The satirical research field "parachute use to prevent death and major trauma" is such a goldmine. The two major publications
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC300808/
and
https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k5094
are pretty much perfect satire of the way pseudo-skeptics dismiss domain experts and demand "hard evidence" in the form of exclusively flawless double-blind controlled studies, while clearly demonstrating that they have no idea what that entails, or what the limitations of RCTs are.
But the randomized control trial that was actually performed (second link) found no evidence that parachutes prevent mortality! (because they could only recruit people willing to jump off small, landed aircraft)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a medical intervention justified by observational data must be in want of verification through a randomised controlled trial.
The relevance to parachute use is that individuals jumping from aircraft without the help of a parachute are likely to have a high prevalence of pre-existing psychiatric morbidity. Individuals who use parachutes are likely to have less psychiatric morbidity and may also differ in key demographic factors, such as income and cigarette use. It follows, therefore, that the apparent protective effect of parachutes may be merely an example of the “healthy cohort” effect.
ask the author a question in your comment! how they thought of the fic idea, what their writing process is like, how they plan the plot, when did they first think of this, which was the scene that sparked it, how do you write ___ character?, whether they abandoned any plotlines
please reblog these challenges so they can reach more people!
In this time
In this moment
We could crash together
I come alive
In slow motion
Make it lost forever
I come alive
Release — digital daggers feel like falling
you wanna see some badass shit from the early 20th century?? The Lumière brothers created the first full color photograph… in fucking 1903! So these dudes dyed potatoes (in red, blue, and green), mashed them down into just pure fuckin’ starch, and used these dyed potato starches as filters to block out/let in certain wavelengths of light. They coated one side of a glass plate with the starches and sensitized the other side with a mixture of gelatin and light sensitive materials (silver nitrate) and loaded these plates in their cameras.. This is a really simple explanation of the process and I may have missed some things
A few of my favorite autochrome photos:
but lets not forget sergei prokudin-gorskiy, who developed a similar process in 1902, published in 1903 and then toured russia to take hundreds of color photographs:
AND the guy developed color slide processing as well. as a person fairly familiar with modern b/w processing at home, but never EVER stepping into color (negatives or slides) territory, i’d say, BAMF to the highest degree.
Here are a few more Prokudin-Gorskiy / Gorskii shots, and a reminder once again that these aren’t recently colourised BW images but original colour photos taken about 120 years ago. Many colourised pics don’t look this good. Some modern colour pics don’t look this good (as I know all too well. “Delete image Y/N? Y!”)
This is Leo Tolstoy, author of “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina”.
Alim Khan, Emir of Bukhara…
…and his Minister of the Interior.
A Type B-15 steam locomotive…
Another of those peasant girls with guest-gifts of berries…
The Church of St John the Baptist at Staraya Ladoga…
…and a Sergei Prokudin-Gorskiy self-portrait.
Unlike some current selfies ;-> he’s not dominating the image, so here’s a closer shot.
i think it's important to let ppl know that "literacy rate" doesnt mean the number of ppl who are CAPABLE of reading but the ability we have to interpret, analyze and internalize what we're reading.
same thing with "reading levels." saying someone has a 5th grade reading level doesnt mean they cant read big words, it means they can't interpret the underlying meaning, context and biases of what they're reading like an adult should. it's a critical thinking issue.
fascism thrives when ur literate enough to consume their propoganda, and uneducated enough to take it at face value. the internet shows this problem even in leftist spaces, where our lack of literacy is apparent in our inability to accept the existence of anything that demands critique, challenges our values or causes discomfort. you have to be able to engage with problematic material every now and then. you have to be able to form the critical thinking skills needed to pass through a world full of imperfections, to understand the motivations of society's evils, in order to create positive change.
The Wollemi Pine’s bark looks like bubbling chocolate—but its real secret? It’s a 200-million-year-old survivor from the age of dinosaurs.
Meet The World’s Most ‘Safeguarded’ Tree - A Jurassic Survivor Thought Extinct Until 1994 - by Scott Travers Contributor I write about the world of biology.
Forbes - Innovation - Science
Hidden in the remote canyons of Wollemi National Park, in New South Wales, Australia, is a tree so rare & ancient that its exact location remains a closely guarded secret.
The Wollemi Pine (Wollemia Nobilis), a conifer in the 200 million year-old Araucariaceae family, thought to have vanished from the planet - until a chance discovery in 1994 rewrote botanical history.
Since then, this prehistoric survivor has been at the center of 1 of the world’s most intense conservation efforts. Its wild population, numbering just a handful of trees, is strictly monitored, with measures in place protecting it from poaching, disease & environmental threats. Even those permitted to visit the site must undergo decontamination procedures, ensuring that this Jurassic relic remains untouched by modern dangers.
The Wollemi Pine Was Discovered In 1994—Purely By Chance
In September 1994, David Noble, a field officer with the New South Wales National Parks & Wildlife Service, was trekking through a deep, narrow gorge in Wollemi National Park. As an experienced bushwalker & canyon explorer, he had navigated the rugged terrain before - but this time, something caught his eye.
Towering above the dense vegetation was a tree unlike anything he had ever seen. Its dark, knobby bark, which looked like bubbling chocolate and its fern-like foliage were eerily reminiscent of fossils he had encountered in books. Curious, he collected a few samples and took them back for identification.
What followed was one of the most shocking botanical discoveries of the century. Experts confirmed that the tree was not only a new species but also a completely new genus – Wollemia - a rare example of a “living fossil” (something like the Gingko biloba). With close relatives dating back to the Jurassic, the Wollemi pine had defied extinction, surviving in isolation within this hidden canyon, completely undisturbed.
The Wollemi Pine Is The ‘Botanical Equivalent Of A Small Dinosaur’
Noble took some samples to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, where they were examined by botanists Wyn Jones & Jan Allen, who recognized the significance of what they were looking at. They handed it over to Carrick Chambers, the then-Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, who claimed that it was the “botanical equivalent of finding a small dinosaur still alive on Earth.”
It’s not every day that a tree from the dinosaur era is found alive & thriving. It is a direct link to the ancient past, giving valuable insights into plant evolution & resilience.
The 1st order of business, after realizing there were only 100 trees in the wild, was securing their survival. Conservationists quickly restricted access to the site, ensuring that the trees would remain undisturbed. The exact location of the grove was kept confidential, and only a handful of researchers were allowed near it.
Strict biosecurity measures were put in place to prevent the introduction of pathogens, particularly Phytophthora cinnamomi, a deadly soil-borne disease that could wipe out the fragile population. Anyone permitted to visit had to undergo decontamination procedures to minimize the risk of contamination.
The Wollemi Pine Today - From Secrecy To A Symbol Of Conservation
Despite its fragile status, the iconic tree has not only survived but become a global conservation icon. Recognizing the need to safeguard its future, conservationists have worked ensuring that young trees now grow in botanic gardens & private collection the world over, far beyond the remote canyon where they were 1st discovered.
The Wollemi Pine Is Now A ‘Diplomatic Gift’ & A Symbol Of Resilience
Over the years, the tree has taken on a new role in global diplomacy, symbolizing resilience, longevity & the importance of conservation. Seedlings have been planted in prestigious locations, including the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Kew Gardens in London & other protected sites around the world.
These young pines act as ambassadors for biodiversity, reminding us that some of Earth’s most ancient species still need protection.
Wollemi Pine - A Future Beyond The Wild
In 2005, the Wollemi pine was made commercially available, allowing individuals & institutions to own & grow this prehistoric marvel. The idea was simple: by putting the pines in backyards & botanic gardens, conservationists could reduce the risk of illegal poaching while securing a future for the species outside its vulnerable wild habitat.
Though the commercial partnership officially ended in 2010, many young trees continue to be cultivated worldwide. Today, owning a Wollemi pine is not just a novelty - it’s a small but meaningful act of conservation.
Meanwhile, in its native habitat, the species remains under strict protection. As of 2021, only 46 adult trees remain in the wild, accompanied by many dozen juveniles. Conservationists closely monitor the population, implementing biosecurity measures to shield the trees from disease, climate change & wildfires (the 2019-20 wildfire in Australia destroyed several Wollemi pines) – all of which pose a constant threat.
What began as a secret discovery deep in the canyons of Wollemi National Park has now evolved into one of the most remarkable modern day conservation stories. While the species remains critically endangered, conservation efforts have helped secure its future beyond the wild. The Wollemi Pine now grows in gardens, research institutions & protected landscapes worldwide - but its survival in the wild still hangs in the balance. For a tree that coexisted with dinosaurs, that’s not a bad comeback.
The story of the Wollemi pine speaks to the amazing resilience of life on Earth. But it is also a reminder of how delicate and irreplaceable our natural world is. Take the free Connectedness To Nature Scale to learn how important nature is to you.
Scott Travers : I am an American evolutionary biologist, based at Rutgers University, where I specialize in biodiversity, evolution & genomics. Drop me a note, here. Thanks for your readership & support.
It took a long time for him to be comfortable enough to play in front of Hannibal. It was the last, hidden piece of himself, kept close like a treasured secret for almost twenty years.
And thus came a new paradigm shift in the life of Hannibal Lecter: the sweetest music to reach his ears now flowed in the form of Will Graham strumming out to Joni Mitchell, voice pleasantly off-key.
A fellow fannibal, HappyFuseli, has recently created a lovely poem on AO3, The Soft Mechanics of Distance! It was inspired by A Case of You (written in 2020) which had been, in turn, inspired by callmenephila's original Lecter-inspired drawings made in 2018. Art begets art begets art... 🤤💞
unhitched | hannigram | 1970s | trucker AU
by joanielspeak
A recently-divorced long-hauler with a sharp tongue and a questionable past, sits alone in a diner, staring bitterly at his cold eggs and toast. His breakfast is flavorless. It is unpleasant. He and it are one and the same. He's about to give in, give out, or give up on life when he meets a stranger with a bizarre accent, a vexing palate, and a messed-up philosophy about life and death...
This unreliable narrator wasn't looking for a friend or trouble when he started hauling steel out of the Motor City, but as fate would have it, he found both.
Her name was Judy-Lynn del Rey. And she became the most powerful editor in science fiction history.
Born in 1943 with achondroplastic dwarfism, Judy-Lynn grew up devouring science fiction in New York City's public libraries. At a time when the genre was dismissed as pulp fiction for teenage boys, she saw something else entirely: the future of storytelling.
She started at the bottom—an office assistant at Galaxy, the most prestigious science fiction magazine of the 1960s. Within four years, she was managing editor.
Then Ballantine Books came calling.
When she arrived at Ballantine in 1973, science fiction and fantasy were afterthoughts in publishing. Fantasy in particular was considered unsellable—unless you were Tolkien. Judy-Lynn thought that was nonsense.
Her first major move was audacious: she cut ties with one of Ballantine's bestselling authors, John Norman, whose "Gor" novels were popular but notoriously misogynistic. It was a risk. She didn't care.
Then came the gamble that changed everything.
In 1976, someone brought her an opportunity: the novelization rights to an upcoming space movie by a young director named George Lucas. Hollywood thought the film would bomb. Studio executives were skeptical. Most publishers passed.
Judy-Lynn said yes.
The Star Wars novelization sold 4.5 million copies before the movie even premiered.
She would later call herself the "Mama of Star Wars."
In 1977, she launched Del Rey Books—her own imprint, with her husband Lester editing fantasy while she oversaw everything else. Their first original novel was Terry Brooks's The Sword of Shannara. It became a phenomenon.
She didn't stop there.
Remember The Princess Bride? The original 1973 novel had flopped. It was headed for obscurity. Judy-Lynn rescued it, reissuing it in 1977 with a striking gate-fold cover and an aggressive marketing campaign. Without her intervention, there might never have been a movie.
She published the Star Trek Log series. She championed Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant trilogy—convincing Ballantine to release all three books on the same day from a completely unknown author. Unprecedented.
She published Anne McCaffrey's The White Dragon—the first science fiction novel ever to hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
And she did all of this while competitors called her imprint "Death-Rey Books"—because she was utterly dominant.
Between 1977 and 1990, Del Rey Books had 65 titles reach bestseller lists. That was more than every other science fiction and fantasy publisher combined.
Arthur C. Clarke called her "the most brilliant editor I ever encountered."
Philip K. Dick went further: "The greatest editor since Maxwell Perkins"—the legendary editor of Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
But here's what burns: the science fiction community never nominated her for a Hugo Award while she was alive. Not once. The men who ran the industry praised her in private and overlooked her in public.
In October 1985, Judy-Lynn suffered a brain hemorrhage. She died four months later, at 42.
Only then did the Hugo committee vote to give her the Best Professional Editor award.
Her husband Lester refused to accept it.
He said Judy-Lynn would have objected—that it was given only because she had just died. That it came too late.
He was right.
Judy-Lynn del Rey transformed science fiction from a niche hobby into a cultural force. She made fantasy into a mainstream publishing category. She bet on Star Wars when no one else would. She saved The Princess Bride from oblivion. She published the first #1 New York Times science fiction bestseller.
She did all of this standing 4'1" tall in an industry run by men who underestimated her at every turn.
The next time you pick up a fantasy novel, or watch a Star Wars movie, or quote The Princess Bride—
yousharknotpass
theartofmadeline
blakekathryn
jacobvanloon
discoholicmusic
