adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a fine/subtle distinction (= small )
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Language enables us to make fine distinctions between similar ideas.
a subtle colour (= pleasant, not strong, and a little unusual )
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Italian sweaters come in lovely subtle colours.
a subtle difference (= not obvious )
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There’s a subtle difference in flavour between these coffees.
a subtle shift (= a change which is small and not easy to notice )
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Recently there has been a subtle shift in public opinion about the environment.
a subtle/gentle hint (= one that is not very easy to understand – sometimes used ironically when someone is being very obvious )
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I'm sick of her subtle hints that I'm not welcome here.
delicate/subtle (= pleasant and not strong )
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The wine should be served cold so that it doesn’t lose any of its delicate flavour.
subtle nuances
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subtle nuances of meaning
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
less
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But there could be a less subtle explanation.
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In the Mazurkas, however, Andsnes is less subtle or resilient than several more experienced Chopin pianists.
more
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This leads to the second, more subtle question: one of identity.
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But more subtle problems remain-related to sexism, pure and simple.
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But there was a more subtle purpose behind these proposals, fully vindicated by what subsequently happened.
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In other families, these expressions are more subtle .
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But the poems which he wrote are much more subtle than this obvious insult.
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I think his real secret life was more innocent, and at the same time more subtle .
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Other drugs work in slightly more subtle ways.
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Sounds like the brain is more subtle .
most
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Expression has been lost with the injuries to Harry Kewell and Stephen McPhail, the most subtle passer in the squad.
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Sensing with all his faculties, his most subtle emotions are aroused.
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Now Benjamin and I were most subtle .
quite
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Moreover, because the potentials have complex waveforms quite subtle analyses of the impact of experimental variables are possible.
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We know from many studies that quite subtle changes in tasks can significantly alter their difficulty level.
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The differences in composition are sometimes quite subtle so the technique must also be accurate and precise.
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This makes the book again quite realistic, as the humour is quite subtle .
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The nature of the intimidation was at first quite subtle .
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The distinctions between the three cell types are quite subtle and may only be obvious after quite extensive testing.
so
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It was a movement so subtle that it seemed to occur from the corner of her eye.
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But they were active, and clamorous, and in subtle and not so subtle ways they corrupted the intellectual atmosphere.
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Yet she was itching to move to the metropolis and bombarded her parents with subtle and not so subtle requests.
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Then, there was Jewel, one of those singers who is so subtle and so good at what she does.
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The sense of hierarchy was so subtle as to be almost non-existent.
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He would put some one together, build an Identity, a skein of persuasion and habit, ever so subtle .
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The expectation is so subtle that it can be transmitted even when the experimenter conveys his instructions by means of a tape recording.
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He was so subtle as to deceive even the quickest witted people.
too
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It acts as if it is looking after all our interests in ways too subtle and refined for us to understand.
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I hope the message has not been too subtle .
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Am I bein' too subtle for you?
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The implications of love were too subtle for my understanding.
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He wasn't too subtle but he was effective.
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If anything, his trancey selection is a little too subtle .
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But that reasoning was surely too subtle .
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He spends as much time out of the house as possible, and what they do is too subtle for him to notice.
very
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Their show of power and manipulation of the world around them is, with some pride types, very subtle .
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A dangerous question, because now you begin to notice the very subtle condescension.
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I've never sat down and tried to figure all that shit out - it gets very subtle and very complicated.
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Power is rarely overtly visible; it is often very subtle in its various expressions.
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And so the Tortoise now began To hatch a very subtle plan.
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Jones was very subtle about his use of sexuality to mislead his people.
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It suddenly occurred to her that total disregard of her escapade was a very subtle punishment indeed.
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The message, of course, was very subtle .
■ NOUN
body
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This part of the subtle body can be photographed by a high voltage technique called Kirlian photography.
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Another phenomenon related to the subtle body is the perception of disembodied entities.
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Its subtle body shift has the power to nullify a forceful attack from an opponent.
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Just as the blood is circulated through our physical body , so energy flows through and between the subtle bodies.
change
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From time to time a subtle change may be made to the details of the computation of the index.
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Scores on behavioural catalogues may appear fickle from one context to another precisely because they are sensitive to subtle changes .
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The cause was traced to a subtle change in assembly procedures.
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We know from many studies that quite subtle changes in tasks can significantly alter their difficulty level.
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But because of a subtle change in the structure of aldehyde dehydrogenase, this second detox step is blocked in some people.
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It was mainly due to a subtle change in Francis.
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The reason is not clear, but must be the result of some subtle change in the genetic information in the nucleus.
difference
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Basically all the major schemes have the same rules, with a couple of subtle differences .
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Newborn infants are also better at hearing subtle differences , compared with adults.
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Other, more subtle differences show up in the symmetry properties of weak and electromagnetic interactions.
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A child can not comprehend the subtle difference between illegal segregation in the South and racial imbalance in the North.
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Each involves subtle differences in the investment strategy of the parties involved.
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There is efficacy and grace in the process alone and the subtle differences come only with experience.
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Perfect pitch is necessary for understanding the subtle differences between similar sounding words in these languages, she says.
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It seemed to me this evening that there was a subtle difference about him.
distinction
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The definition of yeomen was complex, a matter of subtle distinctions .
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Even in his haste he noted subtle distinctions of taste between cerebellum and cortex, between frontal lobes and limbic system.
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In what follows, I shall play fast and loose with these words and the subtle distinctions between them.
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We didn't have much time for subtle distinctions down in East Oxford.
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There's a subtle distinction here.
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In addition, all new publications are designed for creation on the system - a subtle distinction from being designed on the system.
energy
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He teaches that essential oils can also be used to balance the subtle energy forces in the body similar to acupuncture.
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In 1938 he postulated that leys and prehistoric sites marked a network of subtle energy and that this power could be detected.
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They are of a similar subtle energy or material, just as our own bodies are.
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They simply lack the subtle energy fields or mental configuration in which such an appreciation of physical reality can arise.
flavour
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Kikkoman Soy Sauce takes its pure and subtle flavour from the lengthy natural fermentation process.
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Goujons of sole Here's a recipe to make the lovely, firm texture and subtle flavour of sole go a little further.
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The latter are the hottest, the dried berries having a more subtle flavour .
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Processed Caerphilly can be rather bland, but a traditional farmhouse variety has a delicious, if subtle flavour .
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It gave the dish a very subtle flavour , that Port-Salut.
form
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Now the tobacco industry is going for the slightly more subtle form of advertising which is sponsorship.
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Maybe it was a subtle form of retaliation.
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In a somewhat more subtle form , these tendencies continue into later childhood.
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One more subtle form of sexism contributes to lower salaries for women, Sullivan said.
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More subtle forms of cultural influence also abound.
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There are many more subtler forms of exerting pressure and discrimination.
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Though her technique clearly derives from the modernists, it is adapted into a unique, subtle form of her own.
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But how did such a subtle form of protection evolve?
hint
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It can be anything from a rich and succulent casserole to a stir fry recipe with a subtle hint of the Orient.
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He was apparently out of favor with the judges, some of whom had dropped subtle hints that Galindo should move on.
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My subtle and not-so-subtle hints to the neighbor did not seem to produce results.
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Pictorial representations of women can carry all kinds of subtle hints and messages, can indeed convey a whole world-view of meaning.
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And, despite numerous subtle hints - like hiding his desk and computer - he still won't leave us alone.
nuance
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But there are more subtle nuances in that story.
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These additional flavor layers offer greater opportunities to marry the dish with the subtle nuances of a fine Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
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Scientists now understand the subtle nuances of its genetic machinery.
shade
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As with the Hebrew prophets, there were no greys, no subtle shades .
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His ear is magnificent, capturing each subtle shade of accent and edge, each riff of language.
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For a natural glow to your skin mix a subtle shade of blusher with loose powder.
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The flowers are a subtle shade of pale green, rimmed in purple as the days go on.
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Luckily it had short sleeves, and she knew that the subtle shade of pale aquamarine suited her colouring.
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There are no hidden depths or subtle shades here.
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Although most mosaics comprise three to six basic colours, a work of good quality will include many subtle shades .
shift
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But some underlying patterning remains, despite the intervening years and the subtle shifts in values and beliefs.
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There also was a subtle shift in defensive emphasis and a major one on offense that combined to save them from themselves.
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This subtle shift has a great deal to do with the current fashion accessory of an eligible husband rather than an eligible boss.
variation
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Push boundaries, take risks, and interweave unique colour schemes with subtle variations .
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For exam-ple, an emergency or operating room is not the best environment for monitoring subtle variations in heartbeats.
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Because she has caught the subtle variations of movement and behaviour within the general flow, the sculpture has life and drama.
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By the l98Os the city had been divided into many different areas, each with its own subtle variations .
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In my audio record of the dive, I run out of adjectives to describe the subtle variations in the lava morphologies.
way
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They ignored, too, the more subtle ways in which Tripoli set the terms of discussion.
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Was the edge in her voice a subtle way of passing on her bitterness?
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The cells in the embryo are initially much less specialized and differ from each other in more subtle ways .
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But a small and growing body of research indicates that subordinates can and do influence their superiors in subtle ways .
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As she sees you, and senses your interest, her posture changes in subtle ways .
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But these more subtle ways of winning access have not entirely displaced the direct cash payment.
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Even those who do not condemn democracy out of hand have often contrived more subtle ways of disparaging it.
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And in virtually all societies that have a legislature, its members can exercise political power in many subtle ways .
ways
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They ignored, too, the more subtle ways in which Tripoli set the terms of discussion.
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But they were active, and clamorous, and in subtle and not so subtle ways they corrupted the intellectual atmosphere.
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The cells in the embryo are initially much less specialized and differ from each other in more subtle ways .
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But a small and growing body of research indicates that subordinates can and do influence their superiors in subtle ways .
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As she sees you, and senses your interest, her posture changes in subtle ways .
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But these more subtle ways of winning access have not entirely displaced the direct cash payment.
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Even those who do not condemn democracy out of hand have often contrived more subtle ways of disparaging it.
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And in virtually all societies that have a legislature, its members can exercise political power in many subtle ways .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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a subtle hint of almond
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It was around this time that I started to notice subtle changes in Clive's character.
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Linda was able to influence her superiors in subtle ways.
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She wasn't ever subtle in giving her opinion.
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Some of the more subtle forms of malnutrition are difficult to identify.
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The patterns look very similar, but there are subtle differences between them.
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We noticed some deterioration in her speech, but it was very subtle .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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But they were active, and clamorous, and in subtle and not so subtle ways they corrupted the intellectual atmosphere.
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Even the first version of Bacon is subtler than this summary suggests.
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However subtle we are forced to make our idea of science, nature remains an independent realm awaiting discovery.
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Instead it has a subtle onion flavor that makes it much more complex and interesting.
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It is often amazing how the most insignificant contributor to a project can foresee the subtlest problem and devise a solution.
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Look for their Hair Glistener - it leaves hair smelling irresistible and creates subtle , glittering highlights in your hair.
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More subtle pressures relating to meetings are already assumed to be inevitable.
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Very soon the research opened my mind to more subtle ideas.