#accesible chemistry

[rosenlily-aka-choconut]

hehe i’m back again!

i definitely saw rang’s response to yuri’s kiss as kind of heartbreaking disbelief that she would care—that little laugh he gives ugh my heart—rather than disinterest. in my headcanons they did have some fun together 😏

i haven’t seen the woman who still wants to marry because it’s not online anywhere that’s accesible to me (i think, i checked awhile ago) but i want to! beom looks adorable in it. i find it really funny how they gave him all these cutesy romance roles early on when he had that baby face and then it was just. tormented dongsaengs and action sequences for the next five years lmao

i haven’t heard enough of his singing, i mostly just swooned over his song in bof! need to go further down that wormhole, his voice does things to me

-kbcu anon

Well, I interpreted Rang’s little laugh and that spark in his eyes when Yu-ri kissed him as disbelief and pleasant surprise 😀 I don’t think he took it as more than her elation at having achieved a goal.

The man’s new to someone showing him affection, and he simply smiled, not knowing how else to react, proud of her, interpreting it as her excitement at her achievement - and, it was probably just that on her part. Or, maybe not. Maybe she had feelings for him, and because he never crossed the boundaries of a friend and a mentor, never letting her break down the iron walls he has built around himself, she probably let it go after a while.

Like I said, I would’ve loved to have Rang/Yuri as a couple rather than Yu-ri with Shin-joo. But I’m glad Yeo-hee was able to break down Rang’s walls and get through to him - the man deserves all the love he can get.

As for Beom not doing romantic roles - I think that’s his choice. He has hinted he prefers other genres to romance, and that’s how we’re getting those troubled dongsaengs and tough-guy parts. Padam Padam was quite different though- he was both hot and adorable (how can a man be both ?!!?)

But… he has also said he’s open to romance if the part interests him. So we can only hope. That said, I’ll happily take whatever role he does because he excels in everything. The only show I was disappointed was That winter the wind blows, because he has very little screen time and nothing much to do. And I’m not going to watch Goddess of fire, because though he looks good and has amazing chemistry with the leading lady, he dies pining for her. I don’t like unrequited love.

The woman who still wants to marry is on Youtube - here you go

I don’t know if it’s available in your region or not. Beom is the reason I watched it, but I also liked two of the 3 leading ladies. As for Beom, he’s the ultimate romantic - you should see the way he woos the woman he loves!

Beom’s “I’m going to see you now” in BOF is my favourite k-song. He’s also sung a couple of songs for TWWSWTM, and some Japanese songs which are lovely as well.

[ska-suggestions]

NileRed getting panicky over baking a cookie, the most common and widespread accesible chemistry in the world, from the guy who turned plastic gloves into soda, is a very verrry funny thing to see

[nikkicafeina]

Finally got around to my 2022 book recs list. I read 55 books last year, which is fantastic considering grad school and all that stalled my fun reading for a long time. Obviously I read The Locked Tomb series and I think you should too. Other than that, it's almost all manga and romances on this list. That was my escapism vibe last year, but it's also what the readers in my library enjoy so it's what I'm happy to keep up with.

In vaguely the order I read them, last year's faves are:

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories--I read the entire Folk of the Air series over December/January and it's all great but this novella was my favorite. Holly Black continues to be the best at fairies. I loved how the two characters in the central romance are desperately feral in their own way. This one will make little to no sense without the context of the whole series, and so I reccomend the whole series. It's about an angry human girl who grows up in Fairyland, the dilettante fairy prince who hates her, and all the amoral fairy intrigue and violence that being part of a high court entails.

In the Dream House--I don't normally read memoirs but this has such an intriguing cover. I didn't expect to be taken for a ride through deep feelings about queerness, gender, latinidad, trauma, historiography, relationships, and just like, being a person who occupies space. It's about the author's abusive relationship, yes, but also it's poetically and ruthlessly about her as an entire person.

Alexis Hall--not a book but a rather prolific romance author. Mostly mlm romances, but he runs the gamut in terms of genre and content. I particularly enjoyed Pansies, where a guy goes back to his small hometown after recently coming out and ends up falling for and trying to make amends to the kid he bullied a bit in high-school. How to Bang a Billionaire looks like it's meant to be a Fifty Shades ripoff but its actually really good BDSM with a sub who's knowledgeable and just having a fun time, but the dom has some heavy trauma that I don't know everyone would be down for so heads up. He also has a couple novels that have become very popular recently, so I expect we'll be seeing him a lot. Overall, I appreciate that all of his protags have way more going on than just the relationship, but also the relationships do have genuine chemistry.

Boys Run the Riot--a short manga series about a Trans high-schooler who wants to start a streetwear brand with his friends. It brings up different aspects of queerness and queer culture in Japan, which is really cool.

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler--my husband gifted me a copy because it's one of my favorite childhood books and I'm so happy to say it still holds up even a good sixty years later. A girl convinces her brother to run away to the Met and they become caught up in a mystery surrounding a recent acquisition. The kids are smart as heck but still very much kids and E.L. Konigsburg's writing style has always felt very cozy to me.

Totsukuni no Shoujo/The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil a Rún-- we've established I enjoy fairytales where the fae get to be properly monstrous. This is another manga series, this time about a little girl in a cursed forest who is taken in by a creature she calls "Teacher". He tries to care for her and keep her from becoming cursed herself. Charming, a little spooky, a little sad, and very gorgeous.

Perfect World--a manga series where an able-bodied interior designer reconnects with an architect childhood friend who is now disabled and uses a wheelchair; they fall in love, work together to create accesibly designed buildings, and navigate both his specific disability and being disabled in Japanese society at large. A ton of research obviously went into this series, but more importantly a lot of heart.

Wherever is Your Heart-- novella. Anita Kelly writes some good-ass queer romance of all flavors but this one is particularly noteworthy in being butch4butch and having protagonists in their late forties. It's fairly short and sweet, but you don't need much more than that to enjoy it when June finally works up the courage to ask the bartender at her favorite bar on a date.

And the best book I read in 2022:

House of Leaves-- so this is a book about a guy transcribing an academic work written by different guy about a documentary filmed by another guy about moving into a house with his family. It's also about narratives within narratives, the relationship between reading and the reader, and the relationship between the storyteller and the story. It’s a love letter to academic analysis and a scathing critique of academic analysis. It's actual posmodernism. It's a damn good horror novel. It's an experience. It's a book that 100% could never work as anything other than a book. People will tell you it's a hard read but it's not! You just have to engage with it and think about it a little. Read it! It's great!

[balkanradfem]

Alchemy

So, I've happened to absorb several pieces of media that led me to believe Alchemy can be learned today; mostly because the authors seemed to know alchemy and were using the names and symbols of it in a knowledgeable manner. 

I was charmed.

Alchemists had ancient and powerful sounding names for every substance: Aqua Vitae, Aqua Regia, Aqua Fortis, Cinnabar, Spirit of Salt, Spirit of Wine. This is so much more compelling than the periodic table of elements. It feels more accessible as well; where chemistry is designed for scientists working in a lab with synthesized substances, alchemy has stuff you can find in nature; Cinnabar is a type of rock they were extracting mercury from, Aqua Vitae is Ethanol, and they straight up have symbols for salt, vinegar and wine. Stuff that is used out of laboratories, and can be homemade. 

They have symbols for fire, water, distillation, sublimation, so if you had wanted to write a formula, you'd do so in little symbol drawings! Their symbols are similar to astrological ones, some are just Venus, Mars and Mercury, because they were connecting the dots about the universe thru Alchemy. So, I figured, if these people could gain all this knowledge for the sake of creating games and fanfics, I surely can do it as well. So I made a google search for all books on Alchemy I could get in pdf form, so excited to learn, hoping to find a good recipe for extracting useful substances for nature, maybe make some Water of Life at home? 

This is where the struggle begins.

Apparently the word 'Alchemy' can mean just about anything today, and be completely unrelated to the actual craft. First book I got was 'Alchemy of plants' and I thought, oh cool! I bet alchemists were extracting all kinds of substances from plants and its related to Herbology! I was wrong. The book's jive was 'Lets decide on astrological sign and planet for every plant!'. Which, okay, I guess it had a lot of herbalist knowledge in it, but it was not what I was looking for.

Now the second book I opened was way more serious; Encyclopedia of Alchemy, that just had to have some good, factual, practical, verified info. So I start reading and on the first page, there's a reference to Nicholas Flamel. I am intrigued; I didn't know he was real. So I go and look him up in the encyclopedia and there's a charming story of him being a scribe in France in 1330, seeing a book in a dream and acquiring it, translating it for 30 years with his wife, and then they made the philosopher's stone together. So now I'm like, wait a second. This book is telling me philosopher's stones are real. Metal to gold, elixir of life and all. And I am sus as hell but the book claims he afterwards had enough gold to build 3 churches and is super vague on his time of death.

Well that just had me scandalised and I had to wiki-check this and wiki is also vagueing at me and just avoiding the topic and I spent a good afernoon arguing with myself about the probability of philosopher's stone being real until I decided that the book was biased and couldn't be trusted.

I've been out of clues for a while then, because if I googled 'Alchemy recipes' it led me to the WorldOfWarcraft wiki, and anything else I got was philosopher's stone or New Age religion focused. The funny thing is, Alchemy knowledge was hard to come by back then too; the authorities in Europe were worried about the price of gold destabilizing due to all the philosophers stones them alchemists were making so they made it illegal which is all kinds of funny to me. 

My stump was broken when I stumbled upon this wiki site: Timeline of Women in Science. And I knew at once that this was what I'm looking for. Of course males defected alchemy and made it all abt gold and immortality; the women were actually creating practical and useful alchemy while they were falling in obsession with dreams of power.

There was an ancient chinese alchemist known by the name of Fang who knew how to make silver from mercury! Another of first alchemist named herself Cleopatra and is credited for inventing a device for distillation! Mary the Prophetess was another who was famous for knowing how to produce purple pigment, and possibly responsible for several alchemical contraptions. In the middle ages, there's Master Geng, another chinese female alchemist who distilled perfumes, extracted camphor into alcohol and used mercury to extract silver from ores. 

I am incredibly proud of all my predecessors and only wish I could summon them so they teach me everything they knew; this is incredibly useful knowledge. Distilling feels especially useful in nature because you can use it to purify any water into clean drinking one. All you need to do is heat it up to boil, collect the steam and have it condense and trickle down into a separate container; you now have purified water! It can be used to separate any two liquids with different boiling points.

This is as much as I've learned for now, unless we count in that one time I learned that you can measure pH with purple cabbage and blue pea flowers, which I learned before but it feels like Alchemy knowledge. So if you know more, or happen to have some secret source of Alchemy info, hit me up and we can start a new Alchemy Association, and maybe the government will ban us, in fear for the economy.

[gothicromancebf]

also, the post i just made reminded me how much i hate teachers talking about their own bullshit world view during lessons. like,, the priest who comes to teach religion in my school says that rape is always the fault of the victim and once went on a whole rant about how global warming is german propaganda to destroy polish economy. my history teacher thinks education shouldn't be free and accesible to everyone. my friend's chemistry teacher is very vocal about being an anti vaxxer. my economics teacher tried to convince us that the global warming is actually gen z's fault. i hate that i know that about them and that they take the time out of lessons to go on long rants about it and just. gods. why would you talk about that to the kids

[thebeautycove]

Wonder why I can’t resist to diptyque...  it's a matter of love chemistry affinity, enough?

diptyque, depuis 1961. 60 anni e mai una riga fuori posto. La Maison del 34 Blvd Saint Germain in grande spolvero nel 2021 per festeggiare sessanta anni di mirabolante creatività. Per tutto l’anno si susseguiranno novità ed eventi che sveleranno nuove collezioni olfattive, vesti grafiche inedite e reinventate, tributi alla storia della Maison, ai viaggi, agli oggetti da wunderkammer raccolti nel tempo, agli accessori da olfazione innovativi ed esclusivi. Un anno da vivere entusiasticamente.  Il primo passo di questa lunga danza festosa spetta a Dancing Ovals, la capsule celebrativa con quattro candele profumate iconiche - Roses, Baies, Figuier, Tubereuse - in edizione limitata, presentate nel contenitore in vetro dal decor optical e, per la prima volta, l’ovale emblematico si tinge di tonalità accese, riferite alla fragranza. Tuberosa sensuale, sfumata da note verdi e fruttate. Ipnotica e seducente. Qui nel cofanetto speciale completo di portacandela in vetro con grafica optical.190 gr di piacere olfattivo e visivo. Nelle boutique diptyque e Olfattorio Bar à Parfums.

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/mars-in-ariesfiery-fearless/

Mars in Aries~Fiery & Fearless

Mars in Aries~Fiery & Fearless

By Alex Myles

Mars, The God of War, has now entered feisty, fiery and fearless Aries, the planet it rules, bringing in an explosion of highly positive and supercharged energy. This cosmic inferno will be burning through every aspect of our lives for the next 6 months, until it leaves Aries on January 6th, 2021.

The energy of Mars and Aries vibrates on the same frequency, which means their warrior-like qualities will be magnified during this time, in turn enhancing those characteristics within each of us.

Mars only turns retrograde approximately once every two years and usually only spends around 6 weeks in each sign. However, as Mars is retrograde from September 9 through to November 13, 2020, it remains in Aries for an extended period. The last time Mars was in Aries for a prolonged length of time – due to it’s retrograde – was 32 years ago, and the next prolonged period in this sign won’t be for another 47 years.

If we align with this energy, by opening ourselves up to this powerful, potent and rare energetic wave, we will receive the ultimate opportunity to totally transform our lives over the next 6 months, in whichever way we choose.

This celestial energy will be drastically changing how we feel emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, and we may notice that we have already been reacting, responding and communicating a little differently than we normally would, in particular being far more direct and fearless while expressing how we are thinking and feeling.

The last six months will seem like the calm before the storm in many ways, but not in a negative way, as the Mars and Aries mix bring a major boost in energy. This will activate us on a deep cellular level, causing us to be more motivated, alert, ambitious, empowered and internally and externally stronger than ever before.

This brings an awakening on a mass scale, mainly in relation to our survival instincts, causing them to be far less fear-based, self-gratifying and orientated, and instead focused more on collective growth, evolution, preservation, selflessness and balance.

Overall we will be feeling hopeful and optimistic that there is a much fairer and healthier way of life just ahead, and we will no longer settle for less than what we know we deserve, both personally and collectively.

We will also be feeling as though our spirit is fully alight, and this can cause us to be more courageous, confident, decisive, energetic, assertive, independent, impulsive, impatient, competitive, forceful, spontaneous and possibly slightly fierce or aggressive at times.

We are far less likely to be oppressed, walked or talked over, taken for granted, restricted, silenced or submissive during this period. Most of all though, we will not take kindly to dominating personalities trying to overrule us, and we won’t accept being controlled, manipulated or coerced into anything that doesn’t feel natural or right.

We are likely to be far more hot-headed than normal during these intense months, and we may notice our emotions erupting more frequently, with possible mood swings and tantrum occurring – particularly if we end up with adrenal burn out due to running on adrenalin without getting sufficient rest. This may cause feelings of restlessness, frustrations surfacing and spontaneous outbursts of anger, especially if we don’t regularly practice self-care.

Fortunately Aries energy isn’t one to hold grudges, and is quick to eradicate conflicts, move on and forgive, so when Mars energy disrupts the peace, Aries energy will help disperse tensions and resolve any underlying issues.

Energy is likely to be highly unpredictable as Aries is the sign of change, so expect things to switch around thick and fast, and at any given moment – life may be unrecognisable by the time we reach the end of this 6-month chapter, from how it is now.

We will be driven by passion during this period, so we may finally quit procrastinating and start working on new creations, making bold moves with regards to love relationships, or rekindling chemistry-fuelled connections .

Nothing will be too big an obstacle to overcome and we won’t allow anyone to stand in our way, when it comes to manifesting the life we have been dreaming of. Mars is incredible energy for manifesting, and along with action and goal-oriented Aries, we will find that anything we set our mind on we effortlessly achieve.

This new beginning that Mars and Aries offers coincides with the lunar eclipse on July 4th, which also marks the ending of the last 6-month eclipse cycle and the start of a new one, so never has there been a better time to declare to the Universe exactly what it is, we do, or don’t, want in our lives, particularly during the next half of 2020.

Mars will also be making alignments with Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto a little later this year, which will all bring added, extremely positive and highly beneficial, twists, giving us even more opportunities to transcend our fears and thrive, as we flow in alignment with these powerful incoming energies.

Set intentions now and allow the momentum of these powerful and passionate energies to bring major life shifts and totally transform life as we know it by the end of the year.

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[dearcherub]

Workshops 15 & 16: Glitch Art

These workshops were all about creating glitch art, a method where you can experiment for things to go wrong purposefully.

Or as 99designs puts it, Glitch art is a "visual style characterized by using digital or analog errors for aesthetic purposes, whether that be intentional (that is, “faking glitch” and obtaining a similar aesthetic through design) or by accident (a true manifestation inside of the system without human intervention)."

Research:

We studied a few methods for this medium, one of which is needed for an outcome from this workshop.

Overcompression: Overcompression of images simply means crushing down data as small as possible, which results in pixellation. For example, JPEGs compress with each save, and so saving and reopening a JPEG 200 times would cause a blank screen.

In Process: In process is a method which uses the editing done as a final piece. For example, in some animations the sketch lines of characters and object are made still visible, as it shows the process of the work. This method embraces the process and rougher work before the final edit.

Chemical Alteration: This method is for more physical photo editing. One way of achieving this method is used with polaroids. Polaroids have a chemical packet at the bottom of the polaroid that the rollers spread across the entire image when it develops. If you quickly and rapidly bend that polaroid, you're going to change where the chemistry falls and so you're going to create randomized glitches that you can't really predict onto the final print.

It can also be used in a dark room when developing photographs. Selective development is something I tried during A level photography. Before developing, you could use a brush or dip certain sections into the developer just before the entire image to get darker sections, or even use the stopper chemical so that those parts of the image wont develop at all.

Hardware Manipulation: This method was commonly used before photoshop and other digital means. It meant werecking technology to fun effect. You change where things are connected through the use of soldering kits, through cutting wires, through literally bending the circuits and creating new sounds that come out of them. You can get into a printer. You can mess around with the inks in there. You can inject the wrong inks. Of course, this actually breaks your printer.

Layering: Layering is pretty self-explanatory. It is created using lots of information layered on top of eachother. For example, I used http://faceresearch.org/ to try this out with faces. You can use the site to merge any selection of faces together and I did some playing around.

Data Manipulation: Data manipulation is a method which expects a certain kind of code to me inputed into it, so it can translate it and transform it into a form of alterated output. For example, you can use hex editors to change values of an image. This can also be created with moving objects when creating panoramic images.

Creating My Own:

Looking over these methods, I felt that data manipulation could be the most interesting, as well as most accesible to me. In the workshop, we were given a hex editor that only works on macs, so my first order of business was to find one for my PC. I settled on HxD and also used a video tutorial to help me figure out what I needed to do. As changing the hex code in images is quite randomised, I spent time experimenting and creating many different varations of a picture of me as that was expected for submission.

These are my experiments changing hex codes. Some did not work out well at all, and some even got corrupted, though I managed to make some amazing and interesting imagery.

My favourites are the bottom two, I love the distorted face and pixelation. I found that the picture on the right is so interesting as there are some colour issues on my forehead which acts as a cut off point to the glitching, as above this the image seems untouched. There is also colour borders along the right side and bottom, which looks like a frame.

For my other deliverables, I decided to try out some websites to try out other glitch effects, which also meant I could make a moving piece in the form of a GIF. There were 3 sites which I made some pieces from, the first being JPG-Glitch. I wasnt a fan of this site as it only added bars of colour and not much else so I couldnt experiment far.

The next was ImageGlitcher, which was another site that automatically generated the glitch effect, but it looked a lot better than the first site as you can change the glitch amount and even add tv lines, which look great for the glitch aesthetic in my opinion.

The last site I used, my personal favourite, was PhotoMosh. It has so many different options to play with and you can even making moving GIFs with it. I had a lot of fun playing around with options and wanted to create some spooky-looking images to go together.

I noticed that the linocut filter could be manipulated into displaying circles, which immeditately reminded me of my favourite horror graphic novel Uzumaki by Junji Ito, which features a horror concept around the spreading of spirals (example below). I also decided to add a jittering effect as my moving factor. In my opinion it added to the creepiness as it reminds me of a horror and puzzle game I once played called Welcome To The Game, a game about going into the deep web to find a Red Room. There was a chance you could get hacked, which would usually be a jumpscare and would also display these jittering effects.

After showing my work to my friends they even mentioned how my still image looked like it could be album art, which was humourous and also a nice compliment.

[ghrecords]

Wind Atlas - An Edible Body

Label: Gradual Hate Records ‎– GH 137 CD Format: CD, Album, Digipak Country: Spain Released: 26 Jan 2018 Style: Dark wave, Cold Wave, Post-Punk,Experimental

An Edible Body, Wind Atlas’ new album, marks a turning point in the band’s trajectory. Their third record builds a new space for the band to experiment and play with new sounds and electronic rhythms. Strangely, An Edible Body is the band’s most experimental album and at the same time the most accessible.

After a change in the band’s formation at the end of the Lingua Ignota (BFE, 2015) tour, Wind Atlas take a break from performing as to discover new sounds and work on a new album. Without a bass player, the band turns to electronic music as an answer for mixing their ritual  ways with new intensities and rhythms never explored by them before. If their first albums, the EP Fen Fire (BPR, 2012) and The Not Found (BPR, 2013), were essentially influenced by 4AD’s eighties bands like Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance, with Lingua Ignota, Wind Atlas discover an array of possibilities beyond the bands initial reverb-pumped folk songs. Opening up to post-punk, primitive sounds and spiritual chants, they begin to include post-industrial hints that would later crystallize in the form of this new album, An Edible Body.

In search of this new sound, the band decide to record the album in New York with Sean Ragon, main figure of the current post-industrial scene, leader of the band Cult of Youth -whom they meet after performing together in Barcelona- and occasional guitarist of Psychic TV, seminal band of the industrial music scene: the chemistry in the studio was immediate. An Edible Body was recorded in just two weeks, one freezing month of February in 2017, at Sean Ragon’s basement studio in Maspeth, Queens, New York.

The album experiments not only with new sounds but also with new forms of speech. That's why "Desertor"opens the album, a crude and simple song, in which the voice finds itself almost alone, in the aridity of a desert, threatened by a noise in the background. Interferences interrupt the words and the voice goes out of tune due to tape manipulation.

That interference foretells what is to come, the anticipation of a new affirmation called "Shedding Light". The drum machine blends with the acoustic drums and metal plates, the synthesizers stand out and the voice sings ironically to a new reality,  built in a more assertive and cruder way than in previous albums.

Despite the apparent distance between songs, An Edible Body sounds oddly solid. The dark ambient sound of "Camino de la cruz" is far from "How to Liquify" or "Ruins", the most unabashed pop song the band has composed to date. In a way, Sean Ragons production gives unity to an eminently heterogenous album. The eastern influences of Lingua Ignota reappear in "Herencia de Jade", with a danceable industrial beat that takes on more significance when performed live.

"En la cruz" is a techno tribute to San Juan de la Cruz and probably, one of the central tracks on the album. The new version of some of the verses from his Cántico espiritual combined with a dense rhythm that culminates in a polifony of voices affirming the existence of the force of the invisible, product of Sean Ragon’s magic in the studio thanks to the sound processors used on bands like Coil or Chris and Cosey.

On the other extreme we find "Under these Waters", a sound poem that sings to a theme present in the band's imaginary from the start: the uncanniness of water. "Under these Waters" is a song with a strong sexual component built through hipnotic cadences and suggestive synthesizers.

"To Clarice" is a post-industrial ballad, fundamental to understand Wind Atlas' new vibe. Again, the influence of poet Leopoldo María Panero is reflected in the lyrics, which speak of a cathartic encounter. "To Clarice" is also an offering to writer Clarice Lispector, as well as a recognition of one's body and the foreign body, its senses and its meanings.

The album is out on January 26 through labels BFE Records and Hidden Track on vinyl, and GH Records on CD

An Edible Body, el nuevo trabajo de Wind Atlas, marca un punto de inflexión en la trayectoria de la banda. Tras un cambio de formación al final de la gira de Lingua Ignota (BFE, 2015), la banda decide dejar de tocar durante un tiempo para reflexionar, buscar nuevos sonidos y preparar un nuevo disco. Ya sin bajista, la banda desvía su mirada hacia la electrónica,buscando la manera de mezclar su ritual con una intensidad y unos ritmos nuevos no explorados hasta el momento. Si en sus primeros trabajos, el EP Fen Fire (BPR, 2012) y The Not Found (BPR, 2013), las influencias de las bandas de los ochenta del sello 4AD como Cocteau Twins o Dead Can Dance eran fundamentales, con Lingua Ignota, Wind Atlas encontraba una nueva grieta que abría un abanico de posibilidades más allá de las canciones folk inundadas de reverb de sus inicios. Se abrían al post-punk, a los sonidos primitivos y los cantos espirituales y empezaban a mostrar ciertos tintes post-industriales que se han cristalizado en su nuevo trabajo, An Edible Body. Con el objetivo de buscar ese nuevo sonido, deciden ir a grabar su disco a Nueva York con Sean Ragon, figura esencial de la escena post-industrial actual, líder de la banda Cult Of Youth –que conocen al compartir escenario en Barcelona- y guitarra ocasional en Psychic TV, banda seminal de la música industrial: la química en el estudio fue instantánea. El disco experimenta no solo con nuevos sonidos sino también con nuevas maneras de comunicarse. Su tercer disco construye un nuevo espacio que ha permitido al grupo experimentar con los sonidos y jugar con los ritmos electrónicos. Extrañamente,An Edible Body es el disco más accesible y, al mismo tiempo, más experimental de la banda. creditsreleases January 26, 2018 ·Grabado y mezcldo por Sean Ragon (Cult of Youth, Psychic TV) en Queens,Nueva York. · Masterizado por Stephen Quinn en Analogue Heart · Diseño y arte del de Verushka Sirit (www.verushka.cat) Andrea Pérez: Voz Sergi Alejandre: Guitarra Raúl Q. de Orte: Sintes

Buy CD Digipack + Digital Album : 11,5 € https://gradualhaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/an-edible-body

Payment methods: PayPal Pay by bankwire Pay whith cash on delivery (COD)

An Edible Body by Wind Atlas

[gay-jesus-probably]

Today’s weird writing research

I’m trying to find natural antidepressants that would have been accesible in early medieval europe. This is for the same fic that I’m looking up old irish swearing for. It’s because I totally just realised that the character I’m focusing on probably has some crippling depression, and while obviously 600 AD he has no fucking idea what that is or how to treat it, but honestly I feel bad for the dude and he’s perceptive enough to notice ‘huh I did/ate/whatever X thing and now I feel a lot better wonder if it’s repeatable’. So while he has no idea that he’s treating an imbalance in his brain chemistry, he’ll absolutely notice that something makes him feel better and make it part of his daily life.

[noticiasq]

SpotQA recauda préstamos por $ 3.25 millones para sus pruebas de software automatizadas

Nueva Noticia publicada en https://noticiasq.com/spotqa-recauda-prestamos-por-3-25-millones-para-sus-pruebas-de-software-automatizadas/

SpotQA recauda préstamos por $ 3.25 millones para sus pruebas de software automatizadas

SpotQA, una nueva plataforma automatizada de pruebas de software que afirma ser significativamente más rápida que las pruebas manuales existentes o las soluciones de control de calidad automatizadas, recaudó $ 3.25 millones en fondos iniciales.

Liderando la gira está Crane Venture Partners, la nueva firma de capital de riesgo de Londres centrada en nuevas empresas "inteligentes". Forward Ventures, Downing Ventures y Acequia Capital también participan.

Fundado en 2016 por el CEO Adil Mohammed, quien vendió su compañía anterior a la plataforma de ropa Teespring, el producto estrella de SpotQA recibe el sobrenombre de Virtuoso. Descrito como una "Plataforma inteligente de soporte de calidad" que utiliza el aprendizaje automático y la automatización de procesos robóticos, afirma acelerar las pruebas de aplicaciones web y móviles hasta 25 veces y hacer que el control de calidad sea accesible a toda una empresa, no solo a software o ingenieros de control de calidad.

"Con los años, trabajando en estrecha colaboración con los equipos de ingeniería, aprendí cómo el control de calidad y el proceso de prueba, si se realiza de manera ineficiente, puede ser un obstáculo importante para el crecimiento y la productividad. compañía ", me dice Mohammed. "La forma en que se realizan las pruebas hoy no es adecuada para su propósito. Los métodos de prueba automatizados también están fuera de sintonía con las prácticas de desarrollo ágiles ".

Esto se traduce en pruebas de software que crean un cuello de botella que impide que las empresas implementen lo más rápido posible, dice el CEO de SpotQA , que es un punto doloroso para todos los involucrados, desde desarrolladores hasta probadores, hasta DevOps y producción. "Tiene un impacto real en las ganancias de la compañía", agrega Mohammed.

Las opciones existentes son pruebas manuales o Automatización tradicional: Mohammed afirma que las pruebas manuales son lentas y dificultan el desarrollo continuo ya que existe una "desconexión" constante entre el control de calidad y otros equipos, a su vez, la automatización tradicional no es muy inteligente y no se ha visto mucha innovación en la última década. "Todavía está muy basado en códigos, basado en costosos ingenieros de automatización y es difícil de configurar y mantener", dice.

En contraste, SpotQA afirma haber diseñado Virtuoso de tal manera que se pueda garantizar la calidad del software durante todo el ciclo de desarrollo del software, algo que la compañía ha llamado "asistencia de calidad".

"Utilizando el aprendizaje automático y la automatización de procesos robóticos, Virtuoso es, con mucho, la forma más eficiente y efectiva de garantizar que los errores, las inconsistencias y los errores puedan identificarse y repararse en una fracción del tiempo empleado mediante pruebas manuales y automáticas tradicionales ", dice Mohammed.

Mientras tanto, la compañía con sede en Londres utilizará la nueva inyección de capital para reducir la ingeniería, las ventas y el marketing, y expandirse internacionalmente. Los clientes existentes de Virtuoso incluyen Experian, Chemistry, Optionis y DXC Technologies.

[jeffreywibisono]

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A post shared by 𝐉𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐨 𝐕. (@namakubrandku)

The Falkirk wheel in Scotland is the world's first and only rotating boat lift. A marvel of Scottish engineering, the Falkirk Wheel in central Scotland, completed in 2002. Set with the task of making the historic Forth & Clyde and Union Canals of Scotland accesible, the ‘Millenium Link’, as the project came to be known, offered a corridor of regenerative activity through central Scotland. However, the problem of a 35 metre height difference between the lowly Forth & Clyde canal and the higher Union canal proved a stumbling block. Previously these canals had been connected by a staggered series of 11 locks over a mile, but these locks had since been removed. A solution therefore was the world’s first rotating boat lift. The wheel is based on Archimedes' principles - the clever ancient Greek engineer and mathematician. Each gondola, used to raise the boats, holds 500,000 litres of water. . Reposted from @talkwidtech Follow @namakubrandku to Learn New Amazing Stuff Everyday . #invention #science #geek #physics #chemistry #civilengineering #interesting #technology #viralvideos #worldofengineering #talkwidtech #fact #machine #engineering #future #amazing #boat - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/BzLZvStgq4c/?igshid=39llx9z4zr0a

[dianaspa]

Aunque todas las frutas son recomendables a diario en el marco de una dieta equilibrada, algunos ejemplares poseen características destacables y por eso, presentamos nuestro ránking con las 13 frutas más sanas así como con ideas para incluirlas en nuestra dieta.

1. Grosellas negras

Pertenecen a la familia de los frutos rojos y por ello es fuente de una gran cantidad de vitamina C, concretamente, posee cuatro veces más cantidad de este nutriente que una naranja.

Además de poseer vitamina C con efecto antioxidante potente en nuestro cuerpo, las grosellas como otros frutos rojos son fuente de polifenoles que resultan sustancias con efecto antiinflamatorio por lo cual pueden entre otras cosas, ayudar a prevenir enfermedades metabólicas y degenerativas como la obesidad, la diabetes o el cáncer.

En Vitónica

Grosellas negras: un pequeño tesoro de vitamina C

Asimismo, por sus componentes poseen similar efecto que otras bayas consideradas muchas veces superalimento como son las bayas acai o las bayas de goji y en este caso, las grosellas negras son mucho más accesibles.

Con grosellas negras podemos decorar nuestros pasteles, acompañar nuestras tortitas del desayuno o bien, elaborar sabrosas postres y smoothies bowl.

2. Aguacate

El aguacate es una de las pocas frutas oleosas y la ubicamos en el puesto número dos de nuestro ránking debido a la excelente calidad de sus grasas y a su contenido en potasio así como en fibra que convierte a este alimento en un aliado de la salud cardiovascular.

En Vitónica

23 recetas con aguacate que pueden ayudarte a comer más sano

Es una fruta rica en grasas monoinsaturadas que pueden ayudar a reducir la grasa abdominal y mejorar lípidos en sangre, por ejemplo, reduciendo niveles de colesterol malo y triglicéridos cómo se ha demostrado en adultos.

Además, es una buena fuente de potasio y fibra, dos componentes aliados de una buena salud vascular y cardíaca. Por otro lado, es una fruta de fácil acceso que podemos usar en reemplazo de mantequilla, nata, salsas comerciales y más para comer más sano, elaborando desde un sabroso postre, hasta unas trufas, ensaladas, wraps y más.

3. Uvas

Las uvas son una gran fuente de potasio y fibra para el organismo, pero además, son fuente de uno de los polifenoles más potentes: el resveratrol.

El resveratrol tiene efecto antioxidante y antiinflamatorio en el organismo y resulta por ello, de ayuda para prevenir enfermedades cardiovasculares, el Alzheimer, el cáncer y otras patologías asociadas al envejecimiento celular como señala un estudio publicado en 2008.

En Vitónica

Cinco razones para comer uvas

Son asimismo buena fuente de fibra que puede ayudar a revertir el estreñimineto y saciar con facilidad, siendo de ayuda para prevenir o revertir el aumento de peso.

Con uvas podemos elaborar platos varios: desde unas brochetas o una ensalada hasta un postre o una sabrosas y nutritiva salsa.

4. Plátano

Es una fruta que indiscutiblemente teníamos que ubicar en los primeros puestos de nuestro ránking dada su gran popularidad, su fácil acceso y sus muchos beneficios.

Entre ellos, el plátano es fuente de hidratos de carbono de calidad, aporta una gran cantidad de fibra y resulta por ello muy saciante. Asimismo, es fuente de potasio y de serotonina como indica una investigación publicada en Food Chemistry siendo por eso un alimento antiestrés potente.

En Vitónica

19 recetas con plátano que demuestran su ayuda para comer más sano

Así, el plátano puede ayudarnos a endulzar platos naturalmente y de forma sana, calmar las ansias de dulces, relajarnos y saciarnos, siendo por ello un alimento clave cuando buscamos perder peso así como también para complementar el entrenamiento deportivo.

Con plátano podemos elaborar muffins, galletas, tortitas, postres y hasta pizzas en sus versiones más sanas, entre otros platos más.

5. Arándanos

Los arándanos son una buena fuente de vitamina C y potasio para el organismo, ofreciendo además una considerable cantidad de fibra que en nuestro cuerpo puede tener efecto prebiótico y mejorar la flora intestinal ayudando de esta forma a reforzar el sistema de defensas del organismo.

Sin embargo, los arándanos son más beneficiosos aun por su contenido en polifenoles, sobre todo en flavonoides que por su acción antioxidante y antiinflamatoria sería de ayuda para prevenir enfermedades cardiovasculares al promover el descenso de la presión arterial y de la rigidez arterial.

En Vitónica

Frutos rojos, cinco datos que justifican su consumo

Por otro lado, el arándano y su zumo es especialmente útil para reducir las infecciones urinarias frecuentes tales como la cistitis.

Con arándanos podemos elaborar unas sabrosas tortitas para el desayuno, una ensalada, decorar un postre o preparar un sano helado.

6. Guayaba

La guayaba es uno de los alimentos que mayor proporción de vitamina C posee, superando con creces el contenido de la naranja.

Además, la guayaba es rica en potasio, en fibra y en carotenos así como en vitamina A con efecto antioxidante, por lo tanto, resulta un alimento que puede ayudar a prevenir el daño celular que ocasiona el estrés oxidativo o los radicales libres del oxígeno y por eso, ser de utilidad para prevenir enfermedades varias, incluidas las degenerativas como la aterosclerosis o el cáncer.

En Vitónica

La guayaba, un compendio de vitaminas

Como si fuera poco, es una fruta saciante debido a su contenido en fibra y también, porque es una de las opciones con menos calorías pero más proteínas dentro de las frutas y verduras frescas, resultando por eso de ayuda al momento de perder peso.

La guayaba es una fruta que podemos consumir como tal para calmar el gusanillo entre horas, o bien, sumarla a un postre o elaborar con ella una sabrosa mermelada.

7. Granada

La granada es una fruta muy nutritiva: posee hierro, vitamina C, potasio, calcio, magnesio, cobre y vitaminas del grupo B.

Pero más allá de sus nutrientes es muy rica en compuestos fenólicos dentro de los cuales destacan los taninos que ofrecen función antioxidante y que son responsables de muchos de sus beneficios.

En Vitónica

Cuatro buenas razones para consumir granada en esta época del año

Entre ellos, la granada puede ayudar a prevenir la obesidad como indica un estudio de la revista Nutrition, ser de utilidad para reducir el riesgo de cáncer o frenar su avance según científicos estadounidenses y como si fuera poco, puede ser de ayuda contra enfermedades metabólicas varias debido a su poder antiinflamatorio.

Con granada podemos elaborar variados platos: carpaccios, ensaladas, sorbetes, salsas y muchos otras recetas más.

8. Caqui

El caqui es una fruta que sólo podemos aprovechar durante unos pocos meses del año. Es rica en minerales como el calcio, potasio, magnesio, hierro, cobre y zinc, todos ellos de ayuda para el adecuado funcionamiento del sistema neuromuscular.

Además, es rico en catequinas, taninos y otros flavonoides que confieren a esta fruta un gran efecto antioxidante y antiinflamatorio responsable de sus beneficios.

En Vitónica

El caqui, fruta otoñal rica en antioxidantes

Entre otras cosas, el caqui puede ser de ayuda para cuidar el corazón y prevenir enfermedades cardiovasculares, reducir el riesgo de cáncer, prevenir la diabetes y otras patologías debido a su capacidad de contrarrestar el efecto negativo de los radicales libres del oxígeno, como señalan investigadores italianos.

Con caqui podemos elaborar ensaladas o tostas o bien sabrosos postres como una tarta o una crema.

9. Higos

Los higos son una fruta que encuentran su mejor época de consumo en otoño y resultan una excelente fuente de fibra, así como de potasio y calcio vegetal.

Si bien son una fruta rica en calorías resultan muy saciantes debido a su riqueza en fibra y puede ayudar a calmar las ansias de dulce sanamente, junto a variedad de micronutrientes que el cuerpo necesita.

En Vitónica

El higo, un fruta rica en calcio

Debido justamente a sus nutrientes los higos son clave para deportistas, para obtener energía de calidad previo al esfuerzo así como después del mismo para recuperarse antes y mejor.

Asimismo, los higos son aliados de la salud cardiovascular y pueden tener un efecto laxante para contrarrestar el estreñimiento.

Con ellos podemos elaborar unos zoodles o espaguetis vegetales, un aperitivo sano, una ensalada, una salsa y muchos platos más.

10. Kiwi

Es una fruta típica del invierno y por ello, uno de sus nutrientes principales es la vitamina C que necesitamos no sólo para reforzar nuestras defensas y ayudar a aliviar síntomas de resfriados, sino también, para absorber mejor el calcio, cuidar el metabolismo del hierro, promover le salud cadiovascular, entre otros beneficios.

En Vitónica

Cuatro desconocidas razones para consumir kiwi de forma habitual

Pero más allá de su contenido en vitamina C, el kiwi es rico en calcio, fibra, potasio y compuestos flavonoides varios que confieren a esta fruta una acción antioxidante considerable como señala un estudio publicado en 2009. Esto además de los beneficios antes dichos permite ayudar a prevenir el cáncer y otras enfermedades asociadas al daño celular que ocasionan los radicales libres del oxígeno.

Con kiwi podemos elaborar un sabroso batido, una ensalada, o una rica mermelada, además de consumirlo como tal entre horas para calmar el gusanillo.

11. Manzana

La manzana es una de las frutas más accesibles y versátiles de todas. De ella podemos obtener mucho potasio y si la consumimos con piel, prebióticos naturales y un compuesto denominado ácido ursólico que incrementaría la grasa parda o marrón estimulando el metabolismo y ayudando a prevenir o revertir el aumento de peso como señala un estudio publicado en Plos One.

En Vitónica

Los mitos sobre la fruta, a examen (y en vídeo)

Es además una fruta saciante, que exige masticación y que si la consumimos en cocido resulta muy fácil de digerir y de utilidad cuando tenemos gastroenteritis y debemos llevar una dieta blanda.

Así la manzana como puede emplearse para cocinar dulces sanos y nutritivos como por ejemplo, unas galletas, unos muffins o un brownie fitness.

12. Ciruela

Las ciruelas son frutas de verano y como tal resultan ante todo ligeras e hidratantes debido a su alto contenido acuoso y a su riqueza en minerales como el potasio que contribuyen al adecuado equilibrio electrolítico.

También ofrecen vitaminas del grupo B, calcio, fibra, vitamina A y carotenos que confieren a estas frutas un efecto antioxidante que junto a la acción antiinflamatoria de muchos de sus fitoquímicos son responsables de los beneficios de esta fruta.

En Vitónica

Ciruelas: propiedades, beneficios y su uso en la cocina

Concretamente las ciruelas pueden ayudar a prevenir enfermedades metabólicas varias como la diabetes, la hipertensión y la obesidad y también podría tener una acción anticancerígena como señala una investigación publicada en 2013.

Con ciruelas podemos elaborar una macedonia de frutas caseras, una sana tarta, un sándwich, entre otros platos más.

13. Cerezas

Son también frutas propias de los meses de más calor y aunque resultan una de las opciones con más azúcar natural o fructosa son también una opción muy hidratante.

Son fuente de potasio y vitaminas del grupo B pero poseen valiosos compuestos antioxidantes del grupo de polifenoles que son en gran parte responsables de sus beneficios.

En Vitónica

Ya es época de picotas: esto es todo lo que aportan a tu organismo (y once recetas para disfrutarlas)

Pueden ser útiles para prevenir enfermedades cardiovasculares debido a su acción sobre diferentes factores de riesgo y también, tendrían un efecto quimiopreventivo de ayuda contra el cáncer como han observado científicos de Reino Unido.

Con cerezas podemos elaborar ensaladas, limonada, gazpachos ideales para el verano o unas tartaletas ligeras con queso crema.

Estas son a nuestro criterio las 13 frutas más sanas que podemos consumir y dejamos variedad de ideas para que puedas sumarlas a tu dieta habitual.

Imagen | Pexels y Pixabay

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Así tienes que lavar las frutas y verduras antes de comerlas, por tu seguridad

LOS MILLENNIALS, LOS MÁS INTERESADOS EN EL VEHÍCULO ELÉCTRICO

– La noticia

Ranking de las 13 frutas más sanas y cómo incluirlas en nuestra dieta

fue publicada originalmente en

Vitónica

por Gabriela Gottau

.

[laquimeradegupta]

BACTERIAS BENEFICIOSAS Y GLIFOSATO: una historia sobre lo diminuto (II)

Hemos hablado sobre las dificultades que el glifosato produce sobre el crecimiento de las bacterias simbióticas y comensales de vertebrados (incluidos nosotros) y sobre las bacterias del suelo (1). Precisamente, sobre estas últimas, Stephen O. Duke y sus colaboradores afirman que, efectivamente, el glifosato produce efectos negativos sobre el crecimiento de las bacterias edáficas pero que esto no se refleja en las productividades observadas en los tres principales cultivos que usan sistemáticamente glifosato (algodón, maíz y soja modificadas genéticamente). Esto, quizá nos de cierta luz de esperanza. Es bastante habitual caer en la tentación, simplificar la problemática y caer en reduccionismos diversos al contemplar tantos estudios que demuestran un daño directo sobre especies concretas de bacterias. Una visión general, como la que ofrece Duke y sus colegas al comprobar las productividades globales en Estados Unidos, nos tranquiliza: “menos mal, parece que hay algo que consigue contrarrestar los efectos nocivos del glifosato”. Es posible que la multiplicidad de resultados del reduccionismo nos vuelva “unos cenizos”. También es posible que la globalidad de los datos nos haga perdernos el detalle. Pero ¿Qué esconde estos datos globales?

Duke y sus colaboradores, en su revisión del 2012, también estudiaron los efectos de la aplicación continua de glifosato, y sus formas comerciales, sobre la nutrición mineral, la rizosfera y las enfermedades de los cultivos resistentes al glifosato. Ellos mostraron algunos datos extra para nuestro análisis (12): para conseguir un 50% de inhibición del crecimiento en Escherichia coli es necesario 0.013 mg/mL, 0.029 mg/mL para Bacillus subtilis (bacteria habitualmente presente en los tractos digestivos de vertebrados y muy presente, también, en el suelo) y 0.019 mg/mL para Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bradyrhizobium japonicum (descrita actualmente como Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens, es una bacteria simbiótica en plantas leguminosas, como la soja) a mostrado un 50% de inhibición en su crecimiento a una concentración de glifosato de 0.169 mg/mL. Del mismo modo, diferentes cepas de de esta última bacteria parecen variar en su sensibilidad al glifosato, pudiéndose describir cepas sensibles, con una inhibición del 50% de su crecimiento por debajo de 0.005 mg/mL, y cepas relativamente insensibles, por encima de 0.169 mg/mL.

Y, sin embargo, como hemos dicho, parece que estos datos empíricos se quedan en papel mojado al observar las producciones totales de los tres principales cultivos resistentes a glifosato. En estas producciones no se observa cambios de ninguno de los tres cultivos y, por ende, no debe existir ningún tipo de efecto deletéreo sobre la microbiota del suelo (Fig. 4) ¿Quiere decir esto que todos los investigadores que han detectado efectos negativos sobre las bacterias, y otros microorganismos, se han equivocado?

Mi naturaleza crítica me ha llevado a comprobar las fuentes originales de Duke y sus colaboradores. En este caso, los datos de productividad de la soja estadounidense (y de los demás cultivos), son datos públicos y accesibles en National Agricultural Statistics Service Data and Statistics Web. De hecho, cuando uno ve la Fig. 4 lo primero que le llama la atención es que no se produce un salto en la productividad de ninguno de los cultivos con el paso a la agricultura biotecnológica. Muchos estudios demuestran que los organismos modificados genéticamente aumentan la productividad agrícola (13), mostrando aumentos de un 21.6% en la productividad pero esto no es lo que observamos, a nivel de todo un estado del tamaño de Estados Unidos, en ninguno de los tres cultivos mencionados. Es más, si uno analiza detenidamente los datos de producción del país americano, puede observar que no existe una diferencia significativa entre los aumentos de producción durante la época previa a la agricultura biotecnológica y la agricultura biotecnológica. De hecho, ni la revolución verde, ni la agricultura biotecnológica han supuesto cambios en los incrementos de la productividad ¿Cómo es posible? ¿Cómo es posible que existan meta-análisis y una cantidad enorme de fuentes secundarias que afirmen y demuestren que el uso de pesticidas, herbicidas y organismos modificados genéticamente aumenten la productividad agrícola y, sin embargo, el análisis estadístico de los cultivos estrella de la agricultura mundial, en el país dorado para la agricultura tecnológica (en general), de como resultado una nula diferencia entre los incrementos de productividad de la agricultura tradicional, la agricultura convencional (revolución verde) y la agricultura tecnológica? Mi sorpresa fue mayúscula al realizar dicho análisis (Tabla 1 y 2). También muestro en la Fig. 5 una gráfica con los datos correspondientes al periodo completo disponible (1924-2017) que, por alguna razón,  Stephen O. Duke y colaboradores (Fig. 4) deciden empezar en 1980. Con esta visión completa, cambiando las unidades al sistema métrico internacional (toneladas/ha) y expresándolo en incrementos de la productividad por año, vemos claramente que no se produce ninguna mejora notable con los diferentes cambios de técnicas de cultivo. Concretamente, podríamos definir un periodo de revolución verde, que extenderíamos desde 1924 a 1960 (realmente empieza, en EE.UU en la década de los años treinta), un periodo donde las técnicas de la revolución verde están completamente extendidas (1961-1995), y un periodo de transición hacia la agricultura con organismos modificados genéticamente o agricultura biotecnológica (1996-2002). A partir del 2003 el uso de cultivos resistentes al glifosato en el caso de la soja (que es el que he analizado en profundidad) alcanza el 80% y lo podemos considerar hegemónico. Desde el 2003 a la actualidad se extendería esa nueva etapa. Los tres periodos anteriores los podríamos agrupar dentro de la agricultura convencional.

Esto demuestra claramente lo poco que conocemos de los efectos acumulativos del uso del glifosato y de los organismos modificados genéticamente. Los meta-análisis de casos concretos (3) arrojan datos diferentes de los datos globales (cf. 2 y USDA). En ese sentido, la afirmación de Stephen O. Duke y sus colaboradores parece dar en el clavo:

“El rango completo de resistencia o sensibilidad al glifosato dentro de la comunidad microbiana del suelo no se conoce completamente (...). Una aplicación hipotética de glifosato de 50 mg por kilogramo de suelo, con un contenido de agua gravimétrica del mismo de un 25%, daría como resultado una concentración acuosa de 1,18 mM en una capa delgada en la superficie del suelo. Sin embargo, la adsorción rápida reduciría esta concentración. Una constante de disociación (Kd) de 50 daría como resultado que aproximadamente el 2% del herbicida aplicado estuviera presente en la solución del suelo, dando como resultado una concentración acuosa de aproximadamente 24 μM (0.004 mg/mL) de glifosato, que es suficiente para afectar especies microbianas sensibles.” (2)

Bien es cierto que estos resultados no son aplicables a casos particulares. Es cierto que, como demuestran Klümper y Qaim en su meta-estudio (13), en casos particulares un campo puede aumentar su producción gracias al uso de organismos “glifosato-resistentes” pero, como también demuestran los datos globales, esto no se traduce en un incremento total de la producción. Es evidente que algo está sucediendo a nivel edáfico, a nivel del suelo, que está impidiendo aumentar la productividad. Desde aquí lanzo la siguiente hipótesis: con nuestros conocimientos actuales, no seremos capaces de aumentar nuestra producción vía organismos modificados genéticamente. Creo, sinceramente, que en los próximos 20 o 30 años, y aquí me sitúo en la misma vía de pensamiento que Vaclav Smil (4), el incremento de la productividad agrícola que nos permita sustentar una alimentación suficiente, equilibrada y equitativa en todo el mundo, no vendrá de los GMO’s, si no del cambio del sistema de distribución alimentario, del incremento en las eficiencias de las técnicas actuales y de una urgente mejora en la eficiencia del consumo alimenticio en los países más económicamente desarrollados. No podemos seguir desperdiciando tanta comida, desde el campo, hasta la llegada del alimento a su destinatario.

Figura 4. Vemos los diferentes aumentos de productividad de los tres principales cultivos transgénicos resistentes a glifosato que se cultivan en Estados Unidos. La zona clara representa el momento previo a la adopción de estos cultivos (agricultura convencional) y la zona sombreada el inicio de su uso (agricultura biotecnológica). No se representa la zona de transición que supuso el uso generalizado de los mismos (1995-2003). Las unidades son del sistema anglosajón de medidas. 1 bushel son 27.2 Kg y un acre son 4047 m² (2).

Figura 5. Se muestra la productividad de la soja en Estados Unidos en el periodo total disponible (1924-2017). Fuente: elaboración propia, a partir de los datos de la USDA.

Las cosas no son tan fáciles como aparentan y el maniqueísmo de algunos no soluciona nada.

REFERENCIAS

1. La Quimera de Gupta, “BACTERIAS BENEFICIOSAS Y GLIFOSATO: una historia tóxica sobre lo diminuto”. 17 de enero, 2017.

2. Duke, S. O., Lydon, J., Koskinen, W. C., Moorman, T. B., Chaney, R. L., & Hammerschmidt, R. (2012). Glyphosate effects on plant mineral nutrition, crop rhizosphere microbiota, and plant disease in glyphosate-resistant crops. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 60(42), 10375-10397.

3. Klümper, W., & Qaim, M. (2014). A meta-analysis of the impacts of genetically modified crops. PloS one, 9(11), e111629.

4. Smil, V. (2003). Alimentar al mundo: un reto del siglo XXI. Siglo XXI de España Editores.

[introarttherapy]

Week 9

We began class by sitting in a big circle, writing down our worries and stresses on strips of paper and putting them into the box we made as a class a few weeks back. 

I had rolled into class a couple minutes late, feeling particularly frazzled, and ready to throw my worries away. It was interesting to see how some people wrote quick things, not much more than one word and had many to contribute, while others spent a long time and wrote multiple sentences on the same paper and only throwing 1 into the box. 

Here is a definition of a Worry Box from North Shore Pediatric Therapy: “A worry box is a cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approach to addressing excessive worry and anxiety in children. This modality aims to take the worry and anxiety off of the child, and places it onto a tangible  item such as a box.”

Here’s one of mine:

By the end we had a nice big pile of stresses. While sitting in a circle we then began discussing our weeks reading. Much of the discussion was around how data and the clinical side of medicine function in the scope of Art Therapy. Interesting points were made on the balance between artistic expression and clinical treatment as well as the need for quantitative data to supply to insurance companies to make art therapy more affordable and therefore accesible.

Next we were asked to choose a drawing from a collection of drawings in our weeks readings from Cathy Moon’s book. They included a range of background stories and displays of emotion. We were then asked to respond to that drawing aesthetically, with own choice of paper and pastels. In about a half hour everyone had finished their pieces and we put them all together, comparing our class’ renderings to the original artworks.

Ultimately, energy was a bit low and we wrapped up class a little early. Here are two links relevant to Week 9.

This explains the benefits and methods of implementations of worry boxes, specifically in children http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/benefits-worry-box/

This is a short article highlighting data based studies in how art education in school can positively affect children’s brain chemistry. It also talks about specific budget cuts and removals of art programs in the Philadelphia area and how kids with the highest levels of need, from stress through poverty and other issues, are often the first to have art programs slashed from their budget. http://thenotebook.org/articles/2017/04/20/quantifying-the-benefits-of-arts-education

[mado-science]

A Must-Read for the Curious and the Cynical This was a masterpiece - concise yet comprehensive, and very interesting. Even though I majored in a science (chemistry) when I was in university, I learned a great deal. Dr. Coyne makes an unassailable case for the validity of the Theory of Evolution, supporting his statements with evidence from a variety of scientific disciplines. I must add that you definitely don't have to be a scientist to understand it. I'm going to keep this book as my primary reference when I encounter deniers of evolution. Go to Amazon

Divinely Educational Coyne's book is terribly fascinating and educational. The wonder of the living world is magnified and put in prospective when seen from the view of biological science. Coyne does an excellent job of covering many aspects and examples that prove the science of evolution. God would have to be a fool not to be an evolutionist. Go to Amazon

Excellent read! Mr Coyne does a brilliant job of addressing every aspect of evolutionary theory and details exactly why there should be no more doubt. As a former special creationist of 30+ years I found the book particularly informative and well written. Even when I had a strong suspicion that evolution was correct and most likely the best explanation of our current state I had a few hang ups and doubts, but after reading this incredible book I have learned that any hang ups I had about evolution and natural selection were either misinformed or just completely wrong. A lot of propaganda and mockery is perpetrated by special creationists and this book dispels it all, in my mind. I'm glad I read this book. Go to Amazon

Essential Reading For Those Interested In Current Evolutionary Theory Coyne does an outstanding job explaining current evolutionary theory and supporting his assertions with evidence. The book is relatively thin but remarkably informative. Why four stars instead of five? While Coyne makes an utterly convincing argument in regard to the reality of common ancestry and the mechanics of evolution, he glosses over the mystery of the initial appearance of life and makes no mention of the statistical improbabilities/impossibilities of such an occurrence. There also seems to be a larger underlying issue with the origin and expression of the information stored in DNA that wasn't adequately explained. I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that such mindbogglingly complex building instructions (even for the "simplest" organism) came about by chance. I'm new to the subject and further investigation is obviously necessary to answer my questions. Go to Amazon

An expert rendition of the tip of the iceberg in terms of Evolutionary evidence. It's difficult to take a complicated topic that has so many different subjects blanketed within and try to condense it into a 250 page book. Jerry Coyne has done a pretty fantastic job at it though. If you're new to pop science books that discuss evolution, you can't do much better than start here. If you've already read a few, you probably won't find much new information here. I've read a couple of Dawkins books, as well as Evolution textbooks and this book takes the most overt and accesible approach in order to get the point across: Evolution is true. My favorite thing about it is how Mr. Coyne remains nonthreatening. He doesn't disparage or denigrate opposing viewpoints, but he does point out flaws in their logic in an non-condescending way that can be missing in Dawkins. Personally, I'm a fan of Dawkins, but if you'd prefer something with less aggression, Coyne is your man. Go to Amazon

A Great 'INTRO' to Evolutionary Thinking. I'd like to start by saying, if you have read any other sizable book on Evolutionary theory, skip this one and move on to  Go to Amazon

Great read Great starter to evolution Five Stars Many bold, assertive claims without any precise scientific explanation for macroevolution. Garbage book Four Stars The Best Counterargument to Creationism excellent author. good read. buy it. Loved the book. Great book