I like the article overall. I like the idea of the historical incident reports. I think those add a great deal to the article. The article has some problems, but I hope you keep working on it because I think it has a unique theme and feel.
The clinical tone lapses in a couple places. The ones that stuck out to me are
approximately 45 meters in length, 20 centimeters wide, and 3.5 meters from base to top.
I'd suggest keep the 'in (dimension)' format all the way through. So: '20 centimeters in width, and 3.5 meters in height.'
it reappears anywhere between 40 and 200 meters away
I'd suggest changing that to something more like 'reappears between 40 and 200 meters distance from its previous location'.
The containment procedures seem a bit strict on discussing the SCP and its properties on site given the requirements to trigger an event. For example:
- If 2 people are discussing something, there cannot be a minority or a majority.
- If the debate must grow heated, a simple direction to end debates if one or more participants grow agitated should stop the problem before it occurs. I assume this would work because, as I understand the anomaly, the anomalous properties of the SCP that cause the debate to grow more heated and eventually violent don't occur unless an event is triggered.
- If the minority is required to feel put upon, standard procedure could be that, in the course of debate and discussion, parties in the debate must make it clear that even though they disagree with other parties, their opinions are valued and respected and no malice is intended in the disagreement.
This is just from my understanding of the SCP. I could have misinterpreted the description, and if that is the case, please ignore the prior bit of critique.
Another note I have is radio carbon dating doesn't work on something that is currently alive. Radio carbon dating works by measuring the ratio of certain carbon isotopes: a radioactive carbon isotope that decays and 2 carbon isotopes that don't. Since living things are constantly consuming the radioactive carbon isotope (albeit in very small amounts) from their environment, the decaying carbon isotope atoms are constantly being replaced. Organic material can only be carbon dated once it dies and the radioactive carbon isotope ceases to be replenished.
One last note is: I don't understand why the government in the area is pumping sewage into the stream to discourage people from swimming in it. Why not just add that area to the exclusion zone of the site? Especially in the modern day where people are becoming more environmentally conscious, this seems like it would attract more attention than it would dissuade.
Edit: Instead of radio carbon dating, a more plausible measurement of age would be some genetic testing between the anomalous tree and trees of the same type of varying ages in the area to measure genetic drift. I don't know if it would 100% work like that, but again, it's plausible.
As a courtesy to our readers on mobile devices, please collapse long posts. ~Zyn
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