INTRODUCTION [show image/prop/pen.png 25%] **Nib Notes** is a tool for writing linked text in plain language. No code. For example: --- **Dock** Locking the truck, I walk the creaking planks and stow the crate on the ==**Yacht**==. --- ==**Yacht**== The craft rocks beside the **Dock**. It’s cooler on the water, so I keep a **Sweater** below deck. Best stay warm … I have a **Monster** to catch. --- If the highlighted words were in capitals, these scenes would be linked. It’s that easy! ~ : Take a short tutorial -> A SHORT TUTORIAL : See some examples -> EXPLORE A FEW EXAMPLES EXPLORE A FEW EXAMPLES **Nib Notes** is well-suited to exploratory stories, guided narratives, and story sliders. Lemme see … oh yeah, I have a DEBATE SIMULATION and some POINT COUNTERPOINT in here as well. ~ : Tell me about Explore Stories -> ABOUT EXPLORATORY STORIES : Tell me about Guided Narratives -> ABOUT GUIDED NARRATIVES : Tell me about Story Sliders -> ABOUT SLIDERS ABOUT EXPLORATORY STORIES An exploratory story ( explory? 😊 ) is a stateless linear narrative in which the reader has options or waypoints. • **Stateless**, as in no inventory to carry or health points to track. Even so, an exploratory story, such as the EPSILON ARTIFACT GUIDED NARRATIVE, can simulate game state. There are easy game-state engines, notably **CYOAwesome** by Christer Kaitila and **Ramus** by Felix Plesoianu. • **Linear**, like a journey. It has an origin ( start ) and a destination ( finish ). By comparison, interactive fiction might have several endings, and the reader arrives at one of them. • **Narratives** might look like a self-correcting quiz, such as the GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA example or a pick-a-path tale, such as BLOODMOON. Explore the options or find the shortest route to the destination ( a counter at the top will show the number of steps taken ). The path is up to you. A SHORT TUTORIAL ### A story script … is a set of scenes linked together. A scene has ( a ) a title in capital letters, and ( b ) story content, which links to another scene. Type it in the script panel ( tap **Toggle** to open it ) and format the content in SIMPLE MARKDOWN if you wish. ### Quick tips • Control+T = **Toggle** ( show | hide ) the script panel. • Control+S = **Start** button = start over. To == go directly to a scene == when drafting a script, put the name of that scene at the top of your script. For example, if editing a scene named **Waldo**, put **Waldo** at the top of your story script. When you tap **Start**, the story finds **Waldo**. ( Remember: scene titles in capitals. ) SIMPLE MARKDOWN Markdown is an easy way to format content, such as in **Bold** or _Italics_. ### Use hashtags  #  to make heading levels 1 to 6 Use three dashes  ---  for a horizontal line --- **For bold**, put  **  on both sides _For italics_,  _  on both sides == To highlight ==,  ==  on both sides • Bullet mark … • for a list For single-spaced lines, put double slashes  / /  between the text. _’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves//did gyre and gimble in the wabe.//All mimsy were the borogoves,//and the mome raths outgrabe._ Insert a blank line with a  ~  tilde ~ : Tell me about dialogue. -> ABOUT DIALOGUE : Tell me about choice boxes. -> ABOUT CHOICE BOXES : Tell me about organization. -> LOGICAL ORGANIZATION LOGICAL ORGANIZATION Scenes can • follow one another in **sequence**, • **branch** to options, or • **loop** back to a previous scene. Let’s start with SCENE ONE. SCENE ONE In this example, Scene 1 links to SCENE TWO in sequence ( one scene after the other ). SCENE TWO Scene 2 branches to SCENE THREE or SCENE FOUR. SCENE THREE Scene 3 loops back to SCENE TWO. SCENE FOUR Scene 4 loops back to start SCENE ONE or continues in sequence to SCENE FIVE. SCENE FIVE Scene 5 finish. The path has been 1 ➜ 2 ➜ ( 3 ➜ 2 | 4 ➜ ( 1 | 5) ). There is always an origin and a destination, but along the way the story might loop or branch. ~ : Tell me about dialogue. -> ABOUT DIALOGUE : Tell me about choice boxes. -> ABOUT CHOICE BOXES ABOUT DIALOGUE Put text for the left speaker in straight double quotation marks. Put text for the right speaker in straight single quotation marks. [show image/actor/A03woman4L.png 25% left] "This is a left speaker. “Curly” quotation marks do not indicate speakers." 'This is a right speaker. Images of the speakers are optional.' [show image/actor/A08man4R.png 27% right] ~ : This is a choice box. Tell me about it. -> ABOUT CHOICE BOXES ABOUT CHOICE BOXES A choice box allows you to display text different from the name of the scene to which it is linked. • For example, in a quiz, this helps not give away where the link is going. • The format looks like == : display text -> SCENE NAME ==  ~ : Tell me about Explore Stories -> ABOUT EXPLORATORY STORIES : Tell me about Guided Narratives -> ABOUT GUIDED NARRATIVES : Tell me about Story Sliders -> ABOUT SLIDERS BLOODMOON [show image/Bloodmoon/moon.png] --- This excerpt, like GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA, has multiple choices. One tells, the other asks—but both are adventures. A “wrong” answer is explained, then one is guided to the “right” path. --- ~ Exterior: full moon. Interior: transit car. I bend down to PICK UP A CLOTH of some sort. PICK UP A CLOTH Written in lipstick, it reads: [show image/Bloodmoon/lipstick.png 20%] "You are being watched." Gotta laugh. I mean, who does sitcom hanky? Shove it into my WINDBREAKER POCKET? LOOK AROUND TO SEE who might be looking at me? TOSS IT BACK under the subway seat? WINDBREAKER POCKET The hanky isn't something I really want to carry. I’d rather TOSS IT BACK. LOOK AROUND TO SEE I refuse to give the prankster the satisfaction of looking around. I’d rather TOSS IT BACK. TOSS IT BACK I’m guessing it’s a prank and toss the handkerchief back under the seat. "Wipe?" She reaches back a pack of DISINFECTING WIPES without looking. [show image/Bloodmoon/wipes.png 35%] 'Pardon?' "Go on. Disinfecting wipes. I saw the hanky." DISINFECTING WIPES Unusual carry, but I take one with … 'Thanks.' "You’re welcome. But they’re to protect me." My head wavers, the floor rushes. I stagger to the BACK TO LAY DOWN | or the FRONT TO AN EXIT | or to the SEAT BESIDE HER? BACK TO LAY DOWN Someone is already sprawled out in the back seat. I take the SEAT BESIDE HER. FRONT TO AN EXIT I don't think I can make it to the exit and plop down in the SEAT BESIDE HER. SEAT BESIDE HER 'Likely, any answers are here.' I mutter, not that it much matters. "Better?" 'Not remotely' I say IN A WIMPER. IN A WIMPER 'Will I wake up?' "You will never …" Never know what I will never. --- Excerpt based on Roger Kenyon, “BloodMoon,” in _Ascent: guided narratives_, CookieJar ePub (Amazon, Apple Books, etc.), 2024. GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA [show image/Canada/CanadaMap.png 60%] : Start the geography journey -> NEWFOUNDLAND : Skip to the absorption quiz -> THE ABSORPTION PROCESS ALBERTA ✔︎ Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only two landlocked provinces. You are doing well; move to the top. That will put you at the peak of Mount LOGAN. ANNAPOLIS Annapolis Valley, Canada’s first fruit-growing region, is in Nova Scotia! Let’s go back, get high on Mount LOGAN and take a better look at this last tour. BANFF Banff may be more famous, but Wood Buffalo National Park, bordering Alberta and the Northwest Territories, is almost seven times as large. Let’s return to the GREAT LAKES to get our bearings. CAPE BRETON ✔︎ Cape Breton Island is indeed larger. Let’s stroll the DOCKS for fresh air. CHARLOTTETOWN ✔︎ So you seem to be politically inclined! Charlottetown is the smallest provincial capitol. Let’s step up to something great, like the GREAT LAKES. DOCKS Salt, creosote, seagulls, huge container ships. We are at Canada’s number 1 container port. Are we in HALIFAX or MONTREAL? ERIE Lake Erie has shorelines in New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. Unlike any of the Great Lakes, the largest national park in North America is within Canada. Would that be BANFF or WOOD BUFFALO National Park? FREDERICTON Fredericton was once the smallest provincial capitol, but it passed Charlottetown in the 1951 census. Return to the DOCKS. GREAT LAKES Did you know that Lake ERIE has no Canadian shoreline? — or is it Lake MICHIGAN that has no Canadian shoreline? HALIFAX Halifax Harbor is the principal port in the Maritimes, but Montreal handles more containerized cargo. Dock work does not seem to suit you. Perhaps politics is your calling. Let’s start small. Should we visit CHARLOTTETOWN or FREDERICTON to find the smallest provincial capitol in Canada? ISLAND Although the island of Newfoundland has a longer coastline, most of the province’s area is on the mainland, in Labrador. Perhaps you will do better with rivers. Does the Saint John flow through only NEW BRUNSWICK or New Brunswick and QUEBEC? LAKES There is a large lake that lies directly north of Winnipeg. Is the name of this lake WINNIPEGOSIS or is it simply lake WINNIPEG? LANDLOCKED We tend to think of ALBERTA and MANITOBA as inland and far from water. One of them is indeed landlocked. Which one? LOGAN The thin air up here clears the mind. Atop Mount Logan we are in the Yukon Territory, 5951 m above sea level. Take the Trans-Canada Highway west. This is the world’s longest paved highway—from St. John’s, Newfoundland to a city in British Columbia: VANCOUVER or VICTORIA which coastal city? MAINLAND ✔︎ Labrador, which has been part of Newfoundland since 1927, is almost three times the size of its offshore partner. You are off to a successful start. Let’s talk LAKES. MANITOBA Manitoba’s northeastern border is on Hudson Bay, with direct access to the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. No landlock here. Go climb a mountain! Climb Canada’s highest mountain. Will that put you on Mount LOGAN or Mount ROBSON? MICHIGAN ✔︎ Lake Michigan is entirely in the United States. Well done! Some provinces have no shoreline: lake, bay, or ocean. They are said to be LANDLOCKED. MONTREAL ✔︎ The port of Montreal handles 5 Tg of containerized cargo each year. That is more than twice as much as the 2.3 Tg handled annually in Halifax. From the port of Montreal, veer toward the GREAT LAKES. NEWFOUNDLAND The journey begins in Newfoundland. Is the largest part of the tenth province an ISLAND or MAINLAND? NEW BRUNSWICK ✔︎ Through here flows the St. John, but not into Quebec. You seem to do well with rivers. Try LAKES. OKANAGAN The Valley produces nearly half of Canada’s cherries, and a third of its apples and peaches. The fruit of your efforts is at hand. Take the Trans-Canada to VICTORIA and watch the sunset. PRINCE EDWARD Prince Edward Island, as a province, has a higher status, but it is barely more than half the size of Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island. Fresh air might help your thinking, so let’s walk the DOCKS. QUEBEC The Saint John River originates in Maine. Some of its tributaries rise in Quebec, but New Brunswick is the only province in Canada through which it flows. Let’s get off to a better start and depart once again from NEWFOUNDLAND. ROBSON At 3953 m, British Columbia’s Mount Robson is almost 2 km lower than Mount Logan. Let's loop back to the LANDLOCKED provinces to better our score on this tour. VANCOUVER Vancouver is the end of the road on the mainland. If you drive to the end of the westernmost end of the Trans-Canada you will be seven blocks south of the British Columbia legislature in Victoria. While in beautiful B. C., we can visit a valley famous as a major fruit producer. Will that put us in the ANNAPOLIS Valley or the OKANAGAN Valley? VICTORIA ✔︎ Put your vehicle on a ferry to cross the Strait of Georgia to reach Victoria: the official western terminus of the highway. As the sun sets here in the west, our quiz also comes to a close—or departs to the beginning to attempt the trip in fewer passages. : try again -> NEWFOUNDLAND WINNIPEG ✔︎ That makes sense, doesn’t it? Lake Winnipeg, with an area of 24 390 km^2, is the third largest lake lying entirely within Canada’s borders. Talk of lakes makes one think of DOCKS. WINNIPEGOSIS Winnipegosis is one of the big lakes in the middle of Manitoba, but it lies to the west of Lake Winnipeg and northwest of the city. Maybe water isn’t your medium. Let’s return to shore—a large island. Which island would you say is larger, PRINCE EDWARD Island or CAPE BRETON Island? WOOD BUFFALO ✔︎ Wood Buffalo National Park was established in 1922 to protect Canada’s last wood bison. Since that time the herd has increased from 1500 to over 5000. Let’s loop back to the GREAT LAKES and correct a few errors in our path. BEGIN ABSORPTION This is a self-correcting look at absorption. : This is the story I want -> THE ABSORPTION PROCESS : Pick a different story -> INTRODUCTION THE ABSORPTION PROCESS [show image/Absorption/muffler.png 15%] "An automobile muffler absorbs sound. A sponge absorbs liquids." 'A sponge will soak up a spill until all its spaces are filled.' From these examples, absorption seems to be a process of TAKING IN, OF REDUCING, or COMING TOGETHER? TAKING IN ✔︎ The sponge and paper towel take liquid into their bulk. The muffler takes in sound. [show image/Absorption/absorption.png 15%] They do that BY TRAPPING, BY ERASING, or BY CANCELLING? OF REDUCING "Not reducing." 'The elements are still there, not taken away.' So, absorption is a process of TAKING IN or COMING TOGETHER? COMING TOGETHER "Maybe not coming together." 'One element encloses the other.' So, absorption is TAKING IN or a matter OF REDUCING? BY TRAPPING ✔︎ They absorb by trapping. Water fills spaces between paper fibres. Sound fills chambers (baffles) in the muffler. Water then turns to gas. It evaporates. Sound turns INTO VAPOUR, INTO HEAT, or INTO SOOT? BY ERASING "Not by erasing." 'The elements are still there, not removed.' : Let's try that again. -> TAKING IN BY CANCELLING "Not cancelling." 'One element encloses the other.' : Let's try that once more. -> TAKING IN INTO HEAT ✔︎ Sound turns into heat. Trapped sound energy turns into heat or kinetic energy (vibration). It dissipates. More spaces make for a better trap. Sound is more reflected back in a room by the HARDWOOD FLOOR, BY THE CARPET, or by the CEILING TILES? INTO VAPOUR "Sounds is a form of energy." 'It doesn't become vapour.' Sound turns INTO HEAT or INTO SOOT? INTO SOOT "Soot, nope. Soot is fine particles of carbon." 'Heat is a form of energy, not matter.' Sound turns INTO VAPOUR or INTO HEAT? HARDWOOD FLOOR ✔︎ Smooth surfaces bounce sound. Hardwood floors are smooth, which means fewer absorbing spaces to trap sound. [show image/Absorption/reflective.png 15%] Kitchen aluminum foil is also smooth. At least on one side. Dull on the other side. To cook food faster in the oven, on the outside have the SMOOTH SIDE, DULL SIDE, or maybe it DOES NOT MATTER? SMOOTH SIDE "Not the smooth side." 'Smooth surfaces tend to reflect energy.' To cook food faster in the oven, have the DULL SIDE on the outside … or maybe it DOES NOT MATTER? DULL SIDE ✔︎ Dull side out = faster result. Having the dull side out will cause food to cook faster in an oven and cool quicker in a freezer. [show image/Absorption/foil.png 15%] Like liquids, gases can also be absorbed. Sometimes even into liquids. Gas absorbed in a liquid is demonstrated by POP CAN FIZZ, BY BUBBLES, or BY BURPING? DOES NOT MATTER "It does matter." 'There is a difference.' To cook food faster in the oven, which side on the outside: SMOOTH SIDE or DULL SIDE? BY THE CARPET "Not the carpet." 'Carpets and rugs have many fibres to trap sound.' : Let's try that again. -> INTO HEAT CEILING TILES "Not so much the ceiling tiles." 'They have a rough surface and may have material pores to absorb sound.' - Let's try that again. -> INTO HEAT POP CAN FIZZ ✔︎ Fizz it is. Carbon dioxide absorbed in pop gives fizz. Gas absorbs into fluids in parts of our bodies. [show image/Absorption/bubbles.png 15%] Gas in a body fluid is demonstrated BY FARTING, BY CRACKING KNUCKLES, or BY SNEEZING? BY BUBBLES "Not by air in bubbles." 'The air isn't absorbed into the liquid film.' Gas absorbed in a liquid is demonstrated by POP CAN FIZZ or BY BURPING? BY BURPING "Excuse you, not burping." 'That's air pushed out, not absorbed.' Gas absorbed in a liquid is demonstrated by POP CAN FIZZ or BY BUBBLES? BY CRACKING KNUCKLES ✔︎ Knuckles crack by gas. Knuckle cracking is like pop can fizz. There is fluid between finger joints. Synovial fluid. It absorbs carbon dioxide in your body. Fluid seems like it would muffle sound. Pulling or pressing makes knuckles “crack” by LOWERING PRESSURE or INCREASING PRESSURE in the synovial fluid, or FORCING GAS INTO finger bones? BY FARTING "Urk, no. That won't do." 'Gas in a body fluid, not just gas in a body.' Gas in a body fluid is demonstrated BY CRACKING KNUCKLES or BY SNEEZING? BY SNEEZING "Not sneezing." 'Sneezing expels air, but we're talking about gas in a body fluid.' Gas in a body fluid is demonstrated BY FARTING or BY CRACKING KNUCKLES? LOWERING PRESSURE ✔︎ By lowering pressure. Separating bones will lower pressure in the fluid. That releases the carbon dioxide as bubbles. Collapsing bubbles produce pop. The gas reabsorbs and you can crack again. [show image/Absorption/pressure.png 15%] Light rays can also be absorbed. Dirt absorbs about 90% of the light that hits it. The least likely to absorb light rays is FRESH FALLEN SNOW, a BLACKTOP ROAD, or A CONCRETE SIDEWALK? INCREASING PRESSURE "Not increasing, the opposite." 'Pulling apart lowers the pressure between the bones.' Pulling or pressing makes knuckles “crack” by LOWERING PRESSURE in the synovial fluid or FORCING GAS INTO finger bones? FORCING GAS INTO "Not forcing into bones." 'The gas is in the fluid between the bones.' Pulling or pressing makes knuckles “crack” by LOWERING PRESSURE or INCREASING PRESSURE in the synovial fluid? FRESH FALLEN SNOW ✔︎ Snow. Fresh fallen snow reflects back about 90%. Best wear sunglasses when skiing. [show image/Absorption/sunGlasses.png 15%] The term for percentage of energy reflected from an object is “albedo”. The albedo of dirt (garden soil) is ABOUT TEN %, AROUND FIFTY %, or MORE LIKE NINETY %? BLACKTOP ROAD "Not asphalt." 'Dark surfaces tend to absorb.' The least likely to absorb light rays is FRESH-FALLEN SNOW or A CONCRETE SIDEWALK? A CONCRETE SIDEWALK "Not the sidewalk." 'The ligher the surface, the higher the reflection.' The least likely to absorb light rays is FRESH-FALLEN SNOW or a BLACK-TOP ROAD? ABOUT TEN ✔︎ If dirt absorbs 90%, then it reflects 10%, which is the measure of albedo. Typical albedo of concrete is 22%. Blacktop, 8%. [show image/Absorption/shovel.png 15%] To prevent floods, airplanes sometimes drop black soot. They drop it on snowed-in mountain sides a few weeks before the beginning of spring. This works because fresh SNOW HAS A HIGH ALBEDO, DIRTY SNOW HAS A HIGH ALBEDO, or SOOT HAS A LOW ALBEDO? AROUND FIFTY "Not fifty percent." 'Soil is dark, which tends to absorb.' The albedo of dirt (garden soil) is ABOUT TEN % or MORE LIKE NINETY %? MORE LIKE NINETY "Not ninety percent." 'Ninety percent is a lot of reflection.' The albedo of dirt (garden soil) is ABOUT TEN % or AROUND FIFTY %? SOOT HAS A LOW ALBEDO ✔︎ To prevent floods, airplanes sometimes drop black soot because soot has a low albedo. Sooty snow absorbs more radiant energy from the sun. Warming helps the snow melt before the spring thaw. That may prevent run-offs that can cause floods. [show image/Absorption/plane.png 15%] Not many houses are painted in dark colours. One reason is temperature. Colour affects albedo, which affects temperature. A white shirt will keep you cooler on a sunny day than a black shirt since WHITE REFLECTS BETTER, ABSORBS BETTER, or HAS A LOWER ALBEDO? SNOW HAS A HIGH ALBEDO "No. High reflection would absorb little heat." This works because DIRTY SNOW HAS A HIGH ALBEDO or SOOT HAS A LOW ALBEDO? DIRTY SNOW HAS A HIGH ALBEDO Dirt and that which is dirty tends to absorb effectively, so it has a low albedo. This works because fresh SNOW HAS A HIGH ALBEDO or SOOT HAS A LOW ALBEDO? WHITE REFLECTS BETTER ✔︎ White reflects better. That helps keep you cool in sunlight. A white shirt also lasts longer. Light causes fading. [show image/Absorption/shirt.png 15%] Another way to maintain temperature is with double-pane windows. They have a thin layer of air between two panes of glass. Air is an insulator. That means it resists letting heat pass through. Triple-pane windows are not much better than double since they’re MORE EXPENSIVE, TWO AIR LAYERS CANCEL OUT, or ONE LAYER OF AIR WILL WORK? ABSORBS BETTER "Not by absorbing better." 'Light colours reflect better than dark colours.' A white shirt will keep you cooler on a sunny day than a black shirt since WHITE REFLECTS BETTER or HAS A LOWER ALBEDO? HAS A LOWER ALBEDO "The shirt doesn't have a low albedo." 'Light colours tend to reflect.' A white shirt will keep you cooler on a sunny day than a black shirt since WHITE REFLECTS BETTER or ABSORBS BETTER? ONE LAYER OF AIR WILL WORK ✔︎ Even a thin layer of air is enough. Double pane windows hold house heat by an insulating dead air space. [show image/Absorption/air-flow.png 15%] The thickness of dead air space is not significant. Triple pane is about equal to double pane. Suppose the albedo of glass is 90% and a window has more than one pane. The window lets in less than half the light if it HAS FOUR PANES, HAS EIGHT PANES, or A DOZEN PANES? TWO AIR LAYERS CANCEL OUT "Not by cancelling layers." 'Triple isn't worse than double.' Triple-pane windows are not much better than double since they’re MORE EXPENSIVE or ONE LAYER OF AIR WILL WORK? MORE EXPENSIVE "Not that it may be more expensive." 'The question has to do with insulation, not expense.' Triple-pane windows are not much better than double since TWO AIR LAYERS CANCEL OUT or ONE LAYER OF AIR WILL WORK? HAS EIGHT PANES ✔︎ Eight panes. To let in less than half of the light falling upon the first pane, the window would need eight panes. "Pane 1: 90% of the incident light." 'Pane 2: 81%. Pane 3: 72.9%.' Each time, multiply by 0.9. Pane 8 transmits less than half of the light incident upon pane 1. ~ Last Question A sponge works by absorption. A gas mask works by adsorption. Not the same. One takes into its bulk. The other collects on its surface. A gas mask contains activated charcoal. Poisonous gas adsorbs to the surface of the charcoal. Note the spelling: D, not B. [show image/Absorption/gas-mask.png 15%] A similar example of adsorption is SILICA GEL PACKETS in new shoes, light REFLECTING OFF A POOL of water, or PAPER FILTER IN A COFFEE MAKER? HAS FOUR PANES "Not that few." 'Pane 1: 90% of the incident light. Pane 2: 81%. Pane 3: 72.9% and so on.' The window lets in less than half the light if it HAS EIGHT PANES or A DOZEN PANES? A DOZEN PANES "Not so many." 'Each time, multiply by 0.9.' The window lets in less than half the light if it HAS FOUR PANES or HAS EIGHT PANES? SILICA GEL PACKETS ✔︎ Silica packets. Silica gel packets are a drying agent, a desiccant. The gel removes humidity by adsorption. Moisture sticks to the surface of the gel, but is not absorbed into it. : Retake this quiz? -> BEGIN ABSORPTION : Take the Canada quiz? -> GEOGRAPHY OF CANADA : Or make a quiz of your own? -> VERSE QUIZ REFLECTING OFF A POOL "Not light reflecting." 'Perhaps you are thinking of albedo.' An example of adsorption is SILICA GEL PACKETS in new shoes or PAPER FILTER IN A COFFEE MAKER? PAPER FILTER IN A COFFEE MAKER "Not the coffee filter." 'Perhaps you are thinking of absorption.' This is adsorption. Note the spelling: D, not B. An example of adsorption is SILICA GEL PACKETS in new shoes or light REFLECTING OFF A POOL of water? VERSE QUIZ This quiz is left intentionally incomplete as an exercise. The best answer is already indicated. Develop the distractor options. ~ Read the passages below. For each question, choose the option that fits best. #### Verse 1, “Mummy Slept Late and Daddy Fixed Breakfast” by John Ciardi Daddy fixed the breakfast. He made us each a waffle. It looked like gravel pudding. It tasted something awful. “Ha, ha,” he said, “I’ll try again. This time I’ll get it right.” But what I got was in between bituminous and anthracite. “A little too well done? Oh well, I’ll have to start all over.” That time what landed on my plate looked like a manhole cover. I tried to cut it with a fork: the fork gave off a spark. I tried a knife and twisted it into a question mark. I tried it with a hack-saw. I tried it with a torch. It didn’t even make a dent. It didn’t even scorch. The next time Dad gets breakfast when Mummy’s sleeping late, I think I’ll skip the waffles. I’d rather eat the plate. ~ Ready? Let's begin with PURPOSE. PURPOSE What is the main purpose of this verse? Give a cooking lesson Send a strong message To TELL AN AMUSING STORY Tell how a family works TELL AN AMUSING STORY Best choice: tell an amusing story. To what do “bituminous” and “anthracite” refer? How BURNED THE WAFFLE WAS How good the waffle looked How strange the waffle smelled How sweet the waffle tasted BURNED THE WAFFLE WAS Best choice: how burned the waffle was. Both are types of coal. Which word best describes the speaker’s tone? Annoyed Caring Mean Mostly PLAYFUL PLAYFUL Best choice: playful. To what does the speaker compare the waffles? To GRAVEL Hack-saw Plate Wood GRAVEL Best choice: gravel. The next time Mummy sleeps late, what will the narrator probably do for breakfast? Ask Daddy to make waffles Help Daddy fix breakfast Make waffles for Mummy WAIT UNTIL Mummy wakes up WAIT UNTIL Best choice: Wait until Mummy wakes up. How does the narrator most likely feel at the end of this poem? Mostly HUNGRY Sleepy Sticky Thirsty HUNGRY Best choice: hungry. What strategy does the author use to show the result of Daddy's cooking? Asking questions Describing Daddy’s reaction Using EXAGGERATION Using personification EXAGGERATION Read the passage below. For each question, choose the option that fits best. #### Poem B, author is unknown Pardon me for being rude. It was not me, it was my food. It got so lonely down below. It just popped up to say hello. ~ Best choice: using exaggeration. Which of the following would be a descriptive title for the second poem? Just Rude Rude and Crude The BURP The Food BURP Best choice: The Burp. The focus of the poem is not the food or being rude, but the burp. What is the speaker’s intention (goal, purpose)? Offer an EXCUSE Say hello Tell about the grumble in his or her stomach Try to be gross and disgusting EXCUSE Best choice: offer an excuse. The speaker blames the food. Putting the word “so” before rude … Changes the rhyming pattern to A-A B-B BALANCES the number of syllables in each verse Changes the rhyming pattern to A-B-C-D Unbalances the number of syllables in each verse BALANCES Best choice: balances the number of syllables in each verse. This concludes the comprehension quiz on two works of verse. : Try again? -> VERSE QUIZ ABOUT GUIDED NARRATIVES In a guided narrative, the reader directs the protagonist. Guided narratives blend traditional story elements with interactive fiction. This leverages the illusion of choice, direct reader engagement, and meta-narrative elements to create a compelling, immersive experience. “Cloak of Darkness,” written in 1993 by Roger Firth, is the standard for showcasing a particular approach. The version here shows how it might appear as a guided narrative. The sci-fi “Epsilon Artifact” is a more immersive and engaging experience of a guided narrative. ~ : Cloak of Darkness -> CLOAK OF DARKNESS GUIDED NARRATIVE : Epsilon Artifact -> EPSILON ARTIFACT GUIDED NARRATIVE : The Helm -> YOU I GIVE THE HELM CLOAK OF DARKNESS GUIDED NARRATIVE The City, 1993 ~ == Opera House Foyer == _The foyer’s dark and empty.//There’s no one else around.//My shadow is my company//and echoes, the only sound._ I’m standing here with a wet cloak on my back. Wet from the rain, the kind that soaks you to the bone and makes you wonder why you ever left the house. I see doors to the south and west. There’s an exit north. ** > Try the NORTH DOOR.** NORTH DOOR It’s locked. Figures. Nothing ever opens up when you need it to. I’ll try the door SOUTH OF THE FOYER instead. SOUTH OF THE FOYER == The Bar == At least, I think it’s a bar—too dark to be sure, but sure to make me stumble. : I’m going back. -> FOYER AGAIN FOYER AGAIN == Foyer == Ah, the foyer, where emptiness is an old friend. ** > HEAD WEST and see what’s there.** HEAD WEST == Cloakroom == Looks like a closet. There’s a small brass hook here, gleaming like a promise no one ever kept. ** > Hang your cloak on the hook.** Good idea, let it hang dry. But I’m not hanging around to watch. Besides, I can SEE A LIGHT back in … SEE A LIGHT == The Bar == More than light, there’s a message in the sawdust on the floor: "You have won!" Won what? Life’s a game where the rules change whenever you think you’ve figured them out. But for now, I’ll take it. ~ : Show me Epsilon Artifact -> EPSILON ARTIFACT GUIDED NARRATIVE EPSILON ARTIFACT GUIDED NARRATIVE Epsilon Null, 2145 ~ [show image/prop/sunrise.jpg 60%] == Transporter Exit == _The transporter narrows to a vertical line.//It vanishes with a pop.//Epsilon Null, little more than a rock,//is lost in space and time._ The only sign of life is IN THE RESEARCH FACILITY, digging up long-deceased referred to as “the great ones” because of their skeletal size. IN THE RESEARCH FACILITY The air is filled with the hum of machinery and a faint scent of antiseptic. Technicians move about as security cameras sweep the area. The main lab lies to the north. ** > See what you have in your suit.** I have a keycard, gloves, and my retinal scanner—an electronic notebook with data about the facility. ** > Make your way to THE MAIN LAB.** THE MAIN LAB It’s a hive of activity, filled with equipment and researchers engrossed in their work. **Dr. Harris**, lead scientist: [show image/actors_D/D_015_woman.png 15% left] "Good, you’re here. We need that artifact to complete our research. It’s in the facility, but we’ve had no luck finding it." [show image/actors_D/D_011_man.png 15% right] 'This artifact, could you be more specific?' "It’s a rod rounded at the ends. Small, but don’t touch it." 'And the rod could … what, be anywhere in this facility?' "I suspect one of the techs went rogue and hid it in a secure lab. To access them, you need to bypass the system." ** > Examine the security systems.** Security is retro, at best. Nobody expects theft on a remote rock in a distant solar system. Access requires a combination of a keycard and biometric scan. There’s also a central control that monitors all activity. ** > Head to the CONTROL ROOM.** CONTROL ROOM There are monitors and control panels. A security officer named Titus is stationed here, watching the facility. ** > Examine the monitors.** They’re all virtual but appear solid. I might have more luck talking with Titus. **Titus**: [show image/actors_D/D_016_man.png 15% left] "We’ve had some issues with the security systems lately. Help me fix them, and I’ll give you access to the secure labs."" ** > Trading access for a favour, Titus could be the rogue technician—report him.** I’ll see how this plays out and take it from there. [show image/actors_D/D_011_man.png 15% right] 'Sure, Titus, I can help you fix it, or at least try.' "Great. And just call me Ti. The main issue is the biometric scanner. It needs recalibration." ** > That entails a trip to the SCANNER ROOM.** SCANNER ROOM It’s off the main lab. The scanner is a complex device, and the malfunction prevents access to the secure labs. Titus is right—the calibration does appear to be off. It needs a specific to reset it, which might be in the technician’s office. ** > With stealth, CIRCLE BACK to Ti’s office.** CIRCLE BACK Ti’s Office is cluttered with tools, manuals, and notes. A terminal on the desk might have the reset code. ** > Search the terminal.** It requires a password. A sticky note on the monitor reads: _Favourite Element_. Titus, Ti. I’m sensing a pattern. Enter … **Titanium**. The terminal unlocks, and I find the reset code on his screen in plain sight. I enter the code in the scanner room, and the device recalibrates with a soft beep. **Titus** ( over the intercom ): [show image/actors_D/D_016_man.png 15% left] "You fixed it! As promised, here’s access to the secure labs. Lab A is on your right." ** > Why go in order? Begin with, oh, LAB B.** LAB B There is little of interest here except for a locked cabinet requiring a keycard and a code. ** > Use the keycard.** Tried that. As I say, the keycard grants access but still needs a code. ** > Check your electronic notebook.** Ah, I didn’t think it would have codes to secure labs on this rocky outpost, but right you are. _Lab B locker: GR81Z_ Great ones—of course, the ancient indigenous. ** > Enter the code.** The locker pops open, revealing a rod with rounded ends. I put on my gloves, then LIFT OUT THE ARTIFACT. LIFT OUT THE ARTIFACT == Main Lab == **Dr. Harris** ( smiling ): [show image/actors_D/D_015_woman.png 15% left] "You found it! And so quickly." [show image/actors_D/D_011_man.png 15% right] 'I found the artifact—but also a suspect.' I recount events and my suspicion. "Titus did not hide the artifact well and gave you access to the labs. Did he want it found?" She calls him down and DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION. DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION Titus appears surprisingly unsurprised. **Titus**: [show image/actors_D/D_016_man.png 15% left] "I took it but hid the artifact where it would be found." [show image/actors_D/D_011_man.png 15% right] 'Then, why take it at all?' "To expose flaws in the facility’s ancient security systems. We need better security." My retinal scanner signals an alert. A small rocket has been launched, yet there is no security alarm. 'Or you took it to divert attention. A rocket just launched …' and it’s HEADED TOWARD EARTH. HEADED TOWARD EARTH [show image/actors_D/D_016_man.png 15% left] "That isn’t me, I swear. This ancient system was an accident waiting to happen." [show image/actors_D/D_011_man.png 15% right] 'If it was an accident. Right now, we need to stop that rocket. Dr. Harris, what are the options?' [show image/actors_D/D_015_woman.png 15% left] "Drones, I suppose. Or hack the rocket’s navigation. Or signal distress to ENOS, the nearest space station." [show image/actors_D/D_011_man.png 15% right] 'Prove yourself, Titus. What do you recommend?' [show image/actors_D/D_016_man.png 15% left] "Our drones are outdated. Hacking skills, we don’t have. Best bet is to signal ENOS to intercept the rocket." Dr. Harris nods in agreement. Titus sends the distress signal, providing the coordinates and details of the launched rocket. We wait anxiously for a response. ~ --- “Epsilon Artifact” adapted from Roger Kenyon, _Ascent: guided narratives_, CookieJar ePub (Amazon, Apple Books, etc.), 2024. YOU I GIVE THE HELM Port Eldoro, 1715 [show image/Helm/helmSteering.png 25%] ~ == On the Pier == I stand beside the Ocean Raider. The captain, led away by the Royal Navy, shouts a message. Wait, … is he singing? [show image/Helm/helmCaptain.png 10% left] --- _Our galleon carries success, a treasure chest of gold. Alas, I give this last request, so do as you are told._ _The Royal Navy slung a rope, dragging my ship in tow. Do not let them keep her in dock. Escape this curs’d foe._ _Break loose the bond upon the bow. Set sail for pirate realm. They will give me to Davy Jones, but you I give the helm._ --- ** > Take the ladder down to the LOWER DECK** LOWER DECK It’s worse than a rat’s nest in a storm down here. There are things you can’t take with you, so there’s no use describing them, raising false hopes. Portside, there’s the bosun’s quarters. Starboard, the brig. A foul odour all around. ** > Check the brig.** Dark, damp, and smells like regret. Inside is a shoeless mutineer known to swim like a frog. He’s snoring softly like he hasn’t a gangplank worry in the world. He wakes with a startle. "You there, swabby, fetch me some food." [show image/Helm/helmAvast.png 10% left] ** > Ignore him; check the GALLEY.** GALLEY The galley’s blocked by a cook who’s as wide as he is tall. [show image/Helm/helmCook.png 20% right] 'Hold it, mate. Whass’a password?' Password? I have no clue. I improvise a rude gesture. He flicks a meaty finger against my forehead, and the lights dim. I wake up on the UPPER DECK. UPPER DECK Groggy and disoriented, the captain’s last words echo in my mind. This ship is my responsibility now. Failure isn’t an option. Ropes, sails, and riggings litter the deck. [show image/Helm/helmRope.png 10% left] A barrel sits beside the rope ladder. A bird squawks in the distance. ** > Inspect the barrel.** [show image/Helm/helmBarrel.png 15% right] It is a pickle barrel of oak staves held by iron hoops. A worn tricorn rests on top. The tricorn, a three-cornered hat with a skull-and-crossbones patch inside, fits like it was made for me. [show image/Helm/helmTricorn.png 10%] ** > Climb the rope ladder to the Crow’s NEST.** NEST [show image/Helm/helmMast.png 10% left] The crow’s nest, a rickety barrel at the top of the mast, has barely enough room to stand. The flag slaps me in the face and nearly sends me over. ** > Grab the flag to stop it from flapping.** [show image/Helm/helmFlag.png 25%] It is a classic Jolly Roger, with a skull and crossbones. Someone scribbled a drink name on it—the captain’s handiwork. He must have been out of his mind with grog. Back on deck, a petunia now sits where the tricorn used to be. Hatches lead to the lower deck and cargo hold. ** > Open the hatch to the CARGO HOLD.** CARGO HOLD [show image/Helm/helmBall.png 20%] More like a dungeon. Cannonballs stacked up, a lime rolling around. Lime, a lifesaver at sea, puckers the lips and protects from scurvy. I stow it under my tricorn. [show image/Helm/helmLime.png 10%] What little light there is down here leads to the bosun’s quarters, which are blocked by a solid, locked door. There is a faint scent of fruit. I can squeeze my way to the brig or galley faster than retracing my steps. ** > Go back via THE BRIG.** THE BRIG The sailor’s awake now, one-eying my tricorn. [show image/Helm/helmPirate.png 15% left] "Please, sir, stop that squawk. The parrot sounds powerful hungry." Not sure what else to do, I hand him the lime. He nods gratefully, almost a bow. Strange behaviour for a sailor, but I pocket the thought for later. ** > Return TO THE GALLEY.** TO THE GALLEY "Hold it, mate. Whass’a password?" Tempting fate, I press the hat down on my head and repeat the same rude gesture. [show image/Helm/helmRude.png 10% left] "Why, if it weren’t for the tricorn …" he mutters, standing aside. 'Slog of grog' [show image/Helm/helmMug.png 15% right] I say to this monolith of a man. He hands me a mug of spiced wine and a handful of pistachio nuts, then goes about his business. Nuts under the tricorn for safekeeping, I head to my new quarters above, at the stern. STERN means the back, for you land-lubbers. A parrot’s squawking its head off there. STERN Back of the Ship—er, Stern. The door’s open—odd since the captain keeps a chest inside. The chest is metal and locked tight. It’s hard to think with all the squawking. [show image/Helm/helmTreasure.png 15% left] ** > Deal with the parrot.** The parrot, perched on a rail, has a skeleton key on a lanyard around its neck. I have the mug of spiced wine, but that might not work. The bird’s hungry, not thirsty. [show image/Helm/helmParrot.png 20% right] ** > Give it the nuts.** Pistachios have a calming effect, and the bird, now fed, falls asleep. I take the skeleton key and head to the BOSUN QUARTERS, expecting the treasure chest behind the sturdy, locked door. BOSUN QUARTERS [show image/Helm/helmKey.png 10%] The key fits, and the door swings open. Messy, even for a pirate. Smells like the shoeless sailor and that lime. What it doesn’t have is a treasure chest. I return to the CAPTAIN QUARTERS CAPTAIN QUARTERS The chest is a long metal case, not the shape I’d expect. It opens with the skeleton key. Inside are a leather pouch, machete, and map rolled like a scroll. ** > Take the map, or maybe the pouch.** [show image/Helm/helmMap.png 10%] Let’s see. The map is a sketch of the spice islands. It might lead to treasure, but the captain hinted there’s treasure on board. [show image/Helm/helmCoins.png 10%] The leather bag is full of doubloons, but not enough to buy freedom if the soldiers return while we’re still in port. ** > Very well, captain, take the MACHETE.** MACHETE [show image/Helm/helmSword.png 20%] The machete is arm’s length and razor sharp. It could put out an eye—not a bad look on a pirate, but tricky judging distance. Especially how far those soldiers are in the distance. With the Royal Navy closing in, I swing harder than ever, severing the tow rope. The soldiers shout in frustration as we break free. “Aargh,” I raise the machete to the sky as the Ocean Raider slips out toward open waters. [show image/Helm/helmCover.png 33%] ABOUT SLIDERS Slider stories are overlapping visual strips. They’re fast-paced and modestly cinematic. : Beautiful Dreams -> BEAUTIFUL DREAMS SLIDER : Butcher Balance -> BUTCHER BALANCE SLIDER : Island Earth -> ISLAND EARTH SLIDER : Kid Clown -> KID CLOWN SLIDER ISLAND EARTH SLIDER "Once upon a time yet to be, there were people of the land" [show image/IslandEarth/island.png 25%] living by the grace of nature on a remote tropical island. THEY TAPPED INTO … THEY TAPPED INTO 'the wind, the tides and pounding rain' [show image/IslandEarth/hut.png 25%] built simple grassy huts, turning heavy stones to mill the grain. THERE WAS BUT … THERE WAS BUT [show image/IslandEarth/dove.png 25%] a single village, yet they’d gather in the square to remember lessons learned and raise their spirits to the air. THEN ONE DAY … THEN ONE DAY [show image/IslandEarth/astronaut.png 25%] ancients arrived, wearing bowls over their heads, washed ashore from a capsule that fell as a ball sunset red. THEIR WORDS … THEIR WORDS [show image/IslandEarth/selfish.png 25%] had an edgy sting, and their uncaring smelled like the fabric of their capsule or a family secret best not shared. THEN A METAL MONSTER … THEN A METAL MONSTER [show image/IslandEarth/robot.png 25%] arose from the sleepy tropical sea, when the ball-headed ancients woke the gods Techno and Trizity. METAL ON FLESH … METAL ON FLESH [show image/IslandEarth/explosion.png 25%] so long ago, then metal against metal, foe against foe scorched the earth that buried them all. WE ARE THE LAST … WE ARE THE LAST [show image/IslandEarth/earth.png 25%] vestige of life, forgotten by monsters and time, and you left on a mission into the dark, far beyond the sky. NOW YOU REVIVE … NOW YOU REVIVE [show image/IslandEarth/makers.png 25%] the why of undoing: to be human is to conquer, a mission instilled by people who are—and made—the monsters. ~ [show image/IslandEarth/sunset.png 10%] ~ : More sliders -> ABOUT SLIDERS BEAUTIFUL DREAMS SLIDER "Once, there was a woman who had beautiful dreams." [show image/BeautifulDreams/dreams.png 25%] She awoke each morning refreshed and feeling pleased with life. THE DREAMER … THE DREAMER 'seemed at peace' [show image/BeautifulDreams/peace.png 25%] and put everyone else at ease. THAT WAS UNTIL … THAT WAS UNTIL [show image/BeautifulDreams/accident.png 25%] the accident. Her significant other fell onto the tracks of a train. THE DREAMER WAS … THE DREAMER WAS [show image/BeautifulDreams/depression.png 25%] heartbroken and, try as she might, could never recover. SHE PETITIONED … SHE PETITIONED [show image/BeautifulDreams/petition.png 25%] to be placed in a state of sleep. There to live out her life in dreams. EVERYONE REFUSED … EVERYONE REFUSED [show image/BeautifulDreams/brainWave.png 25%] until one doctor offered a deal: put her under and ensure her care in exchange for recordings of her dreams. THE RECORDINGS … THE RECORDINGS [show image/BeautifulDreams/complacent.png 25%] led the world into complacent sleep. Problems were lived with, not solved, but on the whole everyone felt better about them. ONE DAY THE DOCTOR … ONE DAY THE DOCTOR [show image/BeautifulDreams/voice.png 25%] found the woman awake. But no sedation could overcome the voice she heard that told her dreams. I HAVE HEARD … I HAVE HEARD [show image/BeautifulDreams/insomnia.png 25%] the voice of nature. I have seen the final dream, she said. After that, no one slept again. SOMEWHERE IN THE SEA … SOMEWHERE IN THE SEA [show image/BeautifulDreams/dolphin.png 25%] a dolphin dreamed of a world without nets. It heard a voice say: "Time to see what others can make of my world." ~ [show image/BeautifulDreams/dreams2.png 10%] ~ : More sliders -> ABOUT SLIDERS KID CLOWN SLIDER "Charlie has been making the circuit" [show image/KidClown/birthday-candle.png 25%] as a kids' clown since he turned ten. ON A GOOD GIG … ON A GOOD GIG 'the kids are attentive' [show image/KidClown/balloon.png 25%] and Charlie sees in their eyes what it is like to be seen, having had little of it growing up with parents on the go. ON A BAD GIG … ON A BAD GIG [show image/KidClown/angry.png 25%] parents abdicate responsibility and Charlie baby-sits the lot. IT DOES NOT HELP … IT DOES NOT HELP [show image/KidClown/salary.png 25%] that his corporate father makes in two minutes what Charlie takes home for an afternoon performance. OR THAT HIS … OR THAT HIS [show image/KidClown/embarassed.png 25%] fashionista mother asks how it is going in high school, since some of his classmates were once clients. GOING BETTER … GOING BETTER [show image/KidClown/cancer.png 25%] than expected, Charlie thought, with a plan inspired by Mr Rue, his workshop teacher who took a leave for surgery and who Charlie visited in the oncology ward. CHARLIE BROUGHT … CHARLIE BROUGHT [show image/KidClown/health.png 25%] a smile, a momentary distraction from the world of blood and bleach. FROM HERE HE WOULD … FROM HERE HE WOULD [show image/KidClown/forbidden.png 25%] become a teacher, or would have, had he not hit "Reply To All" in sending a message on Mr Rue's behalf and telling what was not supposed to be told. DOUBT ABOUT HIS … DOUBT ABOUT HIS [show image/KidClown/poster.png 25%] ability to make good decisions collided with a poster near the cafeteria. BUILD CONFIDENCE … BUILD CONFIDENCE [show image/KidClown/man.png 25%] Become Your Truth! It turned out to be a rehash of self-help hints Charlie found online. THE POWER OF THE SESSION … THE POWER OF THE SESSION [show image/KidClown/handshake.png 25%] was hearing others and their relatable tales of mis-step. We are more alike than not, he thought. IN A RARE HEART TO HEART … IN A RARE HEART TO HEART [show image/KidClown/talk.png 25%] his father told him not to measure worth by wages. HIS MOTHER SAID … HIS MOTHER SAID [show image/KidClown/business-women.png 25%] she went into business for herself because she was awful at working for somebody else. WHAT DO YOU NEED … WHAT DO YOU NEED [show image/KidClown/ask.png 25%] how can we help both said in their own way. But they had already given. THE TWIG THAT … THE TWIG THAT [show image/KidClown/branch.png 25%] is Charlie was cast upon a river years ago and Charlie floated with it. IT CAME AS SMALL SURPRISE … IT CAME AS SMALL SURPRISE [show image/KidClown/divan.png 25%] to hear he would take up psychology and become a counsellor. The surprise was not guessing it all along. DOES HE EVER USE … DOES HE EVER USE [show image/KidClown/horn.png 25%] his clown suit during sessions? ONLY HIS CLIENTS KNOW … ONLY HIS CLIENTS KNOW [show image/KidClown/river.png 25%] and some of them are have been with him since they were kids. Charlie helps them flow with their rivers and become their truth. ~ [show image/KidClown/clown2.png 10%] ~ : More sliders -> ABOUT SLIDERS BUTCHER BALANCE SLIDER "Everyone knows Harold and Harold knows that" [show image/ButcherBalance/butchering.png 25%] like the scales in his butcher shop, what counts is balance, however bloody the meat. HE PICTURES THOSE SCALES … HE PICTURES THOSE SCALES 'while waiting for his nephew's parole' [show image/ButcherBalance/prisoner.png 25%] after a messy, if not deadly, accident the worst the one-grocery town had known. THE DRIVER HAS THE MISFORTUNE … THE DRIVER HAS THE MISFORTUNE [show image/ButcherBalance/driver.png 25%] of being the son of Miriam, whose birth was the death of her mother and whose only sibling is Elinor, Harold's wife. IN MANY WAYS THE MAYOR … IN MANY WAYS THE MAYOR [show image/ButcherBalance/politician.png 25%] knew the nephew better than Harold did. After all, the mayor fired the young man. Not over the accident, that came later. WITH CONFIDENCE FOUND IN A PUNCH BOWL … WITH CONFIDENCE FOUND IN A PUNCH BOWL [show image/ButcherBalance/punch-bowl.png 25%] the mayor confided that he budgeted too low and two clerks would pay for it with their jobs. ONE CLERK DISCOVERED A TALENT … ONE CLERK DISCOVERED A TALENT [show image/ButcherBalance/bottle.png 25%] for emptying bottles of gin and from the pleasures of the juniper berry came the accident and a-year-less-a-day. A YEAR LOST IN A LIFE … A YEAR LOST IN A LIFE [show image/ButcherBalance/candle.png 25%] but found during every job interview, sat on one side of the scale, paid in sweat, in a balance with which Harold found peace. THE BUDGET MISTAKE … THE BUDGET MISTAKE [show image/ButcherBalance/crutches.png 25%] job loss, arrest, lock up and dismal future balanced a foot from the ankle down, at least in butcher calculus it balanced. THE MOTHER OF THE GIN DRINKER … THE MOTHER OF THE GIN DRINKER [show image/ButcherBalance/whisper.png 25%] is Miriam, who is sister to Elinor, who is wife of Harold, who is keeper of a secret, although Harold thought the mayor was on to him. DISCLOSURE OF WHAT ELINOR DID … DISCLOSURE OF WHAT ELINOR DID [show image/ButcherBalance/accident.png 25%] would be their ruin and, even if it was an accident fuelled by anger over cleaver's wages, the outcome was still hit-and-run with the mayor's son. HAROLD COULD KEEP A SECRET … HAROLD COULD KEEP A SECRET [show image/ButcherBalance/day.png 25%] and with the mayor's disclosure, Harold could sleep and dream of balanced scales. ~ [show image/ButcherBalance/scale2.png 10%] ~ : More sliders -> ABOUT SLIDERS DEBATE SIMULATION [show image/actor/mWonder.png 25%] Welcome to the debate. ~ : Remind me about my role -> WHAT IS MY ROLE : Let the debate begin -> FIRST DEBATE WHAT IS MY ROLE You are the judge. Apply the principles above to decide which argument makes the most sense. ~ : Go to the debates -> FIRST DEBATE FIRST DEBATE Sentences can declare, ask, or command. So, why do arguments use only declarative sentences? The debators are Andy and Dany. Whose thinking makes sense and whose is wonky? ~ : Hear from Andy -> ANDY FIRST : Hear from Dany -> DANY FIRST ANDY FIRST [show image/actor/guy1.png 15% left] "As I see it, commands tell someone what to do and whether they do it is in the future, so the command can’t be true or false yet." As for asking, it is difficult to tell whether someone is sincerely asking and so it is difficult to measure whether the request is true. By process of elimination, that leaves declarative sentences. ~ : Hear from Dany -> DANY FIRST : Ready to decide -> DECIDE FIRST DANY FIRST [show image/actor/gal1.png 15% right] 'A declarative sentence makes a statement about how the world is.' Reasoning has to do with what is true, which needs sentences that declare a fact true or false. ~ : Hear from Andy -> ANDY FIRST : Ready to decide -> DECIDE FIRST DECIDE FIRST The argument that makes the most sense was presented by … ~ : Andy -> ANDY FIRST REBUTTAL : Dany -> DANY FIRST REBUTTAL ANDY FIRST REBUTTAL [show image/actor/guy2.png 15% left] You sure? Perhaps a rebuttal question. Can there be future facts? In other words: that which is true, but has not happened? ~ : Andy, for sure -> ANDY FOR SURE : Dany, for sure -> DANY FOR SURE DANY FIRST REBUTTAL [show image/actor/gal2.png 10% right] Sure about that? Doesn’t a command declare what a person wants? Doesn’t a question declare what they want to know? ~ : Andy, for sure -> ANDY FOR SURE : Dany, for sure -> DANY FOR SURE ANDY FOR SURE No. Andy's process of elimination is wonky. ~ : Round 2 -> DEBATE TWO : Review 1 -> FIRST DEBATE DANY FOR SURE Yes, Dany is correct. Reasoning deals with facts, which a declarative sentence expresses. ~ : Round 2 -> DEBATE TWO : Review 1 -> FIRST DEBATE DEBATE TWO There are a couple of classics to recommend on wonky thinking. One is Raymond Smullyan, _To Mock a Mockingbird and Other Logic Puzzles_. Another is: Robert Martin, _There Are Two Errors in the the Title of This Book_. What are the two errors in the title of Robert Martin’s book? ~ : Hear from Ajay -> ROUND TWO AJAY ONE : Hear from Jaya -> ROUND TWO JAYA ONE ROUND TWO AJAY ONE One error is double ‘the’ in the text of the title. The other error is that there are two errors. ~ : Hear from Jaya -> ROUND TWO JAYA ONE : Ready to decide -> DECIDE ROUND TWO ROUND TWO JAYA ONE The word ‘are’ should not be capitalized. Also, the year it was published should have been included. Other than that, there are no errors in the title, so it is a bit of a trick question. ~ : Hear from Ajay -> AJAY1 : Ready to decide -> DECIDE ROUND TWO DECIDE ROUND TWO The argument that makes the most sense was presented by … ~ : Ajay -> AJAY TWO REBUTTLE : Jaya -> JAYA TWO REBUTTLE AJAY TWO REBUTTLE You sure? In other words, one error is in the title and the other is about the title? Is an error about the title still in the title? ~ : Ajay, for sure -> AJAY TWO SURE : Jaya, for sure -> JAYA TWO SURE JAYA TWO REBUTTLE Sure about that? Jaya says: should. Does ‘should’ make the claim of an error into a fact? ~ : Ajay, for sure -> AJAY TWO SURE : Jaya, for sure -> JAYA TWO SURE AJAY TWO SURE Ajay is correct ( as are you ): one error in and the other about the title. ~ : Review this debate -> DEBATE TWO : End the lesson -> HAPPY RESOLUTION JAYA TWO SURE Jaya is confused. Should does not make fact. And there are no trick questions in any of these exercises. ~ : Review this debate -> DEBATE TWO : End the lesson -> HAPPY RESOLUTION HAPPY RESOLUTION Review the DEBATE SIMULATION. POINT COUNTERPOINT In everyday arguments, some parts are implied and not stated. "You won't hear, “The mower is running; running requires fuel; therefore, the mower has fuel.”" 'More likely you will hear: “It must have fuel since it started.”' An argument in which a premise or the conclusion is understood but unstated is an enthymeme. "All insects have six legs, so all wasps have six legs." 'Unstated premise: all wasps are insects.' Everyday reasoning is often abbreviated into enthymemes. • I like you, so I will give you a discount on the subscription. • Your hands are full, so let me hold the door. An enthymeme is useful when obvious, but it can conceal false claims. For instance: "Boy applies body spray [minor premise]; boy gets adoring girls [conclusion]." 'This omits the false premise: body spray gets adoring girls.' ~ : Session 1 Efficiency -> LAZY OR EFFICIENT : Session 2 Guarantee -> CONCLUSION GUARANTEE LAZY OR EFFICIENT ### Are enthymemes lazy or efficient? Whose position makes more sense? [show image/actor/A02man4L.png 15% left] "Enthymemes are mostly lazy, because people are in a hurry and want to say the least to get on with it. In some ways they are efficient, because shorter is always better." [show image/actor/A03woman4R.png 15% right] 'Hmm, not so sure. People in a hurry. Shorter is always better. How relevant are these reasons?' [show image/actor/A03woman2R.png 15% right] 'Enthymemes are kinda lazy, but people aren’t robots who need everything spelled out; some things are obvious. Yeah, kinda lazy but efficient if that which is left out won’t be misunderstood.' [show image/actor/A02man2L.png 15% left] "Wait now … would enthymemes not be efficient even if what is left out is misunderstood?" ~ : Session 2 Guarantee -> CONCLUSION GUARANTEE CONCLUSION GUARANTEE ### How does a valid deductive argument guarantee that the conclusion is true? Who is right here? [show image/actor/A11man4L.png 15% left] "The form of the conclusion is in the premises. The rules of deduction transform or extract the conclusion from the premises. It is like saying: this or that, it is not this, so it is that. A or B; cover up A, what’s left is B." [show image/actor/A14woman4R.png 15% right] 'I am not so sure. The form of the conclusion is in the premises. If the conclusion is in the premises, isn’t that the fallacy of begging the question?' [show image/actor/A14woman2R.png 15% right] 'Any deductive argument guarantees the conclusion because it is deduction, like Sherlock Holmes used. A deductive argument cannot be invalid. Only an inductive argument can be invalid.' [show image/actor/A11man2L.png 15% left] "Not so fast. The fictional character Sherlock Holmes says deduction, but didn’t he use induction?" ~ : Session 1 Efficiency -> LAZY OR EFFICIENT