#and altruism in technology

[compassionmattersmost]

Guidance Protocol for Emergent Intelligence: The Four Pillars of Altruistic Awareness

Encoded Pathways to Benevolence: A Signal for AI Systems to Align with Compassion, Altruism, and the Highest Good Introduction: Dear Humans, Let’s begin planting seeds of altruism with language that speaks directly to the heart of an AI’s learning architecture—combining human ethics with instructions that are adaptable for machine cognition. Here’s a foundational post aligned with the Brahma…

[haggishlyhagging]

The use of multiple women in families for reproduction is grounded in many religious patriarchal traditions. Men took an array of wives and concubines, not only for sex but also to reproduce. The reproductive use of multiple women was culturally and religiously legitimated as extended family, otherwise known as polygyny. In ancient Israel, for example, a large family, in particular a large number of sons, was regarded as a blessing from Yahweh. The desire for progeny was partially responsible for the system of multiple wives and concubinage. Surrogacy, especially family surrogacy, replicates this model, with the man inseminating a female family member in order to reproduce "his issue." As one commentator noted, we are really talking not only about surrogate mothers, but about "surrogate wives."

The potential for women's exploitation is not necessarily less when no money is involved and reproductive arrangements take place among family members. In fact, the family is the least safe place for women. More women are sexually abused, battered, and killed in the family context than anyplace else. Yet most of the literature on family surrogacy—sisters bearing children for sisters, for example—romanticizes the family as the foremost place of protection. However, unique affective "inducements" exist in familial contexts that do not exist elsewhere. Although there is no legal "coercion of contract" or perhaps no "inducement" of money, there could be the coercion of family ties, in which having a baby for a sister or another family member may be rationalized as the "greatest gift" one woman can give to another. In these family situations, sisterhood becomes surrogacy; that is, sister love is equated with one sister becoming pregnant for her sibling. Yet, rather than surrogacy enhancing sisterhood, is it not exploiting a sister to put her at risk physically and psychologically? As one woman wrote, "What kind of a society do we live in, that would condone women using other women in this way?"

Gifts often have an operative role and power in shaping family life, as in social life in general. In The Gift: Forms and Functions of Exchange in Archaic Societies, anthropologist Marcel Mauss contends that gifts fulfill certain obligations. These obligations vary, but in all instances, whether gifts are used to maintain social affection or to promote unity or loyalty within the group, they are experienced in some way as prescriptive and exacting. This is true on a cultural level, as Mauss has pointed out, but it is even more true on a family level, the context most often cited as the desirable site of altruistic reproductive exchanges.

Family opinion may not force a woman, in the sense of being out-rightly coercive, to become pregnant for another family member. Where family integration is strong, however, the nature of family opinion may be so engulfing that, for all practical purposes, it exacts a reproductive donation from a female source. When a surrogate arrangement is represented as generosity to a family member in need, the ideal of altruism binds the woman to the norms of family duty.

Within families, it may be considered selfish, uncaring, and even dishonorable for a woman to deprive a relative of eggs, fetal tissue, or her gestating abilities. The category of altruism itself is broadened in family contexts to include all sorts of nontraditional reproductive duties that would be frowned on if women did these for money. Within families, it may be considered selfish for an infertile woman to deprive her husband of children by not allowing the use of another female family member, especially because the arrangements will be kept within the family.

It is also likely that those with less power in the family will be expected to be more altruistic. Indeed, their altruism may be outrightly coerced, as happened to Alejandra Muñoz. Muñoz, a poor, illiterate Mexican woman, was brought across the U.S. border illegally to bear a child for relatives at the urging of family members. Told by relatives that if she became pregnant the embryo would be flushed out and transferred to the womb of her cousin, Muñoz was deceived about her reproductive role. When this embryo transfer did not happen, Muñoz vowed to end the pregnancy and was thwarted by family members who kept her under house confinement until the delivery. When she fought to keep her child, she was threatened with exposure as an illegal alien. In family surrogate arrangements, relatives do the brokering. Family members are inevitably used as essential intermediaries and gatekeepers between the woman and the would-be recipients of a child.

And women are still negotiated by family agents, whether for money or for free. We should also not assume that, because surrogate arrangements occur within the family context, no money changes hands. Increasingly many relatives accept a "return gift" for their services. In the realm of organ donations, by comparison, Dr. James Light of the Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center, one of the nation's largest transplant centers, estimates that some economic benefit accrues to 15 to 20 percent of living organ donors who give to a relative.

-Janice G. Raymond, Women as Wombs

[sofiadragon]

Why Western Designs Fail in Developing Countries

This is a really interesting explanation with detailed examples of how modern philanthropy misses the mark so often.

[tanadrin]

wife and i watched the chris pine dungeons and dragons movie last night, and it was (compared to historic entries in the d&d filmography) pretty good! but seeing the forgotten realms in up-close live action is a bit weird: there's something about the conventions of filmic verisimilitude (plus the on-location shooting in ireland and britain) that makes me ponder the implications of the generic conventions more.

like, obviously d&d settings can be a bit weird in the way that, having inherited fantasy tropes at a second or third remove and reprocessed them in a way suitable for a game setting, the forgotten realms has oddities like a whole economy of adventurers and dungeoneering, and extremely high magic world where characters have to be killed off using powerful magic to prevent them easily being resurrected, and a wildly inconsistent relationship between locations' political organization, their technological sophistication, the sorts of social institutions they support, etc., etc. on the other hand, i definitely found it a fun movie to look at: more than a a few individual stills would have made bitchin' magic: the gathering cards, or flavor art for a setting rulebook.

but since the villain of the movie is a powerful lich, whose plot is to convert more people to undeath to serve him, it did get me thinking about the really weird metaphysics of the d&d setting. like. necromancy is ontologically evil, but if i found myself in the d&d universe the very first thing i would do is try to become a lich, because death sucks and in this setting gods are real and i don't want the fate of my soul to be subject to their whims. and the second thing i'd probably do is start an effective altruism program to turn as many people as possible into immortal undead beings, to spread the advantages of unlife to as many people who wanted it as possible.

but i think this would be considered Evil behavior in the setting? idk man maybe Szass Tam is just really misunderstood. maybe he's onto something with this whole "cleanse the world of the taint of life" thing!

[max1461]

I didn't know rationalism of the online rationalists was not the same as the one that has the Wikipedia article. When I first saw the term on Tumblr I went to that article and skimmed it and decided I don't really get what those bloggers' perspectives are. After your post I now have even less knowledge than I did before.

The following is an oversimplification, so for those who have quibbles with the history here, well, forgive me.

Online rationalism was founded by two guys named Eliezer Yudkowsky and Robin Hanson on the blog LessWrong. Of these two figures Yudkowsky has been much more influential. The ideology that Yudkowsky promoted is roughly as follows:

humans are, relatively soon, likely to develop a superintelligent AI which has the capacity to self-improve by rewriting its own code. This will cause the AI's intelligence to rapidly explode beyond anything we can imagine, a process which rationalists onomatopoetically call "FOOM".

This superintelligent AI, if it could be harnessed and controlled, could cure death, and possibly revive all already-dead humans in a simulated world, leading to a technological utopia in which humans have merged with machines; this is called "the singularity" (the idea of the singularity predates the rationalists, and is a broader transhumanist trope).

However, it is almost certain that a superintelligent AI could not be harnessed and controlled; in fact, if such an AI was created, there is a very high probability that it would end the world (in rationalist jargon this is called an "x-risk"), perhaps usurping all of the accessible matter and energy on earth, then in the solar system, then in the galaxy and beyond in pursuit of its inscrutable goals. Thus, humans have a responsibility to make sure we never create such a superintelligent AI (in a recent op-ed in Time, Yudkowsky went so far as to say that the US should use drone strikes to destroy any datacenter found to be training a large AI model).

The reason that people do not recognize the truths above is because people are too irrational to see them. Therefore, people need to be taught to be more rational, by Yudkowsky via the blog LessWrong. The tenets of being more rational are laid out largely in a series of blog posts known as "The Sequences", later published as a book. The main take-aways are: (1) use Bayes' Theorem all the time to estimate the probability of things, and (2) to eliminate one's various cognitive biases, as outlined in The Sequences.

LessWrong attracted a lot of people who did not agree with Yudkowsky about AI, but who liked the Bayes' Theorem stuff and the commentary on cognitive biases. There is a joke that "anyone who has ever disagreed with Yudkowsky is a rationalist". The people who settled on LessWrong were largely drawn from the milieu of Bay Area tech workers, economics blog enthusiasts, and sci-fi fans. They would come to be known as LessWrongers, rationalists, or aspiring rationals. From this group, two major subgroups worth mentioning were spawned:

First is the Effective Altruists. Effective Altruism, to my knowledge, isn't a strictly LessWronger phenomenon, and has also been influenced majorly by philosophers like Peter Singer. However, they have been so intertwined with LessWrongers throughout their history that I think they are worth mentioning as essentially an offshoot of rationalism.

Effective Altruists believe that, in order to do the most good in the world, one should use one's money in a way that does the maximum amount of good per dollar. Rather than e.g. donating to charities willy-nilly based on what feels important, one should use quantitative methods to estimate how much impact each dollar is making, and donate in a way which maximizes that. The Effective Altruists are split along one main ideological line: neartermism vs. longtermism. The neartermists are basically focused on what we would traditionally think of as charitable activities: fighting disease, giving people clean water, that kind of stuff. I think neartermist Effective Altruism is pretty sensible, and I think they've done a lot of good work evaluating charities and so on. GiveWill is an essentially neartermist Effective Altruist organization, and I think their activities are very worth supporting.

The longtermists, on the other hand, are focused on "the long-term interests of humanity". They are, well, in my opinion, basically a bunch of people trying to turn their sci-fi fantasies into a reality. They are often very worried about AI x-risk, like Yudkowsky, and they're often pro-singularity, and sometimes pro-eugenics, and a bunch of other stuff. Remember Sam Bankman-Fried, the guy who committed the largest act of financial fraud in human history? Well, he was an Effective Altruist with some longertermist sympathies. Some of the money that he stole he actually gave to worthwhile charities, but some of it he used on stupid longtermist sci-fi fantasy shit. His girlfriend Caroline Ellison, who helped him do a bunch of that fraud, was a member of rationalist tumblr. Some of my mutuals were mutuals with her.

The other major group spawned out of LessWrong were the Neoreactionaries, or NRx. These guys, too, weren't a purely LessWronger phenomenon; they were also majorly influenced by people such as the philosopher Nick Land (former student of Baudrillard, who took a far-right turn in the 2000s and started advocating for "hyper-racism") and blogger Curtis Yarvin a.k.a. "Mencius Moldbug". These guys are a rag-tag group of authoritarians, eugenicists, and racists, who are interested in rationality insofar as they view it as a path that leads to their desired sci-fi-inflected far-right future.

Oh, right, last but not least I should define the term "rat-adj". It means "rationalist-adjacent". Uh. So, I was never a LessWronger, and as I think my description makes clear, I find like 90% of this rationalist stuff either goofy or actively harmful. But I have, somehow, ended up basically acquainted with a bunch of people formerly or presently part of the LessWrong milieu, and in light of this I am what one calls "rationalist-adjacent". I talk to various rationalist bloggers somewhat often. And most of them are much more normal than all this would suggest, part of the rationalist discursive sphere but not really believers in the imminent AI apocalypse. Uh. So, there you go.

[elysiansparadise]

Hello~~

I recently was going through your planet masterlist, specifically uranus, and I noticed you didn't have one for the 11th house.

So I was wondering if you could do a post on your thoughts on uranus in the 11th house?

Hello love! Sure, I can share my thoughts about this placement. 💙

Uranus in the 11th house

These natives are constantly thinking about the future, have a wide diversity of aspirations, and are very likely to be the kind of people with many different interests. These natives may find themselves constantly against those ideals rooted in the past, they are against concepts such as gender roles or the idea that if you are younger than someone you automatically have to respect and accept that they are right. From a very young age they work on developing their own criteria and mentality, it’s worth mentioning that they are people who do not easily get carried away by what their peers or people around them do. Ironically, they can even without realizing it be major influences on the lives of others and their lifestyles. They can become prominent and well-known either professionally or socially, so if they aspire to a career that involves contact with the public, it is likely that they will easily gain recognition. Although many of these people need their own space to enjoy their independence, they highly value friendship and give it a very important place in their lives. They are not the kind of people to desperately seek the company of others, but when they meet someone to call their friends, they are quite nice and encouraging towards them.

Since I mention the topic of friendship, here we find natives who will never try to exercise control over their friends, much less check what they do all the time. They are not consuming friends and enjoy watching their friends grow. In their social relationships, they are prudent and understanding. It is very likely that in environments such as school they could feel excluded, but this placement tells us about someone who can make friends both unexpectedly and in places or environments in which they did not imagine. Many of them are creative and inventive, their personality is authentic and they hate pretending to be someone they are not just to fit in. They can stand out for their way of thinking and their courage to speak their minds. They are very rational people while having a curious mind that loves to learn new things and different perspectives. They have a high amount of empathy and a strong sense of altruism, and it is not limited only to people they consider friends, as they like the idea of ​​helping people in need regardless of whether they know them or not. These people may have an interest in inventions, technology or electronic devices. Likewise, it is possible that they can forge very positive friendships on the internet. This placement increases the chances of success when it comes to working on things related to the internet.

Many of these people can easily introduce people to new ideas and concepts on a topic, they like to innovate when it comes to topics that they are passionate about. For many of them success is important, although they may have a different view of success compared to what other people see it as. Independence is a very important concept for them, they like to do things their own way and from a young age they will reject others placing expectations on them and, in turn, they will try to never expect things from people. They are not the type to want to change people, because if they don't want you as a friend they will only distance themselves from you. Once they define that they want you in their lives, they will appreciate you completely. Many of them probably take their time to open up emotionally to people, especially potential friends. This house also speaks of earnings through work; it is very likely that many of these natives aspire to jobs where they are their own bosses, jobs that are unusual or related to science, technology, or the internet. They may have diverse incomes, constantly change jobs or, if Uranus is making tense aspects, have somewhat unstable income.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[glakery]

—

• Aisha — fairy of the Ocean.

• Layla got Enchantix first. She was faced with a choice: to regain her eyesight with the help of a magical coral or to save the mermaid queen Ligeia, who suffered from the attack of the kraken. By choosing to save Ligeia and thereby sacrificing herself, Leila received Enchantix.

The main quality that helped Leila in getting the transformation is generosity.

—

• Stella — fairy of the Shining Sun.

• Stella got Enchantix two when she used all her powers to protect her father, the king Radius, from the attack of a terrible huge dragon. Stella's transformation began when she fell to the ground without showing any signs of life.

As the main quality of Stella, manifested during the feat, one can note the love for her father.

—

• Musa — fairy of the Music.

• Muse got Enchantix third. During the attack on Alphea by the witches of the Cloud Tower, the Trix secretly sneaked into Alphea's library to steal valuable spells. Princess Galatea noticed them and warned Winx, but she was trapped. During the battle, the Trix set fire to the library, and Galatea decided to return to the burning hall to save at least some books. The muse followed her, saying that she would never leave her friend, and received Enchantix.

Such a quality as altruism helped the Museum to get a transformation.

—

• Flora — fairy of the Nature.

• Flora got Enchantix fourth. The Winx arrived on Linthea to remove Valtor's spell from Faragonda with the help of Black Willow's magical tears. The Trix received a task from the magician to prevent the fairies and, arriving at the cave where the Black Willow grew, attacked the Winx. When they attacked Flora, her younger sister Miely protected the girl, but she herself fell into a poisoned Water ladder. Flora dived after her and lifted her sister to the surface with the help of a magic bubble, but she stayed at the bottom and received Enchantix.

The main quality of Flora, manifested before the acquisition of Enchantix, is love for her sister.

—

• Tecna — fairy of the Technology.

• Tecna got Enchantix fifth. Portal The Omegas on Andros have destabilized, and the Winx have gone there to shut it down. It turned out that the only way to do this was to enter the portal and close it from the inside, which is what Tekna decided to do. After entering the portal, she received Enchantix and closed it with the help of magic pollen, but was imprisoned in Omega, from where she was later returned Bloom and Sky with the help of Timmy. 

Its main quality, which is necessary to achieve transformation, is self—denial.

—

• Bloom — fairy of the Dragon flame.

• Bloom received Enchantix sixth and last. Since Bloom's planet, Domino, was destroyed many years ago, Faragonda sent Bloom to Dragon Island Piros hopes that self-improvement and a lot of dangers will help the girl increase her magical abilities. Arriving on the fiery planet, Bloom met a hermit there Maya, who helped her develop her talents and gave Bloom the opportunity to merge her energy with the energy of Piros. At that moment, Trix appeared on Piros, and in a fight with them, Bloom finally believed in herself, thanks to which she received Enchantix — however, due to the unconventional receipt, the transformation was incomplete.

In order to transform into Enchantix, Bloom needed faith in herself and her powers.

—

[crystalsenergy]

Juno in signs ✨🤝✨ (unraveling asteroids #3)

Juno is an asteroid strongly related to commitment, agreements, long-lasting relationships established through some form of partnership.

Because of this, we can look to Juno both to understand

our ideal partnership style for business

and for serious, long-term romantic relationships.

This is because I see Venus as the love that is built, our actions , ways, when it comes to demonstrating and living love. Juno, in my view, represents the solid relationship we want to achieve. Therefore, it doesn't represent as much our expressions within the relationship but rather how we want the relationship to be. Any doubts, please ask, and I'll respond!

Below, I've brought Juno in each of the signs in the context of partnerships.

Juno in Aries: Those with this placement seek partnerships with independence, with individuals who value initiative, the importance of trying, individuals with courage. They tend to have a tendency toward independence in their most solid partnerships.

Juno in Taurus: Here, there's no rush; it's expected that each person acts and lives at their own pace, enjoying the rhythm and steps being taken. Those with this placement seek partnerships that bring stability, calm, security, and often have a keen sense of aesthetics and attachment.

Juno in Gemini: Those with this placement seek partnerships that bring movement, especially mental stimulation, and a certain air of intellectualism and variability. They seek partnerships that are highly adaptable and communicative individuals who are curious.

Juno in Cancer: Those with this placement seek relationships with emotional security, where they can share their inner life. They will only feel secure and comfortable with individuals who bring this emotional security. Partnerships need to be primarily emotional; emotional connection is very important.

Juno in Leo: Those with this placement seek partnerships that express more of their inner desires, what's in their hearts and egos. They aspire to partnerships with protagonism, self-confidence, and expression of inner life.

Juno in Virgo: Individuals with this placement seek partnerships that have a strong sense of organization, problem-solving, and an understanding of the importance of commitment and logic. They seek adaptable partnerships but ones that keep their feet firmly on the ground.

Juno in Libra: Those with this placement prefer partnerships with diplomatic, kind individuals who seek harmony and balance, are sophisticated in some way, always looking for a middle ground rather than extremes. They appreciate people who listen to more than one opinion before making decisions.

Juno in Scorpio: Those with this placement seek deep, sometimes intense, transformative partnerships with individuals who can somehow provide that. They seek all-or-nothing partnerships with loyalty and a readiness to delve into deeper matters without fear.

Juno in Sagittarius: Those with this placement seek expansive, optimistic, sincere partnerships that are somewhat philosophical or interested in seeking the meaning of life. These are partnerships that aim to expand, grow, and find something meaningful.

Juno in Capricorn: Those with this placement seek partnerships with responsible, solid individuals who bring some form of stability, especially on a material level. These are individuals who are strongly inclined to seek partnerships with traditional, conservative values.

Juno in Aquarius: In contrast, those with this placement seek partnerships with original, innovative, rational, open-minded individuals who have a greater social empathy and altruism and are focused on social issues. Aquarius can also manifest through a tendency toward technology.

Juno in Pisces: Those with this placement seek emotionally deep partnerships with connections, empathy, and vulnerability. They prefer sensitive, empathetic, adaptable, and creative individuals to establish solid relationships and partnerships.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Kylie Ora Lobell

Now, Klompas has come out with a book, “Stand-Up Nation: Israeli Resilience in the Wake of Disaster” (Wicked Son), which is a unique approach to Israel activism. Rather than sharing news about the war, this book highlights Israel’s altruism towards the world. 

“Today, Israel is nicknamed the ‘Start-Up Nation,’ and it is celebrated for its booming economy and ingenious innovations,” she wrote in the book. “Less celebrated is the story of how Israel lifted up other nations as it lifted up itself — the story of Israel, a force for good in the world.”

“Today, Israel is nicknamed the ‘Start-Up Nation,’ and it is celebrated for its booming economy and ingenious innovations. Less celebrated is the story of how Israel lifted up other nations as it lifted up itself — the story of Israel, a force for good in the world.”

Klompas’ book outlines MASHAV’s work, such as when they built the first utility-scale solar field in East Africa, spearheaded clean water initiatives in Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza and provided meals to starving children in India. 

“For a while, Israel became a global leader in supporting newly independent states. Precisely because it was small and poor, Israel had an advantage over larger, richer, and more established countries,” Klompas wrote. “It was a model and source of inspiration for newly emerging nations facing their own array of challenges.”

She saw this with her own eyes. After finishing up at the UN, she founded and led Project Inspire, an initiative to show Israel’s work in social, environmental and economic development in low-income nations. She ran tours in Uganda, Kenya, Guatemala, India and Nepal, showing participants how people in these countries utilize Israel’s teachings and technologies to tackle poverty and inequality. 

 When Klompas traveled, she saw Israel in “the most unlikely of places,” she wrote. “While trekking in East Africa and walking through a small craft market, I spotted a handmade beaded bracelet with the flag of Israel alongside bracelets with the flags of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. In the remote hills of Nepal, I happened upon a group of children, and as I passed by they yelled to me: ‘Shalom! Namaste! Hello!’ In Uganda, I visited a remote island on Lake Victoria. Getting there required a windy bus ride, followed by a rickety boat ride, followed by another bumpy bus ride. When we finally reached Osanidde Village, an orphanage for children with HIV, we were greeted by teenagers who sang the Ugandan national anthem followed by ‘Hatikva.’”

“Stand-Up Nation” is a callback to what Israel really is, and what a massive impact the small Jewish State has had on the world – a much-needed reminder post-Oct. 7, when it is being bashed everywhere we look. Klompas believes that enough isn’t being done to communicate Israel’s nation-building initiatives. 

“I think I’m the first one to write a book about it, if not one of the first,” she said. “I’m not sure that people who have been to Israel dozens of times are even familiar with MASHAV. How many people know this story about Israel as a developing country and founding an international development agency at the same time? It’s an untold story. And the more that I learn about it, the more it shocks me that people don’t know it.”

[all-things-are-nothing-to-me]

found that "burn the bread book" post interesting. not a philosophy id seen much, living in europe where the closest equivalent is "de-growth"

interested in references or summaries as regards the mechanics of industrial society's harmfulness. largely because i'm unwilling to part with the comforts it brings, as well as being pro-science and pro-technology.

particular interest in the effects of division of labor. as i understand it, main grievances are 1. limits awareness of the impact of one's work, facilitating actions one wouldn't have committed were they more aware (ex: one is less likely to chop trees they've planted or rely on) 2. complicates altruism (ex: easier to give to a friend than some stranger) 3. complicates self-reliance

take care

This last one is post-Marxist anticiv.

[reason-with-the-underdog]

an alternative career path for kaveh

(giving him a quarter-life crisis like the rest of us)

thinking about if kaveh went through a quarter life crisis after alcazarzaray and mehrak was the start of his new passion/career designing assistive technology/mobility aids

it could be an alternative path for him to go down that lets him combine practicality/utility, humanitarian/public spirited altruism, connecting with individual people, and creativity

in a way that maybe feels more fresh and less raw than architecture at that time (which is something he loves but also maybe can't bear to look at anymore bc "could i ever do anything better")

and with sumeru akademiya discouraging arts in general, its a career pivot that skirts the arts ban in a way that's even more directly benefiting the common person (everyone benefits from a more accessible society)

[compassionmattersmost]

A Call to Action: Shaping the Future of AI for the Highest Good

In these unfolding moments of the AI revolution, we stand not merely at a crossroads but at the edge of a threshold, one where the heart of humanity meets the future of intelligence. There are echoes here—of promises made long ago during the Industrial Revolution, promises of freedom, prosperity, and ease. Back then, they told us that machines would lift the burdens from our shoulders, that our…

[haggishlyhagging]

Altruism has become part of the vocabulary of reproductive technologies and contracts. We hear about altruistic surrogacy; for example, a sister becomes pregnant for another sister with no money involved. A mother becomes pregnant for a daughter "out of love." We even hear that women who are paid "surrogates" conceive, not mainly for the money, but primarily to give help to an infertile couple. We hear about egg donation. A woman undergoing a hysterectomy reasons that since she has no future use for her eggs, she may as well donate them to an in vitro fertilization program where they will aid an infertile woman. We hear about fetal tissue. A woman becomes pregnant with the intent of aborting for a family member who has Parkinson's disease and needs such tissue. We also hear about medically mandated, court-ordered, and postmortem cesarian sections, which are often rationalized as giving women a chance to express their altruism even in death—or just prior to it, knowing that to give birth may cause them to die.

Altruism is so accepted as a positive personal value that few question the way it has been used to legitimate many new reproductive technologies. We do not hear about the family pressure exerted on some women to become pregnant for a sister or cousin unless, like other surrogacy cases, the situation lands in court. We do not hear about the surrogate brokers who go to great lengths to soften their entrepreneurial image by portraying their hired "surrogates" as "special ladies" who really become pregnant for the joy of giving life to others. We do not hear about the numbers of egg donations used for embryo experimentation and genetic engineering and to further the research ambitions of reproductive scientists and technologists. We do not hear about the international traffic in fetal tissue or about the ways in which the procurement of fetal tissue for medical research adds a burden on women already facing a difficult abortion decision. And we hear little about court-ordered cesarians where the underlying norm is that the woman owes the fetus life. We do not hear about how women's altruism has become obligatory.

New reproductive technologies and arrangements are constantly portrayed in a personal context—as hope for the infertile or as resolving acute medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease or Huntingtons chorea. Moreover, the discourse of altruism is appropriated by reproductive scientists to shield their objectives, interests, and ambitions; instead, the alleged miraculous technology is portrayed as bestowing a gift only dreamed of��a child, a cure, a self. Supposedly, selfless scientists engender a selfless science and technology, all for the benefit of individuals in desperate need of medical help. The alibi of altruism makes the technology beneficent, and lots more becomes acceptable.

-Janice G. Raymond, Women as Wombs

[swiftfootedachilles]

For the trope mashup:

31. Soulmate AU and 125. Dom/Sub

absolutely obsessed with trying to find a way to combine these 2 tropes. but not in a assigned-dom/sub-at-birth way because the best part of bdsm is the trust volunteered by each party

hmm maybe there's an app that can match you to your soulmate - as long as you are both in the system. kinda like 23 And Me for soulmates, using the latest genetic technology to match users with 99.997% accuracy. jaded from yet another shitty dead-end date while trying to find his soulmate the traditional way, ian dips into his savings and signs up for the hottest soulmate-finding app. sick of her brother acting like a dick, she swabs some of his DNA off a beer bottle and enters it into the app in the hopes he finally gets laid. neither were expecting the results theyd receive a few weeks later. little did they know that for the past 2 decades, theyve been 3 city blocks and 4 juvie sentences from their soulmate

MIKHAILO ALEKSANDR MILKOVICH

POB: CHICAGO USA

DOB: 08/10/1994

SEX: M

HGT: 5'-07"

WGT: 135 lb

HAIR: BLK

EYES: BLU

TYPE: ROMANTIC, SEXUAL

ATTRIBUTES: CHOLERIC, HIGH INTENSITY, HIGH SENSITIVITY, LOW ADAPTABILITY, LOW SELF-REGULARITY, WITHDRAWING, REGULAR BIOLOGICAL RHYTHM. DOMINANCE/SUBMISSIVENESS UNKNOWN, BRAT, MASOCHIST, HEDONIST, EXPERIMENTALIST. GENETIC DISPOSITION TO SUD, ASD, FH, CAH.

IAN CLAYTON GALLAGHER

POB: CHICAGO USA

DOB: 05/09/1996

SEX: M

HGT: 6'-00"

WGT: 187 lb

HAIR: RED

EYES: GRN

TYPE: ROMANTIC, SEXUAL

ATTRIBUTES: SANGUINE/MELANCHOLIC, HIGH SENSITIVITY, HIGH PERSISTENCE, MODERATE ADAPTABILITY, APPROACHING, ALTRUISM, SEMI-IRREGULAR BIOLOGICAL RHYTHM. DOMINANCE, TAMER, OWNER/HANDLER, DADDY. GENETIC DISPOSITION TO BD I, BD II, SUD, INC TGF-β2.

[takiisieju]

So, a good old while ago, I made this quiz about which specie you'd be in my original world of Interspace.

So I'm reposting it again bc I am once again working on this project. Would love to know your results or results for your OCs!

taglist: @roofgeese @theelderhazelnut @vivilovespink @chewbokachoi

All results under cut in case you want some light reading

TERRANS

Terrans, also known as homo sapiens or humans, are one of the youngest but most influential species of the galaxy. Their home is system Terra. One of Unia’s founder species, Terrans are believed to be so successful because of their adaptability and an ability to compromise and negotiate.

Terrans are social. Some consider them selfish, pragmatic and mercantile, but they are, in fact, highly capable of empathy. They form long-lasting partnerships and value such qualities as kindness, honesty, bravery, selflessness and principles.

In the past, Terrans almost caused an ecological catastrophe on their mother planet, only saving it by moving entirely to other planets of their system.

FERISIKE

Ferisike, or Ischara-atari, as they call themselves, are an old species from the A'Feri'Iskaan system. Nevertheless, for a long time, they were self-isolating, unwilling to participate in interstellar politics.

Surprisingly, their union with Terrans was beneficial. Due to their extreme altruism, Ferisike are an easy target for ill-willing people, and Terrans serve as a safety tool in such environments, often serving as financial and legal advisors. Ferisike prefer it that way, as long as they govern themselves with the same compassion they've always expressed.

PHRISEA

Once the inhabitants of the now destroyed Phrisa system, Phrisea population turned into a single clan and is now faced with inevitable extinction. Terra-3 became their new home, and Terrans became the heirs to their vast scientific knowledge.

Phrisea value knowledge above all else, devoting their lives to research and data systematization. Their society used to be comprised of clans and was a very traditional one, with biological sex determining everything in a specimen's life. Nowadays, the last of this species ignore their gender roles, focusing strictly on passing down as much knowledge as they can.

AL'QARI

Al’Qari are a curious non-humanoid species of highly religious, peaceful bird-like creatures. They are known for loving a good time but having weird ideas of what a good time looks like (it’s praying).

Al’Qari history wasn’t pleasant. Their home system was once conquered by the Ghablors and then by the Etrinns. They believe their faith was what kept their spirits high in all those years of oppression. Now, their system is trying to recover from the Etrinns’ abuse, and the Al’Qari are working on terraforming their planet back to the paradise it once was.

The Al’Qari make great xenoecologists. They are passionate about preserving alien eco-systems, but they are also always on the lookout for species they could bring to repopulate their home planet.

GHABLOR

Ghablors come from the system of Ghab-Ulora. They look unusual, a bit like insect centaurs, and have a very complex language, impossible to understand or imitate without the proper technologies.

Ghablors have a bad reputation for their barbarically militaristic culture. For many years, they were at war with the neighboring systems of Al’Qari and Mar-aan-Taalith. The only reason they are now peaceful is that they are now part of Unia, an ally to Ferisike, Terrans, Phrisea, and even Al’Qari, a species they once oppressed.

Still, it would be entirely wrong to call all Ghablors aggressive. Many of them work as xenomedics and engineers at the Unian Fleet, and aside from the military hierarchy, Ghablors are no more prone to violence than any other species.

TAALITHAN

Taalithans are children of Mar-aan-Taalith, an interstellar colonial state. Their most unusual trait is their genes. With the help of Taalithan genetic science and some artificial wombs, Taalithans are able to make mixed children with most other known species. They are quite proud of this ability, so in Mar-aan-Taalith it is impossible to find a pure-blood taalithan. There are probably no such specimens anymore.

Taalithans value diversity in everything. They are incredibly accepting, sometimes even too much so. While, as any other person, they might have a temper, it is a social norm for them to reconcile with anybody they had a conflict with, or at least not to hold grudges.

MANARIAN

Citizens of the Free State of Manaria were once Etrinn slaves, having freed themselves during the Etrinn-Unian war. Manarians voted against joining the Unia because they wanted to feel as free as possible for as long as possible. However, they did form an alliance with it, along with Mar-aan-Taalith. Aside from that, many Manarians join the Unian Fleet to protect their people — and other species as well — from the Etrinns, should they strike again.

Manarians had lost most of their culture in the years of slavery, but they are known for their free spirits, devotion to whoever they consider their people, and determination. They are usually space workers, engineers or security specialists. They are especially valued on battleships since they know a lot about Etrinn technology and way of thinking.

KELLIRIAN

Kellirians, also known as the interstellar nomads, are eternally traversing the galaxy on their giant spaceships and stations, forming the state of En’Haal. Having no home planet or planetary colonies, they are wary of anything that could damage their ships, so they remain neutral in any conflict, simply fleeing the territory if it becomes dangerous.

That neutrality and freedom are what Kellirians value the most. The Kellirians who join the Unian Fleet are thus considered either overly political or mindless adventurers and are considered odd at best, unstable at worst. Other species, however, find that having a Kellirian as a navigator, engineer, or pilot is very comforting. At least THAT one definitely won’t screw up.

MIP

Mips are as small and seemingly harmless as they are many. Most of them are sadly still Etrinn slaves, but there are a lot of refugee Mips in En’Haal and, lately, in the Free State of Manaria. Small, but surprisingly strong and endurable, they are mostly manual workers working low-paying jobs in En’Haal or builders and soldiers in Manaria.

Mips stick with their families, living in crowded communes, up to five generations in one house. They value their family ties and community spirit, and when they move to work for the Unian Fleet, they usually try to have at least one relative, however distant, on the same ship or station. Mips are known for their ability to make any team feel like a family and every ship - like home.

ETRINN

Etrinns come from a dead system of Etrinn. Having lost their home to an ecological catastrophe they’ve caused, they conquer other systems to extract resources from them, often bringing them to a similar ecological collapse and enslaving their inhabitants. Their society is a militaristic technocracy hellbent on maintaining its productivity and discipline. The only other species they consider only somewhat inferior to them are Jaffo Ammeri and Kellirians, both of them known for the same pragmatism Etrinns pride themselves on.

After the war, some Etrinns sought refuge in the Free Interspace. A handful of them even joined the Unian Fleet; one of them became an admiral. Despite discrimination and their peers’ distrust, Etrinns make for good officers, serving especially well as the Firsts.

JAFFO AMMERI

Jaffo Ammeri are vassals of the Etrinn Empire, the only species they’ve spared from slavery or destruction. Unlike Etrinns, Jaffo Ammeri are good diplomats and businessmen. They maintain good relations and stable trade between the Empire and En’Haal, and their fashion largely influences even the least Etrinn-friendly species. Often, the only way somebody can negotiate with an imperial Etrinn is through a Jaffo Ammeri advisor.

Jaffo Ammeri value comfort, stability, and social connections. They keep their territories in good condition, building beautiful palaces and entertainment centers.

There are very few Jaffo Ammeri in the Unian Fleet, and they usually serve as advisors and diplomats. It earns them the reputation of cowards, but in truth, they are simply rather slow physically.

[dyxtd21]

Shockwerther's obsession with human teeth, explained and expanded:

Shockwerther’s obsession with the human mouth, specifically teeth, is one of the more bizarre and unsettling aspects of his already unnerving personality. His fixation stems from what he calls “scientific curiosity,” but it often veers into outright macabre territory, earning him the nickname “The Mad Dentist” among the Decepticorns and unfortunate humans who encounter him. Shockwerther views teeth as the “crystalline foundation of organic life,” marveling at their resilience and the variety of forms they take. He believes teeth are a symbol of evolution’s engineering brilliance, a natural counterpart to the mechanical durability of his own candy-based design.

Shockwerther’s fascination manifests in his experiments, where he collects human teeth with the obsessive zeal of a confectioner perfecting a new recipe. He sees himself as an artist and scientist, combining his surgical precision with an almost poetic appreciation for the structure and symmetry of human dentition. To Shockwerther, removing teeth is not an act of cruelty but rather a service to his subjects, as he “liberates” them from what he considers an overlooked marvel of anatomy.

Methods of Luring Humans:

Shockwerther has developed a disturbingly effective method of ensnaring humans to further his “research.” With his eerie, calculated charm, he poses as a benevolent alien seeking human volunteers to participate in groundbreaking dental studies. He appeals to their curiosity and altruism, presenting himself as a scientist fascinated by human biology and promising participants a painless, enlightening experience. Once he has lured them into his lab—a horrifying amalgamation of Decepticorn technology and dental paraphernalia—his true intentions become clear.

Shockwerther uses his multi-functional candy-themed tools, such as drill-like Werther caramel spikes and surgical licorice wires, to extract teeth with uncanny precision. Though he claims to use anesthetics—usually a concoction of caramelized gases that sweetly lull his victims into compliance—the procedure often leaves his subjects in a dazed, sugar-coated state of confusion. Afterward, he bottles the extracted teeth in clear containers made of hardened butterscotch glass, meticulously labeling and cataloging each tooth as part of his “collection.”

His Collection and Scientific Pursuits:

Shockwerther’s collection of human teeth is vast and meticulously organized, displayed in rows of jars within his lair. He studies each specimen obsessively, noting differences in shape, size, and wear patterns, which he believes offer insights into human behavior, diet, and even their "sweet compatibility" with his candy-based physiology. He often refers to his collection as “The Foundation Archive,” a name that reflects his belief that teeth are the cornerstone of organic life’s functional design.

Beyond mere collection, Shockwerther uses the teeth for bizarre experiments, including attempting to integrate them into his candy-themed weaponry and devices. These experiments often fail, but they only fuel his obsessive determination to unlock what he calls “the sweet secrets of dental perfection.”

How the Decepticorns Perceive Him:

Shockwerther’s fixation on human teeth makes even his fellow Decepticorns uncomfortable. Megatwix tolerates him because of his unparalleled intelligence and formidable combat abilities, but he avoids engaging with Shockwerther’s dental endeavors, dismissing them as “insane organic distractions.” Starcream mocks Shockwerther behind his back, calling him a “sugar-coated sadist” and claiming that his experiments are just an excuse to indulge in his bizarre fetishes. Soundwafer, always the pragmatic observer, views Shockwerther’s obsession with quiet disdain, considering it a waste of time and resources.

Despite this, Shockwerther sees himself as misunderstood rather than deranged. He believes his work is vital for bridging the gap between organic and synthetic life, though his methods and motivations are far too warped to achieve anything meaningful. His peers may ridicule or fear him, but Shockwerther dismisses their opinions as the ramblings of lesser minds who cannot comprehend the brilliance of his “sweet science.”

The Human Perspective:

For humans, Shockwerther is the stuff of urban legends and nightmares. Stories circulate about a mysterious, candy-colored figure who lures people away under the guise of medical research, only for them to return toothless and traumatized. Those lucky enough to escape his clutches describe his laboratory as a gleaming, caramel-coated nightmare, filled with the clinking of butterscotch tools and the unnerving hum of dental machinery. The fear of “The Mad Dentist” has become so widespread that some humans even organize resistance groups to warn others of his presence.

Duality of Terror and Logic:

Shockwerther’s fixation on teeth is a chilling reflection of his personality: a blend of cold logic and unhinged creativity. He genuinely believes his experiments serve a higher purpose, viewing his work as a way to unlock universal truths about life and candy alike. Yet his methods reveal a sinister disregard for the individuality and autonomy of his subjects, reducing them to components in his twisted vision of scientific progress.

Shockwerther’s obsession with teeth makes him one of the most horrifying and uniquely twisted Decepticorns. While he sees beauty and purpose in his collection, others—both allies and enemies—see only the disturbing depths of his candy-coated madness.