Capricorn_Geriatric

@Capricorn_Geriatric@lemmy.world

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Jeopardy wall calendar pretending that the coastline paradox doesn't exist⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago⁩:

  Talking about integrals, the fun part is that even with a coastline of indeterminate length, the area of a continent is easy to define to arbitrary precision - you can just define an integral that’s definitely inside the area and one that’s definitely outside the area, and the answer is between those two

  Is it?

  The main problem with a coastline’s shape isn’t the fractality of it, or the relative size we measure in (the “resolution”).

  It’s the fact that a coastline isn’t a static thing. The tides move the shoreline by up to a few meters.

  Then there are tectonic movements. These are much slower, but much more powerful: at one point Asia wasn’t even a thing.

  As you take the “resolution” up, yes - you’ll see various fractal-like behaviour.

  But, and thus is a big but: this will happen even if you take a straight ruler of, say, 1m in length (or, since we have to deal with every little edge case here, the part of it that actually measures out a meter). If you zoom in on it at the molecular and atomic levels, you’ll come across the same problem: a straight line isn’t a straight line! It just appears straight at the human “resolution” (scale).

  But does that mean a ruler measuring out 1m isn’t 1m long?

  Yes and no.

  Just like our coastline.

  T> alking about integrals, the fun part is that even with a coastline of indeterminate length, the area of a continent is easy to define to arbitrary precision - you can just define an integral that’s definitely inside the area and one that’s definitely outside the area, and the answer is between those two.

  Is it really?

  And what is the difference between length and area, other than the one dimension they are apart?

  What you’re taking as a common sense assumption for area is applicable equally to the length. Find two extremes, and the answer is somewhere in the middle. The less extreme those extremes become, the more accurate the approximation.

  Just as you can integrate the area, there must be an equivalent process to integrate the length.

  And again, any approximate curve of a coastline used to define the length of a coastline is a bigger assumption than a sufficiently sane “resolution” used to divide the curve into discrete intervals.

  Why does area get to be especially fun and definite while length , its one-dimension-away sibling doesn’t?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Jeopardy wall calendar pretending that the coastline paradox doesn't exist⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  It isn’t.

  When you look at the number of real numbers, you can always find new ones in both - you’ll never run out.

  That being said, imagine (or actually draw) two number lines in the same scale. One [0,1] the other [0,2]. Choose a natural number n, and divide both lines with that many lines. You’ll get n+1 segmets in both lines.

  When you let n run off into infinity, the number of segments will be the same in both lines. This is the cardinality of the set.

  But for practical purposes of measuring a coastline, this approach is flawed.

  Yes, you’ll always see n+1 segments, but we aren’t measuring thw number of distinct points on the coastline, but rather its length.

  If you go back to your two to-scale number lines and divide them into n segments, the segments on one are exactly two times larger than on the other.

  This is what we want to measure when we want to measure a coastline. The total length drawn when connecting these n points (and not ther number!) as their number runs off towards infinity.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Uh oh: Ubisoft postpones its quarterly financial report at the last minute and halts stock trading⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  With 3d you make the model and it’s “naturally” 3d (obviously). If you want to make a 2d sprite have a different perspective, you need to animate (often times draw) it specifically. As they mentioned it before, it’s mostly useful for animations and movement. It may not even be “reusability” as much as “lack of need to think about perspective” or “scalability”.

  Another point is that with a 3d engine under low-storage concerns (like say, the N64) you can do a lot of fuckery like having a total of ~10 textures and just apply various color tints (and maybe a blur here and there) to make it seem like there’s more. While 2d engines do support this nowadays, it’s still hard for artists to “fake” such a wide gamut of sprites, just by the nature of the medium. There’s no model to apply a texture to, so you’re limited to having a base sprite and recoloring it.

  You could do a modular approach in 2d. For example, a character is built of the body (arms+face), hair, pants, shirt and shoes and change them individually. Same for houses with roofs, doors, windows and walls, etc.

  However, as already said, you’re limited by perspective a lot. Each new perspective requires almost double the sprites.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Uh oh: Ubisoft postpones its quarterly financial report at the last minute and halts stock trading⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Isn’t this how the gaming boom and bust cycle always worked?

  Indie(ish) games boom, AAA studios buy them and make them bust.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What types of cleaning products do you *really* need to clean the bathroom?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  There’s four core things you could need for the bathroom:

  1. Bleach gel for the toilet bowl. Can also be used on other porcelain surfaces, but not for metal or natural stone (if you don’t want to ruin it).

  2. A calc remover to remove calc deposits outside the toilet bowl. Can be substituted with either vinegar or citric acid. Can be used on metal, but do not let it stay on for long - 30 seconds is fine if you clean every 2w to 1mo. Even shorter times if you’re truly regular with your duties.

  3. A degreaser for general cleaning (to remove soap residue and other nasty stuff). Can be substituted with dish soap, but is usually a bit more effective so less scrubbing needed.

  4. If you get clogged sinks, those declogging solutions are okay. As most people have PVC piping you can just get the cheapest one. If you live in an antique house/apartment with lead piping, you should splurge on the enzyme-based variety, assuming you need it in the first place.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The more you think about it .... it makes sense⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  No, a female cockroach is clearly a cockroachie.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Nothing’s new bloatware includes Facebook services that can’t be uninstalled⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Nothing good will come of this.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Just up the production quality and they'll love it, Trust me bro 👍⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Clearly it’s nodes.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Same...⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Well, NFTs just might be just useless enough.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Over 47% of Stop Killing Games Signatures Have Already Been Verified⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Playing devil’s advocate here a bit, but

  This is a good way to test the water. If they give a nonsense response, then what use would it be to do the same thing for somethijg there’s an even greater problem?

  The US is sinking into fascism at an alarming rate, and many other “leaders” are taking inspiration - all over the world, including Europe.

  Signing an online petition with your name and ID is a great way of saying “I’m ripe for the disappearing”. Just look at what happened to Charlie Kirk “critics”.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don't fix the problem just change the parameters⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  It isn’t lazy to have a mastered skill and use it. It’s lazy not taking the time to master it.

  That being said, the biggest lazies of them all are the curriculum writers which don’t make teaching future working adults how to use a clock a priority in grade school.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don't fix the problem just change the parameters⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Or should we get rid of spoons or hammers?

  I have to say, I’m auite fond of my pneumatic hammer. When will my pneumatic silverware become a thing?

  I just can’t be bothered to expend any energy while I’m eating! It’s supposed to give me energy, after all!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don't fix the problem just change the parameters⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I agree.

  That being said, there’s a difference between having a disability and just not having had enough practice.

  Just having an analogue clock in all rooms and halls of a school is a way to give people the opportunity to get the practice.

  In higher grades you can have an analogue clock in front and a digital “cheat” one in the back. If they’re not sure, they can glance at that. And if that cheat clock is only in every other room. Most will learn because it’s easier that way.

  When reading the clock comes as a topic of the curriculum in 1st or 2nd grade, having the teacher ask a student to read the time periodically from the classroom clock for a few months will make sure everyone has had at least some opportunities to practice.

  Of course, if someone does have a problem bordering on disability, accomodate them. But a quarter of a class having it is really either bad luck or just bad methodology.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don't fix the problem just change the parameters⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I feel that learning cursive is important.

  First you learn how to write ordinary letters. That trains your fine motor skills so you can write them reliably (try writing with your non-dominant yourself hand to see).

  What cursive teaches you is how to write quickly. Of course, no one will write in pure, perfect cursive. Most people settle for a style somewhere in between. It teaches you the concept of “you can combine letters together to make you write faster” and “here are a bunch of ways to combine them” is a good thing. Especially if they end up going to college.

  Giving them a few more weeks of practice in reading and writing is a great way to avoid them being partially illiterate.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨There was no need to ever improve upon THIS⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Instructions unclear: AWS is doing fine, but my AC won’t shut off until I renew my BMW+ subscription.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨grindset challenge⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  poop

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Colorado delenda est⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Since a 2°C increase in temp means a ~2m increase in sea level, there’s plenty of room left over from your 33’.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Texas National Guard arriving in Chicago⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  First strategic stop: Chick-fil-A

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Sage advice?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Mine has usage, at the very least.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Unified Theory of American Reality⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  literacy crash course…

  I love how today literacy isn’t even a thing. No one talks aboit teaching things (in the EU, at least). It’s all about financial literacy, digital literacy, social media literacy, hell, even (and bear with me here) AI literacy. Yes, really. There’s prpbably 800 of these literacies floating around.

  Whoever thought of this is an idiot. The word literacy means one thing: the ability to read and write (and understand what you read/wrote). Nothing more, nothing less.

  It isn’t just stupid, it’s also malicious. Kids all over the globe are suffering from poor literacy, and instead of fixing the problem you quite literally shift the goalposts.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨you spin me right round baby right round...⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  The fuck is RT FOOT PN and why the hell is it not RT FT PN

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Light. Not Even Once.⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  If “Life” is “Evolutionary”, then yes.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Just got this flyer in the mail today.⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Every now and then, I can’t help but wonder

  Is me’s AC ready for Summer?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Lead⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Will nobody mention the wrong placement of the checks notes stigmata?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Trapeze artists⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Well, here’s me hoping the victims suing for damages get them paid from the one responsible for making the poor (wo)man work, and not from them directly.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Cable placement a little weird, but the ergonomics are excellent.⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  Have you heard of grue?

  In any case, the same applies to animals. They may not be linguistucally differentiated in the same way across language boundaries.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨N. 5⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Number one is pee, number two is poo, and number three is barf.

  What are four and five, then?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Nintendo reportedly gets even more obnoxious about patent law by taking a 'mods aren't real games' stance against a Dark Souls 3 mod that could invalidate its Palworld lawsuit⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Sure. It’s just that the user doesn’t install Unity (or any other engine) themselves when installing a game. They install the game and “it just works”.

  For a mod, you have to either have the game, or go get it before you can play a mod.

  I know what a game engine is. A court clerk or judge most likely - doesn’t.

  And it’s in Nintendo’s interests to paint mods as something lesser - that’s why they take this strawman angle to mods. They couldn’t care less about “games” or “mods”. They care about protecting their IP with any groin punches and baby mario noises they can get their divorced-from-reality hands on.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Good shot indeed⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Trump is clearly dishonoring prescious Charlie. How dare he!

  But more importantly, why isn’t he getting cancelled “cosequenced” for it?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Nintendo reportedly gets even more obnoxious about patent law by taking a 'mods aren't real games' stance against a Dark Souls 3 mod that could invalidate its Palworld lawsuit⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s basically a non-sequitur.

  A mod isn’t a standalone game, sure. It requires the base game to have meaning. Unitl it gets spinned off and becomes a “real” (standalone) game.

  However, that has no connection with the original problem: Did anyone who isn’t Nintendo ever animate a cartoony person throwing a ball that does something, before Nintendo filed for a patent?

  Of course they have. That’s prior art, and the patent itself is under serious question - whether the animation was in a “real” game, a “fake” one or in a Blender animation has very little influence on that fact.