WRIT 340

Whenever I am having a stressful day, or just bored, I like to turn on the TV and watch my favorite show Adventure Time. Adventure Time is a cartoon written by Pendleton Ward that follow Finn and Jake in their adventures through Ooo and beyond. On the surface, it seems like a simple children's show, but there is a rich backstory lurking underneath. The show slowly reveals that the world of Adventure Time exits from the post-apocalyptic remnants of the Great Mushroom War. The world-building in this show is intricate and immaculate, while retaining a child-like and optimistic tone. Adventure Time reminds me of the magic of innocence and fills me with nostalgia and joy. I have rewatched many Adventure Time episodes multiple times, and there are usually always new little details I notice. The show includes many easter eggs hidden for viewers to discover. For example, the earlier seasons had a little waving snail concealed in every episode. There are many moments in the show that s...

“I hate to break it to you but what people call ‘love’ is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed” – Rick from Rick and Morty. Have you ever been rejected by someone you love? If your answer is yes, then you know that love can hurt more than any physical wound. However, it may comfort you to know that you stand in the majority. When Helen Fisher asked this question in a study among college students, almost 90% responded affirmatively (The Brain in Love). Romantic love is a universal affliction that has existed in every known human society. It has inspired art, poetry, and wars. But what is love exactly? An evolutionary trick to motivate us to procreate? The consequence of Zeus ripping us apart so we are forever cursed to search for our other half? Scientific research suggests that love is actually just chemistry, and can be broken down into three components—lust, attraction, and attachment (Wu). Lust Lust is the component that stems...

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming was a very interesting read about the drama and happenstance surrounding the removal of Pluto as a planet. It was fascinating to me because I didn't realize all the politics surrounding this decision. Though now, seeing as this decision was made by a large committee, it was naive of me not to assume that politics were involved. In short, Mike Brown was on a mission to discover the tenth planet. His discovery of Santa, which had initially looked like it could satisfy his mission, was almost stolen from him by Spanish scientists. He discovered several new planetoids that resembled Pluto, and subsequently decided that the inclusion of Pluto as a planet had been misinformed and based on ignorance. The catch is that Mike Brown is the exact individual that would stand to gain from retaining Pluto's planetary status. After many discussions and arguments between astronomers, the resolution was made that declared only 8 planets. One po...