#humanities requirements

[shannoneichorn]

I know this is the wrong site for it, but regarding the LRT/LRB on educating yourself widely...

Yesterday, my broad reading paid off a little.

I "waste" (invest) a lot of time reading the news blurbs in my daily bulletin at work that don't directly relate to my actual job. At home, I have spent a lot of time on social media--I spent a decade on Twitter following people I wanted to learn from or who had viewpoints different from mine. (Less so here--I just want to have a good time here, but my friends have broad interests and share.)

Recently at work, I got asked to step out of my lane and work with a different group on a specific task. It's not an entirely new-to-me area (far from), though I've never worked with the leadership there before.

We were speculating on how the future could go, and I brought in questions about how fusion developments could affect power rates and therefore workflow decisions and how climate change could affect siting considerations and how having different visualization and analysis techniques might affect workforce diversity.

And he seemed kind of surprised. Because those are not considerations I've ever heard discussed in similar areas.

They're things I picked up from "wasting time" on the internet.

I've also used what I've learned to advocate for DEIA and digital accessibility at work (not that I've made much headway yet).

I've found the information passed along my online interactions extremely valuable. It's delightful to be broadly educated.

That said, OP was bemoaning the attitudes that STEM students want to avoid humanities classes. The irony here is that I really appreciated my undergrad curriculum minimizing humanities requirements.

Because the US school system does a great job of draining joy from every field, I went into college thinking that humanities in academia were about writing pointless essays and getting critiqued on formatting and regurgitating facts.

No shade on my teachers--I liked them (mostly). I'm grateful that I got to learn things like evaluating biases in sources and logical fallacies, which have been fundamental to life in the last decade. (And probably before that, but I just didn't care yet.) But I didn't connect to the "great literature" and history.

So, I sought to avoid most humanities classes. Except German, which I adore, and fiction writing.

I wish, rather than enforcing requirements, curricula could let a topic be a gateway drug to the broader world.

"Sure, kid (past me), sure, you only want to study fiction and German. But while you write that book, you're going to have to look into history and politics and the government and military and what attitudes different audiences hold and..."

And it turns out, that's a lot to do while studying engineering. Maybe that's why I was so determined to take advantage of a curriculum with a minimum number of additional requirements. And I know I wasn't the only engineer to do so.

It's good to get exposed to a lot of things, and there's definitely a good argument for not letting people slip through the cracks. An engineer/compscientist with no understanding of the peopley parts is dangerous...but so are people who don't understand the technical things they encounter. (See: deep frier-frozen turkey combustion. See: dumping water on a grease fire.)

You'll never learn enough in an undergraduate course of study unless you catch a lifelong love of learning. That's really the only requirement a curriculum needs.*

*pretend that was my closing line. It's really good. I'm proud of it. I do not mean it literally, because you can't just teach someone to care. You have to come at the caring sideways, and that's what the curriculum is actually for.

[inkskinned]

"don't make it political!" .... what proportion of death and suffering must occur before politics are involved. if this isn't political, what is even the point of any politics, ever. of democracy. the words are "by the people for the people." if i am going to be left alone by my elected representatives to "figure it out" - to undergo damage, hardship, fear. what the fuck did i elect them for. what was their job. the entire point is that they handle this shit. this is why we were supposed to be electing leaders.

poverty is political. misogyny is political. gun control is political. climate change is political. how much aid a community gets is political. what the fuck are you talking about. it's been political this whole fucking time.

[kizzer55555]

DP x DC: The Most Dangerous Card Game

Ok so Danny has essentially claimed earth as his. And he is fully aware that there are constant threats to the planet. Now he can’t stop a threat that originates on earth (that’s something he’ll leave to the Justice league) but he can do something about outside threats. Doing some research on ancient spells, rituals, and artifacts, he cast a world wide barrier on the planet to protect it from hostile threats so they cannot enter. This will prevent another Pariah Dark incident. However, barriers like this come at a price. You see, there are two ways to make a barrier. Either make one powered up by your own energy and power (which would be constantly draining) or set up a barrier with rules. The way magic works is that nothing can be absolutely indestructible. It must have a weakness. The most powerful barriers weren’t the ones reinforced with layer after layer of protective charms and buffed up with power. Those could eventually be destroyed either by being overpowered, wearing them down, or by cutting off the original power source. No, the most powerful barriers were the ones with a deliberate weakness. A barrier indestructible except for one spot. A cage that can only be opened from the outside. Or that can only be passed with a key or by solving a riddle. So Danny chooses this type of barrier and does the necessary ritual and pours in enough power to make it. And he adds his condition for anyone to enter. 

Now the Justice league? Find out about the barrier when Trigon attempts to attack, they were preparing after he threatened what he would do once he got to earth. How he would destroy them. The Justice league tried to take the fight to him first but were utterly destroyed, so they retreated home to tend to their injuries, and fortify earth for one. Last. Stand. Only when Trigon makes his big entrance…he’s stopped.

The Justice league watch in awe as this thin see-through barrier with beautiful green swirls and speckled white lights like stars apears blocking Trigon and his army’s advance. The barrier looks so thin and fragile yet no matter how hard the warlord hits, none of his attacks can get through and neither can he damage said barrier. That’s when Constantine and Zatanna recognizes what this barrier is. Something only a powerful entity could create. For a moment, the league is filled with hope that Trigon can’t get through yet Constantine also explains that it’s not impenetrable. And clearly Trigon knows this too for he calls out a challenge. 

And that’s when, in a flash of light, a tiny glowing teenager appears. He looked absolutly minuscule compared to Trigon and yet practically glowed with power (this isn’t a King Danny AU though).

And that is when the conditions for passing the barrier are revealed. And the Justice realize that the only thing stopping Trigon and his army from decimating earth. The only way he can get through….is by beating this glowing teenager in a card game. 

Not just any card game though. The most convoluted game Sam, Danny, and Tucker invented themselves. It’s like the infinite realms version of magic the gathering, combined with Pokémon, and chess. And Danny is the master. So sit down Trigon and let’s play.

(The most intense card game of the Justice league’s life).

After Danny wins, this happens a few more times with outer word beings and possibly even demons attempting to invade earth, yet none have been able to beat the mysterious teenager in a card game. Constantine might even take a crack at it and try to figure out how to play. He’s really bad though. Every time this happens, the Justice league worry that this might be the time the teenager looses. Yet every time, he wins (even if only barely). 

Meanwhile, Danny, Sam, and Tucker have gotten addicted to the game and play it almost daily. Some teachers might seem them playing the game are are like ‘awww how cute’ not realizing this game is literally saving the world. Jazz is just happy they aren’t spending as much time on their screens playing Doomed.

[stubz]

"Human Max and Kim?"

"Yeah?"

"There is something that has been on my mind for quite some time now, a question about your work."

"Okay shoot."

"..."

"She means ask away."

"Ah. Yes, well. I was wondering how you two knew to train before coming to work here? As I was under the impression you both joined shortly after the coalition made contact with Earth."

"Train?"

"You mean for taking care of younglings?"

"Yes human Max."

"We didn't. We just used the training we already had and then learned on the job about the finer details."

"What she said. Although we did need to take some first aide courses before opening."

"...come again?"

"We barely had information of other species so we mostly relied on the training and teachings we received at home, Earth."

"Don't worry we took some night classes later on to be more prepared later on."

"How later is 'later on'?"

"About a month."

"...you seem really confused about this."

"That is because I am. . .how were you able to tolerate the biting then? Or the vast difference in height and weight from some of the larger ones? Or keep up with the fast ones?"

"Oh I was bit all the time at home. Both at work and at home."

"I just like running so it's not that hard for me. Kim still struggles though."

"I have tiny legs you jerk."

"But the strength and weight of some of them..."

"Oh right, on Earth you have to be able to lift at least 50 pounds to go into childcare."

"I thought it was 50 kilos..."

"...but that's like a hundred pounds...wait.."

"You have to be able to lift 50-100 pounds with ease!"

"...How heavy are your children?"

"Between 50-100 pounds."

[akaikali]

I know everyone says Needles is the Michael of TMAGP but I'm gonna be totally honest, I think Needles is MUCH more like Nikola than Michael.

Someone should draw Michael being cool and mysterious and then there's his weird cousins Nikola and Needles just being. themselves in the background

Additional note: i do actually have a fear of needles which probably makes this post all the funnier

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Remember: The burning sensation is part of the process.

[valtsv]

everyone thinks it's so cute when you want to redraw your ship as the princess mononoke blade to the throat scene or the utena chest sword but when you say you want to recreate this anime moment with them nobody wants to hear it

[sergle]

I hope you guys like it when I talk about Hugo bc it's going to get 10x worse when I eventually get him a baby sibling

[canisalbus]

Do your ocs have like bean paws? I don’t think they have them on their hands, but what about their feet? Sorry if it’s a bit weird!

They do have paw pads on their hands and feet! This is just a quick messy sketch but hopefully it sort of illustrates the look I personally go for with my anthros.

[cubbihue]

A question for the fairies! Why do y'all have legs if you float everywhere? Is it some kindof evolutionary leftover? Or to be more familiar to humans? (Btw I love your series/headcanons, and I love the designs of everyone!)

The reason they have legs is becau-

Oh! Yeah, sure, ok. Go ahead, Cosmo.

....

Well you heard it here folks!!!! Right from the source!!

Bitties Series: [Start] > [Previous] > [Next]

[moeblob]

Friendship.

[theokusgallery]

Finally gathered enough energy to draw Janus hello

[bananadramaaa]

cant remember the timestamp in the film, but i keep thinking of human mimzy doing her roots with a lil brush and a bottle of straight peroxide like roxie in Chicago

I didn't watch that film so I needed to do a quick research. Google said that the main events took place in 1924 so it fits 😌

[marlynnofmany]

Note for someone to turn into a story: one way to give the middle generation/s on a generation ship a purpose in life, aside from "raise the children whose children will eventually land on the colony world," could be as creators of art and story. Music too.

Just imagine: you have your whole life ahead of you with all the training and materials of this vast spaceship at your disposal, and all of society plans to revere the creative masterpieces you and your peers come up with.

No pressure.

But yes possibility.

[handweavers]

i'm a weaver my time is spent sitting at looms and spinning wheels and sewing machines and dye pots, and my ability to make any money at all comes from the fact that my work can't be truly reproduced by machine and speaks to my own and others' desire to reconnect with acts of making and living that are slower and emphasize the physicality of our lives, that we are present in our bodies in a physical world and we are sensorial creatures who relate to each other and the world through tactile means. it serves as a reminder that there is a lot we can do away from screens, that there is joy and meaning to be found in creating something with your hands, and that through this we can find channels to address and learn to live with grief and loss without running from the fact that we are living animals with meatbodies and a finite amount of time.

i think it would be very easy for me to fall into a trap where all modern technology is bad and we need to escape it at all costs and to take a luddite approach to technology - literally a luddite approach, because the phrase "luddite" comes from workers in england during the industrial revolution who destroyed machinery in cotton and wool mills to protest the introduction of that machinery as cost saving measures by the capitalists. but the problem in that situation wasn't inherently the machinery that processed cotton and wool more efficiently, it was that the people who owned the factories used that technology as an excuse to pay fewer workers and maximize profit while creating more unsafe working conditions for the workers that remained. in a situation where the workers owned the factory and the machinery, the introduction of this machinery wouldn't have necessarily been harmful but rather potentially helpful to the workers, for whom more free time wouldn't be a death sentence and proper precautions in the use of the machinery to protect human life could be prioritized

i don't want to make the mistake of confusing technology or some other boogeyman as my enemy. the enemy is capitalism, and i choose to prioritize class consciousness over my private existential worries about new technological developments. all the tech we use is made by humans, just like this economic system we live in. we have the capacity to dismantle economic systems and build new ones, just as we have the capacity to use the tech we make in ways that benefit rather than harm us and the world we live in. my gut tendency is to be distrustful of new tech but i have to remind myself that it isn't helpful and it obfuscates what's actually going on.

[gonkaccino]

Season 4 hope/prediction: Deb's show is solid, zero issues, runs flawlessly with great ratings, but her personal life is completely eroding. We start with her discovering Marcus is leaving, and it culminates in DJ going into labor right before a taping. Deb chooses the show. When it's over, and she finally flies to Vegas, it's too late -- Aiden's not letting her in because he loves his wife too much to let DJ get into a shouting match with her mom right after giving birth, and instead takes the brunt of Deb's wrath, with her making excuses and talking about how they used her money for IVF, and anyway, DJ's fine, so who cares if she wasn't there? Kathy's in the room with DJ and the baby (DJ's the closest she has to a daughter, after all) and Deb leaves too furious to think about how badly she's hurt her family.

She heads back to her Vegas mansion -- empty, obviously, Josefina and the dogs would be in LA -- and pops open a bottle of wine. Alone. Completely alone. Can't call Marty, she has no friends, the closest she's got would be Kiki and wouldn't that be embarrassing, calling your poker dealer to talk about your feelings --

and then Ava's there. She got the news about DJ's labor, she got the story from Aiden (who was distraught, by the way, man's too much of a sweetheart for Vance drama), a spare key from Damian (happy to pawn that off on her, though if it isn't returned promptly he's taking legal action) and has arrived just in time to see the Deborah Vance having a breakdown the likes of which no one thought physically possible. Crying gives you wrinkles, you know. But Ava has to be here. She's the physical embodiment of a lesson Deb never truly learned: you don't have to like someone to love them.

In my imaginary fantasy land that I am concocting this would then subsequently lead into them fucking nasty but I understand that this may be a step too far for the surprisingly large number of very normal people who watch this show and would forgive JPL for not taking it that far. However I do believe they should fuck about it and let Ava take the reigns in their relationship while they see how many of Deb's bridges they can un-burn.