Meandering's comments

Meandering | 3 years ago | on: Bitcoin drops below $20k, Ether cracks $1k – what this means

Inflation is where the value of a dollar decreases and the cost of products increase(or inflates). You can see inflation as a monetary phenomenon where they increase the supply of dollars and you need more dollars to exchange for the same product. This can intersect with the other source of inflation where product prices increase due to supply constraints.

People thought that BTC would be treated like gold. Where it would act in opposition to the stock market. If you ignore all the terminology and equations, then you can focus on the behavior of the investors. If investors buy, sell, and perceive BTC as a type of stock, then it will behave as stock. As inflation occurs, it will project into the crypto market via speculative investment.

The "inflation proof" concept of bitcoin is that there is a fixed supply. So, monetary inflation cannot occur within the currency itself. However, in the context of the larger financial market, it will be affected by systemic inflation.

Meandering | 3 years ago | on: The Novavax Vaccine, Finally

Novavax might have underfunded their lobbying department. /s

Any vaccine was great for the most at risk population but, as you stated, it's not a solution to covid; only a tool to mitigate its threat to the individual. I know a lot of people who didn't want any of the vaccines but they wanted the Novavax. I think quick approval would have pumped vaccination rates. And now, I don't think people will bother.

Meandering | 3 years ago | on: Crypto industry scores big win under long anticipated Senate bill

I agree that regulation is a useful tool for society. As a quasi-libertarian, I just want to explain one reason why libertarians don't like regulation. Facebook is calling for regulation on censorship... a business is asking to be regulated... this means that it's within there profit incentive to ask for government control. They must have a high level of confidence that they can mold regulation to suit their needs. The financial industry is probably one of the most corrupt industry when it comes to private-regulatory cooperation. I believe that crypt regulation will be to the advantage of all the high profile financial players that have moved into the space.

Bashing regulation for the sake of bashing regulation is a bit reductive. However, assuming regulation is the government applying order to chaos is also a bit reductive.

Meandering | 3 years ago | on: Fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they used to be

I can't remember the technical terms for these issues (hypercaloric, nutrient deficient diets or something) but I watch a documentary covering malnutrition. They showed people eating cheap food with low nutrient dense foods because they were ignorant and/or poor. Another documentary, Vitamania (great watch), showed that we only need a small portion of nutrients compared to the volume of food we eat. So, I imagine it's more about health education and financial status than people "eating right" while over estimating their nutrient intake.

Meandering | 3 years ago | on: WWDC22

The iPhone is a more profitable platform than iPod. Cannibalizing the iPod market was a move that maximized long-term profit.

Jobs wanted the iPad to represent a unique interface and experience that was distinct from a laptop. They failed to do that and the touchscreen is the only difference that remains. Merging these products is only likely if they doesn't reduce overall expenditure on Apple products in the long-term.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: The Peter Thiel Paradox

>> Money is power. > Money is just one form of power, not the most powerful.

I've over thought this one a lot and happened on an anthropology book that confirmed my position:

Power is the ability to influence or induce action. Money is a medium of exchange which acts as a mechanism to induce economic activity. Entertainment companies, media companies, and even social media influencers have the ability to manipulate perception which may induce action. Money is an odd beast in the landscape of power because it grants access to "API's" of power. Lobbying, media buys, hiring employees, and even purchasing portions of the economy(i.e. businesses). My point, and where I agree with you, is that money, in and of itself, is not power... it is a medium through which one can express power.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: CQL – A database query language using category theory

I can see the added functionality but... wouldn't building a SQL system that implements formal Relational Algebra be more useful? In that case, a person could run a proof solver to optimize their queries. This may be an ignorant statement since I'm not a 'real' CS person.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: Web4 Should Run on LaTeX

This was my first counterargument to his post. Latex can be used to make amazing documents but, it is a pain in the ass to learn. If they simplified latex in a similar vain to HTML2 -> HTML5, then it starts to look reasonable.

I think his frustration is misplaced on the medium of content. He is addressing the same issue everyone else has, the fragmentation of information. The internet isn't a one stop shop anymore. You are forced to cycle through huge amounts of reposts and micro-posts to get anything useful.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: Ask HN: How Do You Learn?

I tutored algebra students and I reccommend the following approach with Khan academy/Openstax resources.

Order of Operations(No Variable)

Order of Operations(One Variable)

Advanced Order of Operations (One Variable)*optional

- Logs, Roots, Exponentials

- Polynomial multiplication/Factorization

Change the variable to random symbols

- Greek characters, shapes, animals

Order of Operations(Multiple Variables)

Introduce functions

- f(x) = mx + b

Connect Order of Operations with Functions

- Simplify an equation and plot as a function

Introduce units (basic physics equations)

- Simplify to formula and Plot

The goal in formal classes is to introduce order of operations with variables, the concept of functions, and how to manipulate those functions. If you are stem oriented, then this is the perfect time to introduce dimensional analysis(units) and physics-based functions. Instilling a sense of confidence and comfort with algebraic manipulation is critical. Prepping her for physics and working with functions is just smart.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: iPhone 13 to support LEO satellite communication

I think 1 and 2 are connected. Apple sees the cellular communication game from the perspective of their ecosystem. Improving network agnosticism is supportive of that perspective. We see that Apple wants to deliver a premium experience for a premium price. I assume that LEO or Lower than LEO communications could be supported by auxiliary products. A small "hotspot" type device(comm array) to couple with the Apple ecosystem? This future proofs the ecosystem to partner with a communications swarm or launch their own as launch prices drop.

I'd say it is possible in the context of what I stated. But, the article's characterization seems too good to be true.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: SpaceX may dig a tunnel to enable frequent South Texas launches

The problem is precedence. If you let one company commandeer a public resource(in this case access) without resistance, then that will allow others to do the same. I understand your rationale but, resistance isn't necessarily bad in this case. People shouldn't have to work around companies... companies should be preventing/solving the public conflicts they create.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: Why Don’t Green Buildings Live Up to Hype on Energy Efficiency?

The issue is that buzz words and politics are an integral part in the system. The types of technologies and methods that receive government and NGO support will prevail. Tax credits are use to incentivize the adoption of certain technologies while building codes favor certain techniques. The point is that attempting to create green buildings is inherently political and the inefficiencies of politics is preventing the execution of science.

Meandering | 4 years ago | on: China Says It's Closing in on Thorium Nuclear Reactor

Large reactors currently take at least 10 years to construct. The new small reactors are estimated to take at least 2-5 years.

These plants offer continuous power with minimal maintenance. Renewable equipment needs to be replaced and repaired at a higher frequency. They will also need storage and grid upgrades to stand as a direct replacement. They absolutely have a place in the energy profile. But, nuclear provides a type of base power that cannot be easily or cost efficiently accomplished by renewable technologies. We need to take advantage of the pros and mitigate the cons of each technology.

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