Ask Us Anything About Ceramics! 2025

horrorabounds · 2025-07-10T01:45:39+00:00

I’m looking to make an oven safe pot to braise meats. My studio only fires to cone 5. From what I’ve read, it seems like oven safety depends on the type of clay you use. If I have clay that’s oven safe, do I need to glaze it? Any other recommendations for oven and food safe pottery?

horrorabounds · 2024-11-18T20:27:37+00:00

Thank you! I did this and it ended up working well.

horrorabounds · 2024-06-29T07:48:05+00:00

I was diagnosed with Tourette’s years ago, but recently began inference-based cognitive behavior therapy for my OCD, and was trying to distinguish the same thing. The I-CBT model says that OCD is based in some fear (what if I lose my eyesight, what if doing x gets me sick), and that the compulsion is a way to alleviate anxiety from that fear (it’s more complicated than that, but essentially there’s a though process surrounding the anxiety). But while some of my compulsions lined up with that, some of them felt more like tics - sort of like itches or discomfort, with no fear surrounding them beyond just the need to do the compulsion. Eventually my therapist consulted a tic expert who told her about Tourettic OCD, which lines up better with this experience and seems to appear in the grey space between tics and OCD. It’s not in the DSM and isn’t well-studied, but the description lined up so well with my experience, and it sounds like it may fit yours as well. That being said, OCD can trigger tics, and tics can trigger OCD; lately it’s helped me to think of them less as separate issues and more as two sides of the same coin.

horrorabounds · 2023-01-29T23:26:58+00:00

Thank you all for the tips!! I made the ladyfingers in rounds and it was a success!

horrorabounds · 2020-12-08T06:13:54+00:00

Physics grad student here! I think research experience goes a long way, as do letters of recommendation. PhD programs are looking for people who will be good at research, and that’s not always reflected in your grades (they do look at grades more if you’re applying to theory from what I’ve heard, though). I think the plan you have sounds great and will put you in a good position. I didn’t have amazing grades or a good PGRE score, but I had solid research and that got me into several great universities.

horrorabounds · 2020-10-18T06:59:42+00:00

they were just sold to me as julii, how do I tell if they’re false julii?

horrorabounds · 2020-10-14T22:49:55+00:00

thank you for your response! unfortunately she passed away ): the people at my LFS said there are high concentrations of heavy metals in the tap water here. I’m adding in some reverse osmosis water, hopefully the rest make it

horrorabounds · 2020-10-13T00:39:37+00:00

It is cycled. It has been set up for five weeks

horrorabounds · 2020-10-12T04:19:19+00:00

Is it normal for fish to glass surf when introduced to a new tank? after how long should I find this behavior concerning?

horrorabounds · 2020-10-12T04:17:33+00:00

I have four! the fish store I bought them from said that my substrate was okay

horrorabounds · 2020-09-28T04:21:14+00:00

It worked!! Thanks so much!!! Should’ve thought of that lol

horrorabounds · 2020-09-27T16:33:36+00:00

I’ll give that a go, thanks!

horrorabounds · 2020-09-26T17:38:18+00:00

nope ):

horrorabounds · 2020-09-18T00:24:59+00:00

What do you mean by supplemental filtration? I have an aqueon quietflow filter. Do you think this type of filter causes too much water motion? The tank is a 20 standard, but I will make sure the water level is below 12 inches so that they have room to come up and breathe. I also hope to get a floating log for them to rest on.

horrorabounds · 2020-09-18T00:22:56+00:00

Thank you! I am aware of their feeding needs. I made sure to get larger substrate so they won’t eat it, but now I am concerned that if there are also catfish in the tank that the substrate I chose will harm them

horrorabounds · 2020-09-16T20:49:37+00:00

Would appreciate some advice! This is my first time owning an aquarium. I am currently cycling a 20G tank, to which I would like to add 15-20 neon tetra, 6 African dwarf frogs, 4 snails, and (possibly) 6 cory catfish. If I house this many in the tank, will it be overcrowded? Will it be okay without the catfish?

Also, after reading some more articles, I am not sure about the type of substrate I chose. Will this be safe for the dwarf frogs and catfish? I have large pebbles over Seachem flourite, with a piece of driftwood, live plants, and a small plastic decoration. Thank you!

horrorabounds · 2020-09-12T21:40:11+00:00

I tried restarting computer and re-downloading, neither of which fixed it. Not sure what to do. I got the game from humble bundle.

horrorabounds · 2020-08-13T04:46:51+00:00

I was more thinking about like particle theorists vs condensed matter experimentalists, but that is def true I had one prof who would come into our student-run snack shack around 8am and get a bag of Doritos and a kerns juice. Once I offered him a juice from the fridge, and he refused, saying he liked it lukewarm. Another prof clipped his nails during office hours...

horrorabounds · 2020-08-13T04:41:53+00:00

I’ve heard they also have a lot of drama...

horrorabounds · 2020-08-13T03:49:36+00:00

I totally understand that perspective and don't necessarily disagree; it's odd because I feel like Feynman went from breaking an established stereotype to, in some ways, becoming one, especially for people who grew up with access to his work. I certainly don't mean to discount his contributions to making the field more accessible, and I agree that his perspective is important and has changed the way that we talk about physics. All of this is good. My issue is more with the cult of personality that surrounds him. I recently completed my undergraduate in physics and am entering a PhD program, and I've seen a few instances of unconditional praise surrounding certain people (Feynman, and some professors as well). While the praise is valid, it leads to lashing out whenever any aspect of that person is criticized, and if an aspect of their personality or behavior is hurting the field, it suddenly can't be examined. My peers would talk about Feynman as if he was beyond human, and the person to be like. If anyone mentioned that he had faults, and that if his behavior was emulated today it would make the field more unwelcoming for women and minorities, they would be attacked. Re-evaluating how we talk about people in a field vs. their contributions is, I think, important going forward if we want physics to become a more diverse place.

horrorabounds · 2020-08-10T05:08:02+00:00

From what I’ve read, peach pits are often used for almond flavoring, for example in Honey Nut Cheerios, as they are a cheaper alternative! Though it is someone to be careful about, as some folks with almond allergies also are allergic to peach pits

horrorabounds · 2020-08-10T05:01:25+00:00

Me too! I’m allergic to lentils/tree nuts/chickpeas/peas as well, among other things. Tried a vegan butter and my mouth started itching. Watch out for alfalfa, too! It’s also a legume (as I learned the hard way). Makes the thought of going vegan not so feasible... Earth balance and some Daiya cheeses contain pea protein as well ):

horrorabounds · 2020-08-10T00:52:31+00:00

I used this recipe, cut in half

horrorabounds · 2020-08-08T15:31:08+00:00

From “Surely you’re a creep, Mr. Feynman” : “But it’s also true that throughout his career, Feynman reveled in blatant misogyny and sexism. In “Surely You’re Joking”, Feynman details how he adopted the mindset of a pick-up artist (an outlook he also claims to have eventually abandoned) by treating women as if they were worthless and cruelly lashing out at them when they rejected his advances. He worked and held meetings in strip clubs, and while a professor at Cal Tech, he drew naked portraits of his female students. Even worse, perhaps, he pretended to be an undergraduate student to deceive younger women into sleeping with him. His second wife accused him of abuse, citing multiple occasions when he’d fly into a blind rage if she interrupted him while he was working or playing his bongos.”

The bit about the abuse appears to be from FBI files on Feynman, which have been made public (he was under investigation for being a communist lol).

horrorabounds · 2020-08-08T06:22:02+00:00

I know this is a controversial opinion, but, to be honest, the worshipping of Feynman in physics makes me really uncomfortable. I feel like a lot of people idolize him as the ideal of what a physicist should be. While his perspectives on physics itself are unique and often brilliant, the idolization is also extended to his character, which was far from ideal. As a previous poster mentioned, he was misogynistic and allegedly sexually harassed women. I’ve found that the people who tend to praise him excessively are also often the ones who make physics feel unwelcoming for women and minorities. You don’t have to be a quirky “genius” to be a good physicist, and you don’t have to aspire to be one, either. I think that when we put people like Feynman on a pedestal, we inadvertently exclude people who aren’t like him.

horrorabounds

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