Omnicrola's recent activity

  1. Comment on Meta’s Muse AI works and creeps me out in ~tech

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    It's a terrible existential thing that lady is going through, and my sympathies go out to her. Hopefully there is a silver lining to it, and it can also serve as a wake up call to her and others...

    I initially wasn't sure how seriously to take this story about a mother's horror at the information Muse offered up about her children.

    It's a terrible existential thing that lady is going through, and my sympathies go out to her. Hopefully there is a silver lining to it, and it can also serve as a wake up call to her and others around her that this has been happening for awhile. "We are the product" is s term I'm certain she's probably heard before, but now she's able to see in a visceral way what that actually means.

    1 vote
  2. Comment on A three-year-old's metastatic cancer disappeared after two doses of CAR T-Cell therapy, genetically engineered immune cells that target cancerous cells in ~health

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    I know that "cancer" isn't a single disease, so I understand that the statement "we found the cure for cancer" is like saying "we found the cure for every virus". However this tech seems like it...

    I know that "cancer" isn't a single disease, so I understand that the statement "we found the cure for cancer" is like saying "we found the cure for every virus". However this tech seems like it could in theory be applied to all forms of cancer and so ..... maybe we can actually cure cancer??? It gives me hope anyway.

    8 votes
  3. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 14 in ~society

  4. Comment on Ig Nobel Prize winners 2026 in ~science

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    Clean. The link for that one is to an news article (instead of an abstract) that explains it pretty well.

    Clean. The link for that one is to an news article (instead of an abstract) that explains it pretty well.

    4 votes
  5. Comment on Ig Nobel Prize winners 2026 in ~science

    Omnicrola
    Link
    I always love reading these every year. I think this year my favorites are: and because I've had a sinus cold all week :

    I always love reading these every year. I think this year my favorites are:

    IG NOBEL OLFACTION PRIZE 2026 [POLAND, GERMANY, SWEDEN]
    “Babies Smell Wonderful to Their Parents, Teenagers Do Not: An Exploratory Questionnaire Study on Children’s Age and Personal Odor Ratings in a Polish Sample,”

    and because I've had a sinus cold all week :

    IG NOBEL MEDICINE PRIZE 2026 [JAPAN]
    “How to Blow the Nose — An Aerodynamic Study of the Nose Blowing”

    13 votes
  6. Comment on Ahead of an all-digital future for PlayStation, Sony needs to prove in courts that players know they don't own digitally purchased games in ~games

  7. Comment on Technology is over in ~tech

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    Not all kids did that, but the kind who did will now instead go find every review and teardown they can. Same hyperfocus, different information access.

    Not all kids did that, but the kind who did will now instead go find every review and teardown they can. Same hyperfocus, different information access.

    2 votes
  8. Comment on Tim Curry, outlandish star of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ dies at 80 in ~movies

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    Or you know, stock up in advance. For When It Happens. I have a box. So far it has confetti and hats in it.

    Or you know, stock up in advance. For When It Happens. I have a box. So far it has confetti and hats in it.

    6 votes
  9. Comment on The Odyssey (no, not that one) | Official trailer in ~movies

    Omnicrola
    Link
    Me : "wow this looks like AI slop, who made this?" Asylum me : "ah, carry on then" It's trashy fun, but they at least know that they're trash and don't try to pretend otherwise.

    Me : "wow this looks like AI slop, who made this?"

    Asylum

    me : "ah, carry on then"

    It's trashy fun, but they at least know that they're trash and don't try to pretend otherwise.

    3 votes
  10. Comment on Easily discover partner libraries with new Libby update in ~books

    Omnicrola
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    Huzzah! Another reason I'm happy I live where I do.

    Libraries in Michigan are a great example as they have widespread resource sharing!

    Huzzah! Another reason I'm happy I live where I do.

    2 votes
  11. Comment on AI usage patterns in software teams in ~tech

    Omnicrola
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    Some food for thought as we collectively figure out who (if anyone) is going to have their worst fear realized and be fully replaced by agents.

    Those gains haven’t shown up as time saved, though. Time spent on existing tasks in Linear held while AI usage appeared as a new layer of work, meaning the overall time spent on product development is going up rather than down. As far as we can observe, teams are working more, not less, suggesting AI has a Jevons paradox quality beyond token consumption.

    Some food for thought as we collectively figure out who (if anyone) is going to have their worst fear realized and be fully replaced by agents.

    19 votes
  12. Comment on New worlds, and what was your "Future Shock" moment? in ~life

    Omnicrola
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    I had one just yesterday at the local Kroger. Turned into the chip isle and found a robot named Tally (lol) doing inventory. Had no idea that was a thing, much less that Kroger used them, much...

    I had one just yesterday at the local Kroger. Turned into the chip isle and found a robot named Tally (lol) doing inventory. Had no idea that was a thing, much less that Kroger used them, much less that my local store has one.

    It's just a stack of cameras on a pole with wheels, but still a very odd feeling of "huh, I guess this is normal now".

    11 votes
  13. Comment on AI data center developers begin suing local jurisdictions behind bans and moratoriums — claims range from officials exceeding authority to violations of due process and equal protection laws in ~tech

  14. Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    FWIW, I'm a techie, but i also work in higher education, and I see a lot of potential for it in teaching. There's been a lot of news coverage on students cheating, but there's also some real...

    I genuinely cannot think of a good application for AI that would appeal to the majority of people outside the tech sphere right now.

    FWIW, I'm a techie, but i also work in higher education, and I see a lot of potential for it in teaching. There's been a lot of news coverage on students cheating, but there's also some real upsides to it. If you create some scaffolding and combine it with directions on how to teach specific subject matter, it can do a pretty good job tutoring students. It's still early days, and a lot of experimentation is happening, but it's one area I'm hopeful for.

    3 votes
  15. Comment on What we lost when we quit using crappy old web forums in ~tech

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    It still exists, so opinions on this will vary wildly depending on who you ask. Regardless it's worth noting that the decline/cultural shift of Usenet is the origin of the phrase "Eternal...

    When did Usenet stop being a thing, by the way?

    It still exists, so opinions on this will vary wildly depending on who you ask. Regardless it's worth noting that the decline/cultural shift of Usenet is the origin of the phrase "Eternal September" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September

    6 votes
  16. Comment on Sanity check - always-on machine + laptop with remote desktop in ~tech

    Omnicrola
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    I've used a similar setup with Parsec for the last few years and like it. I leave it running on my home desktop machine and connect from my laptop whenever I want to work on something but don't...

    I've used a similar setup with Parsec for the last few years and like it. I leave it running on my home desktop machine and connect from my laptop whenever I want to work on something but don't want/need the full dual screen setup (or the room is too hot, the AC isn't good in that room). It's really nice to be able to leave half a dozen windows open while I'm in the middle of something, and then come back later without having to actually close and reopen or restart anything.

    2 votes
  17. Comment on These twenty-five artifacts explain America (gifted link) in ~life

    Omnicrola
    Link Parent
    Last Week Tonight has some fun segments covering how ubiquitous that styling is here's a short clip compilation of one of them: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KZLE1l2OqSg

    Last Week Tonight has some fun segments covering how ubiquitous that styling is here's a short clip compilation of one of them: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KZLE1l2OqSg

    1 vote
  18. Comment on Spirit Halloween parent company to acquire Hot Topic in ~finance

    Omnicrola
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    How much does that number vary depending on if you count Spirit stores in October vs say, July? :p

    The combined company will have over 3,000 stores across North America.

    How much does that number vary depending on if you count Spirit stores in October vs say, July? :p

    6 votes
  19. Comment on The hall of shame: the worst AI-generated flyers in ~design

    Omnicrola
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    Ok, but the "Atlanta Furniture Man" flyer hits at exactly the level of quality I expect from my local shady furniture warehouse sales company. No notes.

    Ok, but the "Atlanta Furniture Man" flyer hits at exactly the level of quality I expect from my local shady furniture warehouse sales company. No notes.

    6 votes