Spinnaker_'s comments

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: How Accurate Were EPAs Predictions of climate change from 40 years ago?

That's just electricity generation, which is only a portion of total energy usage. Both countries use about 15% renewables overall. The exact number is hard to measure, complicated by importation and exportation of energy and other factors.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: How Accurate Were EPAs Predictions of climate change from 40 years ago?

Electricity mix is a fairly useless number on it's own. Especially for an industrial powerhouse like Germany. Renewable's share of total energy consumption in Germany is about 15%, and has been decreasing.

The number is the US is similar, and has been rising.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Microsoft is bringing Python to Excel

Excel has an editor. Try hitting alt+f11. "Open in vscode" would be an excellent feature though.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: The evolution of Steve Albini

Yes. "Piss off the GOP" is a very simple and accurate description of Albini's life.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: The evolution of Steve Albini

Big Albini fan. Maybe the most principled person in the industry.

I'm not so sure about the article though. There is a simpler explanation: Albini will act in the way that pisses off religious right wingers the most. When that meant being rude and vulgar, he did so in the most over the top ways. When it means self flagellation for being a white male and "making space" for others, he will do that. You can be sure that however culture evolves in the next 20 years, he'll be doing whatever enrages Fox News the most.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: FCC fines robocaller a record $300M after blocking billions of their scam calls

Depends on the neighbourhood. I moved recently and now a salesman or charity is a 3-4x a week occurrence for me. I also get a bunch of teens selling various goods that I'm 90% sure are stolen, in order to raise money for their education.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Man spends entire career mastering crappy codebase

Markets were possible. But what about the current offering of ETFs and similar products? Despite all the fancy talk, many HFT firms are just market makers for the products that enable average joes to invest well and cheaply.

You don't have to be that old to remember how terrible the experience used to be, and how easily even sophisticated individuals were ripped off at every point of the process.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Journalists should be skeptical of all sources including scientists

I don't think Journalists have the skills to be able to actually dig into and verify most types of science. So I don't think it's realistic to hold them to such a high standard.

But they absolutely do have the skills to shape the narrative. And In this case they failed spectacularly. Many seemed overly eager to attack and destroy any who came to a different conclusion. It seems like they took glee in it. Their behaviour was embarrassing, and there appears to have been very little acknowledgement or self reflection of this.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Medicine is plagued by untrustworthy clinical trials

I would like to see Universities take the lead here. A bunch of high profile degree revocations would generate some waves at least.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Medicine is plagued by untrustworthy clinical trials

We wasted decades, billions of dollars, and countless promising careers due to bad and fraudulent research in areas such as Alzheimers.

Whatever the costs and challenges are, they are not nearly as high as maintaining the status quo.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Ask HN: How are you feeling about software engineering in 2023?

Wonderful. After doing it for 15 years I finally feel like I am becoming good at it. There are so many amazing tools, services, and resources out there to take advantage of.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: 53% of parents say climate change affects their decision to have more kids

Are you sure those are two different things? Those 100 companies provide energy, food, transportation, consumer goods etc to many of those 8 billion people. By regulating them you are pushing change on their customers as well.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: The unsung hero of the Apple Watch is its hidden buttons

I'm curious, which very nice dress watch manufacturer won't replace the band for you? They went out of business?

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Why do prime numbers make these spirals? (2019)

Has anyone approached you about writing a math textbook yet? You've already got the tone perfected.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: Open Questions

MMA fighters are often asked in interviews about techniques for real street fights. The answer is always to sucker puck then gouge the eyes and throat.

BJJ is well suited for the octagon. Allow small joint manipulation and most of the technique goes out the window.

Spinnaker_ | 2 years ago | on: The Mullvad Browser

Is there a source for expressvpn actually using BHProxies? I had no clue it was that sketchy. It is owned by a public company, so that's pretty substantial news if true.

Spinnaker_ | 3 years ago | on: ChatGPT Plugins

Most, if not all of the ways humans demonstrate "agency" are also the result of random chance and selection.

You want what you want because Women selected for it, and it allowed the continuation of the species.

I'm being a bit tongue in cheek, but still...

Spinnaker_ | 3 years ago | on: Why Poverty Persists in America

The amount of single parent households has 5X'd since the 50s. The US now leads the world in this measure.

This seems like such an obvious factor to leave out of an article like this. I have trouble believing it's not one of, if not the most important changes the US has gone through.

Spinnaker_ | 3 years ago | on: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

Cannabis withdrawals are worse initially, but easier over time. With Cannabis, sleep and mood are really effected, but it subsides pretty quickly.

I smoked both for a decade. Haven't craved weed in years, but still crave tobacco pretty regularly.

Spinnaker_ | 3 years ago | on: Everything SBF is doing is in singular pursuit of not going to jail

Madoff was constantly swarmed by the press and had multiple physical altercations with them.

SBF was invited to prestigious $2500-a-seat event by the NYT.

Something is very, very different about these situations.