XanIves's recent activity
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Comment on Nuclear’s big mistake - linear no-threshold in ~enviro
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Comment on Nuclear’s big mistake - linear no-threshold in ~enviro
XanIves LinkI watched this video, and I’m actually disappointed in Kyle. The first ten minutes were loaded with papers being cited for a single sentence back-to-back in a gish gallop without any context, and...I watched this video, and I’m actually disappointed in Kyle. The first ten minutes were loaded with papers being cited for a single sentence back-to-back in a gish gallop without any context, and included arguments such as “early life evolved defenses against harsh radiation, therefore low level radiation can’t be harmful (which ignores that life reproduces en masse; living past reproductive age is a nicety of modern life that everyone enjoys).
Additionally, mutagenic accumulation is something that radiation therapy does consider long term. If you want to see the effects of long-term cell damage from low-level radiation exposure, look no further than the effects of the sun: skin cells don’t reproduce and travel far from their previous ancestor’s location, so you can see that a trucker’s tan stays on that one side of their body, and their skin unevenly ages. Tanning is the body’s short-term reaction to mitigate radiation damage, but you still get measurably increased cell aging, cancer rates, skin elasticity, and ability to heal.
I also found his “I have anonymous sources everywhere that support this unanimously, but they’re too scared to say anything” bit terrifically unimpressive. Not saying Kyle’s a liar, but generally if you’re a science-based channel, it’s best to not include appeal-to-authority fallacies based on literal hearsay in your argument.
Now, is Kyle wrong about hormesis? Not necessarily, there is debate in the community and it’s solidly unsettled science that needs further studies, and the human immune system could genuinely see zero increase in cancer at low enough doses. I personally think it’s likely, and that we’re going to see research that changes nuclear safety in the next twenty years.
However, that doesn’t legitimize Kyle’s logically unsound arguments and sloppy reasoning either: I’m disappointed by both Kyle and the fact that only a handful of the comments on that video notice the problems with his presentation of the issue.
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Comment on Reusable rockets are here, so why is NASA paying more to launch stuff to space? in ~space
XanIves Link ParentThis advantage won’t last long; part of the reason they (in my opinion) deserve to reap the profits for a few years is for one simple reason: they proved that reusable rockets are the correct path...This advantage won’t last long; part of the reason they (in my opinion) deserve to reap the profits for a few years is for one simple reason: they proved that reusable rockets are the correct path forward for all future rocketry, and genuinely innovated in an otherwise stagnant field being held back by partisan congressional politics and an inability for NASA to be publicly blowing up rockets with taxpayer money.
Now that the falcon 9 has been proven reliable, cheap, and quick to refurbish + launch, the genie’s out of the bottle; every country with a serious space program is pivoting to research and investment into reusable rocketry due to SpaceX spending the billions (a good amount of it being USA taxpayer money, yes) to prove that this is the correct path forward in the long run for rocketry.
It’s funny: the actual components and materials in the falcon 9 are all solidly achievable with the technology we had in the early 2000s. The entire rocket industry really just kept doing things the same way for decades until SpaceX came and stole their lunch (if not regressing backwards: looking at you, SLS).
I do find it genuinely sad that this sort of long-term generational planning is now required to have blank-check funding from billionaires, instead of being the forte of public agencies. NASA being subject to the whims of so many different stakeholders from congress, the military, and even public opinion in general has crippled the choices of missions and contracts that they’ve been able to take in the last 30 years.
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Comment on European Space Agency will pay an Italian company nearly $50 million to design a mini-Starship in ~space
XanIves LinkSeems like a standard requirements decomposition, systems engineering task. I wouldn’t expect 50 million to get you anything other than a systems specification: aerospace is an expensive and...Seems like a standard requirements decomposition, systems engineering task. I wouldn’t expect 50 million to get you anything other than a systems specification: aerospace is an expensive and complicated industry.
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Comment on Hot take: 4:3 > 16:9 in ~tv
XanIves Link ParentMarvel’s been doing varying-aspect-ratios in their movies for years at this point: it’s gotten so tropey that I point and say “aspect ratio change!” every time I’m watching with my friends and...Marvel’s been doing varying-aspect-ratios in their movies for years at this point: it’s gotten so tropey that I point and say “aspect ratio change!” every time I’m watching with my friends and everyone groans.
Im so tired of every establishing shot taking the same time, having the same aspect ratio, and having the same panning. The plot of Marvel movies isn’t the only thing that’s become rather formulaic, it’s also the cinematography as well.
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Comment on BYD is cutting prices on electric vehicles in ~transport
XanIves Link ParentI’ve been thinking about selling my 2006 sienna that just crossed 100k miles and getting something newer with better mileage, and it’s really hard to give up how convenient the Sienna is. This...I’ve been thinking about selling my 2006 sienna that just crossed 100k miles and getting something newer with better mileage, and it’s really hard to give up how convenient the Sienna is.
This chain’s definitely going to give me more hesitation about getting rid of it before it develops any actual issues.
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Comment on Thousands of falling satellites put the atmosphere at risk in ~enviro
XanIves Link ParentJust to expound a bit, but the atmosphere does naturally receive about 30-40,000 tons of interplanetary debris from non-artificial sources:...Just to expound a bit, but the atmosphere does naturally receive about 30-40,000 tons of interplanetary debris from non-artificial sources: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/astronomy-questions-answers/has-anyone-calculated-the-combined-tonnage-of-meteroids-and-space-debris-falling-into-our-atmosphere-yearly/ and https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/asteroid-fast-facts/
The real issue here is not tonnage, but the specific material composition and elements used in these satellites. Elements that aren’t present in natural meteoroids need to be examined for their impact on the atmosphere, as we can be reasonably sure that typical rock, water ice, silicon, and iron in your average meteoroid are probably fine due to us having billions of years of them hitting us anyway.
The actual heat released by even thousands of satellites reentering the atmosphere is a rounding error at best. The changes to atmospheric composition is the real danger here, and there needs to definitely be more research before we start adding 10x or 100x the sats to the current stuff in orbit.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
XanIves LinkThis is a terrifically interesting read. I hope Hutchins can get some sleep, and I look forward to (hopefully) reading a follow-up in a few years after he’s figured out his next moves.This is a terrifically interesting read. I hope Hutchins can get some sleep, and I look forward to (hopefully) reading a follow-up in a few years after he’s figured out his next moves.
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Comment on Helldivers 2 support studio Toadman Interactive to shut offices in Sweden and Norway – some positions at developer's Berlin office also at risk in ~games
XanIves Link ParentSadly, as one of the tiny handful of active Planetside 2 players on Tildes, there are no community servers. Existing servers have been dwindling and merging once they get too small, leading to a...Sadly, as one of the tiny handful of active Planetside 2 players on Tildes, there are no community servers. Existing servers have been dwindling and merging once they get too small, leading to a handful of servers with players from wide geographic areas and questionable ping, since a server in Boston might need to host Californian players to even have a decent fight.
If the game gets shut down, and the assets become available, maybe someday they can crop up, similar to how Planetside 1 got the Planetside Forever fan project, but it doesn't seem likely.
The real tragedy here is that in the 12 years since Planetside 2's release, there has been nearly zero competition in the MMOFPS genre. Battlefield can scratch some of the itch, but no other game has the sheer scale.
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Comment on Vesync voluntarily discontinues certain claims for HEPA air purifiers following challenge by Dyson in ~health
XanIves Link ParentSame, fun to see the Amazon listing still says HEPA on it, and it’s still #1 for “HEPA filters”.Same, fun to see the Amazon listing still says HEPA on it, and it’s still #1 for “HEPA filters”.
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Comment on Tubi explodes in popularity, outranking Max and Apple TV+ in ~tech
XanIves Link“There is also a catch to Tubi’s rise, even if it is not currently bothering investors. The streaming service, which relies entirely on advertising revenue, is not yet profitable. Ms. Sud said...“There is also a catch to Tubi’s rise, even if it is not currently bothering investors. The streaming service, which relies entirely on advertising revenue, is not yet profitable. Ms. Sud said that the company was continuing to invest to reach greater scale. “Our lack of profitability is a conscious choice,” she said.”
Shocking, a company giving away a free service at a loss outcompetes on user numbers against platforms forced to turn a profit. Obviously this is going to get enshittified in the near future, and the usage will drop like every other platform when they start jacking their rates up.
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Comment on Sweden paying grandparents to babysit in ~finance
XanIves Link ParentThere’s no extra money coming from the Swedish taxpayers, the article mentions that Sweden already has a generous parental system that this would simply redirect if they parent wants to work...There’s no extra money coming from the Swedish taxpayers, the article mentions that Sweden already has a generous parental system that this would simply redirect if they parent wants to work instead.
Seems like a good idea to me: kid still gets raised by an close family member, the same leave gets paid by the state so no additional tax burden, grandparents get an encouraged way to interact with their grandkids and can get some income, and productive young parents can get back to work sooner.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: June/July 2024 in ~games
XanIves Link Parent4x tickets on Amid Evil VR, and 1x on Assetto Corsa please!4x tickets on Amid Evil VR, and 1x on Assetto Corsa please!
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Comment on Star Citizen crowdfunding passes $700 million in ~games
XanIves Link ParentI'd like to generously point out that clipping out of the back of your spaceship during quantum because you tried to walk around during flight will never fall behind the curve /s At least they...I'd like to generously point out that clipping out of the back of your spaceship during quantum because you tried to walk around during flight will never fall behind the curve /s
At least they have somewhat of a fire under their ass for some reason. Usually every year they just say "hey, the games coming out someday, give us money for more giant concept ships". But since last Citcon, there's something afoot, I'm used to getting barely any content every year and now there's been a huge amount of work in the last 8 months.
My guess is that Chris woke up and read a calendar, and had a mid-life crisis.
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Comment on A word about RMS, GPL and the free software movement in ~tech
XanIves Link ParentIf the F150 was going to have been pried from the grips of the American population, it probably would have done that when it hit 4 bucks a gallon. I think it's safe to say that big...If the F150 was going to have been pried from the grips of the American population, it probably would have done that when it hit 4 bucks a gallon.
I think it's safe to say that big child-annihilating pickup trucks are going to be happily sold and bought in the USA for the next 30 years, barring legislative intervention.
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Comment on How ECMO is redefining death in ~health
XanIves LinkThe last part of the article talking about being able to put organs on the ECMO so you can perform corrective surgeries OUTSIDE THE BODY is wild to me. Imagine being able to do chemotherapy on an...The last part of the article talking about being able to put organs on the ECMO so you can perform corrective surgeries OUTSIDE THE BODY is wild to me.
Imagine being able to do chemotherapy on an organ without it being in the patients body, so you don’t need to suffer the horrible side effects and can instead choose to live with a portable machine instead for a few months.
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Comment on Marvel Rivals | Official announcement trailer in ~games
XanIves Link ParentAgreed, honestly free to play and free free are on opposite ends of the spending spectrum in my opinion.Agreed, honestly free to play and free free are on opposite ends of the spending spectrum in my opinion.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~space
XanIves LinkI'm always curious when reading an article that discusses losing transformers as being the real danger, and it makes me wonder how useful having residential solar would be in that scenario....I'm always curious when reading an article that discusses losing transformers as being the real danger, and it makes me wonder how useful having residential solar would be in that scenario.
Post-event, if you're looking at a lead time of months to replace large chunks of the grid, then being able to power your home and even possibly your vehicle seems insanely useful, not just to yourself but to communities in general. Clean water, heating, cooling, refrigeration, no paying for expensive gasoline during an outage that isn't being supplied anymore due to supply chain issues. I wonder how resistant the average setup would be during an event like this, and what sort of mitigation strategies you could take to harden your residence.
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Comment on Modular storage systems? in ~life.home_improvement
XanIves LinkHaha, I'm glad you added the section calling out Gridfinity, because my immediate thought after reading the title was "Is this someone asking about Gridfinity?". I'm going to agree that if you...Haha, I'm glad you added the section calling out Gridfinity, because my immediate thought after reading the title was "Is this someone asking about Gridfinity?".
I'm going to agree that if you don't have a 3d printer, and an interest already in fiddling around with one, then don't get one just for this sort of need. 3d printers can be finnicky in the same way as their 2d counterparts, regardless of how "easy to print with" or "ready to go out-of-the-box" people like to describe their favorite printer.
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Comment on ‘Our Flag Means Death’ canceled by Max after two seasons in ~tv
XanIves Link ParentSame, loved the first season, but I'm just not invested in season 2. It feels like the characters are being written differently to the first season, and we don't have the same fun dynamic from the...Same, loved the first season, but I'm just not invested in season 2. It feels like the characters are being written differently to the first season, and we don't have the same fun dynamic from the first season of the mixed crew.
@Toric I do want to say thank you for posting this, I think this is going to be a common topic over the next few years as nuclear efforts (rightfully) begins to ramp up, and it’s nice to have a chance to discuss this topic with folks!