#so if we go with that truth that it’s genetic WHY would the domains be something u just cook up on the spot !!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

snifflesthemouse · 4 years ago

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I'm still rather new to Tumblr. While I've clearly displayed my ability to post my ramblings, I'm still figuring out the other various features of this platform. For the sake of reference, I have posted a screenshot below.

While I completely agree with @youhavebeenmarkled that it's grossly inappropriate to suggest Catherine, the future Queen Consort, is a drug addict... I want to add to the discussion and further develop why the concept of Catherine microdosing heroin is entirely ignorant.

@youhavebeenmarkled mentions several excellent points as to why the concept is ridiculous; from genetics to muscle tone and more. But there's deeper reasons why this idea of Catherine being on heroin is so far from the truth and reality, it's out of this world. Some could even argue it sounds like a page from a Hollywood script.

Before I get started, though, I want (and need) to stress a few things. I am in no way shaming anyone. As I've shared in the past, I am the last person in the universe qualified to pass judgement on anything or anyone. My posts are simply my perspectives, my opinions. I look at facts in the public domain, and with my own knowledge and life experience, I form my thoughts.

Please remember while you read this, I am not looking down on anyone. I am not bragging about knowing what drug addiction is or is not. I am only sharing some insights with you, the reader, on what real life heroin addiction is like. My only goal is giving insight.

I am not proud of my past, and I am not condoning it. Nor should you. Accountability is how I stay clean. Please do not feel like I am suggesting non-addicts are ignorant or "square". Not knowing or understanding heroin addiction is a blessing. It's a good thing to be in the dark about certain things because it means you're smarter than people like me.

Be proud of the fact you don't automatically see why these blind items are total nonsense from the start. And if you aren't proud of yourself, just know I am proud AF of you. For those of you like myself who have been through the hell of addiction, remember we do recover. With all that being said, let's get going.

You see, anyone with firsthand experience or knowledge of true heroin addiction would automatically know these rumors are absolutely ridiculous. Why? Because heroin addiction doesn't work that way.

Now don't get me wrong. The world is filled with functioning closet addicts. I myself was a functioning closet addict for years before the world was any the wiser. The key point, though, is the world did eventually get wiser.

Heroin addiction usually starts out in one of a few ways. Most Americans addicted to heroin became that way because of prescription painkillers. For example, I first got addicted to pain pills. When the pain pills became impossible to get, I took what I could get that was the closest equivalent. That was heroin.

But some people start using heroin because they did some at a party with friends. Or they have a loved one addicted and wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Some people are hooked on other drugs, like cocaine or ecstasy, and their usual dealer offers a free sample of the latest batch of heroin. There's a saying among addicts; "The first one's free."

Dealers know they can increase their profitability if they can get established clients addicted to other products they traffic. But these are just a few examples of how people get started using heroin. Very rarely does anyone start out on heroin simply because they want to stay thin. Contrary to the popular belief known to many as "heroin chic" that came from supermodels in the mid 80s and 90s.

Heroin is what addicts refer to as a euphoria narcotic. It has a euphoric effect, and it is sometimes called a "downer". Cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, or amphetamines are called "uppers" or "speeders" because they stimulate the brain and give energy. While heroin can have that affect on people, it is not the traditional go-to for illicit weight management.

In other words, if Catherine really did use microdosing (a concept I will debunk in a moment), her first, best choice would be a stimulant like cocaine because it's much more effective at appetite suppression and providing energy. Heroin wouldn't be the first, best choice for many reasons.

Because of its nature, heroin is highly addictive. Most users begin snorting the drug in powder form. Within seconds to a minute, the substance enters the bloodstream and hits the brain. The brain then releases endorphins that travel the rewards pathway in the brain. The first time one uses heroin is the highest they will ever feel from using. Every subsequent dose releases less and less endorphins in the brain. This is why recovering addicts talk about chasing their sobriety like they chased their first high. This is also why microdosing is an almost-impossible behavior.

Microdosing means taking tiny, small amounts over time. Meaning that you only use the minimum amount to achieve the effect you desire. But the problem is, your brain becomes physically dependent on the substance over time. Every time an addict uses, the brain gets more dependent on that substance to function. So, while a non-addict's brain has no issues with their brain producing endorphins, an addict's brain does. This is why heroin is so addictive.

Eventually, a heroin addict's brain will become so reliant on heroin to produce endorphins, the addict will become entirely dependent. This is also known as becoming hooked. When the addict doesn't have the minimum amount of heroin the body is accustomed to, or depending upon, the addict will start withdrawal. This is often called being "dope sick" or "detoxing".

Detoxing or being dope sick is the driving force behind addicts staying addicts. Being dope sick is the biggest fear of an addict. So much so, the fear of detoxing is enough to drive otherwise good, decent human beings to doing absolutely whatever it takes to avoid detoxing. Stealing from loved ones, manipulating innocent bystanders, lying, cheating, robbing, selling your body... are the half of it.

Being dope sick is like having the worst flu of your life times a million. You will vomit, have uncontrollable diarrhea, and your body will hurt worse than anything you could ever imagine. If you detox for more than a day, you will begin to feel like your insides are shaking, burning, and pulling apart inside. You can't sleep. You can't eat. You can't get out of bed. You miss work and lose your job (if you still have one at this point). You get desperate before this point, and you get carnal after this point.

Your brain and entire body becomes dependent on this substance to function subpar. Without this substance, everything begins to stop working properly. Depending on exactly how much you use normally, your withdrawal can become life threatening. You can have seizures, strokes, or even go into cardiac arrest. Hopefully you can see by now why I say the concept of microdosing is ridiculous.

To be able to micro dose would require the self control and willpower of a super human. This reminds me of an article I once read about a college professor who advocated for drug use. He claimed he wasn't addicted, had control of his drug use, and was a productive member of society. He said he'd use heroin like others drink after a long day of work. Yet, he's been using it for over a decade. Yet, he experienced detoxing. That professor is a prime example of an addict in denial. But I digress...

My points are this:

1. Heroin wouldn't be the first choice for weight control or appetite suppression; cocaine or stimulants like meth or ritalin would be.

2. Microdosing is an almost-impossible method of drug use because the body gets hooked quickly. Which means the dose will only increase in amount in order to have the same effects over time.

3. Heroin causes an addiction that results in serious, life threatening withdrawal that drives even the nicest person to doing the worst of the worst.

4. Heroin addiction, even in small amounts, takes no time to invade and overtake one's life. It literally only takes one time to get hooked. It literally takes no time to destroy everything.

Oh, and one more thing before I put a sock in it... at the height of my active addiction, I was using around 2 grams a day to feel normal. I spent at minimum $200 a day on heroin. Sometimes even more. When I started out, I was only using a tenth or less. It takes 10 of those to make a gram. So within two months of starting, I went from doing one tenth to needing 20 of those tenths just to feel normal and function. All the while, I never got smaller than 150 pounds.

I know it sounds terrible, but I would lament over how unfair it was. I was doing all this heroin, and I was still thick AF. I would literally joke to fellow addicts I would use with how it was total bullshit. How was it I was using 2 grams a day and still a size 12 or 14? That's how sick I was in my disease. Which is my final point.

Not everyone on heroin is "heroin chic" skinny. The effort, will power, and self control it would take to "microdose" would be far greater than what it would take to control one's diet and exercise. Plus it would be much cheaper to hire a trainer than employ a drug dealer.

I hope this very long, detailed, winded post gives better insight to the deeper reasons the blind item is so dumb. I also hope it gives insight to the real life of heroin addiction. My goal was, and is, to provide real examples to the blind item's absurdity. If I can help people better understand heroin addiction, potentially deterring someone from ever touching it or even a loved one learning something that could help someone they know struggling with addiction... well that would be a bonus.

P.S. If you or a loved one you know is struggling with addiction, there is help out there. If you have any questions or just need someone to listen, please feel free to message me. I will do my best to help. I've been there. They say the only way to keep your sobriety is by giving it away... I have plenty to give. Be forewarned, though, I am unapologetically blunt and honest to a fault. I mean no harm, but I will not sugar coat anything.

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samueldays · 3 years ago

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This image is from the blogpost AI has the worst superpower… medical racism. There’s an associated arXiv preprint: Reading Race: AI Recognises Patient's Racial Identity In Medical Images. It (with commentary elsewhere) is one of the most hilariously popcorn-inducing things I’ve read in a while. 🍿

Briefly, AI was able to detect people’s race from X-ray images of chests, so the researchers started distorting the image to see if they could put a stop to that, and the AI was still detecting race at unreasonably high accuracy when the image was distorted into a bunch of grey ripples. See page 34 of the preprint PDF for larger version with marginally more detail of the grey ripples.

Firstly, the performance of these models ranges from high to absurd. An AUC of 0.99 for recognising the self-reported race of a patient, which has no recognised medical imaging correlate?

(AUC)

The authors tried high pass filtering (up top), low pass filtering, notch filtering, segmentation, brightness clipping, noise, blur, and a bunch of other distortions in an attempt to find whatever the AI was using, and they couldn’t. They pixelated images down to 4x4 and the AI was guessing badly but still consistently better than chance. What on Earth is going on here?

The poster writes about how self-reported/self-identified race has “no recognised medical imaging correlate” - solution there, it seems to me, is to recognise one. ;-)

I’ll quote the paper’s Discussion section at length for people who might be thinking of One Weird Trick Explanation for how this happened and could be prevented. Boring parts below the cut:

While a constellation of human imperceptible signals such as scanner settings, equipment models, or image acquisition factors such as technician preferences or biases are possible explanations, our data suggests that these factors alone are insufficient to explain the discriminative performance. Beyond the demonstrated generalisability of these models to data from different clinical environments, for several of the datasets (MXR and CXP), all patients were imaged in the same locations and with the same processes independent of race. We further confirmed that the disease distribution in each dataset and the body habitus of the patients in the CXP, MXR, and EMX datasets was not strongly predictive of racial group, implying that the deep learning models were not relying on these features alone. While an aggregation of these features and interdependencies in multi-dimensional feature space may explain the ability of AI models to detect racial identity in medical images, we could not identify any specific image-based covariates that could explain the surprisingly high recognition performance presented by this work.

For those concerned about sample size, an overview of datasets:

Relevant to the header image:

Even more dramatically, models trained on high-pass filtered images maintained performance well beyond the point that the degraded images contained no recognisable structures; to the human co-authors and radiologists it was not even clear that the image was an x-ray at all. Furthermore, the experiments involving patch based training, slice-based error analysis, and saliency mapping were non-contributory: no regions of the images consistently informed race recognition decisions. Overall, we were unable to isolate image features that are responsible for the recognition of racial identity in medical images, either by spatial location, in the frequency domain, or caused by common anatomic and phenotype confounders associated with racial identity.

Rationalists might be upset at this part:

While further research into methods to selectively reduce the presence of racial information in medical images is needed, it seems plausible that technical solutions along these lines are unlikely to succeed and that human-lead strategies designed to detect racial bias[45] and the intentional training of models to equalise racial outcomes[10] should be considered to be the default approach from a medical AI safety perspective.

You fool, you nitwit, you anthropomorphizer, the AI is not going to have your “obviously I didn’t mean that” common sense when trying to equalise racial outcomes, this is a great way to get AI blocking treatment to keep people ill if their recovery would result in racial disparity. (Or worse.)

There were several limitations to this work. Most importantly, we rely on self-reported race as the ground truth for our predictions. There has been extensive research into the correlation between self-reported race and genetic ancestry in the field of genomics, which have shown more genetic variation within races than between races, and that race is more a social than biological construct[16].

And this is Lewontin’s Fallacy. The phrase “more variation within than between” is blather. By way of illustration, my liver is in many ways more similar to your liver than to my lung, that’s why we can speak of “livers” in general. Nonetheless, my liver is part of the same body as my lung, which is a very distinct body from the body holding your liver. The amount of variation within my body is largely irrelevant to the question of distinguishing my body from your body.

Or, to bring it back to the concrete question of race, as someone helpfully pointed out in the comment section over there, the social construct of race as measured by self-identification is mostly the same as the biological construct of race as measured by genetic clustering. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15625622/ :

Subjects identified themselves as belonging to one of four major racial/ethnic groups (white, African American, East Asian, and Hispanic) and were recruited from 15 different geographic locales within the United States and Taiwan. Genetic cluster analysis of the microsatellite markers produced four major clusters, which showed near-perfect correspondence with the four self-reported race/ethnicity categories. Of 3,636 subjects of varying race/ethnicity, only 5 (0.14%) showed genetic cluster membership different from their self-identified race/ethnicity.

Talking about race being “more” social than biological is blather.

#all #racepol #science #biology

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numinous-shaman · 4 years ago

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Secret Space Program Timeline Wars

Not even organic time travelers know what's going to manifest exactly, but I do know this is a timeline war and the forces of chaos and corptocracy are what will lead us into a horrible A.I., future of soullessness and military industrial servitude, if we don't shift the tide in consciousness back to human values soon.

There ARE definately forces ready to resist tyranny all over the country and there are also militarized groups invested in destroying the stamina of defensive forces too, war on our soil is NOT desirable. There used to be only a timeline with five free states in the future, having Constitutional protection, back in 2011, I was aware when that was secured. Then we got an 11 state timeline some years later and I'm pretty sure the last I felt we had a pretty solid 27 state structure for manifesting continued protection of Inalienable human rights, should succession become necessary.

I hope it's more now, it would be wonderful to have the whole country turn back from the Great Reset completely, before the Great Divide manifests. But, consciousness just isn't aware enough to expect that at this point, it's painfully obvious watching the majority of people demand to be experimentation survivors and freely give over their genetic code to hybridization with other species, and new technology, that the level of awareness of the masses has been greatly reduced, along with understanding of their own value, rights and responsibilities. Of course, we KNOW in the future that it was "the fears" that caused them to sell their liberty, not actual harm, just the idea of it and their lack of awareness regarding the methods to manipulate them made it all possible. Watching this play out in real time, is just gut wrenching.

MAYBE, if enough false flags happened to jolt then awake they would help fight their captors instead of beg them in, but the iron curtain of information has become increasingly difficult to penetrate. I don't think Trump is the Messiah, but I think if he's prohuman then he'll use this opportunity he has to rally some people who care about freedom behind him and hit them where it hurts, AT THE INFORMATION LEVEL. We need to get past the frequency fence of distorted information being used to hold humanity hostage and unable to discern the danger.

Of course, the controllers want it that way, they want us dumb and happy when they cut out lives short and all the blame for the genocide resting squarely on our own, failure to rightfully apply free will. I've had more than my fair share of exposure to eugenist, reptilian timelording types of beings and I will tell you what they never will, because I'm not like them although I perceive them. They believe in survival of the fittest, or most cunning, really.

They figure if they are smart enough to fool humans and conquer us, then our benevolence is a weakness and they deserve to rule with an iron rod and treat us like domesticated cattle and resources for their whims. They think of this world as part of a larger ocean and the bigger fish wins, unless the smaller fish gets smart enough to survive. The idea of a loving Creator force is foreign to them, nature is cruel, only children have foolish dreams of things which are obviously not true, that's what they would say to a child who believes good will win out, simply because it's moral.

Now, if the alien Corptocracy gets their way and are able to slice through the federal government and manifest authoritianism quickly, this is probably where the Orwellian vision of two sort of parallel societies might spring up in the same land, some flocking to federally managed economic development, while others reclaim land and resources for sustainability, environmental protection and multicultural preservation, in states leaving the union. Those were basically the legal umbrellas we used to get support from the corptocracy in some timelines in the future and not called fundamentalists, revolutionaries or radicals for simply wanting to remain natural humans and to keep our Bill of Rights.

They didn't care about our rights or our liberty or right to make our own health decisions, because they thought it was important, NO. We had to show that the degradation of our environment was no good for them and the degradation of our genetics was akin to killing a protected animal, because it was an endangered' species. Human interest was protected only under the banner of what today might be equated to Leftist Liberalism or Environmental Activism. So many humans are already under the influence of such heavy programming and so degraded genetically, they already serve the AntiChrist system, the Corptocracy who is attempting to rewrite our souls for capture and control, and just don't know it. Wanting to be human completely and to access nature and make individual choices, was called tragically fundamentalism and seen as radical or mad. Covertly, the secret societies weilding heavy handed influence within the Corptocracy knew the truth and knew the human ascension potential was intentionally being cut off from the masses and tightly controlled. They had their own plans of breeding into the genetics of ascendant humans while enslaving the rest.

The Multidimensional capacity of the human soul was lost by most after being genetically degraded with medicine, environmental toxins and food. Humans literally lost their ability to fully embody and connect with their soul and multidimensional nature, the process happened over a few generations and most didn't notice it occurring or miss it when it was lost, everyone was tuned into their pain and pleasure body only, five senses they couldn't see through with higher ones. In many probable futures a company called Aegis was ultimately responsible for raising awareness and support from the rich to help achieve their goal of protecting, studying and tracking the human potential for Multidimensional communication and influence on the environment. Many human domains for natural living were organized and protected legally and with force by Aegis Corp. and Aegis Shield Corp. Organic and inorganic time travel was experimented with by many factions, warring for control over the timelines and various aspects of our future. Time travel operations were in place before Sept. 11th and that event itself has already been altered by divine intelligence and human operatives, so we are experiencing already, an altered version of the past. The 911 timeline, 911 numerological sequences are an energetic reality that crosses the threshold of the unconscious mind for many of us.

It's so important to understand though, the leaders didn't care about our souls or the afterlife, the government is controlled by soulless corpore entities, not human ideals. They only helped us, in the end at all, because they wanted to replicate what it's REALLY like to be human and receive your Divine nature in artificial systems and experience a replicate reality using technology for virtual extended life spans in artificial worlds of clones or digitized and uploaded into what is akin to a virtual reality cloud. The small percentage of true humans lived parallel lives, but they fought to not be dependent on the Corptocracy, so that separation would remain and the rest of the world saw and treated then like an oddity, some kind of stage show freak for them to project their own fears and insecurity onto. They had no idea they were just dangling participles, evolutionarily speaking, slated for nothing but further degeneration, experimentation and enslavement. I can already feel this separation becoming palpable, the emergency vaccine powers are definately a trigger event

The real humans, eventually were able to live protected, to stay in touch with natural order and live like a natural human, but only in exchange for information and for power the secret societies used for themselves. We still managed to create hubs of Divine Creator energies, cruelty free animal zones and real human existence to assist with keeping balance in the world by helping the Corptocracy understand the importance of universal law and the real purpose of morality at the level of the template of reality manifestation. This helped the populations (we weren't all human) to survive and avert pole shift, we literally have to keep the balance.

The effect of that knowledge on the majority was not natural though, it was tyranical and the populations who destroyed the old America demanding liberation were the ones who ended up with the least liberty in the end. All of these impressions are collected from possible futures and parallel realities, I pray everyday the options improve and more real humans remember who they are and what is really important. They had to shut the inorganic (technologically) induced time travel missions down, the effects were bizarre and became a greater concern than originally imagined. There are rogue groups still experimenting covertly, it is well known in the future and these groups are hunted religiously by the scientific order.

Organic time travel is more mystical in nature, it's the ability of your higher self to project itself back in time to your physical self and effect change which shifts the future. This is just one example of the types of abilities the Multidimensional human is able to do, if their genetics and consciousness aren't interfered with and free will used to serve Love, like Christ taught. The elite know that REAL humanity doesn't need their faulty technology to externalize their powers for interconnectivity and don't need controllers at all. That's why they aim to suppress us, dumb us down and keep the secret about who and what we are far from our awareness.

They need us to control, to feed off, to feel powerful by dominating and to justify their own limited, dimensionalized existence. They are like an interdimensional invader, a parasitic intelligence we are playing host to and giving more power over our entire universal time matrix. The ONLY people who won't be TOTALLY owned and controlled by these corporate boards and warlords in the future, are going to be the ones who dedicate themselves to consciousness expansion and Spiritual Ascension, because they'll need those enhanced abilities and awareness to stay a step ahead of the parasite and their legion of zombie enforcers, demanding submission to intelligence beneath the true Human. They expect us to out smart them if we really deserve our free will, I'm not condoning the belief system, just making it conscious in hopes more people can see through the vaneer of humanity they aim to project.

#projectibis #projectbluebird #james casbolt #annunaki #multidimensional #timelines #indigo kids #ascension #starseed #montauk #project pegasus

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crazyclouds5281 · 4 years ago

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Code Olympus

Just an idea for a story. Takes much inspiration from the Webtoon Code Adam, drawn by Atterozen. (An interesting, and very relevant, piece of information is that, in real life, Code Adam is a protocol used to help locate and rescue missing children)

---

It all began when Athena fell in love with a scientist. He, like most of her other fare, was an intelligent blond man, with forest-green eyes, and a voracious need to know. He sought knowledge from all sources, often times going on benders across the internet or through libraries, looking for information on whatever topic he was studying at the time. Most of it focused on human biology, as that is what he researched, but occasionally, it was the oddest thing, such as the mating habits of goats.

They met in a small, niche cafe. Whenever she was feeling particularly restless, Athena would teleport herself to quiet little places like this, seeking conversation and companionship. Her attention was drawn to a man in a corner booth, reading a rather hefty book. A cup of coffee was in his hand, and a plate of pie was pushed off to the side, untouched and unnoticed. The man's lovely green eyes were flicking down the page at an incredible rate, and he was mumbling under his breath so fast, it was a miracle he could even breathe in. His dark-blond hair was shaved close to his scalp in a buzzcut. A white lab coat was slung over the backrest of his bench.

So involved was he in his reading, that he didn't even notice when Athena sat down across from him and ordered a cup of tea from the waitress. For a while, the goddess amused herself with watching the man, but by the time her tea was half-gone, she was feeling a bit impatient.

"Hello," Athena said, startling the man something horrible. He jolted so hard his knee slammed into the underside of the table, and he hissed. He glared at Athena. Now that he was looking up, she could see the dark bags under his eyes, as if he hardly slept.

"Can I help you?" he asked, deep voice rumbling in his chest. Up close, he was a rather physically imposing man. His jaw was square, facial features hard as stone. His shoulders were broad under his solid black button-up, the sleeves rolled back to unveil his thick forearms.

"Yes, perhaps you can," Athena mused demurely. "You see, I am in desperate need of intelligent conversation, and I was hoping you might be able to provide."

His expression went from angry to flat. "Unfortunately, I am a bit busy at the moment," he said, tapping his book with a thick index finger. "So unless you can explain the intricacies of genetic coding, I'm going to have to ask you to try someone else."

"I happen to be quite knowledgeable about many things."

"Is that so?" he asked skeptically.

"It is. You may quiz me, if you feel it necessary."

The man took that as the invitation it was, and launched a slew of questions, all of which Athena answered without fail. Lacking regular duties to attend to, such as the attention her Father needed to pay to his domain of the sky, the Goddess of Wisdom found herself with quite a bit of free time, which she usually spent reading. As you can imagine, one can read a significant amount in three thousand or so years.

At some point, the man's lips had quirked upwards with a smile. He was enjoying this just as much as Athena. "Well, seems like you weren't joking. I'm Edward Bennett. It's nice to meet you, Miss...?"

"Astrid Graves," she replied, making up the name on the spot. They shook hands over the table, and Edward glanced at his watch as he drew his hand back.

"Looks like my lunch break is over. I suppose I'll see you around, Miss Graves?"

"Here, tomorrow?"

"I can work with that."

---

Lunch breaks became dinner dates became nights spent together in a loving embrace (in Athena's mindscape, of course. She was still one of the three Virgin Goddesses). A few months later, they were in the place where it all started, when Athena dropped the bomb on Edward.

"I'm pregnant."

Edward blinked. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"...Huh."

His lack of reaction was a bit worrying. "Is that... Bad?" she asked nervously, a far cry from the immortal warrior she actually was.

The corner of his lip twisted downward. "Hard to say. I'm not really fit to be a father, and I can't afford to cut back on my time in the lab, or I'll lose out on... A good 90% of my grants. Sorry, Astrid, but until I can stabilize my position, you'll have to take care of the kid mostly on your own for now."

Athena nibbled on her lip, wondering how best to break the news to him. Edward was a sharp man, though, and quickly picked up on her unease.

"Not gonna work, huh?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee. He sighed. "Well, we can always hire a nanny or something. Unless you have family who'd be willing to help out a bit?"

Athena shook her head. "That's not the problem. I... Once the child is delivered, I will be forced to leave."

Edward raised a brow. "Forced? You're a grown woman, Astrid. Your parents can't legally make you do anything. They can't tell you not to have a child." It was a bit baffling to him, that such an independent woman was worried about something like this.

"That's not it." She breathed in deeply. "I won't be able to stay, because of the Ancient Laws."

Edward's confusion became more profound. "Ancient? What, like from the Paleozoic Era? he asked with a little chuckle. "C'mon, I've never heard of any law that says a woman has to leave just because she had a child out of wedlock. If you're that worried about it, then let's get married. Doesn't have to be a big ceremony- we can just hold a little celebration down at one of those halls, invite a few people, and call it a night."

Athena sighed. It was never easy to admit that she wasn't mortal to her lovers, because it marked the beginning of the end of their relationship. She'd found, over the years, that the best way to do it was to just rip the bandage off. "We can't get married, either, because I am a goddess."

Edward stared at Athena for a long, silent moment, before he blinked. "Is this- listen, Astrid, it's fine if you're one of those LARPers, or whatever, but if you're gonna do it, at least don't joke about being pregnant." He sounded a bit annoyed, and Athena frowned. The Goddess of Wisdom looked him straight in the eye and, using her divine powers, instilled the fact that what she was saying was the truth directly into his mind. Edward's head jerked back, shocked by the sudden intrusion, before he rubbed his temples. "Oh. Okay. Wow."

"Wow, indeed. As the Greek Goddess Athena, the Ancient Laws dictate that I, and the other gods, cannot stay with mortals for long periods of time, and we cannot, under any circumstances, interfere in the lives of our demigod children. The Heroes must be left to grow on their own."

"And, all these other Olympian gods, they just, what- go around, hooking up with people, and then leaving them with the children?"

"Not all. Artemis and Hestia have sworn to remain virgins, while Hera will never couple with a mortal. My Father, Zeus, and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, have also sworn to no longer have demigod children."

Edward stared at her wide-eyed, astounded that she could possibly say something so insane with a straight face. "So, that's it? Here's a kid, have fun? I legitimately cannot take care of a child right now. Are you sure you can't stay for at least a few years, at least until I can get a stable job?"

Athena deflated. "I'm afraid I cannot. Should I linger more than a few days after the child's birth, the consequences will be most severe. Since I am a goddess, they will fall directly on our child."

Edward's gaze was boring a hole into the table. "Fine. Whatever. When's the kid due?"

"Next week. Pregnancy for a goddess is much quicker than a mortal woman." She also refrained from mentioning that the child would be popping out of her head. That was just a bit too much for the poor man.

Edward's glare hardened. "That's barely any time at all," he seethed, "What am I supposed to do about my job?"

"You're a smart man. I'm sure you'll figure something out," Athena said encouragingly. Unfortunately for her, it sounded rather patronizing to the man.

"Right," Edward hissed, standing abruptly. He pulled out his wallet and slapped a few bills on the table, barely bothering to count the amount. "I need time to think." With that, the man stormed out the cafe, leaving the pensive goddess to her own thoughts.

---

This is impossible. I need this job- I don't have time to take care of a friggin' kid! Crazy damned woman. How many other guys has she trapped like this? How many other people have the rest of her family trapped? So many people, raising a kid they can't take care of, just because some god or goddess wanted to mess around with one of us puny mortals. What a fucking mess...

Wait.

That bastard, Martin, said that as long as you can show something worthwhile, it doesn't matter how long you're in the lab. And, if you manage to start a project that generates enough interest from the higher-ups, you can pretty much retire and live off the royalties, even if you're a beginner. Would explain why I haven't seen him around since he invented a goddamn element.

How worthwhile would a demigod be?

#percy jackon and the olympians #pjo fanfic #code adam

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icarus-the-eternal · 4 years ago

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The Flesh Sculpter

The reactions of mortals upon their first audience before the Fifth Goddess in her throne room varied anywhere from shock to awe to fear to glorious rapture. Jaego Nul gave away nothing as he strode between the immense gates. At first take was a strange sight even for an Astartes of the Eye. A tabard of dark leather was draped over the shimmering sea blue and emerald green of his power armor, a mismatch of scavenged parts and types. A three headed hydra curled about his pauldron, leaving no doubt to his gene lineage. Every movement caused the countless vials and instruments strapped about his form to rattle and clank or bubble with unknown liquids. The only weapons he seemed to carry was a simple bolt pistol locked to one hip and the narthecium gauntlet about his right arm. His retinue was a different story altogether. It had been a surprise to the Eternal Keepers when the modified heavy transport vessel had approached them in the Eye, even more so when it’s master hailed them with a request to meet their leader. But Icarus had seen something in the strange Apothecary and agreed to bring him before the goddess. Jaego brought along a number of mutant slaves, a tribute from the hardy stock cultivated by his work. Escorting him and herding the mutant slaves were a number of mortals, clad in scavenged fatigues and piecemeal fall armor, wielding an assortment of weapons both imperial, xenos, and some unknown. These mortals were different than the cultists or mutants of other warbands, moving with strange synchronization and conversing in what sounded like a mix of barks, snarls, and howls. Only Furio had any clue about the truth, having clashed with their kind before. They were Gland Hounds- monsters crated by the hands of Chief Apothecary Fabius Bile to hunt Space Marines, not a gift given lightly. The whispered rumor was that his ship was also crewed with the robes and rebreather masked Vat Born creatures known to serve those of the Consortium. Apparently this one had some ties to Clonefather. Jaego came to a halt, turning his eye lenses upon the Fifth Goddess and briefly dipped his head. His voice was dry and raspy, like hot air being pushed through dusty tubes. “My lady, allow me to say it is an honor to be allowed entrance to your sacred domain. I am Jaego Nul, son of Alpharius Omegon, student of the Consortium.” Fuuko sat upon the throne in her mortal form, backed by those champions who were not currently away. “I would be a fool to turn away a guest who has roused my..... curiosity... in such a manner. Why have you sought me out?” A sharp wheeze escaped the cox speakers and it was a moment before they realized he was laughing. “My lady I thought it would be obvious. I am a student of universe, learning how to shape the flesh in the i infinite possibilities it can reach. Here in your vaults you possess endless knowledge untapped by any scholar. Treatises long lost, specimens thought extinct, countless new and varying genomes to explore and study.” His words dripped with an insatiable hunger, a desire for such hidden knowledge, an avarice so great it might consume him. “Of course I would not dare to come empty handed. This is just a small token of what I can offer you from the holds of my ship, hardy stock all carefully guided by my hand. Everything I possess is at your disposal, my skills as a medic and a scientist, my lovely pack of killers, whatever I may give you. Oh the wonderful monsters I shall create in your name, the horrors and weapons such knowledge will allow me to bring to life. With time perhaps I will even surpass the Chief Apothecary himself.” A grin spread across Fuuko’s face, a grin of infinite malice and motherly interest all in one. Greed recognized greed, for Jaego was ensnared in her power long before he ever reached her domain. “Go make some monsters little fleshcrafter. Strengthen all my children to new heights. Seek the knowledge you so desperately crave.” Jaego bowed again, lower this time even as his fingers twitched with anticipation. “Right away my lady!”

With the devoted labor of the vat born and shock-prodded muscle of the mutants the immense amount of equipment began an efficient transference. Jaego had found wing of the Vaults that seemed perfect for the setup of his laboratory. Had it always been here or had the warp space molded to suit his desires? It was a question he might pursue later as he scraped a sample from the wall and handed it to a vat born, pausing to pay the mutant on it’s hooded head with somewhat paternal affection. The Chief Apothecary has been inspired with the initial template but these were of a breed Jaego had cultivated himself, tweaking to his own design. Perhaps it was Fabius own affection for his creations that had rubbed off on his student during the time with the Consortium. He was drawn from his thoughts as two of his gland hounds, Kreia and Vlad, dragged a squirming mortal into the lab to shackle him to one of the tables. The mortal was a male cultist, Caucasian and blonde, perhaps of Ultramar genetic stock. He was showing signs of mutation, the buds of horns sprouting from his forehead and several small eyes blinking along his collar bone. Already Jaego could see the wonders he would work upon this mortal flesh for his new mistress even as he began dictating a record to another vat born waiting with data pad and stylus. The narthecium bone saw whirred and Jaego loomed over his subject, heedless of the man’s screams. “Let’s begin shall we?”

@fuukonomiko

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reflectionsofacreator · 5 years ago

Video

youtube

aLRIGHT

let’s dig into this one

So the timeline for this is a bit strange, but this is when Clay discovered the Truth about Eve and Adam, about the origins of humanity, and the precursors themselves. It’s kind of subtly implied in the last memory that Clay was just starting to dig deeper and deeper, searching more and more into his genetic memory until he found the Truth. Additionally, Clay’s Bleeding Effect was out of control due to being forced to spend so much time in the Animus, and he was able to unintentionally access older memories, including that of Adam, his direct ancestor. Now, I’m not exactly sure if Juno gave him the Truth, or she found him while he was spelunking in his genetic memory, but either way, this is how she finds him.

And this is where Juno informs him that it’s his fate to die to pass on a message to Desmond, and that this message can only be passed on with his death. He tried to fight it, but Juno also informed him about Lucy’s true allegiances, thus ensuring that he would never actually leave Abstergo. And also do exactly what Juno wants.

I’m just. Gonna.

Along the way we hear a conversation between Clay and his father, with Clay excitedly telling him that he’s doing “real work” with William and Rebecca, only to be shot down and just... Sighs. The way that Harold just insists that money is what’s important, and then demanding that Clay support “this family”... We find out that Clay’s mother left, and like. With that, it becomes kind of clear that Clay isn’t supporting his family so much as being guilted into giving his father money. It just!! It sucks!! Because Clay was clearly desperate for a support system, for friends, a family, and he thought he found that with the Assassins! Except he got used and chewed up and spit out again!!

We find an email from Clay’s mother, and ... phew.

From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: explanation

Dear Clay, It's your mother. I hear things are going well for you at work. It seems like you're impressing everyone. I always knew you'd be important. Not much to miss here. It rained earlier today. I had to rush to close the upstairs windows before the bedroom soaked through. Your fathers renovation is nearly finished. All these cupboards to put stuff in. dinner will be a real party. Im sure you're wondering why I'm emailing you out of the blue for the first time and talking about the rain and dinner. I'm not exactly comfortable talking to you about thiss. I had to drink one and two rum and cokes before getting on here. You and Harold. You've always liked Harold. I did too but I cant forgive him like you. We never go out anymore. I have to take care of him. He doesn't want my help. This wasn't supposed tobe my life. Raising you and him. Two baby boys. I'm sorry I wrote that but it's truw. You'be always done such a good job taking care of your father. If I stay here I wan't make it clay. forgive me. By the time you read this I'll be on the road. Know that I still liove you. Mom

Sighs like. I kinda want to be mad at her, but more than anything I’m just looking at the Kaczmarek family and just coming to the conclusion that none of them need to be together or live together. Like -- it’s a story that’s all together too common, and rather unremarkable because of it. A dad and husband that has to be babied and practically raised, a son with expectations thrust onto him without any thought for what he wants... It hurts, but what hurts worse is the fact that this happens all the time. It’s not special. And Clay knew that. It’s why he went so hard for the Assassins.

Something that’s interesting is that during Clay’s talk with his father, you can find a code imprinted onto the wall, written in braille.

It reads "The truth is constructed from lies” and there’s a couple different ways that that can be interpreted.

I think the first thing I thought of was like... the concept of “history is written by the winners” and how the truth that we know in our day to day lives is probably not actually true, just created out of an attempt to lie to ourselves over what history actually is like. My next thought was that Lord of the Rings opening monologue of “And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth.“ and relating it back to how the story of Eve and Adam is actually a war of rebellion in the AC universe, only to be slowly transformed into a creation myth in various religions.

Another thing to consider is the fact that this was found while Clay was talking to his dad about the Assassins (albeit indirectly), and the Creed being “Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted” is something that should be taken into account as well. The way it’s written in braille also brings to mind the phrase “blind to the truth” in my opinion, which Clay certainly was blind to what was actually going with William, and Lucy.

The second code you can see is after you find the letter from Clay’s mother, and it’s the greek letter theta, Θ, in it’s capital form. You see it as you’re traversing a gap, and have to dodge around the pillars as the platform you’re on passes through them.

Historically, it was used in classical Athens as an abbreviation for θάνατος, Thanatos, the Greek god of the dead. It was used as a warning sign for death, similar to the skull-and-crossbones is used now. It survives on potsherds where people would vote for the death penalty by marking Θ on the tile.

Directly after this symbol is seen, you hear one final exchange between Clay and Juno.

Clay: I can see. What has been, what will be. Juno: Then what you must do is clear. Help Desmond Miles. Clay: I... No. Not me. I refuse! Juno: Thousands of years this message waited. Soon its promise shall be fulfilled. Go forth, with eyes open to all but the truth.

Now, this is a bit of something. What Clay is seeing is the Calculations, a catch all term for how the Precursors managed to project themselves into the future form when they were. It’s briefly mentioned by Jupiter that Minerva was always better at the Calculations than him, that it was “always her domain.”

The way the Calculations work is like... hm. If you know the weight of a knife, the speed at which you throw it, the wind resistance on that day, you can pretty accurately predict where it lands, right? The Precursors managed to do that for everything. They mathed so hard that they predicted the future.

The writers confirmed that part of Clay’s insanity, in addition to the Bleeding Effect, was because he saw too many of the Calculations, and that his line about “The sun... your son..” was a reference to what he saw. Now, this gets into a bit of like, meta knowledge, because at the time, ac3 wasn’t out yet. But the DLC of “The Tyranny of King Washington” is related, because it’s a possible future that was Calculated into existence, and that the Apple let Connor see. So the Calculations aren’t just visions, it’s possible to, with the right equipment, actually experience these things.

But also, I can’t help but wonder -- did Juno maybe force Clay to see the Calculations, in order to manipulate him into seeing the messages she needed passed on? To sort of break him into being more pliable and thus less resistant to her desires? And what did she mean, “eyes open to all but the truth”? [shakes the screen] give me answers dammit

Food for thought. A lot of thought.

#creator plays ac rev #creator plays ac lost archive #Clay Kacmarek

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minsyal · 5 years ago

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Mutual Feelings Pt. 9, [Revali x Reader]

Summary: Smart nerdy stuff that smart nerdy people do

“Incoming!” The small metal hinges on your door shook as a heavy foot collided with the old crackling wood, only making its condition worse. The door flew open, slammed against the wall, and rattled the entire room. If the shelves and desk weren’t bolted to the wall, they would have clattered to the ground or move. Purah stood under the frame with the widest smile stretching across her face.

She was nothing but a lit firecracker. Her smile spoke words of mischief, as it always did, speaking essays and forty-minute presentations without her even having to part her lips.

You slid the papers you were working on under a leather-bound book. She wouldn’t like their contents. After all, they were full of information to the Divine Beasts controls that she didn’t know about. Controls that you added. You could imagine the look on her face if she learned that you were going behind her back to answer the Champion’s requests.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” She waltzed into the room with an energy that dumbfounded you. How she managed to stay in a perpetual state of joy was something that intrigued you, but you had no desire to live through yourself. “Brought you more super royal work! I know how much you love all that jazz.”

“You know me better than anyone.” You joked, turning your chair to face her. “What is it?”

“Oh,” she danced around you to slink toward the window. “you know! Just… some stuff.” The pile of papers in her hands didn’t seem like too much work. There were only two notebooks and maybe a dozen sheets of paper with scribbles all over them. There was one thing you took note of, the princess’s perfect cursive that seemed to glide across the page.

“Some stuff.” You repeated, quickly snatching a paper before Purah could protest. “Zelda’s work?”

“Precisely!”

“Why?” There was no way Zelda would want you messing with her work.

“Well. Big boss-man told her to focus on her powers. That means that you and I, more so you,” she quickly added, “get to finish it for her!”

“She would be furious if I so much as touched this.” You speedily put the page back on the stack that was now perched on your desk. “Are you sure we’re supposed to do this?”

“It’s not so much as finish it. Rather,” she leaned to the right and then swayed to the left, “add it to our work! It’s about the shrines and everything. You know? Science stuff.”

“Is she allowed to continue searching for shrines?”

“Probably not. That means less trips with her for you! Maybe more time to spend with,” she waggled her brows in a suggestive manner, “you know who.”

“Purah, let’s not go there.”

“Oh sweetie, you already went there! In fact, you’re way past there! You’re,” she pretended to cast a fishing hook off into the distance, “waaaaayyyy over there! And over there,” she pointed in the opposite direction, “was the point of no return.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“All in a day’s work!”

“Don’t you have other work to be doing?”

“Nope!” She swayed on her toes, the mischievous smile never leaving her face. “So, are you and Revali like, a thing?”

“It was nice to see you, Purah.” You rose from your desk chair and began pushing her out the door. “Please, visit less.” Her feet halted in the hall. “I’ll send a card.”

“It better tell me you and Revali are dating!”

You slammed the door in her face. You could hear her giggling to herself as she left.

Shortly after meeting Keumi and learning of her situation, you traveled alone to Zora’s Domain to obtain updates on how many shines were identified in the surrounding areas from King Dorephan and Mipha. Sidon, who is Mipha’s brother, tagged along but proved to be little to no help as he was just beginning to learn how to utilize his swimming skills.

While there, you met a peculiar older gentleman who gave off an air of wisdom and vast medicinal knowledge. He was kind, quiet, and understated. Unlike the other Zora, he lived in the outskirts of the Domain. His whereabouts remained a mystery to the other Zora, and he was said to only appear when he sensed illness.

It was surprising when he set foot in the Domain seeking you.

You sat with the medicine man, listening diligently as he told you stories of his many travels throughout Hyrule. He had been everywhere you had and more. The ingredients he collected for treating illness were from all walks of the land.

“What brings you to the Domain?” He asked, folding his wrinkled hands in his lap. The two of you sat on the steps of the Domain.

“Research.” You commented.

“Just research?” He implored, eyes leaving you to look off dreamily to the sky. He closed his eyes, taking in the breeze that blew through the canyon walls. “I think you’re here for far more than that.”

“More?”

“You have someone special to you. Very special,” his gaze returned to yours, “and they’re very sick.”

“How do you know that?” You whispered, eyes going wide.

“It’s all over your face.” He smiled, “And I’m not oblivious.”

The medicine man, Sopho, told you of a mysterious plant with an inimitable name, “Omisaato.” The enigmatic flower heavily resembled the Silent Princess, but with small differences in its shape and the introduction of golden speckling on its petals. It radiated the scent of fresh vanilla bean and only sprouted from the ground once a year in varying locations around Gerudo. Sopho told of its intense healing abilities. When brewed correctly with specific ingredients, it could cure even the most devastating diseases or genetic mutations.

He couldn’t provide you with the exact information you needed but could gift you a descent sized book that he had bought on a trip to Kara Kara. Even if there was no evidence of its existence, it was worth a try.

It could fix her. It could save her.

Though it was only a few days ago, Zelda was growing restless. She was itching to breach the walls and return to the wild where she could spend time with what she loved most. You’d find her lingering in the library for longer periods of time, watching over your shoulder as you sifted through her research notes. She’d practically be dangling from the balcony to see what you thought of her work. It was detailed, far more detailed than you had ever bothered to do. She described the make and model, how many screws and bolts she estimated they have, and where she hypothesized, they led to. With such a small entrance, it had to go down. But where? That was the looming question.

“Why don’t you just join me, instead of scare the hell out of Link?” You turned around to find her wide-eyed, either surprised you called her out or surprised that you knew she was there. With a short nod, she descended the stairs and sat down across from you at the table. Link stood a few feet behind her, looking as uncomfortable as he typically did while he followed her around like a lost dog. “Link, come on.”

He hesitantly sat down.

“My notes.” Her fingers danced across the pages that you piled together. “What are they like?”

“They’re yours,” you let out a tired laugh, “you tell me.”

Many emotions crossed her face in very few seconds. Her eyebrows drew together as she contemplated what she wanted to say next. Link was staring blankly at her, likely wondering the exact same thing as you. Zelda reached out and fixed the stack neatly, ensuring the pages corners lined up perfectly.

“Thank you.” She finally said in a quiet tone. “For saving me when we were in Hebra.”

Catching you completely off guard, you examined her expression, trying to figure out whether or not she was telling the truth. She showed no signs of dishonesty. Her eyes were glossy and large, her fingers rubbed together lightly, and her shaking leg inched the table over with each bounce.

“It’s no big deal.” You gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Guess I didn’t expect being a royal scientist meant experiencing 60 volts of electricity coursing through your veins.” With another smile, she was relaxed and smiling back. “Your notes are good. Detailed to all get out. But we haven’t been able to pinpoint whether the shrines in the different regions vary. I’d like to arrange a trip to Gerudo, sooner rather than later, to examine the shrines there.”

At the mention of traveling, she perked up. Something crossed her face that told you the conversations with her father were resurrected in her mind as she physically slumped a bit.

“We can request it to make ambassadorial relation meetings with Urbosa and for the possibility of finding another spring in the desert. He won’t question that.” You assured her.

“I’ll have it arranged at once.”

The next day you set out with Link, Zelda, and Mipha for Gerudo. Daruk and Revali had decided traveling separately would be faster and more efficient for the group as a whole. Plus, they wouldn’t even be allowed to enter the city so getting there immediately wouldn’t be called for. Zelda was much more pleasant than usual. Her attitude changed the moment you suggested the trip and a way around the King’s tightening rules for the young princess. She didn’t even question the cage you wore on your back meant to house the legendary flower.

Mipha, on the other hand, was curious as all get out. She poked and prodded at it, examining the welding techniques used. Link and Zelda led the group while you walked along side the Zora princess who swam slowly through Aquame Lake.

“What is it for?”

“I’m collecting some samples from the desert to take back and analyze at the castle. Boring stuff.” You laughed it off.

“Fascinating.” She was always so joyful. If there was a definition to innocence, it would surely be Mipha. “I’ve always wanted to do more scientific things. There’s just no time to.”

“You’ve helped me install updates to Ruta. I’d say that’s pretty scientific.” You commented. Mipha smiled, ducking beneath the water for a moment before coming back up.

“I mean with lab goggles and coats!”

“Next time I visit, I’ll make sure to bring an extra.”

“I’d enjoy that!”

#revali x reader #revali imagine #revali imagines #revali #botw revali #botw #botw fanfic #botw fic #botw fanfiction #botw loz #loz #tloz #tloz breath of the wild #breath of the wild #x reader #revali x you #loz fanfic

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yandere-wishes · 5 years ago

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Twisted Wonderland //Theories//

I know this is a yandere blog, but these theories will most likely tie into the characters when I do write about them.

Jack Howl

We've already preestablished - due to very obvious clues- that Jack is a member of the Canidae family, this is nothing new. But we've yet to discover what specific canid he is. I figure most people write this off as "he's a wolf" due to the last name Howl. Yet in truth, all members of this family make howling noises. Thus not permitting us to say with an efficiency that he is simply a wolf. I think he's a wild dog/ cape dog. My reasoning for this comes from an old 1990's Disney tv show called Timon and Pumbaa. In season one episode twenty-two segment two, Timon and Pumbaa are approached by a paranoid tarsier claiming that there is a wild and dangerous predator on the loss. The tarsier goes so far as to accuse Simba (a fully grown lion at this point) of being said carnivorous beast. Throughout the course of the episode, Timon and Pumbaa try to find truth in what he's saying. Finally, near the end of the episode, Timon agrees to go into hiding in a cave with the tarsier, dragging Pumbaa along despite his disbelief in Simba's guilt. When the trio approaches the cave, their "new companion" takes off their disguise (this is a Disney show, such folie is expected) to revile that he has been the predator all along. And what spices is this predator you may be asking? Well, a greyish-white wild dog with yellow eyes! And who do we know that shares these characteristics? Jack Howl that's who! Spoiler for the end; Simba rushes in and saves his two pals, scaring off the double-crosser at the end. In conclusion, Jack may be based on this overlooked yet fascinating antagonist, due to shared family characteristics and appearances.

Ruggie Bucchi

Despite my dismay that there was only one Hyena counterpart (that seems to be a place holder for all three) I was exceedingly fascinated with Ruggie's design. In the lion king franchise, the hyenas are viewed as lawless anarchists with caliginous personalities. However, Ruggie is drawn as a pure ray of sunshine with unhealthy eating habits. I have absolutely no idea why this is, and in all honesty, I'm not here to discuss Ruggie's features but rather where his name comes from...or so I think. Looking up the name "Ruggie" the only unmissable accounts I could find where from urban dictionary. The sources stated that "Ruggie" was derived from the word rugrat, It fits. But there was one more rationalization I discovered that seemed more just for this character. In the original drafts of the lion king, Scar (along with Zazu and the hyenas) was meant to sing a song concerning his mania towards his newly acquired position as king of the pride lands. This number was to further familiarize the audience with the antagonist. Alas, it never made it into the movie due to certain questionable thoughts flickering inside of Scar's head. The song was however sung in the broadway musical of the lion king. To cut to the chase there was an interesting part sung here.

Scar: "When my name is whispered through the pride this talk of love or regicide?" Shenzi: "Reggie who?"

Note how the spelling of Shenzi's misinterpretation of the word looks an awful lot like how Ruggie's name is written. I feel like Yana Toboso may have used many undisclosed Disney villain facts (songs, books, Easter eggs, etc) as inspiration with her reconstruction of their twisted counterparts. It could make a lot of sense if Ruggie's name came as a wordplay of regicide (the act of killing a king) and could be a reference to the hyena's role in Mufasa's death.

Sliver

With the introduction of the "Great Seven" I came up with a weird though. What if the spinning wheel form sleeping beauty somehow survived the event in the tale. Sometime later Director Crowly could have found it and used some magic to turn it into a boy. Yet Malificant’s sleeping curse still affected the spinning wheel even in human form, concluding as to why Sliver has abnormal sleeping patterns. This is more of a headcanon really but it's all I got for now.

Ortho

This theory is heavily based on canon greek mythology. I'm certain many of you are familiar with the tale of Hades and Persephone. For those of you who aren't, I won't be discussing the tale here since it has may iterations and I'm only interested in a small portion of the end. So feel free to look it up on google. The first spring that Hades had to endure after the departure of his belove Persephone was an intolerable agony for him. To cope with his trouble, the god of the underworld took to daydreaming. His favorite and most vivid thoughts were those of a daughter he wished to have with his wife. He imagined her in such detail that she sort of became a real person (goddess). Her name was Mesperyian, and she was described as being the most astonishing goddess to ever grace the earth. When word of her beauty reached mount Olympus, Aphrodite the actual goddess of love and beauty became enraged -as she does so often-. Aphrodite set to reclaim her title from Hades's daughter. Hearing of Aphrodite's scheme, he prohibited Mesperyian from leaving the underworld kingdom. Yet what Hades neglected to consider was that Mesperyian was half Persephone and thus retained a frenzied need to venture onto the surface world and experience the lavishness of planets, flowers, and overall nature. A considerable amount of time later the young goddess does just that. Once she arrives in a stunning meadow, she notices a gleaming mirror. Picking it she examines herself, Aphrodite having been watching her this whole time quickly sets fire to the mirror. Now understand that Mesperyian may be a goddess in title and does have a power set parallel to her goddess parents, but she was born from a dream thus rendering her physically not an actual goddess. This causes her to lack immunity to things all gods and goddess should naturally be immune to, such as a fire. When the mirror does catch on fire so does Mesperyian scarring her face severely and permanently. Now, this is a greek myth so when someone ends up....unpleasant they seem to quickly develop an "evil" persona. When Mesperyian takes note of how ugly she has become, she opts to become the goddess of punishment and torture, returning to her father's domain and continuously tormenting the souls of Tartarus. So let's tie this to Ortho, shall we? Ortho (in my opinion) is not precisely based off Hades. Despite appearances, there is nothing else tying Ortho to Hades. Yet he does share characteristics with Mesperyian. #1) Both Ortho and Mesperyian were created by some iteration of a lonely individual caught up in their agony and self-pity. For Mesperyian it was Hades and for Ortho it was Idia. #2) Both of them are not exactly what they were thought to be. Mesperyian was thought up to be a goddess, but in truth was not directly divinity. Despite having powers she lacked many key components of being a "real" goddess. Ortho was thought up to be a little brother for Idia, he may have been created to be an enhanced god or human, that however doesn't alter the fact that he is a sentimental robot and neither a "real" boy or god. #3) Mesperyian was based off Persephone (and slightly Hades). There is no direct evidence the Ortho was based on Idia's real brother or just another person in his life. But it is very likely that all the other theories out there might hold some truth. That could explain why Ortho does bear resemblance to Idia since at one point the "real" Ortho was Idia's flesh and blood (or whatever Idia's made of) so they would have shared genetics. This would tie up this theory.

If you guys have any theories I would love to hear them in the comments!

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sagebodisattva · 5 years ago

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Meta Ethics

In a follow up to the last video, “Morality and Spiritual Training for Trolls”, we’ll continue our expansive evaluation of morality, and start out by clarifying the actual subject matter of the expatiation. The consideration here really isn’t morality. That would be technically incorrect. Better to classify it as “ethics”; and in this particular case, even more accurately described as “meta ethics.” And this will be the main focus of today’s video, with more content to come in follow ups, as we’ll continue to broaden the scope of the examination, and convert this exploration of morality into an ongoing series. But before we even get into the specific implications of meta ethics, let us first understand the reason why we should make a distinction between morality and ethics.

Just referencing a “morality”, doesn’t speak to the ideological considerations behind a moral code. Saying you have morality is essentially the same thing as saying you have rules or regulations. It’s just basic terminology referring to a generalization, and says nothing to the possible equity or inequity of such a generalization. We could very well have instances of ill conceived morality, or of morality founded on questionable principles. That’s why the ethics are of upmost importance, as they deal with the philosophy behind the rules of conduct. If you want to understand whether or not a morality in question is either solid or slipshod, you need not look any further then the underlying ethics. This is the main reason why it’s significant to distinguish morality from ethics.

So, when speaking on ethics, it should also be clarified that conventional ethics are very low minded. Conventional ethics are the worm eyed position. Conventional ethics are constructed by, and revolve solely around, the illusory egoic identity. That’s why “meta ethics”, are a far better alternative for consideration; as, ethics that are based solely around the primitive desires of a desperate needy ego will, necessarily, lead to low minded standards, inequity and moral turpitude. And that’s because the ego is an inherently selfish repository by default, and due to this, simply can’t be trusted to make a mindful decision about anything. The ego is just too selfish.

But what’s wrong with that? After all, “Richard Dawkins and The Selfish Gene.”, right? “Ayn Rand and The Virtue of Selfishness.”, no?

Right. A genetically selfish waste producing vacuum who thinks it’s a virtue just by being a genetically selfish waste producing vacuum. How admirable! Is there anything wrong with that? I dunno. Is there anything wrong with a man who spends all day, every day, licking his own balls? If so, what would that be, exactly? What would be your diagnosis, for a man who spent all his time with his head between his legs, lapping at his own testicles?

Whatever. Go ahead and lick your own balls; but why is it so hard to lick your own balls without impinging on others? That’s all you gotta do. Lick your own balls without impinging on others.

“But why is it wrong to impinge on others?”

The mere fact that this needs to be explained to you is an indication of mental derangement. Let’s pick up this conversation with you strapped in the interrogation chair. I’m sure we can straighten out your mental confusion about why it’s not cool to impinge on others in a fortnight, all with nothing more then a knife, a fork, a spoon, and a bottle of salt.

If you need a mundane reason why: because it isn’t civilized. We’re trying to imagine that we’re building a civilization ova here, and sociopathic actions such as lying, cheating, stealing, raping, and murdering, are recklessly barbaric uncivilized behaviors. You want to be a savage? Fine, be a savage. You’ll be treated just like any other rabid animal rampaging the landscape, and simply be locked in a cage, or put down. There’s absolutely no issue with hunting you to extinction. You can then take your place next to the saber tooth tiger and the dodo bird.

If you want to hear the higher reason why: because preying on others is a delusional behavior; and hiding in a delusion is a cowardly way to elude the truth.

So, a ravenous short sided ego, struggling to survive, will find all kinds of ample justifications for immoral behavior; and, in some cases, will also discover that it can derive sustenance or perverse indulgent gratification, at the expense of another; and, due to this, supposedly lacks the capacity to understand how, and why, this is wrong; which is further reinforced by cues taken from “nature”, which seem to endorse predatory exploits. This is where the idea of moral relativity comes into play; the view that:

“Moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint (for instance, that of a culture or a historical period), and that no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others.”

The language of that description tells you everything you need to know about why moral relativity is a pile of archaic garbage. No standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others? Are you kidding me? With the plethora of knowledge now so widely available, due to the mass digitalization of information and a global connectivity facilitated by way of the World Wide Web, are they actually suggesting with a straight face that a contemporary man doesn’t have an advantaged educational position over a man of antiquity? Are you serious? As it stands today, the average modern individual has potential access to more information in one day, then the average ancient individual had in an entire lifetime! Whereas the ancient standpoint only had knowledge of it’s own current period, and perhaps a partial knowledge of limited history, the modern standpoint has knowledge of the ancient standpoint, all the history preceding it, and everything else that unfolded thereafter, all the way up to the present moment. It’s not even a contest. Hence, one of the reasons why I posit that the whole idea of moral relativity is archaic. After all, moral relativism is a *view* that is sympathetic to a *standpoint*. In other words, a worm eyed position, referring to another worm eyed position: the low minded domain of the hungry ego.

Ego based ethics produce substandard moralities; and we have seen countless examples of this from various civilizations throughout history. These are the types of ethics that made sinister methodologies, such as slavery, torture, human sacrifice, cannibalism, and pederasty, culturally acceptable in their particular times; of which, makes it truly questionable whether or not these populations could rightfully be considered “civilizations”, proper. A true civilization is defined as a stage of human development that is considered most advanced; and it should be obvious that the populations that engaged in these type of wicked practices would hardly be qualified as civilized.

So yes, they were substandard morals absolutely, because they were based on substandard ethics; which was often the direct result of ignorant myopia and stubborn superstition. And we shouldn’t be afraid to denounce or condemn these subpar morals due to some idea about cultural differences. Let us not forget that the biological definition of “culture”, is the cultivation of cellular organisms in an artificial medium containing nutrients; with “artificial”, being the key word to remember here. And that’s because culture is artifice. Culture is contrived.

And some of you may say:

“Hey, whoa, Sage! Are you gonna devalue my culture?”

And I say hey, you bet your damn ass I will. I’m a reality deconstructionist, and everything you hold dear is on the table.

Your *culture*, huh. How insipid. That’s like saying I’m devaluing your cosmetics. I’m not sure where you get this idea that anyone should pay homage to your luggage. To uncover the truth, know thyself. And the way to know thyself is by letting go of all the artifice you’ve clung to, in desperation for an identity. No, you are not a gender. You are not a sexuality. You are not a race. You are not a religion. You are not even a human being, so forget about all the heritage and traditions of human beings that you cherish so deeply. These are *all* illusory identifications; other wise known as “bullshit”, and culture isn’t exempt from being part of the bullshit. Stop taking your ego so seriously. So what about multiculturalism? Fine, but no less bullshit then singleculturalism. Multiculturalism is a reference to different layers of fake contrived bullshit, all getting combined! Yum yum! Just what a cauldron of one type of bullshit really needs; a blend of additional types of bullshit to give the bullshit stew the real nice unique savory flavor of diverse bullshit! Eclectic bullshit is so much tastier then regular bullshit, didn’t you know? A bullshit so palpable, it’s palatable. Ah yes! How sweet it is! And it attracts quite a sundry of nasty flies and shady scavengers. So yeah. All culture is fake. Stop using it as a shield against the empty truth.

And, needless to say, by the same token, you can do the exact same thing with god; the idea in your head that you use to justify all the other bullshit identifications you’ve become attached to. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that having a supreme being in the mix changes anything, or did anything to justify abhorrent behaviors throughout history. If anything, it just made the situation ten times worse; as, nothing emboldens a myopic ego more then the imagined personal endorsement of an almighty god; which, as we all know, is a path of complete willful dishonesty, or maybe just superstitious stupidity, as the case may be. This is a type of ethical formula that leads to nothing but pure corruption. In fact, you can’t even rightfully say that the morals of religion are based on any true ethics. Ethics are the product of deep minded philosophy, and there’s nothing at all philosophical or deep minded, about binary rules designed to acquire feeble acquiescence. There’s nothing philosophical about blindly adhering to dogma out of fear of some judgmental entity. That’s why it’s called “theology”, and not philosophy.

In truth, the concept of god is a projection of man. See, they tell you that god created man, so that man could, in turn, worship god; (an insane tale unto itself wherein a manic depressive deity with an isolation phobia finds solace in masturbation with self imposed amnesia.), but, the truth is that, man created god, so that man could worship himself via an imagined god by proxy. (an even more insane tale of rampant self important impotence trying to pass off masturbation as legitimate divinity.)

And, of course, this became a very effective method of dominating fellow egos; setting up dogmatic dictums and the subsequent punishments for non-compliance, all under the guise of having a religion. A complete con job. But who could really blame these ascendant hustlers? Most egos are weak and docile, and cannot survive by their own wits, and need a strong outside factor to command them, and they will be submissive to this dominance in exchange for room and board, all of which only increases their overall slavery, but yet relieves them of all responsibility!

What a fantastic tradeoff for a lifelong slave! Everything you need to survive will be provided at a minimum, in exchange for complete servitude. And never forget, in addition to the commitment of being a full time slave, you will also OWE your master for the service of providing you with the bare minimum. That’s the reason why you can’t just leave. It’s not like you can decide to back out of the deal because you now suddenly think you can find a way to be independent, no; it’s too late. You *owe*, motherfucker. Always remember that. And it doesn’t matter that it’s contrived debt. You owe.

“You owe. You owe. You owe.”

Got a clearer picture of what’s really going on here? This type of organized corruption is the main reason why an “atheist”, was even ever born, and why morality became tainted in the eyes of such atheists. Religion and morals developed a sordid association, and almost rightfully so. But this is a good thing. Stop trying to use god as a shield against the empty truth.

So, this is why I submit a proposal for meta ethics. And what exactly is meta ethics? Meta ethics would be fundamental principles with a wider domain then that of the first person perspective of the worm eyed ego. This would be ethics based on lucidity as the highest ideal. These would be ethics that make determinations and develop morals, from the outside looking in, so to speak. A standard that would be a lot more closer to objective, (as in, an outlook that’s impartial to any particular identity’s personal feelings or opinions.) then anything we’ve imagined could exist thus far. I argue that it has never existed, because the awakening is still in an embryonic stage, therefor there is no such animal as an ego that isn’t partial to it’s own bias. Mental slavery demands that you be prejudiced to the personality you’ve associated as an individual identity. This is your sacred attachment. And you will not deviate from it, one bit. You will remain obedient to it, damn it. You will be shamelessly obedient to it.

Meta ethics are exactly what they imply. Ethics that are of a higher order, and are self referential to the ego from this higher station. Only from this position are all egos seen as the same, and therefor can all be treated the same, and will have a code of conduct that applies to them all equally the same. From this position there isn’t any relative aspects to morals. They are always absolute, because they cover the entire framework and do not concern themselves with any selfishly biased worm eyed considerations. In this way, there won’t be any exceptions because of cultural or historical standpoints. There won’t be any allowances set aside for a reckless predatory ego who wants to gain something at the expense of another. There are no grey areas, or ambiguity, concerning the right and wrong of conduct. Lucidity is the foundation, and a context outside the ego is the reference point. This is where the high minded standards of meta ethics finds it’s ground.

#ethics #morality #meta ethics #philosophy

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oofkatapiesh-blog · 6 years ago

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How To Get A Bigger Penis

All these drugs do is put a temporary band aid over the problem and are not intended for long term use. From a loss of self-esteem to issues with intimate partners, the results of erectile dysfunction are far reaching, and if not treated properly they can lead to a lifetime of interpersonal and emotional problems. There are many products that claim to treat erectile dysfunction naturally, but how do you choose the right one? This guide is designed to help you get the most for your money and finally put your erectile dysfunction to bed. Do I Need an Erectile Dysfunction Treatment? If you are totally happy with your sexual performance and your intimate relationships, there is no need for an erectile dysfunction treatment, even one that is totally natural. If, on the other hand, you have noticed a decline in your desire, your performance, or both, it may be time to explore natural treatments for erectile dysfunction. What Are the Potential Benefits of Natural Erectile Dysfunction Treatments? If you feel that a natural treatment for erectile dysfunction would be beneficial, you may find yourself on the receiving end of a number of important benefits. Here are some of the benefits you may achieve through the use of a natural erectile dysfunction treatment. Do Natural Erectile Dysfunction Supplements Really Work? It is only natural to be skeptical of the claims made by the makers of erectile dysfunction formulations. After all, some of these claims seem too good to be true. The good news is that many of these supplements do indeed live up to the hype, but the key is to find the right formulation. Not all erectile dysfunction supplements are the same, and finding the right one means checking the ingredient list and reading the reviews and testimonials carefully. Every manufacturer of erectile dysfunction supplements will use a different set of ingredients in their formulation, and some of these natural formulations are proprietary in nature. Even so, you will likely encounter many of the same ingredients as you read the labels and compare the products. Erectile dysfunction is a common condition of men in middle and older ages. Twin studies suggest that about one-third of the risk is due to genetic factors, independent of other known erectile dysfunction risk factors. However, studies that have searched for specific genetic contributors have been limited due to small sample sizes, candidate gene approaches, and weak phenotyping. As a result, there are no confirmed genetic risk factors for erectile dysfunction. This study finds a specific genetic cause for erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction affects millions of men worldwide. Twin studies support the role of genetic risk factors underlying erectile dysfunction, but no specific genetic variants have been identified. We conducted a large-scale genome-wide association study of erectile dysfunction in 36,649 men in the multiethnic Kaiser Permanente Northern California Genetic Epidemiology Research in Adult Health and Aging cohort. We also undertook replication analyses in 222,358 men from the UK Biobank. 6.8 × 10−14), and the effect is independent of known erectile dysfunction risk factors, including body mass index (BMI). The risk locus resides on the same topologically associating domain as SIM1 and interacts with the SIM1 promoter, and the rs17185536-T risk allele showed differential enhancer activity. SIM1 is part of the leptin-melanocortin system, which has an established role in body weight homeostasis and sexual function. Because the variants associated with erectile dysfunction are not associated with differences in BMI, our findings suggest a mechanism that is specific to sexual function. Discovery of an Erectile Dysfunction Risk Locus in the GERA Cohort and Replication in the UK Biobank Cohort. In this MediTalk episode Nurse Practitioner & Sexologist Melissa Barrett explains how common erectile dysfunction (ED)is experienced in men and how with professional medical support it can be easily treated. With a rise in the prevelance of depression, anxiety, obesity and chronic health conditions in the community such as; diabetes and cardiovascular disease, men of all ages are now reporting they are suffering erectile dysfunction. According to Andrology Australia, 1 in 5 men over the age of 40 years reported having erectile problems. And up to 70% of men after surgical procedures for Prostate Cancer will suffer ED for a period of time and may require the use of erectile dysfunction treatments to regain erections. In this interview Melissa talks about ED why it occurs, when it occurs, treatment options and ways men can prevent ED from occuring. Take some time to listen to this podcast and learn that you are not alone and that many men suffer from this medical condition and with the help of your Doctor this condition can be effectively managed. Ain’t that the truth. Sorry now, but fantasising about a man with erectile dysfunction is extremely deviant, even for Kinsale. I mean, I’d say something if he was rich. Such as, “Why don’t you whisk me off to Paris, I’ll drink loads of champagne and ignore the fact that you’re Frankie Flaccid? I was sitting in the dentist’s the other day when I spotted something called the ‘Evening Ech’o. I was amazed to see a headline saying that Ballincollig and Carrigaline have been identified as burglary hotspots. Far be it from me to lecture the criminal classes, but why are they trying to nick stuff from people with nothing? Sorry if this makes me sound like a snob, but Ballincollig and Carrigaline are shorthand for fur coat and no knickers. It’s time someone told the robbing fraternity there is no point trying to steal from the nouveau riche. Could you pass that on to them? — Noelle, Lee Road. My Conor’s sister is in the Guards. I said, I need to get a message to the criminals. She said, don’t you know any yourself? I said no, I’ve never even met someone involved in white collar crime. She said, I thought you lived in Ballinlough! Hello old stock. They’re organising the Christmas party here in work and HR called me in for a little chat. Basically, I’m not allowed to bring my best friend Hoggy as my plus 1, after a misunderstanding at last year’s event. I’ve come up with an ingenious solution. This year, online pharmacies Hoggy can go as Hannibal Lecter tied to a hand-trolley and I’ll feed him the bevvys through a straw. Do you think HR will go for it? I’ve heard some terrible ideas in my time. But your Hoggy plan is about as likely to work as a hospital consultant over Christmas. Many men experience erectile dysfunction. It might not be an exaggeration to say all men might experience it at some time or another. Erectile dysfunction can occur in various contexts, with various partners and at various stages of life. About 80% of the time there is an organic or physiological cause. So, for about 20% of men, the major cause is psychological. Doctors who specialise in men’s health should be consulted first and, if necessary, they will refer patients for psychological help. The psychological origins of erectile dysfunction are varied. Some of the most common are depression, relationship problems, stressful circumstances and a history of negative sexual experiences. However, whether the cause is psychological or organic, it is almost always the case that there is some accompanying psychological distress. The good news is treatment of the problem is available and typically successful. The sooner men seek help the easier it is to treat the problem. The provision of ED drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to 47,997 medical card holders cost the taxpayer around €2.1m during 2017, bringing the total spend on these medications under the scheme to €44m in the past eight years. There has been a significant reduction in the cost of the drugs in recent years, however. Viagra's patent expired in June 2013, allowing GPs to prescribe cheaper generic alternatives. It was also announced last March that doctors would no longer be allowed to prescribe Cialis for card holders. This lasts longer than other ED drugs, but is substantially more expensive - costing up to €33 per pack, compared to just €8 for generic versions. Accordingly, the cost of providing medical card patients with drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction was more than halved from the previous year's figure of €4.5m. Records released by the HSE under the Freedom of Information Act show that the Local Health Office (LHO) area that could boast the highest number of medical card holders in receipt of ED drugs last year was Dublin North. A total of 2,400 people were prescribed ED drugs on the medical card in this area during 2017, an increase of 7pc on the previous year. This cost the taxpayer €104,680.

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cryptowavesxyz · 5 years ago

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Talking Digital Future: Artificial Intelligence

I chose artificial intelligence as my next topic, as it can be considered as one of the most known technologies, and people imagine it when they talk about the future. But the right question would be: What is artificial intelligence?

Artificial intelligence is not something that just happened in 2015 and 2016. It’s been around for a hundred years as an idea, but as a science, we started seeing developments from the 1950s. So, this is quite an old tech topic already, but because of the kinds of technology that we have access to today — specifically, processing performance and storage — we’re starting to see significant leaps in AI development.

When I started the course entitled, “Foundations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0),” I got deeper into the topic of artificial intelligence. One of the differences between the third industrial revolution — defined by the microchip and digitization — and the fourth industrial revolution is the scope, velocity and breakthroughs in medicine and biology, as well as widespread use of artificial intelligence across our society. Thus, AI is not only a product of Industry 4.0 but also an impetus as to why the fourth industrial revolution is currently happening and will continue to do so. I think there are two ways to understand AI: the first way is to try giving a quick definition of what it is, but the second is to also think about what it is not.

Artificial intelligence as an imitation of humans

The definition that I’ve found useful in my own research is that AI is machines imitating humans. I believe this definition is important, because when many of us think about AI, we think of it as either being human or being better than human. I also think that’s not where we’re at today.

There are different types of intelligence. One is artificial general intelligence, or superintelligence. The key here is in the word artificial, meaning an imitation. And it tries to replicate what humans do very well, but it can do it at an even better speed and at scale.

So, if a human is given a 100-page book containing 100 photographs and is asked to circle every bicycle shown within, of course, the human will be able to do it and will do really well. Humans will probably do it with great accuracy, but they won’t be terribly quick at it. We’ll take the first picture, we’ll look at it, we’ll circle the bicycle, we’ll move onto the next picture, and so on until the 100th photograph. Humans barely have to think about it. It’s such a natural thing for us. But if you give this task to a computer today, it will do it in seconds, as it can imitate that human work remarkably faster. The speed really cannot be understated here. If you can combine the speed of processing with scale, you can start to augment what humans do, and find clever ways to do human processes, which many people have already been exposed to in the last few years. One of these is online recommendations. In Amazon’s early days, when you bought a book, you would be recommended some other books that you might like based on your preferences: People who bought this book also liked these books, so you might like them as well. This was a very clever usage of AI technology: Being able to look for patterns and make conclusions based on the conditions that humans set, and then serve them very quickly.

Suddenly, this technological application became remarkably beneficial. Another example is getting from point A to point B. Today, this is a product, again, of fast processing and storage — thus, artificial intelligence. If you’re sitting in traffic while using a GPS device on your smartphone, and there’s a better way to get home to avoid traffic, that technology is going to evaluate many different permutations. You could do it as a human, but you can’t do it as fast and you certainly wouldn’t be able to consider all the tradeoffs between various routes. Whereas computers are very good at processing at this volume and scale.

Some useful applications for artificial intelligence

So, as a domain, artificial intelligence is going to continue to show up in many aspects of our lives. The fact that we’re all getting connected now means that you don’t have to have scale processing on your device, as you are connected to a query that is initiated through some activity being shot to the cloud. Like this, you have massive amounts of processing. In fact, we think that ultimately, quantum computing could manifest through cloud services. It’s very unlikely that we’re going to have a quantum chip or quantum computer on a smartphone. I don’t say never, but I just don’t think it will happen. What we’ll have is cloud-based quantum processing for artificial intelligence.

This topic is especially cool in the healthcare domain. Think about how medicine works today. Medical practitioners go to school for many, many years, memorize a lot of information, then treat patients, get experience, and over the span of their career, become quite good at what they do. However, they are ultimately subject to the weaknesses of their own mortal existence. They can forget things; they can be absent-minded or, you know, just not connect the dots sometimes. Now, if we can equip a doctor physician with a computer to improve memory, options and optimization, the tools and the ability to provide medical aid suddenly change.

Let’s look at IBM’s AI initiative Watson combined with an oncologist treating a cancer patient, for example. Each patient is different, so the doctor wants to have as many details as possible about this type of cancer and the patient’s medical history to make the best treatment plan. An AI-augmented device produced for the doctor’s team could generate a scenario based on the data of every patient that has had this particular set of circumstances and that person’s characteristics. The patient could be a white male, 75 years old, living in a certain country and is of a certain genetic background. Suddenly, augmentation at an AI-level of scale and speed is changing the game.

So, my view is that we’re going to head into a world where there’s a lot more of that. Primary philosophical concerns for AI that will become very important in the future are, Can we ultimately displace the human so that these activities are just done by computers? Is there a role forward for humans in this AI future? The truth is, we’re finding that humans don’t really have value in a whole range of industries. So, how big and how massive would this displacement be?

Artificial intelligence for multiplanetary colonization

Think of Elon Musk’s dream to create a colony on Mars. The problem is that people going there now would have a six-month journey, they would have to take all their possessions, food, seeds, medicine and so on, and after that, they would have to start healing Mars and creating a livable environment. Maybe this could serve as a great opportunity to realize that sending artificial intelligence first would be better and more quickly prepare new colonies for human beings. I think we’ll probably send robots first. Although, there is talk right now that sending humans is helpful for getting government funding, as it turns out to be a human achievement. It’s all about that.

When we were doing the Apollo missions to send humans to the moon in the 1960s, at first, we sent robots and rockets and we landed them. But in 1969, when we landed a human, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, it changed everything. It was a completely different experience.

Of course, we will attempt a multiplanetary existence if we want to extend the survival of humanity. For going beyond the Alpha Centauri and other solar systems, though, we might just send AI. Even at amazing speed, traveling these distances takes a long time — thousands of years. Eventually, one of these crafts might be fortunate enough to be intercepted by other intelligent life whose first exposure to humans on Earth will be robots and computers. They won’t actually meet a person, a biological being like you and I.

So, this potential human future might actually be computers floating in the universe. It’s a more practical way for us to extend this idea. Otherwise, we would have to have multiple generations of humans born, raised and living on a spaceship.

Challenges for the development of artificial intelligence

The other possible course for AI development, which Elon Musk has also spoken about, is that maybe we have to separate human consciousness from the physical body. So your consciousness is basically uploaded to a computer and you can theoretically live forever, in a computer traveling through space. It boggles the mind. Really, it’s mind-expanding, because we don’t think in those terms at all. This is not how we think of the human experience — or existence at all — as we still have very old beliefs and religions about what it is to be human, what life is, the soul, and so on in our societies. Technology now is disrupting not only these beliefs, but also all our stereotypes, our understandings and our thoughts, which we as a species have had a long history with.

Anyway, let’s continue to see how AI is embedded in everything we do. If you have a technological device, it’s probably going to have some form of AI, which will be powered by cloud services that continue to evolve and continue to groove. So, anything we do as humans that requires access to large amounts of data, expert systems, expert device optimization, etc., are invariably going to be AI.

Going back to an earlier point, the example of an AI’s performance on a human process outpacing that of a human may allude to artificial intelligence being intelligent or smart, but that assumption would not be correct today. AIs really don’t have any “smartness,” they are simply performing artificial mimicry — a parlor trick that makes them look smart. It simply has access to a lot of data, or big data, and uses some mathematics.

There is a type of learning called trial-and-error learning, in which one “successively tries various responses in a situation, seemingly at random, until one is successful in achieving the goal.” There was once a game on Google where users could spend time identifying pictures. A picture would show up on-screen, users playing against each other would be given four options as to what the picture depicted, and then the users would select the word closest to the picture. The whole idea was basically training the computer to associate difficult photos with English language terms. What machine learning effectively does as a subset of AI is using historical improvements in its database to make better suggestions and predictions going forward.

This idea of predicting what happens is a sort of snowball: You can build new knowledge upon what you have already learned, which was also initially built upon what you had already learned. To add to this, the ability to predict gets much more precise over time, increasing our confidence and ambition with AI.

Artificial intelligence: Use cases

Today, apart from the takeoff and landing, a computer controls just about the entire flight of a commercial plane. We have a lot of confidence (or at least, the pilots do) that the plane can react to different circumstances and even know when to hand certain circumstances over to the pilots to contemplate. I say this with a little bit of ignorance, as a computer controlling takeoff and landing may already be in use. Today’s computers have enough processing power and information to make all the decisions necessary for flying a plane entirely.

So, I think about the positive sides of where we are. There’s a whole set of things that can just get better. I think a lot about healthcare, and I believe AI is something that will enhance our ability to make big leaps, big innovations and major breakthroughs in healthcare, which has plateaued for many decades and is long-due for a transformation.

We will certainly see improvements in production. We’ve got this notion of digital twins now: Making an artificial digital version or a copy of the real physical thing while putting sensors on the physical object. Let’s say again: A factory machine that produces a product and the digital version will entirely replicate what’s going on in the physical world. With the help of sensors and artificial intelligence, the machine can do things like predictive maintenance and even calibrate in real time. With this, we’ll be starting to get much more sophisticated, higher-quality tools of production.

I think we’ll see better use of energy, things like energy distribution and optimization, where AI applications could dramatically change the industry for good.

Another topic that I think is very important to humanity is our understanding of the weather and climate, which has a couple of major challenges on some remarkably complex topics that we’re still trying to figure out, particularly the climate. The computers that we have, which are based on classical computing systems, are not quite fast enough to even use the algorithms they’re provided to make predictions on what will happen. So, we’re going to need even faster processing. This is where, in my view, things get interesting — when we combine AI with quantum computing. The convergence of clever algorithms imitating humans driven by remarkable processing power can potentially start to solve some climate scenarios that are currently taking weeks and months to process on classical computers.

There’s a whole lot of other interesting areas that are emerging. One of the areas that has remarkable potential but is yet to be realized is augmented virtual or mixed realities. These provide us with a kind of heads-up display for a whole range of things in work, life and in general, as well as the spheres of gaming and global collaboration. Again, AI is going to help with better rendering and better simulation. That isn’t just a fleeting topic, by the way, it means an AI plus hardware, faster processing, cloud functionality, connectivity, even visualization tools and the screens all need improvements.

Artificial intelligence and other technologies

I think that brings me to my final point on this, which is: We shouldn’t think of AI alone. I think this is a mistake that many researchers and commentators often make when talking about the amazing benefits of AI, when we’re rather talking about software here. Combining AI with other technologies and industries is no less amazing.

So, I’d rather think about AI plus quantum, plus big data, plus blockchain, plus the supply chain, plus pharmaceuticals, plus healthcare. These are interesting prospects to think about, so convergence to me is really where the power of AI lies.

Think about the convergence of AI with blockchain, and how those technologies can be used together for the development of security, immutability, transparency and decentralization. I think of AI as an amplifier and blockchain as a powerful tool, and there is no doubt that the former will be involved in the set of technologies producing leading-edge solutions. No matter what, if blockchain is doing identity management or supply chain, or it is a very smart repository management system, AI baked into that architecture could make it better, faster and more precise. I can definitely see the intersections there.

One of the intersections of AI is with the Internet of Things. Let’s imagine a sensor that is part of the IoT: A complex, local sensor in a busy intersection that probably has a camera and perhaps another kind of environmental sensor embedded. Everything captured on the sensor in this IoT network is immediately sent to the cloud and processed, and maybe some action is sent back.

The latency issues involved, though, don’t make this massively practical today. You can either have a sensor that does something simple, or you bring the computer-processing to the sensor itself, developing what’s called edge computing. A certain level of AI takes place on the device so that only the really meaningful data is sent back over the cloud to be processed, and then some action is taken.

Not restricted to intersections, AI in the area of IoT sensors could be implemented in aircrafts, warehouses and cities, enabling very fast computation, filtering and decision-making at the edge. This creates a much faster and more efficient overall ecosystem.

Artificial intelligence and money

Another good question is, Does artificial intelligence need money? Let’s imagine a colony on Mars occupied by artificial intelligence alone. Would robots think that they still need to be paid? I think money is a very human thing. It has a very special role in the behavior of humans as well as strong relationships with reward, incentives and scarcity. These are all very human things.

What is needed for robots and AI is energy. We have to make the assumption that we’re talking about artificial intelligence here, and AI will work forever — as long as power is going to it. It doesn’t care for anything beyond that. It lacks an emotional component.

This may change when we get to artificial superintelligence or artificial general intelligence, where we may see and call AI a type of consciousness, but let’s stick with AI, which is what we know today. To put it simply, the notion of bartering and incentives doesn’t seem to play a role; I would say what is most important is an energy source.

If an AI has an amazing solar power grid on the moon with really efficient batteries, it’s going to work for hundreds of years — assuming it can be maintained without such issues.

However, there is a twist to this. Imagine for a moment that we’re already at the point of everyone riding in self-driving cars and every car is equal on the road. No vehicle gets priority over another in terms of lanes or intersections. Basically, the main priority is safety, so when self-driving vehicles come to an intersection where they’re going to collide, they have an interaction between each other to avoid the collision, but there’s no prioritization other than rules of the road.

Now imagine you get into one of these, and it’s an Uber of the future. The Uber has two fees: $10 for the trip and an optional $15. The difference is, if you pay that $15, your ride will get preference over lower-paying passengers. So let’s say you’ve paid an additional $15 and you get to this intersection — all other cars slow down. What happens is your car pays a premium to the other cars to slow down, giving yours the preferential route. So, these artificially intelligent cars — or, I’ve heard somebody call them “mobots” (mobile robots) — are going to start trading with each other, as they’re all going to have different pricing and a lot of different preferences. As they interact and have machine-to-machine communications, they will be sending cash or cryptocurrency.

It’s likely that, between the devices, preferential or less preferential treatment can be given or leased. Although it’s a little bit of a stretch in terms of the example above, robots paying for other robots to behave in certain ways based on different outcomes could become a reality. Ultimately, the question of risk in this example begins with: Where does the money go? Money trickles down to humans. Eventually, there will be shareholders or some organization incentivized to profit from this behavior.

Humans are basically the only creatures who create things symbolic of value, which then define our interactions.

Artificial intelligence and modern society

My next idea enters the paradigm of the post-truth society we live in. I worry a lot about the era we’re in right now. I like to think that in a few years, we’ll look back at this time and agree that it was a dark period.

Things started to get dark quickly in the years leading up to World War II in Europe. It didn’t even take decades. In the time that Adolf Hitler became known, moved through the ranks and became the chancellor, only three years passed. World War II raged for just six years, but in that brief window of time, Europe was destroyed almost beyond recognition and several millions of people were killed. Yet somehow out of that, we had the 1950s and the 1960s — periods of great optimism and change, liberalism and democracy, with a general positive hope for the future. At the time, anyone might have said that 1941 was the end or that there was no future for humanity, and yet here we are in the 21st century with a remarkably different world.

These periods of darkness in the last few hundred years are just periods of massive uncertainty and instability. Yet, things have to get sorted out. The world wars happened because of empires, and then the empires collapsed and were rejigged. Finally, countries started to set borders in the 1950s and 1960s, and things like the United Nations and European Union began to emerge.

Right now, the uncertainty is because suddenly, billions of people who never had a voice suddenly have one. Billions of people are connected and millions of them are moving to the middle class. Everybody wants a smartphone, a laptop, a car and a television, and more people want to meet. We are going through an incredible societal change while a dark cloud of climate change looms on the horizon.

If you look at the data, though, in Marxist terms — education, rights for women, rights for minorities, the rate of diseases, wars — everything is much better. We pay attention to the darkness, but we forget the bigger picture is actually quite positive.

I do think there are some very unstable, unpredictable things happening right now, a lot of which is generated by our massive use of networks and collaboration of technologies. This is one of the manifestations of our post-truth world, and I think my comments here might be more personal than generalized.

I think honesty and truth are essential not only to what it means to be human, but to creating stability in the world. So I am very concerned as both a citizen and as a human being that people who have power are not telling the truth, which encourages corporations and other entities to create untruths.

One specific example of this is deepfakes — videos powered by artificial intelligence, processing and visual technology showing people saying or doing things they never said or did. Soon, we won’t be able to differentiate between what is fake and what is reality. I think we’ll even see a movie in a few years that features actors that are no longer alive, perhaps with Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe — and they will seem completely and utterly real, we won’t not be able to tell with our eyes that it’s all fake.

Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that can improve our lives greatly, and it is already doing this. At the same time, AI could have a nefarious impact on our society. How we will use this powerful technology is only up to us, humans.

This is part two of a multi-part series on digital future and technological innovations, read part one about quantum computing here.

This article is from an interview held by Kristina Lucrezia Cornèr with Dr. Jonathan Reichental. It has been condensed and edited.

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Dr. Jonathan Reichental is the CEO of Human Future, a global business and technology education, advisory and investment firm. He is the former chief information officer for the City of Palo Alto, and is a multiple-award-winning technology leader whose 30-year career has spanned both the public and private sectors.

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cutshawsnidowoa · 5 years ago

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The Orange Tabby Cat — 8 Fun Facts

The post The Orange Tabby Cat — 8 Fun Facts by Denise LeBeau appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Morris and Garfield are just a few of the iconic orange tabby cats that are part of our culture’s collective cat consciousness. It’s not hard to know why. Their big, bold and brightly colored coats is one reason. But, as anyone who’s lived with an orange tabby cat can attest, it’s really their personalities that make them stars. They’re infinitely fascinating felines, so here are eight fun facts about the awesome orange tabby cat!

1. First, the truth about tabbies: It’s actually a coat pattern, not a breed.

Specifically, the presence of stripes denotes a “tabby” cat. And there are five different tabby configurations: classic tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby, ticked tabby and patched tabby.

2. All orange cats are tabbies.

Go ahead, Google “orange cats” – they’re all tabbies. Even if their stripes are faint, they’re there. So, while all orange cats are tabbies, not every tabby is orange.

3. Is every orange tabby cat male?

While it’s true that a higher percentage of orange tabbies are male, the ratio is actually about 80 percent male to 20 percent female. And it’s not some sort of magic — it’s genetics. The X chromosome is responsible for the orange coloring. Females possess two Xs and males possess XY. Hence, a female orange tabby cat requires the sire and the dam to pass on the orange genes. But males only need the orange gene from their mothers.

4. What does that orange tabby cat “M” stand for?

One of the most distinctive markings on the orange tabby cat is the “M” above his eyes. This is seen in all types of tabbies, so it’s not just the orange kitties that boast these cool peeper accoutrements! Tabby stripes are probably predominant because of their camouflage properties, so it’s most likely that the markings helped them hide in the wild. Depending on the orange tabby’s parental décor choices, this may or may not be the case for the modern tabby.

5. Orange tabbies tend to talk a lot!

National Geographic reports that personality is tied to a cat’s coat color. Guess who won anecdotally “most gregarious?” Of course, every cat’s personality is different, but Amy Wester has lived with many different cats over the years, and “MoMo” short for — you know it! — MotorMouth, is a testament to the findings. “He’s the most affectionate and happiest cat,” says Amy. “When we rescued him 11 years ago, his constant loud purring could be heard throughout the house.” His name is fitting, and even more so today: “MoMo hasn’t stopped purring since we got him!”

6. Orange tabbies are known for being Velcro cats.

Tiger is an orange tabby cat who loves to be loved. Photography courtesy Karen Stephenson.

Every cat is an individual, but orange cats have a reputation for being snuggly attention lovers. In addition to being a real purr machine, MoMo the orange tabby cat seeks affection every waking hour from Amy, and then some. His frequent less-than-stealthy move is to climb up onto her pillow and start climbing around her head for attention. It makes no difference whether she’s awake or not!

Karen Stephenson echoes these sentiments. Her house has been filled with all sorts of companion animals for two decades and yet there’s one snuggle monster who is the most in-your-face when seeking some loving. “Since the first day my husband brought home Tiger, he’s been the most loving animal,” says Karen. Even 18 years later, Tiger’s nightly habit of sleeping on her head is only broken when she’s traveling. He also likes to sit and stare at Karen’s husband, Brett. “I don’t know why he does it but it’s part of what makes him so adorable!”

7. Winston Churchill famously owned an orange tabby cat.

Maybe it’s a little too fitting that the man who said, “Never, never, never give up,” owned an orange tabby cat. That’s right, Winston Churchill shared his life with an orange tabby cat called Tango. He was probably just trying to get some sleep in his own bed when he came up with the famous line.

8. Orange tabbies are the color of appetite.

What? The psychology of colors arguably started with Goethe. His writing asserts that red-yellow is associated with “warmth and gladness.” He also claimed that yellow-red possesses the highest energy (apparently causing folks in days of yore to freak out if they saw an orangey cloak on a dreary day).

Contemporary findings include that orange is the color of adventure, social communication and, yes, stimulating the appetite (Howard Johnson was onto something!). While it may be a broad brush to paint all orange tabbies in — we can see that there’s definitely an anecdotal correlation between their coat colors and their personalities. Now we know exactly why Garfield couldn’t resist that lasagna!

So, whether they’re trying to hog the pillow so you’ll wake up and pet them or purring up a storm so you’ll pick them up and pet them — there’s one thing we know for sure: orange tabby cats are as bright, beautiful and varied as their coats!

Tell us: Do you have an orange tabby cat? Did you know these facts about your orange tabby cat? Is your orange tabby cat a snuggler who loves to talk a lot? Do you have an orange tabby girl?

This post was originally published in 2018.

About the author

Denise LeBeau is a writer, editor and photographer with almost 20 years of experience of creating content for animal-related issues, endeavors and events. She worked at Best Friends Animal Society for 12 years where she had two columns in the Best Friends Magazine, and held multiple content creation roles including web managing editor and outreach campaign editor. Denise has been an ongoing contributor to Catster since 2014, writing for the magazine and website. The self-professed poet laureate of the pet set is currently the manager of development for an animal welfare agency, where she works with a team to create content across media platforms. She lives in Hampton Bays with her two rescue Siamese mixes – Flipper and Slayer, and her LBD (little brown dog), Zephyrella.

Read more about cat coat colors on Catster.com:

The Fascinating Facts Behind Cat Colors

Siamese Cats Are Temperature-Sensitive Albinos, a.k.a. Walking Heat Maps

5 Intriguing Points About Seal Point Cats

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ntrending · 5 years ago

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What this 17th century astronomer can teach us about succeeding in the modern world

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/what-this-17th-century-astronomer-can-teach-us-about-succeeding-in-the-modern-world/

What this 17th century astronomer can teach us about succeeding in the modern world

In <em><a href=”https://amzn.to/2k3u55U”>Range</a>,</em> David Epstein makes the case for generalists in a specialized world. (Deposit Photos/)

The seventeenth century was approaching. The universe was one in which celestial bodies moved around the stationary Earth powered by individual spirits, ineffable planetary souls.

Their spirits may have been driving, but the planets also needed a vehicle for motion, so they were assumed to be riding on pure crystalline spheres. The spheres were invisible from Earth and interlocked, like the gears of a clock, to produce collective motion at a constant speed for all eternity. That clockwork universe was the one German astronomer Johannes Kepler inherited. He accepted it, at first.

When the constellation Cassiopeia suddenly gained a new star (it was actually a supernova, the bright explosion at the end of a star’s life), Kepler recognized that the idea of the unchanging heavens could not be correct.

By 1596, when he turned twenty‑five, Kepler had accepted the Copernican model of planets orbiting the sun, and now he posed another profound question: Why do planets that are farther away from the sun move more slowly? Perhaps the more distant planets had weaker “moving souls.” But why would that be? Just coincidence? Maybe, he thought, rather than many spirits, there was just one, inside the sun, which for some reason acted more powerfully on nearby planets. Kepler was so far outside the bounds of previous thought that there was no evidence in existence for him to work from. He had to use analogies.

Not just light, heat, odor, currents and boatmen, but optics of lenses, balance scales, a broom, magnets, a magnetic broom, orators gazing at a crowd, and more. He interrogated each one ruthlessly, every time alighting on new questions. He eventually decided that celestial bodies pulled one another, and larger bodies had more pull. That led him to claim (correctly) that the moon influenced tides on Earth. Galileo, the embodiment of bold truths, mocked him for the ridiculous idea of “the moon’s dominion over the waters.”

It is a truism to say that Kepler thought outside the box. But what he really did, whenever he was stuck, was to think entirely outside the domain. He left a brightly lit trail of his favorite tools for doing that, the ones that allowed him to cast outside eyes upon wisdom his peers simply accepted. “I especially love analogies,” he wrote, “my most faithful masters, acquainted with all the secrets of nature. One should make great use of them.”

David Epstein’s new book <em><a href=”https://amzn.to/2k3u55U”>Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World</a></em> is on sale now. (Courtesy of Penguin RandomHouse/)

Mention Kepler if you want to get Northwestern University psychologist Dedre Gentner excited. She gesticulates. Her tortoiseshell glasses bob up and down. She is probably the world’s foremost authority on analogical thinking. Deep analogical thinking is the practice of recognizing conceptual similarities in multiple domains or scenarios that may seem to have little in common on the surface. It is a powerful tool for solving wicked problems, and Kepler was an analogy addict, so Gentner is naturally very fond of him.

“In my opinion,” Gentner told me, “our ability to think relationally is one of the reasons we’re running the planet. Relations are really hard for other species.” Analogical thinking takes the new and makes it familiar, or takes the familiar and puts it in a new light, and allows humans to reason through problems they have never seen in unfamiliar contexts. It also allows us to understand that which we cannot see at all. Students might learn about the motion of molecules by analogy to billiard‑ball collisions; principles of electricity can be understood with analogies to water flow through plumbing. Concepts from biology serve as analogies to inform the cutting edge of artificial intelligence: “neural networks” that learn how to identify images from examples (when you search cat pictures, for instance) were conceived as akin to the neurons of the brain, and “genetic algorithms” are conceptually based on evolution by natural selection—solutions are tried, evaluated, and the more successful solutions pass on properties to the next round of solutions, ad infinitum.

Kepler was facing a problem not just new to himself, but to all humanity. There was no experience database to draw on. To investigate whether he should be the first ever to propose “action at a distance” in the heavens (a mysterious power invisibly traversing space and then appearing at its target), he turned to analogy (odor, heat, light) to consider whether it was conceptually possible. He followed that up with a litany of distant analogies (magnets, boats) to think through the problem.

Most problems, of course, are not new, so we can rely on what Gentner calls “surface” analogies from our own experience. “Most of the time, if you’re reminded of things that are similar on the surface, they’re going to be relationally similar as well,” she explained. Remember how you fixed the clogged bathtub drain in the old apartment? That will probably come to mind when the kitchen sink is clogged in the new one.

But the idea that surface analogies that pop to mind work for novel problems is a “kind world” hypothesis, Gentner told me. Like kind learning environments, a kind world is based on repeating patterns. “It’s perfectly fine,” she said, “if you stay in the same village or the same savannah all your life.” The current world is not so kind; it requires think‑ ing that cannot fall back on previous experience. Like math students, we need to be able to pick a strategy for problems we have never seen before. “In the life we lead today,” Gentner told me, “we need to be reminded of things that are only abstractly or relationally similar. And the more creative you want to be, the more important that is.”

Dedre Gentner wanted to find out if everyone can be a bit more like Kepler, capable of wielding distant analogies to understand problems. So she helped create the “Ambiguous Sorting Task.”

It consists of twenty‑five cards, each one describing a real‑world phenomenon, like how internet routers or economic bubbles work. Each card falls into two main categories, one for its domain (economics, biology, and so on) and one for its deep structure. Participants are asked to sort the cards into like categories.

For a deep structure example, you might put economic bubbles and melting polar ice caps together as positive‑feedback loops. (In economic bubbles, consumers buy stocks or property with the idea that the price will increase; that buying causes the price to increase, which leads to more buying. When ice caps melt, they reflect less sunlight back to space, which warms the planet, causing more ice to melt.) Or perhaps you would put the act of sweating and actions of the Federal Reserve together as negative‑feedback loops. (Sweating cools the body so that more sweating is no longer required. The Fed lowers interest rates to spur the economy; if the economy grows too quickly, the Fed raises rates to slow down the activity it launched.) The way gas prices lead to an increase in grocery prices and the steps needed for a message to traverse neurons in your brain are both examples of causal chains, where one event leads to another, which leads to another, in linear order.

Alternatively, you might group Federal Reserve rate changes, economic bubbles, and gas price changes together because they are all in the same domain: economics. And you might put sweating and neurotransmission together under biology.

Gentner and colleagues gave the Ambiguous Sorting Task to Northwestern University students from an array of majors and found that all of the students figured out how to group phenomena by domains. But fewer could come up with groupings based on causal structure. There was a group of students, however, who were particularly good at find‑ ing common deep structures: students who had taken classes in a range of domains, like those in the Integrated Science Program.

Northwestern’s website for the program features an alum’s description: “Think of the Integrated Science Program as a biology minor, chemistry minor, physics minor, and math minor combined into a single major. The primary intent of this program is to expose students to all fields of the natural and mathematical sciences so that they can see commonalities among different fields of the natural sciences The ISP major allows you to see connections across different disciplines.”

The trouble with courses of study like Northwestern’s Integrated Science Program, which impart a broad mixture of strategies, is that they may require abandoning a head start toward a major or career. That is a tough sell, even if it better serves learners in the long run.

There is often no entrenched interest fighting on the side of range, or of knowledge that must be slowly acquired. All forces align to incentivize a head start and early, narrow specialization, even if that is a poor long‑term strategy. That is a problem, because another kind of knowledge, perhaps the most important of all, is necessarily slowly acquired—the kind that helps you match yourself to the right challenge in the first place.

From RANGE: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein, published by Riverhead, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright (c) 2019 by DAVID EPSTEIN.

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azveille · 6 years ago

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23andMe and AirBnB: Is Cultural Identity A Market For Consumer Genetic-Testing Companies?

23andMe, the largest at-home DNA-testing company, and AirBnB have announced a partnership to make “Heritage Travel” easier. Whilst at best, many are viewing this as a marketing gimmick, for others, this is further step in a direction that exacerbates the attitude that our genetic makeup defines our cultural identity.

So what does this partnership look like? You take a DNA test through 23andMe (either their Ancestry or Health + Ancestry service) and approximately one month later you will receive your results, along with both AirBnB Home and Experience recommendations corresponding to the countries your ancestors are from. These can also be found via the 23andMe website and via locations sorted by AirBnB.

This is, on paper, a perfect partnership, as AirBnB commissioned a study of 8,000 people in the UK, France, Australia, India, the US, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, on heritage travel. Whilst the original study could not be found, AirBnB released affirming study highlights, that, compared with five years ago, 66% of Brazilian respondents said “they are more likely to travel to their place of heritage”. The summary study results went on to say that in “Australia, India, the UK and Brazil, visiting a place connected with their DNA was the most important consideration when planning their next vacation”. The quoted results do make you wonder exactly how the questions were constructed given the fairly unusual responses.

This is not the first partnership of its kind, as similar companies have looked to capitalise on a boom in heritage travel, and the already 26 million peopleworldwide who have taken a genetic test at home (9 million of which have been through 23andMe). In 2017, AncestryDNA and Go Ahead Toursannounced genealogy-based tours and cruises. Each of the Go Head Tours include “AncestryDNA kit and pre-trip family history review [and an] Ancestry Genealogist [who] will accompany your tour group to answer questions about your heritage”.

Many genetic testing companies work with numerous third parties and 23andMe is no exception. In the summer of 2018, 23andMe announced its partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Whilst there was a degree of outcry, with consumers feeling mislead into working with Big Pharma, the overwhelming response was that this was evident from the outset, so no one should be surprised. But no-medical collaborations have also popped up, such as 23andMe's Root for your Roots campaign, encouraging people to select a football team to support based on their genetic ancestry. In a similar vein, Ancestry partnered with Spotify to suggest songs which represented your “musical DNA”; the musical culture of your ancestors.

Overwhelmingly, direct-to-consumer US genetic testing companies share your data with third parties, as explored in a study from researchers at Vanderbilt University into the terms of use these tests. These third parties can range from law enforcement to researchers. Often, and in the case of 23andMe too, this is done on a consent-based model. But putting yourself into the shoes of an average Joe on the street, the proximity of genetic-testing kits (which are now medical devices) and Big Pharma, seems fairly plausible. This could not have been said a decade ago, but through regulation, vastly improved communications and in 23andMe’s case, a separation of Ancestry and Health + Ancestry kits, this distinction has been made cleaner. But could the same be said for sporting or music preferences? Or more so, the cultural map those preferences start to expose, particularly when they can be acted on by third parties?

The degree to which both 23andMe and AirBnB’s press releases and ongoing communications use “genes”,"DNA", “heritage”, “ancestry” and “roots” almost interchangeably is problematic. Just as the genetic association between your ability to roll your tongue and whether you have a greater risk of Parkinson’s cannot be treated as the same, the same can be said of cultural identity (not least because this hypothesis sits in centuries of white supremacist thought). In truth, cultural identity is defined by our upbringings, social networks and traditions handed down. Just as 23andMe caveats their genetic result reports with the importance of environmental factors, your cultural identity may be exposed in genetic differences. But more likely, it's in those environmental and social factors.

Finding associations between our genes and the things we do, things we like, things we don’t like, how we are and what we look like are truly fascinating. But this is also a domain hundreds of thousands of researchers across the world are exploring in careful, controlled and ethically-approved experiments in research institutions. Why? Because, to take one step further and start to action these results, integrating the information with other platforms, other parts of your life, which they themselves have dependencies and network effects, can have quite profound effects on society, or at least in the first instance, the digital representation of a small family or community.

As a result, concerns arising from this partnership have been raised, namely around the flow of data. 23andMe’s customer support on Twitter have responded by saying “As part of this collaboration, 23andMe will not be providing any customer information, personal or genetic, to AirBnB, and AirBnB will not be providing any personal information about its users to 23andMe”. However, this was followed up by a comment stating “I assume AirBnB will see 23andMe as the refer in clickthroughs though? I can’t imagine those aren’t track. In which case you may as well be sharing personal information”.

AirBnB’s heritage study looked to quantity desire for ancestry-based travel through peculiar trade-offs. For example, “55% of respondents in India would give up eating dessert for a year in exchange for a free trip to place of their ancestry”, or “61% Brazilians, 57% of America and 56% of Australians would give up alcohol for a year for an ancestry trip” (presumably a free one). There is always a trade-off in the use of these digital services, and often that trade-off is that of convenience and privacy. But for AirBnB and 23andMe to consider the marginal additional benefit to both organisations’ customers to be greater than the potential risk in this partnership, seems an odd side of the trade-off to land on.

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