Review: The Tale of Tal

This season's holiday shopping on Kickstarter went very well.

Amazon: In addition to the thing you actually asked about, here are 20 more books that all sound the same.
Me: Meh.

Kickstarter: Here is a book about an autistic Yeti. Or perhaps you'd prefer a Neanderthal comic book?
Me: Shut up and take my money!

So, the Neanderthal comic book arrived today: The Tale of Tal: a Neanderthal graphic novel by Dr. Gianpaolo di Silvestro and Luca Vergerio. It includes introductory materials by Prof. David Caramelli from University of Florence ("The Neanderthals"), Dr. Fabio Bona from University of Milan ("The Cave Bears"), Dr. Fabio Fusco, a researcher/consultant palaeontologist ("Flora and Fauna"), and Prof. Mauro Mandrioli from Unimore ("Science and Graphic Novels"). These parts are bilingual in Italian (black text) and English (blue text). The scientific bibliography is all in black, but a mishmash of languages since it draws on publications from diverse countries.

I am particularly charmed by the descriptions of Neanderthals in the flyleaves. "Neanderthal was an alternative way of being human, with all its diversities and fragilities." Not less than human, just differently human. It reminds me of what we lost, when we lost our cousins on the hominid family tree: a concrete example of wholly different, yet equally functional, ways of being human. We know that three species cohabited in Africa. Modern humans carry DNA from at least three relatives: Neanderthals, Denisovans, and one unknown ("I didn't get his name, but wow what a night!"). We just tend to ... forget.

There are spoilers below.

( Read more... )

Philosophical Questions: Teaching

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.


If you could teach everyone in the world one concept, what concept would have the biggest positive impact on humanity?

Everything is alive; everything is connected.

Unfortunately for a lot of societies, that record would break the record player. But societies that understand this principle are not the ones sawing off the branch we're all standing on.

Creative Jam

The January crowdfunding Creative Jam is now up with a theme of "Youth." Come give us prompts, or claim some for your own inspiration.


What I Have Written

"The World in Its Youth" is the freebie.


From My Prompts

Birdfeeding

Today is partly cloudy and cold.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a flock of sparrows, a female and a male downy woodpecker. 

Poem: "Anything You Want It to Be"

This poem is spillover from the March 1, 2022 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a discussion with dialecticdreamer and fuzzyred. It also fills the "Blacksmithing" square in my 3-1-22 card for the National Crafting Month Bingo fest. It has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Shiv thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.

( Read more... )

Character notes for "Anything You Want It to Be"

These are the character notes for "Anything You Want It to Be."

( Read more... )

Content notes for "Anything You Want It to Be"

These are the content notes for "Anything You Want It to Be."

( Read more... )