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westward

47 karma · joined January 24, 2013

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westward··on Microplastics shed by food packaging are contaminating our food, study finds
And it wasn't until the 1970s that the US banned lead paint in houses. 200 years after Ben Franklin wrote that it was bad.

Like, clearly plastics are bad. And yet, humans like the convenience, the utility.

westward··on Another new wasp species discovered by researchers
I'm curious to know if "newly discovered" species existed 20 years ago and were actually just discovered, or if they are a new species that didn't exist until recently.

Is there a way to tell?

Examining old hosts that have died and been preserved and seeing if the 'new species' exists there maybe?

westward··on On “A Canticle for Leibowitz”
It's a poorly constructed sentence (and unfortunately the last, intended to inspire hope).
westward··on How to make decisions like a poker player
I think the questioner is asking if

"50% chance for $100 is the same as a 10% chance at $1000"

should be

"50% chance for $100 is the same as a 10% chance at $500"

westward··on FDA Orders Antibacterials Removed from Consumer Soaps
It's unclear what your point is about alcohol and drugs which are highly regulated.
westward··on Why There Are So Many Ties in Swimming
Differences in wall-to-wall distances at middle and longer distances are less important than in shorter distances. The article uses a 100m race. But consider a 50m race. 3 cm over 5,000 cm is a .06% difference. That's easily 1/100 of a second in a 24 second race.

But in longer races, there are many other factors that add noise to this. For one, swimmers aren't competing in a pool where one has to swim 1,500m and another 1,499m pool. They are making turns. A 3cm different is well within the 'noise' of a flip turn.

Also, there is drafting and bow waves, and other things going on that have a bigger effect than the 3cm per length.

westward··on Texting and Driving? Watch Out for the Textalyzer
Driving while using a mobile and drunk driving are qualitatively different for at least one important reason... If I'm talking or texting while I'm driving, I can stop if traffic patterns become sketchy. I can't suddenly stop being drunk.

Clear and dry with light traffic is very different than snow in a construction zone. Phone use is something I can stop doing. The same can't be said for being drunk.

westward··on One Regulation Is Painless – A Million of Them Hurt
Ugh.

What kind of business person waits until their personal taxes are due to find their expenses? This should be done quarterly if not monthly. Use a separate account for business expenses. Hire a bookkeeper.

westward··on Thermal camera footage allegedly shows pro cyclists using motors
If I were a competitor, who wanted an honest race, is there anything my team could do to neutralize either of these techniques?
westward··on Doctor in New York City Is Sick with Ebola
Based on the timeline, he had to have contracted Ebola pretty much the day he left.

That seems pretty unusual, isn't it? How long was he there, a couple months?

"Symptoms usually occur within eight to 10 days of infection and Dr. Spencer had been home nine days when he reported feeling ill." That's not including travel time local and international.

That's a tight schedule!

westward··on Redfin buys Walkscore
Couldn't have happened to better people!
westward··on Ask HN: What are you working on and why is it cool?
Have you looked at Plover? It's target audience is stenographers, but it can be used by anyone who wants to type at 250 wpm.

http://plover.stenoknight.com/

westward··on Today is The Day We Fight Back
Yes. It's called a coordination problem: http://raikoth.net/libertarian.html#coordination_problems
westward··on Switzerland’s Proposal to Pay People
Is the price of something determined by how much it costs to make or how much someone is willing to pay for it? I believe the correct answer is "It depends and both".

If you think it's just cost+profit then, prices will rise only by the percentage of which labor is a part of that price. In the restaurant industry, for example, labor costs are about 35% or the total costs. If wages increase 10%, costs increase 3%.

westward··on FBI uses drones inside U.S. for spying, director says
The quadrocopters you're seeing on youtube generally have very specific navigation requirements that require lot of infrastructure and preparation in the area they're flying.
westward··on FBI uses drones inside U.S. for spying, director says
Don't forget space travel! Both from within the gravity well and intra-solar. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_%28nuclear_propu...
westward··on US spy device 'tested on NZ public'
Reminds me of a Cory Doctorow short story that takes place in the near future. In it, US Customs can't view your Google search history, but they can view the ads served to you as a result of your searches.
westward··on Papers, Please: A Dystopian Document Thriller
I've never thought that dystopia meant fictional. Does it have that connotation for everyone?
westward··on Software Development Is Bad For Your Health
You both miss the point. The plural of anecdote is not data and the singular is "Who cares?".

For a man born in 1895, life expectancy was 48 years. For a man born in 1985, life expectancy is 71 years.

westward··on We Found Our Son in the Subway
>Does he have problem with his sexuality ?

You may not be aware of this, but this question will likely get you downvoted as it will be perceived as homophobia (or at least heteronormativity).

westward··on Thinking of moving to North Korea?
If only the North Koreans could read about life in 2004 Darfur and then travel back in time to escape the division of the Korean peninsula in 1953.