#and a huge vat of oil

[techploration]

A Cascading Fix

The floating garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean a huge ongoing issue. Plastic is the worst offender (and no it’s not all drinking straws and plastic bags— it’s mostly discarded fishing nets). Skimming would be too costly and unrealistic (it’s country sized— big country). Plus is almost a biome at this point— you couldn’t scoop out the trash without also scooping animals/eggs/plants basically causing more havoc trying to clean it up.

So what do you turn to? Bacteria

So this area has been in active research for 25+ years as the ultimate solution to dealing with plastic waste.

Should be great right? The lifespan of a bottle in a landfill falls from centuries to weeks in a vat. It’s such an alluring goal that people gloss over the path

Brute forcing thousands upon thousands of mutations on an enzyme that specializes in breaking down hydrocarbons sounds wildly risky.

Because what if you get one that does too well?

Future Forecaste

Silicon Valley Tech Bro Billion wants to try and improve his image as a part of the private jet class by holding a big public competition for innovative solutions for the garbage patch. Encourages all of his tech bro buddies to pitch their ideas. Billionaire promises to fund a pilot project for the top idea.

What wins out? Bacteria

And they apply the Facebook ‘move fast and break things’ philosophy to brute forcing mutations. Garbage patch is in international waters, so no approval (or oversight) to go and test your ideas.

In fact, with being out in the middle of the ocean, you can build your lab right on a boat and sail out there. And test your iterations right there. In the ocean. Why test on a simulated garbage patch when the real one is right there?

Success! A strain that breaks down plastics in a short timeframe in the cold of the ocean! Your test site quickly goes from floating landfill to. something?

The enzymes broke the plastic into component nutrients. So you now have effectively dumped a whole flood of nutrients into the water. Kinda like dumping fertilizer

Cool. So now you you have turned garbage patch into the Great Pacific Algal Bloom and Dead Zone

And the bacteria isn’t staying put. Oceans have a way of moving things, and you just built a hardy sailor with a plentiful food supply.

The bacteria makes it to shore and suddenly, plastic isn’t permanent. Plastic isn’t safe in water. Every seal and gasket is now prone to failure. There is a rush to figure out which types of plastics are susceptible, which are resistant. New plastics with bacteria resistance are developed.

But that’s not even going to be the biggest issue

We’ve Got a Fuel Pox on our Hands

If it likes to eat plastic know what it’ll love? Gasoline and any other hydrocarbon

This bacteria would essentially turn gas into soy sauce. Think about fuel rotting

Suddenly world’s energy supply is at risk. Fear of contamination becomes the oil and gas industry’s number one concern. Gas becomes an even more precious commodity, and is only used when application demands. The industry takes on surgical level of cleanliness.

Meanwhile other people are prepping ‘Kombucha’ for their local pipeline

#techploration

[gayestcowboy]

So is the word "gender" just synonymous with "fashion" to you people or what?

did you know that around 1848 and the following few decades (the time of the california gold rush) in san francisco the discovery of gold made the population explode overnight, going from hundreds of people to several thousand. because of this, there was a massive food shortage. a good toast would cost the modern equivalent of a thousand dollars or so (not so far off from modern san francisco toast prices) and there was a HUGE demand for eggs. instead of simply creating chicken farms outside san francisco, californians in search of eggs instead went to the incredibly inhospitable and uninhabited farallon islands to harvest the numerous eggs of the murre bird, which were much larger than chicken eggs and were indistinguishable from chicken eggs when mixed with flour and baked. some guy went to the islands and got a fuck load of murre eggs and made a massive profit off of them, which lead to the creation of a murre egg industry. the farallon egg company claimed to have a monopoly over murre eggs on these islands (they did not) and began sending workers to gather eggs on steep and dangerous cliffs, where they were attacked by birds and subsequently had birds shit directly into their scalp wounds. a lot of dudes just fucking fell to death and were marked as “missing” on company records. eventually they built a light house (which had to be knocked down and rebuilt because they made it too small) and the light house workers wanted to be able to sell the eggs, which the egg company was not happy about. this led to increasing tension between the lighthouse workers and the egg company which then led to violent conflict and several deaths. of course the murre population also sharply declined because in addition to stealing all of the eggs anyways, egg gatherers would smash all existing older eggs on the island to force the birds to lay fresh eggs. once the bird population was fucked enough to no longer be profitable, they started processing seal and sea lion oil on the islands instead which led to the islands being covered in rotting carcasses and vats of boiling animal fat. after like 30 years of this shit they eventually got some fucking chickens in san francisco. hope this helps!

#inbox #yeehaws #anon

[roththeprimordial]

Sokka: Zuko, I’m glad me and Aang made it. Because we have something REALLY important to tell yo-…

(Sokka looks over to see Aang sitting next to him in a heavy suit of armor)

Aang:

Sokka: Is that a suit of armor? Why are you wearing armor?

Zuko: Now, gentlemen… Let’s not sit here and pretend, there’s not a huge ass elephant in the room…

Sokka: What the fuck is going on?

(Zuko grabs a picture of Azula on his desk and violently spins it around to face Aang and Sokka)

Zuko: THIS is what the fuck is going on!

(Sokka looks at the picture of Azula and turns back to Aang, who has a terrified look on his face)

Sokka:

Sokka: … -Oh shit! Oh shit! Hahahahaha! Oh shit! This is NOT happening right now! No!

(Sokka runs outside Zuko’s office and start high fiving random servants and guards)

Sokka: Hey, Avatar Aang is fucking the Firelords crazy sister! Yo!

Zuko: Every moment he says shit like that-…

Sokka: -OH MY FUCK!

Zuko: Is ANOTHER fire ball up your ass…

Aang:

(Sokka walks up behind the window outside of Zuko’s office as he rubs his hands and face against it)

Sokka: Yo! Aang! THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER! Hahaha! Aang fucked Zuko’s sister! ~Aang fucked Zuko’s sister! Aang fucked Zuko’s sister~!

(Sokka runs back into the office)

Sokka: SHIT! Hahaha! You actually fucked Azula?! Just think about it, by ramming HER, you rammed Ozai AND Zuko too! Zuko’s face right there! You RAMMED THAT FACE?! All… For fucking his sister… By the Spirits! This is-!

(Zuko lit a raging fire in his palm as he glared at Sokka)

Sokka: -… You know, it really isn’t funny…

Aang: … For the record, I just want to say that it’s bizarre that out of ALL the spiritual gurus and professional psychologists you could’ve gotten to rehabilitate your sister… You wanted me to help her. Alone with her, for months on end…

Zuko: I think it’s bizarre that I haven’t thrown you into a vat of fucking burning hot oil!

Aang:

Sokka: What if, you punched Aang in the face… REALLY, REALLY HARD?

Zuko: No… I have something else in mind…

(Two Fire Nation Soldiers hold Aang still by his arms as Zuko fires a bolt of lightning directly into Aang’s crotch)

#atla #avatar the last airbender #22 jump street #Aang #sokka #Zuko #azulaang #aang x azula #azula x aang #aangzula

[laurenlovesmitski]

✧༺💫༻✧

Breadclit head cannons!!

✧༺💫༻✧

An: this was an ask I decided to seriously this time...

Shrimp Cat 🌟~

Shrimp cat LOVES to cuddle with y/n

Shrimpy wimmy will is very overprotective when it comes to you and you only... 🤣🤣😫😫

Win my is the type of cat to pour MILK before the cereal (result of trauma at a the young age of 95)

It has a huge shrine of its mother (due to trumu it had from its mother)

Will comfort you when you accidentally pour the cearl perm the milk and gets orgasms because of the horrid sight.

Croissant Cat 💫~

Is very shy when the topic of pouring the milk before the cerall comes up (this topic is equivalent to politics!! 💄❤️‍🔥💋)

Is opps with Ellie Olivia Williams because of a enormous fight they over pouring milk before the cealrrr (they hab a toxic relationship💏💏💏💏💏)

She ha s a y2k style (corn cat is always jealous because corn vat is a raggedy hoe who don't front shit 🖕🏼💦💦)

Has an absurd amount of popcorn in her house (she is the reason why corn cuts are endangered CUNTTT 😘😘😼😻)

She is a certified cholo who don't take SHITT 💩 from nobody (esp corn clit)

Corn Clut ⭐~

Has stabbed croissant cat 95 times just for y/n

Has been arrested for armed battery

Got shot in the kernel

Irrelevant

Corn Clut and y/n are in an abusive relationship💏💏💏💏💏💏💏

Listens underground rap to feel like a minority but is really just an irrelevant piece of shit who deserves to get brutally gang banged by a group of croissant cars!! (=^ェ^=)

Gato de Hamberquesa ✨~

Doesn't know how to speak Ingles so he cusses out everyone in spanish because he's insecure about his wife (Baanana cut) cheating on him with Abby Juliët Anderson

Is the opps with Abby Juliët Anderson (they've been the opps since they were in their mamas bellies 🤰🏽👩🏻‍🍼)

Thinks that the cereal should go before the milk and gets beat up by Abby Juliët Anderson for it (he likes it)

He gave away Baanana cut's and Abby's baby away for a almost done takis bag (jk he actually ate the baby right in front of them)

Him and Ellie Olivia Williams have been best friends for 95 years!! Todays their anniversary!! 💦💦🎉🎊 CUNTTTTT

Baguette Catte ⚡~

Is having a a secret relationship with Baanana cut

Has went to PRISON👮😷👮🚓 for murdering 500 corn cuts for exchange of a baby (wait what.)

Luvs Stuffies!! 💕:3 (◍•ᴗ•◍)(≧∇≦)/

Takes care of her 95 year old grandma who is very ill and will die any moment "AHGBHGGH" oh wait nvm she just collapsed.

GRANDMA NO-

Baanana Cuta ☀~

Is in a secret relationship with Baguette Cate

Works for the FBI and the local bread clit/cut Imprisonment (she met hamberguesa there)

Ellie Olivia Williams is an opp (she has a bad reputation in the bread clit/cut community CUNTTT 😼😼)

Likes when Abby Juliët Anderson slaps her big fat juicy oiled up lubed up cake 🍰

Blueberry Cut 💛

Is part of Ellie Olivia Williams pussay

That's it

Bread cut 💛

Is part if Ellie Olivia Williams pussay

That's it

An: I think ik how to delete da lace!! UvU 💋💀🤫😒

#ellie smut #tlou #abby anderson x reader #ellie williams fluff #ellie x fem reader #ellie x reader #tlou2 #ellie x y/n #ellie tlou

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

Yeeeeeeess

Nav: 👗🌼💌🦸‍♀️🥘🍁

And for a little treat:

Clone Boys: 👀

I have asked so much but I need to knooowwww

Take your time, Ily 🌙🔮

ahhh yessss thank you so much, Hex, for asking all of these wonderful questions. answers below the cut because this got away from me 😂😅

Nav:

👗 Describe their style

when they worked on Coruscant before joining the GAR, they 100% rocked the thrifted light academia aesthetic, but it never fully fit their personality.

on the run from the Empire, and just in everyday life, they are much more prone to utilitarian, functional garments in neutral tones. sleeveless tunic belted over utility pants, with steel-toed boots and their trusty backpack. they steal one of Hunter's old bandanas and tie it around their bicep; Hunter loves it. and of course once they settle on Pabu, they start wearing more tank tops and shorts, soft-bottom shoes, a shark-tooth necklace that Omega crafts.

used to have long hair, but cut it really short when they joined the GAR and just never grew it out again.

they also have a single tattoo, a complementary pair to one that Arien had, on their ribs: a deadly cactus flower native to Iridonia. (Arien's was a sketch of Umate, the mountain peak on Coruscant.)

🌼 Assign them an aesthetic

alright take all of the above and now consider: space grunge

💌 How would they react to a love letter?

sorry my first thought here is the fact that Hunter would write said love letter and now I've made myself squee

anyways. on topic. I think the circumstance would be something like, Hunter writes a letter for Nav and leaves it for them to find somewhere, so it's a surprise. like, at the bottom of their pack (because we all know how often Nav cleans that out... 👀). & then reading it they'd need to sit in case they swoon, the paper held in one hand while the other is clasped over their mouth to hide their smile. definitely blushes. depending on how sappy Hunter got while writing, Nav may or may not tear up.

& then immediately tackle Hunter into a giant hug and smother him with kisses.

🦸‍♀️ What would they dress as for Halloween?

Nav would totally talk Hunter into couples' costumes--and of course that means Omega's costume is also themed, which probably means everyone else's as well. the squad as bowling pins and Omega as a bowling ball?

but for one year, Hunter and Nav make sure that their costumes match each other's and only each other's. Hunter as a werewolf and Nav as a werewolf hunter 👀

🥘 Favorite food?

this depends. if we're talking like, most nostalgic, then it's definitely the beef stew and crusty bread that the matron of the orphanage made on a regular basis. a whole big vat of the stew and the huge ovens made the entire building always smell so good.

but now as an adult, their favorite is the salad that Shep taught them to make on Pabu. starfruit and berries, nuts, crumbly cheese, and a decadent oil-based dressing. filling, sweet, and savory all in one.

that, or Hunter's meat pies. Hunter totally learns that he loves to cook once they all settle down on Pabu.

🍁 Their favorite season and why?

alright hc time: Coruscant doesn't have seasons, & Pabu basically has 2: hot and hotter. Iridonia is probably the same, though it gets chilly at night. therefore, Rintonne is the one planet that Nav has been to relatively frequently enough to experience four seasons. their favorite is by far autumn, with spring coming in second. there's something about transitory periods, life in flux, that just Hits Different for Nav. spring is in second place because allergies lmao.

Clone boys:

👀 How do they look like? Give an overall description of them

ohohoho strap in, here we go

387th Battalion, 13th Sector Army

Commander Creed. he presents a very stern, disciplined facade that intimidates shinies and civvies alike, but in reality he's very soft and compassionate. it's what makes him such a strong leader. he's unafraid to voice his opinion when he believes his Jedi General is making a foolish or wrong move, but is humble enough to admit when he's wrong. well-trimmed beard and mustache, undercut with a mop of dark curls. there's a scar from an errant blaster bolt during commando training, that streaks down the left side of his face. he has a tattoo under his left pec that reads 'for the people' in blocky Basic letting--that is his creed. he has a second tattoo on his right hip of his battalion's mascot (pls don't ask me what this is, idk yet).

Captain Static, Shatter Company. earned his name because when he was a cadet, he always pretended to talk on the radios with sound effects (*cksh* come in, command, *cksh*). he's a little bit naive, but very loyal and values intelligence. he often volunteers his company for recon missions, having trained them specially to communicate effectively. he's clean-shaven, with a stud nose piercing and regulation haircut.

Captain Flare, Phoenix Company. loves, loves, loves flare guns and will pout (mostly in jest these days) if he doesn't get the chance to pop one off at least once during a campaign. he's loud and unapologetic, a little cocky, but he does genuinely mean well and respects the hell out of anyone who can outwit his twin, Seg. with a permanent five o'clock shadow, brilliant white teeth, and that one perfect curl that always rests so nicely on his forehead, he's hot and he kriffin' knows it.

Captain Seg, Flare's twin, commanding officer of Angel Company. Seg is a little bit more withdrawn and quiet than Flare, but no less quick-witted--and quick-tempered. he often waits for an opening in his enemy's forces rather than making an opening himself (he leaves that to Shatter & Phoenix Companies). this is both in terms of battle tactics and verbal sparring. often known for silently observing conversations or debates, and drops one-line zingers that leave the entire table slack-jawed and/or in uproarious laughter. he's the most "reg" looking of the captains, but don't let that fool you.

Captain Drifter, of Hollow Company. Drifter is an old grumpy man at heart, rather pessimistic, but can be charming and suave when the occasion arises. something of a social chameleon, often chosen for diplomatic missions alongside the General. he's sarcastic but genuine, a balance he learned early on how to maintain, and it's gotten him into trouble as much as out of it. he has ear piercings, a septum ring, and a huge geometric tattoo sleeve on his right leg; and sometimes lets his hair grow out to about shoulder length.

Bonus boys! Hotshot and Screwball, ARC troopers, who featured briefly in Second Chances. Hotshot has a buzzcut and goatee, vitiligo, a rough hand-drawn star tattoo beneath his left eye, and a scar across the bridge of his nose. Screwball has long hair that he keeps tied back in a low bun, and a scar along the right side of his face. both Hotshot and Screwball are pranksters (and don't get me started on when they have shore leave with Screwball's twin, Misfit), but very, very good at their jobs. they specialize in destabilizing the enemy from behind enemy lines, often using their chaotic impulses to their advantage.

anyways thanks again so much, Hex, for letting me ramble about my blorbos 💖💖

#rhiplies #star wars #oc clone trooper #star wars oc #nav #second chances #oc: commander creed #oc: captain flare #oc: captain static #oc: captain seg #oc: captain drifter #oc: arc hotshot #oc: arc screwball

[the--marsening]

Thinking of a world where a “grease trap challenge” takes social media by storm. People find the greasiest, thickest, most over used vats of cooking oil and see how much they can chug. It goes so viral that even the hottest, skinniest influencers HAVE to do it to stay relevant. Of course they also have to do it bigger than everyone and compete with each other. Suddenly places like LA have a cooking oil shortage as the streets are filled with models grunting and groaning through these challenges leaving themselves with huge oil packed guts bulging out of grease stained outfits that fit perfectly in their GRWM and OOTD vids filmed just hours before.

- Oil Anon

P.S. someone plz draw this

thank you for putting this into my horny lil brain, it shall live there rent free 24/7 for the next centruty

fuck that's hot

#ask box

[fracturestory]

1|Bubble

Thunk.

The floor creaked beneath her feet. Distant, metallic screeches echoed through her skull, almost drowning out her muted humming. Her small fingers tightened around the fragile glass of the cup she held, unwilling to let it come shattering to the floor. A dim corridor terminated her path ahead—three doors. Faint voices echoed from behind the one to her left.

She watched the water in her glass tremble as a roaring hum tore through the air. Behind it stood the door straight ahead.

Even from behind it, she could smell the burning metal that singed the air. It was a unique scent to say the least; not quite ‘smoky’ in the traditional sense, but also not entirely foreign either. Like someone had lit a vat of rancid oil aflame.

Thunk.

She sucked in a breath before opening the door.

She squinted in the blazing light, both from the sunlight’s reflection off the unpolished metal sheets and from the dancing flickers of color shimmering now against her surroundings, eclipsed by the silhouette of a helmeted figure hunched over its source. She immediately covered her eyes with a free hand, well aware of the harm that those flickers could bring.

Thunk.

“Zoey?”

The flickers ceased.

“Zoey!” The figure chuckled, lifting their visor. “You didn’t have to fill the cup that far. You want any snacks while you’re at it?”

Zoey shook her head, carefully placing the glass onto the corner of a table as she entered the garage. A stray drop of water ran down her hand as she around to face the figure.

“Nope! You think we can go to that ice cream place again later, Lisa? They have this weird new flavor that I wanna try. Y’know, the one where they have grape juice mixed with chocolate?”

“Maybe,” Lisa stood up. She pulled her welding helmet off and set it down on the table beside the glass. “You know your mom doesn’t want you eating too much ice cream, right?” She picked up the glass and took a sip. A chuckle escaped her as she finished. “Alright, just a small cup this time, ‘kay? You had a bigger bowl than me last time.”

“Oka—”

A loud SHOOM rattled the concrete beneath them, followed by a dull, almost growl-like hum. Dust sifted down from above as the blast subsided around the two girls.

Lisa coughed as she pulled the collar of her shirt over her nose. She reached over and did the same with Zoey. “Stay here,” she said in muffled tones. “I’m gonna check on the boys. Go out to the driveway if it gets too dusty, alright?”

She turned around as frenzied footsteps thumped up from behind the garage door, followed by muffled pounding. “Lis!” the voice cried. “Lisa! A huge hole just opened up in the basement! I tried to pull them away, but—”

Another tremor tore through the house, followed by an earsplitting creaaak as cracks shot up across the floor and walls. The door slammed open.

“Lis!”

The hum from before was louder now that the door was open, yet it felt like all had gone quiet in this moment.

“Caleb,” Lisa’s voice pierced through the uneasy silence. “Show me.”

A single nod was all it took. Lisa trailed behind her brother, following him out of the garage and down into the open doorway to the basement. A dark, almost milky haze obscured the bottom of the stairwell.

Caleb stepped back, trembling hands gripping tightly against the railing.

“That… that wasn’t there before. Wh—”

“You think?” Lisa stepped past him, blocking his path with her arm. “Go stay with Zoey in the garage just in case. Or, no, you two go out to the driveway, ‘kay? I don’t want either of you two to be anywhere near… whatever this is. Your friends are still downstairs?”

“Y-yeah. I think so.”

Lisa stared into the darkness for a few more seconds before backing away, nudging her brother to do the same as tendrils of shadow pulsed from the dark miasma clouding their view. Dark lines spiderwebbed out in every direction around them, like cracks spreading across a mirror.

“It’s spreading,” she took another step back, nearly shoving her brother as she turned. “Caleb, go. Now.”

The two fled back to the top of the stairwell, Lisa slamming the door behind herself as she herself exited. She could feel her heart beating in her throat.

What was that down there?

It was hard to describe the hum as it sounded now. It was almost… mechanical, in a sense, rising and falling in pitch in gentle pulses as if it were a motor accelerating.

That was when it wasn’t crackling with the might of a thunderstorm.

Run.

Fractured thoughts filtered through her paralyzed mind. If Caleb’s friends were still down there, they weren’t talking anymore.

Run.

The word screamed through her head.

Run.

Were they—

Run.

Her eyes shifted to a worried Caleb, standing at the garage door and staring back at her. He was saying something.

Run

Run.

Run.

She finally tore away from the shut door, racing back into the garage with her brother in tow.

“Lisa!” Zoey sounded surprised by her return, popping up from behind a table with a socket wrench in her hand. “Did you—”

She shrieked as Lisa grabbed her by the hand, pulling her away and out of the garage.

“You two stay here,” Lisa stopped on the driveway. “I don’t know what’s going on, but this isn’t an earthquake. There’s… something down there. Caleb, call mom and dad and tell them what’s happening.”

“O-okay,” Caleb dug his hands into his pockets, feeling around. “I left my phone in the basem—”

Lisa slapped her own phone in his hands. “You already know the password, use my phone instead. Zoey, you stay with him until I get back.”

She could barely make out the pained expression on Zoey’s face before she turned away, making a beeline for the hanging tools on the wall.

A C-clamp and a length of tie-down strap would have to do.

…What was she doing?

“Lisa?” she could vaguely make out Zoey’s voice from somewhere behind her.

Her body marched itself back through the garage door. The basement’s stairwell was wide-open now; wherever its door had gone in the fleeting moments that she spent outside, she did not know.

Whatever the case was, the inky darkness had almost reached the top now. The haze had also strangely dispersed giving way instead to a uniform black; like a bubble made of pure shadow. Though, the black lines that snaked out from the ‘core’ lingered. She took a deep breath, hooking the clamp around the handrail. She twirled its handle until it had tightened, then began to tie the strap around her waist.

Every nerve in her body screamed for her to flee just as she had before.

“Lisa!” Zoey shoved herself between Lisa and the top of the stairwell. “Come on! You have to go too! Before something else bad happens! Caleb said you can check on his friends later!”

Lisa’s heart dropped.

“…Zoey?”

Zoey’s gaze drifted downward. To the darkness that now surrounded her feet.

Lisa did the same.

“…Lisa, I can’t feel my feet.”

Lisa looked back up to Zoey’s paling face.

“I can’t feel my feet, I can’t feel my feet—” Zoey’s voice wavered as she began to hyperventilate. She gripped Lisa’s arms. “Lisa, what do I do now?”

“Lisa!” Caleb’s voice came from the garage. “It’s coming through the wall now, too! I can see it!”

Her heart pounded in her throat. She grit her teeth, looking wildly around for something, anything, that she could use.

She shook her head. There was no time. She grappled Zoey beneath her arms the best she could without stepping into the shadows herself, pulling upward once she was steady. This had to—

“Ow…” Zoey managed through her own panicked breaths. Her voice was barely a whisper now. “Lisa, I’m scared.”

Lisa released her. The darkness was halfway up her calves now, and only creeping higher. Another razor-thin tendril raced past them, though this time it was suspended mid-air.

There was hardly room to stand anymore. Lisa felt her back press against the door opposite the stairwell, still holding onto Zoey by her hands. “Hold on, Zoey. I’ve still got you. You hear me?”

Zoey lifted her head, locking eyes with Lisa. She forced a trembling smile as her grip tightened a little. A shot of pain flashed across her face as she did so.

“I’ve got you.”

Lisa looked down to Zoey’s hands.

And the trickle of blood that now stained her own.

“Is everything going to be okay?”

Lisa pursed her lips. She shook her head. “No, but as long as I’m still here, I’m sure as hell gonna try.”

She felt another pair of hands grip around her own arm as she too began to sink into the darkness.

“Caleb?” she jerked her attention to her brother. “I thought I told you and Zoey to stay in the driveway!”

“Yeah, but Zoey’s my friend too” —Caleb grunted, tugging with all his strength— "Just because you’re her babysitter doesn’t mean that you have to save her by yourself. And…” He paused for a moment, heaving before he began to pull again, his feet slipping uselessly against the floor. “I’m not… going to let… another one… disappear. And you know I’m not letting you get eaten either!”

Lisa shifted her gaze downward. The bubble of darkness was up to her knees now.

Their fate had been sealed.

She glanced one last time to Zoey, her unconscious torso still poking out from the rest of the mass.

Her blood dripped down into the abyss.

She looked now to Caleb. He gave another futile tug, straining from his perch at the edge of the doorframe.

There was really only one thing left that she could do now. At the very least, perhaps it could spell an end to their collective dread.

She wrenched her arm from Caleb’s grasp and threw herself fully into the darkness.

#fractures #tumblr writers #writeblr #my posts #original fiction #novel writing #authors on tumblr #writing community #creative writing #rough draft #original story #original character

[29pageshomestuckeveryday]

Homestuck, page 1,641

[S] Dave: Accelerate.

Song used: Atomyk Ebonpyre by Toby Fox

Storyboards: http://readmspa.org/storyboards/01641.swf.html

Author commentary:

As you watch this animation load, the "GATE 5" up there is really ominous. The Fifth Gate? What happened to…the first four?

You wouldn't guess it just going by the scenery, but LOHAC is the bustling financial capital of the Medium. There is a thriving stock exchange here, run by energetic, greedy lizards.

This animation was pretty slick at the time. Lots of action, cool music. Neat time tricks by Dave. It's an absolutely massive time skip that left everyone overwhelmed by its implications. Dave has already been here for months, battling monsters, hopping around gears. He's made a stylish new suit too, I guess to foster a certain Secret Time Agent chic. He's like the James Bond of horsing around with weaponized time travel, is the message being conveyed here.

Just as the monsters on LOWAS and LOLAR have oil and chalk themes, these ones on LOHAC are amber-themed and yield grist accordingly. I touched on this a while back, but the "planetary pollutant" in a world full of clockwork would be a substance that could gum up the clockwork and make it tick slowly or grind to a halt. That would be a sticky, hardening substance like amber. The quest here on this planet, if done by the book, would involve clearing the land of its sticky pollutants so the gears could tick freely, which probably would wake up the denizen, and so on and so on…

But here's the first glimpse of why so often in this story the by-the-book quest falls into the background as something trivial, like a sidebar of mythos-color that's mainly of academic interest and not plot importance. It's because there's always bigger fish to fry. Something more imminently concerning or threatening, like having to survive for months in this hellhole while two of your friends are dead.

He did it. He prototyped the crowsprite with Cal. He knew it was a bad idea. But he did it anyway. The cursed journey of Davesprite begins with one unspeakable folly. So tragic.

Say what you will about Calsprite. He's a formidable combatant. That huge puppet-ass attack? Absolutely devastating.

This sword concept is pretty cool. Caledscratch, as the weapon is named, is a broken sword, which Dave can wield thanks to his ½bladekind specibus. But it has a built-in time travel mechanism that allows it to cycle through previous states in its history, including back to a period of time when it was not yet broken. So it can extend and contract at Dave's will. A bit like a lightsaber, maybe? If you could turn on a lightsaber only halfway, I guess.

Dave is doing all these cool time-attack tricks. Hopping forward and backward in time, but only by a little to keep the maneuvers simple. Each time he does, he's creating a little stable time loop he has to account for. Good practice for a Knight of Time.

Starting now, Dave gets into the habit of casually encountering himself a lot. It's kind of his thing. Some kind of charactery thing about his character that he has to deal with, think about, and learn from. What? Referring to it as a charactery thing about him isn't highbrow enough for you? Why don't you go back to book school for lame nerds, you dork.

He made some TURNTABLES offscreen over the last few months. They let him time travel. I'm not sure what he used to make them, other than his record players from home. Looks like some sort of mystical gear component he probably plundered from the local industrial ruins. He probably went on a lot of exciting but lonely adventures on this planet we'll never get to see or hear about.

Those block-type grists are sulphur. I wonder how many huge sulphur cubes have fallen into the lava over the course of his Knight of Time berserker fits? They're kind of like giant, stinky bouillon cubes falling into a huge vat of boiling broth. It probably absolutely reeks on LOHAC when Dave goes on a rampage.

Right about now, the Ruby Giclops is wondering where it all went wrong in his life. It was probably when he, for some inexplicable reason, decided to swim through an ocean of lava to go mess with this boy in a suit going nuts with a sword.

You can tell Dave is probably overloaded with grist he doesn't particularly need by now. He carves up that giclops, and it starts raining huge rubies everywhere. But he doesn't seem to care at all about harvesting them. Instead, he takes a moment to yell at his puppet.

#Youtube #video #homestuck

[tomatoluvr69]

Hi Rob, do you have a recommendation for the most delicious way to prepare beets? I feel like you have maybe discussed this before but I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly

I’m a huge proponent of just roasting em in rosemary, olive oil, salt, garlic, and pepper, or whatever herbs strike your fancy— thyme might be especially good. Sometimes I toss them in balsamic or red wine vinegar and then do the standard roasting protocol. I tend to do cubes but someone fed me sliced and roasted beets recently and they were awesome and way more consistent, I might be a convert. But roasted is sooooooo good and if you can get golden beets someday pleeeease purchase them!!!! I love them

There’s also this recipe from NYT cooking I love:

Screenshotted for paywall reasons lol. It’s super easy.

And if for whatever reason you find yourself in possession of an overabundance of beets, I cannot recommend pickled beets highly enough, though they are a somewhat comically outdated food to the modern American palate— peasant meets prepper. But I LOOOOOOOOVE them and have been known to do a u turn on a backwoods PA highway when I see an Amish roadside stand where I can purchase some. And the BEST THING EVER happens afterward which is that when you eat all the beets you have a half jar of incredible earthy sugary vinegary liquid leftover, to which you can at whole hard boiled eggs and slivers of onion. You probably know this but I looooove my pickled beet eggs and onions and I was so sad when my uncle unwittingly discarded my vat of beet onions this summer lol. Ok rant over and this is not an instant recipe I’m just putting in a plug for pickled beets & eggs & onions

Ok On my way! To buy beets. Ok my phone autocorrected that but I’m leaving it because for once Apple’s overzealous correction actually conveys the appropriate level of enthusiasm

#asks #beets #yayayaya I need to buy some soon !!!!!!

[riyasharmask]

What are 7 ways to boost your immune system?

Immune system is the body’s defence mechanism that helps in fighting with different life threatening microscopic organisms, chronic diseases and disorders.

Duties and responsibilities towards family members and society, financial pressure and stress do not let us think and act in a positive way and stay healthy.

Such unavoidable circumstances are taking control of our life. We are inclined towards eating fast and processed food items, smoking nicotine and different types of prohibited drugs and drinking alcohol.

As a result, we do find ourselves trapped in different diseases in different parts of the body.

Let’s understand the signs of weak immune system and these are:

a)  Constantly suffering from cough and cold.

b)  High level of stress

c)  Excessive stomach problem

d) Wounds not easily healing.

e)   Intense infections.

f)  Easily getting tired.

Instead of spending huge amounts of money on medicines and treatment of the immunocompromised diseases like cancer, diabetes, hepatitis and other intestinal disorders, it is recommended to rely on Ayurveda. In fact, Ayurveda happens to be rewarding for your health. To achieve strong immune system, you need to maintain:

a)  Healthy liver function.

b)  Good digestive ability.

c)  Good hormonal and ojas balance.

d) Strong metabolism

Ayurveda would suggest you to go for simple steps for boosting immunity in the body

a)   Maintaining a proper diet: It is the foremost thing to maintain healthy immune system. Depending on the deficiency of kapha, vat and pitta doshas, you must actually select and eat the right food items. Most important thing is to boost and protect ojas and that is by consuming different types of nuts, raisins, dates, saffron and ghee. Adding garlic in your regular diet will help in removing toxins from the body and help you to fight cough and cold.

b)   Adequate sleep: Depending on the health condition , there is a need for proper balanced sleep. If you are suffering from kapha dosha then you must have 6 to 7 hours of sleep. Person suffering from vata dosha would require 8 hours of sleep. It will help in recovering from any type of joint pain. Person undergoing the problem of pitta dosha would have moderate sleep, not high as a vata dosha patient nor little as kapha dosha..As per the studies of researchers, adequate amount of sleep reduces the development of cancer.

c)    Waking up early:  Coming in contact with the rising sun boosts Vitamin D for the body. Further, it sharpens your memory and keeps your body and mind active.

d) Exercise and yoga: Regular exercise and yoga in the morning hours before taking bath and breakfast will help in bringing relief from the toxins from the body. It will boost blood circulation and good gut health. Dancing, swimming, running, doing push ups and squatting are some exercises that one can adopt and practice on a daily basis. One can deal with cough and cold and nerve related disorders with the help of pranayama or simple breathing exercise.

e)    Reduce stress:  To wipe out the stress level from the body, you can engage in the activities that appeal to you or you find them interesting. You can travel to your favourite destination where you can get the opportunity to connect with nature. Meditation is another way of fighting stress. Ayurveda suggests to go for herbal steam therapy to reduce the stress hormone, boost blood circulation and nerves of the brain and body. Oil massage on the body and forehead is highly effective in reducing stress.

f)    Manage rising weight:  Weight management is another way to control obesity. To stay healthy for a long period of time, one should not be too obese or too thin. Or else, you will suffer from cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Too much thinness will lead to deficiency of iron, vitamins and other necessary nutrients.

g)   Staying hydrated: Drinking 8 to 12 glasses of water will cleanse the body from the toxins, boost healthy bowel movement and control dehydration, diarrhea and intestinal disorders

Above mentioned ways strengthen your immune system. As per the experts’ opinion, your strong bonding with nature will help to gain key to healthy life.

#public health #yoga #immune system #health tips #health #healthy lifestyle #obesity #stress #immunity booster

[youareaveryspecialpersonxxxx]

Boredom volume one

Everything is so embarrassing. being genuine makes me cringe. when im not in love with someone i have no idea who i am or what to do all day. i write about how everything is so embarrassing. i buy mint flavored electronic cigarettes and vape until my hands shake, and when i don’t have the plastic tube in my mouth because it dies or runs out i supplement by popping wintergreen breath mints constantly. i have gone through about one container every day since we broke up.

My brain is crumbling, like how i imagine a preserved butterfly wing would if you touched it. Or what would happen to an old Monet if you let the icky oil on all your fingertips mess with the molecules of the paint or whatever. I never realized that my only hobbies were sucking on necks, texting I love yous, and reading books that were earnestly recommended to me. I know how to look at someone with wide disarming eyes and bat my eyelashes, then turn around and joke that I’m not charming; i don’t know how to fill a day by myself. i am crawling inside a huge vat of molasses, armed only with a graph-papered journal and overdue library books. i push my hands and my arms through the inky thick, and once a day or so i get into the car and sting my hands on the black steering wheel that’s absorbed all of the day’s 102 degrees of heat. i go back home. i sit on the couch. sometimes i’m so bored that i talk to the dog. i watch tv until my head hurts from the screen, i check if he still has our photo on his social media pages, the one where he’s sitting in my lap and im wearing a blue striped shirt, his face turned to me in shock, my face a cats-got-your-tongue grin. small miracle he hasn’t taken it down yet, i think every time i check. that’ll probably be the moment when all of this really sets in.

how do voluntarily single people do this, sitting around all day without someone always on your mind, always above you, always whispering in an animal pitch only your ears are tuned to? that wants to know your every impulse, how you are feeling and what you are doing and how you feel about what you are doing? how you feel about how you’re feeling? what are you up to this weekend, omg i wish i could be there with you, i miss you, i love you infinitely, this is real, we’re forever. i feel like the channel my brain was tuned to, thought it would always be tuned to, got disconnected, turned to static before i could put my feet down firmly on the ground. 

i’ve asked about four of my friends to recommend hobbies to me. one said that i should start styling people; i used to like clothes, but now im too apathetic to buy them, or care about how many rolls of fat they produce on my waistline, one or two. one friend said that i should spend a month just sleeping with women and turning myself lesbian again, and that i should’ve known being with a guy was a futile exercise. two of the others smiled uncomfortably, without teeth. one is in a relationship, about to move in with her girlfriend. i feel that her reticence to acknowledge my situation, much less provide any advice on it, is reflective of her own fear that the same thing will happen to her, when there is more at stake and it’s not as easy as going back to school and saying hi in the hallways instead of hosting giggly sleepovers every other night. 

which is not to say that going back to school will be easy. we have all our stuff in storage together. I haven’t even broken it to him that I lost the key to the unit yet, but I’m hoping i get it handled before i have to break the news in the first place. it’s a thirty minute drive away, with him, which means plenty of silent time to remember how he used to look at me when i would drive and he took passenger, how i would put my hand on the side of his thigh, and how the day we put our stuff there in the first place, i let him sleep and listened to music on earphones because it turns out Uhaul vans don’t have speakers. Surprise! That day, we couldn’t connect our phones, so I played the radio, because silence kills me, it kills me, and Katy Perry came on, “Last friday night”, and i asked if it was okay how loud it was, because he had a headache. He said “of course, of course, it’s fine.” but there was this pained expression on his face for a couple minutes, and when I turned it off he said “Thank God! I hated it.” Us in a nutshell I suppose. Cheers to August.

[dazaiapologism]

I’m so in awe of women who drop huge chunks of breaded meat into a vat of hot oil with their bare hands. ma’am you’re insane will you train me

[gemalawasliveblogs]

There's a LONG commentary here, so it goes under a cut.

As you watch this animation load, the "GATE 5" up there is really ominous. The Fifth Gate? What happened to...the first four? You wouldn't guess it just going by the scenery, but LOHAC is the bustling financial capital of the Medium. There is a thriving stock exchange here, run by energetic, greedy lizards. This animation was pretty slick at the time. Lots of action, cool music. Neat time tricks by Dave. It's an absolutely massive time skip that left everyone overwhelmed by its implications. Dave has already been here for months, battling monsters, hopping around gears. He's made a stylish new suit too, I guess to foster a certain Secret Time Agent chic. He's like the James Bond of horsing around with weaponized time travel, is the message being conveyed here. Just as the monsters on LOWAS and LOLAR have oil and chalk themes, these ones on LOHAC are amber-themed and yield grist accordingly. I touched on this a while back, but the "planetary pollutant" in a world full of clockwork would be a substance that could gum up the clockwork and make it tick slowly or grind to a halt. That would be a sticky, hardening substance like amber. The quest here on this planet, if done by the book, would involve clearing the land of its sticky pollutants so the gears could tick freely, which probably would wake up the denizen, and so on and so on... But here's the first glimpse of why so often in this story the by-the-book quest falls into the background as something trivial, like a sidebar of mythos-color that's mainly of academic interest and not plot importance.

It's because there's always bigger fish to fry. Something more imminently concerning or threatening, like having to survive for months in this hellhole while two of your friends are dead. He did it. He prototyped the crowsprite with Cal. He knew it was a bad idea. But he did it anyway. The cursed journey of Davesprite begins with one unspeakable folly. So tragic. Say what you will about Calsprite. He's a formidable combatant. That huge puppet-ass attack? Absolutely devastating. This sword concept is pretty cool. Caledscratch, as the weapon is named, is a broken sword, which Dave can wield thanks to his ½bladekind specibus. But it has a built-in time travel mechanism that allows it to cycle through previous states in its history, including back to a period of time when it was not yet broken. So it can extend and contract at Dave's will. A bit like a lightsaber, maybe? If you could turn on a lightsaber only halfway, I guess. Dave is doing all these cool time-attack tricks. Hopping forward and backward in time, but only by a little to keep the maneuvers simple. Each time he does, he's creating a little stable time loop he has to account for. Good practice for a Knight of Time. Starting now, Dave gets into the habit of casually encountering himself a lot. It's kind of his thing. Some kind of charactery thing about his character that he has to deal with, think about, and learn from. What? Referring to it as a charactery thing about him isn't highbrow enough for you? Why don't you go back to book school for lame nerds, you dork.

He made some TURNTABLES offscreen over the last few months. They let him time travel. I'm not sure what he used to make them, other than his record players from home. Looks like some sort of mystical gear component he probably plundered from the local industrial ruins. He probably went on a lot of exciting but lonely adventures on this planet we'll never get to see or hear about. Those block-type grists are sulphur. I wonder how many huge sulphur cubes have fallen into the lava over the course of his Knight of Time berserker fits? They're kind of like giant, stinky bouillon cubes falling into a huge vat of boiling broth. It probably absolutely reeks on LOHAC when Dave goes on a rampage. Right about now, the Ruby Giclops is wondering where it all went wrong in his life. It was probably when he, for some inexplicable reason, decided to swim through an ocean of lava to go mess with this boy in a suit going nuts with a sword. You can tell Dave is probably overloaded with grist he doesn't particularly need by now. He carves up that giclops, and it starts raining huge rubies everywhere. But he doesn't seem to care at all about harvesting them. Instead, he takes a moment to yell at his puppet.

Yeah, there's a lot here, from inconsequential to VERY consequential - the same can't quite be said of the Flash, being short enough that all the details are fairly relevant. To summarize, Dave's now up to the 5th gate and capable of casual time travel, accompanied by Calsprite. We don't know this yet, but he's been in there for months with two out of three of his best friends dead and the trolls absent. He's having it...very rough.

#homestuck #homestuck liveblog #gem liveblogs #gemposting #particularly chaotic

[missmalaysia]

had a dream all my magic power was in a tub bc i accidentally bet smth and everyone started taking it n drinking in it n bathing in it. it looked like blood. thing did not play out like how the bet shudve. i didnt care about my magic bc it was like a harry potter wizarding world situation n i was in the muggle world. normal ppl saw blood. a huge like literal swimming pool of blood. ppl lathered themselves in what they thought to be blood. it was as thick as blood n stuff. for some reason this was at a uni/hs warehouse. i dont rmr leaving the pool but when i came back to it they started hiding it but rly badly. there were streaks of blood on the ceilings vats of my magic/blood in those oil drum containers. then a classmate started dying. we were trying to save him by lathering the blood on him [life force(?) logic]. but once his hair n skin started falling off i saw his ghost (im the only one there that can see ghosts)

before that it was a scene where we ( me my bf his bsf and his gf) were all at tamarind and u cud pay parking w cash or condiments n there was a pretty girl n i got jealous n sad.

n there was also a scene where i was out shopping w my family in england but when i walked outside it was italy

#dreams

[nikitapatels-blog]

Company Registration in Dubai

After Abu Dhabi, the nation's capital, Dubai, the commercial center of the United Arab Emirates, is the second-richest emirate. Surprisingly, though, Dubai's riches did not come from oil reserves and natural resources like that of the other emirates. Dubai should also be at the top of your choice of sites if you're willing to launch a new business or want to expand your current one. These are a few advantages of establishing a company in Dubai.

Types of Companies in Dubai

There are different types of companies to be chosen for business registration under the Dubai Laws. Following are such among the popular company structures that people opt for Company Registration:

Free Zone Companies : The businesses and establishments that are part of the free zone are located in FTZs, which have different laws from mainland Dubai regarding ownership, taxes, and customs. A foreign businessperson may own all shares in a firm founded in a Free Trade Zone (FTZ). Within a Free Zone, entrepreneurs are able to form two different kinds of businesses: free zone establishments and free zone firms. Establishing a free zone establishment is possible for a single stakeholder with minimal responsibility. A free zone business or LLC can have up to five shareholders. A free zone corporation or institution can be founded by any natural or legal person. The laws and guidelines set forth by the specific free zones govern the creation of a firm or facility within them.

Limited Liability Company : An LLC, or limited liability company, must have at least two shareholders in Dubai. An LLC may have a maximum of 50 stockholders. The amount that an LLC's stockholders can contribute to the share capital is the only restriction. Except for banking, insurance, and financial investing, an LLC can engage in any type of business.

Onshore Company : A business founded in Dubai's mainland is referred to as an onshore company. The directors of the company are based in Dubai. Dubai only permitted 49% ownership for foreign business owners, and that ownership had to be created in conjunction with a native sponsor or agent. The administration of Dubai has changed this, though. As of right now, foreign entrepreneurs are allowed to hold 100% of a Dubai onshore business, with the exception of those founded for economically significant ventures in seven distinct industries.

Offshore Company : An offshore corporation is used to organize and run the firm outside of the nation's legal jurisdiction. The company is entirely controlled by foreigners and is based in another nation, although it is registered in Dubai. Offshore companies are fully owned by foreign entrepreneurs.

Branch Office: An extension of the main business is a branch office. Any foreign business may open a branch office in any of the FTZs in Dubai as well as on the mainland. Establishing a branch office is a wise move for businesses hoping to grow in the regional markets of the United Arab Emirates.

Why register your company in Dubai?

There are various benefits of starting a business in Dubai starting from:

Tax Benefits : Foreign investors benefit greatly from significant tax breaks because the UAE government seeks to create a business-friendly environment throughout all of its emirates. For example, capital gains and personal taxes are not owed by overseas investors. The VAT rate in Dubai is merely 5%, far less than in the majority of other global economic centers. This thriving region attracts a lot of new businesses and establishes conglomerates thanks to these business-friendly tax regulations.

International Market : This is an extra advantage for start-up businesses trying to grow and attract their first customers. Dubai is home to participants from practically every industry and domain because it is a major worldwide hub for commerce. For both B2B and B2C enterprises, this is a huge benefit. Due to the UAE's rise to the 11th spot on the worldwide "ease of doing business" ranking, more businesses are setting up shop in Dubai. Moreover, the presence of ports and a large labor pool facilitates the expansion of commercial enterprises.

Business Ownership :A broader range of activities can be managed by mainland businesses. You can trade freely on the mainland if you wish to expand your offerings. Simply re-register your new operation with the Department of Economic Development (DED). As a result, the UAE's 100% ownership policy for international investors would entice them to research the local market in Dubai and adjust the business plan for their operation.

Government Assistance : The administration of Dubai never declines to provide top-notch facilities, advantages, and security to foreign investors. In terms of quality, innovations, and more commercial opportunities, it keeps changing the laws and regulations that control how enterprises are performed in the town. In addition, the nation hopes to create many commercial growth strategies and host a variety of international events.

Geographically apt : Situated at the confluence of the East, West, North, and South, Dubai serves as an easy connection between global manufacturers, distributors, and builders of essential goods. The world's busiest and most active runways are found in Dubai. Runways and cargo terminals are situated in highly connected areas, which facilitates easy operations. This encourages the shipping, re-export, and travel businesses to grow.

Documents you would need

Following is the list of documents [not exhaustive] that you might need for the Company Registration process in Dubai:

1 : A duplicate of the directors' and shareholders' passports

2 : A copy of the directors' and shareholders' national identity cards

3 : Current utility bills, credit card statements, or bank statements that include the shareholders' and directors' residence addresses

4 : The Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company Board resolution containing information about the establishment of the branch or subsidiary designating an authorized manager

5 : Information about share capital

6: a duly certified appointment contract from a business or service

Why Choose RegisterKaro for Company Registration in Dubai?

RegisterKaro has been a one-stop solution for Company Registration in Dubai for the varied ranges of benefits such as:

The pool of Experts: RegisterKaro holds a large pool of experts from all over the world. Our team of experts makes sure that your work is taken care of in the most effective manner possible.

Cost-effective : RegisterKaro company registration services are of premium quality at the most efficient rate, which suits the client's pocket, making sure that quality service is not the only thing the client gains on our platform.

Client-oriented approach : Our team of experts is well trained and equipped with a client-oriented approach, keeping in mind that the process must be client-centric, focusing on meeting all the requirements of their business and, therefore, satisfying their needs.

Process Alteration: For the fact that we focus on a Client-centric approach, we keep our process structurization open for the client to alter it as per their need, requirements, and vision. For us, obtaining the best results is the focus, along with the Client satisfaction.

[xtruss]

Could Plastic Made From Bacteria Guts Help Solve Our Waste Crisis?

Bioplastics called PHAs grow like beer and biodegrade like wood. And they may be able to help with our plastic waste problem.

— By Alissa Greenberg | Published: Wednesday March 17, 2021

Drinking straws are one of many single-use plastic products that could potentially be produced using biopolymers. Image Credit: Phichai, Shutterstock

Despite the efforts of recycling programs and environmental education, it’s still hard for many of us to grasp just how much plastic humans produce. We are on track to produce a billion tons of plastic a year by 2050. Cumulatively, we’ve already produced more than 8.3 billion metric tons since 1950. That’s 20 times the weight of all human beings alive right now.

The systems we’ve developed for recycling that plastic are full of logistical, political, and economic obstacles, and the numbers show it. By 2015, three quarters of those 8 billion metric tons of plastic were already out of use, with 9% of it having been recycled and 12% incinerated. A whopping 79% wound up in landfills or the natural environment, destined to sit virtually unchanged for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

It doesn’t have to be this way. “Plastic” is a category that encompasses a huge diversity of materials with one thing in common: They’re made of repeating chains of molecules known as “polymers” and can be molded or extruded while soft to take particular shapes. Until recently, we've only looked to petrochemicals (made from crude oil and natural gas) to create plastics with the properties we find so useful: the rigidity of takeout utensils, the flexibility of plastic films, the moisture barrier that contains greasy food. Although some less-common petroplastics are indeed biodegradable, bioplastics—which are often made from plant materials like sugar cane pulp, corn, or cassava and in many cases biodegrade after relatively short periods—may also be able to help address our big plastic problem.

Enter polyhydroxyalkanoates, also known as PHAs, polymers used to make biodegradable bioplastics from an unlikely source: bacteria guts. PHAs and other bioplastics seek to challenge our assumptions about what plastic can be, and companies like Danimer in Georgia and Mango Materials in California are betting big that their products can help make a dent in our plastic waste numbers. Danimer’s partnership with Bacardi will see that company unveiling PHA bottles in all of its liquor lines by 2023; it also has partnerships in the works with Nestle, Pepsico, and other giants of single-use plastic. Meanwhile, Mango is making inroads into other plastic-reliant industries, like apparel. (Yes, your workout clothes have plastic in them.)

But PHAs aren’t new. They’ve been around for 35 years, and doubters like to point to Metabolix, a PHA company that seemed promising, grew quickly, and then collapsed in 2016. Metabolix and other would-be innovators have lived and died trying to “make PHAs happen.” Is now the time for this bioplastic to break through?

You might not think plastic and beer have much in common, but in the case of PHAs, there’s some surprising overlap. The bio-based plastic is derived from what amounts to bacteria guts, a polymer the microorganisms use to turn food into energy stored away for a rainy day. To make that polymer into something usable for humans, PHA scientists and entrepreneurs grow the bacteria in big vats under specific conditions, feeding them with vegetable oil, sugar, or methane gas and waiting to harvest the results. So far, kinda like beer.

Here’s where it gets a little different. When the bacteria have gotten so full and roly-poly that they’re barely bacteria anymore—when their cells have gone from around 3% polymer to upwards of 95%—they’re subject to a purification process that bursts their membranes and brings the polymer out of solution. The resulting white powder is combined in pellets that then can be made into straws and takeout containers. Voila: plastic that’s not just made without fossil fuels but is also fully compostable, biodegrading in both your backyard and the ocean.

We’ve known about bacteria’s capacity to manufacture plastic since the 1920s. But it took until 1983 to figure out how to get the polymers from inside the bacteria into human hands and until quite recently for that to happen on a scale that could be commercialized. “If you think of what we knew in the early 20th century about bacteria, microscopy, evolution, all those things have rapidly evolved,” says Mango Materials CEO Molly Morse. Only in the last decade have we had the tool set to make PHAs a reality.

Pellets made from PHA biopolymers. Photo courtesy of Mango Materials

Now, there are over 150 types of PHAs, which differ based on the length of their molecules, how they’re structured, which microorganisms are producing them, and what those microorganisms are fed. The longer the molecule chains, the more flexible and stretchable the plastic is; the shorter they are, the more brittle the material becomes. PHAs melt and flow like petroplastics and they can be turned into sheets or molded into many forms. That makes them great for all kinds of applications with one thing in common: whether in backyard compost, in industrial composting facilities, or in the ocean, they’ll completely biodegrade within six months.

The big difference is that petroplastics are synthetic, and while bacteria may attempt to break them down, those organisms lack enzymes to break the plastics’ carbon-carbon bonds, making full degradation impossible. But since bacteria already use PHAs to store energy, they have built-in ways to both recognize and break them down. That’s what makes PHAs uniquely biodegradable—but only in specific settings. To understand why this is possible, “think about wood,” says Danimer Chief Technology Officer Phil Van Trump. If you build your desk out of wood, it won’t just disappear out of your house one day; it needs the right environment for that. “But in your yard, it’s a different story. Put it back in that environment, and bacteria and fungi will recognize it as food and start in on it.”

Of course, there are some drawbacks. In plastic-nerd parlance, PHAs have a “narrow processing window,” which means that their melting point and the point at which heat transforms them chemically into something else are only 10 degrees apart. That limits the ways they can be processed to stand in for petroplastics—for example, in materials that are subjected to very high heat or need very high mechanical strength, like airplane windshields, car bumpers, or bulletproof vests. But PHAs' biggest drawback is cost. Production is relatively expensive, especially the part of the process that draws the polymer out of the bacteria, says Amar Mohanty, a polymer and plastics engineer at the University of Guelph in Canada. Though there are different techniques for doing so, they often require large amounts of expensive chemicals like acetone or chloroform. “And to get a really purified polymer, you need to repeat the steps two or three times,” adds his colleague, fellow engineer Manjusri Misra.

PHAs, like other bioplastics, also release methane when they degrade under anaerobic conditions (like in landfills). Since methane is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, some critics worry that if PHA products grow popular and then are improperly disposed of, they may end up contributing to the climate crisis. In response, Van Trump and Mohanty stress the importance of developing proper waste-disposal infrastructure along with PHA technology, including industrial composting and digesters. “There’s growing we need to do as a society with how much we stick in landfills,” Van Trump says.

In her work at Mango Materials, Morse has taken the methane release issue in a different direction, since Mango’s PHA bacteria actually feed on methane to grow their polymer. Mango has even partnered with Silicon Valley Clean Water in Redwood City, California, to build a digester on site and harness the methane coming off the city’s waste. At just that single location, Mango could produce up to 10 million pounds of PHA plastic per year.

And then there’s the question of toxicity. In a recent study, Lisa Zimmerman, a biologist at Goethe University in Germany, tested 40 different bioplastics, including one PHA product, and found they were not on average any less toxic than regular plastics. And when chemicals from the bioplastics leached into an environment where Zimmerman was raising microorganisms, many of them (including those from the PHA product) exhibited the potential to simulate hormones and interrupt the organisms’ metabolisms. Since some of the products she tested were not toxic, Zimmerman sees her result as an impetus to increase industry transparency. “The problem is that the product composition is not made openly available, so it’s really hard for other producers to integrate those less harmful chemicals,” she says. “To scale up, it would really help if it was openly communicated what is in the product.”

Plastic caps (left) and film (right) produced from PHA biopolymers. Photos courtesy of Mango Materials

Still, all the people interviewed for this article see the current moment as a time with enormous potential for bioplastics. As recently as 2014, when Mango applied for funding through the National Science Foundation to work on marine plastic pollution, their application was denied because the foundation “didn’t believe plastics in the ocean were a problem,” Morse says. She’s seen huge societal change since then, even noticing a difference just within the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. “People are at home staring at their trash cans wondering where all this stuff is going,” she says. “We’ve seen interest in the past 12 months like never before.”

Van Trump also sees a major change in the attitudes of the corporations Danimer is partnering with, like Pepsi, Nestle, and Bacardi, which now seem more willing to invest in solutions to the plastics problem. “We’re growing like a weed,” he says of Danimer, which just opened new facilities in Georgia and Kentucky. And Van Trump and Morse both point out that price and scale are intimately connected. Bioplastics like PHAs are competing against a petroplastics industry producing in simply enormous volumes, with some single plants producing a billion pounds a year—and economies of scale make it possible for petroplastics companies to keep their prices low. “The industry has had 70 to 80 years to optimize and build capacity,” Van Trump says. He holds out hope, though, that “when we get to the scales of the ‘traditional’ polymers, then costs will come down dramatically.”

In fact, Mohanty says the current problem for PHAs is the opposite of what it was in the days of Metabolix: too much demand and not enough production capacity. He expects the industry will grow into that demand in the coming decade, especially as widespread single-use petroplastic bans go into effect. The key, in the meantime, is to educate consumers about their options and to build enough infrastructure that all those new PHA containers and films and straws don’t end up in landfills. Of our voracious plastic appetite, he says, “If we cannot stay away from it, we have to find ways to handle it.”

#Tech & Engineering #Plastic | Bacteria Gut #Waste Crisis #Bioplastics | PHAs #Biodegradable