Futile Rice
@futile-rice.bsky.social
「無益な米」 🇺🇸/🇯🇵 he/they
I do volunteer STEM advising for (hard and soft) scifi/fantasy authors. Ph.D. in SE.
「蟲師」と「葬送のフリーレン」が好き。また、「serial experiments lain」と「電脳コイル」も面白かった。
僕が決めたわけじゃないけど、フィードアルゴリズムによると、ピザも好きらしい。
Banner photo is https://w.wiki/CJqE.
I do volunteer STEM advising for (hard and soft) scifi/fantasy authors. Ph.D. in SE.
「蟲師」と「葬送のフリーレン」が好き。また、「serial experiments lain」と「電脳コイル」も面白かった。
僕が決めたわけじゃないけど、フィードアルゴリズムによると、ピザも好きらしい。
Banner photo is https://w.wiki/CJqE.
Pinned
Futile Rice
@futile-rice.bsky.social
· Nov 26
Hello! I am Futile Rice or 無益な米; my random name is because I value my privacy. IRL I do interdisciplinary math and SE. I also volunteer as a STEM advisor for fiction authors: I do literature searches, prepare explainers, review for realism, and act as a sounding board. Hit me up if interested.
I want to apologize for my unplanned hiatus these last couple of weeks. Unfortunately I ran into some medical issues over the holiday season, but thankfully my prognosis is good, and I will do my best to get back to posting regularly as soon as I am able. Again, sorry about the lack of recent posts.
December 30, 2024 at 2:53 PM
I want to apologize for my unplanned hiatus these last couple of weeks. Unfortunately I ran into some medical issues over the holiday season, but thankfully my prognosis is good, and I will do my best to get back to posting regularly as soon as I am able. Again, sorry about the lack of recent posts.
Just came across this account of similar, but more focused purpose:
Hey #writingcommunity
Feel free to reach out if you have any medical questions for your projects. Happy to help improve your stories and the realism/plausibility of the medical content that’s out there!
#writing #scriptsky #filmsky
Feel free to reach out if you have any medical questions for your projects. Happy to help improve your stories and the realism/plausibility of the medical content that’s out there!
#writing #scriptsky #filmsky
December 15, 2024 at 4:07 PM
Just came across this account of similar, but more focused purpose:
A recent and very relevant report for any #SF #writers creating stories about epidemics, technological polycrises, and/or extraterrestrial life:
I’m proud to join more than 30 colleagues today in sharing our analysis of potential risks from “mirror life”. We summarize our findings in a @science.org article, and in greater detail in a 300pg technical report:
Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Report: purl.stanford.edu/cv716pj4036
Article: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Report: purl.stanford.edu/cv716pj4036
December 14, 2024 at 1:33 AM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Switching gears from sci-fi more to #fantasy today, I'd like to look at homeobox genes as inspiration for a system of fantastic creature-type variations, both as applied to demihumans/metahumans (dwarves, elves, orcs, nagas, etc.) and monsters. 🧵 1/21
December 14, 2024 at 1:14 AM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Switching gears from sci-fi more to #fantasy today, I'd like to look at homeobox genes as inspiration for a system of fantastic creature-type variations, both as applied to demihumans/metahumans (dwarves, elves, orcs, nagas, etc.) and monsters. 🧵 1/21
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Following up this week's threads on space lasers (is.gd/L4iQBs) and space missiles (is.gd/ovjTrJ), I'd like to discuss sleeper LAWs, the closest plausible equivalent to mines in space, and a weapon type that seems underrepresented in #SF 🪐📚. 1/18
December 12, 2024 at 7:25 PM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Following up this week's threads on space lasers (is.gd/L4iQBs) and space missiles (is.gd/ovjTrJ), I'd like to discuss sleeper LAWs, the closest plausible equivalent to mines in space, and a weapon type that seems underrepresented in #SF 🪐📚. 1/18
Reposted by Futile Rice
Updated Version! There's been a handful of new pitch events announced!
The next event is on Dec 14th, #WIPPit, for WIP projects only and then #HoliPit on the 15th!
Pitch Event Starter Pack:
go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
#WritingCommunity #Writers #WriteSky #AmQuerying #AmWriting #LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
The next event is on Dec 14th, #WIPPit, for WIP projects only and then #HoliPit on the 15th!
Pitch Event Starter Pack:
go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
#WritingCommunity #Writers #WriteSky #AmQuerying #AmWriting #LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
December 11, 2024 at 7:16 AM
Updated Version! There's been a handful of new pitch events announced!
The next event is on Dec 14th, #WIPPit, for WIP projects only and then #HoliPit on the 15th!
Pitch Event Starter Pack:
go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
#WritingCommunity #Writers #WriteSky #AmQuerying #AmWriting #LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
The next event is on Dec 14th, #WIPPit, for WIP projects only and then #HoliPit on the 15th!
Pitch Event Starter Pack:
go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
#WritingCommunity #Writers #WriteSky #AmQuerying #AmWriting #LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Monday's jumbo thread (is.gd/L4iQBs) looked at realistic #SF space lasers; today's 🧵 turns to space missiles/torpedoes and their ilk. Like before, I hope the discussion will spark some concrete ideas for hard #sci-fi and/or inspiration for softer #SF. 1/26
Futile Rice (@futile-rice.bsky.social)
Musings for the #writingcommunity: #Sci-fi space lasers for today's long 🧵, especially how they would affect ship design and a crew's experience during combat. While the viability of lasers as weapons...
is.gd
December 11, 2024 at 1:50 PM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Monday's jumbo thread (is.gd/L4iQBs) looked at realistic #SF space lasers; today's 🧵 turns to space missiles/torpedoes and their ilk. Like before, I hope the discussion will spark some concrete ideas for hard #sci-fi and/or inspiration for softer #SF. 1/26
#WIPPit on Saturday, December 14 (midnight to midnight EST):
(Note: Correct "H" to "His" as the tag for historical fiction.)
(Note: Correct "H" to "His" as the tag for historical fiction.)
Hello everyone! I'm so excited to bring you #WITPIT! This is a pitch event for WIP lit only. Agents, Publishers, and Agents are welcome. Check out the rules and hashtags pictured. Our first event will take place on December 14! Share and let's get the word out! It'll take place here & on Twitter.
December 10, 2024 at 12:24 AM
#WIPPit on Saturday, December 14 (midnight to midnight EST):
(Note: Correct "H" to "His" as the tag for historical fiction.)
(Note: Correct "H" to "His" as the tag for historical fiction.)
Musings for the #writingcommunity: #Sci-fi space lasers for today's long 🧵, especially how they would affect ship design and a crew's experience during combat. While the viability of lasers as weapons in space is well-trod ground, I'm hoping these other angles offer something new for authors. 1/42
December 9, 2024 at 6:27 PM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: #Sci-fi space lasers for today's long 🧵, especially how they would affect ship design and a crew's experience during combat. While the viability of lasers as weapons in space is well-trod ground, I'm hoping these other angles offer something new for authors. 1/42
Reposted by Futile Rice
Hello #Writers, #LiteraryAgents, and #Editors in the #WritingCommunity!
Here is a list of the Pitch Events in December.
A complete list of all pitch events taking place within BlueSky can be found in the linked Google Doc file that I'll update as events are confirmed.
https://buff.ly/49sUspX
Here is a list of the Pitch Events in December.
A complete list of all pitch events taking place within BlueSky can be found in the linked Google Doc file that I'll update as events are confirmed.
https://buff.ly/49sUspX
December 7, 2024 at 1:51 AM
Hello #Writers, #LiteraryAgents, and #Editors in the #WritingCommunity!
Here is a list of the Pitch Events in December.
A complete list of all pitch events taking place within BlueSky can be found in the linked Google Doc file that I'll update as events are confirmed.
https://buff.ly/49sUspX
Here is a list of the Pitch Events in December.
A complete list of all pitch events taking place within BlueSky can be found in the linked Google Doc file that I'll update as events are confirmed.
https://buff.ly/49sUspX
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Given the by-now widespread public exposure to conversational #LLMs, readers of hard #sci-fi have a new angle from which to evaluate realism in AI characters. Still, a speculative AI need not be like today's chatbots. A 🧵 on possible realistic contrasts: 1/20
December 6, 2024 at 9:42 PM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Given the by-now widespread public exposure to conversational #LLMs, readers of hard #sci-fi have a new angle from which to evaluate realism in AI characters. Still, a speculative AI need not be like today's chatbots. A 🧵 on possible realistic contrasts: 1/20
Update! Cheer Pit now has a dedicated BlueSky account! Guidelines are the same as on X (formerly Twitter), but replace "@CHEERPITX" with @cheerpitx.bsky.social. Inaugural event *this coming Monday*!
We’re now on BlueSky!
Guidelines for the inaugural #CheerPit 2024 event on December 9th! 🎁
We’ve updated our guidelines to include WIPs and agented authors too! We want to show as many people the writerly love as we can 📝
Please reach out if you have any questions ❤️
Guidelines for the inaugural #CheerPit 2024 event on December 9th! 🎁
We’ve updated our guidelines to include WIPs and agented authors too! We want to show as many people the writerly love as we can 📝
Please reach out if you have any questions ❤️
December 6, 2024 at 1:56 PM
Update! Cheer Pit now has a dedicated BlueSky account! Guidelines are the same as on X (formerly Twitter), but replace "@CHEERPITX" with @cheerpitx.bsky.social. Inaugural event *this coming Monday*!
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Switching up my thread-intro tag! Today's 🧵 is a long one about quantum-gravity-friendly spacetime anomalies for #sci-fi or science-inspired #fantasy authors. Here I consider the implications of a very modest QG theory, causal dynamical triangulation (CDT). 1/24
December 5, 2024 at 9:58 PM
Musings for the #writingcommunity: Switching up my thread-intro tag! Today's 🧵 is a long one about quantum-gravity-friendly spacetime anomalies for #sci-fi or science-inspired #fantasy authors. Here I consider the implications of a very modest QG theory, causal dynamical triangulation (CDT). 1/24
#writingcommunity Crazy question that surely hardly ever comes up, but what is the correct possessive of "star(s)"? In my last thread I wrote "star(s)'" with an apostrophe after the maybe-plural, but I have no idea if that's right. I could rephrase, obvs., but I'm curious what happens if I don't.
December 4, 2024 at 11:12 PM
#writingcommunity Crazy question that surely hardly ever comes up, but what is the correct possessive of "star(s)"? In my last thread I wrote "star(s)'" with an apostrophe after the maybe-plural, but I have no idea if that's right. I could rephrase, obvs., but I'm curious what happens if I don't.
Musings for possible #inspiration: Long cause-effect chains are probably my favorite to find in an author's #worldbuilding. To give an example, in this 🧵 I work through some near-realistic exogeobiological consequences of putting a protoplanetary system on a superbubble-skimming trajectory. 1/20
December 4, 2024 at 11:00 PM
Musings for possible #inspiration: Long cause-effect chains are probably my favorite to find in an author's #worldbuilding. To give an example, in this 🧵 I work through some near-realistic exogeobiological consequences of putting a protoplanetary system on a superbubble-skimming trajectory. 1/20
Reposted by Futile Rice
We've compiled a list of all upcoming pitch events on BlueSky!
We've also created a Starter Pack for the accounts running these events: go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
Please let us know if there's any we missed!
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
#AmQuerying #Writers #AmWriting
#LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
We've also created a Starter Pack for the accounts running these events: go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
Please let us know if there's any we missed!
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
#AmQuerying #Writers #AmWriting
#LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
December 4, 2024 at 8:08 AM
We've compiled a list of all upcoming pitch events on BlueSky!
We've also created a Starter Pack for the accounts running these events: go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
Please let us know if there's any we missed!
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
#AmQuerying #Writers #AmWriting
#LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
We've also created a Starter Pack for the accounts running these events: go.bsky.app/UzNMwUV
Please let us know if there's any we missed!
#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
#AmQuerying #Writers #AmWriting
#LiteraryAgents #LitAgents
Musings for possible #inspiration: Near-future #YA #sci-fi often has classroom scenes, where an author might need a topic being taught. In addition to world-specific and evergreen subjects, this 🧵 uses graphene as an example for portraying a curriculum that has moved on from the present. 1/13
December 4, 2024 at 12:02 AM
Musings for possible #inspiration: Near-future #YA #sci-fi often has classroom scenes, where an author might need a topic being taught. In addition to world-specific and evergreen subjects, this 🧵 uses graphene as an example for portraying a curriculum that has moved on from the present. 1/13
Trying to spread the word: grassroots #cheerpit in one week:
It's not official, but who here is up for #cheerpit December 9th on Bluesky?
#litagents, are you here? Are you game? Can we all spread the word #writingcommunity?
With Twitter changing the AI policy to train with our info, no way to opt out starting 11/15, I didn't want my book there anymore.
#litagents, are you here? Are you game? Can we all spread the word #writingcommunity?
With Twitter changing the AI policy to train with our info, no way to opt out starting 11/15, I didn't want my book there anymore.
December 2, 2024 at 10:51 PM
Trying to spread the word: grassroots #cheerpit in one week:
Musings for possible #inspiration: #SFF, #xenofiction or otherwise, is no stranger to nonhuman sentients and interspecies contrasts. In this 🧵, I discuss an often atmospheric-only trait of animal-inspired nonhumans—mobile pinnae (ears)—and a few potential ways to integrate it into the plot. 1/18
December 2, 2024 at 12:43 PM
Musings for possible #inspiration: #SFF, #xenofiction or otherwise, is no stranger to nonhuman sentients and interspecies contrasts. In this 🧵, I discuss an often atmospheric-only trait of animal-inspired nonhumans—mobile pinnae (ears)—and a few potential ways to integrate it into the plot. 1/18
Musings for possible #inspiration: It's certainly topical for #sci-fi to examine training-data bias in machine intelligence, but it can be tricky not to come off as too on-the-nose. Here's a subtle twist on the well-worn idea of a rogue #AI that can already be found within present-day #LLMs. 🧵 1/11
November 29, 2024 at 10:59 PM
Musings for possible #inspiration: It's certainly topical for #sci-fi to examine training-data bias in machine intelligence, but it can be tricky not to come off as too on-the-nose. Here's a subtle twist on the well-worn idea of a rogue #AI that can already be found within present-day #LLMs. 🧵 1/11
Musings for possible #inspiration: When a story needs characters to lack a shared language yet still communicate in real time, #sci-fi #scifi has many choices: conlanging a pidgin, introducing universal-translator tech, …. This 🧵 examines an oft-overlooked option: a universal *glossator*. 1/9
November 29, 2024 at 5:12 PM
Musings for possible #inspiration: When a story needs characters to lack a shared language yet still communicate in real time, #sci-fi #scifi has many choices: conlanging a pidgin, introducing universal-translator tech, …. This 🧵 examines an oft-overlooked option: a universal *glossator*. 1/9
また祝日なので、今日も短い投稿だ。かっこよくて、あまり使われていないと思う設定といえば、以下のようなものがある。軽石いかだの上（https://w.wiki/CDg7）、氷の卵のいかだの上（https://w.wiki/CDgE）、雪まりもがたくさんある場所（https://w.wiki/CDgD）、フロストフラワー（霜の花）とヘアアイス（髪の毛のような氷）の庭（https://w.wiki/CDgQ、https://w.wiki/CDgR）とか。（ごめんね。リンク先のウィキペディアページは英語しかないんだ。）
November 28, 2024 at 5:45 AM
また祝日なので、今日も短い投稿だ。かっこよくて、あまり使われていないと思う設定といえば、以下のようなものがある。軽石いかだの上（https://w.wiki/CDg7）、氷の卵のいかだの上（https://w.wiki/CDgE）、雪まりもがたくさんある場所（https://w.wiki/CDgD）、フロストフラワー（霜の花）とヘアアイス（髪の毛のような氷）の庭（https://w.wiki/CDgQ、https://w.wiki/CDgR）とか。（ごめんね。リンク先のウィキペディアページは英語しかないんだ。）