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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 30th, 2023

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  • There are good answers about differentiation from stem cells, process governed by the evolutionary determined genetic information stored within the cell itself. This genetic information was/is influenced by environment but that influence tends to be slow and subtle.

    I have another answer to contribute. Metastatic cancer cells. These are cells which detach from primary tumors in any part of the body, then have to break into the lymph or blood and then they in a sense “decide” where they want to settle. We now know they’ll have preferences: some cancers will metastase to liver, some to lung, some to brain; but before they do so, these cells will literally circle around the body, searching for a “perfect spot”. Once they find it, they settle, often entirely changing their O.G. tumorous behaviour in the process which in return makes them super unpredictable and hard to kill. And all it takes is one wandering cell.




  • This is pretty interesting. I mean I’ve seen dogs dream vividly and am not quite sure how much I believe all them Babe the Pig-alike movies. :)

    But I think the definition of a thought is a problem here. Everything we say (or contemplate of saying or trying to remember) is also a thought which precedes our verbal output. Those thoughts will inevitably be in a language of our preference. And actually in process of learning a new language that is often times the pivotal point - once your thoughts switch to a new language, you know you adapted it.









  • It can really depend where you live so I think the first advise is to take it easy on yourself.

    • It is ok to combine ways of transports, say cycle to the first train/bus then load the bike on it/park at the station
    • Start with a sturdier bike, the one which is bigger and more visible in traffic and gives you a better sense of control.
    • don’t expect cars to respect you because you cycle or to know what to do around you. Bad drivers are everywhere. Don’t try to prove points. Safety is more important than ego.
    • get yourself a good, large backpack. This will be your new back seat
    • Take taxi/uber when needed. I once arrived to a friend’s wedding held out of town in a taxi and literally everybody I knew there looked at me as I was either a fool or a millioner. The bill was like 35$. Way cheaper than owning a car.

    Lastly, enjoy how good you will feel. Climate protection and all that is great but your body will love you for it and you will feel it. Good luck







  • Yes, yes, you are totally correct - delivery can make all the difference.

    But I have to add that my main problem is that I am a scientist and big part of my job is to read immense amount of literature and memorize/connect often obscure terms. So when I read for pleasure (I love my job, but still) what I tend to enjoy the most are character heavy, emotional books with beautiful prose, written by people with deep understanding of life. Quite opposite to the academic literature.

    So you are right, yes, this slog issue is not restricted to SF (e.g. I don’t read epic fantasy either; GoT and LOTR books I skipped myself as well), but SF in particular is something I really want to dig deeper, as there the ideas challenge my brain and remain lingering far after I finish the piece.

    But! - I prefer to do it without being forced into a memory challenge. Because if I start and within the first two pages there are 15 names and 3 planets and lots of traveling (i really damn hate descriptions of pure traveling, like please lets just skip that part) then I lose interest in the main idea and the ideas are what I am after.

    So Tldr yes, you are absolutely right, it is also the prose and the delivery, but still no prose or delivery would keep me long motivated or make me deeply enjoy reading work which has too many names or weird, invented terms.