theturtlemoves [he/him] @ theturtlemoves @hexbear.net

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1 yr. ago

To be fair, people who do great research aren't exactly famous for having operational common sense. (But that's why you have administrative staff.)

the tendency of chat bots to be sycophantic

They don't have to be, right? The companies make them behave like sycophants because they think that's what customers want. But we can make better chatbots. In fact, I would expect a chatbot that just tells (what it thinks is) the truth would be simpler to make and cheaper to run.

Most important research is already backed up. Medical research of such importance, if it existed, would have multiple copies, with at least one somewhere far away (most likely a cloud backup).

If religion gets people to do good things, what's wrong in it?

If you live in a country where you have to pay for basic healthcare, and you have an option to be paid for a blood donation you would have done anyway, then by all means take them dollars. The issue is that people who shouldn't be donating - either because it will put them in danger (e.g. they are already too weak), or because it will put the recipient in danger (e.g. because they have some serious infection) will now be encouraged to donate. This is why pretty much every other country bans payments for blood donation.

It's definitely a reference to the GNU projects. That particular story has a lot of parallels to the history of programming, with a bunch of nerdy hackers helping the hero beat an evil corporation.

China already has the capacity to take on the US hegemony both economically and financially.

When you are the only country with a chance of winning, and when defeat would mean another century of waiting for the working class (and who knows how bad climate change will get under capitalism), wouldn't you want to be absolutely sure of victory before making your move? And would it not be better to get as many of the neutral countries on your side as possible first? Or even to have the request for an alternative system come from a neutral country / ex-US ally who is now being bullied by the US, so even the local bourgs in all the other fence sitting countries can see who is their friend and who is their enemy?

The issue isn't what you meant. The issue is how your words might be twisted. Antisemitism - actual antisemitism - might be on the rise now, thanks to Israel's bloodlust.

Unfortunately, I don't think ship crew (other than the captain and navigator) get much of a choice in where the ship goes.

Maybe we should ban Christianity while we're at it. It has things like 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God'. Pretty antisemitic if you think about it.

Who'd vote for Reform-lite when they can vote for Reform?

Courageous move by Keir Starmer, in the Yes Minister sense.

I don't think he expects to get re-elected anyway.

50km lightning waow.

Nature is beautiful. And scary.

So it's some kind of high-altitude lightning, right? Wikipedia says something something plasma something.

the admins of another instance tolerating transphobia, including chasers

What are 'chasers'? Tailists?

guardian of the king's underpants

Close enough

My initial reaction was 'that's not half bad (particularly for those already at risk)' but then I realised that your health insurance system will abuse this.

Nah, just racist brainworms. How climate change will affect each country is hard to predict, but I'd guess (worst to best)

• south and southeast Asia will be the worst affected due to heatwaves and famines
• Meditteranean Europe will become hotter and drier
• Atlantic Europe will become very cold as the Gulf Stream weakens.
• eastern Amazon turns into a grassland or even a desert, causing droughts in Brazil
• north america moderately affected
• southern and western South America, and Southern Africa, moderately affected
• northern Russia might benefit but southern Russia and Central Asia would become too hot and dry
• China will figure out something (assuming no WW3)
• north and West Africa could benefit from increased rainfall and the greening of the Sahara.

Obviously, this is not ecological advice; don't trust anyone who thinks they can forecast climate change, etc.

Even this isn't true. Areas closer to the poles are warming (and will warm) faster than ones close to the equator. And Atlantic Europe will cool as the Gulf Stream weakens.

Isn't it one Iron Dome unit that got hit? I'm assuming there are multiple sites.