Why do tissues have those "dust particle" things.....
McSkluvin
Regular
You know how if you wave a tissue in the air, a bunch of dusty things come off of them? Why do the companies make tissues like that, when the microorganisms could easily "fly" off of the tissues on them, like little bacteria planes?
Comments
Unlike ordinary particles, Dust is conscious. It falls from the sky and is attracted to people (especially adults) and objects made by people. This makes it of great interest to the Church, which believes that it may be the physical manifestation of Original Sin. It is later learnt that Dust actually confers consciousness, knowledge and wisdom, and that Dust is formed when matter becomes conscious. This allows creatures who have the ability to see dust to identify other sentient and intelligent creatures. An example of this is when the mulefa are able to distinguish Mary Malone as an intelligent being, because of the dust surrounding her, when compared to the other animals in the mulefa's world.
Dust is also the thing that allows all "magic" to be done in the worlds. Those beings that can understand Dust by looking at it can also see the truth in things and are able to change things by getting into a certain state of consciousness. An example would be the panserbjørne, who are able to see the truth in all things and therefore cannot be tricked unless they become like humans. There is also the witches who understand Dust on such a level that they can use it to make them fly, cast "spells", make themselves unnoticed, and many other things.
Dust is also the thing that connects humans to their dæmons. This being is actually somewhat of a soul that can talk and is in the form of an animal. It sends the Dust to the human to allow the human consciousness. Even in worlds that don't have apparent dæmons, they still exist. Though they are not animals by any means. In some other worlds your dæmon is your silent consciousness in the back of your head, that other voice that you have that gives you intuition. If the bond between a human and their dæmon is severed both the human and the dæmon die. If it happens after your Dust has settled on you and you become an adult you simply become a lifeless shell.
It is Dust that provides the answers given by the alethiometer, the I Ching system of divination and also the computer that Dr Mary Malone creates in order to communicate directly with these particles by using your consciousness.
Dust has various names among the various different worlds within the trilogy. Dust was previously known (in Lyra Belacqua's universe) as Rusakov particles after their discoverer, Boris Mikhailovitch Rusakov. It is known also as Shadows in our world, and the mulefa's word sraf accompanied by a leftward flick of the trunk (or arm for humans).
Angels, including The Authority, are formed when Dust condenses, but they are not in reality the human-like figures they appear to be. They are the physical manifestation of spirit making something 'be'. Dust is discovered, by Dr. Malone, to actually be Angels and consciousness (But because consciousness is the thing that makes us "sin" it can be seen as original sin, which in the books is what the Magisterium thinks that it is and therefore wants to destroy it.) Though this is true, consciousness is something that humans have grown to need and if taken away, the results would be catastrophic.
If you use sneeze more, you'll need to use more tissues. You see?