Meandering

Inflation is where the value of a dollar decreases and the cost of products increase(or inflates). You can see inflation as a monetary phenomenon where they increase the supply of dollars and you need more dollars to exchange for the same product. This can intersect with the other source of inflation where product prices increase due to supply constraints.

People thought that BTC would be treated like gold. Where it would act in opposition to the stock market. If you ignore all the terminology and equations, then you can focus on the behavior of the investors. If investors buy, sell, and perceive BTC as a type of stock, then it will behave as stock. As inflation occurs, it will project into the crypto market via speculative investment.

The "inflation proof" concept of bitcoin is that there is a fixed supply. So, monetary inflation cannot occur within the currency itself. However, in the context of the larger financial market, it will be affected by systemic inflation.

Novavax might have underfunded their lobbying department. /s

Any vaccine was great for the most at risk population but, as you stated, it's not a solution to covid; only a tool to mitigate its threat to the individual. I know a lot of people who didn't want any of the vaccines but they wanted the Novavax. I think quick approval would have pumped vaccination rates. And now, I don't think people will bother.

I agree that regulation is a useful tool for society. As a quasi-libertarian, I just want to explain one reason why libertarians don't like regulation. Facebook is calling for regulation on censorship... a business is asking to be regulated... this means that it's within there profit incentive to ask for government control. They must have a high level of confidence that they can mold regulation to suit their needs. The financial industry is probably one of the most corrupt industry when it comes to private-regulatory cooperation. I believe that crypt regulation will be to the advantage of all the high profile financial players that have moved into the space.

Bashing regulation for the sake of bashing regulation is a bit reductive. However, assuming regulation is the government applying order to chaos is also a bit reductive.

What's your favorite or most closely watched Gen IV reactor? Figure you'd be one to ask.

I can't remember the technical terms for these issues (hypercaloric, nutrient deficient diets or something) but I watch a documentary covering malnutrition. They showed people eating cheap food with low nutrient dense foods because they were ignorant and/or poor. Another documentary, Vitamania (great watch), showed that we only need a small portion of nutrients compared to the volume of food we eat. So, I imagine it's more about health education and financial status than people "eating right" while over estimating their nutrient intake.

Moving the entire solar system is my favorite solution so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3y8AIEX_dU

We'll figure out fluorine before space mining is even viable. They will probably have a fluorine-based battery on the market within the next decade.

Don't knock rotating lead till you try it. Seriously, it's like a real time pencil sharpener.

The iPhone is a more profitable platform than iPod. Cannibalizing the iPod market was a move that maximized long-term profit.

Jobs wanted the iPad to represent a unique interface and experience that was distinct from a laptop. They failed to do that and the touchscreen is the only difference that remains. Merging these products is only likely if they doesn't reduce overall expenditure on Apple products in the long-term.

"The computer world is not just technicality and razzle-dazzle. It is a continual war over software politics and paradigms. With ideas which are still radical, WE FIGHT ON.

We hope for vindication, the last laugh, and recognition as an additional standard-- electronic documents with visible connections." - https://xanadu.com/

Looks like they would fit right into the crypto world..

I'd pay a premium for a TV that doesn't have surveillance technology baked in.

>> Money is power. > Money is just one form of power, not the most powerful.

I've over thought this one a lot and happened on an anthropology book that confirmed my position:

Power is the ability to influence or induce action. Money is a medium of exchange which acts as a mechanism to induce economic activity. Entertainment companies, media companies, and even social media influencers have the ability to manipulate perception which may induce action. Money is an odd beast in the landscape of power because it grants access to "API's" of power. Lobbying, media buys, hiring employees, and even purchasing portions of the economy(i.e. businesses). My point, and where I agree with you, is that money, in and of itself, is not power... it is a medium through which one can express power.

He commands a massive audience and, most importantly, the trust of that audience.

I called Trump a gameshow host while he was in office. But, he was the most powerful man in the free world. I wouldn't judge a person by the weakest moments of their past when they are at their strongest in the present.

But, seriously, he is absurdly popular: https://twitter.com/APompliano/status/1478059547688374281/ph...

I can see the added functionality but... wouldn't building a SQL system that implements formal Relational Algebra be more useful? In that case, a person could run a proof solver to optimize their queries. This may be an ignorant statement since I'm not a 'real' CS person.

This was my first counterargument to his post. Latex can be used to make amazing documents but, it is a pain in the ass to learn. If they simplified latex in a similar vain to HTML2 -> HTML5, then it starts to look reasonable.

I think his frustration is misplaced on the medium of content. He is addressing the same issue everyone else has, the fragmentation of information. The internet isn't a one stop shop anymore. You are forced to cycle through huge amounts of reposts and micro-posts to get anything useful.

I tutored algebra students and I reccommend the following approach with Khan academy/Openstax resources.

Order of Operations(No Variable)

Order of Operations(One Variable)

Advanced Order of Operations (One Variable)*optional

- Logs, Roots, Exponentials

- Polynomial multiplication/Factorization

Change the variable to random symbols

- Greek characters, shapes, animals

Order of Operations(Multiple Variables)

Introduce functions

- f(x) = mx + b

Connect Order of Operations with Functions

- Simplify an equation and plot as a function

Introduce units (basic physics equations)

- Simplify to formula and Plot

The goal in formal classes is to introduce order of operations with variables, the concept of functions, and how to manipulate those functions. If you are stem oriented, then this is the perfect time to introduce dimensional analysis(units) and physics-based functions. Instilling a sense of confidence and comfort with algebraic manipulation is critical. Prepping her for physics and working with functions is just smart.

I think 1 and 2 are connected. Apple sees the cellular communication game from the perspective of their ecosystem. Improving network agnosticism is supportive of that perspective. We see that Apple wants to deliver a premium experience for a premium price. I assume that LEO or Lower than LEO communications could be supported by auxiliary products. A small "hotspot" type device(comm array) to couple with the Apple ecosystem? This future proofs the ecosystem to partner with a communications swarm or launch their own as launch prices drop.

I'd say it is possible in the context of what I stated. But, the article's characterization seems too good to be true.

The problem is precedence. If you let one company commandeer a public resource(in this case access) without resistance, then that will allow others to do the same. I understand your rationale but, resistance isn't necessarily bad in this case. People shouldn't have to work around companies... companies should be preventing/solving the public conflicts they create.

The issue is that buzz words and politics are an integral part in the system. The types of technologies and methods that receive government and NGO support will prevail. Tax credits are use to incentivize the adoption of certain technologies while building codes favor certain techniques. The point is that attempting to create green buildings is inherently political and the inefficiencies of politics is preventing the execution of science.

Large reactors currently take at least 10 years to construct. The new small reactors are estimated to take at least 2-5 years.

These plants offer continuous power with minimal maintenance. Renewable equipment needs to be replaced and repaired at a higher frequency. They will also need storage and grid upgrades to stand as a direct replacement. They absolutely have a place in the energy profile. But, nuclear provides a type of base power that cannot be easily or cost efficiently accomplished by renewable technologies. We need to take advantage of the pros and mitigate the cons of each technology.

Heat is call "Low Quality" energy in thermodynamics. Heat is basically disorganized particle movement. It is very hard to convert disorganized energy to organized energy like electrical current.

You are right. Software doesn't need access to everything and it shouldn't. Unfortunately, it is easier on the consumer end to leave software access somewhat "open ended". The domain for updates may change or it may need to connect to different plugin sources. Unnecessary constrictions on a software's ability to function would fuel software issues. So, more sensitive networks will have administrators define these permissions. However, providing constrictive defaults to a regular consumer wouldn't be worth the customer service burden.

People also tend to ignore that automation minimizes craftsmanship and art to a MVP. I know a few masons and they are literally artists. Sure, you can lay bricks and have a wall but it's not the same as a mortar-less stone wall crafted with artistic skill. They are completely different objectives and render completely different impressions. Automation eliminates the humanity of a task by existence. We will lose those unspoken qualities when automation breaks into the mainstream and no one will know everything they have lost in the process.

SELinux

People like to romanticize market competition as a epic battle of great minds and ideas that we all benefit from... but, in all honestly, it allows for comparative testing of diverse ideas while keeping pricing honest. Cooperation might lower the "cost" of producing similar products but, then we are producing similar products. A major goal of competition is to prevent us from putting all our eggs in one basket.

I mean what if all the space companies decided to use one company's rocket engine and they failed to delivery...

Thanks for linking "The Story of Stuff". I remembered the content but forgot the title. I would look at how gasification is evolving for waste disposal.

So, who is responsible for improper disposal of waste? I would say that the end consumer has a responsibility to dispose waste correctly. However, it seems the ability to do so has been tainted by a horrible waste management system.

Plastic Wars: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/plastic-wars/

Plastic is a cheap and versatile material. It is a by-product of an independently lucrative business; oil. I would love to see alternatives but, the development of sustainable packaging is hiding behind a research market barrier and the economic cost difference between the cheap "waste" product of oil. I hope consumer choice leads use to a better system... where those choices are informed and have influence.

At least you aren't waiting on that fluoride battery technology.... fingers-crossed

It seems that charging a premium on energy use beyond a certain threshold would be far more effective. The carbon-cost of investigating high-end consumer electronics might actually be more than the few PCs that would be purchased.

You would use a fixed amount of iron and recycle it. It's not like you need "fresh" iron for every use.

This is interesting... I hope they can make it feasible in the long run. There is another interesting application for this oxidation phenomenon.[1] They burn iron dust to create a C02-free furnace. Imagine replacing coal with iron in concrete plants...

[1] https://newatlas.com/energy/bavarian-brewery-carbon-free-ren...