#cognitive development in students

[townpostin]

Chess Event Marks Double Celebration at J.H. Tarapore School

International Chess Day and Coach’s Achievement Honored International Chess Day festivities at J.H. Tarapore School highlight chess’s educational value and recognize coach’s international status. JAMSHEDPUR – J.H. Tarapore School commemorated International Chess Day with a dual celebration, honoring the global chess community and their coach’s recent accomplishment. The school grounds buzzed with…

[sanctiphera]

Are we waking up to reality yet? Anne Frank had nothing to do with Gaza, so there is no reason to deface her statue unless the real reason is nothing to do with Gaza.

This is a pretty low thing to do, but I'm sure they're going to find a way to sink even lower.

[studentbyday]

{ 06.11.24 } · { 50 days of routine } · { day 8 }

i have to fill in a daily activities sheet for four days as part of the CBT workbook 😑 so for the next four days, you'll be suffering along with me, seeing my messy handwriting 😂

as you can see, i probably used my phone way too much today compared to the amount of stuff i have to do 🙃🥲🥲🥲 idk, what do you do when your brain needs a break and your body just really doesn't want to do anything either? 😅 i fear if i lay in bed to decompress, i will never want to leave it lol 😂

also. i have reached a new record. 90 tabs on my laptop browser. 🥲 (dw, i expect a good chunk of it will go away when i'm done with the global health assignment...only to go back to an insane number when i start the next one soon)

���� yesterday once more / i won't last a day without you – the carpenters

[successblueprints]

How I Deal with Tough Days When My Brain Won't Let Me Work

We all have those days where productivity feels impossible. It’s like no matter what we do, we just can’t seem to get started. I’ve come to realize that, for me, these days aren’t just about laziness or lack of motivation—it’s more complex. When I procrastinate, it’s often my creative brain, or what I like to call my “inner child,” throwing a tantrum.

Step 1: Understanding the Procrastination

The first thing I do is pause and try to understand what I’m running away from. Is it the overwhelming amount of work? In that case, I break it down into smaller, manageable bits. When the material feels boring, I add some fun—by creating colorful and funny interpretations of definitions or concepts. I turn words into weird characters, almost like a cartoon in my mind. Sometimes, I’ll turn it into a game, like seeing how many questions I can get right, or even trying new study techniques like rewriting a sentence or reading it out loud.

I find that when I’m bored, it’s a perfect opportunity to experiment. I might try drawing funny sketches of the material or use quirky interpretations to make it more interesting. The key is that I have to figure out what’s causing the procrastination—is it fear, perfectionism, or just the sheer volume of work?

Step 2: Naming My Inner Child

Once I understand what’s happening, I like to give my inner child a friendly name. This helps me communicate with it when things get tough. Every time I mess something up and feel like quitting, I know that it’s just my inner child reacting to the idea of perfectionism. Naming it makes it less scary, and I feel more in control of the situation.

A perfect example would be the time I noticed that my inner child shows up in my skincare routine, but not because I’m lazy—it's because I feel unmotivated when I don’t have enough of those colorful, trendy products, like the ones all over TikTok. You know, the Drunk Elephant skincare, with its fun packaging that every influencer seems to have. It taps into the same idea as “Sephora kids,” where even as adults, we’re drawn to overconsumption of things we don’t actually need, just because they’re colorful or trendy or aesthetically pleasing.

But I’ve realized that I don’t need fancy, colorful products to wash my face before bed. My inner child might crave those items, but recognizing that helps me let go of the unnecessary pressure to follow trends. I focus on the routine itself, rather than what’s missing from my shelf.

Step 3: Clearing the Distractions

Next, I clear my desk. Anything that’s not a school supply or a tool I need for work can be a distraction, especially if it’s colorful or unrelated to my task. I set a 5-minute timer and start working, just to show my inner child that it’s really not that scary. Once the timer’s up, I double it, taking short breathers in between. I repeat this until I feel like I’ve done enough for the day.

Step 4: Knowing When Enough Is Enough

After a certain point, I trust my own judgment. I ask myself honestly, “Is this enough for today?” If I feel like I’ve given it my best shot, I let go of the need to do more. I accept that some days will be harder than others, and that’s okay. The important thing is that I’m not fighting my inner child, but working with it.

It’s a simple process, but it’s effective. Instead of battling myself, I’ve learned to communicate with that part of me that gets overwhelmed, bored, or perfectionistic. By understanding and breaking things down, I can get through even the toughest days without feeling like I need to drop everything.

P.S.: I’ve struggled to stay productive most of my life, and a part of that was because I didn’t grow up in one of those aesthetically pleasing, western-style homes you always see on social media. I live in the Balkans, and my bedroom looked nothing like that. It wasn’t perfectly curated or full of trendy decor, but over time, I grew to love my culture and my surroundings. Even though I wasn’t the richest or living the most "aesthetic" lifestyle, I’ve learned that what I have is enough, and it doesn’t define my ability to be productive or happy.

[richardtheteacher]

Richard James Rogers, award-winning author and pedagogical expert, describes the process of interleaving. Rogers is the first person ever to describe generalisable rules for applying interleaving in the secondary classroom.

[onelittlespiral]

Attention: Health and Safety Alert

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

It has come to our attention that a serious outbreak of a virus illness has been seriously harming our campus community. We take this public health threat very seriously and want you all to be aware and alert so that you can stay safe.

As a matter of transparency, we want to be clear on the origin of this virus. The Frontal Recognizance Transmutation Arenavirus 24 (often called just arena or FRT-24) has been a known threat for some time, with clear symptoms from infected individuals. A research lab on campus was known to have been studying its effects. This particular strain, the alpha variant, was of particular interest, so when a sample went missing, we exhausted campus resources to locate it. We were unable to and are now deeply sorry to our campus community. We take full responsibility for the current outbreak.

FRT-24 is highly contagious, so it is important to know the immediate signs. Look for:

Sudden headaches or migraines

Dizziness or loss of vision

Fevers and chills, especially paired with heavy perspiration

Loss of cognitive functions

Rapid muscle swelling

If you are infected, symptoms may take up to three days to develop, and you may still be a vector in this time. As the disease takes hold, you may notice a change in mood, as a lack of interest in usual activities. Instead, the disease drives the infected towards spreading. Common hubs seem to be gyms, parties, and social gatherings. We have also noticed an uptick in fraternity membership this year, a possible sign of disease spread.

Know the signs in yourself or others, as often the infected will not show traditional signs of ailment. This student has given us permission to share his story:

This young man was a healthy Junior just a few weeks ago. He was a promising young academic in biochemistry, hoping to one day do research on emergent diseases. Since his experience with FRT-24, his life is forever changed.

The changes are alarming. He has gained over 100 lbs and been unable to focus on his studies. Instead, he was spending hours in the student rec center, consumed by his illness as he worked his body to exhaustion. Since his quarantining, he has been unable to answer any basic questions about his academic career or research project. Instead, he has shown a hallucinated knowledge of a personal training and fitness program. As an early vector, we are aware of at least 10 other students who were infected before his quarantine, and he is being held for further observations on disease progression.

Thankfully we have been able to identify the method of transmission. At this time, it seems bodily fluids are most transmissible method. It seems that this virus enhances the body in this respect. Those infected will often try to spread by any means necessary. They are very good at finding susceptible men, isolating them, and finding ways to expose them directly to their sweat, saliva, and in some cases semen. They will be desperate for any chance to get you alone with them, to join their ranks. Do no be drawn in by promises of muscle, of status, or ease of life. Their brains are no longer their own. They only seek to make you a drone for FRT-24.

While we are still in the early stages of understanding the virus, we would like to acknowledge the valiant work done by Dr. Pulaski and his team of researchers. They have lead the way in this fight, throwing themselves at this dangerous line of work. Without their noble sacrifice, we would be still months from understanding the origins of this outbreak. We have narrowed down the point of origin to a party held a few weeks ago in the PKE frat house. At this time, it is unknown if frat leadership was in any way involved with this outbreak.

Sadly, Dr. Pulaski was found earlier this week a few days after conducting interviews and performing sample retrieval from the PKE house believed to be the epicenter. He was found shirtless, flexing his newly formed muscles in the mirror at the student rec center.

When reached for comment, he only smirked and reported “feeling great, bruh,” a clear sign of decline. We are still uncertain if he has exposed any of his other researchers to the disease.

Remember, you are responsible for yourself and out campus community. If you suspect you or someone you know has been exposed, please report to the Student Health Center immediately for examination. In the mean time, please stay safe everyone. We will continue to keep you updated as we know more

Regards,

Dr. Brendan Host, President

Congrats @occamstfs on 2k followers. I hope you all enjoy a late entry to the party. Go out and check out the other writers under the #occam2000 tag, some great stuff in there. And don't worry, FML: Initiate is coming soon.

[creacherkeeper]

the reliance of college students on gen ai thing is particularly crazy to me as a college writing instructor whos also about to finish an educational psychology certificate because like one huge thing ive learned in my classes is that the american college system is pretty dogshit at teaching students when it comes both to content mastery and also preparing them for the workforce. like these kids are graduating college and going into jobs that they have their degrees in and dont know how to thrive in the workforce and Also dont really know much about the thing they got their degree in. and theres a lot of reasons for that that i could go over in depth but i'll spare yall

BUT the thing that college is like the most decent at is changing the way people think about knowledge itself. further education (high school to undergrad to graduate school) is a huge factor in what develops your epistemological beliefs (epistemology being the nature and theories of knowledge). like your epistemology does naturally change as you get older, but with further education you learn that knowledge itself is complex, ever changing, and interrelated, meaning you inherently trust "facts" less and actually perform critical thinking when presented with new information

but,,,,,, with that new study microsoft did on generative ai showing that usage of gen ai in the workplace can lead to the degradation of independent problem solving skills and that people who trust gen ai actively use less critical thinking to do tasks,,, and that giving yourself fewer opportunities for critical thinking degrades your ability to think critically at all even when it comes to important tasks,,,

like. all these students are using gen ai and sometimes their classes are actively encouraging them to use gen ai and i fear were losing like the one big thing american undergrad is good for bc lets be real its pretty dogshit at everything else

and considering the nature of the topic:

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., Anderson, J. R., Gelman, R., Glaser, R., Greenough, W. T., Ladson-Billings, G., Means, B. M., Mestre, J. P., Nathan, L., Pea, R. D., Peterson, P. L., Rogoff, B., Romberg, T. A., & Wineburg, S. S. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press. (pp. 31-50) Lee, H.P., Sarkar, A., Tankelevitch,L. Drosos, I., Rintel, S., Banks, R., & Wilson, N. (2025). The impact of generative AI on critical thinking: Self-reported reductions in cognitive effort and confidence effects from a survey of knowledge workers. CHI Conference in on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713778 Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning to think like an adult: Core concepts of transformation theory. In J. Mezirow (Ed.), Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress (pp. 3-34). Jossey-Bass. Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Learning and motivation in the postsecondary classroom. Boston: Anker Publishing Company, Inc. Torff, B., & Sternberg, R. J. (1998). Changing mind, changing world: Practical intelligence and tacit knowledge in adult learning. In M. C. Smith & T. Pourchot (Eds.), Adult learning and development: Perspectives from educational psychology (pp. 109-126). Lawrence Erlbaum

[robustcornhusk]

due to the circumstances, fell into a hole of reading through the archives of a blog that got deleted ~8 years ago

Reminds me of research on how ‘gaze aversion’ (e.g. avoiding eye contact) helps people think by removing the cognitive and emotional load of face processing, etc., so teachers who get caught up in forcing students to make eye contact are missing the point. Likewise abstract doodling while listening helps improve recall. Speech is so bad for conveying information, people need all the help they can get when forced into speech-based learning scenarios, really.

the writer has a bone to pick with lectures & orally-delivered information: they don't like 'em. i don't disagree from personal experience but i don't know enough to agree in the general case. maybe other people do learn well from lectures.

the gaze aversion link led to me to this paper on gaze aversion in adults with and without autism, williams syndrome by the same researcher.

[...] in phase 2 participants were required to maintain eye contact with the experimenter at all times. Looking at faces decreased task accuracy for individuals who were developing typically. Critically, the same pattern was seen in WS and ASD, whereby task performance decreased when participants were required to hold face gaze. The results show that looking at faces interferes with task performance in all groups.

to listen to some people talk about it, you'd think that only autistic people suffer do worse from being made to maintain eye contact. ... actually, given the rest of the wording in the paper, you might be able to say that NT people don't suffer from it, they just suck more when made to maintain eye contact, whereas the autists suffer. but i think more research is required.

this is only one paper and i haven't bothered to look into replicability or reliability or literally anything else about it. perhaps the author has been kicked out of the profession for making shit up. perhaps they are a pioneer. idk. i bring it up only as 'some authoritative-looking people have this position, so it's probably not completely without basis'.

....

perhaps one issue with lectures is that the audience can't fidget without causing a problem. (i can't sit still to watch movies but can watch them for hours with a treadmill)

---

less thought out position: i think people as a whole are bad at teaching.

i tried to look up why the fuck every curry i cook at home sucks, and instead i got a bunch of people talking about how it's impossible to learn to cook it if you haven't grown up there copying your parents' (=your mother's) cooking. that which can be destroyed by women's liberation should be.

went to a certain woodblock studio once. as i recall, the owner talked admiring about how the traditional way to learn to do the prints was to 'steal' the techniques from the person working next to you; very little direct instruction, but pick it up from noticing. it takes years and years to get good.

this works okay -- i mean, i suspect a large part of it was hazing, so i hesitate to say it worked well -- if you don't have better options, but what happens when there's no one able to take years and years to get good?

transmitting information is hard! it's really, really hard! i can't blame the people writing it down (or lecturing, or otherwise) for stopping at 'good enough'.

but like....

Have you ever had a book like this—one you’d read—come up in conversation, only to discover that you’d absorbed what amounts to a few sentences? I’ll be honest: it happens to me regularly. Often things go well at first. I’ll feel I can sketch the basic claims, paint the surface; but when someone asks a basic probing question, the edifice instantly collapses. Sometimes it’s a memory issue: I simply can’t recall the relevant details. But just as often, as I grasp about, I’ll realize I had never really understood the idea in question, though I’d certainly thought I understood when I read the book. Indeed, I’ll realize that I had barely noticed how little I’d absorbed until that very moment.

though given how many (nonfiction) books suck (=get the facts wrong, make logical jumps that are unjustified, etc), perhaps it's for the best we don't remember much

It’s easy to attend a lecture and feel that you understand, only to discover over that night’s problem set that you understood very little. Memory feels partly to blame: you might sense that you knew certain details at one time, but you’ve forgotten. Yet we can’t pin this all on memory. When you pull on certain strings from the lecture, you might discover that you had never really understood, though you’d certainly thought you understood during the lecture.

partner had a beloved professor in university who had a particular reality-warping field; it was so easy to come away from the lectures on a very hard topic believing one had understood everything! everything!

[lotus-tower]

it is horrific what we’re allowing to happen to children right now. if covid causes cognitive dysfunction and decline in adult brains, what impact will it have on small brains that are still developing? many children who are too young to even be vaccinated are catching covid, as well as a whole host of other opportunistic infections. children can get, are getting, long covid. children aren’t sick often because it’s “normal” or “good” for them—they’re sick often because they’re more vulnerable than adults.

children have no choice but to be sent to schools where they get sick again and again. they don’t have the ability to distance themselves from their parents and establish boundaries, they’re entirely reliant on their carers. if their parents do not believe in covid prevention, they have no means to protect themselves. they don’t have the ability to consent to what is happening to their health.

schools are not just allowing children who are sick to attend class anyway, they’re borderline mandating it. schools as an institution care more about meaningless attendance records than about students’ wellbeing. the classroom is an environment where all factors incentivize students coming to school sick.

there are horrific accounts from parents about kids being sick 24/7, never having energy, struggling with schoolwork. there are horrific accounts from teachers about their young students being different these days, unable to handle the usual schoolwork, showing signs of that classic covid “brainfog.” i’ve seen evidence of schools making their tests and criteria much easier in order to maintain an acceptable pass rate instead of addressing the actual core problem in the slightest.

i often think about a comment i read once about how someone knew it was fucked when no change happened after sandy hook, when the US decided and enshrined the fact that children were acceptable sacrifices. this is how it feels. this isn’t just about the US though. children are getting reinfected with covid again and again worldwide. this is about the entire next generation.

they didn’t choose any of this. they have no power to stop this whatsoever. none of us consented to this, obviously, but children most of all. most of them don’t even have any idea what’s happening to them, and won’t for years.

there needs to be a push for schools to adopt better covid prevention measures, like better ventilation and air filtration. but even more crucial, and much more difficult, is to do away with the ideology at the core of how schools are designed. just like how workers deserve sick leave, children need to be able to stay home when sick. no jumping through hoops for a doctor’s note to be accepted, no strict time limit. schools obviously know that 1 student staying home sick is less disruptive than 20 students being sick and unable to do their schoolwork. they know the math, but they aren’t after efficiency. just like companies know that happier workers are more productive. that’s not the point. it’s more obvious than ever what is choking our societies to death on every level.

i’ve seen university unions who’ve won teachers the right to demand masking in their lessons, the right to have air filters installed in their classrooms. the same needs to happen for K12 schools, especially since young children can’t advocate for themselves. parents could theoretically wield a lot of influence as well—but let’s face it, most are uninterested in or actively hostile to the idea of better air for their children. efforts to combat this need to be organized, sustained, and coordinated.

imagine how current children will feel once they grow up and look back and realize that their health was compromised before they even learned to speak, that they were born into a sick world, that they were born to be sick, not inevitably but because people preferred things this way.

[sanctiphera]

Why does the MSM/CNN/BBC/Sky and so many others happily accept the word of murdering Hamas propaganda without question? Stupidity, or connivance?

[ki-kink]

So in all these years of the were teen virus, has there ever been a cure or do the transformers enjoy it too much to care? Looks like they all have fun.

Bro, I had to grind a bit and stumbled on some stuff in a med book. It’s a real mission to read, man:

Seasonal Pubertal Regression (Regressio Pubertatis Temporalis): A Novel Syndrome

Abstract

Seasonal Pubertal Regression (SPR), also known colloquially as "Werteenager Syndrome," is an unusual, episodic condition characterized by the sudden reversion of adult patients to a hypersexualized, pubertal state during weekends. The condition exhibits a consistent temporal pattern, is suspected to have a viral etiology, and has profound physiological and behavioral implications. This paper outlines the clinical features, transmission mechanisms, potential pathophysiology, and observed complications of this emerging syndrome.

Clinical Features

SPR manifests as a dramatic transformation occurring primarily in adults with no prior history of endocrinological disorders. The onset of symptoms begins Friday morning with subtle prodromal signs, including excessive axillary hair growth and pronounced morning erections in male patients. By Friday evening, approximately one hour before sunset, the transformation is complete. During this period, patients exhibit:

Physiological Changes:

Rapid development of body hair, particularly on the chest and axillary regions.

Increased androgen levels, inferred from the heightened libido and secondary sexual characteristics.

Behavioral Changes:

Regression to adolescent-like language and interests, often mirroring the cognitive and emotional behavior of high school students with low academic performance.

Predominantly homosexual behavior, with a smaller subset displaying bisexual tendencies.

Compulsive sexual activity, often with multiple partners.

The transformation reverts spontaneously by Sunday evening, approximately one hour after sunset. However, in rare cases, a permanent adolescent state, termed Persistent Pubertal Regression (PPR), has been observed.

Transmission

SPR is presumed to be an infectious disease, transmitted through:

Sexual Contact: The primary route of infection, as evidenced by the sexual hyperactivity of patients during symptomatic episodes.

Body Fluids: Saliva, blood, and other bodily secretions are likely vectors.

Droplet Transmission: Close contact during symptomatic periods is hypothesized to contribute to the spread.

Epidemiological studies reveal a clustering of cases in densely populated areas with high rates of casual sexual encounters.

Pathophysiology

The precise mechanism remains unclear. However, the following factors are hypothesized:

Solar Influence: The timing of transformations suggests a strong correlation with circadian rhythms and solar positioning. This aligns with the hypothesis of a photoresponsive trigger.

Hormonal Dysregulation: An abrupt surge in androgenic and possibly estrogenic activity drives the secondary sexual characteristics and behavioral changes.

Neurological Impact: The regression in cognitive and linguistic abilities points to temporary, reversible alterations in neurochemical pathways.

Complications

One documented case of PPR provides insight into the potential severity of SPR. A pair of patients engaged in reciprocal oral-genital contact ("69" position) during the Sunday evening transition period. Both individuals retained their adolescent state indefinitely. This rare complication underscores the need for further study into the temporal dynamics of SPR.

Management and Future Directions

No effective treatments for SPR currently exist. Research priorities include:

Identification of the Pathogen: Advanced virological studies are needed to isolate the causative agent.

Therapeutic Interventions: Hormonal modulation and phototherapy are potential avenues for investigation.

Behavioral Support: Counseling and harm reduction strategies should be implemented to mitigate the social and psychological impacts on patients and their contacts.

Conclusion

SPR represents a unique intersection of infectious disease, endocrinology, and behavioral science. Its distinct clinical presentation, temporal predictability, and social implications warrant immediate scientific attention. Understanding this condition could provide novel insights into human physiology and the interplay between environment and health.

Dude, so I did some digging and found out about these two bros who were, like, getting down in the 69 position. One dude was this 42-year-old McDonald's branch manager, kind of hefty. Bet he caught it from a weekend warrior coworker. The other guy's a 56-year-old trucker who picked up a hitchhiker with the bad vibes. Now they're both chilling as juniors at a sports college in Minnesota.

Got booted from the Olympic swim team 'cause they wouldn’t shave their chest hair. But no sweat, they’re still legends at the local pool, doing lifeguard duty.

[archaic-stranger]

the cognitive science students

a strong desire to understand your own mind

becoming comfortable with abstract concepts

an unending curiosity for things beyond the scope of current knowledge

comparing neural nets to webs of neurons

working eagerly towards the next groundbreaking discovery

debating the nature of consciousness

arguing over definitions of thought or awareness

searching for the roots of human knowledge

analyzing biases in your own way of thinking

learning how your brain perceives the world around you

realizing that perception is not the same as objective reality

neuroscience texts and philosophical treatises jumbled together in your bookbag

sketching simple diagrams of the brain in your notes

understanding the mind through computational attempts to imitate it

getting completely absorbed by a fascinating paper

effective study strategies backed by research

discussing the bounds of sentience, from blue whales to artificial intelligence

studying how the brain develops over a lifetime

combining research from different fields, seeking a more comprehensive understanding

a sense of awe at the mind's immense complexity

[glitter-stained]

I know I keep saying "god I need to read Batgirl 2000" and not doing it and talking about other comics I'm reading. I understand how this may be confusing, so here's a clarification: I absolutely want to read that comic. It's gonna be glorious.

However, the thing is that while I study neuropsychology with a bunch of other students, we all have our individual specialities; specifically I'm doing my master's thesis on language development disorder, and my goal is to later do a phd on language disorders. And I do know myself. The moment I get my nasty paws on Batgirl 2000? Forget that Jason is my favourite character ever and I have a shitton of meta planned about him. Forget the fact I have exams and I won't be able to get that damn diploma if I fail. The moment I read batgirl 2000 it's fucking over, I'm digging a hole in the ground like a hibernating bear and dissecting the cognitive and neurological implications of Cass' character until I explode. I'm chewing on her character with my teeth. Even the idea makes me giddy. i'm already having to stop myself from writing the jason metas right now because of exams and it's not even my domain, i'm gonna start bleeding from my eyes when I read that comic.

And the issue is, you know Scott Lobdell? Most beloathed Jason writer, ruiner of jayroy for a whole category of people, roy harper enemy #1, kory destroyer, cheshire caricaturer, extremely unpopular writer and yet somehow still not unpopular enough? This guy went to college to study psychology and decided to drop out to write for dc comics. And I can't, I really can't afford to have anything in common with him. The idea is terrifying. So until I've passed those damn exams and survived internship season Cassandra is staying safe and warm in the pantry where I cannot reach her. In the meantime I got about 40 BoP issues to get through before I can get to the part written by Gail Simone.

Thank you for understanding.

[deepinthegroves]

shifting exercise (pt. 2) ✧˖°

answering for my spiderverse reality (when i shift in).

i prefer an in between to heavy and soft makeup. part of my everyday look is black in my waterline with mascara and (slightly smudged) eyeshadow, my favourite blush and lip gloss.

an artist i'd love to watch play live is probably Chase Atlantic. I know they're a band, but they count right? If not them, I'd say Childish Gambino.

is my life dangerous? well... yes. kinda. being Spiderman obviously puts me in danger but i like to think i'm well equipped to deal with all that with my powers and all. it's enough to worry my loved ones if they knew, at least. other than that, the regular amount of danger that comes with being famous.

if I were to change an aspect of my life, I'd change the canon events. i know things will get messy and miguel yaps a lot about how canon events NEED to happen but if i could change it with no consequence, i'd prevent the deaths. we can keep the happy ones, like falling in love. only question is, how am i going to deal with liking hobie if i'm with peter??

how do i dress? i don't have a specific style, and it changes a lot from day to day. i don't like fitting in boxes, so no specific aesthetic for me! i just wear whatever i like and whatever i feel like wearing, of course, i make sure i look good first <3

am i popular? i like to think so! (and the millions of people following me on social media platforms should answer your question). i have a fanbase that has been built up over the years from my acting projects to my fashion magazine. they're really sweet too, and are willing to consume any project i put out there, no matter how experimental it is.

my mbti is either INTJ or INFJ. i think i swing between thinking and feeling a lot, and they are both important to me so yeah!

my favourite season is autumn. i like that it's cooler at that point, with pretty reds and oranges decorating the environment. halloween also happens in the fall, so there's that to look forward to.

am i an organised person? i'd say i'm in the middle. if everything is too messy, i'll lose my mind (and procrastinate forever). it overwhelms me when there are piles of stuff everywhere, and i hate it when they crash over – i respect those who survive in such mess but personally, i'd crash out. if things are too neat, however, it's going to end up in me not doing anything too. i'd be too caught up in trying to maintain the neatness that i wouldn't really dare to touch anything, and everything also wouldn't feel personal. i stay in the comfortable middle, where things have some order to them, but you'll also see a random stack of magazines hanging out on my nightstand next to a pile of necklaces hanging off of a lamp (i wear them everyday and it's just easier like that).

my occupation is that of a student and uh a celebrity? i guess? i'm not sure how to put my role into words but i act, sing, and run a fashion magazine while i'm in uni, studying writing and literature. it's a lot (especially on top of my Spiderman duties) but i love it. acting and singing has been on the back burner lately though, since i've put it on pause to focus on the other stuff.

an attractive aspect i admire is either creativity or smarts. i think they're both really important, and i love creative people. they are amazing, and are constantly cooking up ideas in their heads that are sometimes genius, and sometimes... not so genius. either ways, being creative is a trait i love in people. smarts-wise, i admire smart people so much. the way their brains churn, the way they catch onto things swiftly, it's just really amazing to me, especially when they see things from a pov i cannot.

i know how to play the piano and guitar. i've learnt the piano since i was around 3, since my parents sent all of my siblings to learn it because it was supposed to help with cognitive development, etc. etc. they never forced me to take any exams i don't want to (exams stress me out), so i never really ditched piano. i have grown too busy for lessons however, and my piano sits back in the family home where my siblings can play. mostly inspired by hobie and the want to play it since forever, i'm currently learning how to play the guitar. i pick up instruments really easily though (thanks to me scripting that), so it's really helping.

do i have a partner? a crush? it's obvious lol, but i've got a crush on hobie. i have a suspicion (and am terrified) that he is aware of it, but i don't know. i'm chill with being his friend for now though, and we're really close. i'm in love with him.

biggest ick? when someone tries to act all superior and traditionally masculine... it makes me throw up in my mouth a little. in my spiderverse reality, most people don't act that way, but there is a small demographic that still thinks this way and these weirdos randomly crawl into my dms or fangreets and it makes me wanna puke. oh and when they recognise me in public and are convinced i'd fall in love with them because they're amazing or something?? i have to resist the urge to get a restraining order each time.

what is a song that describes you? no idea. i have absolutely no idea. i have no kins and no song that describe me. i haven't found things that i relate to 100% so far.

something i carry 24/7 would be my lipgloss and keychains. the lipgloss is for when i need to top up, obviously, but i have very specific keychains i carry about. i have one that is basically hobie's guitar but as a keychain hooked up to my wallet, alongside a four-leaf clover keychain gifted by my parents. i also have little keychains of fictional characters i love on my purses, whether bought or handmade.

look into your bag/purse, whats in there? is it messy? organised? what bag is it? my purse is lowkey messy... i know what is in there, with my wet tissues to wallet and other necessities, but i have to dig around to find stuff sometimes. other things in my bag are: lipgloss, phone, notebook (with pen), perfume samples (i throw them in and never take them out), sweets, and sometimes a book.. i have no idea what kind of bag it is so i'm ignoring that question lol.

where do i spend most of my time at? either my apartment or my university? i mean, i go to school on weekdays and go home on the weekends, and i rarely visit my actual office because most work can be done remotely. other than that, maybe hobie's houseboat/ dimension and the spider society? idk, i hang out at a lot of places.

a person i feel safe(st) with would be hobie. not to make everything about him (which is hard because he consumes my thoughts...), but i really do feel safe around him. i know that he's got my back if need be and truly wants the best for me. he also lets me just vent to him sometimes and he is amazing at helping me work past problems so there's that. i hope i return that favour back. if not hobie, probably my family members – like with hobie, i know they've got my back.

a person i dislike would be miguel. i know, i know, i've said that every single time someone asks who i dislike but i stand by it. i understand where he is coming from. i do. i understand the fear and the need to keep things safe. but he is so stubborn and so insistent on his own views that it is infuriating a lot of the time. i only stick around to save people, i just tolerate him.

who is my closest friend? + description.. harry osborn is my best friend. i've known him since childhood, since our parents were business partners and casual friends, and i've grown up with him. i can never tell if he's blonde or brunette, and if you ask him, he just shrugs and tell you it's the lighting, the asshole. according to him, there's no "correct" lighting which is annoying because i'd be laughing and joking that he had a blonde moment and he'd say he's brunette so it doesn't apply, and yet when i ask him why he's doing some stupid shit, he shrugs and says he's blonde. we have a very interesting history lol – he's someone i'd throw my couch pillows at but he was also my first kiss so idk. harry osborn's my best friend.

my favourite time of the day would definitely be night. it's when i'm the most creative, and it's so peaceful. there's this sense of home? comfort? belonging? when i'm just chilling out in the dark, with just enough lighting that my eyes don't die, and doing my own thing. it's as if night keeps me company. i also used to talk to the night sky when i was younger.

if my friends described me in 5 words, they'd say.. passionate, creative, lowkey crazy, weird, and loving.

if i were to describe myself in 5 words, i'd say.. passionate, weird, loyal, creative and loving. scripted that my friends have accurate perceptions of me so we don't have this weird misunderstanding of who each other are and expect things that we can't fulfill.

someone i admire would be my mom. she's gone through a lot, and i get so infuriated at how the paparazzi treated her in the past, acting as if she doesn't deserve privacy just because she was pursuing her dreams of being a model and actress. she deserves every good thing that happens to her, and i honestly really look up to her because of how hard she worked to get to where she was.

what am i known for? i'd say my projects + being my mom and dad's child.

if i could broadcast a sentence to everyone in the world, i'd say to just love each other. while i believe that humans are made to love and hate and that both are important, love just really unites us all and allows us to extend empathy and grace and kindness to other human beings.

if you have an s/o, how'd you meet them? i met hobie at the spider society. he had spikes on top of his mask and i was intrigued by him. seeing how he was, talking back to miguel and stuff, i got curious (and built up some courage) and approached him. we hit it off then and became friends <3

a fond memory i have is family night with well, my family. its a compulsory event where one of my family members have to host and we'd all spend time together doing whatever and chatting. it makes sure that we don't drift apart and we can bring whoever we want (it'd be a serious thing though).

my biggest pet peeve are people who chew with their mouths open and when i can hear them smacking their lips. it just icks me out and i really hate it. it's why i can't watch asmr videos, i am simply overcome by disgust by the sounds and visuals.

the favourite item that i own would maybe be my journal maybe? it's gorg and has everything i want. or any of the luxury items and other stuff that i bought for myself that i really like idk.

for my pets, i actually have 5. i have four cats (damian, ebony, maddie and charlie) and a doberman (rocco). damian and rocco are currently staying with me because they are the ones who need the most personalised care that i know how to deal with, and the other three are staying with my siblings because without peter, i can't take care of them all fully with all the shit i'm juggling (mostly spiderman duties...).

i don't really have a favourite piece of clothing.. i just make sure i love my whole wardrobe and i'm not wasting my money buying things i can't wear and have to throw out after.

my favourite animal would be a fox, especially corsac or sechuran foxes. they're so cute!! and i love when they bark (?).

notes: wow this ended up really long.. if you read all the way to the end, i love you (/hj). and yes, i did skip over the fame questions because i think it's too long and i've yapped too much about that alr (it'd just end up being repetitive).

this is the shifting exercise by @zaddizu

div. credits: @jiyascepter

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

Three years ago, Andrea Vanek was studying to be an arts and crafts teacher when spells of dizziness and heart palpitations suddenly started to make it impossible for her to even take short walks.

After seeing a succession of doctors she was diagnosed with long COVID and even now spends most of her days in the small living room of her third-floor Vienna apartment, sitting on the windowsill to observe the world outside.

"I can't plan anything because I just don't know how long this illness will last," the 33-year-old Austrian told AFP.

The first cases of COVID-19 were detected in China in December 2019, sparking a global pandemic and more than seven million reported deaths to date, according to the World Health Organization.

But millions more have been affected by long COVID, in which some people struggle to recover from the acute phase of COVID-19, suffering symptoms including tiredness, brain fog and shortness of breath.

Vanek tries to be careful not to exert herself to avoid another "crash", which for her is marked by debilitating muscle weakness and can last for months, making it hard to even open a bottle of water.

"We know that long COVID is a big problem," said Anita Jain, from the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme.

About six percent of people infected by coronavirus develop long COVID, according to the global health body, which has recorded some 777 million Covid cases to date.

Whereas the rates of long Covid after an initial infection are declining, reinfection increases the risk, Jain added.

- 'Everything hurts' -

Chantal Britt, who lives in Bern, Switzerland, contracted Covid in March 2020. Long COVID, she said, has turned her "life upside down" and forced her to "reinvent" herself.

"I was really an early bird.... Now I take two hours to get up in the morning at least because everything hurts," the 56-year-old former marathon runner explained.

"I'm not even hoping anymore that I'm well in the morning but I'm still kind of surprised how old and how broken I feel."

About 15 percent of those who have long COVID have persistent symptoms for more than one year, according to the WHO, while women tend to have a higher risk than men of developing the condition.

Britt, who says she used to be a "workaholic", now works part-time as a university researcher on long COVID and other topics.

She lost her job in communications in 2022 after she asked to reduce her work hours.

She misses doing sports, which used to be like "therapy" for her, and now has to plan her daily activities more, such as thinking of places where she can sit down and rest when she goes shopping.

A lack of understanding by those around her also make it more difficult.

"It's an invisible disease.... which connects to all the stigma surrounding it," she said.

"Even the people who are really severely affected, who are at home, in a dark room, who can't be touched anymore, any noise will drive them into a crash, they don't look sick," she said.

- Fall 'through the cracks' -

The WHO's Jain said it can be difficult for healthcare providers to give a diagnosis and wider recognition of the condition is crucial.

More than 200 symptoms have been listed alongside common ones such as fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction.

"Now a lot of the focus is on helping patients, helping clinicians with the tools to accurately diagnose long COVID, detect it early," she said.

Patients like Vanek also struggle financially. She has filed two court cases to get more support but both are yet to be heard.

She said the less than 800 euros ($840) she gets in support cannot cover her expenses, which include high medical bills for the host of pills she needs to keep her symptoms in check.

"It's very difficult for students who get long COVID. We fall right through the cracks" of the social system, unable to start working, she said.

Britt also wants more targeted research into post-infectious conditions like long COVID.

"We have to understand them better because there will be another pandemic and we will be as clueless as ever," she said.

[maxdibert]

What are your headcanons on Severus and the Malfoys? Do you think he genuinely considered them friends, or was it part of his cover? Or were they ever really friends at some point?

I have so much to say about this! I actually have two different versions of the story, and I think both of them could be canon. I can never decide between them because both seem plausible, so I’ll share my opinion on each and let everyone decide which one fits best.

Despite being a poor, scruffy, half-blood kid from a working-class background, I think Lucius took Severus under his wing because, after all, Lucius was already a 15-year-old teenager who was likely quite involved in pure-blood extremist circles and had probably heard of Voldemort by then. He was probably trying to make a good impression by recruiting as many people as possible. And despite Severus’ background, treating him with respect was a pretty shrewd move to maintain unity within Slytherin and promote that “us against the world” mentality. This would ultimately foster the cult-like environment that developed during that era. I also think that, after seeing that Severus, beyond his background, had a strong interest and talent for the Dark Arts and was a good student, Lucius probably saw that Severus’ skills could be useful, which is why he kept him under his wing. Lucius Malfoy is often portrayed as a snobbish buffoon, but besides being a shrewd man, he’s part of high society, old money. And even the classist aristocrats know how to make use of the working class and recognize talent because, historically, they’ve maintained their position by exploiting such talent.

I think Lucius and Severus maintained that mentor-pupil relationship for many years, and once Lucius graduated, he intervened to help Severus be accepted and valued within his House while also using him as a sort of personal charity project. Like Cher in Clueless (who’s based on Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen) taking on an awkward kid from the North without wealth or pedigree and turning him into someone fit for high magical society—a kind of social experiment, if you will. I think this made Severus feel indebted to him, at least before Voldemort killed Lily. I also believe that, during Severus’ school years, his gratitude stemmed not only from this “mentorship” but also from the fact that, for the first time, someone believed in him and motivated him to pursue his ambitions. Lucius was like a father/older brother figure whom he respected and appreciated for seeing him as more than just a poor kid with nothing.

That said, my interpretation of their relationship splits into two possibilities once Severus becomes a double agent.

On one hand, there’s the idea that, after Lily’s death, feeling guilty and determined to actively work for Voldemort’s downfall, Severus emotionally distanced himself from the Malfoys as much as possible. The relationship they developed over the next 18 years would then be solely a means to an end—to gain favor with someone influential within the Ministry and among the most important dark wizards. Deep down, it was all a façade because the Malfoys also represented everything he despised and regretted being a part of, so he decided to cut off any emotional attachment to them. Basically: it was all fake.

The other version, and the one I prefer because it feels more realistic, is that Severus, as the abused and abandoned child he was, would always experience cognitive dissonance toward people who treated him well during his most vulnerable years. It’s something evident in his view of Lily, even though he was joining a group that literally wanted to kill people like her, and I can see it applying to his view of the Malfoys as well. Though they were a family actively working to end people like Lily, and Severus would ultimately have to confront them if it came to it, he’d still struggle to sever his emotional ties with the Malfoys. Just as he couldn’t understand why his friendship with Lily was ending because of his choices, I don’t think he’d be able to emotionally cut off the Malfoys, even if he knew they were terrible or knew he might eventually have to face them in battle. Much like how Lily being the first person to treat him with kindness was enough to make him risk everything to atone for his indirect role in her death and his support of Voldemort, I think Lucius “taking him in” also carved out a streak of loyalty in Severus toward his family. Severus strikes me as someone fiercely loyal to anyone who’s shown him kindness or understanding, even if that loyalty is against his own interests. And despite everything, I think he genuinely cared about the Malfoys. While he no longer admired Lucius, I think he still respected him in a certain way, like a younger brother who knows his older brother is a jerk but still sees him as his older brother.

I also think Narcissa had a kind of “older sister” vibe for him—that when she and Lucius were dating and Severus was still a kid, she saw him as this scruffy little guy, like a cute but poor puppy. And that impression probably stuck with him too. I think he always felt more comfortable with her than with Lucius, since she was associated more with the maternal than with authority. While his favoritism toward Slytherins was partly to maintain appearances and partly due to resentment toward Gryffindors, I believe he genuinely liked Draco. This affection, though, was likely another form of cognitive dissonance because Draco was far more similar to James than Harry ever was (in terms of character, classism, and using his status, family name, and influence to torment others). But just as his hatred of Harry was a reflection of his resentment toward James, his affection for Draco was probably a reflection of his relationship with Lucius and Narcissa.