Collaborative drawing offers new insights into how strangers become friends

https://phys.org/news/2026-08-collaborative-insights-strangers-friends.html

> The closer two people grow, the more alike their brains work—or so the assumption goes. Two ETH Zurich studies challenge this idea by examining the brain activity of younger and older adults who drew together over several weeks. Despite growing closer, the similarity of their brain activity did not simply increase.

#art #drawing #collaboration #brain #activity

Stop calling the lies politicians say "bullshit". Bullshit is a good, useful fertilizer. Politicians' lies are NEITHER!

Biological sex is neither binary nor a spectrum – a biologist explains how it’s multidimensional

https://theconversation.com/biological-sex-is-neither-binary-nor-a-spectrum-a-biologist-explains-how-its-multidimensional-289786

> Each person is a mosaic of sex-related and postpubertal biological traits that vary in their degree of femaleness and maleness.

#LGBTQIA #gender

"Boredom is afflicting me! Entertain me, O Internet, you're my only hope!" - a teenage Princess Leia before the Republic fell
#bad #joke

Fire for the sake of fire is the motto of the wildfire.
#wildfire

#ScribesAndMakers Aug 7: Is there a work of art that you didn't like at first but came to appreciate once you understood it better?

I still don't appreciate meaningless art.

Art that merely demonstrates mastery of technique but communicates nothing meaningful? Meh. We saw a featured painting at Pompidou Center. About 1 meter square, solid blue, nothing else. By a famous artist with great painting technique, I'm sure, but meaningless. Even our art major daughter called it "A spot on the wall."

#ScribesAndMakers Aug. 8: Polymorphous?

I like Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. The porquinos begin life as worm-like insect forms living inside a mother tree, then mature into intelligent pig-like forms. After death, they're planted and grow into father trees, also still intelligent.

It makes drives the plot and gives great depth to their story.

#WordWeavers 8. Which character would survive a zombie apocalypse, and why?

The fish people would probably be ignored by zombies, plus their lightning weapons are powerful enough to incinerate any zombie they encountered.

The fungus/mushroom people would probably consider zombies a tasty snack, like they do other bodies, living or dead. They might even stash them away, restrained, for regular re-use.

In general, M'Nee wouldn't have a zombie apocalypse. Sorry if that's your thing!

3/3

#WordWeavers 8. Which character would survive a zombie apocalypse, and why?

A demon would simply destroy any zombie it chose to. Zombies wouldn't even pursue a demon. Demons don't have a biological form, they're beings comprised of space-time and spirit. Zombies wouldn't even be able to perceive them.

2/3

#WordWeavers 8. Which character would survive a zombie apocalypse, and why?

Hmm. Any zombies that came after Karin would simply cease to exist if Karin was having a bad day. If Karin was feeling good, they'd be changed back to their pre-zombie living human condition. Chaotics can change reality like that.

Zombies would ignore Karin's companion, the raven Meadros; they only go after humans.

Not sure if a zombie would go after an elf. I suspect elf magik could easily destroy a zombie.

1/1

#ScribesAndMakers August 5: What book are you currently reading, or have you finished most recently?

Current: To Sail Beyond The Sunset by Robert Heinlein.
Currently re-skimming: The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton.
Prior to that: War Bodies by Neal Asher.

Just went to share a link from my browser. The link included an image. Normally, I remove the image. But Fedilab no longer lets me remove it!

A step back in usability, Fedilab. Bah.

#fedilab

#ScribesAndMakers Aug 3. Are you more comfortable communicating verbally (or signing/ other non-written) or in writing?

Either way. Used to train adult business staff to use computers, taught in person, in classroom settings. Was quite good at conducting an entire class from just a basic outline and interacting with students.

Have been a professional musician.

Used to read at poetry readings and read stories aloud at events.

Used to be DJ the DJ, a persona put on as needed. Still works!

#ScribesAndMakers – 1 Aug. Choose an adverb to describe how you plan to approach your creative project(s) this month.

Improvisationally!

#ScribesAndMakers 8/2. How wholesome do you consider your creative work? What does wholesome mean to you?

Wholesome? Some is, some not. I wrote a love story in which the two MCs are serial killers that meet by accident when both are unknowingly stalking the same victim.

I have another love story in which the MCs were together, then separated by the 9/11/01 attacks in NYC, then find each other again after a decade of struggles with PTSD and alcoholism, each on the verge of suicide.

Wholesome?

#WordWeavers AU 2: What's one scene you cut that you still think about?

Not a scene or cut. I wrote a short story. At ~6000 words, it was powerful, complete, focused, cut straight to the heart.

But, the anthology only wanted 5000 words.

So I snipped, rephrased and revised it to 5000 words. That version was awful, they rightly rejected it.

When I went back to the 6000 to polish it up, I found that I'd crippled the story so much to shorten it, I'd poisoned it in my mind too much to work on it.

#WordWeavers 1: Which character would make the best tour guide and where would they take us?

Hmm, I have two characters that could take you on tours of Chaos. Either would most likely vanish into the Planes of Chaos and leave you on your own. Signing up for Chaos Tours is not recommended!

#WordWeavers 30. Do the people close to you find your writing surprising?

No, they've been around too long for that.

#ScribesAndMakers 7/29. From soft to hard, where do your tastes fall on the Science Fiction scale?

Reading: all over the scale.

Writing: Soft or even science fantasy.

RE: https://mastodon.world/@muz4now/117000677770698176

Go listen and buy it - delightful!