Well, yes. He probably means something like “since the sunwell is now infused with light, blue doesn’t make sense anymore”.
But that only means I’m annoyed that he used a term in an ambiguous way that promotes misunderstanding, instead of using a term like “makes sense given their history”.
[Edited to combine posts]
I’m referring to how a scientific term is used in literaturate because people have a muddle understanding of it. If we are talking about physical changes of species in response to their environment. To misuse a term that refers to one way that happens, instead of better terms, only promotes that muddled thinking.
Look, I’m not hating on Ion, but his choice of worlds wasn’t a good one. Hopefully he, and others, can learn from that.
[Maybe I should have a “The more you know” banner :-)]
People often forget what they learn in school. If you asked me to recall anything but the most basic principles of chemistry or physics from my HONORS chemistry or physics classes I would not know.
When I say abstract I mean that someone has scientific training and knows how to apply the scientific method properly and operates largely in the realm of science as opposed to someone with a typically graduate or higher degree that is or was actively submitting papers to be published in journals.
Under the former definition I might be considered a scientist having taken part in research but I haven’t gotten an undergrad degree (I would be graduating this fall but COVID and recent bout of depression has caused me to prolong my graduation to next spring.) and thus I’m not even in grad school though that is my intention.
Well, there is one. Lanesh the Steelweaver. Politically, he’s Loyal to the Blood Elves but he is untainted by neither Fel or the Sunwell.
Well, he eyes seam to be blueish sea-green anyway.
I think experts flaunting expertise in an obtuse way does a lot more to make people resent/ignore expertise than people using the word ‘evolution’ in a natural way ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Which is why I call this obtuse. Everyone knows this, and everyone knows that Ion is just using a non-scientific definition of the word.
People forget. People even replace what they forget with things that are wrong. That doesn’t mean people should not strive to learn. in fact, if you learn something twice, it is more likely to stick.
People sometimes would prefer not to learn rather than admit to themselves they were wrong.
I have no intention of flaunting anything. I responded with my degree because I was specifically asked. I made the joke because I want to impress people that this isn’t about being wrong or right in the past, but is an opportunity to correct a misconception.
And no, people are showing they don’t know this. I am seeing posts the talk about the Blood Elves “evolving” in the genetic sense. And, using the term “evolve” to refer how the BEs individuals have change is, at best, vague and muddles things.
I don’t think this is fair when you are speaking outside of a scientific forum. The word evolve existed well before the biological sense of the word came into being.
Wallace specifically adapted the term for its biological sense, but its roots existed well before the biological meaning. You may argue that blood elves didn’t evolve, but
You don’t know the genetic basis of their change and whether it couldn’t have been a permanent, if reversible, change, especially with magic in the picture.
Being a non-scientific forum where it’s discussed, it is allowed to have another meaning. Any misconception is on the part of the reader for misunderstanding it.
If the writers do wake up one day and decide that it’s 1. and not 2. you can’t really dispute that the same way you can’t really dispute a lot of scientifically unsound (with lack of evidence) lore in the setting. Either way, I think it is unfair to assume they mean biological evolution when there is a generic meaning to the word that can equally be applied to changes in individuals.
They should have really just given Void Elves some “regular” elf skin and hair tones and called it a day. Have every high elf NPC and faction embraced by the Void (reasons figured out later).
Resolve this stupid topic once and for all and let the people who really want to play Blood Elves continue playing their blood elves.
You say this, despite the blood elves freely willing to allow themselves to be bullied and pressed into service by Sylvanas (into the Northrend campaign, War of Thorns, Darkshore) and Garrosh (Cata, Theramore, MoP), which in MoP’s case almost ended up with them rejoining the Alliance again anyway!
Meanwhile, the high elves freely offer their aid to the Alliance whenever they feel like it…
So who are really shamelessly bowing and scraping before their masters here?
The context people are using it is the same context as the biological usage, changing species in response to the environment. It is the standard usage in this context. You can’t just let it go without causing misunderstanding. People have already posted assertions that Blood/High elves are different species because they have “evolved”. That is simply incorrect.
To be fair, to some Blood Elves Orgrimmar would be a positive:
Most of my brethren are disdainful of the Horde’s “barbaric” ways, and I once counted myself among them. When I was first ordered to this somewhat humid and…fragrant place, I cursed my lot in life. During my studies, however, I grew to appreciate my surroundings. It has a certain charm, dont you think?
Ah, I love the smell of Stonard! It smells like…like… orc sweat. And rot. Still, combined the effect can be quite pleasant! It’s an acquired scent.
While visitors complain about the exceptionally humid air, I find it helps my complexion! Dry skin is unflattering.
It is a shame, a dreadful shame, that my brethren cannot see what benefits come from truly steeping onself in a culture.
You need to learn to appreciate your surroundings, Cersei!
Here I am, in a rough-hewn stone tower squatting on marshy, muddy ground while clouds of midges fly unchecked through the open doorways, standing amongst hunched, greenskin figures of dubious hygiene and coarse manners. I’ve never been happier.
To this day, I ponder why I, myself, was chosen for this particular station. I can only imagine my superior felt I was uniquely suited to the task and would quickly become accustomed to the quaint culture of the Horde found herein, but I heard a truly mean-spirited rumor that it may be because I talk too much.
