fraughtGYRE's recent activity
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Comment on New evidence found for Planet 9 in ~space
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Comment on Canadian pet DNA company sends back dog breed results from human sample a second time in ~life.pets
fraughtGYRE Link ParentThank you very much for the informative post.Thank you very much for the informative post.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Survival - GG no re (End of an era) in ~games
fraughtGYRE Link ParentI'd really love that, if possible. I spent perhaps 10 minutes on the server my first log in before being called away and haven't found the time to game much since. But I'm looking forward to a new...I'd really love that, if possible. I spent perhaps 10 minutes on the server my first log in before being called away and haven't found the time to game much since. But I'm looking forward to a new schedule in a few months, which would be really exciting to fill some time in with MC MP.
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Comment on Canadian pet DNA company sends back dog breed results from human sample a second time in ~life.pets
fraughtGYRE Link ParentThank you for that clarification, I misread the articles and thought DNA My Dog was the name of a service provided by Orivet. Completely overlooked the third company of Wisdom Panel. Much...Thank you for that clarification, I misread the articles and thought DNA My Dog was the name of a service provided by Orivet. Completely overlooked the third company of Wisdom Panel. Much appreciated.
Definitely a problem then haha.
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Comment on Canadian pet DNA company sends back dog breed results from human sample a second time in ~life.pets
fraughtGYRE LinkHuh. I don't think this is a really big deal...? First of all, we share something like 80% of our DNA with dogs. Secondly, if the company is using PCR with dog DNA primers, it's not unreasonable...Huh. I don't think this is a really big deal...? First of all, we share something like 80% of our DNA with dogs. Secondly, if the company is using PCR with dog DNA primers, it's not unreasonable to expect some positive results with human DNA. Annealing between the primer strand and the digested donor strand doesn't have to be perfect to get good amplification of that DNA segment. IIRC, accuracy increases with longer primers, so that is the main factor affecting precision - if they're using short primers (which are cheaper) it'll be easier to get annealing with human DNA strands. Might need a biochemist to double check as the exact mechanics of PCR aren't my field.
The response to the initial test ("Could not be human") sounds like a corporate worker without any understanding of the science, while in the second test they reported what they got while also saying that the sample "...failed to provide the data necessary to perform the breed ID analysis" which is a better response.
A bit of a nothing burger, no? Aside from being a bit on the cheap side of things, perhaps.
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Comment on Looking for songs that include recordings of commentary in ~music
fraughtGYRE LinkSimon and Garfunkel - 7 O'clock News/Silent Night -
Comment on A professor claimed to be Native American. Did she know she wasn’t? in ~life
fraughtGYRE (edited )Link ParentI generally don't feel any need to be involved in the determination of anyones ethnicity. Much rather live and let live. There is some frustration I feel around highly selective affirmative action...I generally don't feel any need to be involved in the determination of anyones ethnicity. Much rather live and let live.
There is some frustration I feel around highly selective affirmative action (it's really not my favorite practice, I'll be honest). There also seems to be apparent social norms surrounding who is "allowed" to discuss issues pertaining to specific ethnic groups. I have seen the question posed: are people of European descent allowed to discuss the realities that indigenous people face, and the experiences they went through, or should that be left to the groups that were actually there? And then we quickly see how this would degrade into terrible analytics of ancestry and participation to determine if you are the "right" sort of person to hold these discussions.
And while in this instance there may not have been malice or even intent (it's impossible to say), we have created a cultural environment where there is a perverse incentive to claim illegitimate indigeneity. Only in this way can you be on the "correct" side of the issues I mention above. This is emphatically not good.
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Comment on Etsy sellers are turning free fanfiction into printed and bound physical books [against the wishes of the authors], and listing them for sale for more than $100 per book in ~books
fraughtGYRE Link ParentExcellent comment; I haven't been able to fully digest it yet actually. But I do want to discuss this segment: I'm not a lawyer, but it was my understanding that common law jurisdictions can allow...Excellent comment; I haven't been able to fully digest it yet actually. But I do want to discuss this segment:
Most authors agree to a truce of ignorance with fanfic. They decide to leave the fanfic writers alone, generally expecting the fanfic to not be sold or otherwise monetized. Which, it should be pointed out, has no bearing on making it "okay" or "legal" or anything else;
I'm not a lawyer, but it was my understanding that common law jurisdictions can allow "custom" and "tradition" to be legitimate lines of legal argumentation, in certain situations. The peculiarities and intricacies of copyright law, especially in the online world, would seem to me as an area where "the way things are done" might reasonably comprise part of a legal defense against a copyright infringement claim.
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, I guess I just want to discuss the possibility of the way fanfiction is handled by authors now might be more crystallized/unofficially codified over the near future. The change to the assessment of fair use in courts comes to mind as an example of a legal shift not dictated by legislation or court precedent.
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Comment on What is the "bible" of your hobby or activity? in ~hobbies
fraughtGYRE Link ParentI really owe you for that link - I realized I am in possession of one of the books mentioned there, so I've dug it out of its hidey hole. I think I'm going to find it quite useful given it's...I really owe you for that link - I realized I am in possession of one of the books mentioned there, so I've dug it out of its hidey hole. I think I'm going to find it quite useful given it's relevance to my current hobbies!
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Comment on Is an ethical social media platform even possible? in ~tech
fraughtGYRE Link ParentI still decline to cleave to the position that capitalism is inherently unethical. Abuses exist in every system and capitalism is no different, nor particularly worse. I feel a constant need to...I still decline to cleave to the position that capitalism is inherently unethical. Abuses exist in every system and capitalism is no different, nor particularly worse. I feel a constant need to remind people that we live in the most prosperous, peaceful, safe time in all of human history, primarily thanks to capitalism. As a proportion, fewer people than ever live in poverty. Fewer people die from preventable illnesses. Capitalism in its simplest, purest form states that it will reward someone for providing society with a thing society desires. It is up to us to corral the excesses of capitalism through social organization and democratic systems of governance, but I do not think it is reasonable to abolish it.
I think this applies to our social media as well - we need systems of interaction that inhibit the poisoning of the well of discourse. I'd say Tildes has done a good job with the user-based content moderation system, imperfect though it is. The federation system offers another approach, allowing independence of thought and discourse across a broad spectrum of interconnected spaces.
And frankly, I think the question is a bit misguided. Any engagement with society carries with it the burden of unethical practices. From the food you eat to the clothes you wear, people and the environment were all abused in some form for your benefit. Yet the goal should not be to shun these products in their entirety but to work collaboratively to make incremental improvements. I think the same holds for social media.
I will admit that I struggle with what to say next. For food and clothing the actions seem more obvious (if imperfect). Spread awareness, make conscious consumer choices, form or join organizations that work to improve the ethical quality of these goods. With social media it is harder, as their very egalitarian and monolithic nature makes it difficult to effect change. Consumer oriented decision making (what platform to use, where to comment etc.) seems the most obvious first step but larger, community driven movements are most probably a more critical step. So maybe, get involved in the social media platforms of your local communities - do you pay attention to subreddits or Facebook pages devoted to your city or neighborhood? What about to small hobbies that you enjoy? If you are engaged in these low level community oriented groups, maybe your ethical standards will be easier to uphold.
I'm afraid this ended up being a pretty stream-of-consciousness post, so I don't really know how to cleanly conclude it but that is basically my overall position - democratic, community driven action is the best way of limiting the excesses of social systems, both capitalism and social media. It's a terrible solution and simultaneously the best option we have.
Edit: as a quick addendum, I've always wondered about the possibility of a wikipedia-like social media, where the moderation and the rules themselves are collaboratively, democratically decided by users, with potentially even elections for important roles in the group. Maybe something to consider (although I am aware that wikipedia has its own problems)
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Comment on In search of approachable, readable philosophy (or philosophy-adjacent) books to help me navigate the world in ~books
fraughtGYRE LinkBoth Machiavelli's The Prince and Plato's Republic are actually quite short, yet still utterly seminal pieces of political philosophy.Both Machiavelli's The Prince and Plato's Republic are actually quite short, yet still utterly seminal pieces of political philosophy.
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Comment on Scientists document first-ever transmitted Alzheimer’s cases, tied to no-longer-used medical procedure in ~health
fraughtGYRE Link ParentIt's very hard to say if we would have noticed it before now. Neurosurgery is not a very common procedure, especially for young people, and the incubation times of transmissible spongiform...It's very hard to say if we would have noticed it before now. Neurosurgery is not a very common procedure, especially for young people, and the incubation times of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies can be extremely long. One documented case of kuru, a disease peculiar to Papua New Guinea, is suspected to have had an incubation time of 30 years, IIRC. So it is possible that transmissions were occurring, but not detected because by the time symptoms appeared the patients were of an appropriate age to be developing the disease naturally. Meanwhile, younger people exposed might have been at low enough numbers to be documented as the rare early-onset form of Alzheimers without arousing too much suspicion. Some procedures also might carry very low risk of transmission. In your example, women of childbearing age are extremely unlikely to have Alzheimers, so equipment used for procedures in that group probably carries a low risk.
As far as I know there has not been any large-scale systematic study into a link between AD and prior neurological procedures. I'll spend some time looking for one though, I could be wrong.
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Comment on Scientists document first-ever transmitted Alzheimer’s cases, tied to no-longer-used medical procedure in ~health
fraughtGYRE (edited )Link ParentHaving worked in the field, I can say that most experts view the amyloid-beta hypothesis as still quite strong, with lots of other data supporting it. i can't say if they're correct, by that is...Having worked in the field, I can say that most experts view the amyloid-beta hypothesis as still quite strong, with lots of other data supporting it. i can't say if they're correct, by that is the prevailing sentiment. The fabrication here, while extremely problematic, is not the sole foundation of the hypothesis. This data primarily hinges on a single form of the A-beta oligomer while more recent data shows that a wide variety of oligomers are present in diseased brains, and that their interaction may be more important than individual effects. I still have lots to learn here though, so please take my opinions with a grain of salt.
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Comment on Scientists document first-ever transmitted Alzheimer’s cases, tied to no-longer-used medical procedure in ~health
fraughtGYRE LinkThis may represent a real problem for the care of people with Alzheimers. If the amyloid beta proteins are truly transmissible in a prion-like fashion it means that all equipment that comes into...This may represent a real problem for the care of people with Alzheimers. If the amyloid beta proteins are truly transmissible in a prion-like fashion it means that all equipment that comes into contact with the central nervous system must be viewed as contaminated and treated with the same caution used for equipment exposed to prions. All the medical devices used in procedures like brain surgeries, lumbar punctures, etc. will have to undergo the same handling and disposal procedures. This often involves outright destruction of the material as prions are simply too resistant to normal sterilization methods.
Very concerning, more investigation will have to be done.
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Comment on Continuing the Tildes Book Club: Book nomination and discussion thread in ~books
fraughtGYRE (edited )Link ParentI'm waiting on the second and third books right now, on order through my local bookshop :) glad to hear that the plot stays interesting!I'm waiting on the second and third books right now, on order through my local bookshop :) glad to hear that the plot stays interesting!
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Comment on Continuing the Tildes Book Club: Book nomination and discussion thread in ~books
fraughtGYRE Link ParentThat's the one.That's the one.
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Comment on Continuing the Tildes Book Club: Book nomination and discussion thread in ~books
fraughtGYRE (edited )LinkVery much enjoyed The Warded Man, an interesting fantasy book, very approachable and good for me as I'm still getting back into reading. Edit: thought I'd edit in the other book I finished...Very much enjoyed The Warded Man, an interesting fantasy book, very approachable and good for me as I'm still getting back into reading.
Edit: thought I'd edit in the other book I finished recently, Constantine at the Bridge, a biography of Constantine the Great and the beginnings of Christian Rome. As far as Roman histories go, this is probably the least exhausting you'll find, though as a history buff I do feel a bit more could have been said on some of the items in there. Still very engaging.
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Comment on In praise of mass immigration in ~misc
fraughtGYRE Link ParentI can guarantee that support for strong border control is not limited to authoritarian states plus developed country. A prime example would be South Africa, which is really neither of those, yet...I can guarantee that support for strong border control is not limited to authoritarian states plus developed country. A prime example would be South Africa, which is really neither of those, yet experiences a huge aversion to migrants and a high amount of xenophobia in general. I think that border controls are by and large necessary, even if they might be undesirable. Countries can, economically speaking, be viewed as clubs, with borders acting as a test for new members. To argue that these clubs should simply be unable to limit their members is to essentially abolish the club (and therefore the state). While that might be an attractive anarchist position it is one I certainly do not support (I would generally identify as a statist in that particular dichotomy).
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Comment on 'Signs of life': Sycamore Gap tree will live on, experts say in ~enviro
fraughtGYRE Link ParentMy comment clearly didn't come across very well :) What I wanted to discuss is that "take only pictures, leave only footprints" is, in my view, somewhat too restrictive of a proposition for...My comment clearly didn't come across very well :)
What I wanted to discuss is that "take only pictures, leave only footprints" is, in my view, somewhat too restrictive of a proposition for human-nature interactions. People should have the ability to push things around, and that sometimes means pushing things to their breaking point. But generally speaking, humans do not individually have the capacity to cause large scale destruction. If the perpetrators had held a knife rather than a chainsaw, the tree would be standing.
But they did have a chainsaw - so given the supply of modern technology, how can we ensure that humans pushing up against nature (in an adventuring manner - which this wasn't, unfortunately) don't cause way more damage than they might have if they didn't have that technology?
As for camping, I'm specifically referring to random camping, where you can essentially take yourself out to the middle of nowhere on public land and camp there - this has been really changed by the advent of the motor vehicle, with previously inaccessible regions now frequented by large groups. Regular camping is a bit of a different matter.
I'm not sure how well this train of thought carries itself, especially given the frankly disgusting actions of the people in the original article. but I'm glad we can discuss it at least.
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Comment on 'Signs of life': Sycamore Gap tree will live on, experts say in ~enviro
fraughtGYRE Link ParentThat was my intended point, though I clearly could have worded it better :P Basically my thought was, this kid (and the mentioned adults) could have interacted in a casual manner with nature if...That was my intended point, though I clearly could have worded it better :P
Basically my thought was, this kid (and the mentioned adults) could have interacted in a casual manner with nature if they lived 1000 years ago, because they didn't have access to modern vehicles, chainsaws, etc... If the group were carrying small knives rather than power tools, the possible amount of damage is greatly reduced. I doubt they would have had much success chopping down a tree with a pocket knife.
So now that we have this modern equipment, how do we allow people to go about on these adventures and not incur way more damage to the environment? Not sure I have the answer unfortunately.
I was pretty tired when I wrote that comment though, definitely not my best work haha. Fully agree that there are many limits to how humans can interact with the natural world.
Also of course there is clearly intent to harm in this case which isn't really what I wanted to discuss.
I've encountered arχiv before but reading it written out with the chi symbol made it finally click for me. For some reason I've been mentally pronouncing it ark-sieve. A Homeresque moment for myself.