#centrifugation theory

[biology-geology-beaches-india]

The Research Diaries of S. Sunkavally. Page 200.

[albino-parakeet]

Yea I did it. I got the Henry Wu lines I could find from JWE1 + his DLC into a compilation.

Literally just him being petty with the Security and Science division, he doesn't care much for the Entertainment side of things.

I wanted to add captions on the video to make up for the blurriness. But apparently I’d have to download an entirely different app to do that. Which I can’t currently, maybe when I’m done moving I’ll fix it…

(I apologize for the quality and especially the drop in quality during the Tacano research facility dialogue. The only good no commentary lets play that actually got to it, had the aspect ratio so wide it made the dialogue boxes small 😔)

[stuckasmain]

I like how in the books no further Ship seems to ever attempt artificial gravity again. Even in 2061 where this practical space cruise ship has a literal fucking beach it’s

“Yeah ok strap in to sleep and for at least a hour everyday your shit will fly everywhere hope you didn’t bring anything fragile✌️”

[engagemythrusters]

the autistic disappointment i had at the young age of learning that spin classes were about biking in place and not, indeed, spinning yourself around in circles.

[bucklemonster2]

The Gravitational Temporal Centrifuge (G.T.C.)

ENGLISH VERSION (Nederlandse versie beneden / Dutch version below) The Gravitational Temporal Centrifuge (G.T.C.)

I have an idea to slowdown time. It is perhaps something that could be constructed in the future. I'm not a scientist, I'm just someone with an idea. So, first it's important to understand the following: 1. Movement, especially going near light-speed slows down time.

In other words, the travellers clock will tick slower and the traveller will 'age' less form an outside perspective. For the traveller the outside world will look like time goes faster.

(this is part of Einstein's relativity theory)

2. Gravity, especially strong gravity like the ones experienced near black holes slow down time as well. (this is also part of Einstein's relativity theory)

3. G force can be used to create artificial gravity (like in the film 2001 a space odyssey) A giant spinning "wheel"shaped space-station in space can be constructed and people could walk inside of it; on the "wall" away from the centre.

So here is the idea:

One could create, or find a black hole. Around the black hole, a giant ring shaped space-station can be constructed. The black hole will slowdown time, while the ring is spinning and thus negating the pull of the black hole, or even creating artificial gravity.

This construction could be inside a giant spaceship, going near lightspeed (further slowing down time for the passengers). The passengers could be in cryosleep even shortening the perceived travel time. Or perhaps making the travel time feel almost instantaneous! Perhaps this could be used to travel to other planets and / or solar systems.

---------------------------------------

NEDERLANDSE VERSIE

De Gravitionele Temporale Centrifuge (G.T.C.) Ik heb een idee om de tijd te vertragen. Het is misschien iets dat in de toekomst kan worden gebouwd. Ik ben geen wetenschapper, ik ben gewoon iemand met een idee. Dus, eerst is het belangrijk om het volgende te begrijpen: 1. Vooruit bewegen vertraagt de tijd, vooral als men bijna even snel gaat als de lichtsnelheid. Met andere woorden, de klok van de reiziger zal langzamer tikken en de reiziger zal minder 'verouderen' als men die bekijkt van buiten af (extern perspectief). Voor de reiziger zal de buitenwereld eruit zien alsof de tijd sneller gaat. (dit is onderdeel van de relativiteitstheorie van Einstein) 2. Zwaartekracht, vooral sterke zwaartekracht zoals die ervaren wordt in de buurt van zwarte gaten, vertraagt ook de tijd. (dit is ook onderdeel van de relativiteitstheorie van Einstein) 3. G-kracht kan worden gebruikt om kunstmatige zwaartekracht te creëren (zoals in de film 2001 a space odyssey). Er kan een gigantisch draaiend "wiel"-vormig ruimtestation in de ruimte worden gebouwd en mensen kunnen erin lopen; op de "muur" weg van het centrum.

Dus hier is het idee: Men zou een zwart gat kunnen creëren of vinden. Rond het zwart gat kan een gigantisch ringvormig ruimtestation worden gebouwd. Het zwarte gat zal de tijd vertragen, terwijl de ring ronddraait en zo de aantrekkingskracht van het zwarte gat tenietdoet, of zelfs kunstmatige zwaartekracht creëert. Deze constructie zou zich in een gigantisch ruimteschip kunnen bevinden, dat bijna de lichtsnelheid nadert (het gene verder de tijd vertraagd voor de passagiers). De passagiers zouden in een kunstmatige slaap liggen, wat zelfs de waargenomen reistijd verkort.

De reistijd kan zelfs zo kort lijken als een oogwenk! Misschien kan dit gebruikt worden om naar andere planeten en/of zonnestelsels te reizen.

[yeet-me-dad-dy]

The Arcane - Chapter Four - Anomaly

Summary: You find an anomaly in Viktor's blood. He takes you down to see his old doctor. You meet Vander.

Characters: Viktor x Male Reader (Dr Raven) x Jayce (Eventually)

Warnings: Blood

Words: 2,408

After Viktor departed from your lab, you set the centrifuge, prepared a slide, poured yourself a drink, and sat down to examine his blood more closely. It was clear right away that something was wrong.

“What the…?” you mumbled as you gazed through the microscope.

His red blood cell count was fine and the cells were dispersed nicely – not too close together, not too far apart, not clumped up in groups. But there was an… anomaly. Around the white spot of hemoglobin at the center of each cell was a blue ring.

That’s why his blood seems purple. The red and blue are mixing. You made a quick, preliminary note of the observation. Without more testing, there was no way to know whether this anomaly was strictly discoloration, or if it was something more serious. Was it preventing the cells from transporting oxygen throughout his body? You would have to separate a cell and look more closely at the… mutation? Toxin? You weren’t sure. Normally, this kind of mystery would delight you. You were excited at the prospect of making new discoveries, of course, but you were also worried. Would the research you were conducting on your own blood be able to fix a problem you’d never seen before and hadn’t accounted for during testing? The best way to find out what would happen if you mixed your blood with Viktors was to do just that.

You prepared a secondary slide, focused the microscope, then pricked your finger. Carefully, you picked up a tiny bit of your blood on the end of a scalpel and dropped it into Viktor’s on the slide. You peered through the lens, holding your breath. With other samples of diseased blood, the common trend was that your blood would mix with the foreign sample and dissolve whatever anomaly it found present, whether that be an infection or something else, rendering it harmless. From there, the theory was that this bi-product would be filtered out of the blood when it traveled through the liver, and then be disposed of in the urine.

That was only a theory, however, because none of your subjects ever survived long enough to prove it. For some, death took seconds. For others, minutes, hours, or even days. For all of them, though, it was excruciating.

And this was why: After a few seconds of contact with your blood, Viktor’s cells began to burst. You expected no less. The main focus of your research was figuring out how to make your blood less volatile. You couldn’t figure out why it had the effect it did, and while some of your research had proven promising in delaying the inevitable, you had been unable to stop it entirely.

This small test was a good sign, despite the outcome. This proved that your blood could remove the anomaly from Viktor’s cells if it turned out to be harmful. You just had to find a way to get it to work without killing him, which is what you’d been trying to do for the last hundred years with no success. You sighed and leaned back in your chair, pinching the bridge of your nose. There were other tests to run, other observations to be made. It could be that the blue ring was nothing more than a strange pigmentation phenomenon and wasn’t hurting him at all. It could be that his previous doctors had been so focused on this strange blue ring that they had completely missed a more obvious answer. The human body, so intricate and complex… Everything was connected. If one thing went wrong, everything was affected.

You stopped by Heimerdinger’s office later that evening, around five, with dinner for Viktor.

“The apple wasn’t enough?” he asked slyly when you set the bag of take-out on the desk next to him.

“I’m afraid it’s going to take more than an apple to keep this doctor away. Sorry,” you smirked.

“What if I throw it hard enough?”

You chuckled and pulled up an extra chair to sit next to him. He put down the notes he was organizing for Heimerdinger and opened the bag to see what you had brought him. A fresh, hot, healthy meal awaited him, and while he didn’t usually have much of an appetite, the smell of it was making his mouth water.

“Any breakthroughs?” he asked as he fished the fork out of the bag.

“Breakthroughs? No. Curious observations? Many.”

“Do tell.”

“There’s still more testing to be done, but what I can tell you is that your blood is healthy, except for one thing.”

“Oh?”

You nabbed the orange out of the bag and peeled it for him.

“There’s an… anomaly," you explained. A blue ring around the hemoglobin in each red cell that shouldn’t be there.”

“Anomaly indeed,” Viktor agreed, his brows furrowed. “So what does this mean?”

“Like I said, there’s more testing to be done to find out what that ring actually is and what effect its having on your body. It could just be pigmentation.”

“But then, what’s causing it?”

You shrugged.

“That’s the million dollar question. A question I’m afraid I’ll have to take a lot more samples in order to answer. Samples of more than just your blood.”

He tilted his head to the side, not quite understanding.

“Plasma and bone, primarily.”

Oh. Those were not pleasant samples to give.

“But those can wait for now” you assured him with a soft smile when you saw the sick look on his face.

After dinner, you took Viktor to your lab to show him the slides and explained what he was seeing, chatting at length about the possible causes and effects of the mysterious blue ring. Then, when the sun finally dipped below the horizon, it was time for Viktor to show you to the Undercity, where you hoped his medical records could be found.

The Undercity was damp and smelly, with a comforting darkness pierced by blinding neon lights. The gaze of every Trencher was on you and Viktor as you wound through the narrow, muddy streets, some glittering with greed as they took in your expensive clothes, and others darkened by fear when your red-hot gaze found theirs. You were on edge and Viktor could tell.

“Relax, will you?” he said as he limped along.

“Not sure I can do that,” you chuckled dryly.

The streets became thinner, the buildings more dense and compact the farther down you traveled. The deeper he led you, the thicker and more oppressive the air became, as well. It didn’t take long for Viktor to start coughing.

“Stop, Viktor,” you said, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. “I can find my way from here. I want you to go back where the air is nicer.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but another coughing fit overtook him. When he finally got control of it, he nodded.

“I’ll met you on the bridge.”

“No,” you shook your head. “I want you to stay close. Meet me at the edge The Lanes.”

Worried I’m going to get mugged, are you?” he smirked.

“Of course I am.”

His smirk fell, and he frowned.

“The people of The Undercity aren’t animals, doctor.”

“No, but some of them are desperate, and you would make an easy mark.”

“That applies to people in Piltover, too, you know.”

“I know. Which is why I would be asking you to stick close if we were up there, too.”

He sighed. He wanted to be offended, to argue that he could take care of himself, but instead, he found your protectiveness… endearing.

“At the edge of The Lanes, then,” he agreed.

It wasn’t a long walk back, and anyone who so much as looked at Viktor shied away when they saw you watching. He would be fine. As he limped away, you turned and continuing deeper into The Fissures. The air down here wasn’t necessarily toxic anymore, thanks to the filtration system that House Kirraman had installed years ago. But it was still heavy, and, gods, the smell. Like sulfur and sewage. The people down here regarded you with mistrust. Topsiders didn't come down here unless they were there for shady dealings. You didn't belong... Or did you? You were scary enough to fit in, that was for sure, but your clothes betrayed your status. You yourself were an anomaly in the veins of The Undercity.

You approached one of the first people you encountered, but she scurried away, hissing obscenities, before you could ask your question. It took you quite some time to find anyone willing to point you toward Viktor’s former doctor. When you did finally find him, you were not impressed in the least. Actually, you were appalled. The “hospital” was nothing more than a run-down shack. It may have been a proper hospital at one point, but now it was nothing more than dirt and grime on some old boards.

A bell chimed overhead when you opened the door and stepped inside. Somehow, the air in here was even stuffier than out there. You curled your lip, disgusted at the state of the place. It didn’t look like it had been cleaned in years. Bottles with various colored liquids filled shelves alongside ancient medical tools. You were thankful the glass on the bottles was so filthy. Some of the things floating in them were… questionable. You weren’t sure you wanted to know exactly what they contained.

An older man with a potbelly appeared from a door in the back. He wore a leather apron, stained with old, dried blood, and the frizzy white hair atop his head stuck out at odd angles. He was hunched and limped when he walked, and one of his eyes seemed to be glued permanently shut with some kind of greenish pus. He looked more like a mad scientist than a doctor.

“How can I help?” he asked with a voice like gravel, resting his fat, filthy hands on the reception desk.

“My name is Doctor Raven. I’m here regarding a former patient of yours, Viktor. I need his medical records.”

He didn’t react for a moment, and you wondered if he’d heard you at all. Finally, he nodded slowly.

“Viktor, yes… I remember now.”

“Do you have his records?” you asked.

He grumbled and looked around.

“I think… Yes…”

He shuffled back into the back room and was gone for ages before finally reappearing with a file. He handed it to you, and you were thankful you’d worn your gloves as you took it from him. You opened it. Three pages.

“This is it?” you asked, glancing up at him.

He shrugged.

“There wasn’t much to record. Bad bones, bad blood.”

You scoffed and shook your head.

“Thanks,” you mumbled as you turned to leave.

He cleared his throat loudly, catching your attention, and you heard him shuffle up behind you. He glared at you, his hand out, palm up.

Of course.

You fished a few coins out of your pocket and handed them to him, careful not to make contact.

You were frustrated and in poor spirits when you met back up with Viktor. He stood when you approached, eyes bright and curious.

“Did you find him?”

You held up the file.

“Not sure it was worth our time, but yes.”

He took the file and thumbed through it.

“This is it?” he asked.

“I asked the same thing.”

“I visited him hundreds of times while I lived down here, and this is all he has…” He shook his head. “Unbelievable.”

“I’ll make do,” you assured him. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

You stuck close to his side as you picked your way back through the broken streets to the bridge, giving more than a few warning growls to those with greedy eyes and sticky fingers. You stopped halfway across.

“Go ahead,” you said. “I think I’m going to linger for a bit. I want to have a look around. This place disgusts me, I won’t lie, but… It’s also exactly the kind of place I want to help. The kind of people I want to help.”

Viktor smiled.

“Take your time, Doctor.”

You did take your time, talking with those that would give you the time of day, asking about their health and their woes. You knew that the Upper City didn’t care much for those below, but you didn’t realize the full extent of their neglect. You were glad that Viktor got out of there. Eventually, you found your way to a bar called The Last Drop. The barkeeper greeted you heartily and asked what you’d like to drink. You declined the drink politely and instead continued your investigation.

“Yeah, things can get pretty bad down here,” he said quietly. “We don’t have much in the way of medical attention, but the doctors we do have do what they can to help. On top of that, the food down here isn’t great. We have plenty of seafood, but fresh fruit and vegetables are few and far between.”

You nodded, listening intently. He leaned forward on the bar.

“What’s a fancy doctor like you doing down here anyway?” he asked, more quietly.

“I came with a patient, to get medical records from his former doctor. I’ve only been in Piltover for two days, and I have to admit, I’m not delighted to see how they treat this part of their population.”

He scoffed.

“Topside couldn’t care less about what goes on down here in the Trenches.”

“Yes, that’s the conclusion I came to as well,” you said quietly.

“Sure I can’t get you a drink?” he asked. “You look like you could use one.”

You chuckled.

“No, thank you. I should be heading back. Thanks for talking with me.”

You tried to give him some coin for his time and information, but he refused with a chuckle.

“No need for that, Doctor. You just do what you can to help the people down here, and we'll call it even. Hey, what’s your name, before you go?”

“Raven,” you answered as you stepped down from the barstool. “Doctor Raven.”

“Vander,” he said, offering his hand.

You didn’t want to touch the Fissures doctor, but Vander’s hand, you didn’t hesitate to shake.

“Until next time, then, Vander.”

You bid him farewell and made your way back toward home, following the path illuminated by the silver glow of the moon.

[queenshelby]

Chemical Reactions (P. 4)

Pairing: Cillian Murphy as J Robert Oppenheimer x Student Reader

Warning: Smut in later parts, Age-Gap, Infidelity

Words: 2,567

Note: The fic is spoiler free and my own fantasy and imagination. It is not historically and scientifically accurate.

Previous Parts: 1; 2; 3

Two weeks later…

Just over two weeks had passed since you took up your scholarship at Berkley and it has been seven days since you began researching for your thesis about dark matter under the supervision of J Robert Oppenheimer who, unfortunately for you, appeared to be somewhat preoccupied with more important matters these days.

For the weeks and days, he had been visited by a man of statue who appeared to be a general of some sort and, whilst you were curious about this man’s visits to Berkley, you already some idea about what this may be about.

For months there had been some talks in the scientific community about the fission reaction of atoms which ultimately gave rise to the possible creation of a new innovative bomb. It was only a matter of time until the army caught on to this idea and you knew from your time at Harvard that several professors had already been lobbying for an atomic bomb project in this regard.

You thus assumed that, finally, the program was going to implemented, especially since now Germany had just invaded Poland. You knew that, an atomic bomb like this could end the war and your presumption was that the army was recruiting scientists, including J Robert Oppenheimer, to build this powerful nuclear weapon before the Germans did.

As such, you did not bother him much these days with minuscule issues about dark matter and Dr Oppenheimer certainly kept to himself whenever he could until Tuesday evening came around and he finally decided to check on you in the lab.

Your POV

Unlike your very own professor, in the lab, you were an ace and experimenting to prove a theory someone else or yourself has come up with excited you a lot even though the theoretical part of physics was what you desired to be involved in the most.

Unlike many other students in your department at Berkley, you had a high attention to detail when it came to experimental physics and since working with hazardous chemicals at high or low pressures required some planning and special precautions, you enjoyed to use the laboratory after everyone had left.

You often spent hours in the lab following your lectures for the day and today was not any different when, at 7 o’clock at night, you were still occupied by your attempts to create a chemical reaction similar to that of a star exploding.

Thus, when Dr Oppenheimer approached you from behind, just as you put the centrifuge you were using under negative pressure and connected it the exhaust system, you startled.

You were concentrating too hard and did not expect to see anyone at this hour in the laboratory, especially not him, your very own supervisor who had been too busy for your research in the past two weeks.

“Holy shit, you startled me” you thus spat as you dropped one of the glass vials on to the concrete floor which, luckily for you, did not contain anything but some pH solution.

“I don’t believe that I ever heard you swear like this, Miss Y/LN” Dr Oppenheimer said with some amusement in his voice before gathering a small broom and helping you to clean up the mess you made because of him, which was a gesture you appreciated.

“My apologies Dr Oppenheimer. It’s just, you don’t seem to be here often these days and I am behind with my research already, so…” you stammered as, together, you cleaned up the broken glass and, before you realised it, his hand was on top of yours, caressing it gently.

Immediately, you felt that same tingling again on your skin which, just a few weeks ago, you felt on your neck when Dr Oppenheimer adjusted the clip on the back of your necklace. It was an intense and rather pleasurable sensation which, ultimately, made you blush.

“There is no need to apologise. If anyone had to apologise, it should be me, for neglecting my engagement as your thesis supervisor. Unfortunatly, there have been some more pressing matters that required my attention” Dr Oppenheimer then said as he was letting go of your hand and raising back to his feet before helping you up as well by using his right hand.

“I figured” you barely stammered while allowing Dr Oppenheimer to pull you to your feet before, with a slight blush, walking towards the utilities room to dispose of the broken glass vail and to obtain a new one.

“You figured?” Dr Oppenheimer then asked somewhat confused by your statement as he followed you into the utilities room.

“I have seen an army general visiting your office twice last week and my presumption is that you have been recruited to build this goddamn bomb, which every physicist in this country has been talking about for months” you asserted with little to no reluctance before also voicing your concerns about it. “Do you really think that this is a good idea?” you wanted to know, seeing that such bomb could easily be a device of mass destruction and, just as you spoke the words, Robert pushed you further into the corner of the utilities room while closing the door shut behind you.

You then suddenly felt his warm but strong arm pull you against him before covering your mouth with the palm of his other hand.

“Shh” he whispered before shaking his head, indicating for you to stop talking and, by that point, your heart was pounding hard with adrenaline.

He must have thought that someone was listening in on you and presumed that the laboratory was bugged by government officials, but none of this mattered to you now as you felt heat everywhere now while his body was touching yours.

The feeling of his body against yours was so intense that you couldn’t even murmur a response into his palm and thus you simply nodded, which is when he spoke again.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, but you sure have a creative imagination” Dr Oppenheimer said, brushing off what you had alleged while still holding his arms around you and embracing the sparks of electricity emanating from each other's bodies.

“Now, about your research on dark matter, how does Sunday sound for a catch up?” he then asked as you looked up into his bright blue eyes while he looked down at you with a look of concern and a hint of desire.

“Sunday?” you murmured in response as you could not even manage to speak proper words just yet as you stood there like this for what felt like hours, but it could not even have been more than a minute or two.

“Yes. Sunday. I am away until then” Dr Oppenheimer then said as his arms finally fell from around you and he cleared his throat.

“And, I am leaving for a period of two weeks after that for which Dr O’Connell will be taking over as your supervisor. He will be a good mentor for you but I want to see where you are at with your research before he gets involved” Dr Oppenheimer then announced which broke your trance and you quickly stepped back, almost tripping over your own feet.

“Dr O’Connell?” you asked with surprise while you looked down at your feet, trying to avoid those magnetic eyes of J Robert Oppenheimer.

“Yes. I am afraid so” he confirmed, which is when you finally managed to look at his face again. His eyes were clouded with indescribable emotions and, clearly, so were yours.

“I understand” you eventually confirmed nervously. “Sunday it is but, since the university facilities will be closed, we will need to meet somewhere else” you managed to point out while your eyes began to water slightly from the overwhelmingness of everything that just happened, making you look like a fool.

Dr Oppenheimer, of course, noticed and his face changed from indiscernible to concern once more.

“You will do just fine Miss Y/LN. I have no doubt about it” he reassured you before suggesting the library as a meeting place which meant that, unbeknownst to him, you would have had to copy your calculations from your big chalkboard in your room to several pieces of paper.

“How about the Chevalier residence instead?” you thus suggested, causing Robert to furrow his eyebrows.

“I do not consider this to be a good idea Miss Y/LN. It would be highly inappropriate” Dr Oppenheimer pointed out, but you interrupted him.

“Haakon and Barbara are in San Jose for the weekend. You are friend of them both, so I have no doubt that they wouldn’t mind you visiting me in their absence. That is, of course, if your wife allows it” you explained with a little smirk on your face and your sudden sense of confidence surprised Dr Oppenheimer.

“My wife too, is away, staying with her mother for the time being” he explained before agreeing to your suggestion, but you would not just leave it that.

“Did you and your wife have a fight?” you asked out of curiosity, which is when Dr Oppenheimer shook his head and chuckled.

“We always fight, but that is not the reason. She is staying with her mother because I am busy and am travelling a lot these days and she needs help with our son, Peter” he then explained before stepping away from you again, increasing the gap between you.

“Now, I am afraid, I must go. I have another pressing engagement this evening” he told you and you had a sneaky suspicion that your professor was making the most of the time his wife was away.

“No doubt you do, professor. I shall see you on Sunday” you said with a slight chuckle, seeing that you already knew about his numerous affairs, including his on and off relations with Jean Tatlock.

Robert’s POV

It was later that same day, at around 8 o’clock that Robert went to a place that he had not visited in about three weeks, namely the apartment of Jean Tatlock’s in downtown San Francisco.

Ever since meeting you, he avoided her and whilst he did so subconsciously, he gave it some thought after Jean had addressed the fact that he had been ignoring her calls.

After almost three weeks, she now expressed a great desire to see him again and, considering her poor mental state, Robert reluctantly agreed.

As always, Robert brought her flowers which she disposed of rather quickly and just as she asked him inside, Robert began to explain to her that he was not there to see her for the usual reasons.

This was meant to be his final visit and he knew that, by ending their affair, he would likely break her heart. She would be devastated and that was something that concerned him a lot.

“I am not here for that Jean” Robert thus said just as Jean attempted to kiss him in a haste while pulling against his tie and suit jacket.

“And yet, you finally answered my call. Why?” she asked almost angrily, rolling her eyes before pushing Robert aside and pouring herself a drink. Clearly, she was confused and Robert had to provide an explanation to her.

“Because we need to talk Jean. This has been going on for far too long” he told her while adjusting his tie and jacket again. His facial expression was more serious than usual and that, in itself, concerned Jean.

“Oh my god Robert, after all those years you want to end it?” she asked as tears shot into the corners of her eyes. She shook her head in disbelieve and then smashed the glass she was holding onto the hard wooden floor, spilling her drink along with it.

“Jean, please…” Robert said calmly, trying to console her by reaching for her hands, but Jean pulled away.

“There is someone else, isn’t there?” she asked angrily, causing Robert to sigh deeply.

“I am a married man Jean, so yes, there is someone else, my wife” Robert tried to explain but Jean shook her head angrily and pointed her finger at him.

“No Robert! I am not talking about your wife and neither are you” she said sternly as slowly, but surely, her emotions got the better of her. She began to yell at Robert and, seeing that Jean was so upset, he did not know what else to say to her. He was lost for words.

“Who is she?” she then wanted to know and this is when she received yet another response from her lover that both, confused her and made her fume with rage.

“She is a woman who will help me change the world” Robert acknowledged somewhat reluctantly, causing the tears in her eyes to increase rapidly.

“You know that I love you, Robert. In fact, I never stopped loving you even after you married Katherine" she pleaded while trying to comprehend the situation. For years, Robert had maintained his affair to Jean even after he married Kitty and now this was going to be over because of someone else?

"And I have loved you too, but you have destroyed that love for me Jean. You pushed me away repeatedly and now I am finally it. I moved on” Robert said a little too honestly and with a lack of emotion in his voice, causing Jean’s reaction to worsen.

"I have said I was sorry, Robert!” Jean screamed almost hysterically while stepping one step towards Robert and pushing her hands against his chest, forcing him against the wall.

“So am I Jean. I truly am” he told her while cupping her face. Her tears were clouding her eyes and he sealed her faith with one final kiss before leaving her apartment for the last time, until she would call him again several months later.

Note: Unlike in real life, Jean will not kill herself in this fic. In fact, she will reappear in a few later parts, causing some havoc for the reader.

To be continued…

Please comment and engage. I love getting comments and predictions pretty please!

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[mysticstronomy]

WHAT IS THE INFORMATION PARADOX??

Blog#355

Wednesday, December 6th, 2023

Welcome back,

Afew years ago a team of chemists unboiled an egg. Boiling causes protein molecules in the egg to twist around one another, and a centrifuge can disentangle them to restore the original. The technique is of dubious utility in a kitchen, but it neatly demonstrates the reversibility of physics. Anything in the physical world can run both ways—it's one of the deepest features of the laws of physics, reflecting elemental symmetries of space, time and causality.

If you send all the parts of a system into reverse, what was done will be undone. The information required to wind back the clock is always preserved. Of course, undoing a process may be easy in simple systems but is less so in complex ones, which is why the egg unboiler was so nifty.

But there's a troubling exception: black holes. If a massive enough star collapses under its own weight, its gravity intensifies without limit and locks matter in its grip. Jump into one, and there's no going back. Merge two together, and you can't split them apart.

A black hole presents an almost completely featureless façade to the universe. Looking at it, you can't tell what fell in. The black hole does not seem to preserve information. This irreversibility, first appreciated by physicist David Finkelstein in 1958, was the earliest inkling of the black hole information paradox—“paradox” because how could reversible laws have irreversible effects? The paradox signaled a deeper disease in physicists' understanding of the world.

Scientists have many reasons to seek a grand unified theory of nature, but the information paradox is their most specific motivation, and it has guided their way when they have little else to go on.

At last, more than 60 years after this puzzle began to appear, physicists are seeing hope for a solution. In the year leading up to the pandemic and through the months of lockdown, a coalition of theorists took huge strides to understand the paradox—the most progress in decades, some say.

They bolstered the idea that black holes, despite appearances, are reversible, and they dissolved the official paradox. Physical theory is no longer at odds with itself. The work is contentious, though, and by its proponents' own admission, it is at best a starting point for a full explanation of black holes.

Until recently, most of the “progress” physicists have made on this paradox over the decades has consisted of realizing the problem is even harder than they'd thought. Finkelstein's original work left loopholes.

For one, it was based on Einstein's general theory of relativity, which physicists knew was not the full story, because it left out quantum effects. In the 1970s Stephen Hawking—in the work that made him a household name—took a first crack at including those effects. His calculations predicted that black holes slowly release energy. But this emission carries no information about whatever had fallen in, so it doesn't help wind back the clock.

If anything, the outgoing trickle of particles worsens the predicament. The black hole eventually empties itself of energy and evaporates away like a puddle on a summer's day. All the matter it imprisoned is not freed but wiped out of existence. Hawking's analysis elevated a general unease into a full-fledged crisis for physics.

Originally published on www.scientificamerican.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, December 9th, 2023)

"WHAT ARE WHITE DWARFS??"

[sistermclarens]

Did Oscar break his rib at Silverstone 2024?

Tldr: probably not but it's not impossible. The most likely place would be sliding off track in lap 19. Debatably his breathing sounds different specifically in his radios immediately after the checkered flag. If you've got more race and/or medical knowledge than me (a very low bar to clear), those are the places I'd suggest you check first to make your own judgement.

I rewatched all 3 free practices, qualifying, and the race as well as listen to his race radio to see if there were any obvious spots he might have broken a rib, but nothing really came up. Below the cut I've noted the few places where the commentators indicate that he's doing poorly and given my thoughts on what might have been causing him issues, but mostly I think these issues can be put down to the on-and-off rain across the race weekend.

To me, the 11 am time for his ultrasound (thanks to @velvetsainz for pointing out that it's an ultrasound, not an x-ray) doesn't really point to him having broken it during any time during Silverstone weekend. The race was at 3 pm BST and lasted ~2 hrs. Even with the additional time allotted for interviews and the fan stage events, the team could easily get him into an urgent care or ER that night if he needed to be checked immediately. Most of the comments on broken ribs (both here and via googling) seem to indicate that they're super painful, especially when breathing, so I'm not sure why he and the team would ignore it overnight if he was in that kind of pain. It seems more likely that he broke it sometime the morning of the ultrasound (possibly having strained/weakened it during Silverstone to make the break more likely). HOWEVER. I can't cleanly rule out that somehow he broke his rib during Silverstone weekend, was feeling only low-level pain, assumed it would go away with rest, and then Monday morning was still in enough pain (either pain not lessening or pain getting worse) to decide to get checked.

Qualifying round 2: the commentators mention that his car is "a bit twitchy" at the beginning of one of his last flying laps but there's no other indication that they see anything off. Given that it was raining at the end of Q1 (about 10 mins before the comment), it seems a lot more likely that this is because of slick tires on the wet track.

Lap 19: Oscar goes left off the track in the rain and rejoins. Lewis and George had this exact same run off ~2 secs beforehand, so it's unlikely (tho not impossible) that skidding off track here put enough force into his harness to break his rib. (Lando also has this same run off in the next lap.) Normally you're going to be pushed in the opposite direction of a turn by centrifugal force, so turning to the left should really put harness strain on the right side of his ribs. But if the car started hydroplaning at some point in the turn then in theory he could have been jolted to the left at this point. The camera shot is not really close enough for me to tell if I think he really would have been jolted left OR right tho since he kind of ends up cutting the turn into more of a diagonal by going off onto the runoff asphalt. His race engineer doesn't even mention the fact that he went off track in over the radio despite them having a long back and forth this lap about where the track is wettest so it doesn't seem like anyone on pit wall was particularly worried by his skid. File this under unlikely but not impossible I guess.

Lap 29: Oscar slip&slides all over the track and into the pit lane, but again I think this is down to driving on slick tires in the rain. His race engineer warns him over the radio that his front tires are overheating, which I think also helps account for why he loses so much time in this lap. Once he pits for inters he's fine again despite having lost 4 positions.

Lap 52: In his post-flag radio, Oscar does sound maybe out of breath compared to other radios of his I've listened to--he's kind of taking heavy deep breaths in between speaking. But it's such a minor noise that I can't even be sure I'm not imagining it or that it's not part of the car noises 😂 it's not something I heard at any earlier part of his radio so if it is his breathing I'd guess it's just part of the adrenaline comedown post-race.

[nadekofannumber1]

Stupid Csm spoiler question for my current theories

I feel like the concept of pochita birth devil is fairly possible IMO, however another thing I’m wondering is if like, does pregnancy currently ‘exist’ in CSM?

Like it’s not an invalid question, chainsaws were originally a tool invented to help women give birth, so even if not currently brought up it would be something the devil hunters would have to consider right? But I can’t remember any scene mentioning the concepts of pregnancy in chainsaw man, I don’t remember any mentions of pregnant women as a victim status in dying or even its concept involved in sex. The latest chapters show concepts related persisting even if a function disappears, phones seem to in ways have existed even if ears and their function disappeared but perhaps that was only because of the shortness of the disappearance (after all characters do try to talk yet I could view that as a framing tool).

Chainsaw man’s erasing powers only seem to have fully activated when the “scarf” is out, though this somewhat of a fallacy as we’ve only recently seen the chainsaw devil use these powers in action. However given the state of the mouth devil shown when mouths disappear it could easily be seen that it’s not necessary to consume the whole devil to make a concept disappear, which is pretty decent evidence that it’s a manual power and it’s worth considering of course. When taking the scarf into consideration it’s worth questioning why it’s even there. If not a remnant of makima but a legitimate piece of the chainsaw devil’s full design it’s pretty strange that there’s like, a fleshy scarf on it right? Not only that but it comes from the chainsaw man’s stomach and wraps around his neck before trailing. If one subscribes to birth devil (or an adjacent similar concept even post natal death) theory you could easily view it as an umbilical cord, it’s hard not to view it as one if you conceive the chainsaw devil’s power as unbirth. From a linguistic standpoint, concepts are things that are in a sense born, and devils are essentially sentient concepts but death does not free them, not fully. However if those concepts were simply never born, everything changes, if something dies it existed but if it wasn’t born it never did.

It’s pretty thematically congruent given CSM’s themes on family, bodily agency, growing up, sex, death, intimacy. A birth devil who wishes to be the chainsaw devil at its core is really interesting honestly, especially with concepts of humanization and dehumanization of them.

(Side note I think that cult worshiping the birth devil is horrific implications wise imo, horrific idea that chainsaw man syndrome is related to the concept of birth itself)

If you stretch and think perhaps pochita is an a way a sort of fetus.

Of course this has its flaws as a lot of the other parts of chainsaw man’s design don’t reflect it as birth but more as a cool metal chainsaw monster, perhaps one could try and link it to other potential concepts of horrific birth like the baby centrifuge (it exists look it up, tbh a lot of these old horrific implements are interesting).

But even with all that why does nobody notice? Why doesn’t anyone say anything?

Really asking any questions about what could exist in csm is like this.

It’s a devil’s proof, you can’t prove if something does or doesn’t exist in csm until you actually see it or someone mentions that it’s missing, nobody knew that the AIDs devil was destroyed until that scene with Makima towards the end of part one. We fundamentally have no idea what doesn’t exist in chainsaw man and with the reading of the chainsaw devil as the birth devil it gets you asking questions about what truth is obscured. This just happens to be the most simple answer to me. Chainsaw is a loan word in Japanese (chenso no akuma) so you can’t say it’s another thing character reading wise especially when they have the war devil (sensho no akuma) which would probably be the closest big thing someone could try to push.

I’d say the biggest hole in asking if pregnancy exists in CSM is that milk and eggs exist, however the concept based existence of devils is locked to human perspective therefor those things could still exist but in ways not comprehended as the same as pregnancy.

I’d love feedback though.

Even if there’s perfect evidence pregnancy exists in csm, it’s still very weird nobody has brought up the pregnancy argument for chainsaw man in universe lol.

———-

Update for the latest chapter as of 9/18/24 (or 18/9/24)

Given the latest chapters and the chapters since this initial post, I’d say I’m 100% certain the reason that yoru can’t control the chainsaw devil is because it is not her “child”. Chainsaws aren’t a concept born from war it was born as a method for doctors to cut pelvic cartalage open wider so a child can be born. The chainsaw devil is a product of the fear of sex and birth, just because you can use it for something else now doesn’t untie the concept from the “parent concept”

If the chainsaw devil is a sort of birth devil with a parent concept of pregnancy and sex, the chainsaw devil perhaps destroying pregnancy itself to become one’s own devil would be in line with the themes of rejection of concepts like traditional family. It would also possibly make pochita just like denji.

Honestly, “parent concepts” being canonized makes a lot of understanding how devils work a lot easier. Instead of having to split hairs about how larger concepts factor into smaller ones that are valid variations but also could just as easily factor into the main larger fear, it lets concepts exist as extensions of each other. Once more tying the concept to the horror of familial bonds. Despite being mainly a woodcutting tool, the chainsaw devil can’t stop being a product of the birth devil. Maybe pochita wished to be loved like one is supposed to love their child, or how one is supposed to have a normal childhood. Perhaps the chainsaw devil hold denji in the conceptual womb of his mind to protect him as one should protect a child. Why pochita has multiple forms could be due to the disparity of concept itself, with chainsaws as a wood cutting tool being innately less scary than chainsaws as a tool for birth. Amother way you could think on it is some devil’s abilities get underutilized because of their disposition as devils or perhaps the shifting existence of concepts, like the blood devil Power’s ability of creating a bond between blood. Thinking of the powers of the blood devil as entirely literal is probably a misnomer at this point in the story.

While eastern and western individual concepts of blood vary, its symbol as a form of bond or homogeny does culturally share at least some concepts. I’d say the big differences for Japan are that they use blood type like horoscopes and also all blood is spiritually unclean or corrupting (which is why menstruating women generally can’t go to shrines). Western perception of blood differs as many abrahamic religions are mired in the symbolism of blood from a literal to non literal level, but also many Norse, Germanic, or pagan religions took interest in the concept as well. In many abrahamic religions consumption of blood is fairly expressly forbaid as it is considered the very soul of the being, which is how kosher and halal food intersect, they both require a ritual that drains the blood. I could say more but I’ll halt for now. Really there’s a lot of what ifs, but I think the bond of blood relation or really anything ethnonationalist is likely the most relevant answer. As it’s common with many large countries, Japan isn’t an exception to concepts of blood purity being a status of cultural identity. Blood relation or blood purity is a staple to the status quo as much as traditional family is. Power has that symbolic violence engraved in her as the devil of blood but that desire for bonds is also an equally valuable property of blood. On its own blood as a bond doesn’t have to be an innately evil thing, as denji and power form a bond of blood, and even now pochita cries out for blood in the streets. Hunting for that security and bond.

However I’m willing to also understand that my theory is more a devil’s proof. I can’t prove it but I can’t not prove it.

[sifu-kisu]

Secret Book: Tai Chi Ball Dragon Walk Thirteen Styles

The 13 dragon-shaped Tai Chi ball movements were introduced by Wudang Taoist priests, and are a combination of the essence of Tai Chi theory and basic stances. Tai Chi is a combination of the inner family's Hunyuan Qigong, with the movement of Qi as the inner five forms and the movement of form as the outer five forms, forming the opening and closing of the Yin and Yang Qi. It is also a method of seeking tranquility in motion, and one must calm the mind and enter tranquility everywhere. Therefore, a round ball is used for rotation, and one must concentrate on the surface of the ball. When practicing Tai Chi ball, the mind follows the Qi, the Qi follows the strength, the essence follows the Qi, and the Qi follows the spirit. Then, dynamic Qi is sought from the stillness, achieving the combination of movement and stillness, the combination of Yin and Yang, the combination of water and fire, the effect of smoothing the Qi and strengthening the heart, relaxing the Qi and blood, and benefiting the kidneys and replenishing the blood. It is indeed a health care method for prolonging life.

Gradually experience it in practice. Holding the ball for exercise is like the ball attracting the body to the ball. There are sliding force, centrifugal force and other forces. The person moves with the ball, stretching and generous, often feeling refreshed, and having the beauty of sweating and moistening the body. The thirteen forms of Tai Chi ball dragon form are short and powerful, easy to learn and practice. Fast or slow, high or low, upper, middle or lower, all three are OK. Single form is the pile method, and continuous form is the walking method. Do not lose or top, do not reach or leave. It is derived from the twelve zodiac signs of animals in the distant past, and is applied to the seven meridians, eight channels, five elements, and four tips in the near future. It is not only the round movement of Tai Chi, but also has the eight methods of Baguazhang and the five forms of Xingyiquan.

The old, middle-aged, young, and infants can all exercise with Tai Chi balls. It can be adapted to the individual and the location, and can even be exercised on a round tabletop. When exercising, you can initially use a mud ball, a leather ball, a wooden ball, a hydrangea (pompom), or a basketball or a football. It is best to use a ball made of agarwood, because agarwood can draw qi into the Dantian. When people exercise, agarwood can enter the lungs through the nose, which is very beneficial. The size of the ball is best based on the width of the person's chest. The diameter of the ball is generally about 30 cm.

Practice

The first posture: holding the moon in your arms

This is the Wuji Yangxin Posture. The body squats down to the horse-grip posture, the ball rotates left and right in the arms a few times, and then walks (Figure 1-2).

Second Style: Push the Window to Look at the Moon

This is a method to strengthen the kidney and waist. Hold the ball with the right hand, and change to the left hand in the Chinese style. (Figure 3-5).

The third move: White Crane Spreads Wings

It is a method of relaxing muscles and replenishing qi. From the second posture, the left hand holds the ball, and the right hand holds the ball. The middle posture is the left hand holding the ball (Figure 6-9).

The fourth style: the moon is supported by all the stars

It is the method of the mutual generation of the five elements. The next three steps are as follows (Figures 10-13).

The fifth posture, Left and Right Offering Moon, is to control the waist and let the strength reach the spine. The following three postures of Offering Moon are followed (Figures 14-17).

The sixth posture, Sunrise Kuncang, is based on the twelve central nervous systems, followed by the three postures of lifting the ball (Figures 18-21).

The seventh style, the prodigal son kicking the ball, is mainly based on moving the hips, the toes and the heels. The following four kicking postures are connected (Figures 22-26).

The eighth posture, Reaching the Moon from the Bottom of the Sea (right), is mainly based on the strength of the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. After the middle posture, continue with the Reaching the Moon posture (left) (Figures 27-29).

The ninth posture, Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl, is mainly to train the head, hands, and feet. From the middle posture to the falling posture (Figures 30-32).

The tenth posture, Chasing the Monkey Upside Down, is mainly to promote diuresis in the small intestine. The first posture is the middle rotation posture, the second posture is the fall posture (Figures 33-35).

The eleventh posture, Five Dragons Twisting the Sea, is based on the dragon form, focusing on the unity of the five internal and external forms. The following four postures are followed (Figures 36-40).

The twelfth posture, the Deer-crouching Horse Stance, is mainly to mobilize the waist, legs and joints of the whole body. The following three postures are followed (Figures 41-44).

The thirteenth posture, Dead Tree Roots, focuses on moving the lower body and waist. It is similar to serpentine movement. The three postures of lower body connection (Figures 45-48).

If you restore the posture, you can return to hug the moon in your arms. You can also restore the posture freely.

Action march diagram

The first posture "Holding the Moon in the Arms" moves forward as a straight line. The second posture "Opening the Window to Look at the Moon" moves forward as a left-right dividing line.

The third move "White Crane Spreads Wings" also has left and right lines.

The fourth posture, "Stars Holding the Moon", is to turn from the four directions, and then from the cross holding the moon to the midpoint (see Figure ④).

The fifth style "Left and Right Offering the Moon" is divided into left and right lines.

The sixth form "Sunrise over Kunlun" is to lift the ball from the center to all directions, which is the center dividing line (see Figure ⑥).

The seventh form of "Prodigal Son Kick" consists of five postures in horizontal and vertical lines, and the ball is kicked in five directions.

The eighth style, “Fishing for the Moon in the Bottom of the Sea”, is a long horizontal line.

The ninth move, "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl", involves sucking the ball from left and right to the center opposite side (see Figure 9).

The tenth move, “Chasing the Monkey Backwards”, involves turning from the back and moving horizontally in a long line.

The eleventh posture, “Five Dragons Twisting the Sea”, is to twist the sea using the Bagua rotation method from a circular circle (see Figure 1).

The twelfth posture of "Deer Crouching Horse Stance" is performed with the Seven Star Stance (see Figure 2).

The thirteenth move, “Dead Tree with Roots”, is performed in the shape of a dragon (actually a snake-walking move) (see Figure 13).

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Honestly it’s a shame that John messed with the gravity of the Houses cause can you imagine the characters if they had the realistic biology of 10,000 years on their respective planets.

The fact that Harrow needs skeletons to sit up in bed makes perfect sense. She’s the scion of thousands of years of living on a rock too small for planethood, I’d be surprised she could handle Earth gravity at all. Gideon, on the other hand, is both very clearly not Ninth (the working theory is either Second or Seventh), and a fucking freak of nature for being able to get ripped in the environment she’s in. When Jeannemary asks her how she gets her biceps so big, it’s not “tell me your workout”, it’s “how the hell do you have visible biceps?”. Old people probably retire to the Ninth to be without joint pain.

Palamedes and Camilla are on the smallest planet, no wonder Sixth cavaliers have such a terrible reputation. Camilla probably trained in a centrifugal gravity room so she could handle fighting on a decent sized planet.

Seventh settled on Venus so they could handle Earth plant life and climbing roses. It’s the perfect amount of gravity for being frail enough to be willowy but not so frail you just die immediately from any sickness.

Second is on Mars because it’s the closest to Earth gravity and everyone else in the universe settled on Earth size planets. They train for higher gravity but they’re used to Earth or near Earth because that’s where they’ll be fighting.

Now we get to the gas giants and things get fun. Magnus and Abigail are from Jupiter, very short but very dense. Abigail could pop someone’s head off with her bicep in Earth gravity . Fourth is probably just as dense, hence why they’re the vanguard: you’d need specialized rifles to just to get through their bones. They probably weigh a lot too, Gideon picks up Jeannemary and actually struggles for the first time in her life.

Eighth is on Uranus. Moving on.

Corona and Ianthe are odd in different ways. Corona because she’s tall, which is a feat in higher gravity, Ianthe because she’s frail. Corona’s genetic lottery really bailed her out on appearing necromantic, while Ianthe probably has to pad her joints a lot as they wear down.

I don’t mind that the people of the Nine Houses have been magically frozen on pseudo Earths, it fits the theme after all, but thinking about the alternative is hilarious.

[koruga]

I think I read books too quickly. I got through Gideon the Ninth in basically four hours while I was on a flight, and Harrow the Ninth took about two days, in chunks of maybe four hours apiece (while I was distracted by RP and other things) so.

Like it sounds like such a stupid problem, but it means I don't really get to think about what's happening and what might happen next, I just read until the end and then put it all in a centrifuge within my brain and spin it. My mom can consider mysteries and come up with theories, but I just straight up don't have time to do that in between my reading time.

I could probably force myself to stop at certain points, but stopping myself from reading would probably force the little ADHD dragon in my brain to never pick up that book again, as I am wont to do when I stop doing a thing.

Much to think about. Anyway it's gonna be a week until my library can ferry in a copy of Nona the Ninth for me to devour, should I keep Harrow for my mom to read or send it back since it will take her a few weeks to get through Gideon?

[talonabraxas]

The Yogic Yang Spiral Meditation

The aim of the yang spiral meditation is to bring into awareness of the participants the presence of Cosmic Consciousness and to be part of the worldwide efforts of raising the consciousness of the planet and of entering into a superior stage of evolution of humankind.

The Yin-Yang Concept

Everything that exists in the Universe is polarized, i.e., formed of yang-solar (+) and yin-lunar (-).

The presence of these complementarily opposed counterparts creates a tension. From this tension, Life is born. For maintaining the tension (therefore, life), one of the poles must predominate. This predominance leads to movement, change, transformation.

The two poles of the manifestation are contained in a tremendously big circle that keeps them together (in the above drawing, the exterior circle should be extremely big, but considerations of space makes this unpractical in this material). This symbolizes the existence of a Transcendental Principle that controls and dominates from a higher level. Only in this way Creation is possible. If the Transcendent Principle wouldn’t compel the two poles to stay together, they would return into Unity, Invisibility, Non-manifestation.

Each polarity contains, in seed, its opposite, which means that everything is relative. Everything, in some deep, mysterious way, is his opposite. Every moment of life includes, somehow, qualities diametrically opposed to those apparently implied. It is well known the truth of the original androgyny (having male and female characteristics in one) of the human being. By virtue of this, the balance between male (+) and female (-) hormones, condition sine-qua-non of life, is possible in all humans irrespective of sex.

Man is predominantly Solar; his seed (the semen) is Lunar (-). Woman is predominantly Lunar (-); her seed (the ova) is Solar (+). Thus, tai-ki is a perfect symbolic synthesis of Universe and Man, defining in a masterly manner the essence of Yoga Science. The representation of the two poles, the Solar (+) and the Lunar (-), as being equal is an idealistic point of view. A perfect balance leads to absence of tension, hence non-manifestation. In the manifested worlds, there always is and must be a predominant pole. The state of power appears when the two poles are very close to a perfect balance. A strong lack of balance between them results in weakness, suffering, illness, lack of self-control and lack of power.

Another important aspect is that yang is centripetal (it proceeds toward a center or axis) and moves in energy vortexes that turn counterclockwise, while yin is centrifugal (it proceeds away from a center or axis) and moves in energy vortexes that turn clockwise. Yang is the principle of order, structure, decrease of entropy. Yin is the principle of chaos, lack of structure, increase of entropy.

The spiral is charged with multiple symbolic meanings. Many of these meanings include the dynamic interaction between yin and yang.

The yang-spiral expresses the luminous, solar, dynamic and optimistic energy. When moving along the arm of this spiral in a counterclockwise sense, it is just natural to reach the center, which represents the Source of Creation from which everything that exists started and to which it will return.

The yang-spiral thus represents the circular centripetal movement of returning to the Center. The yang-spiral is related to the movement of spiritual evolution leading to liberation from the cycle of reincarnations, while the yin-spiral is related to the movement of involution and chaining to the reincarnation wheel, since it gets further away from the Center.

The spiral is often seen in nature: the snail shell is a well known example. The symbolism of the spiral is scientifically funded by the mathematical theory of the logarithmic spiral and of the Golden Number, or Fibonacci series. This Golden Number was discovered by the Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (c. 1170 – c. 1240), also called Leonardo of Pisa.

Fibonacci numbers have many interesting properties and are widely used in mathematics. Natural patterns, such as the spiral growth of leaves on some trees, often exhibit the Fibonacci series. A corollary of this is the well-known fractal structures and the discovery of fractal geometry. --Gregorian Bivolaru

'Celestial Lovers' Tao Teh King Talon Abraxas

[vickyvicarious]

i can't lie, i'm ESL (english as second language) and i consider myself basically fluent but when seward start talking about parallels and centrifuge i felt my brain short-circuiting. do you have any explanations and theories on wtf that part was supposed to mean? just the stream of consciousness ramblings of a spiraling dude? or something actually meaningful?

In selfish men caution is as secure an armour for their foes as for themselves. What I think of on this point is, when self is the fixed point the centripetal force is balanced with the centrifugal; when duty, a cause, etc., is the fixed point, the latter force is paramount, and only accident or a series of accidents can balance it.

He does mean something by this for sure, but much like his Latin earlier he's saying it in a way that can definitely be confusing to the average reader. In this case, he's using scientific language to describe his concept. I believe I get his intended message, but it's the kind of thing that I'm not really scientifically-minded enough to be sure I'm explaining correctly. So if anyone out there can do better, please hop in and correct me/elaborate as needed!

Spoken simply, he's invoking two concepts: centripetal and centrifugal. I think this comparison of the concepts is fairly approachable. But in even simpler (and admittedly less precise) terms...

centrifugal = pushing out

centripetal = pulling in

So, if you spin something around a central point, the connection that keeps it spinning rather than just flying away is centripetal. The sensation it has that is being pulled away from the middle is centrifugal.

There's all this stuff as well about how centrifugal force isn't technically a 'real' force, just an 'apparent' one, but that's not so relevant for Seward's point here. What's he's using this language to say, essentially, is this.

When 'selfishness' (inward focus, centripetal) is at the center of someone's nature, other things (outward focus, centrifugal) don't pull them off course too much because they're too worried about keeping themselves safe. This means they maintain a more fixed orbit, essentially. They're more predictable.

When a duty or cause is at the center, however, the two forces are not in balance, and they can suddenly stop spinning around in a circle to go flying off somewhere unexpectedly. They behave in unpredictable and possibly dangerous ways without necessarily giving much warning. This is because self-preservation (inward focus, centripetal) is less important to them than their duty/cause (outward focus, centrifugal). So even if flying out of orbit hurts them too, they won't care or stop.

Where he talks about accidents balancing things, he's basically saying that a balance between these forces is needed to keep them stable/predictable. And by his definition, unselfish people will only become balanced by chance, so long as the current situation suits their cause. There's not really a way to plan for it or count on them to make it happen in the same way he thinks selfish people can be predicted or managed. That's why selfish peoples' caution is an armor for both themselves and their enemies - being cautious keeps them safe, but makes them predictable which lets their enemies keep safe too.

To bring it all into focus with Renfield: if Renfield is more worried about keeping himself safe, he won't do anything risky to himself. But if he doesn't care about that and is fully driven by some fixation, then he might (for example) attack a person even if doing so will get him in greater trouble. As long as it serves his fixation, he wouldn't care about the consequences.

...hopefully that made a bit more sense to you!

[brandwhorestarscream]

Skystar being all soft with each other. They made presents for each other for their anniversary.

They both got each other smthn fancy the other had been wanting for the lab, change my mind. Like a shiny centrifuge with top notch rotation capability, or one of those reeeeeaaaally nice autoclaves with 10 different settings. They spend their anniversary drooling over the new equipment and throwing new theories and hypotheses and experimental designs at each other. They've never been happier 😊