umlautsuser123's recent activity
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Comment on What’s your “I didn’t know I needed that” item? in ~life
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Comment on What’s your “I didn’t know I needed that” item? in ~life
umlautsuser123 LinkReplacing nonstick and plastic cooking stuff. So stainless steel pans, wood utensils, etc. Experiences. It's good because if you hate it, you can say you tried it. If you like it, then a new...- Replacing nonstick and plastic cooking stuff. So stainless steel pans, wood utensils, etc.
- Experiences. It's good because if you hate it, you can say you tried it. If you like it, then a new activity now feels like something more accessible to pick up on your own. Things I've learned / tried on a whim: pilates, sewing, sourdough (I got starter with it), knife skills, shibori dying, etc.
- Yubikey (at least 2, with one as your backup). I feel more secure now.
- A milk frother. Really good for hot chocolate, matcha lattes, cappuccinos, etc. You can buy a manual, stovetop one, which is typically my preference. However, I read that they can be more dangerous unless they're part of a machine that lets out the steam for you? So I got (despite hating electronics, plastic, etc) this https://subminimal.com/ . You can also use it for cocktail ingredients, from what I've seen in videos.
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Comment on What’s your “I didn’t know I needed that” item? in ~life
umlautsuser123 Link ParentWill add, depending on the bidet, you may want to take note of your toilet shape (elongated vs. normal / rounder).Will add, depending on the bidet, you may want to take note of your toilet shape (elongated vs. normal / rounder).
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Comment on What’s your “I didn’t know I needed that” item? in ~life
umlautsuser123 Link ParentI'd concur, but I'd alter this to gooseneck (I have stovetop, counter space is a premium for me). It has a thermometer on the top and the thin neck functions for precision. I use it a lot when...I'd concur, but I'd alter this to gooseneck (I have stovetop, counter space is a premium for me). It has a thermometer on the top and the thin neck functions for precision. I use it a lot when bread baking, it's much easier to pour out the exact amount of water needed. Plus, made for tea and coffee.
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Comment on Tom Merritt's opinion on if Mozilla should join Chromium in ~tech
umlautsuser123 LinkI'm also confused when people say there are websites Mozilla doesn't support. This has only happened to me I think once in the past year (it was a passkey flow, which itself is a newer technology...I'm also confused when people say there are websites Mozilla doesn't support. This has only happened to me I think once in the past year (it was a passkey flow, which itself is a newer technology most people probably don't even know). I believe this is happening, I'm just not sure what kinds of websites these are.
In all those years, there have been times when a particular site doesn’t work and I had to open another browser. I’m used to it and the occasional instance doesn’t bother me. But lately, it’s become much more frequent. Almost daily. ... And some site designers juts don’t see enough Firefox users to add it to the compatibility list alongside Chrome and Safari.
I can't speak to the professional design or FE standards here. And I can understand not testing for Firefox compatibility. But the only websites I've seen that can be justifiably incompatible are very complex ones like Figma. Everything else just looks like a bloated version of the websites we had before. What exactly are people designing that's breaking, I wonder?
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Comment on Tom Merritt's opinion on if Mozilla should join Chromium in ~tech
umlautsuser123 Link ParentYup. When you put it this way, I wonder if instead of getting Rust we would have just gotten a very different version of like, Go. The world is better for both, and probably only exist because...Yup. When you put it this way, I wonder if instead of getting Rust we would have just gotten a very different version of like, Go. The world is better for both, and probably only exist because they weren't part of the same entity.
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Comment on I’m a neuroscientist who taught rats to drive − their joy suggests how anticipating fun can enrich human life in ~life
umlautsuser123 LinkThought I'd share this as it's a cute read. I highlighted select parts, but I enjoyed reading it all. What's everyone looking forward to this week?Thought I'd share this as it's a cute read. I highlighted select parts, but I enjoyed reading it all. What's everyone looking forward to this week?
... I designed a new protocol that used waiting periods to ramp up anticipation before a positive event. Bringing Pavlovian conditioning into the mix, rats had to wait 15 minutes after a Lego block was placed in their cage before they received a Froot Loop. They also had to wait in their transport cage for a few minutes before entering Rat Park, their play area. We also added challenges, such as making them shell sunflower seeds before eating.
... We dubbed this new line of study UPERs – unpredictable positive experience responses – where rats were trained to wait for rewards. In contrast, control rats received their rewards immediately. ...
Preliminary results suggest that rats required to wait for their rewards show signs of shifting from a pessimistic cognitive style to an optimistic one in a test designed to measure rodent optimism. They performed better on cognitive tasks and were bolder in their problem-solving strategies. We linked this program to our lab’s broader interest in behaviorceuticals, a term I coined to suggest that experiences can alter brain chemistry similarly to pharmaceuticals.
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Research has also shown that desirable low-stress rat environments retune their brains’ reward circuits, such as the nucleus accumbens. When animals are housed in their favored environments, the area of the nucleus accumbens that responds to appetitive experiences expands. -
I’m a neuroscientist who taught rats to drive − their joy suggests how anticipating fun can enrich human life
37 votes -
If you had to start a blog and post even though very few may read it, what would get you blogging weekly?
I was thinking about one of the threads here about missing the specific subcultures on Reddit. Maybe we just aren't in the habit of sharing our interests or want to know who else is interested in...
I was thinking about one of the threads here about missing the specific subcultures on Reddit. Maybe we just aren't in the habit of sharing our interests or want to know who else is interested in the subculture.
If absolutely forced to, I could probably blog about:
- Occasional game learnings - either new games or specific mechanics in games
- things in relation to the city I live in (I still check this on Reddit)
- Recipes or foods I've tried to make or bought and liked with a bent towards fermentation, coffee, plant-based stuff
- smart articles I thought were worth recommending to others, or fun facts.
- software - nothing super technical, but either small projects, language learnings, thoughts around companies. Maybe occasional "software used to make art" stuff I stumbled upon
- Episode reviews of detective shows, kdramas, and anime
- Deleting Instagram and trying to export my saved posts without using a script (my advice... code review something online and use that script) and other things in relation to introversion
19 votes -
Did you live in a city then move out? How was it? Did it change your energy towards the day-to-day?
This is such a vague thing to post, but in the past few years I've been wrestling with my increasing introversion. I'm always tired. I was talking about my feelings towards friendships to a friend...
This is such a vague thing to post, but in the past few years I've been wrestling with my increasing introversion. I'm always tired. I was talking about my feelings towards friendships to a friend (without an intent to say anything negative) and found myself surprised at how little I mentioned any benefits from companionships. What weighed on me was the time spent, the work spent, the money spent on trying to "keep people happy." (I have a few other closer friends, so it's not the way I feel about everyone). It's a weird position to be in as someone who had once tried hard to make new friends. I find myself struggling with the guilt for how I feel and the desire to just recess, to focus on myself, and to attend to my desire for stability (especially financial stability-- I feel like things have gotten more expensive). I have deeper and more commitments than I used to, which should make me feel so fortunate. However, as a result, they are also in competition for my time / energy.
I've been feeling really weighted down by this lately, so I'm curious to hear from people who may have gone through something similar. A part of me feels that perhaps if I made my life more stable (a cheaper mortgage instead of renting in a major / global city, a higher paying job, lower-key friendships etc.) then I would feel happier on a day-to-day level.
edit: clarified some things
29 votes -
Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
umlautsuser123 Link ParentI really think "Make my Fridge / Car / TV Dumb Again" would unironically be a winning platform. Like the other candidates would eventually scramble to have a position because of your meteoric...I really think "Make my Fridge / Car / TV Dumb Again" would unironically be a winning platform. Like the other candidates would eventually scramble to have a position because of your meteoric rise.
"What do you think about <insert war>?" "War is bad. You know who doesn’t think about war though? My dumb as rocks fridge." overwhelming applause
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
umlautsuser123 Link Parentre: air rage, This was 100% the kinds of Freakanomics-esque suggestions I was also hoping to see in thread.re: air rage, This was 100% the kinds of Freakanomics-esque suggestions I was also hoping to see in thread.
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
umlautsuser123 Link ParentYes to toilet reform!! I would totally vote for "auto-closing toilet seats for every toilet" and "sinks that operate on a 1 minute timer." I expect diseases to decrease sharply.Yes to toilet reform!!
I would totally vote for "auto-closing toilet seats for every toilet" and "sinks that operate on a 1 minute timer." I expect diseases to decrease sharply.
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
umlautsuser123 Link ParentIs your mom looking for a VP? I weirdly like the military thing. I think it'd help instill some kind of social discipline, would make us more afraid of war / drafts, and (most importantly) I've...Is your mom looking for a VP?
I weirdly like the military thing. I think it'd help instill some kind of social discipline, would make us more afraid of war / drafts, and (most importantly) I've heard it to be a means to socialize people of various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. I've wondered if we could use summer camps to do the same thing at a younger age.
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
umlautsuser123 Link ParentThere are dozens of us! Someone asked me "If you were king of <our city>, what would you do?" and I said "I'd make a law that leaving dog shit on the street was punishable by smearing it on the...There are dozens of us! Someone asked me "If you were king of <our city>, what would you do?" and I said "I'd make a law that leaving dog shit on the street was punishable by smearing it on the owner."
I kind of think some laws are not meaningfully enforceable (like, fining someone for something is so complex) so I kind of like the idea of petty street justice that encourages citizens to keep each other in line. Kind of like very toned-down caning (although I guess the poop can make you sick).
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Comment on You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it? in ~talk
umlautsuser123 Link ParentI like this. Somewhat similar, but as a pedestrian in a major city, my pet peeve is cars driving into the crosswalk, forcing pedestrians closer to the road / in harms way to cross the street. I...I like this. Somewhat similar, but as a pedestrian in a major city, my pet peeve is cars driving into the crosswalk, forcing pedestrians closer to the road / in harms way to cross the street. I kind of think you should have the right to deface a car that does that tbh. Spraypaint, stickers, keying it, feel free. If everyone kind of agreed "okay, that's karmic" I think we'd see cars stop sooner.
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You're running for office on a somewhat petty, yet univerally-understood single issue. What is it?
Imagine that on the campaign posters, it will say your name and then this policy. For example: Vote for <your username> ... Rain boots for everyone. (No American / Englishman / Indian / etc....
Imagine that on the campaign posters, it will say your name and then this policy. For example:
Vote for <your username> ...
- Rain boots for everyone. (No American / Englishman / Indian / etc. should have soggy socks.)
- A Speedy DMV. (It should take 10 minutes to renew your license at the DMV.)
- Rice in every restaurant. (Rice is good with everything. At least some Asian KFCs will serve fried chicken with rice!)
It should resonate deeply with people, without the expectation that it should solve any of the deeper problems in life.
80 votes -
Comment on Aug 2024 - "America isn’t ready for the wars of the future" by Mark Milley (ex-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and Eric Schmidt (ex-CEO of Google) in ~society
umlautsuser123 Link ParentMaybe it was my youth plus it being the first "social media" supported revolution, but I agree, it totally did not feel sinister, even with the knowledge that there was tampering. After all, it's...Maybe it was my youth plus it being the first "social media" supported revolution, but I agree, it totally did not feel sinister, even with the knowledge that there was tampering. After all, it's just freedom of thought. In hindsight, it's another datapoint that forced regime change is pretty dangerous (not saying it's bad, but average people will pay a price), and that social media does not communicate depth of policy. We support sentiments, not plans, and create power vacuums. When Ukraine came around, I was surprised to be an outlier in my opinions on how to act.
There’s a sense in which a war indicates uncertainty about the outcome. If both sides knew what the war would cost them and what they would gain, they’d likely avoid it by negotiating some alternative. But in real life, attackers often miscalculate badly about how bad for their side it would be. Also, the leaders aren’t the ones doing the fighting.
In hindsight, yes, a closed system like the one I suggested has less room for cheating or other means of creating advantage. Real life does have that uncertainty aura. Also, my one wish for the world has honestly been "people who call for war fight their own wars first." I've been told it's basically a Dune-esque effort to breed out aggression, though.
At the tactical level, though, the technology changes rapidly because safety and precision matter a lot less when there’s a war. Winning is everything and mistakes are collateral damage. They can take shortcuts and accept risks that wouldn’t be acceptable if there weren’t a war.
This is true. My impression of Ukraine was in part that it's been an "exciting" effort for private defense companies, as it's been a means for them to test out their tech and to take advantage of the local technical talent as well. (I don't get any joy out of saying this.)
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Comment on Aug 2024 - "America isn’t ready for the wars of the future" by Mark Milley (ex-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and Eric Schmidt (ex-CEO of Google) in ~society
umlautsuser123 Link ParentFollowing up also with my stream of consciousness opinions: I thought I'd share this as I personally find the "Do No Evil" to "Techno-Military Industrial Complex" turn of a Google CEO to be, well,...Following up also with my stream of consciousness opinions:
- I thought I'd share this as I personally find the "Do No Evil" to "Techno-Military Industrial Complex" turn of a Google CEO to be, well, ghoulish. But it sounds like (from other sources) he was always interested in this stuff. Opinions aside, I think it's interesting and not getting as much attention as I would expect.
- This is also the same Eric Schmidt that's an advisor to Chainlink (blockchain company).
- It also reminded me of this very old article, which to me implies a relationship between the Arab Spring and Google interest in 'democracy' (I am unsure how authentic the interest is). This felt so benign at the time with Google's popularity and the world's relative stability, but I suppose it was not.
In a series of colorful emails they discussed a pattern of activity conducted by Cohen under the Google Ideas aegis, suggesting what the "do" in "think/do tank" actually means.
Cohen's directorate appeared to cross over from public relations and "corporate responsibility" work into active corporate intervention in foreign affairs at a level that is normally reserved for states. Jared Cohen could be wryly named Google's "director of regime change."
According to the emails, he was trying to plant his fingerprints on some of the major historical events in the contemporary Middle East. He could be placed in Egypt during the revolution, meeting with Wael Ghonim, the Google employee whose arrest and imprisonment hours later would make him a PR-friendly symbol of the uprising in the Western press. Meetings had been planned in Palestine and Turkey, both of which—claimed Stratfor emails—were killed by the senior Google leadership as too risky.
Cohen stated that the merger of his Movements.org outfit with Advancing Human Rights was "irresistible," pointing to the latter's "phenomenal network of cyber-activists in the Middle East and North Africa." He then joined the Advancing Human Rights board, which also includes Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in occupied Afghanistan. In its present guise, Movements.org continues to receive funding from Gen Next, as well as from Google, MSNBC and PR giant Edelman, which represents General Electric, Boeing, and Shell, among others.
Lastly, the AI thing reminds me of talking about war with a friend. Is war purely about technological might? Is it purely about strategy? Barring situations of being oppressed, why would someone wage war with the costs as steep as they are? We wondered if you could use chess, robotics, etc. to circumvent the need to even involve people. Why bother signing up civilians and youths to the pain of war that would simply be decided by strategy (including home terrain strategies) or tech? I guess war is a multipronged effort-- everything from financial warfare via sanctions, to manipulating public perception, to war strategy, to resource richness, etc. Life is full of variables that could tip the scale and defy expectations. But it's hard not to wish these could be done without bloodshed.
- I thought I'd share this as I personally find the "Do No Evil" to "Techno-Military Industrial Complex" turn of a Google CEO to be, well, ghoulish. But it sounds like (from other sources) he was always interested in this stuff. Opinions aside, I think it's interesting and not getting as much attention as I would expect.
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Comment on Aug 2024 - "America isn’t ready for the wars of the future" by Mark Milley (ex-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and Eric Schmidt (ex-CEO of Google) in ~society
umlautsuser123 LinkSubmitted this as 1) the writers are objectively interesting and 2) I didn't realize we were using drones without human input for war?Submitted this as 1) the writers are objectively interesting and 2) I didn't realize we were using drones without human input for war?
The war in Ukraine is hardly the only conflict in which new technology is transforming the nature of warfare. In Myanmar and Sudan, insurgents and the government are both using unmanned vehicles and algorithms as they fight. In 2020, an autonomous Turkish-made drone fielded by Libyan government-backed troops struck retreating combatants—perhaps the first drone attack conducted without human input. In the same year, Azerbaijan’s military used Turkish- and Israeli-made drones, along with loitering munitions (explosives designed to hover over a target), in an effort to seize the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. And in Gaza, Israel has fielded thousands of drones connected to AI algorithms, helping Israeli troops navigate the territory’s urban canyons.
The United States must therefore transform its armed forces so it can maintain a decisive military advantage—and ensure that robots and AI are used in an ethical manner.
AI systems could, for instance, simulate different tactical and operational approaches thousands of times, drastically shortening the period between preparation and execution. The Chinese military has already created an AI commander that has supreme authority in large-scale virtual war games. ... Soldiers could sip coffee in their offices, monitoring screens far from the battlefield, as an AI system manages all kinds of robotic war machines.
But as global urbanization draws more people into cities and nonstate actors pivot to urban guerrilla tactics, the decisive battlefields of the future will likely be densely populated areas.
I do it separately! Mix powder with a little water in my drinking cup, then froth heated milk in another. I wish I knew more about the science of getting the air in, but I've been assuming it's important to warm the liquid to get the air to whip in.
In terms of frothing, not sure if it works for powder. I think I've seen differently-styled frothers for say, matcha, so that might be more appropriate.