What Is This Nuclear Winter Kara We Are Speaking Of 👀

Story time:

In middle school biology, we did an experiment. We were given yams, which we would sprout in cups of water. We then had to make hypotheses about how the yams would grow, based on descriptions of yam plants in our books, and make notes of our observations as they grew.

Here’s what was supposed to happen: we were supposed to see that the actual growth of the plant did not resemble our hypotheses. We were then supposed to figure out that these were, in fact, sweet potatoes.

What actually happened was that every single student in every single class lied in their notes so that their observations perfectly matched their hypotheses. See, everyone assumed the mismatch meant they had done something wrong in the process of growing the plant or that they had misunderstood the dichotomous key or the plant identification terminology. And, thanks to the wonders of a public school education, everyone assumed the wrong results would get us a failing grade. We were trying to pass. We didn’t want to get bitched out by the teacher. Curiosity, learning, science - that had nothing to do with why we were sitting in that classroom. So we all lied.

The teacher was furious. She tried to fail every student, but the administration stepped in and told her she wasn’t allowed to because a 100% fail rate is recognized as a failure of the teacher, not the class. It wasn’t even her fault, really, though her being a notorious hard-ass didn’t help. It was a failure of the entire educational system.

So whenever I see crap like Elizabeth Holmes’s blood test scam or pharmaceutical trials which are unable to be replicated or industry-funded research that reaches wildly unscientific conclusions, I just remember those fucking sweet potatoes. I remember that curiosity dies when people are just trying to give their superiors the “right” answers, so they can get the grade, get the job, get the paycheck. It’s not about truth when it’s about paying rent. There’s no scientific integrity if you can’t control for human desperation.

I just want queer safety and queer happiness

Everyone else: Wednesday no!

Wednesday: Wednesday yes.

Enid: Wednesday no!

Wednesday: Wednesday no… :I

In another life

Has this been done yet guys

jane fonda got arrested the third week in a row at climate change protests. this time with ted danson

Alarm bells being rung by Maureen Johnson on AI and the Big Publishers

Person: I want a story where witches do everyday magic, like spells woven into clothing and charmed earrings and spells made from knitting-

Me: *grabs their face* The Circle of Magic series. The thing you are describing is Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic series.

Me: There are four main characters, a white girl who has power to control and and bespell textiles, a black lesbian who can shape and enchant metal, a fat girl very easily interpreted as asexual who can control weather and cause natural disasters, and a possibly aromantic boy of color who can talk to plants. Their mentors include two queer women in a relationship and a black man. The entire series revolves around their friendship and supporting and drawing strength from each other.

Me: Along with this are very strong feminist themes, and not that exclusively white woman feminism, like real anti-racism, anti-classism, and sexual liberation stuff, along with storylines about honoring your culture while breaking away from what is traditionally accepted, anti-war sentiments and dealing with grief and PTSD.

Me: This is literally everything tumblr has ever asked for and it has existed for nearly TWENTY YEARS

Me: Please read it.

Duck Amuck | Director: Chuck Jones | Studio: Warner Bros. | USA, 1953

people get so confused trying to figure out the Lois/Clark/Superman situation that somehow they come to the conclusion that Clark is cheating on Lois with Superman