infpossibilityspace's recent activity
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Comment on The woman on a mission to photograph every species of hummingbird in the world in ~hobbies
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Comment on Why humanity needs a Lunar seed vault in ~space
infpossibilityspace Link ParentI think the question behind ideas like this - Should we have a backup of Svalbard because climate change is putting Svalbard in danger? - is the wrong question to ask. It's a problem of...I think the question behind ideas like this - Should we have a backup of Svalbard because climate change is putting Svalbard in danger? - is the wrong question to ask. It's a problem of opportunity cost.
The article doesn't give any timescales, but realistically something like this is going to take at least a decade to build and hundreds of millions of <insert currency> (Svalbard took 4 years and $9 million and it's not going to be less). That's a lot of time and money that could go towards fixing the core issue instead.
That someone can win a presidency partly based on the promise of less renewable energy (or at least in spite it) shows we haven't even convinced the general public that climate change is a problem. Let alone make reasonable progress to solving it. I don't see how this helps in that fight.
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Comment on Why humanity needs a Lunar seed vault in ~space
infpossibilityspace (edited )Link ParentAccording to this article, if we're on track to hit 2C of warming, the Earth would be back to the average temperature of the Pliocene era about 3-5 million years ago (for context, it's estimated...According to this article, if we're on track to hit 2C of warming, the Earth would be back to the average temperature of the Pliocene era about 3-5 million years ago (for context, it's estimated the earliest humans emerged around 300k years ago).
Checking the vault website it doesn't say anything about having recovered seeds which grew that long ago (happy to be wrong about this). Isn't it a bit of a guess to assume any of our current samples could survive climates like that?
https://earth.org/data_visualization/a-brief-history-of-co2/
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Comment on Why humanity needs a Lunar seed vault in ~space
infpossibilityspace LinkI'm struggling to understand the climate catastrophe use-case. If global warming occurs to such an extent that Svalbard is lost and we have to resort to the moon vault, wouldn't it be likely that...I'm struggling to understand the climate catastrophe use-case.
If global warming occurs to such an extent that Svalbard is lost and we have to resort to the moon vault, wouldn't it be likely that the seeds will find their previous habitat now inhospitable?
Even if they're planted in cooler climates, the weather patterns will be different too. Maybe the only way they'd survive is in a tightly controlled greenhouse which is going to be energy intensive and pricey, and therefore not suitable at scale.
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Comment on Windows: Linux GPU gaming benchmarks on Bazzite in ~games
infpossibilityspace Link ParentIt'll be interesting to see what else they do to improve their drivers. I think we'll see a lot of devs start optimising their games for AMD since that's what the steam machine uses, not to...It'll be interesting to see what else they do to improve their drivers.
I think we'll see a lot of devs start optimising their games for AMD since that's what the steam machine uses, not to mention Valve has a vested interest in pushing for AMD, as does AMD themselves.
Meanwhile only Nvidia will be really pushing to improve Nvidia stuff.
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Comment on The platonic case against AI slop in ~tech
infpossibilityspace LinkI'm always impressed with Palladium articles. If we think of the work we create as pointing towards it's platonic ideal, then we shouldn't passively accept any creation that fails in progressing...I'm always impressed with Palladium articles.
If we think of the work we create as pointing towards it's platonic ideal, then we shouldn't passively accept any creation that fails in progressing towards it.
I just watched the anime film Blue Giant, which explores a love of jazz, and the main character's motivation for pursuing it is to use music to express themself to the world as richly as possible. The platonic musical form of their personhood, in a way.
That's a powerful concept for a piece of art to handle, and I think a non-curated AI work would miss the nuance and come off as trite or cliché.
I feel like we've lost or forgotten something in having ethics be stereotyped and politicised. There's a quote from I think Feynman who, when reflecting on his involvement in creating the atomic bomb, said that physics gives you the keys to knowledge, but philosophy guides you in which doors to use them on. The parallels with misused technology are pretty clear I hope.
I want to believe we're starting to realise that with AI stuff, but it's so hard to tell with everyone in their own media bubbles and seeing how much money is still being invested in it.
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Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reducing air traffic by 10% across forty ‘high-volume’ markets during government shutdown in ~transport
infpossibilityspace Link ParentMaybe I'm too cynical, but I can't help feel that this is part of the reason why Republicans aren't trying harder to resolve the shutdown. If ATCs end up being paid for by the airports, why does...They are requesting the ability to use airport revenues to pay ATC. A very interesting legal situation that I feel is not limited just to the legal language regarding how airports spend money.
Maybe I'm too cynical, but I can't help feel that this is part of the reason why Republicans aren't trying harder to resolve the shutdown. If ATCs end up being paid for by the airports, why does the government need to resume paying them after it's running again? It's an invisible forced privatisation.
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
infpossibilityspace LinkI 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...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.
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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.
I really hope she binds them into a book when she's done, I'd buy o a copy and stare at it for hours. Even better if it includes facts with each one!