stu2b50's recent activity
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Comment on Googlebook revealed and ready for pre-order in ~tech
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Comment on Everyday/week seems to fly by as I get older, how to change one's perception? in ~life
stu2b50 Link ParentI’m skeptical this really matters. The reality is that our memory is designed to be local. How much do you really remember from ages 1-10? Probably not a ton. Of course, if you force yourself, you...I have a theory that it’s also because a day is a shorter amount of your life. A day is still 24h but when you’re 4 a day represents a larger proportion of your lived life than when you’re 40.
I’m skeptical this really matters. The reality is that our memory is designed to be local. How much do you really remember from ages 1-10? Probably not a ton. Of course, if you force yourself, you can remember some things, but it’s definitely sequestered into long term memory that you don’t actively engage with.
So it’s probably true of like a 4 year vs a 16 year old, but I don’t think it matters for 18 vs 30. At a certain point you remember as much about your life as you’re going to - a fraction, and it goes out on a rolling basis like the memory card of a dashcam.
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Comment on In fighting for every black child, did I forget my own? in ~life
stu2b50 Link ParentI mean, it seemed clear that Najya suffered, by her own account. She describes being scared for her physical safety at lunch, because there was no adult supervision and the students were going...Also, it's not clear to me that Najya's opportunities meaningfully suffered from these decisions.
I mean, it seemed clear that Najya suffered, by her own account. She describes being scared for her physical safety at lunch, because there was no adult supervision and the students were going wild at each other. She also describes feeling isolated, because she's a smart kid surrounded by kids who deem intelligence a weakness and something to mock.
If it got to the point where Najya had to beg her mother to let her go to a different school, that's suffering.
I don't think there's anything wrong with sacrifice for the greater good, but there is something wrong with forcing someone else to sacrifice for what you think is the ideological good without their consent.
Your kid has very little power in their lives. Their quality of life depends on your choices as a parent. It's worthwhile to live up to that fact.
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Comment on Everyday/week seems to fly by as I get older, how to change one's perception? in ~life
stu2b50 LinkYou need to have new and novel experiences. Everything is novel when you're young, but obviously you start to experience things. Novelty can come from many different experiences. I think travel is...You need to have new and novel experiences. Everything is novel when you're young, but obviously you start to experience things.
Novelty can come from many different experiences. I think travel is an excellent one, and make sure you actively seek out uncomfortable and new experiences while you do it, but it's not something you can do all the time.
Even at home, though, do things that you would not normally do.
Stress and anxiety is actually a useful signal. Explicitly seek out things that make you anxious thinking about. For one, it will almost certainly not be as bad as you think it will be. And you'll definitely make some memorable memories.
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Comment on These cookies are 3D-printed and made of recycled plastic in ~science
stu2b50 Link ParentIn terms of affirmative research on the our inability to test for plastics, see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04045-3. Where more action is happening is in rebuttals to existing...In terms of affirmative research on the our inability to test for plastics, see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04045-3.
Where more action is happening is in rebuttals to existing papers. This Guardian article is a good overview: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/microplastics-human-body-doubt
Due to serious experimental issues, many of the papers were withdrawn, including the (in)famous "Don't Use Black Plastic In Kitchen Paper".
Journal that published faulty black plastic study removed from science index
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Comment on A Western Mass. lesbian bar required KN-95 masks. When it changed the rules, all hell broke loose. in ~lgbt
stu2b50 Linkarchive Not particularly important on the grand scheme of things but an interesting look at a niche subculture. I wasn’t aware there were still places that required masks.Not particularly important on the grand scheme of things but an interesting look at a niche subculture. I wasn’t aware there were still places that required masks.
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A Western Mass. lesbian bar required KN-95 masks. When it changed the rules, all hell broke loose.
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Comment on These cookies are 3D-printed and made of recycled plastic in ~science
stu2b50 Link ParentWhat are plastics? A processed form of hydrocarbons. Where do hydrocarbons come from? Compressed and heated plant material (from the Mesozaic era). It's plants all the way down. I don't see any...I don’t like to shoot down really creative ideas, but I also can’t imagine it being a good idea to eat plastic; as far as I know digested plastic is still plastic, possibly microplastics.
What are plastics? A processed form of hydrocarbons. Where do hydrocarbons come from? Compressed and heated plant material (from the Mesozaic era).
It's plants all the way down. I don't see any issue with then processing it back into organic material and then consuming it. It's a longer journey, but it's no different than a yam that grows from the nutrients of dead leaves.
Hydrocarbons aren't like magic alien dust, it's just good ol' dead plants. We can turn it back from whence it came.
I'd also add that a lot of the microplastic is bad science from overeager scientists. In recent years, a lot of research has come in that most of those findings are from the plastic gloves they wear contaminating the results. In particular, there's no evidence that microplastics can pass the blood-brain barrier.
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Comment on What's something that now looks very different to you in hindsight? in ~talk
stu2b50 Link ParentThere's always tradeoffs. The bailouts were a very targeted package. And in that respect, they worked fantastically. Like I said, the bailouts didn't even cost money, it cost negative money. It's...There's always tradeoffs. The bailouts were a very targeted package. And in that respect, they worked fantastically. Like I said, the bailouts didn't even cost money, it cost negative money.
It's true that the government didn't pass much fiscal stimulus, and there was a spike in unemployment, but the other side of that was that the post 2008 recovery had very low inflation.
On the other hand, after COVID, the government passed a LOT of fiscal stimulus. This meant that the so-called soft landing did occur, unemployment was steady after the initial "go home" spike, and there was never even an economic recession.
But high inflation doggedly follows the economy to this day. Which is better? High inflation with low unemployment, or low inflation with high unemployment?
Right now it sounds like a lot of people would rather the former. Sometimes the grass is always greener.
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Comment on What's something that now looks very different to you in hindsight? in ~talk
stu2b50 (edited )Link ParentNone of the loans went to private equity, it was mainly used to bailout major publicly held investment banks. Private equity did expand in the years proceeding, but that had nothing to do with...None of the loans went to private equity, it was mainly used to bailout major publicly held investment banks.
Private equity did expand in the years proceeding, but that had nothing to do with federal tax money. It was simply because private equity did not have the same level of exposure as public investment companies into MBS and CDS, so they were relatively unscathed.
What they should have done was put that money directly into people's retirement accounts.
That doesn't really help. The issue wasn't a general demand shrinkage like in a normal recession, the acute issue was that banks, believe it or not, are an important part of the economic infrastructure of the nation, and if a significant portion of them went under it would have far more impact than just the dollar amount.
It's if someone had destroyed all the highways in the US vs random parts of the US. Even if it had the same nominal dollar value, roads have value far exceeding the nominal value of their construction.
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Comment on What's something that now looks very different to you in hindsight? in ~talk
stu2b50 Link ParentYep. All the loans were paid back, with interest. The government absolute came out on top. Not only was every dollar of bailout recovered, but the government actually made an additional $109b in...did those who tool the loans pay them back? Did the federal government come out on top?
Yep. All the loans were paid back, with interest. The government absolute came out on top. Not only was every dollar of bailout recovered, but the government actually made an additional $109b in net profit.
taxpayer is left holding the bag.
They indeed held the bag... a bag with $109 billion in it! Now, compared to the annual US federal budget, $109b is a drop in the bucket, but -$109b is a pretty cheap price to pay for economic stability. It's approximately $109b cheaper than a McDouble, after all.
Who could possibly be accountable for the failure of the government to regulate?
The government? 2008's financial crisis was a major reason that Obama won such a staggering landslide victory in the elections that year.
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Comment on What's something that now looks very different to you in hindsight? in ~talk
stu2b50 Link ParentWhat does private equity have to do with anything? They were the least exposed to the 2008 shenanigans to begin with. I suppose in a way they benefited by not being destroyed in the same way, but...What does private equity have to do with anything? They were the least exposed to the 2008 shenanigans to begin with. I suppose in a way they benefited by not being destroyed in the same way, but that’s just… smart risk management by their part?
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Comment on I want an RPG with reverse leveling in ~games
stu2b50 LinkIdk, there are games that unintentionally worked like this and the reception wasn't very good. FF8 is an example. Because of the way level scaling worked in that game, you got weaker the more you...Idk, there are games that unintentionally worked like this and the reception wasn't very good. FF8 is an example.
Because of the way level scaling worked in that game, you got weaker the more you leveled up. That's because enemies got new skills and much more stats as they scaled with your levels, while you got mostly meaningless stat increases.
This part of the game is not well thought of by players. The fact that the game effectively punishes you for playing it more in a long-running game is just frustrating game design.
Current RPGs start strong with the story, but then people put it on hold to do lots of side content.
I mean, that's good? That means they are enjoying the side content? Adding side content then punishing you for doing it just seems like the worst of all worlds. You can just not have side-content.
I don't think this would work at all for an actual RPG. I can see it for a roguelike. Fundamentally each "run" needs to be short. If it's long, then it just becomes annoying.
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Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech
stu2b50 Link ParentI don't think tiktok clashes do, but the parathentical says that she has mutual friends with clavicular and "hangs out". To me at least that implies they have met in person.I don't think tiktok clashes do, but the parathentical says that she has mutual friends with clavicular and "hangs out".
she says she only started hanging out with [Clavicular] because she had a crush on his cameraman
To me at least that implies they have met in person.
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Comment on What's something that now looks very different to you in hindsight? in ~talk
stu2b50 Link ParentThe thing is, for people to go to prison, you actually need them to do something illegal. Investing poorly is not illegal. Miscalculating risk of financial instruments isn't illegal. Misleading...The thing is, for people to go to prison, you actually need them to do something illegal. Investing poorly is not illegal. Miscalculating risk of financial instruments isn't illegal. Misleading customers is illegal, but only if there is ill intent (that is, you know that something is wrong and purposefully withheld the truth, as opposed to simply being fooled yourself), which is incredibly difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
These corporations are untouchable
I mean, definitely not. Many investment banks went bankrupt. The ones that survived took a long time to recover to where they were before. The impact on the industry of investment banking was catastrophic.
The impact on mortgages was similarly severe. You know how people complain all the time now that they can't get approved for a mortgage? Yeah. From 2008.
The bailouts weren't free money. They were almost exclusively either two things:
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Loans, with interest, that had to paid back
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Buying of assets for pennies on the dollar.
The federal government actually made money from the bailouts, as a result. It cost the public negative money.
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Comment on A college girl was exploited on camera. A network of anonymous men got to work. in ~tech
stu2b50 LinkUh... I would recommend not hanging around Clavicular https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/clavicular-looksmaxxing-charged-rape-massachusetts-rcna599130Her primary source of income is TikTok Live, where she “battles”—essentially, competes for tips—with creators, including livestreams with Clavicular. (They have mutual acquaintances, but she says she only started hanging out with him because she had a crush on his cameraman.)
Uh... I would recommend not hanging around Clavicular
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/clavicular-looksmaxxing-charged-rape-massachusetts-rcna599130
‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular charged with rape in Massachusetts
The charges listed against Clavicular, 20, whose real name is Braden Peters, are one count of rape, one count of drugging someone for sexual intercourse, and one count of procuring liquor for someone under 21 years old, according to the records.
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Comment on Xbox: continuing our reset [update on Xbox game studio closures] in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentNah I honestly trust Activision much more than 343 studios. They've had over 10 years with the franchise and been an utter disaster without hope of improvement.Nah I honestly trust Activision much more than 343 studios. They've had over 10 years with the franchise and been an utter disaster without hope of improvement.
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Comment on LGBT tolerance slumps in the Netherlands as debate turns vicious in ~lgbt
stu2b50 LinkSupport for LGBT in the Netherlands amongst children basically halved from 2021 to today. That's a pretty crazy shift. It seems like the days when the younger generation would be looked towards as...The HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children) poll found that just 22% of boys aged 12 to 16 had a positive view of homosexuality, compared to 40% the last time the survey was carried out in 2021.
The survey found girls were still more accepting of homosexuality than boys, but the proportion had fallen from 78% to just over half (51%) since 2021.
Support for LGBT in the Netherlands amongst children basically halved from 2021 to today. That's a pretty crazy shift.
It seems like the days when the younger generation would be looked towards as being more to the left than prior generations is a thing of the past.
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LGBT tolerance slumps in the Netherlands as debate turns vicious
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Comment on The next chapter for Bungie in ~games
stu2b50 Link ParentIt's a sliding scale, but it's not one that's equal. Valorant has cheaters, but it has waaaayyyyyyy less cheaters than CS:GO. It's not even close. It's clear that whatever Riot is doing works, in...It's a sliding scale, but it's not one that's equal. Valorant has cheaters, but it has waaaayyyyyyy less cheaters than CS:GO. It's not even close. It's clear that whatever Riot is doing works, in their kernel-level anti-cheat.
When running EAC on Linux, it runs in userspace, and that's the same for all anti-cheats that run on Linux.
They can always be circumvented by intelligent and determined cheaters (those developing paid cheats) then purchased and used by whoever wants to cheat.
Sure, but it's a numbers game in the end. If the cheat-developers have to expend a LOT of engineering effort, and then charge a LOT of money, that drives the pool of cheaters down by a lot.
It's not like hackers can't get around kernel level anti-cheats, it just takes a lot of work. A lot of work is a lot of money to make it worth their while. A lot of money is not a lot of people who care that much to spend on the cheats.
Personally I would take less cheaters over Linux support any day.
I mean, an iPad air with the magic keyboard is like $900. That's a lot more than a chromebook.
Will it be much better? Of course. The M4 or M5 in one of those will run circles so fast around a chromebook it'll break the laws of causality. But it's over 2x the price.
Could also just get a macbook neo.