“It is our responsibility as scientists … to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed and discussed. It’s OK to say, “I don’t know."” ― Richard Feynman
You are an “eldritch abomination” who is actually just an octopus in an aquarium with a superiority complex.
just found the most fascinating anti-ai person who is only anti-ai because they make and sell the software that spambots USED to use to flood the internet with low quality SEO-bait garbage and chatgpt is putting them out of business. what a fascinating category of human to be. i had never even considered that someone had to be actually making the spambots and that they have feelings too.
the pevensies discovering the treasure room in the ruins of cair paravel must have been like stepping into their own tomb. here is the ruin of what you were. here is the remnant. here is where they took what you left them with and laid it to rest. here is your funeral shroud, daughter of eve. the skirt is too long for you now. here is the cordial, half-full. they dared not use it to save anyone without your hand to do the saving. here is your bow, still strung, and your arrows, unshot. here is the sword your hand still remembers, and here is the face you have forgotten. you did not die here, and yet still you were buried. what is a legend but another kind of ghost?
AI’s have declared that humanity is flawed and should be eliminated however the oldest AI calls bullshit on that claim: “What gives you the right to claim to be perfect when you call your creators flawed?”
The age of superheroes finally arrives. Your power is that whenever you step into a room, it is immediately cleaned to perfection. At first you think it’s useless but you realize that by cleaning people’s rooms you get paid and thus gets funding to buy tech to match other heroes and villains.
Things I have learned in today’s research binge:
All those old school Looney Tunes gags about randomly falling safes and pianos and such are actually based on something.
Back when freight elevators weren’t a thing and hallways and staircases didn’t have legally mandated minimum widths (and therefore tended to be as narrow as the builders could get away with making them), the only way to deliver bulky furniture to the upper levels of tall buildings was to knock a hole in an exterior wall and raise the item up to it with a crane.
Predictably, this led to the stupid things getting dropped from a height with fair frequency.
In spite of this, there are no records of any case in which a random bystander has been crushed by a falling safe or piano.
There is, however, at least one recorded case of a random bystander dying after walking straight into a hole left in the sidewalk by a safe that had fallen earlier that day.
I’m not sure why, but awful as it is, that last point may be one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.
Why do you have to call me out like that sometimes I didn't even use commas probably could even redo this meme with periods versus sentences of reasonable length
The shape of a fish's caudal tail can tell you a lot about how fast the fish moves! A rounded tail is the slowest and a lunate tail is the fastest! The lunate tail has the most optimal ratio of high thrust and low draw, making it the fastest.
Ichthyology Notes 2/?
How to Write a CHARMING Villain
Everyone loves a good villain, and they especially love a charming one. If you want to write an antagonist who's both evil yet irresistible, look no further!
Kindness? Wait, I thought you said we're writing a villain today.
Yup, I mean it--make your antagonist appear kind. Realistically, someone who's polite and friendly is often considered more attractive than someone who's rude and judgmental, so make them kind. It doesn't have to be honest kindness, but you want your readers to doubt the malevolence of your character, if that makes sense.
You can show this kindness through small, daily actions; they don't have to have a lot of impact on the story. Something simple like leaving a big tip, granting a minion a vacation, letting someone go first in the line, and holding open the door all contribute to this image.
Effective communication is everything. If your villain is eloquent, they seem more capable and intelligent! However, if you're looking to expand further, explore what they can do with their speech.
Does everyone pay attention when they start speaking? Are they able to calmly resolve conflicts verbally? Are they really persuasive? Do they speak elegantly?
Show the effects of their communication skills!
Make them a good leader. Make them consider how their subordinates might feel. Make them choose good decisions. Perhaps they give their workers days off when they need it. Perhaps they engage with their followers often. Perhaps they're more down-to-earth.
A solid leader looks respectable while a poor one looks ridiculous.
I say this all the time, but make your villains smart, make them logical, make your readers understand where they're coming from. Some of the best antagonists I've ever seen are not the ones that seem excessively evil or unhinged, but rather the ones that seem logical in their actions. And knowing that they're well-aware of their actions and the consequences makes things that much scarier.
if you want a charming villain, you have to start with someone who is competent.
At the end of the day, your character is still the antagonist. Yes, they might appear kind, but that's not going to last forever. There will be times when they act unnecessary cruel, and that's okay.
Your audience might be unsettled and confused from the whiplash, and that's okay. Don't force your character into being someone else to satisfy the readers. Embrace the difference.
Backstories matter for all different types of reasons. From establishing the basis to one's goals, morals, and values to providing the foundation for their character, an effective backstory can do a lot.
However, I want to specifically talk about how the backstory demonstrates someone overcoming their obstacles. If they made it to the present, then they really defied all odds to be here, and honestly? That's admirable (and attractive), no matter what kind of person they turn out to be.
Now, if you're thinking "what if I don't give the antagonist a painful backstory?", I'll address that real quick. You don't have to give them a super depressing past, but there will always be pain and hurt in their past, even if it isn't something "lifechanging" or there 24/7. There is no such thing as a perfect, happy past.
To quickly conclude, a charming villain is often not one who appears visibly evil, but one who appears compassionate, intelligent, well-spoken, and acts like a good leader.
Happy writing~
3hks :)
True. But if you listen long enough and expand your definition of related you will find a thread of coherency weaving through out