#there WOULD be extensive discussions

[cantsayidont]

Cooking à la replicator

Chapter 7.6 of the semi-canonical STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION TECHNICAL MANUAL by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda includes a description of how the replicators work that offers some interesting background for how people in the TNG era might approach food and cooking in the era of replication technology.

The first and most important point is that the molecular patterns replicators use to recreate objects are a form of compressed storage, akin to a compressed audio or image file. The text explains:

Because of the massive amount of computer memory required to store even the simplest object, it is impossible to record each molecule individually. Instead, extensive data compression and averaging techniques are used. Such techniques reduce memory storage required for the molecular patterns by factors approaching 2.7 x 10^9. The resulting single-bit inaccuracies do not significantly impact the quality of most reproduced objects, but preclude the use of replicator technology to re-create living objects. … The data themselves are subject to significant accuracy limits.

So, a replicator pattern is an approximation of the original object, just as a JPEG image scanned from a 35mm negative is only an approximation of the original negative. Data compression issues also mean that there are tradeoffs between imaging fidelity, memory storage requirements, and the power required for replication. The text notes:

There are two main replication systems on board the Enterprise. These are the food synthesizers and the hardware replicators. The food replicators are optimized for a finer degree of resolution because of the necessity of accurately replicating the chemical composition of foodstuffs. Hardware replicators, on the other hand, are generally tuned to a lower resolution for greater energy efficiency and lower memory matrix requirements. A number of specially modified food replication terminals are used in sickbay and in various science labs for synthesis of certain pharmaceuticals and other scientific supplies.

The chapter doesn't specifically discuss how these things impact food and food preparation, but there's enough information to infer a number of additional points:

There is a quantifiable difference between replicated and non-replicated food, and probably a qualitative one as well. A fresh apple is not identical to a replicated copy of that apple, so we can surmise that beings with sufficiently sensitive palates could probably tell the difference. Furthermore, a fair number of people would probably insist that they could tell the difference, whether they actually could or not!

The range of foods that can be replicated has significant practical limits. In order to replicate something, you need either a preexisting molecular pattern or an extant example you can scan. Furthermore, because each pattern is resource-intensive to store, a given system can really only retain a finite number of patterns. So, for rare, exotic, or unusual foodstuffs, no molecular pattern may be available, and finding a molecularly scannable example might be difficult.

Because of the "single-bit inaccuracies," generation loss is likely an issue, so replicating replicated food will produce a qualitatively worse result (although each first-generation replicated copy of the same pattern is theoretically identical).

The difference in replicator resolution probably has many gradations. For instance, a food replicator included in a shuttlecraft survival kit might be tuned for the lowest resolution that's still safe for foodstuff preparation, to conserve power, while replicators used for synthesizing pharmaceuticals in sickbay might have somewhat higher resolution than the ones in the mess hall.

So, what does this mean for TNG-era cooks like Benjamin Sisko and his dad? Some guesses:

Chefs might use specialized ultra-high-resolution replicators, either ones specifically designed for culinary use or repurposed ultra-high-res replicators from some other application (like a pharmaceutical replicator), to produce higher-quality replicated foodstuffs.

Cooks and bakers may prefer to replicate raw materials and then prepare them the old-fashioned way. For instance, it would probably make more sense for a baker to have replication patterns for different kinds of flour, eggs, sugar, etc. than to try to image and store complete breads and cakes, since the same ingredients could be used to create many different finished products.

People undoubtedly still cook with non-replicated ingredients where they can get them, and probably routinely combine replicated and non-replicated ingredients. An apple pie made with fresh-picked apples and replicated flour and sugar is probably still better than a wholly replicated pie.

There might be a whole genre of cookbooks focused on cooking with replicated food, aimed specifically at working around the impact of resolution-related "single-bit inaccuracies" on how food tastes.

People probably have strong opinions about the impact of replication, such as which foods or drinks can't be satisfactorily replicated, and the pros and cons of different replicated and non-replicated foodstuffs.

People on starships probably occasionally try to make food or beverages with the sickbay replicators, insisting that it tastes better that way.

[kaet-draws]

vergil is my dress up doll and i get to put him in ffxiv gear and pose him using samurai skills

bonus pic under readmore

not immune to giving him v's tattoos for no reason other than i like it

[thealdersgateoffice]

So Gary Oldman and Saskia Reeves have the same favourite film and I just think that’s cute.

Gary in 2025:

Saskia in 2008:

[fishluring]

making an astronomy/meteoritics iterator oc when i know fuckall or at least just very basic things about those things was maybe a mistake. Looking up stuff for reference/inspo like haha i like your funny words magic man

[dykedvonte]

@gecko-in-a-can THIS ABSOLUTELY

Resentment is such a big part of Benny’s motives towards House, feeling he’s underserving to rule and shouldn’t have the right to keep the title of Vegas just because he claimed it first long ago. Say what you will, Benny puts the effort in, through honest and dishonest work albeit, but he puts in the effort. Not saying House didn’t but House had the luxury of having a lot of that effort done before the war and subordinates to do so after. House is untouchable, something everyone wants in the Mojave, if not for the power, but because of the security. House takes that for granted seeing how easy he thinks it is to buy people. Benny, a Mojave native, has to be irate about that seeing how he has seen the heights and slums of both lives.

Also with the AIs it’s so telling because in a lot of ways, Yes Man has more autonomy than House’s major personality securitrons. Yeah, Yes Man has to be helpful but he’s aware and able to be snarky and coy. Benny has an issue with not being listened to but that’s the only perimeter Yes Man needs to act on. He can’t condescend but lord you can tell when he wants to. House’s AIs serves specific and highly detailed functions but are confined to act in accordance. They are subservient to a T and are extensions of House while Yes Man really is a creation that adapts further, hence his desire for the assertive upgrade. Benny made something, or at least was okay with a helper, that can progress for itself. House made things that replicate or facilitate an era of the past and don’t hold the power to contest it.

[wackywatchdotcom]

i will say im not super invested in the idea of the show giving us too much information on c&a. like itll be super cool if we find out about it! and im sure itll be relevant information if we do but i think the information we get is going to be not super indepth, because im not sure itd match the tone of the show? its less about mystery and like The Lore and more about the characters and examining how different characters respond and have been responding to the environment set up by the show

(it WOULD be fun to learn more details about c&a and i AM curious i just dont think itd actually enhance much abt the show itself, and as such, i dont think its super important writing wise for the audience to learn about it either)

that SAID i do ascribe to the idea that ALL of the cast members worked for c&a before the ended up in the circus, no exceptions. i dont really know how say gangle or zooble wouldve ended up there, but i feel like they all ended up there one way or another. and i think most of the cast doesnt talk about their life in the real world bc its gone and theres no reason to dredge it up (or theyve forgotten it or most aspects of it), but it does make it fascinating that not even pomni, who has the least reason to avoid these topics at least early on, broached the subject of what in the WORLD is c&a UP to. it literally is never brought up ever as of ep 4. which makes me think the company was probably always super shady in some way to the pt that its employees were kinda desensitized to the idea that its c&as fault that horrible things happen

[trans-axolotl]

emailed my feminist disability studies professor to say "sorry i know that all the assignments from the second half of the semester are due tomorrow and i've already got extensions for all of them but also someone i love got incarcerated this week and three other people i love are in the hospital and one of my best friends just found out that all of her family were murdered in Gaza and we're all still grieving our comrade who was murdered in a transphobic hate crime five weeks ago and i think i might have a broken rib from a cop again and it's really hard to try to care about schoolwork when all my time is spent being in the streets and trying to make sure my loved ones can survive right now"

[thechibilitwick]

Do the shidoulings think Kazui is fat?

the shidoulings are minified version of shidou meaning they basically have the same thoughts and feelings as him but simplified.... so in the case of 0507 the shidoulings attraction to kazui is instinctual for the most part since it's based off of shidou's own view of kazui. they're naturally drawn to him as a responsible figure or whatnot is what i'm tryna say (does that make sense i hope it does)

anwyays to actually answer the question!! i would think they don't cuz they pretty much only care about the fact that kazui is kazui lol

[stressedanimal]

how am i supposed to act like a normal person when black jason is essentially confirmed

[gamebunny-advance]

Glad I could help support your shop^^ also, my friends like the keychains too! They're in Europe so I'm like their Keychain dealer lol^^ my plan is to get at least one of each character :3

It's fun^^ I hope your day is going well, and I wish you a nice week! (Ps, been a fan of the blog for a long while and I love seeing your own characters as well^^ they're fun! And each design is really interesting, same with the lore going with them^^)

Thank you ^^, I'm to hear that they like 'em too~

Ah, so you're getting them to 'em~ I guess that works out since it looks like international shipping isn't gonna happen anytime soon ;3;. I hope they enjoy them~

Heh heh~ it'd be pretty amazing to have someone with the full set, but like I always say, don't force yourself!! Even I couldn't bring myself to get the Makeship Eve because I *sadly* just didn't love her enough to get it ;3;. So really, don't force yourself to get anybody you don't want!

And thanks~ I'm liking the new guys too! It's reinvigorating my love for drawing characters again~ I may still come back to NSR from time to time, but I'm glad that the new fellas are getting some love too~

[velvetjune]

technically alan wake 2 final draft (spoilers ahead) is a Happy ending for the characters, but the spiral writers room video calling his enlightened self a possible demiurge or demon unsettled me far more than the original ending. that version, by his nature, already existing and overlapping with past loops, influencing and manipulating things without known reasons (to us and the Alan we play). it really makes that Alan out to be something else entirely through ascension and that this is inevitable. this could partially be because I kept seeing people say that the final draft was the happy end with a happy resolution for everyone, but I can’t stop thinking about what this means for Alan—and Alice!—going forward. That, along with the direct parallels to Yötön Yö playing out. It’s SO much to unpack

[quietwingsinthesky]

sometimes i think it’s a little odd how insistent fandom is about how you can’t discuss anything negative about a fic ever because it’s rude, but it does make sense as a backlash to the previous dominant culture of flaming and publicly mocking fics. i wouldn’t want to post in that kind of environment either. still, i think it’s unreasonable to expect that we never have a negative reaction to a part of a fic, be it characterization or plot choices or whatever else.

on the one hand, discussing that in the comments of the fic itself on ao3, a place that is for the author’s perusal and will notify them about anything you say via email, that doesn’t seem appropriate, but in another place, such as tumblr, maybe a rec list, or even the ao3 bookmarks (which are not set up to notify authors in the same way), areas where people are discussing as readers what they want to read and what they enjoyed and disliked about particular fics in order to better recommend them to each other, that feels like it should be fine?

[roobylavender]

(Really long ask ahead i’m sorry!) I think your thoughts on dick and his similarities vs differences to bruce are so interesting! Personally i’m wondering how much of NTT played an influence on this kind of characterization bc i’ve never fully finished ntt but i read like nearly all the pre-80s batman 1940 issues lol and dick very much was portrayed as more idealistic than bruce in some ways while more no-nonsense (? For lack of better word) in other ways, like when it comes to batman easing up a little on selina for romance reasons LOL. Though ofc dick totally turns into - well, a dick - in team books, as i grow older i find myself far more compelled by a potential story of an 18 yr old who seemed to have the whole weight of the world on his shoulders (by his own perception) and breaking under his own impractically strong sense of duty and sky-high expectations for others, then realizing as he grows older that it doesn’t have to be that way esp after seeing the perspectives of characters like kory, wally, joey, roy, etc. Like personally as someone who never really had a huge interest in NTT anyway, i’m surprised at how desperately people want to hold on to the characterization of dick when he was 18-19 and never letting him grow past that, like it’s so difficult for me to believe that at age 25 he would be the same uptight controlling kid that he was at 19. Maybe i’m biased though bc i was like one of those insufferable INTJ internet stereotypes as a teenager, and while that worldview did bring me achievements i’m proud of like the fact that i’m in med school rn studying what i love, i still know that at age 22 i have changed SO much from when i was 18 and i can’t imagine any reasonably mature or normally-functioning person (let alone someone high-functioning like dick) not doing the same lol. Especially since dick is the kind of person who would literally die if he’s not constantly growing and evolving past his faults bc of his insufferable perfectionism, idk how he’d be willfully blind to the negative effects of his worldview in early NTT and refuse to grow from there. He even has a quote that’s like “i’ve spent years as a student of my own behavior” which i always found highly encouraging bc i know he really does want to improve himself even at his worst. It reminds me of that Marcus Aurelius quote: “if someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, i shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone; the harm is to persist in one’s own self-deception and ignorance.” But what are your thoughts? (Thank you for reading all this 🥹)

oh i absolutely agree! i cannot tell you how many times i think about the person i was a couple years ago and who i am now like i cringe so much omg.. maturity is an ever persistent process even if we don't recognize its effects immediately and it absolutely is crazy to think that anyone would remain in such a static state of mind for several years on end. esp when like you said dick is someone who wants to be better! so despite his several hypocrisies it is nonetheless in his best interests to look internally and analyze and evolve. and i feel like that very much could have happened had there been any actual segue between dick's breakup with kory and his re-entry into the batfam. i don't think there was much of a connection between these two sets of writers at all and so what you got is what felt like two very distinct parts of dick's life that didn't necessarily reveal a bridge point. so it's not entirely unrealistic that dick may grow to be the person (at least to some extent) that bat canon portrayed him to be in the years that followed but i certainly think as it stands it felt unearned and like all of his issues explored in ntt were conveniently swept to the side without any semblance of closure (albeit i do think some of these issues are addressed in outsiders '03 but in that dickheaded way that winick explores things generally. so i'm not sure it's the kind of closure people actually want). it's very sad and ig that's what people cling to more than anything. it's not that they're opposed to him growing to be a better person but that they're opposed to a version of dick who feels like he sprung out of nothing

[wonder-worker]

"Because Richard (III) usurped the throne, his retinue is inevitably seen as inimical to the crown and therefore in an important sense independent of royal authority. In the context of Edward IV's reign, in which the retinue was created, neither assumption is true. The development of the retinue would have been impossible without royal backing and reflected, rather than negated, the king's authority. Within the north itself, Gloucester's connection subsumed that of the crown. Elsewhere, in East Anglia and in Wales, that focus for royal servants was provided by others, but Gloucester was still part of that royal connection, not remote from it. In the rest of England, as constable and admiral, he had contributed to the enforcement of royal authority. When he seized power in 1483 he did not do it from outside the prevailing political structure but from its heart."

-Rosemary Horrox, "Richard III: A Study of Service"

[hiddenbeks]

oc questions tag

tagged by @hibernationsuit !! thank youuuu 💜

tagging @rosykims @aevallare @abetterbeginning @gortash @wrenanigans if u want to do this, no pressure! don't remember who's done this recently so i'm sorry if ur getting spammed with this bc of me hehe

anyway it's celyn time babey.. been thinking abt her a lot lately <3

name: celyn surana

nickname(s): uhhh. cel? i gotta think of some cute descriptive nicknames for her that others would teasingly use but i'm drawing a blank rn. will have to ruminate more.

she only lets Very Close Friends call her by any nickname btw. jowan (being her only friend lol) was the only person in the circle who got to call her cel. only andrale and carver have earned this privilege since (andrale only ever calls her celyn tho). leliana earns it as well ten years later during inquisition lol

gender: cis female

star sign: uhhh she was born on the 27th of firstfall which is the thedas equivalent of november sooo sagittarius??

height: 159 cm. my second shortest oc and the same height as me hehe <3

orientation: bisexual!

nationality: fereldan i guess. she was born in ferelden and raised in ferelden's circle of magi but she doesn't have a strong Fereldan Identity. she's not celyn from ferelden she's just... celyn...

favorite fruit: uuuhh apples

favorite season: i'm tempted to say winter bc her aesthetic is so cold and wintery but i think she would prefer a warmer season. maybe mid to late fall actually. she enjoys the gloom and fall colors and the rainy and stormy weather

favorite flower: i wonder if she's ever even seen a live plant actually. i wonder if there are any indoor greenhouses in the circle. wow i'm suddenly making myself sad thinking abt how she's barely seen any nature in her 19 years of life. anyway uhhh!!! gentians are her favorite actually look at how pretty they are

favorite scent: ghghjgh i struggle with any scent or smell related questions bc i have anosmia so idk what things smell like lmao. let's say uhhh whatever a spruce forest smells like. nice n fresh i imagine

coffee, tea or hot chocolate: she's a coffee gal... had to check if coffee exists in thedas and apparently it does and is a major export of antiva. fascinating. anyway she drinks coffee to stay awake late at night reading and studying (forbidden) magic. she enjoys the silence of the night and is at her most productive during that time

average hours of sleep: during her time in the circle i guess it was like... 5-6 maybe? as i said she tends to stay up late and i bet circle inhabitants are expected to wake up crazy early like 6am or sth. it doesn't get any better after leaving the circle bc andrale also expects everyone to get up and moving crazy early. and after officially becoming a warden it gets even worse when she starts having Warden Nightmares ahah

dog or cat person: cat person! she's a bit like morrigan when it comes to dogs. thinks they're stupid n gross lol. though she does eventually warm up to the dog (named assan by andrale <3) in dao.

dream trip: honestly anywhere is fine she is full of wanderlust... what living in a tower for 19 years does to a gal... the whole blight adventure is a dream trip to her i bet. yes she has to fight darkspawn and a horrible death is around every corner but consider: she gets to see ancient elven ruins and denerim and orzammar... so many sights to see and so many new experiences! she feels so alive! and she gets to use her powers to their full extent!! she gets to hone her skills beyond what the circle allowed!!! not that the circle's rules stopped her from studying outlawed magic in secret but like. now she doesn't have to do it in secret anymore.

a trip to tevinter would also be interesting from a purely academic standpoint. nevarra as well because it's more liberal with magic than most of thedas but also safer for her than tevinter? so basically she would like to see the whole world but especially places where she gets to expand her knowledge on magic...

favorite fictional character: in a real world au her favorite fictional character would be morgana pendragon from bbc merlin. this is not at all influenced by the fact that one of my inspirations for her was morgana pendragon from bbc merlin,

number of blankets they sleep with: hmmmm one

random fact: i'm sharing two random facts bc i can't decide which one of these is more interesting or whatev:

celyn is basically the toph to andrale's katara. they have somewhat clashing personalities and differing views on teamwork and the sharing of camp chores... andrale expects everyone to contribute while celyn only looks after herself. also despite her excitement she's kinda terrified to be out in the real world but she won't let it show!! so she acts hyper-independent!!! unfortunately for her andrale can see right through this facade and she calls celyn out on it (she tries to be gentle and constructive about it but she's had it with celyn's shit and fails). so. yea. my point is they argue a lot at first lol! but they become great friends once celyn learns teamwork and communication and andrale loosens up a little

whenever she does fire magic she makes the flames hot enough for them to turn blue, purely for the aesthetic. she also enjoys other ways of showing off with her magic and she was Very competitive in the circle. she simply had to be the best in her class and let the other students know that she was above them. most of her fellow students could not stand her because of this <3

[thedragonagelesbian]

idk man i think maybe my lis should have some comments on my decision to become an illithid...