PetitPrince's recent activity

  1. Comment on You are being misled about renewable energy technology in ~enviro

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    On part that stayed with me is that even thought batteries (and panels) needs material to be extracted from the earth, once it's done and if there's a will we can be very good to keep using them....

    Onto the batteries, yes they can contain some nasty chemicals and hard to get materials, but the chemicals are contained and can be recovered and reused. This also covers the materials used, so even though the mining process of the materials can be extensive, when the battery life is at it's end, which can be up to 15 years or more, we can recover all the materials in those to make new batteries.

    On part that stayed with me is that even thought batteries (and panels) needs material to be extracted from the earth, once it's done and if there's a will we can be very good to keep using them. As an example he takes the lead acid batteries which are nowadays made of... 99% old lead acid batteries (Wikipedia says 99 recycled, I don't know if it's a shortcut or not).

    6 votes
  2. Comment on Why academic competition >> athletic competition in ~humanities

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    I went to the Swiss biology olympiads and volunteered (as staff) for the international biology olympiads. For Switzerland it was mostly additional courses and the reward was some text books (that...

    I went to the Swiss biology olympiads and volunteered (as staff) for the international biology olympiads.

    For Switzerland it was mostly additional courses and the reward was some text books (that you probably already have), but I know for other countries a good ranking would equal a free scholarship.

    Not that it's insignificant thought; participating in that steered my whole choice of study toward biology and bioengineering (before I was more into chemistry thanks to my wonderful teacher).

    7 votes
  3. Comment on Youtube channel recommendations 2026 in ~tech

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    From the man himself:

    I consider him a bit like old Tom Scott with much higher effort camera work and editing, and often more in-depth/sciency topics.

    From the man himself:

    This week's guest video is from a channel based around explaining interesting things, on location, with a style that sometimes feels like a BBC documentary from the early 2000s. So, introducing someone who is going to have my job in a few years, James, from Atomic Frontier [...]

    5 votes
  4. Comment on Food place recommendations in Paris? in ~travel

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    Gault & Millau can also be trusted; they're a direct competitor to Michelin.

    Gault & Millau can also be trusted; they're a direct competitor to Michelin.

    2 votes
  5. Comment on Food place recommendations in Paris? in ~travel

    PetitPrince
    Link
    Kodawari Ramen have some mighty good ramen. They have a love, care and respect of the product that's as good as any high-end restaurant. It's also very popular (and not that expensive; it's ramen...

    Kodawari Ramen have some mighty good ramen. They have a love, care and respect of the product that's as good as any high-end restaurant. It's also very popular (and not that expensive; it's ramen after all), so much so that they've set up theme park style virtual waiting line.

    2 votes
  6. Comment on No knives, only cook knives in ~hobbies

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    And that's what I said "diminishing returns" because I don't think those gaudy watches with more gems than mechanism have a better movement than a more restrain watch. But they're not going to...

    But that's why I said more specific tools

    And that's what I said "diminishing returns" because I don't think those gaudy watches with more gems than mechanism have a better movement than a more restrain watch. But they're not going to have a cheap clone either.

    (I do have some nice knives so I know where you're coming from :) )

    2 votes
  7. Comment on No knives, only cook knives in ~hobbies

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    To add to what you said, there's kitchen knife the tool, and kitchen knife the artisanal product. As a tool you look for a durable object that's easily serviceable and ergonomic enough. Quality go...

    I guess the moral of the story is that the quality of the knife matters, but not nearly as much as the price tag can suggest.

    To add to what you said, there's kitchen knife the tool, and kitchen knife the artisanal product. As a tool you look for a durable object that's easily serviceable and ergonomic enough. Quality go with price but you quickly hit diminishing return.
    As an artisanal product you look for a pretty appearance and/or the knowledge that some person spent a lot of time making it.

    See also: watches and luxury watches.

    8 votes
  8. Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    La bise and its confusing number is precisely what launched the career of humorist Paul Taylor with this sketch. Fear not, it's confusing for everyone !

    La bise and its confusing number is precisely what launched the career of humorist Paul Taylor with this sketch. Fear not, it's confusing for everyone !

    4 votes
  9. Comment on What’s a point that you think many people missed? in ~talk

    PetitPrince
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Some examples comes into mind: The boots theory : cheap boots doesn't last as long as more expensive one, so in long term you spend more buying several cheap pairs when you would have bought only...

    Some examples comes into mind:

    Cheap is not always economical.

    The boots theory : cheap boots doesn't last as long as more expensive one, so in long term you spend more buying several cheap pairs when you would have bought only one expensive one.

    Fast is not always efficient.

    Swiss trains don't go as fast as they theorically could (for instance in the alpine tunnels are built for 250 km/h but the trains go at 200 km/h) . That's because its used as a buffer against delay. If for some reason a train departs late from a station, it can go faster to compensate. (there's other reason, such as the network design goal, and also just plain physics).

    14 votes
  10. Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    Got a Samyang 12mm f/2 (fuji mount) in a cash converters for about 160.- a couple years ago. To this day it's my second most used lens!

    Got a Samyang 12mm f/2 (fuji mount) in a cash converters for about 160.- a couple years ago. To this day it's my second most used lens!

  11. Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    Uh, today I learned something. Tldr: it's an exonym that's has probably some offensive interpretation.

    the word Eskimo

    Uh, today I learned something. Tldr: it's an exonym that's has probably some offensive interpretation.

    1 vote
  12. Comment on What video games would you say have the best stories? Feel free to suggest more than one. in ~games

    PetitPrince
    Link
    Japanese visual novel are by definition narrative heavy and more often than not full of twists. Classics includes the Ace Attorney series (courtroom drama) , the Steins; Gate series (mundane-ish...

    Japanese visual novel are by definition narrative heavy and more often than not full of twists. Classics includes the Ace Attorney series (courtroom drama) , the Steins; Gate series (mundane-ish science fiction), the Fate series (urban fantasy) ...

    Otherwise for more traditional games, Nier Automata is also an recommandation. Sci-fi introduction to modern philosophy and fourth wall leaning with well endowed fembots, katana and stylettos.

    I agree with the others that recommend Clair Obscur (however I wouldn't put it so high on the list) , Outer Wilds, 1000xResist, Disco Elysium. The Yakuza series as a whole is very good but not all time great; as a fan I care more about the characters than the plot; there's so much games that I kinda (and I've played them all! except the PSP ones, the first samurai one, and the latest Majima one (yet!)) don't care what kind of governmental conspiracy Kiryu ends up in, I just want him to live his best life.

    3 votes
  13. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    I have pretty good VR legs so I may be completely wrong but I find that cockpit games are less prone to motion sickness than other games. You always have a fixed point of reference in front of...

    I think it requires some to a lot of VR resiliency.

    I have pretty good VR legs so I may be completely wrong but I find that cockpit games are less prone to motion sickness than other games. You always have a fixed point of reference in front of view (the cockpit) , so all the crazy twirling doesn't feel unnatural. Plus, the main gameplay is to get the little diamond in front of the little square, and that's where you main focus is.

    1 vote
  14. Comment on The Odyssey | Official trailer in ~movies

    PetitPrince
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Like this one ? (the opening theme lives rent free in my head)

    like a sci-fi adaptation

    Like this one ?

    (the opening theme lives rent free in my head)

    2 votes
  15. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    I don't mind the interactive part; I even think letting the player discover the plot in their own pace is beneficial for the story. It's as you said: the devs comes from theater and installation...

    I don't mind the interactive part; I even think letting the player discover the plot in their own pace is beneficial for the story. It's as you said: the devs comes from theater and installation art, and it shows.

    I don't remember quite well the ending (I played it in March) . I do remember that the game judge your choice with immediate reload in case of "bad" choice, so I more or less saw all of them and so they all kinda blends in my mind.

    1 vote
  16. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    The only thing I don't like about 1000xResist is it's ending. After hours of carefully layered narration, it suddenly gives the player too much agency to my tastes and I don't think it brings...

    The only thing I don't like about 1000xResist is it's ending. After hours of carefully layered narration, it suddenly gives the player too much agency to my tastes and I don't think it brings anything particularly meaningful to the game.

  17. Comment on Oxygen therapy chambers have led to horrific deaths. Why are influencers raving about them? in ~health

    PetitPrince
    Link
    The article talks about hyperbaric chambers and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. I did a hackathon in a local hospital and I ended up in a project that benefited the hyperbaric chamber section. I could...

    The article talks about hyperbaric chambers and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

    I did a hackathon in a local hospital and I ended up in a project that benefited the hyperbaric chamber section. I could discuss with the actual nurses and technician and the article provide a pretty good description of what it is.

    It turns out those chambers are not only for diving accident: open wounds and burns do heal much better when oxygen if forced on it. As described in the article:

    When it is provided by trained and licensed physicians and nurses in medical facilities using equipment that meets FDA regulations and is properly maintained, it is safe and effective.

    And indeed, when I went there the head nurse told me that fire prevention was a big deal: no electronics at all were permitted (and that's also there that I learnt that smart rings were a thing).

    On thing that's not necessarily explicit in the article is that each therapy session can be a couple hours long, and that the indication for some type of wounds are to get in there up to several times a week. Combined with the electronic ban, it can be booooooooring real quick for some people. In fact one of the scheduled improvement for the chamber were special spark-proof android tablets.

    Anyway: I'm sad that this cool tech got caught up by quack people. Especially since it has a solid kernel of truth behind it.

    10 votes
  18. Comment on First death linked to red meat allergy triggered by tick bites, researchers say in ~health

    PetitPrince
    Link
    In before some conspiracy theorists exploit this for clicks Example headlines PROOF that Democrats engineers a VEGAN VIRUS that will KILL YOU if you eat MEAT.

    In before some conspiracy theorists exploit this for clicks

    Example headlines PROOF that Democrats engineers a VEGAN VIRUS that will KILL YOU if you eat MEAT.
    1 vote
  19. Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk

    PetitPrince
    Link Parent
    Some anecdotes : A lot of the research for this has been done at my alma mater (EPFL) \o/ the main person behind the project is Bertrand Piccard. He's used to this kind of adventure, having made...

    Some anecdotes :

    • A lot of the research for this has been done at my alma mater (EPFL) \o/
    • the main person behind the project is Bertrand Piccard. He's used to this kind of adventure, having made the first trip around the world with an hot air balloon
      • the Piccard family is a dynasty of scientists, engineer and explorer. August Piccard (Bertrand grand father) is the direct inspiration for Professor Calculus in Tintin.
    1 vote
  20. Comment on Valve announces new hardware: Steam Frame, Steam Controller, and Steam Machine in ~games

    PetitPrince
    Link
    Long shot but: since the Frame runs a reasonably open platform... if the people behind UEVR (injector to VRify any Unreal Engine game) manage to make it run on it, it's going to be epic! (pun...

    Long shot but: since the Frame runs a reasonably open platform... if the people behind UEVR (injector to VRify any Unreal Engine game) manage to make it run on it, it's going to be epic! (pun intended)

    7 votes