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appletrotter

360 karma · joined June 29, 2018

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appletrotter··on Brain overgrowth dictates autism severity, new research suggests
I think your ideas around ‘tradeoffs’ here are very confusing.

Tradeoff is such an intrinsically correct term to use here. People with autism/adhd are worse at some tasks, and better at others. That’s what a tradeoff is.

There are similar discussions around deafness. Deaf people often don’t like to see their deafness as a disability, but as something that defines their culture and experience. That’s still a tradeoff. You can decide to give your child cochlear implants, and integrate them into mainstream schooling - or you can opt out of that, and integrate them into the deaf community. That’s the very definition of a trade off, and it’s a very valid and difficult question.

The issue I have with your take is that its adoption can reduce people’s feelings of agency around their way of life. What works for you isn’t necessarily universal. The idea of a tradeoff is that the same decision can have different meaning to people in varying contexts. You might suggest that people have been conditioned to want to be ‘normal,’ but that is an oversimplification that ignores individuals’ agency, and again, unique contexts.

appletrotter··on Brain overgrowth dictates autism severity, new research suggests
It reminds me of the movements that existed to push for the non-medication of schizophrenic patients, and to treat them as just differently abled. It completely ignores the quality of life impacts that these things can have. Obviously ADHD/Autism is completely different from schizophrenia, but it’s the same principle.
appletrotter··on Show HN: Mark Scroll Positions
Vimium has this already built in.
appletrotter··on Feathers are one of evolution's cleverest inventions
Your portrayal of evolutionary processes oversimplifies the intricate dynamics at play. While you emphasize the complexity of cellular mechanisms, suggesting that such complexity cannot arise from "random mutations" alone, you overlook the essential role of natural selection. This process is anything but random; it is the methodical mechanism through which advantageous traits are favored over time, shaping complex biological forms.

Moreover, referencing Michael Behe's concept of "irreducible complexity" and Michael Denton's "Evolution: A Theory in Crisis" does little to undermine the robust body of empirical evidence supporting evolutionary theory. These critiques, while provocative, have been extensively rebutted in peer-reviewed research. The consensus among biologists is clear and based on a wide array of studies—from genetic sequencing to fossil records—that collectively validate evolutionary theory.

To dismiss evolutionary biology as an "unproven theory" is to ignore the comprehensive and corroborative data gathered over decades. Such a stance not only misrepresents the nature of scientific inquiry, where theories are continually tested and refined but also underestimates the adaptive power of natural processes documented in both the laboratory and the wild.

appletrotter··on Feathers are one of evolution's cleverest inventions
In response to your comment, it's important to clarify several misconceptions about evolutionary biology and the synthetic theory of evolution. This theory is not a scam nor inherently atheistic; rather, it's a scientific framework that integrates genetics with Darwin's theory of natural selection to explain biological diversity.

First, evolution, through natural selection and genetic variation, is indeed capable of innovation. Complex structures and functions can arise incrementally over time. Features that provide a survival or reproductive advantage are more likely to be passed on to subsequent generations, gradually leading to complex adaptations.

The analogy of DNA needing to be like a program, CDROM, reader, and printer all in one cell is an oversimplification that misunderstands molecular biology. DNA replication, transcription, and translation are complex processes facilitated by a variety of proteins and enzymes, which themselves evolved.

Regarding Prof. Michael Behe's arguments in "Darwin's Black Box," while thought-provoking, they have been widely critiqued and refuted in the scientific community. Behe's concept of "irreducible complexity" has been shown not to preclude evolutionary origins, as numerous studies have demonstrated how complex biochemical systems can evolve from simpler precursors through natural processes.

Lastly, it's critical to approach scientific topics with an understanding based on evidence and consensus among experts. While there are always unanswered questions in science, the theory of evolution remains one of the most robust and universally accepted scientific theories, based on overwhelming evidence across different fields including genetics, paleontology, and molecular biology.

appletrotter··on What happens to Google Maps when tectonic plates move? (2020)
The core of the earth is solid no?
appletrotter··on Biden proposes 30% tax on crypto mining
Diesel is diesel, if you're paying for it you should be able to use it as you please...

(don't look up what red diesel is if you don't want your bubble popped)

appletrotter··on I was infected with Zika to test a vaccine
https://www.factcheck.org/2023/12/scicheck-yale-preprint-rec...
appletrotter··on Thurston Moore Revisits His Sonic Youth
It's a shame he cheated on his wife :(
appletrotter··on You Don't Need UUID
Maybe it’s one if the author’s arguments, but that doesn’t mean the author is right.
appletrotter··on Top Russian rocket scientist dies from ‘mushroom poisoning’
> At 77 years, he certainly knew what he's picking up,

Objection, conjecture!

appletrotter··on Why does the USA use 110V and UK use 230-240V? (2014)
It does, because the water is aerated as it comes out of the faucet.
appletrotter··on Thoughts on the Remarkable 2
It should be noted that syncing with Dropbox, G Drive and OneDrive does not not work the same as when you sync to their cloud.

E.g., if I add a new page to a notebook and want that reflected in whatever cloud I’m using - as a user, I have to delete the previously uploaded file then manually upload the notebook.

If you have multiple notebooks or items to sync, you have to do it one by one.

appletrotter··on The ReMarkable Streaming Tool v2: Elevating Remote Work Efficiency
Not the OP, but I have similar feelings. I don’t want a web browser or the ability check email - I just want decent two way sync with other cloud providers.

The device doesn’t feel open to me because it’s difficult to move data out of their walled garden.,

appletrotter··on Amazon doesn't 'employ' drivers, but hired firms to prevent them from unionizing
I think pointing to an opposite case here was meant to highlight the arbitrary nature of the norm.

I would even say It seems absurd when you realize it’s not universal.

Just because it is, doesn’t mean it should be.

appletrotter··on Amazon doesn't 'employ' drivers, but hired firms to prevent them from unionizing
Here’s a counter anecdote.

> Another issue was the smiling. Walmart requires its checkout people to flash smiles at customers after bagging their purchases. Plastic bags, plastic junk, plastic smiles. But because the German people don’t usually smile at total strangers, the spectacle of Walmart employees grinning like jackasses not only didn’t impress consumers, it unnerved them.

https://medium.com/the-global-millennial/why-walmart-failed-...

appletrotter··on Venus flytraps count electrical impulses to induce the digestive process (2016)
> The Venus flytrap is one of a very small group of plants that are capable of rapid movement.
appletrotter··on Hacker mods an M1 Mac mini to receive power over Ethernet instead of AC
Sure, but GP and OP are talking about supplying power at the voltages devices (such as LEDs) currently consume.

AC is associated with higher voltage in this context even if that isn’t intrinsic.

appletrotter··on 1953 'Phantom' A-bomb film 'Hiroshima,' with 88,000 extras, screening in Tokyo
Yeah, how is it surprising that the country on the receiving end of the attack has a different viewpoint?

Given the lack of collective atonement for atrocities committed by the japanese, it feels like a form of whataboutism to me.

At the end of the day, both the allies and axis powers were constantly committing war crimes by targeting civilian pops. Hopefully this never happens again, but it’s not like it was unusual for any side at this time.

appletrotter··on Apple says it'll remove iMessage and FaceTime in UK rather than break encryption
It already exists. You can have a door with a steel core. It's not illegal.

https://www.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/zcvwno/steel_rein...

appletrotter··on GPT-4 is getting worse over time, not better
It's been well know from the start that these LLMs aren't optimized for math. I remember reading discussions when it came out.

You weren't paying attention.

appletrotter··on ‘No way out’: how video games use tricks from gambling to attract big spenders
We live in a society with rules and regulations.
appletrotter··on Why Oppenheimer Deserves His Own Movie [video]
I hate this.
appletrotter··on Ban on recording without consent is unconstitutional, US court rules
Guter Film
appletrotter··on Creating a search engine with PostgreSQL
I feel like MongoDB was on the wane even 5 years ago.
appletrotter··on Threads: The BBC drama which affected a generation of viewers
> PTSD from for example Mortal Kombat or Carmageddon can develop later in life / over a long period in time.

Citation needed.

appletrotter··on Ban on recording without consent is unconstitutional, US court rules
I think it’s kind of in poor taste to jump to a nazi comparison here so quickly.
appletrotter··on Apple joins opposition to encrypted message app scanning
> “They spy on them because they care” > I didn't say this at all, so please don't put words in my mouth.

Third party here, but this reads in line with what you wrote imo.

appletrotter··on False 911 Calls Increase During Festival as iOS Mistakes Dancing for Car Crashes
4.5g exceeds the threshold for a mild accident. A person, especially depending on any pre-existing conditions, can be injured with this much force.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Thresholds-g-forces-for-...

I believe 4.5gs would be like a 9-10mph crash.

appletrotter··on False 911 Calls Increase During Festival as iOS Mistakes Dancing for Car Crashes
4.5G is a mild accident. You're unlikely to sustain major injury, but it's not nothing.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Thresholds-g-forces-for-...

90-100g is a pretty extreme amount of force.

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