Ephemere's recent activity
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Comment on Nancy Pelosi embodied America's gerontocracy problem in ~misc
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Comment on At least $1 billion of client funds missing at failed crypto firm FTX, sources say in ~finance
Ephemere Link ParentThat FAQ is absolutely fascinating, so thank you for posting it. It's been hard avoiding about the EA community one way or another over the past few years, but this was the first time I saw their...That FAQ is absolutely fascinating, so thank you for posting it. It's been hard avoiding about the EA community one way or another over the past few years, but this was the first time I saw their material directly. I knew Yudkowsky was a major figure, but I didn't expect to see his face quite so many times in a simple FAQ.
My personal favorite part is the link to a betting market weighing the odds that "leaders in EA" knew that FTX was engaging in fraud. It seems silly both ways, whether it's "Obviously we didn't know, people don't think we do" or "Maybe we did? People seem to think so."
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Comment on The strange history of Deanna Troi's accent in ~tv
Ephemere LinkThanks for posting, that was a fun read. I guess the lesson to take from this is that you shouldn't have regulars on sci-fi shows make up accents, because it's just not practical to have the...Thanks for posting, that was a fun read. I guess the lesson to take from this is that you shouldn't have regulars on sci-fi shows make up accents, because it's just not practical to have the guests of the week learn how to speak in it. That said, kudos to Ms. Sirtis for trying.
As this seems like as good a chance to share as any, I think a missed opportunity in TNG would have been to give Troi an outward facing job, like say being a member of the diplomatic corps or something. Similar to Keiko O'Brien on DS9, it would have allowed for more story possibilities to involve her naturally. Which is not to say that I didn't like the idea of her being the ship's therapist, just that a little extra would have helped with some of TNGs problems with the women on the cast not having enough to do.
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Comment on The SLS rocket is the worst thing to happen to NASA—but maybe also the best? in ~space
Ephemere Link ParentI thought the answer was "modifications on a design" but it seems like at least for some of the parts, indeed they've been in a warehouse. via...I thought the answer was "modifications on a design" but it seems like at least for some of the parts, indeed they've been in a warehouse.
via https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/fs/rs25_core_stage_engines.html
The SLS Program has an inventory of 16 RS-25 flight engines from the Space Shuttle Program to support the first four SLS missions.
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Comment on Alexandria Search is a open source ad free nonprofit web search engine in ~comp
Ephemere LinkGiven that the search page was posted without commentary - are there any particular kinds of searches which work especially well on alexandria? A number of queries I attempted returned no results.Given that the search page was posted without commentary - are there any particular kinds of searches which work especially well on alexandria? A number of queries I attempted returned no results.
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Comment on X | Official trailer in ~movies
Ephemere LinkI'm surprised that's the name they chose. I was curious to look up a plot synopsis and found https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8151450/ instead, a 2019 film of the same name.I'm surprised that's the name they chose. I was curious to look up a plot synopsis and found https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8151450/ instead, a 2019 film of the same name.
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Comment on How ‘The Monster with 21 Faces’ terrorized Japan during the harrowing Glico Morinaga candy incident in ~humanities
Ephemere LinkThat’s a fascinating story, thank you for posting it!That’s a fascinating story, thank you for posting it!
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Comment on The fallacy of subjectivism in ~humanities
Ephemere LinkThis is of course very interesting. As a person only vaguely versed in any of this material I always feel like I'm bringing a feather duster to a gun fight, but I suppose the author's tone...This is of course very interesting. As a person only vaguely versed in any of this material I always feel like I'm bringing a feather duster to a gun fight, but I suppose the author's tone inspired me to respond.
For example, the author turns
“We cannot know about anything except through our perceptions, concepts, or other representations. Therefore, we can only know things as we perceive/conceive/represent them, not things as they are in themselves. But obviously things-as-we-represent-them depend upon observers. So everything we can know about, or even refer to, depends on observers. So all efforts to talk about mind-independent reality are nonsensical.”
into
(For any x) x cannot be represented without observers. Therefore, (for any x) x cannot exist without observers.But that seems to be an incorrect rendition of that argument. Shouldn't it be something more like
X cannot be represented without observers, therefore it's pointless to contemplate X independent of it's observation, as that's impossible for us to do.
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Comment on Roblox pressured us to delete our video, so we dug deeper in ~games
Ephemere Link ParentThis may sounds strange, but I kind of value it for exactly that reason. I have a child for whom playing various roblox games is one of their favorite activities, and it provides a convenient...This may sounds strange, but I kind of value it for exactly that reason. I have a child for whom playing various roblox games is one of their favorite activities, and it provides a convenient money sink that both makes them want to do chores in exchange for money, and it gives them some chances to have some not-so-great money decisions while they're still at the penny tables.
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Comment on Day 6: Lanternfish in ~comp.advent_of_code
Ephemere Link ParentI almost went with that attitude. I had plugged in an sqlite memory-to-DBI translation layer to overcome my limited physical memory before I realized the critical trick. On the plus side, it's...I almost went with that attitude. I had plugged in an sqlite memory-to-DBI translation layer to overcome my limited physical memory before I realized the critical trick. On the plus side, it's trivial to do!
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Comment on Solar domes could desalinate seawater at a commercial scale in ~science
Ephemere LinkLooks interesting, I hope it proves to be successful at scale. I suppose I'm curious as to what they're going to do with the waste salt, but I guess you could bury it in a vast pit in the desert...Looks interesting, I hope it proves to be successful at scale. I suppose I'm curious as to what they're going to do with the waste salt, but I guess you could bury it in a vast pit in the desert or something with modest general impact.
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Comment on The Completely Serious Running Eulogy for Tildes aka the "Why I Left Tildes" Thread in ~tildes
Ephemere LinkMan, this is all giving me some solid kuro5hin flashbacks.Man, this is all giving me some solid kuro5hin flashbacks.
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Comment on Apple's plan to "think different" about encryption opens a backdoor to your private life in ~tech
Ephemere Link ParentYou could argue that that ‘fully built system’ is iCloud and other remote storage services in general. It’s already waiting for ‘external pressure’ to analyze the files in their custody differently.You could argue that that ‘fully built system’ is iCloud and other remote storage services in general. It’s already waiting for ‘external pressure’ to analyze the files in their custody differently.
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Comment on DHL sent all the PinePhones to New Zealand 🤦 in ~tech
Ephemere Link ParentNot to mention an especially annoying place to get them all back from.Not to mention an especially annoying place to get them all back from.
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Comment on How would you write a GUI? Seeking opinions, recommendations, and what to avoid. in ~comp
Ephemere LinkSo this is a little bit shot from the hip, but python has perfectly servicible GTK/GDK bindings, and I've built GUIs in python with it in the past. It's as easy to use as any other GUI toolkit...So this is a little bit shot from the hip, but python has perfectly servicible GTK/GDK bindings, and I've built GUIs in python with it in the past. It's as easy to use as any other GUI toolkit might be, and it's nicely documented.
At the very least, you should be able to get a 'hello world' going in 15 minutes or so, which should give you a taste of whether that would be a pain in your environment or not.
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Comment on Armed doesn't mean dangerous: Black gun owners are often portrayed negatively. One photographer set out to change that. in ~arts
Ephemere LinkWas this effective for anyone else? I'm afraid I personally react negatively to seeing people casually holding firearms in general. I guess all I can see is 'I could kill you effortlessly in...Was this effective for anyone else? I'm afraid I personally react negatively to seeing people casually holding firearms in general. I guess all I can see is 'I could kill you effortlessly in moments if I chose to', and not 'I'm responsibly exercising my rights', even if the two of them are essentially identical.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books
Ephemere LinkI really hope this doesn't turn out to be Stephenson's "State of Fear", though the synopsis seems at least a little reassuring on that front.I really hope this doesn't turn out to be Stephenson's "State of Fear", though the synopsis seems at least a little reassuring on that front.
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Comment on Cruella | Official trailer in ~movies
Ephemere Link ParentPossibly it's because they already created a 101 Dalmatians remake in '96 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115433/).Possibly it's because they already created a 101 Dalmatians remake in '96 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115433/).
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Comment on Pirate Bay founder thinks Parler’s inability to stay online is ‘embarrassing’ in ~tech
Ephemere Link ParentIs that a bad thing, though? Obviously I would strongly prefer people to avoid radicalization, but if there is going to be a channel which does it being harder to find or stumble into seems like...Is that a bad thing, though? Obviously I would strongly prefer people to avoid radicalization, but if there is going to be a channel which does it being harder to find or stumble into seems like an advantage. It seems like far more people, especially mild fellow travelers would wind up on Parler and Facebook as opposed to telegram or signal.
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Comment on SuperRT - Realtime raytracing on the SNES (walkthrough and technical overview) in ~games
Ephemere LinkThat was fascinating, I'm deeply impressed. The thought that that's something someone knocks off in their spare time is incredible.That was fascinating, I'm deeply impressed. The thought that that's something someone knocks off in their spare time is incredible.
I would also argue that the very clear chain of succession in American government makes the risk of an elderly person dying much less significant. Sure we may wind up with someone unelected and in over their head for a few years, but the wheels will stay on the bus. We elect people in over their heads from time to time anyway.