narcoleptik asked: Thanks a million for such an amazing blog! May I take some of the articles and translate them for fans in Russia?
Absolutely! As long as I’m given credit, you can do what you’d like to them. :3
(That’s actually really really neat, I’ve never had my stuff translated before. Thanks for the opportunity!)
Anonymous asked: Knowing troll reproduction, do you think it's possible for a troll to get an STD?
Well, assuming we’re basing this conclusion on the troll reproductive process that I’ve already hypothesized, I’d say they could potentially get STDs, yes. STDs are primarily viruses, and viruses are opportunists. There is an exchange of genital fluid and that is all they would need to be communicable.
echolation asked: I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M IN LOVE WITH YOUR BLOG OMFG OKAY BYES
Thank you! x3
Anonymous asked: Psycic powers? Aggression? The near racist behavior... Troll blood is interesting. The differences of psycic, peaceful lowbloods, and non psycic, agressive highbloods. What are your thoughts on this? What could cause such a difference? How would psycic powers even work?
I explain most of this in my “Seadweller Conundrum” post, BUT I would like to address how psychic powers could possibly work.
Well, more like—how they WOULDN’T work.
This is more applicable to human myth than troll, but I’ve heard the “we only use 2% of our brains!” statement one too many times to justify mystical powers in movies and books and whatnot. Assuming troll brains and human brains are of similar construct, they (and we) do indeed make full use of our noggins. The 98% theory comes from a very early discovery: only a small percent of a human brain is actually made of neurons. The rest is composed of glial cells, which were originally thought to do nothing but provide a structure for the neurons. It’s since been theorized that the glial cells actually trigger the neurons, and communicate with each other through calcium gradients. The glial cells would be the source of the personality.
So, with that myth out of the way, I propose that if there were ever to be psychic powers, they would be fueled by a little-understood compound known as DMT. It is the source of dreams, near-death hallucinations, and is a crystal sitting in the human brain that glows when activated by electromagnetic energy. It’s stored in the pineal gland, also a very understudied part of the anatomy.
Were trolls to have the equivalent of the pineal gland, I’m sure this would be what gives them any sort of “supernatural” powers. Unfortunately a physics major is probably more equipped to explain the powers themselves, but I could try to make a post about it.
I’ll think about the issue. If I do an actual essay on it, I’ll try to make it a bit more informative. xD Sorry!
fyeahchexmix asked: Could you explain how the Summoner (and possibly other trolls) can grow wings? Do you think they're always there, or that they start growing at a certain age? Or that only some trolls (say, only Fudgebloods like him and Tav) can grow them? Sorry for asking so many questions, it's late at night and my brain is on overdrive :P
Since we only see brownbloods with the wings, I’m inclined to say that only his caste can grow them. Here is what I think:
The wings would be a mutation in limb differentiation that would take effect during pupation. So even though we don’t see them with wings until later, they would begin development as soon as the troll leaves grubhood. Since it’s a fairly strange mutation as compared with the features of other members of the species, this may be evidence of the next step in development. These brownbloods may stay in their pupa longer to compensate for the extra growth, and while the mutation is “currently”—as far as the webcomic, anyway—linked to brownbloods, that would probably change. As all advantageous mutations eventually spread out into a population, this would as well.
I’m about to go through the ask box. Let’s get this show on the road.
caterpillar-butterfly asked: to answer anons question yes they do as implied/stated here by karkat himself, though sarcastic, the statement is clear. CCG: TIME TO RELAX. LET'S ALL CRAWL INTO OUR COCOONS AND GET BUSY STIMULATING OUR AUTOEROGENOUS SHAME GLOBES. CCG: FIRST ONE TO START A WANK FIRE GETS A SHINY BOONDOLLAR. CCG: THIS IS AN ORDER FROM YOUR LEADER. this is on the page that says "start a new memo" and karkat angrily typign with jack behind him, sorry i cant link to page dumb tumblr censorsss :(((
Good show! I love it when people go through the comic and find solid proof! Thank you. :3
Anonymous asked: I'm curious-And I understand that this isn't so much a 'biology' question-, do Trolls masturbate?... Oh, wow, that's a perverted thing to ask. This is going to be anonymous for sure.
I don’t see why they wouldn’t. This actually gives me an idea for a larger post on trolls sexuality; I’ve seen a lot of headcannons that I not only don’t agree with, but don’t make much sense, and I’d like to have a few words about them. So expect to see a longer explanation coming soon. :3
Anonymous asked: How do trolls go from grub to a two legged being?
I’ve explained a little bit about that in one of my first entries, I think. They go from being a grub to a bipedal creature the same way a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. The pupa stage is a common function among the insectum phyla, and since the trolls are based so heavily on insects I figured they probably form a pupa some time after the trials (or during? I’ve heard it rumored that the trolls are not grubs during the grub trials…which seems illogical, but I’m not checking my facts on that so I’ll just leave it open).
It would be a longer incubation period than a caterpillar, since they need to switch circulation systems amongst other issues, but the end result would be a bipedal, humanoid creature. If you want to know more about it, read my dissertation on why trolls could have bellybuttons, or go to your local information source and look up the biology of caterpillars. :3
vergoftowels asked: I have to say, I really appreciate this blog! I'm especially pleased with your explanation of troll secondary characteristics, since it was bothering me. (I have long believed that trolls must be a one-sexed species.) You seem to have left the explanation for male secondary characteristics for another time, though. Is it possible that you could expand upon it now? I'm just really curious and I enjoy having a bio major to turn to for ideas!
I’m glad you enjoy the blog! And yes, I was planning on expanding on the male secondary characteristics—I’m just working on a solid mechanism behind it. Everything about the trolls is just one giant conundrum I’m afraid.
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