post_below's recent activity
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Comment on How many strings must you string from string cheese in order for it to be considered string cheese and not just eating a stick of mozzarella? in ~food
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Comment on The America Party in ~society
post_below Link ParentFor once I'm glad a third (competitive) political party is next to impossible in the US. And honestly if this is where Elon focuses his energy, it's better than most of the alternatives. Plus the...For once I'm glad a third (competitive) political party is next to impossible in the US. And honestly if this is where Elon focuses his energy, it's better than most of the alternatives.
Plus the demographic for an Elon party is the middle to far right. So yes please, fracture the right!
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Comment on Calgary brings fluoride back to its drinking water in ~health
post_below Link ParentFor accuracy, the original guidance of .07 to 1.2 ppm was lowered to .07 ppm in 2015. You're right neither the legal limit or the recommendation are well enforced, and neither take into...For accuracy, the original guidance of .07 to 1.2 ppm was lowered to .07 ppm in 2015.
You're right neither the legal limit or the recommendation are well enforced, and neither take into consideration the increasing exposure from other sources
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Comment on Calgary brings fluoride back to its drinking water in ~health
post_below LinkThe conversation around fluoride is muddied by the RFK Jrs of the world but, putting the conspiracy theorists aside, the science is actually very clear: Fluoride is effective at remineralizing...The conversation around fluoride is muddied by the RFK Jrs of the world but, putting the conspiracy theorists aside, the science is actually very clear: Fluoride is effective at remineralizing teeth and reducing the incidence of cavities, particularly in children. However, the evidence shows that its effectiveness is primarily topical. There isn't a reason to drink it. Fluoride toothpaste is a much better choice.
Meanwhile the negative health effects of ingesting fluoride are well documented and extensive. They include thyroid issues, neurological symptoms, development issues, in one study fluoride at levels comparable to drinking water caused amyloid plaques in rats (associated wirh Alzheimers).
There is an association between relatively low intake of aluminum and fluoride with dementia according to NIH. It's thought that fluoride increases the bioavailability of aluminum and results in more of it making it into the brain.
The available evidence implies (I say implies because the specific forms of fluoride used in drinking water in the US have never been studied for safety) that the amount used in drinking water is below the threshold that will cause problems, however because of side effects like dental and skeletal fluorosis the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water in the US was lowered in 2015.
There is significant reasonable debate about safety nevertheless. The NIH did a large scale scientific review and found a strong correlation between fluoride levels that are found in many municipal water supplies and lower IQ in children.
One cause for concern is that people get more fluoride from other sources than they did historically, potentially pushing their intake to unsafe levels. This includes both pollution and processed foods and drinks from factories which use municipal fluoridated water and effectively concentrate it during manfacturing.
Interestingly, in pretty much all of Western Europe they don't fluoridate their water but have experienced the same dramatic decline in dental issues like cavities in recent decades. It's thought that fluoridated toothpaste is part of the reason for this.
One prevalent line of reasoning in Europe is that nonconsensual medication via drinking water is inappropriate.
Note: This is one of those issues that causes a lot of emotion so I should point out that there's a lot of peer reviewed science, published in reputable journals, to back all this up. Much more than I've alluded to or could hope to cover in this post. I chose to link to studies from the National Institutes of Health which is part of the US Dept of Health and Human services because it's hard to argue they aren't a reputable source.
It's possible that the evidence against population scale fluoride supplementation, copious as it is, is all flawed. More research is definitely needed. But in the meantime it's not an experiment I feel like we should be conducting on two thirds of the children in the US.
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Comment on I've always found the common approach that websites take to changing the email associated with an account iffy but I am not sure if I am wrong in ~tech
post_below Link ParentAt many companies, engineers can't give away their agency to make decisions like that because they don't have it to begin with. Their only choice besides doing the work is to quit. It's like...At many companies, engineers can't give away their agency to make decisions like that because they don't have it to begin with. Their only choice besides doing the work is to quit.
It's like blaming doctors for a broken healthcare system. They play a part, but if they refuse to do their job the system will just give their paycheck to someone more amenable.
Perhaps if software engineers were more often unionized it would be different.
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Comment on Question about REST APIS and encryption in ~tech
post_below Link ParentWhat you have in your favor where security is concerned is that you aren't a target (security by obscurity). You should still do the basics like running a firewall, brute force protection and...What you have in your favor where security is concerned is that you aren't a target (security by obscurity).
You should still do the basics like running a firewall, brute force protection and maybe changing some ports to be outside the standard range. Maybe disallow root ssh access or use a certificate rather than password. But really you can learn about that stuff as you go, there are lots of good guides out there.
It's worth it to spend a little time learning to harden your server so that you don't have to write the whole application to run in browser. But don't stress too much, talented hackers aren't wasting time on random servers so mostly all you have to protect against are low effort bots hitting common ports and endpoints and common software (i.e. Worpress). The most important thing is to stay on top of patches.
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Comment on You're going to use Gemini on Android whether you like it or not in ~tech
post_below Link ParentIt looks like ADP is a big step forward for Apple in terms of privacy. A quick skim shows that they exempt the metadata they collect which still leaves them in a "sorta private" kind of space that...It looks like ADP is a big step forward for Apple in terms of privacy. A quick skim shows that they exempt the metadata they collect which still leaves them in a "sorta private" kind of space that allows them to collect and share the stuff governments are most commonly after.
but is there a platform that does it and does it widely
What difference does that make? You either have full E2EE or you don't have privacy. If your system is storing user data in a form that you (the service provider) can access then it's in a form that can be hacked or accessed with a warrant.
I'm not saying Apple is obligated to do full E2EE, I'm saying a company that truly cares about protecting user privacy has no choice but to do it.
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Comment on You're going to use Gemini on Android whether you like it or not in ~tech
post_below Link ParentIt's very hard to be too cynical when it comes to giant publicly traded companies, tech in particular. We've lived through the birth, rise and plateau of all the big ones and it only ever goes one...This is just a little too cynical for me
It's very hard to be too cynical when it comes to giant publicly traded companies, tech in particular. We've lived through the birth, rise and plateau of all the big ones and it only ever goes one way. There's variance in how fast it happens, but that's about it.
By the way in case it wasn't clear I'm not saying Apple doesn't have a better privacy track record than other smartphone makers, they definitely do.
Though if they truly wanted to be privacy focused the data on devices and in the cloud would be encypted and stored in such a way that Apple couldn't access it even if they wanted to. And they wouldn't collect most of the metrics they do. Then they couldn't give backdoor access to governments. That's table stakes for a company that genuinely cares about user privacy.
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Comment on You're going to use Gemini on Android whether you like it or not in ~tech
post_below Link ParentIf it's important enough that you're willing to force a popup, why not use a DOM overlay that includes support/subscription/notification options (including a button to trigger the notification...If it's important enough that you're willing to force a popup, why not use a DOM overlay that includes support/subscription/notification options (including a button to trigger the notification request).
Not that people will necessarily appreciate that more than the notification requests, but it would likely be more effective, both because there are more options and because it gives you a chance to write/display an appeal in order to make a connection.
Side note: personally I have a similar reaction to @creesch when I see a notification modal.
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Comment on You're going to use Gemini on Android whether you like it or not in ~tech
post_below Link ParentEvery public company, definitely. And we should remind each other of it often. The reason I mention it in this case is that Apple's marketing intentionally creates the feeling that they really...Every public company, definitely. And we should remind each other of it often. The reason I mention it in this case is that Apple's marketing intentionally creates the feeling that they really care about privacy, which implies that they will fight for it. When in reality they don't and, at some point, won't.
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Comment on You're going to use Gemini on Android whether you like it or not in ~tech
post_below (edited )Link ParentThe problem with iPhone, for me, is the greater limitations on what you can do with your device. I can very easily make an android device as privacy friendly as I want, for example. As I...The problem with iPhone, for me, is the greater limitations on what you can do with your device. I can very easily make an android device as privacy friendly as I want, for example.
As I understand it, even the nuclear option of jailbreaking isn't possible on most newer iPhones.
When it comes to privacy, it's important to understand that Apple cares about privacy only inasmuch as they believe it will impact their sales. There is nothing stopping them (within the bounds of the GDPR and friends) from changing their privacy practices at any time. Apple is what you buy when you want somewhat better privacy out of the box, not when privacy or security are a true concern.
Other problems with Apple include the predatory nature of their ecosystem (ty EU for forcing them to at least move to USB C) and the inevitability of enshittification at a company their size. Apple's business model relies heavily on making a much larger amount of money per customer than any of the competition, which is the sort of model that begs for enshittification. It's when and how fast, rather than if.
Also, as a company, they aren't good for the market from a consumer perspective. Their dominance means the decisions they make both normalize things for consumers and influence other companies. As they enshittify, so does everyone else. Apple trained consumers to expect less control of their devices, pioneered the walled garden business model and singlehandedly killed the headphone jack, for example.
Which is not to say people shouldn't buy iPhones if they want them. For many they're the best option.
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Comment on America’s incarceration rate is about to fall off a cliff (gifted link) in ~society
post_below Link ParentIt's exciting to read about the decline, I had no idea it was dropping that fast. The incarceration rates and prison industry in the US are truly dystopian so it's great news. But then I got to...It's exciting to read about the decline, I had no idea it was dropping that fast. The incarceration rates and prison industry in the US are truly dystopian so it's great news.
But then I got to the bit about private prisons that you mention:
Though it will be nonintuitive to many reformers, particularly on the left, opposition to any such new facilities being private should be dropped.
I would like to gently and respectfully suggest that the author fuck all the way off with that shit.
Private prisons are about as close to evil as the human race gets. We know they cut costs at the expense of human rights, we've read about them getting caught bribing judges for more inmates, there is absolutely no possible upside that justifies their existence. And it's evil that never stops growing, the longer they exist the more influence they have on politics and law enforcement. And of course the people hit the hardest are the poor and marginalized. It's the worst kind of parasitic industry.
And the argument is that it's harder to close public prisons and we need to close them faster because that will increase the drop in incarceration rates. Citation needed! How?
Close the private prisons so they don't have motivation to push "tough on crime" legislation to increase profits, that will actually make a difference.
If it takes longer to close public prisons because of unions, I see no problem with that, declining prison populations will do the job eventually.
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Comment on Research suggests reading can help combat loneliness in ~books
post_below Link ParentThere were some studies referenced, but the references associated with loneliness were polls. I feel like calling those studies is a stretch. Not that I disagree with the premise, it seems...There were some studies referenced, but the references associated with loneliness were polls. I feel like calling those studies is a stretch.
Not that I disagree with the premise, it seems intuitive that reading could reduce loneliness for some people. I'm not sure the piece pays off on the implication that existing science supports the idea though.
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Comment on The cultural decline of literary fiction in ~books
post_below Link ParentNor me, and as far as I can tell there isn't an authoritative definition. It's like defining art, the truth is there will never be a static definition. I'm not sure I see the reason we'd want one....it's not clear to me how "literary fiction" is defined
Nor me, and as far as I can tell there isn't an authoritative definition. It's like defining art, the truth is there will never be a static definition. I'm not sure I see the reason we'd want one.
Regarding the original piece: I disagree that the internet (and with it streaming) aren't a big part of the explanation. How could they not be? The author admits that the fall of magazines is part of the issue. What caused that if not the internet?
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Comment on How do you resolve feelings of obligation? in ~health.mental
post_below Link ParentYour edit is essentially what I was going to say: First get rid of the obligations you don't actually want, people or otherwise. Then: This gets a lot easier. If the obligation is to a person or...Your edit is essentially what I was going to say: First get rid of the obligations you don't actually want, people or otherwise.
Then:
How can obligation turn to desire?
This gets a lot easier. If the obligation is to a person or goal that you genuinely care about, it's often easy to borrow from your feelings about the person in order to make doing the thing become exactly what you want. Not necessarily because of the thing itself, but because it's an act of love, or because it's in service to a goal you're passionate about.
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Comment on SEL thread: Teachers, how did your school year go? (Optional sentence stems in the comments) in ~talk
post_below Link ParentThat's rough, congrats on getting through it. Your story, this whole thread... education is a mess when it should be one of our top collective priorities. Thanks for the lol Here's to China being...That's rough, congrats on getting through it. Your story, this whole thread... education is a mess when it should be one of our top collective priorities.
Naptime was like a scene from a M.A.S.H. unit that had been placed inside Arkham Asylum - just screams and shadowy little figures moving about.
Thanks for the lol
Here's to China being everything you're hoping for.
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Comment on Has anyone else had issues with the new low calorie sweeteners? in ~health
post_below Link ParentI've read numerous studies that link stevia glycosides to microbiome changes, however the impact is small, at least from what I've read. I'm sure there are studies I haven't seen. It's still an...I've read numerous studies that link stevia glycosides to microbiome changes, however the impact is small, at least from what I've read. I'm sure there are studies I haven't seen.
It's still an open question whether stevia glycosides cause insulin resistance (as many other non-nutritive sweeteners do) and if so, how extreme an effect it is.
On the other side, stevia might increase gut biome diversity and promote the growth of certain beneficial bacteria.
My take on stevia is that it's one of the better non-nutritive sweetener options but more research is needed. I use it, but sparingly. It may be beneficial to include pre-biotic fiber and natural sources of sugar when using it. Fruit checks both those boxes.
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Comment on Has anyone else had issues with the new low calorie sweeteners? in ~health
post_below LinkThere's strong evidence that many non and low caloric sweeteners negatively impact the microbiome. At this point it looks like potentially all of them do and it's just a question of degree as each...There's strong evidence that many non and low caloric sweeteners negatively impact the microbiome. At this point it looks like potentially all of them do and it's just a question of degree as each new study adds more to the list.
No idea if that's part of the reason for what you're experiencing but of course microbiome changes can have all sorts of systemic effects, mood and energy included.
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Comment on Becoming an asshole in ~life
post_below (edited )Link ParentI think you're absolutely right about enlightened self interest. I want to add to this: We evolved cooperatively. For humans, cooperation is definitely on the top ten list of most favored traits...I think you're absolutely right about enlightened self interest. I want to add to this:
Because it's better to live in a society where people, on average, do good things.
We evolved cooperatively. For humans, cooperation is definitely on the top ten list of most favored traits by natural selection.
Cooperation is survival, safety and power. Sex too. Cooperative humans pass on their genes way more often.
And like all the other really important survival traits, it's too important to leave it entirely up to the individual. There are deep drives and chemical rewards associated with cooperation, and community. Working together for a greater good equals mental health, or at least a better shot at mental health. Which is sort of the ultimate reward.
the world isn't just, the bad guy often wins, and things can always get worse.
This is a great point. It's tough to figure out how to make humanity better, or just how to be better, if you're not honest about what humanity is. It's always been a mix of grubby and noble, justice has always been as much a dream as a reality. It's not ideal, but hopefully it's ok, because it's what we've got.
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Comment on Help with ants in the shower! in ~life.home_improvement
post_below LinkA solution that always works for us is a mix of borax, honey and a little water. Mix well and soak cotton balls in it. Put some of the treated cotton balls near the ant trail and that's it....A solution that always works for us is a mix of borax, honey and a little water. Mix well and soak cotton balls in it. Put some of the treated cotton balls near the ant trail and that's it. They'll take the borax home with them and kill the whole colony. Same principle as ant bait. Usually works pretty quickly.
If it wasn't for this thread I would likely never have wondered what would happen if you put string cheese into a pencil sharpener