMFD) to lead the delivery of the £105 million Henry Royce Institute. As a framework main contractor, Laing O’Rourke led in the delivery of the building and the project was designed by international architectural practice NBBJ, alongside civil and structural engineers Ramboll and building services engineers Arup.

The University of Manchester appointed Arcadis as project manager, cost manager and Full Design Team (PMFD) to lead the delivery of the £105 million building.

Design and Delivery statement

The design of the hub building for the national Henry Royce Institute for advanced materials is driven by a vision to engage scientists, industry and the public by showcasing the Institute’s work and providing a flexible environment for world-class research. The design supports the Institute’s goal of accelerating the invention of new materials systems that will meet global challenges, enhance industrial competitiveness, and shape more sustainable societies. Located on campus at The University of Manchester, the ‘science on show’ approach includes laboratories revealing their complex workings to those on the outside, alongside spaces for visitor engagement and imaginative displays of research material and products.

The continual evolution of research themes demanded a strategy that provides inherent flexibility and adaptability in building design and layout, enabling the users to adapt to new research and technological opportunities during the building’s lifetime. Across the seven floors, there are dedicated specialist spaces as well as fully flexible write up spaces providing a flex zone which is ready to be turned into further laboratories, reacting to the changing needs of the materials research community.

Vertical connections and shared spaces create opportunities for researchers and industry partners to mix across teams, to generate new relationships and encounters with the aim of cross-fertilising research.

The 10-metre-high ground floor entrance is overlooked by a café at mezzanine level and offers views into the material testing spaces. Terraced floors provide visitors with glimpses into workspaces as they climb the staircase through a stepped, three-storey atrium. These atria house local collaboration hubs with lounge seating and views out across The University of Manchester’s campus and city beyond. There is an efficient plan of offices which transition via the adaptable ‘flex zone’ into more private and technical and specialist laboratory spaces.

The exterior design communicates the internal working of the building and employs NBBJ’s unique skills in design computation: bespoke software that uses algorithms to link geometry with performance and climate data to address specific design aspects, allowing rapid prototyping and augmenting an intuitive design process. NBBJ, together with Laing O’Rourke’s supply chain, designed aspects of the project, such as the position and palette of the feature stair, with the help of its in-house virtual reality start-up, Visual Vocal; a tool which allows distributed project stakeholders to immerse themselves into unbuilt environments and provide instantaneous feedback to inform a collaborative design process.

With the facades, solar gain is carefully balanced against the building’s spatial functionality. In response to orientation and internal needs computational ‘rules’ optimise greater visual transparency to more ‘open’ functions such as local collaboration hubs, and lesser transparency to controlled laboratory environments, creating a dynamic and modulated building appearance. Researchers and industry partners are linked through a careful arrangement of vertical connections and shared spaces, which additionally offer views into public areas and laboratories for visitors and passers-by.

Due to the building being located in a busy city centre principal contractor, Laing O’Rourke, used modern methods of construction to ensure the delivery team could maintain pace on the logistically challenging project. The offsite, precast concrete design solution delivers mass and strength to the building’s structure, necessary to accommodate the heavy scientific equipment and deliver the ultra-low vibration requirements. This method allowed Laing O’Rourke to perform quality checks before the components reached site and then could be assembled on site. The approach also sped up construction, increased quality and minimised waste and site deliveries.

Combining Ramboll’s expertise in offsite construction and advanced digital engineering, alongside close collaboration with Laing O’Rourke, the University, Arcadis, NBBJ and Arup, the full benefits of offsite construction were realised. Using advanced digital design tools, the MEP, architectural design and structural arrangement were fully coordinated to deliver a consistent MEP servicing strategy with allocated spaces for risers set out in all floor slabs, demonstrating how vital the integration of MEP strategies, thoughtful consideration of architectural aspirations and planning for future adaptability are in the early design stages.

The main structural frame consists of hybrid precast and cast-in-situ for the upper floors, “twin walls” for the structural stability walls and precast columns. The precast elements were standardised in size wherever possible, reducing manufacturing and installation time and cost. ‘Just in time’ site deliveries were accurately scheduled for programme assurance and improvement of the overall site environment with less personnel required on-site, waste improving health and safety risks relative to more traditional construction; and a reduction in site traffic vital for a project located in the heart of Manchester.

Mel Manku, Partner at Arcadis, said: “Having led this complex and rewarding project from inception, we are very proud to have reached this major milestone on time and on budget and to be able to deliver a quality product to The University of Manchester. The successful delivery of this project is in no small part thanks to the hard work and effort by our people, the project and construction team and the strategic leadership of the University.

As a flagship project in the Government’s Northern Powerhouse agenda and National Hub, this building helps cement Manchester and the UK as a world leader in advanced materials research as well as bringing new jobs and skills to the city and boosting the local economy. This is the latest in a long line of projects Arcadis has successfully delivered with The University of Manchester, building on a truly collaborative relationship developed over the past decade. It also recognises our established position in the higher education, science and research sector as a consultant of choice that understands the requirements for research facilities and how to overcome inevitable challenges to deliver value, working with our supply chain partners. We look forward to continuing our work with the University over the coming years having been appointed to their consultant framework.”

Mark Platt, Project Leader at Laing O’Rourke said: “The Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials was a logistically challenging project. Being based in Manchester city centre meant that we had limited space and strict timings. Working as a unified team, together with our own in-house supply chain including Crown House Technologies, Select, Expanded and our Geotechnical piling partners we provided a seamless and cohesive delivery. The success of this build is a testament to the upfront planning that took place during the 18- month pre-construction service agreement.

“The basis of the build has been focussed around off-site manufacturing, which has provided flexibility for the University of Manchester when it comes to how the building is used. An example of the benefits derived from off-site can be illustrated through the delivery of the MEP strategy. By first installing the largest Megariser that has been manufactured at our Crown House Technologies factory in Oldbury, the team was then able to deliver the building surrounding it. As the Megariser was manufactured off site and in a controlled environment we were able to reduce the traditional 16-week installation period to just two weeks.

“Utilising these modern methods of construction meant that we could avoid congestion on and around the site through ‘just in time’ deliveries and immediate installation of components.

“Laing O’Rourke is proud to have been selected as part of the University of Manchester Framework Construction Scheme and look forward to continuing our work with the University of Manchester over the coming years.”

Ingo Braun, Design Director at NBBJ London, said: “Working with such a trendsetting institution on this major new project was an inspiring process and gave us the opportunity to build on NBBJ’s expertise in the design of collaborative, highly adaptable workplaces alongside our deep knowledge of the complex requirements of laboratories. The building continues to push Manchester forward as a global leader for advanced materials research; NBBJ was delighted to be involved in this process and looks forward to seeing how this flexible and engaging building will be part of the journey towards reducing time from materials discovery to application.”

Simona Peet, Project Director at Ramboll, said: “Even before it is occupied, the Royce Hub Building is a beacon of construction innovation. From an optimised offsite construction solution that delivers on the building’s extremely low vibration requirements to an embodied carbon assessment of the structure that will help inform future developments. The entire project team has delivered an exemplar building that will benefit both science and industry”

About NBBJ

NBBJ creates innovative places and experiences for organisations worldwide and designs environments, communities, and buildings that enhance people’s lives. Founded in 1943 and celebrating 77 years of practice in 2020, NBBJ is an industry leader in designing science, education, corporate, healthcare, commercial, civic and sports facilities. The firm has won numerous awards and has been recognised as one of the largest firms in the annual BD WA survey. NBBJ has more than 750 employees in 11 offices worldwide.

Consistently recognised by clients for creative and professional design process, NBBJ has partnered with many top research institutions, corporate and tech companies, including the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, King’s College London, Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, Amazon, City University, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Boeing, GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Salk Institute, Samsung, Telenor, The Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Tencent. www.nbbj.com @NBBJDesign

About Laing O’Rourke

Through its operations around the world, across building and infrastructure sectors, Laing O’Rourke’s 2025 mission will see the business secure its position as the recognised leader for innovation and excellence in the construction industry.

With a heritage that draws on 170 years’ experience and a diverse group of vertically integrated businesses, Laing O’Rourke has helped forge cities, communities and economies. We attract and develop the very best people. Our 13,000 people across the UK, Australia, the Middle East and South-East Asia deliver engineering innovation, project leadership and certainty for our clients on the world’s most complex and challenging buildings and infrastructure. www.laingorourke.com @laing_orourke

Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub Building at University of Manchester images / information received 140920

Previously on e-architect:

29 Nov 2018

New Henry Royce Institute Tops Out

Location: University of Manchester, Manchester, England, UK

Design: NBBJ Architects

Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester

29th of November 2018 – The new national institute for materials science research and innovation set to advance economic growth of the United Kingdom.

The Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub, a new £150m national materials science research centre at the heart of The University of Manchester’s campus, was ceremoniously topped out yesterday by the University’s key stakeholders and project team. The Institute’s Hub is the latest building championing materials science research in the United Kingdom. Designed by architects NBBJ with a project team led by Arcadis; the design team includes contractor Laing O’Rourke, structural engineer Ramboll and building services engineer ARUP.

images courtesy of architecture office

The 16,000sqm Institute Hub building received planning permission in March 2017 and will be the base for the UK’s leading materials research and commercialisation, housing state-of-the-art equipment and collaborative space for industrial engagement.

Research specialties on-site will include the development of 2D materials used in inks for printable electronics and in super capacitators; and a research group focused on the development and manufacture of biomedical materials used in the field of regenerative medicine and prosthetics. The different types of pioneering scientific research are set to benefit from the collaborative environment facilitated by the building’s design, which encourages interactions between researchers in different fields.

The building is designed to promote ‘science on show’: Researchers and industry partners are linked through vertical connections and shared spaces, which offer strong visual links for staff and visitors between public areas and the laboratories. A triple height ground floor entrance space is open to the wider campus, and visually permeable layouts allow visitors glimpses of workspaces as they climb the staircase through a stepped, three-storey atrium.

‘Collaboration areas’ are located within the atria, enabling staff and researchers to informally meet and interact whilst enjoying views across the campus and city beyond. An adaptable ‘flex zone’ connects offices with more private, technical and specialist laboratory spaces.

The Institute’s façade, designed with NBBJ’s bespoke software, reflects the internal operation of the building. Computational tools generate greater visual transparency to more ‘open’ functions such as local collaboration hubs and less transparency to controlled laboratory environments, creating a dynamic and modulated building appearance.

President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “The University is honoured to be the lead partner of the Royce Institute and home to its national hub. The Royce is a beacon for both research and application in this critical field and, as its Chief Scientist and our Regius Professor of Materials, Phil Withers, likes to say it is a national meeting place for UK advanced materials. That meeting place can be physical, of course, as demonstrated by this wonderful hub building but, as well giving us access to such impressive facilities, it also facilitates the bringing together of committed people to share their innovative thinking about new materials.”

Mel Manku, Partner at Arcadis, said: “Arcadis is delighted to have reached this significant milestone on what has been a complex but exciting development. Our approach has seen our team of experts working closely with the University and the wider community to understand not just today’s research requirements, but also what they might need in the future. This has enabled the design and delivery of a facility that is future proofed to accommodate changing trends in research and collaborative working. Together with the recently completed Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, this will further enhance Manchester and the wider Northern Powerhouse’s status as a global hub for advanced material research.”

Tom Higgins, Laing O’Rourke’s Operations Leader, said: “It has been fantastic continuing our partnership with The University of Manchester delivering this state of the art facility. Our teams have used considerable engineering expertise and innovation to reach this milestone and I am incredibly proud of their efforts. We look forward to continuing to focus our efforts on meeting the handover date in spring 2020.”

Ingo Braun, Design Director at NBBJ, said: “It is truly inspiring to work with the University and the Henry Royce Institute to facilitate and advance the UK’s ground-breaking materials science research, providing a facility for the Institute to engage with the wider community. NBBJ has extensive experience in designing workplaces and laboratory facilities around the world and we have particularly enjoyed utilizing innovative methods, including our own virtual reality tool developed in-house, to inform a collaborative design process with the project stakeholders.”

Work on the new Henry Royce Institute is expected to be completed and the building fully operational by spring 2020.

Project and Cost Management is provided by Arcadis; Civil and Structural Engineering by Ramboll; Building Services Engineering by ARUP; Landscape Architecture by Gilllespies and the Main Contractor is Laing O’Rourke.

NBBJ Architects

Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Hub, University of Manchester images / information received 291118

Previously on e-architect:

19 Dec 2017 Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester Design: NBBJ Architects Henry Royce Institute Building by NBBJ Architects Office

14 Dec 2016 Henry Royce Institute at The University of Manchester image courtesy of architects office

Location: Angel Meadow park, Manchester, Northwest England, UK

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bibliotheca-sanctus · 7 years

Photo

The Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (English: National Library of Brazil) is the depository of the bibliographic and documentary heritage of Brazil. It is located in Rio de Janeiro, at Cinelândia square.

The largest library in Latin America and the 7th largest in the world, its collections include about 9 million items. It organized the first library science courses in Latin America and its staff has led the modernization of library services, including the development of online databases.

The history of the National Library began on 1 November 1755, when Lisbon suffered a violent earthquake. The Royal Library was considered one of the most important libraries in Europe at that time. This irreparable loss to the Portuguese was the impetus for moving many of its contents to Brazil. The collection was brought in three stages, the first being in 1810 and two in 1811. The library of 60,000 books was accommodated initially in the upstairs rooms of the Third Order of Carmel Hospital, located in the old back street of Carmel close to the Imperial Palace. The facilities, however, were considered inadequate and could jeopardize valuable collection as well. Therefore, on October 29, 1810, Prince Regent John issued a decree which provided that a royal library should be established from the funds of the royal treasury

Among the significant collections of the National Library of Brazil is the Teresa Cristina Maria photograph collection, which includes 21,742 photographs dating from the nineteenth century.

(Thanks @garadinervi!)

#books #library #brazil #rio de janeiro #national #garadinervi

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qubemagazine · 3 years

Text

New Post has been published on Qube Magazine

New Post has been published on https://www.qubeonline.co.uk/dv-signage-teams-up-with-scale-space-to-launch-interaction-works-a-high-end-collaboration-workspace-in-response-to-hybrid-working-revolution/

DV Signage teams up with Scale Space to launch Interaction.Works – a high-end collaboration workspace in response to Hybrid Working revolution

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

Initial Interaction.Works showcase site in Scale Space White City is under construction

The workspace innovator DV Signage has partnered with Scale Space, the UK’s community for scale-ups, to offer an exciting new Collaboration-as-a-Service workspace to be branded Interaction.Works. The Interaction.Works concept responds directly to the emerging Hybrid Working trend as companies begin shaping the Future of Work as the UK emerges from lockdown.

Interaction.Works brings together the installation, integration and workspace design expertise of DV Signage, with the very latest Prysm 6K LPD Prysm 190 inch canvas and collaborative software, to create a cutting-edge collaboration space that can be configured for team collaboration events, management strategy and ideation sessions, remote team co-working, product launches, product demonstrations and more.

The very first dedicated Interaction.Works space, which will be complete within the next two weeks, is situated inside Scale Space White City, in the heart of a newly-designated Innovation District for West London owned by Imperial College.

The impressive 200,000 square foot Scale Space building provides a home to Imperial College Business School, Blenheim Chalcot’s portfolio of venture businesses and an increasing number of scale-ups in the digital and life sciences sector. Scale Space offers its members a unique combination of onsite university connections, venture building know-how and co-working office space with communal facilities to help them scale rapidly and successfully.

Interaction.Works is the brainchild of Richard Cobbold, founder of DV Signage who has teamed up with Prysm Systems and Scale Space in response to the massive changes in working practices driven by the pandemic:

“The WFH (Work From Home) revolution has all but eliminated 9 to 5, 5 days a week office-only working. Going forward firms will need to re-imagine their offices as branded venues that make the most of bringing their employees together, inspiring team co-working and enhancing group collaboration. Technology, architecture and workspace design that seamlessly blends that physical and virtual divide will be key.’

Interaction.Works will be London’s first dedicated Collaboration-As-A-Service showcase – combining the very latest in large scale collaboration technologies with on demand professional facilitators and accredited training programs to ensure optimised business outcomes and enhanced digital productivity in the ‘new normal’.

“These are the technologies and business practices that have underpinned the competitive edge previously enjoyed only by the big multinationals. Interaction.Works for the first time makes these available to businesses of all sizes.

“As businesses begin to rationalise their workspace requirements around Hybrid Working, at-home employees will need to seamless mix with in-office teams. Interaction.Works shows how this is possible, either on-demand in our specialist shared facility or deployed directly to a corporate customer’s own workspace.”

Whether companies bring their teams together once a month, once a quarter or once a year, accessing Interaction.Works allows firms to benefit on demand from a fully managed, fully-catered, tech-supported and high-spec innovation environment.

Cobbold added:

“We ensure these spaces are highly accessible. We surround them with technical support and specialist training capability – and ensure that each and every time an organisation gets it teams together the purpose of that meeting is achieved: creativity is unlocked, deals get over the line and those that cannot physically be there have the same high quality, immersive experience as those that are.”

Michael Holmes, CCO of Scale Space added:

“We are delighted to offer cutting-edge collaboration facilities within our White City building. Previously a privilege of larger firms, this high-end technology will be shared as a service within our space, democratising its use and allowing our member companies and Imperial College MBA students to access tools they would not otherwise have easy access to. This will no doubt foster innovation, which is ultimately what we are here to facilitate.”

DV Signage teams up with Scale Space to launch Interaction.Works – a high-end collaboration workspace in response to Hybrid Working revolution

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

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mgrgfan · 7 years

Text

Memory, part 3 (mini-fic)

For less than a split-second, Yevgeniy saw a bright orange flash and felt, like his body was twisted in ways, which should not even be possible in the three-dimensional or even eleven-dimensional space, but right after it, he was brutally thrown back into reality, seeing triples and having his head spin like no tomorrow.

- So, apparently, it does have some unpredicted results on organic lifeforms, incapable of teleporting naturally, - sounded voice of Yelena Groisman. - Chugun - help him at once and leave this Latias to me!

- Her name... is... Liya, - mumbled microbiologist before horrifying pulsing sound in his ears got too loud and he passed out.

- -

- How many fingers do you see? - sounded voice from somewhere, when Goncharenko tried to open his eyes. His thoughts were still clouded and slowly arranging themselves back into place.

- Three, - replied Yevgeniy after several failed attempts, during which he could only mumble something incomprehensible.

- Good. Sorry, but no one knew, that slingshot relaying device will have such an effect on you. We’ve already collected data and will work on fixing it ASAP!

- If Liya is hurt, I swear, I’ll...

*I’m fine,* - “sounded” the telepathic voice from side. - *It was a little trippy at first, but nothing serious.*

- A little trippy? I’ve felt like I’ve experienced geometries beyond comprehension of any living being, and those geometries wanted to twist me, rip me apart and push through infinitely small holes at the same time! - screamed man, who already fully regained his consciousness, but still felt weak in body.

- Looks like it was caused by the sling having too wide of a trajectory and too low speed of a swing, exposing teleportees to the interworld space for too long, - mused Chugun, listening to the Yevgeniy and reading the data from the terminal. - I can correct it right now.

- Do it! - ordered him Yelena Groisman.

- Zheka - sorry for this little inconvinience... - began Izya.

- Hold on, - said microbiologist, sitting up and turning to the young Latias, still disguised as a human, with a furious expression on his face, - Liya - what the heck?! What were you thinking about, activating the Slingshot Beacon?! Didn’t you hear, how Chugun talked about being in one piece and not clipping into ground, clearly exposing, that this device is still being tested and is still dangerous! What’s w... Liya, please, promise me, that you won’t put yourself in the danger like this anymore!

Seeing Yevgeniy suddenly break into tears, the entire arcanist team was surprised, while the Latias felt herself really sick for scaring and hurting her pretty much father like this.

*I promise... father,* - replied Liya, giving man a hug and starting to cry too.

- Well, now everything has settled, maybe, we shall continue? - asked Izya after both man and Pokemon from the Bioscience calmed down. - Zheka - I’m really sorry for this inconvenience with tseryobla and SRD. And you, Chugun, - slowly said arcanist in sinister voice, turning towards huge mechanical Pokemon, who started to slowly back away, - what were YOU thinking, grabbing the beacons with you and leaving them there? We know you can withstand troubles with tseryobla - after all, you were the one, who volunteered to test it several years ago and survived five hours of being trapped in the teleportational vortex - but honestly... Were you insane? What you can brush off, can kill human or normal Pokemon! Honestly, sometimes I’m not sure if I’ve really needed to create you.

- I... I don’t know, - replied Chugun in scared and slightly whimpering voice, continuing to slowly move away from the enraged scientist. - Something must’ve clouded my judgement bad. Like, really bad. I won’t do something like this ever again!

- Are you sure those two aren’t brothers? - whispered Yelena to Boris, who was just standing aside and enjoying the view.

- Nah, they aren’t brothers, at least not in blood. In the spirit, hovewer...

- -

Compulink system active.

Please, enter login and password.

Accessing “LPT-LOG-1″ datafile…

EDIT MODE

Goncharenko Liya, personal log.

02.01.425 AFE, 21:14

I feel so bad right now. Even though it was more than a day ago, I still can’t get over it. My father... after I used this device, he instantly grabbed the second one and activated it, just to follow me. I remember, how he, after the teleportation, said, about how I have a name, and then collapsed into this horrible fit. Arcanists said, that his brain couldn’t handle such a surge of the arcane energy and the long exposure to the interworld overdimensional space, but still, seeing him spasming like that, and having this horrible feeling of barely to no control of his body and thoughts dispersing, like a vapour in the dry air... I can’t bear to stand that. And all of it was, because I was too curious and wanted to try out this beacon. I don’t even know what to think of myself anymore.

Compulink system deactivated.

#mgrgfan does worldbuilding #mgrgfan writes mini-fics #Imperial Science Facility 9 #The tales from the Ancient Soris Empire #Ancient Soris Empire #Soris region #AFE stands for After Foundation of the Empire

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wazafam · 4 years

Link

When Episode 7 of The Mandalorian was released early, savvy fans sensed a disturbance in the Force, as though it had something to do with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hitting theaters. Grogu debuted a unique Force power that would later be seen in the Skywalker saga's capstone movie, inextricably tying the two epic pieces of the Star Wars franchise together forever.

RELATED: Stars Wars: 10 Things That Led To The Rise Of Skywalker

Just how much else of the Disney+ flagship series has made it into the movie so far? It turns out there are bits and pieces everywhere, because Jon Favreau, David Filoni, and the rest of the Lucasfilm Story Group have been hard at work connecting it to every aspect of the Star Wars Universe, including the Sequel Trilogy. By being set decades before The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian has been able to lay a steady stream of breadcrumbs that lead up to its exciting finale.

10 Force Healing

One of the most significant Force abilities Grogu has shown in The Mandalorian is to help heal others, such as when he applied it to Greef Karga's wound and saved his life. Its streaming debut coincided with the release of The Rise of Skywalker, not only making it canon but giving the series and the movie a strong connection.

While Force healing has existed for some time in Star Wars Legends, it's a power that's only been seen so far in media produced for the Star Wars Universe by Disney. The characters who can perform it so far have been Grogu, Rey, and Ben Solo.

9 Red Five

Star Wars fans rejoiced when they saw a familiar X-wing appear in the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. There was only one person flying Red Five at that time, and he happened to have a green lightsaber, a black gloved hand, and a boyish haircut. That's right - franchise veteran and hero Luke Skywalker had come to save the day and train Grogu.

RELATED: Star Wars: 10 Things You Never Knew About X-Wings

His famous starfighter would make another appearance decades later in The Rise of Skywalker, when just like in the swamps of Dagobah, Luke's X-wing was at the bottom of the sea off Ahch-To. This time, he could lift it out himself, which he did in order to provide Rey a means to travel to Exegol and defeat the Emperor once and for all.

8 Using Force Sensitive Individuals For Palpatine's Regeneration

In the very beginning of the series, The Client seeks out Grogu for his Force sensitivity, looking to extract part of his DNA to use in some mysterious experiment. Moff Gideon's aim is very much the same, and in Season 2 he succeeds where the Imperial loyalist failed, acquiring some of Grogu's DNA for some nefarious ends, which some fans believe may be to help in Emperor Palpatine's regeneration.

The Sequel Trilogy already showed the First Order -itself an evolution of the Imperial Remnant- abducting Force sensitive individuals (like Finn) to fill its ranks. Finn leads a ground assault against a Star Destroyer because he has a "feeling", and his Force sensitivity helps him strike a decisive blow against the Final Order fleet.

7 Snoke And Palpatine's Transference of Consciousness

In exchange for repairs on Nevarro, Mando agrees to infiltrate an Imperial facility with Cara Dune and Greef Karga, but what's supposed to be an old outpost is secretly a science facility. What they encounter makes it no stretch of the imagination to think the experiments at the facility tie into the events of The Rise of Skywalker.

They come across a recording of Dr. Pershing, who mentions requiring a blood donor who has a "high M count," a reference to midichlorians, the microscopic life forms existing in all living cells that help facilitate communication with the Force. That reference, when combined with the sight of several cloning-like vats, indicate this could be where bodies were grown for Palpatine to inhabit or control, like Supreme Leader Snoke.

6 Genetic Engineering And Cloning

When first interacting with Kuiil, Mando learns the Ugnaught had something to do with genetic engineering when he uses the word "strandcast" to describe Grogu. The way Kuiil explains it, Grogu is "too ugly" to be a strandcast, but the use of the new term in the Star Wars franchise does point towards the Imperials' continued use of cloning going all the way back to the days of the Clone Wars.

RELATED: The Mandalorian: 10 Best Background and Secondary Characters, Ranked

In The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine has returned through an inventive use of cloning, though not for his own body per se. He's created various vessels for his consciousness to inhabit. Fans are specifically made aware Snoke was a clone because of the amount of unused Snoke clones bobbing in vats on Exegol.

5 Yellow Blaster Bolts

There have been a variety of blaster bolts used in the franchise, with the most common colors being red and green, their hue giving the ability to distinguish friend from foe. In the second season of The Mandalorian while on the planet Trask, Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves and her crew use yellow bolts, which seem to be both unique and rare.

While seeking the Sith wayfinder on Mustafar, Kylo Ren fights through throngs of pilgrims protecting Darth Vader's castle, and the First Order infantry behind him fires yellow blaster bolts, perhaps indicating that 30 years after The Mandalorian such a hue is plentiful.

4 Blue Butterflies And Ben Solo

When Grogu and Din Djarin head to Tython, it's with the hope the tiny Force user will be able to use the seeing stone to send a signal to any remaining Jedi in the galaxy. While Grogu sits on the stone and appears to go into a trance-like state of meditation, blue butterflies begin to encircle him. It's possible he's being reached out to by a very important Force adept.

The Rise of Skyualker introduces fans to Ben Solo after Kylo Ren casts off his Sith identity and embraces the light side. The movie may be the only time Ben appears on screen, but in a special episode of Star Wars Roll Out for the official Star Wars Kids Youtube Channel, Ben Solo is surrounded by blue butterflies. It's possible that at 4 or 5 years old, Ben Solo was communicating with Grogu across space and time, much like he did with Rey.

3 Galactic Laws And Droid Reprogramming

During Mando's time with Kuiil, the inventive scavenger is busy rewiring IG-11, a dangerous assassin droid he feels will make a perfect domestic, capable of keeping Grogu safe. He's able to reprogram IG-11's basic functions "under the charter of the New Republic," implying the new governing body needed to rewrite some of the galactic laws after the fall of the Empire.

RELATED: The Mandalorian: 10 Droids Seen Throughout The Series

There was already precedent for governments dictating droid programming. In The Rise of Skywalker, C-3PO's memory has to be given a reset in order to get him to be able to speak the language of the Sith. When the Empire was first created, Palpatine mandated no droids would be allowed to speak the ancient tongue, and their programming was changed accordingly.

2 Rey's Hairstyle

In the Season 2 episode "The Siege", which finds Mando an Grogu reuniting with their old friends Greef Karga and Cara Dune on Nevarro, Grogu is sent to spend time with some children at a school while Mando takes a side job in exchange for repairs to his ship.

As Grogu settles into the lesson, the humans around him react in various levels of maturity to the newest and greenest addition to their class. One little girl who's sitting behind him wears her hair in the same three-bun updo Rey sports for The Rise of Skywalker, a look she hadn't worn since The Force Awakens.

1 Mandalorian Ships To The Rescue

Though fans might have to wait until Season 3 to see the Mandalorian's homeworld, they've been getting pieces of Mandalorian history from various characters in the series, such as the Armorer, Bo-Katan, Moff Gideon, and of course, Din Djarin himself.

Though the Mandalorians and the Republic/Jedi have a history of bloodshed between them, when Lando Calrissian has to drum up Resistance allies to battle the Final Order, Mandalorians answer the call. As can be seen in several shots, a Mandalorian Fang Fighter is among the thousands of ships that come to the aid of Poe Dameron and the Resistance fleet.

NEXT: The Rise Of Skywalker: Ways To Interpret "Rey Skywalker" (& Possible Meanings Of The Gold Lightsaber)

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xtruss · 4 years

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Coronavirus: Moderna Covid Vaccine Candidate Almost 95% Effective, Trials Show

Analysis | What Does the Moderna Vaccine Mean?

US-based biotech firm is latest to reveal impressive results from phase 3 trials of jab

— By Ian Sample Science editor | The Guardian USA | Monday November 16, 2020

The race for a coronavirus vaccine has received another shot in the arm with the US biotech firm Moderna becoming the latest to reveal impressive results from phase 3 trials of its jab.

An interim analysis released on Monday, and based on the first 95 patients with confirmed Covid infections, found the candidate vaccine has an efficacy of 94.5%. The company said it planned to apply to the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, for emergency-use authorisation in the coming weeks. In the analysis, 90 of the patients had received the placebo with the remaining five the vaccine.

The results are the latest encouraging news to emerge from the breakneck effort to develop a vaccine against coronavirus and follow a similar interim analysis earlier this month from a collaboration between Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech, which suggest its vaccine is 90% effective at preventing illness.

The Moderna vaccine, which is being trialled in more than 30,000 volunteers, is not expected to be available outside the US until next year. The biotech company said it would have 20m doses ready to ship in the US before the end of 2020 and hoped to manufacture 500m to 1bn doses globally next year.

So far, the UK does not stand to benefit from the vaccine but a government spokesman confirmed it was in “advanced discussions” to procure it. The CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, said that with approval, doses could be available in Europe, including the UK, “as early as January.”

Moderna has agreed to provide the US with 100m doses, with an option to buy 400m more. Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Israel have also signed agreements, and the European commission has a “potential purchase agreement” for 80m-160m doses. The UK chose not to participate in the EU vaccine purchase scheme, with the health secretary, Matt Hancock, arguing in July that the government could source a vaccine faster on its own.

The Moderna vaccine, which is based on similar mRNA technology as BioNTech’s, is expected to be assessed by the FDA on a final analysis of 151 Covid cases among trial participants who will be followed on average for more than two months.

If the results remain as impressive as the trial goes on, the Moderna vaccine could potentially provide a major advantage over the Pfizer vaccine. While Pfizer’s vaccine requires ultracold freezing between -70C and -80C from production facility to patient, Moderna said it had improved the shelf life and stability of its own vaccine, meaning that it can be stored at standard refrigeration temperatures of 2C to 8C for 30 days. It can be stored for six months at -20C for shipping and long-term storage, the company said.

At £38 to £45 for a course of two shots, Moderna’s vaccine is more expensive than the other frontrunners. AstraZeneca and Oxford University are aiming to sell their vaccine at about £3 a dose, while vaccines in trial with Johnson and Johnson and a collaboration between Sanofi and GSK are both expected to cost about £8 a dose. Pfizer is charging the US about £30 for a two-shot course. The UK has ordered 40m Pfizer shots but none of the Moderna vaccine.

Moderna’s two-shot vaccine injects genetic material called mRNA into the body, which cells then use to churn out the spike protein the virus uses to invade cells. The spike protein covers the surface of the virus and is one of the main targets of the body’s immune response to wipe out the infection.

The interim results are based on an analysis of confirmed Covid cases among both placebo and vaccinated arms of the trial, starting two weeks after the second dose is administered.

Given the relatively small number of cases analysed there is some statistical uncertainty over the 94.5% figure. But Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that based on the numbers released, the efficacy was still likely to be better than 85%.

A question mark that remains over the Pfizer vaccine is whether it prevents serious illness. The Moderna results, released by an independent data safety monitoring board, are encouraging on this point. Of 11 participants who developed severe Covid while on the trial, all were in the placebo group. The results also suggest the vaccine is effective in older people and those from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Moderna’s interim analysis includes a safety review of data available so far. The company said it had found no significant safety concerns, with most reactions being mild to moderate and short-lived. Among the side effects reported were injection site pain in 2.7% of trial volunteers after the first jab. After the second, the most significant side effects included fatigue in 9.7%, muscle pain in 9% and joint pain in 5%. Others had headaches, other pains, or redness at the injection site.

Prof Trudie Lang, professor of global health research at the University of Oxford, said: “It is very good news indeed to see another vaccine coming through with similar efficacy results as were reported last week from Pfizer.

“This is also an interim analysis, which means that there were enough cases within the vaccinated volunteers to give statistical significance and allow the team to break the blind to determine who had the active vaccine and who had placebo.

“This is really encouraging and it further demonstrates that a vaccine for Covid is a real probability and that having more than one supplier should help assure better and more equitable global availability.”

Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College, London, said the Moderna results were “tremendously exciting” and boosted optimism that a choice of good Covid vaccines would be available in the next few months.

He said the inclusion of high-risk and elderly people in the Moderna trial suggested the vaccine would protect those most vulnerable to the disease, while the reported side effects were “what we would expect with a vaccine that is working and inducing a good immune response”.

“Moderna have also announced that the vaccine can be kept in a conventional freezer at -20C for up to 6 months, and that once thawed the vaccine can be kept for up to 30 days at standard refrigerator temperatures of 2 to 8C. This makes the vaccine much easier to deliver,” he said.

“This announcement adds to the general feeling of optimism about vaccines for Covid-19. What we still don’t know is how long any protective immunity may last. For that, we will need to wait,” he added.

Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which co-developed the vaccine said the Moderna jab and others still in trials were “the light at the end of the tunnel.” But he urged people to continue to observe the guidelines to reduce the spread of the disease. “We should not let the accomplishment of an effective vaccine have us feel we can let our guard down,” he said. “In fact, it should be an incentive to double down as we then ultimately have the synergy between a vaccine and a public health measure which will get us out of the very difficult situation.”

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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10 Best Star Wars Planets in the Galaxy

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Like any good space opera, part of the appeal of Star Wars are the beautiful alien vistas. From the wonder of AT-AT’s marching over a snowfield to a massive city floating among the clouds of a gas giant, Star Wars has long transported fans to strange new worlds.

Over the last few decades, the movies and the Expanded Universe have introduced hundreds of planets, moons, and stars to form one of the most complete and complex tapestries of locations in sci-fi. But which are the essential planets of Star Wars? Which planets truly capture the spirit of the franchise?

Here are our picks of the 10 best planets in the Star Wars galaxy:

10. Kamino

The water world of Kamino exemplifies the maximalist approach of the Prequel aesthetic. Giant manta ray-like animals fly up out of the sea, a passing marvel with no explanation or relation to the plot. The Kaminoans aren’t a natively aquatic species, with their long, thin limbs, but they live on platforms like oil rigs, elegant fortresses against the endless ocean.

As the birthplace of the clones, Kamino’s largely desolate surface stands in stark contrast to the work being done inside its labs: giving life to the Clone Army of the Republic. Kamino wasn’t always an aquatic planet, though. At some point in the planet’s history, ecological disaster caused the water levels to rise, forcing the land-based Kaminoan civilization to adapt to their new conditions.

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9. Bespin

When Lando Calrissian flirts with Princess Leia Organa in The Empire Strikes Back, he does so by comparing her to the planet: “You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds.”

Bespin is a gas giant with no accessible land surface, which means, like Kamino, the dwellings aren’t actually on the ground. Instead, Lando and other enterprising people created floating mining facilities to harvest the planet’s Tibanna gas, a vital fuel source for starships and their hyperdrives.

The planet’s function is eclipsed by its scenery, though. The colorful atmosphere makes Bespin look like a planet always basking in all the colors of a sunset, while Cloud City floats like a jewel in its sky.

8. Cato Neimoidia

While it barely pops up in the movies, Cato Neimoidia is nevertheless one of the most exotic locations in the galaxy, in large part due to the design of its alien architecture. City-sized bridges bristle with upside-down skyscrapers, while the dramatic arcs of towns and cities suggest an industrial jungle at surprising angles.

Why does life on Cato Neimoidia look this way? The answer is simple: this planet is covered in acidic seas, meanings the colonists had to build on rock spires and string bridges between them in order to have enough surface area for their cities.

Seen in Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars, Cato Neimoidia isn’t actually the homewolrd of the Neimoidians who settled it. Instead, it’s a “purse-world” colony built to store some of the species’ immense wealth. While this isn’t confirmed, it’s easy to imagine the name means “new Neimoidia” or something similar.

7. Zonama Sekot

A living, sentient world with its own psychic manifestation of its environment, Zonama Sekot is one of the strangest planets in the galaxy. Originally created as a prime location in the now non-canon New Jedi Order series of novels, the planet scraped its way back into official continuity on a technicality when an article on StarWars.com mentioned Zonama Sekot was a neighbor to Jakku.

This planet was a surprising place to the Jedi who first visited it, as no one had ever seen anything like a planet-wide consciousness or the living starships built there before. The name refers to two different entities: Zonama the planet and Sekot the consciousness. A peaceful being, Sekot can communicate through the Force and is fiercely protective of the creatures and people who live on Zonama. Those people use the magic of this world to create custom starships of animal-like intelligence that develop a bond with their owners. While a large portion of the planet is covered by jungle, it contains varied vistas like canyons and oceans as well.

6. Crait

Some of the most visually stunning images of the Sequel Trilogy come from the scenes set on Crait’s salt flats. A white crust of salt scrapes away to reveal the bloody-looking dirt underneath.

Created for The Last Jedi, Crait was the site of a First Order attack on the remnants of Leia’s Resistance. It’s also notable for the wildlife, gorgeous crystal foxes called “Vulptex” that sound like wind chimes when they move. At its best, Star Wars often finds a way to connect its characters to their environment, such with the Ewoks who use their forest to their advantage against a technologically advanced Imperial force. Since they’re covered in crystals, the Vulptex look like they could naturally blend into their salty environment. And they’re just so cute.

5. Kashyyyk

Speaking of nature, the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk (that’s three ‘y’s) is covered in forest and jungle. Wookiees use their claws to climb the skyscraper-sized trees. Because the forest floor is patrolled by predators (such as giant spiders) and carnivorous plants dangerous enough to take down even a full-grown Wookiee, civilization takes place mostly on platforms among the trees. These treetop cities (a staple of fantasy classics like The Lord of the Rings) are impressive for both their architectural wonder and how well they blend into nature.

Although it was seen in canon for the first time in Revenge of the Sith, Kashyyyk was technically first detailed in live action in the infamous 1978 The Star Wars Holiday Special.

4. Coruscant

The city-planet of Coruscant captures the intrigue and glamour of the galaxy’s capital. Originally created in the books for the original Thrawn trilogy, Coruscant eventually featured heavily in the Prequel Trilogy and The Clone Wars.

Its mile-high cities mark a planet that has been effectively mechanized, no patch of ground remaining except for the top of a single mountain, now displayed like a boulder in a public park. Coruscant is a jungle gym for high-flying action scenes as well as a hub for political assassinations and the headquarters of the Jedi. When Luke talks about “the bright center of the universe,” that’s Coruscant during the era of the Old Republic.

3. Korriban/Moraband

Few places remain as mysterious as Korriban, the ancient homeworld of the Sith species who spent millennia practicing magic before a faction of renegade dark side Force users escaping a war with the Jedi discovered the planet. Korriban’s native species and these Dark Jedi eventually formed the Sith Order, the greatest enemy of the Jedi. Together, they built a great Sith Empire that waged war against the Republic, with Korriban as its center.

The ancient Sith Empire eventually fell, but Korriban remained as a sacred monument to the order of dark side worshippers. The Valley of the Dark Lords, for example, contained the tombs and relics of the greatest Dark Lords of the Sith, and in some cases, even the Force ghosts of those ancient figures.

While the planet is best known as one of the settings of the Knights of the Old Republic games and the Tales of the Jedi comics, Korriban eventually made its way to the current canon on The Clone Wars, renamed as Moraband.

2. Hoth

While Hoth gets some flak for being a prime example of every science fiction planet having one biome and one only, the Hoth battle plays with scale in a great way. The Rebels build their base underground in the snow and ice, so you never forget they’re on an inhospitable planet where they’ve been forced to hide from the Empire. Here too we have animals as an important part of the plot, with the wampa attack taking Luke Skywalker out of commission. And the Empire deploys one of the most vivid examples of their commitment to shock and awe: the AT-AT walkers, which stride across the plains like monster. At first they’re dwarfed by the landscape, but then they loom over the Rebels, giving their world dimension and scope. The snow-covered landscape creates a stark and uninterrupted landscape for the battle to play out on.

1. Tatooine

The Tunisian desert has become iconic to the galaxy far, far away. Although Tatooine in the fiction is supposedly the middle of nowhere, remarkable for being unremarkable, it’s actual the heart of the entire saga: Anakin Skywalker was born there and Luke Skywalker was raised there. Most characters in the movies have gone there at one time or another, leading to The Rise of Skywalker‘s epilogue where Rey visits Luke’s old home.

The desert has a universal appeal: while it stands in for a far away place for many viewers, many others live in or around a landscape that looks like that. The two suns are distinctly alien, but Tatooine’s towns and people are rural Anywhere. This mix of mundane and magical set the tone for Star Wars that propelled it for the next 40 years and beyond.

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