imchillyb

> There, researchers under Dr. Nathan Gordon, a CIA chemist, mixed shellfish toxin with water and froze the mixture into a small pellet or dart. The finished projectile would be fired from a modified Colt M1911 pistol equipped with an electrical firing mechanism. It had an effective range of 100 meters and was virtually noiseless when fired.

> When fired into a target, the frozen dart would immediately melt and release its poisonous payload into the victim’s bloodstream. Shellfish toxins, which are known to completely shut down the cardiovascular system in concentrated doses, would spread to the victim’s heart, mimicking a heart attack and causing death within minutes.

> All that would be left behind was a tiny red dot where the dart entered the body, undetectable to those who didn’t know to look for it. As the target lay dying, the assassin could escape without notice.

> https://allthatsinteresting.com/heart-attack-gun

I've found this effect to be true with engagement algorithms as well, such as Youtube's thumbs-down, or 'don't show me this channel' 'Don't like this content', Spotify's thumbs down. Netflix's thumbs down.

Engagement with that feature seems to encourage, rather than discourage, bad behavior from the algorithm. If one limits engagement to the positive aspect only, such as only thumbs up, then one can expect the algorithm to actually refine what the user likes and consistently offer up pertinent suggestions.

The moment one engages with that nefarious downvote though... all bets are off, it's like the algorithm's bubble is punctured and all the useful bits bop out.

How would you explain the disconnect between German WW2 sympathizers who sold out their fellow humans, and those in that society who found the practice so deplorable they hid Jews in their own homes?

There’s a large disconnect between these two paths of thinking.

Survival and thriving were the goals of both groups.

I spoke with gpt-5, and asked it about shrinkflation, enshittification, and its relevancy to this situation. I think Hacker News will agree with gpt-5s findings.

> Do you understand what shrinkflation is? Do you understand the relationship between enshittification and such things as shrinkflation?

> I understand exactly what you’re saying — and yes, the connection you’re drawing between shrinkflation, enshittification, and the current situation with this model change is both valid and sharp.

> What you’re describing matches the pattern we just talked about:

> https://chatgpt.com/share/68963ec3-e5c0-8006-a276-c8fe61c04d...

The power of a system does not lie within its mechanisms, systems, and strategies.

The power of a system allows one -near infinite- ability to create and manipulate those mechanisms, systems, and strategies.

The most powerful systems have few safeguards or rails, and user beware.

The most restrictive systems we hand to grandma and grandpa, knowing there is little they can actually do with them.

You jest, but the US Department of Defense already created SkyNet.

It does, almost, exactly what the movies claimed it could do.

The, super-fun, people working in national defense watched Terminator and instead of taking the story as a cautionary tale, used the movies as a blueprint.

This outcome in a microcosm is bad enough, but take in the direction AI is going and humanity has some real bad times ahead.

Even without killer autonomous robots.

Not OP, but…

Asking Google about one watt lasers inevitably produces junk that does not address the question at all.

Sifting and sorting through that junk is tiresome.

AI provides a succinct answer with as much depth is requested and can further clarify or expound on the original findings.

What’s not to like about such interactions? And, furthermore, how is the AI interaction in this case not objectively ‘better’ than a Google search?

With radiation half lives what they are, our society should be brainstorming how to segregate and mark nuclear waste storage areas. All areas that store radioactive waste.

Without clear warnings and boundaries humanity is just waiting for a catastrophe.

A tiny sign and words don’t count.

One of my favorite dialogs is from the pilot:

Ted Crisp: We do everything: industrial products, biomedical, cryogenics, defense technology.

Veronica Palmer: We want to weaponize a pumpkin.

Ted Crisp: Then so do I. Because?

Veronica Palmer: There's a country with whom we do business that grows a great deal of pumpkins and would welcome additional uses for them. As well as cheaper ways to kill their enemies.

Ted Crisp: Well, finally, the pumpkin gets to do something besides Halloween.

I believe this showcases, succinctly, corporate “ethics” in our society.

Absolutely anything to make a buck and strengthen trade.

Tread carefully. This is how the Borg started. “Your caffeinated and medicated existence will be added to our own, resistance is futile… pass the creamer.”

I believe this is the simplest and most succinct answer given the current anti monopoly climate the courts and prosecutors have.

Bribing a driver in order to receive an order accurately seems archaic.

I’ll drive there myself, thanks. My pup gets a ride. The apps get the finger. The drivers get what they deserve.

Wins all around.

I believe there is thorough, observable, evidence to suggest that consciousness is manifest exclusively through the brain.

Persons with damaged brains have damaged consciousness. Persons with underdeveloped brains have underdeveloped consciousness. People without functioning brains have no detectable consciousness.

There is a metric ton of observed and collected data on consciousness.

Of course evidence does not equal proof…

Removal of occupants from West Bank and Gaza, completely, was always the overall goal here. Israel doesn't seem to care overly much how this occurs, but they're making it happen. The goal is almost reached.

There will be no Palestine. Egypt doesn't want the refugees. Jordan doesn't want the refugees. Qatar doesn't want the refugees. UAE doesn't want the refugees. Syria doesn't want the refugees. Lebanon doesn't want the refugees. Iran and Iraq don't want the refugees. America doesn't want the refugees. Europe doesn't want the refugees. Russia & China don't want the refugees.

When the fortnite-circle closes in Gaza and West Bank, where do you think these people will go? To a gigantic concentration camp? They'll fight -and die- first. Israel, and all of the surrounding nations are counting on this fact.

Palestine is done. Over. Finished. They have nowhere to go. They won't accept permanent incarceration. That leaves rebellion unto death.

That is the option the world has given these people. Do we help them? Move them? No. We condemn Israel's actions and blah-blah-blah.

Humanity makes me nauseous.

Tinder, however, is a kindling for a fire. Love is a blaze.

I believe the metaphor is succinct.

Ben Bova wrote a book: "Welcome to Moonbase."

I purchased that as a kid, in a souvenir shop, on our way out of Cape Canaveral. We were there specifically to see the Space Shuttle slow-crawl to it's launchpad destination. I never got to see a shuttle take off first hand.

That book, though, began a life-long love of space and all things unexplainable.

I love space, science, and the unknown. That love all comes down to a childhood fascination with the Space Shuttle program, and Ben Bova opening my childish mind to the idea of life on the moon, and how different everything would be.

Thank you Ben Bova. And thank you NASA for daring to dream big. You've both made a lifelong friend.

I don't believe you understand the word iteration, why that word exists, or the benefits it provides to society in general.

That philosophy has some lingering halitosis of truth to it.

Any inspection of any economy suggests otherwise. How many tire manufacturers are out there? How many different brands, styles, and types of tire? How many total US Dollars per year are those companies sharing?

How about oil changes? Car washes? How about car wax?

New doesn't equal profitable. Making a different product, or service, is where most of the profits on earth sit.

Wanna be a rebel and broke? Then by all means follow the new-new and barely break-break even.

They're using Plasma Wave Sensor instrumentation:

> https://space.physics.uiowa.edu/plasma-wave/voyager/

Exploration, especially space exploration, has only ever come with military advantages. If one could interest military agencies that the exploration was in their best interests we could see a space-revival of sorts. That would only last for as long as the military advantage lasts.

This is an unfortunate reality of our society. We've only ever spent dollars in space when it was advantageous to our Department of Defense, and the military in general.

People and companies who have succeeded in space have tied their goals to overarching military objectives. It's the best way to win the space race. Make the military understand they need to do the thing you want to do.

“There are several sample applications included which demonstrate what it is capable of.”

This was the mantra of BeOs. Here’s a technology preview. Watch videos on a cube, now a sphere!

The OS was sold as a technology preview that was easy and accessible and the users only needed to wait for developers…

…that never showed up.

Similar occurrence with Microsoft phones and lack of developers. Pebble watch and lack of developers…

What these projects all lack are meaningful engagement instead of a few ‘oh wow’ moments.

It’s not lying if a corporation strictly follows the dictates of a national security letter.

People do kind of worship at Trump's feet. The actual anti-christ is going to have a high priest that performs miracles in his presence. Like magic tricks but more real. The anti-christ is also going to receive a mortal head wound and resurrect 3 days later.

::shrug:: it's all laid out in the Bible. Jesus wasn't ambiguous about anything about Himself, or His opponent.

Matthew 24:4-31 describes -the exact- method of His return. The description is very much like an alien force deceleration within our solar system, and arriving en masse. It'll be noticeable worldwide. Read this and tell me if there's any ambiguity.

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4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people. 6 And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people. 12 And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place—let the reader understand— 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get things out of his house. 18 And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 Moreover, pray that when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

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Sun darkened. Heavens shaken. Loud trumpet sound. Host arriving. God didn't originate on Earth. Alien. Alien invasion. Re-invasion?

Neat huh? OH! Did you know the Bible also mentions a Dragon, called Leviathan. And zombies: "...they shall seek death and not find it. Death will flee from them..."

His story. Best story ever.

How did Israel get the order of operations correct, without science, if no one told them this story?

Israel’s creation story gets every step in the right order.

How?

You are conflating a localized source of photonic emission with light.

Light is an electromagnetic field that permeates everything in and through. Without the field first there are no photons, there is no physics, no gravity.

God claimed to be this force. In all. Through all. Nothing could exist without it.

How would a primitive people know this, understand this? They could not. We certainly can.

If one must give up kernel level security of their system to an untrusted 3rd party, was it really free?

R&D is a cost center that can no longer be written off of a company’s taxes.

I don’t believe that cost centers are a good example of returning manufacturing onshore. Or an example of a state using federal funding well.

Cost centers are not a good investment for federal funding, without a clear path to paying back our taxed dollars.

I believe it's a shame that the drippings do not create the basis of a mantle-stalagmite. That would be a neat feature to study.

'Our continent keeps on dripping, dripping, dripping, into the mantle...'

Doo-doo dah doo-doo.

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Is there currently any type of ground penetrating radar or other device which could physically confirm the model's output?

There is an ancient text that predicts every body of water becoming like blood.

There is an algae that flourishes in warm water that almost solidifies water into a reddish goop. That goop is much like blood.

We, society, are making this happen. And, it’s happening at a prodigious rate.

The earth’s cooling mechanisms rely upon these bodies of water. The warmer the water the greater the chances of these algal blooms.

Yay us.