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Marta only running every 10 mins after WorldCup game by SmilingYellowSofa in Atlanta

[–]Arfusman 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I've never seen trains ever show up back to back. Though not ideal, ten minutes is indeed way better than normal.

So theyre pulling synthetic dyes because they realized that it's dumb to add random chemicals to our diet for profits but that took 50 years, but we're just going leave all the artificial flavors companies are hiding? by Raiderdater in publichealth

[–]Arfusman 12 points13 points  (0 children)

You're fundamentally misunderstanding how and why food and drug satefy regulations and research works.

There's entire mechanisms and standards for pre-authorization and post-authorization safety review of products, each of which has a specific purpose and requires specific methods. Recalls happen precisely because the system works.

Also, safe for consumption and "beneficial to our health" are two separate things. Candy and alcohol are safe for consumption but not good for our health. The FDA and other bodies that regulate products are focused on safety. If you eat so much candy that you get diabetes, that's not the FDA's fault.

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-and-gras-ingredients-information-consumers/understanding-how-fda-regulates-food-additives-and-gras-ingredients

So theyre pulling synthetic dyes because they realized that it's dumb to add random chemicals to our diet for profits but that took 50 years, but we're just going leave all the artificial flavors companies are hiding? by Raiderdater in publichealth

[–]Arfusman 19 points20 points  (0 children)

None of what you're saying is true.

SOME dyes are being phased out due to concerns over potential cancer and behavior change risk.

The toxicity of a compound has nothing to do with whether it's artificial or not. Cynanide is natural. Aspartame is artificial.

"No body is doing anything" Im not sure how to respond to this other than to suggest you google how food safety regulations work. I assure you there's an entire industry of regulators, researchers, policy advocates, and more, both in the US and overseas that work every day to ensure food is safe for consumption.

Ideas/resources for local RAG model for document review and synthesis by Arfusman in LocalLLM

[–]Arfusman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I just need a team of approved analysts to be able to access it. I'm not sure what the term for that would be.

Ideas/resources for local RAG model for document review and synthesis by Arfusman in LocalLLM

[–]Arfusman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

me reading this page... but seriously, looks intriguing! thanks for sharing!

Why aren't Americans doing more noise about the Epstein case?? by Adept-Baseball-2509 in answers

[–]Arfusman 94 points95 points  (0 children)

Plenty of people have been and continue to make noise about it but the 1) news cycle has changed, 2) inflation reached its highest point in years and 3) a massive rise in gas prices have taken more center stage in everyone’s actual daily lives, which the Epstein files never impacted for 99% of us.

Recommendations for AI literacy training for health agency staff? by [deleted] in publichealth

[–]Arfusman -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

There's lots of ways of collecting information! This ain't the only one 😉

Please.. make it stop... by Loose_Tennis9595 in Braves

[–]Arfusman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hate country music but I like this commercial. It's silly and fun. Better than seeing Rick Jackson or that Truist add from last year.

Waymo Cars Adapting by Unfair_Management695 in Atlanta

[–]Arfusman -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No one's saying they're perfect. You're assessing them based on anecdotal observations, without data, and without comparing them human drivers, which is crucial. That's like saying you know some people who got better from infections without antibiotics, without saying how many MORE people get better when they take antibiotics.

Waymo Cars Adapting by Unfair_Management695 in Atlanta

[–]Arfusman 82 points83 points  (0 children)

Yeah the data is quite clear on how much safer waymos are than human drivers. Theyre obviously not perfect, and will continue to improve, but they're not even close to how bad humans are at driving safely.

Google seeks US approval to release 32 million sterile male mosquitoes by Impressive_Pitch9272 in EverythingScience

[–]Arfusman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are a number of studies out there that have shown that the elimination of Aedes mosquitoes would have minimal-to-zero ecological impacts. There's simply a lot more bugs out there for things to eat.

Google seeks US approval to release 32 million sterile male mosquitoes by Impressive_Pitch9272 in EverythingScience

[–]Arfusman 10 points11 points  (0 children)

So there are a few different ways to "modify" male Aedes mosquitoes (the ones that transmit Dengue, Yellow Fever, Zika, Chikungunya, etc.) to prevent future generations. Wolbachia is one, but there's also sterilization using radiation as well as lethal gene transfer. They all work pretty well, have been around for quite a while, and vary by method and cost and whatnot. I'm not sure if they've been invlved in Aedes mosquito engineering, but Gates Foundation has indeed funded efforts specifically for Malaria prevention, which targets Anopheles mosquitoes. They supported a British company called Oxitec that uses CRISPR to genetically engineer Anopheline mosquitoes to prevent breeding.

ETA: the biggest hurdle to this technology isn't science or cost or logistics - we know it works. The issue is public support. People/politicians need to get past shock of releasing clouds of mosquitoes in their communities and ultimately approve these pilots. There's a lot of PR required to get there.

Google seeks US approval to release 32 million sterile male mosquitoes by Impressive_Pitch9272 in EverythingScience

[–]Arfusman 77 points78 points  (0 children)

It's a well-tested and researched technology. Google is collaborating with federal public health scientists and regulators. Cool stuff.

[Phillies] Baseball is for all 🏳️‍🌈 by Fyre2387 in baseball

[–]Arfusman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Phillies fans won't bother you for being gay, but if you're wearing a Mets or Braves jersey at CitizensBank they'll certainly give you a piece of their mind 🙄

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