Very well summarized, I think this hits the majority of the most relevant points.

I wanted to disagree with this, but I actually think you make a rather compelling argument.

If you look at the Trump candidacy and things like qanon, it’d be hard to argue that the internet isn’t making inroads. My generation let this go on for long enough, it’s not about the lulz anymore. Lots of people are getting hurt, and it can still get worse.

I occasionally go through my old comments to see how things got received, see if I could improve my wording, things like that. General communications skill polishing. It’s not consuming as much as critically reviewing, but whatever.

Since I’m adding engagement on lemmy, and I do put some effort in to be amusing or informative or whatever (usually anyway), yes I do feel like I am helping. If I was on reddit or something, not so much.

To me it looks like N Korea wanting to acquire some direct combat experience to continue to develop their skills and capabilities.

But yes, personally I was not expecting this.

Funniest comment I’ve read in a pretty long time, props.

My guess would be self-replicating biological organisms capable of significant rates of mutation.

But then my preferred solution to the paradox as a whole is basically the “nobody tries” idea.

I don’t think there’s tremendous reason to try to make ones-self detectable at long distances. It’s an expenditure of non-trivial resources for an uncertain result. Since there isn’t really any robustly sound logic for making the attempt outside of dramatized sci fi stories, I imagine a vanishingly small percentage of occurrences of intelligent life would make a serious, high-powered attempt at any point.

Don’t underestimate the power of shitposting.

That said, the Fediverse products are still behind in features, polish and ease-of-use. The mainstream prizes these surface-level things more than any others. It will take years of development still to fully catch up in that regard. So, it’s the long-haul.

Ah, LinkedIn, exactly where I want to get nuanced answers to weird questions from.

I agree, I think they’ve been remarkably responsible about avoiding lasting damage. What upsets me is how they’re fueling the far-right rage machine with more propaganda ammunition at a time when we are already fighting a fierce and undecided battle to live in a world that isn’t run by exclusionary ideological nationalistic idiots.

It’s like they cannot understand that some people don’t want the world saved, and agree with Hitler when he wrote about the tears of war being the bread of future generations. A sentiment that basically says suffering=good. So, more suffering=better. Will climate change cause suffering? Well, guess what then.

Here in the US we have one of the two main political factions regularly threatening terrorism, execution and even war.

When people are already arguing to take you out behind the chemical shed and shoot you, it’s a little out of touch to think they give two shits about your future health in a changing climate. Or our planet, they probably think they can get to Mars with Elon or something, or god will rapture them, or whatever they think, I don’t know.

You think people should care about future generations? They probably should, but we have parents that don’t give two shits about their own kids, much less anyone else’s.

Shush. You are sunk and you know it. Now stop talking and no tacos.

Neat question. Hotdogs are sandwiches imo.

That said, some types of investment provide additional advantages over simply appreciating in value. A stock can pay dividends, a house can be lived in, stuff like that. Could probably draw a distinction there. Additionally, some investments are guaranteed, like a savings bond. Could probably draw another there.

If I had to draw some clean line somewhere, I’d probably try define gambling as situations where you’re not intended to be able to “win money” on average, where investments are. The line is drawn via intention though, not anything quantitative. So, pretty inherently fuzzy.

Courageous citizens performing the necessary duty of watching for new drone types and capabilities, and tracking usage patterns. They surveil the surveillance system. Heroes one and all.

There’s this thing called the “tooth to tail ratio”. For every combat soldier serving on the front, there are several behind the lines in support and logistical roles. Somebody has to guard the bases, train the troops, drive the trucks, maintain/repair the vehicles, cook the food, organize the munitions, crunch the data, provide cyber capabilities, etc etc. Very many jobs that need doing.

These soldiers are in a much safer role, but are still doing important work that needs to be done, and serving honorably. A volunteer with specific skills and/or personality is more likely to wind up in one of these safer jobs, as this makes the whole military function more smoothly when people are well-suited to their assigned roles.

Serving does not have to be very dangerous though. It does not need to be extremely frightening. Will always be at least a little dangerous, but so is getting in your car.

Yeah, it’s basically all mountains up there. It’s like a Switzerland.

Very weak article, giving him credit as a free speech absolutist. Is he really, or does he ban people that attack him? Alludes to us having self-driving due to his innovations. Really? Other automakers seem neck and neck with him, with Mercedes having passed a major milestone before him, quite recently.

Does he really have hyperloops to dream up and Mars colonies to plan, or is that just marketing drivel to appeal to certain types?

This is almost fanboying in disguise. If you simply read it through the lens of being pro-racism, it’s suddenly a praise piece.

edit: Oh, and it doesn’t even try to answer the question it asks in its own headline.

The core problem isn’t people needing to get from A to B at hypersonic speeds. It’s that they need to get there in a reasonable timeframe.

I would first off remove the need to commute long distances regularly by putting amenities closer to residential areas with appropriate zoning and encouraging work-from-home where practical.

It’s easy to get caught up in all that “cool factor”, but if you really think about it, “cool” is just a stupid person trap.

If you’re really serious about it, look at the fundamental problem it is trying to solve, and consider if there are any more efficient, less expensive ways of addressing that core issue.

It certainly slows me down, maybe like 25-50%, somewhere around there. Not quite as bad as reading l33tsp34k, but still less than ideal.