WeAreWaves's recent activity

  1. Comment on OpenAI, Google and Anthropic are struggling to build more advanced AI in ~tech

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    This is known as the toupee fallacy if you want an example that doesn’t involve transphobia.

    This is known as the toupee fallacy if you want an example that doesn’t involve transphobia.

    9 votes

  2. Comment on eBooks cost too much in ~books

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    My understanding is that ebooks at libraries can only be checked out a certain number of times before the library is required to pay the publisher again. So effectively, yes.

    My understanding is that ebooks at libraries can only be checked out a certain number of times before the library is required to pay the publisher again. So effectively, yes.

    16 votes

  3. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Out of curiosity, what rights do you mean? I left the US a handful of years ago, and we’d occasionally get comments like this or about our freedom, but I’ve never been sure what rights or freedoms...

    Out of curiosity, what rights do you mean?

    I left the US a handful of years ago, and we’d occasionally get comments like this or about our freedom, but I’ve never been sure what rights or freedoms are actually lacking in other developed countries that are present in the US. By a lot of metrics (e.g., social mobility, social safety nets, health care affordability), the US is not very impressive and I think there’s a strong argument that the populace is more “free” in other countries because of that.

    10 votes

  4. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    I think they were implying just that it might be worthwhile getting their opinions on the options - they might think the way you expect, but there are plenty of kids who might be excited about the...

    I understand what you mean, but take a moment to step in their shoes and see what that question means for them: Do I leave the only home I've ever known, everything I understand, to leave for somewhere completely new, alien, and equally scary?

    It's an impossible ask. No, I can't do that to them unless things are extremely dire.

    I think they were implying just that it might be worthwhile getting their opinions on the options - they might think the way you expect, but there are plenty of kids who might be excited about the chance to move to Belgium or elsewhere in Europe. Or maybe they’ll say “No way, I don’t want to leave the only home I’ve ever known and everything I understand.”

    You never know unless you ask, and it could be a situation where giving them some agency or voice in the matter could help.

    Or, you know, you don’t need to pay attention to unsolicited thoughts about your family decisions from strangers in the internet. I really don’t mean to presume anything here.

    5 votes

  5. Comment on Is empathizing by sharing experience not normal? in ~health.mental

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    This is how I feel literally every time I talk with my mom. I try to share something about my life, get no more than 2 sentences in, and some word I said sparks a thought in her head about her own...

    Others might feel like you talked over them

    This is how I feel literally every time I talk with my mom. I try to share something about my life, get no more than 2 sentences in, and some word I said sparks a thought in her head about her own life and then she starts talking and I never get to finish what I was trying to say.

    Given the thread, I have been diagnosed with social anxiety and suspect I have some characteristics consistent with autism, though that’s just me feeling like I resonate with a lot of the things people with autism say. Which makes me suspicious.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on Donald Trump nominates Fox News host and Army National Guard Major Pete Hegseth for US defense secretary in ~society

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Oh my god it is DOGE! I’ve thought since 2016 when Trump won the Republican nomination that this would all be hilarious if it were a dark comedy instead of real life where real people are getting...

    Oh my god it is DOGE!

    I’ve thought since 2016 when Trump won the Republican nomination that this would all be hilarious if it were a dark comedy instead of real life where real people are getting hurt and real global problems are being made intentionally worse. It is such a bizarre mixture of horror and absurd that it just breaks my brain. Still.

    14 votes

  7. Comment on Thoughts on Donald Trump, America and what this all means in ~society

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    FYI, American citizens living outside the US have to file annual tax returns, but typically do not pay any US taxes unless they have a very high salary.

    I might not have to worry about paying that from abroad

    FYI, American citizens living outside the US have to file annual tax returns, but typically do not pay any US taxes unless they have a very high salary.

    4 votes

  8. Comment on Academic publishers face class action over ‘peer review’ pay, other restrictions in ~science

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Better include 3,000-5,000 in publishing fees per manuscript in the grant applications! A lot of this does happen at the institutional level - the university system where I work has some sort of...

    I would like to see the NSF / NIH / DOD put that clause into their funding grants: that any publication and all data must be freely available.

    Better include 3,000-5,000 in publishing fees per manuscript in the grant applications!

    A lot of this does happen at the institutional level - the university system where I work has some sort of deal with Elsevier where our open access publishing fees are waived, so all papers we publish at one of their journals is freely accessible. I don’t want to know how much money we’re paying them for this.

    9 votes

  9. Comment on Academic publishers face class action over ‘peer review’ pay, other restrictions in ~science

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Yes, but this vetting is done for free by other academics. Being a peer reviewer is an unpaid part of the job.

    Yes, but this vetting is done for free by other academics. Being a peer reviewer is an unpaid part of the job.

    9 votes

  10. Comment on Eight basic rules for causal inference in ~science

    WeAreWaves
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Looks like you’re asking about Rule 8? So there, a and b are unrelated, except for the fact that they’re both influenced by c. So the idea is to control for the effect of the c on each, and then...

    Looks like you’re asking about Rule 8? So there, a and b are unrelated, except for the fact that they’re both influenced by c. So the idea is to control for the effect of the c on each, and then see what relationship remains (here, none).

    In the code, lm() fits a simple linear regression - a straight line describing the relationship. So you fit a line for a predicted by c and a line for b predicted by c. Then you calculate whatever is left in each - the residuals. That is, the distance of each point from the line. This is the part of a that isn’t related to c, and the part of b that isn’t related to c. Then lastly, they plot those residuals against each other. Since both a and b were defined above as 2c + noise, we see it’s just noise left over with no relationship between a and b.

    In practical terms, say I’m measuring growth rate of rabbits on two different diets. I have 40 rabbits in each group. You might expect that - in addition to diet - growth rate is also impacted by starting weight. So I would include starting weight in the statistical model, and then the effect of diet is estimated while controlling for starting weight. Otherwise, any difference due to diet might be masked by differences due to starting weight.

    You could also flip that and say you’re interested in the effect of starting weight on growth rate, but you have data from rabbits in two different diets. You’d do the same to control for diet - you can then estimate the effect of starting weight on growth rate, given a particular diet.

    6 votes

  11. Comment on US appeals court blocks all of Joe Biden's SAVE student debt relief plan in ~finance

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Maybe you already keep a budget, but using something like YNAB can really help a lot in terms of feeling more in control, planning ahead, and actively deciding on what trade offs you need to make...

    Maybe you already keep a budget, but using something like YNAB can really help a lot in terms of feeling more in control, planning ahead, and actively deciding on what trade offs you need to make ahead of time. It definitely lowers my stress about money, especially during periods where things are extra tight.

    9 votes

  12. Comment on I tried ditching my vehicle and doing the no-car thing. It was awful. in ~transport

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    I lived in Switzerland for two years (now about 3 years ago) and I still use the SBB app for any rail planning in Europe. It’s so much better than anything else I’ve come across. I really miss the...

    I lived in Switzerland for two years (now about 3 years ago) and I still use the SBB app for any rail planning in Europe. It’s so much better than anything else I’ve come across.

    I really miss the public infrastructure. And Coop.

    5 votes

  13. Comment on What have we liberals done to the US west coast? in ~society

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Do you know where this is a law and not just the decision of the grocery store to charge for a paper bag?

    adding surcharges to paper bags

    Do you know where this is a law and not just the decision of the grocery store to charge for a paper bag?

    5 votes

  14. Comment on Denmark has recalled several spicy ramen noodle products by South Korean company Samyang, claiming that the capsaicin levels in them could poison consumers in ~food

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    The regular 1x is on the high end of pleasurable for me - I’m curious but not feeling adventurous enough to test out the 2x or 3x.

    The regular 1x is on the high end of pleasurable for me - I’m curious but not feeling adventurous enough to test out the 2x or 3x.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on How do you feel about it/its pronouns? in ~lgbt

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    And to add to that, I don’t even know if I’m included when you tell me “we’re going to the movies”!

    And to add to that, I don’t even know if I’m included when you tell me “we’re going to the movies”!

    5 votes

  16. Comment on The food that makes you gay in ~lgbt

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    I find it really frustrating that there’s so much baggage around food choices. I’m in a very similar place as you it sounds like in terms of eating habits and generally keeping it to myself in...

    I find it really frustrating that there’s so much baggage around food choices. I’m in a very similar place as you it sounds like in terms of eating habits and generally keeping it to myself in many circles. It’s gotten better over the years, but any time veganism comes up in conversation, there always seem to be a few very outspoken people who really, really don’t like vegans. Any reduction in animal products puts you closer to “those people”, and like you said, people loooove policing for presumed hypocrisy.

    One of my aunts is generally plant-based and not shy about it, and my mom has literally gossiped to me about the time they went out to dinner and my aunt ordered meat. It’s infuriating.

    I’ll also add that at restaurants I’ll often order meat because the non-meat options are often not that different in price, and I’ve had a lot of experiences where the chefs didn’t really know how to make a vegetarian or vegan entree taste good. Plus it’s like a treat since I very rarely cook meat at home.

    4 votes

  17. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~misc

    WeAreWaves
    Link
    Yikes. We all knew it was coming but seriously holy shit. Officially from the US Supreme Court, it is legitimate, worthy, and legal to disenfranchise minorities as long as it furthers your...

    Yikes. We all knew it was coming but seriously holy shit.

    Officially from the US Supreme Court, it is legitimate, worthy, and legal to disenfranchise minorities as long as it furthers your partisan aims.

    44 votes

  18. Comment on Indiana judge rules tacos, burritos are sandwiches in ~food

  19. Comment on Indiana judge rules tacos, burritos are sandwiches in ~food

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    I’m not sure this is ever the case no matter what is promised beforehand.

    you're going to be disappointed if they bring a bag of Taco John's.

    I’m not sure this is ever the case no matter what is promised beforehand.

    13 votes

  20. Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk

    WeAreWaves
    Link Parent
    Never formally diagnosed as such, but maybe. I don’t think that negates my point though, as there is no way to know whether a new human will struggle with depression or not. Having a child is a...

    Never formally diagnosed as such, but maybe. I don’t think that negates my point though, as there is no way to know whether a new human will struggle with depression or not. Having a child is a roll of the dice with a non-negligible probability of “I wish I hadn’t been born”.

    2 votes