lakhs_24's recent activity

  1. Comment on Why suicide rates are dropping around the world in ~health.mental

    lakhs_24
    (edited )
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    This article argues that means restriction such as reducing access to common suicide methods is effective in reducing suicide rates globally. It begins by taking the example of post WWII Britain,...

    This article argues that means restriction such as reducing access to common suicide methods is effective in reducing suicide rates globally. It begins by taking the example of post WWII Britain, which experienced rising suicide rates after WWII, many of which were carried out by the use of carbon monoxide gas which was readily available from heating systems in homes around that time. However, once other cheaper methods of heat/gas production became popular (which didn't produce carbon monoxide), suicide rates began to drop, and suicide by carbon monoxide was almost zero.

    This example highlights the fact that suicide is often an unplanned, spur of the moment act. Further evidence is presented by showing that bans of pesticides, using barriers on high structures, regulating smaller medication packet sizes, and applying gun controls all seem to decrease the suicide rate as well. This was definitely an interesting read for me, as I assumed that any person attempting suicide would someone who has suffered for a long time through some sort of trauma or mental health problems.

    10 votes

  3. Comment on So you want to turn an office building into a home? in ~design

    lakhs_24
    Link
    Since COVID and the advent of remote work, many cities continue to have unused office space; At the same time, many of these same cities also have a lack of housing available. Ideally, office...

    Since COVID and the advent of remote work, many cities continue to have unused office space; At the same time, many of these same cities also have a lack of housing available. Ideally, office space owners would convert the office buildings into residential units but this process is more complicated and difficult than it may seem. The linked article lays out the various challenges and provides diagrams to illustrate the process of actually converting one of these office buildings.

    Alternate archive link: https://archive.ph/uFHMr#selection-299.0-299.50

    4 votes

  5. Comment on ‘A profound betrayal of trust’: Why Jackson’s water system is broken in ~life

    lakhs_24
    Link
    This article describes the state of the water system in Jackson Mississippi, which has been unable to produce clean drinking water for the past five years. The writer mentions the common situation...

    This article describes the state of the water system in Jackson Mississippi, which has been unable to produce clean drinking water for the past five years. The writer mentions the common situation across many older cities whose governments have not planned for future maintenance costs as well as the declining population (specifically the departure of white middle class people) reducing the revenue available to perform maintenance.

    The article particularly focuses on the influence of race on this problem, as Jackson is mostly made up of black residents and in the nearby suburbs (which have clean drinking water) are mostly white people - It is from these suburbs that most of the powerful Mississippi politicians have been produced. The article argues that systemic racism is the main cause for Jackson's current problems and lack of investment for the future.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on William Shatner: My trip to space filled me with ‘overwhelming sadness’ in ~space

    lakhs_24
    (edited )
    Link
    This is an account from actor William Shatner about his experience going into space in Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space shuttle. I found it particularly touching to read about how he described his...

    This is an account from actor William Shatner about his experience going into space in Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space shuttle. I found it particularly touching to read about how he described his initial expectations about how he would be in awe and enjoy the thrill of being in space and yet his experience was completely different. It was fascinating to read about how profound this experience was to him in a totally unexpected way and I learned about the "Overview Effect" for the first time.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on The more gender equality, the fewer women in STEM in ~life.women

    lakhs_24
    Link
    This article explores the phenomenon that many nations with less gender equality have a higher percentage STEM graduates being women (such as UAE, Turkey) whereas those with more gender equality...

    This article explores the phenomenon that many nations with less gender equality have a higher percentage STEM graduates being women (such as UAE, Turkey) whereas those with more gender equality (e.g. Sweden, Finland, Norway) have fewer women in STEM. The article proposes that the reason for such a trend could be that women in less gender-equal countries are preferring to pursue the clearest path towards financial freedom regardless of whether STEM is their greatest strength/preferred career.

    The research finds that while girls have similar abilities to boys in STEM subjects, in many countries it is the case that girls are stronger at other subjects, such as reading. Thus, countries "that empower women also empower them, indirectly, to pick whatever career they’d enjoy most and be best at."

    This is an interesting paper which highlights the differences in gender demographics in STEM in various countries, and proposes reasons why this somewhat counterintuitive trend may be apparent. The article does mention that the low numbers of women entering STEM in western countries may not be solely due to preference, saying that "the percentage of girls who excelled in science or math was still larger than the number of women who were graduating with STEM degrees. That means there’s something in even the most liberal societies that’s nudging women away from math and science, even when those are their best subjects."

    There is also an archive version here.

    8 votes

  11. Comment on Physical buttons outperform touchscreens in new cars, test finds in ~transport

    lakhs_24
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    This consideration would be top of mind whenever I buy a new car. I really value the physical controls of my current car as it makes it easy to change heat/A/C and volume without looking away from...

    This consideration would be top of mind whenever I buy a new car. I really value the physical controls of my current car as it makes it easy to change heat/A/C and volume without looking away from the road. Although many manufacturers are switching away from touchscreens to drive down cost, some such as Honda have returned to using some buttons after complaints from customers.

    4 votes

  13. Comment on Is your smartphone ruining your memory? A special report on the rise of ‘digital amnesia’ in ~health.mental

    lakhs_24
    Link
    This article explores the possibility that smartphone reliance is adversely affecting our memories and ability to recall. While some neuroscientists argue that using our smartphones to help us...

    This article explores the possibility that smartphone reliance is adversely affecting our memories and ability to recall. While some neuroscientists argue that using our smartphones to help us with cognitive processes frees up our minds to focus on other tasks and ideas, others say that the convenience comes with a price that includes reduced memory function. It is mentioned that people who have been using GPS for a long time have observable impairments in spatial memory abilities, and furthermore the general use of smartphones can impact one's memory as they can "drag us away from the present moment." The article goes on to note some experiments where differences in children's brains were observed when comparing those who used devices often to those who didn't.

    On a personal note, I have anecdotally observed that whenever I use GPS to get to a destination in the car, I can almost never remember how I got there, or even where it was in general. Therefore, I now almost always use plain maps to help me navigate and this has (in my experience) greatly helped me to build an internal map of all the streets, neighbourhoods and landmarks in my region.

    6 votes

  15. Comment on Why the Texas power grid is vulnerable to blackouts during winter storms and heat waves in ~enviro

    lakhs_24
    Link
    Climate change is causing more severe and extreme weather around the world. This is a fascinating piece about why Texas may be more vulnerable than other states based on its isolated, privatized...

    Climate change is causing more severe and extreme weather around the world. This is a fascinating piece about why Texas may be more vulnerable than other states based on its isolated, privatized power grid, and how it is set up to "constantly teeter on the edge of failure, one misstep away from a blackout." The article explains that although Texas avoids federal regulations since its grid does not cross state lines, it is unable to draw power from other states when unexpected events happen, nor can it provide its excess energy to others when it has a surplus. It mentions Texas' increasing use of renewable energy (wind, solar) but brings up the political and logistical obstacles obstructing further development.

    9 votes

  17. Comment on What did you do this weekend? in ~talk

    lakhs_24
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    Lately I've been trying my best to be more open-minded and willing to try new things, just to get a variety of different experiences. I was in the city for an event with friends and afterwards,...

    Lately I've been trying my best to be more open-minded and willing to try new things, just to get a variety of different experiences. I was in the city for an event with friends and afterwards, one friend invited us to come to a jazz bar with some of her extended family. I'm not too interested in jazz or in bars so I would usually have declined, but decided to try it out and I must say that it was a good experience, though a little awkward with all the new people. It's hard to describe, but it was just enlightening in a way to see a small community of older folks enjoying the music, drinking, dancing together and it felt like it opened my mind up a little bit to what these kinds of places can be like, especially since none of my family are outgoing at all or into social activities. Seeing such a community has made me start thinking about how I might find such a community for myself in the future, beyond my family.

    4 votes

  18. Comment on Why being anti-science is now part of many rural Americans’ identity in ~life

    lakhs_24
    Link
    This article covers several topics. Notably, it mentions a "rural identity" where people disdain things such as minorities, the cultural elite, and other categories perceived to be urban,...

    This article covers several topics. Notably, it mentions a "rural identity" where people disdain things such as minorities, the cultural elite, and other categories perceived to be urban, including intellectuals and intellectualism. Thus, it argues that people distrusting science and knowledge are not necessarily because they are misinformed, but rather that this is part of their identity.

    The article also mentions that many rural people have "dirt under their fingers" and value experiential and empirical knowledge over "book smarts" and people telling them what to do. It brings up a case in Arkansas, where the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission realized that certain species of trees were dying and to stop this, changes would need to be made that would affect rural duck hunters. Instead of 'talking down' to them, the commission instead organized dinners where local staff would eat alongside the people they sought to convince. This practice of utilizing local messengers with relationships to the local communities enabled the hunters to discuss the matters with the staff, ask questions, and bring up concerns in a non-intimidating manner, which led to "dampening criticism of the new management system". The article proposes that this "intensely local, personal" approach to communicating issues and proposing solutions may be more effective to combat future problems, whether these problems are future pandemics, ecological disasters, or climate change in general.

    18 votes