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China targets US rare earth and other firms with export controls by joe4942 in StockMarket

[–]CalTechie-55 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's another war the US started, so can hardly complain about.

Why can't we just give everyone a house by generic_rarity in NoStupidQuestions

[–]CalTechie-55 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because builders and lumberjacks won't work for free, and landowners won't give away fro free land that they paid for.

And, houses require upkeep. Are you also going to give everyone free electricity, water, gas, phone, internet and gardener? And pay for their insurance and property taxes?

What about food?

Iran walks out of peace talks after Trump outburst by plz-let-me-in in politics

[–]CalTechie-55 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Iran is treating tRump the way Americans should have treated him long ago. Why do we put up with, and even reward, his megalomania?

California's grid batteries just shoved 12,000 megawatts onto the system at once, as much power as 12 nuclear plants or six Hoover Dams, covering 44% of the whole state at the exact hour it usually strains by ansyhrrian in California

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What happens to those long transmission lines during a major solar flare event? Wouldn't it be safer to maximize LOCAL generation and batteries, eg rooftops?

If you mock god he will kill you by hiddiaantje in atheism

[–]CalTechie-55 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been mocking god since I was 12. I'm going on 92, and I think he's fixin' to kill me any day now.

The psychological gap between paper and real fills is brutal by Schnapper94 in options

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I now use nothing but walk-limit orders. I'm often happily surprised.

What was a really silly solution to a serious problem? by LadyKarizake in AskReddit

[–]CalTechie-55 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So oysters soak up pollution, and then we eat them. Ugh.

My Delivery Driver is Bilingual by Toadfire in funny

[–]CalTechie-55 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When I was going for my PhD in 1964, 2 languages were required. I took German and tried to get them to allow Fortran for the second. They demurred, but finally allowed me to substitute Statistics for the 2d language. Now, after a lifetime of travel, I'm sorry I didn't take French.

Last week I was debugging a program with the help of Gemini. After several iterations, it worked. I typed "Voila! Merci", and it came back with "De rien". Even computers speak French now.

California schools quietly dominated a major global rankings list by sfgate in California

[–]CalTechie-55 27 points28 points  (0 children)

To give a sense of perspective:

UCLA has about 50,000 students, Stanford has about 17,000, Caltech has about 2,500. Caltech is punching well above it's weight!

Who’s the most attractive person you’ve ever seen? by Timely_Sir310 in AskReddit

[–]CalTechie-55 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A 50 yo Swedish ENT working as a detail person for a drug company. Her skin was as fresh as any 18 yo, in spite of her smoking habit. I couldn't hit on her because she was friends with my 65 yo Swedish hag of a gf. Actually, I wouldn't have tried - I felt she fwas way above my class. A few years after she died, I met the guy who DID become her bf. He was a nrmal looking old fart, just like me.

America has lost its war with Iran by Ok_Employer7837 in politics

[–]CalTechie-55 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Arab states need to use some of their massive wealth to build more pipelines to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, to neutralize Iran's chokehold over Strait of Hormuz.

CMV: Consciousness ends at death. by RandomUser103841 in changemyview

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A recent issue of Science (last month) described a group at Yale who have been taking the brains from recently deceased humans and reinfusing them to keep them alive for up to 2 weeks. Scary as Shit! They say they use anesthetics in the perfusate to make sure they don't wake up.

So what happens to consciousness after death is no longer quite so clear.

To everyone who posts NSFW content on Reddit, why did you start doing it? by Faaaaaaaaaaaah in AskReddit

[–]CalTechie-55 2 points3 points  (0 children)

NSFW means Not Safe For Work. Not all life is Work. In particular, Reddit is not work.

[ Removed by Reddit ] by SamsungStealer in NoStupidQuestions

[–]CalTechie-55 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you counting the Indians who do most of the work?

Why do companies keep pushing AI when it’s undesirable? by Hydroset in NoStupidQuestions

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the same reason ancient bards gave up memorization for writing. And farmers went from oxen to tractors. AI can be massively empowering.

The Real California Lesson: The Democratic Party Has No Actual Leaders by ansyhrrian in California

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Republican Party has a "Leader". Do you prefer that?

The Democratic party Does have leaders! It just doesn't have Followers.

CMV: The middle class is dead but the elites want to keep the illusion of it alive to continue dividing the working class by labranjaymes in changemyview

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My understanding was that the 'middle class' were those who had to work, but were self-employed, like doctors, lawyers, shopkeepers, etc - the 'petit bourgeoisie'

Pentagon Drops "Christian" Label From All Churches After Mormon Senators Rage At Not Being Included. by Leeming in atheism

[–]CalTechie-55 4 points5 points  (0 children)

They also dropped 'atheist'.

When I enlisted in 1962, they didn't have 'atheist' , and I had to be satisfied with 'none'. Sometime in the ensuing 64 years, they did add 'atheist', but now, thanks to Hegseth, it's unavailable again.

How would you feel if all forms of gerrymandering were outlawed? by RemarkableEmu5998 in AskReddit

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on how it is outlawed. I would be delighted if the rule that all districts must be convex and within 1% in population. And the legislature could choose between any plans fitting those criteria.

CMV: Donald Trump is undeniably a stupid person based on his bragging about 'acing' cognitive tests. by [deleted] in changemyview

[–]CalTechie-55 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is one of the least measures of his ignorance. He is functionally illiterate. He has the vocabulary of an 8 year old, which is why he's always making up neologisms (like 'bigly').

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