szachik@pvs.org, Author at the bird on fire

If Every Neuron in a Human was Coded in a Computer, Would it Result in Consciousness?

May 6, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Amateur Philosopher Holden Hartle

When Editor James asked, “What do you think of when I say ‘Philosophy’?” Holden answered, “If every neuron in a human was coded in a computer, would it result in consciousness?”

So there is a lot to unpack here. First, we need to define consciousness. Typically, this is just the ability to be aware of your surroundings: synonymous with awareness. So if a computer had all the neurons of a human, could it be aware of its surroundings? This sounds like something out of a sci-fi film, but other than being a concept for a script, the question forces you to answer questions about human consciousness and what constitutes it.

Many believe that consciousness is something that transcends the brain and its contents. In a poll I conducted where I asked the titular question, many responded with the idea that consciousness comes from the soul–something that can’t be pinpointed to a region of the brain.

Neuroscientist Christof Koch would disagree. He has done research on mice and concluded that your awareness of your surroundings stems from the claustrum, depicted to the right. Koch explains that it has neurons that are constantly firing as you experience your surroundings through the senses. Koch is currently experimenting with the outcome of “turning off” the claustrum. With the claustrum, would the animal be unconscious? Would they be something else, awake but not perceiving?

But, if we were to accurately map every human neuron onto a computer, in order for it to be conscious, it would have to have the neurons of the claustrum coded in.

Of the poll I conducted, 66% believe that such a computer wouldn’t have consciousness. As some have previously stated, consciousness may come from your soul. It is your inner being that creates your consciousness, and that is something that goes beyond neurons. But I ask these people to consider, what is a soul? What constructs a soul? If a soul is simply your thoughts and emotions created through neurotransmitters, then a soul could be coded onto a computer.

Others were more accepting of a conscious computer. They believe that the awareness of your surroundings simply comes from your brain spaces, and these people are content with the fact that this could be put into a computer. Some even believe that this will happen in the next few years.

Editor: James Zheng

Looking Back on My NBA Power Rankings

May 3, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Holden Hartle, Sports Enthusiast and Blogger

Back in October, I made a post detailing where I thought every NBA team would end up in terms of standings. And, with the season just wrapping up, I feel like it would be humbling to look back and see how accurate I was. The number on the left is my initial ranking, and the number on the right in parenthesis is where they finished the season.

Western Conference

1. Golden State Warriors (1)

There were some doubts at the beginning of the season in terms of how good the Warriors would actually be with the addition of Demarcus Cousins. But, Steph Curry had an MVP-type year, which paved the path to the 1st seed for the Warriors.

2. Houston Rockets (4)

The Rockets placed lower than most people predicted. Chris Paul was injured for an extended amount of time, which turned into a blessing and a curse. Though they lost games in that stretch, James Harden had a phenomenal year as the offense ran solely through him

3. Los Angeles Lakers (10)

Yikes. Things were looking good at the beginning of the season, but LeBron went down with an injury in which he missed 17 games, and in that time his supporting cast couldn’t win enough games to be a real competitor in the west. Also, the loss of their President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, is indicative of how well their season actually went.

4. Utah Jazz (5)

The Jazz were the 2nd best defensive team in the league, but it wasn’t enough to stop James Harden in the first round of the playoffs. They might need one more player this offseason to be a legit competitor next year, or their lack of offense will plague them once again

5. New Orleans Pelicans (13)

Another yikes. I predicted that a young core of Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, and Anthony Davis would go far, but chemistry issues in the front office caused problems.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder (6)

Westbrook-fan or not, you have to respect the amazing numbers he has put up next to Paul George. Speaking of PG-13, someone argued that he should be a candidate for MVP, Defensive Player of the year, and Most Improved Player, which may be a stretch, but is a testament to the amazing year that he had.

7. Portland Trail Blazers (3)

I thought that the Trail Blazers needed one more person to go far in this league, but they shut me up. The Blazers made it work, and the acquisition of Enes Kanter will be a big key to their success in the playoffs.

8. Denver Nuggets (2)

The Nuggets are the surprise team in the west, as they fought for the second seed off of a team-style of play, which is becoming increasingly rare in the NBA.

9. San Antonio Spurs (7)

My initial concern for the Spurs was that the lack of outside shooting would hurt them later on, but I should have known that Coach Gregg Popovich will always make the playoffs.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (11)

With Jimmy Butler off the team, the T-wolves are headed in a new direction and are hoping to score on their lottery pick in June.

11. Phoenix Suns (15)

I had hoped that the Suns would show some progress, but to no avail. They didn’t utilize their star rookie nearly enough, and their record shows.

12. Dallas Mavericks (14)

Midway through the season, the Mavs realized that they weren’t going to be a playoff team, so they traded their rookie point guard and the newly signed DeAndre Jordan for the former Knick, Kristaps Porzingis. Hopefully they can score on a draft pick and Porzingis will bounce back from his injury.

13. Memphis Grizzlies (12)

The Grizzlies are officially in rebuild mode. They traded Gasol at the deadline, and Conley is planning on leaving. Like many other teams, the Grizzlies need to score on this year’s draft pick.

14. Los Angeles Clippers (8)

Yet another yikes. I thought the Clippers would want to rebuild, but they proved me wrong as they fought their way to the 8th seed and faced the Warriors in the 1st round. To everyone’s surprise, the Clippers took them to six games.

15. Sacramento Kings (9)

I’ll own up to it, I doubted the Kings and their dysfunctional front office. But De’aaron Fox and co. really pulled together a passionate effort, and they look like a promising young team.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics (4)

Gordon Hayward couldn’t pull it together until the last few months of the season, and no one except Kyrie Irving seemed to improve. Something needs to change on this roster if they want to win the east. Nevertheless, they had a somewhat successful season, landing in the 4th seed.

2. Toronto Raptors (2)

In November, I said that their success depended on if Kawhi Leonard could bounce back to being a top 5 player. Though he wasn’t a top 5 player, he produced enough to lead the Raptors to success.

3. Philadelphia 76ers (3)

Though I personally dislike the 76ers, their young core brought them success in the east and a relatively easy path to the Eastern Conference Finals.

4. Milwaukee Bucks (1)

In November, I said that Giannis has the potential to have an MVP-caliber season, and then he had an MVP-caliber season. The east should be scared.

5. Indiana Pacers (5)

Victor Oladipo got injured in the first half of the season, and everyone thought the Pacers would tank–then they grabbed the 5th seed. Their defense kept them in games, at least until they met the Celtics in the first round.

6. Washington Wizards (11)

John Wall didn’t stay healthy and Dwight Howard had personal issues, and this led to the team’s demise. Bradley Beal had a great statistical year though, and Thomas Bryant showed flashes of potential to be their center of the future.

7. Detroit Pistons (8)

Blake Griffin had arguably the best season of his career, and it helped with the team’s success. The duo of Griffin and Drummond was unable to carry the team against the Bucks, and they were swept in the first round.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (14)

I thought that an aging Kevin Love and a rookie Collin Sexton could somewhat get it done. Needless to say, they are in rebuilding mode.

9. Charlotte Hornets (9)

Kemba Walker tried so hard to get his team to the playoffs, but to no avail. Something needs to change in that organization, or Kemba will be hitting the road.

10. Chicago Bulls (13)

The Bulls were really hell-bent on rebuilding, so much so that they traded away proven veterans for young pieces, and that resulted in less wins. Will it pay off?

11. Miami Heat (10)

Dwayne Wade had a great farewell tour, and the Heat were fighting for the 8th spot in the playoffs, but the cookie didn’t crumble their way.

12. New York Knicks (15)

Hopefully, Dennis Smith, Jr., can become a star for them, and the rumors of them signing Kevin Durant will come true. But one can only dream.

13. Brooklyn Nets (6)

The Nets are one of my biggest yikes teams in the east. D’Angelo Russell proved that he can be a focal point of an offense, and the Nets still have enough money to sign a player to a max contract to pair with him. The future looks bright for the Nets.

14. Orlando Magic (7)

I thought the Magic would tank, but they pulled a Clippers and fought their way to the playoffs. If they can find a solid point guard in the offseason, they could be a competitor come 2020.

15. Atlanta Hawks (12)

Trae Young had a Rookie-Of-the-Year season, and John Collins developed nicely. If they can draft a third piece in this year’s draft, they could make it to the playoffs in a few years.

Editor: Luke Langlois

Pushing Our Brains to the LIMITS

May 2, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Luke Langlois

Editor James landed on “Philosophy” as his weekly Theme. James says philosophy makes him see the world “more clearly.” Luke asks, “Does it make it more clear? or more cloudy?” This is Luke’s response to the subject of Philosophy.

Over the years, humanity has risen to the occasion time and time again to push limits. Whether it be physical limits, technological limits, scientific limits, or academic limits, we always find a way to take it further. But, before we make many of these leaps, we have to push the boundaries of our thoughts. And, then, we have to push the boundaries of the definition of boundaries. How would I know that “I am” if Descartes never said “I think, therefore I am.” I would not! That is why philosophy, the study of knowledge, thinking, morals, values, etc, is critical to our humanity. Where would we be without forward thinking? With that being said, the following is a list of questions that probably will not push our society forward, but they should provoke some thinking.

Is free will a reality or a mere illusion?
If freedom is just being able to “do whatever you want,” are animals more “free” than humans?
Referring to the quote of Descartes (“I think, therefore I am”), if an AI were able to “think,” would it be considered sentient?
Are there extraterrestrials out there? Are they simply avoiding us?
If extraterrestrials were to visit our planet, what should our response be? What would we actually end up doing?
Are we living in a simulation? Are the “others” in our lives engineered to answer this question to keep us naive?
Do other people see color in the same way that we see color? Is our blue someone else’s red?
On the same note, how would you describe a color?
Is time real? Is there truly a past, present, and future?
We often deal with deadlines. Our life revolves around beginnings and ends. But, does time have a beginning and end?
Perhaps there is no physical embodiment of Santa Claus, but the tales of his existence provide children with a lifelong holiday spirit. Does this make him “real” in a sense?
Would you end the life of ten people, unknown to you, for ten million dollars?
Similarly, would you end the life of ten to save your best friend?
You are the leader of your nation and your largest city has just been struck with a nuclear weapon. How do you respond?
Is anything truly experienced objectively?
You have two options: you can go back in history and prevent every major war that has occurred. Or, you can stay in your current life and let history play itself out. What do you do?
With the snap of your fingers, you can eliminate half the life in the universe. After this, resources are plentiful. Do you do it?

So, there are some questions. Some of them are obviously a bit more serious than others, but none of them have an easy answer. Or do they? Human brains have achieved incredible feats over the years, but there are some questions that simply elude the capability of our thoughts. Perhaps YOU can provide us with answers and be the next great philosopher.

Editor: James Zheng

Undercover–Another recommendation for a party game.

May 1, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By James Zheng, with Expert Party Advice

When Editor Holden asked for submissions that “spice up everyday life,” James went back to party games and how to spice up your party life, or how to be the life of the party. (This joke was made by Ms. Zachik, not Holden, for the record).

I did a post about the Werewolves game, and, then, soon after I found more excellent recommendations for party games. The game I am going to introduce in this post is less difficult to learn and more entertaining to play.

Undercover, which is also called Who is the Spy, was generated from a game that appeared in a Chinese variety show consisting of guest interviews and gaming interaction. It became a really popular party board game, and then a game developer created the online version Undercover.

The recommended amount of players is five to eight with one moderator. The most significant part of this game is that the moderator needs to decide on a “major” word and a “minor” word and write them on the paper to hand out later to participants. The “major” word and “minor” word represent the identities of the players. The player who holds the major word is the “civilian”; the player who holds the minor card is the “undercover.” And, to decide what the major word and minor word will be, the moderator needs to find two words that have similar meaning. The words can be anything as long as they are similar. If the amount of civilians is no more than five, the amount of undercover will just be one.

The gameplay of Undercover has the same feature as the Werewolves game–players need to talk during the game process. The players’ ability to express themselves is an important factor in deciding the result of the game. At the beginning of the game, each participant is given a pre-written paper as their identity–civilian or undercover. Then, each of them has to describe what their word is or means. After everyone finishes the description, everyone has to vote for one person who they think is the undercover. When the person is out, the moderator needs to check if that person holds the major word or minor word to decide if the game is still on or finished. The winning precondition for the undercover is when the amount of undercovers is the same as the civilians.

Basic Gaming Rules and Hints:

The person who holds the minor word does not know that they are the undercover, so the only way to find out is to listen to everyone’s description to see if they are holding the same or different word, then to guess what the major word is to mask themselves.
You CANNOT put the word that you are holding into your description. A person’s description cannot be too short or abstract, but it could be long if the person wants to speak more.
If you are playing as a civilian, of course you don’t want to spoil your word too much for the undercover. But, at the same time, your description cannot be too short or abstract; you can be just a little bit specific or try to find the characteristic that the word has. Try to organize your language at a perfect length to let other civilians trust you.

Depending on what words the moderator comes up with, the game can be played at different levels. Undercover is really easy to learn; the preparation is also pretty simple. Play with your friends and enjoy it!

Editor: Holden Hartle

The Monkey’s Plunge

April 29, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Charles Schnell

Charles, no longer a Blogger-on-Staff but a consummate writer, still contributes short stories. “The Monkey’s Plunge” is his latest parable-ish fable submission.

On top of the hill in the middle of the forest the monkey meditated with his master in the master’s temple. The aged master, having two ounces of wisdom for every one wrinkle, imparted perhaps the most profound piece of wisdom he could to the monkey at the end of their meditation session. This was it: “Do not chase after the glitter, the riches, or the fame, my monkey. Those are all gold, but who needs gold when you can have God?”

The monkey replied, “Why can’t I have both?”

“If you allow your heart to fill with gold, there will be no room left for God,” said the master. “But, if you fill your heart with God, you will never need gold. You will still want it on occasion, which means you must be careful, for the second you let gold in, God gets pushed out.”

“So, what are you telling me to do? Run from the gold?”

“Run from the gold, monkey. Run to God.”

“Yes, master,” the monkey said, not completely comprehending his master’s words. With this, the monkey left the temple and returned to the city to continue on with his life.

An hour had not even gone by before the monkey forgot his master’s teachings for the day.

The week that followed had been no ordinary week, for the monkey had finally been discovered. The monkey was getting famous, as he had always wanted. Fans wanted to meet the monkey wherever he went. They asked for autographs on the most random and unexpected of objects. In addition, his earnings skyrocketed. He started buying things he had always wanted.

In fact, the monkey grew so busy that he had to cancel his weekly session with his master. This is the first time he had ever cancelled. When the monkey came to see his master to tell him, the master sighed, shook his head, and only had this to say, “Remember: Be careful, my monkey. Run from the gold. Run to God.”

This final message from his master went into the monkey’s right ear and out of the left. He hurriedly walked through the jungle back to the city; he had a dinner reservation.

Almost a whole year passed without the monkey coming back for his meditation session. He grew so involved and integrated into city society that he had forgotten about his wrinkled master. He even made a few self-righteous and conceited decisions along the way.

It was at this point when the monkey realized that his situation was changing again. The city no longer loved him. In fact, its people started to turn against him. They didn’t like the monkey anymore. They grew jealous of the monkey. They grew to hate the monkey. They wanted the monkey gone. So, as if right out of a cartoon, they grabbed their pitchforks and flaming torches. The monkey was chased from the city.

But that was not enough; they wanted him gone for good. Gone gone. They chased the monkey throughout the jungle. Taking advantage of the vines to swing on and the branches to jump to, the monkey managed to avoid his ex-fans for a fair amount of time. But, eventually, they cornered the monkey at the edge of the waterfall.

The monkey had no choice but to take the leap of faith and dive head first into the lake below the waterfall. The monkey’s plunge caused a huge splash, convincing the people he was gone gone. The people peacefully returned to the city, taking their pitchforks, torches and hatred with them.

Meanwhile, the monkey was still in the lake under the waterfall. He felt relieved. He felt safe. But, his feelings of relief and safety quickly turned into confusion as the current of the lake pushed him into the connecting rapids. The rapids tossed and turned him for many miles. The fearful monkey could not do anything but close his eyes, continue his record of involuntary summersaults, and pray that the pain would end soon.

He eventually stopped moving. He was still underwater, and the rapids were still roaring by him, but he was no longer being carried down the river. Then, he realized why he had stopped moving: he felt a hand grabbing onto his arm. The hand started pulling him out of the river. Trapped underwater, he had no clue as to whom the hand belonged and prepared for the worst.

The master eventually pulled the monkey fully out of the water. The monkey was more relieved than ever to see that it was his master, not his enemy. After taking a minute to catch his breath and shake the water off his fur, the monkey looked his master in the eye, trying to muster the words “I’m sorry” but was not successful in getting them out.

Instead, the monkey said, “Now I know.” His master gave him a look of inquiry, so the monkey clarified: “Run to God?”

The master nodded, took the monkey’s hand, and escorted him back to the temple. “Run to God, monkey.”

Editor: Luke Langlois

The Old Beggar-Woman–A Fairy Tale Re-Telling

April 29, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

It’s been a while. We go back, with this post, to the storytelling of tale aficionado Harlow Berny.

By Harlow Berny

Centuries ago, in a long forgotten kingdom, there was an old woman. Surely you have seen a beggar before. The woman begged the same, always saying, “God bless you,” when given anything, be it a shiny coin or a small piece of stale bread. Once, the old woman walked to the door of an old house, and there, by a burning fireplace, was a friendly young man. “Come, old mother; warm yourself,” he said to the old woman as she shivered in the doorway. “God bless you,” she said as she stepped closer to the warmth. However, she stepped too close and her clothes caught fire. She did not notice, but the young man did, and he jumped to his feet. He looked around for a pail of water, but finding none, he began to weep. His streams of tears fell on the flames and quenched them before they touched the old woman’s skin. She turned toward the young man and said with a smile upon her face, “God bless you.”

Editor: Holden Hartle

A Re-Telling of Grimm’s

The Lotus Flower

April 18, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Editor Makena challenged her fellow bloggers to consider Plants and/or Opinions. In James’s opinion, lotus flowers are the best plants.

By James Zheng, plant dude

Lotus flowers are a widespread plant around tropical and temperate zones in Asia. It is said that there were records of lotus flowers planted during the period of ancient China. Nowadays, some of the species are imported to America. The lotus flower is famous for its colorful appearance and a large diversity of species. In India and Vietnam, the lotus flower is the national flower, and it is recognized as a holy symbol within Buddhism.

Lotus flowers are categorized as an aquatic plant with the root under the water. Every part of a lotus flower can be really valuable. Its seed and root are abundantly nutritious as food, and the leaf can be used for making herbs. It is both edible and ornamental.

Lotus flowers have adapted to environments like shallow water, lakes, marshes and ponds. If there is enough water, the lotus flower could even grow in a tiny basin. Most lotus flowers have a strong reliance on sunshine, so full sunshine is needed during the growth period. They cannot tolerate growing under the shade. The artificially cultivated varieties are mostly used in parks and courtyards for ornamental purposes. I have pictures below of some showy species of the lotus flower in China, and they are given some unique nicknames.

“Icy tenderness.”

“The princesse dancer.”

“Haierfura”

All the above species are my favorite, yet there are still hundreds of species of lotus flowers you can find in the world. If you are interested, find the one that you like, and take care of it. Most of the lotus flowers have a really strong capability of adapting to the environment; you just need enough water and sunshine to raise it!

Plant and Opinions Editor: Makena Behnke

Holden Rants About a Topic Does Anyone Still Read This Title Part 5

April 18, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

What is Gaming Disorder?

By Holden Hartle, who has played video games

In our pursuit this week of everything gaming, Holden uncovers a surprising disorder.

I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t think this was real when I first heard about it. But, it’s a real mental disorder that the World Health Organization (WHO) added to the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and that the American Psychology Association (APA) added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-V) .

What does Gaming Disorder look like? Some of the symptoms according to psychiatry.org include, “preoccupation with gaming, withdrawal symptoms when gaming is taken away (sadness, anxiety, irritability), inability to reduce playing, unsuccessful attempts to quit gaming, and the use of gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness.” These are the same symptoms that someone might go through if they were addicted to a drug of some sort, i.e. the inability to stop and the feelings of sadness and anxiety when it is taken away from you.

Now, if you’re an incessant gamer like me, these symptoms scare you. But fear not, only a very small portion of the population actually has the disorder. The criteria is very specific and needs to last for a certain amount of time in order for someone to be diagnosed. A case study in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction states that, ”The diagnosis of IGD is not easy,” and, “[Gaming disorder’s] psychological, social, and health consequences require further study.” The study goes on to explain that little research has been done into the effectiveness of the various types of treatments of Gaming Disorder and which treatment is best.

Another case study, this time from Yale, explains that the dopamine boost in a cocaine addict’s system after a hit is the same dopamine boost from someone who has Gaming Disorder. Furthermore, when a video game addict plays video games, he has conditioned his hypothalamus to reward him every time he plays video games. This makes sense when you consider the fact that a video game addict goes through similar withdrawals to that of a drug addict. When he isn’t playing video games, his body feels empty without the constant string of dopamine flowing through his system

To remind you, a very very very small percentage of the population actually has Gaming Disorder. The screening process is very scrupulous in order for a psychologist to actually diagnose someone. If you feel like you may have this disorder, however, contact your local psychologist, and they may be able to help.

Video Game Editor: AJ Patencio

every boy and every girl, spice up your life

April 17, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Unofficial “Spice” Girl, Makena Behnke

Editor Holden solicits his fellow sentient bloggers as to what spices up their everyday lives. Makena replies . . .

first things first, i like my life. some aspects are rather mundane (washing my face, doing my homework, blah, blah, blah), but i like to think some aspects of my daily life are interesting. i’m not here to tell you what the interesting aspects are because that’s not what this post is about–not a makena-life post. i’m here to tell you how to spice up your life–every boy and every girl.

there are plenty of well-known ways to mix it up–color your hair, buy a whole new wardrobe, travel to Spain spontaneously. i’m all about spontaneity, but not a lot of us are able to pick up and go to a different country or buy a new closet. i present to you a non-list of simple things to refresh your daily life.

research something you don’t know much about. let’s say your great grandfather was from Sweden, but you don’t know anything about Sweden other than IKEA. maybe research what’s happening in their politics or cool Swedish inventions. or, look up some ancient religions and something you’re completely clueless about.

i’m a coffee fan. i’m not picky when it comes to types of beans or where they were grown, etc. i like what i like, and i usually stick to it, but i like trying new things. mix in some protein powder (make sure you actually like the protein powder) or powdered collagen in your morning coffee–provides a health boost, and, maybe just for me, but when i change something small in my daily routine, it makes me a bit happier.

wake up five minutes earlier or set aside five minutes before bed to do some light stretching, or stretch morning and night, whatever you please. stretching before bed would loosen up your muscles before sleep, and stretching in the morning would energize you a bit and get the blood flowing.

maybe you’re completely content with your life, and you don’t need me telling you how to make your life more interesting, but maybe try a couple of these suggestions out and see how you feel. If you hate them, sorry for wasting your time; if you don’t, you’re welcome.

Spice-Up-Your-Life Editor: Holden Hartle

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO Album Review

April 17, 2019 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Holden Hartle, Music Guy

Editor Makena’s theme for her week is Plants and Opinions. Holden speaks to Opinions. He is very opinionated when it comes to music. Listen up.

I’m aware that the teenage girl inside of me is showing, but I thoroughly enjoy Billie Eilish’s new album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO. This album was highly anticipated after her EP “dont smile at me” put her on the map. Personally, I enjoyed the more upbeat songs off of “dont smile at me,” but not the album as a whole. The slower songs seemed to go on forever, and I feel like she was still looking for her sound–something to tie her music to her name. I feel like she found her sound with WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO. The album is still a fusion of upbeat songs and slow songs, but the one thing that ties the album together is a heavy use of bass. The bass in most of the songs adds a contrast to the light, quiet timbre of the vocals and the melody. Yet, with a distorted 808 (drum machine) and quiet vocals, the album remains cohesive. This is something that is very impressive, and something that a lot of albums don’t get right.

The part that really draws me to the album is the transparency and the authenticity. Except for some very minute parts, every song was written by Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell. The connection between these siblings allows for the emotions in the songs to be fully expressed. For example, the opening track, “!!!!!!!,” is a thirteen second track with the line, “I have taken out my Invisalign and this is the album.” Now, I’m a sucker for symbolism, so to me this line means that Billie Eilish has removed anything that is holding her back from expressing her true emotions and this album will be nothing less than authentic. On a more surface level, this could just be a candid and genuine moment between these two siblings, but if you look at it from a perspective of finding the aim of the album, the opening track is opening the door to Billie’s mind.

The following song, “bad guy,” immediately gives us access to Billie’s consciousness. The song explains how Billie has a lover who is “a tough guy/…Chest always so puffed guy,” and generally, a stereotypical manly man. Billie claims that she is the type who is really in charge in the relationship. To the best of my knowledge, this isn’t something typically talked about in music. Most songwriters, if they were going down this path, would choose a position of strength and power to say that they are leaving their significant other because they are bringing them down. Billie doesn’t do this. She chooses something that is more genuine and comes more from the heart. She doesn’t leave the relationship; she enjoys the dynamic.

A few songs down, “wish you were gay,” received a lot of flag for “insulting” the LGBT community, but this wasn’t the purpose of the song whatsoever. I’m not one to decide what people should be offended over, but I think that the interesting use of homosexuality adds to the idea that Billie is exploring emotions in music that haven’t been explored before. The song explores the common anthem of the love of your crush not being reciprocated back into you, but the song does so in a way that no ever song has done before to my knowledge. Billie makes her thoughts extremely vulnerable and states that “I just wanna make you feel okay/ But all you do is look the other way/…I just kinda wish you were gay.” This idea is something that could only come from someone who is taking the idea of rejection and expressing it in its fullest.

I briefly want to highlight a line in the song “my strange addiction,” in which Billie sings, “Shoulda taken a break, not an Oxford comma.” The song in its entirety deals with the idea of being obsessed with a bunch of guys, and adding one more to the list. This specific line demonstrates Eilish’s genius songwriting where she states that she should have stopped dreaming about new guys and should not have added another one.

The song “bury a friend” is perhaps the most unique song off of this album, as it looks into the darker side of Billie’s conscious. According to her, the song is sung from the monster under your bed’s perspective. Once again, I feel as if this is a unique idea that very few artists have ventured into before. The song alludes to the fact that we all have our own monster under our bed, and this monster is some version of us. Her monster suffers from trust issues and has a depressing manner about her, characterized by the lines, “What do you want from me? Why don’t you run from me?” and the titular line, “When we all fall asleep, where do we go?”

Starting with “bury a friend,” the songs in the album take a darker and more pessimistic turn. Instead of being songs of power, the songs deal with Billie’s struggles with depression and the subsequent suicidal thoughts that follow.

To say the least, this album is a roller coaster. The album starts on a high note, with the brother-sister duo ending the first song with a few seconds of them laughing. Yet towards the end of the album, the listener is welcomed into the darkest parts of Billie’s consciousness. The fact that Billie is open to being that vulnerable is something she should be commended for. The album is successful at exploring emotions that aren’t necessarily covered on the radio, and showing the range of emotions that someone feels. Sure, people go through heartbreak, but Billie doesn’t hide any details about this fact. She isn’t scared to write a song about what people actually feel, rather than what people should feel. Shakespeare once wrote that theater, and more broadly, art, hold a mirror up to nature. Billie does just this in WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO.

Opinion Editor: Makena Behnke