#they're going to give me an environmental science degree for this

[stellanix]

something i saw once that has stuck with me ever since was a comment on a post about some scientific discovery made by the mars rover perseverance that said "why are we wasting time looking at rocks when we should be preparing for colonization?

another comment was on a post about the environmental issues surrounding the spacex launch site in southern texas, which said "human expansion to mars delayed to protect some turtles"

and comments like these perplexed me. space is a subject of science, and people interested in space are always talking about the wonders of the unknown, and how many fascinating and beautiful things are out there. so how could people interested in space be so fundamentally uncaring and incurious not only about the places they're supposedly interested in, but about nature in general?

it's not just random people in twitter replies who are like this. elon musk once posted this picture:

thing is, that's not mars, that's the moon during a lunar eclipse (when sunlight tinted red after passing through earth's atmosphere lights up the moon in earth's shadow). you'd think that someone known for wanting to bring people, himself included, to mars would care enough about mars to at least know what it looks like, but apparently not

he also rather infamously says he wants to nuke the ice caps of mars to warm the planet up. the ice caps of mars look like this, by the way (image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/Aster Cowart):

they are beautiful places, that hold an irreplaceable scientific record of the geologically recent martian climate, and are shaped by unique processes. there's no other place quite like them in our solar system. but elon musk thinks we should nuke them. again, no care, no curiosity

nothing has made me feel jaded and cynical about the entire enterprise of spaceflight quite like learning that the people ultimately in charge of it and funding it don't give a shit about space. it's not just elon musk. space nerds love quoting kennedy's "we choose to go the moon" speech as inspiration, but kennedy is also on record saying "I'm not that interested in space" in a conversation where he was arguing to the nasa administrator that they should prioritize beating the soviets to the moon over space science. no curiosity, only a desire for geopolitical showmanship and maintaining hegemony. it's the same thing when many modern politicians only seem to care about space exploration as a way of keeping a technological lead over china

this leaves the people who do genuinely love and care about space in an awkward position. they basically have two choices: A) become jaded and give up on space exploration, or at least parts of it (abandoning human spaceflight but maintaining interest in robotic science missions, for example) or B) give in. work with military contractors. spout the jingoistic rhetoric that the politicians writing the checks want to hear, even if you don't believe it. go along with the colonialist ideology, the hypercapitalism, and the extractivism. sell your soul for pictures of mars and let your passions be exploited for the ends of powerful people who don't care

the sad reality is that our society only values those things deemed useful or profitable. we hear it all the time. the idea that schools should only teach things useful for jobs, that people who try to make a living in fields like art, the humanities, or philosophy are all getting useless degrees and will inevitably end up stuck working retail, and of course, the idea that space exploration is a waste of time and money

space nerds are often deeply insecure about their greatest passion, because it's true, space exploration offers no immediate practical benefit. but they still love space and want to explore it

so they believe the lies. they repeat the colonialist ideology. they say there's money in mining asteroids, that we can terraform planets and let number go up forever. they let themselves be exploited by companies and governments that see everything in the universe and all the people in it as things to be used, and that will ultimately chew them up and spit them out if it's expedient to do so. and those who reject the ideology and keep their love for the cosmos pure often find themselves with no place in the project of space exploration

i don't know how to fix this, but i do hope that i will live to see the day when our curiosity and interest and love for the wider universe is valued for its own sake, and no longer shackled by colonialism, capitalism, and political ambitions

[leoslosttoolbelt]

What I think the demigods would major as and why

these are personal head canons dont take them too seriously :)

Percy: Education. I know that we usually hc as a Marin biology kinda guy but I genuinely think that he wouldn't be too fond of the workload but instead want to work towards being a teacher and being the kind of teacher he needed as a kid, y'know? Alternatively, I can see him being into something like baking and pastry art to take over Sally's shop.

Annabeth: Architecture. I really don't think I need to explain this one to y'all but yeah she's an architecture girly. But if we want to branch out I can also see her studying law and working in the area of Child Protection.

Leo: Astrophysics. I have this head canon of him panicking because of the sheer amount of choices that he's presented with and choosing the first one of the alphabetical list. Lucky for him, he's insanely good at it AND it'll pay well in the future. He minors in mechanical engineering and realises that although he has all the practical knowledge because of his father, his theoretical knowledge isn't as strong lol.

Piper: Food Science. I'm trying to be unique here because yeah, she could do environmental studies but I also think it would be super cool to see her learning about food and developing new vegetarian versions of food because it's something she's visibly passionate about in the books.

Nico: I can see him getting a history / philosophy related degree for his bachelors just for him to get a  doctor of philosophy (Ph. D.) in mythology or folklore. His hyperfixation runs deep and he sure as hell is going to fuel it as much as he can.

Jason: Doesn't go to college!! Is severely burnt out <3. No but like idk man I think he'd legitimately want to take it chill if that makes sense? Maybe he'd do a business major just so that he can get a job somewhere but I can't think of somewhere he'd fit in nicely. Jason does have a lot of part time jobs though!!

Frank: Nurse! Nursing school! Despite being the son of Mars I can see him being in the medical field because he wants to help people in need. It's a long journey with lots of ups and downs but finally getting his degree makes it all worth it.

Hazel: Geology because rocks. And also women in STEM!! This one directly correlates to her powers in the books as well as both of her parents! On the other hand, I can see definitely see Hazel studying in the field of archeology with the goal of being an archeologist and then eventually a museum curator :)

Reyna: Psychology!! Listen, I know this seems out of the blue but Reyna gives me the right vibes. Everyone is skeptical at first because they don't think she'd fit the mold of a clinical psychologist but that's okay because Reyna wants to further herself in research! She studies Neuropsychology and becomes a prominent researcher in her field! Please tell me you see the vision.

Will: From what I can see in the books, Emergency Medical Services degree seems like the right field for him. He's already basically a paramedic at Camp Half Blood so he knows it's naturally the right step for him. On the other hand, for something a little different - he seems like the kind of guy who might be interested in studying cinematography or art history maybe.

Travis: He studies Economics because he's so fucking convinced that he can become the next Elon Musk if he studies this. Alternatively, he studies music because he wants to travel the world and like sing with the wind and all that shit.

Connor: he's a communications major because he's a really popular youtube and technically doesn't really need to go to college but oh well he can study communications.

Drew: She goes to cosmetology school as the first step to start her own makeup and skincare empire. She's super nice to all of her clients and helps out all of the other students when they're having trouble with something! I will not tolerate any Drew slander let my girl breathe.

Pollux: Chemical Engineering. He got influenced by watching breaking bad and somehow landed himself a degree in chemical engineering. He doesn't know how he survived that degree but it doesn't matter because he decides to not give a fuck and open a coffee shop that becomes really popular because all the drinks are to die for.

Thalia: I don't really know the right terminology but she has an art related degree / tattoo apprentice so that she can work as a tattoo artist!! It fits with the thalis vision and also she is the eldest daughter who loses it lowkey so she doesn't follow your usual education route. Tattoo artist Thalia for the win!!

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Hi Rebecca! I'm a recent(ish) graduated student interested in pursuing a career (or any other form of involvement) in environmental education. I was curious how you built your writing portfolio, especially writing for other sites/organizations? What first steps would recommend someone take (particularly if they're already graduated) to get into environmental education and scicomm? Thanks so much, love all your writing!!

Hi there, @misopossum! So I am a pretty atypical case. I have a BA in English, but I mainly used it for technical writing/editing (and personal journaling) for a number of years.

Most of the scicomm folks I know are either A) scientists who also have good writing and interpretation chops, or B) are science journalists who went through a formal journalism program in college/grad school. You haven't mentioned what your area of study was, but your department may have some resources to draw on if you haven't already spoken with them. Check with related departments as well, as they may have ideas too. You're a recent grad, but that doesn't mean that you can't still make use of those connections if they exist.

If you want to go a more traditional scicomm route, good places to start are The Open Notebook and the National Association of Science Writers. ScienceBites may be a good spot for you to start pitching a short article here and there to build up your portfolio, too. And this article from CrossTalk is a pretty good summary on how to get started with science writing.

Other people get involved with environmental education programs like forest schools, summer camps, and the like; some conservation nonprofits also may run these, and you can even check with state and federal parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and other governmental entities who may be in need of volunteers (or occasionally seasonal staff) for environmental ed programs.

You didn't mention where you are, but here in the PNW US there are a lot of these, especially in the Portland and Seattle areas. Depending on what your education level is you may not find the pay to be what you expected, and a lot of these programs are primarily in summertime. But if you can at least get in as a side gig, that will get some experience started.

A lot of what I do is meant for a general audience and not just specific to one locality. I do a lot of blogging online, to include articles on my website, plus some shorter form commentary on various news articles I find online that I think are worth exploring, and I have my quarterly chapbooks that let me dive deeper into various topics. These get me a pretty broad audience, beyond just my local area.

But I really got my start as a nature writer several years ago by writing pieces for the nonprofit Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, from Facebook posts to 2-3 minute radio segments for their Willapa Nature Notes segment on our local public radio station. I've also helped with other scicomm efforts they've run, from our 4th grade environmental education program in local schools, to giving talks and tours at our annual Wings Over Willapa birding and nature festival. And later this track record helped me get in as a regular columnist with the Coast Weekend paper (and occasionally a longer piece for related publications.) These are all incredibly local to where I am in the Columbia-Pacific region, but they've been good experience and they've helped me get my footing in my local community, which has helped me to facilitate other regional efforts like my independent guided tours.

I think the best choice I made overall was teaching non-credit community education classes through various community colleges, as well as municipal parks and recreation departments and libraries. It's a great way to connect with people who aren't pursuing a degree, but just learning for the fun of it. You do need some credentials of some sort, but expertise counts if you can show that you know your stuff--for example, the people teaching art classes don't all have art degrees, but they may have X number of decades' experience in their art medium. I don't have a degree in the natural sciences because my math skills are terrible, but I am a certified Oregon Master Naturalist and I also have a lifetime of experience of exploring nature and learning how to identify the living beings around me. It doesn't pay a lot, but it's a lot of fun and I get to meet a lot of new students every semester.

Be aware that people like me who take a more unorthodox route usually end up doing like eight different things for a living, rather than having one (1) career path. If you are going to do more of a "professional potpourri" like I am, you're going to need to seek out multiple niches, and perhaps create a few yourself. You're likely going to be very busy, and there's not going to be a lot of payoff immediately (as opposed to a regular job, where you start at a particular rate immediately and hopefully gets raises as things go along.)

On the bright side, having multiple professional directions means that if one of them isn't really active, I can often put more time toward another to make up for it. For example, I'd like to expand to writing for more varied venues that aren't just based in the PNW; it's just a matter of making the time to prep some cold pitches to publications and websites. This time of year I'm really busy with the tours business, so writing tends to be emphasized more in the off season. And either way you slice it, I'm still very much in the "building" process.

Aaaaanyway. That is my very long, rambling answer to your question. Please feel free to let me know if I can clarify anything for you, or if you have further questions.

[entropypolitics]

Hello all! I decided it was finally time to create a politics side blog so... This is it! Below you will find information on this blog and a brief biography to give you an idea of my background and where my viewpoints and ideology comes from.

About this blog:

I am creating this blog because I feel like there's not many good political blogs on Tumblr and I felt like a lot of my good fact checking/policy analysis was getting lost on my main one. I have also had multiple people tell me they appreciate my analysis of different topics so I thought it would be nice to have a blog dedicated to it. This blog will probably mainly focus on US politics but we'll see how well this goes, I might branch out.

My main is @everentropy and I also have another side blog @entropyrpgs.

About me:

I have been working and volunteering in politics for approximately 15 years, starting as a summer fellow for the Obama campaign. I have worked as a canvasser for progressive causes, including working for New Era Colorado. These issues include a higher minimum wage, expanding healthcare, more affordable housing, abortion rights and fracking setbacks. Also a library district in my city at the time! I also have worked as a calltime manager for Democratic and independent candidates. I consider myself a leftist Democrat.

I have a degree in Environmental Science from New College of Florida, which is sadly rapidly becoming a fascism factory. I went there before DeSantis's hostile board takeover. I also have a master's in Environmental Policy from CU Boulder.

I currently work as a sustainability manager at a university in Ohio, but I have lived in Michigan, Florida, Colorado and Ohio. They're all wildly different states politically in my experience and I think that gives me a more well-rounded viewpoint.

I am queer and I use that term. If you have a problem with it then block me and move on. I certainly have no problem with that.

If you have any other questions please ask politely and I will try to answer! Any asks that are rude, transphobic, racist, antisemitic or islamophobic, etc. will be deleted. I am simply not going to tolerate that here, and I am not going to expose my followers to that. If I ever accidentally post misinformation or an incomplete statement PLEASE (politely) correct me. The last thing I want to do is spread information that is not true.

[dragontatoes]

this term i’m taking economics (fake), geology (literally densest possible subject), and chemistry (real but incomprehensible). so I’ll be like ‘OK time for economics homework’ and it’s like what does a cheese shortage and increased sales taxes do to the macaroni industry? and I’ll answer that like it isn’t complete bullshit and be like ‘OK time for chemistry’ and it’s like how many valence electrons are in one sugar cube which contains 4.6952xE-10 Joules of energy? and i’ll click a random answer bc what the fuck and then be like ‘OK time for geology’ and it’s like what color is sulfur. and i say yelow

[encyclopika]

Abdhdh hi! I really want to go into marine biology, but it seems like there’s so little information out there about which specific programs or degrees take you in which direction (for ex. many programs I see are more environmentally focused and I’m more interested in sharks and cephalopods etc) do you have any tips on what path(s) to take and college programs/degrees to look into?

Hello! I got a similar question from @fish-themed-shitposter on my other ask, and I figure addressing you both would be the best so I don't miss anything. They're questions was: "It's my dream job, but I've heard the field is pretty competitive. Any advice before I go into highschool? What secondary education should I be aiming for?"

If you're passionate about learning and willing to make the commitment to work hard, that's the first thing you need. I'm not sure which countries you both are from, so I can only speak from my experiences in the USA. And, unfortunately, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to doing this. If you have a particular subject you're into, ie: sharks, use that as a jumping point and source of willpower to persevere. Honestly, allowing that interest to expand is my advice. For example:

My original dream was to go out and study sharks, but that is *so hard* to do. Everyone wants to focus on the big, charismatic megafauna. Oh you like sharks, and dolphins, and seals, and turtles? Get in line. XD Slowly, I expanded my interests into all fish and marine invertebrates, which eventually lead me into fisheries. Through fisheries work, yeah, I don't get to see and tag and study exclusively sharks - unfortunately, my biggest project right now focuses on the Striped Bass. But! There is always potential to see and deal with sharks, and that is definitely good enough for me. Try to generalize your dream so you have more options and paths that you would be comfortable and happy to do. Be flexible. Maybe instead of cephalopods, you're into their coral reef habitats? Maybe you're passionate about conserving them in associated fisheries? I'd recommend doing some reading in Google Scholar when you have time. Type in your passion animal, and look at what's being done for them in the field. Maybe you'll see something that sparks your interest even more.

If you're going into high school, and you're very sure about your goals to join the marine bio field, then maybe one day during this summer when you've got nothing going on, start searching on Google for colleges/universities that have great biology majors and marine science classes. Go nuts. Look at the University of Hawaii - who gives a damn? Just get a feeling for it. Make a dream list of the ones you would love to apply to, and look at what courses they require you take to complete the degree you'd pick. Then, make sure you take similar classes in high school. For instance!

Any sort of biology coursework is going to include Math, Chemistry, Physics, and Statistics - all things I hated - but they absolutely have been relevant in my career. As were "intro to bio" courses that covered the meat and potatoes of bio - cell bio, ecology, and physiology. Take those introductions in high school so that, when you get into college, you're not starting on the first floor. Use high school like pre-college. College is insanely expensive and I hope they eliminate student debt for you guys, but in the meantime, you don't want to have to pay for the same class twice. Those foundational classes that will feel like a slog and make you question your career decisions, will take up at least the first two years of your undergraduate career, alongside the "classes that make you a well-rounded person hopefully", like history, english, and foreign language courses that may be required (and you can absolutely just take them at your local community college for cheap - check out how transferring credits works). Again, look at what the school wants you to do to get that degree. See if any of those classes overlap with another major or minor (I did this with my Environmental Studies minor - it's worth doing if the only difference is like, one class that might be fun, but irrelevant. I took a class about Primate Conservation, but it ended up giving me a lot of conservation perspective anyway, so they're worth it). And yeah, look for courses that are just plain fun and up your alley - you'll never know how that fits into your life. I took a class about King Arthur, and I LOVED it. The professor was a riot! Maybe it made me a better writer? Being a good writer helped me land my current job, because grant writing is important. Who tf knows?

Then look at the courses that are actually relevant to you - the marine bio, the fish ecology, the invertebrate zoology, whatever - they offer and what they entail and how that fits into your goals. If you're into cephalopods, you probably want to go somewhere that offers courses that focus on invertebrates in whatever capacity. Also keep in mind that you should also pick a type of bio you are into, as well. I was always into ecology (how ecosystems work is fascinating!) and that leads into conservation, which, put together with fish, equals a job in Fisheries Management and research on commercially important species, fishing gear, and the industry. Go down the rabbit hole and see what you come up with.

Look at the faculty of the bio and/or marine bio departments. Each one is not going to just be a teacher, they are also the head Principle Investigator (PI) - the head scientist, if you will - of their own lab, usually. See what they're researching right now. Look at what they have researched already - chances are, they have a passion animal or topic that they have zeroed in on, and if that matches yours, you should bang on their door and ask when you can volunteer to help around the lab when you're accepted at their university/college. Perhaps see if there is undergraduate research credits you can take on and get your feet wet doing real science on an "easy" project the PI has for an undergrad. And remember, just because the PI's interests match yours, doesn't mean other PIs won't be better suited for you. Some of them are actually assholes, and you shouldn't stay in a lab run by an asshole because you're desperate. In undergrad, any experience in a lab is a good thing, even if you're the poor bucket-cleaning shmuck. Someone's gotta clean those buckets! It's important! Oh, and read their scientific journal articles and get a feel for exactly what they do - it's flattering for them and shows your commitment when you've done that homework.

Internship opportunities and organizations that focus on your passions are places you want to apply to and get real job experience, whether that's over the summer, or you work it in between classes. Maybe you're into marine mammals? Volunteer with the local marine mammal and sea turtle rescue/rehab place. Maybe you love talking nonstop about the ocean and everything - look into educational jobs at aquariums, zoos, and other non-profits that do education or kids camps outdoors.

You do not absolutely need to have an even higher degree (master's, phD) in order to be in this field. There are plenty of places looking for technicians with a bachelor's to do grunt field work and there's nothing shameful about being the one doing it if you love it. A master's may open doors for you that include a little more research, you may be able to write grants, or be put in charge of the grunts in the field. A PhD may land you work with a university or big lab doing important research. Who knows? You go as far as you can. Life will get in the way. Do not sacrifice happiness in other spaces in your life because this is your dream. If you keep at it, it should come in whatever capacity. I refused to leave New York, so my job search was extremely limited but...I wanted to be with my now-husband. Life happens!

And my best advice of all? Don't give up. One bad grade isn't going to ruin everything. Pick yourself up and keep trying. When I earned my Master's, I had to get a job at Walgreen's to make money while I waited for opportunities to open up. It was degrading af. But you don't give up. You get on the internet everyday and apply to jobs, programs, state tests - throw as much shit at the wall and something is bound to stick (you'll learn that in your stats classes! XD).

Don't give up. But accept when and if your interests change. It could happen. You could wake up late for Physics again and say "ya know what? Fuck it. Time to switch to the Business major" and that's totally valid. Don't stick with something just because young you thought you loved it. This is really hard to do.

Anyway, if you make strides, I'd love to hear all about it. I am proud of you for even going for it. Feel free to message me anytime. ^__^/

[theringers]

V-card anon: hi sorry about that first ask i kinda went into a fugue state (spelling?) altered state of reality maybe when i wrote that and damn near outlined a fic in your inbox

The way we played hot seat was either part of a larger drinking game when a certain card was pulled from a deck, or just on it's own. You sit in a circle, everyone has a drink, usually a beer or cider. In the card pull version, the one who pulls the card gets asked a question by every person playing and if they refuse to answer they drink from their drink. In the standalone, you do that but everyone gets a turn being asked until people get bored and leave. Fun way to find out shit about people. Usually the unwritten rule is that you can't lie. I imagine everyone sitting on shitty chouches and chairs in a semi circle around a table full of cups and bottles playing it

Questions i have been asked: are you a top or bottom? Do you like anal? Wheres the weirdest place you've fucked? Body count? Favorite position (sexual)? Fuck marry kill/ignore people in this room (EVERY TIME I PLAYED I GOT THIS QUESTION)? Tits or ass or other? Favorite non sexual body part ex. Thigh? Ideal fuck buddy? Sex regrets? Etc

Also more weird details i have head cannoned out for some drivers and most likely does not fit with irl personalities, do with this what you will, use it or don't i just have feelings. Also everyone is like compressed in age to like 20-27ish except for some of the grid who i will just think of as younger alumns who come back:

Danny R: social chair, owns a jeep he takes the doors off of in the summer, walks girls home at night to make sure they're ok, tries to DJ house events and is rebuffed by literally everyone, has like 30 pairs of vans you trip over in his room, stolen roadsigns everywhere, masters in something arigcultural or physiological, cutoff frat shirts for days, fuckboy but nice, a bit cringe, will drive around with you at night so you can scream, met reader bc she had a band tee on and wanted to talk to her about it (no gatekeeping)

Charles: some kind of engineering or math degree but no one has any idea how the fuck he's gotten so far, 4.0 never studies, games with other house members, will show up at events randomly you will have no idea how he gets on your couch but he is there, the best and worst taste in clothes, is the only one allowed to play the piano in the house, sweet, cannot help you with studies but is always down for helping you out after, has to be reminded to clean stuff, disaster bi, reader met his gf first and they probably met through that

Pierre: good fashion and music taste, shirt is gone halfway through the night, also fuckboy but wholesome, actually studies, plays a sport for sure probably soccer in some way either club or Division he's too good for rec, will hold your hair back so you can throw up, will tell you your outfit sucks, good at math, also part of the squad that games, econ major, workout buddies with reader anday have taken a math class together

Max: is part of the hockey team he will go pro, also actually studies, got into gaming because of Charles, has the nicest car, is serious until he gets a couple drinks in him, he and Daniel are close and roomed together at some point, owns like 30 sets of the same outfit a white tee and jeans, knows reader through Dan and they get dragged by him to some of the same stuff

Lando: is a pledge or new member his big is Carlos, undeclared major, just happy to be here, gaming squad, used to play lacrosse or something equally obscure, king of knowing where the good snacks are, weirdly good at beer pong, growing into a fuckboy wholesomeness level tbd, probably sweet with reader as she helped him through a blackout or something, met her because she's basically house mom for some of the new boys (the kind of mom who will teach you to do laundry or iron ONCE)

Carlos: hockey flow but does not play hockey, actually studies and is smarter than what people give him credit for, came from a private high school and uni really opened his horizons, also good study buddy, gets along with most people, goes to office hours the most out of the actually studies gang, fun at parties, owns the frat dogs, he and reader met at Office hours (they were the only students) and found they had mutual friends too

Lewis: is/was president of frat, great grades greater bod, did full evolution from fuckboy to good man, has the back tests and the moral support, up for late noght talks about life, definitely was a D1 athlete, best fashion game, implemented no hazing policy, fits into notable alum or PhD category

Mick: undergrad like Lando, also plays soccer or something, too sweet, also walks girls home/holds your hair back etc, cleans parts of the house that aren't his responsibility, higher alcohol tolerance than you expect, everyone is bizarrely protective of him, legacy member (his dad was a legend), drives a motorbike around campus and can't decide between law and psychology, actually studies, met reader through the frat and she would die for him, brings her to class on the bike sometimes because the bike is faster

George: business major, frat treasurer, three ring binder business casual in class kind of guy, nice enough, shirt comes off when drunk, runs marathons and a podcast about investments, best notes in the game and great study partner, actually studies, is drinking monster at 6AM but not because he stayed up late, he and reader met through the frat and sometimes drink wine and bitch together

Lance: hockey player, legacy member, studies sometimes, sarcasm on point, great at stack cup, very chill, knows every good nap spot on campus, also has high alcohol tolerance, is the kind of person who does well in the cold but does not like it, wears headphones so people don't talk to him, great one on one but not in crowds, business major and minor in computer science, probably also met thru Lance's gf but vibe as more introverted people and will cover for each other if one does not want to go out

Nicky: a good boy, part of the walks people home squad, sets up designated drivers for parties, good snack game, future in medical field, good listener, pretty good study buddy, midnight snack enabler, met reader through frat and his gf he and reader are on babysitting duty together sometimes when others get too drunk/high

Yuki: also a pledge or new, majoring in games or computer science as they gave me the same energy as him, games squad, bit of a mad lad, has several stolen street signs, good, met reader through frat and Yuki is the only one patient enough to explain some games to reader, they cuss people out on mic

Esteban: good man, has a full ride scholarship, actually studies, also good study buddy, Dan's little, plays soccer but maybe on a rec team because he prioritizes school, very sweet guy as well, probably chose a really practical major/dual major, met reader through Dan and are also dragged similar places by him

Antonio: manbun, philosophy or classics major possibly business dual, generally good natured but can be seen supplying his own wine at parties, used to be really into metal but kept the hair, does not know that people find him attractive, soccer boi, met reader through frat and she's the only one who will (pretend) to listen to him rant about philosophy

Alex Albon: another full scholarship guy, somehow gets along with everyone, switched majors due to an asshole professor, electrical engineering or computer engineering, actually studies, helps with frat pets,will show you pictures of his cats at home, sweetie, another contender for will hold your hair or walk you home, probably met reader through a class or club and found they had mutual friends and that reader is friends with his gf

Notable alums:

Checo - dad, successful in finance somehow (he looks like an really successful accountant of CFO to me idk why)

Kimi - dad but people forget he is, holds the record for most drinks in 24 hours that will never be come close to by anyone else, shows up on random alum weekends with 2 kegs, legally cannot tell you what he does or he would actually have to murder you

Valterri - was good at a sport when he was there, now a very effective lead engineer at an architectural firm

Seb - environmental or mechanical engineering, all around good guy with someone the best grades in frat history

Alonso - legendary for sexual exploits (consensual)

Anyone I put as actually studies is probably the type reader would hang around for more serious stuff/schoolwork and would probably be closer to, with the exception of Dan bc I feel like he'd be like we're friends now :)) we shall hang or Charles bc he will just show up. I also imagine she has a pretty good friendship with any existing gf, however if a driver does have a gf and he is the love interest sorry bb girl u gotta go for the purposes of this fic

Sorry this is so long hahaaaaaaa glad you liked my Charles thoughts ilu

i honestly wasn’t going to share this like the rest of the anon asks i’ve gotten that i keep close to my heart but this was just too good to keep to myself.

LOOK! AT! THIS!

f1 drivers as frat bros/college students headcannon

i’m writing a series - each “chapter” will be a smut with a different frat bro and i’m hoping to post a sneak peek this week some time but here’s something to hold you over and give you some ideas

to my vcard anon - i appreciate this so much. my inbox is always open for ur thoughts bc they are SO GOOD !! can’t wait for you to read the first part of the series bby

PS if some of this doesn’t make sense to u feel free to send in asks (i know a lot of this is focused on american college culture so if u don’t get it i’m happy to explain)

[studying-down-unda]

Hello! This is an introduction to my studyblr, which I've just made.

About me:

I'm not comfortable sharing my real name on here, so for now I'll go with April.

I'm 20 years old.

I live in Australia (hence the url) but I grew up in New Zealand.

I'm a third year uni student studying Political Science and Environmental Studies.

INFP, cancer/leo cusp

Interests:

Art - I love painting, I find it's really good for my mental health but I don't dedicate much time to it, which is something I'm hoping to do more of this year, esp during the quarantine!

Philosophy - my minor for one of my degrees.

I SCUBA dive, ski (occasionally) and I'm really getting into swimming at the moment and I'm loving it, except all the pools are closed now so I can’t wait to get back into it once this is all over.

The ocean and marine ecology

I've been watching a lot of Critical Role recently so like if that's up your alley I'm here for it.

Reading - I'm really trying to read more this year because I know it's good for me and I love it, trying to focus on good adult fiction and classics to see where that'll take me (currently reading Anna Karenina).

Languages - I have a whooole long list of languages I would like to learn but I'm sticking with Spanish and Latin at the moment before starting any others.

Also tea, which is a weird one but it's part of my job. I love tea and I'm very curious about all the different types and the different processing and the history of it.

My courses this semester:

I'm taking a course looking at science fiction and philosophy which I'm really, really excited about.

I'm doing one elective this semester which I've decided to take a leap and go for biological anthropology, and the course I'm doing is going to be about ancient medicine which I hope will be very interesting and that I'll enjoy it - I'll keep updating.

The third course I'm doing is for one of my majors, so it's a course about environmental policy and public policy. It was compulsory, but it's also the course that I came to this uni for in the first place. I had my first lecture last week and it seems like so much more involved than just coursework, they're really getting you involved and giving you real world experience and networking opportunities so I'm very, very excited about this one.

Why a studyblr?

I don't know if this is TMI, but last year I completely burnt myself out. I was doing courses I didn't like, having to study full time, while also working full time, while trying to move house and also deal with a lot of trauma and ostracisation. Last year was not a good time.

To get to the point, I started this studyblr becuase my studies became a lower priority in my life even though they’re the entire reason I’m here, so I’m hoping that having this will spark my enthusiasm for it again and motivate me to keep going. Also in the past I’ve been a chronic procrastinator, so I’m hoping that keeping myself on track and seeing other people’s enjoyment of studying will also keep me accountable!

Goals:

I would like to do the 2020 quarantine challenge, it seems like a fun way of adapting to a less-than-ideal situation and it would be nice to see how everyone else is dealing with studying in these times!

[modernart2012]

Okay. I agree with OP, but not @she-bear-daddy. There's some misconception about the whole "crops are purposefully designed to be sterile". Are they. Technically, yes. For any other reason than to produce higher yield of food? No. [Note, this isn't me defending Certain Companies Marketing Practices.]

So. Some of y'all are gonna be angry about this, but I studied agriculture/crop breeding and I have a degree in genetics. Time to Talk SCIENCE.

Let's talk two examples of crops. Bananas and corn. Both are complex cases, but I'll do my best to make it simple.

I'll start with bananas. You may be thinking, "bananas are great and wholesome! I love their wonderful potassium rich goodness!" And sure, bananas are great. But you're eating a sterile hybrid, which is why you're not breaking your teeth on massive seeds and having tiny three inch bananas on the grocery shelf. Those bananas you buy? Triploid, and sterile so you're not gnawing around seeds the size of your thumbnail. (Don't believe me? Take a look at wild bananas on google. I'd put in pictures, but mobile, urgh.)

Bananas are a very simple case though, because they're spread by taking a banana tree cutting and then sticking it in the ground elsewhere to grow. Wow, you might think. That makes bananas so easy to spread! And it is. But they're all exact clones. EXACT. CLONES. You know how banana candy tastes weird to people born after World War 2? That's because banana flavored candy tastes like how bananas used to predominantly taste. There was a massive plague of disease on bananas in the 40s that nearly wiped out all bananas. It was only early (expensive!) research that gave us the modern variant of banana. Which is all clones of that surviving variety and is viable to go out due to disease, so cheers that! Time for more expensive and decades long research to prevent that from happening!

Corn, on the other hand is a little more complex. Go look up teosinte. The wild type of corn. See how small it is? Imagine how much you'd have to grow to have enough corn seed to feed all the people modern corn feeds. Modern corn, over half is used for ethanol and animal feed. The other half are for human consumption. Try making bread with teosinte seeds. Here's a hint: it won't go well. Corn is made sterile for the same reason as bananas, but a secondary reason as well. The hybrids of two corn breeds (the offspring when the varieties are crossed) are the ones you want because the ears are bigger and the seeds are bigger. More bang for the buck of growing the plant. These are sterile because if you have mature plants they'd mess up the genome by crossing and that second generation cross won't have the same big ears of corn and large seeds that the farmer wants. This isn't something that modern science has managed to get around without Cytoplasmic Male sterility (Wikipedia that. It's outside the depth of our discussion here). This makes it easier for farmers to grow and sell their corn to others because they know at the start of the grow season what they're going to get as output.

So what would you rather have, sterile seeds that will grow properly or seeds that will give you wildly variant results from year to year in a fashion that will exacerbate good scarcity and world hunger?

Thats not a detailed argument, and greatly reduces the science to a few pointed facts applied in vernacular. And completely misses the whole environmental argument because my phone is dying. So if you're interested in more information, send me a ask or a message. I'm always willing to talk Science, so feel free to hit me up.

In summary, ddont be reductivist and know the reason behind the GMOs being sterile. There's a good reason, even if it sucks balls, and if you're that het up about the subject, go be a corn scientist and make the world better.

The potato has been genetically modified ever since scientists realized they could fight back blight that caused the Irish potato famine

ALL citrus fruits are GMO hybrids of the pomelo, mandarin, and citron- the only 3 original citrus. 

Most people have no idea what they’re talking about when they say they’re against GMO’s. No idea. 

We need to get around to realizing that genetic modification isnt contamination, or carcinogenic chemicals, or sludge, or evil godless mutations. They aren’t horrifying and they’re grown natural just like everything else.