The Invisible College

An institution dedicated to education and learning beyond the traditional classroom.

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Invisible Ink Issue #5

At long last, another issue of Invisible Ink, our publication of original work by students at Wildwood School, is now available! This issue features the short stories "Corn on the Macabre" by Mason Allport, "Jonas's Project" by Noah Goldman, "The Hand that Wrote It" by William Yates, and "The Adventures of Boy and Ear Wick" by Milo Borsuk. Click the link above to download a copy. 

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Discussion #12

Invisible College members discuss the prompt "Are public-sector space programs a worthwhile investment?" 

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Various thoughts on the prompt "Are public-sector space programs a worthwhile investment?" posted on our board. 

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Haikai

Hello, readers! I’m Owen, the one who usually posts about evolutionary biology and immunology. Today, though, I’d like to give you a brief introduction to my favorite genre of poetry. You’ve probably heard of haiku; it has become one of the most vastly overused structures in poetry. However, I suspect fewer people are aware that the famous 5-7-5 structure of haiku poems is not the only feature–or even the most important one–that defines this form (at least not in traditional haiku) or that haiku is part of a broader poetic tradition called haikai.

Haikai is a genre derived from haikai no renga (also called renku), a form of linked poetry that became popular in Japan during the Edo period, thanks in large part to the efforts of Matsuo Bashō, a renowned poet whose work was critical to the formation of haiku as a genre, among other poetic forms. Haikai no renga was a continuation and modification of the Heian-period tradition of renga, a type of linked verse in which two or more poets exchanged stanzas to form one long poem. These generally alternated between three-line stanzas (5-7-5) and two line stanzas (7-7), a pattern originating from the older tanka form (5-7-5-7-7). Haiku derives both its name and its form from the first stanza of a renga poem, which was originally called the hokku. The 5-7-5 structure also appears in senryū poetry, which differs from haiku in that it addresses human subjects rather than nature, usually with a humorous or satirical tone.

In addition to specified counts of on, the structure of a haiku poem is usually defined by the kireji, a word inserted at the end of either the first or second line of the poem to indicate a point of transition in the imagery or idea of the poem. These do not have any translatable meaning in English and are thus generally mimicked in translations or in particularly traditional English-language haiku using punctuation, such as a dash, comma, colon, or semicolon. Traditional haiku also include a kigo (season-word) that establishes the time of year at which the poem takes place and thus places the imagery of the poem in a broader context, allowing the author to evoke a more detailed scene in fewer words. Another defining feature of haiku is that it in some way includes a contemplation of nature. All three of these features I have just listed differentiate haiku from senryū, which generally lacks both a kigo and a kireji and tends to address human subjects, usually in a satirical or humorous way.

To illustrate all these features of haiku, let’s take a look at a couple of Matsuo Bashō’s poems, as translated by Robert Hass:

Winter solitude–

in a world of one color

the sound of wind.                                     

English translations of Japanese haiku are not generally expected to preserve the 5-7-5 structure, though this one comes remarkably close. The other markers of haiku remain, however. We see the kireji represented as a dash, distinguishing the concept of winter solitude from the sensory detail of the latter two lines. The kigo is also obvious in this poem; the season is explicitly stated, and here modifies the concept of solitude. Winter solitude evokes different emotions and images than does the concept of solitude alone. It also allows us to immediately understand what Bashō means by “a world of one color.” While the kigo might not evoke for a modern reader quite the level of detail that it might have for someone who shared Bashō’s experience of living in rural Japan in the seventeenth century, it certainly provides needed context.

I’d just like to end by fast-forwarding into the realm of modern English-language haiku. Many English-language haiku break most or all of the rules of traditional haiku that I’ve outlined above. Virtually none use a kireji, and many lack a kigo. Many also break the traditional 5-7-5 structure. They remain haiku, however, because they retain the simple three-line form and contemplation of nature that traditional haiku exemplify. Consider, for example, one of my favorite English-language haiku by Nick Virgilio:

Bass

picking bugs

off the moon

I’ve gone on plenty long enough, but if you would like me to post more about haikai, please like this post! Thank you for reading. 

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What Can "The Legend of Zelda" Tell Us About Writing An Epic?

      Two things I love are The Legend Of Zelda, and ancient writings. I only recently realized how similar they are. 

        The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is, in it's own right, an epic. We can figure this out by comparing it to The Odyssey, by an ancient writer named Homer. It tells the story of a greek ship, on a long journey. Many magical and mythical things happen to the ship. It has formatting very similar to The Legend Of Zelda; Ocarina Of Time. There are specific (and long) encounters that the main characters are involved in. In each storyline, many villains are portrayed, each related to the specific encounter. However, there is one villain in charge of the entire thing. For instance, in Zelda's case, there is Ganondorf. However, in The Odyssey, there is a more distant and impending threat. In the Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, they are called dungeons and bosses. They each hold something crucial to the main characters success. Each story is told over a long period of time. There are items and weapons the hero acquires over time. The list goes on and on! 

        These rules do not apply to Majora's Mask, the original games, or the more modern games (sorry). Whether or not this was intended by Nintendo, the similarities are uncanny.

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Discussion #11

Members of the Invisible College discuss the prompt "Under what circumstances, if any, is censorship or the restriction of media acceptable?" 

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Our whiteboard at the end of our most recent discussion, showing Wildwood students' responses to the prompt "Under what circumstances, if any, is censorship or the restriction of media acceptable?" We had a very interesting split of opinion on this one. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts. 

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Virtual Selection: Evolution in "Spore"

Now that we’ve gone over Darwin’s postulates and the four driving forces of evolution (if you missed those posts, take a look here), let’s examine a video game that portrays the process of evolution and see how it matches up with how evolution works in the real world.

The creature creator is undoubtedly both the game's most innovative and interesting mechanic and its most egregious deviation from the process by which evolution functions in the real world. For one thing, rather than being subject to random mutations, new alleles are introduced to species in Spore by collecting them from fossils. Obviously, this is not how evolution actually works. If I dig up a fossilized deinonychus skeleton, it does not mean that I can then have kids with massive claws on their toes. It is understandable that the game works in this way, however, since it gives the player more agency (i.e. they can actively seek out new traits by finding fossils instead of just waiting around for random mutations to occur). It also has the added benefit (from a gameplay perspective) and fallacy (from a scientific perspective) of excluding useless or harmful traits from the game. Additionally, changes that occur in a species do not immediately affect all members of that species as they do in Spore. Far from being completely and instantly homogenous, a population evolving through natural selection must exhibit some degree of variation, as discussed in my first post in this series. I'll explore this idea further in my next lesson on Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. 

Another serious misconception that Spore reinforces is the idea that evolution is linear, continuously producing more optimally adapted, more complex, and more intelligent beings. This is completely false, and the perpetuation of this idea damages the credibility of the theory of evolution in the eyes of many. In Spore, you progress through the cell stage by growing larger and more complex and through the creature stage by increasing the complexity of your brain. In real life, however, organisms are not constantly under pressure to become more complex. Even after hundreds of millions of years, extremely simple organisms continue to exist and thrive on Earth because an abundance of ecological niches exist in which they can continue without going extinct. Simply put, evolution does not have a goal or even a direction. The sole condition of evolutionary success is continued existence.

I certainly do not mean to suggest that Spore is in any way a bad game, nor that you should not enjoy playing it, nor do I mean to deny the power of video games as an educational tool. In fact, I applaud Maxis for putting the creation of interesting and engaging gameplay systems first, given that education was not its primary intent. I see Spore as representing an interesting and possibly unique sort of interactive science fiction in that not only its story but its game systems themselves explore real scientific concepts in a highly fictionalized and stylized framework. In sum, enjoy Spore, but don’t expect your exceptionally intelligent golden retriever to suddenly advance to the tribal stage and start building fires and hunting with spears. 

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Is Minecraft a Religion?

    Video gaming is becoming a common hobby in our day to day life, Specifically a little indie sandbox game called “Minecraft”. For those of you who don’t know, Minecraft is an extremely popular adventure game where you can build, live, and do just about anything you want. Most video games cannot be seen as religions, but Minecraft is different. Minecraft has a clearly established all knowing creator god, as well as a mysterious and deadly demon lurking in another dimension. The game’s creator, Markus Persson, plays his game frequently and has a very specific skin and username, “Notch”. Notch is the username used by Markus Persson as well as a common nickname on social networks. In game, players see him as an unreachable, all-knowing god. On the other hand, a clearly stated devil is established. This manifests as “Herobrine”, the game’s very own satan. Herobrine is supposedly Notch’s deceased brother, who Notch programmed as a “Bug” in the game. Players report that Herobrine destroys their creations and kills their character in game. This has gotten a lot of attention and hype in the past  few years. Markus Persson now writes “Removed Herobrine” in each update summary in the game’s forum. However, players still report seeing him and encountering him. This leaves us with the similarity of the ever-present devil. Minecraft can definitely be classified as a religion.

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"Magic" in Media Versus "Magic" in Religion

  In media today magic is portrayed as colorful shapes flying from one’s body in an attempt to harm or benefit another. I come from a Celtic Witchcraft background, and I am very disappointed when watching “Harry Potter” or “The Lord Of The Rings”. In reality, magic is not a fact, it is a belief. And no, Witchcraft is not as instant or as bold as it is in movies. Magic is achieved through constant meditation and sacrifice, and It does not have to do with throwing balls of pure energy at enemies. Magic would manifest more in a parking spot, a promotion, or a good grade. Does this mean I can snap my fingers and get an A+? No, this means I can sit silently in my house alone for an hour, and get a slightly better grade than I would have. In real magic, each user must contact or find a spirit totem to help them. This can be related to the notorious “patronus” featured in “Harry Potter”. Mine happens to be a dog, specifically a Shiba Inu. These animals are called upon throughout magic. Thats it for now. There is so much I didn't cover. Let me know what you think, and I will write more in this topic.

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The Forming of "Scotland"

  After the Romans left Pictland alone, the Irish sailed in on the sides of Pictland. The Irish attacked repeatedly against the native Picts. At this time, the Picts had begun druid practice. Like the Romans, the Irish soon left.

     However, some Irish monks had been left behind, and they converted the natives to Celtic Christianity. After a while, the druids became few and far between. The country was united under a common religion, and a the descendants of Kennith MacAlpin were to rule. This known today as the House of Alpin. They were known as the Scots, after the knickname Scoti. This is how the idea of "Scotland" was formed.

     The infamous clans were created when the king issued lords of Scotland there own plots of land. The family of the lord would be given the land when he or she died (of course), but in Scotland, the family would take on other families to live on there land. The families that joined that lord would take on his or her surname or other name corresponding to the clan. For example, Alexander can be traced to Clan MacDonald or Clan Alexander.

    The clans would eventually fight for land, money, cattle, and freedom (*cough cough* William Wallace *cough cough*).

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Hello

My name is Conor Grice. I am a New Zealander. I know some English History. I am posting on this page now. It will probably be irregular. I am not good with the Interwebs. I am deeply sarcastic and ironic.

God save the Queen and whatnot.

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Gene Flow and Speciation

Finally, we arrive at the last of the four forces of evolution: gene flow. Put simply, gene flow is the change in allele frequencies in a given population that result from individuals moving from one population to another of the same species. Gene flow does not change allele frequencies in a species as a whole, only redistributes alleles among populations.  Gene flow tends to increase genetic diversity among the populations that exchange individuals. If a given population has become homogenous or even inbred, gene flow can help increase genetic diversity, and can sometimes introduce alleles that did not previously exist in the population. Gene flow is thus generally advantageous, though it can have stochastic effects similar to those of genetic drift. If more individuals of one genotype than another happen to migrate to another population, a particular allele can shift dramatically in frequency, especially in small populations, and may even drop to zero within the population. More frequently, however, gene flow maintains genetic diversity that can improve the overall resiliency of a population in the face of a variety of threats. 

Defining the distinction between two species is notoriously difficult. The definition most commonly applied is the biological species concept. Under this species concept, two populations are of separate species if they cannot or do not interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring. Species divisions of this kind can be broken down into two types: pre-zygotic isolation and post-zygotic isolation. Pre-zygotic isolation occurs when two populations no longer recognize one another as potential mates due to differences in mating behaviors or patterns or when their reproductive systems (genitals and/or gametes) differ so as to render them incapable of producing offspring. Post-zygotic isolation occurs when hybrid offspring (i.e. offspring having one parent of each species) are either incapable of producing offspring of their own or in some other way suffer from dramatically reduced fitness compared to members of either of the parents’ species. Other species concepts rely on morphology (i.e. physical differences between species members) or phylogenies. The latter will be addressed in a later lesson.

I apologize for the somewhat dry nature of these past few posts. Now that I have established the basics, my next lesson will hopefully be a bit more fun as we take a look at the depiction of evolution in the video game Spore and compare the processes depicted in the game with what I have covered in the last few posts regarding evolutionary forces. Stay tuned! 

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Religion and Culture in Early Scotland

  The Picts were truly an amazing group. They created their own religion, corresponding with the phenomena on the battle field. Their gods were gods of trees, faeries, and broad swords. These deities were the original inspiration for druid culture.

    These gods, like many religions, were grouped together as a whole. The Picts called them, the Tuatha De Danan. The group was formed by the goddess Danu. The group is actually called the "Tribe of Danu", so we can deduce that she is important. They were divided by craft. Goibniu, Credne, and Luchta were the "tri de dana" or gods of the craftsmanship. Lugh, and Morrigan were gods of war. These gods were incredibly influential in druid rituals.

    The druids we see on television and hear about in comics are quite far from reality. The real druids would perform rituals and spells via herbs. The herbs cut would have to be cut with their signature golden sickles. The druids had a very two faced life style. One day they are the village priests, the next they are performing human sacrifice. Yes, the druids did perform human sacrifice. They would put a criminal inside a large statue of a man, made from symbolic mistletoe and chant as it burns.

    Druids have shown up all across Scotland throughout history, but the Picts were the first.

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Introduction to Scottish History

  Scottish history has been showcased many times in television, animated movies, and comic books. When showcased, Scotland is usually in its prime, the late iron age. With a time including warriors, kings, gods, and wizards, what modern young adult author or television writer wouldn't want to dive into research?

     Mostly, the famous warrior William Wallace is a huge part of this. He is depicted as a strong, determined, and inspiring man with face paint smeared along his body. This is a great way to introduce the tip of the iceberg of ancient Scotland to a new and excited audience. However, before this speech- giving, broadsword-wielding lion of Scotland, there were the Picts.

    The Picts were the natives of Scotland. Picts were mentioned many times in the writings of roman explorers before the invasion of Britain. We also know of them from there large carvings on standing stones known as Brochs. Scotland, in fact, was originally called "Pictland" until it was nicknamed Scotland. The Picts lived just north of the rivers now known as Forth and Clyde. The Picts were very intrigued by druidic practice, and eventually became the most well known druid group.

    There independence did not last, as Rome was eager to acquire more land. While working out of Britain, they sent multiple legions into Pictland. When very few soldiers returned, they brought news of native demons. In horror, Rome put up "Hadrian's Wall", a giant wall dividing Pictland and Britain. They sent many legions across the wall. None returned. The Romans realized how futile this was, and stopped sending legions. Then, the Irish tried their hand at taming the wild demons of Scotland.

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Discussion #10

Invisible College members discuss the prompt "When in conflict, should quality of life take precedence over the preservation of cultures?" in a discussion taking various unexpected yet fruitful turns throughout. 

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Wildwood students discuss the prompt "When in conflict, should quality of life take precedence over the preservation of cultures?" via the Invisible College chalk talk prior to a discussion.