MTG Cardsmith Community Forums
Don't STEM the flow of your ideas!
As a student of science and an aspiring evolutionary biologist, I was delighted when I went through Unstable spoilers and saw this little gem:
I recognised it as a Markov chain, a probability model in which the probability of an event depends solely on the previous state the system was in (to put it simply). I went through Frank Karsten's excellent article on CFB where he discusses its expected size. I then wanted to make more scientifically accurate cards, and came up with this:
(In hindsight, the CMC should've been XXUG)
So here's a challenge: make some scientifically accurate cards. The cards can feature scientists, inventions, scientific concepts, scientific phenomena, living beings, substances, materials, etc. Anything. They just need to be scientifically accurate.
If any guidelines are required, I had made this scientific colour pie a while back, based on the colours that I felt best depicted various fields (edit: interchanged Mono-B and BR. Felt the chaotic nature of red and the risk-taking of black made Rakdos the right colours for probability theory, while Black's preoccupation with flesh, blood, murder and dissection will still accommodate anatomy and physiology):
C: Technology, engineering
Mono-W: Inorganic chemistry
Mono-U: Classical mechanics
Mono-B: Physiology and anatomy
Mono-R: Electrodynamics and electronics
Mono-G: Ecology, conservation biology, environmental science
WU: Pure mathematics (calculus, topology, etc)
UR: Thermodynamics, electrochemistry
BR: Probability, statistics, applied math
WG: Medical and agricultural science
WR: High-energy/particle physics, quantum mechanics
UB: Neurobiology, psychology, behaviour
UG: Evolutionary biology, genetics
RG: Organic chemistry
BG: Microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology
WB: Optics, astrophysics
This is just what I felt, you may tweak this as you like or do something completely different.
Rules:
1. Cards that highlight the STEM fields are to be made.
2. No joke cards, although humour is allowed and appreciated.
3. Cards will be judged on the basis of scientific accuracy, flavour, balancing, and art (in that order, although all are nearly equally important).
4. Try to capture the spirit of the challenge. For instance, if you want to highlight the field of medicine, do not make cards with healers or medics in it. Magic has plenty of those. Rather, make cards that involve cancer researchers, drug development, etc.
5. Up to 4 cards per person (think like one each for physics, chemistry, math and biology, or something like that).
6. Do not put down any field in the cards. They are all important.
7. Do credit the artist.
8. Cards can be edited/changed out at any time. Old cards are allowed.
9. Deadline is Jan 31.
Rewards:
1st: 5 favourites and a follow. Can nominate an HM.
2nd: 3 favourites and a follow.
3rd: 2 favourites.
HM: 1 favourite.
In the name of science, SMITH!
I recognised it as a Markov chain, a probability model in which the probability of an event depends solely on the previous state the system was in (to put it simply). I went through Frank Karsten's excellent article on CFB where he discusses its expected size. I then wanted to make more scientifically accurate cards, and came up with this:
(In hindsight, the CMC should've been XXUG)
So here's a challenge: make some scientifically accurate cards. The cards can feature scientists, inventions, scientific concepts, scientific phenomena, living beings, substances, materials, etc. Anything. They just need to be scientifically accurate.
If any guidelines are required, I had made this scientific colour pie a while back, based on the colours that I felt best depicted various fields (edit: interchanged Mono-B and BR. Felt the chaotic nature of red and the risk-taking of black made Rakdos the right colours for probability theory, while Black's preoccupation with flesh, blood, murder and dissection will still accommodate anatomy and physiology):
C: Technology, engineering
Mono-W: Inorganic chemistry
Mono-U: Classical mechanics
Mono-B: Physiology and anatomy
Mono-R: Electrodynamics and electronics
Mono-G: Ecology, conservation biology, environmental science
WU: Pure mathematics (calculus, topology, etc)
UR: Thermodynamics, electrochemistry
BR: Probability, statistics, applied math
WG: Medical and agricultural science
WR: High-energy/particle physics, quantum mechanics
UB: Neurobiology, psychology, behaviour
UG: Evolutionary biology, genetics
RG: Organic chemistry
BG: Microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology
WB: Optics, astrophysics
This is just what I felt, you may tweak this as you like or do something completely different.
Rules:
1. Cards that highlight the STEM fields are to be made.
2. No joke cards, although humour is allowed and appreciated.
3. Cards will be judged on the basis of scientific accuracy, flavour, balancing, and art (in that order, although all are nearly equally important).
4. Try to capture the spirit of the challenge. For instance, if you want to highlight the field of medicine, do not make cards with healers or medics in it. Magic has plenty of those. Rather, make cards that involve cancer researchers, drug development, etc.
5. Up to 4 cards per person (think like one each for physics, chemistry, math and biology, or something like that).
6. Do not put down any field in the cards. They are all important.
7. Do credit the artist.
8. Cards can be edited/changed out at any time. Old cards are allowed.
9. Deadline is Jan 31.
Rewards:
1st: 5 favourites and a follow. Can nominate an HM.
2nd: 3 favourites and a follow.
3rd: 2 favourites.
HM: 1 favourite.
In the name of science, SMITH!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
What's your take on this? (Biology)
Or that? (Chemistry)
Awesome, what about Cytotoxin Vial?
Feel free to steal these mathematical ideas (which I was thinking of doing):
"Random isn't Random" - Any list of any numerical data tends to have about 30% of the numbers starting with 1 and decreases consistently for those starting with 2-9.
"Predictable Patterns" - A finite number of distinct geometric patterns: 17.
"Specificity Simplified" - Euler's formula consists of very specific, strange, and even unreal numbers, yet, they combine to simply equal -1.
"Same Result Either Way" - A commutative property (ie. addition) doesn't care about the order something is done in, the result is the same.
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/amphibious-precursor moves up on the food chain as it evolves. Maybe not the most complicated idea, but it works!
https://mtgcardsmith.com/view/involuntary-donation is based on organ donation, but with a Phyrexian twist.
(Tell me if either of these aren't scientific enough and I can change them.)
Come on people. Start brewing some organic syntheses, um, I mean, ideas!
@Everyone: I'll extend the date to Feb 15, if I get more entries within the next few days.
Do well on your exam!
Honourable mention: Amphibious Precursor by @NicolBolasFTW
That is one menacing Icthyostega. Devonian land animals, beware.
3rd place: Otherworldly Infestation by @sanjaya666
First off, I would like to commend your correct use of the word 'virion' as opposed to virus. An interesting card depicting a rapid, exponential affliction that spreads across the land and eventually kills it. Seems like a fun build-around.
2nd place: Involuntary Donation by @NicolBolasFTW
'Your pieces would better serve Phyrexia elsewhere' -- your doctor's final words to you, before revealing his true form.
Excellent flavour, both in exiling 'parts' of the dead patient and in relocating them elsewhere, where Phyrexia needs them.
1st place: Cytotoxin Vial by @Faiths_Guide
Even if my biases were nonexistent (as an aspiring herpetologist, I am deeply interested in all manner of poisonous/venomous species, from snakes to dart frogs), I am fairly certain this would've won. This is an example of how the simplest of cards can be very flavorful. And that simplicity is what makes them beautiful. Congratulations, @Faiths_Guide!
In recognition of how good all the cards were, I have favourited all of them. All the winners and mentionables happened to have a a biology connection, but that was the case with most of the entries (i.e.,not my biases!). Winners, please tell me which cards of yours you want me to fave. @Faiths_Guide: you may choose an honourable mention.
I had fun with this, my first contest. I might be holding another one soon! (I should be studying, though...nah!)