#to simulate an examination environment

[trashbatistrash]

,

[grimpisces]

Yay! I'm making a comic on my clone OC! And it's official, they are CT-0410 'Gone'! (I have written what is said in image description if you can't read it so sorry not sure how to really do comics just yet)

This is a continuation on my first comic here

Read for lore along with a poll I would like for you to do, pretty please!

(lore, misspelling/bad grammar)

During the start of the clone wars, many troops were sent out to different planets for “training”, seeing how they would survive in different environments not part of the simulations. One of these planets was a smaller planet near the ‘unknown regions’, through scans they found that little to no life was present here, so they found it would be a great place to set up a small camp for a group of troopers to explore and survive for a small period of time. 

However, when a few troopers went missing unexpectedly (along with a lot of unexplained encounters), they decided to pull the remaining troopers off and abandon the planet all together. 

Fast forward to a year or so into the war (or when they started doing phase 2 troopers lol I don’t know timelines), a few senators decided they wanted to have some areas to ‘test’ certain weapons or other devices they deemed fit for the war. Which has resulted in a small group from the Grand Army of the Republic to further investigate the planet to see if it is fit for testing. 

The small group led by Lieutenant Nit (Nit-Picky) began to examine the planet further, finding remains of phase 1 clone troopers, soon finding a still living clone trooper, only to further find out that they are not quite right.

IMPORTANT

So, I have no idea where to put them lol, I'm kinda all over the place at the moment and I honesty have ideas for everyone. So I would like for you all to vote to really place my mind on one.

[doberbutts]

I ask this because I’m genuinely curious as someone who has not trained a dog further than sit/stay/come… What is the purpose of bite sports? Is it just sort of a way to direct the energy of a dog that was bred for protection in a natural way?

It's just fun :]

The long answer is that many bite sports are a way to test and see a protective breed's ability to, you know, protect in a same and controlled environment. And, certainly, a way to prove that at least some level of protective ability is in there somewhere.

However I think the question becomes more complicated if we examine each of the protection sports and what they are trying to evaluate in each dog of each breed, because the answer can differ from dog-to-dog, breed-to-breed, sport-to-sport, and even club-to-club.

What I want to get out of bitesports is having fun with my dog. That's why I always phrase it as "dog bite simulator in real life", because for me it's a game and it's fun to play. And certainly at this point in his career, Fenris also thinks this is his favorite game. I can't really describe it well- there's something about watching a dog do what it was meant to do, watching it click in the dog's head as it performs its ancestral work for the first time, I love that feeling and I've been chasing that high ever since I first held the leash for The Dog That Almost Was, back before I got Creed but after I had Skoll.

I think it's a fun way to allow my dog to perform the behaviors that come naturally to him in a way that poses no danger to others. Someone reblogged one of my posts calling it "controlled violence" - I agree, I've often heard mondioring described as a martial arts sparring match between dog and decoy, a conversation of teeth and flesh, a mutual agreement to beat the shit out of each other but have no hard feelings. And I do think that is true of mondio, but not necessarily true of other sports.

And not always true of other dogs. I've been describing Fenris to my friends as a security guard that likes his job. He has a role to play that he is fairly good at and enjoys. It's nothing personal. If you do not aggress him, he will not strike. But if you cross that line, he will bite you. It's not about you. There's no hard feelings. But it's his job. And he'll do it, gladly, because that's what he's for. VS Creed, who I would liken more to a barely-contained bouncer or cage fighter. He was angry, it was personal, fuck you in particular, how dare you challenge him. He was going to ensure that he hurt you in every way he knew possible. He wanted to hurt you.

Both dogs were/are fairly safe to be around when neutral or friendly. But, come in hot? Both dogs also were/are going to bite you. But the reason for the bite and the mentality behind it is very different. Both of these dogs did some mondio training. Fenris is already farther than Creed ever got, in part because he has a better mentality for it, while Creed had a better mentality for IGP.

[sugar-grigri]

How to carry out a successful attack?

I'm going to give a quick review, as this is a transitional chapter intended to lead into the action of the next chapter, but it's still packed with juicy information.

The first few pages give quite a lot of information about the weapons…

Their relationship with death is interesting: one sees it as a divine consecration, the other finds it not bad, and Miri is the only one to face up to his own condition in this respect.

Not being afraid of death means not having too much trouble giving it…

Miri convinces himself it's a heavenly intervention, not because he finds the idea of being superhuman interesting, but because it relieves him of responsibility for the massacre he's about to commit.

For this massacre was inevitably destined to be extremely cruel, amputating people and leaving them screaming in agony to attract Chainsaw Man.

Miri convinces himself to stare at the clock and not look down at the child crying in front of him.

As for the weapons of the whip and spear, they pay no attention to their surroundings, one hiding behind her sunglasses, the other focusing on his cigarette.

This case shows the paradox surrounding Miri: as I've already detailed, he's not at all free, he's self-convincing in a kind of denial, but he's well and truly instrumentalized by the church.

He has no desire to spread suffering, yet he carries out the order assigned to him.

Non-observance of his environment is what made them lose in reality, believing that their intervention was celestial indicates that they were no longer paying attention to the concrete, loving to verge on overpowering and despising humans to the point of deciding what will make them suffer the most.

Quanxi used the opposite strategy: like a predator carefully examining her prey, she didn't put herself forward and focused on her mission. (Yes, if Quanxi imitates the feline by growling, it's not just to make lesbians scream, although it does have its effect…)

If she waited 5:00PM piles, it's because the public hunters wanted to make it look as if the attack had indeed been carried out by the church, in order to disengage public opinion and support them.

The paradox here is that Quanxi has indeed neutralized the threat, having killed the 3 weapons, even though a unit of hunters will be dispatched.

The 3 weapons were associated with specific demons: whip, spear and sword, none of which could produce the sound of gunfire.

My hypothesis is that the unit sent in simulated the attack by firing into the void to provoke general panic.

It's for this reason that the newspaper doesn't know the number of victims, and we also see a lot of hesitation on the part of the presenter: he only has one source of information (the State), and it's deliberately fragmentary.

We also see information on the workings of the church: the real leaders of the church are the ones who centralize information, while Haruka is just an empty shell (as we suspected) who is only there to recruit young people.

The attack wasn't even communicated to the guru, nor to this man who knows all about weapons. What's more, he uses the ambiguous term "weapons", but does he know what they actually are ?

Fujimoto is looking to develop the relationship between Asa and Denji, so what better way than to set up a rival - a rival who alone would be up to the task of countering Quanxi's power?

Ladies and gentlemen, nb hoes… her return has been announced…

[lalalian]

futuristic dr ideas pt.1 : jobs

date: march 24, 2024 (technically march 25, it's 2 AM rn)

If you're interested in more futuristic dr things, I posted a video on tiktok with more futuristic stuff

A lot of this stuff is inspired the things I've read in cyberprep books!

disclaimer: none of my ideas are made by AI, sometimes I may be aided by AI to get inspired (especially with civilizations). If I do use AI somewhere in my ideas I’ll be sure to let you guys know!

World Acclimatizer

Also known as an ‘Acclimaitzer’

These help people move to other planets by aiding them in adapting to either living in space or living on different planets. World Acclimatizers often work closely with primary care doctors, and are extremely well-versed in non-earthly sicknesses and the effects space has on the human body. Realtors from other planets will always refer their clients to an Acclimatizer if the house is located on another planet.

Planetary Humanitarian

Planetary Humanitarians promote natural and peaceful development in other planets. These people typically advocate for limited human interaction with other life, some even going as far as to never stepping off earth. Planetary Humanitarians tend to dislike Civilization Examiners.

Cybernaut

Cybernauts work with techspace (technology relating to space) engineers to test out products. These people are often pretty popular in the media sphere because, as I mentioned earlier, many engineers are inclined to sponsor them. Cybernauts can frequently be seen in AR Gaming hubs and Cyber parkour arenas (more about those in the tiktok linked to this post)

Cybernetic Designer

Cybernetic body parts are designed by these people. These parts are not designed to look realistic like the prosthetic parts we see today. Most designers specialize in a body part, the most popular one being the left arm. Cybernetic designers are not licensed in creating full body AI androids, but they can create parts for androids.

Android Engineer

Android Engineers obviously do have some sort of license to make androids, but there are different tiers to an android making license:

Limited 2D Design: Very similar to character ai or j.ai bots, these bots do not have a physical form and can only be spoken to through text. They may have voices or a 2D body.

AR Immersive Experience: Like love and deepspace but with AR, you can feel, hear, and taste the android only through AR goggles. Some android engineers make their own goggles to allow their customers to feel a more personalized experience with new features. Why is this a completely different tier from 2D design? There's more room for corruption both mentally and digitally (hacking). The AI that makes the bots act so human can make the bot become too sentient, which could make them want to break free from the simulation.

Small Non-Human Physical Design: Most people with this license make android pets. Dogs are obviously the most popular, but jelly fish and vampire squids are popular these days. This license requires more training than the AR experience degree because these androids exist in the physical world.

Non-Human Physical Design: Designers with this license are not always involved in the abstract or purely artistic sphere. Many make hyper realistic android animals to blend in with the environment to either monitor species development, observe other planet-life in a non-invasive way, or encourage certain behaviors in animals. Even if the creature is not considered large, designers who plan to enter this field of design must earn this license because of this job requires complex AI design and ultra realistic visuals.

Non-Interactive Human Design: Designers with this tier do not create androids with crazy complex AI models. These androids are often displayed in museums, and are no where near sentient enough to even speak outside of a few lines, if that.

Life-like Interactive Human Design: This is the highest tier. People with this license often advocate for equality amongst humans and androids. Anyone with this license should exercise caution when making their androids, as talented designers can make androids that are so indistinguishable from humans that they become acknowledged as civilians rather than 'product'. Reports against designers with these license are taken extremely seriously.

Civilization Examiners

I'm planning to have a DR with this job kekekeke. I'll tell y'all storytimes if I can get myself to focus on shifting instead of scripting 😞

There's two kinds of civilization examiners: public or non-public. Public examiners assist journalists and researchers after living for days, weeks, months, or even years on a different planet. They collect data like plants, animals, environmental samples, and most importantly, get as much information as possible about other civilizations. Civilization Examiners are required to be at least semi- decent artists because they need to be able to draw what they see. They are required to come back with information about the civilization's culture, religious customs, traditions, language, fashion, appearance, parenting style, government, and more importantly, alliance potential.

edit: I forgot to talk abt non-public examiners 😭 non-public examiners work for the government and are apart of the CIA. Public examiners research about alliance potential, but not nearly as intensely as gov examiners.

istg more shifters need to talk about their futuristic drs :(

[askagamedev]

On the topic of “what the player is doing”, what do you feel about so called walking simulators? How does the design of a game where the player is largely is moving from point a to b is defined?

Even in walking simulators, there's still the active element of moving around the environment and examining each item. The player retains agency in exploration games, even though there aren't too many other overt actions to take.

Consider a "walking simulator" like The Talos Principle. The actions that the player take include exploring environments, collecting puzzle pieces, avoiding obstacles, jamming obstacles, moving boxes, climbing boxes, using boxes to obstruct enemies, and that neat time recording feature. The Talos Principle primarily interweaves the exploration and narrative elements with puzzle solving.

Another "walking simulator" is The Stanley Parable. In it, there's really only exploring and interacting with the environment, but the presence of the narrator enables two major actions the player can take - obey or disobey the narrator and see the results. It is these decisions and actions that provide the engaging gameplay - the players get pulled in by seeing the results of their choices.

The important thing about the actions that the player chooses to undertake is that every action a player does must cause the game to react to that player's specific actions. Moving from point A to point B shows the player more of the world. Choosing to interact with a door means the door opens, revealing what was behind it. Allowing the player to jump should allow the player to reach places that would otherwise be unreachable without the jumping. The actions a player can take must be acknowledged and recognized by the game. This creates a sense of agency and ownership that places the player in the game world. The player experience changes from "Kratos pulled the head off of Helios" to "I pulled the head off of Helios". These active choices cause a sense of self-insertion that would otherwise not exist if everything just happened while the player passively watched the scene unfold.

[Join us on Discord] and/or [Support us on Patreon]

Got a burning question you want answered?

Short questions: Ask a Game Dev on Twitter

Long questions: Ask a Game Dev on Tumblr

Frequent Questions: The FAQ

[mindblowingscience]

The findings can shed light on an evolutionary adaptation that enabled the human brain to grow to modern-day sizes. “Humans evolved in equatorial Africa, where the sun is overhead for much of the day, year in and year out,” says Nina Jablonski, professor of anthropology at Penn State. “Here the scalp and top of the head receive far more constant levels of intense solar radiation as heat. “We wanted to understand how that affected the evolution of our hair. We found that tightly curled hair allowed humans to stay cool and actually conserve water.” The researchers used a thermal manikin—a human-shaped model that uses electric power to simulate body heat and allows scientists to study heat transfer between human skin and the environment—and human-hair wigs to examine how diverse hair textures affect heat gain from solar radiation.

Continue Reading

[the-bad-batch-baroness]

Where's Mommy?

Wolffe x Lilith Sestri (OFC)

Part 18

Summary: Wolffe's wife suddenly dies, leaving him a single father in the middle of a war.

Pairing: Wolffe x Lilith Sestri (OFC)

Characters: Wolffe

Tags & Warnings: heavy angst, mention of death, off-screen death, spousal death, grief, hurt/comfort, family fluff, funeral

Word Count: 1.5k

Author's Note: Gonna be honest with y'all, I wrote this chapter this morning before lunch, because the last two weeks have been hectic at work and I haven't had any time. There was an important executive meeting Wednesday and everyone of importance was there, and then there was me 😅 So, yeah, sorry if this isn't up to my usual standards. I'll probably edit it at some point. As always, please enjoy 💚

Beta: @/beating-a-dead-plot

Part 1 || Prev | Next

Series Masterlist

Wolffe strolled down the streets of Coruscant and followed the coordinates Fox gave him for the nanny service. He was hesitant about hiring a stranger to watch his daughter, but he was more hesitant about leaving her in the sole care of the Jedi in the Temple. Wolffe trusted Plo with his life and his men, but Plo wasn't going to be the one watching Cara, and that was the unsettling part. On the other hand, Fox did mention that he vetted the nanny service, so it seemed safe enough. But it still rolled around in the back of his head like a marble on glass.

Wolffe tilted his head back towards the sky and groaned. He enjoyed life better when he didn't have to make these types of decisions. He was bred to think more outside the box than the average clone, but that was when it came to battle strategies, not babysitting. He knew about war and how to fight one, so he knew how to make those proper decisions, even in a split second on the battlefield under heavy fire, he could make clear and concise choices. However, parenting didn't come with a manual, simulations, target practice, or anything else useful.

Wolffe's comm beeped when he reached the coordinates. He must have been deep in his thoughts to have kept walking and ended up at the location he was headed to without realizing it. Auto-pilot is what everyone called it, but Wolffe called it a death trap. Distractions like that could get him and his entire battalion killed and then Cara would have no one–she'd be a real orphan. The thought made Wolffe shiver. He was going on a simple rescue mission and he'd be right back when it was done. There was no need for him to think those thoughts.

Wolffe looked up at the bright pink and blue neon sign with lines that swirled into odd shapes reminiscent of Galactic Basic letters. He raised an eyebrow at the strange sign and tilted his head to the side to try and read it. Why couldn't people just make signs with normal letters? He squinted in a final effort to read the words, but he shook his head and walked through the door without knowing what it said. If he was at the wrong establishment, he'd turn around, but something about the decor in the lobby told him he was in the right place.

It was a cross between, what Wolffe would consider, a child's play area and a sterile medcenter examination room. It looked and smelled clean, like an exam room, but their decorations were vibrant and colorful, and there were children's toys everywhere. It looked like a controlled clutter and it made Wolffe feel uncomfortable–anxious. He grew up in a sterilized environment with soft white lights, where the only color he ever saw was the dull blue or red of the cadet uniforms. The amount of color in this room made him dizzy.

"Can I help you?" the woman behind the counter asked.

Wolffe snapped out of his daze and approached the counter. The receptionist seemed nice enough–middle-aged, with graying hair, and glasses that reflected the light from the screen she sat behind. "I need a…" he paused. The words felt foreign in his mouth and almost disgusting to say, and he didn't know why. "...a nanny."

The woman grabbed one of the data-pads out of the docking port and handed it to Wolffe. "Start with completing this form."

Wolffe took the data-pad and stared at the woman, waiting for more direction. "Where…"

"You can sit in one of the chairs over there," she said. She stood up and pointed to a row of chairs that lined the far wall.

Wolffe nodded and sat in one of the chairs. It was made of plastic and squeaked under his weight. Even the chairs made Wolffe uncomfortable. Everything about this place made him feel itchy and prickly under his skin. He rapidly tapped his foot on the floor and periodically reminded himself to stop. The clones didn't have nervous tics. Well, at least, clone commanders didn't have nervous tics, and he wasn't sure when he possibly picked one up, but he could guess it had something to do with Cara. He wouldn't even be in this room if it wasn't for her.

Wolffe took a deep breath and started filling out the form. It started with simple information. How many kids–easy, one. Name–also easy, Cara. Date of birth–oh, no. He knew the day Cara was born, didn't he? Wolffe tapped his foot harder. What kind of father was he if he couldn't remember his only child's birthday? Maker, he wished his wife could help him. Then a light bulb turned on. The recording of Cara's birthday had a time stamp. Luckily, he had a good memory, and he input the date and month, and with a little math, he added the year.

Wolffe continued to work on the form. Much of it was simple, but there were more difficult parts, mostly to do with him. It asked for his last name–he didn't have one. It asked for his identification number–he didn't have one. It asked for his occupation–what was he supposed to put? War? Clone? Commander? He decided to leave it blank and move on. It was a dumb question anyway. This was about Cara, not him. Everything else about Cara and his wife was easy to input. It did ask for allergy and pediatrician information, but he didn't have any of that.

Once he completed the form to his best abilities, he brought the data-pad back to the woman at the counter. She took it and started importing the data into their system while Wolffe stood and waited for her to finish.

The woman frowned. "This form is incomplete."

Maker, he just wanted to get out of here. "I put in what I could."

"Your last name?" she asked. She stared at him like he was stupid or something.

"I don't have one," he said. "I'm a clone."

"Hm," she huffed with surprise. "I didn't know clones could have children."

Wolffe huffed. "We're not exactly sterile."

The woman ignored the comment. "I'll just put 'clone' as your last name. It won't let me submit the form without it."

Wolffe sighed. "Whatever works."

"And your daughter is…" she began. "Cara Dalott?" She paused, looking confused. "Wait, as in the Dalott's? The aristocratic Dalott family on the upper level? That Dalott?"

Wolffe gritted his teeth. "Yes, that Dalott."

"I didn't know the Dalott's had a granddaughter," she said while scanning through the rest of the information.

Now, he was getting annoyed. "It wasn't advertised."

"Such a shame about their daughter, Maria, though," she said, not looking up from her screen. "She had so much potential. What a waste."

"Please," Wolffe said. "Don't talk to me about my dead wife."

The woman peered up at him from behind her glasses, then went back to looking at her screen. "There's still some mis–"

Wolffe flattened his palms against the counter and took a deep breath. "Listen, all I need is for someone to live in the Jedi Temple and take care of my daughter while I'm halfway across the galaxy fighting a war! Can you help me or not?"

The woman sighed and placed the data-pad down. "Mr. Wolffe, do you need a live-in, full-time, or part-time nanny?"

"Live-in," he said.

"Species preference?"

"Human."

"Gender preference?"

"Female."

"Age preference?"

"Don't care."

"And when do you need the nanny?"

"Tomorrow, before sunset."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "You just want everything, don't you?"

"Do you have someone or not?" he asked.

The woman pulled out her comm. "I might have one that fits your needs. I'll send her a message and see if she's available to start tomorrow, but no guarantees."

"Thank you," he said. "How much?"

"How long do you need her for?" she asked.

Wolffe shrugged. He could try to guess, but it wouldn't be accurate. "Maybe two or three months?"

"Rates for live-in nannies are 2,500 credits a month," she said. "You want to pay for two or three?"

Wolffe's jaw dropped. Where was he going to get that many credits before tomorrow? This was way more expensive than he thought it was going to be. He hadn't counted, but he probably only had about 500 credits to his name. He could ask around the battalion, but credits were sparse among the clones and to ask his men to fund a nanny for his daughter sounded dumb. He'd have to find another way–some way. Once deployed, he could scavenge up more credits for the next time he needed the nanny. He'd never drink again, but it was a small price.

"Two months, and if I'm gone longer, I'll have it transferred," Wolffe said.

"Perfect," she said, then gave the data-pad back to Wolffe with a stylus. "Sign at the bottom."

Wolffe signed the agreement and gave the data-pad and stylus back to the woman.

The woman's comm dinged and she read the message. "Good news, Mr. Wolffe. I have your nanny. She'll be here tomorrow morning. Your payment is due then."

"Thank you," Wolffe said, and he turned to leave. Now he only had one thing to focus on, where he was going to get 5,000 credits before the morning.

Part 1 || Prev | Next

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

AO3

Tag List:

@nahoney22 @sunshinesdaydream @padawancat97 @coraex @lickylickylicky @homemade-clones @523rdrebel @clonemedickix @moonwrecked @stunkbiggu @cdblake1565 @ladytano420 @moonlightwarriorqueen @anxiouspineapple99 @clonethirstingisreal @dreamie411 @trixie2023 @cw80831 @ca77m3anna @reader6898 @kimiheartblade @dukeoftheblackstar @arc-trooper-8008 @knightprincess @kell-of-storms @skellymom @grindeeloo @totallyunidentified @ladylucksrogue @tesahuy1629 @tanaka @gjrain20-starwars @nerd-ika @imabeautifulbutterfly @tallrock35 @ivanessame @msmeredithrose @griffedeloup @salaminus @roboticsuccubus83 @totally-not-your-babe @rinwritesfics @vithe-potato @haybellewrites @unicorngirl17 @notgonnaedit

Join my taglist HERE

Tip me a tea on Ko-fi HERE

[shmorp-mcdurgen]

The catalyst

Recovered Black Mesa documents from the experiment, #2 of ____

(Pg. 1)

Stage Two: Resonance Cascade Simulation (RCS)

Section 2: Resonance Cascade Simulation

The Resonance Cascade Simulation (RCS) is a revolutionary advancement in Black Mesa’s incident prevention/preparation technology, where a replica of multiple wings of Black Mesa’s main facility were constructed to give the appearance of the real facility. Here is where the rest of the test will take place, as soon as the simulated Resonance Cascade Catalyst is complete. We hope that this experiment will prepare us in case of a real Resonance Cascade event, and thus can potentially prevent one entirely. 

Dr. Freeman is to be put in the RCS as soon as the Catalyst is complete and he is sufficiently unconscious. It is crucial to place him under anesthesia to not cause alarm as he is moved from the real Black Mesa Facility into the replica. (REMINDER: it is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE that Freeman is to be unaware of the test taking place, as to make this simulation as accurate as possible. Failure to comply with this rule will result in career termination.) It is to be noted that despite the simulated AMS failure being in a controlled environment, there is room for error and potentially even injury in the case of Dr. Freeman being within the chamber as it happens. However we believe the HEV suit will be enough to protect him throughout the process.

To make the RCS even more realistic, we have contained multiple species from multiple expeditions to [CENSORED TEXT] within the testing facility. Though it is to be noted that certain species remain too great of a liability to keep within the same facility as the subject. We hope these specimens will help make the cross-dimensional-travel of anomalies more predictable in the case of a real Resonance Cascade event happening, and more importantly, teaching us how to deal with, and/or dispose of these specimens.

Notes: Freeman is a smart man. Hiding the true nature of this test is for his own good.

Conclusion of section:

Power AMS to 105% to begin simulated AMS failure scenario

Begin RCS

(Pg. 2)

INCIDENT LOG: #40

TIME OF INCIDENT: 10:24 AM, December 13th, 1998

CAUSE OF INCIDENT: Technical Malfunction

PERSON(S) INVOLVED IN INCIDENT: Gordon Freeman

INCIDENT TYPE: Workplace Injury/death

DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT:

At approximately 10:24 AM MST, a malfunction occurred involving the Anti Mass Spectrometer, where a stray beam struck Dr. Gordon Freeman between the lower Thoracic and Lumbar sections of his spinal cord. Due to this area being primarily the HEV’s visible undersuit rather than an armored section, it proved to not be enough to withstand the entirety of the shock. Freeman Suffered near instantaneous lower body paralysis, along with heart failure. Freeman also underwent convulsions, restricting his ability to remove himself from the situation. When the AMS had reached a state of stabilization, allowing personnel to enter the chamber, they found Freeman unresponsive aside from minor erratic muscle spasms. They found that his lower back was severely damaged, along with the HEV undersuit.

Damage to the HEV suit was minimal, though holes caused by the shock needed to be repaired. The protective cover over the Life Support Module was damaged, and unable to be reattached. However, the Life Support Module is still intact and functioning as expected. 

Freeman appears to be healing despite tremendous damage. The HEV suit took most of the hit, allowing Freeman to heal relatively without problem. Due to the HEV’s extraordinary biomatter repair technology, Freeman’s heartbeat has returned, along with stable brain activity and nervous system control, meaning he is no longer paralyzed. (It is to be noted that he awoke during examination, but was quickly put under anesthesia to prevent further pain, any potential alterations to the test results, and any further mental strain from the resurrection.) 

Planned initial Termination was going to be three (3) hours after the RCS had begun, however due to this horrible oversight from the engineers in the Lambda team, the first test had taken place prematurely. However, Freeman appears to have healed completely from this incident. This is promising.

FOLLOW UP ACTION(S):

Monitor possible HEV malfunctions

Monitor Freeman’s physical health and recovery from this incident

Resume test as initially planned without further delay.

[five-rivers]

like giving candy to a baby

Ghosts did not have obsessions in the way human ecto-scientists meant when they used the term.  They did, however, have patterns, ticks in behavior, impulses, habits, that were nigh impossible to break.  Carryovers from their lives, or, in many cases, their deaths, impressed upon their thought patterns.  Easy paths for them to follow.  

In Daniel’s case, the pattern was curiosity.  More specifically, the indulgence of it.  

To be sure, he had made himself into a tutelary, a protective spirit, and the more he followed that narrative, the more he would fit his chosen role.  But, like any other person, living or dead, that was not all he was.  

Curiosity was what had killed him.  Such an event would, naturally, either burn the feeling out of him altogether, or render any other, lesser deterrent meaningless.  

If one were to place Daniel, unsupervised, in a room with an interesting object, he would interact with it.  Examine it.  Touch it.  Smell it.  Taste it.  See if it turned on or off.  Not indiscriminately, mind, there were various variables involved, and it was true that thinking beings, when underestimated, tended to seek out simulation, however unpleasant.  One might also argue that the environment in which Daniel was raised made him less cognizant of certain risks.  

But it was also true that if the object in question looked remotely edible, it would wind up in Daniel's mouth long before hunger could be said to have any impact on his decision making.  

As such, Clockwork was very careful when it came to the items he left Daniel alone with.  

Over the ages Clockwork had spent as the Observants' solution to everything even remotely inconvenient, he had collected a vast array of cursed objects.  It was only right that he should bring them to bear against the latest problem they'd dumped in his lap.  On the whole, he thought a series of subtle curses was a much more elegant and ethical solution than assassination.  

Letting Daniel walk himself into curses was easy to the point Clockwork almost felt guilty about it.  

Almost.  

He knew Daniel did not want to become Dan, either, after all, or blunder into any of a number of other bad futures.  Needs must.  

.

Danny floated into Long Now, Clockwork’s lair.  He’d been visiting Clockwork regularly ever since the incident.  He wasn’t sure how that had really happened, but it had, and every time Clockwork seemed pleased to see him.  

It was a little strange, but Danny didn’t want to question it too deeply.  

“Ah, Daniel,” said Clockwork, warmly, switching from old man to infant, “I am in the middle of something, but if you can sit there for just a moment…”  He nodded to the sitting area.  

“Sure!” chirped Danny.  He really was just here to hang out.  Maybe take a nap.  Didn’t need to do anything in particular.  

He floated over to the couch and let himself drop.  He laid there for a few minutes, contemplating his place in the universe.  Introspection, however, was boring, and maybe he didn't want to sleep as much as he thought he did.  He sat up and looked around instead.  

Last time he was here, he'd had a good time checking out all of the statues Clockwork had in this room.  They were pretty cool.  

But today Danny's attention was arrested by the huge decorative hourglass sitting on Clockwork's coffee table. Ruby red sand floated slowly from the top lobe to the bottom one, twisting and swirling on their path down.  He stroked the silvery metal casing with one finger, liking the texture.  

It was pretty.  A conversation piece?  Danny couldn't think of any other reason Clockwork would have it out here.  He flipped it over and watched the sand run the other way for a while.  There was a lot more sand in one bulb than the other.  With how slowly the sand was falling and how big the hourglass was, it'd take forever even to get that little bit.  

He flipped the hourglass over again, wondering if the pattern the sand moved in would change at all, then shook it, testing the way gravity behaved on sand in all areas of the glass.  He flipped it again.  He wanted to see if it would do anything special when the sand ran out, but given the speed it was moving at, even that would probably take years.  

"So, Daniel, what have you been up to?"

Danny jumped, but turned to face Clockwork with a smile.  "Oh, you know."

"I do," said Clockwork, "but I'd like to hear it from you."

.

Clockwork carefully transferred the hourglass from the table to its case using telekinesis and being very careful not to tip it over.  Having gone through the trouble of getting Daniel attuned to it, he didn’t want to carelessly break that attunement.  

A few hundred years ago, the Observants had cracked down on tools one could use to reduce one’s age or extend one’s life, but the hourglass was easily the least obvious.  Clockwork estimated it would take Daniel nearly a year to notice that he was aging backwards.  

It wasn’t a complete solution, but if Daniel didn’t grow up, he wouldn’t grow up into that.  

.

Danny spun the top edge of… it looked a bit like an ancient rubix cube.  The metal squares had symbols instead of paint, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out the internal mechanism.  Then again, he didn’t know what the internal mechanism for a regular rubix cube was, either.  He should take one apart when he gets home.  It’d be fun.  

But it’d be even more fun if he could compare it to the mechanism in this one.  

The last row of symbols clicked into place, and all the sides were made of the same symbols.  Danny spent a few seconds admiring his work.  He’d never managed to solve one of these before.  

The cube fell apart.  Danny yelped, propelling himself over the back of the couch then peaking over the top of it.  It was just cubes.  Little dice.  No internal mechanism at all.  Huh.  

“Don’t worry,” said Clockwork, “it’s supposed to do that.”

Danny nodded and put himself on the couch again.  He prodded one of the dice, half worried that it would fall apart, too.  It didn’t.  It simply rolled over to a new symbol.  

His fingers felt… tingly.  He flexed his hands.  If Clockwork said it was supposed to be like that…

“How do I put it back together?”

.

Putting a limit on Daniel’s powers was a must.  If he wasn’t strong enough to destroy the world, then he couldn’t do it.  

The Box of Spes existed to seal ‘troubles.’  Pandora had made it long ago.  In this particular case, the troubles were Daniel’s powers, neatly bound with each piece he put back into place, the potential curtailed.

Most of them were powers Daniel hadn’t even touched yet, or that he had only used once, and Daniel was notoriously forgetful about his powers.  He would do just fine without the stranger, more dangerous ones.  

But if he did ever need to reach further, all Clockwork needed to do was open the box.  

.

Danny eyed the goblet Clockwork had put down…  Was it twenty minutes ago, now?  It was a pretty metal goblet.  Silvery black.  Fruit and chain designs sculpted into it.  Filled almost to the brim with purplish-red juice.  

Danny licked his lips.  He was… curious.  He’d never seen Clockwork eating or drinking anything before, and he wanted to know what it tasted like, what it was.  It smelled tasty.  Sweet.  

He wanted it, but he knew that drinking someone else’s drink was the absolute peak of rudeness, so he was not going to do that.  

He was also wondering what Clockwork was doing that was taking so long, but he’d learned better than to go looking for Clockwork after last time.  At least, he thought he had.  He definitely still wanted to know…  Just, he didn’t want to walk in on anything like that again…  That had just been weird.  

So.  He waited.  And waited some more.  And (inside his head only) wished he’d brought a book.  Or a rubix cube.  He’d taken one apart and solving them was a lot easier now…

Waiting.  More waiting.  

He really wanted to know what it tasted like.  

A tiny sip wouldn’t hurt.  

He slid over to the goblet and picked it up.  If it was wine he’d be so mad at himself.  Cautiously, he sipped at it.  

It wasn’t wine.  It tasted a lot like cranberry juice.  A little bitter, but also sweet.  It was nice.

He carefully put it back down on the table.  Because he definitely hadn’t done that.  Nope.  

…  But then, Danny had never been successful at keeping things from Clockwork.  

Actually, Clockwork probably already knew.  

Ugh.  Danny really had to work on his impulse control.  

.

Pomegranates were a traditional medium for curses in the Ghost Zone, but the addition of the Stygian Goblet would make the natural effects of them much worse.  Protective spirits were especially vulnerable to them.  They wanted them, on some level.  Wanted that security.  

Bindings.  Tethers.  Chains.  Like the ones that brought Persephone back to the underworld every winter.

For now, the one linking Daniel to Long Now was weak.  But Clockwork could make it stronger… or shorter… as needed.  Reel him in.  Keep him close.  Keep him out of the way.  Keep him safe.

And bring him in when Clockwork needed to add another layer to the curses.  

Yes.  It really was almost too easy to curse Daniel.  

But it was the way things were meant to be.  

[soviet-supersoldier]

Character Examination: Omega Red

Part 3: X-men (1991) #5

Alright, tackling part two of Omega Red’s introductory arc into Marvel Comics. X-men #5 has this awesome cover, which has actually been made into t-shirts that are now sold online and in other locations as well (I own one, I'm very happy with it).

I love this cover. Wolverine and Omega Red are both locked in battle, and the detail is incredible. You can see the cybernetics that are underneath Arkady’s hair here on the cover, something that used to be quite common to see in his earliest appearances. As the technology for his implants became more and more advanced (and likely smaller), I imagine that they became less noticeable as an in-universe reason for the detail of his skull cybernetics to be lost. Out of universe, cybernetics just seemed to lose their detail after the turn of the century (Lady Deathstrike was a victim of this loss of detail as well), and artists probably just didn't want to draw it anymore.

As this is before the bone claw retcon, you can also see the housing of what would have been Logan's claw implants inside his forearm. I always thought that was a neat detail, although with the retcon, the implant housing no longer makes sense.

So, the first part of issue #5 focuses on the X-men discovering the attack made by Omega Red and the Hand and the rescue that is made to retrieve everyone not named Wolverine. How exactly did he and Omega Red get away at the beginning of this issue? It's not shown nor properly explained how, but presumably, there was another vehicle that the X-men did not find when they were making their rescue that Omega Red and the Hand used to spirit Wolverine away.

While the X-men are regrouping, Wolverine and Omega Red speedily make the 8-hour flight (approximately, according to Google) to get from New York to Berlin (must have been one interesting plane ride. How did Arkady keep his powers/Carbonadium poisoning in check during the long flight? Used Logan?), where the next phase of Matsu'o's plan takes place. We jump into the middle of said plan, which is focused on wearing Logan down both physically and mentally so he won't be able to resist the mental probing they're doing to dig into his memories to find out what he remembers about what happened to the C-Synthesizer.

While they are fighting in the snow, it does seem that Arkady and Logan are fighting in a simulated room similar to the danger room rather than an actual snowy environment.

When reading the dialogue exchanged between Omega Red and Wolverine here, it does read rather weird with the knowledge of everything we know about their history now. They're speaking as if they know each other and their fighting styles well, saying things like "How very unlike you..." or, "You're as fast as you ever were..." This, along with snippets of dialogue in other parts here make me believe that there were originally plans to have had Wolverine and Omega Red fight at some other point in the past between Arkady’s debut here and the flashback to the Team X mission. But those plans (if that was the original plan anyway) ultimately never went anywhere, instead having the Team X mission being the one and only encounter Logan had with Arkady before the modern day. So, the dialogue reads a bit weirdly as a result. But hey, it's Omega Red’s debut, and his character is in the earliest stages of being fleshed out. Even today, so much of his story is wrapped up in mystery. I can forgive the writers for having little direction to start out with here. Every character has to start somewhere, even if it's "generic bad-guy of the week #1."

The fight between Logan and Arkady continues, and we are shown that it is being observed by Matsu'o and his crew. They note that the fight has been going on for the past 18 hours or so and they all talk about how remarkable Arkady’s stamina is. He's still going, and it's likely that he could have kept going for quite a while even after this, as he's not shown to be tired at all, while Logan is completely spent. That's probably due to Omega Red stealing energy from Logan as they fought, making Logan weaker faster while he remained strong.

Omega Red is also shown to be indulging himself a little here, as he's laughing as he's pretty much gutting Logan. As the first time that he's been able to work out in 30-ish years, Arkady probably enjoyed getting a chance to cut loose a bit and get some exercise (we'll see a bit more of his thoughts on the exercise a bit later in the issue, so I'll discuss this part more there), and this was both a performance run and a method to really tire out Logan more than anything else. I do also want to point out that there's a bit of "karmic justice" Arkady ends up facing years later in X-Lives of Wolverine #4, which seems to mirror this moment where Omega Red guts Logan:

Here, Arkady is actually possessing Logan's body and feels his guts get ripped out by Sabretooth in a moment that parallels X-men #5. He's quite literally placed in Logan's shoes even for just a moment. So, this moment in X-men #5 does seem to get at least artisticly referenced nearly three decades later, which is a detail I'm not sure people caught when they read X-Lives.

The last thing I will note on this page of issue #5 before I move on is how Omega Red immediately obeys orders when he's asked to. He doesn't continue to beat on Logan, but stops the exercise when he's told to. This really shows his military training and how it's ingrained in him to obey commands. He's a soldier first and foremost, his desires are secondary.

The process that the Matsu'o and crew are using on Logan seems to be working, as Logan's fight with Omega Red is starting to jar things loose in his memory. The most interesting thing of note is of this image we see on this page:

This is presumably a part of a collection of information Team X acquired about Omega Red’s weaponization project, and it includes a photo of Arkady in his Red Army uniform. I believe this is one of only two photos we have of Arkady as an adult before he was weaponized. The yellow colorization of the flashback always made me think that Arkady had normal skin prior to his weaponization, but we now know that he is in fact naturally albino and would have looked this pale regardless of the color of the flashback.

So Omega Red appears on this page but says nothing with regards to the conversation we hear the villains discussing. We never do learn what Arkady thinks of Matsu'o, Fenris or the others, but given that Fenris are Nazis and Omega Red is a Soviet, I doubt he has any love for being under these people's control, given what happened in World War II. After this arc, Omega Red is not shown to be associated with Fenris, staying entirety with Matsu'o. And while that has a lot to do with Matsu'o being the one who bankrolled Arkady’s return, I imagine that there were things that happened behind the scenes that forced Matsu'o to break off with them. At the moment here, Arkady does seem to be tolerating them enough to get what he needs to live. Keep in mind, Arkady was sold to these people for an undisclosed amount back in X-men #2, and he does have very strong motivation to keep working with these people regardless of personal preference. He needs to have a cure, and their treatments (whatever they are) are the only things that have been stabilizing him this far. He's not in a very good position to complain, since these people were the only ones who were willing to fix him. Use and discard when you have what you want from them and move on.

So, after a lot of action, we finally get some real pieces of introspective dialogue here from Arkady. You can tell, based on what he is telling Logan here, that he is very angry about what Logan’s actions did to him. "Let him try to sleep, if there is sleep for one whose dreams are places of darkness and despair," he says. While this could have been a reference to his own struggles, his next line of dialogue suggests this is more about his desire for Logan to be experiencing these sort of restless nights: "At least, they are if there is any justice in this world."

Arkady wants to see Logan punished. He's suffered at the hands of his Soviet handlers, experiencing many things that we are still to this day not fully aware of. He was thrown into cyrogenic stasis, and he tells Logan here that it was an experience similar to the drug-induced state that he's currently in. "Oblivion," he calls it.

One thing that often gets overlooked when people think about Omega Red is the time jump he experienced. 30 years is a long time, and a lot can and does change. Advances in technology. Culture. How world politics change. Arkady woke up to a world so unlike the one he left. The Soviet Union he was born and raised in was gone. We never are shown what his initial experience was like trying to adjust to all the change, but my guess is, based on his habits and what we know of them, Arkady presented a cold exterior that showed he wasn't affected by all the confusing, frustrating changes that he had to suddenly adapt to. But inside would have been turmoil. He would have been grieving his losses on some level but unable to openly express it, to express any sort of weakness whatsoever with regards to suddenly waking up in the future as the property of a bunch of rich foreigners. They wanted a weapon, not a man, and he had been trained to act as such. Once again, his personal preferences had to be cast aside for bigger goals.

So Maverick interferes here and allows Wolverine to make his escape. I do find it rather funny that Arkady calls Logan an "old friend," here. Buddy, you met and interacted with the guy once for maybe 4 hours 30 years ago. You got attached pretty quickly. It's probably just a turn of expression rather than anything with real meaning (and lends more credence to the idea that more of a past was originally planned between Logan and Arkady), and most likely used ironically here in light of what we known now about their connected past.

Logan gains some real speed despite his condition and runs away with his canister of goodies, all while Arkady is demanding a fight. It becomes more clear that Arkady is angry and frustrated on the next page, while Logan is quite busy stumbling around trying to stay on his own two feet. All the while, he's having flashbacks, no doubt due to all the memory treatments he's getting here:

So here we get to hear Arkady’s real thoughts about those exercises he had to perform. He's eager to start again, this time, "Without the drugs, without the watchful eyes." Based on what he's saying, he is frustrated and angry about not being able to do more to hurt Logan. He knew the whole fight in the snowy simulation was a sham, a performance run. He wasn't allowed to really hurt Logan, not in the way he really wanted. He had to hold himself in check in the whole course of that fight to please his new handlers, giving them what they wanted to see rather than showing fully what he was capable of. Once again, this shows his soldier tendencies and training. Arkady knows what the expectations are. He knows that he was bought by these people and they want their money's worth. Otherwise, he won't get the treatment he needs. So he has to perform to their standards, be their little dancing monkey. This is made all the more clear by Matsu'o's dialogue to Omega Red when he unleashes his frustrated outburst on the man after Logan escapes. Arkady owes Matsu'o everything right now, and he is the one offering him the cure he needs to live. If Arkady wants it, he has to put up with whatever he's told to.

So, the comic ends with Maverick getting a full reveal and rescuing Wolverine while the X-men break into Matsu'o's headquarters (and some wasted pages on Mojo stuff, but none of that matters for anything we care about here). It all sets up things for the next issue of the arc where we will learn even more of Team X's background and what role they played in the loss of the C-Synthesizer.

[sweethoneyrose83]

Writing prompts based on Entomophobia (the fear of insects):

Invasion: A person with severe entomophobia moves into a seemingly perfect new house, but over time, they start noticing strange behavior from insects—beetles creeping out from the walls, spiders weaving webs in impossible places, and centipedes appearing in their bed. As the infestations grow, they begin to suspect the insects are more than just pests—they’re trying to communicate.

The Hive Mind: After an experimental drug meant to cure entomophobia backfires, the protagonist begins to hear the thoughts of insects around them. At first, it's faint whispers, but soon the chorus of bugs becomes overwhelming, especially as they start demanding the protagonist fulfill their wishes. They must figure out a way to stop this mental link before the insects drive them mad.

The Bug-Eyed Stranger: In a small, bug-infested town, the entomophobic protagonist meets a mysterious stranger who claims to be an exterminator. But there’s something unnerving about this exterminator—they never seem to kill any bugs, only move them to hidden places. When the protagonist uncovers a dark secret involving the exterminator and the town’s obsession with insects, they must confront their fear or become the next victim.

The Burrowers: After returning from a camping trip, the protagonist feels something moving beneath their skin. Their entomophobia spirals as doctors dismiss their concerns, and they become convinced that an unseen insect species has laid eggs inside them. Paranoia takes over as they begin to take extreme measures to rid themselves of the invasive presence.

The Butterfly Effect: A reclusive entomologist with entomophobia receives a rare butterfly specimen for study. As they examine the insect, they start having vivid nightmares where they are surrounded by swarms of butterflies. Each dream feels more real than the last until they begin waking up with butterfly wings growing from their own body.

Insect Haunting: The protagonist inherits an old house from a distant relative who passed away under mysterious circumstances. The house is overrun with insects, but it’s not a normal infestation—these bugs behave strangely, almost as if they are guarding something. As the protagonist’s entomophobia intensifies, they uncover the chilling history of the house and its previous owner’s sinister experiments with insect spirits.

The Infested App: A new VR game goes viral, allowing players to explore hyper-realistic insect-filled environments. The protagonist, terrified of bugs, is challenged by friends to try the game, and they reluctantly agree. But as they play, the line between the virtual world and reality blurs. Soon, they start seeing swarms of insects in real life, crawling on their skin and walls, even when they aren’t wearing the VR headset.

Entomophobia Therapy Gone Wrong: A groundbreaking new therapy claims to cure entomophobia by gradually exposing patients to virtual bugs. The protagonist signs up, hoping to overcome their fear, but something goes terribly wrong with the simulation. The virtual insects start to invade the real world, following the protagonist wherever they go, multiplying faster than anyone can explain.

The Cicada’s Return: Every 17 years, a small town experiences an overwhelming swarm of cicadas. The protagonist has an extreme fear of insects and dreads the event. But this time, the cicadas seem different. They’re not just swarming—they’re targeting specific people in town. As the protagonist’s terror escalates, they uncover a bizarre link between the insects and a long-buried town secret.

Eyes in the Dark: The protagonist begins seeing glowing insect-like eyes in the darkness of their home at night. At first, they think they are imagining things, but then they start hearing buzzing sounds, clicking legs, and skittering movements from unseen creatures. Their entomophobia escalates as they struggle to prove that these insects aren’t just in their mind but something far worse.

[shamandrummer]

Archaeoacoustics: The Archaeology of Sound

Archaeoacoustics, a burgeoning field within archaeology, combines the study of ancient sites and artifacts with the science of sound. By examining how sound was used and experienced in historical contexts, researchers can gain unique insights into the lives, cultures, and environments of ancient peoples. This post will delve into the principles of archaeoacoustics, its methodologies, significant findings, and the implications of these discoveries for our understanding of history.

What is Archaeoacoustics?

Archaeoacoustics is the interdisciplinary study that merges archaeology, acoustics, and sometimes anthropology, to understand the role of sound in past human activities. This field investigates how ancient peoples produced, manipulated, and perceived sound, whether in rituals, communication, or daily life. By reconstructing these soundscapes, archaeoacoustics offers a sensory dimension to historical inquiry, enriching our interpretation of archaeological sites and artifacts.

Methodologies in Archaeoacoustics

Acoustic Measurements and Simulations

One of the primary methods in archaeoacoustics involves acoustic measurements and simulations. Researchers use modern technology to analyze the acoustics of ancient structures such as theaters, temples, and caves. Tools like sound level meters, directional microphones, and computer simulations help in understanding how sound behaves in these environments. By measuring reverberation times, frequency responses, and sound distribution, archaeologists can infer the acoustic properties and possible uses of these spaces.

Sound Mapping

Sound mapping is another critical technique, where the distribution of sound within a particular area is documented. This involves creating detailed maps that illustrate how sound travels and is experienced at different locations within a site. These maps can reveal areas of optimal acoustics that may have been used for specific activities, such as speech, music, or ritual practices.

Experimental Archaeology

Experimental archaeology also plays a role in archaeoacoustics. By recreating ancient instruments or sound-producing devices, researchers can explore how these tools might have been used and what kind of sounds they produced. This hands-on approach provides tangible insights into the auditory experiences of ancient peoples.

Significant Discoveries in Archaeoacoustics

The Acoustics of Stonehenge

One of the most fascinating studies in archaeoacoustics involves Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in England. Researchers have used acoustic modeling to understand how sound would have behaved within this stone circle. Findings suggest that the stones could have amplified speech and musical sounds, creating an immersive auditory experience. This has led to speculation that Stonehenge may have been used for rituals or gatherings where sound played a crucial role.

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni

The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni in Malta, an underground temple complex, is another site of interest. Acoustic studies have shown that certain chambers within the Hypogeum have unique resonance frequencies that enhance the human voice. This has led researchers to believe that the temple may have been designed with acoustic properties in mind, possibly for chanting or other vocal rituals.

Chavin de Huantar

At the ancient site of Chavin de Huantar in Peru, archaeoacoustics has revealed that the temple complex was built with sophisticated sound manipulation in mind. Researchers discovered that the architecture of the site, including its network of tunnels and chambers, could have been used to create disorienting and awe-inspiring auditory effects during religious ceremonies. The use of conch shell trumpets and other sound devices would have added to these effects, enhancing the spiritual and psychological impact on participants.

The Maya Pyramid of Kukulkan

At the Maya ceremonial center of Chichen Itza in Mexico, an incredible acoustic phenomenon can be heard at the Pyramid of Kukulkan. If you clap your hands directly in front of the pyramid's main staircase, it echoes back an almost mechanical bird-like chirping sound. Handclaps from different positions along the base of the staircase likewise trigger the echo, but with different musical tones spanning half an octave. Recordings of the hand-clap echoes match the chirp of the nearly extinct Quetzal, the sacred bird associated with both the name of the pyramid and its plumed serpent deity Kukulkan.

The Maya Ruins of Palenque

Archaeologists discovered that the temples and public squares in Palenque, Mexico could clearly project the sounds of a human speaker and musical instruments of the time across at least a hundred meters, or about the length of a football field. The investigation identified rooms that could have been used by musicians, speakers or priests to amplify the frequency, quality and volume of sound, allowing the music or the message to travel further and reach more people. The findings strongly suggest the design and structures at Palenque involved a great deal of knowledge about acoustics and the behavior of sound.

Implications and Insights

Understanding Rituals and Ceremonies

Archaeoacoustics provides valuable insights into the rituals and ceremonies of ancient cultures. By reconstructing the soundscapes of these events, researchers can better understand the sensory experiences of participants and the role of sound in these practices. This can shed light on the spiritual and cultural significance of sound in ancient societies.

Reinterpreting Archaeological Sites

The study of sound can lead to new interpretations of archaeological sites. Structures that were previously thought to serve purely functional purposes may be re-evaluated in light of their acoustic properties. For example, a room that was assumed to be a storage area might be reconsidered as a space for ritual chanting if it has unique acoustic characteristics.

Enhancing Public Engagement

Archaeoacoustics also has the potential to enhance public engagement with archaeology. By recreating the sounds of the past, museums and heritage sites can offer immersive experiences that bring history to life. This sensory approach can make historical sites more accessible and engaging for visitors, fostering a deeper connection with the past.

Conclusion

Archaeoacoustics offers a fascinating and innovative approach to the study of ancient cultures. By exploring the acoustic properties of archaeological sites and artifacts, researchers can uncover new dimensions of historical experience and gain deeper insights into the lives of ancient peoples. Despite its challenges, the field holds great promise for enhancing our understanding of the past and engaging the public with history in new and exciting ways. As technology advances and interdisciplinary collaboration continues, the future of archaeoacoustics looks both promising and intriguing, inviting us to listen to the echoes of history in ever more profound ways.

[gaphic]

i think procedural environment generation is a self-evidently good tool for game design that just suffers from implementation. like, i don't think there's any reason a convincing, interesting planet can't be procedurally generated. the earth was procedurally generated by an algorithm called physics!

i think the trick lies in using procedural generation for placement and simulation but not design. cause like, procedurally generated plate tectonics, climate zones, and weather systems strike me as a no-brainer. want to populate your planet with humans? have the map generate pins in areas that meet basic requirements for human habitation, like survivable temperatures and access to fresh water, and have human designers examine those pins as a jumping-off point for populations

same for flora and fauna in general. humans should be designing all your keystone species! obviously! then feed a data sheet of their survival requirements and physical traits into a calculator to check if that makes a functional ecosystem. maybe you could even have a protocol for generating variations on human-designed species to fluff up the numbers so players don't notice there's only 3 kinds of spider or whatever

i'm keenly aware that coding these algorithms alone would probably take longer than the entire development of starfield, nevermind all the layers of human review and intervention to use them, but the potential still excites me

[mayimkjs]

MILGRAM's Basis In Real Life

I'm eventually going to add to this. I'm not going to include all of the Japanese specific things. I'll probably make another post about that.

Taken from the FOOL's MATE research doc

Namesake

The name comes from the Milgram Shock Experiment, although Yamanaka likens the series to the Stanford Prison Experiment. However, the question of what the Milgram Experiment was trying to prove is what the series is based on. 

Overall, MILGRAM is based on multiple things and has many connections to real life events and concepts.

The Milgram Shock Experiment (MSE)

About

This was a series of social psychology experiments were conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram starting on August 7, 1961. He intended to measure the willingness of participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience. Participants were led to believe that they were assisting an unrelated experiment, in which they had to administer electric shocks to a "learner". These sham or fake electric shocks gradually increased to levels that would have been fatal had they been real. Each participant was paid $4 ($39 in 2022) an hour.

Structure

Three individuals took part in each session of the experiment:

The "experimenter", who was in charge of the session. With MILGRAM, this could be seen as Jackalope.

The "teacher", a volunteer for a single session. The "teachers" were led to believe that they were merely assisting, whereas they were actually the subjects of the experiment. With MILGRAM, this could be seen as the audience and Es.

The "learner", an actor and confederate of the experimenter, who pretended to be a volunteer. With MILGRAM, this could be seen as the prisoners. 

Results

The results of this where that the subjects were uncomfortable administering the shocks and displayed varying degrees of tension and stress. These included sweating, trembling, stuttering, biting their lips, groaning, and digging their fingernails into their skin. Some were even having nervous laughing fits or even seizures. 14 of the 40 subjects showed definite signs of nervous laughing or smiling. Every participant paused the experiment at least once to question it. Most continued after being assured by the experimenter. Some said they would refund the money they were paid for participating. The percentage of participants who were prepared to inflict fatal voltages ranged from 28% to 91% amongst the initial and follow up tests performed by several psychologists.

The Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE)

About

This was a psychological experiment conducted in August 1971. It was a two-week simulation of a prison environment that examined the effects of situational variables on participants' reactions and behaviors. It was led by Stanford University psychology professor Philip Zimbardo. Participants were recruited with an ad in the newspapers offering $15 per day ($108 in 2022) to male students who wanted to participate in a "psychological study of prison life". Volunteers were chosen after assessments of psychological stability and then randomly assigned to being prisoners or prison guards. 

Structure

The guards were given uniforms to de-individuate them and they were instructed to prevent prisoners from escaping. The experiment officially started when prisoners were arrested by the real Palo Alto police. Over the following five days, psychological abuse of the prisoners by the guards became increasingly brutal. After psychologist Christina Maslach visited to evaluate the conditions, she was upset to see how study participants were behaving. Zimbardo ended the experiment on the sixth day. Overall, the experiment has been deemed unethical and prompted American universities to improve their ethical requirements and institutional review for human subject experiments in order to prevent similar results.

Result

The primary reason for the experiment was to focus on the power of roles, rules, symbols, group identity and situational validation of behavior that generally would repulse ordinary individuals. The study was funded by the US Office of Naval Research to understand anti-social behaviour. Conclusions drawn by the experimenters were largely subjective and anecdotal. The experiment is practically impossible for other researchers to accurately reproduce.

The result of the SPE was similar to the MSE. 

The BBC Prison Study (BPS)

Psychologists Alex Haslam and Steve Reicher conducted the BBC Prison Study in 2002 to examine Zimbardo's themes of tyranny and resistance and they published the results in 2006. This was advertised their study as a university-backed social science experiment to be shown on TV, hence why the BBC was involved. Guards were not instructed on how to behave, only to figure out how to manage a prison. Those selected as prisoners were instructed to daily complete a questionnaire. Both prisoners and guards in this study wore microphones on their shirts, and cameras followed all participants' actions.

Similarities MILGRAM has with the MSE, the SPE and the BPS

MSE

Measured the willingness of participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts conflicting with their personal conscience.

3 parties. Experimenter (Jackalope), teacher (Es) and the leaner (prisoners).

SPE

Guards were instructed to refer to prisoners by number rather then by name.

Prisoners have 0 control.

Guilty and Innocent prisoners are treated differently

BPS

Guards were not instructed on how to behave. Jackalope essentially said to do whatever you want.

Prisoners were instructed to daily complete a questionnaire. This could be the inspiration for the interrogatio cards. 

Prisoners and guards in this study wore microphones on their shirts. The prisoners in MILGRAM are always being listened to through the timeline. 

Other Concepts that are Touched Upon

Cognitive Dissonance

This is the perception of contradictory information and the mental toll of it. Relevant items of information include someone’s actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values and things in the environment. Cognitive dissonance is typically experienced as psychological stress when persons participate in an action that goes against one or more of those things. According to this theory, when an action or idea is psychologically inconsistent with the other, people do all in their power to change either so they become consistent. The discomfort is triggered by the person's belief clashing with new information perceived. The individual then tries to find a way to resolve the contradiction to reduce their discomfort. 

The most relevant example of this being used in MILGRAM, in my opinion, is Kayano Mikoto’s current actions and thoughts, especially in the first trial. But the main example of this being used is the voting system.

Contemporary Crisis

This refers to a sense of crisis or danger that is relevant to modern times or contemporary society. It suggests that the crisis being discussed is not just a historical or abstract issue, but something that is pressing and urgent in the present. 

This is mainly used with Fuuta. 

Real-World Debates

Most of the prisoners stories are attached to real-world debates. 

Haruka & Mikoto: Mental Health/Disabilities

Yuno: Abortion

Fuuta: Cancel Culture

Shidou: Brain Death

Kazui: LGBTQ+ Issues

Amane: Religion and Cults

Religion

This is used similarly to cognitive dissonance but it’s more in your face. This is littered throughout the story. Each prisoner has their own religious beliefs.

Amane’s story is based on her being in a cult. 

Kotoko's second voice drama is called “YONAH”. This is the English transliteration of the Hebrew name Jonah. Jonah and Kotoko have similar stories. 

Dante’s Inferno in referenced on all of the T2 album arts. 

Fuuta’s T2 VD being called “Baptism by Fire”.

And more

People’s Perception of “Forgiveness”

The basic perception  of forgiveness is validation. To forgive someone means to accept them and their actions. However, each prisoner views forgiveness differently. Some in more complex ways then others. 

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for refusing to let someone leave their place of “birth”?

For context, I (??M) am the conductor of a train created to help its passengers work through their problems. Not exactly a conventional train, but it has cars and passengers nonetheless. Essentially using the technology of the train, we can examine all our passengers’ problems and assign them numbers representing their problems (be it anxiety, sadness, etc.). When that number reaches zero, they’re allowed to depart! Statistically more passengers have fallen off the train and died alone though.

Anyways, each car of the train has a simulated environment contains several denizens that can help out the passengers. One of the denizens (13F) decided that they didn’t want to do their job and wanted to leave the train (where they were created). However, in order to leave the train, you need a number, which she didn’t have. So she tried everything to get one, even going all the way to the part of the train where numbers are assigned, and attempting to steal one from another passenger.

When it dawned on her that she couldn’t get a number, she got so mad she destroyed several of the robots in the car. She personally asked me to give her a number, which I didn’t do because she was supposed to help passengers, and she was doing her job so well! After the passenger she helped get off (15M) boarded the train again (as well as another denizen intended to be a police officer came in and tried to harm her), she used a loophole by reflecting her passenger’s number onto her hand, and fixing her passenger’s problem too! The policeman was vaporized somewhere in between her leaving and that loophole situation.

I’m a bit unsure if I could’ve taken this situation better. AITA?

(Also sorry if this is out of character or too long or something)