Omnicrola's recent activity
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Comment on Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds and flus, researchers say in ~health
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Comment on I hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI – and it only took twenty minutes in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentThat's already happening though. It's not a real-time reaction, but the amount of clearly AI generated slop I get when searching for some things is ridiculous. It is stupidly cheap to generate a...That's already happening though. It's not a real-time reaction, but the amount of clearly AI generated slop I get when searching for some things is ridiculous. It is stupidly cheap to generate a 100x static pages that rephrases existing content and host it on 100 domains that you can then farm ad revenue from.
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Comment on I hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI – and it only took twenty minutes in ~tech
Omnicrola LinkMy first thoughts were both that this is zero percent surprising, and also that I think it worked mostly because it is a silly result. The author's example filled an information vacuum that they...My first thoughts were both that this is zero percent surprising, and also that I think it worked mostly because it is a silly result. The author's example filled an information vacuum that they themselves created. I'd be more interesting in seeing how easy or difficult it would be to create enough disinformation to change an existing answer.
This bit near the end of the article was interesting though:
But Ray says that's the whole point. Google itself says 15% of the searches it sees everyday are completely new. And according to Google, AI is encouraging people to ask more specific questions. Spammers are taking advantage of this.
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Comment on The mega-rich are turning their mansions into impenetrable fortresses in ~finance
Omnicrola Link ParentI speculate they don't exist, based on the premise that anyone who can subsume thier own ego enough to forgo the huge houses with 8 pools in exotic locations, also probably chose a different path...I speculate they don't exist, based on the premise that anyone who can subsume thier own ego enough to forgo the huge houses with 8 pools in exotic locations, also probably chose a different path earlier in life when faced with a decision that would result in them making "very comfortably rich" or "fucking obscene rich".
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Comment on Culture is the mass-synchronization of framings in ~life
Omnicrola Link ParentIMO this has always been and always will be true. In order for society to function at any level there has to be trust. And there will always be people who are willing and able to exploit that...A motivated individual willing to disregard and exploit those norms can cause serious harm to a system
IMO this has always been and always will be true. In order for society to function at any level there has to be trust. And there will always be people who are willing and able to exploit that trust for their own purposes.
We can put in place rules and laws and safeguards to prevent an exploiter from succeeding, but if the people tasked with enforcing them are not willing to enforce them then they may as well never have existed.
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Comment on Culture is the mass-synchronization of framings in ~life
Omnicrola LinkThat's a great quote I'm going to file away for later. We've all observed at one time or another a group behavior that doesn't make sense, and is ineffective, inefficient, but ultimately harmless....We have a built-in need to do what the people around us do, even when we know of better or less wasteful ways. This means that we can't even explain culture as something that, while starting from chance events, naturally progresses towards better and better behaviors. That's what science is for.
That's a great quote I'm going to file away for later. We've all observed at one time or another a group behavior that doesn't make sense, and is ineffective, inefficient, but ultimately harmless. And the reason the behavior has stuck isn't because anyone chose it, it's because it was the path of last resistance at the time, and then cultural inertia took over.
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Comment on Babylon 5 is now free to watch on YouTube in ~tv
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Comment on Men lose their Y chromosome as they age. Scientists thought it didn’t matter – but now discovering may be linked to shorter lifespans and disease. in ~health
Omnicrola LinkThis bit at the end surprised me From the linked article Also, cue the Manosphere hawking 5000 new supplements and devices claiming to "Boost Your Y" or "Contribute to Y Health" or some such bullshitThis bit at the end surprised me
The DNA of the human Y was only fully sequenced a couple of years ago – so in time we may track down how particular genes cause these negative health effects.
From the linked article
The first draft of the human genome was completed in 1999. Since then, scientists have managed to sequence all the ordinary chromosomes, including the X, with just a few gaps.
But it’s only recently that new technology has allowed sequencing of bases along individual long DNA molecules, producing long-reads of thousands of bases. These longer reads are easier to distinguish and can therefore be assembled more easily, handling the confusing repetitions and loops of the Y chromosome.
Also, cue the Manosphere hawking 5000 new supplements and devices claiming to "Boost Your Y" or "Contribute to Y Health" or some such bullshit
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Comment on Something big is happening in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentI've not seen that, holy crap that is a fever dream of a video.I've not seen that, holy crap that is a fever dream of a video.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 9 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentI swear, if they start some shit in Dearborn, ICE is going to find out how much Michiganders of all backgrounds love chicken shwarma.I swear, if they start some shit in Dearborn, ICE is going to find out how much Michiganders of all backgrounds love chicken shwarma.
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Comment on Something big is happening in ~tech
Omnicrola LinkA coworker shared a decent rebuttal of this article with me yesterday : https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/about-that-matt-shumer-post-that It's much shorter than the original post, but itdoes a...A coworker shared a decent rebuttal of this article with me yesterday : https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/about-that-matt-shumer-post-that
It's much shorter than the original post, but itdoes a good job calling out the obviously hype laden nature of it.Shumer’s blog post is weaponized hype that tells people want they want to hear, but stumbles on the facts, especially with respect to reliability. He gives no actual data to support this claim that the latest coding systems can write whole complex apps without making errors.
The bottom line is this: LLMs are certainly coding more, but it’s not clear that the code they are creating is secure or trustworthy. Shumer’s presentation is completely one-sided, omitting lots of concerns that have been widely expressed here and elsewhere.
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Comment on James Van Der Beek, the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star who later mocked his own hunky persona, has died at 48 in ~tv
Omnicrola Link ParentI also that he was great in B23. This also prompted me to finally schedule my colonoscopy, so there's that.I also that he was great in B23. This also prompted me to finally schedule my colonoscopy, so there's that.
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Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentPardon, which industry is it you're a part of? (I can't figure it out from this comment chain)Pardon, which industry is it you're a part of? (I can't figure it out from this comment chain)
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Comment on ‘Avatar’s’ costly sequels are getting harder to justify. Will James Cameron make two more? in ~movies
Omnicrola Link ParentGeorge Lucas infamously made a mint by taking a smaller slice of the box office sales in return for exclusive merchandise rights. Not all IPs make for good merch opportunities, but I'd argue...George Lucas infamously made a mint by taking a smaller slice of the box office sales in return for exclusive merchandise rights. Not all IPs make for good merch opportunities, but I'd argue Pandora definitely does.
But accounting in Hollywood is also notoriously weird.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 9 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentUgh, hopefully someone distracts him with some jangly keys or something so we can open that bridge and Mattie Moroun can go kick rocks.Ugh, hopefully someone distracts him with some jangly keys or something so we can open that bridge and Mattie Moroun can go kick rocks.
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Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech
Omnicrola Link Parent#meta #offtopic Not a huge deal, we all just do our best, and @mycketforvirrad the silent hero will come and add/remove tags. Take a look at the topic log in the sidebar of this thread (or any...#meta #offtopic
Also sorry, I've commented a bit but I don't know my way around tagging a post.
Not a huge deal, we all just do our best, and @mycketforvirrad the silent hero will come and add/remove tags. Take a look at the topic log in the sidebar of this thread (or any thread) to get a feel for how the tags are commonly used and organized.
Probably the most important tags are those to do with things like US politics, so that people who don't want to have them in their feed can filter them out by tag.
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Comment on The hidden cost of AI art: Brandon Sanderson's keynote in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentYou are art. And we are all works in progress.You are art. And we are all works in progress.
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Comment on The hidden cost of AI art: Brandon Sanderson's keynote in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentI find myself more and more frequently referring to a phrase I heard someone use last year : "AI is a force multiplier ". Which to me means that if someone with no skill uses AI, you are...I find myself more and more frequently referring to a phrase I heard someone use last year : "AI is a force multiplier ".
Which to me means that if someone with no skill uses AI, you are multiplying by zero, and you will get something with little use and little meaning (slop).
And to try and apply it to Brandon's essay, I think that AI can be a very useful tool for learning and growing. I think it will be exceptionally useful in some ways for helping people reflect and grow thier various skills. And in other ways it will multiply by zero and you will emerge on the other side unchanged.
What exactly the difference is, is not entirely clear yet and I think we're stumbling through figuring that part out together as a society.
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Comment on Ian McKellen does relevant Shakespeare on Stephen Colbert in ~society
Omnicrola LinkAs I had expected, someone with more in depth Shakespeare knowledge than I quickly put together a breakdown to more closely examine this speech: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUcORUZDefa/?l=1As I had expected, someone with more in depth Shakespeare knowledge than I quickly put together a breakdown to more closely examine this speech: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUcORUZDefa/?l=1
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 2 in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentI reject the premise that in order to compare them to Auschwitz, people have to die in them or in any specific quantity. If we as a country are hurtling toward a cliff, I'm not willing to wait...I reject the premise that in order to compare them to Auschwitz, people have to die in them or in any specific quantity. If we as a country are hurtling toward a cliff, I'm not willing to wait until we're hanging in midair to confirm that the cliff is in fact as fatal of a fall as the people yelling are saying it is. Stop the car.
That was my first thought as well, and it seems is a concern of the researchers as well as they move towards human trials.
Still, very exciting as others have mentioned even if it's something you only take situationally (eg. winter cold season).