gpl's recent activity

  1. Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech

    gpl
    Link Parent
    Yeah, as a physicist I'll just say, no, this google chip does not create parallel universes in any meaningful way.

    The parallel universe and AI stuff, afaik it’s a combination of philosophical interpretations of the mathematics underlying quantum mechanics and hype chasing.

    Yeah, as a physicist I'll just say, no, this google chip does not create parallel universes in any meaningful way.

    13 votes

  2. Comment on Is there a way for Donald Trump to run for US presidency for a third time? in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    He would be ineligible to be elected, not ineligible to hold. Someone who has won twice is ineligible to be elected again, but they can certainly hold office in their second term despite that...

    He would be ineligible to be elected, not ineligible to hold. Someone who has won twice is ineligible to be elected again, but they can certainly hold office in their second term despite that ineligibility for example.

    Again I’m just pointing out that we are in uncharted territory where the rule of law does not matter unless we make it, and falling back on “they can’t do that so we shouldn’t worry or prepare for it” is not viable (in my opinion).

    8 votes

  3. Comment on Is there a way for Donald Trump to run for US presidency for a third time? in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    Have someone run at the top of the ticket with Trump as VP with the stated intention of resigning so he can take office. It's that simple. I'm not saying this is likely or would go unchallenged,...

    Have someone run at the top of the ticket with Trump as VP with the stated intention of resigning so he can take office. It's that simple.

    I'm not saying this is likely or would go unchallenged, but I agree with other commenters that arguments based on the what the Constitution does or does not say fundamentally misread the current moment. The Constitution also says that someone who has engaged in insurrection is ineligible to be president, and all it took was the Supreme Court to say that was not enforceable without Congress (despite the fact that it historically had been without issue) for that to not matter.

    20 votes

  4. Comment on Lucy Letby lawyer seeks fresh appeal over reliability of expert witness in ~health

    gpl
    Link
    I have to say, until now I had thought the appeals here were more or less smoke and mirrors and had said as much on this site. But this new information makes me believe that Letby may be innocent...

    I have to say, until now I had thought the appeals here were more or less smoke and mirrors and had said as much on this site. But this new information makes me believe that Letby may be innocent and should certainly have another trial.

    6 votes

  6. Comment on What long standalone book is worth its page count? in ~books

    gpl
    Link
    The Making of the Atomic Bomb is an excellent, comprehensive, and accessible history.

    The Making of the Atomic Bomb is an excellent, comprehensive, and accessible history.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Bashar al-Assad has left Damascus, senior army officers say; Syria rebels say they are in capital in ~society

    gpl
    Link
    Hopefully the Syrian people can close this dark chapter in their history, and the many refugees and political prisoners are free to return home and live in peace. Much uncertainty will likely...

    Hopefully the Syrian people can close this dark chapter in their history, and the many refugees and political prisoners are free to return home and live in peace. Much uncertainty will likely follow, but for now, celebrations.

    5 votes

  8. Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes

    gpl
    Link
    It's my initials.

    It's my initials.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on Taylor Swift fans are leaving X for Bluesky after Donald Trump’s US election in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    It's a dumb term, but I've seen it recently used to describe the kinda of obviously grifting left-wing accounts on Twitter. Things like Meidas Touch, BrooklynDad, maybe Lincoln Project, etc. At...

    It's a dumb term, but I've seen it recently used to describe the kinda of obviously grifting left-wing accounts on Twitter. Things like Meidas Touch, BrooklynDad, maybe Lincoln Project, etc. At least that is how I've been using it.

    14 votes

  10. Comment on Taylor Swift fans are leaving X for Bluesky after Donald Trump’s US election in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    Here is a searchable directory of starter packs that stays relatively updated. Search for topics related to your interests! https://blueskydirectory.com/starter-packs/all (@trim, you might be...

    Here is a searchable directory of starter packs that stays relatively updated. Search for topics related to your interests! https://blueskydirectory.com/starter-packs/all

    (@trim, you might be interested as well)

    8 votes

  11. Comment on Taylor Swift fans are leaving X for Bluesky after Donald Trump’s US election in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    Yup, I agree 100% on each of those. The ability to instantly block MAGA heads as well as annoying "Blue MAGA" grifter accounts has made the experience so enjoyable. I joined about a year ago and...

    Yup, I agree 100% on each of those. The ability to instantly block MAGA heads as well as annoying "Blue MAGA" grifter accounts has made the experience so enjoyable. I joined about a year ago and this week it has finally started to feel like a bona fide replacement for old Twitter, before the Musk takeover. The moderation tools are really nice too, like the ability to detach quote posts to avoid dunks and such. I'm excited to see it grow.

    11 votes

  12. Comment on Taylor Swift fans are leaving X for Bluesky after Donald Trump’s US election in ~society

    gpl
    Link
    It's not just swifties, too! Seems like Bluesky has gained ~ millions (?) of new users this week and the place is starting to approach a good critical mass. I've been enjoying it.

    It's not just swifties, too! Seems like Bluesky has gained ~ millions (?) of new users this week and the place is starting to approach a good critical mass. I've been enjoying it.

    34 votes

  14. Comment on Federal Reserve cuts its key interest rate by a quarter-point amid postelection uncertainty in ~finance

    gpl
    Link Parent
    People already suffered due to their choices — in the first Trump administration — and yet he won again and with larger margins than the first time. Historically, when economic conditions...

    People already suffered due to their choices — in the first Trump administration — and yet he won again and with larger margins than the first time. Historically, when economic conditions deteriorate, people do not turn to "proper reforms". They turn to authoritarians and strongmen. Trump could crash the economy on day one and large swathes of the country would blame the Democrats. So what exactly is the point other than causing widespread suffering?

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Federal Reserve cuts its key interest rate by a quarter-point amid postelection uncertainty in ~finance

    gpl
    Link Parent
    I get the temptation to let things crash and burn on Trump's watch, but there's a whole lotta people who would be reaping what they did not sow. Economic crashes leave people destitute, destroy...

    I get the temptation to let things crash and burn on Trump's watch, but there's a whole lotta people who would be reaping what they did not sow. Economic crashes leave people destitute, destroy families and lives, and create the conditions which breed fascism. We should be trying to avoid that.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Thoughts on a Democratic postmortem in ~society

    gpl
    Link
    I think the main thing that Democrats have to grapple with and catch up with is the media environment. It doesn't work to just blanket people with ads anymore. People digest information in...

    I think the main thing that Democrats have to grapple with and catch up with is the media environment. It doesn't work to just blanket people with ads anymore. People digest information in different ways now. There is an entire right wing media sphere, from podcasts to streamers to Musk's X to Fox News to Newsmax etc, that has completely captured huge swathes of the population. Until Democrats find a way to counter this none of those other things will matter. Policy does not matter if that policy is presented to people filtered through these outlets. Messaging does not matter. We are at the point where even the "facts on the ground" do not matter. If the internet is telling people that the country is in the shitter and overrun by criminals and immigrants, even if they do not experience it in the quotidian, they will believe it. Some of these issues are not new (e.g. Fox News), but the scale is absolutely different now.

    6 votes

  18. Comment on Elections: ultimately, it’s going to be okay in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    They need to be approved by the Senate. One must remember that our system was set up as checks and balances between branches of government, not between parties. The thought was that...

    They need to be approved by the Senate. One must remember that our system was set up as checks and balances between branches of government, not between parties. The thought was that self-interested branches would act to conserve their own power. But with parties that goes out the window.

    7 votes

  19. Comment on American election mental health thread in ~health.mental

    gpl
    Link
    This post by Chuck Wendig sums up a lot of my feeling. It was cathartic to read and know others feel the same. https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2024/11/06/this-is-a-doom-post/

    This post by Chuck Wendig sums up a lot of my feeling. It was cathartic to read and know others feel the same. https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2024/11/06/this-is-a-doom-post/

    6 votes

  20. Comment on 2024 United States election megathread in ~society

    gpl
    Link Parent
    The final results are yet unknown, but I am certain that as with 2016 and 2020 the Democrats will win large majorities of the non-white working class. Those people are subject to the exact same...

    The final results are yet unknown, but I am certain that as with 2016 and 2020 the Democrats will win large majorities of the non-white working class. Those people are subject to the exact same dynamics that you outline in your post but did not vote for Trump. Not really sure how you can boil this down to a pure class argument without confronting that.

    I agree that people feel the economy is bad. But when his solution is 20% tariffs and mass deportations, moved which will absolutely crater the economy, I find it hard to take the economic frustration argument seriously. People are mad at the economy and want to take it out on immigrants. That’s what this boils down to.

    12 votes