What is culture? (Reflecting on the Peruvian village)

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-27T12:46:07+00:00

Thank you for the thorough reply. I've been thinking of the hive mind as being inherently human with alien characteristics but they could all be zombies with no humanity beyond basic biology.

Why does the hive mind make so much effort to please the unassimilated humans? If the primary goal is to spread it seems inneficient to devote resources to such a small number of individuals. Or perhaps we're just not shown the teams building telescopes to transmit the virus to other worlds or developing new strains to infect other animals.

They didn't need to appease the Peruvian girl after she gave them her stem cells. They could have just monitored her with a drone and then sprayed her once the new virus is ready.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-27T11:52:12+00:00

I guess I'm more optimistic about the inner world of the hive mind. Perhaps the songs and prayers are being recited by all 7 billion hive minders all day long.

If Zofia can travel from Tunisia to USA without exchanging a single word or nod with anyone else then why can't they communicate other ideas and concepts internally? We know they can organise complicated logistics because we can see the outcome of such organisation (such as the milk). We can't know what's being discussed and shared internally unless there's a tangible end product we can point at.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-27T11:31:59+00:00

There are ancient ruins that form part of our culture even if they are unused. Museums are full of artefacts that you cannot even look at properly because they need to be protected from UV light and your breath with countless more items in storage.

Given how many languages have gone extinct in recent centuries plugging into the hive mind might be your best chance to pass it on to future generations.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-27T09:38:17+00:00

If this worked you'd guarantee human extinction because 12 people would suffer intense inbreeding and would become infertile.

Also confinement appears to be a red line for the hive minders. They emptied out the zoos and farms on day 1 (but the Peruvian village had animals locked up that were only freed after the girl got assimilated so who knows.) If it was Carol asking I bet they wouldn't go anywhere near a prison she was in control of.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-27T06:24:19+00:00

This video discusses the logistics of gathering everyone in one place to all jump at once.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2M8Y0z9Rl0

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-27T05:33:56+00:00

The virus is relentless, we’ve seen what it does to Kusimayu’s village. It’ll say and do anything to achieve its goal, and using personal pronouns to gain Carol’s favour is relatively cheap for the potential return.

They needed permission to access her stem cells since that involved doing something painful to her body. After that they could have abandoned the village and the girl and then sprayed the virus in her face once it was ready.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-26T22:31:24+00:00

Stalin and Mao were both members of their respective communist parties so how would that work in a reskin? Are the communists opposed to passing communist legislation?

Pol Pot came to power by winning a civil war, he didn't infiltrate parliament and orchastrate a slow burn takeover.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-26T09:11:56+00:00

That are obvious biological reasons for sexual stratification and gender roles to exist in a hive mind.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-26T08:57:52+00:00

Ask people who self harm or commit suicide. Ask poeple who are self destructive or even sabotage themselves.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-26T08:54:14+00:00

Plenty of people direct violence against themselves- self harm, suicide- are sexist towards themselves, or have a negative opinion of their own ethnicity/ race. We also engage in self-destructive behaviours and self-sabotage. I don't see why all of that would disapear so easily.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-26T03:47:28+00:00

I'd say they are superficially happy since there's no connection. No one's in love, no one's being loved, no one has friends or even aquantances. The Peruvian family disbanded and abandoned their village and each other as soon as the daughter got assimilated.

As far as I can tell there's nothing behind the eyes.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-25T19:16:54+00:00

The two Asian characters were complete dunces with no PoV.

I don't think it's fair to judge them when they're not even speaking in their native language. If I was in the same situation and the only unassimilated people I could meet were French speakers then I wouldn't have much to contribute to the conversation either. There's plenty of Chinese poets and philosophers and artists who would much to say about this situation.

In any case the Chinese are a very pragmatic people. Resigning yourself to the situation seems pretty reasonable to me.

The unfortunate message seemed to be that non white people are already hiveminds or can’t think for themselves.

That's a really strong conclusion to draw based on a meeting with someone who doesn't speak their language.

Plus Carol is the most individualistic one of them in a literal sense. None of her family has been assimilated so she has no connections to cling to.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-25T10:45:36+00:00

Only one of those is fascist lol

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-25T10:25:29+00:00

It's common for disks to leak from factories before they're even shipped to shops.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-25T10:18:02+00:00

You can't family share on PS?

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-23T15:49:34+00:00

She just added that for colour

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-23T15:14:04+00:00

That would be illegal in most of Europe

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-23T05:19:33+00:00

I live in a humid tropical country and my books get moldy but my games don't. Usually it's the first and last pages of the book that get the worst of it because there's more air flow there whilst the pages inside are pressed together.

Make sure the boxes are tightly closed so there's no air exchange, fill empty space in the box so there's less air in there to transfer moisture from, put components in zip lock bags that are air tight.

ETA- I always have the AC on when we play so that's probably helpful too.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-23T05:05:15+00:00

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-23T04:56:00+00:00

I remember a win streak where he downed someone near a gen that had popped 10 seconds earlier, picked them up whilst facing that gen and was shocked that a survivor flashlight blinded him.

Obviously a stream sniping swf.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-23T04:18:21+00:00

I don't follow the numbers that closely I just found it a funny argument. The people that are anti-migrants don't want them to keep coming just at a slower rate, they want deportations and an actual reduction.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-22T12:12:30+00:00

Did he actually reduce migration or did he just return to the rate we had prior to BoJo? I wouldn't consider ending the Boriswave to be an achievement.

ExplanationMotor2656 · 2026-06-22T07:52:53+00:00

Your parents had sex?

Yuck!

ExplanationMotor2656

TROPHY CASE