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    1. Weekly megathread for news/updates/discussion of Russian invasion of Ukraine - July 13

      This thread is posted weekly on Thursday - please try to post relevant content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Especially significant updates may warrant a separate topic,...

      This thread is posted weekly on Thursday - please try to post relevant content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Especially significant updates may warrant a separate topic, but most should be posted here.

      If you'd like to help support Ukraine, please visit the official site at https://help.gov.ua/ - an official portal for those who want to provide humanitarian or financial assistance to people of Ukraine, businesses or the government at the times of resistance against the Russian aggression.

      29 votes
    2. Is it true that plants begin to consume oxygen around 45°C?

      I used to work with a guy who had three PhD's. (two in Europe, one in the US). He had them in math, chemistry and biology. He said a few fairly outlandish things over the timeframe that I knew...

      I used to work with a guy who had three PhD's. (two in Europe, one in the US). He had them in math, chemistry and biology. He said a few fairly outlandish things over the timeframe that I knew him, but every one I ever dug into it turned out was basically accurate.

      One of the things he mentioned in passing, but which I haven't been able to confirm to my satisfaction is that when plants reach certain high temps, they start producing H2O2 instead of H2O. (around 45 Celcius)

      I've read a few papers that seem to indicate that part at least is true, but I've never found anything that says whether or not this puts plants into the 'consumer' column for oxygen.

      Anyone here able to point me to something that has this answer? or anyone here know the answer, even if it's not specifically been published yet?

      12 votes
    3. Should we keep problematic posts visible rather than deleting them?

      There was a post here the other day asking women about their preferences in a partner's emotional attachment style (not the exact wording, but about as close as I can remember). The responses were...

      There was a post here the other day asking women about their preferences in a partner's emotional attachment style (not the exact wording, but about as close as I can remember). The responses were overwhelmingly critical of the framing of the question and how it mischaracterized the qualities of a healthy relationship. Upon looking at life.women a day or two later, it seems to have been removed.

      While I agree that the post showed problematic thinking and was kind of a nuisance post rather than one which fostered healthy discussion, I'm not sure I agree with removing it entirely. The original poster did not seem to have any malicious intent, but instead displayed a flawed internal view of healthy relationships. Though the feedback was likely not what they were hoping for, I think it could be instructional not only for that original poster but also for any other site visitors who may have a similar way of thinking. If someone were to read the post and not recognize anything wrong with it, only to then read the criticism in the comments, it's possible they may discover that their own thinking is flawed in a similar way to OP and seek to change the way they view the topic. If we hide every problematic question, people with similar thinking won't ever see that 1) other people have similar problematic views and 2) those views are problematic for reasons X, Y, and Z.

      More simply, if people come here and ask questions that we find distasteful, instead of deleting them should we leave them up with the relevant feedback so that other people learn from that interaction and develop a better idea of where the poster went wrong? It feels like there are a lot of folks out there that might be simply ignorant about social and relationship norms and could learn by example. If these people never see a post where someone is getting called out for their misguided thinking, how do we expect them to learn what's acceptable and what isn't?

      I'm curious to hear your opinions. Should we tolerate entertaining some troublesome questions in order to better educate others, or is it not our job to teach them proper social skills/those posts don't belong here at all?

      (To be clear, I do not support leaving up anything overtly abusive or malicious/hateful, those should obviously be removed ASAP).

      44 votes
    4. Having trouble staying logged in here, and elsewhere on iOS

      I’ve been running into a minor annoyance of late, I tend to get logged out of ~ on a page refresh (I.e., pull the screen down) on iOS after about a day or less. I have also noticed that my outlook...

      I’ve been running into a minor annoyance of late, I tend to get logged out of ~ on a page refresh (I.e., pull the screen down) on iOS after about a day or less. I have also noticed that my outlook web also does a thing where it seems to forget that I’m signed in under an account, and asks me to input an email, but if I refresh, there’s a 50/50 shot it will see I’m logged in and drop me into the outlook web client.

      I recall some of these threads from a few years ago here (but having issues finding them in search) and seem to remember the consensus being “check your add-ons”…. But this is happening on the super nerfed Firefox for iOS (I.e., there are no add-in’s to my knowledge).

      I’m running Ffirefox 115 if that helps at all

      12 votes
    5. Medieval Myth Busting - Arrows vs Armour 2, using historically accurate reproductions from time of the Battle of Agincourt (1415)

      ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - FULL MEDIEVAL ARMOUR TESTED Other extra videos in the series: ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - ARMOUR PLATE TESTS ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - MAIL TESTS ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - ARROWHEAD MATERIAL...

      ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - FULL MEDIEVAL ARMOUR TESTED

      Other extra videos in the series:
      ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - ARMOUR PLATE TESTS
      ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - MAIL TESTS
      ARROWS vs ARMOUR 2 - ARROWHEAD MATERIAL TESTS

      And they have also created a website for the project now too:
      https://todtodeschini.com/youtube-projects/arrows-v-armour-2/

      Previous series of tests from a few years ago:
      https://tild.es/h3u

      6 votes
    6. What did you do this week (and weekend)?

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do...

      As part of a weekly series, these topics are a place for users to casually discuss the things they did — or didn't do — during their week. Did you accomplish any goals? Suffer a failure? Do nothing at all? Tell us about it!

      20 votes
    7. Anyone diagnosed with osteoporosis?

      I was just diagnosed with osteoporosis which doesn't come as any surprise given that I've lived with severe arthritis all my life. I have some treatments in process including an infusion...

      I was just diagnosed with osteoporosis which doesn't come as any surprise given that I've lived with severe arthritis all my life.
      I have some treatments in process including an infusion (reclast?)
      I am 65 and have a history of some significant accidents including being hit by a car as a small child which likely accelerated the condition.
      I've also been on opioid pain meds for many years. I have been in the process of stopping these in an effort to see how much pain I can handle. My life is a lot less active in the last 15 years so it seems quite doable at this stage. My entire family died around 2008 and I don't have near the responsibilities that I had in the past.
      I have read that these drugs can also accelerate the condition.
      But they were necessary and I have no regrets.
      It's just depressing and just wanted to share.

      18 votes
    8. Recommended books on African American history for non-Americans

      Hi all. As the title says, I'm looking for recommendations on books about African American history. I'm Irish and I know the basics about the civil rights movement and some other bits through...

      Hi all. As the title says, I'm looking for recommendations on books about African American history. I'm Irish and I know the basics about the civil rights movement and some other bits through documentaries like 13th . Outside of that I've realized that my understanding of what African Americans have been though over the last couple of hundred years is pretty piss poor. I'd really like to educate myself a bit more, so any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

      22 votes
    9. User accountability and complicated technologies

      I've been thinking about the arguments that are increasingly common when dealing with tech: "it's too complicated" and "I just want something that works". My father gifted a used computer to me...

      I've been thinking about the arguments that are increasingly common when dealing with tech: "it's too complicated" and "I just want something that works".

      My father gifted a used computer to me and my brother when we were kids. Ours to use, ours to take care. He would pay for the eventual screw up, but we had to walk several blocks carrying the tower to get assistance.

      I messed up a lot over the years, mostly because I wanted to explore the little that I knew and learn more. I had some magazines that expected everything to go well if instructions were followed and no access to internet forums to ask for help. I was limited to just one language as well. I had to find a way out. Nowadays things are much more simple and really just work, until they don't and I can't really fix them.

      In this world, what people can do is complain. Or offer a report of how things went wrong and wait patiently. It's not even that common for people in general to just go back to the version that worked. There's no version, only the app we use or can't use and it's not our responsibility any kind of maintenance.

      I have to confess I was going in another direction when I started, but things are really limited from a consumer's point of view. In part, it's our fault for not wanting to deal with the burden of knowledge, it inevitably takes the control away from us, but big tech really approves and incentives this behavior.

      As with so many problems I see in the world, education is the solution. And educating ourselves might be the only dependable option.

      10 votes