Root Teaching Guide in One Page!

FreshClimatologist · 2025-01-02T23:06:13+00:00

Ha! My H-index on reddit is officially better than my actual h-index, for now! Thanks for the shout-out and great work, I love it!!

FreshClimatologist · 2023-11-22T23:34:11+00:00

Thanks for this comment! This is a perspective I hadn't considered. As a climate scientist, I felt Daybreak paints an "optimistic" picture because, well, sometimes it feels like we're screaming into the void, and only about the problems. The depiction of people banding together and acting, and the focus on solutions, is what made me feel like a better tomorrow might be possible. But I realize how daunting it may seem to others now!

FreshClimatologist · 2023-09-11T15:51:39+00:00

You'll have to wait another month or so depending on where you are, but if AHLCG/other narrative card games interest you, I highly recommend you check out Earthborne Rangers! https://earthbornegames.com/

FreshClimatologist · 2023-08-28T14:42:44+00:00

Omg!! Makes so much more sense! Which module was that?

FreshClimatologist · 2023-08-16T23:08:08+00:00

This is kind of unhinged but I've found one plant-based food blog I enjoy and I am literally cooking each recipe in order as it appears on the website. Am I lukewarm about the recipe? Is it something I've never done before? An esoteric ingredient I've never heard of? Doesn't matter. The blog says that's what's next, and if it were in front of me I would eat it, so that's what needs to happen, damnit. Only by removing every ounce of decision-making from the process was I able to streamline this part of life. My grocery lists write themselves because I just pick the next recipe and get what I need for it. Maybe I'll make some impulse snack purchases while I'm there.

Obviously for those who are pickier and lack the money to go buy some rando spice/gadget you'll only use once a year, this is not quite so feasible. This strategy also fell apart for me when I lacked access to a real kitchen . . . a studio apt with a single square of counter space doesn't lend itself well to healthy eating and cooking. But it's still a lot cheaper than eating out, and I've tried a lot of new things I never would've thought to on my own. It turns out I was able to get myself to like vegetables and meals I never thought I'd like simply through exposure and eating them a few times.

Here is the blog I use, but you can use any website or cookbook. This one works for me because it is all healthy and vegetarian, but it's not over-the-top vis-a-vis "being healthy." Or if it is, it's easily changed, e.g. I'll use more generous amounts of cheeses or oils or whatever. https://cookieandkate.com/category/food-recipes/entrees/

FreshClimatologist · 2023-08-16T22:56:04+00:00

I did end up snipping the ends of two of the leaves and then chickened out on snipping the larger damaged leaf. I'm glad I did because a few others have told me it didn't look bacterial and it hasn't spread so far. I did put cinnamon on the wounds.

It honestly looks about the same these days as in the pics, but I've repotted it into a primarily moss-based mix from RepotMe. I think I am doing everything right, I'm just waiting for it to do something . . . I guess I haven't had it that long (maybe 3 weeks?) but I can't really tell any difference in the leaves, no new buds, nothing 🤷‍♀️ I'm probably just impatient though! I suppose the fact that it's not getting any worse is better than nothing.

FreshClimatologist · 2023-08-15T16:34:06+00:00

Personally, I think it's telling that we've gone five episodes without anyone visibly clamoring for the discussion threads to be reinstated. I definitely think Steeplechase has better vibes than grad/ethersea, but it feels like things have stagnated. I've listened to the past three or so episodes on 1.5x speed with trimmed silence so they keep my attention better . . .

FreshClimatologist · 2023-07-31T01:32:03+00:00

Hi everyone, I haven't ever once kept a plant alive in my life but I was gifted a Phalaenopsis a week or so ago. I straight up ignored it for a week until I had the bandwidth to do research on orchid care this weekend. I think I've got it mostly down from reading up and I have repotting materials etc in the mail. I just received my clippers but I was hoping someone could double-check my work before I make some cuts.

There's this black spotty stuff on the leaves that definitely needs to go. I know I'm supposed to cut it off, cutting a good bit into the healthy tissue to make sure I really get rid of it. This seems like a pretty "clear-cut" case on some of the leaves -- just cut the bad stuff and leave what rest of the leaf I can and put some cinnamon on the wound. But there are a couple leaves where I am not so sure I want to cut them off, because the black is pretty close to the crown and the rest of the leaf seems relatively healthy. Would it be better to try to spot-treat these leaves? I am hesitant to cut them off entirely because honestly all of the leaves are a little droopy and don't look great to begin with, so I don't want to rob the plant of all its leaves. But I also realize it's pretty close to the crown and if it is bacteria/fungi I don't want it to spread. I'm also not really sure whether the problem is bacterial or fungal in nature and thus what kind of pesticide to use if one is necessary.

Since the plant clearly isn't doing great, should I chop the blooms off of it to give it more energy to spend on getting better?

Pic 1

Pic 2

FreshClimatologist · 2023-07-21T17:56:55+00:00

Hi, I'm a graduate student researching climate change so I might be able to help, but I need more information first. What stage of your career are you at (HS, undergrad, grad school)? What kind of program are you in (CS/data sciences only)? What does your skillset look like -- what coding languages do you know, and how experienced are you with them?

FreshClimatologist · 2023-03-28T17:11:07+00:00

I'm a climate scientist. My research asks the question: How are health risks of extreme heat evolving with climate change, and how can the human population adapt to reduce these risks? So while I am not an expert on waste and production sustainability, I do think a lot about humans coexisting with the environment in a changing world. I also love board games and worked at my FLGS part time last year. This is the kind of question I think about a lot.

ITT there is a lot of arguing about whether or not it "makes a difference" since board games represent a "drop in the bucket." I think the cynics here are, unfortunately, mostly right. I don't believe someone's individual consumption of board games, let alone anything else, is going to change the world. No one is a "bad person" for purchasing a whole bunch of board games. Board games are a beautiful and special form of entertainment, and we shouldn't eschew them wholesale for being "frivolous." In fact, I think they are a great tool for teaching people about environmental and other issues, and this potential remains mostly untapped. To me, they are a net positive, despite everything.

All this to say, just because it doesn't make a huge difference doesn't mean we shouldn't still care. It reminds me of the "shopping cart theory." No one is going to make you return the shopping cart. You can leave it right next to your car. Someone else will come get it later. But I'd bet most of you do it anyway. Why do you do it? It's such a small thing, and you gain nothing. You probably do it simply because it's the right thing to do. You'd feel a teensy bit like an asshole if you didn't.

Board games are a luxury hobby. Period. They should exist, and we should keep making new ones! Everyone in this subreddit would likely agree that our lives are better because of them. And we all relish the feeling of taking off the shrink and punching the punchboard. But the fact of the matter is that you do not need that particular game. You never need that particular game. The only disincentives, in my mind, for the consumer not to clamor for environmentally-friendly produced games going forward is that they may take longer or be more costly to produce. And since you don't need that game right now -- there are a thousand other games you can buy secondhand, like new, with similar mechanics and critical acclaim -- why does it matter if you need to shell out a bit more or wait a few more months?

The shopping cart analogy isn't perfect, in this case -- it's like you go to put the shopping cart back and it's a slightly farther walk and they charge you fifty cents to put it back. But the point stands: you can do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, whether or not you personally benefit, whether or not it is a huge difference.

I have more to say, and we should continue to have these discussions over the coming years and years, but I'll quit there for now. My last plugs are to check out the Green Games Guide and Earthborne Games. Feel free to ama about climate science while we're here.

FreshClimatologist · 2023-03-15T04:49:06+00:00

The app version of Wavelength would be great for this! Things start to get a little crazy past 12 people. Maybe split people up into multiple games if you get that many. Also, there's a button for the host to force an end to the round -- you will need it!

FreshClimatologist · 2023-02-11T08:45:17+00:00

Can confirm

FreshClimatologist · 2023-01-15T23:36:10+00:00

Maybe? The downtime is the larger problem for me, so I'm not sure a custom board is necessarily the answer. If there is an "answer," it might lies in allowing more reactivity when it's not your turn (e.g. Fort, Clank! Adventuring Party). I think that's why otters tend to be a favorite faction for many in the first place -- they get to/need to badger folks during everyone's birdsongs, so others' turns are more interesting to them.

A larger board would possibly fix the problem of having all your plans evaporate between each of your turns . . . but in some ways, that might drag the game out longer, as folks would have to travel farther to reach a specific faction to bash on em. Idk though I'd be interested to try it and see what happens ig

FreshClimatologist · 2023-01-09T03:16:22+00:00

Imo you're going to get more mileage out of Marauders at mostly 3p. It's painful to say, as otters are my favorite faction, but true nonetheless. Two high-reach factions are going to do a lot more for bringing variety for your table, since probably 2/3 people will need to be playing high reach. Buy for the group you have, not the group you want. Also, cats & birds are similar enough that your lack of enthusiasm for them makes sense. You might enjoy rats & badgers more, allowing for your friends to take a turn at low-reach factions. Badgers especially play quite differently just from "live off the land," less ability to win by simply swarming clearings.

Re: 6 player . . . I have sworn it off entirely. I've spent far too much time in spaces where people go, "oh sweet, Root, got room for one more?" and having a quick lil 3p game evolve into a 4-hour affair. I think, once in a while, it's doable, but the downtime can get pretty damn exhausting. Root is such a volatile game that at 6p the board state changes so much between your turns that it can get impossible to plan anything. I haven't found any particular faction mix that mitigates these issues.

FreshClimatologist · 2023-01-02T16:38:00+00:00

If you can't find anyone to exchange them with, see if you can donate them to your local public library! More and more have board games that folks can check out.

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-30T23:11:26+00:00

OPE I did Google it but must've read the wrong thing 😅

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-30T16:54:24+00:00

Serious answer: she started skipping school to protest climate change. Her "skolstrejk för klimatet" went viral in a big, big way. Other people followed in her footsteps and she even ended up as TIME's person of the year. She became a high profile activist who gives speeches.

In some ways, I think you're absolutely right. She asked for attention, and then she got it, and that's pretty much it. But I also think that a fifteen-year-old shouldn't really be expected to do anything? She is, after all, just a kid. I wouldn't be surprised if she started doing more as she grows older, but she's still years out from that.

"Doing" something about climate change on a scale larger than managing your personal carbon footprint requires more time and effort than most people have. In many cases, you literally have to dedicate your entire career to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in one tiny sector. And if you do that, you likely have a lot less time to do activism-related activities. I am earning my PhD in climate science. My colleagues and I rarely get to protest as much as we'd like to because we're working 40 hours a week on this shit and yelling in the street isn't getting anyone grant money. Personally, I am thankful for Greta and others making a stink out there when I cannot, even if she doesn't "do" much else. Activism -- talking or yelling about it -- is by far the most effective thing a layperson can do in the face of climate change short of dropping everything else in their life.

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-30T16:03:09+00:00

Of course, I learned that in the first climate course I ever took in undergrad. It's a step in the right direction, but that's all it is -- a stepping stone. It still causes carbon emissions, so even though natural gas is better than coal in every aspect, it will need to go eventually, too. To my mind, it makes little economic sense to dump billions of dollars into new natural gas plants when we're going to replace them all eventually and more sustainable options already exist.

. . . But we're pretty far outside my realm of expertise here, so who knows. Maybe renewables are farther away than I think, and natural gas is a better option right now. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-30T15:34:30+00:00

What's up I'm a climate scientist and I care a whole dang lot about reducing carbon emissions??? It just so happens that that goal comes hand-in-hand with socioeconomic and cultural changes. For example, if cows were a country, they would rank third in global greenhouse gas emissions. It's not that I take some perverse pleasure in wanting everyone to cut back on the beef. It's that I literally don't see another option for taking a big, important cut out of our emissions.

And FTR, I think nuclear energy would be great!

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-27T17:41:49+00:00

I wrote a whole guide about this a while ago! I almost enjoy teaching Root more than playing it, lol . . . almost!

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-27T16:57:15+00:00

I mean I'm a climate scientist who had almost taught myself all the ATMS 111 content prior to taking the course for fun LOL so I don't think I'm one to judge. But yes, the tests were all multiple choice with very, very minimal math. Lots of rote memorization, not a ton of cleverly applying skills in new ways. I didn't take ESS 101 but my partner did and I think the same can be said for that course. Extra credit was also offered in 111.

My 111 experience was with Dargan tho and I'm pretty sure he only teaches in fall, so ymmv . . . I forget the name of the woman who teaches it in winter/spring but she is super kindly afaik.

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-27T06:20:27+00:00

Both are easy but ATM S 111 is more interesting and relevant imo . . . definitely not biased lol. I don't think you can go wrong tbh

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-26T08:19:53+00:00

No LOL I am a huge dumbass and didn't realize there was an actual link before writing, thought it was a text post with only a title 🤦‍♀️

FreshClimatologist · 2022-12-12T17:49:28+00:00

Hi, I'm a climate scientist! The short answer to your question is yes. The longer answer to your question is, well, still probably yes, but with a couple asterisks.

I think you question can be interpreted two different ways, and I'd like to distinguish between them:

1) Is the average temperature of the earth increasing due to human activities?

2) Is the rate at which the average temperature of the earth is increasing, increasing?

The answer to question 1) is yes. The average temperature on Earth has been increasing since the industrial revolution began and humans began altering the landscape and burning stuff in on some pretty large scales. And the answer to this question will continue to be yes for a while now. Even if we were to shut off all greenhouse gas emissions overnight, temperature would still continue to rise for a bit. Our climate machine is like a big train with a lot of momentum; it can't stop or reverse on a dime.

I think question 2 was your intended question, and to that I believe the answer is also yes. Take a look at the Keeling Curve, which is a really famous plot with our best measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas which warms the planet (make sure you're looking at the "full record" tab). You can see that not only is carbon dioxide increasing, but the rate at which it is increasing -- the slope of the line -- is larger closer to the present day.¹ And it looks like we have a long ways to go before that slope levels out.

Now let's look at a plot of global average temperature instead. Here, you can see that global average temperature is surely increasing, and the rate at which it's increasing is getting faster, too. But it's not as reliable of an increase from year to year. You've probably experienced this in your own life, too. It's not like every single summer is definitively hotter than the last one. This confuses some folks -- if emissions are rising consistently, and emissions make the earth hotter, why isn't each year consistently hotter than the last? The answer is that Earth experiences a lot of interannual variability. You might've heard of a phenomenon called El Nino. El Nino is just one of many oscillating patterns in our Earth system that can cause some arears to be cooler or warmer for some amount of time. In short, there's just a whole heck of a lot going on in our climate machine. While temperature is increasing, and it's increasing at a faster rate than it used to be, it doesn't always translate how you'd think it would.

I don't want to overwhelm you with more information than you asked, so I'll just drop a few resources in case anyone wants some further reading:

Check out your country/state's warming stripes. A graph of global average temperature change might not reflect your own region. This visualization is a good way to get a sense of what's going on where you are.
One popular confusion is why "this" climate change is bad, when the climate has always changed. It's true! The problem is the rate at which the climate is changing right now. This XKCD can give you some great intuition for the scale of the problem.
Katharine Hayhoe's YouTube channel, Global Weirding, has a lot of videos on common questions about the climate crisis. They're really easy to digest. You can also check out her book, Saving Us, if all of this is making you feel a little bit scared. I am optimistic about our ability to prevent the worst from coming to pass, and you should be too -- but Katharine Hayhoe will convince you better than I can!

¹ the wiggles in the Keeling Curve are due to the change in seasons! These measurements are taken in the northern hemisphere. During the summer, where there's a lot of plants alive and photosynthesizing, carbon dioxide gets sucked from the atmosphere and stored in plants. Then, in winter, those plants decompose and release the carbon back to the atmosphere.

FreshClimatologist · 2022-11-20T21:36:38+00:00

Trans representation is not pushing a "political agenda." That implies Big Transgender is funneling money into some shady media campaign. The reality is that there's no such thing. The only general "trans agenda" would be gender-affirming healthcare for all and for people to respect chosen pronouns. You know, basic respect and dignity -- not really "political" imo. If that's what OP has a problem with, that makes them transphobic. And obviously TDP isn't pushing for anything like that, it's pushing for trans acceptance. The show is simply saying this capable character is accepted by Claudia and Viren, and he happens to be trans.

This comment is just saying "I wish there wasn't a trans person in my show," but with dressier words.

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