Minori's recent activity

  1. Comment on Don’t call it a sequel. Or a reboot. Or a remake. Why certain words trigger Hollywood. in ~movies

    Minori
    Link Parent
    They could go in interesting new directions. Howl's Moving Castle is strongly anti-war which is a totally original message. The author of the original books also loved the movie! You're right...

    They could go in interesting new directions. Howl's Moving Castle is strongly anti-war which is a totally original message. The author of the original books also loved the movie!

    You're right they're usually watered down instead.

  2. Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life

    Minori
    Link Parent
    That's an interesting observation. From that perspective, we can probably compare with India's liberalization which has led to vastly improved living standards.

    That's an interesting observation. From that perspective, we can probably compare with India's liberalization which has led to vastly improved living standards.

    1 vote
  3. Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life

    Minori
    Link Parent
    I don't think that's the intent. The point is that "wealth" correlates extremely strongly with health and well-being. Extreme poverty is devastating by modern standards, and no amount of social...

    I don't think that's the intent. The point is that "wealth" correlates extremely strongly with health and well-being. Extreme poverty is devastating by modern standards, and no amount of social network support will fix that.

    2 votes
  4. Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life

    Minori
    Link Parent
    My point is broader than material wealth. Social influencers and clout chasers are intoxicated by likes and subscribers and engagement. Greed and resentment aren't limited to money.

    My point is broader than material wealth. Social influencers and clout chasers are intoxicated by likes and subscribers and engagement. Greed and resentment aren't limited to money.

  5. Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life

    Minori
    Link Parent
    Africa isn't the only region that suffered under imperialism, and we do see split economic results based on strong kinship. Some countries and regions have grown despite their former challenges...

    Africa isn't the only region that suffered under imperialism, and we do see split economic results based on strong kinship. Some countries and regions have grown despite their former challenges while others haven't. It's good to ask why.

    7 votes
  6. Comment on How funerals keep Africa poor in ~life

    Minori
    Link Parent
    I couldn't tell how much of this is the "crabs in a bucket" mentality, but I have to imagine it contributes. Success or good fortune can easily breed social resentment.

    I couldn't tell how much of this is the "crabs in a bucket" mentality, but I have to imagine it contributes. Success or good fortune can easily breed social resentment.

    10 votes
  7. Comment on Sweden has halved its borrowing since facing financial meltdown in the 1990s, without raising taxes – and what Britain can learn from this experience in ~finance

    Minori
    Link Parent
    Austerity is bad during financial crises. It is not generically bad. Austerity temporarily reduces growth, but that's because unsustainable government spending produces unsustainable debt-fueled...

    Austerity is bad during financial crises. It is not generically bad. Austerity temporarily reduces growth, but that's because unsustainable government spending produces unsustainable debt-fueled growth. That's fine during a downturn, but it's a massive problem during good times.

    You can't print your way to growth. Taking on more and more debt eventually causes serious issues. Even Japan is facing increased exchange rate volatility now due to their insane debt rates.

    3 votes
  8. Comment on Four things to know about the newly approved US sunscreen ingredient in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    Completely agree on La Roche Posay sunscreen! It's lightweight and broad spectrum.

    Completely agree on La Roche Posay sunscreen! It's lightweight and broad spectrum.

  9. Comment on Four things to know about the newly approved US sunscreen ingredient in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    In Japan, Nivea is cheap and easy to find at stores like Don Quijote for only a few dollars! It gets a lot pricier with tariffs and consumer shipping...

    a random Nivea Japanese sunscreen

    In Japan, Nivea is cheap and easy to find at stores like Don Quijote for only a few dollars! It gets a lot pricier with tariffs and consumer shipping...

    2 votes
  10. Comment on Four things to know about the newly approved US sunscreen ingredient in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    Sure, but moisturizers and haircare products aren't so strictly regulated. Plenty of questionable supplements are totally unproven too. It's hard for me to see why moisturizers should be treated...

    Sure, but moisturizers and haircare products aren't so strictly regulated. Plenty of questionable supplements are totally unproven too.

    It's hard for me to see why moisturizers should be treated any differently than sunscreens. In Asia especially, it's common for moisturizers to contain sunscreen.

    1 vote
  11. Comment on Four things to know about the newly approved US sunscreen ingredient in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    That'd require the US to lower their standards. Other countries already do similar for medications (accept studies done in other countries). Without Congress passing another law repealing the...

    That'd require the US to lower their standards. Other countries already do similar for medications (accept studies done in other countries).

    Without Congress passing another law repealing the current statutes, this is expected.

  12. Comment on Our workplace LLM mass delusion in ~tech

    Minori
    Link Parent
    Maybe this is me being a technological boomer, but I found your message easy to understand. I often find people filtering themselves through LLMs become less clear because it obscures their voice....

    Maybe this is me being a technological boomer, but I found your message easy to understand. I often find people filtering themselves through LLMs become less clear because it obscures their voice. For non-native speakers, it often sharpens sentences such that they take on unintended meanings.

    If anything, I've found the best writers are even more valuable because they know what they mean to say, and they can effectively work with machines or people to get their voice across.


    These two videos cover a lot of my feelings about AI writing:

    1. https://youtu.be/V5wLQ-8eyQI
    2. https://youtu.be/JJLoLdyJ5-g
    7 votes
  13. Comment on Not alive, but not dead: disembodied human brains used for drug testing in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    I think it's more about the brain cells. Based on my reading, they're getting data about the brain cells as a unit. They're not even getting electrical activity though, so I question how much...

    I think it's more about the brain cells. Based on my reading, they're getting data about the brain cells as a unit. They're not even getting electrical activity though, so I question how much these results generalize to living brains with active neurons.

    4 votes
  14. Comment on Not alive, but not dead: disembodied human brains used for drug testing in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    If the brains don't have electrical activity, I really don't know how they'd "feel" anything. Neurons aren't firing, only being exposed to some chemicals.

    If the brains don't have electrical activity, I really don't know how they'd "feel" anything. Neurons aren't firing, only being exposed to some chemicals.

    5 votes
  15. Comment on Not alive, but not dead: disembodied human brains used for drug testing in ~health

    Minori
    Link Parent
    Fair points. What is pain without a nervous system? What is fear without a beating heart or fluttering stomach? Corpses have plenty of automatic responses which only mimic life. Hopefully they...

    Fair points. What is pain without a nervous system? What is fear without a beating heart or fluttering stomach?

    Corpses have plenty of automatic responses which only mimic life. Hopefully they have some very good neurologists on their ethics panel...

    6 votes
  16. Comment on Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers in ~tech

    Minori
    Link Parent
    There are better and more accurate models, but they're far too expensive to run on every single query. They're also slower than users expect from Google.

    There are better and more accurate models, but they're far too expensive to run on every single query. They're also slower than users expect from Google.

    1 vote
  17. Comment on Are there any games that had their development abandoned that you followed where you wish that continued/completed development? in ~games

    Minori
    Link
    Rawbots. The Kickstarter failed then the developers had some legal drama. I was still on the forums for years. Apparently they eventually sorta launched on Steam, but it's seemingly abandonware again.

    Rawbots. The Kickstarter failed then the developers had some legal drama. I was still on the forums for years.

    Apparently they eventually sorta launched on Steam, but it's seemingly abandonware again.

    1 vote
  18. Comment on Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers in ~tech

    Minori
    Link Parent
    They'd sooner disable the responses than pull out of the market (unless they really want to make a point and anger Brussels for little benefit).

    They'd sooner disable the responses than pull out of the market (unless they really want to make a point and anger Brussels for little benefit).

    10 votes
  19. Comment on Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers in ~tech

    Minori
    (edited )
    Link
    Would it be any different if the user requested the AI overview? I'm curious whether the user requesting something changes the liability in any way. Because of how LLMs work, users can request...

    Would it be any different if the user requested the AI overview? I'm curious whether the user requesting something changes the liability in any way. Because of how LLMs work, users can request "wrong" answers. I don't really want any government too involved in deciding what's true or false.

    Google's AI overviews had falsely tied two publishing companies to scams, subscription traps, and shady business practices for certain search queries. According to the court, the AI mixed up information about other, genuinely sketchy companies with the plaintiffs and drew connections that didn't appear in any of the linked sources. The publishers sent Google a cease-and-desist letter, but Google didn't respond appropriately.

    This could happen with any LLM. If upheld, this could significantly affect how LLMs are offered in Germany.

    7 votes
  20. Comment on The user is visibly frustrated in ~tech

    Minori
    Link Parent
    There are limited studies showing that polite language is associated with more accurate and higher quality responses. Some of my coworkers reeeeeeally didn't like hearing that!

    There are limited studies showing that polite language is associated with more accurate and higher quality responses. Some of my coworkers reeeeeeally didn't like hearing that!

    1 vote