Dragonfruit's recent activity
-
Comment on What are your favorite and least favorite airports? in ~transport
-
Comment on How are you planning for a potentially bleaker future? in ~life
Dragonfruit Link ParentI agree. I think many people consume too much negative news and coruminate within a self-selected circle of others who do the same. I think people forget that the world has always been in a state...I agree. I think many people consume too much negative news and coruminate within a self-selected circle of others who do the same. I think people forget that the world has always been in a state of disarray, and want to seek solace in believing their problems are special and no one else in history has had it as hard as they have. 15 years ago the world had an economic meltdown and a recession which lasted several years. 25 years ago the US went to war after having one of the largest terrorist attacks conducted on its soil. Go back to the 80s and violent crime was enormously higher than today with an unfathomable amount of active serial killers. Go back further and people lived in fear every day of nuclear annihilation due to a fued between the two largest world powers.
In regards to climate change specifically, it's something I studied through statistical modelling in grad school. It's real, but the effects are already here. You already see more wildfires and hotter days. There isn't going to be a magical shift in 10 years where the world implodes on itself overnight. It's going to continue to be a gradual progression, just as it has been over the last 10 years. The way you adapt to it is by continuing to do whatever you've already been doing.
In general I find when I go outside people are pretty kind and don't exist in a catatonic state of doom the way I see online. Instead they smile when they receive compliments and are excited to attend raves or meet new people at dinner parties or try out surfing or happy to drive you to the airport or whatever.
-
Comment on Experiences with psychedelics? in ~life
Dragonfruit Link ParentYeah, for me that's the state it's at now. It's no more severe a visual impairment than an optical illusion. It was quite severe when it first came on (equivalent to a 25-50 ug trip).Yeah, for me that's the state it's at now. It's no more severe a visual impairment than an optical illusion. It was quite severe when it first came on (equivalent to a 25-50 ug trip).
-
Comment on Experiences with psychedelics? in ~life
Dragonfruit Link ParentNo history of schizoid disorders in my family. And yes, you're correct, anyone with a history of that should avoid mind-altering substance use. But, HPPD isn't one of those disorders and I don't...No history of schizoid disorders in my family. And yes, you're correct, anyone with a history of that should avoid mind-altering substance use.
But, HPPD isn't one of those disorders and I don't believe it has any correlation with them. It's also not treatable with antipsychotic drugs. Fortunately, a large component of HPPD is psychological and can be resolved through therapy. However, the visual component seems largely permanent.
It's one of those things that's hard to study due to drugs being illegal. The last I saw, the leading hypothesis is that it's a physiological change in the brain that results in a permanent chemical imbalance of some kind as a result of the specific actions that psychedelic drugs take.
-
Comment on Experiences with psychedelics? in ~life
Dragonfruit LinkOverall I had negative experiences with psychedelics. I developed HPPD after using LSD every few months over a period of about 2 years. At onset it was comorbid with a severe episode of DPDR that...Overall I had negative experiences with psychedelics. I developed HPPD after using LSD every few months over a period of about 2 years. At onset it was comorbid with a severe episode of DPDR that lasted several months. The visuals from the HPPD have faded significantly after about 2 years, but are still present roughly 6 years later. I stopped using psychedelics once I recognized that I had HPPD (although I didn't know what it was initially, I just noticed my psychedelic visuals didn't go away despite enough time passing for me to theoretically be sober).
Unfortunately, this is one of those things which seems to be partially genetic and partially luck. Some people can use psychedelics for their whole life and never develop it, while others can have HPPD onset even from a small amount of marijuana consumption.
Ignoring that, the first few times I used them, the experience felt truly profound and was fascinating. After a few times, I began to recognize more that the experience feels very profound because I'm high, and it felt a lot less magical after that.
-
Comment on In 1978, Arthur C. Clarke predicted the rise of AI and wondered what would happen to humanity in ~tech
Dragonfruit Link ParentAI has already been in the stock market for several decades, depending on your definition of AI. Around 30 years ago, people began using statistics to aid trading decisions. Around 15 years ago,...AI has already been in the stock market for several decades, depending on your definition of AI. Around 30 years ago, people began using statistics to aid trading decisions. Around 15 years ago, algorithmic trading became extremely common, automating the entire process. It's now hard to find any large investment management firm that doesn't have a significant systematic or algorithmic trading business. The lines between AI and statistics and machine learning are blurry, but "machine learning" is probably the most accurate word for what has been extraordinarily common place for at least 5 years now.
There's no reason this would lead to the collapse of the stock market. If anything, it makes it better overall. The only reason you could profit "risk free" in the stock market is if something is priced too high or too low. These tools just make it easier to identify if something is or is not priced inappropriately.
-
Comment on Which unanswered questions do you want to see an answer for in your lifetime? in ~science
Dragonfruit Link ParentCryptography is fine whether primes are easily factorizable or quantum computers could be scaled. Post-quantum cryptographic algorithms that do not rely on prime factorization and have...Cryptography is fine whether primes are easily factorizable or quantum computers could be scaled. Post-quantum cryptographic algorithms that do not rely on prime factorization and have computational complexity still intractable by quantum computers have been researched for several decades. NIST is finishing up their proposals for wide-spread adoption. This problem was actively in the process of being solved before prototype quantum computers even really existed.
And this is not even to mention that quantum computers are nowhere near the scalability required for it to affect classical cryptography, let alone will be there any time soon. This is my subjective belief as someone who worked in quantum information academia.
-
Comment on How do I improve at interviews? in ~life
Dragonfruit LinkI coach students for interviews. While it's often hard to teach them technical skills if they're lacking, the good news is that behavioral questions, which sound like the ones you struggle with...I coach students for interviews. While it's often hard to teach them technical skills if they're lacking, the good news is that behavioral questions, which sound like the ones you struggle with the most, are absolutely trainable.
Someone above suggested the STAR method, but I dislike this because it takes a little bit too long. I prefer the CAR method, where you combine S & T into C, context. The most important part of your answer is always what you did (A) and why it was good (R). The background is usually not that deep and can be summarized very quickly anyways. Being cognizant of this might help you ramble less, or at the very least ramble about the important parts.
With that out of the way, what I always recommend then is to think of a handful (~5) situations where you did something interesting or faced an interesting problem. Once you have this scenario bank, you can almost always twist (or slightly exaggerate and modify) at least one of these scenarios to answer any behavioural question. This helps with recall, because now you don't need to dig through your mountain of experience to answer a question. You just need to look at a small number of situations that you can talk about in detail, and pick one of these.
I recommend spending some time to think of these scenarios. Then, ask a friend to pull up a bank of behavioral questions (tons exist online), and ask you some. Try to answer them within a CAR structure. Your first few answers will be not great, but after a bit of time (a few hours) you'll be very comfortable with these.
-
Comment on If you had to buy a car today, what would you buy? in ~transport
Dragonfruit LinkHonda Accord. I've had two of them and really like them. They're comfortable and spacious, just a little nicer than a Civic. I also don't like big cars like SUVs, so the Accord being a sedan wins...Honda Accord. I've had two of them and really like them. They're comfortable and spacious, just a little nicer than a Civic. I also don't like big cars like SUVs, so the Accord being a sedan wins there for me.
-
penghu
an endless blue. my island shore. my quiet voice. a crashing roar. my little feet mark steps in sand. a big red bucket in my hand. cold water glides across my gills. it tastes of dark and salt and...
an endless blue. my island shore.
my quiet voice. a crashing roar.
my little feet mark steps in sand.
a big red bucket in my hand.cold water glides across my gills.
it tastes of dark and salt and kills.
i hunt for food hoping to make
what others all of me want made.i cuff my pants and dip my toes
to cool myself from hot sand's glow.
my bucket drinks with thirsty lips
salt water, sand, and -- wait, what's this ?in rest i lie where currents go:
to waters warm, bright, and shallow.
a sudden wake from surface stirs:
swimming around a big red blur.i look at her. i look at him.
i puff in fear. i'm uncertain.
i dip my fingers holding shrimp.
i take a bite. we make friends quick.11 votes -
Comment on New policy changes for Southwest Airlines in ~transport
Dragonfruit Link ParentAn extreme minority of hedge funds will ever want to take anything even close to controlling interest in a company. A large proportion of hedge funds don't even trade or invest in stocks at all. I...An extreme minority of hedge funds will ever want to take anything even close to controlling interest in a company. A large proportion of hedge funds don't even trade or invest in stocks at all.
I think you meant to levy this complaint against private equity firms, which are different from activist hedge funds, which themselves are still a very particular and uncommon type of hedge fund.
-
Comment on Self-diagnosed cases of dissociative identity disorder on social media: conceptualization, assessment, and treatment in ~health.mental
Dragonfruit Link ParentI don't think it's that simple. People are free to describe their own lived experiences. However for someone familiar with a disorder, whether having it themselves or a loved one having it, it can...I don't think it's that simple. People are free to describe their own lived experiences. However for someone familiar with a disorder, whether having it themselves or a loved one having it, it can be infuriating to see it trivialized and made a mockery of to the public by people who are fabricating it for attention. And for these people who are knowledgable about the disorder, it's often easy to tell if someone is indeed fabricating it.
Dissociative disorders are particularly frustrating for me as someone who is dissociative and dating someone with DID. Don't give me rules of thumb about how I should feel about something which heavily impacts myself or my partner.
-
Comment on Self-diagnosed cases of dissociative identity disorder on social media: conceptualization, assessment, and treatment in ~health.mental
Dragonfruit LinkA good rule of thumb I have is that whenever someone presents their illness as something quirky and cool, they're faking it. People I know with dissociative disorders (not just DID) or autism keep...A good rule of thumb I have is that whenever someone presents their illness as something quirky and cool, they're faking it. People I know with dissociative disorders (not just DID) or autism keep quiet about it and find it challenging and frustrating, not something they're excited about and eager to share.
-
Comment on What’s a book that we were never supposed to be able to read? in ~books
Dragonfruit (edited )LinkMost of Kafka's seminal works. At the time of his death he destroyed most of his work, and ordered his friend Max Brod to destroy what he couldn't. Brod explicitly went against Kafka's demands,...Most of Kafka's seminal works. At the time of his death he destroyed most of his work, and ordered his friend Max Brod to destroy what he couldn't.
Brod explicitly went against Kafka's demands, and on the topic said that Kafka should have know he would never do it. Kafka hated his writing and believed he was awful, while Brod (and Kafka's other friends) always believed he was excellent.
After he died, Brod collected several unfinished manuscripts, the most important of which were later put together (with some guesswork taking a few editions, since Kafka's chapters were written non-linearly, incomplete, and unordered): The Trial and The Castle.
In regards to answering your questions, Jacob Geller has a great essay addressing most (all?) of them: Art For No One.
-
Comment on Nvidia’s $589 billion DeepSeek rout is largest in market history in ~finance
Dragonfruit Link ParentSay you see NVDA is $80 right now. But, you think NVDA will be worth $100 in a year. This might be because you believe, in a year, GPU sales will double as AI can no longer be improved through...Say you see NVDA is $80 right now. But, you think NVDA will be worth $100 in a year. This might be because you believe, in a year, GPU sales will double as AI can no longer be improved through more sophisticated training techniques, and simply must require more computational resources. Then, even though its current sales only value it at $80, if you buy in now then in a year you'll have made $20 (assuming you're right). You might be hardpressed to find another way to make 25% of your money in 365 days. But, your purchase at $80 increases demand for NVDA, so others will see this and value it more right now. Eventually, the stock price might become $100 today, even though that value is more representative of its value a year from now.
At a high-level, this is what led to NVDA having a huge valuation. Some might argue this led to an overvaluation, because its price stopped being based on a grounded projected value due to AI growth, but moreso hype.
With DeepSeek coming out, it turns out there is indeed a way to improve LLM performance not just without requiring more GPUs in the future, but without even needing the amount of GPUs people thought were necessary today. So, this projected future value turned out to be incorrect and overinflated, and the price dropped as a result.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life
Dragonfruit (edited )LinkIf you have a mathematics background it's essential trivial to become a teacher in Ontario right now. There's a shortage of math teachers now, and many schools will even guarantee you admission to...If you have a mathematics background it's essential trivial to become a teacher in Ontario right now. There's a shortage of math teachers now, and many schools will even guarantee you admission to teachers college if you hold a bachelor's in mathematics without an abysmally low GPA. You might not have your $100k salary immediately (though you might with your experience), but I'm fairly certain teachers with seniority exceed this all across Canada.
Someone in another comment floated the idea of an MBA to go into banking. I strongly advise against this. Many people who dream of going into banking end up hating the job and find it extremely boring. I think this will be aggravated by you having a technical background. Moreover, you're not 22 years old anymore, and will likely struggle with putting in the 80-100 hour weeks expected of an associate.
Instead, if you'd like to enter finance (in Canada) I recommend Toronto's MFE, Toronto's MMF, or Waterloo's MQF programs (in that order). An MBA is unnecessary and will actually negatively help you in gaining the jobs you likely want, outside of potentially sales and trading (though none of these programs preclude you from S&T). If you have questions about the Canadian finance scene I'm more than happy to answer.
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society
Dragonfruit Link ParentYou don't know the extent to which it affects me. You only know that I personally am not a US citizen. If you'd like to have further context: I immigrated to Canada (which is heavily influenced...You don't know the extent to which it affects me. You only know that I personally am not a US citizen.
If you'd like to have further context: I immigrated to Canada (which is heavily influenced indirectly by US politics of course) from a country without jus soli, and gained citizenship here. My niece and nephew are in the US and gained citizenship by jus soli. This is excellent for them, but given where I came from and the way I personally gained citizenship, it struck me as odd that it was a possibility.
Even if none of this were the case, people are absolutely allowed to hold opinions about the politics of other countries. I'm sure many people have opinions about the Israel-Palestine conflict despite being neither Israeli (or even Jewish) or Palestinian. For a less tenuous example, you can take data privacy laws and fines for EU citizens.
I simply came here to understand what the arguments are against Trump's actions, since clearly some must exist given I supported his decision while other people do not. This is how people develop a more refined worldview.
I've been convinced his actions are wrong, though not because of any historical precedent about jus soli (since they're irrelevant to my immigration and ancestry so I don't understand why they might still be necessary), but because he is taking the incorrect path to make the change, as it should be done through a constitutional amendment.
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society
Dragonfruit Link ParentMy goal was to learn what the arguments for jus soli are. I'm an immigrant to Canada, earned citizenship without it, and come from a country without it. My sister then had kids in the US for the...My goal was to learn what the arguments for jus soli are. I'm an immigrant to Canada, earned citizenship without it, and come from a country without it. My sister then had kids in the US for the purpose of them having citizenship, which is great for them and I support her decision from a self-focused perspective for doing so because it benefits her kids strongly.
But, it always struck me as strange that what she did was possible in the first place. I've always been opposed to it in the US and Canada, and when Trump said he wished to rescind it, in principle I supported it. However, some people clearly have strong opinions against his decision (otherwise it wouldn't make headlines), so I wanted to understand why.
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society
Dragonfruit Link ParentI'm not American so have not had American history lessons and US rights are not my own. This is an international forum.I'm not American so have not had American history lessons and US rights are not my own. This is an international forum.
-
Comment on US President Donald Trump to make historic move towards revoking birthright citizenship in ~society
Dragonfruit LinkI've never understood the argument for jus soli existing and I'm not aware of any historical reason either. Most countries don't have it outside the US and Canada. This is the one thing Trump is...I've never understood the argument for jus soli existing and I'm not aware of any historical reason either. Most countries don't have it outside the US and Canada. This is the one thing Trump is doing which I support. What are the arguments against this change?
The Taipei airport is my favourite. It's beautiful inside, especially in the international section. The gates are all a unique theme and beautifully decorated, and it's super easy to navigate.
Charles de Gaulle is the worst airport I've ever been to. It's ugly, you land on tarmac and have to bus over to the airport proper, which is some horrific looking grey warehouse.