turboshadowcool

Breakout boards are common tools. They are PCBs that let you connect for example a programmable microchip on a socket to then expose its contacts to larger testpads or a USB connection. This board however has literally broken out of its ESD bag, a common plastic bag used to package electronics while protecting them from static electricity. One might say it has breached ESD confinement.

Well, I liked learning about his hobbies I guess..

I could follow everything you said up until the conclusion. If consciousness is not computational, then what is going on in our brains instead? I know of course that even neuroscientists don't know exactly, but just in broad principle. I always thought our brains are still doing computation, just with a different method to computers. I don't mean to be contrarian, I'm just genuenly curious what other kind of process could support consciousness?

So.. we do all know that USB ports tend to have a default orientation, right? Like we're all aware that plugging in a USB cable correctly is aided by the fact that electronics companies generally use the same orientation on most orientable devices and the whole "USB rotation disorientation" bit is just a big inside joke, correct? Are there actually people out there not paying attention to the orientation of their cables before they plug them in so it's just an eternal try and error for them? Maybe other countries have different standards or something because this age old bit is not making sense to me.

Aww man, this is not the follow-up I was hoping for..

Isn't it the first book in a series? I think I remember reading the whole series a while back

No idea why this is downvoted. Seems like a helpful suggestion

You've heard of Yugoslavia, now get ready for Yugoslavia 2 - electric boogaloo! Now with even more ethniceties under one flag, what could go wrong?

I believe there is no strict rule for how to distinguish between monsters and animals, beyond those you already suggested. While you can pick freely which characteristics distinguish them, I'd suggest tailoring them to your world. They should mean something. Perhaps monsters are magical to show off the magical system/ideas of your world. Perhaps they are tormented souls of humans to show how grim your setting is. You might make monsters more intelligent to help people emphasizing with them, or blur the line completely by just making monsters a fictional kind of animal to support a scientific narrative.

A hero of science! We thank you!

The secret agent easter egg quest line makes me wonder if i missed any other hidden features.