l_one's recent activity
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Comment on US Government UFO document release in ~society
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Comment on Norway is reopening three gasfields that it shut down last century as demand from Europe for alternatives to Russian and Middle Eastern supply increases in ~enviro
l_one LinkFound an archive / paywall bypass link. I've been wondering if this would happen since I recently found out about these reserves that Norway had shut down. While ideally we should be more...Found an archive / paywall bypass link.
I've been wondering if this would happen since I recently found out about these reserves that Norway had shut down. While ideally we should be more aggressively moving away from non-renewable / non-polluting energy sources... we are where we are, and it's simply true that we can't instantly get there from here.
Definitely better for Europe to source energy from politically / strategically aligned sources than from Russia.
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Comment on New AI data center in Utah will generate and consume more than twice the amount of power the entire state uses in ~tech
l_one Link ParentIn theory, and mind you this is just based on the math, not the practicalities; you can have that 10x or more storage with thermal batteries based on scale. In practice? Honestly I don't know....In theory, and mind you this is just based on the math, not the practicalities; you can have that 10x or more storage with thermal batteries based on scale.
In practice? Honestly I don't know. There have been large thermal batteries put into operation, but the ones I have looked up thus far seem to be based on providing energy as heat and pressure to the end-use case instead of running a steam turbine to provide electrical energy. That makes sense as the fewer times you convert your energy the fewer your efficiency losses, but I want to see electrical production and real-world conversion data from that. Or, I suppose, data on why it isn't being done (at that large scale - and maybe it is being done and my brief search just didn't find it) that gives me a better understanding.
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Comment on New AI data center in Utah will generate and consume more than twice the amount of power the entire state uses in ~tech
l_one Link ParentIn high average sun exposure locations I would be more interested in concentrated solar thermal plants I think. Thermal batteries are doable, rudimentary versions can be done ahem 'dirt cheap',...In high average sun exposure locations I would be more interested in concentrated solar thermal plants I think.
Thermal batteries are doable, rudimentary versions can be done ahem 'dirt cheap', and scale is good for them, the square-cube law increases storage efficiency the bigger you go.
Nerd puns aside, there are complexities and trade-offs with everything, but depending on the material used as the storage medium (molten salt comes to mind as one option, but there are plenty of others that can give you excellent heat energy capacity/volume) you can have energy output through the night. Need more output when it's dark? Scale up your storage volume and collector surface area.
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Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech
l_one Link ParentAnother Mint user here, Cinnamon desktop. I can do all the things I need and want to do on it. Video editing with Blender, image editing with Gimp, I can play MTG Arena (used to use Lutris to do...Another Mint user here, Cinnamon desktop. I can do all the things I need and want to do on it.
Video editing with Blender, image editing with Gimp, I can play MTG Arena (used to use Lutris to do this but have since switched to using Steam since it means I no longer have to manually fix what an update breaks).
No problems connecting to my thermal label printer or with using an arbitrarily large number of monitors. It just does what I want.
Edit: Oh, and I just remembered that my computer would sometimes crash back when I used Windows. Hahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahah. Yeah, Mint doesn't do that to me.
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Comment on The space race (back) to the Moon: Artemis, moon bases a competition beyond orbit in ~space
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links. ... After years or relative...Sorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
...
After years or relative hiatus, the 2020s and 2030s are now set to see a wave of missions to the moon with Artemis II recently splashing down.
As we'll discuss this episode, there are some things that set these new efforts apart from those of the Cold War.
This time they don't just want to land on it, they want to mine it.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (partial):
NASA Office of the Inspector General Reports featured in this epsiode
https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploa...https://oig.nasa.gov/office-of-inspec...
NASA - Human Landing Systems
https://www.nasa.gov/reference/human-...NASA - Building the Moon Base
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploa...NASA - US National Space Policy
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nas...NASA - Artemis Plan 2020
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploa...2020 reporting on the 2024 timeline
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-2...CRS - NASA Appropriations & Authorisations At a Glance (2026)
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/...Bogota Declaration
https://www.jaxa.jp/library/space_law...ESA - European Service Module
https://www.esa.int/Science_Explorati...Atlantic Council - A U.S. Space Strategy for 2050
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-co...Reports on Space Force plans for Cislunar ops
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/spa...Project Horizon Study - Volume 1 https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSA...
U.S. Army Weapons Command - The Meanderings of a Weapon Oriented Mind When Applied In A Vacuum Such as the Moon (1965)
https://embed.documentcloud.org/docum...Helium leak issues on Orion
Reporting on potential NASA budget cuts
https://san.com/cc/congress-to-debate...
artemis-prepares-for-splashdown/Orion skips course correction burns
https://scitechdaily.com/nasa-artemis...Blue Moon Landers
https://www.blueorigin.com/blue-moonU.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act 2015
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-c...Reporting on Moon base plans
https://www.reuters.com/science/nasa-...Reporting on Chinese lunar base plans, lander and Mengzhou
https://www.space.com/china-moon-base...https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/...
https://www.reuters.com/science/nasas...
https://www.reuters.com/science/china...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6...
https://www.reuters.com/science/nasas...
Reporting on Indian Lunar Ambitions
https://www.space.com/india-land-astr...Source for Data on Annual Number of Objects Launched into Space
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/ye...https://spacestatsonline.com/launches...
Luna-25
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe...Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:07 — What Am I Talking About?
00:02:03 — Space Competition
00:08:03 — Milestones
00:12:45 — Artemis
00:29:24 — Resources in Space
00:38:07 — Competing Programs
00:43:17 — Militarisation
00:50:15 — Channel Update -
The space race (back) to the Moon: Artemis, moon bases a competition beyond orbit
7 votes -
Comment on US begins blockade in Strait of Hormuz in ~society
l_one (edited )LinkGee, this is great! Now, in addition to de-sanctioning Iranian oil to give them money after starting a war with them, we are taking over blocking the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz to...Gee, this is great!
Now, in addition to de-sanctioning Iranian oil to give them money after starting a war with them, we are taking over blocking the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz to make ABSOLUTELY SURE everyone blames the USA for the economic damage, instead of having any of that blame or political fallout land on Iran.
Whew. For a hot minute there I thought we might not find a way to make everything worse while also taking all the blame for it!
There is this bit:
"The U.S. blockade applies to “any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said.
The U.S. Central Command later added the caveat that American forces “will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”"
Who wants to start betting on how likely it is trump will try to copy the Iranian model and ask for $2M donations to his library or something in exchange for any ship transit?
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Comment on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concedes defeat in Hungary election in ~society
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Comment on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concedes defeat in Hungary election in ~society
l_one LinkWell holy crap. Ok then, some good news? I phrase that as a question because I have next to no knowledge of who has been elected, but I definitely view Orban leaving power as a net positive.Well holy crap. Ok then, some good news?
I phrase that as a question because I have next to no knowledge of who has been elected, but I definitely view Orban leaving power as a net positive.
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Comment on Russia's next offensive and Ukraine's energy war - impacts of the Iran War and the coming campaign in ~society
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links. ... Regional conflicts can have...Sorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
...
Regional conflicts can have global consequences, and the war in the Middle East is no exception.
The jump in energy prices appears to have pushed Ukraine to ramp up strikes on Russian energy export infrastructure to limit Moscow's ability to cash in on higher energy prices.Meanwhile, at the front, its expected Russian offensive activity will accelerate as we enter the traditional campaign season.
So in this episode I cover how the war in the Middle East has changed the balance in Ukraine, what we might expect from a Spring Offensive, and what some of the advantages and disadvantages these forces might have be as the fighting once again accelerates.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (To be completed 06/04/2026 due to late release):
Example of a report saying Russia's Spring Offensive has already begun
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...Example of a recent report saying the Russian offensive is still being prepared
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/04/...Report doubting a major Russian offensive will eventuate
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/0...RUSI - Tactical Developments in the Third Year of the Russo Ukrainian War (2025)
https://static.rusi.org/tactical-deve...Reporting and images on Energy Strikes:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...https://militarnyi.com/en/news/tanker...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-strik...
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-econ...
Reporting on potential impact on U.S. shipments to Ukraine
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/trump-...Featured reporting examples on motorised assaults
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/20...https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukrain...
Source of CSIS chart on projected future U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine
https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaw...Source for ISW territorial control change chart
https://understandingwar.org/research...Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:00:51 — What Am I Talking About?
00:03:02 — a "Spring" Offensive?
00:08:48 — Context
00:14:16 — Ukrainian Long Range Strike
00:29:11 — Ukraine's Economic Challenge
00:32:52 — Russian Strikes and Movements So Far
00:37:06 — Russian Advantages & Weaknesses
00:51:29 — Ukrainian Advantages & Weaknesses
01:00:23 — What Next?
01:02:04 — Channel Update -
Russia's next offensive and Ukraine's energy war - impacts of the Iran War and the coming campaign
7 votes -
Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
l_one LinkI recently found out about The High Kings, an Irish band, and two of their recent songs have been pretty awesome: Irish Roar and Son of IrelandI recently found out about The High Kings, an Irish band, and two of their recent songs have been pretty awesome:
and
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Comment on I love you all in ~talk
l_one LinkI'm sorry things are so crap right now. There may not be much I can do for your practical needs, but on the mental and emotional side, sending hugs. All things are temporary. All things change. It...I'm sorry things are so crap right now.
There may not be much I can do for your practical needs, but on the mental and emotional side, sending hugs.
All things are temporary. All things change. It won't be like this forever.
For whatever it may be worth, I wish you well.
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Comment on 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' TV series lands at Peacock in ~tv
l_one LinkAfter the audiobook, and then the audio immersion tunnel version, I am excited to see what is made of this. Also worried it will get butchered of course.After the audiobook, and then the audio immersion tunnel version, I am excited to see what is made of this. Also worried it will get butchered of course.
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Comment on How will the Iran War reshape arms exports? - Missile consumption, emergency sales and the supply gap in ~society
l_one Link ParentUkraine is now the leading edge in military drone tech and personnel with drone combat experience - and everything we are seeing says that drones are the future of warfare. This new reality of...Ukraine is now the leading edge in military drone tech and personnel with drone combat experience - and everything we are seeing says that drones are the future of warfare.
This new reality of drone warfare is pretty scary in terms of cost vs capability and what a threat actor can do with minimal resources.
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Comment on How will the Iran War reshape arms exports? - Missile consumption, emergency sales and the supply gap in ~society
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links. ... When countries can fire off...Sorry, no proper links in the description, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
...
When countries can fire off years of missile production in a matter of weeks, who fills the gap?
With the war in the Middle East seeing munitions expended by the thousands, that's a question that's likely to shape parts of the arms market for years to come.
And so today I look at some estimates of how the first few weeks of the war have burned through munition stocks, how nations have already started searching for replacements, and what that might mean for an air-defence market that was already struggling to keep pace with demands driven by the war in Ukraine and European rearmament.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (Partial due to late release)
Unless otherwise noted, arms transfer data per SIPRI
https://www.sipri.org/databasesRUSI - Macdonald Amoah, Morgan D. Bazilian and Lieutenant Colonel Jahara Matisek - Over 11,000 munitions in 16 Days of the Iran War: ‘Command of the Reload’ Governs Endurance
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-rese...Reference for higher Tomahawk consumption estimate
https://www.twz.com/news-features/u-s...U.S. State Department - arms transfers and defence trade statistics FY2025
https://www.state.gov/releases/bureau...EU SAFE plan
https://defence-industry-space.ec.eur...US Advances 23 billion in arms for mideast countries - WSJ ( Perun note, I can only find specific announcements for a fraction of that amount)
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran...UAE FMS - THAAD
https://www.state.gov/united-arab-emi...UAE FMS - FS-LIDS
https://www.state.gov/releases/bureau...Kuwait FMS - LTAMDS
https://www.state.gov/releases/bureau...NATO arms imports doubled in past five years with 60% sourced from the US
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20...UAE use of Korean Cheongung-II
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/cheong...Reporting on IRIS-T production
https://www.reuters.com/business/aero...India orders S-400 missiles
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/india-...RTX on production ramp targets
https://www.rtx.com/news/news-center/...Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:11 — What Am I Talking About?
00:01:57 — the "Squeezes"
00:06:47 — the Impact of Iran
00:26:16 — the Push to Localise
00:31:02 — Where Does This Matter?
00:32:17 — Air Defence Deficits
00:48:13 — Where Are We Going?
00:50:20 — Channel Update -
How will the Iran War reshape arms exports? - Missile consumption, emergency sales and the supply gap
12 votes -
Comment on Interesting material types for fantasy resources/macguffins other than crystals or metals? in ~creative
l_one Link ParentSanderson has been pretty creative about magic systems. In Warbreaker the essence of magic was the personal ownership and vibrancy of colors.Sanderson has been pretty creative about magic systems. In Warbreaker the essence of magic was the personal ownership and vibrancy of colors.
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Comment on OpenAI shuts down Sora AI video, Disney drops planned $1B investment in ~tech
l_one LinkI'm not particularly surprised by this. For the enshittification path it is expected to see free things become paid for / cheap, then cheap things become expensive, etc.. In this specific case and...I'm not particularly surprised by this. For the enshittification path it is expected to see free things become paid for / cheap, then cheap things become expensive, etc..
In this specific case and for AI in general I always thought all the free and to a lesser extent, the cheap AI stuff available online was to serve as a technology testbed, gather further training data, and get people to want / get used to those services - and to only be temporary until enough of those goals were met.
I'd guess they feel they have sufficient training data as at least part of the explanation. Another part is likely that companies see that the path of greatest profit is military applications as they can just say 'we have to get there first' and 'existential threat for someone else to get further than us' etc... while getting the defense department to turn on the money firehose.
My view of the sequence here is:
Quick! Start another war in the Middle East to distract from the Epstein Files!
...things happen due to incredibly predictable consequences that are bad for the economy and make trump look like an idiot even to his base...
Quick! Release some UFO files to distract from the war in the Middle East and the price of fuel!