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jack9 commented on Over the next year or so, Google will try out new office designs   nytimes.com/2021/04/30/te... · Posted by u/bryanrasmussen
heavyset_go · 4 years ago
> if you let people work from home if they want to, you need far less office space.

Some companies made investments in properties, or signed multiyear leases, before the pandemic happened. I know of a couple that are itching to get people back to work in-person.

jack9 · 4 years ago
> Some companies made investments in properties, or signed multiyear leases, before the pandemic happened.

That was unfortunate, but incidental. Larger companies certainly can do the cost-benefit analysis that cancels out those losses if they plan on being around in 10 years.

jack9 commented on A whale who tried to mimic human speech (2014)   smithsonianmag.com/scienc... · Posted by u/awll
p1necone · 4 years ago
Occams razor tells me that other animals probably do have a concious experience just like ours.

Sure, they could have all the same internal organs as us (at least with mammals, and reptiles/birds to a slightly lesser extent), a similarly structured brain, be evolved from the same common ancestors and exhibit all the same outward signs of being conscious and self aware but somehow be totally different from humans.

But that would be much more complicated than the simple explanation that they are just like us, but less intelligent.

jack9 · 4 years ago
> Occams razor tells me that other animals probably do have a concious experience just like ours.

For most mammals, everything is so similar...including responses to stimuli like light, sound, temperature, pain, pleasure, even predictive behavior (knowing when they have done something to provoke a human response) that the same principle leads me to believe it's likely they have a very similar experience.

jack9 commented on “About one-third of Basecamp employees accepted buyouts today”   twitter.com/CaseyNewton/s... · Posted by u/minimaxir
StandardFuture · 4 years ago
What job can you go on on political rants at? If you can get away with that then this means

1. You have a controlling share in the company and don't give af (b/c you might lose customers and employees)

2. Everyone else (at the company) already completely or mostly agrees with your rants

3. You are so damn good at what you do that people have to put up with you

Let's be honest, the most common reason people do get away with personal political rants at companies is because they get lucky and are in Scenario 2.

This is another reason why everything is becoming more polarized. Companies are beginning to "lean" much more one direction or another. There is no reason to think that this will change anytime soon.

jack9 · 4 years ago
#3 AKA The most toxic person at the workplace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljLlpOAGRsQ

jack9 commented on An Update on the UMN Affair   lwn.net/SubscriberLink/85... · Posted by u/chmaynard
Doxin · 4 years ago
The linked page doesn't say anything about what is and isn't a human subject.

But even so, defining human subjects so as to exclude humans who are subject to your experimentation is absurd on the face of it. Who cares what is codified by whom? Experimenting on unwitting subjects is unethical. I had hoped that by now that would be something that didn't need stating and restating.

jack9 · 4 years ago
> The linked page doesn't say anything about what is and isn't a human subject.

Why you decided that was a claim is your own bias talking. I was pointing out the relevant section. You've tried to raise something that isn't the issue, nor is it a sensible question as you undoubtedly realized (But even so).

Every human in an experiment is a human subject. Glad we got that out of the way.

The issue is what an IRB is looking for in evaluating the ethical feasibility of an experiment.

> Experimenting on unwitting subjects is unethical

> I had hoped that by now that would be something that didn't need stating and restating.

That's because it's your opinion. Seriously, go tell your local Target or College Bookstore to stop playing with the wall colors because there is no disclosure AND they make money off of it.

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jack9 commented on Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and serum testosterone levels in adult males (2018)   ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/lxm
Jiocus · 4 years ago
I think this is a misconception. It's not about the fountain vs canned or bottle soda.

Carbon dioxide lowers the pH of a drink to 4.5, which is acidic. The acid pH level erodes teeth and one shouldn't brush their teeth too soon after drinking soda because the enamel can be damaged. (Edit: acid on your teeth is always bad, brushing or not.)

Getting a soft drink from a fountain often means getting a straw for your cup as well. Using a straw to drink does help somewhat to bypass the soda from making contact with the teeth in the first place.

Use a straw, save a tooth.

jack9 · 4 years ago
Canned soda ph2.5 and is a solution

Fountain soda ph6.5 to ph8.5 and is a suspension

The differences are stark.

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jack9 commented on An Update on the UMN Affair   lwn.net/SubscriberLink/85... · Posted by u/chmaynard
wombatpm · 4 years ago
By banning the University, they bring attention to the proper authorities and light a fire under them to resolve the issue. The IRB should not have allowed this to happen. I've worked in the academic survey industry and there are strict rules you must follow with human subjects. Last I heard, the kernel team was still mostly human. You don't get to secretly do things to your subjects.

I believe even the old Folger's commercials where they secretly replaced people's coffee with Folger's Crystals would not pass muster with respect to informed consent.

jack9 · 4 years ago
> The IRB should not have allowed this to happen.

I see this repeated, but arguments like "You don't get to secretly do things to your subjects." are not sufficient nor is "it's arguably the most important software on the planet". These viewpoints are not agreed upon or codified anywhere that would affect an IRB decision.

"human subjects" qualification -> https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/center-drug-evaluation-and-res... (et al sources)

The notable history of outrage in some communities (did this make the evening news anywhere?) that has been created, may influence future decisions, at best.

jack9 commented on Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and serum testosterone levels in adult males (2018)   ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... · Posted by u/lxm
knuthsat · 4 years ago
Too many confounding variables that can't be removed by a mathematical magic wand. What about obesity, what about body fat percentage?

Yeah, fat men have lower testosterone levels. Yeah, non-smokers have lower testosterone levels.

I drink a bunch of HFCS and sugar sweetened beverages. Don't feel like it affects my weightlifting, maybe teeth mostly.

jack9 · 4 years ago
If you stick to fountain sodas, it won't wreck your teeth for decades. The acid in the can (and 2liters, small bottles, etc) is very hard on them.

u/jack9

KarmaCake day1011November 12, 2012View Original