Amarok's recent activity
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Comment on Early tests of H5N1 prevalence in milk suggest US bird flu outbreak in cows is widespread in ~health
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Comment on The (simple) theory that explains everything | Neil Turok in ~science
Amarok LinkIf a theory of everything interests you at all, make the time for it and bring some coffee. Neil has Feynman's touch when it comes to explanations, so this one's a ringer. Relevant papers, talks,...Physicist Neil Turok, recipient of the James Clerk Maxwell Medal and Prize, and the John Torrence Tate Award for International Leadership in Physics, joins Curt Jaimungal and Theories of Everything to discuss his new hypothesis regarding the origins of the universe. Building on Stephen Hawking's geometrical model, Turok proposes a theoretical approach that avoids the singularity at the Big Bang by suggesting a minimal, mirror universe scenario without requiring inflation.
If a theory of everything interests you at all, make the time for it and bring some coffee. Neil has Feynman's touch when it comes to explanations, so this one's a ringer. Relevant papers, talks, and timestamps are in the video description.
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The (simple) theory that explains everything | Neil Turok
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Comment on New evidence found for Planet 9 in ~space
Amarok LinkOne of the authors of the paper walks everyone through it and answers a lot of questions about it in this episode of Event Horizon. This is conclusive. There is something larger than any of the...One of the authors of the paper walks everyone through it and answers a lot of questions about it in this episode of Event Horizon. This is conclusive. There is something larger than any of the inner planets out there and that question is now settled with hard evidence, period. The what and where are the more interesting part, and now we can start looking for it instead of entertaining arguments about if it exists in the first place. It will be an awful lot more easy to get telescope time for this hunt going forward.
They may name it "David Bowie" if for no other reason than all Greek names are already spoken for with other celestial objects.
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Comment on Iran launches dozens of drones toward Israel in ~news
Amarok Link ParentI'd expect Israel to level Iran's drone factories. They'll be encouraged to do that by the US/EU, because it hurts Russia critically in the Ukraine war when their only flow of decent drone...I'd expect Israel to level Iran's drone factories. They'll be encouraged to do that by the US/EU, because it hurts Russia critically in the Ukraine war when their only flow of decent drone hardware dries up. What Iran does after that we'll just have to see. I'm sure Iran isn't happy with the hit rate they got out of that epic salvo - it was a total joke it went so poorly. If they hit back again, it's going to get hot over there, but at this point they don't even look like a threat. Hard times when your epic flex leaves you flat on your face looking like an idiot.
I just watch Biden's aid posse. If they bug out of Gaza (which they are prepared to do at a moment's notice in a matter of hours) then that means US intelligence has decided to nope out of the area because they expect it to get worse. So far they haven't moved, and seeing pilots from four different countries all combine air forces in that region to shoot all of this stuff out of the sky is at least one single good sign in this mess.
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Comment on If we can't block users can we at least filter out topics posted by those users? in ~tildes
Amarok Link ParentIt's a good feature to have, and it has value beyond just what it offers the individual user. I think it's also an underexplored avenue for detecting problematic users. If someone is collecting an...It's a good feature to have, and it has value beyond just what it offers the individual user. I think it's also an underexplored avenue for detecting problematic users. If someone is collecting an awful lot of blocks that's a sign there is an issue. Not sure exactly what to do with that information as a sort of 'reform' process yet, but the possibility to do something is there.
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Comment on With a near-unprecedented official license for its fan server, 'City of Heroes' lives again in ~games
Amarok LinkProps to NCSoft for having an informed and intelligent leadership team. This is the sort of thing that makes me like a gaming company more, and want to support them.Props to NCSoft for having an informed and intelligent leadership team. This is the sort of thing that makes me like a gaming company more, and want to support them.
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Comment on Researcher calls out misuse of research in book on American white rural rage - suggests resentment over rage in ~misc
Amarok Link ParentSpeaking as a rural American, I can say this: Anyone running in primaries for both parties that I actually liked has never once in my entire life come out the frontrunner in any election. I look...Speaking as a rural American, I can say this: Anyone running in primaries for both parties that I actually liked has never once in my entire life come out the frontrunner in any election. I look at the primary process as a method of screening out the kind of people you talk about, not as a process of finding the best candidates. I see no purpose in following or participating in it anymore. The game is rigged to select the insiders and only the insiders from the get go, especially at the presidential level. They are a poisonous joke that is never to be trusted or believed. They'll get no money, or even words from me ever again. If it were up to me I'd delete the entire concept of a 'party' from the system in favor of voting for individuals, rather than Amway with a track team.
I'll just sit here and worry exclusively about myself, because that is all our government allows us to do and all I have the time to do thanks to them. Once an actual third party rises up I'll vote them in by default out of pure spite without a thought for policy, just to punish and harm the other two for their decades of idiotic failures and bald-faced lies. I feel like I owe them that much - to do the little I can to help them both become minority parties, or better yet, no party at all. The Red vs Blue crap is not a democracy. It's a farce any child can see straight through.
I couldn't even care less why it's like this, that's how far past apathy I am on politics now.
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools’ Day 2024 on the internet in ~talk
Amarok LinkThe Critical Drinker retires from Youtube to pursue making short films. I was a minute into that one before I realized what day it was.The Critical Drinker retires from Youtube to pursue making short films.
I was a minute into that one before I realized what day it was. -
Comment on Israel is a strategic liability for the United States. The special relationship does not benefit Washington and is endangering US interests across the globe. in ~misc
Amarok Link ParentThat ticks me off the most out of this entire mess. We were so damn close, and now it's going to be set back decades. I honestly got the impression from the negotiations that they were ready to...might actually have seen a treaty with Saudi Arabia by now
That ticks me off the most out of this entire mess. We were so damn close, and now it's going to be set back decades. I honestly got the impression from the negotiations that they were ready to give it a chance, but now we're disappointed again. The blessings of peace are for the prophets, not for their peoples.
It's possible that the USA will simply pack up and bug out wholesale from the entire middle east - we make our own oil now from shale, and once more of our own light/sweet refineries come online we're looking at energy independence, which means we have our oil covered in-house. Haven't had to tap Alaska yet to get there either. That means we don't have any reason to play traffic cop in the middle east anymore, especially if we're prepared to ditch globalization wholesale after re-shoring everything.
I'm wondering how the whole picture of geopolitics changes once the rest of the world starts to finally understand the US is able to walk away, won't feel it in the pocketbook by doing so, and kinda wants to walk away after decades of listening to everyone else complain about our security policies and pick fights with their neighbors like angry children do.
Have fun, your security is your own problem now. We'll still sell both sides guns, but not because we're assholes. We try to stop the wars - we're just smart enough to know that you won't, and jaded enough by now that we don't mind making money on your misery. We'll keep a friends and family plan open for allies, of course, but you won't like those deals at all compared to the ones you've been getting. We're going to be investing in america now - the continents, not just the US. It's time to support the neighbors we share a real border with and can reach by train networks yet to be built, something we should have done a lot more of over the last half century. Manifest destiny version two, north-south edition - this time with less colonialism. :P
If your region steps up and remains stable, awesome, we're more than happy to shake new hands and keep on trading anything and everything under the sun. Just don't expect us to keep bailing everyone out forever. Even the IMF's money isn't bottomless. If the aid always results in rockets instead of infrastructure, eventually it will stop coming and it will stay gone.
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Comment on Israel is a strategic liability for the United States. The special relationship does not benefit Washington and is endangering US interests across the globe. in ~misc
Amarok Link ParentZeihan covered this a week ago. His take is that we are looking at swapping Israel for Turkey, and that's a win if it happens. They'd make for a far better ally, they are already democratic and...Zeihan covered this a week ago. His take is that we are looking at swapping Israel for Turkey, and that's a win if it happens. They'd make for a far better ally, they are already democratic and they have a larger military than all of their neighbors put together - Americans love that. That also cuts the rug out from under many issues arab states have with the US and incentivizes them to come together, leaving just Israel and Iran out of the loop. Frankly that is a massive improvement for the US and I don't doubt they'd make that trade.
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Comment on Seems like all socials are being scraped for AI and personal/aggregate data. Is Tildes? in ~tildes
Amarok Link ParentThat's right. User histories stop at the first page of comments unless you are logged in, then you can go further back on a user history page. No reason we have to make it easy for a search engine...That's right. User histories stop at the first page of comments unless you are logged in, then you can go further back on a user history page. No reason we have to make it easy for a search engine to archive all of a user's own comment history in a way that someone can search through it all later. Threads here can be scraped easily enough, but that's keeping all the comments from all the users in-context of the thread.
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Comment on Looking for songs that include recordings of commentary in ~music
Amarok (edited )LinkFirst one to pop in my head is Ott - One Day I Wish To Have This Kind Of Time. I think you'll find that Alan Watts clips are almost hilariously overused for this purpose in the more ambient genres...First one to pop in my head is Ott - One Day I Wish To Have This Kind Of Time. I think you'll find that Alan Watts clips are almost hilariously overused for this purpose in the more ambient genres of music - it's become a cliche. Also Goons - Run Away uses some Larry King talkshow snips for quite the nostalgic atmosphere.
The first track of Oldfield's Songs of Distant Earth includes a brief prayer read by the apollo astronauts when they were about to cross behind the moon for the first time, that's I believe the literal furthest any human has ever been to broadcast audio back to earth.
I have a vague memory of a basic EDM track that used interviews of Arnold from Pumping Iron, but I can't seem to track that one down. It was a meme staple of any workout mixtape for a while in /r/pumpingiron.
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Comment on What irrational video game requirements do you have? in ~games
Amarok LinkI only have a couple. No mods? Wake me up when it's a real game, until then I'll pass. Never pre-order anything. No exceptions.I only have a couple.
- No mods? Wake me up when it's a real game, until then I'll pass.
- Never pre-order anything. No exceptions.
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Comment on Why is the discourse on Tildes so much nicer than most places on the internet? in ~tildes
Amarok Link ParentTildes supports regex like automod, but also lua scripting to take it to the next level. It's a long overdue upgrade to community modding, and it'll make for vastly more intelligent modding...Tildes supports regex like automod, but also lua scripting to take it to the next level. It's a long overdue upgrade to community modding, and it'll make for vastly more intelligent modding capability in larger and more wily groups down the road. Tildes itself kinda is Automoderator v2. This time it's the site itself instead of a bolt-on.
Deimos also made SubredditSimulator. :)
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Comment on Single dose of clinical-grade LSD provides immediate and lasting relief from anxiety, wins approval for phase III trials in ~health.mental
Amarok Link ParentI suspect it's also got something to do with how experienced someone is with their drugs. Even on just simple plain cannabis, the lowering of the blood pressure and the faster beating of the heart...I suspect it's also got something to do with how experienced someone is with their drugs. Even on just simple plain cannabis, the lowering of the blood pressure and the faster beating of the heart can cause some people to go full panic mode thinking they are having a heart attack. There are also some people for whom the typical mild cannabis paranoia is a real problem. Drugs hit everyone differently.
Having tripped twice myself (mushies, 2g first time, 7.28g second time) I can say that this is not your typical drug. It's much stronger, much longer lasting, and there are no easy off ramps. If you are the sort of person who is relatively well rounded, not easy to phase, comfortable and self-actualized inside your own mental head-space, you'll do alright, though the time dilation will freak anyone out a bit until they get used to it.
Personally I find it's easier to ditch the clocks, have no expectations or obligations - a clear schedule for the day of the trip and the day after. The last thing you'd want to do is trip while under pressure of any kind. The drug may amplify it rather suddenly when you think of that source of worry while tripping and make you panic about that term paper you've been neglecting - that's kinda what makes it so powerful. It blasts through internal filters effortlessly, making emotions harder to suppress, if you can suppress them at all. It sucks if you're in a bad situation, but it's great if you're spending an afternoon with your significant other - it goes both ways. You can control it, and afterwards it's not even a big deal, but learning that control and getting used to it takes time, won't be done in one trip.
I had a blast both times and it obliterated my bad mojo for weeks afterwards. For me it was more like vitamins than drugs, if that makes sense. I'd definitely sign up for micro-dosing. Don't like the physical effects very much, won't miss them, don't need to trip. I have aphantasia so I get no hallucinations anyway, not that I imagine they'd be something I'd even want to see in the first place. I would however like to reclaim my optimism and drive on a more permanent basis. :)
If you're the sort of person who has outbursts, be they panic attacks or fits of rage or any other uncontrollable behaviors or emotions or thoughts, psychedelics can bring them out and crank them up to fifteen. That's best done in a clinical setting, not at a party. They will help cure them, but they also trigger them, it's part of the process. I guess you could look at it as the most severe triggering of whatever's bothering you that you'll ever experience - and likely the last time you ever get triggered by it again.
The drug is basically going to make you twelve years old again for six to eight straight hours. Same toddler attention span, same tendency for outbursts, and every sensation unfiltered like it's the first time. This is why trip buddies are so important - twelve year olds do a lot of stupid things, and so might you, especially if you're in a bad space. This drug requires adult supervision to be safe.
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Comment on Why is the discourse on Tildes so much nicer than most places on the internet? in ~tildes
Amarok Link ParentI'll share a little secret about the internet that almost no one knows. Try that with music on youtube - or any service that has music and comments together in the same space. You'll be surprised...nearly any youtube video
I'll share a little secret about the internet that almost no one knows. Try that with music on youtube - or any service that has music and comments together in the same space. You'll be surprised how consistently that stuff is minimized when music is part of the focus. I have literally seen people who have daily death matches with each other on other parts of reddit chatting about music in the various music communities as if they are lifelong friends. I don't even think they recognize each other's handles when that happens.
I don't know what this effect is, but I do know moderation of music communities is easy mode. :)
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Comment on Why is the discourse on Tildes so much nicer than most places on the internet? in ~tildes
Amarok Link ParentOn a forum like Reddit they would abuse it to absurdity in ten minutes, but Reddit is a child's forum not so different from 4chan - just less honest about it. This is a more adult inclined forum,...On a forum like Reddit they would abuse it to absurdity in ten minutes, but Reddit is a child's forum not so different from 4chan - just less honest about it. This is a more adult inclined forum, and we think that that a good or powerful tool is worth providing even if it can be abused because adults don't abuse those things. We'd instead just take away a person's ability to use the labels after they abuse the privilege of having them. Everyone gets access to them seven days after signup under the assumption they will be used in good faith. If they are not, it's a simple thing to shut them back off.
Invite only spaces are a bit different. There's the sense you can 'lose' something - access to the system. It's not so easy to get back in as it is on corporate sites where they love new accounts to pump growth reports for investors. This creates a somewhat different expectation and therefore behavior in the users. People are a bit more guarded, because they are playing survivor and don't want to get voted off the island. When someone is voted off, the rest of the tribe gets nervous and is suddenly more well behaved. :)
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Comment on Why is the discourse on Tildes so much nicer than most places on the internet? in ~tildes
Amarok Link ParentIf you moderate a forum for long enough, you start to see patterns. It's just the consequence of dealing with user problems on the day to day. You're buried in the stuff and it's taking a toll....If you moderate a forum for long enough, you start to see patterns. It's just the consequence of dealing with user problems on the day to day. You're buried in the stuff and it's taking a toll. It's also starting to piss you off, because you have better things to be doing with the time you donate than playing traffic cop. Turns volunteer moderation into a second job.
So, you learn to recognize types of users, patterns of conversation, and other trivia that are inevitably present in any online discussion space. Seeing a certain two comments next to each other, you know what the next fifty look like before they are typed. Seeing ten comments from a specific user, you already know what their next ten will be like.
You're not right all the time, but you're right often enough and short on time enough that you don't care - it's not worth even the time it takes to wonder if you are right it happens so often. Bad user behavior becomes a silent one-click solution, like deleting a spam email reflexively. No jury, no appeal, the warning is optional, usually just for first offenders.
It's not fair, and it's not exactly draconian either. It's just instinct and efficiency. I have to imagine the people who run a debate club or support group or courtroom develop the same instincts for real world conversations and how they flow if they've done it long enough. They know in less than one sentence if the person speaking is going to be a problem, they just read it somehow.
It sucks when a couple good comments get clipped with a problematic thread, but it's going to suck a lot more if that pruning isn't done, and it's just not worth the effort of trying to save the rest of the comments like a dead branch from the tree. They are still visible in one's own comment history, and that's enough to make sure they don't get lost.
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Comment on Why is the discourse on Tildes so much nicer than most places on the internet? in ~tildes
Amarok (edited )Link ParentI think some form of 'gentle chiding' mechanic might be able to help encourage this, and more importantly, encourage people to actively help in the maintenance of civility. A simple first test...I think some form of 'gentle chiding' mechanic might be able to help encourage this, and more importantly, encourage people to actively help in the maintenance of civility. A simple first test might be just adding a new moderation label - 'tone' is probably good enough. You'd use it on the posts you see that aren't anything like malicious, but perhaps could be phrased better. It could require a short anonymous comment exactly like the malice label does. It'd be best as a neutral label, no effect at all on sorting.
No visible indicators to anyone else in the thread, a label that is private and visible only to the person receiving it and the administrators of the forum. If that sort of thing is made visible to others, it becomes an attack signal to the group and everyone piles on. That's why it's got to be private. Maybe color it yellow and have it disappear post-edit under the assumption that the edit cleared it up. No real reason to keep that data around longer than that.
Try that out for a little while and see if it doesn't blossom into something better.
From what I've read the flu has a superpower that makes it particularly nasty. It can and will find and recombine with leftover flu bits that an organism was infected with at an earlier date. This gives it the ability to basically pick up parts from other H-virus and swap them out for genetic upgrades. This isn't done in any kind of intelligent way, it's just how the virus operates, and it's random chance if it even finds such a bit to use when replicating.
If it someday gobbles up the right piece of covid or the regular flu, it can inherit features of those other viruses and create a hybrid. That's how H5 could make a fast jump into other species. It's a rare event as I understand it, but the point is this - every infection it pulls off in a human, or in any other species, is like playing roulette. It could instantly become as transmissible as that other flu, though odds are any such mutations are going to be less lethal because it'll also inherit other genetic properties. Less lethal in this context can still get you a 45% death rate globally, wiping out fully half of the world population in under a year.
Having it floating around in raw milk for people to drink is taking unnecessary risks, it's frankly insane. That should be stopped, period. Deny it the opportunity to mutate. Make sure we have a working mRNA vaccine that works on H5N1 and variants, get the bugs out of that tech because we're going to need it someday. It's just a matter of time.