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Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . THE LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN NEMO here CHAPTER XXII: THE LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN NEMO The panels had closed on this dreadful vision, but light had not returned to the saloon: all was silence and darkness within the . At wonderful speed, a hundred feet beneath the water, it was leaving this desolate spot. Whither was it going? To the north or south? Where was the man flying to after such dreadful retaliation? I had returned to my room, where Ned and Conseil had remained silent enough. I felt an insurmountable horror for Captain Nemo. Whatever he had suffered at the hands of these men, he had no right to punish thus. He had made me, if not an accomplice, at least a witness of his vengeance. At eleven the electric light reappeared. I passed into the saloon. It was deserted. I consulted the different instruments. The was flying northward at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, now on the surface, and now thirty feet below it. On taking the bearings by the chart, I saw that we were passing the mouth of the Manche, and that our course was hurrying us towards the northern seas at a frightful speed. That night we had crossed two hundred leagues of the Atlantic. The shadows fell, and the sea was covered with darkness until the rising of the moon. I went to my room, but could not sleep. I was troubled with dreadful nightmare. The horrible scene of destruction was continually before my eyes. From that day, who could tell into what part of the North Atlantic basin the would take us? Still with unaccountable speed. Still in the midst of these northern fogs. Would it touch at Spitzbergen, or on the shores of Nova Zembla? Should we explore those unknown seas, the White Sea, the Sea of Kara, the Gulf of Obi, the Archipelago of Liarrov, and the unknown coast of Asia? I could not say. I could no longer judge of the time that was passing. The clocks had been stopped on board. It seemed, as in polar countries, that night and day no longer followed their regular course. I felt myself being drawn into that strange region where the foundered imagination of Edgar Poe roamed at will. Like the fabulous Gordon Pym, at every moment I expected to see “that veiled human figure, of larger proportions than those of any inhabitant of the earth, thrown across the cataract which defends the approach to the pole.” I estimated (though, perhaps, I may be mistaken)—I estimated this adventurous course of the to have lasted fifteen or twenty days. And I know not how much longer it might have lasted, had it not been for the catastrophe which ended this voyage. Of Captain Nemo I saw nothing whatever now, nor of his second. Not a man of the crew was visible for an instant. The was almost incessantly under water. When we came to the surface to renew the air, the panels opened and shut mechanically. There were no more marks on the planisphere. I knew not where we were. And the Canadian, too, his strength and patience at an end, appeared no more. Conseil could not draw a word from him; and, fearing that, in a dreadful fit of madness, he might kill himself, watched him with constant devotion. One morning (what date it was I could not say) I had fallen into a heavy sleep towards the early hours, a sleep both painful and unhealthy, when I suddenly awoke. Ned Land was leaning over me, saying, in a low voice, “We are going to fly.” I sat up. Nautilus Nautilus Nautilus Nautilus Nautilus “When shall we go?” I asked. “To-night. All inspection on board the seems to have ceased. All appear to be stupefied. You will be ready, sir?” Nautilus “Yes; where are we?” “In sight of land. I took the reckoning this morning in the fog—twenty miles to the east.” “What country is it?” “I do not know; but, whatever it is, we will take refuge there.” “Yes, Ned, yes. We will fly to-night, even if the sea should swallow us up.” “The sea is bad, the wind violent, but twenty miles in that light boat of the does not frighten me. Unknown to the crew, I have been able to procure food and some bottles of water.” Nautilus “I will follow you.” “But,” continued the Canadian, “if I am surprised, I will defend myself; I will force them to kill me.” “We will die together, friend Ned.” I had made up my mind to all. The Canadian left me. I reached the platform, on which I could with difficulty support myself against the shock of the waves. The sky was threatening; but, as land was in those thick brown shadows, we must fly. I returned to the saloon, fearing and yet hoping to see Captain Nemo, wishing and yet not wishing to see him. What could I have said to him? Could I hide the involuntary horror with which he inspired me? No. It was better that I should not meet him face to face; better to forget him. And yet—— How long seemed that day, the last that I should pass in the . I remained alone. Ned Land and Conseil avoided speaking, for fear of betraying themselves. At six I dined, but I was not hungry; I forced myself to eat in spite of my disgust, that I might not weaken myself. At half-past six Ned Land came to my room, saying, “We shall not see each other again before our departure. At ten the moon will not be risen. We will profit by the darkness. Come to the boat; Conseil and I will wait for you.” Nautilus The Canadian went out without giving me time to answer. Wishing to verify the course of the , I went to the saloon. We were running N.N.E. at frightful speed, and more than fifty yards deep. I cast a last look on these wonders of nature, on the riches of art heaped up in this museum, upon the unrivalled collection destined to perish at the bottom of the sea, with him who had formed it. I wished to fix an indelible impression of it in my mind. I remained an hour thus, bathed in the light of that luminous ceiling, and passing in review those treasures shining under their glasses. Then I returned to my room. Nautilus I dressed myself in strong sea clothing. I collected my notes, placing them carefully about me. My heart beat loudly. I could not check its pulsations. Certainly my trouble and agitation would have betrayed me to Captain Nemo’s eyes. What was he doing at this moment? I listened at the door of his room. I heard steps. Captain Nemo was there. He had not gone to rest. At every moment I expected to see him appear, and ask me why I wished to fly. I was constantly on the alert. My imagination magnified everything. The impression became at last so poignant that I asked myself if it would not be better to go to the Captain’s room, see him face to face, and brave him with look and gesture. It was the inspiration of a madman; fortunately I resisted the desire, and stretched myself on my bed to quiet my bodily agitation. My nerves were somewhat calmer, but in my excited brain I saw over again all my existence on board the every incident, either happy or unfortunate, which had happened since my disappearance from the —the submarine hunt, the Torres Straits, the savages of Papua, the running ashore, the coral cemetery, the passage of Suez, the Island of Santorin, the Cretan diver, Vigo Bay, Atlantis, the iceberg, the South Pole, the imprisonment in the ice, the fight among the poulps, the storm in the Gulf Stream, the Avenger, and the horrible scene of the vessel sunk with all her crew. All these events passed before my eyes like scenes in a drama. Then Captain Nemo seemed to grow enormously, his features to assume superhuman proportions. He was no longer my equal, but a man of the waters, the genie of the sea. Nautilus; Abraham Lincoln It was then half-past nine. I held my head between my hands to keep it from bursting. I closed my eyes; I would not think any longer. There was another half-hour to wait, another half-hour of a nightmare, which might drive me mad. At that moment I heard the distant strains of the organ, a sad harmony to an undefinable chant, the wail of a soul longing to break these earthly bonds. I listened with every sense, scarcely breathing; plunged, like Captain Nemo, in that musical ecstasy, which was drawing him in spirit to the end of life. Then a sudden thought terrified me. Captain Nemo had left his room. He was in the saloon, which I must cross to fly. There I should meet him for the last time. He would see me, perhaps speak to me. A gesture of his might destroy me, a single word chain me on board. But ten was about to strike. The moment had come for me to leave my room, and join my companions. I must not hesitate, even if Captain Nemo himself should rise before me. I opened my door carefully; and even then, as it turned on its hinges, it seemed to me to make a dreadful noise. Perhaps it only existed in my own imagination. I crept along the dark stairs of the , stopping at each step to check the beating of my heart. I reached the door of the saloon, and opened it gently. It was plunged in profound darkness. The strains of the organ sounded faintly. Captain Nemo was there. He did not see me. In the full light I do not think he would have noticed me, so entirely was he absorbed in the ecstasy. Nautilus I crept along the carpet, avoiding the slightest sound which might betray my presence. I was at least five minutes reaching the door, at the opposite side, opening into the library. I was going to open it, when a sigh from Captain Nemo nailed me to the spot. I knew that he was rising. I could even see him, for the light from the library came through to the saloon. He came towards me silently, with his arms crossed, gliding like a spectre rather than walking. His breast was swelling with sobs; and I heard him murmur these words (the last which ever struck my ear): “Almighty God! enough! enough!” Was it a confession of remorse which thus escaped from this man’s conscience? In desperation, I rushed through the library, mounted the central staircase, and, following the upper flight, reached the boat. I crept through the opening, which had already admitted my two companions. “Let us go! let us go!” I exclaimed. “Directly!” replied the Canadian. The orifice in the plates of the was first closed, and fastened down by means of a false key, with which Ned Land had provided himself; the opening in the boat was also closed. The Canadian began to loosen the bolts which still held us to the submarine boat. Nautilus Suddenly a noise was heard. Voices were answering each other loudly. What was the matter? Had they discovered our flight? I felt Ned Land slipping a dagger into my hand. “Yes,” I murmured, “we know how to die!” The Canadian had stopped in his work. But one word many times repeated, a dreadful word, revealed the cause of the agitation spreading on board the . It was not we the crew were looking after! Nautilus “The maelstrom! the maelstrom!” Could a more dreadful word in a more dreadful situation have sounded in our ears! We were then upon the dangerous coast of Norway. Was the being drawn into this gulf at the moment our boat was going to leave its sides? We knew that at the tide the pent-up waters between the islands of Ferroe and Loffoden rush with irresistible violence, forming a whirlpool from which no vessel ever escapes. From every point of the horizon enormous waves were meeting, forming a gulf justly called the “Navel of the Ocean,” whose power of attraction extends to a distance of twelve miles. There, not only vessels, but whales are sacrificed, as well as white bears from the northern regions. Nautilus It is thither that the , voluntarily or involuntarily, had been run by the Captain. Nautilus It was describing a spiral, the circumference of which was lessening by degrees, and the boat, which was still fastened to its side, was carried along with giddy speed. I felt that sickly giddiness which arises from long-continued whirling round. We were in dread. Our horror was at its height, circulation had stopped, all nervous influence was annihilated, and we were covered with cold sweat, like a sweat of agony! And what noise around our frail bark! What roarings repeated by the echo miles away! What an uproar was that of the waters broken on the sharp rocks at the bottom, where the hardest bodies are crushed, and trees worn away, “with all the fur rubbed off,” according to the Norwegian phrase! What a situation to be in! We rocked frightfully. The defended itself like a human being. Its steel muscles cracked. Sometimes it seemed to stand upright, and we with it! Nautilus “We must hold on,” said Ned, “and look after the bolts. We may still be saved if we stick to the .” Nautilus He had not finished the words, when we heard a crashing noise, the bolts gave way, and the boat, torn from its groove, was hurled like a stone from a sling into the midst of the whirlpool. My head struck on a piece of iron, and with the violent shock I lost all consciousness. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1994). Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/164/164-h/164-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN NEMO

A World at War

VOYAGES FOR THE MUSCOVY COMPANY

2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses's branching storylines makes it hard for everyone to have experienced the same thing. Here, we all weigh in on everything from our favourite students to our preferred strategies, comparing what we saw and did differently. Who is your favourite student in Fire Emblem: Three Houses? Nicolas Ng Apr 11, 2021, 4:27 PM So I'm still not finished my first playthrough everyone so try not to load this with spoilers. I'm going through the Black Eagle House path first. From a romance perspective for Byleth, I like Edelgard and Dorothea. Edelgard because of her status and how a romantic path their could change the empire. Dorothea because of her backstory. She isn't a noble and neither is Byleth really. Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 4:29 PM I did a Blue Lions playthrough when the game first came out and absolutely loved Sylvain's character. His interactions with Ingrid were really funny and his take and experience with having a crest and what that means for him as a noble was special in the Blue Lions. Nicolas Ng Apr 11, 2021, 4:34 PM Now that I've written that out, I have too many favourite students! Dedue was another standout for me because he came from Duscur (I don't think that's a spoiler, he's quite open about it). Seeing him develop throughout the game in his support cutscenes made me a really proud teacher Nicolas Ng Apr 11, 2021, 4:38 PM Wow I don't really know any of those characters. Kinda shows how big the game is and the replay value. I also liked Bernadette's character for her funny interactios. Every support boost interaction starts with her high pitched scream. Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 4:41 PM Which character did you like most in terms of combat? Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 4:42 PM I really wish I managed to poach Bernadette for those interactions! She's really so funny Nicolas Ng Apr 11, 2021, 4:44 PM Felix was amazing once I reached the endgame. He could oblierate anyone 1v1. I also had Ingrid acting as an amazing Pegasus rider harassing mages. Mercedes pretty much carried her house with her healing alone Nicolas Ng Apr 11, 2021, 4:45 PM I had this strategy that had heavy armour push through maps based around Dedue's glacial pace with my riders harassing the flanks and ranged units picking off what they could. Is there a specific way you play? Nicolas Ng Apr 11, 2021, 4:47 PM So I have a weird style where I try to keep pairs together where I want to see relationships develop. Other than that I like splitting the team into 2 groups led by the strongest members. I do that to split the enemy forces. Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 5:33 PM For me the strongest fighters in blue eagle we're Dorothea and once we unlock the killer weapons Ferdinand mounted on a horse was pretty op Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 5:34 PM Byleth edelgard Dorothea and Ferdinand are the strongest in my squad right now Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 5:34 PM Do you recruit the instructors? I have then on my squad but I feel like it's kinda cheating and I just use them as adjutants Limarc Ambalina Apr 11, 2021, 5:35 PM Keeping the pairs tends to progress the RP side of the game really well which I didn't do a particularly good job of Nicolas Ng Apr 12, 2021, 12:01 PM I kept the instructors on the side until later in the game because I wanted to mess around with my team composition for a while. They didn't feel like cheating after a while when the students caught up to them Nicolas Ng Apr 12, 2021, 12:02 PM Since you've played all 3 houses (I believe you have). Which house would you recommend for the first playthrough? Which house had the best lineup of student characters? Limarc Ambalina Apr 12, 2021, 4:39 PM Also after ...events transpire and Edelgard rises as a leader her character is redesigned to this: Limarc Ambalina Apr 12, 2021, 8:41 PM Any idea why they went with demonic/devil imagery (a la red plus horns for a crown) ? If your answer spoils the story, don't tell me lol Limarc Ambalina Apr 12, 2021, 8:42 PM My favourite character is Claude. My first playthrough of the game was with the golden deer, so I'm a big fan of Claude, hah. Unlike the other two house leaders, he's laid back and wants peace and equality. I was amazed how Claude managed to keep his cool and still fight for a good cause ever after all of the events that transpired in the game. He wasn't tempted by greed wasn't a megalomaniac 😂. Jack Boreham Apr 12, 2021, 10:09 PM Of course, I'm a big fan of Byleth. I also like Ignatz. He came from a poor background, and if you keep him alive, he has a great story and backstory. Jack Boreham Apr 12, 2021, 10:13 PM oOo...now you're making me think my second playthrough will have to be with the golden deer. It's double tempting because House Baratheon was one of my favorites in Game of Thrones. OURS IS THE FURY Limarc Ambalina Apr 12, 2021, 10:14 PM Reading the conversation makes me want to jump back in. As Limarc Ambalina said, the games massive and has a ton of replayability. There goes another 100hrs.....😂 Jack Boreham Apr 12, 2021, 10:14 PM DAMN 100 hours for 1 playthrough...I have so many other switch games to get to though.... Limarc Ambalina Apr 12, 2021, 10:15 PM Hahaha, it might be controversial, but I think three houses is one of the best games on the switch, if not the best. I remember the summer of 2019... Three houses was my go-to game. I just got lost in it with all its lore. Jack Boreham Apr 12, 2021, 10:21 PM I've never been a particularly big Fire Emblem fan and I'm not very good at them. That said, my favorite is probably Fire Emblem Warriors, since it has that Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors play style, and that's more my speed. JeffreyHarris Apr 12, 2021, 11:12 PM Jack Boreham I wish I could do what you did. Talking about the game really makes me want to see what I missed out on, try out the DLC and experiment with new combinations. And to see the alleged insanity that is the Golden Deer route. Nicolas Ng Apr 13, 2021, 7:57 PM

Nerds Talking About Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Despite Fire Emblem Three Houses being out for some time now, the games fan culture has continued to grow significantly. The RPG was very popular amongst Fire Emblem fans and newcomers to the franchise. As seen in our previous and articles, the gaming community loves memes as much as they love playing the actual games! Fire Emblem also has its fair share of memes. Here are 25 of the best Fire Emblem Three Houses memes Warzone memes Roblox memes General Fire Emblem Three Houses Memes Credit: Reddit Credit: Twitter Credit: Amino Credit: Imgflip Credit: Imgflip Credit: Imgflip Credit: Reddit Credit: MemeDroid Credit: Imgflip Credit: Pinterest Byleth Memes Credit: Reddit Credit: Imgur Credit: Tumblr Credit: Pinterest Edelgard Memes Credit: Amino Credit: Amino Credit: Amino Credit: Amino Credit Credit: Pinterest Golder Deer Memes Credit: Reddit Credit: Imgflip Credit: Imgflip Credit: Imgflip Credit: Imgflip Final Thoughts I hope you enjoyed this great selection of laugh-out-loud Fire Emblem Three Houses memes. As Fire Emblem continues to evolve with future installments in the series, the game's meme culture will also grow. For everything Fire Emblem, keep it locked on Hacker Noon. Also, check out, Top 10 Strongest Dog Pokemon MH Rise Weapons Ranked by Speedrun Performance Top 10 Most-Sold Consoles of All Time Ranked

25 Best Fire Emblem Three Houses Memes 

This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license.
Authors:
(1) Muhammed Yusuf Kocyigit, Boston University;
(2) Anietie Andy, University of Pennsylvania;
(3) Derry Wijaya, Boston University. Table of Links Abstract and Intro
Related Works
Data
Method
Analysis and Results
Conclusion
Limitations
Ethics Statement and References
Appendix: Toxicity Measurement
Appendix: Correlation Over Time
Appendix: Wikidata
Appendix: Hyperparameter Sensitivity Analysis and Results In this section, we present results that are obtained using the group embeddings trained with the details provided in the Method Section. We will go over each method of analysis and results here. Correlation over Time We first examine the temporal relationships within the context of each group. We calculate the Pearson correlation between each pair of decades for every group as illustrated in Figure 5. For example, the top-right cell in Figure 5 would be the Pearson correlation between the vectors for the African American group embeddings for 1870 and 1990. The objective of this is two-fold. First, we want to see how the context around each racial group has changed, which decades have exhibited stronger changes compared to others. Second, this we use this as a sanity check mechanism similar to Garg et al. (2018). Our findings suggest that the context encompassing White Americans exhibits greater stability over time with most decades correlating over 0.6 with any other decade. In contrast, the context pertaining to African Americans demonstrates significant discontinuities. This highlights the potential disparities in the evolution of social contexts surrounding these groups throughout history. Additionally we show that the way African Americans are represented in books has drastically changed at the turn of the 20th century. This change splits the time frame between 1870-1900 and 1900-2000 corresponding to the Civil War and Emancipation and the Segregation and Civil Rights periods (which we have marked over the heatmap) with a certain delay, which we approximate as 10 years. We also test the significance of the observed difference with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov two-sample test (more details in Appendix: Correlation Over Time) and show that there is a notable change in the period between 1900s-1910s in the African Americans embeddings, indicating that the important social events of the time as well as the civil rights movement had a strong impact on the representation of African Americans in books. Literature is naturally influenced by socio-political events but in this work we computationally measure the rate and extent of this influence and show the details of this change as well. Additionally this analysis serves as a verification of the embeddings. The alignment between the results our method has captured and well known historical events is emblematic of the method’s capacity to effectively capture and illuminate large-scale trends within literary works. Consequently, our method’s ability to reveal outcomes that resonate with our understanding of historical events is a strong signal that the collection of individual representations can be used to measure the representation of the collection of individuals. Semantic Axes Our second approach to analyzing the context involves the use of semantic axes, as introduced by Lucy, Tadimeti, and Bamman (2022). Semantic Axes, broadly are collections of adjectives that define a specific relationship. For example an axis could be the ”Noble” axis where one (left-hand) pole is defined by words like base, common, and ignoble and the other (right-hand) pole is defined by words like aristocratic, august, and blue. The semantic axis is the vector connecting the mean of the left-hand pole toward the mean of the righthand pole. Later any word vector can be compared to this semantic axis via cosine distance and analyzed in this direction i.e., nobility in this case. We employ the entire collection of 732 semantic axes presented by Lucy, Tadimeti, and Bamman (2022), and represent the poles of these axes with vectors derived from the pre-trained embeddings released by (Hamilton, Leskovec, and Jurafsky 2016). Following Lucy, Tadimeti, and Bamman (2022), we exclude any semantic axis that doesn’t contain at least three words in both poles. Utilizing the learned group representations, we compute the difference in the cosine similarity between the vector for African American and White American groups to the semantic axes in the same way with An, Kwak, and Ahn (2018). We use the cosine similarity between each group embedding and the semantic vector, then taking the absolute difference between these similarities. In Table 1, we display these results, with each row corresponding to a decade and showcasing the top-2 semantic axes that exhibit the highest absolute difference between the groups in that decade. The pole words exhibiting greater similarity to each group is placed under its respective column. In Table 1 we observe that the most significant differences between African Americans and White Americans are in semantic axes related to social status. Between 1850- 1990, African Americans were associated with terms such as ”lowly”, ”outlawed” and ”inferior” while White Americans were associated with terms such as ”grand”, ”legal” and ”eminent”. Additionally, if one of the poles of a semantic axis can be identified to have a negative meaning African Americans are consistently related to the negative pole of of that semantic axis with only a few exceptions. Toxicity Finally, we investigate the toxicity of the context and how it has evolved over time. To achieve this, we employ a dictionary-based approach using toxic words provided by HurtLex (Bassignana, Basile, and Patti 2018). However, as words can lose or acquire toxic meanings over time; to account for this, we introduce a novel filtering method. First, we identify semantic axes with the highest average cosine similarity between their poles and the list of toxic words for the latest decade for which we have embeddings, 1990-2000. This process yields a set of axes in which toxic words are predominantly clustered around one of the poles. We select the top 10 semantic axes, and for each decade, we recompute the vectors for these axes and the similarity of toxic words to these axes. We assume that the meaning of a word with respect to toxicity has significantly changed if it switches its side (from being closer to one pole to being closer to the opposite pole) in more than half of these semantic axes. This method is effective in eliminating words that might no longer be toxic; however, we do not search the entire vocabulary for additional toxic words. While extending our approach to include this aspect could be beneficial, it constitutes a separate research direction and is beyond the scope of this paper. Our initial hypothesis posited that toxic words would cluster around semantic poles such as ”bad” or ”wrong.” Nonetheless, our experiments revealed that the most extreme poles where toxic words cluster are regular ↔ irregular, educated ↔ ignorant, superior ↔ inferior, and normal ↔ abnormal, with toxic words clustering around the latter in each case. In the Appendix , we provide further details on the filtering of toxic words. Figure 7 shows that the content in books around African Americans is always more toxic compared to White Americans. While the toxicity has dropped after the Civil War, in 1860s and 1870s, this changes and there is an upsurge in toxicity after the 1900s which marks the beginning of the segregation era and continues increasing to the Civil Rights movement (1950s). Finally, in the most recent decades while toxicity has somewhat decreased, African Americans are still exposed to more toxic words and context. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Muhammed Yusuf Kocyigit, Boston University; (2) Anietie Andy, University of Pennsylvania; (3) Derry Wijaya, Boston University. This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: Authors: (1) Muhammed Yusuf Kocyigit, Boston University; (2) Anietie Andy, University of Pennsylvania; (3) Derry Wijaya, Boston University. Table of Links Abstract and Intro Related Works Data Method Analysis and Results Conclusion Limitations Ethics Statement and References Appendix: Toxicity Measurement Appendix: Correlation Over Time Appendix: Wikidata Appendix: Hyperparameter Sensitivity Abstract and Intro Abstract and Intro Related Works Related Works Data Data Method Method Analysis and Results Analysis and Results Conclusion Conclusion Limitations Limitations Ethics Statement and References Ethics Statement and References Appendix: Toxicity Measurement Appendix: Toxicity Measurement Appendix: Correlation Over Time Appendix: Correlation Over Time Appendix: Wikidata Appendix: Wikidata Appendix: Hyperparameter Sensitivity Appendix: Hyperparameter Sensitivity Analysis and Results In this section, we present results that are obtained using the group embeddings trained with the details provided in the Method Section. We will go over each method of analysis and results here. Correlation over Time We first examine the temporal relationships within the context of each group. We calculate the Pearson correlation between each pair of decades for every group as illustrated in Figure 5. For example, the top-right cell in Figure 5 would be the Pearson correlation between the vectors for the African American group embeddings for 1870 and 1990. The objective of this is two-fold. First, we want to see how the context around each racial group has changed, which decades have exhibited stronger changes compared to others. Second, this we use this as a sanity check mechanism similar to Garg et al. (2018). Our findings suggest that the context encompassing White Americans exhibits greater stability over time with most decades correlating over 0.6 with any other decade. In contrast, the context pertaining to African Americans demonstrates significant discontinuities. This highlights the potential disparities in the evolution of social contexts surrounding these groups throughout history. Additionally we show that the way African Americans are represented in books has drastically changed at the turn of the 20th century. This change splits the time frame between 1870-1900 and 1900-2000 corresponding to the Civil War and Emancipation and the Segregation and Civil Rights periods (which we have marked over the heatmap) with a certain delay, which we approximate as 10 years. We also test the significance of the observed difference with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov two-sample test (more details in Appendix: Correlation Over Time) and show that there is a notable change in the period between 1900s-1910s in the African Americans embeddings, indicating that the important social events of the time as well as the civil rights movement had a strong impact on the representation of African Americans in books. Literature is naturally influenced by socio-political events but in this work we computationally measure the rate and extent of this influence and show the details of this change as well. Additionally this analysis serves as a verification of the embeddings. The alignment between the results our method has captured and well known historical events is emblematic of the method’s capacity to effectively capture and illuminate large-scale trends within literary works. Consequently, our method’s ability to reveal outcomes that resonate with our understanding of historical events is a strong signal that the collection of individual representations can be used to measure the representation of the collection of individuals. Semantic Axes Our second approach to analyzing the context involves the use of semantic axes, as introduced by Lucy, Tadimeti, and Bamman (2022). Semantic Axes, broadly are collections of adjectives that define a specific relationship. For example an axis could be the ”Noble” axis where one (left-hand) pole is defined by words like base, common, and ignoble and the other (right-hand) pole is defined by words like aristocratic, august, and blue. The semantic axis is the vector connecting the mean of the left-hand pole toward the mean of the righthand pole. Later any word vector can be compared to this semantic axis via cosine distance and analyzed in this direction i.e., nobility in this case. We employ the entire collection of 732 semantic axes presented by Lucy, Tadimeti, and Bamman (2022), and represent the poles of these axes with vectors derived from the pre-trained embeddings released by (Hamilton, Leskovec, and Jurafsky 2016). Following Lucy, Tadimeti, and Bamman (2022), we exclude any semantic axis that doesn’t contain at least three words in both poles. Utilizing the learned group representations, we compute the difference in the cosine similarity between the vector for African American and White American groups to the semantic axes in the same way with An, Kwak, and Ahn (2018). We use the cosine similarity between each group embedding and the semantic vector, then taking the absolute difference between these similarities. In Table 1, we display these results, with each row corresponding to a decade and showcasing the top-2 semantic axes that exhibit the highest absolute difference between the groups in that decade. The pole words exhibiting greater similarity to each group is placed under its respective column. In Table 1 we observe that the most significant differences between African Americans and White Americans are in semantic axes related to social status. Between 1850- 1990, African Americans were associated with terms such as ”lowly”, ”outlawed” and ”inferior” while White Americans were associated with terms such as ”grand”, ”legal” and ”eminent”. Additionally, if one of the poles of a semantic axis can be identified to have a negative meaning African Americans are consistently related to the negative pole of of that semantic axis with only a few exceptions. Toxicity Finally, we investigate the toxicity of the context and how it has evolved over time. To achieve this, we employ a dictionary-based approach using toxic words provided by HurtLex (Bassignana, Basile, and Patti 2018). However, as words can lose or acquire toxic meanings over time; to account for this, we introduce a novel filtering method. First, we identify semantic axes with the highest average cosine similarity between their poles and the list of toxic words for the latest decade for which we have embeddings, 1990-2000. This process yields a set of axes in which toxic words are predominantly clustered around one of the poles. We select the top 10 semantic axes, and for each decade, we recompute the vectors for these axes and the similarity of toxic words to these axes. We assume that the meaning of a word with respect to toxicity has significantly changed if it switches its side (from being closer to one pole to being closer to the opposite pole) in more than half of these semantic axes. This method is effective in eliminating words that might no longer be toxic; however, we do not search the entire vocabulary for additional toxic words. While extending our approach to include this aspect could be beneficial, it constitutes a separate research direction and is beyond the scope of this paper. Our initial hypothesis posited that toxic words would cluster around semantic poles such as ”bad” or ”wrong.” Nonetheless, our experiments revealed that the most extreme poles where toxic words cluster are regular ↔ irregular, educated ↔ ignorant, superior ↔ inferior, and normal ↔ abnormal, with toxic words clustering around the latter in each case. In the Appendix , we provide further details on the filtering of toxic words. Figure 7 shows that the content in books around African Americans is always more toxic compared to White Americans. While the toxicity has dropped after the Civil War, in 1860s and 1870s, this changes and there is an upsurge in toxicity after the 1900s which marks the beginning of the segregation era and continues increasing to the Civil Rights movement (1950s). Finally, in the most recent decades while toxicity has somewhat decreased, African Americans are still exposed to more toxic words and context.

A Novel Method for Analysing Racial Bias: Collection of Person Level References: Analysis and Result

In the vast and ever-expanding universe of cryptocurrencies,
few stories capture the whimsical origins of the meme coin movement as vividly
as that of Bellscoin ($BEL). Before the world knew Dogecoin and its
meme-infused journey to the crypto mainstream, there was Bellscoin—a project
that not only paved the way for its more famous successor but also stands as a
contender for the title of the first-ever meme coin. The Creation of Bellscoin ($BEL) Bellscoin was the brainchild of Billy Markus, a software
engineer who later gained fame as the co-creator of Dogecoin. The concept for
Bellscoin was inspired by the popular video game series "Animal
Crossing," in which the in-game currency is known as "bells."
Markus saw potential in creating a digital currency that captured the charm and
appeal of the game, which was beloved for its gentle pace and
community-oriented gameplay. Launched quietly and with little fanfare on the bitcointalk forum in November of 2013, Bellscoin aimed to mirror the playful spirit of "Animal Crossing" by offering a cryptocurrency that was not only fun but accessible to non-technical users. Despite its novel concept and an early foray into the territory of meme-driven digital currencies, Bellscoin failed to gain significant traction or a lasting community base. Bellscoin was based on the Scrypt algorithm. Scrypt is a cryptographic
algorithm that is used as a proof-of-work scheme by many cryptocurrencies. It
was chosen because it is less susceptible to hardware mining optimizations such
as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), allowing more
decentralized mining by individuals using consumer-grade hardware like GPUs and
CPUs. This approach was similar to other early altcoins like Litecoin, from
which many early Scrypt-based coins were derived or forked, aiming to be more
accessible to the general public than Bitcoin, which by that time was beginning
to see a rise in ASIC mining dominance. Top of Form Legacy and Influence The lack of initial widespread adoption for Bellscoin,
however, does not diminish its role as a precursor to the meme coin genre. The
ideas and themes explored by Markus with Bellscoin would soon find a much
larger audience with his next project. Frustrated but undeterred by the tepid
response to Bellscoin, Markus teamed up with Jackson Palmer, who proposed using
a popular meme as the mascot for a new cryptocurrency. This collaboration
resulted in the creation of Dogecoin, which featured the Shiba Inu from the
"Doge" meme and quickly became a viral sensation. Dogecoin’s success highlighted the potent mix of humor,
internet culture, and cryptocurrency, proving that a playful approach could
indeed capture the imagination of investors and enthusiasts alike. While
Dogecoin soared in popularity and market cap, the foundational experiment by
Markus with Bellscoin marked a significant, if underrecognized, moment in
crypto history. Bellscoin as the First Meme Coin? Considering Bellscoin’s thematic use of a video game element
and its intent to inject a sense of fun into the cryptocurrency space, it can
be argued that Bellscoin represents the first iteration of what would become
known as meme coins. While it did not initially achieve the lasting fame
or financial success of subsequent meme coins, Bellscoin’s attempt to blend pop
culture with digital currency was a harbinger of trends that would explode in
popularity years later. Bellscoin 2023/2024 Revival The seemingly forgotten token Bellscoin, got its revival beginning last year and the excitement and development have not seemed to stop but are only increasing in speed and volume of both users and hash resulting in literal network congestion and freeze-ups. The initial idea to resurrect Bells is said to have come from Emblem Vault strategist Adam McBride. Adam was inspired following Dogecoin’s tenth birthday on December 5 so he duly went on a fact-finding brigade, uncovering Markus’ announcement of Bellscoin from the Bitcoin Talk forum, which detailed the memecoin based upon the Animal Crossing social simulation Nintendo game. Adam also noted that Bells failed to gain traction as early users opted for Dogecoin instead. Digging some more showed that various versions of Bells existed, including a community fork and an Ethereum-based version, all of which faded into obscurity over time. Intrigued by the prospect of restarting Bells, McBride recruited “uber dev” Luke Wright to connect nodes to the original Bells blockchain and get the code up and running again. McBride informed the crypto community that Wright was successful and encouraged followers to start mining BEL by providing instructions. The word on Bells spread far enough to alert creator Billy Markus of the situation. Markus LOL’d at the news by detailing Bell’s obscurity and perceived inferiority in those early days of crypto memecoins.  While initially entertained by the homage paid to Bells, Markus did raise some functionality issues stemming from Bells and Dogecoin originally using the same genesis block name. Nonetheless, the Bells creator appreciated McBride’s efforts to revive his retro game-inspired creation. Currently, Bellscoin communities are rapidly growing on Discord, Telegram, X/Twitter, and Reddit, while work is being done in the background to offer merged-hash otherwise known as merged-mining to secure and support the network via Doge and Litecoin miner support. Tokenomics & MCAP of Bellscoin Ticker: $BEL Market Cap

$7,481,089



Fully Diluted Valuation

$7,481,089



24-Hour Trading Vol

$202,885



Circulating Supply

14,832,024



Total Supply

14,832,024



Max Supply

500,000,000 Conclusion Today, as new meme coins enter the market at lightning speed, riding the waves of internet trends and celebrity tweets, it's important to look to the past…because you never know what you might find 😉🔔💰 Could Bellscoin become the new billion-dollar meme coin of 2024? In the vast and ever-expanding universe of cryptocurrencies,
few stories capture the whimsical origins of the meme coin movement as vividly
as that of Bellscoin ($BEL) . Before the world knew Dogecoin and its
meme-infused journey to the crypto mainstream, there was Bellscoin—a project
that not only paved the way for its more famous successor but also stands as a
contender for the title of the first-ever meme coin. Bellscoin ($BEL) The Creation of Bellscoin ($BEL) The Creation of Bellscoin ($BEL) Bellscoin was the brainchild of Billy Markus, a software
engineer who later gained fame as the co-creator of Dogecoin. The concept for
Bellscoin was inspired by the popular video game series "Animal
Crossing," in which the in-game currency is known as "bells."
Markus saw potential in creating a digital currency that captured the charm and
appeal of the game, which was beloved for its gentle pace and
community-oriented gameplay. Launched quietly and with little fanfare on the bitcointalk forum in November of 2013, Bellscoin aimed to mirror the playful spirit of "Animal Crossing" by offering a cryptocurrency that was not only fun but accessible to non-technical users. Despite its novel concept and an early foray into the territory of meme-driven digital currencies, Bellscoin failed to gain significant traction or a lasting community base. bitcointalk forum Bellscoin was based on the Scrypt algorithm. Scrypt is a cryptographic
algorithm that is used as a proof-of-work scheme by many cryptocurrencies. It
was chosen because it is less susceptible to hardware mining optimizations such
as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), allowing more
decentralized mining by individuals using consumer-grade hardware like GPUs and
CPUs. This approach was similar to other early altcoins like Litecoin, from
which many early Scrypt-based coins were derived or forked, aiming to be more
accessible to the general public than Bitcoin, which by that time was beginning
to see a rise in ASIC mining dominance. Top of Form Legacy and Influence Legacy and Influence The lack of initial widespread adoption for Bellscoin,
however, does not diminish its role as a precursor to the meme coin genre. The
ideas and themes explored by Markus with Bellscoin would soon find a much
larger audience with his next project. Frustrated but undeterred by the tepid
response to Bellscoin, Markus teamed up with Jackson Palmer, who proposed using
a popular meme as the mascot for a new cryptocurrency. This collaboration
resulted in the creation of Dogecoin, which featured the Shiba Inu from the
"Doge" meme and quickly became a viral sensation. Dogecoin’s success highlighted the potent mix of humor,
internet culture, and cryptocurrency, proving that a playful approach could
indeed capture the imagination of investors and enthusiasts alike. While
Dogecoin soared in popularity and market cap, the foundational experiment by
Markus with Bellscoin marked a significant, if underrecognized, moment in
crypto history. Bellscoin as the First Meme Coin? Bellscoin as the First Meme Coin? Considering Bellscoin’s thematic use of a video game element
and its intent to inject a sense of fun into the cryptocurrency space, it can
be argued that Bellscoin represents the first iteration of what would become
known as meme coins . While it did not initially achieve the lasting fame
or financial success of subsequent meme coins, Bellscoin’s attempt to blend pop
culture with digital currency was a harbinger of trends that would explode in
popularity years later. meme coins Bellscoin 2023/2024 Revival Bellscoin 2023/2024 Revival The seemingly forgotten token Bellscoin, got its revival beginning last year and the excitement and development have not seemed to stop but are only increasing in speed and volume of both users and hash resulting in literal network congestion and freeze-ups. The initial idea to resurrect Bells is said to have come from Emblem Vault strategist Adam McBride . Adam McBride Adam was inspired following Dogecoin’s tenth birthday on December 5 so he duly went on a fact-finding brigade, uncovering Markus’ announcement of Bellscoin from the Bitcoin Talk forum, which detailed the memecoin based upon the Animal Crossing social simulation Nintendo game. Adam also noted that Bells failed to gain traction as early users opted for Dogecoin instead. Digging some more showed that various versions of Bells existed, including a community fork and an Ethereum-based version, all of which faded into obscurity over time. Intrigued by the prospect of restarting Bells, McBride recruited “uber dev” Luke Wright to connect nodes to the original Bells blockchain and get the code up and running again. McBride informed the crypto community that Wright was successful and encouraged followers to start mining BEL by providing instructions. The word on Bells spread far enough to alert creator Billy Markus of the situation. Markus LOL’d at the news by detailing Bell’s obscurity and perceived inferiority in those early days of crypto memecoins.  While initially entertained by the homage paid to Bells, Markus did raise some functionality issues stemming from Bells and Dogecoin originally using the same genesis block name. Markus LOL’d at the news by detailing Bell’s obscurity Nonetheless, the Bells creator appreciated McBride’s efforts to revive his retro game-inspired creation. Currently, Bellscoin communities are rapidly growing on Discord, Telegram, X/Twitter, and Reddit, while work is being done in the background to offer merged-hash otherwise known as merged-mining to secure and support the network via Doge and Litecoin miner support. Tokenomics & MCAP of Bellscoin Tokenomics & MCAP of Bellscoin Ticker: $BEL Market Cap

$7,481,089



Fully Diluted Valuation

$7,481,089



24-Hour Trading Vol

$202,885



Circulating Supply

14,832,024



Total Supply

14,832,024



Max Supply

500,000,000 Market Cap

$7,481,089 Fully Diluted Valuation

$7,481,089 24-Hour Trading Vol

$202,885 Circulating Supply

14,832,024 Total Supply

14,832,024 Max Supply

500,000,000 Market Cap $7,481,089 Market Cap Market Cap $7,481,089 $7,481,089 $7,481,089 Fully Diluted Valuation $7,481,089 Fully Diluted Valuation Fully Diluted Valuation $7,481,089 $7,481,089 $7,481,089 24-Hour Trading Vol $202,885 24-Hour Trading Vol 24-Hour Trading Vol $202,885 $202,885 $202,885 Circulating Supply 14,832,024 Circulating Supply Circulating Supply 14,832,024 14,832,024 14,832,024 Total Supply 14,832,024 Total Supply Total Supply 14,832,024 14,832,024 14,832,024 Max Supply 500,000,000 Max Supply Max Supply 500,000,000 500,000,000 500,000,000 Conclusion Conclusion Today, as new meme coins enter the market at lightning speed, riding the waves of internet trends and celebrity tweets, it's important to look to the past…because you never know what you might find 😉🔔💰 Could Bellscoin become the new billion-dollar meme coin of 2024? Could Bellscoin become the new billion-dollar meme coin of 2024?

Bellscoin: The Oldest MemeCoin Ever, Brought Back From The Dead!

To the woke-liberal lot, any assertion that India was once the richest country in the world will evoke hysterical laughter and probably a familiar jibe that it was impossible for India to ever have been the proverbial (golden bird). soney ki chidya But facts speak otherwise. India was indisputably the largest economy in the world between the first century AD and the seventeenth century AD accounting for one-third or one-fourth of global wealth. India’s GDP in 1700, in terms of 1990 international dollars was $90,750 as compared to $82,800 of China’s and $83,395 for the whole of Western Europe. Considering that the world GDP in that year was $371,369, India’s share of the global economy was an astounding 24.43%.[1] What Caused the Downfall? From a high of more than 24% of the world economy in 1700 to 4% of global GDP at the end of British rule, India’s fall from its preeminent position at the top to the very bottom was a direct consequence of the pernicious impact of colonial rule. Britain’s rise to be the largest empire ever known to mankind occurred during the course of its 200-year rule in India and was financed by the wholesale looting of India and the asset stripping of its economy. It is not surprising that the Hindi word loot meaning large-scale theft, made its way to the English language. Evidence of that loot can still be found in the museums, private collections, and imperial treasury of modern Britain. The most emblematic of this is the famed diamond. Kohinoor So thoroughly did the British devastate and enervate the Indian economy that even today, seventy-six years after independence, large numbers of its people suffer from poverty, lack of access to clean drinking water, access to healthcare, and education. That is not to take away from the vast change that has come over the country, which is now acknowledged as a global economic power boasting the fifth largest economy in the world having overtaken its erstwhile colonial master Britain. It has seen the emergence of a 432 million strong middle class (2020-21 figures) which is expected to hit 1.66 billion in 2047.[2] Creditably as many as 415 million people were lifted out of poverty in 15 years between 2005 and 2021[3]. India is a technology and space powerhouse that commands global respect for its accomplishments. Its diaspora has reached every part of the globe with people of Indian origin reaching the highest positions in corporations and governments of some of the leading first world nations. India also has a sizeable military that acts as a force of global stability-something that was evidenced by India’s naval operations against international pirates in the Red Sea region. Can India Become the Richest Country in the World Again? At a time when most people in the world expect China to replace the US as the numero uno nation, it is important to remember that India was largely a bigger economy of the two in the years leading up to the colonial era. Given the slew of recent bad news trickling out of China, in terms of its collapsing demographics and slowing down industries, India, which is the fastest-growing large economy in the world with a much younger demographic profile, stands a good chance of racing ahead in the not-so-distant future. India is one of the very few countries in the world that not only grows enough food to feed its own people, but also export it. Besides, its geographical position that allows it to straddle the important sea routes that pass below its peninsula means that it will never be vulnerable when it comes to sourcing its energy supplies. What do the facts state? An Ernst and Young report suggests that India could become a $26 trillion economy by 2047, boasting a per capita income of more than $15000 by then. [4] Goldman Sachs, on the other hand, predicts that India will become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075, overtaking the US in the process.[5] A study by Citi Group actually expects India to be the largest economy in the world by 2050 with an $85.97 trillion GDP by Purchasing Power Parity, followed by China at $80.02 trillion and the US at $39.07 trillion. That will translate to a per capita income of more than $50,000 per capita income considering the nation’s population to be 1.63 billion.[6] Will India do it? It’s not going to be easy. But it has done it in the past and held on to that position for a millennium and a half. It is said that what goes around comes around. It is India’s time now. Let it rise and rise. [1] https://cgijeddah.gov.in/web_files/267622636-History-of-Indian-Economy.pdf [2] https://www.business-standard.com/economy/news/indian-middle-class-will-nearly-double-to-61-by-2046-47-price-report-123070500864_1.html [3] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/415-million-people-exited-poverty-in-india-in-15-years-un-report/articleshow/101678289.cms [4] https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_in/topics/india-at-100/2023/01/ey-india-at-100-executive-summary.pdf [5] https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/10/india-to-become-worlds-second-largest-economy-by-2075-goldman-sachs.html [6] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-commentary/with-85-trillion-how-india-can-become-worlds-largest-economy/articleshow/10699821.cms

Time for India to Gain Back Its Position as the Richest Country in the World

Revolutionizing the Sports Industry: The Convergence of Blockchain and NFT Technologies Blockchain technology and its derivative, , has ushered in a new era of digital innovation, transcending traditional boundaries and redefining the concept of value in the digital realm. In the sports industry, this technological convergence promises to catalyze profound changes, offering unprecedented opportunities for engagement, monetization, and fan interaction. This article examines the intersection of blockchain and NFTs within the sports sector, highlighting the mechanisms through which these technologies enhance transactional efficiency and facilitate the creation of novel applications. NFTs Non-Fungible Tokens: Redefining Digital Ownership NFTs represent unique digital assets, verifiable through blockchain technology. Unlike cryptocurrencies, NFTs cannot be exchanged on a like-for-like basis, making them perfect for representing ownership of distinct digital items, such as sports memorabilia, tickets, and participatory experiences. Enhancing Transaction Efficiency The integration of NFT development tools with blockchain technology significantly improves transaction efficiency within the sports industry. By leveraging smart contracts, transactions become automatic, secure, and instantaneous, reducing the need for intermediaries and lowering transaction costs. Innovating Through NFTs The creation of sports-themed NFTs opens up new avenues for fan engagement and revenue generation. The case study of the baseball-themed NFT game illustrates how such applications can offer unique experiences, such as digital batting practice, where players earn NFT emblems. This not only enhances the fan experience but also introduces a new model for sports memorabilia and athlete-fan interaction. Promoting Sports Engagement Web3 technologies foster a more interactive and engaging sports ecosystem. Through NFTs, fans can own a piece of their favorite sport, participate in exclusive events, and directly support athletes and teams. This deeper level of engagement strengthens the bond between sports entities and their audiences, potentially increasing fan loyalty and participation. Supporting Service Development The flexibility and security of blockchain technology enable the development of diverse services within the sports industry. From ticketing solutions to athlete management systems, blockchain and NFTs provide the infrastructure necessary for innovative service offerings, enhancing the overall value chain. This author is an independent contributor publishing via our brand-as-author program. Be it through direct compensation, media partnerships, or networking, the author has a vested interest in the company/ies mentioned in this story. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: Transforming the Sports Industry: A Leap into the Future with Blockchain and NFTs In sports, an industry historically grounded in physical interaction and experience, blockchain and NFTs introduce a novel dimension of fan engagement, asset tokenization, and operational efficiency. Deloitte Tohmatsu Group's adoption of Astar zkEVM for developing a baseball-themed NFT game underscores a strategic move towards encapsulating sports moments and memorabilia within the blockchain. Blockchain and NFTs: A Synergy of Digital Innovation Blockchain technology's decentralized nature ensures security and transparency, while NFTs offer a unique method of digitizing and owning assets. Together, they provide a robust framework for creating, trading, and managing digital assets in a manner that is both secure and verifiable. Astar zkEVM: Bridging Traditional and Blockchain Gaming Astar zkEVM leverages Ethereum's Layer 2 scaling solutions and zero-knowledge proofs to enhance transaction efficiency and privacy. This technology not only reduces gas fees and transaction times but also opens up new possibilities for complex applications, including sports-themed games and digital collectibles. Enhancing Transaction Efficiency in Sports The deployment of Astar zkEVM by Deloitte Tohmatsu Group signifies a milestone in streamlining transactions within the sports industry. This enhancement is crucial for real-time trading of sports NFTs, ticketing, and merchandise, thereby elevating the fan experience and operational fluidity. Pioneering the Baseball-themed NFT Game The development of a baseball-themed NFT game exemplifies innovative application creation, marrying the thrill of sports with the digital ownership and trading of NFTs. This game not only enhances engagement through interactive gameplay but also introduces a digital economy around sports memorabilia and achievements. Economic and Social Implications The initiative carries significant economic potential, driving new revenue streams for sports organizations and athletes. Socially, it democratizes sports memorabilia ownership and fosters a deeper connection between fans and sports entities. Moreover, it exemplifies the potential of blockchain to contribute to regional revitalization by engaging local communities in global sports narratives. The foray of Deloitte Tohmatsu Group into blockchain and NFTs through the Astar zkEVM blockchain marks a significant advancement in the sports industry's digital transformation. By fostering innovative applications and enhancing transaction efficiency, this initiative not only enriches the fan experience but also sets a precedent for the future of sports engagement and digital asset management. This exploration underscores the transformative potential of blockchain and NFTs in redefining the sports industry, offering a glimpse into a future where digital and physical realms converge to create unprecedented sports experiences and economic opportunities. Don’t forget to like and share the story!

Deloitte Tohmatsu and Astar Network Hit a Home Run with Blockchain Technology in Sports

461 Stories To Learn About Slogging

A Conversation with Picatrix Picori — The Manga-Style AI Illustrator

পিকাট্রিক্স পিকোরির সাথে একটি কথোপকথন — দ্য মাঙ্গা-স্টাইল এআই ইলাস্ট্রেটর

Ein Gespräch mit Picatrix Picori – dem KI-Illustrator im Manga-Stil

Una conversación con Picatrix Picori: el ilustrador de IA estilo manga

Une conversation avec Picatrix Picori — L'illustrateur IA de style manga

पिकाट्रिक्स पिकोरी के साथ बातचीत - मंगा-स्टाइल एआई इलस्ट्रेटर

マンガ風のAIイラストレーター、Picatrix Picori氏との対談

Picatrix Picori와의 대화 — 만화 스타일의 AI 일러스트레이터

Uma conversa com Picatrix Picori – o ilustrador de IA estilo mangá

Разговор с Пикатриксом Пикори — иллюстратором искусственного интеллекта в стиле манга

Manga Stili Yapay Zeka İllüstratörü Picatrix Picori ile Söyleşi

Cuộc trò chuyện với Picatrix Picori - Họa sĩ minh họa AI theo phong cách Manga

对话 Picatrix Picori — 漫画风格的 AI 插画师

The of Baldur’s Gate 3, the latest in the Dungeons & Dragons video gaming franchise, demonstrates the enduring popularity and cultural relevance of the D&D brand. Moreover, the screen crossover success of titles such as the recent movie and the Netflix show The Witcher, which is with Liam Hemsworth taking over the lead role, demonstrates that format is no barrier to Gen Z appeal. hugely successful recent release Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves set for a fourth season However, creating appealing games isn’t necessarily a problem for game designers. But, re-creating the fatefulness of the physical RPG gaming experience is more of a challenge due to the difficulty in generating reliable randomness in a digital environment. D20 - a cultural symbol The rolling of dice is a universal symbol denoting a game of chance, but for many who call themselves gamers, the symbolism and importance of random chance run deep. In particular, role-playing games (RPGs) rely heavily on dice to inform gameplay, making use of shapes ranging from four sides to twenty sides – the now-legendary D20, which first emerged as a key device in D&D due to its pivotal role in the mechanics of the game. The inherent randomness of the D20 die – which can deliver so many different game outcomes compared to a standard six-sided cube die depending on how and when it is used – led to the development of the . The D20 is a gaming system for RPG games developed in 2000 for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game, which other companies could license under a unified brand identity. It led to the expansion of the RPG format across games and genres, including a Star Wars game. D20 system The D20 die has become so ingrained in the consciousness of the RPG community that it’s for themes like probability, fate, and destiny. In fact, such is its popularity among D&D fans that D20 merchandise has become a niche of its own. Wearing a D20 die as a necklace isn't just a fashion statement for enthusiasts; it's a badge of honor, showcasing a love for adventure and a willingness to face the unpredictable nature of life. It’s an emblem of a community that finds camaraderie and solace in the shared experiences of gaming, where randomness plays a pivotal role. As well as endless variations of dice and accessories like dice bags and trays, you can also find D20-themed jewelry, apparel, and home decor on craft sites like Etsy. become a motif Virtual randomness – more than a dice roll Experienced gamers will be familiar with the problems, which are on gaming forums. If you play a game often enough, you become familiar with the patterns over time. The concept of randomness explored in D&D resonates deeply with philosophical and existential ideas. It challenges the notion of a predetermined universe, proposing instead a world where chance and probability reign supreme. This perspective encourages players to consider the role of fate and destiny in their lives, questioning whether our paths are preordained or shaped by random events. well-documented The popularity of D20 and its associated randomness reflects a broader societal fascination with the unpredictable. In a world increasingly driven by data and predictability, there's a refreshing allure to the chaos and chance represented by the D20. It's a reminder that not everything can be controlled or foreseen, and there's beauty in the unexpected twists and turns of life. In the realm of digital gaming, randomness takes on a new form through sophisticated algorithms. These algorithms, often far more complex than a simple dice roll, can create patterns that players might begin to recognize over time. However, this recognition also speaks to the intricacy and depth of virtual randomness in modern gaming. Random Number Generators (RNGs) are the backbone of virtual randomness in games. They are designed to mimic the unpredictability of real-life events, albeit through calculated algorithms. This digital randomness is essential in creating a gaming experience that is both challenging and engaging, where outcomes can't always be anticipated. However, one significant issue with many RNGs in video games is their reliance on a constant seed value, which results in the generation of predictable and repeatable sequences. Since these RNGs often generate the same sequence of "random" numbers for a given seed, players can potentially recognize and anticipate outcomes. This predictability not only diminishes the element of surprise but also raises concerns about the fairness and integrity of the game. Another concern with conventional RNGs is the lack of transparency and verifiability, as players of games such as Pokemon Emerald have . Players typically have no means to verify whether a number was generated in a random manner, leading to skepticism about the randomness and fairness of outcomes, particularly in competitive or high-stakes gaming scenarios. discovered To address the challenges of repetition and manipulation inherent in traditional RNG systems, the emergence of blockchain-based random number generators offers a groundbreaking solution. Blockchain technology introduces a level of randomness that is not only more unpredictable but also transparent and verifiable. By leveraging the decentralized nature of blockchain, these RNGs ensure that each outcome is independently verified by a network of nodes, thereby guaranteeing the randomness and fairness of each result. Moreover, the use of blockchain RNGs extends beyond gaming into other applications where randomness is critical. From securing cryptographic keys to generating unbiased samples for scientific research, the potential uses of these advanced RNGs are vast and varied. The immutable and transparent nature of blockchain technology means that every random number generated can be traced back to its origin, ensuring the integrity of the process and the results. From D20 to Autonomous Worlds In the gaming world, the transition from the tangible randomness of a D20 die to the conceptual vastness of marks a significant evolution. For gamers, the allure lies in the random outcomes these worlds offer, fundamentally transforming the gaming experience. Autonomous Worlds are not just digital spaces; they are complex ecosystems owned and operated by decentralized blockchain networks, distinct from traditional models controlled by game studios or developers. Autonomous Worlds This isn’t just a new spin on the “own your assets with NFTs” blockchain games, which Autonomous World proponents point out are merely corporately owned games using a digital asset layer. Autonomous Worlds are self-governing, and all transactions – including game state and logic – happen on-chain. Users, or gamers, don’t just participate as players; they can be active participants in the world’s virtual society and economy and have a say in how it’s run and developed. The adoption and ultimate success of an Autonomous World hinges on the availability of reliable randomness. Most critically, a functional self-governing environment requires that participants trust that events are unfolding without a pre-determined fate, just as they do in the real world. But in this case, technology replaces a reliance on trust with the ability to verify randomness. For example, the upcoming MMO showcases Autonomous Worlds in action – a fully decentralized, real-time MMO space conquest strategy game based on Ethereum, which uses advanced cryptography to ensure a level of privacy necessary to deliver the random and strategic elements of the game. Dark Forest With the advent of technologies like blockchain and advanced cryptography, the randomness once exclusive to physical dice rolls in games like D&D can now be faithfully replicated in the digital realm. This technological leap ensures that the core gaming principles of fate and destiny remain intact, even as we venture deeper into digital experiences. It’s a testament to how the essence of gaming - the thrill of uncertainty and the joy of unexpected outcomes - can be preserved and enhanced in the evolving landscape of digital worlds. In conclusion, as we move from the physical randomness of D20 to the complex unpredictability of Autonomous Worlds, we are witnessing a profound transformation in the gaming experience. These new digital realms offer an unprecedented level of engagement, control, and randomness, reflecting the unpredictable nature of our real lives and maintaining the spirit of adventure that has always been at the heart of gaming.

Rolling the Virtual Dice: RNG in Gameplay Just Got Leveled Up

Let's learn about via these 84 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Nintendo Switch /Learn Repo 1. ACNH Island Transfer Tool: Communication Error How you can fix the Communication Error from the ACNH Island Transfer Tool when the solution on the official Nintendo forums just aren't working for you. 2. The 5 Best Ace Attorney Cases from the Original Trilogy The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy has no bad cases. But that doesn't mean that some aren't better than others. Here are the 5 best Ace Attorney cases. 3. That time I used my Credit Card to pay off Tom Nook Animal Crossing Bells can take a long, boring time to earn. So what happens if you want to buy some using real money? We bit the bullet and gave it a shot. 4. Omori on Nintendo Switch SERIOUSLY Needs a Trigger Warning Omori is a game that can trigger anxiety, I know that firsthand. 5. 5 Nintendo Switch Mario Games That Your Kids Are Sure to Love Here are 5 Nintendo Switch Mario games that your children are sure to enjoy: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate., and Super Mario Oddysey. 6. Mawile in Pokémon Sword: How to Find it and Catch it Mawile in Pokémon Sword can be found in the wild area, dens, and the Crown Tundra. You will need fire and ground type Pokemon as well as high-level items 7. 5 Nintendo Switch Games Coming Soon in 2021/2022 There are great games on the horizon, but these Nintendo Switch games coming soon are what I'm excited for. 8. The Best Golf Games on Nintendo Switch: Mario Golf & More From Mario Golf to the PGA Tour, check out the best golf titles on Nintendo Switch now! 9. How to Use PKHex On Switch to Mod Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Here's how to use PKHex on the Nintendo Switch to edit what Pokemon are in your party. 10. Sumire: Life Lessons and Introspection in Two Hours 2021's Sumire is an incredible story that is illustrated with an incredible art style and soundtrack and is only enhanced by its short length adding context. 11. Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection Arrives for All Platforms on June 10 KOEI TECMO America announced that Team Ninja will present the Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection for major platform release on current and next-gen consoles. 12. Disney Dreamlight Valley Launches Early Access in September, New Gameplay Trailer Released Gameloft and Nintendo revealed some new footage of the upcoming life-sim adventure game, Disney Dreamlight Valley, which hits Nintendo Switch in September. 13. The Top Yikes of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Poor performance and lazy pokemon design in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are among the top complaints from diehard fans of the franchise. 14. 5 Best Mystery Games on the Nintendo Switch With so many great games on the console, it's hard to choose the best mystery games on the Nintendo Switch. However, that's exactly what we did with this list. 15. Everything You Must Know About Nintendo's Marketing Strategy Let's look at Nintendo marketing strategy from prototyping to production staging and how it has evolved over time to innovate its segmentation & positioning. 16. The Wild at Heart Game Review (Nintendo Switch) Despite the minor drawbacks and sometimes tedious puzzles, The Wild at Heart is the perfect game to escape reality and relax on a cold winter evening. 17. One Day in Paldea: A Review of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Despite some persistent graphical glitches, the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet successfully expand on the open world concept brought in by Legends: Arceus. 18. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel Set for 2022 Launch Nintendo has officially revealed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with a new reveal teaser at the Nintendo Direct event for E3 2021. 19. 7 Best Nintendo Consoles Based on Games 7 Best Nintendo Consoles Based on Games include the Nintendo Switch, SNES, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, and Nintendo Entertainment System. 20. 10 Best Wii Series Games Ranked by Sales The best Wii series games have sold copies numbering in the tens of millions, creating an entire subgenre that no other franchise could easily replicate. 21. How To Review A Game Bryan Applegate, a nominee for several Noonies awards explains how he reviewed Darksiders III for HackerNoon and his thoughts on THQ Nordic's game in general. 22. The GPD Win 3: A New Alternative for the Nintendo Switch The new Windows running handheld looks like a mixture of a Nintendo Switch and Dell's UFO console, but its foldable 5.5-inch 720p screen. 23. All Animal Crossing Games Ranked by Sales Data Unsurprisingly, Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch is the highest-selling game in the Animal Crossing franchise, with 40 million copies sold. 24. Crash Bandicoot 4 Set for Next-Gen Console Release Activision has confirmed that Crash Bandicoot 4 will receive a next-gen console release, including a free upgrade for owners in the same console family. 25. 3 Highly-Anticipated Games That Have Been Delayed to 2023 Games being delayed is understandable. You don't want to ship out a mess, however, it's still disappointing. These are 3 games that have been pushed to 2023. 26. Will the Next New Pokémon Game be a Diamond and Pearl Remake? Fans have speculated that the next new Pokemon game could be a Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remake, based on historical trends in the company's release cycle. 27. Not the Nintendo Switch Pro We Were Looking For, But it's Something The Nintendo Switch console is getting an update. Nintendo has officially unveiled the Nintendo Switch OLED Model due out in early October. 28. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Set for June Launch on Nintendo Switch Aspyr Media and Lucasfilm Games confirmed that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords will launch on Nintendo Switch later this June. 29. Should the Next Nintendo Console Be a New Nintendo Switch? This article explores Nintendo's past console releases to try and determine what its next gaming console will be. 30. Multiple Online Retailers Restock Nintendo Switch: Mario Red & Blue Edition Just in time for Nintendo Day, you can purchase the new Nintendo Switch: Mario Red & Blue Edition console at multiple online retailers. 31. From Dominance to Competition: A Story of Nintendo's Journey in the Gaming Industry For much of the 20th century, Nintendo dominated the playing card market in Japan the same way it would dominate the video game industry decades later. 32. Nintendo Files Lawsuit and Wins Injunction Against Switch Mod & Pirate Game Seller In 2018, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against a California man accused of selling pirated Nintendo games, modding devices, and modding services. 33. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review There are few things in this galaxy as iconic as Lego and Star Wars. In one way or another, both influenced our childhood and now impact our kids and millions of adults around the world. Two separate universes, Lego and Star Wars, have provided us with some of the most amazing toys and experiences. 34. 5 Predictions for the 2021 Nintendo Direct The E3 2021 Nintendo direct could be a big one; it is likely the company could reveal potential new games while showcasing anticipated games such as BOTW2. 35. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Egg Guide The best traits to look for in egg hunting are shiny, stinky, and heavy eggs. These traits will probably lead to eggs that contain desirable monstie genes. 36. Dreepy in Pokémon Sword and Shield: How to Find, Catch, and Evolve You can find Dreepy in Pokémon Sword and Shield in the Lake of Outrage, dens and max raid battles. Extra care needs to be taken with capturing and evolving. 37. 10 Best Handheld Game Consoles Ranked by Sales Since the 80's there have been great handheld consoles, but which is the best one? Here are the 10 best handheld consoles ranked by sales. 38. 9 Cheap Switch Games on Sale for Kids and Adults The Switch is a cheap console with expensive games. This article lists some cheap games for kids and adults, and where to keep track of switch games on sale. 39. The Professor Layton Games in Chronological Order This article has covered the Professor Layton Games in chronological order, starting with Professor Layton and the Last Spectre. 40. The Best Mario Games for Switch Owners Check out the best Mario games for Switch owners! We go over mainline, multiplayer, 2D, sports, and RPG games in the Mario universe. 41. 10 Best Animal Crossing Island Ideas for When You’re Stuck Some unique Animal Crossing island ideas include space & ocean, mountain, mythical, desert, coastal, meadow, kawaii, maze & mini-games, archipelago, and more. 42. The 5 Best Indie Games on the Nintendo Switch Indie games are better than ever, and the Nintendo Switch is a great home for them. Here are the best switch indie games available now, from Celeste to Hades. 43. Is Monster Hunter Rise Better or Worse than Capcom’s Previous Installments? Monster Hunter Rise has achieved great success, but some complain it lacks content and difficulty compared to the rest of the series. 44. 5 Best 2-Player Nintendo Switch Games for Couch Coop and PVP Sessions The Nintendo Switch has an abundance of co-op games, so it might be difficult to choose a good one. To help out, here are the best 2 player switch games. 45. Mario Kart 9: Possible Release Date and Everything We Know So Far Mario Kart 9 is reportedly in development. Here is everything you need to know to get excited for Nintendo's next kooky kart racer. 46. Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review (Nintendo Switch): Smaller Scale, Greater Story While Monster Hunter Stories 2 isn't the perfect RPG, it's a fun experience with a story unique to the series. Just be careful of performance issues... 47. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 Set for Multi-Platform Release This Summer Interplay Entertainment has revealed that Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 is set to receive a remastered re-release for all the major consoles later this summer. 48. What are the Best Indie Games on Switch? Nintendo is one of the biggest video game publishers in the world. In this Slogging thread, the team at Hackernoon discuss the best indie games on Switch. 49. 10 Best Zelda Games of All Time Ranked by Sales Check out the top 10 best Zelda games throughout the franchise, ranked by their sales. 50. 10 Best Couch Co-op Games to Play With a Non-Gamer There are plenty of video games to share with non-gamers on a multitude of systems. Some familiar like Mario Party, or surprising like Until Dawn. 51. All The Pokémon Games in Chronological Order This article has outlined the Pokémon games in Chronological order. The main series of games can be chronologically ordered, starting with Red and Green 52. Smash Bros. News: Tekken Character Announced as DLC In exciting Smash Bros news, Kazuya from Tekken has been announced as the next DLC character. Here's what you need to know about Tekken's bad boy. 53. 6 Best KOTOR Cheats Every Sith Lord Should Use on Nintendo Switch Kotor cheats on Nintendo Switch make revisiting the best Star Wars video game of all time EVEN better. Learn how to unlock and utilize all the best cheats here. 54. 10 Best Mario Party Games Ranked by Sales Mario Party is, without a doubt, one of the most infamous franchises that people still love. The series is known for shattering friendships with its random turns and causing a great mix of frustration and entertainment in its minigames. Newer games have taken a turn from their counterparts, but with the release of Mario Party Superstars, it seems like these Mario-based board games are finally returning to form. As such, this article will take a look at the 10 best Mario Party games based on copies sold to see how the franchise has changed over the years — and how that change has influenced its success. 55. 5 Best Nintendo Switch Indie Games Showcased in Indie World Great games are on the horizon, especially great Nintendo Switch indie games. Here are some titles to look out for in 2021. 56. All Wario Land Games Ranked by Sales Though Wario might be a bitter rival to Mario, the greedy glutton hasn’t managed to share the vast number of games his counterpart stars in. Even so, he managed to make a name for himself through quite a few unique platforming titles. While a new Wario Land hasn’t been made in over a decade, many fans are still very much in love with the series for one reason or another. It’s interesting to note how far that love runs, which is why this article will take a look at all Wario Land games ranked by the number of copies they sold. 57. Is a New Nintendo Switch Model Coming in 2021? A New Nintendo Switch Model is possible in 2021, although Nintendo's unpredictability means nothing is certain. 58. 7 Best Video Games for Kids that Adults Will Love Too There are many great video games for kids out there, but in this article, we will look into some of the best titles for children that you will love too. 59. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Update - Everything You Need to Know The Animal Crossing update has released. Here's how to access all its new content and everything else you need to know about it. 60. Bayonetta 3 Release Date and New Features (Switch Exclusive) The newest trailer for Bayonetta 3 just released, bringing with it a whole slew of information and secrets for keen eyes to find. 61. 6 Best Luigi Games Ranked by Sales Though the Year of Luigi is long gone, Mario’s younger brother still boasts quite a bit of popularity. Since the early 2000s, he’s gone from a recolor for player 2 to his own person with his own personality, fears, and gameplay elements. Even after his time has passed, new games starring Luigi — and only Luigi — have been making the rounds on Nintendo’s modern consoles. Looking back on the green plumber’s history makes for some interesting finds, which is why this article will take a look at all Luigi games ranked by copies sold. 62. Tony Hawk Nintendo Switch: Pro Skater 1+2 Arriving June A Tony Hawk Nintendo Switch port is on its way, so here's everything you need to know about the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 coming on the Switch. 63. 5 Best Cloud Games Currently Available on Nintendo Switch Today, I'm gonna cover something that most people are not excited by: Cloud Gaming on Nintendo Switch. 64. Top 10 List of Nintendo Consoles Ranked by Sales Nintendo's most sold console is the Nintendo DS, but how do the other Nintendo consoles rank? 65. The OLED Nintendo Switch: Is it Worth It? In this slogging post, our gaming writers discuss the new OLED Nintendo Switch, whether it is worth the money and if its upgrades merit a purchase. 66. 5 Best Controllers for PC Gaming With so many options available, you might ask yourself, which controllers are the best for PC gaming? Here are the top 5 best controllers for your PC. 67. 10 Best Nintendo Switch Games of All time Ranked by Sales Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Bros. are among the best-selling Nintendo Switch games of all time. 68. Octopath Traveler 2 Switch Review: An Improvement Over the Previous Game Octopath Traveler 2 maintains the high-quality aspects of the previous game while fixing any setbacks it had. Overall, it's a must-play for JRPG fans. 69. 10 Best Metroid Games of All Time Ranked by Sales With how much each game has influenced the series, it’s interesting to note which Metroid games are considered to be the best in terms of sales and popularity. 70. Nintendo Switch Reaches Over 84 Million Units Sold Nintendo released its end of the fiscal year results for investors this month. The Nintendo Switch and games boasted some pretty staggering sales figures. 71. 8 Best Cozy Games to Play When the World is Falling Apart The idea behind cozy games is the combination of appealing colors and atmospheric music. This article lists some of the best cozy games of recent years. 72. The Nintendo Switch Is a Great Console That's Nearing Its 5th Year. Is it Still Worth the Money? This year will mark the five-year milestone for the Nintendo Switch, the hybrid gaming console we’ve all come to love and admire. While much of the Nintendo experience has undergone some upgrades throughout the years - pro gamers and avid fans of Nintendo are considering whether or not it’s still worth the hype in 2022. 73. Is the Switch Pro Really Nintendo's Next Console? A look into the latest valid information regarding the Nintendo Switch Pro. 74. Is the Nintendo Switch Worth It? - An Honest Review Many still without a Switch might be asking themselves, is the Nintendo Switch worth it? Let's review the state of the Nintendo Switch in 2023. 75. Cruis’n Blast Review (Nintendo Switch): Is this Arcade Racing Game Worth Taking Home? Cruis'n Blast doesn't provide a flawless racing experience, but it's still a fun game that manages to act as the definitive arcade racing title at home. 76. Nerds Talking About Fire Emblem: Three Houses 2019's Fire Emblem: Three Houses's branching storylines makes it hard for everyone to have experienced the same thing. Here, we all weigh in our experiences 77. Mario Party Superstars: Why a Return to Form is the Best Thing for the Series Mario Party Superstars brings back old boards and gameplay from the first games of the series. It's not entirely new, but that's honestly a good thing. 78. Definitive Waluigi Meme List to Remind Us What Smash Bros. Ultimate is Missing The funniest memes revolving around Waluigi's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate snub that will ease your pain. 79. Will Pokémon Legends: Arceus Live Up to the Hype? Pokémon Legends looks to be the open world makeover Pokémon fans have craved. However, mixed signals from recent trailers leave me more skeptical than hopeful. 80. 25 Best Fire Emblem Three Houses Memes Fire Emblem Three Houses meme culture has continued to grow far beyond the release of the game. Here are 25 of the best Fire Emblem Three Houses memes. 81. The Ninth Generation Console War: Who is Winning? Who has the best games? The best controllers? Features? I break down the 9th generation of consoles to figure out, objectively, which is the BEST. 82. 11 Underrated Nintendo Switch Games Everyone Should Try These 11 games on Nintendo Switch deserve much more attention than they are getting. Get on board the hype train for these genuinely special video games. 83. .Hack//G.U Last Recode Rated for Nintendo Switch: Is it Coming Soon? We now know that .Hack//G.U. Last Recode COULD potentially be coming to the Nintendo Switch in the near future thanks to a leak from a very familiar place. 84. 5 Best Platformers on the Nintendo Switch The Nintendo Switch is home to a lot of good games from different genres, including the platform genre. Here are the 5 best platformers the Switch has to offer. Thank you for checking out the 84 most read stories about Nintendo Switch on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

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Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of Its Causes by Charles Babbage, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Section 1 here SECTION 1. OF MINUTE PRECISION. No person will deny that the highest degree of attainable accuracy is an object to be desired, and it is generally found that the last advances towards precision require a greater devotion of time, labour, and expense, than those which precede them. The first steps in the path of discovery, and the first approximate measures, are those which add most to the existing knowledge of mankind. The extreme accuracy required in some of our modern inquiries has, in some respects, had an unfortunate influence, by favouring the opinion, that no experiments are valuable, unless the measures are most minute, and the accordance amongst them most perfect. It may, perhaps, be of some use to show, that even with large instruments, and most practised observers, this is but rarely the case. The following extract is taken from a representation made by the present Astronomer-Royal, to the Council of the Royal Society, on the advantages to be derived from the employment of two mural circles:— "That by observing, with two instruments, the same objects at the same time, and in the same manner, we should be able to estimate how much of that OCCASIONAL DISCORDANCE FROM THE MEAN, which attends EVEN THE MOST CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS, ought to be attributed to irregularity of refraction, and how much to THE IMPERFECTIONS OF INSTRUMENTS." In confirmation of this may be adduced the opinion of the late M. Delambre, which is the more important, from the statement it contains relative to the necessity of publishing all the observations which have been made. "Mais quelque soit le parti que l'on prefere, il me semble qu'on doit tout publier. Ces irregularites memes sont des faits qu'il importe de connoitre. LES SOINS LES PLUS ATTENTIFS N'EN SAUROIENT PRESERVER LES OBSERVATEURS LES PLUS EXERCES, et celui qui ne produiroit que des angles toujours parfaitment d'accord auroit ete singulierement bien servi par les circonstances ou ne seroit pas bien sincere."—BASE DU SYSTEME METRIQUE, Discours Preliminaire, p. 158. This desire for extreme accuracy has called away the attention of experimenters from points of far greater importance, and it seems to have been too much overlooked in the present day, that genius marks its tract, not by the observation of quantities inappreciable to any but the acutest senses, but by placing Nature in such circumstances, that she is forced to record her minutest variations on so magnified a scale, that an observer, possessing ordinary faculties, shall find them legibly written. He who can see portions of matter beyond the ken of the rest of his species, confers an obligation on them, by recording what he sees; but their knowledge depends both on his testimony and on his judgment. He who contrives a method of rendering such atoms visible to ordinary observers, communicates to mankind an instrument of discovery, and stamps his own observations with a character, alike independent of testimony or of judgment. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Charles Babbage (1998).Reflections on the Decline of Science in England, and on Some of Its Causes. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1216/pg1216-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

OF MINUTE PRECISION.

Eventful winter passed; winter, the respite of our ills.

The modern gaming industry is booming. However, as capitalization increases, major companies frequently stick to safer routes. This has a direct impact on game design, especially its creativity. Today, we'll discuss how game design has changed in the past few years and why many gamers argue that creativity has died. The Changing Landscape of Game Design Over the past five years, the gaming industry has witnessed explosive growth. Studios have generated tens of billions of dollars more than was forecasted. The market has expanded both horizontally and vertically. Although there was a temporary revenue drop of around 4% in 2022 due to an overall economic downturn, the future of the gaming market looks quite promising in terms of profit growth. It's predicted to grow from $179 billion in 2020 to $211 billion by 2025. That's about 3.5% growth each year! Here are some : statistics Let's look at all the AAA releases from recent years. A vast majority belong either to the sequel category (like God of War, Horizon, Far Cry 6, Hitman 3, etc.) or to the category of remakes, remasters, and re-releases (like Resident Evil, Final Fantasy 7, Demon's Souls, The Last of Us, Halo, you name it.). There are still brilliants like Cyberpunk 2077 or Elden Ring, but these quickly become exceptions rather than the rule. The abundance of sequels, remakes, remasters, and re-releases tells us that significant developers have changed their approach. They're not looking for originality or new franchises, but rather a way to generate revenue quickly and safely. This mindset also spills over into game design. Developers either carry over old game mechanics or upgrade them. As a result of these changes, the gaming community is placing a stronger emphasis on graphics over gameplay. The demand for better graphics has been steadily rising since 2017. According to recent studies, say their main motivation to upgrade is to enhance their gaming experience. More powerful hardware not only improves their current gaming experience but also provides many players access to games with higher requirements. Over 60% of gamers consistently upgrade their equipment. This is a significant shift from , where only 10% of players invested in high-performance computers. nearly three-quarters of dedicated PC gamers 2016 stats Developing video games is a unique endeavor. Games offer players an experience that no other art form can replicate. You can't just broadcast a game playthrough on TV and expect it to evoke the same emotions as playing it yourself. Yet, modern AAA studios are so fixated on graphic realism, crafted by teams of thousands, that they shy away from game mechanics. Games today are trying hard to be like movies. But in doing that, they lose the special touch that makes them unique. The Role of Boredom in Game Design Researchers from William & Mary University say that our society is facing a so-called " ," where levels of creative thinking continue to decline. This is attributed to the constant stimulation of the brain and the lack of boredom. Interestingly, boredom is a key element in . And you might not know this, but it's often used as a game design tool. creative crisis nurturing imagination While it may sound odd, moments of calm, stillness, and even boredom can boost player engagement and enrich the gaming experience. In game design, pacing is as crucial as in storytelling. Downtimes or less exciting tasks give players time to think, strategize, and anticipate what's coming next. Consider survival games: players frequently engage in mundane tasks like resource gathering and crafting. The main goal of introducing "boredom" in games is to allow users to be creative, experiment, and interact with the game world in unique ways. This leads to fresh gaming moments that not only enhance the experience but also evolve the genre. For instance, if you compare the open world of Elden Ring, which I believe is excellent, with that of Assassin's Creed Odyssey or Valhalla, you'll spot a key difference. It highlights the contrast between a more traditional game design and a newer approach. Elden Ring opens a world that allows for long travels without significant events or encounters. If you wish, you can explore for hours without fighting or engaging in any activities. The game lets you set your own pace. But when you're ready, it offers layers upon layers of worlds. The occasional monotony of exploration amplifies the anticipation of the next discovery, stimulates imagination, and lets you fill in the lore. In contrast, Assassin's Creed Valhalla crams its spaces with endless activities. You can't stroll through a location without being sidetracked by another point of interest. Even when sailing, new markers keep popping up on your screen. When creating Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Miyazaki . Bored, he often read books he couldn't fully comprehend as a child, filling in the gaps with his imagination. This is the experience he aims to convey to his players. Similar game design decisions are seen in games like . If you pause, the world freezes with you. Most of the gameplay revolves around moving across the map and collecting resources. This repetitive task starkly contrasts the strategic depth of battles or city management. drew from his childhood experiences Heroes of Might and Magic III Modern game design tends to . Cyberpunk 2077 certainly plays with narrative pacing, but its primary goal is to ensure the player is never bored, not even for a second. Calls from NPCs, on-screen notifications, and blinking interface elements - all keep the player stimulated. When planning to clear an area in the game, chances are you're testing a new augmentation or skill rather than approaching it creatively. Although to give credit where it's due, the game does offer several ways to tackle a challenge. minimize elements of boredom Large studios are so fearful that players might get bored with their new releases that they often opt for one of two paths: either inundate their games with a surplus of secondary content or tap into nostalgia. The New York Times published an on how vintage tech is selling ever-increasingly, with prices of items considered junk skyrocketing just a few years ago. People are reverting to using Polaroids and playing with Tamagotchis. Filmmakers are reviving old characters, and game studios heavily invest in remakes. extensive piece Even players are terrified of getting bored. According to a psychological study conducted by the University of Virginia, most contemporary individuals would rather self-harm than be left alone with their thoughts. Hence, the modernization of game design in such a manner seems inevitable. Forces Shaping Modern Game Development The new generation of gamers has grown up in this evolved game design paradigm and are mostly unaware of how it has transformed. To them, elements of boredom don’t just evoke existential dread but are also associated with mobile game design tools. Mobile games, by the way, generate more revenue than PC and console games combined. Mobile game design often weaponizes boredom as a monetization tool and as pressure on the player. Free-to-play projects craft slow progression periods as a tactic to encourage in-app purchases. For instance, players might be offered an item or currency to expedite a task that would take a long time. A prime example of this strategy is " ." To fully level up a character squad to level 90, maximize their talents and weapons, and obtain the necessary artifacts without using any in-game purchases can easily stretch out for more than a year. Genshin Impact But it’s not just the overabundance of secondary content that characterizes the declining dynamics of creativity in modern game design. There is a more destructive reason. And this reason is money. The sandbox game is a quintessential example of contemporary game design. These are vast, open worlds where the task of entertainment falls squarely on the player, often through mechanics that repeat those found in mobile gaming. The exhaustive grind for resources, the real-time crafting, and the independent search for crafting recipes are all elements that stretch the gameplay experience, making each stage more labor-intensive. Titles such as " ," " ," and the initial release of " " could easily frustrate players who grew up with a different kind of creativity from developers—one that didn't require such monotonous repetition. Conan Exiles V Rising No Man's Sky This trend isn't confined to sandbox games. It became increasingly common to see the launch of bare-bones games in content, relying on basic, repetitive mechanics that are refined over years post-release. This approach has become so normalized that it no longer raises eyebrows, but it does raise questions about the evolution of game design and the expectations set for both developers and players. The transformation of game design from a creative pursuit to a monetization strategy is a significant factor in the evolution of modern gaming. Here is the elephant in the room: . In the early days of gaming, the transaction was straightforward: you paid for a game and got the full experience. There were no hidden fees or additional purchases necessary to unlock the game's full potential. This model was simple and consumer-friendly, but as the industry grew, so did its ambition for profit. the financial incentives that have reshaped the game design landscape Initially, these were seen as ways to extend the life of a game, offering new adventures and experiences beyond the original scope. However, as these monetization strategies became more sophisticated, they began to influence the very core of game design. Introducing microtransactions and DLC marked the beginning of a new era. Today, games are not uncommon to be designed with monetization as a primary focus. From the get-go, developers are considering integrating loot boxes, time gates, and in-game currencies to encourage players to spend more. This shift has given rise to games intentionally designed to be grind-heavy, leveraging the psychology of reward to increase players towards making purchases that offer a shortcut. The strategies employed by modern games are not just about extracting money; they're about understanding and influencing player behavior. Let's take the example of " " mode. Here, players are encouraged to build their dream team, but the catch is that the best players are often locked behind loot boxes—randomized packs that may or may not contain the desired characters. This system taps into the same psychological triggers as gambling: the thrill of chance and the allure of a potential reward. It's designed to keep players returning, spending more money hoping to strike it lucky. FIFA Ultimate Team Games like " " implement fatigue systems that limit how much a player can do within a specific timeframe, nudging them towards microtransactions to bypass these . This design preys on the player's impatience and the fear of missing out, creating a sense of urgency that can lead to unplanned spending. he psychological impact of these strategies is significant. They can lead to , where the satisfaction of playing is replaced by the . Games are no longer just a form of entertainment; they become a loop of investment and return, where the return is not guaranteed, and the investment is not just financial but emotional. Moreover, these tactics can create an uneven playing field, where players who spend more money gain a competitive edge. This undermines the skill-based nature of gaming, where success is supposed to be determined by mastery of the game rather than the depth of one's pockets. V Rising artificial barriers T addictive behaviors compulsion to spend Understanding why the gaming industry has leaned so heavily into aggressive monetization tactics requires a look behind the curtain at the forces shaping game development. The reasons are multifaceted, involving economic pressures, player expectations, and the very nature of the digital marketplace. Let’s go back again. Games like "FIFA Ultimate Team" have demonstrated that players are willing to spend vast amounts of money on in-game items, mainly when those items give status or competitive advantages. This has not gone unnoticed by industry executives, constantly pressured to maximize shareholder value and quarterly profits. The result is a business model that prioritizes recurrent user spending over one-time sales. One of the primary drivers is the sheer profitability of microtransactions and loot boxes. Another reason is the increasing . According to the CMA's report, a . As games become more complex and the expectations for high-quality graphics and content rise, so does the cost of producing them. This has led developers to seek additional revenue streams to recoup their investments and fund future projects. Microtransactions offer a solution by providing a steady income long after the initial game purchase. cost of game development modern AAA game with a recently approved development budget and a launch window of 2024–2025 typically costs $200 million or more The transition to digital distribution has also played a role. With games being sold through online platforms rather than physical stores, publishers have more control over pricing and sales strategies. This has led to the normalization of in-game stores and the gradual acceptance of ongoing spending as part of the gaming experience. Now, we have a situation where to help design game mechanics that encourage habitual play and spending. This clearly indicates the industry's shift towards a model that views players not just as consumers but as ongoing sources of revenue. developers employ psychologists The must also be addressed. With thousands of games released yearly, developers are under immense pressure to make them stand out. Monetization tactics such as exclusive content, early access, and special editions are ways to create buzz and incentivize purchases. competitive nature of the gaming market Lastly, the rise of free-to-play games has significantly impacted monetization strategies. These games rely entirely on microtransactions for revenue, which has led to the refinement of techniques to convert free users into paying customers. As these tactics become more sophisticated, they inevitably spill over into paid games, further blurring the lines between revenue models. The aggressive monetization strategies infiltrating modern gaming have not gone without their share of drama and community backlash. This tension between profit-driven game design and player satisfaction has led to several controversies, which serve as cautionary tales for the industry. A notable example is the uproar surrounding " " at its launch. The game featured a progression system heavily criticized for its reliance on loot boxes, which many players felt was a pay-to-win. The backlash was so severe that it caught the attention of lawmakers worldwide, leading to discussions about the regulation of loot boxes and microtransactions in games. This incident, while not covered in the videos we've discussed, is emblematic of the kind of drama that can be born when players feel a game's monetization is unfair. Star Wars Battlefront II Moreover, the industry's reputation has suffered due to these practices. The perception that games are becoming less about fun and more about profit has led to a growing disillusionment among players. This, in turn, can block innovation, as developers may hesitate to take creative risks for fear of failing to meet monetization targets. In conclusion, we must face the somber reality that the relentless pursuit of monetization in gaming casts a long shadow over the industry's creative spirit. Many modern games stand as a testament to this troubling trend. The game's mechanics, which heavily stimulate time or financial investments, indicate a broader movement away from creativity. The game's design, while it could be engaging, is marred by the specter of monetization that looms over the player's experience, subtly coercing them into a cycle of spend or grind. This shift towards monetization at the expense of creativity is not just a business model but a cultural shift within the industry. In this darker narrative of gaming's future, the challenge for the industry is profound. It must navigate the treacherous waters of financial necessity while keeping creativity alight. But I stay with the hope that the future game industry can be a place where creativity and player experience will be based on the joy of discovery.

The Dying Art of Boredom in Game Design: The Toll of Monetization on Creativity 

দ্য ডাইং আর্ট অফ বোরডম ইন গেম ডিজাইন: দ্য টোল অফ মনিটাইজেশন অন ক্রিয়েটিভিটি

Die sterbende Kunst der Langeweile im Spieledesign: Der Tribut der Monetarisierung an der Kreativität

El arte moribundo del aburrimiento en el diseño de juegos: el costo de la monetización en la creatividad

L’art mourant de l’ennui dans la conception de jeux : le bilan de la monétisation sur la créativité

गेम डिज़ाइन में बोरियत की ख़त्म होती कला: रचनात्मकता पर मुद्रीकरण का प्रभाव

ゲームデザインにおける死につつある退屈の芸術: クリエイティビティに対する収益化の代償

게임 디자인에서 죽어가는 지루함의 기술: 창의성에 대한 수익 창출의 대가

A arte moribunda do tédio no design de jogos: o preço da monetização na criatividade

Умирающее искусство скуки в игровом дизайне: плата за монетизацию творчества

Oyun Tasarımında Ölen Sıkıntı Sanatı: Para Kazanmanın Yaratıcılığa Etkisi

Nghệ thuật chết dần của sự nhàm chán trong thiết kế trò chơi: Tác hại của việc kiếm tiền đối với sự sáng tạo

游戏设计中无聊的消亡艺术：货币化对创造力的影响

Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Dates and the Date Palm here DATES AND THE DATE PALM. Even those whose knowledge of the customs of the Orient extends no further than a recollection of the contents of that time-honored story book, the "Arabian Nights," are doubtless aware that, since time immemorial, the date has been the chief food staple of the desert-dwellers of the East. The "handful of dates and gourd of water" form the typical meal and daily sustenance of millions of human beings both in Arabia and in North Africa, and to this meager diet ethnologists have ascribed many of the peculiar characteristics of the people who live upon it. Buckle, who finds in the constant consumption of rice among the Hindoos a reason for the inclination to the prodigious and grotesque, the depression of spirits, and the weariness of life manifest in that nation, likewise considers that the morbid temperament of the Arab is a sequence of vegetarianism. He points out that rice contains an unusual amount of starch, namely, between 83 and 85 per cent; and that dates possess precisely the same nutritious substances as rice does, with the single difference that the starch is already converted into sugar. To live, therefore, on such food is not to satisfy hunger; and hunger, like all other cravings, even if partially satisfied, exercises control over the imagination. "This biological fact," says Peschel, "was and still is the origin of the rigid fastings prescribed by religions so widely different, which are made use of by Shamans in every quarter of the world when they wish to enter into communication with invisible powers." Peschel and Buckle, however, are at variance as to the influence of the date diet as affecting a race; and the former remarks that, "while no one will deny that the nature of the food reacts upon the mental powers of man, the temperament evoked by different sorts is different;" yet "we are still far from having ascertained anything in regard to the permanent effects of daily food, especially as the human stomach has, to a great degree, the power of accommodating itself to various food substances, so that with use even narcotics lose much of their effect." The same author also adds that the date "trains up independent and warlike desert tribes, which have not the most remote mental relationship to the rice-eating Hindoos." It remains for the reader to reconcile this disagreement of learned doctors according to his own judgment. The evidence of those who subsist on the date is certainly overwhelming in its favor. The Assyrians, tradition says, asserted that it was such a great gift to them that its worth could not be too extravagantly told; for they had found, for the leaves, the fruit, the juices, and the wood of the tree, three hundred and sixty different uses. The Mohammedans adopt the date palm into their religion as an emblem of uprightness, and say that it miraculously sprang into existence, fully grown, at the command of the Prophet. Palm branches still enter as symbols of rejoicing into Christian religious ceremonies; and throughout Palestine constant reference is found to the date and the palm in the naming of towns. Bethany means "a house of dates." Ancient Palmyra was a "city of palms," and the Hebrew female name Tamar is derived from the word in that language signifying palm. In Africa there is an immense tract of land between Barbary and the great desert named Bilidulgerid, "the land of dates," from the profusion of the trees there growing. In this country, the date as an article of food is classed with the prune, the fig, and the tamarind, to be used merely as a luxury. We find it coming to the markets at just about this time of year in the greatest quantities, packed in baskets roughly made from dried palm leaves. The dates, gathered while ripe and soft, are forced into these receptacles until almost a pasty mass, often not over clean, is formed. Their natural sugar tends to preserve them; but after long keeping they become dry and hard. This renders them unfit for use; but they still find a sale to the itinerant vendors who, after steaming them to render them soft (of course at the expense of the flavor), hawk them about the streets. Dates in the pasty condition are not relished by those who live on them; nor, on the other hand, would we probably fancy the dried, almost tasteless fruit which, strung on long straws, is carried in bunches by the Arabs in their pouches. The date palm ( ) is the most important species of the dozen which make up its genus. Though slow in growth, it shoots up a magnificent stem, to the height sometimes of eighty feet, the summit of which is covered with a graceful crown of pinnated leaves. The trunk is exceedingly rough and spiny; the flower spathes, which appear in the axils of the leaves, are woody, and contain branched spadices with many flowers; more than 11,000 have been counted on a single male spadix. As the flowers are diœcious, it is necessary to impregnate the female blossoms artificially in order to insure a good crop; and to this end the male spadices are cut off when the pollen is ripe and carefully shaken over the female ones. At from six to ten years of age, the tree bears, and then remains fruitful for upward of 200 years. An excellent idea of the palm in full bearing may be obtained from our illustration, which represents the mode of gathering the dates, of which a single tree will often yield from one to four hundredweight in a season. The fruit varies much in size and quality; and in the oases of the Sahara forty-six varieties have been named. phœnix dactylifera The utilizations of the date palm and its products are very numerous. The stem yields starch, and timber for houses, boats, fences, fuel, etc., as well as an inferior kind of sago. The leaves serve as parasols and umbrellas, and for material for roof covering, baskets, brushes, mats, and innumerable utensils. At their base is a fiber, which is spun into excellent rope. When the heart of the leaf is cut, a thick honey-like juice exudes, which, by fermentation, becomes wine (the "toddy" of India), or vinegar, and is also boiled down into sugar. The young shoots, when cooked, resemble asparagus; and the dates themselves are dried and ground into meal, from which bread is prepared. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2006). Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19406/pg19406-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

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