#absorption of neutrons by water

[biology-geology-beaches-india]

TSRNOSS, p 616.

[credenceresearchdotblog]

The Gadolinium Market is projected to grow from USD 5,833.3 million in 2024 to USD 9,020.4 million by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.60%.Gadolinium, a rare earth element with the symbol Gd and atomic number 64, plays a critical role in various high-tech and industrial applications. This silvery-white metal is unique due to its magnetic properties and ability to absorb neutrons, making it indispensable in several sectors, from medical imaging to nuclear reactors. The gadolinium market has been witnessing significant growth, driven by increasing demand in these key areas.

Browse the full report at  https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/contrast-media-market

Medical Imaging: A Major Driver

One of the primary applications of gadolinium is in medical imaging, particularly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are used to enhance the quality of MRI scans. These agents improve the visibility of blood vessels, tumors, and other structures, aiding in accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. The rising prevalence of chronic diseases and the growing emphasis on early diagnosis are propelling the demand for MRIs, thereby boosting the gadolinium market. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global MRI market is expected to reach USD 9.8 billion by 2025, indicating a sustained demand for GBCAs.

Nuclear Reactors: A Key Application

Gadolinium's neutron absorption properties make it an essential component in nuclear reactors. It is used as a burnable poison in nuclear fuel rods, helping to control the fission process and extend the life of the reactor. As the world looks towards cleaner energy sources, nuclear power remains a vital part of the energy mix. Countries like China and India are investing heavily in nuclear energy to meet their growing power needs, thereby driving the demand for gadolinium. The World Nuclear Association projects that nuclear power capacity will increase significantly over the next few decades, providing a stable growth outlook for the gadolinium market.

Electronics and Magnetics

Gadolinium is also used in various electronic applications due to its magnetic properties. It is used in the manufacturing of gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG), which is a substrate for microwave and optical components. Additionally, gadolinium is used in the production of magneto-optical recording devices and as a component in various high-temperature superconductors. The expanding electronics industry, particularly in Asia-Pacific, is expected to drive the demand for gadolinium in this segment.

Supply Chain and Market Dynamics

The supply of gadolinium, like other rare earth elements, is dominated by China, which controls over 70% of the global production. This concentration of supply poses a risk to the global market, as geopolitical tensions and trade policies can impact availability and prices. Efforts are being made to diversify the supply chain, with countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada exploring their rare earth reserves and investing in mining projects. These initiatives aim to reduce dependence on China and ensure a stable supply of gadolinium.

Environmental and Regulatory Concerns

The extraction and processing of gadolinium, like other rare earth elements, have significant environmental impacts. Mining activities can lead to soil and water contamination, and the separation process generates harmful byproducts. Increasing regulatory scrutiny and the push for sustainable practices are encouraging companies to adopt cleaner technologies and reduce their environmental footprint. Recycling of gadolinium from electronic waste is also gaining attention as a potential way to meet demand while minimizing environmental impact.

Market Outlook

The gadolinium market is poised for steady growth, driven by its diverse applications and increasing demand in key sectors. The medical imaging segment will continue to be a major driver, supported by advancements in healthcare and the growing need for diagnostic procedures. The nuclear energy sector offers significant growth potential, particularly with the global shift towards cleaner energy sources. The electronics industry will also contribute to market expansion, given the ongoing technological advancements and increasing adoption of high-tech devices.

However, the market faces challenges related to supply chain concentration and environmental concerns. Addressing these issues through supply diversification, sustainable practices, and recycling initiatives will be crucial for the long-term growth and stability of the gadolinium market. As industries continue to evolve and new applications for gadolinium emerge, the market is set to play a vital role in the future of technology and energy.

Key Player Analysis

Bracco Imaging S.p.A.

GE Healthcare

Bayer AG

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited

Guerbet Group

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Taejoon Pharm Co., Ltd.

J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Spago Nanomedical AB

Isologic Innovative Radiopharmaceuticals

Segments:

Based on Product Type:

Acetate

Acetylacetonate

Oxide

Nitrate

Chloride

Others

Based on Application:

Electronics

Medical Equipment

Imaging Agents

Nuclear Reactors

Others

Based on the Geography:

North America

US

Canada

Mexico

Europe

Germany

France

UK

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

South-east Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of the Middle East and Africa

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[drinkprime]

What Is an Ion Exchange Water Filter?

Whether you use water for your home or commercial purposes, getting access to safe water, which is free from contaminants, has become crucial. In most parts of the country, the water which is available through civic sources, is unfit for consumption and basic needs.

Due to the indiscriminate use of chemicals and pesticides, the water has become heavily contaminated and contains a plethora of pathogens like bacteria and viruses, along with traces of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, etc. This, if consumed, can cause a host of illnesses in the long term. 

To combat this, the market today is filled with a wide variety of purifiers, filters, softeners, etc. which make the source water pure and free of contaminants. One such method of water treatment is an ion exchange water filter, which softens water.

 In this blog, we discuss how ion exchange filters work, the types of ion exchange filters, and their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s dive in!

Related Reading: Common Water Contaminants and How Purifiers Remove them

What do you mean by an ion exchange water filter?

The impurities found in water affect its taste and smell while making it unsafe for consumption. Currently, there are many ways in which water quality can be improved and one such method is an ion exchange water filter. It involves a chemical process that removes certain impurities and minerals from the water, thereby softening it.

A quick chemistry refresher will throw more light on the concept of ion water filters. Atoms are made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons which have positive, negative, and neutral charges respectively. Many atoms link together to form molecules or compounds through electronic bonding. An atom or molecule that has an unequal number of protons or electrons, resulting in a positive or negative charge is known as an ion. 

Minerals such as calcium, magnesium potassium, etc. become ions when they get dissolved in water. Their presence affects the taste, odor, and hardness of water. 

GET 7-DAYS RISK-FREE TRIAL

How does an ion exchange water filter work?

Softens water

An ion exchange water filter softens your source water, it does not filter or purify it. Electrically charged solids are used to remove contaminant ions from the water. This works even if the contaminants are in liquid form.

Removes calcium and magnesium

Hard water which is caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium, causes a host of skin and hair problems as well as limescale build up on appliances and inability to lather soap.

Ion exchange water treatment gets rid of this calcium and magnesium, by using resins, a small porous bead-like material made of synthetic or natural polymers. This is fortified with specific chemical groups which exchange or draw certain ions, based on their charge. 

Use of resins

Ion exchange systems use three types of resins. Cationic resins can be of weak acid cation or strong acid cation. They can remove contaminants like iron, calcium, chromium, magnesium, sodium, etc. They are mostly useful in water softening, demineralization, and alkalization.

The systems that use anionic resins can contain either a strong base anion, which can be useful for demineralization, or a weak base anion which can help with acid absorption applications. Anionic resins can remove arsenic, uranium, carbonates, cyanide chlorides, etc. The third type, which is specialty resins, is mostly used in industrial applications. They are generally more expensive. 

Recharging of resins

Resins need to be recharged periodically. When the ion exchange process is not functioning properly, resins need to be recharged with sulphuric acid, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, or hydrochloric acid. 

What are the different types of ion exchange filters?

 There are different types of ion exchange water filters, each designed for a specific need or application and to suit different environments.

Countertop filters

As the name suggests, they sit snugly on your countertop. They are best suited for small apartments or families and especially rental houses as they do not require any drilling or plumbing.

Under sink filters

These filters are installed under your sink area and connected to your taps. They filter larger quantities of water and free up your countertop space. 

Stand-alone filters

They are designed for larger households or for commercial purposes. They are most often used in tandem with other water treatments. 

Inline filters

These filters are connected directly to your plumbing system and can be used for whole-house filtration and even for special uses like connecting to your fridge or ice maker.

Like with most systems, ion exchange water treatments also come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of  Ion exchange water treatment

1. Easy to set up

Ion exchange water filters are relatively easy to install and fits in your budget too. 

2. Improves taste

It improves the taste and odor of water, which is a bonus. 

3. Reduces hardness of water

Ion exchange water filters remove the hardness of water and dissolve heavy metals from water. 

4. Easy installation

The installation process is simple for these ion exchange water filters, and it is relatively easy to maintain them as well.

GET 7-DAYS RISK-FREE TRIAL

Disadvantages of Ion exchange water treatment

1. Does not remove microorganisms

Ion exchange water filters cannot remove pathogens like viruses or bacteria particles etc.

2. Expensive

Ion exchange water filters mostly have long-term operating costs which can prove to be detrimental.

3. Use of chemicals

These filters need to use chemicals like salt for water softening. 

4. Wastewater generation

Ion exchange water filters may generate a lot of waste water which requires disposal. 

5. Additional add-ons required

These filters require a lot of extra add-ons, for proper functioning. A discharge line, to rinse off the calcium and magnesium from the resin beads, an electrical source to provide power for the regeneration process, and periodic refilling of the brine solution, to ensure that the water softener functions well.

Conclusion

So, is water from an ion exchange water filter completely safe for you to drink? Ion exchange water filters are used to produce bottled water and home-based water treatment solutions. It is important for you to understand that ion exchange water filters work primarily as a water softener and may not completely remove pathogens such as bacteria viruses etc.

It is for this reason that ion exchange water filters are coupled with other water filtration systems, to ensure that the water that you get is pure and safe for your consumption. It is essential that you get your source water tested, to get an idea of the contaminants that you are dealing with, before zeroing in on a water filtration and purification system. 

Source: What Is an Ion Exchange Water Filter?

[sciencespies]

Isotopes detected in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time

https://sciencespies.com/space/isotopes-detected-in-the-atmosphere-of-an-exoplanet-for-the-first-time/

Isotopes detected in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time

A world just over 300 light-years away has yielded the first ever detection of isotopes in an exoplanet’s atmosphere.

In the haze around a gaseous exoplanet named TYC 8998-760-1 b, astronomers detected a form of carbon known as carbon-13. This discovery suggests that the exoplanet formed far from its parent star, in the cold reaches of its system beyond a specific snow line.

According to the researchers, the discovery gives us a new way to look into the poorly understood process of planet formation.

“It is really quite special that we can measure this in an exoplanet atmosphere, at such a large distance,” said astronomer Yapeng Zhang of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

TYC 8998-760-1 b, discovered in 2019, was already pretty special. It belongs to an extremely rare group of exoplanets – those we have been able to image directly.

Stars are very, very bright, and planets very dim by comparison, so usually we identify them by detecting the effect they have on their host star, either gravitationally, or by minutely dimming the star’s light as they pass in front.

These techniques work best for planets that are close to their stars, but TYC 8998-760-1 b orbits its star at quite a distance – around 160 astronomical units. Pluto, for context, orbits the Sun at a distance of 40 astronomical units.

The exoplanet is also a chonk, clocking in at around 14 times the mass and twice the size of Jupiter, which means it’s relatively bright with reflected starlight. So a team of researchers led by Zhang took a closer look to see if the light reflected by the star could tell them anything.

Specifically, they used an instrument called the Spectrograph for Integral Field Observations in the Near Infrared (SINFONI) on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. This instrument observes a spectrum of light; the team were looking for absorption features.

These are dark lines in a spectrum that occur when certain wavelengths of light are absorbed by certain elements. The researchers found that the wavelengths absorbed by TYC 8998-760-1 b are consistent with carbon-13, likely primarily bound up in carbon monoxide gas.

Isotopes are pretty interesting. They are all forms of the same element that have the same number of protons and electrons, but differing numbers of neutrons.

Carbon-12, the most common stable carbon isotope, has six of each. Carbon-13 has six protons and six electrons, but seven neutrons. This matters because their formation pathways are different, and they behave differently depending on their environmental conditions.

On TYC 8998-760-1 b, the researchers were expecting a certain abundance of carbon. The amount of carbon-13 they found in the exoplanet’s atmosphere was twice this expected abundance. The team believes that this can tell us something about the conditions under which TYC 8998-760-1 b formed.

“The planet is more than one hundred and fifty times farther away from its parent star than our Earth is from our Sun,” explained astrophysicist Paul Mollière of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

“At such a great distance, ices have possibly formed with more carbon-13, causing the higher fraction of this isotope in the planet’s atmosphere today.”

This region would be out beyond the carbon monoxide snow line – the distance from the star beyond which carbon monoxide condenses and freezes from gas into ice (different gases have different snow lines).

Any exoplanets forming that far from the warmth of the star would incorporate these carbon monoxide ices. Since the known planets in the Solar System are closer than this distance from the Sun, they would not form with as much carbon monoxide as TYC 8998-760-1 b, the researchers posited.

We have an analogous phenomenon here in the Solar System, whereby Neptune and Uranus are richer in deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen with one proton and one neutron (normal hydrogen only has a proton), than Jupiter. This is attributed to planet formation past the water snow line.

The detection of isotopes in atmospheres is not going to be possible yet for many exoplanets, but as our telescopes keep improving, it could provide a new means for studying exoplanet formation, the researchers said.

“The expectation is that in the future, isotopes will further help to understand exactly how, where and when planets form,” said astronomer Ignas Snellen of Leiden University. “This result is just the beginning.”

The research has been published in Nature.

#Space

[otterbeesfanficblog]

When neutron stars collide

(Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

A/n: The hero costume in this chapter was designed and drawn by me, please don't try and steal it or post it anywhere, it is for this story only. This one is also a lot longer then the other ones as well so... buckle up, little bitches. (Just kidding, I love you all, please don’t hate me ಥAಥ)

Edit: I JUST FUCKIN' REALIZED I'VE BEEN SPELLING BAKUGO'S NAME WRONG THIS WHOLE TIME!!! I HATE MYSELF!!!

Part 4:From Where We Stand

Part 1: Steps Before The Starting Line Part 2: When A Star Chooses To Shine Part 3: Compare And Contrast Part 5: You Would Be Angry Too...

Though it hurt your pride a little, you timidly asked Kirishima to explain how the rest of the school day was going to work. He didn't at all hesitate to tell you, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido did wounder and ask why you seemed to be so unknowing of what school was like.

You quickly came to the excuse that you were home-schooled, Kirishima backed it up by saying that you had told him you moved around a lot so it was obvious you took school online. You were thankful that he actually thought you went to school and had a house... or parents.

In the morning was English with Present Mic, which was pretty entertaining and you were actually liking it a lot. Everyone around you seemed bored and uninterested, but you continued to pay close attention.

You had gone to lunch with Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido, and you were blown away by how much food they had. You felt your stomach growl and churn in hunger, but as you looked at the prices, you knew you weren't going to be eating any of this good looking food.

"Are you Ms. Uchukyuzo?"

You and your group of new friends turn to see the chef Lunch Rush who had been serving meals to everyone, everyone but you. He had appeared before any of your friends could ask why you didn't have food.

"Uh, yeah, that's me."

Before you could really wounder too long, he handed you a tray full of food which made your mouth water at the mere sight let alone the amazing smell.

"I was told you might have some confusion during lunch here at U.A. but have no fear, I won't let anyone go hungry!"

He then walked off as you stared at the tray of food in your hands, your group had already sat down at a table and began eating. Kaminari was already eating and scrolling through his phone, Ashido and Sero were talking to each other but were also watching you, and Kirishima reached across the table to tap you on the head since you were just starting at the food with your head down.

"You okay--??"

"THANK YOU FOR THIS FOOD!!"

You clap your hands together, tightly shutting your eyes to stop the tears from coming out as you quickly dug into your food. The group around you laughed, thinking you were just excited about how good the food looks, not at all thinking that this was the only food you had been given to eat in the last two days since your stockpile of food had been emptied and you hadn't had time to get more.

Little did you know, a few teachers had been watching you as you went threw school, taking note of how you went about your day. Your over excitement for food was written down, they needed more proof before they could really do anything about your life outside of school.

Then it was the afternoon which meant another class, Hero Basic Training.

"I am..."

Your whole class turns towards the door as it rushed open, and leaning into the room was the one hero you hoped to never see again.

"... Coming through the door like a normal person!"

The whole class seemed to the excited to see him, which made you want to explode. You glared down at the desk in front of you seething, if only they knew what he did to you. They all praised him and his dumbass costume, his dumb smile and his dumb hair with his dumb---

"I teach Hero Basic Training." All Might spoke out, making you glare up at him. You wanted to scream in his face and explode that stupid cape right off his back. "It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject!"

"Great..." You groan out softly, crossing your arms and glaring off to the side. Unbeknownst to you, a certain ruby eyed boy heard and saw you're shift in attitude.

"Let's get right into it! This is what we'll do today--" He flexed, which you pretend to gag at, then holds up a card that says "BATTLE" in bold letters. "Combat training!"

"Combat..." You shift a little, glancing back at Bakugo who had an evil look on his face.

"... training." Midoriya finished, looking fearful which you didn't blame him.

"And to go with that are these!" He then waved to the wall next to him, which began opened up to cases with numbers on them. "Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started."

You joined everyone's excitement after that, you were excited to see your costume. Nezu had asked you specifically when you had your meeting after getting your acceptance letter, he had even suggested things to make your costume better.

"After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"

"Yes, sir!"

It didn't take you all long to get into your costumes, though getting dressed with the other girls was a little awkward. Putting on your costume though and looking in the mirror, you couldn't stop the smile that traveled to your face.

You may hate the teacher teaching you for this class, and you may not be as good as the rest of them, but damn...

You looked good.

____ Break in the story to explain the costume design___

If you don't want to read this you can skip this and continue reading, if you would like to read, buckle up its a lot.

So let's start with what the costume is made out of.

Because R's (Reader) quirk is based on explosions it is made out of heat resistant fabric, and woven into it is carbon fiber to keep it strong, light, and it also allows R to absorb light along with pressures. This is what the whole costume is made out of. Along with the ami-flex carbon fiber weave is a glossy star-like light cover to it all, making it better at collecting light.

Speaking of reflective, that takes us to the galaxy colored parts of the costume.

These parts are made thinner and more reflective than the darker parts of the costume, the darker parts of the costume are more meant to take strong hits without causing damage to the body, the galaxy parts are for light, sound, and wind absorption. The galaxy cloth is made to be sensitive to all movements, so as it moves like a skirt or like thin silk, it is taking in energy and distributing it to R.

As it is pretty obvious why it is placed as an overlay skirt, pant legs, and shoulder cloths, you might wonder why it is positioned like a mask over the face. Well, this is for when R speaks, she would be collected the sound vibrations and heat from her mouth and nose, channeling it back into energy.

The balls and heels of the feet are free for a few reasons. When we walk, a lot of the pressure goes from the heel to the ball of our foot (Which can be debated for those who have flat arches on their feet). Now, this would make you think that if you feel more motion in your feet with your heel and ball, why not put something there to help absorb that? Well, this is going based on R's back story.

One of the most prominent reasons being that as R grew up, she couldn't simply go out and buy shoes. This is assuming R only had a few if not one pair of shoes, and in the end just opted to not wearing shoes and simply wrapping a cloth around her feet instead. Another reason is that R's way of collecting energy growing up was mostly through vibrations and gaining potential energy from the ground or from impacts to her body, meaning that most of her energy came from walking. Lastly, R was not the most... well-behaved child and often had to run from or fight people in her life. And her best way of getting energy to fight or flee with? Her feet.

Lastly, the mask. If you couldn't tell already, it resembles our explosive boy Bakugo. Now, at first, it was only a cute little call out to match with the firecracker, but I then came up with a reason as to why she has them.

If you have ever seen an owl, they have curved faces that allow sound to travel at them and curve into their ears to make for hearing things clearer. Try it, cup your hands by your ears, and see the difference it makes in sound. For this reason, R wears these to collect sound waves at a better rate than she ever had before.

Before this costume, most of her potential energy came from movements, now she has things to amplify the way she takes in energy.

This was the explanation for her suit, if any of you have questions, comments, or want to know more about the reader's quirk or her past, let me know! I love writing things like this, it's fun and I love hearing feedback.

____You can continue reading the story from here____

After you all made your way out and into Ground Beta, you had a few moments to talk amongst yourself. You saw the girl from before, Uraraka you believe her name was?, going over to Midoriya and complimenting his suit.

His was simple, and despite it being green, you could tell without a doubt it was based on All Might himself.

"... To each there own." You say, shrugging it off. You may not like All Might, but you weren't going to hate on anyone who did. They all just saw him in a different like than you, even if for you that light wasn't even on.

"Y/n!"

You turn to the sound of your name, smiling as you see Kirishima walking over to you. His costume looked pretty badass, the red complimenting his hair and the rugged look to it made it seem like he had been wearing that for forever.

"Hey, Kiri. Your mask makes you look like a dragon or something."

He chuckled, scratching the back of his head and looking off to the side.

"Dragons are pretty manly, but that's not why I came over here." He then looked you up and down, gesturing to your suit with his hands. "Look at you! You look like you came from outer space, like a space goddess or something!"

You felt heat rise to your face as you tried to cover up the shy smile that made it's way to your face, you crossed your arms and looked away from him.

"S-shut up, your sappy words are gonna make me vom."

He laughed at this and you smiled back at him, laughing along with him. Suddenly it felt like you were being hardcore started at and seeing as Kirishima had turned away to talk with Kaminari and Sero, you looked around at your other classmates.

You then caught the eyes of a certain explosive boy, who was glaring at you from across the away. You felt a smile grace your face as you looked around you then back to him, shrugging your shoulders in a "What are you looking at" way. He rolled his eyes and face forward which made you scuff a laugh, looking forward as well ready for class to start.

"Now, it's time for combat training!"

"Sir!" Glasses boy, who you still didn't know the name of and was in a full suit of armor, raised his hand to speak. "This is a battle center from the entrance exam, so will we be conducting urban battles again?"

"No, we're going to move ahead two steps!" All Might replied, holding up to fingers. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside, but if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate."

Unfortunately, you knew how high those numbers were from experience.

"Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deals-- In this society filled with heroes,  truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows!"

You let your eyes drift around the class, watching as they all hung onto his words.

'truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows...' You thought back to were you live now and how you had found that place. '... Not anymore.'

"For this class, you'll be split into villains and heroes and fight 2-on-2 indoor battles."

"Without basic training?" A girl with long green hair tied into a bow asked, but you were thinking about something else that didn't add up.

"This is a real battle to understand those basics! However, the key this time is that there's no robot you can just beat up."

You raised your hand slightly.

"Uhm, but--"

"How will wins and losses be determined?" A girl in a ponytail spoke up louder than you.

"Can we beat them up anyway?" Bakugo was next to ask a question and since there didn't seem to be any order, you tried calling out again.

"Uh-"

"Will the punishment be expulsion like with Mr. Aizawa?" Uraraka cut in.

"How shall we be split up?" Glasses boy raised his hand, this way you saw your chance.

"Speaking of splitting up, how---"

"Isn't this cape crazy?" A boy with long red-tinted wing glasses spoke over you, and you felt your skin growing warm and your body started to grow.

You were losing your patience from being interrupted and Kirishima and Kaminari who stood on either side of you looked at you with a sort of empathy, Kaminari however took a few steps away from you and Kirishima hardened the skin that was closest to you.

Just in case.

All Might seemed overwhelmed with the number of questions, which you would have found funny if you weren't 4 seconds away from blowing up everyone.

"I'll answer all your questions!"

He then pulled out a small booklet, well in looked small in his hands, and opened it up and began to read from it.

"Now, listen here. The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout. The heroes are trying to dispose of that. The heroes need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapon back in the allotted time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes."

"The situation feels very American!" Midoriya said in a gushing tone, but you were in no mood for anyone else bullshit.

"Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!" All Might then held up a box that said 'Lots' on the side. You felt your blood boil as no one seemed to realize the biggest problem here.

"They're being decided so haphazardly?" Glasses boy asked, to which Midoriya answered.

"Pros often have to create makeshift teams with heroes from other agencies, so maybe that's why?"

"I see. The discernment to look ahead..." Glasses boy then bowed to All Might. "Please excuse my rudeness!"

"Uh... Y/n?" Kirishima asked timidly next to you, holding up his hands as he watched you shake and glow in pure rage with your eyes tightly shut and your jaw clenched tight enough to break steel. "Are you... okay?"

All Might turned away from the class and raised an arm.

"It's fine. Let's do this quickly!"

That was it, that was your snapping point. Suddenly everyone felt a heatwave come from you and they all backed up as you burst into light and screamed, stars falling around you as you glared at your "teacher".

"CAN I ASK ONE GOD DAMN QUESTION BEFORE ANYONE FUCKIN' INTERRUPT ME AGAIN?!"

Everyone around you went dead silent, looking at you in slight fear and worry as the light from your body dimed, and the heat coming from you slowly disappeared. All Might turned around and looked at you in shock, he'd seen and been around some pretty... loud students, but you were certainly someone to look at.

You growled at the attention and rubbed a hand over you're eyes.

"Thank you! Fuck!..." You glare at All Might and gesture to the class with your hand's wideout, giving the man as much attitude as possible which made your classmates look at you in shock and awe.

"How the fuck are we supposed to go 2v2 if there's 21 of us?" You finally asked, dropping your arms and looking around at everyone. "Am I the only one that noticed there's an odd number of us, we can't go 2v2 without leaving someone out."

You let a huge sigh go from your chest, a cloud of smoky stardust left your mouth as you crossed your arms and waited for an answer. Everyone stared at you, some looked at you like you were crazy, some in fear, some thought you were far too angry for no reason, and a few thought of you as a badass.

Bakugo was thinking you had balls of pure steel, you not only yell at a teacher but swore at him too. And he was the number one hero in Japan, and you just yelled and swore at him like it was just some guy you met on the street.

His respect for you immediately went up.

"Well.." All Might was definitely thrown for a loop, he definitely was not ready to be yelled at by a 15-year-old. "Since you pointed it out, you will be in the first round--"

"To get the 3-on-2 over with?" You question while raising a brow at him, you roll your eyes and pop your hip to one side. "Marvelous..."

All Might was not expecting there to be someone ... like you in the class, from what he saw that morning, none of the kids were being disrespectful to Aizawa. He wanted to believe it was because the students were respectful, and not that they were scared of the erasure hero which was most likely the case.

But looking at you in the eyes, he saw blatant hate and distrust in your eyes, you weren't even trying to hide how much you didn't like him. All Might had come across hate many a time in his life, it came with being number one, but this one was definitely different.

It was one he would expect... from a Villian he had beaten. But... you were just a kid. He'd never met you before... at least, he doesn't think he has.

"W-well, let's begin then!"

-----

Pulling lots you were placed on the hero team A with Midoriya and Uraraka (which was definitely her name), and going against you was Bakugo and glasses boy (who you were told his name was Iida so... there's that).

All Might explained that the villains had five minutes to prepare and get into their roles, and if it went too far he would stop the fight. You leaned on the building as you, Midoriya, and Uraraka waited for it all to start and started memorizing the building layout.

"It's a lot of work to memorize the building's floor plan," Uraraka said, then looked up at the building. "But All Might is just the same as when he's on TV."

Her statement made you roll your eyes because you knew for a fact that he wasn't all smiles and good heroics. Heros don't leave a child behind...

"Unlike Mr. Aizawa, it looks like there's no punishment," She then looked to you with a smile then over to Midoriya. "so we can relax and-- You're not relaxed at all!"

You turn to look at Midoriya, who did in fact look like he was gonna pass out. You put the paper in your hand away and walked to stand in front of him while he explained.

"Well, it's because... we're up against Kacchan... And there's Iida, too, so I feel like I need to be on guard..."

You nod and cross your arms, Uraraka speaking up while looking at him.

"I see. Bakugo's the one who makes fun of you, right?"

Midoriya's once stiff posture went lax and he looked down at the ground.

"He's amazing. He's a piece of work, but his goal, his confidence, his physical strength, and his quirk. are way more amazing than mine."

You took a few steps back as he stood up facing you then the building, putting his mask on in the process.

"But that's why right now... I don't want... to lose..."

You looked at him for a moment, seeing his concentration then turned to Uraraka who was smiling at him.

"A fated battle between men, huh?"

You felt yourself chuckle a bit at her comment, Midoriya sweating and holding up his hands to her.

"Oh, sorry, this isn't either of your problems, Uraraka, Uchukyuzo."

You roll your eyes and put your hands on your hips.

"Just Y/n is fine, Midoriya. Besides, it is our problem. We're all on a team, right? Unless that changed when I wasn't looking."

You give a tiny smile, Uraraka quickly nodding her head at your words.

"She's right! We're a team." She then threw one of her hands into the air. "Let's do our best!"

You watched Midoriya smile and nod at her, and you had to hold back on ruining the moment since they were acting cute. You weren't the kind of person who was open about feelings, most of it was covered up by humor or small actions.

Because of a certain someone among other people, words didn't really mean anything to you anymore.

"Now, let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team A and Team D!"

You, Uraraka, and Midoriya looked up at the building hearing All Might's voice, then you all gave each other a solid nod. Midoriya lead you and Uraraka to an open window of the building, before he could go in you waved him to the side.

"Let me go first," You then jumped up, looking down the hall in front of you then to the side before jumping inside. You allowed Midoriya and Uraraka to come in after you, Midoriya looking to you with a raised brow.

"Why did you want to go first?" He whispered.

"Because I'm the only one in this group that can take a hit and use that to my advantage."

Midoriya seemed to have an ah-ha moment and mumbled something about a notebook.

"We've infiltrated successfully!" Uraraka states, which you nod then look to Midoriya. He began walking down the hallway your guys' left.

"There are a lot of blind spots, so let's be careful."

"More reason I should be in front." You told him, and he was hesitant since you were his teammate, not a meat shield, but from your intense stare which made him sweat a little, he settled into the spot between you and Uraraka with you leading and him telling you where to go.

With every corner you checked, you nod to him and allow him to point where you will go next. All of you were on high alert, but you felt as if you were even more so. Not only were you paying attention to every little vibration that came from the ground beneath your feet, but the curved part of your mask behind your ears also made you far more aware of the noises around you, including the irritating noise of Uraraka's heels.

Coming to another corner you stopped the group, looking both ways, then nodding to Midoriya who motioned for you to turn down the hall on your right.

Halfway through the hallway, however, you stopped the group with ears perked and wide eyes. Before Midoriya could ask what it was, you all saw Bakugo fly out of the corner. Clearly he was expecting Midoriya to be in front, but that didn't stop him from screaming out and aiming past you and to Midoriya's head. You pushed Midoriya and Uraraka out of the way, getting grazed in the back by Bakugo's explosion.

You landed on your knees in front of them but quickly turned and shielded them both, looking back with a quick glance as Midoriya and Uraraka checked if the other was okay. You curse under your breath, seeing half of Midoriya's mask blown off meaning you didn't protect him enough for him not to at least have gotten a scratch.

In the midst of the smoke, Bakugo threw out his hand to dissipate the smoke faster, glaring over your shoulder at Midoriya.

"Come Deku, don't dodge and hide behind her."

Still kneeling on the ground next to Uraraka, Midoriya glared over your shoulder back at Bakugo.

"I figured you'd come for me first." He then stood and took steps to be next to you, you slightly more in front of him than he would have liked.

You may get these two have some kind of rivalry but you'd be damned if you were to lose because you didn't protect your team. You watched as Bakugo charged you and Midoriya, hands ready to blow.

"I won't do so much damage that this fight gets stopped, but I'm gonna get close!"

You stood ready for the attack that he leads with his right arm, but suddenly you were pulled back and pushed down to the ground behind you by Midoriya. You glared at him as he grabbed Bakugo, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground, all while Uraraka gushed about him.

You moved back when he slammed Bakugo on the ground, standing to your feet and glaring at Midoriya. You clenched your jaw and fists tightly, but he ignored you and Uraraka completely for Bakugo, who slowly got up from the ground.

"Kacchan... You usually start with a big right swing. How much do you think I've been watching you?"

Both you and Bakugo were no glaring at the green-haired boy as he continued.

"I wrote an analysis for all the heroes I thought were amazing in my notebook. In the notebook you blew up and threw away." He then looked up and held a strong stare at Bakugo. "My "Deku" isn't always going to mean "useless"! Kacchan, my "Deku" means "You can do it"!"

You glare and roll your eyes at them both as Bakugo stood to his feet and faced away from you and Uraraka for 'Deku' instead.

"Deku... Even though you're scared... That's what I hate about you!"

"Oh boo-hoo!" You scream at them, glaring specifically at Midoriya. Both boys looked at you, Midoriya in confusion and Bakugo in irritation. You weren't his target after all.

"So you guys have so bullshit rival dick measuring contest, good for you! That doesn't give you the right to push away your teammate!!" You point your finger at Midoriya, who looked at you in guilt as you said this.

Just as you did, Bakugo touched something on his ear and grumbled out.

"Just shut up and defend. I'm really angry right now!"

You were still glaring at Midoriya as Bakugo threw his arms out and got ready to fight again, Midoriya looking on and then yelling to you and Uraraka.

"Uraraka, Y/n, go!"

You stood still as Uraraka made a bolt down the hall, you growled at the green-haired boy.

"You want your whole team to leave you!?"

"Looking away? You must be sure of yourself." Bakugo said, just barely being blocked by Midoriya who was pulling out the capture tape. Bakugo threw another blow at him, making him duck and dash out of the way, all while he looked to you.

"Just go!"

You clench your fists, letting your head drop before facing the ceiling and screaming at the top of your lungs. It made Bakugo briefly look your way before turning back to his real target, Midoriya just prayed that if he survived this training, he would survive what came after when you looked back at him with a look that made him frankly more scared of you than his childhood friend fighting him.

Little did you know, your eyes were no longer white with your natural colored irises. No, now they were glossed over with what can only be described as the dust cloud of a galaxy. Stardust like puffs of air came from your mouth as you heaved and glared at him from across the way.

You said nothing but gave him a look that said you and he will talk later, then turned around and ran after Uraraka. Turning a corner, you quickly reacted by grabbing her shoulders and spinning as to not knock you both over.

She had been waiting for you around the corner, and though you were pissed as fuck at Midoriya you were glad she waited. You and she ran through the building, quietly at first, but then she felt the need to talk to you.

"Y/n?"

"What."

"I know what Deku did earlier made you upset but--"

"I'm not upset." You growled, still running beside her as you gripped the top of your head tightly. "I'm fuckin' pissed!! We are a goddamn team and he decides now is the best time to catch up on a childhood rivalry?!"

Uraraka watched as stardust came of you like a waterfall, she would have found it pretty if it weren't so hot running next to you.

"He has a plan, I'm sure!" She said somewhat confidently.

"Whatever the fuck is going on in his head is not our problem now," You growl as you both make your way up to a higher part in the building. "We are up against that one fast kid, right?"

You both began to slow down, now on a higher level, you both realized it would be best to stealth now. She nods at you, standing behind you as you lead the way for you both.

"His name is Iida."

"Right, sure." You waved off. "He's fast, which means he's mobile. Luckily for us, as of right now because of someone... we still have a slight upper hand 2-to-1."

You stopped both of you in the hallway, Uraraka looking at you with confusion. You calmed down so you looked back to normal, but she still had to hold herself back from gushing about how cool you were to her.

"And your quirk is...." You trail off to let her finish, seeing as the only thing of her quick you've seen is from the test you guys took this morning.

"Gravity!" She quickly answered, showing you her hands that had little pads on each of her fingers like the paw of a puppy or a kitten. "I can make things float then release them."

You nod.

"That's useful."

You turn back and motion for her to follow.

It didn't take you both long to find where they were holding the 'weapon', you were hidden behind a pillar with her. She turned ready to talk to Midoriya through the earpieces they had, you opted out of wearing one as it would make it hard for you to absorb natural sounds for your quirk.

You both stopped as the Iida boy started talking to himself.

"Bakugo is a natural at being bad, but that fits this training perfectly. Then I must also devote myself to being a villain. That's right. This is another trial to turn me into a man who will not bring shame to the Iida family. Become a villain! Be dyed with evil in order to become a hero!"

All you could do was raise your brow in confusion, slightly feeling as if you nor Uraraka were supposed to see this rant of his.

"I am..." He turned the way you guys were, and 'evil' look in his eye. "... extremely evil!"

Uraraka sputtered next to you loudly, making you turn her way and shake your head. As... weird and funny as what just occurred was, she just blew both of your guys' covers.

"Have you arrived, Uraraka, Uchukyuzo?"

For some reason she seemed shocked you were both found, walking out into the open so he could see her. You rolled your eyes and did the same, standing slightly more in front of her to protect her.

He then dramatically pointed at you both.

"I knew you, Uraraka, would come here the instant Bakugo ran off by himself. Uchukyuzo, I was sure you would fight Bakugo but no matter. Uraraka, your quirk allows you to make the object you touch float. That is why I put away all the things on this floor before you arrived."

Looking around, you then just realized how spotless the floor was and was kinda impressed.

"Now you cannot play your little tricks! You have blundered, heroes!" He then laughed like... well, a villain.

"He's starting to look... Like a villain...!" Uraraka whispered to you, you gave her an irritated look from over your shoulder.

"Who cares? Contact Midoriya and tell him what's going on, I'll protect you." You then positioned yourself fully in front of her to block Iida's view from her as she quietly spoke to Midoriya. You prepared yourself in a fighting stance as you watch Iida slowly make his way to you, you weren't sure if he actually knew what your quirk was or not, but you were determined to protect Uraraka and win this training.

Suddenly, you all felt the whole building shake violently. You began to feel a giddy feeling in your chest with how much energy you'd collected but not used, you knew as your skin started to feel warmer that you wouldn't be able to hold it all for too long.

You turned to look at Uraraka as Iida contacted Bakugo.

"You alright?"

She shakily nods her head.

"What was that...? You don't think..."

"Bakugo, answer me! Did you do that? What in the world did you do?"

You and Uraraka looked to each other and nod, this was your chance. She ran head-on while you hid behind a pillar, if Iida goes after her, you'll have a chance to grab the weapon and win.

You ran to another pillar as Uraraka jumped over Iida using her Quirk on herself, quickly you hid behind another pillar.

"Release!"

You heard a clicking sound before suddenly the weapon was moved out of her way, causing her to scream while she fell to the floor, rolling and hitting the back wall upside-down. You, still hidden away from Iida's sight, curled the overlay part of your costume around you to hid better as you listened to him speak.

"Your quirk is not a threat if you cannot touch anything. I'll hold out until time runs out!" He then starts laughing and you watch Uraraka sit up and glare over her shoulder at him, you still staying hidden.

You prayed for her not to expose you to his sight or let him have any hint you were still there, if you could, you could catch him off guard and grab the weapon from behind him while Uraraka distracted him from the front.

How you were going to communicate that with her was still coming to your head, but looking back at her you saw her quietly talking. You realized she was talking to Midoriya, but you didn't have an earpiece and were too far away for her to tell you the plan.

If you got too close to her, your spot would be outted. If you stayed where you were, you couldn't tell her your plan nor could you know what she and Midoriya were planing.

It was like...

You suddenly felt like you couldn't breathe, as if every part of you was being suffocated and pressed down around you...

They... forgot about you...

Looking out from behind the pillar, you watch as Uraraka stared down Iida, and Iida didn't know you were there. Leaning back on the pillar facing away from them both, you grabbed at your chest desperately trying to grab air and breathe. You felt a sting in your eyes and you covered your mouth as you felt like screaming and vomiting at the same time.

Flashes of what happened so many years ago came to your mind... Years of waiting and waiting for a hero to save you, to come for you like he said he would... like he promised he would.

He forgot... he looked you in the eyes and he forgot... he promised and he--

"Okay!"

Your already wide eyes grow wider as you heard Uraraka speak, and without even thinking you ran out into the middle of the room. You needed to remember you weren't actually alone right now, that there were other people around.

You needed it...

You needed it...

"Y/N! MO-"

You looked down as the floor cracked around your feet, then with a suddenness, you couldn't even begin to describe, you felt your self get barrier under debris.

... Or maybe crushed?

Your sense of direction was no longer intact as everything around you hurt, you felt a horrible pain in your back before everything went black.

---------

The class of 1-A stood in awe and horror of the monitors in front of them, of what they had just witnessed of their classmates.

"Hero..." All Might said into the mic held tightly in his grasp. "Hero team...... wins!"

Even as he says this, the teens around him stare at the screens that showed Iida tending to Uraraka who was reeling and nauseous. And Midoriya, who laid past out on the floor in front of Bakugo who was too stunt to move.

"What the heck?" Kaminari spoke through the silence of the class. "The losers are practically uninjured, and the winners are on the ground..."

"They lost the battle, but won the war, huh?" Tokoyami, the boy cloaked in black with the head of a dark bird spoke next.

"This is training, though." Asui was next to speak solely, but they were all silent as the next boy to speak screamed.

"Where's Y/n!?" It was Kirishima, the boy who became quick friends to the star-like girl. The camera feed that was tracking her was not long in use, only showing static of black and white.

Kirishima watched her attitude change towards the climax of the battle, the way her body shook, and the vacancy in her eyes made his heart drop in worry and he wondered what it was that made her change. What was it that made her run into the thick of the battle without looking back?

She was crying, and as a man, he couldn't let a girl cry and not help. He couldn't let his friend cry and not help.

He screamed again at his teacher again who was searching the cams for the student who yelled at him with an anger that rivaled a villain, the student that was hit full force unknowingly with All Of One.

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Kirishima..." He felt another one of his new friends, Sero, place a hand on his shoulder, but he was in no mood for comfort.

He wanted to know that he didn't just watch his friend die.

Suddenly, the static cam focused. It was the camera that was placed on her person as the other students had in case the cams in the building couldn't find them.

The cam glitched every now and then and it was dark, with only cracks of light showing through. Then, ever so slowly, the light came full-on.

In the frame was a shaking, bruised, and bloodied hand, that reached for the light which turned out to be the ever clear sky.

The students watched in horror a the camera switched to one that was placed on the roof.

Under copious amounts of rubble and debris was their galaxy covered classmate, bloodied and broken and clawing her way out of the mess she was buried under. The blood that leaked from her frame was a mix of deep red and a glittering star pattern, almost like the ink from a red pen dipped into the white speckled dots of the night sky.

Not being able to stare any longer, Kirishima pushed some classmates out of the way and slamming his way out the door. He ran as fast as he possibly could, ignoring his teacher's cries from him to stay in the room.

He wasn't going to sit back and watch his friend struggle for life on her first day of school, the first day of her real school. As far as he knew, she was a girl who moved too much and was home-schooled, being she most likely didn't have many friends. Kirishima was going to be the best damn friend she ever had, meaning he would protect her as she had him when they first met.

-------

After everyone finished their tests, they gathered in front of the exit in front of their teacher.

"Good work everyone! We didn't have any major injuries other than Young Midoriya and Young Uchukyuzo, either! You guys took this on seriously! You all did a good job for your first training!"

Asui raised her hand to speak.

"To have such a proper class after Mr. Aizawa's class... It's kind of anticlimactic..."

All the students feel the same, a group of them nodding in agreement to her statement. Despite this, All Might did his best to keep an upbeat attitude.

"We're free to have proper classes, as well! Well then, I must review the results with Young Mirdoriya and Young Uchukyuzo! Change and return...  to the classroom!"

Without much time left, All Might made his quick escape, leaving all the students baffled at his exit.

If only he was telling the truth... about our girl in the stars...

-----

Because of the overabundance of power you gained from the blast that hit you, Recovery Girl was able to heal you all the way, with you feeling just tired enough for a nap. You told her you were fine to leave many times, but she almost hit you when you tried to leave and told you to rest at least a little bit longer.

She realized that the stamina she used to heal you was actually the energy you had stored away, she was glad to know you wouldn't have to heal slowly as Midoriya would. You laid in a bed next to his behind a curtain, you had slept enough and felt fine, but you knew she would just get on you again if you tried to leave so you pretend to sleep while she cared for Midoriya on the other side of the curtain.

Besides, the bed was actually comfy as fuck.

You heard someone come in, you weren't sure who it was but you kept as quiet and still as possible, almost pretending you were dead... or close to it so you could eavesdrop.

"The school year has just begun, and he's already been in here three times!" You heard recovery girl scold whoever it was that was in the room with you, feeling a slight stinging in your heart and eyes as she didn't even mention you at all.

"Why didn't you stop him, All Might?"

You flinched, then opened your eyes wide, slowly turning your head as to not make noise. The curtain was in the way so you couldn't see much, but the shadow of the figure was not at all the height of All Might nor as muscular as him.

Could... she be wrong? She was old... but she didn't seem the type to be wrong about who she was talking to... But... that... can't be All Might...

Right?

"I apologize, Recovery Girl." His voice was deep and sounded like a calmer version of All Might...

Was this really All Might?

Like the ninja and forgotten child you were, you slowly made your way off the bed, silently glad you didn't change out of your hero costume and stay on the balls of your bare feet.

You made sure not to push or move the certain as you carefully look past them to see who was there, you hear beating quickly in your ears at the need to stay quiet.

"What are you apologizing to me for?"

Your eyes go as wide as saucers when you see that oh so familiar red, yellow, and blue costume. He was skinny as hell and his face was sunken in, his blonde hair was a mess with two long strands framing his skinny face. And the eyes.

You saw Recovery Girl move in the corner of your eye and quickly moved back behind the curtain, successfully doing so without causing a draft to move the curtain.

"On top of his total exhaustion, he was here just yesterday. I can't treat him all at once. I did first-aid treatment already, so after the IV is finished, we can only wait for his body to heal slowly overnight."

You heard her chair move again so you slowly poked your head out to watch the unsuspecting adults once more, still in shock that the man standing there was actually All Might.

What happened to him? Was e suddenly hit with a quirk that made him look weak when you were out? You were pretty sure there was no one like that in your class... Why did he look like you after he left you alone for years?

"Jeez, I know he's your favorite and that you passed on your powers to him, but doesn't mean you should spoil him!"

'passed on his powers?' You went back behind the curtains and slowly made your way back over to the bed, you knew who was in the room now and really all you wanted to do now was listen. You got back in bed just in time for Recovery Girl to mention you, which made you quickly close your eyes and fake sleep.

"Not only that, but he also ended up injuring another student life-threateningly because you didn't stop it!"

You heard shuffling before 'All Might' spoke quietly.

"Is she in here?" You had a feeling he as speaking about you.

"Of course she is, where else would she be?"

"Then should we not speak of this here?" You heard his underlining panic, then heard movement coming your way.

You heard the curtains move, your eyes closed as you faked a deep sleep, as if you weren't at all listening to everything they were saying.

"Her powers allowed me to heal her perfectly fine, and though she told me she could leave, I told her to stay for rest. She's in deep sleep now, she's been sleeping for a long while now. She's strong, but I could tell that even before her injuries she was tired."

The was silence for a moment, then All Might spoke up.

"She... Doesn't seem to like me."

"Did you realize this before or after your underling almost killed her?"

You heard him sigh.

"She... yelled at me before the class had really even started. She gave attitude and didn't like any word that came from my mouth... she looked at me like was a monster... I hadn't really expected that from a student."

"Please," Recovery girl commented. "you are probably being over dramatic. She's a teen after all. Besides, once again, I doubt she will be fond of you when she wakes up."

The curtains moved again and it sounded like they returned to the spots they were in before.

"You know, if it were anyone else who took that lethal hit from raw One For All, they would be dead."

There was a long drag of silence, you yourself thought about what happened as well. It was true, if you had any other quirk, you wouldn't be here now. Your ability to absorb energies and use them like an exploding star was the only reason you took that blast so well.

Sure, it fucked you up badly, but to have that much energy left in your body to allow Recovery Girl to heal you completely was almost like God telling you to be thankful for your quirk.

"I think you should become closer to her since you are so sure she hates you. After this, your image in her eyes will no doubt be damage, so make things right with her. Just because this boy holds your powers now, doesn't give you the right to ignore your other students simply because they are not him."

The silence hung before you heard him sigh.

"There is nothing I can say to that. Because I wanted to consider his feelings, I hesitated to stop the training match. Even so... will you please not talk about One For All so loudly?"

'To late you piece of shit, secrets out' You thought to yourself in your head, you weren't going to let up on your underlining hate for him anytime soon. Especially now that you learned that he's playing favorites with Midoriya, who you had beef with after he pushed your help away during the test and almost killed you.

Granted, you ran out into the open with no plan, but it was his and Uraraka's fault for doing something so dangerous in the building in the first place. If that weapon hand been real and they pulled that shit, you would have all been dead or close to it.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Natural-Born Hero. Mr. Symbol of Peace." Recovery Girl responded, it made you wonder what All Might's personality was really like, but your anger for him shoved that thought away as you continued to listen.

"My injury and this form of mine are common knowledge among the U.A. teachers and a certain group of pros, but the secret of my quirk, One For All, is known only to you, the principal, my close friends, and Young Midoriya."

Your eyes, now open, glared at the ceiling above you.

'And now I know... I wonder how he would feeling knowing there was a rouge person who knew his 'secret' now?'

"I know it's not like you want to rest on your laurels at the top," Recovery Girl interjected. "but is being a 'natural-born hero' or the 'Symbol of Peace' really that important?"

"If I no longer am, then the superhuman society will be seized by evil." You heard him respond, and it took everything in you not to scoff at his words.

It's quite bold of him to think so highly of himself.

'Take a step down from your high horse, asshole, and try walking a mile in my life.' you turn your head and glare at the shadow of him behind the curtain.

'I bet you wouldn't last an hour..'

"This is the responsibility of those of us with this power."

It was silent for another moment longer before Recovery Girl spoke up.

"If that's the case, then it's even more important for you to learn what it means to guide someone."

"Yes, ma'am."

You heard some shuffling then the door to the room open and close, and not even caring about being caught anymore, you sit up in the bed and turn to face the window.

Once upon a time... he promised to guide you. He promised to protect you...

And all you had to do... was wait for him.

But nobody came...

"I suspect you heard all of that, young lady?"

You didn't turn to know she was talking to you, you could feel her eyes on your back as you stared out the window.

"I'm not really surprised you knew I was awake," You sigh, letting your chin touch your chest as you drop your head. You then slightly look over your shoulder at her, raising a brow at her. "if you knew I was awake... how come you didn't tell him?"

She walked over to your side, standing at your right and looking at you with a caring glance.

"You deserve to know, after what happened to you with you and his underling." She looking out the window and you looked as well while she kept talking. "Whatever the case may be in your opinion of him before all this, you have a right to be angry."

You sigh and run a hand over your head and rub your neck, closing your eyes and thinking over everything you learned.

"You're not worried that my hate will make it easy for me to tell others?"

"You don't seem the type to spill secrets," She looks over at you in the eyes. "Even if you wanted to you."

You hated how right she was, you hate him, sure... but you wouldn't out him like that. No matter if you wanted to.

"Guess you're right..." Standing from the bed, you play with your costume as you look to her. "Am I allowed to leave now?"

She let out a sigh.

"Kids these days, don't know what rest is do you?"

You half-smile and shrug, walking past her with a thank you and a bow before leaving. Outside the door you stop and sigh, looking down both sides of the hall before walking back to your class.

You all know what they say.

No rest for the wicked... at least, not from where we stand.

-----

You got out much earlier than Midoriya, luckily for him since if you saw him walking around you would have put him back in the nurses' office anyway.

Kirishima was the first to greet you when you got back, explaining how worried he was and how even though you didn't do too much, the fact that you took that hit full force and lived was manly as hell.

It made you laugh and feel a little bit better, you'd never had someone compliment you before meeting him, let alone had anyone really worry about you.

Next to come to you was Uraraka and Iida.

Uraraka was basically in tears apologizing again and again for letting that happen to you, Iida was also apologizing about not grabbing you fast enough.

You assured Uraraka that no you didn't hate her (that much) and that you weren't sure of her and Midoriya's plan so it was mostly your fault, and you told Iida that you weren't on his team so it wasn't his job to keep you safe.

After that classes went to normal, if not for having Kirishima checking on you a lot, which was very sweet.

The one you were surprised was so silent was the boy behind you, he was quiet almost the whole time, which honestly freaked you out more than him screaming in your face. And, in actuality, upon seeing his quirk you felt like you two were quite similar.

But only the quirk is similar, other than that you both were very different.

Either way... you were hoping to talk to him about it. As hot-headed as he may seem, you could tell he was strong and smart. With similar quirks, you both could learn something.

After classes was done, Kirishima asked if you wanted to wait for Midoriya like some of your classmates.

You rolled your eyes.

"Pass."

Kirishima's hands dropped and he looks a little sad, Uraraka was there and looked at you sadly as well.

"You're still mad?"

You looked at her, then to Kirishima, then down at your body which surprisingly enough was still aching.

"Nah, it's okay that he threw out teamwork to have some dick-measuring contest with this kid," You point your thumb at Bakugo who was quietly getting ready to leave, him glaring and growling at you when you spoke of him. "and then when he finally does use teamwork he uses it with only you and basically almost killed me on the first day of school..."

Everyone present in the room was silent, even Bakugo who was staring at the back of your head.

You roll your eyes and pick up your school bag, walking past everyone to the doors of the class.

"Yeah, no shit I'm still fuckin' mad. For his sake and yours, I'll leave so I don't send him into the hospital instead of the nurse. But, ya know, have fun praising the kid... We all know he deserves it, right?"

You glare at everyone across the room then slam the door so hard is slide open again then slowly drifts shut just from the shear strength you put behind it, and you made your way out of the building as fast as possible.

Of course, you were mad! You were mad about a lot of things right now!

He almost killed you, he's the underling to All Might whose picking favorites with him, All Might's true form in weak as fuck, All Might himself is your god damn teacher, and you don't have any food for dinner so you're gonna have to either steal or look in the trash where you belong and live.

So yeah, you're pissed.

Why did someone like him get picked by All Might to have his powers? What about him made him worthy of that privilege? What did All Might see in him--

"... That he didn't see in me?" You mumbled the last part to yourself quietly, stopping just outside the school's front entrance past the huge gate.

You felt a familiar sting in your eyes and nose just thinking about it all.

Why didn't All Might come back for you? Were you really that forgettable? Were you really that easy to manipulate and get rid of? Were they all right? That All Mighty is the worst of the worst when it comes to respectable heroes?

... Should you do what they told you to so long ago and join them in really thinking about killing--

"Kacchan!"

Your eyes went wide and you quickly hid, glancing behind the gate to see Bakugo walking out of the school with his head down and Midoriya running after him. You were so caught up in your own mind you forgot you had wanted to talk with Bakugo, so you would eavesdrop (again) and hope whatever conversation that was going to happen would hurry so you could finally talk with Bakugo.

Bakugo stopped walking and glared at Midoriya over his shoulder, which in turn made Midoriya stop not too far from him. He looked nervous and that he was debating with himself.

"There's one thing I feel like I have to tell you." Midoriya said, and you leaned closer while still hidden trying to listen in.

Part of your brain slightly mocked you in a villainous tone.

'Old habits die hard, don't they, Y/n?'

You shake it off and continue listening.

"My quirk is something I received from someone else."

'Oh, was that it? I knew that already.' You thought as you roll your eyes.

"I can't say who I got it from, though!" Midoriya continued, and without really knowing it, you were glaring at him just as hard as Bakugo was.

"I won't... But it's like a story out of comic books, except it's true. On top of that, I still can't control it properly." He was looking down the whole time while he was speaking, but he clenched his hand as he said the next thing. "I hurt Y/n really badly..."

"It's just a borrowed power that I haven't made my own yet. That's why... I tried to beat you without using it. But in the end, I couldn't win and had to rely on it."

You saw how Bakugo began to shake at this point, and honestly, you were with him. To act like all of that justifies his actions...

"I've still got a long way to go... That's why--"

Bakugo was actually shaking now, and you had to bit your lip to stop the laugh you could feel growing in your throat. Midoriya put his good hand on his cast and continued his pointless speech.

"One day, I will make this quirk my own and beat you with my own power!"

You held a hand over your mouth to stop the urge to yell at him, knowing this moment had nothing to do with you and just let it all play out.

For a moment the two boys just stared at each other before all hell broke loose.

"What the hell is that?" Bakugo turned around, now facing him head-on. "'Borrowed power'? You're talking nonsense. What are you trying to do, make me out to be more of a fool than you already have? Huh?"

You could feel a ping in your heart for the explosive boy as he became more and more emotional, it seems that you weren't the only one emotionally torn by today's dumb training.

"What are you trying to say? Today, I lost to you... That's all it was... That's all... As I watched the ice guy, I thought, "I can't beat him"!"

Bakugo than grabbed his face as he got more and more frustrated.

"Damn it! I ended up agreeing with what that ponytail girl said! Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Hey, you too, Deku! I'm just... I'm just getting started! You hear? Here, I will become number one!"

You slowly brought a hand up to your fast beating heart as your cheeks flushed and your mind went completely blank of anything but the blonde-haired, ruby eyes boy whose words were like an arrow to the heart.

You suddenly felt a shift in your person, as if everything you'd ever really understood went to a violent halt and took a step back. You weren't at all expecting his words to affect you, but as you gripped the place above your heart you couldn't stop your feelings from changing.

You didn't see Bakugo as a classmate, or just an angry boy anymore...

You saw him as a boy you wanted to walk beside as an equal, on the same level as him as power, strength, intelligence, learn from him, to trust him, just to be...

"with him..." You whispered, watching Bakugo turn and angrily wipe at his eyes with his sleeve, walking away towards where you hid behind the front gate.

"You won't beat me again, bastard!"

You watched Midoriya's body go lax, most likely from being so stiff in front of Bakugo, and your eyes go wide as you then all of a sudden hear the voice you didn't want to hear right now.

"There he is! Young... Bakugo!" All Might was quickly behind Bakugo, who was still covering his face with his arm, while All Might place his hands on both of Bakugo's shoulders.

"Just so you know, pride is important. You definitely have the abilities needed to become a pro. You still have a lot of--"

"Let go of me, All Might. I can't walk."

Seemingly confused, All Might looked at Bakugo, who in return turned slightly over his shoulder to glare.

"I'll become a hero that surpasses even you without you telling me!"

"Huh?" All Might let go of Bakugo, who quickly turned away with his arms still blocking his face. "Uh, right."

You watched Bakugo walking closer to you, which made you step out from behind the gate and look at him in a telling way. He glared as he passed you, and you let him.

You turned and saw Midoriya and All Might still standing in front of the school. Midoriya was looking at you in horror, surprised that you were there at that you possibly over heard, and All Might was also surprised to see you.

But you stared at them blankly before turning away and taking quick steps to follow Bakugo.

"Hey, Bakugo, wait up!" You jogged after him but he didn't respond, you ran in front of him and stopped in his path, forcing him to not only stop but look at you.

"The hell do you want, shitty star girl?" He glares at you. "Do you always listen in on other peoples conversations or was that right reserved for me?"

"Oddly enough, you and broccoli head were not the only conversation I spied on today." You comment, shrugging your shoulders at him.

"What do you want?" He asked again.

"I think you and I should be friends."

"Go to hell." He then tried to walk past you but you put your hands out and stopped him with a nod.

"Fair enough, but more than that, I think you and I would be great partners."

"Huh?" He sneered and raised a brow at you, you didn't notice it because of the sun's lighting but his cheeks turned a little pink.

"For training? It's undeniable that you and I have similar quirks, or...are you not as smart as I thought you were?"

He groans and rolls his eyes.

"What the hell is your point, star girl?!"

"My point is we can learn from each other." You finally said, throwing your hands out. He scoffed.

"What would I have to learn from you?"

"Well, for one, have you ever tried letting out short bursts instead of full-on hits every time?"

He was quiet and still glaring, but in his head, he started to think about that strategically.

"Or, using the heat of your blasts to your advantages?"

"What the hell would you get out of this then, huh?" He countered, looking you up and down. You smile and cross your arms.

"You're smart, you're strong, you see things differently than I do. I just want to study with you and become as strong as you."

He scoffs again, covering up the fact that his heart jumped at the compliments that came from you.

"Like I would study with a dumb ass like you."

"Fair, but all I'm saying is to think about it, okay?" You reason, waving your hand around in front of you. "I'll be honest with you, this is my first time in school ever. I've never been to school before this, so there's a lot going on that I don't really understand.

"I get it, you've got a lot of pride, and that's admirable to a point. Where ever you were before in school, you aren't at that spot now, and I get it. It sucks, trust me. To be so close to victory only to have it stole, I get it."

He was silent as you talked, unknowingly hanging off your every word. Unlike Midoriya, he actually wanted to hear what you had to say... Like you said, new views. He had his view and you had yours, and despite every bit of pride in his body telling him not to, he could see that what you were saying was pretty true.

You both would benefit from allying together.

"Again, you don't have to make that choice right now, hell, you don't even have to give me an answer in a week. Just think about it, and when you find the answer, pull me aside at school."

"Huh? Your not gonna try and 'hang' with me outside of school?" He questioned, usually he suspected this is the part you'd give him your number. (putting aside the fact that he actually wanted it).

You sigh and look off to the side.

"For one, I don't have a phone. And I guess we can hang outside of school, but only if you want to and it can never be where I live."

"Huh?" He looks at you skeptical, and you just hoped he wouldn't ask why not go to your house.

You both stand in silence for a moment, and you looked at him in the eyes.

"Think about it, okay?"

He stares at you for a moment longer, then scoffs and looks away with a slight pout.

"Fine, just move so I can go home."

"Right, sorry." You move out of his way, and he walks past you with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

He didn't get far before you called out to him again.

"Bakugo!"

"Oh my god! What the fuck else do you want!?" He yells irritated, turning to glare at you. You smile at him and wave your hand.

"Thank you for listening, I know I can be unbearable."

And with that you turn and make your way back to your 'home', Bakugo staring after you, watching you walk away.

He didn't really understand why he stopped to talk to you anyway, but part of him told him he doesn't regret it.

From where he stood, you were someone to watch.

[officialleehadan]

Five Energies in Conflict

Absolute knew they were there.

Obviously, they weren’t subtle. Between Ice and Quasar closing in with the howling monster tornado, lit form within by poisonous blue radiation, and the shockwaves of electromagnetic blackouts from Neutron’s heart, there really wasn’t any question.

Of course, she also thought she could beat them, and she might not be wrong. 

Absolute kinetic energy was the kind of thing that couldn’t be predicted. She was already so powerful that she caused earthquakes when she ran, and could demolish a building with a few good hits, sending shockwaves through the steel and concrete until it crumbled on top of her, only for the rubble to rocket away before it could ever touch her skin. 

But she thought she could win, and human will could do extraordinary things under pressure. 

Of course, she also never faced anyone of her own level before, and most of the Powered community shied away from thinking about Elementals, and what could happen if they were left unchecked. 

Absolute, driven insane by the presence, and then the loss, of her Opposite, was the worst kind of loose cannon. 

Ice walked forward, step by step as the air froze to his skin, leaving him covered in frost that shimmered blue from the heatless flames that ghosted around Quasar. He could feel the pull of the other Elemental’s Power, like a sinkhole under his feet, pulling what little heat he managed to scrape up into a tight, downward spiral. 

Quasar had stopped shivering a while ago, and lost the parka when his own Power kicked up to full gear. 

Neither of them had ever been critical before. Ice was close when Inferno found him, and they managed to get Quasar and Neutron together before they did, either. 

He couldn’t imagine how Absolute must feel, shaking apart without any hope for control.

Maybe she was too crazy to even notice. 

When the fog rolled around them, he basked in it. In the feeling, eve so brief, of heat, and the faint scent of Inferno carried by the wind. Again, the temperature plummeted, until the particles of mist were weightless, floating ice crystals, and Quasar’s radiation-glow spread until every shadow faded away in the ever-present light. 

“Cover,” Quasar said, mindless of the way every scrap of metal around him glowed and then went soft as his radiation hit it. The red of burning metal clashed with the blue glow, and cast everything into an eerie purple-red-blue haze that seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once. “They think she might bolt.”

“She won’t,” Ice murmured. He could feel her ahead. Feel the way his ice particles hit Absolute’s kinetic field and bent away. “She thinks she’s the hero. She thinks we’re the villains. In her mind, this is her great moment to prove herself.”

“She’s insane.”

“Yes. But she doesn’t know it.”

They moved onward, and Ice focused his power into the air, dropping the temperature faster and faster with Quasar’s Power feeding his own and driving them both deeper and deeper into critical overload. 

They didn’t have long. With five Elementals all going critical at once, they risked the whole planet.

Of course, if they didn’t bring Absolute down, the planet would die anyway. 

Ice was the one weapon they had against Absolute, and that made his job the most dangerous. 

Kinetic energy had one vulnerability. 

Cold slowed everything down.

If Ice could get her cold enough, fast enough, and Quasar damaged her cell structure before she could repel him, Inferno and Neutron could hit her and overcharge her too fast for her own body to compensate.

But first, they had to get close enough.

And Absolute knew they were there.

“She’s circling us,” Ice told Quasar over the howl of the tornado around them. He tracked Absolute by the ice crystals around her, and kept his wall of silent, sluggish cold on top of her. If she bolted, or charged them, they would have to be fast to hold her off. As a precaution, Ice wrapped them both in his namesake, hardened plates of supercooled ice that clung to their heavy clothes. “If she attacks now…”

“She wants to know what we’re up to first,” Quasar said. The black hole that was his energy absorption deepened by the moment, pulling Ice’s own out-of-control Power with it. They echoed off each other. The colder Ice got, the faster Quasar amped up his own negative absorption. “Get ready. She’s about done looking.”

The impact came so fast that Ice didn’t even see her before Absolute was right before him, eyes wild. Her hair floated in the grasp of her own powers, defying the wind all around them. Her lips were chapped, and her skin was tight against her face. 

Dehydration, Ice’s brain helpfully supplied. Probably starvation too. Inferno had to eat constantly to fuel his Power. Absolute was probably struggling to take in enough calories to survive, and that was before they forced her critical status even higher. 

“Where is she?” Absolute demanded. There was a red rim around her eyes, as if she had been crying, and her nails were bloody, no doubt the cause of the deep scratches on her arms. She was ripping herself apart just to feel something. 

The worst kind of insanity. The kind that ate you alive, and slowly tore away everything that once made you human.

Ice understood. He remembered the way the frost thickened over his skin, dampened his senses, and made everything feel far away.

He had scars on his arms, just like hers, from clawing at his own skin, desperate for any contact, even if it made him bleed. 

“She’s dead,” he told her as she circled them suspiciously. Her skin was starting to pale now, the flush of her overactive powers encountering the cold of his. Negative thermal energy could counter positive kinetic energy, but sooner or later, she would catch on, and then they were in trouble. “You killed her, Absolute.”

“No!” she snarled, going from wary to furious in a breath. She flickered past him and stared at Quasar. “No! I feel her! Where is she?”

“Dead,” Quasar repeated, and let his radiation filter into the storm faster, the blue around them deepening as he let his own Power off the hook for the first time. “Absolute, you must stop this. People are dying.”

“I’m a hero!”

She tried to run, but Ice flung his hand out and his namesake followed. Absolute might be fast, might be pure kinetic energy, but water still couldn’t be compressed, and ice was still slippery. With a sheet of thick black ice covering the ground, Absolute scrambled and fell. 

Quasar linked hands with Ice, and together they wrapped their powers around Absolute, forcing her down, and wrapping her in blue-glowing sheets of ice. She fought, now with something to push against, and blasted her way out moments later. Shards of ice flew everywhere and Ice turned them aside with a wave of his hand. 

“I’ll kill you all!” Absolute screamed, and tried to get to her feet again, but between the wind and the ice, she was struggling. “You’re just like her! You want me to fail!”

“No,” Ice told her softly, and wondered if she could hear him over the wind as he brought the whole wrath of the tornado, thousands of pounds of frozen water soaked in radiation, down on her. “I wanted to save you. Now, I want you to die.”

But even the cold, nearing absolute zero under the combined force of his Power and Quasar’s, wasn’t enough to hold Absolute for long. 

And when she burst out of the snow, sending pellets in every direction so fast they tore through the buildings around them, and only Quasar, flinging up a blast of radiation that devoured the force of the ice itself and vaporized it instantly, saved Ice from dying on his own Element. 

“I will never die,” Absolute said, gazing with the effort of fighting them off. Her lips were blue, and there was frost in her hair, but she was still on her feet, and still in the fight. “And when I kill you, there will be no one left on this world who can challenge me! I’ll be the best! I’ll be Absolute!”

“You will,” Quasar told her, hand still out and blazing as radiation fire swirled around them, forming a whirling funnel around him as it filtered into the still-screaming tornado. Ice sent a quick thought towards the telepaths watching his mind for messages. The storm was useless now. He had hoped the snow would hold her, and now it was just a distraction. “You will be absolute, and you will destroy everything. That’s’ what we are. We’re Elemental, and like the great elements, when we go critical, we become the thing we fear the most.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Absolute laughed wildly, and flung her hands out. Cars, abandoned on the street, lifted off the ground. “Not even you!”

“You will,” Ice said as the storm faded around them. It was time to take the gloves off, and end this. He sank into his power and the ground under him screamed as it froze instantly, ice-flowers shooting up where the water in the ground expanded too fast for the soil to move. Absolute was fast, but she couldn’t repel something with no mass. Already, the earthquakes under them were slowing. Her heart was struggling with the cold. “I’m sorry.”

He shot a handful of ice skyward, a signal, blazing with radiation, where it burst as a silent, frozen firework and hung in the air as snow that drifted down around them. Moments later, he felt a wall of heat, stinking of a different radiation that was just as devastating and every bit as powerful as Quasar’s, charge through the icy mist towards them. Moments later, he could smell the harsh, acrid smoke of burning concrete, and the fog lit red with flames.

Absolute wasn’t the only one at full power, and Inferno and Neutron were ready to take their chances against the hero who wanted them all dead.

 +++

Opposing Elements:

Elemental Powers are immense, and impossible to  control. Usually that impossible power kills whoever is unlucky enough  to bear it. Now the world has to figure out what happens when it doesn’t.

Cold Front

Elemental

Rising Power

Neutron Star

Colliding Galaxies

Four Sides of the Axis

Off Balance

In Motion

Kinetic Plan (Subscriber Only)

Critical (Subscriber only!)

Touch of Winter (Subscriber Only!)

Heat Things Up (Subscriber Only!)

+++

MORE STORIES!

+++

[badbackgroundscience]

Science of “The Seven”

I watched Amazon’s The Boys this week. So instead of the usual 60′s Marvel fare, here’s some tangential science relating to the superpowers featured in the show:

1. Homelander can’t see through zinc.

This is obviously a play on Superman not being able to see through lead, but the switch brings up some problems with the physics involved. X-rays - light with wavelengths ranging between 0.01 and 10 nm* - can’t travel through a lump of lead because lead is super dense. It’s nearly the heaviest non-radioactive element, with (usually) 208 protons+neutrons and 82 electrons. And its atoms pack very closely together.**

Combining that density with the fact that lead atoms are also very good at attenuating x-ray light (meaning the amount of x-ray photons that can penetrate a certain thickness of lead drops exponentially as that thickness increases), it makes sense that Superman’s x-ray vision’s weakness is lead.

But zinc is a smaller atom (usually 64 protons+neutrons and 30 electrons) and its atoms don’t pack as tightly; it’s about 1.5 times less dense than lead. It’s X-ray attenuation is generally lower, but not too different, from lead (compare this graph vs this one). Together, this makes it easier for x-rays to penetrate zinc than lead.

So why can’t Homelander see through zinc, but (supposedly) see through lead? It could be that the x-rays he emits correspond to a wavelength that zinc absorbs more than lead does. Annoyingly, the absorption spectra I can find all seem to be dealing with zinc compounds (e.g. ZnO, ZnS) instead of pure zinc metal. So I can’t tell you exactly what wavelength that would need to be.

Sorry.***

2. The Deep has torso gills

Fish are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature is regulated by their environment. Mammals - including cetaceans (i.e. whales, porpoises, and dolphins) - are endotherms. We generate our own body heat. Kevin presumably does, too.

This means that a man needs more oxygen than a man-sized fish does. About 15 times the oxygen, in fact. It’s the gills’ job to extract oxygen from water and pump it into the fish’s bloodstream; bigger fish have bigger gills, but a 75-kg man needs gills 15 times the size of a 75-kg fish’s. Not necessarily in length, but in collection area. And that’s assuming you’re not doing any physical activity that ups your oxygen requirements.

But on top of that, oxygen is far less abundant in water than it is in air - about 20 times less for the same volume. If an average human needs a quart**** of oxygen per minute, their gills would need to strain 51 gallons of water every minute to meet that requirement.

Combining these two factors, designer and material scientist-dabbler Jun Kamei is developing a set of artificial gills, and claims the final device will have a surface area of 32 square meters (344 square feet).

The human lung surface area is somewhere around 75 square meter range, so if you’ve got gills that can pack as efficiently as lungs do, you probably could fit them into your abdomen. Maybe not Chase Crawford’s abdomen, but a stockier human’s abdomen.

The real problem here is that Kevin’s doing himself no favors by covering the gills up while he’s underwater. Water rushing through the gills is the whole point, and you’ve just made it 1000% harder.

3. A-Train (and Popclaw) booms and bu(r)sts

According to the race announcer that one episode, A-Train can reach speeds over 1000 miles per hour. Assuming that’s true and not a horrible exaggeration, as soon as he passes the speed of sound (767 mph at sea level), A-Train would create sonic booms. Not a single boom. Constant booms for as long as he’s going fast enough. You (as a single individual) only hear one, but that’s only because you’re not moving.

We never see him do this, so we must conclude he’s not a complete idiot and only goes this fast when he’s far away from people and architecture. (If I read the screen right, he only clocks in at 371 in his race.)

As for the secret girlfriend he murdered, there are several species of amphibians that can stick their own bones out through their skin to use as weapons. For example, species of frog within the genus Astylosternus, and Trichobatrachus robustus (aka the hairy frog). The Spanish ribbed newt can push its ribs out through its torso; when threatened, its skin also secrets poison, turning its bones into poisonous barbs.*****

4. Translucent isn’t see-through. He’s see-around.

As the man explains to Jimmy the late night host (No, not that Jimmy the late night host...the other Jimmy the late night host), his skin can convert at will to a “carbon metamaterial” that bends light around it. 

We don’t know if there are other elements involved besides carbon, but if there aren’t, the real-world comparison is graphene -- an atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded to each other forming a honeycomb pattern.

Given its thickness, it’s translucent itself. [Side note: yes, “translucent” doesn’t mean invisible. However, some dictionaries (e.g. Merriam Webster and the OED) include alternative definitions identical to "transparent"...which goes against everything I ever learned. But either way, he actually is translucent when he isn’t “translucent”. Because human skin is translucent, assuming there isn’t too much melanin in it.]

A 2D sheet of graphene has a breaking strength of 42 Pa (0.0061 psi). That number seems super small, but it's actually reflecting the strongest material we know of. You'd need 4,300 pounds balanced on a pencil (pointy end on the graphene) to break through that atom-thick sheet.

Alternatively, if I did my back-of-the-envelope math right, you’d need a 50 gram .50-cal bullet traveling at ~770,000 mph (and coming to a stop in ~1 millisecond). Now, the human epidermis averages ~1mm thick. That's 3 million layers of graphene. 

However, if you manage to put a crack into your graphene, it becomes brittle on par with a ceramic.`*

As for being able to electrocute Translucent because carbon is “highly conductive”, graphene is indeed so; however, other carbon compounds aren't (e.g. diamonds). It all depends on the positioning of electrons within the solid (moving electrons = flowing charge). Since we don’t know what Translucent’s metamaterial is, we’ll have to take the show at its word.

Though here’s some bonus info: metamaterials are all synthetic. Which would mean that Translucent had this skin installed somehow. Or, it’s a very subtle dig at Compound V being used to create superheroes that only I caught.

The one thing that the season left bugging me about Translucent was his eyeballs. Somehow those are see-through.

5. Starlight pushes it real good

Our newest member of the Seven can use concentrated light to knock baddies off their feet, as well as throw them several meters back. This is an exaggerated form of reality. Light can actually push stuff. 

Photons do exert a teeny tiny amount of pressure on whatever they hit. It’s called radiation pressure. The amount is sufficient for something like a solar sail (The above image is LightSail 2), but not wiping the floor with a criminal.

According to (more) envelope math, Starlight would need to emit ~30 PetaWatts to deliver a good boxer-level punch to a baddie standing ~2 meters away. That's the equivalent amount of energy released by 7.2 million tons of TNT exploding, in 1 second. 

Also, given the color of the light she emits, she’s probably emitting a spectrum identical to our Sun, meaning she’s emitting a ton of light that normally gets blocked by our atmosphere, including x-rays and ultraviolet radiation.

She’s definitely given someone a melanoma at some point during her life. Or at least a very bad sunburn.

Bonus: Ice Princess shatters wangs

Final back-of-the-envelope math, calculating how fast that guy's (presumably erect) penis would freeze being enveloped by an ice vagina at -346 °F (-210 °C). A combination of calculating the heat lost per second via conduction, and the amount of energy lost as body-temp water cools and converts to ice.

Came out to 0.1 seconds. 

Faster than I expected...

_______________________________________________________________________

* Visible light is ~400-700 nm

** There are several (nonradioactive) metals more dense than lead, but more rare/expensive, like gold and iridium. 

*** Also, brass can be up to 45% zinc. Does that mean Homelander can only sort of see through brass?

**** Get out of here with your imperial units, self...

***** Fun fact: it can regenerate lost limbs, heart tissue, brain cells, and its spinal cord

`* Butt cracks don’t count.

_______________________________________________________________________

Image credits:

Zinc - CC BY 3.0

gills By Chris 73, CC BY-SA 3.0

frog claws from Barej et al 2010

sonic boom By I, Melamed katz, CC BY-SA 3.0

graphene By U.S. Army Materiel Command, CC BY 2.0

lightsail 2 By Josh Spradling / The Planetary Society CC BY-SA 3.0

ice by Ian Mackenzie CC BY 2.0

[nicklloydnow]

“In 1958, as a young scientist for the U.S. Navy, I witnessed the detonation of an 8.9-megaton thermonuclear weapon as it sat on a barge in Eniwetok Atoll, in the Marshall Islands. I watched from across the lagoon at the beach on Parry Island, where my group prepared instrumentation to measure the atmospheric radiation. Sixty-three years later, what I saw remains etched in my mind, which is why I’m so alarmed that the use of nuclear weapons can be discussed so cavalierly in 2022.

Although the potential horror of nuclear weapons remains frozen in films from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the public today has little understanding of the stakes of the Cold War and what might be expected now if the war in Ukraine intentionally or accidentally spins out of control.

(…)

In a nuclear detonation, the thermal and shock effects are the most immediate and are unimaginable. The fission-fusion process that occurs in a thermonuclear explosion happens in a millionth of a second.

As I watched from 20 miles away, all the materials in the bomb, barge and surrounding lagoon water and air, out to a radius of several feet, had been vaporized and raised to a temperature of tens of million degrees.

As the X-rays and neutrons from the bomb raced outward, they left the heavier material particles behind, creating a radiation front that was absorbed by the surrounding air. The radiation, absorption, reradiation and expansion processes continued, cooling the bomb mass within milliseconds.

The outer high-pressure shock region cooled and lost its opacity as it raced toward me, and a hotter inner fireball again appeared.

This point in the process is called breakaway, occurring about three seconds after detonation, when the fireball radius was already nearly 5,500 feet.

By now, the fireball had begun to rise, engulfing more and more atmosphere and sweeping up coral and more lagoon water into an enormous column. The ball of fire eventually reached a radius of 1.65 miles.

(…)

About 30 or 40 seconds after detonation, I took off the goggles and watched the angry violet-red and brown cloud from the fireball.

As the rising cloud started to form a mushroom cap, I waited for the shock wave to arrive. In the distance, I could see a long vertical shadow approaching. I instinctively opened my mouth and moved my jaw side to side to equalize pressure difference across my eardrums, closed my eyes and put my hands over my ears.

Pow!

It hit me like a full body slap, knocking me back. I opened my eyes to see another shadow approaching from a slightly different direction. Over the next few seconds, I felt several smaller blows created by reflections of the pressure wave off distant islands.

The fireball kept expanding and climbing at over 200 miles per hour, reaching an altitude of about 2 miles. The boiling mass 20 miles away turned into a mixture of white and gray vapor and continued its climb until it reached somewhere about 100,000 feet.

(…)

Mankind conducted more than 500 nuclear tests in the atmosphere before moving operations underground, where we tested 1,500 more. Tests to verify the design of weapons. Tests to measure the impact of radiation on people. Tests to make political statements.

During my early Navy career, I focused on scenarios involving nuclear exchanges that could have killed tens of millions of people — what was known during the Cold War as mutually assured destruction.”

[arxt1]

A massive AGB donor in Scutum X-1: Identification of the first Mira variable in an X-ray binary. (arXiv:2201.09906v2 [astro-ph.HE] UPDATED)

The symbiotic X-ray binary Sct X-1 was suggested as the first known neutron star accreting from a red supergiant companion. Although known for nearly 50 years, detailed characterization of the donor remains lacking, particularly due to the extremely high reddening towards the source ($A_V\gtrsim25$ mag). Here, we present i) improved localization of the counterpart using Gaia and Chandra observations, ii) the first broadband infrared spectrum ($\approx1-5\,\mu$m; $R\approx 2000$) obtained with SpeX on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and iii) $J$-band light curve from the Palomar Gattini-IR survey. The infrared spectrum is characterized by i) deep water absorption features (H$_2$O index $\approx 40$%), ii) strong TiO, VO and CO features, and iii) weak/absent CN lines. We show that these features are inconsistent with known red supergiants, but suggest a M8-9 III type O-rich Mira donor star. We report the discovery of large amplitude ($\Delta J\approx3.5$ mag) periodic photometric variability suggesting a pulsation period of $621\pm36\,{\rm(systematic)}\pm8\,{\rm(statistical)}$ days, which we use to constrain the donor to be a relatively luminous Mira ($M_K=-8.6\pm0.3$ mag) at a distance of $3.6^{+0.8}_{-0.7}$ kpc. Comparing these characteristics to recent models, we find the donor to be consistent with a $\approx 3-5$ M$_\odot$ star at an age of $\approx 0.1-0.3$ Gyr. Together, we show that Sct X-1 was previously mis-classified as an evolved High Mass X-ray Binary; instead it is an intermediate mass system with the first confirmed Mira donor in an X-ray binary. We discuss the implications of Mira donors in symbiotic X-ray binaries, and highlight the potential of wide-field infrared time domain surveys and broadband infrared spectroscopy to unveil their demographics.

from astro-ph.HE updates on arXiv.org https://ift.tt/K97n0RD

[biology-geology-beaches-india]

The Science Research Manuscripts of S. Sunkavally, p410.

[i-doodle-bad-tanks]

Inktober Day 21! Prompt: Drain A Soviet-era Alfa-class nuclear hunter-killer submarine!

The Alfa-class SSN was developed in 1957 and put into production in 1964, designed to outspeed every submarine in NATO or Soviet service. To this day, the Alfa is the fastest submarine ever created. Capable of a blistering 45 knots (52 mph), the Alfa was faster than many of the torpedoes used by NATO in the late 1960s & early 70s. Equipped with 6 torpedo tubes, powerful active sonar, and an innovative BM-40A reactor, the Alfa was exceptionally advanced for its time. 

The Alfa class utilized a low-drag, titanium alloy hull in order to maximize speed. This lead to a distinctive noise profile and some initial teething issues due to the Soviet navy’s inexperience with titanium. Reactor-wise, most nuclear submarines in service use a Pressurized Water Reactor(PWR), which is essentially a giant steam boiler that uses uranium for heating. Every single U.S. Navy submarine uses a PWR plant. However, the Alfa used a completely different design: The BM-40A lead-bismuth cooled liquid-metal fast reactor. 

Basically, the reactor replaces water with molten metal, which is able to more efficiently uptake the energy released by the nuclear reaction due to its high density and neutron-absorption capability. While allowing for faster thrust, greater power output, and quicker acceleration; the reactor must be either constantly run or kept heated via super-heated steam in order to keep the metal from solidifying. If the reactor coolant solidifies, the submarine would be forced to be decommissioned. Compared to the more reliable and less complex PWR designs used by the USN and other submarines, the liquid-metal fast reactor is more dangerous but more powerful. 

4 Alfa-class SSNs have been decommissioned due to solidifying coolant, as all the facilities capable of providing super-heated steam to maintain the reactor temperature have been shut down. Consequently, all the Alfa-class SSN reactors are kept running at all times, leading to constant maintenance and a higher accident rate than with a PWR design. All in all, the Alfa was a dangerous experimental submarine that forced the design of more advanced NATO weapons and submarines. 

[vasthiengineeringsworld]

Dew Point transmitter | vasthi instruments

 Dew Point transmitter. Humidity/Temperature transmitter. Relative humidity transmitter.

 Humidity transmitters provide electrical outputs that are proportional to humidity inputs.

 Variables Measured

They measure variables such as relative humidity, absolute humidity, specific humidity, moisture content, dew point, temperature, and pressure.

 ·  Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water in the air compared with the amount of water that the air can hold at the measured temperature.

·  Absolute humidity is the mass of water vapor in a given volume of air.

·  Specific humidity is absolute humidity divided by the total mass of the given volume of air.

·  Moisture content or water content is the ratio of water mass to total mass.

·  Dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled in order for saturation to occur.

·  Pressure and temperature measurements come from devices that include additional probes.  

Humidity Transmitter Technologies

Humidity transmitters use several technologies.

 ·  Capacitive devices contain a dielectric material whose properties change as humidity is detected and capacitance increases.

·  Resistive devices exhibit changes in impedance in response to humidity.

·  Humidity transmitters that use chilled mirrors are cooled to a specific temperature, the dew point, at which moisture begins to condense on the surface.

· Electrolytic devices measure moisture proportional to the current needed to electrolyze it from a desiccant.

·  Infrared (IR) instruments use the infrared spectrum to measure the absorption of moisture.

·  With microwave-based devices, the amplitude and phase of a microwave signal is affected directly by the amount of moisture in a material.

· Psychrometers determine relative humidity by measuring the temperature difference between two thermometers, one wet and one dry.

·  Strain gauges or piezoresistive elements measure the expansion of materials that absorb water.

·  Nuclear humidity transmitters measure how neutrons are slowed by the presence of moisture in a material.

 Specifications

Selecting humidity transmitters requires an analysis of performance specifications and features.

 Image Credit: Care Processing Instruments

 Performance Specifications

Performance specifications include:

 ·  Operating temperature is the temperature range in which devices are designed to operate.

·  Relative humidity range and dew point range are ambient ranges that can be measured with a linear response.

·  Relative humidity accuracy and dew point accuracy are percentages that indicate the closeness of a computed amount to its true value.

Compensation

Some humidity transmitters are temperature-compensated and maintain constant output readings across a range of temperatures. Other devices are pressure-compensated.

 Features

Features for humidity transmitters include:

 ·  Self-calibrating devices will recalibrate themselves between uses.  

· Self-testing and diagnostic devices notify users when an internal fault condition is detected.

·  Data logging devices are capable of logging and storing data.  

· Event-triggered humidity transmitters can be configured to capture or log data when an event occurs.

· Battery-powered devices use batteries for full operation, not just backup.

Output and Displays

Humidity transmitters differ in terms of display type, electrical outputs, and digital outputs.

 There are three basic types of displays.

 ·  Analog meters or gauges use needles or light emitting diode (LED) indicators.

·  Digital readouts are numerical or application-specific displays.

·  Video display terminals (VDT) include cathode ray tubes (CRT) and flat panel displays (FPD).

Outputs

Electrical outputs for humidity transmitters include analog currents, analog voltages, frequencies or pulses, and switches or relays. Digital outputs include Ethernet, modems, parallel interfaces, serial interfaces, small computer systems interface (SCSI), transistor-transistor logic (TTL), and universal serial bus (USB).

[vytisuza-flying]

Radium’s uses all stem from its radioactivity. The most important use of radium was formerly in medicine, principally for the treatment of cancer by subjecting tumours to the gamma radiation of its daughter isotopes. Radium-223, an alpha emitter with a half-life of 11.43 days, has been studied for use in cell-directed cancer therapy, in which a monoclonal antibody or related targeting protein with high specificity is attached to the radium. In most therapeutic applications, however, radium has been superseded by the less costly and more powerful artificial radioisotopes cobalt-60 and cesium-137. An intimate mixture of radium and beryllium is a moderately intense source of neutrons and has been used for scientific research and for well logging in geophysical prospecting for petroleum. For these uses, however, substitutes have become available. One of the products of radium decay is radon, the heaviest noble gas; this decay process is the chief source of that element. A gram of radium-226 will emit 1 × 10−4 millilitre of radon per day.When a radium salt is mixed with a paste of zinc sulfide, the alpha radiation causes the zinc sulfide to glow, yielding a self-luminescent paint for watch, clock, and instrument dials. From about 1913 up until the 1970s, several million radium dials, coated with a mixture of radium-226 and zinc sulfide, were manufactured. By the early 1930s it was found, however, that exposure to radium posed a serious hazard to health: a number of women who had worked with the radium-containing luminescent paint during the 1910s and ’20s subsequently died. They had ingested considerable amounts of radium through the technique called “lip-pointing,” which meant using their lips and tongues to shape their paintbrushes to a fine tip. Like calcium and strontium, radium tends to concentrate in bones, where its alpha radiation interferes with red corpuscle production, and some of those women developed anemia and bone cancer. The practice of employing radium in luminescent coatings was curtailed in the early 1960s after the high toxicity of the material was recognized. Phosphorescent paints that absorb light and later release it have replaced radium. (The detection of exhaled radon provides a very sensitive test for radium absorption.)Radium metal may be prepared by electrolytic reduction of its salts, and it displays high chemical reactivity. It is attacked by water with vigorous evolution of hydrogen and by air with the formation of the nitride. It occurs exclusively as the Ra2+ ion in all its compounds. The sulfate, RaSO4, is the most insoluble sulfate known, and the hydroxide, Ra(OH)2, is the most soluble of the alkaline-earth hydroxides. The gradual buildup of helium within crystals of radium bromide, RaBr2, weakens them, and they occasionally explode. In general, the compounds of radium are very similar to their barium counterparts, making separation of the two elements difficult.In modern technology, radium is separated from barium by fractional crystallization of the bromides, followed by purification through ion-exchange techniques for removal of the last 10 percent of the barium

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Alloys: Zircaloy

Not a specific alloy name, Zircaloy is a trademarked name for a common subgroup of zirconium alloys. Usually at least 95% zirconium by weight, these alloys often contain other metals such as tin, iron, chromium, nickel, and niobium, among other elements, to improve zirconium’s mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Compositions of three zirconium alloys are shown in the top figure above. 

Zirconium as a pure metal has superior thermal properties and a very low absorption cross-section of thermal neutrons, and the main use of zirconium alloys is as cladding for fuel rods for nuclear reactors, especially water reactors. Aside from being corrosion resistant, zirconium alloys are also typically biocompatible and used for body implants such as knees or hips.

One difficultly that arises in using zirconium alloys such as Zircaloy is that the metal is difficult to find without hafnium, and therefore the hafnium must be separated from the zirconium, especially before it can be used in nuclear reactions. Another thing to watch for in zirconium alloys is hydrogen embrittlement, as the oxidation of zirconium in water releases hydrogen gas. 

Sources: ( 1 - image 2 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 )

Image sources: ( 1 ) ( 3 )

[bansalclassesdehradun]

Must-know Finals Topics for 9th & 10th Students - 2019

Most of your syllabus is finished,

Winter Vacations are almost over,

And now finals are coming.

Now that your vacations are over finals are creeping closer day-by-day, it is time to look back on all the things you’ve learned this year and start preparing for the finals.

Here is our list of all the important topics you will need to ace your finals, compiled by our best educators in Bansal Classes.

9th CBSE

Physics

Motion, Force and Laws of Motion, Gravitation, Fluid, Work, Energy and Power and Sound

Chemistry

Mole Concept, Formula Making(EC, Valency), Discovery of Electron, Proton, Thomson Atomic, Bohr's Atomic Model, Electron, Proton, Neutron, Calculation & Atomic, Isotopes, Isobars, Isotaper, Isotons

Maths

Co-ordinate Circles, Surface Area and Volume

Biology

Plant Tissue, Animal Tissue, Cell, Improvement In Food Resources, Plant Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, 5 Kingdom Classification, Diseases

10th CBSE

Physics

Electricity, Magnetic Effect of Electric Current and Light

Chemistry

Organic Nomenclature, Modern Periodic Table, Covalent Bond & Ionic Bond, Oxidization & Reduction, Acid Bases Salt, Extraction of Metals

Maths

Area Related to Circles, Trignometric, Arithmetic Progression, Triangles

Biology

Nutrition in Plants, Nutrition in Animals, Respiratory System in Plants, Respiratory System in Animals, Circulatory System, Excretory System, Plant Reproduction, Animal Reproduction

9th ICSE

Physics

Motion, Force and Laws of Motion, Gravitation, Electricity and Magnetism, Fluid and Heat

Chemistry

Language of Chemistry, Gas Law, Atomic Structure, Periodic Table, Water

Maths

Co-ordinate Geometry, Trigonometric, Mensuration

Biology

Plant Tissue, Animal Tissue, Cell, Respiratory System of Plants, 5 Kingdom Classification, Economic Importance of Bacteria and Fungi, Plant Reproduction, Diseases

10th ICSE

Physics

Work, Energy and Power, Light, Heat, Electricity and Magnetism

Chemistry

Periodic Table(Size, IE, EQ, EN), Chemical Bonding, Ionic Bonds, Covalent Bonds, Co-ordination Bonds, Acid Base Salt, Mole Concept, Electrolysis, Organic Chemistry

Maths

Mensuration, Circles, Equation of Straight Lines, Arithmetic and Geometric Progression

Biology

Absorption by Roots, Photosynthesis, Transpiration, Heart, Circulatory System, Excretory System, Endocrine Glands, Reproductive Glands, Reproductive System

Call +91-8881-121-121 to join our 1-month revision classes for an all-inclusive price of ₹500/- where you’ll get to learn and revise all important topics.

[scientificpokedex]

Requested by @kittycatpasta11​

Pew! It looks like Nebby escaped the bag again, and came straight for our blog! Today we have the pleasure of examining everyone’s favorite bag-defying rebel, Nebby Cosmog. Cosmog is the “Nebula Pokémon”, so naturally we should talk about nebulas.

The word “nebula” comes from the Latin word for “cloud”, which is a pretty good description of what a nebula is. A nebula is cloud in space: but instead of being made of water like clouds in Earth’s atmosphere, they’re made of stuff like hydrogen, helium, ionized gas, and dust. There are four main types of nebulae, so if we want to learn about Cosmog we first need to figure out which kind of nebula it is.

Planetary nebula are sometimes formed when a star dies,  gently puffing out its outer layers until all that’s left is the core of the star, which usually becomes a white dwarf star itself (which you can see as the central dot in all of these images). The central star pumps light energy into the nebula, which causes it to glow the bright colors.

Supernova Remnants, on the other hand, are formed when a star dies violently. When a massive star runs out of fuel to burn, it will explode in a supernova, tearing itself apart at speeds of over 30,000 m/s. A neutron star or black hole is left in the center, and what is left of the star in the explosion becomes the nebula.

The third kind of nebula is called a Dark Nebula or an Absorption Nebula, obecause it “absorbs” and blocks out light behind it. They’re made of molecules, such as molecular hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide -- which is why they’re also called molecular clouds. These are the coldest, and most dense clouds in space. In fact, they are the only nebula dense enough to collapse into stars, forming new baby stars as they collapse.

The last of nebula is called an HII region. HII is astronomy jargon for ionized hydrogen--in other words, just a proton. These clouds are made of mostly protons. HII regions are typically larger than the other nebulas we’ve talked about, and often just had a lot of recent star formation  in them: they were molecular clouds, but since they just formed new baby stars, they’re full of new energy. The baby stars add so much heat and light into the nebula that the molecules are ripped apart once again, leaving mostly protons.

Cosmog, of course, is much smaller than actual nebula. But, we know Cosmog evolves into Cosmoem, the “Protostar Pokémon”, which means that Cosmog must be closest to a star-forming nebula, or a molecular cloud. You can even see the little glowing spots in Cosmog’s arm where it’s starting to form stars.

Cosmog is a dark nebula made up of molecular hydrogen and other molecules, collapsing to form new stars.