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summonhouse · 1 year

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summon house is a piece of media on youtube that is 4 episodes all of 10 minutes long atm. created in 2021 at first and then went on a 2 year hiatus and returned 2-3 days ago? after it was featured in a sagan hawkes video at the very end which has 741k views. the video with the most views rn has 4k views though, and no posts on tumblr before me, lol. atm, given its 10 minutes long, theres really no clarity on what is happening and what could happen and seriously no reason to speculate- the story as presented is that the episodes are video game play throughs supernaturally (? as in, not realistic in our world, theyre supposed to be posted on other channels but all posted on summon house with summon house descriptions) consolidated, with descriptions seemingly from the game itself, not the players, labelling the players as "unnamed men" with summon house bias (describing a player as "ridiculing" the house). the players say that the game is a game jam game, so presumably made in 24 hours, with extremely meager grammar, assets, sounds and such. however when tasked at night with "what [to] summon?", the game accurately identifies what is prompted and increases the span of the house. realistically, if you care about game dev, this is impossible; the entered objects are all varied (apple, water bottle, door, and dog), none are refused, and the first two are accurately interpreted along with their meaning, and then integrated into art created by the game triggered by invisible flags as the player moves around- looking at a blank canvas, looking away, looking back and theres a painting. it immediately indicates; somehow, this game is learning, and if it is learning, i would assume its alive. in fact, the game repeatedly laughs when it changes things around the house. the intro is also "game smile" (and "game smiling" in the second build), and the text within the game is repeatedly infantile and extremely personable- "apples are my only favorite thing!" "let me look around? need inspiration" "outside stars!/shiny light!/squarey board!/see me tomorrow!". the line "let me look around? need inspiration" is really intriguing- the game repeatedly makes paintings, but only after the player has looked at what they have summoned, and usually after a trick turn. nothing changes on screen- a noise triggers, causing the player to panic and look around, and when they look back, something has changed. the game can change, but only behind the players back? Still, "let me look around" implies its seeing through the player characters eyes? if i have to assume, wishfully, with the narrative I personally enjoy, it smacks of video game that needs you to play it to be alive, with how it expresses joy (smiling, fun) when it is played, emphasizing "see me tomorrow" instead of a goodnight message on session 2 as if the focus is hanging out together. the laughing is really really endearing. its hard to say how much the house theming is supposed to matter- is it the game thats alive? is it the player or the house? if the game is only a house, is the game that house?

summon house was made by a person named alex, i dont know if they have any social media because i only know them from the in character youtube channels of summon house and ai builds. ai builds' first video has 22k views and last video has half that, but i couldnt find ANY analysis videos of the story. you might think ai builds is connected to summon house because summon house seems to run on ai, but ai actually stands for animal investigators, which is a video game the character of nicholas is trying to make. ai builds is about a man with terrible depression and trauma struggling to create a game to feel worthy of anything while trying to be original. the game explicitly is not exactly real- when he sees things in the real world as he plays, they show up in game. things appear without him coding them in. things he insist he did not make are present repeatedly and surprise him, and as the videos go on increasingly the videos broadcast are recollections of trauma and analysis of his inner turmoil- the game is an outlet for things in a very abstract sense taken to its extreme, as characters in the game taking on appearances of people from his outside life tell him things he needs to hear but does not want to think- in pill imagery, bitter pills to swallow.

im really excited about summon house despite it only being 4 episodes in because, well, i love houses and i love games. i think theres a lot to be said about houses and games as connecting themes. theyre both something you have to make and expressions of yourself. theres a lot in ai builds about being trapped in your home, specifically being trapped in a room, with a repeated childhood trauma shown through demons in the media being knocking at his door demanding he open the door and let people in- but the letting people in isnt really a literal experience- it was, as shown by a childhood comic he made about his father screaming that at him, but in the context at the time as its repeated in ai builds, its definitely more about him letting people into his mentality as the narrative in the current day for him is focused on his refusal and difficulties in getting help, in "letting anyone in". in this way, the house is a representation of the mind. the game, too, is a representation of the mind as the events and thoughts hes going through appear in the game. are you seeing how its all connected? theres also a lot of emphasis on creation in ai builds- he struggles to create anything because its all been made before, and he feels the need to make anthing at all to "prove" hes worth loving, repeatedly saying hes in dire straits because he cannot understand why anyone would like him if he has nothing to present them, such as a game. he struggles with having been creative, but losing inspiration and feeling as if hes copying everything- i think you can draw connections from that and summon house as its about continually learning and growing from some sort of database of which we're not sure yet- how is the house learning, where is it pulling models, for what reason? im really hoping summon house like ai builds is very very good- ill like it even if its not, because houses are always good for symbolism, lol

#UNADULTERATED AUTISM

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saganlife · 6 months

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Backpacking is a thrilling outdoor activity that allows you to connect with nature, explore remote wilderness areas, and challenge your physical and mental limits. Whether you’re an experienced backpacker or just starting, one crucial aspect of your adventure is ensuring a safe and reliable source of clean water. Water is essential for hydration and survival. Natural water sources, such as rivers, streams, and lakes, can be contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses, and other impurities. Consuming untreated water in the wild can lead to serious health issues like gastrointestinal infections, diarrhea, or worse. Therefore, ensuring a safe and reliable source of drinking water is paramount.

Reasons why proper water purification is essential for backpackers:

Health and Safety: Contaminated water can contain harmful microorganisms like Giardia, E. coli, and Cryptosporidium, which can lead to severe illnesses. Clean water is essential for staying healthy and safe while out on the trail.

Convenience: Carrying large quantities of water from home can be heavy and impractical, especially for longer backpacking trips. Having access to water sources on the trail and purifying them as needed is more convenient and efficient.

Environmental Impact: By purifying water from natural sources, you reduce the need for disposable plastic water bottles and minimize your environmental footprint. Backpacking responsibly means leaving a minimal trace on the environment.

Cost-Efficiency: Reusable water purification methods can save you money in the long run, as you won’t have to continuously buy bottled water or pre-treated water.

Versatility: With the right water purification system, you can confidently explore remote and less-traveled areas where clean water sources may not be readily available.

Choosing the Right Water Purification Method

Boiling Water: Boiling is one of the oldest and most effective methods for purifying water. It kills bacteria, parasites, and viruses by raising the water’s temperature to a boiling point (212°F or 100°C) and maintaining it for at least one minute. In high-altitude areas, you may need to boil the water for longer due to lower boiling points at higher altitudes.

Pros:

– Effectively eliminates all harmful pathogens. – Requires only basic equipment (a stove and pot). – No chemical taste or odors in the purified water.

Cons:

– Time-consuming. – Requires a reliable heat source and fuel. – Heavier and bulkier compared to some other methods. – Not ideal for large quantities of water.

Water Filters: Water filters are mechanical devices that physically remove bacteria, protozoa, and larger particles from water. They work by forcing water through a porous material or a filter media, such as ceramic, glass fiber, or a hollow-fiber membrane. The filtered water is then safe to drink. The Sagan Life® XStream Straw Water Purifier product uses the popular and effective Journey™ Filter to purify water from any non-salt water source.

Pros:

– Efficient and quick purification. – Lightweight and portable. – Suitable for larger quantities of water. – Many options available, from pump filters to gravity filters™ (such as the DuraFlo Filter).

Cons:

– May not remove viruses (unless specifically called out. In the interests of full disclosure, the Journey™ Filter DOES remove 99.99 percent of virus, plus other contaminants). – Filter cartridges require occasional replacement. – Prone to clogging in turbid water sources. – Initial investment and maintenance costs.

Water Purification Tablets and Drops: Water purification tablets and drops contain chemical agents, such as chlorine dioxide or iodine, which kill or neutralize harmful microorganisms in water. You add the tablets or drops to the water, wait a specified amount of time, and the water becomes safe to drink.

Pros:

– Lightweight and extremely portable. – Effective against a wide range of pathogens. – No special equipment required. – Long shelf life.

Cons:

– Chemical taste or odor in treated water. – Some people may be sensitive to chemical treatments. – Ineffective against certain impurities like heavy metals. – Requires waiting time for purification.

UV Water Purifiers: UV (ultraviolet) water purifiers use UV light to disrupt the DNA of microorganisms in water, rendering them harmless. These devices are often compact and battery powered.

Pros:

– Fast and effective water purification. – No chemical taste or odor. – Lightweight and portable. – Can be used with clear water sources.

Cons:

– Requires a power source (usually batteries). – Ineffective in murky or turbid water. – May not remove particulate matter or chemicals. – Initial investment and battery replacement costs.

Chemical Filtration: Chemical filtration combines a filter with a chemical element, such as activated carbon. These filters physically remove large particles, while the chemical component absorbs contaminants like chlorine, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Pros:

– Effective against a wide range of impurities. – Reduces chemical taste and odors in water. – Lightweight and portable. – Suitable for various water sources.

Cons:

– Limited in removing microorganisms (unless specified). – Filter cartridges may require replacement. – Slower filtration compared to standard water filters. – Some models can be relatively expensive.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Water Purification Method

Now that you’re familiar with the various water purification methods available, it’s essential to consider several factors when deciding which one is best for your backpacking adventure. Here are the key factors to keep in mind:

Water Source and Quality:

– Consider the types of water sources you’ll encounter on your trip (rivers, lakes, streams, etc.). – Assess the water quality and potential contaminants in the area you plan to explore.

Trip Duration:

– Shorter trips may require less water purification than longer ones. – Consider the number of days you’ll be in the wilderness and the quantity of water you’ll need to purify daily.

Weight and Portability:

– Evaluate the weight and bulkiness of the purification method. – Decide if you need a lightweight and compact solution for ultralight backpacking or if you can carry a slightly heavier system for added features. Be aware that the Sagan Life® XStream Straw Deluxe and Basic models, plus the new RapidFlo Survival Straw Filter are all extremely lightweight and easy to pack into a backpack, bike pack or rucksack without issues.

Ease of Use:

– Determine your comfort level with each purification method. – Consider how straightforward the method is to use in various weather conditions and terrains.

Effectiveness:

– Review the method’s ability to eliminate the specific pathogens and impurities you may encounter in your chosen destination. – Ensure the method is suitable for your needs and the water quality you expect.

Speed of Purification:

– Think about how quickly you need access to clean water. – Some methods may require longer processing times than others.

Taste and Odor:

– Consider your preference for the taste and odor of purified water. – Some methods, like chemical treatments, may impart a noticeable taste or smell to the water.

Maintenance and Durability:

– Research the maintenance requirements of the chosen purification method. – Assess the durability and longevity of the equipment, including the need for filter replacements or battery changes.

Cost:

– Set a budget for your water purification system. – Account for any ongoing costs, such as replacement filters or chemical treatments.

Versatility:

– Determine whether the method is suitable for various water sources and conditions. – Think about the adaptability of the system to different trip scenarios.

Maintenance and Safety Tips

Regardless of the water purification method you choose, it’s crucial to follow proper maintenance and safety guidelines to ensure the effectiveness of your system and safeguard your health:

Read the Instructions: Familiarize yourself with the manufacturer’s instructions for your chosen water purification method. Understanding how to use the equipment correctly is essential for your safety.

Regular Maintenance: If your purification method involves replaceable filters or cartridges, be diligent about replacing them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Neglecting maintenance can compromise the system’s effectiveness.

Clean Water Sources: Whenever possible, choose clear and running water sources for purification. Murky or stagnant water can clog filters and reduce the effectiveness of the method.

Carry Backup Purification: For longer trips or in areas with unreliable water sources, it’s a good idea to carry a backup purification method. This ensures you always have a reliable way to treat water.

Practice Proper Hygiene: Wash your hands before handling water purification equipment and after handling potentially contaminated water sources to prevent cross-contamination.

Store Equipment Properly: After your trip, clean and store your water purification equipment as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Storing it properly helps maintain its effectiveness and longevity.

Conclusion

Choosing the best water purification method for backpacking is a critical decision that can greatly impact the safety and enjoyment of your outdoor adventure. By considering factors such as water source, trip duration, weight, and personal preferences, you can select the method that suits your needs best.

As you embark on your backpacking adventure, stay hydrated, respect the environment, and enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors with the confidence that you can rely on your chosen water purification system to provide you with safe and refreshing water throughout your journey. Happy trails!

#backpacking water filter #camping water filter #portable water filters and purifiers #xstream water filter #portable water purifier for camping

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verodicia · 6 months

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Dream

I was in a diner with stackmates, Jack and Abel. Jeremy is running late. We were in a big comfy booth with an American style pot of coffee to share.

Abel had marshmallows and toast, and was stuffing his face. He's a werewolf, and has a ravenous appetite. Jack is drinking coffee, black, and eyeing my cup as I pour what he considers to be disgusting amounts of "cream" into it.

Abel is like Lycan, crossed with the Diablo 2 druid. Jack is like Silas (Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book) crossed with Nightstalker and Phantom Assassin, but at the same time bears a lightness, like Skywrath Mage. Jeremy is able to transform like Undying, and cast tombstone, but also does expert chemical, explosive things, like Alchemist, Ogre Magi and Techies.

I'm writing up a list of ingredients i'll need for a summoning spell and Abel offers to get some leaves off a plant I'll neeed, as he knows where some grows. Jeremy is bringing a bag of rock salt and a bottle of tequila, I suppose thats why he's late.

Abel chats and seems relaxed enough - I can tell he's excited for drama to come. Jack is looking sort of bored, but also concerned and trying to keep it to himself. He doesn't like to lose.

Several hours later, I'm standing in a massive shallow pool of water, manmade, with thin fountaining jets shooting up here and there, obscuring vision. At some points it's only between ankle and calf-deep, but in some places it comes to my waist. Risky terrain to manoeuvre in, but I hope it will give others a similar disadvantages. It's night time now, and I dont know where the guys are - we all got separated.

I can't see very far, and the fountain noise covers the splashes that enemies might make, wading toward me. I have an iron golem, but he's somewhere out there too. At least, I think to myself, its helping the guys.

I feel something watching me and I turn 360 degrees, scanning the area and squinting to try to see through the fountain spray, into the darkness. Lights in the lake floor here and there make the water glow but don't provide much in the way of extending visibility.

Then, I get a feeling from Jack, in my head. He knows where I am and is monitoring my situation: a Templar Assassin is melded, gradually sneaking up to me in the cover. He's also scouted that Abel is fighting - wrestling a giant cat beast, like Mirana's Sagan, in a large grassy lawn area half a block away. Jeremy is preparing Techies sort of shit, working my Iron Golem to assist him, over two separate cross roads of the block. He is going to make sure everything comes down, down to rubble.

Dust wont work here, because the mists from these fountaining jets of water dampen and disperse it. I have to learn to blink? or meld? right now? to stay safe long enough for Jack to finish his fight and turn off power system driving the pumps. The lights will go out too, though, he reminds me mentally, so I'll need to take that into account.

I hate expending supplies but it does feel necessary as I drink a cat potion from my inventory. My pupils turn to slivers. I can see further into the dark, and see sparkles dancing the outline of TA's meld now, luckily, too. Every time I glance away and back she is a little closer, melded again, no opportunity wasted. The team is concerned. I can feel through our mental connection that Abel has killed Mirana, and her cat, and is running toward me. Time is running out.

I'm glancing at his direction instinctively, then back in alarm but it's already too late. TA's eyes are glimmering directly into mine, face to face and less than a breath away. I see her conviction, her absolute will. I know then I'm going to die, and her blade is going to tear through my stomach. I see it like a replay that never happens, as somehow, time is slow, and I feel myself.. something like blinking, backward. Did I do that?

It not far enough though, and she follows, angry.

Then consecutively I am Forced, and plucked out of the water at the same time, teleported onto grass, TA is locked by an Atos and I know it's my old best friend, Ben, somewhere else. He's Invoker. He doesn't really care or get involved in my fights, causes, dalliances, but noted my situation and decided he could do that, since he is capable.

TA is regaining her bearings. Seeing me, she takes half a step forward, then seems to lunge in a monstrous, sinister puppetlike manner toward me. It sparks a jolt of fear, that there is something very much deeper wrong with the enemy we are facing, and I have a gravelly feeling in my stomach that there's something we've overlooked. It only lasts a splitsecond, as she flies forward and I realise Abel is here. With an inhuman leap he's barrelled into her from behind, teeth sunk deep down over her shoulder and through her back, crushing into her spine. She's still alive and conscious but helpless, in agonising, useless, torment as he begins to shake her like a wet dog toy.

Jack and I are standing on the grass at the edge of the pool, now, just sort of watching while Abel rips her to pieces. Jack is a type of amused, entertained, as Abel makes a giant corpsey mess in the water. Jack holds TA's will there in her body, so she's still alive and feeling herself in pieces.

I'm feeling a rush, but it's in more a Yuck than Fun way.. Admittedly I can be a horror in casual pubs, I'm usually by far the worst of the lot, and they'll criticise my behaviour. But when it comes to Ranked Dota, theres a subset of people - normally so chill, the absolute good guys - who become something else, when its "real competition". Were we the villains here, and was TA part of a mission to take out our party, at any cost?

#old stack #im the bad guy #ignore this dumb shit my dream diary pages are falling out so i transfer this here

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saganlifellc · 3 years

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Journey Water Purifier Bottle – Blue

Drink pure water anywhere & anytime with our simple fill-and-drink, Journey water purifier bottle. Removes 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% virus and pathogens from any non-salt water source, for up to 250 gallons. Perfect for everyday use & outdoor trips, and isnow available at $44.99 only.

#water purification bottle travel #water purifier bottle #journey water bottle #journey water purifier bottle #sagan water bottle #water purification bottle #portable water filter for travel #best filtered water bottle for travel

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midmorning-bomb · 3 years

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Play Out (day seven, free day)

Stiles barely restrains a sigh. He is actually too old for this shit.

“Yeah, Alpha Hale, that’s really not how this works. Prestige doesn’t pay the bills and my fees aren’t negotiable. They’re clearly laid out, in my fancy brochure.” He’s less successful restraining a sarcastic wave toward the colourful pamphlet.

He looks over at Derek, who is attempting to melt into the wallpaper away from his mother, embarrassed but resigned (which like, the poor dude tried to warn Stiles. Mostly with his eyebrows, but still). Leaning against the bookshelves that line the back of the office is the impassive (and hot) uncle Peter, and whether this job pans out or not, Stiles is going to be wheedling his number out of Derek.

“I’m not sure you appreciate what an affiliation with our pack means for a fledgling such as yourself. It can be very difficult to be... unknown in our world. Someone as young as you are might not understand, but we Hales have been in Beacon Hills for generations, our reputation means something here.” As much as his mother is puffing herself up, Derek is doing his best to shrink into himself.

It would be unprofessional to laugh, which typically wouldn’t stop Stiles, but it looks like Derek already has enough to deal with, and Stiles is a loyal bro, if nothing else.

“Uh huh. I’m sure I’ll stumble along somehow. But I’m busy with clients willing to pay me in actual material goods. I’m only here today as a favour to Derek, so... call me if you change your mind, I guess? Or don’t.”

He feels the wards creak and fragment as he leaves, trembling like saplings struggling in weak sun and no rain and faced with a force much greater. Rolling his eyes, he shrugs and keeps walking and doesn’t look back. He really is busy. And hungry.

Weeks later Stiles is reading The Demon-Haunted World in the overstuffed, navy velvet chair that sits in the back corner of his shop. He’s technically open, but not in the mood for company, so a gentle Go Away charm encourages all but the most determined to keep on walking. Some soul must be desperate, when the nailhead trim on the chair shimmers a flash of gold, then deep red. The front door opens, with seashell chimes tinkling overhead.

Before Derek met Stiles, he’d always been uncomfortable with the cloying skim of magic over his skin, like an intrusive shiver, too familiar. It’s a comfort now, though. He trusts Stiles and needs the tether more than ever. His hands shake as he drops into the opposite green leather chair.

“It makes weird sense that you’re a Sagan fan.”

Stiles closes his book and looks up, “You make weird sense. And I think it’s probably more ironic, given the title. I’d ask why so sour, wolf, but I guess it’s obvious.” His eyes search Derek’s until the other man closes them with a shuddering breath. “How’d it happen?”

Derek huffs a mirthless laugh, “Alpha pack. Ambushed Peter and I during a run in the preserve.”

Stiles lets out a long breath, “Well, shit. Shit that sucks. ...Where’s Peter?”

Eyes open once more, now beseeching, Derek leans forward and it’s clear he’s barely holding himself together. “I can, you know I can pay you? We just, we’re together in this now but we’re alone and I can’t—”

“Hey, hey, man, no. The fancy brochure fees are for strangers and assholes. Come on, I’ll drive us to... wherever you’re stashing your now-an-alpha-maybe-feral uncle and we’ll figure this out.”

Quickly locking up the shop with an incantation that leaves the windows dull and opaque, all magic faded, Stiles ushers Derek into his jeep, pressing a bottle of water and granola bar into his hands. “Breathe, drink, eat, drink again, and then tell me where we’re going.”

They drive in near silence, nothing but the faint haunting of the chimes that sometimes sound around Stiles. As they turn down the barely-road leading to the cottage, he turns to Derek: “So I guess it’s safe to say your mom never did get those wards fixed?”

Derek’s jaw clenches, “No. She never did.”

As much as Derek’s barely holding it together, Peter isn’t as bad as Stiles would’ve thought. No one’s died yet (aside from at least two members of an alpha pack), which is always a big plus in Stiles’ book. Well, not always.

Peter is shivering, back to the far corner, against the aged stone walls. His panicked stare wild and flickering blue and red and back again, settling into a sickly lavender. He twitches forward when they enter, lifts his head to scent and a touch of clarity returns.

“Mine?”

Stiles smiles sharply, showing more teeth than Derek thinks humans typically have, “I think I wanna get to know you first, Petey-pie.”

He loses the train of thought quickly at the pet name and turns a look part-betrayed, part-grossed out (part grateful) at Stiles.

Peter tilts his head as he studies them both, eyes being drawn more and more to Stiles’ bright gaze. It’s almost glowing. Or is it a black hole?

“You,” he shakes, trying to clear his mind and grasp his slippery thoughts as his nephew pauses his cautious step forward to look at Stiles, “you’re not a fledgling. What are you?”

The smile widens, fingers twitching at Stiles’ sides. Time to let go a little, time to shine for his wolves. The gentle chimes shift to the sound of scraping ice, the screaming howl of winter wind.

“Oh, alpha. I’m old, and I’m hungry, and I’ve been waiting a long time for the two of you to come along.”

Play Out | @haleweek

#haleofaweek #teen wolf #stiles stilinski #derek hale #peter hale #talia hale #steter #ficlet

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joonclouds · 4 years

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A space situation

You sigh heavily and shut your eyes. The man was so intelligent, but days like this you wonder if sometimes his brain took unpaid leave.

“My house is literally a third the size of your closet.”

If this wasn’t your house you might have found it a little bit funny. But it is your house.

Joon is your very rich very endearing sugar daddy but also very clumsy and sometimes rash in buying you whatever what he sees fit but it’s not very practical all the time.

Namjoon x Reader

Genre: It’s a fluff party guys

Word Count: 3k

Note: Quarantine can be inspiring lol

You don’t know you’re smiling, but it’s there. A tiny little smile lingering on your face as you watch the man in your kitchen from your crummy two-seater couch that barely fits into your living room.

It’s not a sight you’ll ever get used to seeing, you think, Namjoon with his designer suits and perfectly swept back hair, fumbling around in the drawers. He was wearing that new Dior shirt you had picked out for him last week.

When he’d came in to your dingy apartment, he’d removed his (probably very expensive) cufflinks and tossed them in your countertop dish.

“You shouldn’t treat your things so carelessly,” you chastised, taking them from the dish and moving them somewhere safer. Even in the cheap incandescent light, the large stones twinkle softly and you wondered how much they cost.

“They’re very pretty.”

‘What?” He’d glanced up briefly from his phone to see what you were holding. “Oh you like those? I can send them to my jeweler and get them set into earrings for you if you want.”

You nearly drop the cufflinks.

When he stands he bumps his head on an open cabinet.

He’s a bit befuddled for a moment and sends the cabinet door a look, but it quickly melts into a grin when he hears you giggle.

“Hey, don’t laugh. I’m six foot and this kitchen is literally made for someone who’s like five-nothing.”

God, you wanted to take a swim in those dimples.

You get off the couch and walk over, opening the second drawer to pull out a whisk and offer it to him.

“You’re the one who wanted to come to the dump which is my apartment, Joon.” It’s a matter-of-fact tone, but you can’t hide the twinkle in your eyes.

“I wanted to make you that dalgona coffee thing. But I don't have instant coffee at home. I didn’t know if it works with normal espresso.”

“You’re telling me you have a thirteen thousand dollar coffee machine at your place, and no instant coffee.”

Namjoon makes a face. “Instant coffee tastes like dishwater.”

You grab the bottle of instant coffee and shove it in his face.

“I love it.”

Namjoon shakes his head and grabs the glass jar from you, delivering a swift peck on your cheek.

“I love you.”

You blush, one hand going up to cup your face. To hell with butterflies in your stomach, this man truly gave the zoo a run for its money.

You’d met him while waitressing at one of those fancy fundraiser gala dinners. It paid the best, and between struggling to feed yourself and those overdue college bills, you were ready to swallow your pride and deal with the pompous crowd for a little while.

Namjoon had always thought it was a blessing he’d survived thirty three years not having broken a bone (well, he’s caused other people to break their bones, but that doesn’t count.) But that night, accidentally spilling his wine on you was the one time Namjoon ever felt truly lucky that he was a clumsy oaf.

You looked like a little deer, flustered and apologising, reaching for the nearest stack of napkins to fuss over the cuff of his jacket, when he should have been the one apologising to you. The two of you at a later point have recounted this first meeting and you still can’t believe he finds it hilarious that you were horrified, on the verge of tears because you thought he’d expect you to pay for his jacket.

Though you later understand why he’d find that funny. One thing more genuinely beautiful than his face was Namjoon’s heart. He’d insisted he book you a cab home (after understanding you didn’t have a spare shirt), and settled with your manager that you’d be taking the rest of the night off.

The next day he caught you by surprise, showing up on your doorstep in a cream cable knit sweater, and a black gift box adorned with a white camellia in hand (half out of apology, but also because he needed an excuse to see you). You’d opened the door, let out a strangled squeak and promptly slammed the door shut in his face. Later, he did get invited in when you didn’t so closely resemble a drenched version of Dobby, but it was unlikely you’d ever forget the horror of that moment.

Of course at first, your relationship was merely transactional - he paid you for your company, mostly at more of these fancy galas where he needed someone to distract the crowd while he really talked shop with the important people, and you.. well who were you, a mere mortal, to say no to that? It would get your bills paid, put food on the table, and Namjoon was kind, intelligent and not bad to look at.

Okay fine, he was great to look at.

Sure he’d been divorced once, but everyone has skeletons in their closets, right? Namjoon’s closet was three times the size of your apartment so there’d be plenty space to hide them. (Later, much later, you also become privy to the information that the guy could fuck you six ways from Sunday, but that’s besides the point… you think.)

After the parties on the way home you’d started to linger in his car. He’d walk you up the stairs of your dingy apartment complex. You hold hands, his large one dwarfing yours as the both of you walk as slowly as possible up the entire ten flights.

It was dangerous for you to walk alone, he said, but really, Namjoon wanted to talk to you a little while longer. You were nothing like he’d ever known. You were quiet. Listening. But really listening, not just waiting for your turn to talk. So different to the ditzy socialites in his circle who wanted only to talk about themselves.

Its not long before you're inviting him in for coffee - he drank your dishwater coffee quietly for the next three months before he suggested going to his place where the ‘real coffee’ was.

You fell fast, and you fell hard.

Not that you didn’t have your share of heated romances with people your age, but none of them really got you, listened to you as intently as he did when you rambled on about the inequality and hegemony of this world. You chalk it up to the fact that you’ve always been more mature than others - a result of circumstance. Not by choice, really, but it was what it was.

Namjoon always carried an air of introspection around him. Not intentionally. Many people took that for pride, but you realised quickly it was quiet confidence. He liked to listen and learn and observe.

On your coffee nights he begins to give you a glimpse of who he really is. Undoubtedly, he’s a Kim. That cool, nonchalant disposition was his battle armor. But beneath that you come to see the man who when you ask him about the telescope in the corner of his study, tells you he still entertains his childhood dream of being an astronaut. That on clear nights he likes to read Carl Sagan and look at the stars, wondering about the kind of lives they lead.

You learn he’s a great big klutz that breaks the handles off his cabinets ‘by accident’. You see the soft side that sometimes likes to read children’s books because ‘some of the best lessons in life are simple and humble ones’. And eventually the side that suddenly pulls you in closer in his sleep to his chest on rainy nights because he hates thunder. You always wake because you’re a light sleeper, but you’re glad you are, reaching up to smooth the furrow between his brows gently with a thumb before cuddling deeper into his embrace.

It’s also the first time he smiled at you. It was the week before his birthday, you’d given him a little resin keychain with little pressed wildflowers. He’d gone silent for quite a while and you didn’t know if he hated it or loved it.

“It’s a keychain.”

“Yeah.. It’s not much but I made it in a resin art workshop I went to, you have everything already and I hadn’t any idea what I could afford that you’d need-“

“You made this?” He interrupts, looking up at you.

You feel your gut shrivel. Jesus Christ. He hates it.

Immediately you move toward him to remove your offending gift. You were a Tiny Bit Hurt, but what had you been expecting with a cheap thing like that?

“If you don’t like it, it’s okay. You don’t have to use it! I just thought because you call me your little wildflower you’d like - “

You can’t finish your sentence because your face is smushed into Namjoon’s (very nice, very broad) chest as he pulls you into a crushing hug.

Horror takes over slightly and you struggle to move away. “Namjoon, I’m wearing so much foundation, and you’re in a cream Givenchy sweater - “

“I love it.”

You stop struggling. His warm breath tickles your ear, one large hand cradling the back of your head.

“You do?”

“I do. I love that you put in all this effort. You are my little wildflower. Always blooming in surprising places.’

You hug him back, nuzzling into his scent. The Givenchy sweater could wait. There was always drycleaning.

“And now I’ll have something to remind me of you wherever I go.”

When he pulls back to look at you he’s sporting not just one of those polite half smiles, but a full on beaming grin that make his eyes into smiling crescents. You get to see how deep his dimples actually are.

You swooned so hard you thought you might’ve given yourself an aneurysm.

Well, fast forward a year and here you are.

Watching the owner of a global business conglomerate make you some silly whipped coffee drink in the kitchen of your tiny apartment with water stains on the wallpaper, his diamond cufflinks sitting in a repurposed butter spread tray that held coins and keys on your countertop.

Watching your klutz boyfriends, ad he jerks the whisk at an odd angle and gets foamy coffee splattered all over the front of his white shirt.

'Joon, that’s Dior.” Your face crumples. Grabbing a towel out of the drawer, you wet it and try to dab the coffee stains off. That shirt was so expensive, it could pay your rent for three months.

You knew and had come to terms with the fact that money would always worry him far, far less than it worried you, but seeing such an expensive item go to waste would never stop making you a little bit unhappy. Well, there was more to it, but you shoved those thoughts away.

Namjoon sets the bowl down on the counter.

“It’s okay, love. I’ll just get a new one if the stains don't come off.”

You scrub harder.

After a silent moment, Namjoon puts his hands over yours to still them. “It’s not just about the shirt, is it?”

He waits for you, like he always does because he knows you need a little time. He’d wormed his way into the deepest parts of your heart, but there would always be a final little fence you had to decide to take down. He was okay with that.

After a minute, you nod. Gently, he takes the dishcloth from you and sets it aside so he can hold your hands properly. Times like these he just wants to hug you and hope that would be enough to protect you from the world. You taught him that money, as much as it solved problems, was not everything.

He puts a finger under your chin and tips it up so he can see your face.

“I just..”

“Go on.” He encourages.

“I know we’ve been through this before, but I can’t help but feel like I’m a… I’m a burden.”

Funny, considering how you two started out. The sugar baby/parent lifestyle just wasn’t for you. You were a Bad Ass Bitch who didn't need anyone, and it was important to stay on brand.

“Like, I keep being on the receiving end and sometimes I just feel like I can’t do anything for you. You spend so much money on me. The other day after we went shopping you bought me such lovely fruits to stock my fridge, and even got me a new heater for my room when it’s cold, and now you’re making me coffee because I sent you that post on Instagram and I just….

“If you didn’t have to come to my stupid old apartment you shirt would still be clean and I …“ You gesture vaguely at him and then at yourself.

“You give me so much. And well, I’m… just me.” You say finally.

Namjoon’s just been listening as you ramble, face unreadable. He;s got his business face on and you can’t tell if he’s angry with you or not.

“So you feel like you can’t do anything for me.”

You nod.

“Is that why you’ve been avoiding the topic every time I ask you to move in with me?”

You nod again.

“Look, _____. I want you to listen to me. Like really listen.” His hands move to cup your face, eyes now staring intently into yours.

“You give me something in this world no amount of money can buy. You make me feel whole. You make me feel excited that I get to do life’s most mundane things with you. Even if it involves drinking dishwater coffee.”

That last part gets a small smile out of you, so he knows you’re in the clear.

“I know you’re not used to receiving nice things, because the world hasn’t given you much of it. I hate that. What I do for you, I do with my whole heart. I will continue to want to do these things for you for as long as you’ll let me.

“And maybe if I keep doing them one day you will see how everything, everything I do for you pales terribly in comparison to what you give to me by just existing.”

You’re so overwhelmed with emotion so you just respond lamely “o..okay.”

In your head, your two braincells clap enthusiastically as they crown you honorary president of the Idiot Club.

Namjoon sighs and rests his hands on the countertop on either side of you so he can look at you eye to eye. You look so pretty like this, he thinks. Eyes vulnerable and lips soft, just like you should be. He hates the world for treating you so cruelly.

“And for the record, I insist on spending time here I noticed you’re more… yourself than at my place. I want you to feel comfortable.”

“That’s not true.” You raise your chin petulantly, because you’re slightly prideful that way and don't want to acknowledge that Namjoon sees through you clear as day.

“Don’t argue with me.”

Namjoon narrows his eyes fractionally, his gaze darkening, and suddenly you’re very aware that you’re caged in. Not that you were complaining but was it suddenly really hot in here?

“I’m not arguing.”

“Yes you are." He's lowered his voice and its taken on a huskier tone.

“You know that everything I do, I do out of love for you. And I will damn well put up with your apartment with no complaints if it means you will feel more at ease.”

This man was going to give you whiplash with the way he made the most loving words sound like filth.

You lower your gaze, just the way you know he likes, and look up at him through your lashes. Two could play that game. You see a spark ignite in his eyes.

“I know.”

“You know, what?”

“I know, sir.”

“Good. Now why don’t I finish making you that coffee, and then we can go back to my place and we’ll see what you really know.”

With that, he releases you to get the milk from the fridge, and you spin around to place one hand on the countertop and one hand over your chest. You suck in a breath you didn’t know you were holding. A few seconds longer and you’d have -

A sharp cracking noise from behind you quickly sweeps any indecent thoughts clean out of your mind.

You turn to find Namjoon looking at you with an incredibly apologetic expression, holding a black piece of plastic which what seems to be -

“Did you break the handle off my fridge?”

Three days later he’s sporting the same apologetic expression, the only difference is that you two are separated by a towering, stainless steel monstrosity that now sits in the middle of your living room, leaving you two to converse by having to look around the sides of it.

“I’m sorry, ___. I didn’t know it’d be this big.”

“That’s what she said.”

You peer around the corner with a cheeky grin. He gives you a look that’s half withering and half amused. “Mature.”

Reassessing the appliance in front of you, you throw your hands up in the air.

“For the love of sweet god, Namjoon. This fridge is ridiculous. I’m not feeding the entire village. You’ve seen my apartment, how did you think this was going to work?!”

“I dont know, okay? I just called my home decor guys and told them to send you the same fridge I have!”

You sigh heavily and shut your eyes. The man was so intelligent, but days like this you wonder if sometimes his brain took unpaid leave.

“My house is literally a third the size of your closet.”

If this wasn’t your house you might have found it a little bit funny. But it is your house.

You wait, but there’s just silence from his end, so you continue.

“What do you expect me to do with this monstrosity? Take a fucking winter holiday in it?! We can’t even -“ you kick the sofa for emphasis.

Pausing because he’s still unusually quiet, you stretch to look around the fridge again. He’s on his phone, tapping away in furious concentration.

“What are you doing?”

“Give me a minute.”

Oh no.

“What are you doing.”

“Relax, my love, I’m fixing the problem.” He waves you off nonchalantly. “Give me a minute.”

“Are you calling the delivery men to take this back?”

There is a genuinely confused look on his face when he looks up.

“What? No. Don’t be silly. I’m texting my real estate agents. They’re getting you a new house so this fridge will fit.”

#joonclouds #namjoon #bts namjoon #namjoon fluff #namjoon fic #bts fic

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setsailtomorrow · 5 years

Text

i was tagged by @mediawhorefics

rules: answer 17 questions and tag 17 people you want to get to know better (ahaaha, not 17 no)

nickname: don’t really have one, my name is short enough already!

zodiac sign: virgo ✌️

height: 166 cm

hogwarts house: slytherin, though i think it changes depending on the day.

last thing i googled: "sagan om isfolket” the 57-book series i read when i was 14-16, GOOGLE IT

song stuck in my head: nothing at this moment, but various songs from swedish music history have been popping up randomly since i watched a six part documentary on it... “moves like jagger” was written by a swede and it’s annoyingly difficult to shake.

following: 121

followers: just under 1k

amount of sleep i get: probably around 6-7 hours? i like to go to bed early, but then i end up reading fic until late either way.

lucky numbers: people do that?

dream job: pretty much what i’m doing now, produce public art

wearing: sleeveless grey denim dress, black top under, black tights

favorite songs: eh... ever? something stupidly pretentious probably, let’s just go with “Comment te dire adieu” Francoise Hardy

instruments: don’t play no

random fact: i went to the dentist today, had no cavities, felt ridiculously proud.

aesthetics: the smell of wet soil after watering plats / cat purring on a wool blanket / coffee always available / popping bottles of cava to celebrate the smallest thing / cracking the ice of small puddles with the toe of a shoe / silent train rides for hours / natural light or just the dark / dressed up for work dressed down for parties / kindness to a point

tagging: @gaycousinlarry @gloriaandrews @hereforlou @thewindmakesnicewaves @tobeakingbesideyousomehow @statementsue @jlf23tumble @infinitelymint @girlhoodandothercults

#tag game

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didanawisgi · 5 years

Link

Abraham Loeb

`Oumuamua is nothing like we expected or seen before.

By Abraham Loeb on November 18, 2018

On October 19, 2017, the first interstellar object, `Oumuamua, was discovered1 by the Pan-STARRS survey2 within a sixth of the Earth-Sun distance. The experience was similar to having a surprise guest for dinner from another country. By examining this guest we can learn about the culture of that country without the need to travel there. Given the vast distance involved, it would have taken us a hundred thousand years to visit the nearest star using conventional chemical rockets. Surprisingly, our first interstellar guest appeared to be weird and unlike anything we have seen before. By the time we realized it, the guest was already out the door with its image fading into the dark street, so we did not have a chance to get a second look at its mysterious qualities. Below is a list of six peculiarities exhibited by `Oumuamua:

1. Assuming that other planetary systems resemble the Solar System, PanSTARRS should not have discovered any interstellar rock in the first place. In a paper published a decade ago3, we predicted an abundance of interstellar asteroids that is smaller by many (2-8) orders of magnitude than needed to explain the discovery of `Oumuamua as a member of a random population of objects. In other words, the population of interstellar objects is far greater than expected. Each star in the Milky-Way needs to eject4 about 1015 such objects during its lifetime to account for the inferred population, much more than anticipated based on the Solar System. Thus, the nurseries of `Oumuamua-like objects must be different from the familiar ones.

2.`Oumuamua originated from a very special frame of reference5, near the socalled Local Standard of Rest (LSR), which is defined by averaging the random motions of all the stars in the vicinity of the Sun. Only one star in five hundred is as slow as `Oumuamua in that frame. The LSR is the ideal frame for camouflage, namely for hiding the origins of an object and avoiding its association with any particular star - since stars typically move in that frame. The relative motion between `Oumuamua and the Sun reflects the motion of the Sun relative to the LSR. `Oumuamua is like a buoy sitting at rest on the surface of the ocean, with the Solar System running into it like a fast ship. Could there be an array of buoys that serves as a network of relay stations or road posts, defining the average Galactic frame of reference in interstellar space?

3. Most interstellar asteroids are expected to be ripped apart from their parent star in the outskirts of their birth planetary system (such as the Oort cloud in the Solar System which extends to a hundred thousand times the Earth-Sun separation), where they are most loosely bound to the star’s gravity. At these outskirts, they can be removed with a small velocity nudge of less than a kilometer per second, in which case they will inherit the speed of their host star relative to the LSR. If `Oumuamua came from a typical star, it must have been ejected with an unusually large velocity kick. To make things more unusual, its kick should have been equal and opposite to the velocity of its parent star relative to the LSR, which is about twenty kilometers per second for a typical star like the Sun. The dynamical origin of `Oumuamua is extremely rare no matter how you look at it. This is surprising, since the first foreign guest to a dinner party should be statistically common (especially given the larger than usual population inferred in the first point above).

4. We do not have a photo of `Oumuamua but its brightness owing to reflected sunlight varied by a factor of 10 as it rotated periodically every eight hours. This implies6 that `Oumuamua has an extreme shape with its length at least 5- 10 times larger than its projected width. Moreover, an analysis7 of its tumbling motion concluded that it would be at its highest excitation state as expected from its tumultuous journey, if it has a pancake-like geometry. The inferred shape is more extreme than for all asteroid previously seen in the Solar System, which have an axes ratio of at most 3.

5. The Spitzer Space Telescope did not detect8 any heat in the form of infrared radiation from `Oumuamua. Given the surface temperature dictated by `Oumuamua’s trajectory near the Sun, this sets an upper limit of hundreds of meters on its size. Based on this size limit, `Oumuamua must be unusually shiny with a reflectance that is at least ten times higher than exhibited by Solar System asteroids.

6. The trajectory of `Oumuamua deviated9 from that expected based on the Sun’s gravity alone. The deviation is small (a tenth of a percent) but highly statistically significant. Comets exhibit such a behavior when ices on their surface heat up from solar illumination and evaporate, generating thrust through the rocket effect. The extra push for `Oumuamua could have originated by cometary outgassing if at least a tenth of its mass evaporated. This massive evaporation would have naturally led to the appearance of a cometary tail, but none was seen. The Spitzer telescope observations place tight limits on any carbon-based molecules or dust around `Oumuamua, and rule out the possibility that normal cometary outgassing is at play (unless it is composed of pure water). Moreover, cometary outgassing would have changed the rotation period of `Oumuamua10 and no such change was observed. Altogether, `Oumuamua does not appear to be a typical comet nor a typical asteroid, even though it represents a population that is far more abundant than expected.

The extra push exhibited by `Oumuamua’s orbit could not have originated from a breakup into pieces because such an event would have provided an impulsive kick unlike the continuous push that was observed. If cometary outgassing is ruled out and the inferred excess force is real, only one possibility remains - an extra push due to radiation pressure from the Sun11. In order for this push to be effective, `Oumuamua needs to be less than a millimeter thick but with a size of at least twenty meters (for a perfect reflector), resembling a lightsail of artificial origin. In this case `Oumuamua would resemble the solar sail demonstrated by the Japanese mission IKAROS12 or the lightsail contemplated for the Starshot initiative13. An artificial origin offers the startling possibility that we discovered “a message in a bottle”, following years of failed searches for radio signals from alien civilizations. Reassuringly, such a lightsail would survive collisions with interstellar atoms and dust as it travels throughout the Galaxy. In contemplating the possibility of an artificial origin, we should keep in mind what Sherlock Holmes said: “when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. The Kepler satellite revealed14 that about a quarter of all the stars in the Milky Way have a habitable planet of the size of the Earth, with the potential to have liquid water on its surface and the chemistry of life as we know it. It is therefore conceivable that interstellar space is full of artificially-made debris, either in the form of devices that serve a purpose on a reconnaissance mission or defunct equipment. However, to validate the exotic artificial origin for `Oumuamua we need more data. As Carl Sagan said “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. Interestingly, the possibility of a targeted mission adds some explanatory power. It is unlikely that 1015 solar sails are launched per star to make up a random population of `Oumuamua-like objects. This would require the unreasonable rate of a launch every five minutes from a planetary system even if all civilizations live as long as the full lifetime of the Milky Way galaxy. Instead, the required numbers could be reduced dramatically if `Oumuamua-like objects do not sample all possible orbits randomly but rather follow special orbits that dive into the innermost, habitable regions of planetary systems like the Solar System. `Oumuamua moves too fast for our chemical rockets to catch up with it now without gravitational assist from planets15. But since it would take `Oumuamua thousands of years to leave the solar system, getting a closer look of it through a flyby remains a possibility even if we were to develop new technologies for faster space travel within a decade or two. Interestingly, some interstellar objects which pass close to Jupiter can lose energy and get captured by the Solar System16. These are dinner guests who bumped into a wall on their way out and stayed around after dinner. The Sun-Jupiter system acts as a fishing net. If we can identify trapped interstellar objects through their unusual bound orbits with unusually high inclinations relative to the Solar System plane, we could design missions to visit them and learn more about their nature. Alternatively, we can wait for the next interstellar guest to show up. Within a few years, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST)17 will become operational and be far more sensitive to the detection of `Oumuamua-like objects. It should therefore discover many `Oumuamua-like objects within its first year of operation. If it does not find any, we will know that `Oumuamua was special and that we must chase this guest down the street in order to figure out its origin. Studying interstellar objects resembles my favorite activity when walking along the beach with my daughters. We enjoy picking up sea shells that were swept ashore and learning about their different origins. Every now and then, we find a plastic bottle that indicates an artificial origin. Similarly, astronomers should examine any object that enters the Solar System and study its properties. There is no doubt that the six peculiar features of `Oumuamua usher in a new era of space archaeology. References 1. Meech, K. J. et al. Nature, 552, 378 (2017) 2. https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/research/Pan-STARRS.shtml 3. Moro-Martin, A., Turner, E.L. & Loeb, A., ApJ, 704, 733 (2009) 4. Do, A., Tucker, M.A. & Tonry, J., ApJL, 855, L10 (2018) 5. Mamajek, E. AAS Research Notes, Nov 23 (2017) 6. Fraser, W.C. et al. Nature Astronomy, 2, 383 (2018) 7. Belton, M.J.S. et al. ApJL, 856, L21 (2018) 8. Trilling, D.E. et al. AJ, 156, 261 (2018) 9. Micheli, M. et al. Nature, 559, 223 (2018) 10. Rafikov, R. arXiv:1809.06389 (2018) 11. Bialy, S. & Loeb, A., ApJL, 868, L1 (2018) 12. http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/ikaros/ 13. http://breakthroughinitiatives.org/concept/3 14. Dressing, C.D. & Charbonneau, D., ApJ, 807, 45 (2015) 15. Hein, A.M. et al. arXiv:1711.03155 (2017) 16. Lingam, M. & Loeb, A. AJ, 156, 193 (2018) 17. https://www.lsst.org/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abraham Loeb Abraham (Avi) Loeb is chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University, founding director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative and director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He chairs the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies and the advisory board for the Breakthrough Starshot project.

#Oumuamua #Avi Loeb #Astronomy #controversy #debate #extraterrestrial hypothesis

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the-telescope-times · 5 years

Text

6 Strange Facts about the Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua

Artist's impression of 'Oumuamua. Credit: Goddard Space Flight Center Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

On October 19, 2017, the first interstellar object, ‘Oumuamua, was discovered by the Pan-STARRS survey. The experience was similar to having a surprise guest for dinner show up from another country. By examining this guest, we can learn about the culture of that country without the need to travel there—a good thing in this case, given that it would take us a hundred thousand years to visit even the nearest star using conventional chemical rockets.

Surprisingly, our first interstellar guest appeared to be weird and unlike anything we have seen before. By the time we realized it, the guest was already out the door with its image fading into the dark street, so we did not have a chance to get a second look at its mysterious qualities. Below is a list of six peculiarities exhibited by ‘Oumuamua:

Assuming that other planetary systems resemble the solar system, Pan-STARRS should not have discovered this or any other interstellar rock in the first place. In a paper published a decade ago, we predicted an abundance of interstellar asteroids that is smaller by many (two to eight) orders of magnitude than needed to explain the discovery of ‘Oumuamua, assuming it’s a member of a random population of objects. Put another way, ‘Oumuamua implies that the population of interstellar objects is far greater than expected. Each star in the Milky Way needs to eject 1015 such objects during its lifetime to account for a population as large as ‘Oumuamua implies. Thus, the nurseries of ‘Oumuamua-like objects must be different from what we know based on our own solar system.

‘Oumuamua originated from a very special frame of reference, the so-called local standard of rest (LSR), which is defined by averaging the random motions of all the stars in the vicinity of the sun. Only one star in 500 is moving as slowly as ‘Oumuamua in that frame. The LSR is the ideal frame for camouflage, namely for hiding the origins of an object and avoiding its association with any particular star. The relative motion between ‘Oumuamua and the sun reflects the motion of the sun relative to the LSR. ‘Oumuamua is like a buoy sitting at rest on the surface of the ocean, with the solar system running into it like a fast ship. Could there be an array of buoys that serves as a network of relay stations or road posts, defining the average galactic frame of reference in interstellar space?

Most interstellar asteroids are expected to be ripped away from their parent star when they lie in the outskirts of their birth planetary system (such as our solar system’s Oort cloud, which extends to 100,000 times the Earth-sun separation), where they are most loosely bound to the star’s gravity. At these outskirts, they can be removed with a small velocity nudge of less than a kilometer per second, in which case they will maintain the speed of their host star relative to the LSR. If ‘Oumuamua came from a typical star, it must have been ejected with an unusually large velocity kick. To make things more unusual, its kick should have been equal and opposite to the velocity of its parent star relative to the LSR, which is about 20 kilometers per second for a typical star like the sun. The dynamical origin of ‘Oumuamua is extremely rare no matter how you look at it. This is surprising, since the first foreign guest to a dinner party should be statistically common (especially given the larger than usual population inferred in the first point above).

We do not have a photo of ‘Oumuamua, but its brightness owing to reflected sunlight varied by a factor of 10 as it rotated periodically every eight hours. This implies that ‘Oumuamua has an extreme elongated shape with its length at least five to 10 times larger than its projected width. Moreover, an analysis of its tumbling motion concluded that it would be at the highest excitation state expected from its tumultuous journey, if it has a pancake-like geometry. The inferred shape is more extreme than for all asteroids previously seen in the solar system, which have an length-to-width ratio of at most three.

The Spitzer Space Telescope did not detect any heat in the form of infrared radiation from ‘Oumuamua. Given the surface temperature dictated by ‘Oumuamua’s trajectory near the sun, this sets an upper limit on its size of hundreds of meters. Based on this size limit, ‘Oumuamua must be unusually shiny, with a reflectance that is at least 10 times higher than exhibited by solar system asteroids.

The trajectory of ‘Oumuamua deviated from that expected based on the sun’s gravity alone. The deviation is small (a tenth of a percent) but highly statistically significant. Comets exhibit such a behavior when ices on their surface heat up from solar illumination and evaporate, generating thrust through the rocket effect. The extra push for ‘Oumuamua could have originated by cometary outgassing if at least a tenth of its mass evaporated. But such massive evaporation would have naturally led to the appearance of a cometary tail, and none was seen. The Spitzer telescope observations also place tight limits on any carbon-based molecules or dust around ‘Oumuamua and rule out the possibility that normal cometary outgassing is at play (unless it is composed of pure water). Moreover, cometary outgassing would have changed the rotation period of ‘Oumuamua, and no such change was observed. Altogether, ‘Oumuamua does not appear to be a typical comet nor a typical asteroid, even as it represents a population that is far more abundant than expected.

The extra push exhibited by ‘Oumuamua’s orbit could not have originated from a breakup into pieces because such an event would have provided a single, impulsive kick, unlike the continuous push that was observed. If cometary outgassing is ruled out and the inferred excess force is real, only one possibility remains: an extra push due to radiation pressure from the sun. In order for this push to be effective, ‘Oumuamua needs to be less than a millimeter thick but with a size of at least 20 meters (for a perfect reflector), resembling a lightsail of artificial origin.

In this case ‘Oumuamua would resemble the solar sail demonstrated by the Japanese mission IKAROS or the lightsail contemplated for the Starshot initiative. An artificial origin offers the startling possibility that we discovered “a message in a bottle” following years of failed searches for radio signals from alien civilizations. Reassuringly, such a lightsail would survive collisions with interstellar atoms and dust as it travels throughout the galaxy.

In contemplating the possibility of an artificial origin, we should keep in mind what Sherlock Holmes said: “when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” The Kepler satellite revealed that about a quarter of all the stars in the Milky Way have a habitable planet of the size of the Earth, with the potential to have liquid water on its surface and the chemistry of life as we know it. It is therefore conceivable that interstellar space is full of artificially made debris, either in the form of devices that serve a purpose on a reconnaissance mission or in the form of defunct equipment. However, to validate an exotic artificial origin for ‘Oumuamua, we need more data. As Carl Sagan said, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”

Read more ~ scientificamerican.com

#‘oumuamua

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destielbunnies · 3 years

Text

my coworkers have commented on my insane nasa and space stickers on my water bottle and asked if i was a closet space nerd. listen i may work with snakes now but i annotated and fact checked a vintage book about dark matter when i was 15 bc i got bored, i’ve read a biographies on carl sagan, i have a quote from contact tattooed on me and i would still gladly die to be sent into space if i was allowed. there just aren't snakes in space so here i am. “closet space nerd” i just have many hyperfixations

#my post #okay sorry for using this blog as a journal #but twitter is embarassing and i need to vent whenever i get drunk so yall can ignore this #space

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dynoguard · 7 years

Text

NaNoWriMo: Return of the DinoKnights (Day 5)

Day 1 & 2 text is here. Day 3 is here. Day 4 is here.

Sheriff Cora Horne slumped against the wall of the dimly lit laboratory. In the distance, the big brains, including the female mammal, were arguing about exponential this and unstable that. Linn and Brach were tending to Kyle’s lost arm even as he scrawled calculations on the wall with the other.

Cora wished she could be distracted. Nothing in her training, or her career, had prepared her for a world where asteroids screamed, where home was sixty-five million years in the past, and where the squint-y, furry things that raided her mother’s garden for sweetbulbs had given rise to the rulers of the world.

The only other observer from the side was the darker of the two mammals. The one named Sagan.

“Excuse me.” Sagan said in his small voice. He was half as tall as Cora, and easily a fifth of her weight.

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” He said. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

“Thank you.” She said. “I have to keep up the appearance of strength right now.”

“I don’t think anyone could blame any of you for needing a cry.” Sagan paused. “Do you cry, anatomically, I mean?”

“Yes.” She gave a weak chuckle. “But Linn, my daughter, is going to need to lean on me, they all are. They’re civilians, and kids, except for the big guy.”

“I have a kid too, my son, Jason.” Sagan responded. “Which one is yours?”

“Right there, her first adult feathers just came in last year.” Cora indicated Linn with her claw. Together, Linn and Brach managed to bind Kyle’s arm in case it started bleeding. They were now arguing about something drifting in time or space. Cora turned her attention back to the human.

“Your species is remarkably diverse.” Sagan said. “That, isn’t a rude thing to say, is it?”

“Specieses.” Cora said. “Speciesi? Spee-suss-es? More than one species. Six in total. She’s a dromeon, like her father, I’m a pachyon. Nychus’s sister had a spare egg, as you do.”

“Adopted, I see.”

Corna’s nose crinkled at the word. Her language had a similar one, but it was purely a verb. The way the new word seemed to create a different category for one kind of child than another irked her sensibilities.. “She’s my daughter, family is born in the nest, not in the shell.”

“I didn’t mean any offense.” Sagan said. “I apologize.”

“Its the translator, I think.” Cora replied. “I’m used to how it gives the meanings of words in our languages, I’m still getting used to how it puts the idea of your vocabulary in my head... if that makes sense.”

“You’re speaking different languages?”

“Several related ones. I can’t rumble enough to speak podite, Brach could never hit the chirps to talk thersperontis and while she tries her best, Linn can’t honk with enough range to express emotional states in pachyosh. Before the translators everyone had to speak tuberspeech.”

“Tuberspeech?”

“A trade language that sounds just as stilted and dry when spoken with lips or a beak, no matter the shape of your tongue or teeth.”

“The cornerstone of your agriculture is a tuber, isn’t it?”

“Got it on the first guess.” Cora laughed. “The first translators came out two weeks after Linn’s father and I started courting. I thought it would be romantic to insist on speaking only with our natural voices, in tuberspeech, of course, instead of using a machine. Three days in Nychus hands me one, saying its our sixty-third-day-anniversary.”

“Do you celebrate a sixty-third da-”

“No we do not.” Cora laughed. “Turns out, that the sound of me trying to trill is akin to the sound of a living pterodactyl being turned inside out.”

“My ex-wife had similar comments about my singing.” Sagan responded. “I heard them call you Sheriff. You’re in law enforcement?”

“I am.” She replied. “Lady Cora Horne, Sheriff of Crestspine Township, DinoKnight of the Order of Scales and Hands.”

“Uhhoo-kay. Not really sure what any of that means, but it sounds impressive.” Sagan responded.

“My order is the branch of civil service devoted to law enforcement and public safety. After I attained my knighthood, I was promoted to sheriff.” She replied.

“So in your world, a knight is someone who arrests criminals or puts out fires?” The human asked.

“And a few dozen other jobs just for my order alone. Who puts out your fires?”

“Firefighters.”

“And your policing is done by?”

“Police officers.”

“I don’t want to tell a weird future culture their business, but you need better naming scribes.” Cora glanced over at the others then back to Sagan.

Sagan considered coming to the defense of the utilitarian nature of civil servant job titles. Before he could come to his decision, Linn hopped over to them.

“Zara says she thinks she knows what happened, Mom.” Linn said.

“That’s good, we should all get on the same feet.” The sheriff stood, turning to Zara. “When are we? Exactly.”

Zara took a deep breath. “I can’t dispute the data the human provided. There was a misfire before the system was fully activated. That may have caused it, or any one of a thousand other possible factors. That doesn’t matter.”

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, steeling herself. She resumed speaking. “We don’t know how much of our civilization was successfully taken into the time slip. We do know the field was unstable, the collapsed area of the field was irregular. Section 3 is inaccessible, possibly nonexistent. We don’t know about the rest of the building.”

“You sent us all forward in time, like with a time machine.” Cora interjected. “Can’t you just, I dunno, cross some wires and send us back?”

“Its not-” Zara pinched the fold of skin just above her nostrils. “Its not time travel, not like that. For everything in the field, time was gone. It vanished, out of synch but anchored to normal time. Like... like...” She picked up a water bottle from the floor. “It’s like the universe is a river... the water is time. And we were all in bottles, caught in that river, floating downstream.” She mimed the bottle bobbling in the stream. “There’s no water in the bottles, so we were dry, no time, frozen in one instant. But the water carries the bottles along with it at the same rate. Time kept flowing on and then our bottle broke, spilling us into the water. Into normal time and space. And the contents of the bottle displaced anything that was in its way.”

“But... our friends and families are still in their bottles.” Cora said.

“And my arm.” Kyle interjected weakly.

“And we don’t know when they’ll break, or how to break them.” Zara said. “For all we know, no one else made it out, or it worked the way it should have for them and they went extinct millions of years ago.” She shook visibly. “Or they won’t come back for a hundred, a thousand, or another sixty-five million years.”

“Hey!” Brach’s voice boomed, and he slid between Zara and the rest. He seemed even larger than normal, his neck craning down to look her in the eyes. “No doom and gloom in front of the kid! She’s been through enough today. Everyone has.”

“I’m just being realistic.” Zara narrowed her eyes, but lowered her voice. “Literally the only thing we have going for us is that we can’t get any more extinct than we already are.”

---

In the moment the tower had returned below, a sphere, sliced away by a bubble of lost time, snapped back into existence. A fraction of its body and form, a scoop of its being, fell toward the Earth at the exact speed that it fell away from it, locked in orbit above the world.

It spewed its orange-yellow ichor, which froze into crystalline spikes and shards. The shards moved to orbit around the sphere, a ring forming around its center, parallel to the planet below.

A crack formed across the bottom surface, as the thing’s anatomy restructured to accommodate its diminished form. A yellow-and-orange, four-lobed eye stretched wide, above the thin blue haze of Earth’s atmosphere.

From its ring two shards drifted free, then fell into the atmosphere. A pair of shooting stars hurtled toward a rocky place called Colorado.

#dinoknights #nanowrimo #sci-fi #furry #scalie #time travel #dinosaur #humanoid dinosaur

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saganlifellc · 3 years

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Journey Water Purifier Bottle – Orchid

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#water purification bottle travel #water purifier bottle #journey water bottle #journey water purifier bottle #sagan water bottle #best filtered water bottle for travel #survival water filter bottle #water purification bottle

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goldstone2x6b · 5 years

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Best Water Purifier Straw

Hi, everybody, I am down here in Los Penasquitos Canyon today.

Getting ready to drink from the mucky waters that are running behind me I was told yesterday by the Ranger that there are so much bacteria in the water because it actually just rained in San Diego That I should not let my grandkids even touch it or play in it and I said well I'm gonna come back tomorrow and drink the water using our water filters our Xtreme straw And he said, there's no way of water filter would be good enough to filter this water Oh, this is the Ranger that I was talking to yesterday day that told me that I should not be drinking the water is being so close to the human population I always like this help people to be very careful and You know because when they get cuts or simply dried crack skin If they're not careful Giardia and Cryptosporidium stuff like that can get into your system that way and if we do get it you're gonna get pretty horrible symptoms like severe headache vomiting nausea diarrhea and Is a fair amount of pollution that does wash through here I Am going to prove to y'all today The confidence that we have in our XStream Straw the XStream Straw removes 99. 9999% of bacteria 99. 99% Virus and 99.

99% of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, The straw gives you two different size options you can use the two-foot straw or use the Extension and you'll have a four-foot-long straw depending on your situation sometimes four feet come in handy We've found toilets before we found whites that get washed through when it gets flooded through here yeah and I've seen at the waterfall which is you know three miles from here? After we get enough water that brings the water.

Level way up when you go down there you see a bunch of suds it just gets really sudsy like a bubble bath, but that's from what I'm told, that's just because of all the pollution that does flow through here, so I Found the XStream Straw to be extremely easy to drink from even with the four-foot straw thing Well here I am I've been using this for the last three hours and him just showed up to show me this he's the one that told me the same thing yesterday, so Love Sagan XStream Straw. It works great. Yeah, The XStream Straw also comes with a handy pump that allows you to share clean water Fill water bottles wash hands. You name it. It's a great feature.

#Best Water Purifier Straw #best water filter #best water filter reviews

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dynamics-of-an-asteroid · 7 years

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please tell about your headcanons for teen!lock sheriarty!

Jim works at a local repair shop fixing electronics (and tinkering with a few side projects of his own as a part time-software engineer), so Sherlock frequently stops by to ask him questions about the mechanics of devices that pop up on his mini-cases or if he’s had any involvement with them since they both know he did. It serves as both taking the time to express his admiration he’s nearly undetectable, but also warning him to be careful since I like to think as teenagers Sherlock isn’t quite yet aware that Jim doesn’t just aid criminals in crimes but flat out coming up with the ideas sometimes. It wouldn’t surprise him since he always knew this illusion of the reserved after-school repair boy was never going to hold him, but Jim tries to keep him out of that part since a detective in training shouldn’t really be ….whatever they are, with a budding criminal consultant.

Sherlock gave Jim a signed copy of Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” for his birthday after returning from a school competition to Cornell University in New York where Mr. Sagan was doing a lecture at the same time. He explained he wasn’t really sure what he wanted the guy to sign, but told him it had to be “the one where you carry on about star stuff and apple pie” because he figured it was Jim’s favorite as he’s always quoting it. Jim wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss him or kill him.

They once got high off paint fumes because despite all the genius in the room no one thought to open a window when they were painting one of side of Jim’s wall to be a chalkboard, and spent the next few hours on the floor laughing their asses off over how silly the word ‘carbuncle’ sounds.

Sherlock was banned from the Natural History Museum for months over breaking one of the glass cases in the minerals gallery despite being no where near the area at the time. Jim however, who also went with him that day, suddenly had a new pocket knife made of Esquel Pallasite that showed up a few days after the incident. Only Dippy the Diplodocus knows the truth.

In an effort to cheer Jim up on one of the few occasions he gets homesick for Ireland, Sherlock went out and bought him a bottle of green beer. Jim stared at him with a gaze so sharp Sherlock had to check his own chest to make sure he wasn’t really bleeding, but he just continued to laugh because he thought the whole thing was funny as hell.Eventually Jim found it funny, too, but only because he remembered he tampered with Sherlock’s bacteria cultures to write ‘Bacteria & Fronteria’ in the petri dish, and Sherlock hasn’t noticed yet.

Every year or so Jim asks Sherlock what does he see himself doing when he’s an old man. The question initially irritated him because it’s silly and anecdotal, but over the years he slowly started to build a picture that included living by the sea (something about the water has always called to him), and doing research on the insects of the area (bees in particular have always grabbed his attention). It didn’t go unnoticed that Jim never could come up with a vision of his own despite being the most imaginative person Sherlock knows (“Maybe I’m just fated to be forever young and sexy.” “Whatever you say, Dorian Gray.”)

During particularly heated debates over the possibility of certain scenarios, they will actually go re-enact them provided its within reason (keep in mind ‘reason’ is pretty high for them). This has lead to proving there was room on the board for Jack to join Rose and not drown them both in Titanic (Sherlock knew it was possible. He just wanted to watch Jim suffer all day for making him sit through that movie in the first place), or if toilet paper can be used as an effective rope (which Jim also knew was true, he just wanted to shoot at the rope with a water gun while Sherlock was climbing down it to illustrate why it’s a bad idea even if it’s possible).

Sherlock once dropped off the fluffiest kitten at Jim’s door and told him he had to guard it with his life, and that he couldn’t let it out of his sight for even one moment during the next three days - no questions asked. Curious to see where this was going to lead, he did as told and watched over it. On the third day Sherlock picked up the kitten (who Jim named ‘Ada’. “Lovelace?” “A bit obvious?” “Transparent”) and headed off. To this day Jim still has no idea why he had to watch that kitten and Sherlock won’t tell him.

Noticing Sherlock kind of swaying along to a Duran Duran album Jim was listening to, he made him a mixtape that consisted of more songs he thinks he’d like from other artists on one side, and the Spice Girl’s “Wannabe” on a loop on the other since he absolutely despises that song and Jim thinks it’s funny (he’s really the only person keeping Sherlock remotely in touch with the times in terms of popular trends and media). It wasn’t until mid-way through the second repeat of the song playing that Sherlock realized he could use this as a weapon. Mycroft has never wanted his little brother’s head on a spike more.

Sherlock’s mother signed him up to volunteer with the Boy Scouts one summer because it’ll look very impressive to the universities he’s trying for (and she really just wanted him out of the house with Mycroft gone on an internship), so Jim tagged along to laugh at him keep him company. What started off as Sherlock outright refusing to participate in any activities that were inane (which was pretty much all of it by his definition) slowly turned in to competitive everything. Competitive tent pitching, competitive meal preparation and distribution, competitive woodcrafts, competitive planting, competitive first aid administration, etc. with not just Jim (who created the challenge in the first place, of course) but also the children, who the scout leaders said has never been this enthusiastic about scouting in all their tenure there. The kids particularly enjoyed Sherlock’s gruesome tales of the types of injuries and illnesses they could pick up out there while settled around a campfire (which he made without his lighter btw). Jim was never more in love.

#I'm boring I know. My teen aesthetic for them is like debating over which of the Brandenburg concertos was the best #while eating a huge breakfast three in the morning at a local twenty-four hour restaurant with a 1950s American diner as the theme.

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