Osiris's recent activity
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Comment on Any hardcore leftists here? in ~talk
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Comment on What did you recently do in your hobby that you're proud of? in ~hobbies
Osiris Link ParentA fellow headphone appreciator! What’s your setup?A fellow headphone appreciator! What’s your setup?
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Comment on A simulation of first contact ran on May 24, 2023. Here is the website with the details. in ~space
Osiris Link ParentThis is only tangentially related, but I have to use this opportunity to share one of my favorite short stories about a first contact. They’re Made Out Of Meat (1991) by Terry Bisson: “They’re...This is only tangentially related, but I have to use this opportunity to share one of my favorite short stories about a first contact.
They’re Made Out Of Meat (1991) by Terry Bisson:
“They’re made out of meat.”
“Meat?”
“Meat. They’re made out of meat.”
“Meat?”
“There’s no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, and probed them all the way through. They’re completely meat.”
“That’s impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars?”
“They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don’t come from them. The signals come from machines.”
“So who made the machines? That’s who we want to contact.”
“They made the machines. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Meat made the machines.”
“That’s ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You’re asking me to believe in sentient meat.”
“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in that sector and they’re made out of meat.”
“Maybe they’re like the orfolei. You know, a carbon- based intelligence that goes through a meat stage.”
“Nope. They’re born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans, which didn’t take long. Do you have any idea what’s the life span of meat?”
“Spare me. Okay, maybe they’re only part meat. You know, like the weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside.”
“Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads, like the weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They’re meat all the way through.”
“No brain?”
“Oh, there’s a brain all right. It’s just that the brain is made out of meat! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
“So ... what does the thinking?”
“You’re not understanding, are you? You’re refusing to deal with what I’m telling you. The brain does the thinking. The meat.”
“Thinking meat! You’re asking me to believe in thinking meat!”
“Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you beginning to get the picture or do I have to start all over?”
“Omigod. You’re serious then. They’re made out of meat.”
“Thank you. Finally. Yes. They are indeed made out of meat. And they’ve been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of their years.”
“Omigod. So what does this meat have in mind?”
“First it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the Universe, contact other sentiences, swap ideas and information. The usual.”
“We’re supposed to talk to meat.”
“That’s the idea. That’s the message they’re sending out by radio. ‘Hello. Anyone out there. Anybody home.’ That sort of thing.”
“They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?”
”Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat.”
“I thought you just told me they used radio.”“They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat, it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat.”
“Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you advise?”
“Officially or unofficially?”
“Both.”
“Officially, we are required to contact, welcome and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in this quadrant of the Universe, without prejudice, fear or favor. Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records and forget the whole thing.”
“I was hoping you would say that.”
“It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?”
“I agree one hundred percent. What’s there to say? ‘Hello, meat. How’s it going?’ But will this work? How many planets are we dealing with here?”
“Just one. They can travel to other planets in special meat containers, but they can’t live on them. And being meat, they can only travel through C space. Which limits them to the speed of light and makes the possibility of their ever making contact pretty slim. Infinitesimal, in fact.”
“So we just pretend there’s no one home in the Universe.” “That’s it.”
“Cruel. But you said it yourself, who wants to meet meat? And the ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you probed? You’re sure they won’t remember?”
“They’ll be considered crackpots if they do. We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we’re just a dream to them.”
“A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat’s dream.”
“And we marked the entire sector unoccupied.”
“Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?”
“Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a class nine star in G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations ago, wants to be friendly again.”
“They always come around.”
“And why not? Imagine how unbearably, how unutterably cold the Universe would be if one were all alone ...”
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Comment on A simulation of first contact ran on May 24, 2023. Here is the website with the details. in ~space
Osiris Link ParentI’m skeptical decrypting a simulated message will prepare us to decrypt a real signal, but it’s a fun thought exercise. Reminds me of the message inscribed on voyager. I wonder if a real message...I’m skeptical decrypting a simulated message will prepare us to decrypt a real signal, but it’s a fun thought exercise. Reminds me of the message inscribed on voyager.
I wonder if a real message would look something like that. Or if you’re partial to the dark forest explanation to the Fermi paradox, perhaps it would say only “Stop being so loud. They will find you.”
Excerpt from the novel The Killing Star by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski (1995).
Imagine yourself taking a stroll through Manhattan, somewhere north of 68th Street, deep inside Central Park, late at night. It would be nice to meet someone friendly, but you know that the park is dangerous at night. That's when the monsters come out. There's always a strong undercurrent of drug dealings, muggings, and occasional homicides.
It is not easy to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys. They dress alike, and the weapons are concealed. The only difference is intent, and you can't read minds.
Stay in the dark long enough and you may hear an occasional distance shriek or blunder across a body.
How do you survive the night? The last thing you want to do is shout, "I'm here!" The next to last thing you want to do is reply to someone who shouts, "I'm a friend!"
What you would like to do is find a policeman, or get out of the park. But you don't want to make noise or move towards a light where you might be spotted, and it is difficult to find either a policeman or your way out without making yourself known. Your safest option is to hunker down and wait for daylight, then safely walk out.
There are, of course, a few obvious differences between Central Park and the universe.
There is no policeman.
There is no way out.
And the night never ends.
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Comment on A simulation of first contact ran on May 24, 2023. Here is the website with the details. in ~space
Osiris LinkWhat’s the context here? Both the gitlab and main site are remarkably enigmatic. From what I’ve gathered, someone created an encrypted signal of simulated extraterrestrial origin, and the SETI...What’s the context here? Both the gitlab and main site are remarkably enigmatic.
From what I’ve gathered, someone created an encrypted signal of simulated extraterrestrial origin, and the SETI community is trying to decode it? Is this a publicity project, or am I missing something?
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Comment on Looking for your best men’s pants/trousers recommendations! in ~life.style
Osiris LinkAfter a long search across most of the major athleisure brands, including lulu lemon (highly overrated/overpriced imo), I finally found my favorite pants. The brand is Public Rec, specifically the...After a long search across most of the major athleisure brands, including lulu lemon (highly overrated/overpriced imo), I finally found my favorite pants. The brand is Public Rec, specifically the all day every day joggers. Link.
They are AWESOME. They are so much nicer than lulu lemon’s ABC joggers. I own both. The material is soft and stretchy. It’s a blend of nylon and spandex, so it’s also durable and won’t shrink. They pass as semi-professional easily due to their minimalist design, modern fit, and the fake fly at the crotch.
They also come in a more traditional pants cut if you don’t like the more narrow jogger style.
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Comment on Congratulations! The US is 32nd worldwide on broadband affordability in ~tech
Osiris Link ParentIt infuriates me to no end how many politicians don’t have even a rudimentary knowledge of modern technology and make no effort to obtain one. Tech already runs our lives, and I’d argue we are on...It infuriates me to no end how many politicians don’t have even a rudimentary knowledge of modern technology and make no effort to obtain one.
Tech already runs our lives, and I’d argue we are on the precipice of it transforming our lives in major ways we can’t even imagine, good and bad.
I don’t care how old you are. That’s not a fucking excuse. If you feel comfortable drafting and enacting legislation for the entire country on such a devastatingly crucial subject, then it’s your responsibility as a policymaker to be well-versed.
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Comment on Turns out, our solar system is the rarest planetary system out there in ~space
Osiris Link ParentWell said! I love discussing these types of theories because they’re thought-provoking, but it’s really all conjecture. N = 1 on all these theories. Life on earth. We can make intelligent guesses,...Well said! I love discussing these types of theories because they’re thought-provoking, but it’s really all conjecture. N = 1 on all these theories. Life on earth. We can make intelligent guesses, but we have no idea what is actually out there and what it looks like.
The incomprehensible distances of a universal scale make even math based theories like the Drake equation little more than thought experiments. Still, it is amazing we’ve learned what we have, and I’ll always be interested in hearing/discussing theories.
It’s funny you mention that last point, because especially lately I’ve been unable to shake this deep sense of how overwhelmingly absurd existence and consciousness is. I’ll be doing something random like washing dishes then suddenly get hit. I’ll hold out my hands in front of me and just think “what the fuck.” It’s so bizarre this experience all somehow happened — reality, my own conscious mind, everything. Absurd all the way down.
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Comment on What is your experience with switching medication and brain zaps? in ~health.mental
Osiris Link ParentYour psychiatrist dismissed your concerns as imagined because “there are no muscles in the brain”? I’m in awe. I don’t even need my undergrad in psych to know that dismissal is so absurd it’s...Your psychiatrist dismissed your concerns as imagined because “there are no muscles in the brain”? I’m in awe. I don’t even need my undergrad in psych to know that dismissal is so absurd it’s laughable.
Migraines must also be fanciful; the brain has no migraine muscle, after all. And seizures? Indicative of an over-active imagination. Your depression? Not real. The only way to experience anything is via a muscle.
Setting aside the profoundly unscientific nature of his statement, a good psychiatrist should never make you feel dismissed. I know how hard it is to change therapists/psychs, but if you’ve noticed a trend in these feelings, you should consider finding another. It will be worth it in the long run.
Either way, I’m sorry he made you feel that way. I hope things improve for you going forward.
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Comment on Email, calendar, todo, chat ... How are you keeping it all straight? in ~life
Osiris Link ParentFancy! I might give that a go and see if I can get it working.Fancy! I might give that a go and see if I can get it working.
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Comment on Email, calendar, todo, chat ... How are you keeping it all straight? in ~life
Osiris Link ParentI just signed up for Obsidian Sync, and I’m trying to establish a workflow that works for me. Can you share details on how your master task list is collecting incomplete tasks from other notes?I just signed up for Obsidian Sync, and I’m trying to establish a workflow that works for me. Can you share details on how your master task list is collecting incomplete tasks from other notes?
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Comment on Who are your favorite children's authors? in ~books
Osiris LinkJonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy was my favorite as a child (age 11ish?). I re-read it as an adult not long ago, and it honestly holds up. It’s a fantasy and magic series set in an alternate...Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy was my favorite as a child (age 11ish?). I re-read it as an adult not long ago, and it honestly holds up. It’s a fantasy and magic series set in an alternate history dystopian London mixed with awesome ancient/mythological themes.
The hierarchy of the society is based on magic users summoning entities of varying power from other planes, and the main character is a young apprentice who manages to summon a mid-level djinn far beyond the capabilities of even many adults. The banter between characters is fantastic for a children’s book, and the plot is engrossing through the whole trilogy. I highly recommend it for any kids who love to read.
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Comment on Are all calories created equal? Your gut microbes don’t think so. in ~health
Osiris LinkIt is so interesting seeing all these studies come out over the last couple of years showing just how big of an impact our gut microbiome has on our health at large. I also remember seeing this...It is so interesting seeing all these studies come out over the last couple of years showing just how big of an impact our gut microbiome has on our health at large. I also remember seeing this article: harvard.edu
I wonder what other connections we’ll see emerge in the coming years of research.
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Comment on Apollo’s Christian Selig explains his fight with Reddit — and why users revolted in ~tech
Osiris Link ParentAds are such a cancer. I don't know how people tolerate them. Between ublock, pihole, and open-source software in general, the only ads I see regularly are billboards, and those should be illegal,...Ads are such a cancer. I don't know how people tolerate them. Between ublock, pihole, and open-source software in general, the only ads I see regularly are billboards, and those should be illegal, imo (and are in some US states). I wish more people understood how insidious advertising is.
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Comment on Reddit CEO tells employees that subreddit blackout ‘will pass’ in ~tech
Osiris Link ParentI feel you. I was on Apollo not long after it released, and losing it feels like the end of an era. I genuinely feel a sense of emptiness leaving behind the niche communities I loved (RIP...I feel you. I was on Apollo not long after it released, and losing it feels like the end of an era. I genuinely feel a sense of emptiness leaving behind the niche communities I loved (RIP Dogelore), but Reddit proved definitively it is not a worthy steward of its communities or users.
On the bright side, we found Tildes, and so far it's lovely. I think it has the potential to be better than Reddit ever was.
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Comment on Thoughts on making Tildes groups more independent in ~tildes.official
Osiris LinkSmaller, niche communities were always the best part of reddit, and I think adding them to tildes would combine the best of both sites. I already love the discussion focus and different feel...Smaller, niche communities were always the best part of reddit, and I think adding them to tildes would combine the best of both sites. I already love the discussion focus and different feel tildes offers compared to reddit, but I miss curating the experience of reddit's smaller communities. Here's my take on your questions:
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I like the idea of non-logged in users seeing a spread of postings from across tildes, rather than links to communities without posts. I think seeing actual posts will give those users a better sense of tildes at a glance and will better encourage participation and discovery. Anyone who is seeking a specific community can still easily search or view the master list.
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I MUCH prefer logged-in users having a page that aggregates posts from all their subscribed groups. I want to easily keep up with all of my communities in a time-efficient manner, and a Reddit-style front page facilitates that. It allows me to quickly peruse my communities to stay caught up and to easily see any posts I feel I can contribute to. When I want to focus on a specific community, I will seek it out via my subscribed list.
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I'm mostly neutral on this, but I lean towards treating existing users as new and having everyone manually subscribe to what they're interested in. That seems easiest to implement and least likely to cause confusion.
I'm glad this place exists, and I'm thankful for the obviously significant amount of work you and the early-adopters are putting into it. I was honestly feeling pretty shitty about the effective loss of reddit, and none of the other alternatives I tried (kbin/lemmy/raddle/squabbles) felt right. This place feels awesome so far, and everything in the docs really resonates with me. Can't way to see where things go from here.
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You’re echoing a sentiment I’ve felt for a long time but always struggle putting to words.
As an adult I’ve always felt a deep-seated recalcitrance towards the various authoritarian structures that dictate my life and shape the world for selfish interests; I feel as though they subjugate a core part of my nature, and I viscerally despise it.
On the other hand, anarchism leaves me too many unanswered questions, and I believe in a robust social contract with the means to enforce it. I feel cognitive dissonance from my inability to unify my very progressive political views with these anarchistic musings.
Do you have any readings you’d recommend on the subject? Admittedly my understanding of anarchism is superficial, so maybe that’s a good place to start.