BananaTrifleViolin

@BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why abc, xyz, etc.?⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  A lot of it comes down to convention and convention is often set by those who did it first or whose work dominated a field. The whole mathematical notation system we use today is just a convention and is not the only one that exists, but is the one the world has decided to standardise to…

  Rene Descartes is usually regarded at he originator of the current system. He used abc for constants and xyz for unknown variables amongst other conventions.

  Sequential letter sets are easy to use as they are easily recognised, and convenient as a result, plus are generally accepted to have non specific or less specific meaning. For example:

  a^2^+b^2^=c^2^

  That formula is a much simpler concept to get round using sequential leffer than:

  V^2^ + G^2^ = z^2^

  When you don’t use sequential letters it also implies much more specific meaning to the individual letters, and that can introduce ambiguity and confusion.

  When writing a proof there can be many many statements made and you’d quickly run out of letters if you didn’t have a convention for accepting abc are variables and can be reused.

  We also do use symbols from other alphabet sets, and allha/beta/gamma is commonly used trio. But in mathematical notation there are a huge range of constants and symbols now that many have been ascribed specific uses. Pi for example. So you risk bringing in ambiguity of meaning by moving away from the accepted conventions of current maths by using other sets.

  Even e has specific meaning and can be ambiguous if you need to stretch to 5 variables. When working with e it’s not uncommon to use a different string of lwtters in the latin alphabet to avoid confusion if you need to use variables

  And we don’t stop at 3; abcd etc is used.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Jell-OH MY GOD!⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Just cover it in some chocolate sauce. That’ll make it look better.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨jobaphobia⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  True. Bit of a tangent but one issue when you have free Healthcare the cost of smoking to individuals is lower. Genuinely it’s a problem - sometimes people don’t value their health as much as they should because of ease of access to Healthcare. I’m 1000% in favour of free Healthcare, it’s just an interesting paradox.

  Public health measures focusing on increasing the cost of smoking through tax work but we don’t have the pressure to stop smoking due to the cost of Healthcare itself which can make it harder to get people to understand the effects. Meanwhile public organisations understand the cost of smoking and invest in trying to reduce it as it puts huge pressure on Healthcare systems.

  Smoking is in decline across the west but we’ve known since the 1940s and 1950s definitely that smoking is bad yet smoking rates have been persistently high in Europe until more recently - last 20 years or so.

  Smoking rates in France for example - 23% still smoke but there has been a huge decline in the last 20 years. Yet smoking was banned on public transport in the 1970s. To be clear I’m not saying it’s because of free Healthcare - just that in countries with good Healthcare systems there is more going on. People have known for 80 years smoking is bad and there has been a gradual decline but big shifts have happened surprisingly recently.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon describes experience⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Really? Seems like.a very shit teacher and school. Dont think a 7 yr old getting upset by that is unusual. Id be furious of that had happened to my kid.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How do you all keep the area around the toilet paper dust-free?⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I’ve never had toilet paper like that. I buy supermarket own brand stuff here in the UK. Even when I’ve bought cheap stuff I’ve not had that issue.

  Switch to a different brand. The paper they’re using is bad of it’s flaking off all the time.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah the urinary bladder doesn’t just stop working and burst. There will have been an underlying cause, but it was not picked up at the time so now all we have is a garbled version of how he died.

  People can go into acute urinary retention - where they are unable to pass urine. That can be extremely painful and it can lead to rupture if it’s totally untreated.

  But it doesn’t just happen - and choosing not to go to the toilet is not going to cause it. Underlying causes might be prostate enlargement (common), a kidney stone getting trapped in the urethra or bladder neck, or cancers of the prostate, bladder or bowel, amongst others.

  In the modern era urinary retention is easily diagnosed with an ultrasound and usually a CT to assess for causes. Urinary catheterisation can be performed either through the urethra or a suprapubic catheter through the skin to bypass the blockage.

  None of that was available when he was alive - he’d just have been in extreme agony and there was little anyone would know to do. When he died they might have done an autopsy and found the burst bladder but workinf out what happened would be difficult and depend on the skill and knowledge of the person who did the autopsy.

  So it’s extremely unlikely he died because he didn’t go to the toilet during a banquet. Something else happened that precipitated his urinary retention and eventual bladder perforation.

  Once the bladder perforated he was a dead man as there was nothing they could do to repair the bladder or clean out the abdomen in that period. He’d have rapidly become more ill and died from infection and organ failure.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Glastonbury 2025 live: Festival says it is 'appalled' by Bob Vylan comments after controversy⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  A festival being “appalled” is ludicrous. A festival is not a person. What the article actually means is that Glastonbury PR has decided to condemn the comments and chant as they don’t think it fits their brand.

  I’ve had enough of having to pretend the “opinions” of companies and entities matter. They are just a business and will go along with the perceived status quo to protect their business interests. Their stance on anything is bullshit and they should be told to shut up - we don’t need Glastonbury telling us what we can or can’t hear or think.

  Whether you agree with what was said or not, we really need to push back against the corprotisation of opinion and discourse.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Microsoft is is bed with Google now, in a worse, more OS-integrated way than Mozilla was. This timeline sucks.⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  The integration is Microsoft’s monopoly behaviour which anti-trust organisation no longer put a stop to. There are alternatives but they struggle to match the level of integration Microsoft can achieve owning and making all of the office suite.

  However European local and regional government have been moving over to Office alternatives such as Collabora, Onlyoffice and Libreoffice. Collabora & Onlyoffice are designed for online use and collaboration.

  There are also alternatives to the Exchange email system, with Nextcloud one of a few that can either be bought as a service or self deployed by organisations and individuals.

  The biggest benefits are total control and privacy of data, plus better cost. Microsoft clients don’t generally get any of this, with the increasing push to integrate online services and try to forcably up-sell by bundling in stuff customers don’t need but have to buy to get the things they want or need. Microsoft rely on inertia and vendor lock-in; once you become dependent on their services it makes it seem impossible to get out and move to a new system.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  PCs are generally based around the X86 chip architecture which is an open standard. PCs are basically modular and lots of manufacturers make components that are interchangeable, creating a huge variety of possible hardware. Hardware suppliers also sell.to big companies and individuals. It’s therefore in their interest to distribute their drivers freely even if closed source. If hardware breaks it can be replaced and the PC keeps going.

  Mobile devices are closed standards. They use a more limited range of off the shelf components which are deeply integrated into a device, and the hardware suppliers provide their drivers to the device manufacturer or the device manufacturer builds their own drivers and custom version of the os. Hardware can have very long retail lives selling for years and still being functional, so the manufacturers have an incentive to keep drivers available and even update them.

  It means mobile devices are more locked down, and the hardware drivers harder to come by. This makes it hard to build custom OS for them and therefore when the device comes to the end of its support from the maker there is limited options to keep it running securely.

  It’s effectively a type of planned obscelence that keeps the mobile industry going. Manufacturers stop supporting old devices (because it provides no income) and then consumers have to buy new ones as no one can provide the security patches to keep them secure.

  So for mobile there is nothing to force Android or IOS to be kept up to date for old devices. The money is in new devices, and for Android manufacturers are responsible for the mobile device anyway. While for PC it’s in Microsofts interests to keep updating and keeping devices secure via Windows becuase devices have long lifespans and old components can be in the PC ecosystem for decades. Similarly Linux is able to support hardware for a long time because drivers are more freely available and long lifespans to hardware incentivise people to put the effort in to write open drivers when they’re not there.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds announced, the first real Steam Deck competition⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah its not a great headline. But in fairness Legion Go S extends SteamOS / valves reach so is part of Valves strategy. They make their money on the steam store - thats what matters to them most.

  The Xbox device is the first time Microsoft has actually got involved to help improve the windows experience on hand held. I suspect the Xbox brand will confuse people though, as theyre still just Windows devices with an Xbox branded interface. I dont see it as a winning strategy. People will still want to be using steam and a system that doesnt put that front and centre is not going to have mass appeal.

  An Xbox store would need time to catch on, and they havent managed it on windows. Steam dominates for good reason - convenient, aggressive pricing, and effective vendor lockin for many users who already have huge libraries of games.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The Switch 2: Is it worth buying?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Wow what a load of rubbish. Talks about being against hype and then concludes with a bunch of hype. The games media have been generally dishonest about the Switch 2, and are not doing gamers any favours.

  I’m not hyped by the Switch 2: its expensive, its games are expensive and the launch titles are paltry. It also has competition in the form of the Steam Deck and a range of SteamOS and Windows handheld devices with a huge volume of games available including many at significantly lower prices.

  Switch 2 needs exclusives to justify its price and its existence. Switch 1 games with slightly improved graphics (which you have to pay for) and a small handful of launch titles make the Switch 2 a bad proposition for anyone except diehard fans at this point.

  At the moment there are no compelling 1st party games in the pipeline. 3D Mariocart and Donkey Kong Bananza seems to be it for now. No new Mario platformer, no Zelda, no pokemon at launch. Everything is old games with better graphics, and much of it available on other platforms like PC with better graphics already anyway.

  Nintendo has a lot of work to do - I think there is a real risk the Switch 2 will be a flop if they dont get 1st party exclusives out before the holiday season.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨'Doctor Who' Needs to Go Away and Think About What It Did⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  A well written summary of the finales plot and its flaws. Its full of spoilers in case people haven’t see it yet.

  Personally I think Doctor Who needs a long rest and a fresh start if it returns. I’d even suggest a hard reboot.

  This current season has looked good but been a mess, and the finale is an incoherent mishmash of ideas and set pieces. There is far too much fan service and far too many ideas being crammed in that it just doesnt make sense.

  The show has been in trouble for years. Both Ncuti Gatwa and Jodie Whittaker were good actors ill served by the writing. Peter Capaldi was also a good actor served by uneven writing but the show was still good.

  Now its just a mess with convoluted plots, far too much fan service, and an inability to make an over arching season long plot work. Judging by the finale Fatwa leaving was probably unexpected and Billie Piper’s casting seems like a desperate stop gap while RTD decidesbwhat to do next (in the 2 year gap expected because he is making a spin off series).

  I wouldn’t be surprised I the Disney deal comes to an early end and Doctor Who is shelved for years while they decide what to so next.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Maybe remind him of that when he’s rude like this. He’s bitching at you for not doing him a favour - rather taking it for granted. And then insulting you for your choice in shower gel.

  He cones across as a bit of an asshat.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is their any evolutionary benefit to the sneezing reflex when looking at a bright light source, or is it just an evolutionary glitch with no purpose?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Its a glitch.

  Its important to understand that evolution does not “design” anything with intent or purpose. Its all chance and survival of the fittest does select for traits that confer greater survival.

  But plenty of traits are neutral or minimally negative in their survival benefits so also suriviveor develop. And it only affects traits that impact reproducing and passing on traits to the next generation. So many traits may be totally unaffected by evolutionary pressures as they have no relevance to survival of the fittest.

  Plus the other species being competed woth over time and the environment generally shape what traits are desirable versus detrimental.

  Basically not everything has an evolutionary purpose or function.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  So no this is not safe. Once ypu have a system it is easier to crack because if someone has 2 or more of your passwords they can work out there is a system and it’d make it much easier to crack others if they’re determined.

  It is unlikely that someone random would specifically target a person and systematically try and crack their passwords. If that were to happen it’d most likely he someone they know. So while the passwords are definitely flawed it may not be something that anyone takes the time to exploit. But you can never say never.

  The best way to manage passwords probably remains a secure password manager and randomly generated series of characters for each site. If its truly random then there are no shortcuts and every single password stands independently. The password manager gets round the issue of memorising them.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Stupid question: how does one watch old movies?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  You can try a site like justwatch.com to see if the film is available on a streaming sire you could use.

  You can also search for rentals online so you can pay for it.

  You can look on eBayor similar for cheaper second hand copies.

  Or piracy.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon misses the classic design⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Balls go further than sticks. Theyre more aerodynamic for a start.

  Dont worry, the Military Industry Complex is all about killing people, so it would be using sticks if it was beneficial.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon measures up⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Its interesting when its not obvious whether someone is on drugs or just isn’t very good at writing clear English. Maybe both? Certainly was a ride!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon isn't fooled by planes⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  This perfectly encapsulates how anti vaxxers and others think. “Ive thought it through and it cantnbebright”. Its incredible how we can have access to vast amounts of information and yet live in an age of gleeful ignorance.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It is an absolute crock of shit.

  There is plenty of research on magnetism and humans and it doesnt need a new title and niche “research” from a frankly failed state like Russia.

  We use high Tesla fields routinely every day worldwide in hospitals in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Safety of this technology has been and is continuously investigated. There has also been extensive investigation of magnetic fields related to power lines and other use cases.

  There does remain some uncertainty and controversy around potential effects of long term exposure to low T electromagnetic fields but its long established that short term exposure is safe.

  This “research” is more on the realm of autism vaccine science. A lot of money can be made in niche fake sciences both in the industry of research itself and then the crap they can sell to ignorant people as a result.

  Russia as a state has been systematically destroyed over the past few decades and most of its institutions have a terrible reputation now. While there are undoubtedly still good scientists in the country, they are working in a gangster state and many of the best minds have long fled for better opportunities abroad.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Even Starfield's community patch modders are growing 'disenchanted' with the sci-fi RPG, as volunteers depart in droves: 'If nobody comes forward, we may have to retire the project'⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I think if Starfield had come out 10 years ago it would have wowed people and been a classic. But now it just seems dated when you have other games doing RPG better (Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, Baldurs Gate 3) and open world space better (No Mans Sky).

  Starfield doesnt do RPG as good as those games, nor does it do open world space as well as No Mans Sky. I’ve heard it described as being as wide as an ocean but as deep as a puddle, and that doesnt seem far off to me.

  I really hope Bethesda have paid attention and dont make the same kind of mistakes with Elder Scrolls VI. Big and empty is not the way to go.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Liquid Trees⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  They were talking about CO2 which is what the algae tank is about.

  Trees have other benefits around filtering pollutants that affect air quality such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Also the shading effect reduces ozone accumulation as well as generally helping reduce the urban heat island effect (which in turn reduces the amount of air conditioning needed, even a small amount saves a lit of energy and reduces pollution from power stations).

  City parks have clean air partly because of tree but also because youre away from roads and buildings so further from car exhausts and chimney stacks. The concentration of pollutants in wide open spaces is lower because the wind can move it around more easily, and there isn’t a pollution source directly near by. Tree and grass do help too.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Trump tells Canadians to Elect the guy who'll make them the 51st State of US [Canadian elections today]⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  The guy is ranting about a criminal investigation into why his polling numbers are so low. He’s quite literally a demented old man. I think he really isn’t rational enough to see that that he is harming the man he wants to win.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨So many authors are still waiting for their stories to be adapted. Netflix: “Let’s do another Pride and Prejudice adaptation”⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Different adaptations appeal to different audiences and people go to watch them. They offer different interpretations and takes on the book.

  Like to me the Kiera Kinghtley version is a crappy Americanised take on the story that loses the satire and wit in the book and instead focuses on amping up the romance. But I know lots of people like it.

  My favourite version is the 1997 BBC tv series but even that is flawed as Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet doesnt really capture the character. She is too serious and humourless, and Alison Stedmen as Mrs Bennet is too over the top and cartoonish.

  There is plenty of space for another adaptation, and new writers and directors and a new cast of actors can give their interpretation on the book plus introduce it to a new generation of people who may be first exposed to Jane Austen via a new TV series.

  Anything that gets more people to read and appreciate the works of Jane Austen is worthwhile in my opinion.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨As a US citizen who was born in the UK, how risky is it to leave and reenter the US right now?⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It honestly seems very unpredictable. Anecdotally the worst behaviour seems to have been at the most republican states but not exclusively.

  For example the Australian who had a work visa and lived in the US for years flew in to Texas where it was arbitrarily nullified. There are plenty of stories of people crossing southern and northern borders and being detained by ICE. Thats included British, German, Australian and French cirizens that ive seen in the UK press coverage anyway.

  As a US citizen you shouldnt have an issue but I’d probably travel through a major hub like JFK in New York to be safer. I wouldn’t re-enter through Republican states like Florida, Texas, nor probably Washington DCs airports. Obviously travel on your US passport.

  You should he OK as a US citizen but it does look like there is a breakdown in the rule of law in the US. People imagine that means riots and the police not able to keep control, but in this case its the government and government agencies doing whatever they want and the legal system unable to stop them.

  I’m a UK citizen and am not intending to travel to the US - I often cone for a major conference but having seen what happened to the French scientist who had his phone searched and then was denied entry for criticising Trump I won’t be risking it. I’m sure a lot of other UK and Europeans feel the same way.

  Sasly the only 100% safe option for you is to not leave the country. Its madness as youre a US citizen but at this point things are still going through the courts and its not clear where this will stop.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨how is it to work everyday but Wednesdays and Thursdays?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I work in a hospital and the worst days to work are weekends. The hospital is still full but most staff are off so its busy. Also all your friends and family are off on the weekend so you can’t see them.

  Meanwhile if you have days off in the week, it’s great because everything is open (unlike a sunday) and all the kids are in school. So you can go out an enjoy the parks or shop freely etc. But most of your friends anf family are also at work.

  I would definitely take 2 days off together, not split them. If I were to have 2 days off and work every weekend I’d either take Mon/Tue off or Thu/Fri. I think its just preference and howbbusy your job is. It could suck being in work on a Friday while everyone else is gearing up for weekend off and discussing their plans, plus also people head off early where they can - I’d probably take The/Fri off so I didn’t have to put up with all that.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is it asshole behavior to hate someone for saying "Hi, how are you?"⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  How old are these people? These sound like kids?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Petition Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I wanted to stay in the EU but I don’t want to rejoin.

  Just look at whats going on in Hungary where Viktor Orban is essentially a dictator, and is holding back the EU on it’s Ukraine response. Look at Poland where it skirted past descent into a right wing nightmare, and even now the leftwing government are struggling at unpicking the damage. Look at the Czech Republic where it looks very likely a right wing populist government is going to take power - they’re also against Ukraine. And look at France, which is political turmoil internally - right winger Le Pen has a good chance of being the next french president unless the centre and left can unite around an alternative.

  The EU is powerless to deal with Orban, was powerless to deal with Poland as the right wing government tried to dismantle their democracy and institutions. We’ve already seen what’s happening in the US play out in Europe - twice! And the EU could do nothing.

  We’re better off outside the EU at the moment. I never wanted to leave, but the UK is lucky to be outside the EU as it gives us a degree of flexibility and freedom to deal with the current crisis. We don’t need to be distracted by the internal problems of the EU and it’s rouge member states. Instead we’re working directly with the countries that want to work with us like France and Germany, and not having to deal with the countries that don’t like Hungary.

  I wish the EU the best - I want it to succeed but ultimately it has a serious problem with how you get things done when you have countries inside holding back the EU from pursuing it’s best interests. The EU leaders talk big about grand plans and high ideals including now over defence and Ukraine, but when it comes to getting things done it only takes 1 countries veto and paralysis. The EU needs to reform and become an actual democratic superstate but it won’t happen because again it only takes 1 country to veto progress. It’s clear Hungary will be holding the EU back when it comes to Putin for the foreseeable future. And maybe soon so will the Czech republic. And what happens in the EU if Le Pen is president of France?

  No thanks.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨No, Phil Spencer, Having AI Mock Up An Old Game Is Not The Same As Preserving It⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  One thing Phil Spencer does not seem to care about is emulation. There are already Xbox and PlayStation emulators that allow access to more of both platforms back catalogues than any of the current generation consoles are capable of…

  Xbox could build cloud based emulators off the open source tools already available and make their entire Xbox back catalogue accessible to current users to stream. They could help improve the tools to ensure greater and greater compatibility for titles and then it would be there forever.

  The reason it doesn’t happen is money. They dont see money in game preservation so they dont bother beyond a few big name nostalgia hits. Muse AI isn’t about game preservation, its about game development - they’re just pissing around with game preservation to feed it content as a punt on the future for it somehow making game development cheaper.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨No, Phil Spencer, Having AI Mock Up An Old Game Is Not The Same As Preserving It⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  AI can make Shakespeare BETTER! Like it can put it in modern text speak, and shorten it down to fit in a 30 second tiktok, plus give space for ad breaks and team product placement. AI will help enhance user engagement with Shakespeare and also leverage new monetisation options and cross platform synergies.

  All we have to do is let people copyright AI made content because ultimately it wasn’t Shakespeare that did tge hard work, it was the AI tech Bros who transformed it into a modern content meme and raised 3rd quarter profits.