Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: A huge crack is spreading across one of Antarctica’s biggest ice shelves
I'd be more interested in criticism of the content, rather than the format. There's aiming for serious, and then there's just posturing.
Aelinsaar's comments
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Evidence points to another leaker at the NSA
...It's like they have no idea what "Evidence" actually means, or frankly what the hell Snowden actually did; it wasn't selling hacking tools on the black market!
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The hedgehog and the fox
It's not really that the original relates to this blog post, as much as it's just one of the best essays written in the English language in a long time. (big IMO)
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: A Map Showing Every Cargo Ship
The constant exchange between the west coast of the US and Japan is so regular!
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The Internet of Poorly Working Things
I would imagine it's the same thinking that puts multiplayer in every game, and just generally wants to keep a live connection to everything, always.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The Internet of Poorly Working Things
Given the limited google search results, it would appear to be a very neo neologism.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The Internet of Poorly Working Things
Nothing about the impending IoT seems planned, standardized, and remotely designed with the consumer's best interest in mind. That being said, consumers for their part seem almost eager to throw their money away for truly dubious improvements. What isn't a bad idea from the get go is often a good idea ruined with careless implementation.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Everyday ‘Placebo Buttons’ Create Semblance of Control
Oh the folk cures are the best! The ancient Greek ones were literally and figuratively, batshit. IIRC To treat epilepsy it was recommend that you eat the heart of a black donkey beneath the light of the moon on some specific night.
Foolproof!
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Cognitive behavioural therapy is falling out of favour
Similar story here, from the POV of someone with moderate anxiety, and very mild depression (probably as a result of the anxiety). Medication made me feel less, which was preferable to anxiety, but CBT was a set of tools I've continued to use. I had so little insight into my own thought processes, and the ways in which I was unintentionally reinforcing my own anxieties. It's taken a lot of effort, over a lot of years, but with that basic set of tools I don't need medication and I don't have anxiety or panic attacks. Ever.
Still, if you did have that set of tools going in, but for whatever biological reason it didn't matter, then I would guess that CBT would be dust in the wind for you.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Cognitive behavioural therapy is falling out of favour
I think the immense amount of constant work is the biggest challenge. It may be that the use case for CBT is a lot narrower than current practice is selling it as. For mild to moderate anxiety though, it's pretty amazing if you stick with it, especially since the alternatives are all basically chemical.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The World Is Closer Than Ever to Eradicating Guinea Worm
Oh god yes. My "Cannot unsee" file is overwhelmingly dermatological, or burns.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Everyday ‘Placebo Buttons’ Create Semblance of Control
On the other hand, who knows? Has there been a time when people where not generally trained from infancy to believe fallacy?
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Everyday ‘Placebo Buttons’ Create Semblance of Control
Exactly, with the added insult of ad hoc justification.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The meaning of trust in the age of Airbnb
I understand that, and am pointing out some of the conditioning behind that.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Everyday ‘Placebo Buttons’ Create Semblance of Control
Maybe training people to develop an illusory sense of control isn't really a good thing?
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The meaning of trust in the age of Airbnb
That's a good point, but it definitely relates to what I'm saying as well; you're just describing the benefit side of the cost:benefit analysis any criminal has to do. A lot of the cost in Japan, even for the pettiest of crimes, is that you either have to absolutely get away with it, or be branded a criminal.
All of what you said applies too, and it's all connected to the tighter community-oriented culture. There is after all, nothing impractical about choosing not to commit a petty crime, when as you say the benefit is minor and the risks are enormous.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The meaning of trust in the age of Airbnb
The social consequences of committing a crime are enormous in Japan, and very long-term (like, the rest of your live). It makes answering the "Have you ever been convicted of a felony" section in the US look like a happy joke. That's part of it. The other is that most Japanese people would be really horrified at the idea of stealing someone's stuff, left that way. Finally, no bystander effect there, not for a crime like that.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The hedgehog and the fox
I would strongly recommend that anyone who hasn't read the original essay, do so.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: The World Is Closer Than Ever to Eradicating Guinea Worm
I would suggest that you not google image search that, as I did. There are many modern results, and it's quite awful.
Aelinsaar | 9 years ago | on: Fighting Poverty with Satellite Images and Machine Learning Wizardry
Finally, a way to assess poverty from space, ironically increasing the distance between the observers and the observed by several literal orders of magnitude.
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