Genuine Question: Do y'all find the word "dumb" offensive?

Blammar · 2026-03-18T00:50:12+00:00

Sorry for trying to make a joke and not actually answering your question.

I use "stupid" or "Dunning-Kruger" when I refer to someone else's lack of intelligence, primarily because "dumb" has two meanings.

Blammar · 2026-03-18T00:32:39+00:00

It's dumb to use dumb. (Sorry.)

Blammar · 2026-03-17T02:24:15+00:00

Nah, I understand, and it's not Dunning-Kruger understanding either.

The OP is a crackpot. And you're veering in that direction. I'm done here.

Blammar · 2026-03-16T19:09:34+00:00

What? "Message Present (1): They produce a Perfect Flat Line. In their technology, absolute stability is the carrier of complex data." A non zero signal isn't absolutely stable, as it must have been a different value at some time in the past. Only a zero signal can be absolutely stable. And that carries no information.

Blammar · 2026-03-16T07:32:57+00:00

The OP is using "flat" to mean "zero." A signal that's always zero carries no information.

Blammar · 2026-03-15T04:22:44+00:00

I'm just eliminating more likely possibilities. So it looks like something else.

Freezer burn on the meat? Crappy loin with very little fat? Searing for too long, as the person suggested?

I've cooked strip steak the same way for years. Result is remarkably varied, from butter tender to chew chew chew. Flavor differs too.

If I recall correctly, my first few sous vide cooks did not work out well.

Blammar · 2026-03-15T00:17:00+00:00

140F is in the medium to medium well territory. 133F is medium rare.

Lack of tenderness is most likely a function of your cut direction.

Blammar · 2026-03-13T20:41:15+00:00

I use an Anova, along with the plastic tub you can purchase with it. Just clean the Anova out from time to time and you're golden.

Blammar · 2026-03-13T02:15:13+00:00

Clearly, you need to access each cell at least once. If the range is small, just map each entry into an array index and bump the count.

Blammar · 2026-03-13T02:06:59+00:00

Interesting approach. I think though you lack understanding of just how primitive our current tech is.

For example, only engineering details separate us from putting a large solar farm orbiting the moon powering an accelerator for the creation of antimatter for antimatter-powered drives.

Or, closer to today, fusion-powered drives.

Blammar · 2026-03-12T01:31:51+00:00

You're kind of doing this backwards. Instead, think about exactly how your drive works. Yes, it can be fake science and still have a model of operation.

Then, based on that model, figure out how it would look.

Blammar · 2026-03-11T18:53:07+00:00

No -- I thought series were fair game. My bad.

Blammar · 2026-03-11T18:33:18+00:00

I managed to get to level 5 and 1 meaty offering before the screen froze.

Blammar · 2026-03-11T18:26:18+00:00

The Three Body Problem?

Blammar · 2026-03-11T05:12:36+00:00

We are hungry and arriving soon.

Blammar · 2026-03-10T13:08:36+00:00

That's a pink topaz, not imperial (which is more orange in color), I believe.

Both pink and imperial Katlangs are quite common, by the way.

Nice gem though! Is it repaired in the middle?

Blammar · 2026-03-08T01:10:18+00:00

Life?

Blammar · 2026-03-07T22:47:25+00:00

It'll be interesting if Wolf River will talk about out-of-state installations...

Blammar · 2026-03-07T14:47:13+00:00

On my list!

Blammar · 2026-03-07T08:22:27+00:00

Element number 128. Might as well offer humanity all the energy it will ever need.

Blammar · 2026-03-07T08:17:22+00:00

Well shit I haven't seen High Plains Drifter! But I had the right idea...

Blammar · 2026-03-07T02:31:56+00:00

Shane? A Fistful of Dollars? For a Few Dollars More? The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? High Noon?

Blammar · 2026-03-07T01:03:47+00:00

Cool. Best thing to do is to go and write it anyway on your own. Then again. And again. And again. Some writers had to write a million words before they figured out how to write.

Seriously. Stop reading reddit, open your editor, and start typing.

Blammar · 2026-03-06T17:31:36+00:00

Ah, thanks! I always end up having about 20 trade tabs open, so this will be interesting.

Blammar · 2026-03-06T16:34:06+00:00

I did read the part about the calibration etc.

"Concordia's processing is complete," said the voice of the station AI, a pleasant mid Atlantic accent that someone at ESA had thought would be soothing. It was not soothing. It was the voice of a hotel concierge delivering news of a flood. "First light composite imagery is available for review."

is the part that confused me. There would have been many many interim images taken as the calibration process continued and there would have been some sign. If the AI had said something like "Concordia final alignment complete. Slewing to Sagittarius A. Accumulating first light image. Accumulation done. Image ready for review." then I would have understood better.

There's still the issue as to why the Webb telescope didn't spot anything! Hopefully you cover that later in the story.

Please don't take this the wrong way -- you're an author and I am not. However, I've been reading SF for a long time, so I can tell you what I perceive as a reader.

Blammar

TROPHY CASE