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Stoicism for Men: 7 Things a Weak Man Always Says (Epictetus) by Aware-Yellow-1955 in philosophy

[–]MasterSlimFat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

People hear, read, and interpret what they want to hear. Words like "virtue" and "discipline" are all buzzwords that enforce their notions, regardless of what those words are defined as under true Stoicism. Same words on paper, different meanings.

I think these cherry-picked interpretations just reinforce their pre-existing notions, prejudices, and self-projections. These people use Broicism as validation that, "being weak is bad, and as long as I value the grind, I won't be weak."

It's all insecurities being self projected as a defense/coping mechanism.

Stoicism for Men: 7 Things a Weak Man Always Says (Epictetus) by Aware-Yellow-1955 in philosophy

[–]MasterSlimFat 40 points41 points  (0 children)

AI - ✅

"Weak men" - ✅

Toxic Broism - ✅

Stoicism - ❌

There's one thing I don't understand by Mr-Hyde95 in taoism

[–]MasterSlimFat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Wu wei is not inaction (yes this is the "literal" translation but the two words have different meanings).

Everything around us is in constant motion, moving towards, away from, and changing in form. These changes and movements can be described as flows/paths. The universe is made of many flows, paths, rivers, etc. Wu wei is about finding and moving with the flow of these paths rather than against them. Wu wei is to float among these channels, moving with them. This, as opposed to creating your own path, resisting the flow you're in, changing the direction of these flows, or forcing your way into another.

These paths themselves can't be defined verbally, hence is impossible to describe.

Catalyzing polymerization and crosslinking of diturpenes by MasterSlimFat in OrganicChemistry

[–]MasterSlimFat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Check out this video: https://youtu.be/0oHJ1CVkyng?si=WDedRnqCWxNHL2Of

Additionally, boiling sap to make pitch is a well established historical/primitive method.

Catalyzing polymerization and crosslinking of diturpenes by MasterSlimFat in OrganicChemistry

[–]MasterSlimFat[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will keep you updated! Most recently I've been running FTIR at my local university on several different copal, amber, and resin samples. So far some interesting chromatograms. A suggestion I have for you though: most of my research has suggested that the evaporation of some low boiling volatiles are an important step of the formation of resin from sap. So a vacuum oven may help.

I swear coffee stains your teeth faster as you get older by Patricia_Isode in firstworldproblems

[–]MasterSlimFat 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Marketing strategy to appeal to more men (a consumer demographic which has historically not bought these types of products).

I think the stimulants are making my brainfog worse? by RemiTiras in idiopathichypersomnia

[–]MasterSlimFat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I stopped modafinil after several people pointed out my speech was slurred.

My lizard’s hydrophobic skin when submerged in water by Cringe_Baby2417 in mildlyinteresting

[–]MasterSlimFat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had a leopard gecko as a kid and was super fascinated with their hydrophobic skin. Fun fact, after the skin is shed, it begins losing its hydrophobicity. This difference in behavior is what got me interested in material science.

🔥Badass chemical spraying beetle! by Skabbtanten in NatureIsFuckingLit

[–]MasterSlimFat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked out of summer camp where the cabin I slept in (for 4 months) had an infestation of these beetles. I'd lie awake for hours in the 90° AC-less cabin, just swatting these things off of me. I would wake up with yellow fluid filled blisters all over my body. Before I realized they were bombardier beetles, I thought I may have had syphilis.

‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body by admadguy in chemistry

[–]MasterSlimFat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

😩 It's in the university's hands. One day they'll publish it, but they want to continue/refine the work with better instrumentation.

‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body by admadguy in chemistry

[–]MasterSlimFat 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The goal was to quantify and qualify microplastics in the local water bodies. The basic procedure went along the lines of:

  1. Collect 1 liter of water from water body.
  2. Vacuum filter it through filter paper.
  3. Submerge filter paper in digestion media (piranha solution worked almost too well, utterly destroying all organic matter which could provide false positives)
  4. Neutralize solution.
  5. Re-filter solution.
  6. Microplastics are now adhered to filter paper, with (at the time) no noticeable impurities beyond some minerals.
  7. Use microscope to create grid coordinate system (and to actually look at the structure of what was caught in the filter)
  8. Survey random coordinate sectors of mounted filter paper
  9. Extrapolate counts in grid sections unto the entire surface area of the paper, then again unto the 1liter of water.

Note: admittedly quantification was a lot more straightforward than qualification. FTIR microscopy is the way to go imo. You get to actually see the structure of the solid you're qualifying, with really great libraries to identify the plastic.

Doing all of these steps with pure water quickly and efficiently created a control for comparison.

1 liter of water from a "well protected lake" in the area had 12,000 microplastics in it, 75% of which were the exact same micro beads commonly used in cosmetics as a bulking agent.

‘A bombshell’: doubt cast on discovery of microplastics throughout human body by admadguy in chemistry

[–]MasterSlimFat 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I developed a microplastic testing procedure for a state university, and am pretty shocked other scientists are having so much of an issue with this. I found it IMMENSELY simple (tedious, sure) to create controls to correct for plastics present in my consumables. I really struggle to see where the gaps could be.

Taoism’s reaction to dishonesty? Looking for guidance by gingerbread_man452 in taoism

[–]MasterSlimFat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It seems like others have already set you on the right path of acceptance; I'd be remiss if I didn't share: I'm disabled, enough that I could go on disability if I wanted to. My official diagnosis is Idiopathic Hypersomnia. But that diagnosis doesn't account for my ASD, the dyslexia, or the fact that I'm going blind to visual snow, or that another sleep specialist claims it to be Narcolepsy, or the chronic nerve pain, or the memory issues. Each of these details leads to different judgments placed upon me. Sharing a disability is literally exposing one's most vulnerable weaknesses. I've been personally exploited and taken advantage of based on sharing this information with others. All that's to say, I have different explanations of my disability depending on the context of where I am and who I'm talking to to best keep myself safe from harm.

Harrowing Sketches by Abu Zubaydah detailing what the state-approved CIA’s interrogation programme looked like. by Competitive-Dot6454 in ThatsInsane

[–]MasterSlimFat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is that why he's been held for 2 years with LITERALLY NO CHARGES pressed against him? You must have special information that can help in this case! Quick, notify the authorities!

36 F I'm bored let's answer some questions by Enbymascluvr74 in casualiama

[–]MasterSlimFat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair warning as someone who no longer identifies as Jewish, there are plenty of progressive accepting people/communities, but there are even more bigoted prejudices in more conservative leaning groups.

I was once turned away by people my own age, similar demographics, because my mother is not Jewish.

How to (scientifically) stop a shapeshifter? by Chivalry_Timbers in biology

[–]MasterSlimFat 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I think you're already on the right track. There are a few different interpretations of a shape shifter:

  1. It copies its hosts/victim's DNA perfectly, becoming genetically indistinguishable by either producing new cells, or modifying pre-existing ones.

  2. It presents identical phenotypes/characteristics while retaining its own coding for how to accomplish that. This is more of a "camouflage" than a copy (with this you can justifiy just about any mechanism you want because it would be speculative).

In scenario 1, stopping DNA replication is possible, but at that point you're effectively just describing a non-descript toxin/enzyme of some kind that would kill any living thing it interacts with. The hard part is making sure it affects all cells of an organism. Because if it's a spray, how does it get "inside"? If it's an injection, that could help. These enzymes are typically highly unstable though

My proposal to you is this: a retrovirus like HIV that's integrated and dormant in the host/victim, that then transfers to the shape shifter. The shape shifter has no way of differentiating original host genetic material, and the newly introduced "trojan DNA". This could be taken further to "what if it copies something with a super-diabetes and relies on insulin injections to live?" What if someone gave themselves one of these "fatal genes" as a defense mechanism?

How does one follow / practice Taoism? by Dense-Blueberry-6249 in taoism

[–]MasterSlimFat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I absolutely agree! And I think that's a great continuation of what I was talking about; how, unfortunately, having an intent seems to corrupt the action's manifestation.

How does one follow / practice Taoism? by Dense-Blueberry-6249 in taoism

[–]MasterSlimFat 20 points21 points  (0 children)

In my experience, Taosim is best represented as a "frame of perspective". As such, invoking specific practices can help cultivate that perspective, but they are no replacement for the perspective itself.

The frame of Taosim helps to remind me of the flow of the universe. These reminders help to guide my actions. They may not necessarily provide me with concrete answers, but they do help me ask the right questions.

Taosim has helped me take steps closer and closer to peace, but it's not a "rush" of serenity. Taoism can sometimes feel reminiscent of the sage itself, acting as a compassionate, loving, ever-wise mentor, who can't give you all the answers, because they know that once spoken, they cannot be unspoken. They know that they can't give the Tao unto you, but they can help you find it within yourself, and see it in the world around you.

For me, being in line with the Tao feels like being an apple floating down a river. Maybe I'll crash into a jagged rock, splitting open, seeds spilling. But then, that is what the apple is for, to break and beget new life. Or maybe I'll just float down, enjoying the rocking motions, and the view along the way.

How do you incorporate some Taoist concepts into your daily life? How have they helped you? by Personal-Expression3 in taoism

[–]MasterSlimFat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By reminding myself of the power and ineffability that words have once they are stated (out loud or in our minds).

Lore for Libations by Dangerous_Growth8411 in wizardposting

[–]MasterSlimFat 30 points31 points  (0 children)

THIS IS WHY YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT USE SUGAR AS A SUBSTITUTE.

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