wowbagger's recent activity
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Comment on Stops along a drive from Texas to Pennsylvania in ~travel
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Comment on New evidence found for Planet 9 in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentOrbital period is super easy to calculate, it's just a^3/2 if you're using Astronomical Units. At 500 AU that's only about 11,000 years, which may be mind-numbingly slow on a human time scale but...Orbital period is super easy to calculate, it's just a^3/2 if you're using Astronomical Units. At 500 AU that's only about 11,000 years, which may be mind-numbingly slow on a human time scale but in a cosmic sense it's nothing.
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Comment on US Congress approves bill banning TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells platform in ~tech
wowbagger (edited )Link ParentHow can you say this so confidently right after you say that you don't even use TikTok? I do use it, and I see loads of nuanced discussion from a wide range of the political spectrum. I also see...Algorithms don't allow for nuanced discussion. Issues get simplified down to black or white conflicts and it increases division in society.
How can you say this so confidently right after you say that you don't even use TikTok? I do use it, and I see loads of nuanced discussion from a wide range of the political spectrum. I also see so much good science content, so much clever comedy, so many differing views on gender, mental health, and economic issues. There are many many passionate creators making high quality content for TikTok – the only way one ends up in an echo chamber is if one creates it for themself, and that can just as easily be done on Reddit or Tildes or whatever other non-"traditional" social media you refer to.
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Comment on New evidence found for Planet 9 in ~space
wowbagger (edited )Link ParentWhile there's no exact number1 associated with the mass required for a body to clear its orbit, something with a mass of 5 Earths would almost certainly qualify, even at 500 AU. For reference,...While there's no exact number1 associated with the mass required for a body to clear its orbit, something with a mass of 5 Earths would almost certainly qualify, even at 500 AU. For reference, Pluto (dwarf planet) is 0.0025 Earth-masses and Mercury (planet) is 0.0553 Earth-masses.
1. There have been criteria put forward, however. If you use the method that doesn't require any empirical data, Jean-Luc Margot's Π, you get a Π-value of 3.3 for the parameters listed in the paper which is well above the Π=1 required to clear the neighborhood. Pluto has a Π-value of 0.028
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Comment on New evidence found for Planet 9 in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentWebb is exactly the wrong telescope for something like this, it has a very small field of view – more akin to a telephoto lens. What you need to find a planet is a survey telescope. I believe WISE...Webb is exactly the wrong telescope for something like this, it has a very small field of view – more akin to a telephoto lens. What you need to find a planet is a survey telescope. I believe WISE did briefly search for Planet 9 and came up empty, but that was only a 16-inch mirror. The upcoming Roman Space Telescope is also an infrared survey telescope and has a much better chance of finding something with its nearly 8-foot primary mirror.
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Comment on New evidence found for Planet 9 in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentThat is much, much easier said than done. The baseline these researchers used for their simulations assumes a semi-major axis of 500 AU, an eccentricity of 0.25, and an inclination of 20 degrees....That is much, much easier said than done. The baseline these researchers used for their simulations assumes a semi-major axis of 500 AU, an eccentricity of 0.25, and an inclination of 20 degrees. So not only is their best guess at its location 10 times further from the sun than Pluto, it's also in a far less circular orbit than the other planets and tilted way out of the ecliptic. And it's only 5 earth-masses. And those are all still just guesses. Studies like these are really important for justifying and informing the search for this needle in the spatial haystack.
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Comment on Kroger’s panopticon: Making criminals of grocery shoppers in ~tech
wowbagger Link ParentSure, but the topic here is co-ops as an alternative to chain grocery stores. I'm probably more willing to accept additional friction to my shopping experience than most, and as I said in my first...Sure, but the topic here is co-ops as an alternative to chain grocery stores. I'm probably more willing to accept additional friction to my shopping experience than most, and as I said in my first comment I do still shop there with the understanding that it's going to be a lower quality and more expensive experience. But until the co-op can provide a similar level of service to the major chains then it's not going to be the main option for most. It's just another form of the personal responsibility argument vis-à-vis climate change or transit – unless the most sustainable option is either the most convenient or only option, most people are not going to choose it.
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Comment on Kroger’s panopticon: Making criminals of grocery shoppers in ~tech
wowbagger Link ParentI understand that, but when my menu for the week includes a Mexican dish and the co-op is out of cilantro, avocados, and jalapeños, it stops being a mere inconvenience and just means I have to go...I understand that, but when my menu for the week includes a Mexican dish and the co-op is out of cilantro, avocados, and jalapeños, it stops being a mere inconvenience and just means I have to go to the other store anyway. So not only did I take the extra time to walk there and back, and pay the 25% premium, I also have to get in the car and drive somewhere afterwards. After that happens enough times it makes me less likely to go to the co-op at all, unless I know for a fact they're going to have everything I need.
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Comment on Kroger’s panopticon: Making criminals of grocery shoppers in ~tech
wowbagger (edited )Link ParentCo-ops are not a silver bullet. My closest grocery store is a co-op. I can walk there easily in under 20 minutes without crossing any major roads. Despite that I still typically get in the car and...Co-ops are not a silver bullet. My closest grocery store is a co-op. I can walk there easily in under 20 minutes without crossing any major roads. Despite that I still typically get in the car and go to one of the chain stores, for two reasons:
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They're much cheaper. I spend 20-30% more at the co-op, and there doesn't seem to be any single driver. All items are just slightly more costly. That's despite each co-op member being required to make a $100 deposit into the development fund. They just don't have the scale to compete on price.
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The variety is much better. I'm guessing it's for similar economy-of-scale reasons, but the co-op just doesn't have certain things and other items they sell out of quickly. For instance, I can almost never find cilantro at the co-op unless I make a point of going early on a weekday. Other things are less important but still enough to make me prefer the large chains – like a specific brand of seltzer that I can only find at Safeway or Giant.
It's really a bummer, because I much prefer to support the local business. Oftentimes I bite the bullet and shop there anyway, just accepting that I likely won't find everything I want. But that's hard to stomach when it also comes at a premium.
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Comment on Two years to save the planet, says UN climate chief in ~enviro
wowbagger Link ParentAren't we creating new water every time we burn a hydrocarbon? I don't remember much chemistry either but I thought the products of simple combustion were CO2 and water vapor.Aren't we creating new water every time we burn a hydrocarbon? I don't remember much chemistry either but I thought the products of simple combustion were CO2 and water vapor.
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools’ Day 2024 on the internet in ~talk
wowbagger LinkSCP Foundation is now Spicy Crust Pizza!SCP Foundation is now Spicy Crust Pizza!
Despite previously being a writing website, SCP staff has decided to pivot the platform to the art of making delicious pizzas with perfect crusts and melty cheesy toppings. Located in the city center of the Three Portlands, this new pizza chain is sure to be a great restaurant to bring the whole site to.*
*Please note that no anomalies are allowed inside the restaurant except trained service anomalies.
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Comment on Early spring brings a ‘hungry gap’ for bees – here’s how you can help in ~enviro
wowbagger Link ParentThey're native to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica – none of which are part of South America. I'm so tired of people assuming North America == the US and Canada.they're native to South America
They're native to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica – none of which are part of South America. I'm so tired of people assuming North America == the US and Canada.
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Comment on This super-Earth is the first planet confirmed to have a permanent dark side in ~space
wowbagger LinkI find it fascinating to ponder what life would be like on a tidally locked planet. You'd have to choose your preferred light level by longitude, and there'd be a strip of land on each side of the...I find it fascinating to ponder what life would be like on a tidally locked planet. You'd have to choose your preferred light level by longitude, and there'd be a strip of land on each side of the globe that's in perpetual sunset/sunrise (is it even still called that if the sun never actually sets or rises?). It's very odd to think about a planet where the sun never moves from its spot in the sky, where shadows never move or shorten or lengthen. I think it would be exceedingly difficult for humans to adjust to, just based on how hard it is for us to deal with the huge daylight swings at the higher latitudes of our own planet.
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Comment on Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentRight, but in that situation you'd already be braking anyway. What I mean is that it doesn't result in additional deceleration overall. The total amount you slow down over a drive doesn't change...Right, but in that situation you'd already be braking anyway. What I mean is that it doesn't result in additional deceleration overall. The total amount you slow down over a drive doesn't change with the braking mode because you have to stop in the same spots along your route no matter what. That's the point that I think I'm having trouble getting across. If anything I think the drag you're describing would result in less tire wear, because the deceleration is more gradual. But it's probably negligible.
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Comment on Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentIf that's the case then the car immediately starts slowing when you let off the pedal, so during normal constant-speed driving you would just keep your foot on the pedal. It doesn't result in...If you have regenerative braking (which kicks in immediately when not accelerating) then it’s somewhere in the middle.
If that's the case then the car immediately starts slowing when you let off the pedal, so during normal constant-speed driving you would just keep your foot on the pedal. It doesn't result in additional tire wear because it doesn't result in additional deceleration. The tire wear only depends on changes in speed and the severity of those changes, so as long as your driving patterns remain the same the wear would be similar regardless of the braking method.
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Comment on Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentICE cars don't coast freely either unless they're in neutral. Even with your foot completely off the pedals, if the transmission is in gear the engine drag will eventually bring the vehicle to a...ICE cars don't coast freely either unless they're in neutral. Even with your foot completely off the pedals, if the transmission is in gear the engine drag will eventually bring the vehicle to a stop.
But that's still beside the point: from a pure conservation of momentum perspective, the only way to create additional tire wear (for vehicles of comparable mass) is to actually decelerate more rapidly or more often. If a particular EV immediately starts regen braking when you take your foot off the pedal, then you just don't take your foot off the pedal until you're ready to slow down. It's the amount of braking that determines the tire wear, the method does not matter. Unless the regenerative braking mode somehow causes you to brake more than you normally would it physically cannot create additional tire wear. If you've got a source that shows otherwise I would love to see it, I haven't been able to find anything myself.
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Comment on Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentBut none of that should matter from a tire wear perspective. It makes no difference to the tire whether the braking happens through friction of discs or drag on a motor. Both methods act on the...But none of that should matter from a tire wear perspective. It makes no difference to the tire whether the braking happens through friction of discs or drag on a motor. Both methods act on the axle, not the tire. If the vehicle is slowing, regardless of the method, the tires are reacting a force on the road (through friction) to decelerate the vehicle.
The actual substitution of regenerative braking is swapping motor wear for brake pad wear.
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Comment on Nobody warned electric vehicle owners how quickly they would burn through tires in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentWhy does regenerative braking wear tires out quicker than friction brakes? If it doesn't kick in until you hit the brake pedal I don't see why it would make any difference, doesn't the tire see...Why does regenerative braking wear tires out quicker than friction brakes? If it doesn't kick in until you hit the brake pedal I don't see why it would make any difference, doesn't the tire see the same force in both cases?
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Comment on 2024 Ford Ranger first drive review: A capable truck I don’t want to drive in ~transport
wowbagger Link ParentHow much higher? My 20-year-old Ranger (with a 4L V6 and a 5-speed manual transmission) averages 20 MPG on the highway, only 4 less than this new model. If I slapped one of these 10-speed...How much higher? My 20-year-old Ranger (with a 4L V6 and a 5-speed manual transmission) averages 20 MPG on the highway, only 4 less than this new model. If I slapped one of these 10-speed automatic 2.3L EcoBoosts in there I can't imagine it would get less than 25. Smaller, lighter vehicles are inherently more efficient.
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Comment on NASA’s x-ray telescope faces a long goodbye in ~space
wowbagger Link ParentTheir site says they've received some funding from EU grants but I'm sure they've gotten some from venture capitalists as well. I wonder what their revenue model is? There's nothing profitable...Their site says they've received some funding from EU grants but I'm sure they've gotten some from venture capitalists as well. I wonder what their revenue model is? There's nothing profitable about space telescopes, in fact they're quite the opposite. You don't pay for observation time. Much of Chandra's operating budget goes towards research grants, so in a way people actually get paid to use them.
Not to mention that flagship observatories like JWST and the upcoming Roman cost billions of dollars for a single unit. Even commercial partnerships like the Artemis landers are only possible because the government is funding them. I don't think astrophysics departments generally have that kind of money to throw around, so where's it all going to come from?
I'd also add Mammoth Cave to the parks list, it looks like you'll be driving right past it. Just make sure to reserve a cave tour way ahead of the time; the self-guided section is really small so you don't get to see much of the cave unless you book a spot on a tour. And they sell out really fast.