#episode 877

[nigelights]

The History of Nigel

don't know who that voice is on that one voicemail? or who did the 'how many days' intro? i'm here to help! this is a chronological order of appearances made by nigel, links to performances, and things said by tyler about nigel.

Nigel, better known as the 'Skeleton Bones Remain' voice, has been with the band for nearly 14 years now, minus his sudden disappearance after 2020/2021. His first officially documented appearance is in the Regional At Best web series, episode 5. Since then, he's been a large and integral part of the band's live performances, especially during the 'Quiet Is Violent' tour, where we were given more of a backstory to him as a character. physically, nigel is a light that blinks behind tyler during this set, blinking as he speaks.

this next part is talking about a concert where tyler introduces nigel, but we are also given backstory into nigel as a character.

tyler introduces him as 'nigel', saying that in the beginning of the set, they were introduced to the bands host, saying that he lives in a lightbulb. the timeline of nigel as a character during this is quite interesting, its stated that he has been married for 437/133 years, but nigel himself tells us that the music "isnt entirely the music i grew up with back in the day" he then goes on to say that what he grew up with, was anything by DJ Khalid. which is interesting but moving on, tyler uses nigels responses to play bits and pieces of songs, like bugatti, all i do is win. nigel requests tyler to play a song, and tyler says he wrote it for nigel, its the song he said he danced to with his wife at their wedding. the song played was "drunk in love" by beyonce and jay z, transitioning into "cant help falling in love", then into house of gold. this bit was played throughout the tour, the only changing fact being the city name.

i mention this fact because out of all of the lore characters in all of twenty one pilots, minus clancy/blurryface, torchbearer/spookyjim, this is the only character that has a fleshed out backstory thats mentioned, and the only character that makes consistant appearances over four eras. we know more about nigel than we do about the neds.

After the 'Quiet Is Violent' tour, moving into 'Tour De Columbus' and 'Emotional Road Show', is really where his appearances start becoming incredibly consistent. he begins to introduce josh, "hello and welcome to the show", became his signature line. we see this all the way up to bandito tour. where he makes a similar intro but changes it up a bit, "look out baby, its joshua dun!"

halfway through the trench era, a pop-up shop was created for Ned's Bayou, and with it came a phone number, (614)-389-9196, where nigel gives information about the shop in the voicemail, no lore or significance there.

but its the second phone number that popped up in the level of concern ARG, 1-(877)-LVL-CNRN, where we find lore and meaning into his message. "Hello, if you are receiving this message, you are most likely are currently experiencing Levels of Concern. We thank you for your participation and interest. We have hidden codes all around the internet for you to unlock new levels. Each level contain elements that could possess a clue to proceed to the next level. That is, only if you are savvy enough. We guarantee that this game is certainly madness, happiness, paranoia and fun. Good luck. That concludes our session. Thank you, have a pleasant day. ---------- it's hidden in the static."

he is also in the stream that came with the ARG, saying things like "we can help you." and "anxiety, confusion, excitement." "wonderful to see, mesmerizing, there is light if you look caref---" and he speaks out the lyrics to level of concern.

this can be counted as the last official lore-related appearance of nigel, as his only other appearance is in the promo ad for the twenty one pilots burrito. but, many of us hope for his return!

i am more than happy to answer any questions, comments, or concerns with this!! nigel is by far my fav character throughout all of the lore. i hope you enjoyed :)

[v-67]

THE FIFTH EMPEROR OF THE SEA.

The wholesome reactions to the article

Shanks

Koby

Sabo

Sabo also got a cramp on his face from smiling about Luffy's news too much :3

Episodes 877–883

30th January, 2024

[misslovasstuff]

Sanji and Pedro

Insight into Sanji’s character

I was watching episode 877 and noticed a very beautiful piece of dialog between Sanji and Carrot regarding Pedro’s death.

Sanji finds out about Pedro sacrificing himself for the others, dying for Luffy and his crew, a part of reason to thank the Strawhats for being kind and helping the minks when they needed help the most. We all know how strawhats are, they do good out of the goodness of their hearts, not expecting any return of favour.

However, Sanji can’t help but feel guilty, thinking that Pedro died because of him, because he joined in this mission in the first place to save him. If there is something I understood from Sanji, is that he doesn’t deal well with guilt on his conscience. Remember back in Punk Hazard when he saved the samurai, this is what he said:

Even going through the trouble of finding and getting him back safe.

This trait of his character only becomes more evident in the whole cake island arc when he is terrified of even thinking that something can happen to his crew because they came to save him. Because now he’s not the one protecting them, but the one putting them in terrible danger. This crushes him down emotionally, a weight that is so hard to carry and is portrayed beautifully in wci. One can easily tell how scared and taken aback he is since the moment he sees Luffy and Nami, desperately tries to push them away and goes to his room, tried to convince himself they’re gonna be safe without the trouble of having to save him as he anxiously smokes while walking back and forth in his room. Sanji’s self esteem up to this point was so low that the fact that his friends would go out of their way for him was too good to be true, he didn’t even dared to think about it let alone ask for help. He’s ready to sacrifice himself in any way to save or thank someone. Goodness, he was ready to go through hell again if it meant his friends would go out safely.

Now that this arc is almost over, Sanji’s character development has only catapulted. In this dialogue, we notice something grandiose. Let me show you:

A simple thank you would be enough to thank them. Pedro didn’t have to sacrifice himself in order to express gratitude. Sounds familiar?

Sanji sees his now ‘past’ self in Pedro, just a bit different. Sanji is someone whose self-worth is something that has been pushed down for him all his life. He was willing to die for Zeff and his restaurant, not really thinking through that how that kind of sacrifice devastates the people around you, the people that care for you. He sees this scenario playing with Carrot and Pedro.

What hurts the most is that, Sanji thinks that that way is the only way he can be useful, when clearly that is not the only way out. Nothing should be payed with your own life. If people are kind to you, that doesn’t give them a right over your life. He has people who care deeply about him, people who not only think he is crucial, but would go beating their limits to save him.

I think our cook had such an amazingly written development after wci, so so beautiful and definitely there is much more to talk about him, maybe in another post.

Thank you for reading!

[mommymilkersmac-n-cheese]

Last nights episode was fantastic. I didn’t blog a whole lot during it because I was enraptured. There were so many fantastic moments.

Watching Ashton made me realize I am just like them, and it hurts so bad. I hate myself. I have suicidal ideation. I have chronic pain. I feel so much anger to people who are no longer in my life. I am constantly looking for someone to blame. I am trying to better those around me to give myself hope that I can get better. I am broken because of other people’s choices.

But the part that made me sob was the doll. I’ve been trying to hold my inner child close lately. Buying, doing, and watching things that would have made her happy. Watching Ashton start crying over a doll, the only time we’ve ever seen them cry (I think lol) so far this campaign, just shows how much love they need. After all, it’s love that makes people.

This is why diverse fiction is so important. Being able to see myself on screen has been so cathartic. I am healing and learning from Ashton. I am taking the steps to get better, along side a character who holds a special place in my heart.

There isn’t really a point to this post. I just needed to write this down. Thank you for listening and I hope you are doing well, critters. Remember, it gets better. You are so loved. Also, I am in therapy, I am safe and okay.

If you need someone:

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

The Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQIA+ Youth: 1-866-488-7386

Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860

YouthLine, for anyone in crisis aged 11-21: 1-877-968-8491

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dragon Ball (1986)ドラゴンボール

Director: Daisuke Nishio Screenwriter: Akira Toriyama Starring: Masako Nozawa / Nori Yanami / Tsuruhiro Mi Genre: Comedy / Animation / Fantasy / Adventure Official site: en.dragon-ball-official.com Country/Region of Production: Japan Language: Japanese Date: 1986-02-26 (Japan) / April 26, 1989 / February 7, 1996 / April 5, 2009 / July 5, 2015 Number of Seasons: 6 Number of episodes: 806 Episode length: 25 minutes Number of Movies: 29 Number of Games: 111 Also known as: Dragonball / Dragon Ball Z / Dragon Ball GT / Dragon Ball Z Kai / Dragon Ball Super IMDb: tt0088509 Type: Reimanging / Appropriation

Summary:

Earth, known as the Dragon World (ドラゴンワールド) and designated as "Planet 4032-877" by the celestial hierarchy, is the main setting for the entire Dragon Ball series, as well as related media such as Dr. Slump, Neko Majin, and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. It is mainly inhabited by Earthlings (地球人, Chikyūjin), a term used inclusively to refer to all of the intelligent races native to the planet, including humans, anthropomorphic beings, and monsters. Starting from the Dragon Ball Z series, various extraterrestrial species such as the Saiyans (サイヤ人, Saiya-jin) and Namekians (ナメック星人, Namekku-seijin) have played a more prominent role in franchise media.

The narrative of Dragon Ball predominantly follows the adventures of the Saiyan Son Goku; upon meeting Bulma at the beginning of the series, the two embark on an adventure to gather the seven Dragon Balls, a set of orbs that summon the wish-granting dragon Shenlong. Goku later receives martial arts training from Kame-Sen'nin, meets his lifelong friend Kuririn, and enters the Tenkaichi Budōkai (天下一武道会, lit. "Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament") to fight the world's strongest warriors. When Piccolo Daimao, and later his offspring Piccolo, tries to conquer the planet, Goku receives training from Earth's deities to defeat them. Goku later sacrifices his life to save the planet from his estranged brother Raditz, but is revived after training in the afterlife under the tutelage of the North Kaio to combat the other incoming Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta. He later becomes a Super Saiyan and defeats the powerful alien tyrant Freeza; this sets the tone of the rest of the series, with each enemy the characters face becoming stronger than the last, requiring them to attain further training.

Dragon Ball Super establishes that the franchise is set in a multiverse composed of twelve numbered universes, with the majority of the Dragon Ball series taking place in Universe 7 (第７宇宙, Dai-Nana Uchū, lit. "Number Seven Universe"). Each universe is ruled by a number of benevolent and malevolent deities, respectively called Kaioshin and Gods of Destruction who are appointed by a higher being called Zeno, who watches over the multiverse.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball

Link: https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G8DHV7W21/dragon-ball

[amphibia-a-day]

Day 877 of Amphibia Screenshots

Episode: The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers

[brisingr-sword]

in wake of the news about nex benedict, i want to first put these resources out here:

Trevor Project Hotline

The SAMHSA suicide hotline is 988 to call or text

The Trans Lifeline can be reached at (877)-565-8860

The LGBT National Hotline is 1-888-843-4564

these are US resources, but if you have a list of resources for other countries, please add on.

there are also local organizations across the country that you can reach out to; if you need help finding local queer organizations, please reach out to somebody you can trust or just message me and i’ll help.

there’s not really much else i can say here. on one hand, i’m somewhat skeptical at the idea that nex committed suicide, but on the other hand… i know the feeling. i know that a lot of other trans people know it, too. so the best i can say is this:

to anyone who’s reading this, the world is a better place with you in it. our communities shine more vibrantly for every person who is a part of it. it takes just one reason to keep going. feed your cat. watch the next episode of your show. spite your state’s transphobic politician.

rest in pride, nex benedict.

we won’t forget.

[khaopybara]

tag game ✨

@mbjw saved me from saturday boredom and tagged me in this, so thank you jubs, i enjoyed these a lot.

1. why did you choose your url?

i love khaotung. khaotung was obsessed with the capybara song last year before i even knew who he was. capybaras happen to be a very common animal in the region i live. i was very happy they were getting the recognition they deserved. put them together, we have lovely khao + capybaras = khaopybara (i'm also super sure i've seen people here and on tw use this and i just stole it. i'm not creative especially when it comes to usernames).

2. any sideblogs? if you have them name them and why you have them.

i have two other sideblogs. @tuseryoo for all of the gifs i make so i can have all of them in one blog just because, so i feel like i'm not losing track of the things i create (even though i haven't updated that one in a while), and @captain-xandis that some moots might have noticed in their notifications bc i recently created that one to post gifs about critical role, but i always forget to check which blog appears on top of the thingy, so i'm constantly deleting and reblogging things in the right blog these days.

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

as of july 3rd, i've been here for 11 years now, so since 2013? which tracks with my super strong k-pop phase tbh.

4. do you have a queue tag?

nah, i have a queue going for gifs that are requests or for episodes that already aired, but usually i just post things whenever.

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

ha, i was into super junior. and i was experimenting with fandom for the first time at the time. that's it. i felt like tumblr was a lot more creative and pretty than twitter or facebook, so i stayed.

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

i am a mook defender and apologist. i also think aya is super cute and super pretty. i change icons so often though, i blame all the pretty women in qls these days for making me change it all the time.

7. why did you choose your header?

i am breathing and living for the heart killers and kantbison and unfortunately i'm dying from lack of content. the tattoo table kiss is going to change lives i think, so until we don't get the official version, i'll have this masterpiece displayed there somehow.

8. what’s your post with the most notes?

as of now, it's a 23.5 official trailer gifset of sun being jealous of ongsa with amazing 939 notes, but the gifset of lada protecting earn from hitting her head on the table is quickly catching up with 877.

9. how many mutuals do you have?

17 mutuals? i think that's right.

10. how many followers do you have?

843 if you count the main blog + side-blogs.

11. how many people do you follow?

... 27 blogs.

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

i mean, sure? i do get embarrassed by my own shitposts sometimes and i delete them tho.

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

all the time. it's my favorite social media for sure. i get to see pretty things and my dash is much better curated than other apps. it's great.

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

i don't think i ever fought online. i block people with remarkable expedience tbh if i don't like their vibe or their tone or the shit they post, and i also make use of the filtered tags, so you know, no reason to fight.

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts

these exist? good for them. you shouldn't tell people what to do.

16. do you like tag games?

sure! i only started being part of them now, so sometimes i forget them, or i just don't see i was tagged, but i do enjoy them.

17. do you like ask games?

i don't think i've ever done an ask game but that's mainly bc i think people won't want to know and won't send any asks, and i'd rather spare my ego from that humiliation.

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

i think many of my mutuals are famous in our ql bubble which makes it a little crazy that some are my mutuals tbh. that's most of them actually.

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

i do have people that make me kick my feet when they interact with my posts like, twirling my hair, silly smile, giggling because they've noticed me. but actually crushing, imagining our lives in the countryside, with a kitchen facing the meadow in a fine spring morning, with two dogs and three cats, no.

20. tags?

i'm tagging @namtanfilm, @aylinaliens, @sollucets and @sherrymagic, @ayansukkhaphisit and whoever feels like doing it, and to those i've tagged, just ignore this if you want, too, no pressure.

[lassofics]

Two Aces: Part 4

Word count: 877

Timeline: Season 2

Warnings: None

Summary: Takes place some months after Two Aces: Part 3. Jamie’s return to Richmond makes waves, especially with Dani.

For Dani, the off-season was great. He flew back home to Mexico, was given endless hugs and praises, and had an amazing time.

However, the off-season for Jamie was awful.

Not playing football was bad enough. But being stuck in Manchester, with his old man constantly telling him what to do and berating him if he didn’t do it, was even worse.

But eventually, the season started back up again, and Richmond was more determined than ever to get promoted this season. Dani, ever the optimist, had been bonding with the team through encouragement and positive reinforcement — no matter what.

But then, only a month and a half into the new season, the newspaper headline went viral: “Jamie Tartt Breaks Contract with Man City!”

Dani had read the whole thing in detail, searching for answers. Why would Jamie quit his contract? Was he quitting football altogether? No, that couldn’t be right. Jamie loves football more than life itself.

A week later, another headline: “New Love Island Contestant Jamie Tartt Makes Waves!”

Dani read that one, too. Actually, the whole Richmond team read it — out loud, at one of their team bonding events — despite Lasso’s protests.

Dani had started to dwell on it, his mind not comprehending why Jamie would ever quit a Premier League football team to go on a reality television show. He even considered reaching out. But he had to remind himself: don’t worry about him.

Still, it was a thought that lingered in the back of Dani’s mind, no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

______________

SOME TIME LATER

______________

Everyone knows now that Jamie had gotten voted off the island. Colin and Isaac had been watching the last ten minutes of every episode, just to see who would be kicked out — and to see if it would be Jamie. And only six weeks into the show, it was him.

But the bigger story was a picture on Twitter — of Coach Lasso and Jamie at the pub together.

Speculation was in the air of the locker room. Was Jamie coming back?

Most people were upset about the possibility, considering he’d been a big part of the reason why Richmond was relegated — and considering he’d been a “total prick,” in the words of Isaac. Sam, who Dani had become very close to, was the most upset of all.

But Sam had approached him just this morning. “Don’t worry, Dani,” he’d said, looking relieved. “I talked to Coach Lasso. Jamie isn’t coming back.”

Somehow, that didn’t make Dani feel better. A part of him had been hoping to play alongside Jamie again, to bond with him once more. Despite his prickly nature, Dani had genuinely enjoyed his company. But it looked like that wouldn’t be a possibility anymore.

Needless to say, everyone is shocked to see Jamie the next day, casually walking out from the tunnel onto the pitch.

Jamie swallows nervously. Everyone’s staring at him, and if he’d thought the way they looked at him during their relegation match was bad… this is a thousand times worse.

Roy, standing off to the side, looks like he wants to bash his head in. Colin and Isaac, his former sidekicks, are whispering to each other, and neither looks happy to see him. Sam, the one who Jamie owes the biggest apology to, just looks exasperated.

And then, there’s Dani. Jamie lets out a soft exhale, then makes eye contact. They stare at each other in silence for a few moments… before Dani starts to break into that same warm, inviting smile that had always made Jamie’s stomach churn. That effect clearly hasn’t gone away.

“Amigo Jamie!” Dani greets him, though his tone seems more… tentative. Hesitant, almost.

Jamie, trying to play it cool, conjures up a small, nervous smile of his own. “Hey, Dani.”

Ignoring the glares of the other players, Dani walks forward, right towards Jamie. And before Jamie even knows what’s happening, Dani’s arms are around him in a sweet embrace.

It takes Jamie’s brain a while to catch up to what’s happening. When he finally processes it, he slowly brings his arms up around Dani, almost awkwardly. He isn’t used to being hugged, and he sure as hell hadn’t been expecting it from the guy he’d been ghosting for almost a year.

“I missed you,” Dani murmurs, one of his palms absentmindedly rubbing Jamie’s back. Jamie can only exhale.

Dani himself is a little nervous, since they haven’t spoken at all since Jamie left, but he swallows his nerves and just pulls back from the hug with a soft smile. “We should catch up, yes?” He gently pats Jamie’s arms. “We could go to that sushi place you always talked about.”

A chill runs down Jamie’s spine. He’d forgotten how bloody good Dani’s memory was. He hadn’t “always talked about it.” He’d only mentioned it a few times.

After a moment, Jamie just nods. “Yeah, uh… I’d like that,” he mumbles softly, still a bit distracted by everyone staring at them.

Dani’s smile brightens, his eyes lighting up when Jamie says yes. “Great!”

Jamie nods again, still with a small smile, but his mind is racing. He takes a deep breath, then just steels himself for training.

[anretc]

Fic: These Voices in My Head

These Voices in My Head (877 words) by anr Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Stargate Atlantis Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: John Sheppard/Elizabeth Weir Characters: John Sheppard, Elizabeth Weir Additional Tags: Episode: s02e16 The Long Goodbye Summary: This is easier.

[esotericawakenings]

Welcome to The Psychic Underground (The Reboot!) Episode 2 presented by Esoteric Awakenings and J.J. Dean. With guest Von. In this episode we talk about some key points of the Tarot's origin as well as our personal experiences as psychics working in the medical field, and much more.

Get your own personalized reading here: https://esotericawakenings.com/produc…

use code: Youtube20 and get Double minutes AND 20% off of your first reading!

check out more content at https://esotericawakenings.com/ Toll free customer service 1-877-296-5361

sign up for the Arcane Knowledge newsletter to get the astrology blog sent directly to your email each week and stay up to date with new videos! No spam I promise!

[v-67]

MY FAVOURITE PARTS. The wholesome, cool, warm and so much. The beginning.

......

.....

Episodes 877–883

30th January, 2024

[kings-wifey]

WHOLE CAKE ISLAND ARC SPOILERS.

Volumes 82 to 90.

Chapters 825 to 902.

Episodes 783 to 877.

Season 19.

Currently crying over Pudding Charlotte’s backstory.

[purplehairedwonder]

Fic Stats Tag Game

Thanks @katia-anyway for the tag!

Rules:

Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, most kudos, most comments, most bookmarks, most words, and least words.

Most hits: "Lead Me Back to Suffering" (19 chapters, One Piece) currently has 30,171 hits, and "Hearts With(out) Chains" (24 chapters, One Piece) is second with 22,784 hits. Third is "(I Made My Mind) A Sunless Space" with 11,973 hits (11 chapters, One Piece).

Y'all like reading about Law suffering XD

Most kudos: Same as hits: "Lead Me Back to Suffering" has 1,271 kudos; "Hearts With(out) Chains" has 877 kudos; and "(I Made My Mind) A Sunless Space" has 717 kudos.

Most comment threads: "Hearts With(out) Chains" is actually first for this one with 218 comment threads, "Lead Me Back to Suffering" is second with 205, and "(I Made My Mind) A Sunless Space" is third with 143.

Most bookmarks: This is boring because the top three are the same every time, but "Lead Me Back to Suffering" has 402 bookmarks, "Hearts With(out) Chains" has 334, and "(I Made My Mind) A Sunless Space" has 253.

Most words: A bit of variety in this category! First is "Hearts With(out) Chains" with 86,017 words; second is "Shackled By Blood," an Inheritance Cycle fic I haven't updated in a million years with 77,145; and "Lead Me Back to Suffering" with 77,139.

Fewest words: My shortest fic is "See," a tag for Glee episode 6x01 with 290 words; second shortest is "The Point of a Submarine," a One Piece prompt fic from Tumblr, with 362 words; and third shortest is "Keep Smiling," a short Glee fic about Sebastian's feelings for Blaine, with 388 words.

I am very predictable, haha.

Tagging @chromatic-lamina @ninhaoma-ya @tinycurlyfry @thedoctor91011 @cal-cium-the-nerd @rimetin and anyone else who wants to play along!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Steven Pinker and Bertha Madras

Published: Apr 12, 2023

The new Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard is devoted to free inquiry, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse. Leaders are diverse in politics, demographics, disciplines, and opinions but united in their concern for academic freedom.

--

Confidence in American higher education is sinking faster than for any other institution, with barely half of Americans believing it has a positive effect on the country.

No small part in this disenchantment is the impression that universities are repressing differences of opinion, like the inquisitions and purges of centuries past. It has been stoked by viral videos of professors being mobbed, cursed, heckled into silence, and sometimes assaulted, and it is vindicated by some alarming numbers. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, between 2014 and 2022 there were 877 attempts to punish scholars for expression that is, or in public contexts would be, protected by the First Amendment. Sixty percent resulted in actual sanctions, including 114 incidents of censorship and 156 firings (44 of them tenured professors) — more than during the McCarthy era. Worse, for every scholar who is punished, many more self-censor, knowing they could be next. It’s no better for the students, a majority of whom say that the campus climate prevents them from saying things they believe.

The embattled ideal of academic freedom is not just a matter of the individual rights of professors and students. It’s baked into the mission of a university, which is to seek and share the truth — veritas, as our university, Harvard, boasts on its seal.

The reason that a truth-seeking institution must sanctify free expression is straightforward. No one is infallible or omniscient. Mortal humans begin in ignorance of everything and are saddled with cognitive biases that make the search for knowledge arduous. These include overconfidence in their own rectitude, a preference for confirmatory over disconfirmatory evidence, and a drive to prove that their own alliance is smarter and nobler than their rivals. The only way that our species has managed to learn and progress is by a process of conjecture and refutation: Some people venture ideas, others probe whether they are sound, and in the long run the better ideas prevail.

Any community that disables this cycle by repressing disagreement is doomed to chain itself to error, as we are reminded by the many historical episodes in which authorities enforced dogmas that turned out to be flat wrong. An academic establishment that stifles debate betrays the privileges that the nation grants it and is bound to provide erroneous guidance on vital issues like pandemics, violence, gender, and inequality. Even when the academic consensus is almost certainly correct, as with vaccines and climate change, skeptics can understandably ask, “Why should we trust the consensus, if it comes out of a clique that brooks no dissent?”

There are many reasons to think that repression of academic freedom is systemic and must be actively resisted. To start with, the very concept of freedom of expression is anything but intuitively obvious. What is intuitively obvious is that the people who disagree with us are spreading dangerous falsehoods and must be silenced for the greater good. (Of course the other guys believe the same thing, with the sides switched.)

The counter-intuitiveness of academic freedom is easily reinforced by several campus dynamics. The intellectual commons is vulnerable to the collective action problem of concentrated benefits and diffuse costs: A cadre of activists may find meaning and purpose in their cause and be willing to stop at nothing to prosecute it, while a larger number may disagree but feel they have other things to do with their time than push back. The activists command an expanding arsenal of asymmetric warfare, including the ability to disrupt events, the power to muster physical or electronic mobs on social media, and a willingness to smear their targets with crippling accusations of racism, sexism, or transphobia in a society that rightly abhors them. An exploding bureaucracy for policing harassment and discrimination has professional interests that are not necessarily aligned with the production and transmission of knowledge. Department chairs, deans, and presidents strive to minimize bad publicity and may proffer whatever statement they hope will make the trouble go away. Meanwhile, the shrinking political diversity of faculty threatens to lock in the regime for generations to come.

One kind of resistance will surely make thing worse: attempts by politicians to counter left-wing muscle with right-wing muscle by stipulating the content of education through legislation or by installing cronies in hostile takeovers of boards of trustees. The coin of the realm in academia ought to be persuasion and debate, and the natural protagonists ought to be the faculty. They can hold universities accountable to the commitments to academic freedom that are already enshrined in faculty policies, handbooks, and in the case of public universities, the First Amendment.

In this spirit, we have joined with 50 colleagues to create a new Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard. It’s not about us. For many years we have each expressed strong and often unorthodox opinions with complete freedom and with the support, indeed warm encouragement, of our colleagues, deans, and presidents. Yet we know that not all is well for more vulnerable colleagues and students. Harvard ranks 170th out of 203 colleges in FIRE’s Free Speech Rankings, and we know of cases of disinvitation, sanctioning, harassment, public shaming, and threats of firing and boycotts for the expression of disfavored opinions. More than half of our students say they are uncomfortable expressing views on controversial issues in class.

The Council is a faculty-led organization that is devoted to free inquiry, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse. We are diverse in politics, demographics, disciplines, and opinions but united in our concern that academic freedom needs a defense team. Our touchstone is the “Free Speech Guidelines” adopted by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 1990, which declares, “Free speech is uniquely important to the University because we are a community committed to reason and rational discourse. Free interchange of ideas is vital for our primary function of discovering and disseminating ideas through research, teaching, and learning.”

Naturally, since we are professors, we plan to sponsor workshops, lectures, and courses on the topic of academic freedom. We also intend to inform new faculty about Harvard’s commitments to free speech and the resources available to them when it is threatened. We will encourage the adoption and enforcement of policies that protect academic freedom. When an individual is threatened or slandered for a scholarly opinion, which can be emotionally devastating, we will lend our personal and professional support. When activists are shouting into an administrator’s ear, we will speak calmly but vigorously into the other one, which will require them to take the reasoned rather than the easy way out. And we will support parallel efforts led by undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.

Harvard is just one university, but it is the nation’s oldest and most famous, and for better or worse, the outside world takes note of what happens here. We hope the effects will spread outside our formerly ivy-covered walls and encourage faculty and students elsewhere to rise up. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and if we don’t defend academic freedom, we should not be surprised when politicians try to do it for us or a disgusted citizenry writes us off.

Steven Pinker is Johnstone Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard. Bertha Madras is Professor of Psychobiology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Laboratory of Addiction Neurobiology at McLean Hospital.

==

Hopefully this strategy will be adopted at other institutions before academia collapses into irrelevancy. The challenge they will have is standing up to the giant administrative bureaucracy which holds the most power in the institution.

[outpost51]

decemTBR roundup #1 -- weeks 1 + 2

there's probably gonna be more than one of these for week 2 but that's not important anyway LEGGO

in order of READING, not of rank (bc that's super rude yo)

Project Sunseeker (Improved Version) || @thetrashbagswasteland || ao3 || on-going, current wc: 47,531

i'm actually feral for this universe that cast has built, and these initial chapters are all first contact linguisitic shenanigans and shep just being lost in general and i love it a lot okay? this fic permanently altered the thumbs up gesture for me in the best way

The Weight of Memory || @sparatus/@lieutenantabrudas || ao3 || on-going, current wc: 32,220

hi do you wanna get hopelessly attached to minor characters that get no screentime in their actual media and that the fandom as a whole generally forgets about? do you wanna have so many feelings about the horrors of war and the lasting impact it has on everyone, written by someone who was raised by generations of veterans and has a special interest in the historical impact of warfare? what the fuck are you waiting for go read it

To Catch a Rabbit || @sparatus/@lieutenantabrudas || ao3 || complete, 82,814 words

just a good fun murder mystery with a healthy dose of mutual pining that does, eventually, resolve itself in a heated moment that left me screaming like that one excited baby in that one gif

something to remember us by || @elizashepard || ao3 || oneshot, 1,067 words

obviously i'm going feral for anything that does nyreen/aria justice, and this is now on my list of fics to reread when i need a good cry

i read a BUNCH of oneshots by @thetrashbagswasteland actually, most of them in one day. how

Toothpaste || ao3 || 877 words

this is just a cute little vetryder moment, I love them your honor

Putting Up With Us || ao3 || 1,241 words

Honestly if you want good rarepair shit cast literally created the tag for these bastards and this is some delicious fluff

The Storm Between Us || ao3 || 2,663 words

rems is like. my tragedy comfort character she's one of my moms now ok thx

Crunchy Pebbles || ao3 || 2,859 words

you know what's great? barrix + vetryder beach episodes THAT KICK YOU IN THE TEETH

Worth Melting For || ao3 || 2,809 words

more rarepair fluff but this time it smarts a little

Dilatory || ao3 || 4,370 words

THIS SMARTS A LOT MORE

Gone Wherever You May Be || ao3 || 1,279 words

"i hope this kryterius angst hurts uwu teehee" YEAH IT HURTS YOU SON OF A BITCH

Hurry Hurry - or there'll be time to waste || ao3 || 3,331 words

god avi’s self esteem always kicks me straight in the kokoro but this one is bittersweet rarepair domesticity 🥺

A Fraction Of Your Happy Heart || ao3 || 1,246 words

i am a PUDDLE i love them SO MUCH and i need MORE BARRIX FLUFF FOREVER

Ryncol Tastes Like Ass || ao3 || 4,833 words

this is honest to god the slapstick levity i needed after the ANGST MARATHON

Tales in the Last Days || ao3 || 11,404 words

both heartwarming and heartbreaking, if you like found family finding their way through hardship, you'll have a good time

Chomp the Champion Varren || ao3 || 1,595 words

CHOMP IS BEST BOY

Strike Two || ao3 || 6,068 words

this is just "how alec ryder and castis vakarian became buddies shortly after shanxi" and every bit of it is good and wonderful