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lb:dune [2025-09-26 14:13:21] – [DUNE] ninjasrlb:dune [2026-02-07 18:54:56] (current) – ninjasr
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 I think the Bene Gesserit are pretty cool...though not //just// because they're women. I actually didn't think much of them before I learned that they have //total// control of their own bodies...and suddenly: I'm intrigued. I think the Bene Gesserit are pretty cool...though not //just// because they're women. I actually didn't think much of them before I learned that they have //total// control of their own bodies...and suddenly: I'm intrigued.
  
-The Bene Gesserit are an order of sexy nuns, basically. They operate a millennia-old eugenics program to birth the Übermensch. This being the Dune universe, Bene Gesserit undergo training which leads to some pretty incredible abilities, mostly related to having a full control of the body.\\+<div passage> 
 +The Bene Gesserit are an order of sexy nuns, basically. They operate a millennia-old eugenics program to birth the Übermensch. This being the Dune universe, Bene Gesserit undergo training which leads to some pretty incredible abilities, mostly related to having a full control of the body. 
 This means that they can pick the gender of their next baby at conception and are //technically// immune to poisons, since they can identify the poison while it's inside them and produce an antidote. They also possess mind control powers via The Voice and can tell if you're lying or not. This means that they can pick the gender of their next baby at conception and are //technically// immune to poisons, since they can identify the poison while it's inside them and produce an antidote. They also possess mind control powers via The Voice and can tell if you're lying or not.
 +</div>
  
 And, proving that Frank Herbert //totally isn't a pervert who wrote fetish material into his books// they are also very sexy and know a lot of sexual techniques. Though that's kinda redundant information, since they have total control of their bodies...who knows what they could do in the bedroom? And, proving that Frank Herbert //totally isn't a pervert who wrote fetish material into his books// they are also very sexy and know a lot of sexual techniques. Though that's kinda redundant information, since they have total control of their bodies...who knows what they could do in the bedroom?
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 They operate within a pretty strict hierarchy and are cynical missionaries. They secretly control the galaxy from the shadows (while claiming to be pro-Emperor) and go planet to planet planting false prophecies and beliefs among the locals, to make them easy to manipulate if a Bene Gesserit appears among them. They operate within a pretty strict hierarchy and are cynical missionaries. They secretly control the galaxy from the shadows (while claiming to be pro-Emperor) and go planet to planet planting false prophecies and beliefs among the locals, to make them easy to manipulate if a Bene Gesserit appears among them.
  
-I would also make the argument that the Bene Gesserit are the only faction that line up with Dune's theme of “improve the human, don't become dependent on other things” because...well, while the Reverend Mothers are dependent on Spice...most Bene Gesserit are not. Most of their abilities seem to be ‘natural’ human abilities that theoretically any human can learn.\\+<div passage> 
 +I would also make the argument that the Bene Gesserit are the only faction that line up with Dune's theme of “improve the human, don't become dependent on other things” because...well, while the Reverend Mothers are dependent on Spice...most Bene Gesserit are not. Most of their abilities seem to be ‘natural’ human abilities that theoretically any human can learn. 
 And most of these abilities really do make Bene Gesserit self-reliant in a way that the other major Dune worldbuilding things //don't//. And most of these abilities really do make Bene Gesserit self-reliant in a way that the other major Dune worldbuilding things //don't//.
 +</div>
 ==== Mentats ==== ==== Mentats ====
 I think the concept of the Mentat is stupid and practically stupid as well. I think the concept of the Mentat is stupid and practically stupid as well.
  
-Mentats are often described as human computers or human calculators...but that description isn't entirely accurate. They are more like a walking spreadsheet.\\+<div passage> 
 +Mentats are often described as human computers or human calculators...but that description isn't entirely accurate. They are more like a walking spreadsheet. 
 This is because they can ‘hold’ a vast amount of data, make massive calculations and even do analysis of that data...which they can then calculate and so on. This is because they can ‘hold’ a vast amount of data, make massive calculations and even do analysis of that data...which they can then calculate and so on.
 +</div>
  
 The problem is that they //aren't// a computer and, in fact, lack many of the advantages of a computer that actually make them useful. To be fair, when Frank Herbert wrote Dune, many of the advantages of microcomputers weren't visible because they didn't exist...but, in hindsight, it's pretty clear that the Mentat doesn't work. The problem is that they //aren't// a computer and, in fact, lack many of the advantages of a computer that actually make them useful. To be fair, when Frank Herbert wrote Dune, many of the advantages of microcomputers weren't visible because they didn't exist...but, in hindsight, it's pretty clear that the Mentat doesn't work.
  
-To explain why, let me direct you to the humble spreadsheet. The thing about a spreadsheet is that a human can totally make a spreadsheet in the real world. All you need is a whiteboard (or just a sufficiently large wall; or some paper), some chalk and then the data you're putting into it. Then you just have to manually draw the table, the values in each cell and you can even draw a nice graph to visualize the data.\\ +<div passage> 
-A Mentat could do all of this as well, but they have the advantage of being able to calculate all those values much faster than anyone else.\\ +To explain why, let me direct you to the humble spreadsheet. The thing about a spreadsheet is that a human can totally make a spreadsheet in the real world. All you need is a whiteboard (or just a sufficiently large wall; or some paper), some chalk and then the data you're putting into it. Then you just have to manually draw the table, the values in each cell and you can even draw a nice graph to visualize the data. 
-Now let's change a single value in a single cell.\\ + 
-The problem you face now is that, if you did it right, that one value is tied to many many other cells, so you have to manually recalculate all of it. In real life, this could take hours...or days...or weeks.\\+A Mentat could do all of this as well, but they have the advantage of being able to calculate all those values much faster than anyone else. 
 + 
 +Now let's change a single value in a single cell. 
 + 
 +The problem you face now is that, if you did it right, that one value is tied to many many other cells, so you have to manually recalculate all of it. In real life, this could take hours...or days...or weeks. 
 But that was for normal humans. A Mentat can recalculate much faster. And, sure, they //can//...but they still have to manually re-write all the values and manually re-draw that graph, right? Even if we set aside the fact a Mentat has solved the //biggest// bottle-neck, the Mentat has //not// solved the //other// major bottle-neck. But that was for normal humans. A Mentat can recalculate much faster. And, sure, they //can//...but they still have to manually re-write all the values and manually re-draw that graph, right? Even if we set aside the fact a Mentat has solved the //biggest// bottle-neck, the Mentat has //not// solved the //other// major bottle-neck.
 +</div>
 +
 +<div passage>
 +This is why I'm skeptical as to how useful a Mentat would actually prove to be in practice. Because, sure, an individual Mentat can do a lot of data analysis and whatever...but they still have to //share// that data with other people. They are humans who work for other humans, right? As far as I know, there is no such thing as a monitor that a Mentat can project their thoughts into in the Dune universe...so how do they actually go about sharing all that data?
  
-This is why I'm skeptical as to how useful a Mentat would actually prove to be in practice. Because, sure, an individual Mentat can do a lot of data analysis and whatever...but they still have to //share// that data with other people. They are humans who work for other humans, right? As far as I know, there is no such thing as a monitor that a Mentat can project their thoughts into in the Dune universe...so how do they actually go about sharing all that data?\\ 
 I think the assumption is that a Mentat is a bit like a simple calculator, in that you're only ever expected to get one value out at a time. But then the practical limitations of a Mentat become clear. I think the assumption is that a Mentat is a bit like a simple calculator, in that you're only ever expected to get one value out at a time. But then the practical limitations of a Mentat become clear.
 +</div>
  
 This actually shows why some factions skirt around and ultimately ignore the Butlerian Jihad's traditions...because Mentats would be practically useless in a lot of scenarios. This actually shows why some factions skirt around and ultimately ignore the Butlerian Jihad's traditions...because Mentats would be practically useless in a lot of scenarios.
  
-This also doesn't get into the other major issue of the Mentats, which is that they're effectively no different from a pocket calculator...except worse. How are humans supposed to become self-reliant if they become reliant upon a walking human to do their calculations for them?\\+<div passage> 
 +This also doesn't get into the other major issue of the Mentats, which is that they're effectively no different from a pocket calculator...except worse. How are humans supposed to become self-reliant if they become reliant upon a walking human to do their calculations for them? 
 This wouldn't be an issue if the abilities of Mentats was something most humans could learn...but, as it is, it's identical to the outsourcing of human //things// to machines. This wouldn't be an issue if the abilities of Mentats was something most humans could learn...but, as it is, it's identical to the outsourcing of human //things// to machines.
 +</div>
 ==== Sandworm ==== ==== Sandworm ====
 Yeah, I find the Sandworm to be really interesting. Though I probably won't elaborate for a while. Yeah, I find the Sandworm to be really interesting. Though I probably won't elaborate for a while.
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 Buddislam could not exist. Buddislam could not exist.
  
-What I mean by that is that Islam is a strict monotheistic religion. What that means is that it effectively rejects syncretism as a concept.\\ +<div passage> 
-Most religions – though mainly polytheistic ones – are fine with syncretizing with other faiths. However, Islam is allergic to basically all forms of [[lb:syncretism]].((:fn:>Read the syncretism article if you want more details on those forms of syncretism.))\\ +What I mean by that is that Islam is a strict monotheistic religion. What that means is that it effectively rejects syncretism as a concept. 
-Keep in mind that while Christianity (for example) doesn't really care //what// you call God as long as you acknowledge he's supreme...Islam //cares a lot// about the fact he's called Allah. I mean “There Is No God but Allah.” Though the other part of Islam that prevents syncretism is the Quran. Muslims believe that the Quran is without fault and has all (or most of) the truth needed to understand...everything. So the idea of incorporating other beliefs is alien to Islam.\\ + 
-In practice, this manifests as Islam rejecting any form of syncretism. They won't accept relating Allah to other gods, they won't accept merging traditions together (because only the Quran and Hadiths matter), they won't accept incorporating/assimilating because that would implicitly suggest that those other gods exist and, as has been established, there is only Allah.\\+Most religions – though mainly polytheistic ones – are fine with syncretizing with other faiths. However, Islam is allergic to basically all forms of [[lb:syncretism]].((:fn:>Read the syncretism article if you want more details on those forms of syncretism.)) 
 + 
 +Keep in mind that while Christianity (for example) doesn't really care //what// you call God as long as you acknowledge he's supreme...Islam //cares a lot// about the fact he's called Allah. I mean “There Is No God but Allah.” Though the other part of Islam that prevents syncretism is the Quran. Muslims believe that the Quran is without fault and has all (or most of) the truth needed to understand...everything. So the idea of incorporating other beliefs is alien to Islam. 
 + 
 +In practice, this manifests as Islam rejecting any form of syncretism. They won't accept relating Allah to other gods, they won't accept merging traditions together (because only the Quran and Hadiths matter), they won't accept incorporating/assimilating because that would implicitly suggest that those other gods exist and, as has been established, there is only Allah. 
 In fact, I didn't realize this until I looked it up recently, but associating Allah with any other being is considered a serious sin – [[brit>shirk]] – and, thus, I think that any kind of syncretism is automatically //bad// in Islam. In fact, I didn't realize this until I looked it up recently, but associating Allah with any other being is considered a serious sin – [[brit>shirk]] – and, thus, I think that any kind of syncretism is automatically //bad// in Islam.
 +</div>
 +
 +<div passage>
 +This means that, in practice, Buddislam cannot exist: Buddhism is fine with melding with Islam, but Islam is not.
  
-This means that, in practice, Buddislam cannot exist: Buddhism is fine with melding with Islam, but Islam is not.\\ 
 It's possible that Buddislam //could// exist if we assume that it merged with some completely distinct offshoot of Islam (but then it wouldn't be called ‘Islam’). Or if Islam adopted some Buddhist beliefs, which is still unlikely due to the Quran being absolute. It's possible that Buddislam //could// exist if we assume that it merged with some completely distinct offshoot of Islam (but then it wouldn't be called ‘Islam’). Or if Islam adopted some Buddhist beliefs, which is still unlikely due to the Quran being absolute.
 +</div>
 ===== Trivilinks ===== ===== Trivilinks =====
   * [[https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Dune_Wiki|Dune Fandom Wiki]]   * [[https://dune.fandom.com/wiki/Dune_Wiki|Dune Fandom Wiki]]
     * My experience with it is...generally positive. It manages to avoid two big pitfalls of most fandom wikis:     * My experience with it is...generally positive. It manages to avoid two big pitfalls of most fandom wikis:
       - It only sticks to what is definitively ‘canon’: Frank Herbert's books.       - It only sticks to what is definitively ‘canon’: Frank Herbert's books.
-      - It doesn't got into too much details, so articles are relatively short and concise.+      - It doesn't go into too much detail, so articles are relatively short and concise.
     * Honestly, I love it.     * Honestly, I love it.
   * Once I think of what to put here, I'll put it here.   * Once I think of what to put here, I'll put it here.
   * I don't really like the //desert// aesthetic. I would have called it Arab, but that would be inaccurate, since it //isn't// Arabic.   * I don't really like the //desert// aesthetic. I would have called it Arab, but that would be inaccurate, since it //isn't// Arabic.
lb/dune.txt · Last modified: 2026-02-07 18:54:56 by ninjasr
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