zipf_slaw's recent activity

  1. Comment on 11foot8.com: trucks + bridges in ~transport

    zipf_slaw
    Link
    11ft 8 plus 8, actually. They raised in by 8" some years ago and it's far less dramatic now.

    11ft 8 plus 8, actually. They raised in by 8" some years ago and it's far less dramatic now.

    9 votes
  2. Comment on Who can name the bigger number? in ~science

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    A brilliant move, but unfortunately infinities are disallowed by the rules of the "game".

    A brilliant move, but unfortunately infinities are disallowed by the rules of the "game".

    1 vote
  3. Comment on Who can name the bigger number? in ~science

  4. Comment on Who can name the bigger number? in ~science

    zipf_slaw
    Link
    Aleph^(aleph^(aleph^.....))etc. Pretty sure I win.

    Aleph^(aleph^(aleph^.....))etc.

    Pretty sure I win.

    1 vote
  5. Comment on Playing with words in ~creative

    zipf_slaw
    Link
    I enjoy Spoonerisms, or swapping the first letters or sounds of adjacent words. Here are some favorites: -Shower part -Bundt cake -Smart feller -Tube bender -Square of pearls -Shake a tit -Sitting...

    I enjoy Spoonerisms, or swapping the first letters or sounds of adjacent words. Here are some favorites:

    -Shower part
    -Bundt cake
    -Smart feller
    -Tube bender
    -Square of pearls
    -Shake a tit
    -Sitting on the shitter
    -Top kitty
    -Button masher
    -West Bank
    -Starting up a form

    I have many more, I keep a list so I don't forget them. It's gotten so bad that most of the time when I hear a pair of words, I automatically generate their Spoonerism to see if it's funny. Like some sort of mind virus.

    1 vote
  6. Comment on Is 67 just brain rot? in ~humanities.languages

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    I prefer the version that has a bit more... existential weight, so I run up and yell "Roko's Basilisk!!"

    It mostly consists of them running up to each other (or their parents or friends' parents), shouting "the game" and running away laughing.

    I prefer the version that has a bit more... existential weight, so I run up and yell "Roko's Basilisk!!"

    7 votes
  7. Comment on Current studies may overestimate microplastics transferring from containers to food in ~food

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    Maybe not so much "good news" as "the bad news we had wasn't accurate". In other words, the frown isn't now a smile, but a shrug.

    Maybe not so much "good news" as "the bad news we had wasn't accurate". In other words, the frown isn't now a smile, but a shrug.

    7 votes
  8. Comment on Asteroid discovered only two days ago will fly by Earth closer than the moon today in ~space

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    I would think comets would be easier to detect than asteroids, as comets generally emit a couple tails as they enter the inner solar system, increasing the overall reflectance of the object....

    I would think comets would be easier to detect than asteroids, as comets generally emit a couple tails as they enter the inner solar system, increasing the overall reflectance of the object. Asteroids, on the other hand, can sneak up on you as some have pretty low albedo and don't generate comas/tails. Infrared is really the only wavelengths you can use to fine them.

    6 votes
  9. Comment on Can we bury enough wood to slow climate change? in ~enviro

    zipf_slaw
    Link
    On the smaller scale, hugelkultur is a fine way to grow a garden in drier climates. You bury wood in trenches, cover it with dirt to form a berm, plant all over the berm, and the wood acts as a...

    On the smaller scale, hugelkultur is a fine way to grow a garden in drier climates. You bury wood in trenches, cover it with dirt to form a berm, plant all over the berm, and the wood acts as a sponge over the winter/spring and holds the water into summer meaning less watering.

    11 votes
  10. Comment on Some protein powders and shakes may contain high levels of lead in ~health

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    This is likely because most breakfast cereals (and many flour-based products) are fortified with elemental iron (literally, food grade iron filings). Run a few pounds of any generic baking flour...

    he tried cornflakes made without salt, and how it tasted metallic;

    This is likely because most breakfast cereals (and many flour-based products) are fortified with elemental iron (literally, food grade iron filings). Run a few pounds of any generic baking flour across a rare earth magnet and you see it accumulate; a cornflake floating in water will behave kind of like a weak compass needle. If they weren't fortified like that they probably wouldn't taste metallic. You'd still need some sodium for balancing the taste/flavor, but it likely wouldn't need near as much.

    7 votes
  11. Comment on Prospect of life on Saturn’s moons rises after discovery of organic substances in ~space

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    The Anthropic Principal says "not so fast". Our existence is a selection effect. We can only observe from a planet where life exists, so the fact that life exists here is not evidence that life is...

    The fact that we know life exists in the universe should already lead you to conclude that life is relatively common in the universe.

    The Anthropic Principal says "not so fast".

    Our existence is a selection effect. We can only observe from a planet where life exists, so the fact that life exists here is not evidence that life is common elsewhere — it’s just necessary for us to be here to notice. That observation is like saying ‘I won the lottery’ and concluding the lottery must sell lots of tickets: you don’t get information about the ticket-sales from the fact that the winner exists.

    SpaceTime just did a great video about all this.

    10 votes
  12. Comment on White House in a bind as soybean sales to China plummet to zero in ~society

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    But I think that is only because we don't know the last person who flattered or paid him at any given moment. If we knew that, his behavior becomes extremely predictable.

    , but that doesn't mean everything was predictable in detail.

    But I think that is only because we don't know the last person who flattered or paid him at any given moment. If we knew that, his behavior becomes extremely predictable.

    7 votes
  13. Comment on What are some of your personal misheard lyrics? in ~music

    zipf_slaw
    Link
    Broken Bells - The Mall & Misery Line: The dead mouths it costs to be... [alive] I hear as Deadmau5 accosted me...

    Broken Bells - The Mall & Misery

    Line: The dead mouths it costs to be... [alive]

    I hear as Deadmau5 accosted me...

    1 vote
  14. Comment on Grape glut: Too much wine across the world leaves tons of US grapes rotting this crush season in ~food

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    You can ferment them into surface disinfectants. This has been done for awhile.

    You can ferment them into surface disinfectants. This has been done for awhile.

    2 votes
  15. Comment on The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official trailer in ~movies

    zipf_slaw
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Agreed, across the board. The low points for me was when Grogu was already doing jedi master shit with no training. The series just completely fucked over Yoda's "specialness"; turns out he wasn't...

    Agreed, across the board. The low points for me was when Grogu was already doing jedi master shit with no training. The series just completely fucked over Yoda's "specialness"; turns out he wasn't all that special, just lucky he was born into the right species. (I know about Yaddle, but that just supports the notion that that race is "jedi right out of the box")

    4 votes
  16. Comment on The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official trailer in ~movies

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    For me, Grogu destroyed anything about The Mandolorian that I enjoyed, then Skywalker's appearance shat all over the wreckage. Waaaay too much leaning on nostalgia for me.

    For me, Grogu destroyed anything about The Mandolorian that I enjoyed, then Skywalker's appearance shat all over the wreckage. Waaaay too much leaning on nostalgia for me.

    6 votes
  17. Comment on What "one-hit wonder" do you think has a discography worth exploring? in ~music

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    The Girl You Want, Secret Agent Man, Jocko Homo, Mongoloid, Through Being Cool - these are my faves. Their 50th anniversary album is a frequent spin for me. I recently met a close friend of one of...

    Devo

    The Girl You Want, Secret Agent Man, Jocko Homo, Mongoloid, Through Being Cool - these are my faves. Their 50th anniversary album is a frequent spin for me.

    I recently met a close friend of one of the members (Casale) and he implied he may invite me to a dinner party with him at some point, but I'm not holding my breath.

    9 votes
  18. Comment on AI content warning label in ~creative

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    Not trying to undermine your point at all, but perhaps a slightly more apt comparison instead of Organic certification may be "Non-GMO Project Certified" since it speaks directly to the nature of...

    Not trying to undermine your point at all, but perhaps a slightly more apt comparison instead of Organic certification may be "Non-GMO Project Certified" since it speaks directly to the nature of the inputs rather than just how they were handled or what they were exposed to during growth and processing. But it's perhaps an unnecessary comment.

    5 votes
  19. Comment on How Honeycrisp apples went from marvel to mediocre in ~food

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    The main selling point Cosmic Crisp has over Honey Crisp is that it's had the polyphenol oxidase enzyme bred out of it, which means it doesn't really brown when cells are damaged, so you can...

    The main selling point Cosmic Crisp has over Honey Crisp is that it's had the polyphenol oxidase enzyme bred out of it, which means it doesn't really brown when cells are damaged, so you can prepare cut fruit and have it last a significantly longer time before it's unappealing. A game-changer in apple quality and shelf-life.

    25 votes
  20. Comment on Wireless earphones: a belated review in ~tech

    zipf_slaw
    Link Parent
    thank you for the clarification!

    thank you for the clarification!

    1 vote