Really happy that How to Touch a Dragonfly has been put on the Longlist for Aesthetica #ArtPrize. The artwork highlights #dragonfly #biodiversity and #habitatloss and fosters #empathy for #insects. I really value the recognition of an environmentally motivated artwork by this important prize. #art #artandscience #prizes

Yes, this is an AI-generated fictional video, but blind users of The vOICe for Android are generally very pleased with the various types of stand-alone Vuzix smart glasses. Vuzix glasses are not cheap but we love them and are grateful for the consistent Vuzix support over the years. Elon Musk's Neuralink Blindsight will turn out to be no match. Everything we do is scalable, relatively affordable, and future-proof https://www.artificialvision.com/neuralink.htm

#Empathy matters with #NeuroTech #BCI beyond #NeuroEthics

"Let’s get something straight: if being woke means caring about the well-being of others, challenging systems of oppression, and striving to make the world a kinder place, then we are unapologetically woke. Let the critics sneer. Let them turn “woke” into a punchline. Their disdain for compassion only underscores the necessity of staying true to its core values."

- The Zeitgeist

https://thezeitgeistonline.substack.com/p/we-will-always-be-proudly-woke-if

A new article up on my Future Dr. Stevie site where I focus on science, spirituality, and holistic medicine.

Even if you don't consider yourself to be formally Buddhist, I'd encourage you to check this out! Audio is available by clicking the link in the article.

#buddhism #spiritual #dharma #mindfulness #mentalhealth #empathy #humanity #humanrights

https://www.futuredrstevie.com/finding-empathy-humanity-open-heartedness-in-chaotic-times-a-buddhist-perspective/

Mar-a-Lago Face undermines empathy.

"[T]he women who fit the Mar-a-Lago face mold are. . . exhibiting what Dr. Jalalabadi likes to call “frozen face,” which is most likely caused by filler obstructing the muscles, and results in less emotive expressions; researchers have found this leads to a lack of ability to connect with others. This has real-world implications." (The Independent, 2025)

"[W]hat if you couldn’t smile naturally, with the usual crinkles around your eyes and creases in your cheeks? There’s convincing scientific evidence that. . . . mirroring another person’s facial expressions is essential for not only recognizing emotion, but also feeling it. . . . Permanently pouty lips and smooth brows might be good for selfies, but research suggests they flatten your affect, disconnecting you from your feelings and the feelings of others." (NYTimes, 2019)

Botox seems to affect the brain (New Scientist, 2023)

"Santiago Martinez Magdalena, a professor at the Public University of Navarra, explained . . . that cosmetic procedures generate a specific, surgical kind of beauty linked to an aesthetic eugenics with “the Caucasian model as a hygienic and normative horizon.”" (El Pais, 2025)

#MarALagoFace #Empathy #eugenics

https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/mar-a-lago-face-plastic-surgery-kristi-noem-trump-b2739674.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/well/mind/can-botox-and-cosmetic-surgery-chill-our-relationships-with-others.html#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20found%20that%20when,other%20people's%20facial%20expressions%20and

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2365129-botox-injections-in-forehead-alter-brain-activity-linked-to-emotions/

https://english.elpais.com/lifestyle/2025-02-24/the-popularity-of-the-mar-a-lago-face-soars-in-trumps-inner-circle.html

芸術が求める物　What art wants
芸術は理解を求める物では無い、
Art is not something that seeks understanding,

https://note.com/poison_raika/n/n8da182fc595d

#Chimpanzees show a surprising degree of #empathy relative to #bonobos

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y45ylrv0xo.amp

I guess I'm not a "real man" because I am empathetic to a fault...as they say.

What a disgusting society we live in.

#Empathy - the ability to understand the perspective of others - is a learned skill. Sure, some people will have an easier time than others, but it always starts with the question: "Why does that other person think and act the way they do?", and engaging with curiosity instead of sticking with one's own assumptions.

However, the problem arises when the people in our society who make the decision cannot empathize with people who are much less powerful than they are - and worse, they don't even _want_ to empathize with them. Consider space flight Blue Origin NS-31, where #JeffBezos and his cronies genuinely seemed to believe that this would be seen as "supporting #feminism " instead of the #oligarchs showing off how rich they are.

Or #ElonMusk taking the virtual chainsaw to numerous government agencies with #DOGE and then being apparently genuinely surprised that making the situation for tens of thousands of government agencies and those they support might make him unpopular. For him, all this is just a grand game - so why shouldn't it be for others?

But this attitude is nothing new. Througout the ages, the rulers, potentates, and other mighty people have looked down upon the poor and downtrodden, who are supposed to do what they are told without protest.

Which brings me to my personal subject, German folk tales. And the people who first made that subject popular - the Brothers Grimm.

For while the Brothers Grimm had all sorts of dodgy beliefs of their own, one of their stances was both radical and right - the tales and thoughts of "ordinary people" - in this case, the rural German peasantry - deserved being listened to and told. Something we can learn from, even today.

#folklore #politics #oligarchy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Grimm

#Empathy #Caring #Friendship #Acceptence

This, all day every day. It's important to let people know it's ok to feel crappy---they don't always need "fixing."

But be ready when they do!

“Woke-ism,” which I personally would have called “basic human decency,” has been declared Public Enemy #1.
https://medium.com/prismnpen/weve-lost-the-thread-from-trans-rights-to-trigger-warnings-76495c861eb3

“Chimpanzees more empathetic than assumed - study.” Which makes Eloon Musk not just sub human but sub chimp. #Empathy #Musk

In "Quest for Empathy: Therapy Games and Neurodivergent Disaffection" Daniela Wentz takes a critical look at therapy games for autistic children.
#gamestudies #gamification #empathy #autism #criticaldisabilitystudies
https://paidia.de/quest-for-empathy-therapy-games-and-neurodivergent-disaffection/

Trump denies aid for Arkansas after storms that killed more than 40 people https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/24/trump-denies-aid-arkansas-tornados?CMP=share_btn_url Donald Trump has denied federal disaster relief funds to the people of Arkansas, which saw dozens of people die from a series of deadly tornados last month #GOP #Empathy #FEMA #Arkansas #Climate

North West Migrants Forum
"Every day our lives are improved by the presence of people from other parts of the world who have made Derry their home. From hospitals to schools, shops and restaurants to the safety of our streets, immigrants make Derry a better place to live."

https://nwmf.org.uk/derry-day-of-appreciation-will-celebrate-immigration-and-diversity/

If you want to classify #autism as a disease, then let's also fucking classify a lack of #empathy as a disease. Because that's the thing that's sure as shit killing society at the moment.