Sunday, June 14. 2009
AN INSTINCT FOR TROUBLE
Okay, things are becoming clearer. Ms. Aura and Nigel are on the human side of the portal, but living as dolphins. She has a device on her dorsal fin that allows her to communicate to others in her group via Twitter (at her account at catherine_aura), but some defect in that device has resulted in her tweets leaking into the public realm. She’s not aware of this...yet.
Through her tweets it’s become apparent that her role is to monitor contact between our two worlds, in order to prevent our society from collapsing through instinct loss. This is important work, and I don’t want to interfere with it.
She’s now aware of this blog I’m doing, but cannot as yet decipher it on her side of the portal. I fully anticipate an attempt to block it, but to me that’s an unnecessary gesture. It’s my belief that it’s not knowledge or awareness of humans that causes our instinct loss, but instead it’s due to an imbalance that occurs when people physically cross through the portal.
That balance was slighteest disrupted when I crossed over as an infant, and it reached a dangerous tipping point when Martha Fennec returned to Domain in human form. It subsided when Martha’s original form was restored, but then Danielle crossed over. It took Ms. Aura and Nigel going over to the human side to put it all back in balance. Since I began communicating directly with you humans a year ago I’ve been closely following the news and blogosphere for the slightest sign of instinct loss, and none have appeared.
To sum up the situation with the signals, I’m aware of what Ms. Aura saying to others in her group, but not the responses of the others so I don’t know how large the group is. She’s aware that transmissions from me are coming through the portal, but she can’t read them. We’re both concerned with preventing instinct loss, but we may come into conflict despite having the same goal.
Ms. Aura is also monitoring the webcomic on the human side. I don’t know where that fits in to all this.
Through her tweets it’s become apparent that her role is to monitor contact between our two worlds, in order to prevent our society from collapsing through instinct loss. This is important work, and I don’t want to interfere with it.
She’s now aware of this blog I’m doing, but cannot as yet decipher it on her side of the portal. I fully anticipate an attempt to block it, but to me that’s an unnecessary gesture. It’s my belief that it’s not knowledge or awareness of humans that causes our instinct loss, but instead it’s due to an imbalance that occurs when people physically cross through the portal.
That balance was slighteest disrupted when I crossed over as an infant, and it reached a dangerous tipping point when Martha Fennec returned to Domain in human form. It subsided when Martha’s original form was restored, but then Danielle crossed over. It took Ms. Aura and Nigel going over to the human side to put it all back in balance. Since I began communicating directly with you humans a year ago I’ve been closely following the news and blogosphere for the slightest sign of instinct loss, and none have appeared.
To sum up the situation with the signals, I’m aware of what Ms. Aura saying to others in her group, but not the responses of the others so I don’t know how large the group is. She’s aware that transmissions from me are coming through the portal, but she can’t read them. We’re both concerned with preventing instinct loss, but we may come into conflict despite having the same goal.
Ms. Aura is also monitoring the webcomic on the human side. I don’t know where that fits in to all this.
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Yes, there is a good chance you will come into conflict. Hopefully she will learn to read your posts and hear of your theory that instinct loss involves a physical, not psychological, inbalance.
Why would Mrs. Aura want to stir up trouble about the postal anyway. The humans don't really know of the portal (well some do but they're all probably rotting in jail for Danielle's "murder" or an insane asylum for trying to explain it) and the animals mostly don't know of it (minus the extended Dewclaw clan who are content on their side). Unless little Francis gets sick the odds of someone attempting a crossing are really slim.
Lindesfarne, the balance may be more delicate than you thought. When Rudy started doing his comic strip about humans (which was unfortunately more accurate than you might think), it resulted in widespread instinct loss on your side. I grant that the situation was unbalanced at the time because of your transition, but being unbalanced by only one person (as far as we know) combined with information about our side had massive impact on your side of the portal. Ms. Aura may be wise to monitor the situation closely. Bluntly, most of us from the human side of the portal might prefer to lose contact with you rather than have your civilization collapse.
I do wish your side had more influence on us though: this week, a man who blamed people of different religions and skin colors for all of his problems in life entered the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and killed a guard who was attempting to open the door for him. Your side seems much saner than ours...
Also, last week someone asked how I ended up here 'blogging,' with my dislike/disdain for (so-called) social media. Simple: I enjoy the comic strip produced on this side, and I use this blog as a means to comment on it. I end up commenting on the differences between our worlds... and too often finding my side (the human side) lacking.
I do wish your side had more influence on us though: this week, a man who blamed people of different religions and skin colors for all of his problems in life entered the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and killed a guard who was attempting to open the door for him. Your side seems much saner than ours...
Also, last week someone asked how I ended up here 'blogging,' with my dislike/disdain for (so-called) social media. Simple: I enjoy the comic strip produced on this side, and I use this blog as a means to comment on it. I end up commenting on the differences between our worlds... and too often finding my side (the human side) lacking.
Amen to that Charlie! Our world could learn so much from yours, Lindesfarne.2
Our worlds our in close parallel, unfortunately. An incident similar to the one you described occurred here as well.
And yes, I recognize that my presence here, from the time of my arrival to the time Ms Aura and Nigel brought things back into equilibrium, took the matter so close to a tipping point that any other factor (Ms. Fennec's transformation, Rudy's webcomic...) created havoc.
And yes, I recognize that my presence here, from the time of my arrival to the time Ms Aura and Nigel brought things back into equilibrium, took the matter so close to a tipping point that any other factor (Ms. Fennec's transformation, Rudy's webcomic...) created havoc.
I still can not follow catherine_aura on (human) Twitter. Odd. However, I think that you are definitely missing some of the nuances involved. We did not have to do anything unusual to read your blog, yet Ms. Aura does? Even odder, Nigel not posting, when he always was informed of all Ms. Aura's activities. (I did check to see if he had a Twitter account, but since I can not find Ms. Aura's, I am not sure my missing HIS means anything.)
Say, what do you think happened with their instincts since they became dolphins? I mean, dolphins need their instincts for eating, migrating, etc. Do transformed birds acquire what they need? That would explain why Martha not only lost her fox instincts, but seemed to gain (the worst of) human ones.
I should reassure you slightly: most humans learn to curtail much of their short-sighted, overcompensating aggression by adulthood. If they did not, we could not form a stable society. The ones who surrender to it, though, can do a lot of damage, as you may have gathered.
Say, what do you think happened with their instincts since they became dolphins? I mean, dolphins need their instincts for eating, migrating, etc. Do transformed birds acquire what they need? That would explain why Martha not only lost her fox instincts, but seemed to gain (the worst of) human ones.
I should reassure you slightly: most humans learn to curtail much of their short-sighted, overcompensating aggression by adulthood. If they did not, we could not form a stable society. The ones who surrender to it, though, can do a lot of damage, as you may have gathered.
Do keep in mind that these communications are not just bouncing between two worlds/realms/universes/or what ever the true deal is. In all fact, we aren't completely sure just how many...I'll chose realms...are intermixing into this blog.
However, it does seem like a measurable option to see whom can pick up on this Tweeter communcation and whom can not. Your realm may truly be coming from a third reality.
We also have a realm where Humans are not the only deemed intelligence. Another where robotic intelligence is at the healm. Yet another that has no discernable life in it.
I, for one, do not support the notion that what we have is by any means *fragile*. The Universe is incredibly complex and durable. So much so, the most powerful force it will ever know will tear it apart...and, yet, it will never truly fail. For, it will start again and laugh at the attempt to ruin it all.
However, it does seem like a measurable option to see whom can pick up on this Tweeter communcation and whom can not. Your realm may truly be coming from a third reality.
We also have a realm where Humans are not the only deemed intelligence. Another where robotic intelligence is at the healm. Yet another that has no discernable life in it.
I, for one, do not support the notion that what we have is by any means *fragile*. The Universe is incredibly complex and durable. So much so, the most powerful force it will ever know will tear it apart...and, yet, it will never truly fail. For, it will start again and laugh at the attempt to ruin it all.
Stephanie, thanks. That is reassuring.
You mentioned Nigel. One of Ms. Aura's tweets wondered if this inter-portal communication was the result of her son wanting to keep up with Coney's doings.
You mentioned Nigel. One of Ms. Aura's tweets wondered if this inter-portal communication was the result of her son wanting to keep up with Coney's doings.
Trying to think of what Aura might try to do, since nothing seems to be happening for now, probably just continue to monitor on occassion.
Why isn't the blog causing instinct loss. Perhaps it's because of a smaller audience. Maybe it's because of simply reading, the audience can interact and post back.
Why isn't the blog causing instinct loss. Perhaps it's because of a smaller audience. Maybe it's because of simply reading, the audience can interact and post back.
Bixyl,
My theory is that with the portal equation in balance (an equal number of individuals on both sides), the tipping point is far away. Hence, this blog isn't causing instinct loss.
My theory is that with the portal equation in balance (an equal number of individuals on both sides), the tipping point is far away. Hence, this blog isn't causing instinct loss.
We also must take into consideration the number of population there is reading this blog versus the amount not reading.
Just the other day, I saw a classic photograph of the crowd at Woodstock. The photo swept a great portion of this mass that went from the stage, up this incline and over the hill. (I YouTube'd the image under my own name. Though, that's not very useful for most of our visitors. As the footage can not transcend the portal. At least, I don't think so...) If this image could represent the whole populous or even a fraction of, then the amount visiting this blog from multiple realms might equal...a fraction of an inch of one person's image.
Another example might be to catch a grain of sand in a desert sand storm. You have caught one grain in a whirlwind of millions. Have you truly done anything noteworthy to the storm by doing this?
Just the other day, I saw a classic photograph of the crowd at Woodstock. The photo swept a great portion of this mass that went from the stage, up this incline and over the hill. (I YouTube'd the image under my own name. Though, that's not very useful for most of our visitors. As the footage can not transcend the portal. At least, I don't think so...) If this image could represent the whole populous or even a fraction of, then the amount visiting this blog from multiple realms might equal...a fraction of an inch of one person's image.
Another example might be to catch a grain of sand in a desert sand storm. You have caught one grain in a whirlwind of millions. Have you truly done anything noteworthy to the storm by doing this?
I have to wonder: If non-humans can lose touch with their instincts by thinking about humans too much, do humans who read "Kevin & Kell" (which is by no means our only entertainment starring sapient animals) lose their human instincts? Do they gain new instincts or discover latent ones? I haven't really noticed, altho a few of us like to dress up as animals for one reason or another.
Perhaps what we really need is for someone who's always been human to cross to your world without changing shape. Then we'll see how his or her behavior changes. It'd be quite temporary, of course, for safety's sake.
Another question to keep in mind: When the imbalance had severe effects in your world, how was the human world faring? What if the imbalance were in the other direction?
Perhaps what we really need is for someone who's always been human to cross to your world without changing shape. Then we'll see how his or her behavior changes. It'd be quite temporary, of course, for safety's sake.
Another question to keep in mind: When the imbalance had severe effects in your world, how was the human world faring? What if the imbalance were in the other direction?
Tempting, but I can't afford to travel to the Bermuda Triangle yet. Besides, according to the comic, it now has a formidable-looking avian guard.
I think I may have an idea:
What if you were to enter the back of the portal? Do you suppose you would then exit the back of the recieving end, avoiding detection? After all, the guard is on the non-human side so it should be easy to position yourself prior to entry. (getting back would be a problem, though...)
What if you were to enter the back of the portal? Do you suppose you would then exit the back of the recieving end, avoiding detection? After all, the guard is on the non-human side so it should be easy to position yourself prior to entry. (getting back would be a problem, though...)
To me, there are a lot of unanswered questions about Ms. Aura communications:
1) Why would she use a public service to keep her observations? Even if it's supposed to be private, no intelligence agent worth their decoder ring would do this unless the msgs. were written in code, which these apparently are not.
2) Where did she get her dorsal device? While she may have the smarts to design it, how would she convey that information, and to whom? Not Humans, I'm sure. So how did it get built and paid for?
3) If her and Nigel are the only two crossovers, how is she keeping tabs on Subject A from waaaay over in Georgia. And how does she even know what a Mac is, and why is that even relevant in her tweets?
4) If she can't decipher the signals coming from the portal, how does she know Lindesferne's sending them? Likewise, why can she get clear signals from her "agents" in domain, but Lindy's aren't? I would think the Agent's signals are more complex, being encryped and all, than a reletively simple text stream.
5) As someone else mentioned, Where did she get the image of her former self?
There's just too many loose ends.
1) Why would she use a public service to keep her observations? Even if it's supposed to be private, no intelligence agent worth their decoder ring would do this unless the msgs. were written in code, which these apparently are not.
2) Where did she get her dorsal device? While she may have the smarts to design it, how would she convey that information, and to whom? Not Humans, I'm sure. So how did it get built and paid for?
3) If her and Nigel are the only two crossovers, how is she keeping tabs on Subject A from waaaay over in Georgia. And how does she even know what a Mac is, and why is that even relevant in her tweets?
4) If she can't decipher the signals coming from the portal, how does she know Lindesferne's sending them? Likewise, why can she get clear signals from her "agents" in domain, but Lindy's aren't? I would think the Agent's signals are more complex, being encryped and all, than a reletively simple text stream.
5) As someone else mentioned, Where did she get the image of her former self?
There's just too many loose ends.
I believe I have a hunch on how the whole instinct loss thing works-thought is energy, and could exist in multiple dimensions, thus, an individual's mind could have a sort of link to it's "twin" in another dimension. It is apparent that individuals are, on a subconscious level, aware of the multiple universes (which explains the popularity of Rudy's 'human' comic strip) When this "memory" becomes conscious, the mind attempts to adapt, which, on your side of the portal, causes instinct loss. So far nothing drastic has happened on the human side, because there wasn't an excess of individuals from your side here. If there was, however, humans would most likely begin to retain the instincts of their "twins". This could also explain why humans are so entertained by stories of sapient animals.
Okay, I can follow Catherine Aura now on Twitter. I wonder what changed? And, among the others following her are what seem to be the comic creators...
Referring to humans gaining instincts on this side of the portal: while that might be interesting, or even (dare I say it?) cool, there is the OTHER imbalance between the two sides that might force instinct-changes to happen unidirectionally only: namely, that Humanside has all the species Lindesfarneside has, but Lindesfarneside lacks humans. Humans are not present at a different intelligence level Lindesfarneside, the way the other animals are Humanside. It was HUMAN intelligence-enhancers that are responsible for this situation, so it is possible that the machines arranged to increase mental powers in specific, human-centric ways. That sort of mindset in the inventors might have blinded them to the need for instinct increasers or modifiers. Or maybe it did not - Ms. Aura has said that the birds figured out leftover human-built machines. There might be a few that they did not fully understand before fast-forwarding them all.
I wonder if the comic-creator was adopted? Would it not a Lindesfarneside origin be a possible explanation for his cross-portal imagination?
Referring to humans gaining instincts on this side of the portal: while that might be interesting, or even (dare I say it?) cool, there is the OTHER imbalance between the two sides that might force instinct-changes to happen unidirectionally only: namely, that Humanside has all the species Lindesfarneside has, but Lindesfarneside lacks humans. Humans are not present at a different intelligence level Lindesfarneside, the way the other animals are Humanside. It was HUMAN intelligence-enhancers that are responsible for this situation, so it is possible that the machines arranged to increase mental powers in specific, human-centric ways. That sort of mindset in the inventors might have blinded them to the need for instinct increasers or modifiers. Or maybe it did not - Ms. Aura has said that the birds figured out leftover human-built machines. There might be a few that they did not fully understand before fast-forwarding them all.
I wonder if the comic-creator was adopted? Would it not a Lindesfarneside origin be a possible explanation for his cross-portal imagination?
Instinct loss? I hate to break it to you, Lindesfarne, but us humans are in no danger of losing our instincts.
I should say little danger. I, personally, was born without instincts; here, they call that Asperger's Syndrome. But I am a one-in-a-thousand anomaly. Thus I have studied the rest of my species all my life.
Some human instincts include territoriality, dominance games, hierarchical climbing, identifying anything different as a threat, the need to find a mate, the care of children, and above all, the will to survive at any cost.
Ironically, the modern world of high technology both precludes and enables expressions of those instincts in different ways. Survival in civilized areas is not a matter of avoiding predation. It is more a matter of avoiding crime, accidents, and sickness.
I was teased in school, and I grew up thinking people just didn't like me. I only later found out that some humans "test" people they might want to be their friends by "gently" teasing them, to see how well they respond.
A weak response indicates an omega personality (to use wolfpack terms), and usually allows the shunning of that person without any social consequences. A strong response indicates an alpha or beta personality, and so the person is accepted into the group.
We have lost an understanding of those instincts, not the instincts themselves, as our other tools have improved. A person can go through twelve years of school and never once hear these instincts described by a teacher.
I should say little danger. I, personally, was born without instincts; here, they call that Asperger's Syndrome. But I am a one-in-a-thousand anomaly. Thus I have studied the rest of my species all my life.
Some human instincts include territoriality, dominance games, hierarchical climbing, identifying anything different as a threat, the need to find a mate, the care of children, and above all, the will to survive at any cost.
Ironically, the modern world of high technology both precludes and enables expressions of those instincts in different ways. Survival in civilized areas is not a matter of avoiding predation. It is more a matter of avoiding crime, accidents, and sickness.
I was teased in school, and I grew up thinking people just didn't like me. I only later found out that some humans "test" people they might want to be their friends by "gently" teasing them, to see how well they respond.
A weak response indicates an omega personality (to use wolfpack terms), and usually allows the shunning of that person without any social consequences. A strong response indicates an alpha or beta personality, and so the person is accepted into the group.
We have lost an understanding of those instincts, not the instincts themselves, as our other tools have improved. A person can go through twelve years of school and never once hear these instincts described by a teacher.
Pardon me for correcting you, but human instincts and senses are very watered down compared to what we see in the Lindesfarneside comic. There, you can sense storms, migrate, smell fear, decorate homes to express territorality, base careers on burying bones, mirroring empathic input, or guiding lost souls onward...
I believe the trouble you had understanding and being understood was mainly based on social instincts? I am sorry. People do tend to assume other people use the same unspoken cues, and language habits as themselves. Such assumptions are bad enough when one is traveling in a foreign country: when trying to talk to someone whose wiring is set up differently than our own, our clumsiness and mistakes often end in results the opposite of our intentions.
I believe the trouble you had understanding and being understood was mainly based on social instincts? I am sorry. People do tend to assume other people use the same unspoken cues, and language habits as themselves. Such assumptions are bad enough when one is traveling in a foreign country: when trying to talk to someone whose wiring is set up differently than our own, our clumsiness and mistakes often end in results the opposite of our intentions.
I suspect humans are more instinct driven than we assume, exactly because most fly beneath consciousness. Humans respond to pheromones, seem to have certain traits (such as a hierarchy system) hardwired. pick up visual and audible clues in social situations, and have "gut feelings" that influence behavior. For example, in CGI there's the problem of the canny valley, where human characters appear so human that we automatically look for visual clues. Since the CGI characters (so far) don't sent out those clues, the end effect is very creepy. However, make those characters caricatures, and the creepy feel vanishes.
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