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upsidesinclude··on What drives this madness on small modular nuclear reactors?
This whole argument hinges on believing the opinion of the writer, who tries to assure you that he is very informed and you don't need any data to get in the way of the message.

While he may or may not be accurate in his assessment at this time, he manages to gloss over any number of historical factors that have brought us to this junction.

Continuing to invest in nuclear is a good idea. There is money to do so and yes, the military provides much of that. And they control an immense amount of fissile material. Wouldn't it be great if there was a future where that material, which has been mined at great cost, refined at immense cost and handled at astounding cost could be used to benefit the populace that have afforded it?

The huge arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world only has one way to make its exit. I'd rather we continued to work on an alternative.

upsidesinclude··on Training for one trillion parameter model backed by Intel and US govt has begun
Haha, this is funny because everyone is talking about this as if it is designed to be like the LLMs we have access to.

The training parameters will be the databases of info scooped up and integrated into profiles of every person and their entire digital footprint, queriable and responsive to direct questioning

upsidesinclude··on Toyota Only Plans to Make Enough Solid-State Batteries for 10k Cars in 2030
Toyota has very recently publicized their commitment to hybrid technology as it is the only foreseeable outcome for mass adoption and transition off of gasoline.

That's not opinion, that's their position.

This is pretty reasonable considering

upsidesinclude··on Early-life stress changes more genes in the brain than a head injury in rats
Appropriate username
upsidesinclude··on No evidence screen time is negative for child cognitive development, well-being
Not "wrong", dubious.

It is quite appropriate to call such declarations dubious.

Your explanation is fine, however, this 'no evidence' refrain that has been used to mislead the public has gone on long enough. At this point when that is in print the assumption may as well be the opposite.

Every sensible person can see that children are not developing as they have in the past and the clear major difference is full attention grabbing effect of media. But no, no, it isn't the 'screen time'

upsidesinclude··on Inhibition of ALDH2 by quercetin glucuronide to explain red wine headaches
>Human-subject testing is needed to test this hypothesis

This is a hypothesis and one that seems poorly born considering quercetin is available over the counter as a supplement and in no way causes headaches.

It is however, amazing at bolstering the immune system

upsidesinclude··on Americans' trust in scientists, positive views of science continue to decline
While the latter part of your statement is reasonable, it is also only opinion. Many people would prefer a less technically advanced society. This forum, for instance, is about as simple as it gets and that is to it's credit.

The initial point misses a fairly significant consideration though. A huge number of advancements are publicly funded. That public funding turns into private profit. People largely unaware of that fact, recently were made aware with the massive vaccine development spending that led to record shattering profits for pharma companies. To cite just one prominent example in the last few years.

Edit: shout out to text only

upsidesinclude··on FBI Director: FISA Section 702 warrant requirement a 'de facto ban'
This is sarcasm?
upsidesinclude··on Costly Cures: Harsh Treatments Appear to Uphold Social Trust
>Among large-bodied mammals, humans are especially pathetic, weak, and vulnerable

This alone is such a wildly unfounded statement. Maybe the author is a typical, academic soft body.

I couldn't really keep reading beyond this point as the author is comically uncritical of their own beliefs

Humans are wildly dangerous, vengeful, intelligent and resourceful.

upsidesinclude··on Don't build AI products the way everyone else is doing it
Sometimes everything looks like a hammer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHpDf-Q90OM

upsidesinclude··on Don't build AI products the way everyone else is doing it
>in applications where text isn't meant to be read word-for-word, and the entire response is expected before proceeding to the next step in the workflow, this can pose a significant issue.

Your take seems to narrow the application of AI chat down to customer service.

Taking a broader view, AI chat or really LLMs have a very wide range of applications. As discussed in the article, script and code producing AI is not meant to be "read" so much as utilized post generation.

Either way, the reality is that just like any other advancement, this will slowly start to become integral to many business networks and workflow models, all having no interface with the consumer. The current fascination is wearing thin for the unimaginative who've asked a few generic questions to ChatGPT and then failed to recognize any applications of that product in their own life.

All the better, but the more products built now means the more likely something is produced that niche markets are looking to buy.

upsidesinclude··on Melting in W. Antarctica 'unavoidable,' potentially disastrous sea level rise
It's very wealthy people in the first world and very poor people in the third world.

Poor people will stand up and walk inland.

The rich will do anything they can to convince everyone else to pay for their property losses

upsidesinclude··on Illegal lab containing bioengineered mice infected with HIV and herpes in Cali
This should be really bigger news.

Seperate news reports include claims that the company was "developing COVID19 tests" among other things. This could very well have been funded through pandemic relief grants.

The owners of the building claim no knowledge of the goings on there.

Clearly they were engaged in some nefarious work with extremely minimal safety protocol.

upsidesinclude··on How the 'lazy girl job' took over work TikTok
>90% no longer have to pretend to give a shit what the 10% think anymore

The 10% that do all your work for you?

I guess that's seems pretty shortsighted. When I go to work, I expect the asshole (that just watches me get shit done) to be decent company, worth a laugh or really willing to grab things I need.

If you can't bother to 'pretend' then I'm going to stop pretending for you too. I guess we'll see who gets to keep getting paid.

You know, have some decency.

upsidesinclude··on Saguaro cacti collapsing in Arizona heat
The other comments pretty well address both of those points.

I'd be glad to see more information as regards the conditions which lead to that conclusion

upsidesinclude··on Saguaro cacti collapsing in Arizona heat
Completely agree, xeriscaping is far more beneficial. There are lots of natural desert grasses, lawn isn't one of them
upsidesinclude··on Saguaro cacti collapsing in Arizona heat
Abnormal temperatures and lack of humidity caused by the heat island effect of blacktop for miles and miles in every direction.

Adoption of greenspace and far more solar panels in Phoenix could significantly cut down on this phenomena.

upsidesinclude··on FDA says aspartame is safe, disagreeing with WHO finding
This is the part that is so utterly maddening.

People will sit and argue the carcinogenic potential and completely ignore they're discussing poison. As if cancer is the only factor that could be of concern.

Notice your comment is down at the far end of the pile, while above psuedointellectuals fiegn insight into FDA & WHO motivations.

Endocrine & hormone disrupting, toxic compounds, but wait for it, hasn't been studied yet -> "there's no evidence" of harmful effect -> food safe

EU already banned a whole host of additives the US public gladly gorges on because we want red drank

upsidesinclude··on Age of universe at 26.7B years, nearly twice as old as previously believed
One way to consider it would be taking the limit of 'space' as time approaches negative infinity from a zero point of today. That's kind of silly considering they are coupled, but for practical purposes it is the effective point of 'the big bang'.

Also, everything is waves

upsidesinclude··on Oceans are turning greener due to climate change
Eee, throw up a human population graph next to that temp graph, because have I got a surprise for you!

The new claim is that population die off caused the Little Ice Age, thanks to disease and 'genocide'... 55 million out of roughly 500M.

If you buy that, you can't really deny the impact of the population increasing to 7.5B.

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population?time=900..late...

upsidesinclude··on Global heat in ‘uncharted territory’: 2023 could be the hottest year on record
Hey, I don't know you at all or your position. I don't assume anything other than the comments you make. You do seem to assume what I believe.

>you and I both know that I was referring to anthropomorphic climate change, which you are actively denying

I'm not denying anything about climate, I'm denying the severity of outcomes you claim. There is a major difference.

You should look into some data about natural disasters.

They cost more now. That's about it. Don't take some news infomercial segment as truth. Go read the statistics.

If someone makes a claim that something is "more severe" because the damage costs more to repair, then that is technically a factual statement. It doesn't further the position that the event was actually more severe than weather in the past.

The slight changes in weather you've experienced will not make your life shorter. You experience some discomfort because you aren't acclimated to warmer temperatures.

I'm claiming that the predictions of doom due to man made climate change are a farce. They are designed to get at you, emotionally.

It has worked.

The return to an ice age, even briefly (such as the Little Ice Age) would be truly catastrophic with today's population.

upsidesinclude··on Hottest days on Earth in the last 100k years all happened last week
Most extreme solar flare this cycle also happened to occur.... your diet and recycling has not caused these temperatures

https://twitter.com/drkstrong/status/1675669797462310919?ref...

upsidesinclude··on Global heat in ‘uncharted territory’: 2023 could be the hottest year on record
>that's just me disliking warmth

Yes it is and your anecdotes don't mean much. You are saying the winters are less severe. The growing season is longer and it is generally more habitable.

>people living through catastrophes which most likely would have been less severe if not for climate change.

Disentangle some emotion from the facts. People are dying less than ever before due to catastrophes. People that die from natural disaster today, largely have encroached on land that was always disaster prone and built massive infrastructure. The cost of natural disasters today is a direct result of populating and constructing in areas that are prone to tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, fire and flooding. It is almost completely preventable.

>you spread climate change denial

False. This is a blatant lie as my comment states clearly, I believe the climate is changing. We are exiting an ice age.

The solutions promoted by people like yourself, are going to cause greater harm than good because you choose to believe the climate should not change! Yes, you who choose to make foolish argument and use phrases like "climate change denial". Yes, you are in denial that the climate is allowed to change.

'The weather should be just the way it was when my grandparents remember the good old days' -you

No, sorry it is you and your internal strife with change that is the problem. Petition the government to change the ways companies and militaries pollute the environment. Leave the rest of us alone with your carbon tax bullshit that we must pay for.

upsidesinclude··on Unprecedented ocean temps “surpassing model predictions,” warn experts
>Humans fixed the ozone layer

Humans stopped creating a hole in the ozone layer

upsidesinclude··on Global heat in ‘uncharted territory’: 2023 could be the hottest year on record
Please provide some actual insight then.

The state of climate will not have a direct effect on your life, the span of years you are alive. Not to a significant degree.

It can have an indirect effect on your life by the introduction of harmful regressive policies designed to "account" for a changing climate and assign blame to everyday people.

Everyday people do not cause any of the drivers of climate change. Large corporations, governments and militaries do cause these drivers.

So what I'm adding here is sense.

It makes no sense to cripple an economy and destroy the middle class when it is clear there will not be global cooperation in addressing climate change. To be clear we are talking about the fact that BRICs will not cripple their growth and economy for the sake of this guilt complex.

Most countries can't even make a measurable change in comparison to these groups.

upsidesinclude··on Global heat in ‘uncharted territory’: 2023 could be the hottest year on record
The earth is in the final stages at the end of an ice age.

It's weird, but for some reason people can't seem to recognize this fact. We exited a major glacial period and have been, for 11000 years, ending an ice age (a period with glacial ice at both polar regions).

CURRENTLY, the period of time we are living in, is considered interglacial despite glaciers still covering significant portions of earth. The expectation is a return to major glaciation. This would be horrible. It is also the predominant condition throughout the history of earth.

upsidesinclude··on DARPA Seeks to Shield Blood from Fungal and Bacterial Pathogens
Arctic
upsidesinclude··on Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest
Take that with a grain of salt
upsidesinclude··on Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest
That is not a good recommendation and is also incorrect

PTFE, the material, does not contain PFAS in bulk form.

That's the end.

Floss, as a product, could contain any number of compounds related to the manufacturing, packaging and coating.

upsidesinclude··on Show HN: PFAS.report – Measure the forever chemicals in your blood via Quest
I guess you'd also be giving someone extended life though right, so I guess that's for them to decide
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