#myrym

[quarkmaster]

Myrym Empress of the Crypt by ArtofTy 

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'Pataphysics

A practitioner of 'pataphysics - the science of imaginary solutions, which symbolically attributes the properties of objects, described by their virtuality, to their lineaments - is a 'pataphysician or 'pataphysicist. Jarry mandated the inclusion of the apostrophe in the orthography "to avoid a simple pun". The term 'pataphysics is a paronym (considered a kind of pun in French) of metaphysics. Since the apostrophe in no way affects the meaning or pronunciation of 'pataphysics, this spelling of the term is a sly notation, to the reader, suggesting a variety of puns that listeners may hear, or be aware of. 'Pataphysics was used as a conceptual principle within various fine art forms, especially pop art and popular culture. Works within the 'pataphysical tradition tend to focus on the processes of their creation, and elements of chance or arbitrary choices are frequently key in those processes. They all have contrived signifiers of a 'pataphysical bent. A 'pataphor attempts to create a figure of speech that exists as far from metaphor as metaphor exists from non-figurative language. Whereas a metaphor is the comparison of a real object or event with a seemingly unrelated subject in order to emphasize the similarities between the two, the 'pataphor uses the newly created metaphorical similarity as a reality with which to base itself. In going beyond mere ornamentation of the original idea, the 'pataphor seeks to describe a new and separate world, in which an idea or aspect has taken on a life of its own.

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Sophistry

Sophism in the modern definition is a specious argument used for deceiving someone. It is a derogative term rather than pejorative and contentious. In ancient Greece, sophists were a category of teachers who specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric for the purpose of teaching arete—excellence, or virtue—predominantly to young statesmen and nobility. The practice of charging money for education and providing wisdom only to those who could pay led to the condemnations made by Socrates, through Plato in his Dialogues, as well as Xenophon's Memorabilia. Through works such as these, Sophists were portrayed as "specious" or "deceptive", hence the modern meaning of the term. "Sophist" came to denote a class of mostly itinerant intellectuals who taught courses in various subjects, speculated about the nature of language and culture and employed rhetoric to achieve their purposes, generally to persuade or convince others [draconian] due to the importance of such skills in the litigious social life. In comparison, Socrates accepted no fee, instead professed a self-effacing posture, which he exemplified by Socratic questioning (i.e. the Socratic method, although Diogenes Laertius wrote that Protagoras — a sophist — invented the "Socratic" method) thus they seek power. In the relativistic approach, however, this may involve the Greek word "doxa," which means "culturally shared belief" rather than "individual opinion." Sophistry, being regarded as specious and rhetorical, is a practical discipline. A sophist was simply a teacher of rhetoric and a popular public speaker. The Sophists certainly were not directly responsible for democracy, but their cultural and psychological contributions played an important role in its growth. They contributed to the new democracy in part by espousing expertise in public deliberation, since this was the foundation of decision-making, which allowed and perhaps required a tolerance of the beliefs of others. This liberal attitude would naturally have precipitated into the assembly as Sophists acquired increasingly high-powered clients. Continuous rhetorical training gave the citizens "the ability to create accounts of communal possibilities through persuasive speech". This was extremely important for the democracy, as it gave disparate and sometimes superficially unattractive views a chance to be heard in the assembly. In addition, Sophists had great impact on the early development of law, as the sophists were the first lawyers in the world. Their status as lawyers was a result of their extremely developed argumentation skills.

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Academia

The word academia comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece, which derives from the Athenian hero, Akademos. Academia is usually conceived of as divided into disciplines. These have their roots in the subjects of the medieval trivium and quadrivium, which provided the model for scholastic thought. Not everyone agrees on the value of theory as opposed to practice. Academics are sometimes criticized as lacking practical experience and thus too insulated from the 'real world.' Academic insularity is colloquially criticized as being "ivory tower"; when used pejoratively, this term is criticized as anti-intellectualism. Research journals have been so successful that the number of journals and of papers has proliferated over the past few decades, and the credo of the modern academic has become "publish or perish". Journals have developed a hierarchy, partly based on reputation but also on the strictness of the review policy. More prestigious journals are more likely to receive and publish more important work. Submitters try to submit their work to the most prestigious journal likely to publish it to bolster their reputation and curriculum vitae.

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Hibernation

Our sleep and wakefulness cycles are governed by the circadian rotation of the Earth. These cycles exist even in the absence of time cues such as sunlight and clocks. Thus for one to defeat their own circadian rhythm, deconstruction of the preeminent conclusion is a must.