Omnicrola's recent activity
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 15 in ~society
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Comment on ChatGPT is blowing up marriages as spouses use AI to attack their partners in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentThe insidious thing is, if someone in a relationship did make a new friend and all that person did was validate and agree with no pushback, my first reaction would be "what are they manipulating...The insidious thing is, if someone in a relationship did make a new friend and all that person did was validate and agree with no pushback, my first reaction would be "what are they manipulating this person in order to gain?". That's the behavior of a manipulative person trying to gain something from someone. Either money, access, or to "steal" that person for themselves. LLMs don't have motivations, but their system directive to be agreeable and validating still results in the same feedback loop that is used by manipulative people to destroy relationships.
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Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
Omnicrola Link ParentAlthough he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.Although he's part of that crew (Strike Force Five ⚡️), I think Oliver is in a different category PR-wise. HBO isn't broadcast, even though that matters far less in the streaming age.
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Comment on A full body air dryer in ~tech
Omnicrola LinkI can't decide if I'd like this enough to buy one and install it in my house, but I 100% want to try one. Especially when it's hot outside, nothing beats taking a shower and then standing in front...I can't decide if I'd like this enough to buy one and install it in my house, but I 100% want to try one. Especially when it's hot outside, nothing beats taking a shower and then standing in front of a fan on full blast.
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Comment on How Honeycrisp apples went from marvel to mediocre in ~food
Omnicrola Link ParentMy partner and I go with her sisters family to a local orchard here in Michigan the first week of u-pick honeycrisp season each year. The first year I went with them, mind blown, it's a night and...My partner and I go with her sisters family to a local orchard here in Michigan the first week of u-pick honeycrisp season each year. The first year I went with them, mind blown, it's a night and day difference.
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
Omnicrola Link ParentI have avoided the news for almost a year at this point, but that interview was excellent. I wish more news outlets were like this. Empathetic, methodical, genuine, and respectful. No gotchas, no...I have avoided the news for almost a year at this point, but that interview was excellent. I wish more news outlets were like this. Empathetic, methodical, genuine, and respectful. No gotchas, no smash cuts, no citing social media as a source of information. Great journalism.
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Comment on After ten years of black hole science, Stephen Hawking is proven right in ~space
Omnicrola LinkIt's pretty wild to me that they can extrapolate things like the square area of a black hole by watching something so incredibly "subtle" (to us humans) as gravitational waves."There's a very famous statement in physics that Stephen Hawking worked out, which is that the area, the surface area, of black holes can never decrease," explains Maximiliano Isi, an astrophysicist with Columbia University and the Flatiron Institute.
a new analysis showing that between the two of them, the initial black holes had a combined surface area of 240,000 square kilometers (roughly the size of Oregon). After they merged to form a single black hole, its area was about 400,000 square kilometers (roughly the size of California).
Hawking's theory says that the final area of the black hole has to be bigger than the sum of the two initial areas, says Chatziioannou, "and this is what we demonstrated observationally with that signal."
It's pretty wild to me that they can extrapolate things like the square area of a black hole by watching something so incredibly "subtle" (to us humans) as gravitational waves.
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After ten years of black hole science, Stephen Hawking is proven right
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Comment on Reddit announces new limits on moderating large subreddits and for moderators to remove content sitewide in ~tech
Omnicrola Link ParentCoincidentally, it is actually September this time around.Coincidentally, it is actually September this time around.
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Comment on OTC nasal spray seemed to cut COVID infections by 67% in mid-sized trial in ~health
Omnicrola LinkWhile this doesn't necessarily invalidate anything about the study, I do feel it worth calling out:While this doesn't necessarily invalidate anything about the study, I do feel it worth calling out:
The study was also funded by a pharmaceutical company that makes an azelastine nasal spray (though not the one that is sold over the counter in the US)
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Comment on The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia in ~health
Omnicrola Link ParentThe extra cruel twist is experiencing snowburn. Which is when you get a sunburn from the sunlight reflecting off the snow pack while skiing or similar activity. What makes it especially cruel is,...The extra cruel twist is experiencing snowburn.
Which is when you get a sunburn from the sunlight reflecting off the snow pack while skiing or similar activity. What makes it especially cruel is, because it's reflected sunlight, it burns you at the reverse angle. So you get to experience pain in fun new places, like under your forearms and the underside of your nose and chin.
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Comment on How comedy was destroyed by an anti-reality doomsday cult in ~humanities
Omnicrola Link ParentThanks! I gave it another try, but I think the style is just not something that appeals to me. So I appreciate you breaking down the aspects that really spoke to you.Thanks! I gave it another try, but I think the style is just not something that appeals to me. So I appreciate you breaking down the aspects that really spoke to you.
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Comment on How comedy was destroyed by an anti-reality doomsday cult in ~humanities
Omnicrola Link ParentI tried, i got to about the 6 minute mark before I bailed. I centrally like long form essay type videos, but after 6 minutes I had no idea what this person was even attempting. @zenen can you help...I tried, i got to about the 6 minute mark before I bailed. I centrally like long form essay type videos, but after 6 minutes I had no idea what this person was even attempting.
@zenen can you help me out? What in particular did you like about this video?
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Comment on The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia in ~health
Omnicrola LinkThis is surprising to me, and seems wildly inadequate. Real-world testing definitely has it's place, especially with a product that people use on their skin. Up until this moment though, I assumed...Historically, it has been done by spreading the sunscreen on 10 people at the same thickness, then timing how long it takes for their skin to start burning both with and without the product applied.
This is surprising to me, and seems wildly inadequate. Real-world testing definitely has it's place, especially with a product that people use on their skin. Up until this moment though, I assumed that verifying efficacy for sunscreen would involve lab tests under controlled conditions. UV and infrared lamps, photometers, testing for chemical contaminants arising from heavy UV exposure, etc etc.
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Comment on Therapists are secretly using ChatGPT in ~health.mental
Omnicrola Link ParentNot the person you're replying to, but the difference to me is huge. A doctor going to a specific website for information is to me the same as going and pulling a reference book off a shelf. It...At the end of the day, the doctor has to make the determination themselves, but I don't see how that would be any different from consulting a textbook or some other documentation.
Not the person you're replying to, but the difference to me is huge. A doctor going to a specific website for information is to me the same as going and pulling a reference book off a shelf. It shows that they know at least part of the answer, and where to find the information they need to confirm or expand on it. The same as I do when I have questions about something I have expertise in, I go to a specific set of documentation, forums, or references. I may have even originally found them via Google, but I've read their material enough to trust that they are both useful and generally correct.
Googling something is the beginning of learning. I don't want a doctor who is beginning, unless I have some weirdly unique thing happening to me.
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Comment on Call of Duty: Ghosts – Power, paranoia, and orbital tungsten rods in ~games
Omnicrola Link ParentBut particularly relevant this week, he recently gave a talk on the trolling culture specific to fans of the (at the time) unconfirmed and unreleased game Silksong....He gave two recent PAX talks that I've seen recordings of, and iirc one of them was about
But particularly relevant this week, he recently gave a talk on the trolling culture specific to fans of the (at the time) unconfirmed and unreleased game Silksong.
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Comment on Spotify is adding direct messaging to their music streaming app in ~tech
Omnicrola LinkAbsolutely fucking not. I have had a paid Spotify subscription for a very long time, but this gives me pause.Absolutely fucking not. I have had a paid Spotify subscription for a very long time, but this gives me pause.
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Comment on ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ delivers Netflix first No. 1 box office win with $19M+, but streamer doesn’t want to officially report in ~movies
Omnicrola Link ParentIt was new to me as well, and I stumbled across this great video of a Korean language teacher explaining it along with some of the Korean lyrics and cultural references: https://youtu.be/qCmpU3ssip8Would love to know if it's a reference to some mythology or film history because it cut through tension so well.
It was new to me as well, and I stumbled across this great video of a Korean language teacher explaining it along with some of the Korean lyrics and cultural references: https://youtu.be/qCmpU3ssip8
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Comment on I asked Michelin chefs how they cook ramen in ~food
Omnicrola LinkThat first chef's version not only looks amazing, but is the only one I feel I could actually make in my kitchen right now. The others are actual fully elevated dishes that would take either way...That first chef's version not only looks amazing, but is the only one I feel I could actually make in my kitchen right now. The others are actual fully elevated dishes that would take either way too much time, far too expensive ingredients, or both. No judgement, the video title did not say "that you can make at home", just that the first one is the only one that excited me.
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Comment on Medieval Europeans were fanatical about a strange fruit with a vulgar name that could only be eaten rotten. Then it was forgotten altogether. Why did they love it so much? And why did it disappear? in ~humanities.history
Omnicrola LinkGreat article, this part in particular tickled me.Great article, this part in particular tickled me.
The process is known as "bletting", a word made-up by a botanist who noticed there wasn't one in 1839.
Social media is shattering America's understanding of Charlie Kirk's death
At this point commenting on how social media is dividing people is like saying the sky is blue, but it's still worth examining how the information landscape is evolving around Kirk's assassination. As with most news in the last 10-12 months, I've avoided engaging with it directly and instead absorb most of it second-hand from friends IRL. So recaps like this, a week or more after the fact, are quite welcome to me.