infpossibilityspace's recent activity
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
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Comment on How industrial slaughter became the blueprint for modern capitalism in ~finance
infpossibilityspace Link ParentBoth things can be true, there was definitely room for moderation. It was a farce how meat workers' health was treated during this time and the government could have mandated additional safety...But in reality the food supply is really, really important. And do you know what's even more important than the supply of a particular category of food we all could live without if we had to? Confidence in the food supply. That's non negotiable. People who were irrationally buying out the dried pasta aisle needed stability more than they needed chicken.
Both things can be true, there was definitely room for moderation. It was a farce how meat workers' health was treated during this time and the government could have mandated additional safety requirements like reduced headcount, increased distance and slower line speeds.
John Oliver did a piece on meatpacking workers that's worth checking out.The author could have spent more time on making this a bit more nuanced, but they're illustrating out how meat is so engrained in western culture that we consider a lack of meat disastrous when vegetables/lentils/beans are still plentiful.
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Comment on There’s a reason US electricity prices are rising. And it’s not data centers. in ~enviro
infpossibilityspace LinkI think not enough emphasis is given to companies' negligence of replacing and upgrading old infrastructure. This could have been done gradually and continually to amortize the cost over a longer...At the same time, U.S. utilities haven’t been on top of replacing power poles and lines in the past, and are now trying to catch up. According to another report from Brattle, utilities are already spending more than $10 billion a year replacing aging transmission lines.
I think not enough emphasis is given to companies' negligence of replacing and upgrading old infrastructure.
This could have been done gradually and continually to amortize the cost over a longer period of time, but that would have gotten in the way of immediate profits.
Instead they're having to upgrade everything at once which is obviously going to be more expensive. -
Comment on Amazon Web Services crash causes $2,000 Smart Beds to overheat and get stuck upright in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentI see this explanation a lot, that the market won't pay for robust software because it takes longer to develop; but when an entire industry has been failing to make robust software for 10+ years,...I see this explanation a lot, that the market won't pay for robust software because it takes longer to develop; but when an entire industry has been failing to make robust software for 10+ years, why would you believe them?
Generational decay of knowledge is a real problem, and at a certain point people have to re-learn what used to be common knowledge. There's a reason "Have you turned it off and on again?" is a meme in IT circles.
Even hardware companies like Intel are at risk of forgetting what it means to be an engineering company, and the progress of silicon manufacturing is one of the greatest achievements of the century.
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Comment on What's your favorite hobby? in ~hobbies
infpossibilityspace Link ParentGodspeed my friend! I'm fortunate that I started my library 10 years ago and it's grown into a fairly extensive collection, but I started very slow - maybe 1 albums every 2 months. I know most...Godspeed my friend! I'm fortunate that I started my library 10 years ago and it's grown into a fairly extensive collection, but I started very slow - maybe 1 albums every 2 months.
I know most people don't buy albums anymore but you could do the same with your 10 most-played songs. Spotify used to have a feature where you could link your personal library alongside your Spotify playlist, so you could chip away at that until you don't feel like you'd be missing much?
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Comment on What's your favorite hobby? in ~hobbies
infpossibilityspace Link ParentAhh, that sounds really fun but I don't pay for streaming services.Ahh, that sounds really fun but I don't pay for streaming services.
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Comment on What's your favorite hobby? in ~hobbies
infpossibilityspace LinkActively listening to music! Not as background noise or even singing along (though I still do both) but putting a full album on and reading the lyrics alongside the music. Considering how the...Actively listening to music!
Not as background noise or even singing along (though I still do both) but putting a full album on and reading the lyrics alongside the music. Considering how the instruments and vocal delivery augment the feelings being evoked or, if the music is purely instrumental, closing my eyes and going on the journey with the band. Sometimes I'll read interviews discussing their inspiration or what world events were happening at the time.
This goes hand-in-hand with finding new bands to listen to. I'll spend an afternoon trawling through live sessions and music award lists. Often I'll find something completely weird that I wouldn't have given the time of day 5 years ago, but I've become more open to.
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Comment on Tips/guides to turn my home into a smart home? in ~tech
infpossibilityspace LinkAs a cybersecurity person, my first consideration would be to set up a separate VLAN to access your smart home devices and be very mindful which ones you allow to access the internet. Smart things...As a cybersecurity person, my first consideration would be to set up a separate VLAN to access your smart home devices and be very mindful which ones you allow to access the internet. Smart things are notorious for awful security holes.
Beyond that, I'd agree with other people here about starting small, and be prepared mentally and financially to replace stuff every 5ish years as they stop getting updates.
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Comment on Cycling is revolutionising transport in ~transport
infpossibilityspace Link ParentWould you say a decent cyclist doesn't belong on a cycle path if they can pedal faster than 15 mph? I have no problem with bikes going faster than 15, the throttle aspect is far more egregious. I...Would you say a decent cyclist doesn't belong on a cycle path if they can pedal faster than 15 mph?
I have no problem with bikes going faster than 15, the throttle aspect is far more egregious. I think anything with a throttle should need to be licenced and road-only unless it's limited to walking speed like a motorbility scooter/wheelchair
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Comment on Cycling is revolutionising transport in ~transport
infpossibilityspace (edited )LinkI'm totally a convert. Without an ebike I would have spent over £500 in train fares commuting to work this past year (or more for car stuff), and use it for most short trips also. I've been lucky...I'm totally a convert. Without an ebike I would have spent over £500 in train fares commuting to work this past year (or more for car stuff), and use it for most short trips also.
I've been lucky that there's a separate bike lane for my entire commute and I think the more people who use them, the safer they are because drivers are more accustomed to looking for us.
That said, I have a special disdain for throttle-powered ebikes. Even though they're plainly illegal and would be easy to police, I regularly see and are overtaken by these electric motorbikes, or see them scything through busy pedestrianised city centres.
I don't blame the public at all for their dislike of ebikes when they're used like this, it's a classic Tragedy Of The Commons which is only going to make cycling less accessible.For UK people, is the cycling proficiency course still a thing? I remember doing it in primary school and it's where I learned how to cycle on the road safely, but I don't know how popular it is these days.
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Comment on OpenAI’s H1 2025: $4.3b in income, $13.5b in loss in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentI'd agree that targeted integration is probably more useful than a generic chatbot, but I'm curious if there's much difference between the difference chat models? Why wouldn't people switch to a...I'd agree that targeted integration is probably more useful than a generic chatbot, but I'm curious if there's much difference between the difference chat models? Why wouldn't people switch to a different model if one of them starts spamming ads? I don't use ai so genuinely have no idea what a given model's USP is and if that difference is big enough to make people put up with increased ads.
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
infpossibilityspace LinkCan't give any headset recommendations, but in my experience separate headphones and mic setups are less likely to need software and provide better value. It sounds like your use-case is a desk...Can't give any headset recommendations, but in my experience separate headphones and mic setups are less likely to need software and provide better value.
It sounds like your use-case is a desk setup, which means cabled stuff could be an option.
Might be slightly out of budget, but something like Grado SR60X and a Samson Meteor could be good.
Look out for used stuff too, microphones are a solved problem (Shure SM58 have been the industry standard for over 50 years) and they don't really go wrong.
Can get some used deals on headphones too, old Beyerdynamic DT770 (industry standard since the 90s) and replacement ear cushions and it'll feels like new. I've had a pair for almost 15 years and they still sound great. -
Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
infpossibilityspace Link ParentYeah, I'd agree with that. I think where the mainstream frustration with economics and wealth inequality comes from is that, if economists have been studying this for a long time, why does it feel...Yeah, I'd agree with that. I think where the mainstream frustration with economics and wealth inequality comes from is that, if economists have been studying this for a long time, why does it feel like we're still seeing increasing inequality and our governments seem unable or unwilling to commit to redistribution?
Taking Gary charitably, I think this is one area where he has been effective - pushing mainstream awareness of wealth inequality and encouraging people to contact their representatives.
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Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
infpossibilityspace Link ParentIf you watch from 1:25 to 3:00 (the end of the quote), I think he makes a very similar claim to Gary, that his view of economics in very much shaped by his working-class upbringing which is framed...If you watch from 1:25 to 3:00 (the end of the quote), I think he makes a very similar claim to Gary, that his view of economics in very much shaped by his working-class upbringing which is framed as a reason to trust him more than traditional academic economists
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Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
infpossibilityspace Link ParentThe point he's making is that the socio-economic background of economists tends to be on the wealthier side, and he comes from a working-class background. I don't know how true that generalisation...He says that he made a lot of money as a trader, and immediately turns around and says you shouldn't trust rich people because they don't understand the rest of the populace. Not sure how that's congruent, but yeah you should listen to this oxford educated rich person and not the other rich academics.
The point he's making is that the socio-economic background of economists tends to be on the wealthier side, and he comes from a working-class background.
I don't know how true that generalisation is, but it's a similar yet opposite claim that Thomas Sowell makes to defend conservative policies. I guess people just like a rags-to-riches story.
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Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
infpossibilityspace Link ParentI'd love to hear more on this, as a layperson it does appear that economics as a field of study has some quite big problems when it comes to the models they use to study the economy, such as not...I'd love to hear more on this, as a layperson it does appear that economics as a field of study has some quite big problems when it comes to the models they use to study the economy, such as not accurately modelling wealth inequality, and a subset of people who aren't incentivised to solve these problems.
I'm referring to this Gary's Economics video so I'm not going to type out his whole argument, but I'd would be surprised if the problems he describes aren't being addressed. Being charitable, it seems like progress is slow?
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Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk
infpossibilityspace Link ParentTo give a bit more detail, because quantum systems are incredibly delicate, they need to be set up very isolated from the outside world. When you take a measurement, what you're really doing is...To give a bit more detail, because quantum systems are incredibly delicate, they need to be set up very isolated from the outside world. When you take a measurement, what you're really doing is breaking that isolation and introducing the system to the outside world we exist in (the technical term is entanglement), which causes the system to collapse.
There are multiple schools of thought why this happens, one you may have heard of is the "many worlds" idea which essentially says that whenever a quantum system collapses, all possibilities happen and the result we observe is the "world" we happened to end up in. Crucially it is never possible to access or measure those other worlds.
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Comment on Tesla influencers tried Elon Musk’s coast-to-coast self-driving, crashed before sixty miles in ~transport
infpossibilityspace Link ParentNot sure if you watched the video rather than the gif, but you can hear both of them discussing it well in advance of the collision. Reads to me like they wanted to "prove" the car would take...Not sure if you watched the video rather than the gif, but you can hear both of them discussing it well in advance of the collision.
Reads to me like they wanted to "prove" the car would take action rather than just ploughing into it and he only took the wheel at the last second so it doesn't suddenly change direction.
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Comment on Dark patterns killed my wife's Windows 11 installation in ~tech
infpossibilityspace Link ParentIt's on old security measure that's no longer recommended. It was suggested when Microsoft first introduced Bitlocker, the reasoning was that sleep mode uses power to keep RAM active, and if...It's on old security measure that's no longer recommended. It was suggested when Microsoft first introduced Bitlocker, the reasoning was that sleep mode uses power to keep RAM active, and if Windows also keeps Bitlocker-related info in RAM then an attacker might be able to pull that data out using a special USB stick or something.
It's a niche attack method but because breaking Bitlocker gives access to all the data on that machine, it was thought to be a good protection.
I haven't looked up why it's no longer recommended, but on Windows 11 even if you disable it with Intune, it gets ignored and sleep still works.
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Comment on The Buff Scammer, isolation, and the male loneliness epidemic in ~life.men
infpossibilityspace Link ParentBack of the envelope maths on the UK using ONS and census data, the male population is 29.2 million and total number of sexual crimes at 1.1 million. Assuming they are all unrelated, none are...*At least my assumption is that 93% of men aren't committing sexual crimes. Please tell me I'm right and that it's a far, far, far smaller percentage.
Back of the envelope maths on the UK using ONS and census data, the male population is 29.2 million and total number of sexual crimes at 1.1 million. Assuming they are all unrelated, none are unreported (a known stigma with male victims), and 93% of those are committed by men, it works out to about 3.5% of the male population. That 1.1 million includes all forms of sexual crimes from unwanted touching (most common) to the more explicit stuff.
So yes, a lot lower than 93% of all men
I understand it from a business perspective since we're in the prime earning years of our lives, but I don't care about what earns money for them. Thankfully I've managed to escape most of it by virtue of pop culture never really appealing to me, then and now.
When it comes to bands reuniting, I actually don't mind it that much since I never got to see them live and music is a big part of my life, but I definitely agree with you that being forward looking is interesting.
Finding a path away from pop culture has been way more gratifying in the long run too. Sure I don't get a lot of references, but I've found so much thoughtful art that I never would have otherwise.