Fiachra's recent activity
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Comment on Maritime archaeologists from the Viking Ship Museum in Denmark have announced the discovery of what they describe as the world’s largest cog in ~humanities.history
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Comment on What’s a point that you think many people missed? in ~talk
Fiachra LinkThe Observer Effect in quantum mechanics does not imply that quantum particles "know" that a mind has perceived them. It implies that fundamental particles are so incredibly small that any means...The Observer Effect in quantum mechanics does not imply that quantum particles "know" that a mind has perceived them. It implies that fundamental particles are so incredibly small that any means of measuring them disrupts them in some way.
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Comment on Hacktivist deletes three white supremacist websites live onstage during hacker conference in ~tech
Fiachra Link Parent"let's go cyber-vandalism low since they've already gone mass-scale-racialised-state-violence low" isn't as catchy but more accurate."let's go cyber-vandalism low since they've already gone mass-scale-racialised-state-violence low" isn't as catchy but more accurate.
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Comment on Hacktivist deletes three white supremacist websites live onstage during hacker conference in ~tech
Fiachra Link ParentIf given the chance they would violently round up anyone deemed undesirable and send them to a torture prison in el Salvador without trial. And that's just what's been confirmed so far. Taking...If given the chance they would violently round up anyone deemed undesirable and send them to a torture prison in el Salvador without trial. And that's just what's been confirmed so far. Taking down a website does not remotely bring anyone "down to their level".
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Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk
Fiachra LinkI moved into the new house with my wife two months ago. Both of us have been introduced to the couple next door and both of us immediately forgot their names. It's now too late to ask again...I moved into the new house with my wife two months ago. Both of us have been introduced to the couple next door and both of us immediately forgot their names. It's now too late to ask again without it being awkward. This is just our life forever now.
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Comment on The first really new compass since 1936 (a new, public domain design without liquid in the dial) in ~engineering
Fiachra Link(Summary of my best understanding of the video) The Problem: compass needles will overshoot their equilibrium position and take time to settle into a north-south orientation when used. Modern...(Summary of my best understanding of the video)
The Problem: compass needles will overshoot their equilibrium position and take time to settle into a north-south orientation when used. Modern compasses address this by damping the oscillation, either with liquid (which brings the complication of bubbles forming in extreme conditions) or via eddy currents (requiring a metal backing plate that obscures the map when in use).
This guy has engineered a copper ring for the compass perimeter that allows the user to see through the face of the compass while also providing damping through eddy currents. No bubbles, no obscuration of the map. Best of both worlds. It's such a simple solution I can't believe it hasn't been tried before.
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Comment on Nvidia-backed Starcloud trains first AI model in space in ~space
Fiachra Link ParentDifference is, it's easily foreseeable that you can refine manufacturing processes so that electric cars would eventually compete with petrol on price point. But blasting infrastructure into...Difference is, it's easily foreseeable that you can refine manufacturing processes so that electric cars would eventually compete with petrol on price point. But blasting infrastructure into space, along with two or three backups of everything, is never going to be cheaper than shipping one of everything in a truck. Not every new moonshot technology is the next Galileo.
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Comment on Nvidia-backed Starcloud trains first AI model in space in ~space
Fiachra Link ParentEven with zero problems this is still more expensive and less adaptable than the ground-based data centres they'll be competing with.Even with zero problems this is still more expensive and less adaptable than the ground-based data centres they'll be competing with.
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Comment on YouTube is awful. Please use YouTube, though. in ~tech
Fiachra Link ParentThanks for the link, because Glomble is the exact kind of indie shit I like to see. Definitely going to be checking that out for a while.Thanks for the link, because Glomble is the exact kind of indie shit I like to see. Definitely going to be checking that out for a while.
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Comment on What do you leave out for Father Christmas? in ~talk
Fiachra LinkIreland, my parents always left out a can of Guinness for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph. My unfortunate mother was the one stuck taking a bite of the carrot every year and serving as our type...Ireland, my parents always left out a can of Guinness for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph. My unfortunate mother was the one stuck taking a bite of the carrot every year and serving as our type case for what reindeer teeth look like.
My own kid is 1, so it'll be another year or two before we institute our own tradition. I'd rather try climb down the chimney myself than drink a Guinness, so I'll probably go with the more wholesome glass of milk (or cider, if my commitment to healthy eating falters).
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Comment on What are your predictions for 2026? in ~talk
Fiachra LinkA murder will take place that is connected to a bet made on a prediction market (like Polymarket or Kalshi) There will be several (5 or more) high profile data breaches in 2026 linked to companies...A murder will take place that is connected to a bet made on a prediction market (like Polymarket or Kalshi)
There will be several (5 or more) high profile data breaches in 2026 linked to companies use of AI in their tech stack. Either bad insecure code generated by AI or a customer service bot being talked into turning over the whole database.
A moral panic related to AI generated images of real people will take place, but it won't be directly about revenge porn or CSAM. It'll be a dumb and repugnant conspiracy theory that only tangentially involves those things. "AI images are turning kids trans" or "immigrants are deepfaking our wives", something like that.
Trump will be hospitalised for a confirmed medical episode and recover enough to go back to work for at least one full day.
You're going to make to at least May before remembering Mamdani even exists because he'll be a surprisingly average and scandal-free mayor, and so make few or no headlines for most of the year.
Elon Musk will attempt to sue the government of Sweden alleging some bizarre form of leftist conspiracy. If the case finds any resolution at all by the end of the year, it will not be in Musk's favour.
The political right will pick some random new food or drink product as a culture war battlefield, whether or not their counterparts on the left care enough to fight them on it.
The Saudi royal family will make a play into the film industry in some way, either on the production side or by hosting their own film awards.
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Comment on She fell in love with ChatGPT. Then she ghosted it. in ~tech
Fiachra Link ParentThe simple fact that they built the UI to look like a chat client instead of AskJeeves has had enormous consequences for society.The simple fact that they built the UI to look like a chat client instead of AskJeeves has had enormous consequences for society.
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Comment on What are some of your "life hacks" you use regularly? in ~talk
Fiachra Link ParentThat's my life hack - flip the coin and pause before you look at it. Feel which outcome you're rooting for. Then don't even look at the coin and just do that one.That's my life hack - flip the coin and pause before you look at it. Feel which outcome you're rooting for. Then don't even look at the coin and just do that one.
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Comment on The populist revolt against cognitive elites in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentThat's an interesting point. I suppose it comes down to the circumstances that cause the food desert in the first place. Are they likely to last long term? Is it possible to know when the game has...That's an interesting point. I suppose it comes down to the circumstances that cause the food desert in the first place. Are they likely to last long term? Is it possible to know when the game has changed and therefore pick the right time to privatise the public stores? Situations will vary greatly, I'm sure.
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Comment on The populist revolt against cognitive elites in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentBut those two parties have different definitions of "making it work". Private businesses fail to make it work if they don't turn a profit long term. What would constitute government "not making it...if major chains, for which the deck is stacked in every conceivable way, can’t make it work, we should be very skeptical that the government can
But those two parties have different definitions of "making it work". Private businesses fail to make it work if they don't turn a profit long term. What would constitute government "not making it work"? If the stores exist and make food accessible in food deserts, but it operates at a loss, that's just a worthwhile social service being funded by taxes, one of many. I think they'd have to be losing quite a lot of money to be considered a failure and risk closure. Can you imagine the electoral risk to a future mayor who tried to shutter them?
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Comment on The populist revolt against cognitive elites in ~society
Fiachra Link ParentSorry, because I feel like I'm going insane here, but wasn't Mamdani's exact pledge with grocery stores to open like four or five publicly owned ones in food deserts that don't already have any?...one of the major promises Mamdani made was to lower the price of groceries in New York by creating publicly owned, city-run grocery stores. Experts objected that grocery stores typically operate on slim margins and that the major costs occur further up the supply chain. Like most educated people, Mamdani probably knows this.
Sorry, because I feel like I'm going insane here, but wasn't Mamdani's exact pledge with grocery stores to open like four or five publicly owned ones in food deserts that don't already have any? Either I've completely got my facts wrong or the above quoted (any many other opinion pieces like it) doesn't really apply to his policy at all.
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Comment on Other people might just not have your problems in ~life
Fiachra LinkA good lesson, and I can add that sometimes, it's possible to go from one state to another: you can start at "what trick does everyone else use to do this??" to "iunno how I even do this I just...A good lesson, and I can add that sometimes, it's possible to go from one state to another: you can start at "what trick does everyone else use to do this??" to "iunno how I even do this I just do". If we forget the path we took to solve problems, then forget we even had them, we wind up doing a disservice to the people walking the same path after us. It's tempting to forget; after all there's so much shame tied up in it that we'd prefer to never think of it again. Many a generation before us has made that mistake and not taken the time and patience to teach people that we could help if we really tried.
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Comment on Other people might just not have your problems in ~life
Fiachra Link Parent"Enlightenment is hard, but it's not complicated" (paraphrased)"Enlightenment is hard, but it's not complicated"
(paraphrased)
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Comment on Fifteen killed in shooting targeting Jewish community at Australia's Bondi Beach, police say in ~news
Fiachra Link ParentAustralia have a history of taking action to control guns after mass shootings, I'm relieved to see that attitude hasn't changed due to the political winds of that last decade.Australia have a history of taking action to control guns after mass shootings, I'm relieved to see that attitude hasn't changed due to the political winds of that last decade.
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Comment on The Windows 11 crisis in ~tech
I have to invite laughter at myself for not knowing a cog was a type of ship and thinking they had found a 28 metre wide gear in a medieval cargo vessel. That's what I get for skimming the opening paragraph.