fucks me up that by total coincidence the sun and moon's size difference is exactly matched to their difference in distance from us, thus making our beautiful total solar eclipses where you can see the silver threads of the sun's corona possible because the moon just covers the sun completely
The stars (literally) aligned just right for this experience to be possible. It's likely that aliens don't have this
The moon is also absolutely gargantuan by moon standards. It isn't the largest moon in the solar system, but it is BY FAR the largest in comparison with its planet. Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the solar system. Its diameter is only about 3.8% of Jupiter's. Titan's radius is 4.4% of Saturn's. Callisto and Io are the next largest in the neighborhood, with 3.4% and 2.6% the diameter of Jupiter respectively.
Our moon is number 5. It is smaller in direct comparison to the above moons. The diameter of the moon is 3475 km. That is a full 27% of the diameter of the Earth. More than a quarter. That's ridiculous. It's unheard of. The universe is large enough that the word unique probably doesn't mean a lot, but this might be about as close as you get.
This has had a huge impact on our planet. Other things aliens might not have are significant tides. One of Mars's dumpy little potatoes wouldn't be able to move oceans the way our moon does.
Our moon has also stabilized our axis to a massive degree. Without her up there our axis would wobble all over the place and our climate would be far more chaotic. Aliens might not be quite so lucky.
I guess what I am really trying to say is that the moon is extremely cool. I like the moon.
Just want to add that the reason we have such a large moon is because a whole planet crashed into proto-Earth. Theia (the planet) and Earth got so superheated by this collision that their component cores fused and the impact jettisoned a lot of material into space. That massive amount of jettisoned material became our moon. So Earth and the moon have very similar composition. This does not seem to be a common method of lunar formation.
I got a serious beef with the Fermi paradox. There is no Fermi paradox. There stopped being a Fermi paradox once the first radio telescopes went up, and we began to get a true sense of the sheer scale of the universe.
Space is big, empty, and loud. Sunspots can cause enough interference to affect global communications. Weâre not even loud enough to talk over our own sun. On our own planet. We can barely communicate with Voyager, and we know exactly where it is and what its signal sounds like.
The Fermi paradox is like doubting the existence of Belfast, because you stood on a windy New York beach shouting towards it and didnât get an answer.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
i dont consider myself a 'fashion guru' by any means but one thing i will say is guys you dont need to know the specific brand an item you like is - you need to know what the item is called. very rarely does a brand matter, but knowing that pair of pants is called 'cargo' vs 'boot cut' or the names of dress styles is going to help you find clothes you like WAAAYYYY faster than brand shopping
this also goes for aesthetic or -core titles. 'y2k tank top' is going to get you resellers and fast fashion brands advertising to people looking to meet a current trend. 'thin strap crop tank top' is going to get you a diverse group of results and not upcharge you to hell and back
additionally, shop second hand when you can, second hand and thrift sites typically organize clothes by the cut and color. theyll be more affordable than a depop seller curating you a style to sell you
re-learning how to ask for help before it's an emergency will help you get rid of the feeling that you're always having to drag other people into your emergencies btw
if you really think it's not fair to keep asking people to step in when things have already gone to shit and it's gonna be super stressful to them, the realistic solution is to ask for help before things have a chance to turn into a crisis so that the help needed is more minor, not to magically become the one person on all of planet earth that never needs help
and if people get mad at you for asking for help on something minor, that's a sign you need different people in your life. I promise there are plenty of people who are not just willing to help a friend, but excited at the opportunity to feel helpful and like you want them in your life!
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
here's a secret: whatever you're doing, you have to root for your peers with all your heart because it forces you to root for yourself too. I've seen people in various spheres of my life (workplaces, education, art, activism) fall into the trap of envy and resentment when they see others succeed while they struggle, and it always always goes hand in hand with them pulling back and giving up and stagnating.
when you let yourself get sour grapes about shit, you tacitly give up on yourself. when you sit around hoping other people will flop and fail so you can catch up to them, you stop trying. it's a fantasy of mediocrity, the vain wish that other people would walk so you could take the gold medal at a jog. wouldn't you rather come last place at 27mph?
Seeing people I know and like using AI is making me understand the protagonists of those old time sci fi dystopia's.
"Oh I don't normally use AI, I just wanted it to plan my trip"
You lived on this planet for decades, you know what you like, there are hundreds of websites where you can type into any search engine " things to do in [area]" and have at least a hundred different options.
"Oh I only use it so I can figure out what to make during the week with what I have"
The most popular website as you type in "recipes" into google have sections where you click dinner- quick and easy and those usually rely on staples + 1 or 2 items. I found 30 recipes on chicken alone.
"I had a writing idea, so I typed a few sentences into Chat GPT and I was able to write 20 pages with it."
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
I just don't think it's transfeminist at all to only engage with something when it pertains to you or mentions a group that you're a part of! It feels like a betrayal and it aches to know that transfeminist spaces aren't safe for people like me. I want to have a sisterhood with you girls, but is this what sisters do? Not help the girls that they have the social power to step on?
I've lost count of how many instances I've seen one of my white followers obviously going through my blog and liking/reblogging posts about trans girls, but skipping over posts about racialized people! It doesn't stop hurting.
Understanding perspective and magnification really helped me become a more intuitive photographer. But all of the tutorials and online classes I've taken have done such a poor job explaining it. Photography education will often give you a rule and then tell you the effect. But there is no explanation why the rule has that effect.
If you move too close, the face distorts.
This was taken with an ultra wide angle lens. It was almost touching my nose. It's implied that this goofy level of distortion is caused by a wide angle lens. You'll even hear it said "wide angle lenses distort things."
Why? What is the lens doing?
It is said that a telephoto lens compresses facial features.
Why? What is the lens doing?
In both cases, these effects are not some optical quirk caused by the type of lens. The lens isn't distorting the image. The lens isn't compressing the image.
The effects are changes in perspective and magnification.
Here is a quick breakdown that may help.
Perspective only changes with distance.
Magnification is any time you make something larger in frame.
Magnification can be achieved by physically moving closer, zooming, or cropping.
So if you move the perspective closer, you also magnify.
But you can magnify a perspective without changing distance by reducing the field of view via zoomier lenses or cropping.
Put simply... if you move, that's perspective.
If something gets bigger in the frame, that's magnification.
Perspective changes our perception of distance and geometry.
In this example, I move closer and farther to some basic shapes to show how they distort.
A close perspective exaggerates distance and shapes. Near things look bigger, far things look smaller. But if you take a far perspective and magnify to equal size in frame, distances and geometry remain more stable and less distorted.
If you've ever taken any art classes, you may have learned about the vanishing point where all angles converge off into the distance.
Buildings are not the only thing that has a vanishing point. They just have simple geometry, which helps you observe the effect.
This close perspective of a dog is no different from the buildings.
Something without perspective is called an orthographic projection. This is where all angles are parallel foreverâwith no vanishing point.
As you move farther away, a perspective projection appears to be almost orthographic. And if you magnify that far perspective, it looks similar to an orthographic cube.
But the far perspective still has a vanishing point, it just takes much longer to converge.
This video game allows you to play with perspective or orthographic projections.
The near cubes look very different. But the far cubes have similar geometry.
Why does a close perspective look distorted? Why does a far perspective look nearly orthographic?
This all has to do with the relative distances from the point of view of the observer. Let's move on to the real world to help explain this.
Perspective distortion is caused when the lens is very close to a subject. Only wide angle lenses have the field of view and the close focusing distance to get close enough to create severe perspective distortion.
Despite erroneous claims of eyeballs being like 50mm lenses, humans actually have a decently wide field of view. If you hold the end of a long cylinder close to your eye, you will see the same geometric distortion and dramatic vanishing point. When people are accused of misjudging the size of... cylinders, it's possible they just had a very close perspective that exaggerated geometry.
Perspective can alter our perception of size.
So the lens gives you the ability to *see* the distortion, but it doesn't *cause* the distortion.
Image 1 is taken a few inches from the subject with an ultra wide angle lens. It is magnified by moving closer.
Image 4 is taken from much farther away. It is magnified by using a telephoto lens.
Why does his left ear disappear in image 1?
It's a simple case of obstruction. The cheek is literally in the way at that near perspective.
If I stand very close to this wall, I cannot see the walkway to the right.
The walkway is physically obstructed at this close perspective. I can't see around corners.
But if I change my perspectiveâŚ
Light needs a clear pathway to the point of observation.
Why does his ear seem to grow larger and larger as the perspective changes?
If you'll excuse my bad drawring...
In the top example, the lens is only 2 units away from the nose, but it is 6 units away from the ear.
The ear is 200% farther away than the nose.
In the bottom example, the lens is now 30 units away from the nose and 34 units away from the ear.
The ear is now only 14% farther away than the nose. The relative distance is less exaggerated.
Distant ear percentages are hard to visualize. What if I moved only my nose 200% closer?
If we upscale this concept, it can be easier to understand.
(My examples are going to be shitty smartphone photos taken at night with my trash bins. I'm hoping you will forgive that. If I had more energy, I would have taken better photos with more appealing subjects.)
These two trash bins are only a few feet apart. The black trash bin represents the ear. The blue trash bin represents the nose.
If I take a photo from a foot away...
From this perspective, the black bin is roughly 80% smaller than the blue bin. The blue bin is very close to the lens. The far bin is several hundred percent farther away from the lens. So it takes up a very small percentage of the frame.
So, big nose, tiny ears.
What if we magnified this perspective?
Note the little box on the house far in the background.
If we crop the image and thus magnify the same perspective...
That little box looks much bigger. But this "telephoto" field of view does not allow us to see both trash bins. The perspective hasn't changed, just the magnification.
I am making something small in the background much bigger. The distant perspective makes the object more orthographic. And when I magnify that perspective, it appears more compressed, more flat.
This is a digital crop of a wide field of view. A telephoto lens is essentially an optical crop. It magnifies the perspective in the same way. The advantage of an optical crop is that it maintains all the detail. Whereas a digital crop throws away a bunch of pixels.
A magnification of perspective is often referred to as "lens compression." This is an inaccurate legacy term that causes much confusion. It would be more accurate to call it "perspective compression," but it is very hard to change terminology in photography education.
The lens is not compressing the object. I used a very wide lens and just by cropping after the fact, I was able to get the same perspective compression as if I had used a telephoto lens. The wide field of view makes far away stuff very tiny in frame. So we struggle to notice the flatness. It isn't until we magnify the distant object that the "compression" becomes more apparent.
What if I wanted to make the nose and the ears about the same size?
I'd need to change my perspective.
Now both trash cans take up roughly the same amount of space in the frame. They are still the same distance from each other. But from this perspective, they are both about the same distance away from the lens.
And now, let's magnify this perspective.
When you magnify a perspective, you magnify everything in the photo. The house behind is bigger. The light in the far background is bigger. Everything looks more orthographic. More two dimensional. And so it has that "compressed" perspective.
And because the perspective is from farther away, the percentage distance from the lens is much smaller. The black trash bin went from being 200% farther from the lens to 10% farther from the lens. The distance and geometry become less exaggerated.
Now let's line up all of the trash bins from both near and far perspectives and magnify them the same amount.
Look at that cute little guy.
How can we use this knowledge in a practical way?
By changing your mental model to perspective rather than the focal length of the lens, you can take control of how much perspective distortion you allow in your photos.
Let's use the humble selfie as our example.
Smartphones typically have a main camera with a wider field of view. And when you fill the frame with a face, you may get some unflattering perspective distortion.
I know that this distortion is not caused by the lens. It is caused by the camera being really close to my face.
So if I hold the camera farther away and change nothing else...
My face looks less distorted. However, it is taking up a much smaller area of the frame. But since modern smartphones have pretty good detail, I can just crop. I can magnify this farther perspective.
And when you compare the exact same framing from the near and far perspective...
The only variable I changed was extending my arm. It's the same wide angle lens.
You'll notice that the farther perspective made my head look bigger. I have a big head, that's fine. But this demonstrates another common photography fallacy. It is often said that 85mm lenses are the best for headshots and portraits. The idea is that compressing facial features is more flattering. But if someone has a big noggin, a telephoto lens may actually exaggerate their cranial prowess.
For people with larger or rounder heads, you may need to test different perspectivesâdifferent distancesâto find a balance between compressing facial features and not exaggerating their head. 50mm might be more flattering for them.
I think photos of myself with a magnified distant perspective overwhelm people with the size of my dome and the luxuriousness of my mane.
At 85mm, the camera has to be farther away and it gives that imposing orthographic effect.
But at 50mm, I think my head feels a bit less... Megamind.
If you have a small or slender face, you may look best at 100mm or 200mmâbecause longer lenses force the camera to be farther away.
You can test what perspective works best for your head shape and facial features. But try not to think of it in millimeters. Think about how far away the camera is. This works even with a smartphone. You just place the camera at different distances, crop all the photos so your head has the same framing, and figure out which distance flatters you the most.
And then if a photographer is taking your picture and they seem too close or too far away, you can nudge them to the appropriate distance. And that distance will dictate what lens they need.
I hope this perspective of perspective gave you perspective on how to think about perspective.
My health has not been great and so I was working on this post since October. But it feels good to finally have it published. Hopefully you don't mind if I shove it back into the timeline to give it another chance with the algorithmic gods.
Some additional perspectives on perspective...
Perspective is not just a technical decision. It can be used artistically as well.
A close perspective gives the viewer a sense of intimacy. As if they are occupying the same space as the subject.
The lens has a wide field of view, but the photo is taken quite close and your perception feels that subconsciously due to the geometric cues.
What I call "common perspective" is based on the distance we are most comfortable when interacting with other humans.
When people say a 50mm lens is closest to the human eye, they are actually talking about this socially accepted distance. Our eyes have a wider field of viewâso it isn't that our eyes match a 50mm, but rather the perspective the lens must use to fill the frame with a person's face matches our common comfortable perspective.
For headshots, photographers will typically move a little farther back than the common perspective and then use a slightly telephoto lens to magnify it. This still gives an intimate feel while flattening facial features and flattering proportions.
As I mentioned, it is important to consider head size and shape when using this farther portrait perspective. For big heads it can help to move closer and zoom out a bit. For slender faces you may want to move farther back and zoom in.
A far perspective with a wide field of view gives a sense of the environment. The space the subject occupies becomes a secondary character in the composition.
A distant perspective that is magnified can create an "observer" effect. As if the subject is being viewed from afar. This is great when you want to give the composition a feeling of isolation.
This is also why super telephoto paparazzi pictures can sometimes feel extra unsettling or invasive.
You can use perspective distortion to play with exaggerated size and geometry. A close perspective with a wide field of view can create some really fun and creative compositions.
And another cool perspective effect is to shoot from a low angle. This is often how "power poses" are photographed. You angle the camera slightly upward from below the subject's eyeline and it gives a sense that they are towering over you.
This can be subtle...
Or exaggerated...
In summary...
Close perspective is intimate.
Common perspective is comfortable.
Portrait perspective is flattering.
Far perspective with wide field of view is environmental.
Far perspective magnified is isolating.
Ultra distorted perspective can be fun and creative.
Low perspective can give a sense of power.
Reminder that fanfic writers are people and not your personal fantasy machine. Iâm not an AI that you can type your prompt into and get an emotionless response from. You have to actually talk to fic writers like weâre people with feelings and not a fucking robot. Some readers have a habit of making a request while not saying a word about the fic theyâre commenting with said request on. So itâs incredibly dismissive of the work that is already there! And then the audacity to demand a fic while doing so! If you want someone to do something for you, you usually get better results when youâre kind about it.
Also, how are we to know you wonât treat the request the same way if it actually does get written? How are we to know youâre even going to say a single kind word? We donât, because youâre behaving in an entitled way that shows you wonât. The amount of requests Iâve taken in good faith where the person who requested it never said a word about it is astounding. Not even a thank you.
Just quit the bullshit. You act entitled, mean, and ungrateful, and then whine and complain when writers stop posting, because you lack the self awareness to see that itâs your behavior causing that. You want endless fic but refuse to engage with the writer in any kind or respectful way. Stop it.
researching the history of education in japan and learning that, preâMeiji Restoration, peasants/commoners formed their own schools to become educated because it was the best way of fighting tax fraud.
That is, when an official told you, a rice farmer, that you owed more taxes than you really did, it was very useful if you were good enough at math to know he was lying (and could prove it) and if you were good enough at writing to write a letter to your government defending your case.
all of which is to say it's crazy that mega-corporations are now pushing education to be "what if you paid us whatever we tell you to for the rest of your life and never do math or write anything ever again"
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
I'm posting this on behalf of my amazingly wonderful friend ShantĂĄ who is currently in Scotland working on her Master's Degree. And that means writing a dissertation. Which in her case means doing research.
I know how the web of shares works on Tumblr and I am hoping that we can share this far and wide so that it will come across the dashs of those who fit her demographic.
So if you ARE a Black educator (you don't have to be American) who teaches or has taught English in Asia, PLEASE click the link and fill out the questionnaire. Research Study
If you DON'T fit that demographic PLEASE share this post so that it can make it to the right eyes.
I have been talking up how helpful all of our followers and mutuals on Tumblr are with this kind of thing, so let's show off how great we are!
Without further ado, here is a little intro from my badass bestie:
Hi! My name is Shantå and I am a postgraduate student at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. I am from the States, but relocated to the UK to pursue my master's degree in Global Business Communication. After successfully passing all my courses in the first term, I am now spending the summer working on my dissertation, which centers the lived experiences of Black educators teaching English in Asia. My focus is primarily for those with experience in TESOL/TEFL spaces, but I am open to participants in the JET Program or other programs where you were/are teaching English in an Asian country.
You may be wondering, what this has to do with my specific program. Since English is often considered the "global language of business," I am investigating who gets to be the face of this global language.
If you or someone you know has this specific background and experience and would like to contribute to this research study, please complete the attached/enclosed questionnaire. Please note that the questionnaire will be available online until 23:59 BST on 28 July 2026
Although the questionnaire outlines pertinent information on the privacy policy as well as the data collection and use, I understand you may have some additional questions about the research study. If so, please feel free to send me an email at d.mcdonaldbey.25 (at) abdn.ac.uk
