HNHacker News
TopNewBestAskShowJobs

id34

97 karma · joined January 21, 2020

submissionscomments
id34··on In a first, wind and solar generated more power than gas globally in April 2026
Correct - the version I linked is his more aggressive version, but he does give a soft out with 30 minutes remaining. He mentions that he has also uploaded the alternative version for those who want to share it with someone who wouldn't enjoy the ending of this version.
id34··on Wind and solar generated more power than gas globally in April 2026
I recommend this video from YouTuber Technology Connections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQ9nt2ZeGM

I appreciate his ability to talk renewables for almost an hour and barely mention climate change. This video has a bit of a twist ending, but he gives you a solid out before he becomes political if you're showing it to someone who won't be receptive to that messaging.

id34··on American importers and consumers bear the cost of 2025 tariffs: analysis
The use of tariffs as a mid-long strategy, in my view, would require a stable, long-term communication that the US government will implement careful, strategic tariffs alongside incentives to strengthen chosen domestic industries where they believe a domestic alternative is feasible. We haven't seen anything even close to that at any point in this tariff rollercoaster - tariffs for products that cannot be produced at scale domestically (coffee, bananas), tariffs for grudges, tariffs that only exist for a week, tariffs that are written post-hoc after a Truth post to fit what the president said. There's an argument to be made for domestic protectionism, but the people currently at the levers are not serious policy-minded folks.
id34··on Americans Overwhelmingly Support Science, but Some Think the U.S. Is Lagging
No, of course, but the issue comes in the next step. How do they put their "support" of science into practice? For some, that means supporting increased budgets for grants, education, or basic research. For others, that means "restoring trust" by adding partisan steps. "Trusting the experts is not science", as RFK said.

I find these types of survey questions almost useless - of course people will say they support science, or democracy, or freedom, or increasing support for families. The devil is always in the details.

id34··on Social media research tool lowers the political temperature
Here's the underlying study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu5584
id34··on I Hate, Therefore I Am
Man's search for a place in the universe is a tale as old as time. In this particular era, where the information environment pushes us to absolute judgements on complex issues, it can be difficult to publicly identify with tribe X. Can tribe X survive the purity test du jour? It's easier to define yourself in opposition, to be on the other side of the failed purity test. (Elon, in this article, is a great example. Does your crowd allow for any good in his work?)
id34··on Social media platforms: what's wrong, and what's next
For Android/iOS I've used ScreenZen, which is wonderfully configurable.
id34··on My little sister's use of ChatGPT for homework is heartbreaking
There difference is between "check" and "do" - verifying your work is a helpful use of feedback, not being able to multiply single digits without a calculator is a failed skill without a crutch to rely on.
id34··on History of Rat Control in Alberta
I believe, as the parent comment alluded to, the rat patrol has established a substantial beachhead into SK. The front lines are now outside the province and pushing east.

I've wondered about BC though - outside the density of the lower mainland anyways.

id34··on History of rat control in Alberta
Growing up in AB, I really didn't conceptually understand what rats are like in other places. I can't think of another animal with that same ubiquitousness.

Having no exposure as a kid means I find them terribly terribly gross when I see them in other places - in a park in Mexico City a couple months ago I audibly jumped when I saw them rooting around in gardens. Probably something to be said about exposure therapy

id34··on The Silence Doctors Are Keeping About Millennial Deaths
I've wondered if the rise in friends and colleagues with sudden late stage cancers has just been a fluke of my circle or a symptom of a wider problem of an unknown cause.

My father died of esophageal cancer not long ago - as a man in his early 60s he followed a path similar to the first patient in the article. Two friends are currently battling similar cancers and headed down the path of more and more agressive or experimental treatment. A large part of that choice seems intrinsic. When my dad was told he was stage 4, he smiled and reflected on the life he had lived - at peace with his mortality. When my close friend was told the same, he was distraught that he'd never had the opportunity for children. I understand how those unstated biases about a life well lived enter the medical field - an important reminder that a life is not simply measured in years.