Omnicrola's recent activity

  1. Comment on Robin Williams' daughter pleads for people to stop sending her AI videos of her dad in ~tech

    Omnicrola
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    Maybe this is the reason why The Matrix's internal timeline was set to the 90s.

    Maybe this is the reason why The Matrix's internal timeline was set to the 90s.

    5 votes

  2. Comment on The Oatmeal: A cartoonist's review of AI art in ~comics

    Omnicrola
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    Definitely that second part, and it's possible your friend heard it that way even if you didn't say it that directly. But also I believe there's often more to reactions like that. I believe it's...

    Why did he get so emotional and angry with me? Maybe people just hate being told they did something the wrong way?

    Definitely that second part, and it's possible your friend heard it that way even if you didn't say it that directly.

    But also I believe there's often more to reactions like that. I believe it's because the expectations of people are massively misaligned.

    Think of a child who makes a child level drawing and shows it to an adult. Every adult can clearly see that it is not "good", it's scribbles or barely identifiable stick figures. But most (not all) adults also know to praise and encourage a child who shows them a drawing so that they will keep doing it and enjoying it.

    Now transpose that interaction onto college age people. Each of those students will arrive with varying levels of skill and self confidence. If they begin their classes by being told their art sucks, a lot of people would probably drop the class and maybe go get an MBA. Teachers know this, and most artists know this, and a lot of them are very encouraging. Great art is grounded in emotion and is also emotionally evocative. It takes a lot of support and encouragement to be able to express some of your deepest inner thoughts to other people.

    So to bring it back to my assertion that expectations are misaligned. Someone who creates something with AI is creating art. But it's child art. It is often shallow thoughts and feelings that through AI has been given the form of something with far more depth and consideration. And so we often call it out for what it is, and rightfully so. At the same time, we are also crushing that child's crayon drawing and telling them their drawing is slop.

    Am I advocating we be nicer to people making slop, and pat them on the head and pin it to the fridge? No definitely not. But I also don't think we should crumple up all their crayon drawings*.

    * I'm mostly taking about speaking to individual friends and family or coworkers. Anyone operating at a mass level (techbro, influencer, content mill, etc) can all go kick rocks

    14 votes

  3. Comment on High pollen count: The last straw effect on suicide risk in ~health.mental

    Omnicrola
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    Glad you found it interesting! I get a lot of work emails with weird studies and projects UM is doing, this one stood out as worth sharing in particular.

    Glad you found it interesting! I get a lot of work emails with weird studies and projects UM is doing, this one stood out as worth sharing in particular.

    8 votes

  4. Comment on High pollen count: The last straw effect on suicide risk in ~health.mental

    Omnicrola
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    Link to actual study : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629625001043 I don't have allergies as bad as some other people, but I can easily imagine how having your body...
    • Exemplary

    A new University of Michigan study found a 7.4% jump in deaths, suggesting the physical discomfort of allergies may trigger a deeper, more dangerous despair, an overlooked factor in suicide prevention.

    The study indicates that allergies’ physiological effects, such as poor sleep and mental distress, may contribute to this increased risk.

    Published in the Journal of Health Economics, the study also found that individuals with a known mental health condition or who had received prior mental health treatment had an 8.6% higher incidence of suicide on days with the highest pollen levels. White men strongly drive the effect, but the study also found an unexpectedly high vulnerability among Black individuals.

    Link to actual study : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629625001043

    I don't have allergies as bad as some other people, but I can easily imagine how having your body basically revolt against you for months at a time can wear on a person's mental health enough to tip them over the edge.

    This part in particular was notable/concerning:

    The authors predict that as climate change extends and intensifies the pollen season, the impact of allergies on suicide rates could more than double by the end of the century.

    26 votes

  6. Comment on Why do LLMs freak out over the seahorse emoji? in ~tech

    Omnicrola
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    Fun trivia in case you or others didn't know, this is also known as a "spoonerism". Named after an absent minded priest who often whipped his fords in this way....

    I'll say a mixed up word instead of what I mean to say (last night I said "carescrow" several times instead of "scarecrow")

    Fun trivia in case you or others didn't know, this is also known as a "spoonerism". Named after an absent minded priest who often whipped his fords in this way.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonerism

    2 votes

  7. Comment on Gen-Z protests are spreading globally. What's driving this youth-led movement? in ~society

    Omnicrola
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    Appreciate the extra background! I watched S1 of the live action and enjoyed it, and watched some (a dozen orso episodes) of the amine and enjoyed it. So many other things to watch in just haven't...

    Appreciate the extra background! I watched S1 of the live action and enjoyed it, and watched some (a dozen orso episodes) of the amine and enjoyed it. So many other things to watch in just haven't circled back to it yet.

    5 votes

  8. Comment on Gen-Z protests are spreading globally. What's driving this youth-led movement? in ~society

    Omnicrola
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    Related article: Why Gen Z protesters worldwide are flying an anime pirate flag

    Related article:
    Why Gen Z protesters worldwide are flying an anime pirate flag

    "What makes One Piece so powerful in protest is really the story at its core. It is about a group of misfits, outsiders, rebels, people who do not fit in the system coming together," explains Nuurrianti Jalli, an assistant professor affiliated with the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, at Yusof Ishak Institute Singapore.

    8 votes

  9. Comment on ‘Reading Rainbow’ to return, with new host Mychal Threets in ~tv

    Omnicrola
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    This is genuinely good news, I'm not familiar with Mychal but he sounds like a great choice for this. I can't wait to see what he does.

    This is genuinely good news, I'm not familiar with Mychal but he sounds like a great choice for this. I can't wait to see what he does.

    4 votes

  10. Comment on British Columbia Premier David Eby announces new Prince George, Surrey involuntary care facilities in ~health.mental

    Omnicrola
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    I'm a mostly functional adult with a job and a house, and even I struggle to do the things on that list.

    I'm a mostly functional adult with a job and a house, and even I struggle to do the things on that list.

    9 votes

  11. Comment on US House Democrats release latest Jeffrey Epstein documents with Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon and Prince Andrew mentions in ~society

    Omnicrola
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    Unexpected consequences of tariffs: whiteout shortages

    Unexpected consequences of tariffs: whiteout shortages

    12 votes

  12. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 22 in ~society

    Omnicrola
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    A statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands in D.C. is removed as fast as it appeared

    A statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands in D.C. is removed as fast as it appeared

    The bronze-painted installation, titled Best Friends Forever, depicts the two men smiling at each other, each with an arm and leg raised as if in mid-frolic.

    A group called The Secret Handshake claimed responsibility for the statue after it arrived on the National Mall on Tuesday morning. And while a National Park Service permit issued for the statue — obtained by NPR — allowed it to remain there until Sunday evening, eyewitness video showed U.S. Park Police hauling it onto a truck before sunrise on Wednesday.

    10 votes

  13. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 15 in ~society

    Omnicrola
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    Social media is shattering America's understanding of Charlie Kirk's death At this point commenting on how social media is dividing people is like saying the sky is blue, but it's still worth...

    Social media is shattering America's understanding of Charlie Kirk's death

    At this point commenting on how social media is dividing people is like saying the sky is blue, but it's still worth examining how the information landscape is evolving around Kirk's assassination. As with most news in the last 10-12 months, I've avoided engaging with it directly and instead absorb most of it second-hand from friends IRL. So recaps like this, a week or more after the fact, are quite welcome to me.

    8 votes

  14. Comment on ChatGPT is blowing up marriages as spouses use AI to attack their partners in ~tech

    Omnicrola
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    The insidious thing is, if someone in a relationship did make a new friend and all that person did was validate and agree with no pushback, my first reaction would be "what are they manipulating...

    The insidious thing is, if someone in a relationship did make a new friend and all that person did was validate and agree with no pushback, my first reaction would be "what are they manipulating this person in order to gain?". That's the behavior of a manipulative person trying to gain something from someone. Either money, access, or to "steal" that person for themselves. LLMs don't have motivations, but their system directive to be agreeable and validating still results in the same feedback loop that is used by manipulative people to destroy relationships.

    9 votes

  15. Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv

    Omnicrola
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    Although he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.

    Although he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.

    12 votes

  16. Comment on A full body air dryer in ~tech

    Omnicrola
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    I can't decide if I'd like this enough to buy one and install it in my house, but I 100% want to try one. Especially when it's hot outside, nothing beats taking a shower and then standing in front...

    I can't decide if I'd like this enough to buy one and install it in my house, but I 100% want to try one. Especially when it's hot outside, nothing beats taking a shower and then standing in front of a fan on full blast.

    4 votes

  17. Comment on How Honeycrisp apples went from marvel to mediocre in ~food

    Omnicrola
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    My partner and I go with her sisters family to a local orchard here in Michigan the first week of u-pick honeycrisp season each year. The first year I went with them, mind blown, it's a night and...

    My partner and I go with her sisters family to a local orchard here in Michigan the first week of u-pick honeycrisp season each year. The first year I went with them, mind blown, it's a night and day difference.

    5 votes

  18. Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society

    Omnicrola
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    I have avoided the news for almost a year at this point, but that interview was excellent. I wish more news outlets were like this. Empathetic, methodical, genuine, and respectful. No gotchas, no...

    I have avoided the news for almost a year at this point, but that interview was excellent. I wish more news outlets were like this. Empathetic, methodical, genuine, and respectful. No gotchas, no smash cuts, no citing social media as a source of information. Great journalism.

    3 votes

  19. Comment on After ten years of black hole science, Stephen Hawking is proven right in ~space

    Omnicrola
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    It's pretty wild to me that they can extrapolate things like the square area of a black hole by watching something so incredibly "subtle" (to us humans) as gravitational waves.

    "There's a very famous statement in physics that Stephen Hawking worked out, which is that the area, the surface area, of black holes can never decrease," explains Maximiliano Isi, an astrophysicist with Columbia University and the Flatiron Institute.

    a new analysis showing that between the two of them, the initial black holes had a combined surface area of 240,000 square kilometers (roughly the size of Oregon). After they merged to form a single black hole, its area was about 400,000 square kilometers (roughly the size of California).

    Hawking's theory says that the final area of the black hole has to be bigger than the sum of the two initial areas, says Chatziioannou, "and this is what we demonstrated observationally with that signal."

    It's pretty wild to me that they can extrapolate things like the square area of a black hole by watching something so incredibly "subtle" (to us humans) as gravitational waves.

    11 votes