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subroutine

3,134 karma · joined June 16, 2015

Computational Neuroscience PhD, UC Berkeley
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subroutine··on Show HN: Autism Simulator
When I was in grad school, I worked in a lab that performed research on children with Asperger's syndrome (AS), mainly through fMRI and DTI brain imaging techniques. AS was merged into Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but at the time was considered a high-functioning form of autism. I met dozens of children with AS; they were typically between 9-13 years old. All the children I met were clearly autistic. I'm not going to attempt to describe what that means here, but the nature of their disorder was evident, compared to other disorders and compared to the age-matched controls [1]. Back then I'd confidently tell you I could easily pick out the kids in a classroom with an AS diagnosis. These days, I have no confidence I could do so (mostly due to false negatives).

[1] anecdote: at the end of explaining the fMRI procedure to the participant children and their parents, I'd ask if the child had any questions. Neurotypical children would usually ask about any reward $ for completing the task. AS kids would usually ask something poignant about the experiment.

subroutine··on If you are harassed by lasers
HELIOS is currently on USS Preble.
subroutine··on Meta exposé author faces $50k fine per breach of non-disparagement agreement
If the severance is significant, it's because they are making a deal with you, not because they are being nice.

Option 1: take the severance package/non-disparagement agreement and decline the $500k book deal focused on disparaging facebook

Option 2: decline the severance and take the $500k book deal.

subroutine··on Ants that seem to defy biology – They lay eggs that hatch into another species
What are the odds this behavior is not completely hostile from the side of the builder ant? There seems to be some implication of symbiotic relationship, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.

The interesting part is whether M. ibericus queens do actively remove their own genetic from eggs fertilized with builder sperm. Why would they do this?

subroutine··on Cops in [Spain] think everyone using a Google Pixel must be a drug dealer
This "Almost Friday" skit about the Google Pixel is comedy gold...

https://youtu.be/faabxveeoZo

subroutine··on Amazon Just Happens to Hold Book Sale During Independent Bookstore Day
Because thoughts and prayers don't pay the rent? If they did enhance the quality of the community, they would be patroned at a level that sustains them. If you simply enjoy knowing a local bookstore exists as a storefront in your downtown district, maybe you could rally the community to subsidize their economics like a park or swimming pool, and perhaps you could even rent books for nearly free - just stamp the back.
subroutine··on OpenAI releases image generation in the API
Gotcha. We happen to be on government Azure as a contractor, which took years to secure (and one reason our execs want to be beyond sure everything is locked down)
subroutine··on OpenAI releases image generation in the API
The following is required from the company using a provisionally authorized vendor service:

* organization required to perform a Risk Assessment (is this standardized?)

* organization must issue an Authority to Operate (ATO) (example? to whom?) to use it for CUI as the data owner.

* organization must ensure data is encrypted properly both at rest and in transit (is plain text typed into a chat window encrypted at rest?).

* organization must ensure the system is documented in a System Security Plan (SSP) (example?).

* organization must get approval from government sponsor of each project to use CUI with AI tools

I am the one pushing for adoption, but don't have the time or FedRAMP/DISA expertise, and our FSO/CISO would rather we just not.

subroutine··on OpenAI releases image generation in the API
See my comment above.
subroutine··on OpenAI releases image generation in the API
I ask, because according to MS...

"GPT-4o is now available as part of Azure OpenAI Service for Azure Government and included as part of this latest FedRAMP High and DoD IL4/IL5 Authorization."

...we have everything setup in Azure but are weary to start using with CUI. Our DoD contacts think it's good to go, but nobody wants to go on record as giving the go-ahead.

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/azuregov/azure-openai-fedramp...

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-government/com...

subroutine··on OpenAI releases image generation in the API
Do you work with OpenAI models via FedRAMP GGC High Azure? If so I would love to hear more about your experience.
subroutine··on OpenAI releases image generation in the API
Think of all the trivial ways an image generator could be used in business, and there is likely a similar use-case among the DoD and its contractors (e.g. create a cartoon image of a ship for a naval training aid; make a data dashboard wireframe concept for a decision aid).
subroutine··on Middle-aged man trading cards go viral in rural Japan town
We're looking for house! Come on, house!

Holographic white Oakley's... not bad, it pairs with day drinking.

subroutine··on The April Fools joke that might have got me fired
Me checking my inbox at 9:30am...

    7:28 New Campus Policy printing now costs 5-cents per page

    8:34 Re: New Campus Policy - April Fools! Printing is free.

    9:14 Re: Re: New Campus Policy - Printing is still free, for now.
delete, delete, mark spam
subroutine··on The April Fools joke that might have got me fired
I agree. It seems like hardly anyone got to experience the fun part of the prank - the number of people who actually saw INSERT 5 CENTS on their VFD panel was probably close to zero given "By 8:30am it was chaos". So for 99.9% of people the entirety of the prank was a dry email stating campus was going to start charging for printing, which was true.
subroutine··on George R.R. Martin has co-authored a physics paper
This seems more like an epidemiology paper than a physics paper. They probably could have modeled it after the Zaire Ebola virus, with a mortality rate of 90 percent.
subroutine··on FEMA: Never donate clothing (it is never needed)
Is your comment at me? Because it seems like we agree.

i.e. donating new cloths is not any better than used cloths and neither are all that helpful; donate cash instead.

subroutine··on FEMA: Never donate clothing (it is never needed)
I suppose it depends if you are trying to help with people's wants or needs in a disaster situation. If 10 new sweatshirts and 100 used sweatshirts get airdropped into a disaster area, and all 10 new shirts get taken and 0 used shirts, then FEMA is right, cloths are not needed. However, if the cloths being new help people psychologically cope with the disaster, that's certainly a factor to consider.
subroutine··on FEMA: Never donate clothing (it is never needed)
Really, our gratitude seems lacking after the 9th pile of Patagonia half-zip sweater vests?
subroutine··on FEMA: Never donate clothing (it is never needed)
If clothing is needed in a disaster situation, I don't see how a new retail sweatshirt and jeans would be much more impactful than a used sweatshirt and jeans, given people have enough sense to not donate clothing with non-cosmetic issues - i.e. faded ok; rips/holes not ok).

Furthermore, if you have some money to spend on the effort, buying new cloths is a really poor choice among the options for spending it, for all the reasons they mentioned: organizations on the ground know what items and quantities are needed, often buy in bulk with discounts and, if possible, purchase through businesses local to the disaster, which supports economic recovery.

subroutine··on FEMA: Never donate clothing (it is never needed)
FEMA tips for helping disaster recovery efforts: volunteer time and donate cash.
subroutine··on School smartphone ban results in better sleep and improved mood: study
They could have included the obvious (but probably unwanted) alternative hypothesis:

Researchers suggest that these results might mean that changes in cognitive ability could take longer than the study period of 21 days to materialize, or access to devices has a positive effect on attention offsetting the effects of sleep on attention.

It's probably unlikely but it is an obvious possibility.

subroutine··on ChatGPT Pro
In the past, $20 got me the most access to the latest models and tools. When OpenAI rolled out new advanced features, the $20 per month customers always got full / first access. Now the $200 per month customers will have the most access to the latest models and tools, not the (now) mid/low tier customers. That seems like less to me.
subroutine··on Federal Court Says Dismantling a Phone to Install Firmware Isn't a 'Search'
There is no law stating the government cant repair a broken device that was seized as evidence, while having a lapsed search warrant.

There is a law against searching a device without a valid warrant.

The judge ruled that repairing a device seized as evidence is not a search.

I'm failing to see what the government did, that was against any law or policy.

subroutine··on ChatGPT Pro
Part of my justification for spending $20 per month on ChatGPT Plus was that I'd have the best access to the latest models and advanced features. I'll probably roll back to the free plan rather than pay $20/mo for mid tier plan access and support.
subroutine··on Two Nobel Prize winners want to cancel their own CRISPR patents in Europe
Yes, the Broad Institute of MIT is licencing CRISPR patents owned by Broad.
subroutine··on Christopher Columbus may have been Spanish and Jewish, documentary says
They are saying most Americans come from Europe, which is why Columbus's origin is interesting to them.

Your correction would be like saying "most European Americans come from Europe"

subroutine··on How long til we're all on Ozempic?
I agree if the cost becomes negligible or whenever it becomes cost effective (I'm sure the insurance companies will be tracking the data closely) - until then though?
subroutine··on How long til we're all on Ozempic?
I'd have to see some data to be convinced. There is nothing more problematic to health than aging. If we make all "fatties" thin we'll eventually get a bunch of geriatric cancer or dementia patients, or some other expensive age-related health problem (e.g. what is the lifetime healthcare cost-burden of obese people who live on average to 65 vs. thin people who live on average to 85 - just making up numbers here)
subroutine··on How long til we're all on Ozempic?
It will be interesting to see how health insurance companies deal with Ozempic. A few days ago a top article on HN posed the question: Millions of Americans could benefit from drugs like Ozempic; will they bankrupt the healthcare system?

Of course there are many health benefits to losing weight. Given there are clear, healthy, non-drug assisted ways to lose weight, should drug-assisted weight loss be considered an 'elective' procedure, so to speak (similar to liposuction). With so many people qualifying for this drug, would it be fair to increase insurance premiums for overweight individuals? (I say this as someone who could lose a few lbs). Should healthy active folks who keep their weight in-check naturally be required to foot some of the insurance premium bill for those who use this drug to lose weight? If someone rebounds multiple times after going off Ozempic do we continue to collectively pay? Will we be required to collectively pay for people to stay on Ozempic indefinitely to maintain a healthy weight?

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2024-05-29/will-ozempi...

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