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    5. What have you been listening to this week?

      ~music Ask (survey)
      What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as...

      What have you been listening to this week? You don't need to do a 6000 word review if you don't want to, but please write something! If you've just picked up some music, please update on that as well, we'd love to see your hauls :)

      Feel free to give recs or discuss anything about each others' listening habits.

      You can make a chart if you use last.fm:

      http://www.tapmusic.net/lastfm/

      Remember that linking directly to your image will update with your future listening, make sure to reupload to somewhere like imgur if you'd like it to remain what you have at the time of posting.

      9 votes

    8. Looking for an effective self-block application for Android

      ~tech Ask (recommendations)
      My phone is a Samsung A55. Fully updated. I have ADHD and autism, which is to say that I have a very obsessive personality. I have used various blockers over the years to prevent me from wasting...

      My phone is a Samsung A55. Fully updated.

      I have ADHD and autism, which is to say that I have a very obsessive personality. I have used various blockers over the years to prevent me from wasting time on apps and websites.

      Lock me Out has helped me for many years to curb my smartphone usage. Unfortunately, it stopped working, as it became easy to circumvent by either forcing the program to stop or uninstalling it. I have been in contact with the developer, but they weren't able to find a solution and eventually stopped responding to my emails.

      So I need an app that prevents me from disabling blocks at all.

      While I can pay for an app even if it is a little expensive, I cannot justify an expensive subscription priced in US dollars (although I might do so if there's no other alternative).

      Any suggestions that could help me out? I'm using my phone 24/7, I can't stand it anymore. And I cannot simply turn it off because I have a toddler, and I must be accessible to my wife for emergencies when she leaves the home with him.

      There are also many ways to use a smartphone that are actually useful, positive, and non-addictive. And I'd rather be able to access these functionalities.

      Thanks!

      14 votes

    15. Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick

      ~talk Ask
      Just wanted to say goodbye to everyone. Sorry if I upset anyone, and thanks for all the fun little interactions. I didn't really get to know anyone too to well I suppose, but there are some people...

      Just wanted to say goodbye to everyone. Sorry if I upset anyone, and thanks for all the fun little interactions. I didn't really get to know anyone too to well I suppose, but there are some people I'll miss interacting with. The way things have gone over the past week, I've definitely outstayed my welcome. Or the welcome has outstayed me, I don't know.

      ta-ra, hope everyone can live their best lives.

      31 votes

    17. Defective D&D magic items

      ~games.tabletop Ask
      A while back I had an idea for some D&D magic items that were, in a shop keep's words, "Greatly discounted due to minor defects". The general idea was that these items would be a gamble to use...

      A while back I had an idea for some D&D magic items that were, in a shop keep's words, "Greatly discounted due to minor defects". The general idea was that these items would be a gamble to use each time, sometimes offering great benefits, sometimes offering catastrophic backfires, but all at a greatly discounted price any adventurer could afford. With my most recent addition (the Potion of Prior Authorization), it occurred to me that it could be fun to share my list here, for feedback and other potential additions to it. My hope is that the next time it's my turn to run a campaign, I can offer these items to my players.

      Weapons and Armor

      Broken Throwing Axe of Recall

      Weapon (Handaxe), Uncommon

      A heavy, pitted handaxe wrapped in frayed leather straps.

      • The Gamble: You can throw this axe at a target within range (20/60 ft). Immediately after the attack resolves (hit or miss), roll a d6:
        • 1–3 (The Pull): The axe locks in space and violently pulls you to its location, leaving you landing adjacent to the axe (or target) and knocking you prone if you travel more than 15 feet.
        • 4–6 (The Return): The axe flies straight back into your open hand.
      Shield of "Tag, You're It"

      Armor (Shield), Rare

      A beautifully polished steel shield painted with a vibrant red-and-white bullseye.

      • The Gamble: Grants +2 AC. When a ranged attack misses you, you can use your Reaction to attempt to deflect the projectile. Roll a d4:
        • 1: The projectile is redirected directly at you, automatically hitting for normal damage.
        • 2–3 (Random Target): The projectile is redirected at a random creature within 15 feet (excluding you). Roll randomly among all valid creatures in range (friends, foes, or innocent bystanders). The original attacker makes a new attack roll against that target's AC.
        • 4: You perfectly direct the projectile back at the original attacker, dealing maximum weapon damage on a hit.
      Dagger of the Overzealous Assassin

      Weapon (Dagger), Rare (Requires Attunement)

      A sleek, razor-sharp obsidian dagger that whispers encouraging murder tips to its wielder.

      • The Gamble: When you hit a creature with an attack using this dagger, you can declare an Overzealous Strike to deal maximum weapon damage plus an extra 3d6 Necrotic damage.
      • The Catch: The dagger demands follow-through. Immediately after resolving the attack, you must use your reaction to move adjacent to the next closest creature (friend, foe, or bystander) and make a melee attack against them. If no other creature is within reach, you must stab yourself.
      Helm of the Backseat Driver

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon (Requires Attunement)

      A sturdy iron helmet imbued with the spirit of a long-dead, incredibly critical dwarf adventurer named Barnaby.

      • The Gamble: While worn, the helm grants a +2 bonus to AC and Advantage on Initiative rolls (as Barnaby yells warning signs).
      • The Catch: You have Disadvantage on Stealth checks and Concentration checks. Barnaby never stops giving loud tactical feedback ("Watch the flank! No, your OTHER left!"). If you ignore his advice during combat, Barnaby pouts: the AC bonus drops to +0 until the start of your next turn.

      Wands, Rings & Cloaks

      Wand of Aggressive Empathy

      Wand, Rare (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster)

      A twisted birch wand that vibrates with intense emotional resonance. Has 3 charges (regains 1d3 charges at dawn).

      • The Gamble: When casting a healing spell through the wand, spend 1 charge. The target receives maximum possible healing for that spell slot.
      • The Catch: The exact amount of HP restored is instantly dealt as Psychic Damage to a random creature within 50 feet (ally, enemy, or bystander--excluding the target and caster) as they are overwhelmed by the target's previous pain.
      Cloak of Screaming Invisibility

      Wondrous Item, Very Rare

      A magnificent crimson velvet cloak that smells faintly of throat lozenges.

      • The Gamble: You build up an "invisibility bank" by screaming at the absolute top of your lungs. For every 1 second (or 1 full round) you spend screaming out loud, you gain 10 seconds (or 10 rounds / 1 minute) of total Invisibility.
        • Attacking or casting spells does not break this invisibility.
      • The Catch: The screaming can be heard up to 300 feet away, instantly alerting the entire area to your presence before you go stealthy. While screaming to store up time, you cannot make Stealth checks or cast spells with Verbal (V) components.
      Ring of the Overconfident Gambler

      Ring, Rare

      A flashy gold band set with a single spinning die where the gem should be.

      • The Gamble: Before rolling a d20 for an Attack, Ability Check, or Save, you can call out a range of 3 numbers (e.g., "14, 15, or 16!").
        • If the die lands on ANY of your called numbers: It counts as an automatic Natural 20 (Critical Hit / Highest Success).
        • If it lands on ANY other number: It counts as an automatic Natural 1 (Critical Fail).
      Ring of the Dramatic Entrance

      Ring, Uncommon

      A flashy ring adorned with a polished ruby that sparkles a bit too brightly under ambient light.

      • The Gamble: Whenever you enter a room or combat encounter, you can trigger a flash mob of illusionary fanfare (pyrotechnics, trumpet blasts, and a choir shouting your name). Roll a d6:
        • 1–3 (The Hecklers): The illusion fails embarrassingly--a lone slide whistle plays as a phantom crowd boos. You take 1d4 Psychic damage and have Disadvantage on your first attack or initiative check.
        • 4–6 (Main Character Energy): All enemies within 30 feet who can see or hear you must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or be Stunned until the start of their next turn out of sheer awe.

      Footwear & Accessories

      Boots of the Nudist's Escape

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      Light leather boots with wing patterns stitched on the sides.

      • The Gamble: Allows the wearer to cast Misty Step up to 2 times per day as a bonus action.
      • The Catch: The teleportation magic only transports organic material and the boots themselves. Every stitch of clothing, set of armor, backpack, weapon, and gold purse stays behind in a tidy, disappointed pile right where you were standing.
      Boots of Unpredictable Friction

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      Boots made of polished glass soles that constantly alter their texture.

      • The Gamble: As a bonus action, click your heels together to cast Expeditious Retreat (allowing you to Dash as a bonus action).
      • The Catch: When the spell ends, roll a d20:
        • Even: The soles become hyper-adhesive. Your movement speed drops to 0 until the end of your next turn.
        • Odd: The soles lose all friction. You immediately slide 15 feet in a random direction and fall Prone.
      Bag of Withholding

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      Acts like a standard Bag of Holding, but suffers from severe separation anxiety.

      • The Gamble: Reaching in to grab an item requires an action and a DC 12 check:
        • Strength (Athletics): Ripping the item out by force.
        • Charisma (Persuasion): Coaxing the bag into letting go.
      • The Outcome:
        • Success: You pull the item out cleanly.
        • Failure: The bag snaps shut, dealing Bludgeoning Damage. It refuses to open for anyone until the start of your next turn.
      Mirror of Honest Feedback

      Wondrous Item, Rare

      A handheld silver mirror that speaks in an insufferably smug voice.

      • The Gamble: As an action, hold the mirror up to an enemy within 30 feet to deliver a devastating personal critique. The target makes a DC 14 Charisma Save:
        • Failure: Target takes 4d6 Psychic damage and is Frightened of you for 1 minute as its self-esteem crumbles.
        • Success: The mirror turns to you instead, roasting your life choices. You take 2d6 Psychic damage and have Disadvantage on your next attack roll.
      Feather of Uncontrolled Flight

      Wondrous Item, Uncommon

      A bright peacock feather that twitches nervously when held.

      • The Gamble: As an action, hold the feather above your head to gain a Fly Speed of 60 ft for 1 minute (no concentration required).
      • The Catch: You can only fly in a straight line at full speed each turn. You cannot stop midway unless you hit a solid object (taking 1d6 Bludgeoning damage per 10 feet traveled). Changing direction requires your action and a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to manually shift your momentum.

      Consumables & Scrolls

      Potion of Prior Authorization

      Potion, Uncommon
      A colorless liquid that, for unknown reasons, appears jet black when inside of any container. Has a surprisingly bitter taste.

      • The Gamble: As an action, you drink this potion to submit a preemptive claim for emergency medical coverage. The coverage remains active for 1 hour. If you are reduced to 0 Hit Points while the claim is active, you do not immediately fall unconscious; instead, you immediately roll a d20 to process your claim:
        • 1 (Claim Denied -- Pre-Existing Condition): Your claim is flatly rejected. You fall unconscious as normal and immediately suffer 1 automatic Death Saving Throw failure due to processing delays.
        • 2–10 (Claim Denied -- Out-of-Network): Your claim is denied on the grounds that the damage type, enemy, or environment was non-covered or out-of-network. Nothing happens, and you fall unconscious at 0 HP as normal.
        • 11–19 (Claim Approved -- Subject to Deductible): Your claim is approved! You immediately regain 50% of your maximum Hit Points. However, to cover your deductible, you instantly lose gold equal to Your Character Level multiplied by 10 (or your highest remaining spell slot if you are broke).
        • 20 (In-Network Miracle): Fully covered with zero copay. You immediately regain 50% of your maximum Hit Points and gain Advantage on your next roll out of sheer bureaucratic relief.
      • The Fine Print: If you have taken damage from the same type of creature earlier in the day, the DM may rule the damage a "pre-existing condition," imposing Disadvantage on your claim roll.
      Potion of Delayed Reparations

      Potion, Uncommon

      A bright pink, fizzy liquid that tastes like strawberry soda and impending doom.

      • The Gamble: Drinking this potion instantly heals you for 4d8+4 HP.
      • The Catch: At a time to be determined by the DM, between now and 1d4 hours later, a spectral glowing fist materializes out of thin air and punches you square in the jaw. You take 2d8 Bludgeoning Damage, and must pass a DC 12 Constitution Save or be stunned for 1 round.
      Potion of Schrödinger’s Healing

      Potion, Rare

      A murky gray liquid locked inside a completely opaque lead flask.

      • The Gamble: Upon drinking, the DM rolls 4d4 for healing, but does not reveal the total to you. Your HP on your character sheet does not change.
      • The Outcome: The healing exists in quantum superposition. The exact moment you take damage that would drop you to 0 HP, the potion's health retroactively triggers 1 microsecond before damage is applied, potentially saving your life (or leaving you dead if the roll was too low).
      Scroll of Almost Fireball

      Scroll, Uncommon

      A scorched leather parchment that smells faintly of sugar and lemon juice.

      • The Gamble: Casts a 3rd-level Fireball spell (20 foot radius, range 150 ft).
      • The Catch: Instead of fire, the point of impact explodes with billions of aggressive Fire Ants.
        • Creatures in the area take 8d6 Piercing/Acid Damage (Halved on DC 14 Dexterity save).
        • The area becomes Difficult Terrain for 1 minute. Anyone starting their turn in the zone takes 2d6 Acid damage and must pass a DC 12 Constitution save or suffer Disadvantage on attack rolls due to ants crawling in their clothing.
      Scroll of Summon Bear (Subjective)

      Scroll, Uncommon

      A scroll bearing a crude drawing of a furry creature. The definition of "Bear" is left up to cosmic interpretation.

      • The Gamble: You cast the scroll to summon a creature for 1 hour. Roll a d4:
        1. The Ursine: A standard, extremely territorial Polar Bear. It attacks the nearest creature every turn (friend or foe).
        2. The Huntsman: A large, hairy, and very flamboyant Human Barbarian named Barry appears. He speaks with a booming voice, has a glorious handlebar mustache, gives great fashion advice. Barry wields a great axe (1d12 damage). He will defend you as long as you regularly compliment his mustache.
        3. The Softie: A tiny, mundane Koala. It has 3 HP and 0 attacks. Whoever carries it gains Advantage on Wisdom saves and immunity to being Frightened because it is absurdly calming to hold.
        4. The Drop Bear: A carnivorous Koala lands on the head of your target, dealing 3d6 Slashing Damage and blinding them until they spend an action to pull it off.
      47 votes

    20. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of August 9

      ~games Text 93 words
      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links

      If posting a sale, it is strongly encouraged that you share why you think the available game/games are worthwhile.

      All previous Save Point topics

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      4 votes

    21. Tildes Minecraft Weekly - Season ending on Sunday August 30th!

      ~games Text 263 words
      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 26.2) Verification site: https://tildes.nore.gg BlueMap: https://tildes.nore.gg/map/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC Plugins and Data Packs Data...

      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 26.2)
      Verification site: https://tildes.nore.gg
      BlueMap: https://tildes.nore.gg/map/
      Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC

      Plugins and Data Packs Data Packs:
      • Age Lock [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Armor Statues [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Bat Membranes [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Concrete [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Mud [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Custom Nether Portals [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Husks Drop Sand [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Mini Blocks [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • More Mob Heads [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Nullscape - End terrain upgrade
      • Player Head Drops [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Renewable Dragon Stuff
      • Silence Mobs [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Terralith - Overworld terrain upgrade
      • Wandering Trades [Vanilla Tweaks]

      Plugins:

      • BlueMap - Provides a live 3D rendering of the game world
      • Clickable Links - Makes http URLs in chat clickable (only for registered players)
      • CoreProtect - Records all block/container/mob changes (Anyone can look up changes with /co inspect)
      • DebugStick - Gives the ability to craft debug sticks in survival
      • EasyArmorStands - GUI for editing armor stands
      • GSit - Sit on stairs/slabs!
      • Hexnicks - Enables Tildes usernames to be displayed
      • hsrails - Allows for 4x speed rail travel
      • LuckPerms - Locks down unregistered users
      • Otherside - Fix for mob farms involving Nether portals
      • Rapid Leaf Decay - Increases the speed of leaf decay by 10x
      • WorldEdit - Used for occasional admin stuff
      • WorldGuard - Prevents unregistered users from changing anything in the world

      The server operates on a soft whitelist. Anyone can log in and walk around, but you need a Tildes account to gain build access.

      We recommend you install our mod web-chat so that you can chat while in your web browser. It turns the server into an old-school chat room.

      <- Previous Thread

      25 votes

    22. What internet discussion sites remain?

      ~tech Ask
      I'm using the phrase 'internet discussion site' pretty informally, so I hope my meaning will become clearer as you continue reading. I got rid of Snapchat around 4 years ago now. At some point in...

      I'm using the phrase 'internet discussion site' pretty informally, so I hope my meaning will become clearer as you continue reading.

      I got rid of Snapchat around 4 years ago now. At some point in 2023 I noticed a sharp downtick in discussion quality on Twitter, and got rid of it as well. About two years ago, frustrated with the lack of human interaction and the vying for attention, I deleted Instagram. Near the end of 2025, I stopped using Discord. The final nail in the coffin has now arrived, since I'm unfortunately coming to the conclusion that Reddit is no longer worth visiting, leaving me almost entirely cordoned off from internet communication at a time when more humans are using it than ever before.
      I won't bother repeating my personal reasons for this exodus since I feel confident that most people on this website have feelings on the matter that at least approximate my own.
      Realistically this is a sign that it's time to prioritize interaction in the real world, and that's certainly a worthwhile thing to pursue. But bluntly society has restructured around the internet in a pretty substantial way, and I don't think it's an unreasonable ask to find various forms of forums on which more meaningful discussions can take place.
      Here is my personal survey of the current landscape:

      • tildes.net: Basically good. I really enjoy this website and I think in a lot of ways the 'bar/pub/cafe' model for a forum, where you can peer through the window but require permission to gain admission, is the only viable model for future online discussion places as the internet becomes ever more saturated with bots and bad actors.
      • lobste.rs: Also basically good, for the same reasons as tildes. In some aspects, limited by the fact that it has a particular focus. In other ways, that's a really good thing. Maybe in a perfect world there would be a lobste.rs equivalent for every hobby, and we would return to an early internet forum world.
      • Hacker News: Also basically good but perhaps a bit less so than the above two. I think most of the things posted on there are interesting, but a lot of the discussion has lately felt less insightful than it used to. I think a different tildes post noted this as well, but it's very caught up in the AI news cycle, often to an unfortunate degree.
      • Rateyourmusic: The core site is enjoyable, and the forums are usually fun to check in on every now and then. Certainly a worthwhile place to visit if you enjoy music.
      • Stackexchange networks: This is cheating since this is obviously many sites. I'm a mathematics student and I've found MSE and MathOverflow to be really wonderful places to learn and converse, albeit with some very arcane and strict rules for posting. The philosophy SE seems also generally of a high quality, and there are many other SE sites that I occasionally stumble into and am pleasantly surprised by. Unfortunately I expect its time is finite, since the UX has slowly but surely been degrading and the site traffic dropping.
      • Fediverse networks: These sites clearly have potential, but for whatever reason it's still just not there. I drop into lemmy and Mastodon occasionally, but the posts are rarely of high quality. In many ways they just feel like "Reddit/Twitter but with a different name".

      Surely these can't be all, right? It's a little soul-crushing to think how many people are online at any given time and how hard it is to find a place not drowning in noise. Maybe this is just my lament.

      98 votes

    23. Being well prepared makes me feel 😌

      ~life Ask
      I have often wondered if I over prepare - if I have a tendency to carry too many things with me “just in case”. I aspire to minimalism, but I definitely fail to achieve it in practice. Indeed,...

      I have often wondered if I over prepare - if I have a tendency to carry too many things with me “just in case”. I aspire to minimalism, but I definitely fail to achieve it in practice. Indeed, it’s not rare for me to go on holiday and pack several items of clothes for situations which do not materialise, or simply to realise that I’ve been carrying some item in my backpack every day for several months while never using it.

      Well, today I was very happy to have a random item in my backpack that had been sitting there unused for god-knows how long.

      European Tilderinos are likely also looking forward to the imminent near-total solar eclipse. I‘ve been really looking forward to it, and my partner and I had made plans to rendezvous at a park in our city after to work view it. But as I go to leave work, I realise: (minor) disaster! I am an optically-impaired person (I need glasses), but since I did not put on my contact lenses this morning, I will have to wear my eclipse-goggles over my spectacles! What a fool I will appear to everyone else at the park!

      …and then I remembered: I almost always make sure to have a spare pair of contact lenses in my most-used bags (I wear dailies, so it’s cheap to set a small handful of pairs aside for this purpose) such that if I have a contact lens emergency while I’m out, I can safely remove the problematic pair and replace them with a fresh pair. Of course I also usually carry around my glasses if I’m wearing my lenses, but this isn’t always practical, or it may be important for me to be able to resume wearing lenses (if I am to playing sports, for example).

      Now you might wonder why this fact slipped my mind initially, that would be because I’ve been wearing contact lenses for well over a decade, and in the last five or so years I don’t think I’ve had a single incident. But I remain hopefully that a past version of myself may still have been practicing over-preparedness…

      So, I go a-rummaging in my backpack and, lo and behold, I do indeed have a set of emergency contacts! Now I will be able to stare directly at the sun mildly more conveniently! Thanks, past me!

      (Perhaps you can tell that this situation made my extremely happy, hence why I felt the need to share.)

      Have a lovely solar eclipse day (to all who celebrate)!

      44 votes

    24. I love Tildes

      ~tildes Ask
      I hope this doesn't come off as glib, or sarcastic, or any of several other negative things that I tend to be in real life, but I truly like and enjoy this community. I love that it's full of...

      I hope this doesn't come off as glib, or sarcastic, or any of several other negative things that I tend to be in real life, but I truly like and enjoy this community. I love that it's full of people (and that could be the whole sentence right there!) who love it enough to want it not to change, and people who love it enough to want to see it improve. I love our conversations and our characters. I love the quirks.

      Anyway, given the recent announcement, I've had a vibe that kinda feels like when you're at a family gathering where several members are ill-at-ease with each other and sometimes awkward, with simmering resentments over wounds old and new, but then someone shares news with the family that brings everyone together in a moment of almost-stunned silence. And after that moment, after some heartfelt words are shared and hugs are given, people kind of relax. They laugh together. They don't exactly forget their problems, but they aren't really thinking about them for just a night. They drink and reminisce.

      Anyway, if that feeling describes at all how you're feeling, too, then this is a place for unabashed, unironic, caveat-free positivity about this place we sometimes call home. There are plenty of other things to discuss, of course. This isn't a "love it or leave" thread. Just a place to set aside negativity for a moment and just... commune with each other over our shared care for this space.

      I love you all (yes, even you) and appreciate what we're building here every day.

      Ok bye, back to lurking for me I couldn't resist, guess I'll lurk later

      127 votes

    27. Is Flowers for Algernon sci-fi?

      ~books Ask
      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      I finished reading Flowers for Algernon recently. I genuinely enjoyed it but as I progressed I felt it was closer to a human drama than a sci-fi book. I was surprised since it has been recognized as a sci-fi book for so long and won the Hugo and Nebula awards. I was wondering what others thought about it. I will add my rationale below (spoilers).

      (Spoilers). The first thing is how shallow the science is, there is only one moment when is commented with ant type of depth and that moment has more big words than science backup, in my opinion. I know it is a book of its time, but I especially missed Charlie doing physical experimentation, taking tissue samples or applying the science that was explicitly mentioned in the book as the source of his intelligence when doing his own research.

      The second thing is that the experiment feels like a device to trigger Charlie's specific human drama and to walk us through his childhood trauma. It is an amazing mechanism for that, but I expect sci-fi to hace societal impact and deeper world building. It is a bit reminiscent of the movie Awakenings, that uses specific medical procedures to give someone a window to experience life.

      I also feel that the lack of stakes when Charlie escapes and takes Algernon with him are underwhelming, the research lab just let it happen and they don't engage the authorities to bring him back or, at the very least, to retrieve the most valuable mouse lab in the world. It felt as another mechanism to advance the human drama.

      Lastly, and this is a common pattern for this theme, there is no time for Charlie to learn all he learns, even with super intellect, he needs to go through the regular knowledge absorption methods of reading and studying, and in a few months, there is just no time for that. He can be a genius, but a genius won't be a neurosurgeon without taking the time to learn.

      All in all, I feel that as the tragic story of Charlie the book works exceedingly well. It is cleverly written and Charlie's progress (or lack thereof) felt earned. I would have liked Charlie to be less of a jerk when he became intelligent, but that is of course a creative choice. It does brings a very clear separation between emotional and intellectual intelligence that it is undeniable in the real world, so I can believe it.

      I am glad I read it and would recommend it, just not as sci-fi, not sure what others think.

      My two cents

      20 votes

    31. Tildes Minecraft Weekly

      ~games Text 265 words
      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 26.2) Verification site: https://tildes.nore.gg BlueMap: https://tildes.nore.gg/map/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC Plugins and Data Packs Data...

      Server host: tildes.nore.gg (Running Java 26.2)
      Verification site: https://tildes.nore.gg
      BlueMap: https://tildes.nore.gg/map/
      Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TildesMC

      Plugins and Data Packs Data Packs:
      • Age Lock [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Armor Statues [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Bat Membranes [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Concrete [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Cauldron Mud [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Custom Nether Portals [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Husks Drop Sand [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Mini Blocks [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • More Mob Heads [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Nullscape - End terrain upgrade
      • Player Head Drops [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Renewable Dragon Stuff
      • Silence Mobs [Vanilla Tweaks]
      • Terralith - Overworld terrain upgrade
      • Wandering Trades [Vanilla Tweaks]

      Plugins:

      • BlueMap - Provides a live 3D rendering of the game world
      • Clickable Links - Makes http URLs in chat clickable (only for registered players)
      • CoreProtect - Records all block/container/mob changes (Anyone can look up changes with /co inspect)
      • DebugStick - Gives the ability to craft debug sticks in survival
      • EasyArmorStands - GUI for editing armor stands
      • GSit - Sit on stairs/slabs!
      • Hexnicks - Enables Tildes usernames to be displayed
      • hsrails - Allows for 4x speed rail travel
      • LuckPerms - Locks down unregistered users
      • Otherside - Fix for mob farms involving Nether portals
      • Rapid Leaf Decay - Increases the speed of leaf decay by 10x
      • WorldEdit - Used for occasional admin stuff
      • WorldGuard - Prevents unregistered users from changing anything in the world

      The server operates on a soft whitelist. Anyone can log in and walk around, but you need a Tildes account to gain build access.

      We recommend you install our mod web-chat so that you can chat while in your web browser. It turns the server into an old-school chat room.

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      17 votes

    32. What programming/technical projects have you been working on?

      ~comp Ask (survey)
      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's...

      This is a recurring post to discuss programming or other technical projects that we've been working on. Tell us about one of your recent projects, either at work or personal projects. What's interesting about it? Are you having trouble with anything?

      13 votes

    33. Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news

      ~news Ask
      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like positivity, browsers and dungeons and dragons. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if...

      Tildes is a very serious site, where we discuss very serious matters like positivity, browsers and dungeons and dragons. Tags culled from the highest voted topics from the last seven days, if anyone was inquisitive.

      But one of my favourite tags happens to be offbeat! Taking its original inspiration from Sir Nils Olav III, this thread is looking for any far-fetched offbeat stories lurking in the newspapers. It may not deserve its own post, but it deserves a wider audience!

      8 votes

    35. What are your thoughts on audiobooks?

      ~books Ask (survey)
      It seems like I may be dipping my toe back into "reading" through audiobooks. I realized that instead of listening to random YouTubers at work, I can listen to more intentional writing this way....

      It seems like I may be dipping my toe back into "reading" through audiobooks. I realized that instead of listening to random YouTubers at work, I can listen to more intentional writing this way.

      How do y'all feel about them? If you listen, what sorts of productions do you prefer? Are there any particular ones you think are spectacular, a cut above the rest? Do you listen to them in addition to reading the book as like a companion piece or instead of the book?

      I've listened to some GraphicAudio books now and I like having a full cast for the characters, they've got some good voice actors. Though they're listed as unabridged, I worry they've still perhaps dropped paragraphs. But I think I'd end up zoning out more on single narrator books.

      Part of why I never engaged before is because I have poor auditory processing, so I figured I just couldn't keep up. At least for simpler texts, I haven't had much problem, and it may be helping me improve in that respect. I hadn't tried before, but now I can watch YT vids at double speed without missing anything.

      I started since my partner was interested so I set up audiobookshelf and some other services for grabbing files. It's been a great piece of software to use, there's other software that can manage and serve audiobooks, but none puts them first like abs does. Do recommend if you're interested in self-hosting audiobooks.

      21 votes

    39. Suggestions for a LAN party

      ~games Ask (recommendations)
      Hello fellow tildeans, I’m looking for suggestions for 7 player lan games that will run on a combination of steam decks and Mac books. I was thinking of retro games because I feel like there’s...

      Hello fellow tildeans,
      I’m looking for suggestions for 7 player lan games that will run on a combination of steam decks and Mac books. I was thinking of retro games because I feel like there’s more compatibility for macOS but would like to field suggestions from fellow nerds on Tildes.
      Thanks!
      Preferences are probably shooting games but are open to other kinds~

      26 votes

    40. I'm starting a small business: any advice?

      ~finance Ask (advice)
      Hi all! I'm starting a (very) small business in the near future, and I am looking for some advice (or just encouragement or reality checks, anything helps). For clarity, I'm in the US and want to...

      Hi all! I'm starting a (very) small business in the near future, and I am looking for some advice (or just encouragement or reality checks, anything helps). For clarity, I'm in the US and want to make/sell products of my own design without screwing myself over through lack of planning.

      More details for those who want them

      I've come up with a primary product idea, and the first prototypes have been made and are being tested by trusted friends in my industry. I work for a company who is willing to buy the finished product from me and market/sell it as a distributor, and there is already precedent for employees having exactly this relationship with my employer, where they make things "off the clock" and sell them to the company for distribution.

      My main concerns are:

      1. Liability - I don't want to get sued and lose my house. I plan to make my business an LLC to help with this.
      2. Privacy - I would rather not have my personal address out there for anyone to find if they decide they don't like my product. I've heard that paying a company to be my registered agent can help with this, but I don't know how easy/safe/expensive this is.
      3. Financial sustainability - I don't want to lock myself into really expensive overhead issues by having other companies handle administrative tasks (like getting my tax ID and filing my LLC application) that are easy enough for me to do myself, however -
      4. Time investment sustainability - I don't want to spend so much time chasing down paperwork issues that I come to hate/not have time for making my products.
      5. Keeping options open - I'm not sure at this stage if I will end up continuing to make these products myself long-term, or if I will eventually try to sell the product design to a third party. I already have a third party in mind, and I think I have a good chance of getting them on board if I choose to. I've assumed that I'll need to patent my product to have even a chance of selling the idea later, but -
      6. Patents - they're expensive! Or so I've heard. Is it really that bad, and do I have to deal with a lawyer? Are there lower cost resources that won't end up stealing my idea or giving me a pittance in exchange for it? I'm new and dumb and exactly the kind of first-timer that I can imagine getting a lump-sum that feels very high, only to find that I undervalued my product. Or, on the other hand, I could over-value the idea to the point that I foolishly turn down a good offer and never get it sold.

      I also plan to make additional products that don't pertain to my industry in the same way, which I might sell on etsy or something. I've done this a bit before, and it went just fine. This is just the first time that I've had the potential to make enough money to matter for tax purposes, and the first time that I'm selling a tool that costs enough and could be distributed widely enough for there to be an increased chance of someone becoming upset if they break something with it and try to sue me or some such nonsense.

      Has anyone here ever tried to start a small business like this? Or interacted with the US patent system?

      Any advice or anecdotes are welcome!

      28 votes

    41. Tokyo, yeast, and expectations

      ~travel Ask
      Japan is understandably a hot travel destination in general, but I've seen it come up here on Tildes several times, with many people sharing their stories. This is and isn't that. I traveled to...

      Japan is understandably a hot travel destination in general, but I've seen it come up here on Tildes several times, with many people sharing their stories. This is and isn't that.

      I traveled to Japan (and Korea) over a year ago, and I've been rotating this post in my head nearly the whole time. If you want to skip my word vomit: tl:dr it was kind of mid, there are parts I would return for, but many that are very off-putting (especially as of this moment with Japan's politics).

      I'm a millennial, and by most accounts, a weeb. I was first was exposed to anime/manga via Slayers, Sailor Moon, Tenchi Muyo and other early Anime that played occasionally on network television, around the late 1990s, which evolved as it did for most of us with Toonami, Adult Swim, and renting movies like Akira and Ghost in the Shell at Blockbuster. I've been regularly consuming Otaku culture essentially my entire life, and my wife was exactly the same as me, we both read Manga and watch Anime as a regular pass time. I was also completely aware that Otaku culture is generally looked down upon by genpop, probably moreso a decade or more ago till now, but I wasn't under the impression that Manga/Anime was how Japan actually was.This isn't to say we had some idealized view of Japan or Tokyo (where we spent our vacation), we've done a lot of domestic and international travel up to that point, so I believe we had realistic expectations going in of how our vacation would go. To be clear, it's not that those expectations weren't necessarily met, but there's some things that I started to realize I may have overlooked, tidbits of Japanese culture that you will get glimpses of in their media, and specifically, the types of media I related to, the series I found most interesting to me with characters that aligned with my own values, or something like that.

      You will hear many testimonials of how great visiting Tokyo can be, and I want to caveat with the single complication that made things unreasonably difficult and why I would exercise caution if you are in the same position, but being perfectly frank, it was only one component: We traveled with myself, my wife, and our 2 year old daughter. To clarify, I do not have a difficult child, in fact by almost all metrics she's extremely well behaved and easy to travel with, if she wasn't I would never have considered a 14+hr flight, so take everything I say that I have a near saint of a toddler, she wasn't the problem at all.

      Tokyo is not toddler friendly, Tokyo is toddler hostile, weird things you would overlook or not even think about as adult travelers will consistently cause problems. Tokyo is great for walkability if you are able bodied, it is a far cry from being ADA compliant as we're used to stateside, expect to carry a stroller as I did up stairs many, many times. Over our trip there, you notice things: not a single native Japanese takes a toddler outside, like at all, let's ignore birth rates for a moment, because kids were present, but not a single kid under 3 was anywhere to be seen. Not in restaurants, not at parks, not in malls. The possible sole exception is Odaiba, which is designed to be a family friendly area. This begins to cause friction almost everywhere else though. Kids menus are few and far between, rarely will you find high chairs, and frustratingly: many restaurants will not give you a to go box, that's just not a thing there, so expect to simply waste food or money if you order a main for a toddler (because there is no kids meal) etc. There is also nearly nothing catered to toddlers....basically anywhere, again this is pretty in line with our expectations, but when we went out of our way to find solutions, and they still didn't seem possible (or were inexplicably closed....they will actually CLOSE parks if there is a light drizzle) it begins to wear on you. Similarly shopping! One of the biggest draws of being in Tokyo, will be rather limited, both in things that would fit a 1-4yo and in physical dimensions of stores, which may or may not accommodate you pushing a stroller. The busy tourist areas are also quite challenging to navigate, and especially in places like Shibuya, a lot of the joint restaurant areas will have exceptionally small tables or standing room only, as will most Ramen or Tempura restaurants. "Family restaurant" is a category in Japan because taking a family elsewhere is difficult.

      I can handle almost all of this, but it's coupled with, and again, I am a parent, I understand that children can be taxing, but there's a low level of animosity ever present almost anywhere you go, of course there's background radiation of, you're a tourist and not a local, but couple that with now you're being a difficult tourist, and you can start to tell people do not want you there. This isn't to say we didn't have good experiences, many native Japanese were very accommodating to us, helped us out, were happy to see a cute kid etc. I don't want to paint it as the experience was entirely negative, it wasn't, but it was SO MUCH WORSE than literally anywhere else I have traveled re: having a toddler or child with you, and it's not really conveyed because well, most people traveling to Tokyo do not have kids in tow (and I have heard that for example Osaka and other cities are better about this, so I don't want to paint a broad brush.) There were also plenty of tourists traveling with kids, and even when we didn't share a language, we exchanged knowing glances of how tired of the whole situation we were.

      Also the food is seriously overrated, give me hate if you want, but the US has better food, especially LA/NYC. You can get better sushi, cheaper, in LA than Tokyo. It's the truth. The hamburg steak at Tsubame Kitchen in Shinogawa was an exception, that was delicious.

      There's a manga I love: Moyashimon, it's about a college student who can see microbes (including the eponymous Yeast), that's entirely unimportant to what I want to talk about. The characters are extremely relatable, I believe I was also in university when I first read it, and many parts resonated with me, and I found the morals of the characters fairly normal. Almost all of these characters are outcasts or pariahs by Japanese standards. Conformity is still very much the norm in Japan, and especially the majority of Tokyo outside the kind of touristy (or counterculture) areas like Shibuya, Akihabara, Kabukicho etc. As we were heavily jetlagged, the majority of our days would start around 5am, the sea of salarymen is absolutely nuts. Thousands of workers in suits, every day, bright and early, and returning at rush hour. Moyashimon deals a lot with the difficulties the characters will face when they leave college and are forced to conform, they will have to be clean shaven, they must stop dying their hair, they must conform to the gender presentation they were assigned at birth. The story, and many other media in the same vein from similar authors, is critical of the culture of conformity. The current Japan, in current year, is still xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic. In relating to these media, whether it's moyashimon, or the works of Nagata Kabi, or even something like HoriMiya (which tragically kills almost all the social commentary of the original work in both the redraw manga as well as the anime), I was relating to being critical of Japan's culture, of being critical of those things.

      I don't really know where else to go with this, sorry for the word vomit. I had thought that I knew what to expect when traveling to Japan, I did my research, I knew how to not be rude, not to be intrusive, how to generally be my version of a "good tourist", and it wasn't that my expectations were wrong, I simply found out I liked Tokyo less than I thought I would.

      Some serious positives though: meeting my friends who live in Tokyo was great, and we absolutely had a blast, I'd have not had half as much fun if I didn't have people who lived there that knew the places to go and what to see. The climbing gyms and bouldering scene is WORLD CLASS. B pump Ogikubo is famous for a reason, and the national training center in Odaiba was also a highlight.

      Maybe this will give some added balance, I'm not sure. This is just the experience I had, there were highlights and lowlights, but overall, I just did not jive with Tokyo in particular, and I would like other people to at least consider that they might not, too.

      26 votes

    45. What creative projects have you been working on?

      ~creative Ask (survey)
      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on. Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just...

      This topic is part of a series. It is meant to be a place for users to discuss creative projects they have been working on.

      Projects can be personal, professional, physical, digital, or even just ideas.

      If you have any creative projects that you have been working on or want to eventually work on, this is a place for discussing those.

      2 votes

    48. Fitness Weekly Discussion

      ~health Ask (survey)
      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started...

      What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?

      1 vote

    50. Midweek Movie Free Talk

      ~movies Ask
      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      Have you watched any movies recently you want to discuss? Any films you want to recommend or are hyped about? Feel free to discuss anything here.

      Please just try to provide fair warning of spoilers if you can.

      8 votes