Rat-Circus's recent activity
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Comment on How To Train Your Dragon | Official teaser trailer in ~movies
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Comment on Former naturalists/materialists, what changed your view? in ~humanities
Rat-Circus Link ParentAw, scifi speculation isn't always pointless. I think it can serve to encourage people to think more deeply about issues like what you describeAw, scifi speculation isn't always pointless. I think it can serve to encourage people to think more deeply about issues like what you describe
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Comment on Why the short-lived Calvin and Hobbes is still one of the most beloved and influential comic strips in ~comics
Rat-Circus Link ParentOh man, Daisy Owl! I had forgotten about this one, but clicking on the link brought me right back. I felt the same way when it ended. I should read it againOh man, Daisy Owl! I had forgotten about this one, but clicking on the link brought me right back. I felt the same way when it ended. I should read it again
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Comment on Favorite hobby / subculture YouTube channels? in ~hobbies
Rat-Circus Link ParentI'm a big fan of Crime Pays but Botany doesn'tI'm a big fan of Crime Pays but Botany doesn't
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Comment on Generative AI - We aren’t ready in ~tech
Rat-Circus Link ParentI dont mean to say gamers should be prioritized over humanity's safety. My position is that trying to impose this level of control over the whole world would be its own species-threatening...I dont mean to say gamers should be prioritized over humanity's safety. My position is that trying to impose this level of control over the whole world would be its own species-threatening disaster.
This thing you propose would do more than upset hobbyists, it would require auditing the lives of every person in the domains health care, education, communication, finance, or manufacturing. Every hospital, school, museum, library, bank, etc. would have to undergo constant scrutiny in their materials handling procedures to ensure employees aren't stockpiling illicit compute. You would have to investigate commonplace situations like a lost or broken laptop like a potential crime scene. And that's just today--what happens when distributed training becomes more accessible? Do we destroy every phone, tablet, and smart speaker too?
And again the biggest question...who?
- Who do you trust to have sufficient expertise, wisdom, and benevolence to decide what amount of technology is safe and what is forbidden...? Should it be software developers? Philosophy scholars? Elected officials?
- Who do you trust to be the world's impartial auditor, conducting constant surveillance to detect noncompliance...? Should it be an automated system? A private business? Government agencies?
- Who do you empower to enforce the auditors rulings, to go into homes and hospitals and decide what and who and how much to smash...? Should it be the local cops? The army? Private soldiers?
Now imagine for a moment that the AI Safety Authority goes rogue. They're only human, after all. What's to stop them from confiscating this technology, using it for themselves, and bringing about the very doom they were supposed to avert?
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Comment on Generative AI - We aren’t ready in ~tech
Rat-Circus Link ParentThe notion of universally restricting GPUs or compute resources to a low enough level prevent people training new AIs is dystopian in the extreme, in my opinion. You suggest it could be done...The notion of universally restricting GPUs or compute resources to a low enough level prevent people training new AIs is dystopian in the extreme, in my opinion. You suggest it could be done without stopping hobbies like gaming but I am not convinced. I can train a simple model on a laptop CPU today, and recreational hardware is only getting better. What's the plan for when a gaming laptop is enough to train "dangerous" AI?
I would also ask, who is the great scrutinizer who will inspect every university, college, bank, hospital, startup, etc and decide if their AI work falls within "safe" boundaries? How does that authority have the knowledge to appropriately decide what is "too complex" and should be destroyed? How do we stop that AI authority from undergoing instant regulatory capture, and turning into a mouthpiece for whichever AI company can provide the most convincing bribes?
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Comment on The Super Bowl and gambling are locked in a tight and dangerous embrace in ~sports.american_football
Rat-Circus Link ParentYour comment got me morbidly curious so I wound up clicking one of these ads....turns out there are way more horse tracks near my city than I ever would have guessed. Upsetting!Your comment got me morbidly curious so I wound up clicking one of these ads....turns out there are way more horse tracks near my city than I ever would have guessed. Upsetting!
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Comment on The Super Bowl and gambling are locked in a tight and dangerous embrace in ~sports.american_football
Rat-Circus Link ParentEver since they allowed gambling advertising in Ontario, it's become a flood of radio and YouTube ads for betting on horse racing. Drives me crazy.Ever since they allowed gambling advertising in Ontario, it's become a flood of radio and YouTube ads for betting on horse racing. Drives me crazy.
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Comment on Researchers were able to isolate the brain from the rest of the body of a pig, and kept it alive and functioning for five hours in ~science
Rat-Circus Link ParentYeah, I wish I could hide this post somehow. I don't want to block ~science, but I don't want to see this again either :(Yeah, I wish I could hide this post somehow. I don't want to block ~science, but I don't want to see this again either :(
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Comment on Anime for someone who doesn't like (shonen) anime that much in ~anime
Rat-Circus Link ParentI checked out Blue Eye Samurai and I couldn't stop watching. Wow. Thanks for the rec!I checked out Blue Eye Samurai and I couldn't stop watching. Wow. Thanks for the rec!
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Comment on Anime for someone who doesn't like (shonen) anime that much in ~anime
Rat-Circus Link ParentI keep hearing about this one! I'm looking forward to checking it outI keep hearing about this one! I'm looking forward to checking it out
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Comment on Anime for someone who doesn't like (shonen) anime that much in ~anime
Rat-Circus LinkHmm, I have a couple ideas I would suggest: since you mentioned Studio Ghibli, I'll suggest Mushihi, Spice and Wolf, or Natsume Yuujinchou. Three styles of "fairy tale" with focus on nature /...Hmm, I have a couple ideas I would suggest:
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since you mentioned Studio Ghibli, I'll suggest Mushihi, Spice and Wolf, or Natsume Yuujinchou. Three styles of "fairy tale" with focus on nature / spirits and their interactions with the human world.
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You might like Baccano!! which is a short, lively shonen that imo feels like a Tarantino film (lots of characters and plotlines weaving past and/or colliding with each other; over the top, gory action sequences; killer OST)
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Samurai Champloo is a lot of fun. Some of the episodes are more serious (with some very cool swordfighting along the way) and others are absurd in the best possible way--like the baseball episode.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~food
Rat-Circus Link ParentHaven't tried any, so I'm not sure! Is there much difference?Haven't tried any, so I'm not sure! Is there much difference?
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~food
Rat-Circus LinkI don't like any of the standard north American condiments....ketchup, mayo, mustard, relish all seem gross and un-foodlike to me. Dunno how the rest of you eat that stuff on a perfectly nice burgerI don't like any of the standard north American condiments....ketchup, mayo, mustard, relish all seem gross and un-foodlike to me. Dunno how the rest of you eat that stuff on a perfectly nice burger
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Comment on What are your top three video game soundtracks? in ~games
Rat-Circus Link ParentHollow Knight soundtrack is top tier imo. You can tell it was created with absolute love and care, on top of the composer being very skillful. The way certain melodies repeat and evolve reflects...Hollow Knight soundtrack is top tier imo. You can tell it was created with absolute love and care, on top of the composer being very skillful. The way certain melodies repeat and evolve reflects the changes that happen in the story and creates such an immersive, moody atmosphere. It enhances the game beautifully. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I'll offer:
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Comment on Could the Israel - Gaza conflict be about an alternative to the Suez canal? in ~misc
Rat-Circus Link ParentSo, I am not necessarily convinced that this is a good publication, but I also think your criticism of it is pretty flawed. To say that the Palestinian cause is "usually to kill/expel all the Jews...So, I am not necessarily convinced that this is a good publication, but I also think your criticism of it is pretty flawed.
To say that the Palestinian cause is "usually to kill/expel all the Jews in Israel" is a tremendous oversimplification. Hamas wants to destroy Israel, no argument on that one from me. But Palestine is not Hamas any more than I'm the Senate. The Palestinians I know are primarily for the cause of trying to prevent their friends and family from getting exploded or shot. Please don't dehumanize them or lump them in with literal terrorists?
I also don't see the relevance of the maybe-director having once worked for a religious charity. A charity being religious doesnt automatically make it a sinister masquerade?? Like, I don't love the Salvation Army but I also don't assume that if someone used to work there then they are a secret evangelical trying to Christ-ify the nation. Is there any concrete evidence at all to suggest this organization is taking advantage of the vulnerable?
I would be very curious to know if you hold Israeli publications to a similar level of scrutiny. I would imagine that points 2 and 3 could be applied in many cases, only reversed. Personally I am not keen to trust any single news source these days. No one perspective can capture the whole truth
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Comment on Rats have an imagination, new research finds in ~science
Rat-Circus Link ParentThey can be trained to all kinds of amazing tasks. Another I can think of is there's a nonprofit called APOPO that uses pouched rats to safely detect & remove landmines from former warzones. The...They can be trained to all kinds of amazing tasks. Another I can think of is there's a nonprofit called APOPO that uses pouched rats to safely detect & remove landmines from former warzones. The rats are trained like sniffer dogs to locate by smell, but their small size means they can walk around safely without triggering the mines
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Comment on Rats have an imagination, new research finds in ~science
Rat-Circus Link ParentI mean, scientists made tiny cars that rats could drive with their little paws and they found that the rats learned to enjoy driving. How hard could it be to add mind control?I mean, scientists made tiny cars that rats could drive with their little paws and they found that the rats learned to enjoy driving. How hard could it be to add mind control?
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Comment on Books about… books? More specifically, books about writing? in ~books
Rat-Circus LinkThe one that comes to mind first for me is "On Writing" by Stephen King. It was a long time ago since I read it, but I think it matches what you describe? Basically SK describing some of his...The one that comes to mind first for me is "On Writing" by Stephen King. It was a long time ago since I read it, but I think it matches what you describe? Basically SK describing some of his process, and his thoughts & tips for other writers
"Elements of Eloquence" by Mark Forsythe is another one I recall that might suit your interest. IIRC this book was about exploring how to use different writing style techniques/sentence structures/word choices/etc to create writing that is more memorable or immersive. I liked that this book discussed many forms of writing (books but also letters, speeches, songs, etc) and often quoted examples to illustrate different concepts directly
That one is still a couple years off: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_(2026_film)