Papavk's recent activity
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Comment on US Election Distractions Thread in ~talk
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Comment on EverCraft in ~games
Papavk LinkThere's an open alpha test ongoing this weekend for those interested in checking it out.There's an open alpha test ongoing this weekend for those interested in checking it out.
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Comment on Paypal opted you into sharing data without your knowledge in ~tech
Papavk Link ParentWhat a nice feature! Especially for stuff where you might get automatically signed up for an indefinite subscription.What a nice feature! Especially for stuff where you might get automatically signed up for an indefinite subscription.
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Comment on Paypal opted you into sharing data without your knowledge in ~tech
Papavk Link ParentNice, I have a card with them but didn't realize this might be a feature. I'll be checking that out. Thanks for the tip.Nice, I have a card with them but didn't realize this might be a feature. I'll be checking that out. Thanks for the tip.
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Comment on Paypal opted you into sharing data without your knowledge in ~tech
Papavk Link ParentWhat a useful feature! What credit card is that?What a useful feature! What credit card is that?
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Comment on Announcing Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo) for 2024! in ~tildes
Papavk Link Parenthttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5QpQ9Kd3t5I It's an oldie and very silly but this is about the easiest no knead crusty white bread recipe you can make. I still use it when I'm not interested in...https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5QpQ9Kd3t5I
It's an oldie and very silly but this is about the easiest no knead crusty white bread recipe you can make. I still use it when I'm not interested in going more complicated with a sourdough starter, etc. It also is easy to use a variety of flours or seeds to mix it up.
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NASA’s Europa Clipper mission looked doomed. Could engineers save it?
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Comment on Data center emissions probably 662% higher than big tech claims in ~enviro
Papavk Link ParentI don't think your feelings are correct in general, but definitely not in this specific instance. There is a huge effort in the scientific community to model and measure emissions correctly. One...I don't think your feelings are correct in general, but definitely not in this specific instance. There is a huge effort in the scientific community to model and measure emissions correctly. One of those is maintained by Argonne National Lab called the GREET model. It's free to download if you'd like to play around with it. This is the gold standard in estimating life cycle emissions and many companies use this to calculate their impacts or the impact of their products, etc. There are definitely ways to bend the rules or generate a more rosy outcome, but no one is looking at a range of outcomes and just picking the lowest.
This article basically says: these companies claim they have reduced emissions and they do that buy buying credits from renewable energy producers. If you don't count the credits they are buying, their emissions are MUCH higher! Well no shit.
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Comment on Data center emissions probably 662% higher than big tech claims in ~enviro
Papavk LinkIn a world where your electricity is provided by a grid with power plants distributed all over the grid area (ie not necessarily local to your data center), "location based emissions" is...In a world where your electricity is provided by a grid with power plants distributed all over the grid area (ie not necessarily local to your data center), "location based emissions" is meaningless. Unless the data center is producing its own fossil based power on site, I don't see how this is relevant.
I get that people don't like how it looks to use renewable energy credits to offset emissions, but the best places to produce wind and solar power aren't always the same as where someone may want to build a high electricity consuming something. Recs let you buy that renewable power, even if you're not using those exact electrons. But in a grid where there are many sources of electricity, you're never getting your electrons from just one source. Yes, recs are a mathematical way to account for emissions, but on the net the emissions from electricity use do go down by the measured value and since we only have one planet, it does impact the whole.
It's also worth mentioning that often times these renewable power plants are built because these data center companies, or other high electricity consumers, are agreeing up front to buy the recs from the producer, thus giving the developer an income stream to base their investment decision on.
The regional and inconsistent nature of renewables does mean that a system of accounting for renewable energy use must exist. The alternative is to only build new stuff in regions where the power is produced most efficiently and suffer the intermittency problems some renewables have. It may not feel great but the current system is robust and has real, meaningful accounting practices behind it. That doesn't mean we can't do better, but I don't think this particular issue is the most impactful place to focus efforts.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 16 in ~society
Papavk LinkI recently came across this substack, Cross Tabs, but really her podcast on election polling. It's a really deep dive in how polls and surveys are developed, prepared and analyzed. I think there...I recently came across this substack, Cross Tabs, but really her podcast on election polling. It's a really deep dive in how polls and surveys are developed, prepared and analyzed. I think there is a lot of great insight into what we can and can't take away from the huge volume of polling information out there (and the, perhaps less than stellar, reporting of it). The discussions aren't just applicable to elections but also many other sources of information like regular government population surveys, academic surveys, exit polling etc. My favorite episodes so far have been 7, 16, and 18.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of July 22 in ~news
Papavk LinkLatest Times Sienna Poll - while it's only one poll, the underlying shifts are pretty interesting. The demographics where Biden was weaker this go around seem to be where Harris polls better. But...Latest Times Sienna Poll - while it's only one poll, the underlying shifts are pretty interesting. The demographics where Biden was weaker this go around seem to be where Harris polls better. But she fares worse with older and whiter Americans. An overwhelming majority, 87%,thought it was right for Biden to step aside, which must be painful for him.
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Comment on A Lot of Major Shifts Beneath the Surface in a New Trump-Harris Poll - Gifted Linj in ~news
Papavk LinkIt's only one poll but the demographic shifts and change in favorability are substantial and interesting.It's only one poll but the demographic shifts and change in favorability are substantial and interesting.
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
Papavk Link ParentI'm the only one that speaks my language in the house and I stick to it strictly with the kids. It's not easy, especially because their primary language is much better. Sticking to it can be hard...I'm the only one that speaks my language in the house and I stick to it strictly with the kids. It's not easy, especially because their primary language is much better. Sticking to it can be hard as it can be frustrating to have a conversation with them that would be easier in another language they speak better. They frequently answer me in their primary language. But when the second language comes out from time to time, it is some of the most proud I've been.
On language itself, I'd like to reiterate that research is showing huge benefits to multiple language learning. Kids can be behind in reading and speaking up to third grade, at which point they see an explosive growth and generally end up ahead of other peers. When a child is born, they can differentiate all language sounds but within the first year they begin to focus on the sounds they are hearing from their parents and will lose the ability to hear/differentiate language sounds not used in the language(s) they are exposed to. This could impact their accent and comprehension if they start learning another language later (some will advocate to focus on one language first).
In addition, it is my personal opinion that being exposed to multiple languages inherently exposes them to different cultures in a way that fosters a broader tolerance and understanding of other cultures, ideas and that things are different in different places (and that that is OK).
Finally, we use Netflix and other streaming services as an additional language "learning" source. The kids account is set to the secondary language so when they watch something it will be dubbed if available. It helps to expose them to a broader vocabulary and speaking style than just hearing it from me.
For me, one of the most important thing to realize is that nothing is set in stone with kids. There is no magic deadline you can miss to teach them something, improve a behavior, build a bond, get involved, etc. Don't give up. For babies, your job is to keep them alive and to keep your and your spouses sanity. Get your hands dirty and you'll be fine.
Good luck!
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Comment on 29% of global, 46% of US, EV owners likely to switch back to ICE cars per McKinsey consumer survey in ~transport
Papavk Link ParentThe reasons evs win in TCO is the reduced fuel costs from charging at home. But if you are charging at public chargers, you aren't banking those savings and could be paying more than for gas....The reasons evs win in TCO is the reduced fuel costs from charging at home. But if you are charging at public chargers, you aren't banking those savings and could be paying more than for gas. Maintenance is part of it, for sure. There's very little you need to do for an EV but compared to a new ICE car, it's mostly oil changes early on so it seems like more of a convenience than a major cost saving.
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Comment on Volkswagen to invest up to $5 billion in EV maker Rivian as part of tech joint venture in ~transport
Papavk LinkThis is an interesting development. A huge boost for Rivian but I'm not sure I see the value for VW. The software piece doesn't make sense if they are deploying a rebuilt architecture in 2028...This is an interesting development. A huge boost for Rivian but I'm not sure I see the value for VW. The software piece doesn't make sense if they are deploying a rebuilt architecture in 2028 model year cars. I wonder if this was just a good time to invest in Rivian? The stocks were down, they need capital and maybe some bonus value comes out of the JV?
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Comment on French power slumps as surging renewables push out atomic plants in ~enviro
Papavk LinkI'm surprised they chose to shut off the nuclear plants instead of curtailing the renewables. I'd have assumed that it's much harder to restart the nuke when the oversupply period ends than to...I'm surprised they chose to shut off the nuclear plants instead of curtailing the renewables. I'd have assumed that it's much harder to restart the nuke when the oversupply period ends than to flip the south on the renewables. At least that was why people argue for nukes as baseload, iirc. Does anyone know what the rules are for who gets shut in first in France?
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Comment on Buenos Aires rocked by clashes over Javier Milei reforms in ~society
Papavk Link ParentThanks for posting an alternate as I felt the same after reading the first article. In my reading of it, the airline and postal service privatization are given as examples the bill being "watered...Thanks for posting an alternate as I felt the same after reading the first article. In my reading of it, the airline and postal service privatization are given as examples the bill being "watered down" and so are not being privatized.
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Comment on Why the pandemic probably started in a lab, in five key points in ~science
Papavk LinkSetting aside the disingenuous and blatantly political reasons people may have been advocating for one side or the other, I think the answer here is concern over racist, jingoistic mob attacks and...I still don't understand where that comes from, maybe it's a need for science, and by extension, scientists, to be safe?
Setting aside the disingenuous and blatantly political reasons people may have been advocating for one side or the other, I think the answer here is concern over racist, jingoistic mob attacks and vigilante "justice". Without the lab leak theory being considered most likely, Asians were attacked without provocation, treated differently and even killed. Now imagine how much worse it would have been had the lab leak been accepted at the time? I think it is very reasonable to have approached the situation with extreme caution for the safety of many. Also, there is an international relations aspect to it where accusing another country of something that makes them look bad (even if true) will not make them more cooperative at a time when cooperation was of utmost importance.
For the record, I think it's become clear that the the lab leak theory is more plausible than originally expected but I came away thinking it wasn't a slam dunk and alternatives are still as plausible. There was a series of YouTube video debates someone had posted that showed quite a lot of good evidence on both sides that I found very interesting.
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Comment on After two years, and two prior failed attempts, I finally finished reading The Wheel of Time! It's been so long since I chose a book that I don't even know what to read next. in ~books
Papavk Link ParentAh, yeah I can see that being very disprutive to the reading flow. I have it on my phone and read during down time. Hopefully the prereading works for you!Ah, yeah I can see that being very disprutive to the reading flow. I have it on my phone and read during down time. Hopefully the prereading works for you!
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Comment on After two years, and two prior failed attempts, I finally finished reading The Wheel of Time! It's been so long since I chose a book that I don't even know what to read next. in ~books
Papavk Link Parenthttps://reactormag.com/columns/malazan-reread-of-the-fallen/ This chapter by chapter breakdown really helped me get through the first two Malazan books. It was a great companion as I worked...https://reactormag.com/columns/malazan-reread-of-the-fallen/
This chapter by chapter breakdown really helped me get through the first two Malazan books. It was a great companion as I worked through those books and I have not yet felt too overwhelmed. I've really enjoyed the series so far and it definitely feels like growing up from the WoT series.
One thing I've started to do is to work as an election judge. You are busy before polls open all the way through polls closing. Depending on your state and location you may not have a lot of down time and you're doing a very important job! I have also found it fulfilling to see the happy faces of people who have voted. This is the first time I'm on my phone during lunch break.