kacey's recent activity
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Comment on Hank Green on the recent US drone sightings in ~transport
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Hank Green on the recent US drone sightings
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Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech
kacey Link ParentComplete sidebar, but UV lithography is pretty neat! Asianometry has done some excellent explainer videos around the topic (bouncing lasers off of molten tin droplets! So cool :D), and these days,...Complete sidebar, but UV lithography is pretty neat! Asianometry has done some excellent explainer videos around the topic (bouncing lasers off of molten tin droplets! So cool :D), and these days, old photolithography processes are within grasp of exceptionally interested hobbyists! You don’t even need to be the child of a wealthy Silicon Valley tech person to do so :3
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Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech
kacey Link ParentCertainly, and agreed! But that said, if we assume for a future fascist dictatorship, evidence of misgivings will be unnecessary for arbitrary punishment. “Try not to record yourself breaking the..."Try not to do anything illegal" is a very concerning statement for me, mostly because we are living in an era where fascist ideologies are hot and trending. Twenty years ago, there was no widespread attention economy and the internet was a much different place.
Certainly, and agreed! But that said, if we assume for a future fascist dictatorship, evidence of misgivings will be unnecessary for arbitrary punishment. “Try not to record yourself breaking the law” is already a tough bar for many folks to clear (lighter side: people doing ‘social experiments’ on YouTube/TikTok, darker side: existing as LGBTQ+ and being doxxed), so I doubt that breaking encryption will be directly importantly for the overwhelming majority of us. Maybe it’ll matter more for three letter agencies.
[many worlds interpretation]
I’m more of a pilot wave theory person myself, but I can see the appeal behind the other interpretations! I’m also not a physicist so it’s hard to dig too deep here without going out of my depth!
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Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech
kacey Link ParentSeems fine to me. Ultimately a quantum computer just runs specific algorithms at a different complexity class (ie “way, way faster”) than a classical computer can. One of those quantum algos is...Seems fine to me. Ultimately a quantum computer just runs specific algorithms at a different complexity class (ie “way, way faster”) than a classical computer can. One of those quantum algos is capable of solving some of our popular encryption algorithms, but ultimately this is a known problem with solutions in progress.
Try not to do anything illegal and encrypt evidence of it in the next twenty years, but otherwise, this isn’t a huge deal. Twenty years ago most wifi connections were insecure and no one encrypted their network traffic. The goal behind traffic encryption has always been to make it seamless enough that people will actually use it, not to have them understand it mathematically, I feel, so this will be no different.
Re. The parallel universe and AI stuff, afaik it’s a combination of philosophical interpretations of the mathematics underlying quantum mechanics and hype chasing. This person is legally obligated to mention AI at least twice in all public communications.
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Comment on What are your favorite special kitchen ingredients? in ~food
kacey LinkThat’s a decent sized list! It’s also a good reminder that I still need to buy some shaoxing wine + mirin, too … Kala namak (AKA black salt; has an eggy flavour) Nutritional yeast (kinda cheesy...That’s a decent sized list! It’s also a good reminder that I still need to buy some shaoxing wine + mirin, too …
- Kala namak (AKA black salt; has an eggy flavour)
- Nutritional yeast (kinda cheesy powder)
- A Well Stocked Spice Cabinet (tonnes of herbs and whole spices, the latter of which are thrown into a well used coffee grinder)
- Kombu (apparently making beans with them reduces gas! Haven’t noticed a difference, but they’re definitely tastier)
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Comment on The destructive legacy of failed aquaculture in ~enviro
kacey Link ParentAs far as I know, Ocean Wise certifications are still considered adequate. Two caveats: Some species won’t be certifiable entirely, as their population is below safe levels, There’s an argument to...As a consumer, is there a way to avoid buying fish or shellfish that is produced by companies dumping all this waste in waterways?
As far as I know, Ocean Wise certifications are still considered adequate. Two caveats:
- Some species won’t be certifiable entirely, as their population is below safe levels,
- There’s an argument to be made that no wild caught seafood are sustainable, and that all open aquaculture is inherently disruptive to ocean ecosystems (although mussel farming has been shown to have a mixed, but overall positive, impact).
Also note that things such as fish sauce and bonito are often not available with any sustainability certification, and cutting them out would be very impactful if you rely on them for the cuisines they’re instrumental for.
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Comment on A few questions about replacing our clothes washing machine in ~life
kacey Link(sorry; I don’t appear to have directly addressed any of your questions, and have danced around the topic instead :/ I’ll still post this in case it’s of use) I haven’t tried any all in one...(sorry; I don’t appear to have directly addressed any of your questions, and have danced around the topic instead :/ I’ll still post this in case it’s of use)
I haven’t tried any all in one machines myself, but from doing research earlier, North American reviews of them were extremely strongly biased towards being negative. Main reasons I could tell for that were:
- the only brands available in NA sucked for the last decade or so, because none of the decent European manufacturers considered that market viable,
- since they’re often heat pump machines, they run cooler than a gas or electric air dryer. As a result, the fluffy and hot feeling that clothes get from an air dryer is missing, which people often perceive as damp,
- you can’t overload them; always read the directions. Stuffing it like a washer means that the drying cycle gets overloaded,
- if it’s a heat pump dryer, bear in mind that it takes longer for each cycle, so you’ll want to run it while you’re out of the house. That plus the smaller capacity often means people do smaller and more frequent loads rather than giant “laundry day” loads,
- some models are very quiet, and all heat pump machines do not require a vent, so you may be able to move them out of the unconditioned basement to avoid your glass cracking issue altogether.
All that said, I haven’t tried one myself, I’ve just scoured the internet for reviews. This YouTube channel does excellent appliance reviews imo, and they have a very thorough tear down and discussion of a few heat pump machines that might be worth a watch. It could also be instructive to check reviews on machines from overseas, as folks there are more used to the operating constraints of these machines, so their pros/cons lists might be more insightful (as noted, most NA reviews focus on the above list).
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Comment on Chrysler only sells a minivan. The iconic brand’s days could be numbered. in ~transport
kacey LinkThis video has a much more obvious political bias, but the summary by More Perfect Union of the situation with Stellantis was watchable, imo.This video has a much more obvious political bias, but the summary by More Perfect Union of the situation with Stellantis was watchable, imo.
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Comment on ‘Unprecedented risk’ to life on Earth: Scientists call for halt on ‘mirror life’ microbe research in ~science
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Comment on What do you use for 2fa? in ~tech
kacey Link ParentJust riffing on this theme, not really commenting on your personal position. But on a grander scale, there’s the notion that a well designed system is secure even if fully described. The idea...Just riffing on this theme, not really commenting on your personal position. But on a grander scale, there’s the notion that a well designed system is secure even if fully described. The idea being that security which is only achieved by obscuring details about your implementation is frail, whereas security that is derived from how components of the system are designed is resilient.
Still, I don’t know how that either scales down to individuals or up to eg state actors or Fort Knox, for example.
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Comment on What do you use for 2fa? in ~tech
kacey LinkOn iOS, I use OTP Auth, and on Android, I used FreeOTP. Both just do what they say on the tin, and support exporting for backups (on Android you need to use adb, iirc). I’d strongly recommend that...On iOS, I use OTP Auth, and on Android, I used FreeOTP. Both just do what they say on the tin, and support exporting for backups (on Android you need to use adb, iirc).
I’d strongly recommend that you use this time to audit your recovery codes and backup plans, too.
Ah, also, try not to use TOTP token generators (ie these apps) if possible. It’s still possible to socially engineer you to give up the code, so it’s better to use a FIDO or webauthn physical token instead (but anything is better than either nothing or an SMS second factor). I think they make them with NFC these days, but I always just use mine over USB.
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Comment on While ambitious urban planners try to make fifteen-minute cities a reality, the Nordhavn district of Copenhagen has gone one better – what's life like when everything you need is a stroll away? in ~design
kacey Link ParentApologies, I can’t tell from your comment, but I think you’re asking why calling out “fifteen minute cities” as a design goal is useful? The Wikipedia article has a decent paragraph on why...Apologies, I can’t tell from your comment, but I think you’re asking why calling out “fifteen minute cities” as a design goal is useful?
The Wikipedia article has a decent paragraph on why successful examples are important to show to NA folks, at least:
In early 2023, far-right conspiracy theories began to flourish that described 15-minute cities as instruments of government repression, claiming that they were a pretext to introduce restrictions on travel by car.[17][18][19][20] In fact, the '15-minute city' proposals do not involve any restrictions on travel by car – unrelated measures[a] introduced to reduce traffic in some cities have been somehow confused with '15-minute cities'.
The unfortunate case is that many people in USA/Canada literally require a car to live, since accessing critical services (healthcare, groceries, work) is only realistically accessible by motor vehicle. Sidewalks on major streets sometimes don’t even exist: you need to walk in the gutter or through peoples’ yards in order to get from point A to point B. Public transit in many cities has been defunded to the point that it adds several hours to a trip that could take minutes by car (a person on Tildes did that experiment earlier this year).
It’s pretty awful, and many of those people are rightfully terrified of having a lifeline taken away from them. Equally, they’re likely used to being mistreated by their local government, so fumbling the implementation and causing harm in the goal to make a walkable city is an imo reasonable emotional response.
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Comment on 28 Years Later | Official trailer in ~movies
kacey Link ParentI tended not to do much research if it is a franchise, and I didn’t want to have the content of the film spoiled. I got surprised once, then the pandemic happened, and it’s been my excuse not to...If it's a movie I'm actually interested in seeing though, I couldn't imagine not doing a little reading about the movie first (that's why I was reading the 28 Years Later Wikipedia page in the first place)
I tended not to do much research if it is a franchise, and I didn’t want to have the content of the film spoiled. I got surprised once, then the pandemic happened, and it’s been my excuse not to go to another movie since.
I was also bamboozled by Across the Spiderverse, but the price of admission was a lot lower.
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Comment on Funko Pop causes takedown of itch.io, calls the owner's mom in ~tech
kacey Link ParentSorry, just to clarify: may I ask if you are referring to trademark or copyright law? The former can be interpreted to require enforcement of a trademark to maintain it, but that’s not true in all...I understand the reasoning behind things like this - in order to retain copyright, you MUST ensure there is not rampant infringement.
Sorry, just to clarify: may I ask if you are referring to trademark or copyright law? The former can be interpreted to require enforcement of a trademark to maintain it, but that’s not true in all jurisdictions (even within the US). I’m not familiar with a similar process for copyright …?
Although you could also be saying that, socially, if everyone starts distributing media for free, we’ll all collectively begin to question the murky relationship between production costs and consumer prices in the modern era. In which case I’d agree 😅
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Comment on Man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO is ordered held without bail after brief court appearance in Pennsylvania in ~news
kacey Link ParentAfaik, 3d printed guns are just 3d printed receivers which, due to a quirk in philosophy and the US legal code, are the only gun part that must be registered. Since the receiver isn’t necessarily...Afaik, 3d printed guns are just 3d printed receivers which, due to a quirk in philosophy and the US legal code, are the only gun part that must be registered. Since the receiver isn’t necessarily exposed to the explodey bits in a gun, you can 3d print it and buy the other parts off the shelf.
Edit: hah, it looks like two other folks posted the same thing, but with more details! I defer to them.
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Comment on Photovoltaic-thermal window achieves 3.6% electrical efficiency, provides hot water at 50 C in ~enviro
kacey LinkI wonder how well this compares vs multi-pane (or suspended film) windows with a low emissivity coating under cooling conditions? I would imagine that the PV layer would heat up a fair bit, since...I wonder how well this compares vs multi-pane (or suspended film) windows with a low emissivity coating under cooling conditions? I would imagine that the PV layer would heat up a fair bit, since it’s intentionally absorbing light, instead of reflecting it as a lowE coating would. Still seems promising, though :)
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Comment on The gossip trap - How civilization came to be and how social media is ending it in ~humanities.history
kacey (edited )LinkI’ll try to dig up some citations when I’m out of the office, but I don’t think this statement is believed to be true: If I recall correctly, First Nations in the Pacific Northwest had complex...I’ll try to dig up some citations when I’m out of the office, but I don’t think this statement is believed to be true:
So we have slave-owning Mafia dons to the north, and meanwhile, ascetics to the south. Despite both being foragers, they ate extremely different diets, with Californian tribes relying on nuts and acorns, while the Northwest Coast societies were sometimes referred to as ‘fisher-kings’ (presumably due to their two loves: aristocracy and fish).
If I recall correctly, First Nations in the Pacific Northwest had complex land claim systems that were largely ignored by colonial powers. Furthermore we continue turning up physical evidence that the land tending practices they claimed to perform (as passed down through oral tradition) — notably, forest gardens and construction of shellfish habitat — were indeed used in anger. They weren’t foragers.
I haven’t read the whole article yet (I was just curious why we’re reframing human civilization w/o agriculture, which afaik was widely accepted as the solution to the bottleneck for civ growth), so maybe that’s a bait and switch paragraph and the authors correct themselves later? A la “aha! You bought our colonialist interpretation of First Nations law and history! In fact they did have agriculture, it just wasn’t practiced like in Europe due to other external factors!”
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Comment on Teen creates memecoin, dumps it, earns $50,000 in ~finance
kacey Link ParentSeems cromulent to me? Irregardless, I don’t want to offend, so I await updawg’s thoughts with baited breath.Seems cromulent to me? Irregardless, I don’t want to offend, so I await updawg’s thoughts with baited breath.
If one thing is another thing writ large, it is similar to it but larger or more obvious:
Hollywood is often said to be American society writ large. -
Comment on Teen creates memecoin, dumps it, earns $50,000 in ~finance
kacey LinkThere’s been some chatter about blockchains again since BTC has hit another peak; just figured that a cautionary/inspirational anecdote might help frame this for folks. To comment on a point...There’s been some chatter about blockchains again since BTC has hit another peak; just figured that a cautionary/inspirational anecdote might help frame this for folks.
To comment on a point raised by the article’s interviewee:
That his teenager was capable of making $50,000 in an evening, Biesk theorizes, speaks to the fundamentally different relationship kids of that age have with money and investing, characterized by an urgency and hyperactivity that rubs up against traditional wisdom.
“To me, crypto can be hard to grasp, because there is nothing there behind it—it’s not anything tangible. But I think kids relate to this intangible digital world more than adults do,” says Biesk. “This has an immediacy to him. It’s almost like he understands this better.”
Maybe I’m not deep enough into crypto “or” vanilla culture, but to analogize, this just looks like standard speculation writ large (due to an absence of regulation). People saw BTC skyrocket, and for reasons personal to everyone, they felt the need to gamble on finding the next penny stock to explode. “Kids these days” are more used to using social media as a distribution platform vs a way to keep up with Aunt Jean, I guess, which might be what makes this unfamiliar.
This came up in a thread earlier, but I didn’t want to dive in for fear of being unable to explain my viewpoint adequately. Thankfully, Hank is a much better speaker and covered everything I would’ve said anyhow.
Hopefully it can help folks who were at all distressed by the news coverage by providing some more context.