#and Charles Darwin apparently

[absurdumsid]

IM CRYING NO- GO EEP- FJDJDHDHDHR IM SORRY-

its ok its actually very fun reading abt the history of evolution

#sid answers #like did you know it isnt linear homo habilis -> homo erectus -> homo sapien #<- its apparently more like a tree where it branched off from this one primate ancestor to different species but in the end (well present #+ time.) only homo sapiens (us) survived #and theres more than just charles darwin who worked on this. like theres ppl from way before that guy #<- for some reason he keeps getting all the credit though #like i bet u didnt know there was a guy named richard owen who classified six mechanisms of evolution in the 1800s #<- its mutstion. non-random mating. gene flow. finite population size. and natural selection by the way

[spineconsumer]

The marine iguanas r only found on Galapagos island n live in coastal colonies of 20 - 500 animals. They survive pretty much on algae and seaweed which they scrape off rocks with their sharp teeth. Also they're grey to absorb sunlight better :)

#charles darwin called them ugly apparently which is actually so mean. #lizard posting #i love them.....

[alchemicaladarna]

What I love about qbbh lore and I guess immortals in media so much is you can craft whatever story you want with these characters and have them literally meet any historical figure and it would still fit because the character has lived long enough to meet them.

QBad can say he met Charles Darwin and it would be like a HUH moment but you can't really say otherwise. Oh he was apparently friends with Einstein?? Pretty cool and hilarious tbh. Yeah he was roommates/besties with Marie Antoinette until they assassinated the French royalty, and you just know she greeted him like, "salut bebou" and it would be the French 18th century version of "hey bitchh"

Literally pick any historical figure and you can say they were either qBad's friend/acquaintance/lover/enemy/frenemy/roommate/random person he had dinner with, and it would still make sense.

He's absolutely insane for that, actually.

Like- the past two streams have been filled with so many references, I hope someone is keeping track of them XD

#qsmp #qsmp bbh #badboyhalo

[imaveryevilenby]

okay i was just curious but now i'm becoming increasingly convinced giraffes are proof god doesn't exist

let me explain

okay one of the more well known facts is that the laryngeal nerve in a giraffe is OVER 5 METERS FUCKING LONG and goes from it's larynx DOWN IT'S ENTIRE NECK, UNDER AN ARTERY, AND BACK UP THE SPINAL COLUMN TO THE BRAIN.

WHAT IS THIS

evolution is a fucking scam

also apparently their skin is can get up to 20mm thick, which is thin compared to tougher skinned animals like elephants and rhinos, which kinda concerns me as WHAT FUCKING DEFENSE MECHANISMS DOES THIS HAVE IT LOOKS LIKE IT CAN BLOW OVER IN A BREEZE

BUT NO. NO. THIS FUCKING BEASTE CAN MOVE

it somehow has a sprint speed of up to 37 mph, and can sustain a speed of 31 mph

lions, their main threat, run only in short bursts, and apparently, on average, that short sprint is ALSO 37 MPH (of course there's faster ones but what the fuck giraffes), so if a tall ass giraffe sees a lion from up there, ZOOM IT'S GONE I GUESS

but like okay calves are slow, what does a giraffe do to protect their young? well. apparently. they have very powerful kicks with their fucking toothpick legs

here look at this motherfucker barreling through

their circulatory system is messed up too i'm going insane

their heart weighs 25lbs and cause they're so god damn big they need to maintain twice the fucking blood pressure of a human. that shit is PRESSURIZED it can DEFY GRAVITY essentially

IT'S SO GOD DAMN TALL THAT IT HAS SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS TO PREVENT IT FROM FUCKING FEINTING JUST BY RAISING OR LOWERING ITS HEAD AS THE BLOOD RISHES TO ITS HEAD AS IT LOWERS ITS NECK, AND VERY SUDDENLY LEAVES WHEN IT RAISES IT

and the skeletal system oh god

you're telling me those fucking toothpick legs can hold up over 1500 lbs. AND APPARENTLY THEY DO THIS REALLY WELL CAUSE I CAN'T FIND A GOD DAMN THING ABT GIRAFFES BEING PRONE TO DISLOCATION OR, HELL, PROBLEMS GETTING OFF THE GROUND

why is their neck longer/as long as their body. help. i'm so tired

there's more there's a lot more but i've been writing this post for what an hour? idfk help me

evolution is a scam, giraffes are freaks of nature, Charles Darwin you fucking hack this isn't the fittest, idfk what this is

#post #gore tw #ig #idk #how do i tag this?? #idk what happened to the giraffe skeleton pic but i fixed it

[tunaafishyy]

Reasons why you should read Durandal's Visual Novel for Hoyoverse Lore even if you don't play Honkai

Disclaimer: this is not an in-depth summary of the story.

Rather, this post will go through a single conversation to show people the depth of lore hidden in Durandel's VN… and maybe convince you to consider reading it if you want to expand ideas for Hoyo lore.

Since I'm not going to be covering the story here, there will be events and things referenced that I won't be giving anything but a brief explanation of, but even without knowing all the details... I think the lore will speak for itself

I guess the most important thing to know before reading is that two people (Valkyries) from the Honkai Impact 3rd world - Durandal (Bianka) and Rita - have used a device called a Genius to travel to a new world… universe… thing ... which we will simply refer to as a world for the context of this post...

Onward!

***

First, it mentions how there are different versions of people across different worlds. Not super mind blowing if you’re familiar with hoyo lore… but good to cover the basics of the hoyo multi-verse lore.

Bianka: Uh… can I ask a question now? Darwin: Go ahead. What’s the matter? Bianka: Just now… you said your last name was Darwin, right? It wouldn’t be the one from “Origin of the Species”… Darwin: Oh, you mean my dad? Indeed, before I left that world he was planning on writing such a book. Darwin: I’m happy to learn that his book changed people’s worldview for the following century. Bianka: Oh… you’re his “daughter”? Bianka: But in that case, wouldn’t the “Origin of the Species” you read be the work from a different world’s Professor Charles? Darwin: Nope. As far as I’m aware, from all known worlds, there is only one Darwin who published “Origin of the Species”, married and had children, who is my father.

***

Then we revisit an earlier event in the story where the High Priestess is converted into data in the Sea of Quanta (and its not a good experience for her I can tell you that...). This part of the story (the Zarathustra portion) is so incredibly lore heavy... and the fact Zarathustra connects to Genshin, Honkai, and Star Rail....

Anyways, what should be focused on here (aside from the Sea of Quanta data portion) is the acknowledgement of Different Universes

Bianka: Huh? Bianka: Then just like the “High Priestess” of the Yucatan, you spent so long in the form of data in the Sea of Quanta that it resulted in an apparent time leap? Darwin: …It’s essentially different. Bianka: But… in your case we can’t use “Different Universes have different starting points and different flows of time” as an excuse! Darwin: Because that’s not the case. And I’m not immortal like the “snake” you met.

***

But then things get REALLY SUPER INTERESTING because now we're talking about people who are copies of others.... (Theory of Forms intensifies), but also... it covers the results of death and how these copies are a result of the world's structure

(The term Star Whisperer is also an important concept but that is also out of scope for this junk post)

(Edit from original post: the Ether Anchor is kind of like the core/backbone of the world…)

Darwin: The reason why there is a time contradiction in what I said is-- Darwin: I’m a Star Whisperer born from the death of someone. A mere copy. Bianka: “Born from death”? “Copy”? What are you talking about? Darwin: The real “Anna Charles Darwin” died of illness at the age of 10. Darwin: The one standing in front of you is just an afterimage inherited from the Sea of Quanta. Bianka: ……？！ Darwin: Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m a ghost or a spirit. This is just the result of applying the Ether Anchor’s ability of “copying the world” on “people”.

***

Theeeeeennn we start talking energy shenanigans.... Selene designed to put Honkai Energy under control to use it for creating new Negentropy....

(I'm going to stop highlighting things at this point I trust if you've read this far that you want to find the goodies and I don't need to convince you further)

Darwin: Be it the achievements of civilization or intelligent life, they are ultimately an amount of “Negentropy”. You can use the “Ether Anchor” as a “medium” to “balance” the "Negentropy". Schrodinger: …And Negentropy and Imaginary Energy - That is, Honkai Energy - are associated with each other. Schrodinger: In theory, we could indeed do the opposite: Use Honkai Energy under control to create new Negentropy. Schrodinger: -That is the basic principle behind the “Selene”. Darwin: Haha, as expected of Dr. Schrodinger, who proposed the theory behind Negentropy - You already seem to understand what I’m talking about. Bianka: Well, what are you talking about? Schrodinger: ……

***

Our next topic is energy manipulation to copy things out of thing air.... (*looks at teapot and puts adepti energy into super sus category*)

Additionally, the Ether Anchor (the "backbone" of the world they're in) is "salvaging info from the sea of quanta"... hm...

Schrodinger: Valkyries, do you know the power of the “First Herrscher”? Bianka: You mean the “Sovereign” of Anti-Entropy? He can copy all kinds of mechanical devices, Sacred Relics and even Divine Keys out of thin air, right? Schrodinger: A good summary, but if we’re being technical… he doesn’t make those copies out of “thin air”. Schrodinger: On the contrary: By manipulating the Honkai Energy stored in his body he creates reason, making constructs out of something similar to “Negentropy”. Schrodinger: Generally speaking, Honkai Energy is almost impossible to control - but he is a herrscher, a superpower beyond human comprehension. Schrodinger: Miss Darwin… Your “Ether Anchor” has a similar power, but you can’t manipulate it as you wish, correct? Darwin: Hmm… To be more precise, the “Ether Anchor Point” can’t be controlled at all. Darwin: It, by itself, is “salvaging” information that can be restored from the Sea of Quanta - An ocean of data.

***

This next portion is covering why the two characters from the Honkai world are able to appear in this world as themselves instead of as copies

Darwin: Those two Valkyries there must have gone through the experience of being informatized and later rematerialized. Darwin: - That is a specially targeted “salvage”. Darwin: This type of “salvage” is always happening in the “present continuous”, therefore their souls and consciousness also remain the same - Even if they show up on the other side of the world, they are still themselves. Darwin: But the information of “Anna Charles Darwin” is already “past perfect”, the Ether Anchor just happened to read this vanishing data from the Sea of Quanta and restore it. Darwin: …That’s why I can be sure I’m just a copy of a historical figure. Darwin: Perhaps there is a more complex mechanism out there that can truly revive the dead - But this world’s “Anchor” can not.

Anyways... that's all for now!

Read the VN!! (it’s available in CN and EN… not sure about other languages)

There's collective consciousness, Alice, Zarathustra, snake-y things, people turning into dragons... and much more!

*swims away*

#genshin lore notes #honkai lore #honkai lore notes #honkai 3rd #hi3 lore #hi3rd #hi3 #hoyoverse

[thejacketscloset]

Apparently Charles darwin was very gay and very relatable and also ghoap coded?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8TrKUDQ/

I was like "who is this Charles Darwin fellow" and then realized oh THIS HAS TO DO WITH BOATS A LITTLE BIT !!!

"He sometimes slept in the captains cabin" yeah I'm sure all they did was sleep...

#moots ask #asks

[archerygun]

So I asked a mate about Dr. Who because there’s a substantial few who are completely obsessed with the series, and apparently there are no long-staying companions from other historical eras?

WHAT.

YOU HAVE TIME TRAVEL. PLEASE. IT WOULD BE SO GOOD. THE NATION IS READY FOR IT.

You didn’t raise a generation on Horrible Histories for nothing. The nation is ready!!!!!! Look how popular Ghosts was. My freaking Media Studies teacher who likes Line of Duty and stuff was so excited about Ghosts season 5 she told everyone very excitedly she was “Getting out the good wine.” (She’s like 60 lmao).

I’ve not watched that many episodes but in a lot of them that I have watched, I ended up wishing the other characters would stay on as companions rather than Rose. Like how sick would it be if an elderly MP who gets overly sniffy about manners, a Victorian doctor whose father’s dream was to see the stars, a stressed London mother and Charles freaking Darwin went on space-time adventures.

And alright I know that’s a bit silly, but let’s zoom in on the Victorian doctor (I think his name was Robert). Victorians in general would be so down to travel through space and time. Their time was mad. They had electric jewellery and nipple piercing and tattoos and the birth of the modern sci-fi genre. They would be excellent spacetime travellers.

And in Robert’s case, he said he never knew that much about what his dad was doing all those years, and he seemed so thrilled when they worked out what was actually going on. Imagine the doctor takes him on a bunch of adventures and he gets to slowly discover the world his dad always knew was out there and obsessed over. I mean it’d be healthy for the grieving process for sure. Plus, in general, an actual doctor who can also swordfight a bit is never a bad thing to have on your team.

Anyway I have more thoughts on this but feel free to correct me if I have been misinformed about historical sidekicks.

#dr who #the doctor #history #bbc ghosts #victorian era #british tv #british history #horrible histories #dr robert deserved to see the stars #dr who companion

[navigatorwrongway]

Although it may be tempting to assume that the eponymous beard of Wizardus pogon is an example of phenotypic plasticity, this is not the case. The beard is a basal trait that will manifest in 98.3% of individuals (Schiaparelli, 2019) excepting the isolated population discovered to have been living in the basement of a gastropub converted from a church in Portland, Oregon (Müller, 2022). For the purposes of this paper, the subspecies Wizardus pogon hipsterensis will serve as an outlier, as their beards rarely grow beyond a few inches in length, and these tending towards darker colors (Müller & Babcock, 2023).

As is apparent in the case study of Gandalf the White (née Grey) Wizardus manifestation of the beard occurs early in life, with several documented cases of young hatchlings bearing beards comparable to adults’ (Bicknell, 1985)(Tanner, 2001). One specimen collected in the Galapagos by Charles Darwin during his earliest expedition on the Beagle sports a beard that was measured to an impressive 2.68 meters in length (Darwin, 1832).

Gandalf the White’s other iconic trait, of course, exaggerated mammary tissue, was acquired much later in life; this is the case in all other recorded instances of breast development in the genus (Bicknell, 2005). In accordance with the general consensus of the taxonomic and biologic fields of study, this strongly implies that the trait in question is under sexual selection (Dart, 2011). Considering the manifestation of breasts is limited to the most prominent individuals such as Parton the Bardic, breasts in Wizardus pogon can be understood to be primarily a display feature (Müller, 2019). Parton the Bardic is herself a notable specimen in that she lacks the iconic beard — however, several respected academics and geneticists have determined that is is likely due to a mutation that has led to exceptional hair growth from her scalp, as opposed to facial hair (Abbets, Babcock, Tanner, 1990). Despite this singular deviation from the species norm, Parton has still manifested the marker of strength and influence among Wizardus pogon.

#mar posts

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Do you have any book recs?? I feel like your list would be 😗🤌

phewwww y'all know I am boring af when it comes to stuff like this--

I used to devour books and now I just can't really keep up with the list of books I doom to-be-read.

However, I enjoyed:

The Secret History - Donna Tartt

Axiom's End - Lindsay Ellis

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

1984 - George Orwell

On The Origin of Species - Charles Darwin (duhh)

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

every Jane Austen book

Not Forgetting the Whale - John Ironmonger

Shark Drunk - Morten Strøksnes

Tragedy of Macbeth / Hamlet - William Shakespeare

I stopped reading A Song of Ice and Fire because the (sexual) violence against children in these books is insane and not accurate to history, so I was like...why do you include this, GEORGE? I also stopped reading the Shadow and Bone series because one of the characters has the same name as me and I just cannot read it anymore without picturing myself in the story and I do not like that. Other than that, I read a few YA novels which ehhhhh didn't really do it for me EXCEPT for Kingdom of the Wicked. I also liked a few elements of the Elfhame stuff Holly Black wrote but ehhhh I am too critical to enjoy art, apparently. And I am not a furry.

#anyways Cardan is a rat sorry not sorry #no writing #an answer for an ask #i will probably add some stuff to this later

[larkiethings]

“If I overdose on benadryl and cold medicine then just let me die”

-Charles Darwin, apparently

#according to my gf at least

[winterandwords]

15 questions tag

Thanks for the tag, @i-can-even-burn-salad! I'm doing this for Darwin from Project Darwin...

Are you named after anyone? I'm named after Charles Darwin. If I'd been a boy, I would've been called Charles. My father is an environmental scientist and apparently my mother didn't have strong opinions about what to call me. She chose my sister's name though. Amber. It was more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than mine.

When was the last time you cried? Last night. It was late. Everyone else was asleep and I was very quiet. I don't cry in front of people. There's no point.

Do you have kids? No, and I'm not planning to. I'd be a terrible parent and I don't want to put a kid through that.

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Not really. I either say what I mean or don't say anything at all.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? If they're safe. If they're useful. If they're a potential escape route.

What’s your eye color? Blue.

Scary movies or happy endings? I'd rather have happy endings than be scared, but happy endings make me sad. I think I prefer endings that are supposed be sad and then actually are.

Any special talents? I'm academically gifted. I've been hearing that all my life. I'm so sick of it. And I'm absolutely wasting it, which is oddly satisfying.

Where were you born? Covenkirk near Aberdeen in Scotland. The writer says it's based on a real place but she's weird about using actual place names in stories.

What are your hobbies? I love reading. It's always been my favourite way to ignore reality and let myself live someone else's life for a little while.

Have you any pets? A white cat called Hazel. He sleeps on my bed and when I'm lonely or scared I bury my face in his fur and everything feels a little less awful.

What sports do you play/have played? I'm not into sports and never have been. I hated being made to do PE at school.

How tall are you? 5ft 4in

Favorite subject in school? English Literature, which was the greatest disappointment to my father who refuses to get over me not wanting to be a scientist like him.

Dream job It should be writer, shouldn't it? But I don't want to make up stories. I just like reading them. I'm not sure what I want to do and I don't suppose it really matters. I'd be happy just working in an office somewhere with no stress or pressure, going home at the end of the day and leaving work behind, with no-one expecting anything of me.

Tagging @anthros-vanitas-archive, @asher-orion-writes and @a-fox-who-writes, with an open tag for anyone else who wants to join in. Template is under the cut 💜

The questions... Are you named after anyone? When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What’s the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye color? Scary movies or happy endings? Any special talents? Where were you born? What are your hobbies? Have you any pets? What sports do you play/have played? How tall are you? Favorite subject in school? Dream job

#my writing #writeblr tags #15 questions tag #project darwin

[redshift-13]

I just learned this morning about the death of an old friend and have been thinking about this most of the day. He was 91. I'd met his lovely wife, but barely knew her. She preceded him by a few months.

We hadn't spoken in a few years. Partly this was because it had become apparent that he was suffering from Alzheimer's. Our formerly easy rapport grew awkward, or maybe I grew awkward as I was thrown into uncertainty about how to respond to his startling memory lapses, his repetitious subject matter, and the dissolution of his ability to engage in the kind of wide ranging discussions I loved to have with him.

We first met when he emerged as a large dollar donor to the educational non-profit I co-founded. He saw promise in me and the organization, for which I'm forever grateful, and were it not for him I'm not sure that me and my colleagues would have been able to find the critical benefactors that we needed in the early years.

He was a remarkable person:

-The head of the cell biology lab at Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International)

-One of the leading scientists who produced research showing the link between lead gasoline and harm to brain health

-A humanitarian who funded a school in a developing country

-For a while a professional opera singer

-A global leader in promoting awareness of Charles Darwin and biological evolution

-A funder of public science literacy efforts

-The mayor of a town in California

-A major funder of atheist and humanist organizations

-A sensitive and kind hearted man

I'm not sure where he was politically earlier in his life, but by the time we got to know each other he was some kind of socialist.

I've had the privilege of knowing and working with a number of people who want to change the world but few have had the impact of my late friend B.

#me #personal

[purplesurveys]

1836

What’s the earliest you’ve ever had to wake up for work? 12:30 AM is my newest record – had a scheduled hike all the way in Batangas two weeks ago and we were set to leave by 2 AM.

Do you use reusable shopping bags to reduce waste? Yes, but not always. I'll sometimes shop unplanned so I won't always have a bag with me.

How many times have you moved? Once in infancy, two times in childhood. The next time I'll do so it'll be for my own place which is kind of crazy to think about!

Where were you going the last time you were a passenger in a car? Church, this morning. We also stopped by Wilcon so my mom could pick up something for the bathroom.

Do you know anyone who has changed their first name? Apparently it's really common for people my age to 'rebrand' and go with different nicknames in school and work, so yes.

Are you nerdy? If so, in what ways? I like professional wrestling, which I would consider nerdy/geeky.

Which one of your senses would you be the most devastated to lose? Sight and touch.

Have you ever dated someone who posted a ton of selfies on social media? I wouldn't say they did.

Do you know anyone who has been on life support, and survived? Not sure. I don't think so.

What scent is the nearest candle? Vanilla.

Have you ever been to Michigan? Nope.

Do your parents have a strong relationship together? Yes. They're toxic at times in ways I don't feel like expounding on, because it makes me sad; but for the most part their marriage has been a very happy one.

When was the last time you attended a religious service of any sort? Sunday mass this morning. It also happens to be Palm Sunday so people were waving those leaves around.

Do you ever feel like you’re sharing too much about yourself online? The fact is that I do lol, but it's only on this part of 'online.' I do keep some kind of wall on my other accounts and focus on my interests.

How many windows are in the room you’re in? None, I'm at the rooftop.

Are you on good or bad terms with your most recent ex? It ended on such emotionless terms that I'd say as far as terms...there aren't any. The whole thing just feels nonexistent, and I have found my peace with viewing the relationship as if it never happened. It's also healthier for me that way.

What was the last necklace you wore? It's silver, with a silver and purple heart charm.

What were you doing 3 hours ago? I was having dinner with my family.

Have you ever read any of Charles Darwin’s works? I don't think I have.

What was the first thing you did after getting out of bed today? I woke up to the sound of the dogs play-wrestling so I went down to see what was up and to play with them for a little bit.

When was the last time you read a newspaper? Safe to assume >4 years ago.

If there was such a thing as a mental health first aid kit, what would you want to be in it? My favorite chips, a reed diffuser, a picture frame of BTS, and a BTS concert DVD hehe.

Is there anyone who always seems to misunderstand everything you say? There used to be.

Do you think there are more dimensions than what we’re able to perceive? Yes.

What is currently on your bathroom counter? We have a cabinet instead of a counter, and in it we have...everything that's supposed to be in the bathroom, basically. The toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, napkins, and a few first aid items.

What was the last carbonated drink you had? Continued from last night. Beer.

Does anyone in your family have schizophrenia? Nope.

What light in your house was the last to have a bulb burn out? One of the bulbs we have in the living room.

What was your favorite book you ever read for a school assignment? Without Seeing the Dawn.

Do you know anyone who’s always on their phone when you’re trying to talk to them? No.

Have you ever been fired? If so, did you get unemployment benefits? I've never been fired.

Do any of your neighbors have loud children? A loud kid who just so happens to be a louder shrieker/crier, yes.

Have you ever been in an abandoned house? I've looked at one from the outside, but didn't go in.

[scotianostra]

The Scottish naturalist and mineralogist  Robert Jameson was born on July 11th 1774 AT Leith.  

Jameson was educated at Leith Grammar school, where he excelled and went on to became the apprentice of the Leith surgeon John Cheyne, planning on becoming a ships surgeon.  He also attended classes at the University of Edinburgh studying botany, chemistry and natural history. By 1793 he had abandoned medicine and the idea of a life at sea, and focused instead on science, particularly geology and mineralogy, his class mates included Joseph Black and Thomas Dick, two future notable members of the Edinburgh Eliterati that were part of The Scottish Enlightenment.

He must have impressed the University hierarchy as that same year he was given charge of the Natural History department, at the age of just 19, the beginning of a long association lasting over 50 years.  In 1804 he succeeded Dr Walker as the third Regius Professor of Natural History at Edinburgh University, during this period he became the first eminent exponent in the British Isles of the Wernerian geological system. 

Although not always agreeing with him, Jameson worked with the eminent James Hutton who is often referred to as the ‘father’ of modern geology.

As a teacher, Jameson is said to be remarkable for his power of imparting enthusiasm to his students, and from his class-room there radiated an influence which gave a marked impetus to the study of geology, but not by all his pupils, a young student by the name of Charles Darwin apparently found the lectures boring, this may have been to Darwin being only 16 at the time and Jameson much more senior at 52.

Over Jameson’s fifty year tenure, he built up a huge collection of mineralogical and geological specimens for the Museum of Edinburgh University, including fossils, birds and insects. By 1852 there were over 74,000 zoological and geological specimens at the museum, and in Britain the natural history collection was second only to that of the British Museum. Shortly after his death, the University Museum was transferred to the British Crown and became part of the Royal Scottish Museum, now the Royal Museum, in Edinburgh’s Chambers Street. He was also a prolific author of scientific papers and books, including the Mineralogy of the Scottish Isles.

Robert Jameson died in Edinburgh on 19th April 1854. A portrait of Robert Jameson is housed by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Edinburgh, and a bust of him is in the Old College of the University of Edinburgh.

#scotland #scottish #university of edinburgh #tutor #professor #the scottish enlightenment #history #minerologist

[bookwyrminspiration]

do you have any novellas you'd recommend? I've been in an awful reading slump

I must confess, I don't read many novellas, but! My dad does, and he frequently recommends them to me (we have fairly similar taste), so I can pad the list with some of those.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe; there's multiple, and they're these ridiculous short tales of these ridiculous pirates doing. ridiculous things. They made a movie out of the first one. the pirate captain worries he's not entertaining his crew, and on a heist they encounter Charles Darwin, who is training a monkey to be a man and he promises to help him show off this magnificent feat to his snobby superiors and help his rescue his brother from Oxford. Suffice to say things go funky. this is a story that embraces its ridiculousness beautifully

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto; a bittersweet exploration of grief and healing. there's no huge drama, just a girl healing from the loss of her grandmother who finds someone who knew her late grandmother, and finds healing in time and new connections. and in sharing grief with new family. there's also a short story within banana at the end called Moonlight, which also discusses grief. one of my favorites :)

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone; you've likely heard of this one before. an epistolary novel of letters between two enemy soldiers in an infinite war across space and time. one fights for a machine-based side, the other for a garden/nature-based. they travel up and down time, ensuring pieces of the future are correctly in place for themselves and sabotaging each other. but more and more...they find themselves valuing these at-first taunting letters. and there are consequences to that

The Ice Dragon by George RR Martin; this one's meant for a younger audience, but I'm quite fond of it. a little girl was born with the cold inside her, and when the ice dragon visits during winter, she can safely touch it and all the other cold creatures without melting them like other kids. but war is coming, and she has to grow. and as much as she loves this dragon as cold as her, survival means sacrifices.

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones; an. intriguing story about a kid living on the reservation who sees his dead dad's presence come back to visit--but there's something...off happening. and his little brother's seizure and condition are getting worse, and it turns out there's no escaping the past. this one leaves a bit of unsettling contemplation in my experience--and this author has also written a bunch of other things if it turns out to be to your liking

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark; this is one I haven't read myself, but it's apparently an alternate history in Egypt of detectives trying to solve why this tram car is haunted--and trying to fix it. i intend to read it one day, just haven't yet

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard; another one I haven't read about a princess sent away as a hostage when she was younger, but who has now returned and now faces an old love (I think? it's a little fuzzy. i believe it's also queer, but I wouldn't want to advertise it on that alone).

American Hippo by Sarah Gailey; recommended by my partner, is comprised of 2 novellas. I don't know much except that it's an alternate world where America did, indeed, bring hippos over to serve as a main meat source. however they are very viscous, and that causes problems, which I believe the main characters are trying to help solve...? they're spoken very fondly about it with me :)

I could likely come up with more if needed, but these are a solid few to get you going--if you want to read any of them. There is, of course, no pressure if none of these work for you! I think, personally, the first two are my top picks from this list; I've used them to get out of slumps myself. I wish you luck!!

#book recs #book recommendations #novella recs #quil's queries #gayupstraight #another trick to get out of reading slumps I've learned is to reread old books you like #hence my tgI reread #a quick series I know I like to just go through the motions and make it familiar again #warm up and strengthen my reading muscles enough to move on to new stuff :) #long post

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huge fan of the desk shelf concept btw. it doesn't even do anything in the sense that it doesn't have a drawer or a cable hole or, i don't know, alexa, i just put legs on a board and changed nothing else about the desk overall and it's vastly different. also during the research phase of this process i found out apparently the person who first put wheels on the desk chair was charles darwin and the first person to make it swivel was thomas jefferson, but the person who noticed that putting wheels on a footed chair is not stable with less than five feet has sadly been lost to history. arguably i would say it was this advancement which required superior capability for inference but history is predisposed to favor the mediocre or whatever amirite. yes this came up when i googled ikea desk shelf hack reddit