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benlambert

38 karma · joined August 31, 2013

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benlambert··on Why functional programming matters
Are you saying that the article is wrong because empirical studies haven't been done on topic?

Do you think programming productivity is possible to measure and if so how?

benlambert··on I had an autoimmune disease, then the disease had me (2013)
48-72 hours is not long enough to regenerate your immune system.

Valter Longo has recommended at least 4-5 days to treat auto-immune disorders [1].

I've done 5 day fasts. For something serious I would try 7.

[1] http://joshmitteldorf.scienceblog.com/2014/06/12/the-three-d... “3 days is optimal for mice. For humans 4-5 minimum, depending on what you are trying to achieve”

benlambert··on Employees who decline genetic testing could face penalties under proposed bill
The question is how accurate are the estimates?

Estimating in a complex system where one problem triggers another, cascading with feedback loops, is a messy business.

So the outcome could be either far more or far less dire than we think.

As you put it, know one knows for sure. So it's prudent to assume the worst.

benlambert··on Ask HN: Any good resources for finding software jobs abroad?
No doubt. The Republicans have always been anti-gay. It's just that Trump done more than anyone ever has to bring them around on this issue.

I'll never forget the cheering and applause Thiel got from Republicans when he announced he was proud to be gay at the RNC. That was a pretty special moment.

He has a long record of being pro-LGBT and if he was going to backtrack on that to appease his supporters he would have done it before the election, not now after he already has their votes.

benlambert··on Ask HN: Any good resources for finding software jobs abroad?
Why would Trump go to all the effort of running for POTUS only to put his VP in charge? That doesn't make any sense.
benlambert··on Ask HN: Any good resources for finding software jobs abroad?
Last time I checked Trump was running on a pro LGBT platform...
benlambert··on Soylent halts sales of its powder as customers keep getting sick
"Destroy" does not mean the same thing as "damage".

Destroy = something big enough ruin your quality of life.

benlambert··on Soylent halts sales of its powder as customers keep getting sick
Dear down voters: it should be obvious that just because smoking is not literally guaranteed to destroy your lungs, and you can find plenty of counter examples, it's still a very good idea to warn people that "smoking will destroy your lungs".

And it would have been a good idea to do that back in the 50s when doctors were calling it safe without the science to back up their claims. "You have no evidence" is what you say to justify avoiding something suspect, not what you say to justify consuming it!

benlambert··on Instapainting – From $4k in debt to $32k/mo in passive revenue with no employees
Maybe there is a lot of value in having lots of samples. People are more likely to give permission to get out of the fee than to get a discount.

Personally I'd increase the discount to around 10% (raising the base price to compensate) and have "Allow us to use this as a sample" checked by default; but I wonder what % of people have a strong reaction like the OP here.

benlambert··on Soylent halts sales of its powder as customers keep getting sick
"Smoking will destroy your lungs"

Gonna give me a counterexample there too?

benlambert··on Soylent halts sales of its powder as customers keep getting sick
"Your statement is unscientific because anecdotally I've had no problems with it"

Where's your citation backing up your suggestion that it's safe?

benlambert··on Soylent halts sales of its powder as customers keep getting sick
You have it exactly backwards.

Anyone suggesting Soylent is safe with arguments like "glucose is glucose" and "it has the right macronutrient ratios" is spouting pseudo-science.

If you have insufficient evidence that something is safe and a strong anecdote suggesting otherwise the logical option is to abstain.

Attempting to bring science into the decision making process when the science has not been done is pseudo-science!

benlambert··on Instapainting – From $4k in debt to $32k/mo in passive revenue with no employees
Q. Big Mac meal $9.99. Can we snap a picture of you smiling for our Instagram? (Yes: -$3)

(Burger King costs $9.99 with no offer.)

And now you buy the Big Mac without making a scene.

benlambert··on Instapainting – From $4k in debt to $32k/mo in passive revenue with no employees
Q. Price $120. Can we use this as a sample? (Yes: -$3)

A. Happy to pay the full price!

--

Q. Price $117. Can we use this as a sample? (No: +$3)

A. No fucking way I'm paying $3 NOT appear in your gallery of samples!

benlambert··on “Julian Assange’s internet link has been intentionally severed”
There was another submission that was on the front page half an hour ago with only a few comments (so no flamewar) and appears to have been directly removed by a mod: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12724507
benlambert··on “Julian Assange’s internet link has been intentionally severed”
This story is now 7 hours old with 164 points, but on page 5.

I count 6 stories on the front page that are older than this with less points, e.g:

  9. Virus stole poison genes from black widow spider (bbc.com)
     155 points by kawera 10 hours ago | hide | 25 comments
Is HN censoring?
benlambert··on Stripe in Japan
Great news!
benlambert··on Stripe in Japan
Does this mean Stripe Japan users can now accept USD, or is it still only JPY?
benlambert··on ‘Five Second Rule’ for Food on Floor Is Untrue, Study Finds
The question is not whether or not the food picks up bacteria, but how likely the bacteria is to endanger our health (and how likely a deficiency of bacterial exposure caused by being too careful is to endanger our health).
benlambert··on YC Changes
He's talking about funding startups, not paying for the MOOC.
benlambert··on How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat
Seat belt laws are largely thanks to Ralph Nader: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Nader#Unsafe_at_Any_Spee...
benlambert··on How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat
Try making it yourself. I use a variety that ferments at room temperature (Caspian Sea): just add some left-over yogurt from the last batch to a fresh carton of milk, stir, and wait 12 hours.
benlambert··on Medical guidelines don’t include a diet low in carbohydrates
Personal experimentation is great. Try and see instead of following bad science and dogma.
benlambert··on Medical guidelines don’t include a diet low in carbohydrates
Agree but for clarity "people" = "people far from the equator". If your ancestors are from those sugar islands it's a bit different.
benlambert··on 1 in 5 Seafood Samples Is Fake, Report Finds
It can be a safety issue if you order fish you thought was caught in the wild but is actually fish farmed in some far-away place to god-knows-what health standard (perhaps fed large doses of antibiotics, etc).

We need transparency or food companies will cut corners at every turn to save costs and put the publics' health at risk.

benlambert··on Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?
Look at Valter Longo's research for a connection between fasting and cancer.