Ordinarily, we at Blog Wyrm like to usher our monthly stable of columns in with some light-hearted and pithy introduction. While this is the goal, it isn’t always possible to ignore some of the more serious aspects surrounding us, and we take some space to comment on more serious matters. We, at Blog Wyrm, are fundamentally disturbed by the hypersensitivity that we see on the internet. It is true that compassionate speech typically reflects a compassionate heart, but the converse is not true. Angry, thoughtless, and stupid speech does not, necessarily, mean that the person uttering it is intrinsically angry, thoughtless, stupid, or evil. We all act out at times and we all grow. A mode of discourse we found provocative and exciting at one point in our lives may be cringe-worthy and embarrassing at other points.

We would like to encourage everyone to treat others with a sense of charity. Applaud the good things said or done immediately but hold off scolding, chiding, or shaming someone based on a few badly worded tweets or for old posts that no longer fit the new behavior. Nobody should be subjected to what passes for the digital mob’s self-appointed role as judge, jury, and executioner. Those who go along with that may find themselves in need of some compassion when the mob to which they belong turns to consume them.

Now onto the posts.

The last three entries have been leading up to this, one of the most influential and iconic storylines in comics: The Infinity Gauntlet. This month, About Comics covers the classic story that served as the inspiration for Avengers: Infinity War, perhaps the biggest blockbuster movie of 2018.

We all know that what you think shapes how you talk, but what about the other way round? How much does how you talk influence the way you think? This month’s Aristotle To Digital delves into the current state of affairs in this interesting crossroads of the human experience.

There’s been a lot of cautionary talk about how, even though unemployment is low and the economy is growing nicely, workers wages are suffering. Stagnant wages and diminished purchasing power seem to be the common wisdom, but, is this really the correct analysis? Common Cents asks some probing questions whose answers suggest that the complete answer is nowhere near as clear-cut as the common wisdom would have one believe.

One of the central building blocks of modern physical theories, ranging from fluid flow to general relativity and quantum field theory, the stress tensor can be a bit intimidating. This month’s post in Under The Hood takes this mathematical object apart step-by-step showing how it has its roots in basic mechanics and how it can be understood by considering simple geometries.

Enjoy!