#something something we are shaped by the ppl around us and our environment

[multifanbrainrot]

ah dead boy detectives and the idea/theme of being good, of choosing to do good regardless who you are or were and despite what you've been through

[yermes]

We’re cooked chat.. 🪽

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Pick a meme

123

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Disclaimer: please take what I say with a grain of salt and not as the gospel. I just want to share some ideas of practicing and giving advice using the medium as often as I can with school, work, and my own personal studies and practice. But I am working on sharing my notes soon so that will be exciting! Liking and sharing does a lot 🥰

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Socials: TipJar | Follow me!

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The cards

Oxygen 🍾

Friendship issues have been a thing since the beginning of time. If you feel like you are the only one, you just simply are not. We also must understand our emotions are highly reactive and cling to things that sometimes they shouldn’t. Not to say you shouldn’t have boundaries and if something makes you upset you should absolutely talk about. But are people trying to actively praying on your downfall, or are you reacting to a way that they just are formed of their own unique feeling and experiences.

Potassium 🍌 

You have the absentee father problem of: when you get a hint of exposure of things you don’t like you run even if its to your absolute detriment. You will have to deal with a bad teacher, you will have to deal with people who are less than helpful, you will be confronted with shitty customers at your place of work. You must understand people from where they begin, and trust I understand see people and run knee jerk reactions, i too hate ppl. But girlie, you need to start preserving a bit even if its ass.

Strontium ☕️

You need to be on a list, any breath in the wrong direction just sends you. You feel as though with the touch of a different presence you change entirely, you are so receptive and reactive to the environment and the people around you. You must simply be, you must be able to stand on your own, while it is still you even when you take on your many beautiful forms. How are you certain that they are genuinely your forms or just the shapes that you fit yourself in to be able to fit into a mold

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Extras: 🍿

Story/vent:

I feel like I have to dump her friend but she literally appreciates the friendship a ton, the family loves me and her brother has a huge crush on me, i feel very disconnected and tied in very close at the same time

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[soulgathered-archived]

alright time for the opinion post . I wanna start with a few things that won't need to be spoilered :

I strongly dislike the changes the graphical update did to mae & knew that would potentially sour the way I feel about dt & I was right. there were some angles that got me all "oh u know what I totally am on board with this!" & then the angle would change & I'd, in reallife, make a lil offended gasp bcs "ohh no. hate this ! hate this ! I want my wol back" this isn't in regards to mods. I just legit miss vanilla mae from pre-dt. miss their old lips (which are the biggest issue to me) miss their old eye shape, their face shape etc.

if you cannot handle someone critiquing something you love ( mind you that I love 14 too ) then this post is not for you. the amount of disgusting hate i saw towards people with legit critics of the expac is... baffling. the devs won't be able to grow if we just coddle them.

I still think ew should have been 2 expacs, to finish the arr-ew storyline better & set up the new one.

I have played with JP voices since HW because this was an actual advice back in the day. HW + its patches were not big enough yet to warrant having to listen to what ARR delivered. I also always watch at least one streamer play 14 with english VAs to get both experiences ! because yeah actually english gives you the proper feeling of scale & distance by having characters with accents. as far as I can tell right now I think all the DT voices are amazing

& from here on spoiler territory !

...you were warned if you are still here this is on you .

but I wanna start with stuff I liked / adored .

wu.k lam.at & ko.ana's family bond. I will forever be weak for chosen family bonds & they are soso cute. I love their personalities. I wanna see more of them.

In general the environmental story telling & the details they put into telling the stories of region was soso much better, loved it. I loved exploring the zones & noticing stuff or just talking to NPCs.

the end reveal with the key showing the az.em symbol made me giggle. I am sure it won't lead to a "oh so az.em fucked up" thing but it still amuses me to think they did.

happy kr.ile got character development, she really does deserve it & she is a lovely addition to the team.

erenvil.le, ko.ana & wu.k la.mat are among my faves now without a doubt.

the third & lvl 95 dungeon music slapped. actually when the music is good it's SO good.

t.uli.yollal is stunning, feels so lived in. I like spending time there & just zooming around. srsly the graphic update looks so good in environments & the DT ones are soso stunning. also best inn / tavern room we ever had. who needs housing i am staying in there !!!!

however a good base does not make a great game & overall the story was just. mid. it exists I guess. it feels so weirdly cut off from past expacs? like you tell me they didn't hear shit about anything ever? other continent or not how do you miss the final days I don't care if it was "contained to some places" that kinda stuff goes around.

I don't need the people to know the wo.l's name or look but come on you have heard of them + the sci.ons. I know ppl say "we don't need to always be the mc stop demanding that" ...sorry that in a game that I pay money for I want my character to be important. all our character does is nod sagely to give WL some confidence & half the time she isn't even looking. if i can write my character out within seconds & end up at pretty much the same point at the end then there was no point for us being there.

this legit felt a bit like them looking at what ppl adored at previous expa.cs, copying it & copying it worse. zone 6 ? this might be my biased but like changing it as we did? that should have been an amau.rot or elpi.s thing. at least that had impact. I only cared for one character in there & yes her memories being shut down was sad but like. kay.

...can we stop with fantasy races who love money btw? I am sure it was not meant that way but man did that make me feel uncomfy as a Jewish person. especially the whole 'they used to be slaves now they are merchants adoring money' GUESS WHY SO MANY JEWS WERE MERCHANTS !! guess what was one of the few things they were allowed to do esp when romans took em along as slaves.

However in the same sense I did love the tradition of remembering the dead because that way nobody is really gone. Again I doubt SE planned that they accidentally nailed Jewish philosophy but that was fun.

....zor.aal j.a was boring. I kept waiting for some big twist but no he's just another daddy issue guy. only that the story really wants me to believe his dad is great !! so caring !! ....can't fcking see his son's own issues. the guy who DEFINITELY knew about how fcked bless.ed siblings were & he can't see the strain that being called a "miracle" put on his kid? this is why i waited for some plottwist of ZJ having other plans all along.

also I am sorry "we had war 80 years ago people are too comfy with peace" ...that. that is within living memory especially with 14 races ! that was the worst motivation. at least stretch the time!!

sph.ene was actually fine I like her, it's just.............we had her. several times. hello there moe-fied as.cian ! hello there not-amau.rot. totally not. this is not copied homework. at all. it was just a narrated last dungeon once more telling us about how great things used to be until they weren't. it totally wasn't "person who was loved by their people got twisted to save them" this is all...so...new...

this is a nitpick & an amusing one but ere.nvilles accent just makes no sense anymore. they really just wrote smth & were like "screw established stuff from before" ( i don't remember if it's a quest detail or one of the extra published stories but they had to go back & rewrite smth bcs it contradicted DT )

which maybe is my biggest gripe with the story. unless they HAD to acknowledge smth from previous stuff they just. copied it - in a worse way, for me at least - or just ignored it which at times felt so insulting.

the scene with the sick kid? eh hello? fairly sure we fixed stuff like that. we can just go grab ali.saie later & bring ange.lo along--? i feel like in previous expacs wo.l at least would have mentioned that to sphe.ne but then stuff with ZJ goes wrong so it gets pushed aside (but it's at least on our mind & not a surprise when the solution appears randomly bcs I fear that just might happen)

....most of the scio.ns felt like they were forcefully written in just so we had full parties for trials.

minor dumb stuff that is very me specific: i don't like sol.ution 9. i don't like the aesthetic, the vibe. just i don't like it. didn't like the ending song either. felt very shou.nen isek.ai-ish it's just not my type of song.

...wu.k lam.at i love you but you are among the worst trust characters i ever encountered I am sobbing i dunno if this is supposed to reflect her personality or she is programmed that badly. I never struggled with a trust so much.

I don't mind the trope of "love & friendship will safe the day" but....again it was just done better in the past ( end of ew, drk story, stb why we went with ly.se & stuck by her, arr raids...just. it has been done better )

as much as this probably sounds like just hating in truth it was. absolutely an okay expac.........just very mid. we had better, we deserve better but this wasn't "the end of 14" like how some ppl act. it served its purpose & i so hope that as the story goes on we look back at it more fondly for setting stuff up. a severable start to a new story. probably. depends what the future brings. a 6/10 for me.

[blueoatmeal]

what do they eat????

the surface culture in KATAOW is Very Strange, and part of that strangeness is what people eat

when there was only one sapient species on the planet, humans, it was easy to draw the line between what was morally okay to eat and what wasn’t. broadly speaking, anyway. Don’t eat other humans; why? because they’re sapient. they’re people. just about everything else is fair game. humans will eat anything

not very complicated. and generally when humans thought about hypothetical other sapient species, whether they be mutants or aliens or whatever, they usually came to a similar conclusion: despite being a different species, the other sapients are still sapient, still people, and so would be off-limits, if they did exist. the What Measure is a Non Human trope does start to come into play here, because it is easier to question a being’s sapience if they are different from humans. But generally speaking, to humans, sapient = not a menu item

Here’s where things get complicated.

In KATAOW, humans are no longer the only sapient species on the planet. Far from it, in fact. I can name about thirteen just off the top of my head.

Now, if they were aliens, they’d have come from their own entirely separate ecosystem. Usually in media there is an unspoken “one sapient species per origin planet” rule. This rule is rarely broken. this wouldn’t be a problem, as long as all the sapient species agreed to not eat any other sapients. The more there are, the less likely this is to happen, but it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine, as humans usually do, that assuming the alien sapients have their own supporting ecosystems already, they could all agree not to eat each other, as a moral compromise if nothing else; a truce of sorts, a show of respect

Well. the new sapient species in KATAOW are not aliens. 

They mutated, or evolved, from existing species in Earth’s ecosystem. In many cases (but not all) they seem to have entirely replaced their ancestors. For example, the Timbercats are the only example of modern ex-domesticated felines. There are no little kitties that can fit in a shoebox. None. None that we’ve seen, and Benson implies there aren’t any.

With birds, however, it’s different. We see examples of wild bird mutes (Beakbeak), and sapient bird mutes (Hummingbird Bombers). Is this distinction based on individual species? I don’t know.

In an inversion of the cat situation, the bunnies, or rather, megabunnies we see, are the only bunnies we see. But is it possible that there is now also a branched-off separate sapient species of bunny that we just haven’t met? I don’t know.

What causes some creatures to develop sentience, and others not to? They all seem to have changed in some way, but only some are intelligent now. Why? I don’t know. Humans seem to have, generally, been exempt from the mass mutation event. As we learn more about the world, this information may change, but this is what we know now.

Regardless, the fact remains that the creatures, the fauna of the world changed drastically, and with that change their needs changed too. Many plants and I would have to assume fungi and bacteria, archea, viruses, etc. have thankfully ALSO changed drastically. Is the ecosystem balanced, then, after such a drastic disruption? I’m not sure. The mutated life survived for 200 years though, so the environment coped well enough not to just kill everything, at least.

But still, food. Balanced or not, stuff definitely changed.

Let’s get the humans out of the way because they’re simpler:

Something happened to drive the humans underground, leaving a lot of food behind. They stay down there, so obviously they found ways to grow and hunt food down underground. If we can do it on Mars, a burrow is no problem. Humans were already eating whatever they wanted, so not much changed. And unless a lot has changed over 200 years, humans would still be averse to eating other sapient species. That’s been our history.

There are a few humans on the surface. Wolf implies that she won’t eat a mute if it’s sapient, when she first catches Mandu. Wolf and Benson seem to live off of old abandoned human food and non-sapient mutes. This works fine because there’s only a few surface humans; otherwise the supply of abandoned food would quickly run dry.

And that’s it for humans. 

Non-sapient mutes will eat whatever, regardless of sapience. Beakbeak doesn’t care that his prey is intelligent. He’s an animal in the traditional sense of the word. Wild animals continue to be wild animals, just like before the mutation. Nothing new there.

But the sapient mutes? The sapient mutes are weird.

Just so we’re on the same page, here are a few sapient mutes we know:

The Mod Frogs, the Newton Wolves, the Hummingbird Bombers, the raccoons, the Dubstep Bees, the Scooter Skunks, the rats, some elephants, that waterbear/tardigrade guy, our insect bud Dave, the Snäkes, the Timbercats, Scarlemagne and his assorted primate gang, and those rodent ppl in Umlaut Valley--prairie dogs? Punk Prairie Dogs? Etc.

Quick note, there are a few that are questionable mostly for lack of information (Mandu, dragonflies, flies) and I’ll touch on them later. For now we’re working with indisputably fully-sapient mutes.

So.

Obviously their diets changed from their wild ancestors’, but I think we can assume that generally, their broad dietary range didn’t change. Strict herbivores are still built to handle plants only. There’s no reason their digestive systems and various feeding adaptations would have changed that drastically.

Herbivores? Probably mostly still herbivores. The Dubstep Bees seem to still rely on plant products, and don’t care for meat. Elephants are also obligate herbivores, and we see some with, what, some popcorn and cotton candy? That tracks.

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll be glossing over the fact that most carnivores I know do occasionally eat a bit of plant and can thus be considered technical omnivores. That’s not relevant right now. There are plenty of plants and none of the plants are intelligent, so there isn’t an issue.

Omnivores need a bit of both. Raccoons, rats, and skunks are our best examples. They have plants, so that’s fine. There seems to be enough variety of non-sapient mute prey for them too. These mutes are urban too, so just as their ancestors did, they supplement their diets with human food. There is no need for them to eat sapient mutes, and as far as I can tell, they don’t. I’m pretty sure most primates fall under this category too. Insects vary, but Dave seems to be an omnivore. Wikipedia tells me tardigrades go here as well.

There are some animals that are generally herbivores but occasionally eat meat, like Hummingbirds, but again, there seems to be plenty to go around, and no reason for those few meaty meals to be sapient mutes.

Carnivores. Yeah. I’ve been waiting the whole essay to write this part. Who’s left? The Mod Frogs, the Newton Wolves, the Snäkes, and the Timbercats. If they can’t eat meat on the regular, they just can’t survive.

The Newton Wolves, Timbercats, and  Snäkes express their willingness to eat humans. The Snäkes also are implied to be regularly eating sapient prairie dogs. The Newton Wolves are known to hunt and eat Mod Frogs and humans. These are all hard facts.

Little bit more speculative here: The Timbercats, like irl cats, would probably be more keen on eating Snäkes if they weren’t so venomous. I don’t think they’d be opposed to it though. The Snäkes are large enough that wolf could potentially be a menu option. Wolves have historically been known to eat cats and snakes, so their sapient counterparts are probably fair game too. I don’t think the cats would want to eat wolves, though that thought is based largely on size and the fact that irl domestic cats don’t hunt irl wolves. Could they? Sure. I just don’t think they’d go for it when there are other options. Likewise, various omnivores would be considered prey to various carnivores, with practical and historical considerations determining their exact place on the food chain. Snakes and cats regularly eat frogs irl, so that’s that on that.

You may have sussed out my main driving question by now, but before I get to that, let’s take a little detour: humans as prey

No animal specifically hunts humans in the wild. We are not the prime prey animal of any species. Well, besides some bacteria, and a few parasites, but until we see a sapient bacteria or tapeworm, that’s not relevant. But these new mutated species, much larger and more intelligent than their ancestors, seem to see humans as just another prey option. And rightfully so! We are bald primates, just clever little mammals. Heck, even the rats are bigger than us now! If a mute would eat a rat, how different would human be? Different shape, but otherwise? Not much! I’m just saying I get it. Humans have been established as equal to other sapient mutes, and susceptible to the organization of the food chain in a way we’ve never been before. We’re not special anymore. We’re not even in power! We’re in hiding!

Now I don’t know, but I have to imagine that the reason several sapient mutes are okay with eating other sapient mutes is twofold: history and demand. 

All these animals were, before mutation, accustomed to eating beings on a similar intelligence level. That was their normal. So when a few of them mutate and gain sentience, what reason should they have to stop what they’ve been doing for all of history? Inter-species communication isn’t new, just easier.

And demand? Demand is more speculative. All of the mutes are much larger than their animal ancestors. So they need more food. If their main food source grew as well, and wasn’t sapient, there’s no issue... until you keep going down the food chain and run out of what they eat, and so on... But anyway, that could be alright. No moral issue, certainly. If their main food source stayed small (intelligent or not tbh), there’s going to be a food shortage for the predator.

This is all VERY simplified, btw, ecology is complex as hell and I could spend years mapping out all the causes and effects here

Back to the point: if there’s a food shortage, you either find a solution or die. Predators are probably gonna want to hunt prey of an appropriate size. So they either find different prey, change their preferences, adapt as many animals have had to do for ages. Difficult sometimes, and a hassle, but doable. OR... if their prey did grow, but also gained sapience? Screw the morals, which are historically more human-based anyway, and eat them. For both prey and predator, it’s not very different from what they’re used to. It’s not new.

Alright. That all makes sense to me. So what’s the problem? What’s that big question? I’ll tell you what’s been bugging me:

What the fuck are the Mod Frogs eating!?

“Well Blue,” you might say, “Just big insects and stuff, right? There are dragonflies and flies in the show. Why should the frogs be any different from the other predators in the show?”

They shouldn’t be any different, by the logic of this whole essay, but they are.

All the other animals, I’ve been able to find reasonable food sources for. But then the frogs subvert the whole thing by having dragonflies and flies working for them. The two most obvious and recognizable prey animals for frogs. So, are they in some kind of weird servant-prey Stockholm syndrome relationship?

Okay, possibly. I don’t have any data to disprove that. But it doesn’t fit with the rest of the kataow vibe and also I don’t like it. Like, the predator and prey stuff I can understand, but that is a special kind of fucked up, sapient or otherwise.

So if not that, then that’s gotta mean the frogs aren’t eating them, right? Okay, that makes some sense, I mean, they use the dragonflies for transportation and the flies are?? Also transportation????? Or assistants??? Its unclear. How that arrangement came about, I don’t know. 

Are the flies and dragonflies sapient? I’m not certain. The flies wear suits, so that’s a point for Probably Sapient. The dragonflies are largely treated as non-sapient but intelligent animals, like a domesticated horse. So maybe they’re like Mandu? Only they can speak. Dave knows and speaks their language. You don’t say “oh I speak a little Horse, lemme talk to them.” That’s not a thing. So the dragonflies for now are Probably Sapient, But It’s Complicated

Alright, alright, enough of that nonsense, there are plenty of bugs! Large ones too! And small mammals, irl frogs will eat those too! If they can get it in their mouth and it’s an animal, an irl frog will be willing to try and eat it. There’s no problem! What’s the point of this! They just eat big bugs! Just not flies because they’re sapient and--

Ah. Aha. No; see, that’s just it. Because they’re sapient. But hang on, didn’t I just say I wasn’t sure about the flies’ sapience? Yeah, I did, and I also said they probably are sapient, and even if they’re not, I have more.

ALL of the obligate carnivores in kataow reacted to Kipo’s gang in the same way; “Oh, that’s food.” And then only later, even if just a minute later, and usually reluctantly, “But maybe friends instead?” All the obligate carnivores EXCEPT for the Mod Frogs.

“That’s because humans are too big and--” Bullshit. Humans are the perfect size for mute frog prey. Sorry, that’s just a fact. And not only that, but they treat Dave and Mandu the same as the humans. Why? Why? Dave is a freaking insect!!! And the perfect size!!! And Mandu would be a great snack! Wolf almost ate Mandu, and she’s got a strict “if it talks it’s not food” policy.

Alright so I don’t have an explanation for Mandu besides “their sapience is uncertain and maybe that’s enough.” Maybe they’re too focused on the humans? I don’t know.

But Dave?????? When they captured him with Benson in the beginning, why didn’t they at least threaten to eat him??? Huh?? My proposal: because he’s sapient.

...So ...what?

So, if we go with this logic, the Mod Frogs are the only carnivores who care AT ALL about sapience of their prey. The omnivores and herbivores have the privilege of way more options, so they don’t get an opinion.

Why do the Frogs care? Why? And why is it just them?

This is where I run out of answers.

And yeah, there are probably other sufficiently-sized non-sapient prey animals for the frogs. There was a big spider and that’s probably enough proof for that point. They’re fine. They have stuff to eat.

But that doesn’t take away the fact that while they seem to choose not to eat sapient animals, none of the other carnivores do. 

Why.

Is.

That?

Jamack caught a Dubstep Bee in his mouth and what did he do?? He spit it out! Why would he do that if sapience wasn’t a factor? Why?

Seriously though if you have answers PLEASE share them with me, I am absolutely bewildered

[szopenhauer]

What time do you plan on waking up tomorrow morning? I doubt that I’ll fall asleep tonight but if it happens then I want to sleep in

Have you ever been in an ambulance? twice Do you enjoy receiving souvenirs? I prefer to buy them myself but I don’t like to travel lol Do a lot of people dislike you or is it the other way around? I hate them and they hate me back Do you try to stay busy a lot? define busy Do you lie a lot? nah, I exaggerate tho Do you still act childish most of the time? yup Did you ever enjoy gym class? yep What is your biggest insecurity? look? my skin  What was the last thing you plugged into an outlet? my cellphone Do people consider you to be a funny person? yeah Do you have any bad habits? sure Do you like children? nooo If not, why is this? many reasons Do you own any gaming systems? I only play PC/ online/android apps How old were your parents when they had you? in their 30s Is there a big age difference between you and the person you date? there's barely any difference Does the future excite you or scare you? scares me Do you try to spend a lot of time with family? yes What do you plan on doing with the rest of your life? we’ll see What is your favorite movie from the nineties? hard choice Which decade were you born in? 90s XD Are you good at giving advice to people? I am but they don’t listen Have you ever been in a long-term relationship? wouldn’t say so Is there anyone out there who makes you feel completely useless? me, I make myself feel useless because I am useless  Do you like texting or calling people more? texting Do you have a lot of friends? I have  no friends Have you ever painted something and been impressed by it? meh Would you rather go out to eat or stay in? stay in Do you think you attract the opposite sex at a reasonable rate? I don’t attract them Where is your favorite place to travel? nowhere What is your goal for the next few months? working on my health issues mostly Do you own a lot of shoes? just a few pairs Would you rather wear jeans or sweatpants? sweatpants Do you think you have a good sense of style? I have my own sense of style but I head I’m good with accessorising Do you enjoy reading often? occassionally only Have you ever had a deadly illness? sigh... Where did you last eat dinner at? finally home

have you ever been invited to a tacky-christmas-sweater party? I like tacky sweaters but I dislike parties what is the biggest turn off to you? penis

when was the last time you had a nightmare? recently where do you see yourself in ten years? dead if you had the chance to re-do the past six months…would you do it? maybe does your family have traditions? some sort of have you ever had a horrible school picture? I’m ugly whose voice will never fail to get on your nerves? hmm... do you sleep on your stomach, side or back? definitely not my back would you ever take up a job in photography? don’t think so

Do you find it hard to believe that a dinosaur was once right where u are? kinda

What is your favourite part of the movie “The Lion King”? Timon and Pumba moments

Do you knock before entering someone’s room? of course

Would you freak out if you saw a spider crawling on you right now? one was crawling on me today twice and I didn’t freak out

Have you ever used a tanning bed? hell no Do you think people will eventually stop believing in God? :o

Have you ever been go-cart racing? I have not

How many jobs have you had in your life? it’s complicated but I’d say zero

Does your shower have a door or curtains? we have bath

Are you good at remembering names? am really bad at it

Have you ever walked the opposite direction on an escalator? noooo

When making pancakes, do you try to make cool shapes/pictures? I don’t cool

Opinions on Channing Tatum? blergh

Do you use your hand when you’re explaining something? it’s possible

Do you still live in your home town? I do indeed

Where do you apply cologne or perfume? -

What about your look makes it your signature ‘you’ look? childish stuff, leggings, funny quotes on T-shirts...

Do you have an innie or outie? innie

Do you type quickly or slowly? very fast

Have you ever been addicted to a game? for a short time period

How long do you spend getting ready every day? minutes

How many cavities do you have? lots

Do you take surveys hoping someone will see your answers or just ‘because’? just because

What diet could you never do? vegan

What kind of toothpaste do you like? none

What would you never do, for all the money in the world? sell my soul

Is the grass greener on the other side? it’s probably fake 

who picks the music when you’re riding in the car? driver

do you know anyone who regularly uses a bike for transportation? my uncle

do you consider audio books not really reading? it’s listening

strangest thing you’ve ever put in the trunk of a car? wtf

do you carry matches or a lighter? I own a lighter but I don’t carry either around

do you keep socks with a hole in them if they are your favorites? ^^” 

last time you wore clothes that were too small on you. I wear oversized

have you ever had something taken away from you by airport security? luckily not

something you were surprised to learn about your parent’s childhood? personal

do you store any non food items in the fridge? cosmetics (my mom does, not me)

have you ever told a friend you thought their parent was hot? not applicable

have you ever destroyed another person’s belongings out of anger? don’t do that!

plain band aids or fun ones? plain

which pain killer do you use? time 

have you ever borrowed underwear from a friend? disgusting, cringe

last pair of shoes you threw out? my red martens? 

have you ever thrown anything up to hang on the power/phone lines? I’m not stupid

do you pay attention to people’s posture? rarely

could you happily survive in a world without music? if I was born in it then 100% but if it stopped existing now then I’d be sad, still survive  has anyone ever revealed one of your secrets to another person? more than once if you’ve stayed overnight in a hospital, how did you entertain yourself? this question today...

what do you often assume about other people? that they’re evil, more or less

do you recall the first time that you learned the truth about sex? middle school? how do you hold/position your pillow while you sleep? dunno how to explain that what kind of environment do you need to be able to sleep? not fresh pajama/sheets, smth under my chest/lungs lately, arm under a small pillow, light until I feel sleepy enough to turn it off, not wanting to eat or pee anymore as it bothers me, preferably no noise and strong smells too, alone, pajama, socks when it’s cold... have you ever rubbed anyone’s feet? ewww, feet are gross have you ever farted, but tried to pass it off as someone else? as smth else*

why do you use foul language, if you do? it helps like punching something

is there a type of candy that you do not like? most of candies is there anything about which you are consistently paranoid? sadly rank your life based on percentage spent happy, and percentage spent sad: 99% unhappy?...

Would you rather date someone opposite from you or the same as you? similar

Do you own any band merch? I wish 

Do you like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? LOTR but not Hobbit

Do you usually regret things you did or things you didn’t do more? things I did

Do you prefer shopping with friends or by yourself? depends

If you had a parrot, what would be the first word you would teach it? hello/hi

What food did you eat the most lately? white bread

What do you want your wedding song to be? our song

True/False : If it’s meant to be, it will be. hopefully true

what’s something you want but will probably never get? health

Do you get embarrassed when your stomach growls in class? that is sooo awkward

Do you think tattoos are hot? I don’t mind some

When did you last play Monopoly? this year?

Do you love food more than you love people? I don’t like food nor ppl

True or False: you this read wrong I read this right, you written it wrong

Do you think underwater pictures look cool? creepy

What is the most ridiculous law you ever heard about? there was this guy who broke some ridiculous laws in England 

[galimatios]

ok. this will be my definitive thread on 4w3. that i will type on my phone. i think the first thing abt type 4s is that theyre characterized by a profound sense of longing / loss, that there is something always just out of reach that they will never have

I believe it starts from childhood, where a person begins to see or feel that they are separate / different from others? both uniquely gifted and uniquely flawed, that a special insight has been given to them but it also separates them from everyone else ... or sometimes it's a unique wound that gives them an understanding of suffering different from others, that others cannot understand, that you yourself are somehow broken or flawed. tho we tend to conceptualize it as uniqueness, sometimes even tow it around like we're special/elite like, am i not more beautiful for my pain? is this not something special? 

we want to be understood but not TOO easily bc that would remove the unique status of our suffering. but rly its a defense mechanism for being unable to cope w the idea we're beyond saving like we were born w something missing and nothing in the world can fix it bc what we want either cannot be named or achieved in a mortal life. tho the Thing rly varies btwn individuals. 

for me it was difficult to pin down, but i think i wanted to preserve feelings id cling to? ive always been attracted to the nostalgic sadness of childhood, and the idea of immortalizing feelings of peace/happiness, bc to me those things have beauty elevated above that of normalcy. i also love abandoned things bc they contain memories i will never truly know 

and the thing that rly separates a 4 from the rest is this romanticism, a kind of need for authenticity and truth thru their entire being. we hate being fake, we hate lying about our identity, we hold onto our pain bc we believe it defines us and it gives shape to who we are. we relate to others thru our own pain and experiences, and bc we are so attuned to our own emotions ppl say 4s are gifted at putting feelings to words and expressing the nuances of emotion. 

i think the wide range of what we feel also leads to us being drawn to unique things like, many things feel emotionally shallow to us and we cannot relate to it, but things that express emotions we dont see often being extremely exciting bc we feel seen, like someone can connect w us in a way we consider important 

i think 4s can tend to come off as like, edgy and brooding bc of these traits but 4s can pick any number of things to reinforce their identity with. when we find something that connects to us, we SINK INTO IT with fuckin claws and dont let go. we claim that thing as ours and try to create an identity using all the things we've claimed.  lots of 4s i know relate to demon imagery bc of this, bc it links to that intrinsic feeling of being broken/wrong and so its easy to be like "oh i must be a demon/monster bc im Wrong" plus it's also a separation from the traditional idea of "good" and it vibes with the whole "misunderstood/apart from others" feeling. we are looking for emotions people are uncomfortable with, claiming them, and desiring the brave to look at us and say they accept us 

anyway what it REALLY is is that 4s are sensitive babies who want to be loved and accepted unconditionally despite how broken they feel. it isnt nearly as deep as they may think

but i personally dont think thats the path of actualization/integration, at least in my experience i think for me, i realized that sense of beauty/whatever tf i was looking for isnt to be found in grand sweeping statements abt life or love, or in some pinnacle of art i can never attain, but in every day simple interactions and regular ass people. may be different for others

NOW. To discuss the 3 wing. 3s are characterized by the worth they put out into the world, in the form of tangible accomplishments and experiences. im not a 3 so i cant speak with accuracy or length, but the 3 will base their worth on the judgement of social standards so you see them trying to gain monetary, academic, occupational success bc those are deemed worthy in the eyes of society. this can change depending on the society ofc but under ~late stage capitalism~ this is where we are. 

so where does a 4 fall into this. i said before the 4 hates faking, so the methodology of some 3s to meld themselves to be the most successful in their environment just doest NOT fucking vibe w the 4. so the 4w3 is kind of a fucky walking contradiction bc we crave uniqueness but also admiration. we dont want to lie abt who we are but we also want people to KNOW and appreciate us. so this manifests in a desire to share our feelings and experiences with an audience, usually within a medium that allows creative expression but it can be anything. 

point is, we want to share. for me, i do it thru creative stuff but moreso just... by talking to people and being emotionally honest and open about what makes me tick, what makes me passionate, trauma, etc, and people respond to that positively like, this is my pain, look at this beautiful thing that came out of it. 

whereas i believe 4w5s are content with keeping things to themselves. 4w3s will shift their image to some degree to fit the context but 4w5s are v much, this is me, take it or leave it bitch. anyway the contrast btwn 4 and 3 wing fucks me up bc being a 4 is already a cosmic joke but its even more hilarious when u put in that wing this is all just conjecture based on my own experience of being 4w3 BUT I HOPE ITS INTERESTING

[andysnorwayaffairs]

Final Project

Pt 1; a perfect ending. feeling a rush of shared excitement - finally! just like me!

warmth, embraced, a queer kind of friendship. we sat in the grass and talked about how our lives were growing up, how our queerness was realized and how it affected the way we walk in the world. our stories are so similar yet so, so different. miles and miles of time away, you announce to your friends that you’re probably maybe gay. you start a spark in their minds, and soon after you’re deemed the trail blazer of coming out. you are brave, do you know it? you were the person who i wished for. so desperate for approval from others, and not meeting anyone like you, i took it upon myself to starve my queerness, the differentness, the part of me that i knew i could definitely be hated for. and i can’t stand the thought of being hated. and a part of me hated myself for who i was. i was taught that i couldn’t love like that, that it wasn’t *real*, that anything other than normal is impossible, wrong, destructive. so i listened, and i believed them. not completely, that is also true. that’s why i never stopped immersing myself in online queer culture, why i desperately searched for any sign of queerness in the online personas i followed and in the fiction that i read. we talked about this too, how we’d entrench ourselves in media and later realize that we were part of the group we were so obsessed with. finally... just like me

you opened your heart so quickly - your friends, they tell me that they’re so happy that you’ve met me. you open a window into your life and lend a hand to help me hop in. i see how you love others, and how they love you. we run through the lawn of a backyard riddled with ripe fruit and laugh like children at how sweet the juice is. we share a meal and spend hours talking about nothing and everything. i sometimes stop and listen to the chatter, and i feel complete warmth even when i cannot understand what is being said. we read the cards i brought and i learn how each of you sees love. i see the way you interact with your loved ones, the way you so deeply care to spend time with them. letting go, giggling in giddy joy, acting like absolute fools. finally, just like me

cried a farewell last night

thank you for offering me a bizarre, unfair amount of kindness

thank you for showing me a glimpse of your life, your entire world

thank you for extending a hand in friendship, in solidarity

thank you for being my friend

I feel like my time here, my glimpse into another person’s life, feels like a glimpse into an alternate timeline. A timeline in which I accepted myself from the beginning. A timeline in which I told a friend about my crush on Jen from Buzzfeed. A timeline when I refused to normalize myself, refused to uphold the boundaries that were unfairly placed on me. A timeline when I was brave. A timeline when I stopped being so damn scared. A timeline when I realized that my friends would still stay friends with me, and those who didn’t want to, I should let go of anyways. There will always be people who don’t match up with your values, your energies, your being. I won’t lie to myself and say that it wouldn’t hurt like a bitch, but it’s a hard fact of life that homophobes, transphobes, racists, xenophobes, ie bigots exist and there will be always be bullies and people who don’t care about you, who WANT to put you down, who want to hurt you. In a world of power, there will be those with some and those without. I was given a small window into my friend’s life and saw a life pathway built around friendships who learn and grow right alongside you. I’ve always thought about that – what if? What if I let go earlier? In my timeline, the forces around me were not as kind to me. I was told queerness was ugly, so utterly upside down. I didn’t have anyone to tell me otherwise. Perhaps if I had a positive role model to tell me that it WAS okay, that it was beautiful and wonderful. Perhaps if I had a friend like them in my life who was the first to come out and encouraged others by simply living their life the way THEY want to, perhaps I would have had the courage to do so earlier. I can’t change the past.

But I can think about how the events of my past shaped my present, and how my present shapes my future. Thank God - I DID let go! There’s no race to live your truth, but oh god it feels so good to do it NOW. I’m so thankful that I found the bravery these people I know now have embraced so many years ago. I feel like my own person, like an entire human soul. I don’t feel the need to please anyone. This queer experience, of finding yourself and maybe even fearing yourself, but, ultimately, coming to love yourself despite dominant society failing you, that is a queer experience. Regardless of any experience, something we all share is having to live in a world that ultimately does not accept us, does not want us.

An ode to knowing that although things are different here, and that there’s no possible way that I could have had a similar timeline just simply because of how different our spheres and worlds are... despite this, despite the fear and self hate and internal violence I was forced into because of the life I was born into, despite all of this, I was still able to find myself and love myself and find others who love me for my whole humanness.

There’s a lot of work to be done in the world, for our lives and our safety and our happiness. I think the friends I’ve met here are doing that work. Through their love for each other and thus their refusal to conform, to stay quiet, to accept the norms in place.

Meeting this special friend may have been completely chance, but I believe fate had a little bit to do with it too. To give me this window, to let me see what beauty it is to allow a person to be themselves. The sooner, the better.

____ DISCUSSION

Pt 3:

It’s funny to see how these ppl’s reflections of their lives fit in line with exactly what we discussed through our readings and class discussions. Norway may be progressive in law, but not necessarily in practice. Each of the queer people I asked this about, or asked them to speak about their queer experience, expressed frustration at there not being much of a strong queer community here, and how they still experienced everyday oppression (you may call these micro aggressions).

Nordic model of inclusion + welfare, making this a space where it is looked down upon to discriminate for someone’s sexuality

A different relationship to Christianity

In the U.S., I grew up in a heavily queerphobic, heavily strict and monitored environment where I was even monitoring myself, reprimanding myself for all of the gay content I was consuming but allowing myself to keep doing it because I was “outside” of the community and thus could not be associated with it or have to think of the consequences.

In middle school I was fully aware that I had strong crushes on gay female celebrities but was petrified of sharing that information with anyone.

I shut myself down immediately, but continued to consume gay, lgbt, and trans media for years and years after, allowing myself to do this because I could convince myself that I was just “a straight girl” who was a big fan of the community.

After coming to college and experiencing true freedom from the expectations and values placed on me, it took me less than three days to come to the realization that I was in fact, extremely not straight. It took me 6 more months to fully feel comfortable admitting to myself and claiming the label that I was gay. It took me another year to “come out” to all of my friends and folx I really cared about.

-talk about how this is a divide between my experience and the experiences of the friends I made here. L & their friends came out when they were extremely young, in middle school actually. Our timelines diverge here.

Only recently, I began to make friends on the shared experience of our queerness. Meeting my close friends now, sharing intimate + tender moments. Loving each other and supporting one another the way family might do. A queer kind of love shared in these emotional bonds. A kind of love I had not experienced before my full acceptance and life as a queer person. Tender, radical love.

Meeting L, sharing on our experience of being queer and trans. And not to say that their life in Norway is so much better. The Nordic model may allow for some general acceptance, but queerphobia still has its roots in other malicious ways. Many of L’s friends still don’t use their pronouns. A is called the slur version of the word lesbian, and she recognizes that being a lesbian is not favorable to society. She wants to be a prof of gender studies at her uni but told me that since there is already one queer person on staff, she’ll never be hired on.

M telling me about how even tho queer ppl are accepted on the outside, and in the law, in practice, not so much.

-A telling me that people hate lesbians

-in Norwegian, the word for lesbian is also really similar to the slur, “fucking lesbian”

CONNECTION TO THE FIRST ARTICLE WE READ

Norway’s state feminism and inclusion of queerness is heteronormative, only assimilating those that fit into the family, hetero model (thinking to naked sculpture park, extremely family oriented)

Same sex has to still be straight – family, private, culturally straight.

[seasaltmemories]

Sometimes I feel like a bad Christian for the way I poke and prod at things, playing devil’s advocate or just outright disagreeing, like I begin to wonder if there’s any part I truly believe in when other ppl talk about how intimately faith shapes their life, but I think the more I develop my views on forgiveness, the more it is obviously recognized a very Christian perspective.

I have had a complicated relationship with anger and other negative feelings, I’ve always felt I’ve had to be the good example, the one who doesn’t wreck the family image, but when I’m am hurting the most, there’s nothing more I want to do than embrace that anger and messiness, otherwise I just end up bottling those feelings up.  I heal the most when I allow myself to feel things I have tried to repress.

So the message that we should always forgive ppl 100% no matter what they’ve done was something I could not stand for.  Not after suffering for years the emotional turmoil of being closeted in an unaccepting environment.

However in the opposite vein, I could never accept the ideal that without Christ, everyone is essentially an evil ball of sin.  Good non-Christians exist, just as bad Christians do.  I think this view can often lead to a self-flagellation sort of mindset, and as someone with anxiety, I don’t need to be told over and over again how I will never measure up or be good.  I tend to believe everyone is disposed towards good and try to see the best in everyone.

They’re pretty contradictory.  But my views become clear when I see the idea passed around: “Once someone does X thing they become unpersoned” Bc that’s something I can’t understand on a fundamental level.

We’ve all hurt people.  We’ve all done bad things.  None of us is pure and chasing that ideal will leave you broken.  I’m pretty sure my obsessing with chasing that ‘perfect image’ is what led me to develop my anxiety in the first place.  The reason I love pieces of media with deeply flawed heroes and the reason I write so many is bc it is healing to know that just bc I’ve done bad things doesn’t mean I am without value.  I believe in the power of redemption and that it can save everyone.

And as I realized that, I think the way our culture describes forgiveness is what truly upsets me the most.

Bc Jesus was all about calling out performance repentance, forgiveness is not simply the words of an apology but the genuine ache to want to change for the better, it is not pretty and clean, it hurts, and just bc someone asks for forgiveness doesn’t mean all their consequences are erased and you have to be buddy-buddy and friendly with them.  It is a deeply personal process that most outside parties can’t really be a part of.

Still even though we’ve all sinned, that doesn’t mean on earth they should be answered the same way.  Jesus was the embodiment of love and compassion but he still chased out the vendors in the temple and destroyed their stuff.  He shouldn’t always answer to evil with a hug.  That’s not our job.  That’s God’s.

So it’s ok to feel anger and not always be open to letting into the fold someone who has hurt you.  But none of us are able to fully condemn others as to strip away their humanity; bc that is in all of us.  And good can be found in them again.  Still it takes a burning desire to change, not a simple hand-wave.

[makingscipub]

Epigenetics: Grappling with definitions

Definitions of epigenetics are notoriously slippery. This does not seem to hamper basic research. But it might hamper public understanding.

The words ‘epigenetics’ and ‘epigenetic’ have undergone quite substantial changes in meaning over time, leading up to a meaning which is now popular but open to misinterpretation. This history and increasing confusion has been charted, for example, by Haig, Deichmann, Greally, Henikoff and Greally, Deans and Maggert and many more.

But what do we mean by public understanding of epigenetics? We refer here not only to how people in the street might understand the word and concept  (most people have, however, never heard the word before), but also academic ‘publics’, including medical doctors, philosophers, sociologists (of science), policy analysts, advertisers etc., indeed anybody not actively carrying out research in epigenetics… How is this public understanding shaped and on what conceptions of epigenetics, or indeed misconceptions of epigenetics, is it built?

In this blog post we, that is Aleksandra Stelmach and I, will only be able to dip our toes into this topic, which will be tackled in more detail in an academic article in the future.

Epigenetics on Twitter

While we were thinking about issues around meanings and definitions of epigenetics in academia and elsewhere, we came across an exchange on Twitter which can be seen as a sort of microcosm of debates about definitions of epigenetics (mainly amongst academic twitterati) that might provide some insights into understandings, misunderstandings and attempts at understanding through the use of metaphors and analogies.

It all started with a tweet posted on 27 August 2018 by Christina Farr (Reporter at @CNBC.com with a focus on health and tech) asking: “anyone have a super simple explanation of what ‘epigenetics’ is? I’ve been paying with a few ideas, but I think you guys can do better. Shoot…” And people shot! There were around fifty replies.

Reviewing definitions

One reply/thread was by John Greally who is very active on twitter dispelling myths and misconceptions about epigenetics.

His thread recounts the history of definitions of epigenetics, from a developmental to a molecular one, leading up to the most recent but most misleading one: … “(5) Then the era of genomic biochemistry exploded, and a lot of regulators of the genome started to become discovered. Needing a name for this, the biochemists back-translated #epigenetics to epi-above/upon-genetics DNA sequence.” “(6) This definition covers every single genomic regulator, as we’ve thrown out the requirement that processes be heritable through cell division. The one regulator we don’t include, oddly, as it probably drives most #epigenetic processes, is transcription factors”.

We won’t go into the scientific intricacies of this explanation (but comments welcome, especially from biochemists), but we want to stress that this back-translation is very popular in academia, and we have employed it ourselves.

It is also used in the Wikipedia article on epigenetics, which, a few days later, provoked some debate, with John Greally remarking: “The wikipedia definition is based on the genomic biochemists’ epi+genetics travesty of a back-translation, with a tincture of heritability, a tip of the hat to cell differentiation, no wonder people are confused.” The wiki article itself would also deserve some analysis in the future! But back to Greally’s thread in answer to Christina Farr’s question.

As people had already begun to supply definitions, he warned her that “(8) The responses you’re getting to your question are focused on the epi+genetics definition. We can’t do simple let alone super-simple for you, when the term #epigenetics is ambiguous even for people working the field. To claim otherwise is misleading.” He put it more forcefully in 2016 when he said: “The shift in use of #epigenetics from developmental to molecular biology completely screwed the definition”.

Apart from the long thread supplied by Greally, what are the other answers to Christina Farr’s questions about a simple definition of epigenetics? The responses can be roughly grouped into three (as far as we can judge): those staying within mainstream of epigenetic science, those straying beyond mainstream of epigenetic science, and those providing metaphors and analogies.

Venturing beyond mainstream science

Lamarck

The first tweet we saw just said: “Lamarckian theory updated”. This view of epigenetics is widespread in some parts of academia, especially ‘bio-adjacent fields’, including the philosophy and sociology of science/biology, influenced in part by scientists like Jablonka, Laland, and Szyf, for example. Most recently, Peter Ward, a paleontologist, has written a book based on this hypothesis entitled Lamarck’s Revenge.

Genes and genomes

This nod to Lamarckism is often linked to a rejection of some central tenets of mainstream genetics and genomics, especially a view attributed to classical genomics, namely that genes/genomes are fixed and rigid entities. It is then claimed that after the advent of epigenetics, we can finally see them what they are, namely flexible, reactive and dynamic entities. As one tweeter writes: “How your so-called unchangeable genes can change? The answer is epigenetics”.

Nature and nurture

Szyf is mentioned in a response that focuses on nature and nurture, also a strong talking point in sociological research into epigenetics. “Nurture impacts nature: life events alter your DNA, and you pass these changes along from generation to generation. See TED talk by Dr. Moshe Szyf”.

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is a recurrent topic in sociological writing, and also in biological writings that influence it. Here we find, for example, speculations about how social experiences can be passed down generations of humans, a hypothesis that is widely criticised by working scientists, such as Kevin Mitchell and Jerry Coyne for example.

One tweeter writes: “An organism’s environment can have an effect on what genes are expressed, and those changes can be passed down to later generations!” The next tweet goes even further! “On a slightly different direction, I think some of the deep emotions we experience are actually epigenetic memories from emotions experienced by our ancestors”…..And this one goes further still: “Epigenetics from ancient Indian spiritual tradition: Every thought, word, and action leaves an imprint on our DNA- that can be manifested in our life or future family’s life”….

But…

As PZ Myers said in a blog post from 2015, epigenetics deals with “mechanisms that modify the expression of a genetic signal”. Gaining insight into these mechanisms is essential for understanding life, development and disease, from cells upwards. This is also important in evolutionary terms, as “gene expression is constantly being tweaked and modified” prompted by environmental triggers. But this does not mean, he stresses, that “you can explain a complex, higher-level psychological phenomenon like resentment of your mother” by reducing it to “a chemical reaction”!

And so we come to more mainstream science definitions (as far as we can tell).

Staying within mainstream science

Classic definition

One tweeter rehearses one of the most wide-spread definitions: “Epigenetics describes how gene expression changes occur without changes to the DNA sequence.” Another points out: “Post-translational modifications that direct gene expression. But since the modifications aren’t inheritable, it’s not really genetics.”

Cells

Others focus, rightly, on cells: “All of our cells have the same DNA – but epigenetics provides the next level of instructions to distinguish between a beating cell in the heart and a breathing cell in the lung.” And: “Genetics maintains information across an organism’s lineage. Epigenetics maintains information across a cell’s lineage.” And: “Cells in the body come from one fertilized egg. Epigenetics refers to the changes of gene expression of each cell as it specializes to function as part of a tissue. This is a fascinating journey for each cell & terrifying when the cell stops following the rules producing cancer!”

Environment

Another tweet focuses on the influence of the environment: “How environment impacts the expression of genetics. You can be ‘genetically pre-disposed’ to something but may never actually experience it unless the triggers are there. A example of this is Celiac Disease: a number of ppl have g-intolerance but don’t express signs for years.” Another points out: “Genes that ‘switch on’ based on environmental factors. For example, average coyote litter size increases when the local coyote population is under stress.” This brings us to metaphors and analogies…

Metaphors and analogies

Some of the metaphors and analogies used to define epigenetics are well-known and rooted in older ones, familiar from genetics and genomics, some are more creative.

Computer

Two tweets use computer metaphors: “Computer analogy – genome is hardware, epigenome is software (which can be changed)” and, the other way round: “Genetics is the software. Epigenetics is the user profile.”

Switch

Many definitions of epigenetics have been linked to the on/off switch metaphor (see Stelmach and Nerlich, 2015). One tweeter just said: “Turning genes on and off.” Whereupon another replied: “Specifically, it involves the factors that manipulate DNA’s 3D conformation / accessibility so that different genes can be turned on (expressed) or off (silenced).” Another tweet links the switch metaphor to the script metaphor: “Genes alone aren’t able to explain differences in genetic scripts. Something turns them on and off—epigenetics studies the driver’s of change”.

Book

So we come to various book, script and language metaphors: “If genome is a recipe book and all cells have a copy, how does each cell know which recipes to use? Only skin cells need recipe to make pigment, for example. Epigenomics provides ‘post-it notes’ in the recipe book, so each cell only uses the right recipes”. “I always liked the idea that epigenetic marks (themselves only one aspect of epigenetics) are ‘annotations’ to the genome–they don’t change the text itself, but they affect how it’s interpreted. Maybe that’s too high-falutin’, but I find it clarifying.” “It’s like putting an accent on your words where genetics is changing the language.” “Hollywood analogy: DNA is the script (fixed) – epigenetics are the actors (variables that influence the end product)”.

Music

Some tweeters homed in the ‘music of life’ metaphor. One wrote: “The musical score vs how you play it.” Another said, on a similar note: “genetics are the keys on the piano, epigenetics are the songs that are played”, and got the reply: “So is the piano the Proteome then?! :)”, and the first one retorted: “yes haha brilliant! and the pedals microbiome?!” expanding the metaphor into a little bit of absurdity perhaps!

Creative metaphors

There were however some tweeters who were more creative in their metaphor/analogy use: One defined epigenetics as: “Levers that affect gene expression. e.g., A tortilla, meat, salsa, avocado,…thrown on a plate do not become a delicious taco. Those things that can affect how the taco tastes (how meat is cooked, temperature, order & amount of ingredients,…) is epigenetics.” Others wrote: “Regulating genes without changing them. It’s like being a parent or a pet owner.” “How we are wired is the primer, the environment pulls the trigger and fate does the rest…..or something like that” and finally: “Bowling analogy: Genome sets up the pins, epigenetics tells you what knocks them down.”

There was also a tweet that engaged in wordplay: “Or: ‘It matters not only what genes you have but also how you wear them’”. Very nice!

What is epigenetics and who can define it?

As we have seen, many people threw a definitions of epigenetics into the ring after Christina Farr asked her question, but what to make of these definitions? Can one classify them as we did? What about the metaphors and analogies? Do they illuminate or obscure? Comments welcome!

Some tweeters engaged with these questions and wrote: “These responses seriously make my head hurt. Not everything can or should be summed up by a catchy analogy. Some topics really aren’t all that simple…”. Another attached a picture of a quote by Haruki Murakami: “Some things in life are too complicated to explain in any language” – and in any metaphor?

There was also some reflection on who contributed definitions and metaphors. Somebody said in not too complimentary terms: “the chasm between what bio-adjacent people think (I am including a lot of MDs who are not doing research but ended up commenting about ‘epigenetics’ […]) and what is actually true is kind of amazing..”

The concept of ‘bio-adjacent people’ is intriguing and one should perhaps look at this more closely in the context of the emergence of bio-social research agendas based on various interpretations of epigenetics. This still leaves the question: is there a true definition of epigenetics?

The ‘truest’ one might be this one, provided in answer to Christina Farr’s question: “A very nascent (and often over-hyped) study of the ways a gene expresses an organism’s characteristics”.

It is important to monitor emerging and changing definitions, meanings and misconception of epigenetics that circulate in the public sphere, including academia, in order to see through what’s hype and what’s reality. This small analysis of a Twitter conversation provides some insights into what’s ‘out there’.

Image: Pixabay

  The post Epigenetics: Grappling with definitions appeared first on Making Science Public.

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[ziggydageek-blog]

Scorpio

The days turned to weeks as time always did; the weather grew progressively colder. Here and there I’d catch sight of the large black dog that had once occupied the space in front of my fire, only to turn into the man who occupied the side of my bed that one night. I kept busy, in hopes of keeping the loneliness at bay. November had just started when I came home to find a familiar form. On the top step sat the shaggy dog; my heart skipped a beat, only to land somewhere inside my stomach. “You Came back,” I whispered as I tapped my wand against the lock. Hearing the clicked, I pushed the door, the giant dog pawing it fully opened before allowing me to enter. The bag I held in my other arm contained groceries from the non-maj market I had Apparated to just outside of Hogsmeade. With the wave of a wand and an utterance of a spell, I Magicked them to their proper cupboards. “Witchy enough for ya?” I turned to face where the dog had been, only to be greeted by the still skeletal Sirius Black. He leaned forward on the table, Apple in hand, the crunch reverberating off the cabin walls. “You been practicing that all month, have ya?” He grinned at me. The containment of my joy was a feat I couldn’t tell you to this day how I accomplished; it threatened to break thru the surface at any moment. I spoke calmly, calculated, tho I wasn’t so sure that’s how I came across, “so, I meant to ask you last time, why exactly are you lurking around Hogswarts? That Potter boy is murmured about often here, so I’m gonna go out on a limb here-” Sirius cut me off. “You’re smart, I’ll give you that,” he placed the apple core on the table. “Yeah,” he continued, “Harry’s a part of it.. his dad, James.. he was my best mate.” Sirius looked down at the finish on the wooden table and continued his explanation to whatever pattern it was he had focused on. “But he’s not the only reason; the rat I told you about? He’s up there. Funny thing,” though the tone of his voice told me he didn’t find it so funny, “good ol’ Pettigrew has been living in the pocket of Harry’s best mate.” I gulped, “some coincidence, huh?” Jaw clenched, he shook his head. I seized the silence to ask what had burned since we first spoke, “ so this… Pettigrew, you called him? He’s like… an ACTUAL rat? Or just..” “He’s an animagus too. We all are. Were. Well, besides Lupin. But that’s another story,” he finally looked up from the spot he had been fixated on. “It’s my birthday today,” his signature smirk fixed on his lips. Stunned, i stuttered, “Wow! Well uh, ha-ha ppl birthday!” Unfazed, he shrugged it off with, “I happened upon a paper today, noticed the date. It’s no big deal but it means now I really am 34..” The sentence faded off. Letting the silence fill the cottage for a moment; there was a request bubbling up inside of me that I’d wanted to ask since I realized what he was capable of… “Teach me,” Came out; I hadn’t meant for it to be a command, tho that’s how it felt on my ears. I cringed, then added, “please.” Sirius looked at me, as tho he were evaluating me on a level deeper than I could fathom. “What shape does your patronus take?“ He asked. Slightly Stunned by his response, I froze before I amswreed. It had been awhile since I had used the spell, tho given the environment we were in, it was worth brushing up on. "Expecto Patronum!” I yelled. A white light filled the cabin; from the wisps formed a lynx. When he saw this, a full blown smile lit up the sunken features. “Suits you,“ he chuckled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Simple,” he smiled, “you never know want animal you’ll turn into but a good indicator… but you.. You’re just cat like. Smart, independent; you also get this look in your eyes when you’re thinking like life is one giant chess game and you’ve gotta stay three moves ahead for fear you’ll perish.” My mouth dropped. “You can tell all that-” I let the sentence finish prematurely. Sirius looked at me so smugly, I had to fightback the urge to smack him. “Cheeky,” he winked, as tho he could read my thoughts. Blushing I prodded, “is that a yes?” “Could be,” again, he leaned back in the chair. “What’s in it for me?” “How about I don’t turn you in?” I pushed the back of his chair so that all four legs returned to the floor. Unabashed, he pulled the fronts of my robes, making it so that I looked him dead in the eye. “If you were to uh…‘turn me in’,” he drawled, “You’d already have done so..” he let go, and I wished he hadn’t; my knees had gone weak. Sirius relished in that fact for a moment, before decidedly declaring, “sure. What the hell, right?” My heart again skipped and I shrieked, “yes!” “Remember,” he warned, “this isn’t gonna happen over night. And since I can’t be seen going to the same spot too often, our meetings will remain sparse.” As tho he read my mind, he stated,“ any suspicious activity could be noticed, even if the perpetrator is an oversized dog.” Apparently I did poorly with my attempt to cover the confusion I felt, for Sirius took one look at me and felt compelled to follow up with, “I got into the castle. Halloween night. So 4 days ago now.. safe to say everybody’s guard is up,” he laughed humorlessly. An emotion took over me, one I could only articulate by shouting, “ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” Sirius leapt from his spot at the table, his posture like on the defensive. “What, you think you’re the only one here with a past? You think you’re the only one haunted by it?” The anger in his voice was palpable. Stunned, but unwilling to let go of my newfound anger, I argued, “You do realize the differences in our positions, correct?” “OH, YOU MEAN HOW YOU’RE THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOST EVIL MAN KNOWN TO WIZARD KIND AND I’M AN INNOCENT MAN WHO WAS FRAMED 12 YEARS AGO FOR A CRIME I WOULD NEVER COMMIT?!” The words hung in the air; it made it almost hard to breathe. Sirius’s ribcage expanded and deflated beneath the torn robes. It felt as tho somebody had kicked the wind out of my lungs; tears threatened to fall down my face. Finally, I mustered the strength to inform him, “the only reason I give a shit… is because I care.” It was Sirius’s turn to look stunned. “All I meant,” he started, and I could hear how calculated his voice was so as to keep the biting edge out of it, “was that you’re not the only one here who has had something.. shape them. You’ve got to realize, all that I had in that place, all that I clung to, what kept me sane was the- this obsession. And being this close, THIS GODDAMN CLOSE!” His fist met the table. The emotion that had gripped me started to loosen it’s grip. “You were out of line,” I muttered before I turned and went to the room. As a laid on the bed, the tears that I had held back finally burst thru. Between silent sobs, I heard Sirius muttered, “fuck,” beneath his breathe. The legs of the chair scraped the floor and footsteps grew louder the closer he got. I felt the bed barely sag beneath the weight his weight; his hand gripped my shoulder. Even tho it looked frail, the grip he had surprised me. Gently, he ran his hand from my shoulders to the base of my head, then down along my spine. Nobody had ever touched me that way; all I knew was aggression or withheld love… this felt soothing. More than that, it awoke something within me I had never even had stirred. Influenced by this, I turned to face him. His grey eyes stared down at me, brows furrowed, a look of apology painted on every line of his face. “Look,” he started. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I’ve no fucking idea. This is, indeed, stupid, reckless…. but if I’m honest, I suppose that’s part of the appeal.” Again, the hurt surfaced and I heard myself say, “so is that all I am to you? Some cheap thrill?” He barked, his hand making its way to my cheek, where he held it firm as he said, “There is nothing ‘cheap’ about you; the fact is, plain and simple, you’re the only peace I’ve ever known..” he let the sentence settle in. A lump formed in my throat. Swallowing, a tear took advantage of the bodily distraction and fell to where Sirius’s fingers lay. Unfazed, he wiped them gone. “I know what it’s like… the loneliness.. I’ve spent over a decade alone..” he trailed off. He needn’t say more; I more than understood. “Kiss me,” I breathed. He obliged; the hand on my cheek lifted my face so that our lips met. The simple act ignited a flame in me. I needed him, suddenly and ferociously. Sensing this, Sirius pulled me deeper. His tongue parted my lips, and I did nothing to resist. I allowed it to pull my tongue into his own mouth, where he sucked it, creating another level of lust inside of me. The hand that wasn’t holding onto my face found its way inside of my thighs. Unwilling to resist, I allowed him to part my legs. Motivated by this, his kisses become more passionate. His mouth moved down to my throat, his tongue gently licking in circles. I felt as his thumb met my clit; unable to suppress it, I let out a moan. “IS this what you want?” He whispered into my ear. Expertly, he pressed his thumb on my clit, gently rubbing til I could feel it harden. Feeling it too, he looked down, saying , “I’ll take that as a 'yes’,” and before I knew it, he placed his head between my legs. “Oh my God,” I muttered. I had never been as wet as I was in that moment; Sirius noticed. He placed two fingers inside of me. When he pulled them out, he smiled to himself before placing the two fingers into his mouth where he sucked my wetness off of them. My breathe left my chest and before I could catch it, his face was where his fingers had just been. Placing his fingers on either side, he spread open my lips, exposing my clitoris. He picked once, twice, then fixed his lips around it and started to gently suck. “Sirius,” I gasped, completely enthralled. Ignoring me, he continued to suck on my clit, his two fingers back inside of me. I had never felt so turned on in my life. Sirius took note and raised himself to meet my mouth again. Grabbing at his face, I forced his mouth against mine, tasting myself on his lips. “I want to feel you inside of me,” I spoke against his mouth. An excitement overtook him. Raising himself above me, he pulled his robes over his head. As he did so, I ripped mine off entirely as well. Sirius looked down, and smiled. “It’s been awhile,” he muttered as he lowered his body on to me. He was hard and I felt it press against my inner thigh. I reached down, wrapping my fingers as far around it as I could; he was large, indeed. When I closed my hand, it barely made enclosed the circumference. He emitted a low growl as I worked my hand up and down his throbbing cock. “Fuck,” he muttered, eyes closed. His hand wrapped my hair around his fist, while the other had two fingers inside of me. Unable to take it anymore, I told him, “put it in me already, Sirius… please..” he readily obliged. I removed my hand and Sirius took his fingers put of me; he grabbed his dick and rubbed the tip against my clit. I watched him, not wanting him to stop. Finally, he moved his cock down and gently, placed the tip in. He pulled back, then thrusted it in. A moan escaped my lips just as he let out one of his own. I felt every inch of him work it’s way in me. When he pulled back, it slid easily, a testament to my arousal. Slowly at first, he built up a tempo that rendered me speechless. Suddenly, a sensation took hold of me. I felt the tingling intensify and my scalp started in as well. He continued to thrust and it only took a few more moment before the tension erupted. I loaned loudly. My scalp tingled and I felt my pussy tighten around his cock. Following suit, he finished in me, then collapsed onto the bed next to me. “Oh.. my God..” I whispered out of breathe. “Yeah,” he answered, his bare chest rising and falling. “I- I think… you gave me an orgasm,” I looked at him. He turned to face me, a smile played across his lips. Taking my head in his hand, he kissed my forehead, then wrapped his arm around me to pull me in. “I suppose I did,” he whispered to my shoulder blade. “Happy birthday to me.”