Fandom Library, Wednesday, March 19th

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

The herpetology books were going wild today. They were everywhere, except where they were supposed to be. You know, properly shelved in their respective locations. Arden could kind of get where the snake books were coming from, this was clearly some kind of St. Patrick's protest or something, but she was definitely side-eying the other reptile and amphibian books participating in this, too

"This is starting to feel more like a reenactment of the Plagues than anything else," she informed the five books about frogs that she swept up and moved from her seat behind the circulation desk. I think message is getting lost."

Bettering your Community and Yourself, period 3

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

Class today was meeting at the clinic. Outside it, to be more precise. Jon had a rickshaw full of cleaning brushes, both long-handled and handheld.

"There was a...um. An incident, a couple days ago. A new arrival. And," he gestured at the street, "blood takes a while to clean off of cobblestones on its own. So we're going to give it a bit of help. Grab a brush and some water and let's get to it." What? They weren't going to use harsh chemicals that would just run off into the bay. "It should only go about a block or so."

Hope you liked scrubbing!

The Great British Bakeoff! But American! - 2nd Period

[imafuturist]

Your teachers definitely didn't forget what day it was, and they also weren't out of breath! Steve was in his Captain America uniform and looking slightly guilty. "Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long," he said apologetically.

Look, when Steve wasn't in town, Tony forgot the days.

"So, today is alternative forms of baking," Tony said, looking like he'd crawled out from under a car. Which he might have. "Like the microwave. After we judge your shepherds pies, of course."

"Which you might also have made in the microwave," Steve said earnestly. "There's no shame in it!"

"First up for our signature is a molten lava chocolate cake," Tony said. "And then... fudge for your technical. You can make fudge in a microwave?"

Tony had no idea how fudge was made to begin with.

"JARVIS said that people can, but not us," Steve told him.

"Good luck?" Tony told the class that for sure wouldn't set anything on fire. Maybe. Probably.

Scorched chocolate wasn't that bad a smell?

Introduction to Paleontology - Period 1

[itsananomaly]

“Good Morning,” Cutter began that week’s class, as he held onto his usual cup of coffee, “this week we’re going to be looking at the Precambrian ecoystems and the Cambrian Explosion,” he explained, “The Precambrian is the earliest part of Earth’s history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon, the Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the Phanerozoic Eon, which is named after Cambria, the latinized name for Wales, where rocks form this age were first studied. The Precambrian accounts for 88% of the Earth's geologic time and it is divided into three eons, Hadean, Archeon and Proterozoic . It spans from the formation of Earth about 4.6 billion years ago to the beginning of the Cambrian Period, about 538.8 million years ago, when hard-shelled creatures first appeared in abundance.”

“Relatively little is known about the Precambrian, despite it making up roughly seven-eighths of the Earth’s history,” Cutter continued, “and what is known has largely been Phanerozoic discovered from the 1960s onwards. The Precambrian fossil record is poorer than that of the succeeding Phanerozoic and fossils from the Precambrian are of limited biostratigraphic use. This is because many Precambrian rocks have been heavily metamorphosed, obscuring their origins, while others have been destroyed by erosion, or remain deeply buried beneath Phanerozoic strata,” he finished, smiling over at Connor for him to continue the lecture.

Connor nodded and continued the class. “The Cambrian explosion was a period of rapid diversification of life on Earth, where most major animal phyla first appeared in the fossil record. The Cambrian explosion occurred at the beginning of the Cambrian period, a geological period in the early Paleozoic era. This period witnessed a sudden and dramatic increase in the diversity of life forms, particularly in the oceans. Many of the major animal phyla that we see today, including vertebrates, arthropods, mollusks, and other common diversification types, emerged during this time. The Cambrian explosion is considered a pivotal moment in the history of life on Earth, as it marked the emergence of complex, multicellular organisms and the beginnings of the animal kingdom as we know it. The fossil record from this period reveals a vast array of unusual and diverse marine organisms, some of which are extinct, providing insights into the early evolution of animal life.”

Connor took a drink from his coffee mug and then continued. “While the exact causes of the Cambrian explosion are still debated, some theories include the following… Increased Oxygen Levels: Some scientists believe that rising oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans allowed for the evolution of larger, more complex organisms. Ecosystem Changes: Changes in the Earth's environment, such as the availability of resources and the formation of new habitats, may have also played a role. Evolutionary Innovation: The emergence of new genetic mechanisms or developmental pathways could have facilitated the rapid diversification of life.” With a small nod to Cutter, he handed the lecture back over with a small grin.

“For the rest of the class I’d like you to go over your moddable worksheets,” Cutter continued, “and as always myself and Mr. Temple are available for any questions that you may have,”