Reference in Methods of Rationality.

[thebutcher]

"A potion of effulgence, to quench the purple fire," Professor Quirrell said. "It is made by adding the same ingredients, over and over again, in slightly different ways. Imagine some eager young group of first-years, passing all the other chambers, thinking they are just about to reach the magic mirror, and then encountering this task. This room is the handiwork of the Potions Master indeed."

I thought Gosh, that almost sounds like adventures in effulgence, but then the Chincher:

The potions recipe had thirty-five separate occasions for adding bellflowers, fourteen times to add 'a lock of bright hair'... "

Well, guess I was right! Good on you! are there exactly thirty-five bells?
EDIT: IT's 36! Maybe he didn't count Nika.
13 Adarins as far as I know... No! there's also the Witch adarin which summons Cam, so: 14 Adarins!

[Marri]

Yup! Some earlier discussion here. And the lock of bright hair is Sherlocks!

[thebutcher]

Ah, well no wonder I didn't find it, it was in the wrong forum... and I am late because I read it on the train to work and am only now coming back...

[Lambda]

moar reddit, for chapter 108 (so beware of spoilers(?) if you haven't read that far)

[Kappa]

The bits of grass are (I'm told) a sly Syntropy reference - "Hi! We're grass!"

[Alicorn]

I will be willing to go through and explain references when people no longer seem to be having fun with figuring them out.

[Adelene]

I will be willing to go through and explain references when people no longer seem to be having fun with figuring them out.

Yes please, if there's any missing when everybody else is done; I'm curious and don't have nearly enough brain.

[Lambda]

I'm skeptical of the Syntropy-grass theory, because "bit by bit" seems like a clue to me.

[DanielH]

I was having a lot of trouble figuring some of them out for various reasons. First, many of the references seem to be going out of order. For example, there were dragon scales and mint oil between the third-to-last and the second-to-last bellflower. I’d expect the mint oil to be added throughout the first half, or possibly before the second bellflower, if it were the obvious reference, and I can’t think of anything the dragon scales would be for at that point.

Second, it’s not always clear what the ingredients represent. Some of them seem to be symbellas or other features instead of characters. There is even some bright hair which is not a Sherlock, in addition to the other things which aren’t clear. The Jokers seem to be represented by a variety of things, which is appropriate even though it goes against the way other templates are handled, but also makes things harder.

Third, some of them I just have no clue. For example, there’s chopped small worm. Whether I interpret it as going near Kiri or not, I can’t quite figure out what it’s about.

Finally, there was one instance where he added two bellflowers that seemed to merge; the only thing I can think for that to be would be a reference to Shell Bell, but he’d already added a flower for Bell and I thought I’d caught him preparing the Shell flower too.

I’m not sure if I’m expecting the metaphor to carry further than it does in some cases. I’ll check the rest of the unread topics on the forum and try some more before I ask for references explained, though.

[Bluelantern]

Third, some of them I just have no clue. For example, there’s chopped small worm. Whether I interpret it as going near Kiri or not, I can’t quite figure out what it’s about.

I think the small worm might a reference to Worm. Chopping it up might be a reference to the Worm-Aliens' shards.

Finally, there was one instance where he added two bellflowers that seemed to merge; the only thing I can think for that to be would be a reference to Shell Bell, but he’d already added a flower for Bell and I thought I’d caught him preparing the Shell flower too.

Maybe that was juliet's? Or that Bell that was going to be cloned?