cdb's recent activity
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Comment on OpenAI furious DeepSeek might have stolen all the data OpenAI stole from us in ~tech
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Comment on US-developed drug formulation could eliminate cold storage for vaccines in ~health
cdb Looks interesting and promising, but it seems like there's a major major hurdle here. Perfluorocarbons are commonly known as PFAS these days. The types of substances used in the study fall into...Looks interesting and promising, but it seems like there's a major major hurdle here.
The team found that swapping out the water for a perfluorocarbon oil removed the drug’s heat sensitivity
Perfluorocarbons are commonly known as PFAS these days. The types of substances used in the study fall into the category of PFAS that are getting banned in many food and clothing applications. While I think more research needs to be done, even if it's demonstrated to be safe, I wonder how easy it'll be to convince people to take an injection of PFAS to the bloodstream.
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Comment on ADHDers, how do you speed-up, bypass, or otherwise eliminate the "ramp-up" period required for big tasks? in ~health.mental
cdb My experience is that "ramping up" is often a lie that my brain tells me to avoid doing the actual thing. If some of these pre-action actions are actually necessary, I can go back to it after...My experience is that "ramping up" is often a lie that my brain tells me to avoid doing the actual thing. If some of these pre-action actions are actually necessary, I can go back to it after starting the thing I was really planning on doing.
I can remember a time I sat down to work on an app, built out most of a new feature, then hours later went back and realized that I had planned to work on some other part next. However, I got a bunch of work done just by looking at my work, finding something that needed doing, and getting at it.
Alternatively, if it's not a freeform task and needs more planning, do the planning and organization at the end of sessions rather than beginnings. That way the next time you want to work on that task, you can just start with the first thing on the list.
As far as interruptions, I'm lucky enough to have a room I can use as an office, and I've negotiated with my wife that when I have the door closed, that's focus time for me. Obviously there are exceptions, but at least there's a better shot at having some uninterrupted time to myself.
Of course, I fail at implementing these suggestions all the time, so I also work hard at forgiving myself for that, but when it works, it works.
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Comment on The governments that survived inflation. A policy toolkit to tame prices—and win elections. in ~finance
cdb (edited )LinkWhen I first read the reference to Mexico and Spain as having done better at managing inflation, I kept reading hoping that the author would provide some evidence of that. That never happened, so...When I first read the reference to Mexico and Spain as having done better at managing inflation, I kept reading hoping that the author would provide some evidence of that. That never happened, so I went and looked it up.
Annual rates of inflation
Country 2019 Dec 2022 peak 2023 Dec 2024 Dec Spain 0.8 10.8 3.1 2.8 Mexico 2.8 8.7 4.7 4.2 US 2.3 9.1 3.4 2.9 After looking at recent peak inflation with a few points before and after, it looks like these three countries were in the same ballpark for their official inflation figures.
Given that the article mentions both liberal and conservative incumbents losing elections partially due to inflation, it seems like they are showing that it's more about optics ("we're doing something, even if it's not effective!") rather than actually having better management of the economy. Well, I guess that's pretty important. Democrats will tell you that the economists say that things like price controls won't help, whereas Trump will tell you that he's fixed everything regardless of what is happening. We recently had a vote on which approach is more popular. Democrats need to get better at looking like they're doing something if they want to win more elections.
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Comment on US Food and Drug Administration to revoke authorization for the use of red no. 3 in food and ingested drugs in ~health
cdb (edited )Link ParentI felt that this was the most interesting part of this article. So, combined with the explanation on the Delaney Clause, it seems that this removal is based on a technicality, rather than any...I felt that this was the most interesting part of this article.
Studies in other animals and in humans did not show these effects; claims that the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information.
So, combined with the explanation on the Delaney Clause, it seems that this removal is based on a technicality, rather than any evidence of risk.
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Comment on After almost a century, the bike valve is finally getting an update in ~engineering
cdb Unless I'm misunderstanding your comment, my understanding is that basically all Schrader valve cores are removable. I've removed my Schrader valve cores to add sealant to most of my bike tubes.Unless I'm misunderstanding your comment, my understanding is that basically all Schrader valve cores are removable. I've removed my Schrader valve cores to add sealant to most of my bike tubes.
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Comment on BYD's self-driving U9 jumps over obstacles in ~transport
cdb Sure, but what is that suspension capability for? What kind of practical/useful functions are implied by this? Just wondering. I'm not really a car person.Sure, but what is that suspension capability for? What kind of practical/useful functions are implied by this? Just wondering. I'm not really a car person.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - The Ministry for the Future - How is it going? in ~books
cdb I haven't managed to borrow it from my libraries either. Considering just buying it, but we'll see.I haven't managed to borrow it from my libraries either. Considering just buying it, but we'll see.
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Comment on BYD's self-driving U9 jumps over obstacles in ~transport
cdb Can anyone explain why we need or want this kind of functionality? For safety, racing, or just for fun? I can't imagine it being very safe to deliberately catch air over small obstacles on public...Can anyone explain why we need or want this kind of functionality? For safety, racing, or just for fun? I can't imagine it being very safe to deliberately catch air over small obstacles on public roads.
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Comment on Health care AI, intended to save money, turns out to require a lot of expensive humans in ~health
cdb This is an interesting topic, but I feel that the article is lacking in numbers to put its claims in context. It's clear that a model getting 7 percentage points worse is not good (the study says...This is an interesting topic, but I feel that the article is lacking in numbers to put its claims in context. It's clear that a model getting 7 percentage points worse is not good (the study says true positive rate went from 80.9% to 73.9%), but is it still better than the alternative? How has the value proposition changed over time? When I read figures like this my first reaction is "that's bad," but my second reaction is "it's good that someone is checking, which means it might get fixed." The 20% increase in cost figure seems like just a hypothetical, highlighting the need for continued assessments of value and performance, but it doesn't say whether any particular model in use has become a bad value or not. Is 115 working-hours a lot or not a lot for validating that kind of model relative to its cost/benefit? Overall, the article talks a lot about the high level of resources required for these models, but doesn't have information on whether this is a good or bad value relative to the alternative.
I know from personal experience that the FDA is pretty good about checking whether you have good systems and practices in place for validating that your sample analysis techniques are working properly or not. Since the article talked about FDA regulated AI products, I went looking for what they are asking for as far as AI approvals. There's a general guidance for Good Machine Learning Practices (GMLP). The FDA also released a new draft guidance this week on AI-enabled devices, which has a lot more details (it's quite long so I only read an AI summary then skimmed some interesting parts). Although I'm not involved in any AI-related products, these types of guidance documents are taken very seriously in drug development. Validation protocols get updated if there are changes in the FDA validation guidance, and more general SOPs are developed to be in accordance with the general guidance. So, in regards to the comment in the article about how some deployed AI models are not even being monitored for performance, it looks like this is an area that may get better over time as the FDA catches up on their guidance docs.
Here are the GMLP guiding principles:
- Multi-Disciplinary Expertise Is Leveraged Throughout the Total Product Life Cycle
- Good Software Engineering and Security Practices Are Implemented
- Clinical Study Participants and Data Sets Are Representative of the Intended Patient Population
- Training Data Sets Are Independent of Test Sets
- Selected Reference Datasets Are Based Upon Best Available Methods
- Model Design Is Tailored to the Available Data and Reflects the Intended Use of the Device
- Focus Is Placed on the Performance of the Human-AI Team
- Testing Demonstrates Device Performance during Clinically Relevant Conditions
- Users Are Provided Clear, Essential Information
- Deployed Models Are Monitored for Performance and Re-training Risks are Managed
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
cdb How are you feeling about Empire of Pain so far? I happen to have a copy, but I'm unsure about whether I want to start it.How are you feeling about Empire of Pain so far? I happen to have a copy, but I'm unsure about whether I want to start it.
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Comment on The day Google killed the Pixel 4a in ~tech
cdb This is the part I was talking about regarding data harvesting. Asking for SSN seems a bit much, but I don't have a pixel 4a so I can't get far enough in the system to see the terms of the...Google might give you $50 through a third party program that likely gets more than $50 of valuable personal data (including your social security number) out of you, and will likely take $50 of time and effort to redeem.
This is the part I was talking about regarding data harvesting. Asking for SSN seems a bit much, but I don't have a pixel 4a so I can't get far enough in the system to see the terms of the appeasement credit.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
cdb Just finished The City We Became by NK Jemisin. I had started it for the book club, but because busy late last year and didn't finish it until this week. I don't want to bump the book club thread...Just finished The City We Became by NK Jemisin. I had started it for the book club, but because busy late last year and didn't finish it until this week. I don't want to bump the book club thread because I don't have anything nice to say about it. Or rather, I have a lot more negative opinions than positive ones. I'm not a fan of the overuse of stereotypes that extends beyond the characters and permeates the entire plot. I also felt like the ending was rushed, like the author got tired of writing so much detail and just wanted to wrap things up without having to describe anything.
I'm still reading Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova. It's what I've been reading in bed while trying to get to sleep, and I guess it's doing its job so progress is steady but slow. It seems to be geared towards trying to make me feel better about my own forgetfulness, and it's doing an ok job at that.
I just started Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows on audiobook. I saw some comment on Tildes recommending this book (sorry I forget who or where), and so far I'm enjoying it.
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Comment on The day Google killed the Pixel 4a in ~tech
cdb Seems like there's something google isn't telling us about these batteries. Since they are pushing this update and offering this battery replacement and credit program, there's definitely some...Seems like there's something google isn't telling us about these batteries. Since they are pushing this update and offering this battery replacement and credit program, there's definitely some battery risk they've identified with these phones, but none of the reporting on the subject seems to know the exact reason. The author of this article seems to think that the battery plan is a ploy to harvest data, but I don't think there's any way the math works out on cost vs. benefit for google. Plus they haven't done this for other phones. I guess google thinks there there could be some liability issue if they say too much. As a vendor, google sucks at customer support in general, and I'm not a fan of this kind of behavior of taking steps to address some battery issue without telling people what's going on.
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Comment on Is there any escape from the Spotify syndrome? in ~music
cdb Saying "logical solution" implies that the current situation is wrong and need to be fixed. If small creators find that they are getting enough value from the platform in terms of distribution,...If it’s really unprofitable then they should remove the songs altogether. That would be the logical solution, no?
Saying "logical solution" implies that the current situation is wrong and need to be fixed. If small creators find that they are getting enough value from the platform in terms of distribution, and spotify finds that they are getting enough draw for subscriptions from the few artists that do become more popular, then the situation is ok and doesn't need to change. If both parties are getting what they want from the transaction, it's not theft or abuse of power or anything like that.
They may have paid smaller artists in the past, but they were also losing a ton of money in the past too. If the options were to drop the small artists or change the royalty structure, well, that's up to the users to decide if spotify made the right decision.
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Comment on Is there any escape from the Spotify syndrome? in ~music
cdb That's not what I'm saying at all. Not even close. Are you sure you're replying to the right comment? I'm saying they're providing free hosting, which is something that costs spotify money. If...That's not what I'm saying at all. Not even close. Are you sure you're replying to the right comment?
I'm saying they're providing free hosting, which is something that costs spotify money. If these songs aren't bringing in a net positive in revenue, then it's still true that they are sharing profits with these creators, it's just that the profit is zero so there's nothing to share.
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Comment on Is there any escape from the Spotify syndrome? in ~music
cdb The artists are getting something out of it too. They are getting free hosting and searchability. Rather than having to produce physical media or run their own website, they can say "find me on...The artists are getting something out of it too. They are getting free hosting and searchability. Rather than having to produce physical media or run their own website, they can say "find me on spotify."
If spotify isn't making any money off these artists (<1000 plays is almost definitely not making spotify any money), then 2/3 of the catalog is actually costing them money to host. If we wanted to make it truly fair in terms of cost/revenue, people would probably have to pay a small fee to upload their music. If we want to say that spotify has enough revenue from their popular music to dedicate some extra resources for small creators, that's exactly what's happening.
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Comment on CES 2025 in ~tech
cdb Install it outdoors and the bezel blends in with the background. I kind of get it. I've seen a few outdoor TVs in my neighborhood and that black rectangle sticks out like a store thumb.Install it outdoors and the bezel blends in with the background. I kind of get it. I've seen a few outdoor TVs in my neighborhood and that black rectangle sticks out like a store thumb.
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Comment on Do our dogs have something to tell the world? (gifted link) in ~life.pets
cdb These two comments basically show the line between the parts of these systems that I think are legit and the parts that I think are highly questionable. The commenter above mentions the cat asking...These two comments basically show the line between the parts of these systems that I think are legit and the parts that I think are highly questionable.
The commenter above mentions the cat asking for food or for play time, which are both things that my dog can signal to me without a sound board. I also mentioned signaling the desire to go outside in my previous comment.
The example here with "litterbox fabric litterbox" followed by "and word want" and "frustrated scared" seems like the kind of thing where if the cat presses enough buttons you eventually find some situation where you can interpret the output in a way that you think fits the situation. The "and word want" part is especially suspicious. Do we really think that this cat is calling the sweater shit, using conjunctions, then expressing emotion, or did we just get a word salad that happens to have some parts that can be interpreted to fit the situation? If I put some article of clothing on my dog and he doesn't like it, he'll try to take it off, which is a pretty obvious sign. I don't find it convincing that these buttons are conveying more complex thoughts than what we're already getting through body language. I'm not saying that somewhat more complex communication with pets doesn't exist, but I don't think these kinds of snippets are showing much.
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Comment on CES 2025 in ~tech
cdb I feel like this demonstrates exactly what is confusing about the scheme. It suggests a progression, but it's just different lines of product. "Dell" is not exactly worse than "Dell Pro." A Dell...I feel like this demonstrates exactly what is confusing about the scheme. It suggests a progression, but it's just different lines of product. "Dell" is not exactly worse than "Dell Pro."
A Dell Premium would be higher end than a Dell Pro Plus laptop, equivalent to comparing an XPS to a Latitude 5000 series.
The words that denote better or worse within a product line are "plus" and "premium."
Can you please point to a source for this? As in, an actual quote from someone in that organization that shows or implies some kind of anger. So far, the worst I've read is something along the lines of "they trained their model on our model, which breaks our TOS," which I don't feel sounds "furious," but there could be more out there that I haven't seen yet. The posted article here doesn't seem to have anything more than that.
Also, I'm pretty sure the above poster is poking fun at how headlines ascribe emotions to organizations to drive engagement, when it's really the people in that organization that actually could have emotions. If you don't actually have an angry quote from someone in that organization, you can just say that the organization is angry, add some angry commentary of your own in the article, and know that most people will assume that the article substantiates the claim even when no evidence is actually provided.