thoms_a

4 ms·

1.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Expose your kids to activities that are more compelling than screens. Trust me, once you take a kid go-karting, they aren't going to be as excited playing a video game. Do cool shit with your kids. Go skiing, camping, fishing, go-karti
2.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Democracy has become a mantra. It means nothing. There are many corrupt and dysfunctional democracies throughout the world.
3.
by thoms_a 4y ago
More precisely, we have an aspirational world government led by the American Empire which is run by a few extremely wealthy and powerful elite families, including the ones you've alluded to. Of course, these powerful families own all t
4.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Every time a car passes you with a massive speed differential, you are gambling with your life. As long as you (and your family) are willing to accept that risk, then all the power to you. Also, rural roads aren't exactly known for the
5.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Came here to say this. Bicycling is absolute madness to me in any location that doesn't have dedicated separate bike paths. You are maximizing all possible sources of risk by riding a bicycle on shared roads. I've ridden motorcycl
6.
by thoms_a 4y ago
As a counterpoint, I bought my first iPhone (first ever Apple product) this week, and it was specifically because it seems like Apple is finally designing products with usability and functionality as their top priority. Ive was great, but h
7.
by thoms_a 4y ago
I can think of one "routine" prophylactic amputation that was and is still performed with no anesthesia on newborn male infants. The Hippocratic oath really does seem like a marketing gimmick in light of many such facts about mode
8.
by thoms_a 4y ago
I've asked very young students what they think a computer is and how it works. There's always at least one student who correctly replies: "It's a machine that does what someone told it to do". Of course modern compu
9.
by thoms_a 4y ago
This doesn't mean that the opinions of powerful people do not affect you, however. The Civil Rights Act and its consequences have meant that America will forever be politicized along every fault line of human identity. Whether it can w
10.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Life on Earth has survived much, much worse than the burning of fossil fuels. For example, the K-Pg extinction event. It's all a matter of perspective. But humans are irrationally social creatures susceptible to memetics, so no amount
11.
by thoms_a 4y ago
I'm glad you saved me the effort of reading this article. I've been following fusion for years, and have been cautiously optimistic. Recently, with the progress of both Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Tokamak Energy, both startups
12.
by thoms_a 4y ago
I know your line of reasoning is not popular, but I would like to add some nuance. The empirical reality of this situation is that societies directed towards the maximization of individual desires (or "rights") will tend to be in
13.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Well said. I'd also add that life has stages. YC-style hyper growth startup culture is suited for the young and ambitious. As we age, that immense drive of youth gradually declines. So it makes sense to use that energy productively whi
14.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Why not work remotely? I can't see any benefits to living in the USA. I assume you already have experience living here, and for the life of me cannot fathom why anyone would choose the USA over most of Europe. I could list all of the b
15.
by thoms_a 4y ago
You can also look at Canada, which brings in ~500,000 (documented, skilled) immigrants per year relative to their 35MM population. Of course, housing in Canada is now the most expensive in the entire OECD. Alas, the Canadian government is d
16.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Indeed. The "Free Market" can elevate a ruthless plutocracy of robber barons with private armies far longer than the little people can stay alive. As the Bezos Battalion, the Zuckerberg Zealots and the Musk Machines close in aroun
17.
by thoms_a 4y ago
You aren't biased at all [1]. Our dear colleagues (along with the majority of the American populace) are just deeply ideologically committed to the idea of the Federal Reserve being a public institution, because they've been told
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by thoms_a 4y ago
Indeed, and since it is a privately owned entity [1] with a figurehead appointed by a politician to give the illusion of public accountability, the Fed has very little incentive to do anything but enrich its shareholders: private banks. &qu
19.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Not a down-voter and I agree with your positions, but why stop at congressional oversight? Why should a private company [1] be controlling a nation's money supply? 1. https://publicbankinginstitute.org/money-banking-bas
20.
by thoms_a 4y ago
I was wondering how far I had to scroll down to find one person (on HN no less) finally stating the obvious. Thor could be 8ft tall and able to lift to a house. It won't save him from a drone swarm designed by a nerd at Lockheed.
21.
by thoms_a 4y ago
I can think of another genetic factor that has a much, much greater impact on survival. And it is absolutely taboo to mention the heritability or genetic basis of this trait. Take solace in the fact that if you find yourself on HN, you&#x27
22.
by thoms_a 4y ago
Have to chime in with my agreement here. As an engineer, to me the beauty of the mechanical watch lies in its embodiment of "form follows function". I read this entire article as I find the horology and the hobbyists fascinating,
23.
by thoms_a 5y ago
I'm extremely curious to learn about both the implicit moral frameworks referenced in these comments. I genuinely would like to see an explicit listing of axioms upon which these moralities are based.
24.
by thoms_a 5y ago
I genuinely had a good laugh at the idea that simply by building an underground colony, the inhabitants would become "curmudgeon underground mole people". I would personally love such a habitat, and would market it as a Safe Space
25.
by thoms_a 5y ago
I'm a huge fan of Musk's engineering work, but comparing the American pioneers to early Martian settlers is naive at best. Humans have evolved on Earth. Even the least habitable place on Earth (e.g. Antarctica) is paradise in comp
26.
by thoms_a 5y ago
I also, am flabbergasted by the fact that I couldn't stop reading this stream-of-consciousness post. I shudder to think what it reveals about me. I may be immune to Google's algorithms through my total abstinence, but it seems tha
27.
by thoms_a 5y ago
The story and characters are phenomenal, but random battles are cancer. That's where Chrono Trigger wins IMO. Sticking with random battles was an absurd decision which I never understood, and the momentum lasted way, way too long at sq
28.
by thoms_a 5y ago
This is a bizarrely specific conspiracy theory (and seems to be designed for maximum divide & conquer of voting populations) which I've never heard of. What exactly led to its inception? I always enjoy engaging with conspiracy theo
29.
by thoms_a 5y ago
>Of course, since you mostly test them how good they are at repeating given solutions you wont see this difference in classes. Very few teachers do this in math/science/technology classes. Teachers in these subjects understand
30.
by thoms_a 5y ago
How is it possible to provide evidence for something that, by definition, lies outside the empirically observable universe? Militant atheism is just as comical as all-knowing theism when faced with the sheer incomprehensibility of existence

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