ylph's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ylph (edited )Link ParentThe game provides very little guidance on how to progress, and allows many very different paths to the end. Some people take a very focused approach and try to solve every puzzle or challenge they...The game provides very little guidance on how to progress, and allows many very different paths to the end. Some people take a very focused approach and try to solve every puzzle or challenge they encounter as they encounter them. However, you can run into challenges of widely different difficulty as you chose how to explore the world, including some more end-game challenges, so this can lead to frustration.
I am older and generally have very little patience for time wasting in games - but for me the approach that worked really well was that as soon as I hit something that was too difficult to solve in 1 or maybe 2 attempts, either due to lack of some knowledge, or skill (like controlling the craft initially) I continued the exploration somewhere else (as there were always countless other places and leads to follow right from the start.)
This way I was always discovering something new, and never felt too frustrated or stuck. And I found that as I came back to challenges I abandoned earlier, they became a lot easier to solve, either due to increased skill (I got much better at flying the craft as time went along, and understanding the various game mechanics) or increased knowledge from exploration.
The game does reward exploration a lot - for example most places that are hard or frustrating to reach at first, once reached, reveal some kind of shortcut that can be used to access them easier in the future, so that you rarely have to repeat frustrating parts of challenges you already solved - but these shortcuts are not always obvious and need to be discovered through exploration. There are few possible exceptions to this (I don't want give away too many spoilers) but even there, once you understand the challenge well enough, it is not actually difficult to execute.
So my advice to anyone getting frustrated would be, don't get too stuck on the first approach you come up with to do anything - if it's too frustrating or difficult, let it go and come to it later, and try to think of different possible ways to approach the problem.
It is tricky to balance handholding with free exploration in a game like this, but I ultimately I found the lack of handholding to lead to some of the games biggest payoffs and rewards, and a worthy tradeoff. That said, I watched various playthroughs after I completed the game, and realized that I completely missed at least 3 things that would have made some of the parts that challenged me the most so much easier. The way I ended up getting through the <most feared path in the game> was absolutely ridiculous in retrospect, and not at all intended by the devs - I admit this was one place I did get frustrated, until I found my method, which worked but was still extremely stressful. Watching others play the game I realized there were at least 2 other ways to do it which are so much easier, I felt like an idiot for not figuring them out :)
Ultimately it's still not going to be a game for everyone, which I can understand (to be willing to spend time in the world and invest effort in the challenges, you do have to enjoy the vibe and mood to some degree, and that is probably quite subjective - in my case the world always sparked enough wonder in me to make me want to keep going, even when I was somewhat aimlessly just kicking rocks and looking around to find something interesting) - but I would advise anyone to give it a chance, and to not get discouraged by initial difficulty - a small change in approach to the game could still unlock its magic at least for some of those who give up too soon.
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Comment on Los Angeles area wildfires: over 5K acres burned and over 30K people forced to evacuate so far in ~enviro
ylph (edited )Link ParentSanta Ana winds are a pretty unique phenomena due to Southern California geography and climate, the conditions that cause them can arise pretty much anytime of the year. It causes very dry air...Santa Ana winds are a pretty unique phenomena due to Southern California geography and climate, the conditions that cause them can arise pretty much anytime of the year. It causes very dry air (often <5% humidity) to blow in from the inland deserts to the coast with sustained speeds over 40mph and gusts over 90mph over several days. These are very dangerous fire conditions any time of the year, also making fire breaks pretty much useless, and greatly accelerating the speed with which fire can spread, both due to the high wind speeds. Any fire that starts on a Santa Ana day is extremely dangerous and difficult to fight - 10 years ago we had Santa Anas in San Diego when 20 separate fires started, with more than 10 of those on a single day. The Palisades Fire was reported to go from 10 to 200 acres in 12 minutes yesterday.
To make things worse is the lack of rain we had this year, making all brush extremely dry and flammable. This comes in cycles, there are dry and wet years. Santa Anas after a prolonged dry period is really the perfect storm situation, and can happen any time of the year.
We do also have a normal fire season coinciding with the typical dry season - most fire prevention methods and protection of urban areas are effective against these fires, if they start near urban areas with good access, they can be controlled in time before they spread. We also have significant resources for fighting wildland fires away from urban areas and containing them before they reach urban areas. These fires can still grow really large and get out of control and cause damage as well of course, but Santa Ana fires are just so much worse.
Edit: just saw this video from yesterday that illustrates the conditions. This is from the Eaton Fire in Pasadena here
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Comment on The sham legacy of Richard Feynman in ~science
ylph Link ParentI understand her point, but disagree with her characterization of both the book and the popular view of Feynman. I took something very different from the book than she did, and I don't think she...a large part of her argument is that the book itself (and the popular view of Feynman more broadly) is what reduces him to a "brilliant asshole", ignoring his actual contributions in favor of a false but appealing narrative.
I understand her point, but disagree with her characterization of both the book and the popular view of Feynman. I took something very different from the book than she did, and I don't think she is portraying the book accurately or fairly in her video - have you read it ? It's not a book about Feynman's contributions to physics btw, and never claimed to be - it's a retelling of various humorous anecdotes from Feynman's life - a person who was a well known larger than life character in the physics world at the time - it's the compilation of the "legend of Feynman" that was hitherto mostly only known to people in his field, for the general public - told in Feynman's own very "unreliable narrator" voice - it's meant to be entertaining first, and perhaps provide a glimpse into his life and mind - not to serve as rigorous historical record.
Can you not see how the book's impact may be somewhat different for a young woman with an interest in physics?
Yes, this is absolutely a valid subject for discussion. I just don't think she did it justice.
I don't even think this is necessarily the book to recommend to someone based on their interest in physics, honestly, whether male or female - it's not a book about physics.
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Comment on The sham legacy of Richard Feynman in ~science
ylph Link ParentThis incident is not in the book. It's also not part of Feynman's mythos - nobody praises and admires Feynman for allegedly choking his wife. The allegation came out as part of divorce proceedings...This incident is not in the book. It's also not part of Feynman's mythos - nobody praises and admires Feynman for allegedly choking his wife. The allegation came out as part of divorce proceedings - they were reported in a newspaper article at the time in 1956, but not really brought up again until 2012 when his FBI file was declassified and released (it doesn't really contain any additional details, just confirms that several people mentioned the newspaper story, and FBI obtained the divorce records from the court and confirmed his wife claimed "extreme cruelty" as grounds, and was awarded share of property and alimony in final judgment.)
The problem is that without no-fault divorce, divorce proceedings can get ugly, and I have personal experience with divorce lawyers basically telling a client that any allegations of physical conflict in a marriage will go a long way in helping to strengthen the case. Does the spouse abuse you emotionally, yells at you, etc. ? Good, write it all down ! Has the spouse ever hit you or choked you ? Even better ! These claims are not usually expected to be made public, tempers often run hot in divorce, and lawyers can be slimy, things get taken too far, claims exaggerated, etc. Basically in states without no-fault divorce, one of the common avenues to seek divorce is on the grounds of "extreme cruelty" and your claim has to meet certain criteria to fall in this category, presence of physical abuse being one of the strongest ones.
And don't get me wrong - I wouldn't ever want to minimize any spousal abuse anyone has ever endured, and I think it should always be taken very seriously and never excused or trivialized, and if Feynman did ever choke his wife, it should be absolutely soundly condemned. I am just not sure there is sufficient evidence here to exceed the threshold.
Even Angela in the video goes through all the other public evidence of Feynman's relationships with other women in his life, his wives, daughter, colleagues, students, etc. that show that he wasn't really a misogynist. I am also not really aware of any other claims that he had a temper and was quick to anger and violence, beyond that one line in a divorce testimony mentioned in the FBI file.
Btw, there is a scathing 9 page letter written to Hoover in Feynman's FBI file, which although redacted some believe (there is some evidence for this) was written by Mary Louise Bell during the same period (immediately following their divorce) If she did indeed write it, she definitely hated his guts at that point (their marriage was very short lived) - it's a fascinating read.
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Comment on The sham legacy of Richard Feynman in ~science
ylph Link ParentBut this is the cornerstone of Feynman's mythos, and definitely does come across in the book, it's one of the strongest through lines in all the stories in the book, much more so than the...- Exemplary
Feynman had a genuine enthusiasm for new knowledge and worked hard to deeply understand everything he was shown, but those inspiring traits are also lost in his mythos.
But this is the cornerstone of Feynman's mythos, and definitely does come across in the book, it's one of the strongest through lines in all the stories in the book, much more so than the occasional "brilliant assholery" in my opinion.
My impression is that she came to this topic from a point of irritation at a certain specific type of Feynman worshiper (who I would argue are a small minority of people who admire Feynman) - but were the most annoyingly noticeable ones in her specific environment as a young female physics student. She then strawmanned a whole Feynman mythos and fanbase around this to take down, and went into the research part of her project with a strong confirmation bias and an axe to grind. I can imagine she was doing the typical academic speed read through the books (yes, I am speculating, but feel allowed to do so here by how often she does the same in the video, just putting thoughts and motivations in peoples heads without any support), just focusing on the thing she was trying to find, and completely missing out on much of the bigger picture and context, and the subtle self-deprecation that many of the Feynman stories are based around. I don't even necessarily think her aim was to distort, I feel she was trying to be objective, but just failed to not let her biases and premature conclusions take control of the direction.
For example, twice she brings up the story of Feynman being presented with complex blueprints, and immediately pointing to some specific obscure detail which turns out to be an error, because he is such genius, and how obviously false and self-aggrandizing this story is. Here is the actual story (it's identical to the version in Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman) - read it and tell me her description in any way actually captures the point and style of the story ? Does Feynman come away as a "brilliant asshole" in it ? It's such a great and humorous anecdote, and one of many in the book where Feynman shows how people sometimes came away from an interaction with him believing he is some genius, for completely random reasons that had nothing to do with his intellect.
He honestly comes across way more humble and self-aware in these books (which she is right, he didn't really write) than most physicists I know. Yes, some of his interactions with women, especially in his younger days are problematic. But reducing him all to a "brilliant asshole" I think goes too far, there is a far more interesting, unique and compelling person there behind the stories (and yes, certainly not some platonic ideal to be worshiped, but a real human being with warts and all), and there is a reason the book gained such popularity - I think that Dyson quote is much more accurate (Dyson described him once as half genius, half buffoon - later revising it to all genius, all buffoon)
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Comment on The sham legacy of Richard Feynman in ~science
ylph Link ParentI watched the whole thing. She concludes with this: "Feynman as a person, kind of sucks, but other people really liked him. Feynman as a physicist, 10 out of 10, he nailed it, end of video." You...I watched the whole thing. She concludes with this:
"Feynman as a person, kind of sucks, but other people really liked him. Feynman as a physicist, 10 out of 10, he nailed it, end of video."
You can save the 3 hours watching it, there is not much more there beyond that. She might be a highly qualified physicist, but I don't think she is really up to the task of making a compelling and objective analysis of Feynman as a person.
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Comment on Longevity of tech equipment in ~tech
ylph Link ParentI do keep my homelab on beefy surge protection and also live somewhere where lightning storms only happen once every 2-3 years, and between my computer homelab and home music studio with probably...I do keep my homelab on beefy surge protection and also live somewhere where lightning storms only happen once every 2-3 years, and between my computer homelab and home music studio with probably close to a 100 different power bricks I never have issues with equipment failure due to surge or brownouts.
It is possible back in 2013 Synology still used quality power supplies, or perhaps the 4 bay unit supplies are undersized for the load (the startup load of 4 HDDs can technically draw more current than the stock supply is specced for) The 4 bay DS916+ comes with 8.33A (100W) power supply vs 5A (60W) for the 2 bay DS213, so it's possible the DS213 one has little more headroom and also runs cooler which might extend it's lifespan (the DS916+ one runs quite hot)
After my experience, I am genuinely impressed you got 12+ years out of yours !
I am hoping the fan cooled 16A (200W) rail on the Dell power supply is sufficiently overkill to last the rest of the Synology's life.. (not to mention the Dell supply cost me $10 used, vs Synology charging ridiculous $60+ for the replacement 100W brick that's just going to die again in a few years)
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Comment on Longevity of tech equipment in ~tech
ylph Link ParentAre you still on the original power supply for the Synology ? I have a DS916+ that I had to replace the power supply on 3 times - the original one died after around 4 years (which seems to be par...Are you still on the original power supply for the Synology ? I have a DS916+ that I had to replace the power supply on 3 times - the original one died after around 4 years (which seems to be par for the course for these), and none of the replacements lasted more than 2 years.. so annoying. I finally got a 12V supply from a Dell SFF computer with a fan/active cooling and much more robust design, replacing the connector with one that fits the Synology - hopefully this will last, it's rated for a lot more power as well than required by the Synology which should help.
Still annoying how poor the Synology power supplies are. I have a collection of old Atari 8-bit computers from 1979-1990 and the power bricks they used on those still work after 30-40 years, why can't Synology make a power brick that will last more than 4 years...
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Comment on Longevity of tech equipment in ~tech
ylph LinkI still have a TiVo Premiere XL that has been running non-stop since 2010 (14 years now) recording TV shows. The original 1TB HDD (WD10EVVS) in the TiVo was still going strong 2 years ago when I...I still have a TiVo Premiere XL that has been running non-stop since 2010 (14 years now) recording TV shows. The original 1TB HDD (WD10EVVS) in the TiVo was still going strong 2 years ago when I upgraded it to a new 8TB one which brings it up to almost 1300 hour HD recording capacity. The original fan is even still working, basically having been running 24/7 for 14 years now - I am quite impressed how well this thing has been designed and built. Spectrum is still letting me use a CableCARD, although they have long stopped issuing them to new customers - so now it's a race between either the TiVo kicking the bucket, or Spectrum finally shutting off the few remaining CableCARD customers they have at this point, it will be kind of a sad day for me either way.
I also have a collection of various 8-bit Atari home computers (earliest is from 1979, latest around 1990) most of which still work (I do have a lot of spares and spare parts which I accumulated back in the day to keep them going) - but those are mostly for nostalgia, I don't really use them as much anymore.
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Comment on The US has a cloned sheep contraband problem in ~science
ylph Link ParentDeer bucks only grow the antlers for the mating season - they are used to fight other males, and as sexual display for the females - after mating is over, the antlers are dropped. They start...Deer bucks only grow the antlers for the mating season - they are used to fight other males, and as sexual display for the females - after mating is over, the antlers are dropped. They start growing again in the spring when food gets more abundant, and reach peak size only by the end of summer, so most of the year, they are not large enough to interfere with the bucks normal daily routine. They drop them before winter sets in again.
Those deer in the link are also kept in captivity, so they are fed and protected from predators, so they don't really need to worry about survival. Health issues is a different question, it's possible they might have some as a result of abnormally large antlers.
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Comment on The US has a cloned sheep contraband problem in ~science
ylph Link ParentI believe they are selectively breeding exceptionally large deer with huge multi-point racks, for trophy hunting. They are used to stock hunting ranches where people pay to hunt them, or sometimes...I believe they are selectively breeding exceptionally large deer with huge multi-point racks, for trophy hunting. They are used to stock hunting ranches where people pay to hunt them, or sometimes just straight up shoot them in a fenced area, without much actual hunting. It's kind of fucked up honestly - look at one example of a list of bucks you can choose sperm from - those are some crazy racks - some look like mutations ?
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Comment on The US has a cloned sheep contraband problem in ~science
ylph (edited )Link ParentIt's not strictly a unit of volume, more a method of extracting, storing and utilizing semen using special plastic straws used in the animal breeding industry. They apparently come in different...It's not strictly a unit of volume, more a method of extracting, storing and utilizing semen using special plastic straws used in the animal breeding industry. They apparently come in different standard sizes (0.25mL and 0.5mL seem most common - I found some references saying 0.25mL is more popular in deer breeding, while 0.5mL in bovine breeding for example, but I am not an expert)
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Comment on The US has a cloned sheep contraband problem in ~science
ylph Link Parent"Some estimates involve seven figures for the 6-year-old monarch buck, whose semen fetches $4,000 to $5,000 per straw" - so a million worth could be as little as 50mL "A single ejaculate from a..."Some estimates involve seven figures for the 6-year-old monarch buck, whose semen fetches $4,000 to $5,000 per straw" - so a million worth could be as little as 50mL
"A single ejaculate from a white-tailed deer buck can produce between 20 and 70 straws of semen" - so a top prize white-tailed deer buck can produce a million dollars worth of semen in as little as 3 ejaculations. Or in other terms, a single ejaculation can be worth as much as $350k.
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Comment on My Leopold FC900R broke - Recommendation request in ~tech
ylph Link ParentThe knob defaults to audio volume control (and mute if you press it as a button) - the first Q3 I got was without knob, and then later they had one with knob for sale, so I snatched it as well....The knob defaults to audio volume control (and mute if you press it as a button) - the first Q3 I got was without knob, and then later they had one with knob for sale, so I snatched it as well. However, the knob is a bit disappointing, it's small and stiff, and a bit awkward to use and in an awkward spot, so in retrospect I don't really care much about it, and don't use it as much as I thought I would. The larger knob on the Q3 Pro model might be better, but I have not had a chance to try it yet, and I am not really a fan of the extra wide macro keys on the left side anyway.
The knob can be easily remapped in VIA/QMK however to whatever key code you want, or macro, or whatever. Also, both versions (with knob and without) also map the volume control to Fn+F10 (mute) Fn+F11 (volume down) and Fn+F12 (volume up), but those are a bit of an awkward stretch with one hand, the knob is still better.
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Comment on My Leopold FC900R broke - Recommendation request in ~tech
ylph (edited )Link ParentFWIW, Woot has been having regular sales on random Keychrons in the past few months, sometimes at 60% off MSRP prices. I picked up a couple of Q3's (TKL is my preferred layout) at around $80 a...FWIW, Woot has been having regular sales on random Keychrons in the past few months, sometimes at 60% off MSRP prices. I picked up a couple of Q3's (TKL is my preferred layout) at around $80 a piece (normally ~$200) - although I swap out the switches and keycaps to my preference, and don't really like the stock Keychron options. I do like the heavy aluminum base though, and the open source QMK firmware.
The sales just seem to pop up randomly, and the popular models go quick, so you have to keep an eye on them - same models showed up multiple times, sometimes months apart, as more overstock inventory was released, I am guessing. They did have the Q6 and some of the other cheaper 100% layouts (with keypad) as well at steep discount, and might again (right now I only see Q4 and Q2 in stock though)
Here is my current daily driver Q3 w/knob (with MT3 profile /dev/tty PBT keycaps, and Outemu Silent Yellow Jade tactile switches)
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Comment on Looking for adventure(-ish) games to play alongside my 8 years old in ~games
ylph LinkMy son enjoyed backseat playing Subnautica with me (the original game) - it has some similar elements to Outer Wilds (space archeology, exploration/immersion) but also has survival/resource...My son enjoyed backseat playing Subnautica with me (the original game) - it has some similar elements to Outer Wilds (space archeology, exploration/immersion) but also has survival/resource gathering/tech tree traversing/base building.
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Comment on Disney seeking dismissal of Raglan Road death lawsuit because victim was Disney+ subscriber in ~news
ylph Link ParentAs much as I hate Disney - this is not really the argument. They are arguing that the person suing them should have instead used arbitration. Arbitration can still result in damages being awarded...Essentially, Disney is trying to argue that they can legally kill you just because you agreed to their Disney Plus ToS.
As much as I hate Disney - this is not really the argument. They are arguing that the person suing them should have instead used arbitration. Arbitration can still result in damages being awarded in case of wrongful death claim, but Disney likely hopes the process would be both cheaper to defend, and possibly result in less damages compared to a jury lawsuit.
It's still an outrageous claim though.
Whether handled through litigation or arbitration, wrongful death is a civil matter, not criminal, so any consequence Disney would face in either case would be potential damages they have to pay out if found liable for the wrongful death - no criminal penalties either way.
Also, the person was only asking for $50k in damages, seems crazy Disney wouldn't rather just offer some kind of confidential settlement to sweep this under the rug, rather than drawing this much attention to it with the outrageous abuse of ToS.
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Comment on ETF’s are eating the bond market in ~finance
ylph Link ParentBonds are more stable because they are less risky than stocks (until they become junk bonds, but that is a different story) - it has nothing really to do with trading volume. Low trading volume...Bonds are more stable because they are less risky than stocks (until they become junk bonds, but that is a different story) - it has nothing really to do with trading volume. Low trading volume actually adds additional risks to an asset (in addition to just liquidity risk - i.e. risk of not being able to sell the asset when needed at reasonable price, there is also risk of inefficient price discovery - it is harder to accurately value an asset that trades infrequently) which can make the asset less stable and less desirable.
US Treasuries for example are some of the most stable and least risky bonds, and also the most liquid and frequently traded.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
ylph Link ParentI just got started on the DLC yesterday actually. The feel is a little different so far from the base game, but I have barely even started. Getting strong "Rendezvous with Rama" vibes so far ::)I just got started on the DLC yesterday actually. The feel is a little different so far from the base game, but I have barely even started. Getting strong "Rendezvous with Rama" vibes so far ::)
Oh man, I don't think I could disagree stronger - I don't think the game cares where you start, and I don't think any individual starting place will offer a better experience over any other. In the tutorial area, almost everyone you talk to will give you some hints of places you could go, but there is a strong emphasis on leaving the choice up to you. Depending on which of the MANY threads offered to you in the beginning you tug on, you might feel compelled to go to any of the planets first, and there is no wrong choice - the point is to pique your curiosity enough to make you go explore, somewhere, anywhere, and slowly suck you into the central mystery as you discover things.
In my playthrough the planet you suggest was like the 5th one I went to, and I still had a great time. Watching many other playthroughs on YouTube, I have seen people take a crazy variety of approaches and different places to start. This makes watching others play the game almost as much fun as playing it for the first time, because they often put it together completely differently from how I did it, and even though we both experienced many similar moments of discovery and connections, the exact constellation of clues is often different, leading to different experiences.