You’re looking at a 3 mm-wide section of a cat tongue more than a century old. David Linstead’s captivating image was a winner in the 2015 Wellcome Image Awards, run by the Wellcome Trust, a biomedical charity in London.
The serrated ridge may be the most intriguing aspect of this picture. Those rough bumps, or papillae, are the reason that a kitty’s tongue feels like sandpaper when it licks you. When a cat grooms herself, the papillae act like a comb to remove dirt and loose hair. But they also serve a grislier purpose: rasping meat off of bones.
The short answer is: Yes, there are PoC vampires in VC (”VoC,” right? Vampires of Color?). There aren’t many in the recurring character cast but they’re in the series! Here’s one in
Queen of the Damned:
“Davis was a black Dead guy and one damned good-looking black Dead guy,… His skin had a gold glow to it, the Dead glow which in the case of white Dead guys made them look like they were standing in a fluorescent light all the time.”
Have I ever imagined what they looked like? I think that was a pretty good description, because other than the “gold glow,” I would describe a PoC vampire like I would a PoC person, with the features that they have!
[^X] Akasha is an Egyptian VoC, described in the novels as having porcelain white skin, and this is a point of contention in the VC fandom, that AR has whitewashed her. I don’t have a stand on this but I very much like the way that it was handled in movie!QOTD.
It’s worth noting that there is a debate as to what color the Ancient Egyptians’ skin really was, and I added a bit from 2 articles under the cut which might be of interest to you.
Akasha is also very old, and Ricean vampire physiology involves the lightening of the skin over time. This is another point of contention in the VC fandom, again, it appears on the surface to be AR whitewashing a PoC.
I would suggest that the draining of pigmentation is due to the lack of exposure to sunlight, as we can see in examples in nature of subterranean animals who have evolved over time to be light-colored.
Subterranean fauna are animals that have adapted to live underground… troglofauna are associated with caves and spaces above the water table … Adaptations to the subterranean environment include a heightened sense of hearing, touch and smell[1]… and loss of under-used or unnecessary senses, apparent in the lack of pigmentation and eyesight of most subterranean fauna.
^So maybe AR drew a little from there. Why a lack of pigmentation? I found an interesting study/article (In the Light of Evolution: Volume IV: The Human Condition) on that, too, which points to the lack of sunlight as the cause:
Observers beginning with Hippocrates in the fifth century associated human traits and temperament with the environment and recognized that skin color was part of this package (Isaac, 2004). The association of dark skin pigmentation with intense sunshine and heat was further developed by Aristotle and his followers as part of a comprehensive “climatic theory,” which related human features, dispositions, and cultures to the environment.
…The evolution of light pigmentation at high latitudes has long been related to the significance of production of vitamin D in the skin under conditions of reduced sunlight (Murray, 1934; Loomis, 1967).
^I would suggest that the vampiric parasite is always working on converting its host into a better vampire (and less of a mortal) cell by cell, and the process is accelerated too much by the UV rays in sunlight, which causes their skin to burn. Being unable to tolerate the discomfort, the vampire skin gradually drains of color due to lack of exposure to sunlight.
The rate at which they lose pigmentation and how much pigment is lost varies by individual. It’s also possible that some vampires retain a skin color that is similar to their mortal skin color. It’s not an exact science.
There are also examples of vampire skin becoming darker after surviving exposure to sunlight.
Hope that helped! Hit the jump for stuff about Egyptian skin color.
…ancient Egyptians didn’t really perceive themselves as either “black” or “white.” Just look at the above painting from Pharaoh Seti I’s tomb. The top right group, with the palest skin are Libyans (Berbers), the next one over to the left are Nubians, followed by “Asiatics” (Mesopotamians). The bottom central group are Egyptians. By their own perception Egyptians were neither particularly dark nor particularly pale, and given their xenophobic attitude towards outside cultures (which was fairly common for most ancient peoples) they would probably resent being sorted into either “race.”
So why does this matter? Why is it important that we acknowledge the Egyptians don’t fit into our constructed dichotomy of black vs. white, of European or African?Well, for one thing many modern Egyptians find it kind of offensive. Despite their modern self-identification as Arabs, most Egyptians still feel a strong claim to the historical legacy of their ancient forebears and find it pretty annoying when American scholars (and, black or white, it is mostly Americans) try to pigeonhole the pharaohs into one racial category or another for political purposes.
The race and skin color of Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of the Greek Ptolomaic dynasty of Egypt, established in 323 BCE, has also caused frequent debate.[46] For example, the article Was Cleopatra Black? was published in Ebony magazine in 2012,[47] and an article about Afrocentrism from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch mentions the question, too.[48] Scholars generally identify Cleopatra as of Greek and Persian ancestry, based on fact that her Greek Macedonian family had intermingled with the Persian aristocracy of the time. However, her mother’s identity is uncertain,[49] and that of her paternal grandmother is also not known for certain.[50]
♛*ragged sigh* Scientists die in pursuit of many things, being murdered by the dozens doesn’t seem like an especially high number to me. They choose to risk their lives, who am I to stop them from running into the fangs of death? Tigers, snakes, payara, and yes, vampires. What a beautiful variety of fangs in the savage garden!
I have no need to “chat with” anyone about the death rate of scientists. They choose their destiny. I stand in no mortal’s way if and when they seek death. In fact, I guide them to it if they deserve it. Who says a scientist cannot also be an evildoer of the highest degree? Some have access to poisons and have used them to climb the corporate ladder, or rid themselves of a pesky spouse or even their own flesh and blood. Is that a mortal soul deserving protected status? I think not.
What are you getting at? What’s your point? If you’re trying to provoke me into some kind of tear-filled apology or revelation, you’re barking up at the wrong vampire, mon papillon.
The only revelation I’ll give is what I’ve already given. We’re real. We’re dangerous. We are unfathomably higher on the food chain than you so show some real respect.
♛Do NOT address me with that title. It died with my father.
Before you go pointing it out, yes, I own the castle. I don’t own the people around it the way that that title did. And I wouldn’t want to.
There is obviously a reason that the scientists’ pursuit of vampires is worth their effort, otherwise I wouldn’t mention it in the first place in my books. And worth the risk of their reputations. Obviously my own concept of what we are has changed as I’ve learned more about what we are.
One reason I mention it is to remind our own kind to be careful about who they reveal themselves to, so as not to become imprisoned in such a manner.
I don’t know what the scientists’ reasons to pursue us would be, but the first thing that comes to mind would be the possibility that they might have an authentic specimen to display and finally prove everyone wrong who scoffed at them! That’s one kind of motivation. That would probably be my own reason, if I were a mortal scientist.
I’ve described our blood as having curative properties. What might that mean to the human race? Distilling out whatever gives it this healing ability could save countless lives from some of the most lethal causes of mortal death. Cancer, for one. AIDS. Other degenerative diseases like Multiple Sclerosis.
The fact of the matter is that mortal scientists die in pursuit of all kinds of study. They die in pursuit of the cure for cancer. They die in pursuit of the Loch Ness monster. Witches. Bigfoot. Fairies. Sirens. The supernatural is just one area of study, and within it are many subsets, some of which even overlap.
They seek answers when others tell them "there is truly nothing there.“
I was told many times to many questions throughout my life that there were no answers. I found answers. Answers which delighted me, deeply disturbed me, answers that I do not necessarily believe. It’s part of this journey that we call life, asking questions, seeking answers, considering them, choosing what we want to keep and what we must discard, and sharing that knowledge with others. That’s why I bother to write my books at all, a record for myself and my loved ones. Hopefully someone can learn from my experiences and not have to suffer as much as I have.
Blood loss in fiction is often written very unrealistically. So here’s a short guide about blood loss and the effects to help you out a little.
First of all: The average healthy adult human body contains around 5 litres of blood. A healthy person can lose 10%-15% of their total blood volume without experiencing any difficulties and blood donations usually take 8%-10% of the donor’s blood.
Now let's get to the facts about blood loss:
Class I Hemorrhage | 0%-15% | Minimal blood loss No change in vitals, you may experience anxiousness. In almost all cases blood transfusion won’t be necessary. You will LIVE Class II Hemorrhage | 15%-30% | Mild blood loss Rapid heart beat and decrease in pulse pressure. Rapid breathing. Skin may start to lose temperature and start to look pale. You may feel anxious, irritable and confused. In most cases blood transfusion won’t be necessary. You will LIVE Class II Hemorrhage | 30%-40% | Moderate blood loss Heart rate increases. Shock. Mental status worsens. Blood pressure drops. Lightheadedness/dizziness. Nausea. Blood transfusion is necessary. If you get help in time, you will LIVE Class IV Hemorrhage | >40% | Severe blood loss Symptoms intensify. Probably unconscious. Aggressive resuscitation is required to prevent death. Losing >40% of your total blood volume may be fatal, you will probably DIE.
The chances of surviving after losing 3 litres of blood are REALLY low, the average person doesn’t survive this, so please don’t write a scene where a character loses that much blood without dying. It’s not really realistic.
Chilling Brain Scans Show the Impact of a Mother’s Love on a Child’s Brain Size
A shocking comparison of brain scans from two three-year-old children reveals new evidence of the remarkable impact a mother’s love has on a child’s brain development.
The chilling images reveal that the left brain, which belongs to a normal 3-year-old, is significantly larger and contains fewer spots and dark “fuzzy” areas than the right brain, which belongs to that of a 3-year-old who has suffered extreme neglect.
Neurologists say that the latest images provide more evidence that the way children are treated in their early years is important not only for the child’s emotional development, but also in determining the size of their brains.
Experts say that the sizeable difference in the two brains is primarily caused by the difference in the way each child was treated by their mothers.
While at first glance, the images might indicate that the child with the right brain might have suffered a serious accident or illness, neurologists said that the truth is that the child with the shrunken brain was neglected and abused by its mother, and the child with the larger and more fully developed brain was raised in a loving, supportive home and was looked after by its mother, according to The Sunday Telegraph.
Researchers told the UK newspaper that the image of the brain scan on the right shows that the child lacks some of the most fundamental areas that are present in the image of the brain scan on the left.
They say that the child on the left with the larger brain will be more intelligent and will be more likely to develop the social ability to empathize with others compared to the child on the right.
On the other hand, the child with the smaller brain on the right will be more likely to become addicted to drugs, be involved in violent crimes, be unemployed and dependent on government benefits in the future. (Source)
Earthquakes. Humanity’s oldest foe. Right up there with snakes, fire, and other humans when it comes to things that will definitely probably kill you some day. Which is why you need one of these terrifying earthquake-proof beds. In the event of a quake, your conspicuously massive four-poster will simply swallow you up whole, letting you get back to sleeping while the world itself shatters around you.
“And the cursed pumpkin rose up from the earth, carried to the sky by the spirits of All Hallows’ Eve.” Or in other words, Andy put a superconductor in a pumpkin and levitated it on a magnetic track.
I know, Halloween is done. But Ri Science did some pretty amazing things with pumpkins that I thought you needed to see. If the levitation wasn’t enough, here’s some more:
In the top pumpkin, the reaction between iron oxide (rust) and aluminium powder, set off by a strip of magnesium to provide enough heat, produces iron and aluminium oxide.
The reaction is incredibly exothermic, occurring at about 2000 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the iron melts and is spewed out in a rain of fire, and flows out as a river of molten metal into the poor head below. This is more than enough to set off the gun cotton in the second pumpkin, which bursts into a healthy fireball.
I-want-my-IWTV 