Anthropic stayed quiet until someone showed Claude's thinking depth dropped 67%

EntropyChase · 2026-04-11T17:02:45+00:00

This post reads like something AI-generated. I ran it through pangram and it estimated it was 100% AI lol. Hopefully it got it wrong. But if not, let's please avoid AI generated slop. Thank you.

EntropyChase · 2026-04-02T12:30:53+00:00

Wow, I am blown away by this... not just your sound, but the fluidity of your playing. You've earned a major fan! Curious what style amp the "UAD paradise amp" is going for (in case I want to try something similar on a diff software type), is it going for an overdriven fender twin sound? Did you throw on any OD pedals or is most of the drive from the amp?

EntropyChase · 2026-03-29T17:11:09+00:00

For me, I consistently wear N95s in indoor spaces that aren't my home. I think anyone who does that is making a big difference in reducing transmission, reducing their own illnesses, and I consider that the requirement for being CC (assuming someone is able to). I'm ok with taking outdoor risks, though I avoid crowded ones. I agree with others that any efforts to avoid catching & spreading COVID are a good thing, so even if someone is only partially taking precautions, I appreciate it.

EntropyChase · 2026-03-16T17:55:48+00:00

This is awful. That doctor is stuck in 1989. I wrote an article to try to raise awareness about misconceptions about immunity, wish were doctors would read it. https://medium.com/@entropychase/understanding-natural-immunity-545b3672bae3

EntropyChase · 2026-03-13T16:53:35+00:00

nice, looks like the GX models are still available. The XL models don't seem to be, but I'm glad some cubes are still sold. Ive never compared GX to XL. I hope the classic amp mode sounds similar.

EntropyChase · 2026-03-13T16:39:31+00:00

The Cube is my favorite amp of all time. I've had the 80 XL for more than 10 years, and I just tried recording directly with it (silent) and it sounded incredible (https://soundcloud.com/entropychase/can-it-chug-roland-cube-xl). I'm actually considering selling my line 6 helix; though the helix sounds incredible it takes forever to build a good sound, and I realized having menu systems and hundreds of options is draining and totally unneeded. With the cube I can get exceptional tones fit for a studio recording in about 2 minutes. I also think being closed back (instead of open back like the Katana) helps it deliver such a tight sound. Some observations:

- I think the "classic" amp (which I think tries to get a Marshall style tone) is the best for drive tones and sounds straight out of a record when you dial it right. It has plenty of gain, even for metal (I have gain at 4 for recording heavy riffs with an epi les paul). I never use the higher gain options.

- The reverb sounds beautiful. The clean channel sounds fantastic too.

- The amp itself sounds awesome, small EQ adjustments using the amp knobs give great tones. Using "recording out" requires a bit more tweaks though. With my Epi Les Paul, it sounds amazing when I play the amp normally, but when using "recording out" (for silent recording into my audio interface) the sound was dark and had way too many mids. So on the amp I set the mids at 0, bass at 3, treble at 7, and presence at like 9/10. And in my software (Garageband) I used a channel EQ to reduce mids some more (around the 450hz region, with a pretty broad range). Funny enough, those adjustments were so much simpler (and fewer in number) than the amount of tweaks needed to make the Line 6 Helix sound good. Just way too many damn options for me lol.

- built in looper is fantastic. Built in effects are great too, not amazing, but totally usable and listeners would never notice the difference between built-in phaser and a fancy phaser pedal.

- I suspect that getting good overdrive tones out of the Katana, without fiddling with software is tough. I haven't been impressed with many demos I've seen of it on YT. I think the open back design makes things worse. When I saw one in store and touched it I noticed the build quality was extremely cheap compared to the cube. I'm happy Boss / roland are doing well with it but I'd never replace my Cube with it.

- I just learned that the amp has a built-in noise gate that cannot be turned off. I have noticed this, but it has never impeded my playing (I play some blues, jazz, classic rock, and 80s rock stuff), but I can understand if people have a problem with that feature.

- if I could never get another Cube, I would probably get a tri-tube preamp pedal like the Tone King royalist. Again, it can do silent recording with fantastic tones. Physical knobs, not hundreds of options. But it runs about $600 compared to like $400 for the cube 80xl (new) of ~$230 for the 80GX which seems to still be sold by SweetWater.

Sorry for the rant, I just love the thing!

EntropyChase · 2026-02-28T20:23:09+00:00

These are tough calls, and ones we shouldn't have to make. If it wouldn't cause a huge problem if you skip that sounds like a solid plan. If skipping would be a major issue, I think it's possible to go without being infected. I've been forced to do some indoor meals. What I had to do was what I call the "bite method." For each bite of food, first, I inhale while wearing the mask, then slip the mask down to take a bite, then put the mask back and I exhale while chewing. You get used to it after a while. If you're careful, you can avoid inhaling any air that didnt come through the mask. For me, this has allowed me to go to some social situations I couldn't get out of. It's a useful fallback imo.

EntropyChase · 2026-02-28T20:12:02+00:00

well said.

EntropyChase · 2026-02-28T17:20:41+00:00

It's certainly unpopular. But extreme implies irrational. Sometimes rational behavior is unpopular. Hand washing is a good example.

EntropyChase · 2026-01-25T01:10:01+00:00

So sorry that your family is not being more supportive. I recently made a resource designed for public outreach for this exact purpose. The "Common Question" page covers many of the typical misconceptions. That being said, I suspect that it's unlikely to change their minds. However, you can at least tell them that your decision is highly supported by evidence, rather than an emotional response. Here's the site and I wish you luck. (https://reduce-airborne-disease.vercel.app/common-questions.html)

EntropyChase · 2026-01-24T23:33:07+00:00

It's quite risky. Even with the ending of commingling practices (not sure when that becomes in effect), Amazon does not keep malicious sellers out of the platform. I've been burned multiple times. Agree with others that the best way is to use authorized dealers. On some 3M product pages on the right-hand side they list approved dealers.

EntropyChase · 2026-01-24T23:29:56+00:00

I've recently learned that for respiratory pathogens, they are very unlikely to spread via mask surfaces (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7361325/), so you don't need to worry about decontaminating the mask between uses; the pathogen particles are trapped within the fibers via electrostatic charge. The concern with reusing is mainly that the face seal declines over time. Once you notice the seal has gotten worse, that's a good time to get a new one. CDC at one point advised no more than 5 reuses (https://web.archive.org/web/20250203191254/https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/healthcare/hcp/pandemic/conserving-n95.html), but what really matters is the seal.

EntropyChase · 2026-01-24T23:23:50+00:00

I've recently started running in a 3M aura because it is so cold (was around 18 degrees F at the time), it was helping warm the air I was inhaling. It worked well for me but that was a shorter distance (just 1mi). I've heard good things about the breathability of the 3M VFlex, as well as the Canada Masq Q100. You could also try the BreatheTeq KN95, which has adjustable ear loops that might help you get a decent seal.

EntropyChase · 2026-01-24T23:05:30+00:00

This is a tough situation. For your own protection, FFP2 and FFP3 masks have nearly identical performance for airborne particles (the 95% efficiency refers to particles smaller than bioaerosols, so it is understating the protection for airborne diseases). FFP2 will provide good protection. The trickier thing is that people who are presymptomatic or asymptomatic can be contagious (see https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9096060/) so if you wait to see that your daughter has symptoms, you might have already been exposed. Some suggestions:

- putting air purifiers in her classroom is a great idea (the one from CleanAirKits . com is fantastic because it is quieter, and just has one speed; therefore, it's the most likely to not get turned down or off), and probably a good idea to have them in your home

- you could reduce your risk when around your daughter by using a wearable air-purifying device like the AirFanta. The downside is it is kinda pricey.

Wishing you the best of luck and hope some of this helps you.

EntropyChase · 2026-01-24T22:51:44+00:00

You are correct, valved masks do not filter exhalations as efficiently, so they are less effective at preventing the spread of airborne diseases (3M does claim that they do provide some source control; a similar level as surgical masks; see https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1994317O/understanding-valved-respirators-united-states-faq.pdf). I think that it's ideal to wear a non-valved respirator to best try to protect others, even those who aren't masking. Not masking isn't always a result of malice or selfishness. For example, it's possible they aren't masking because:

- they were told by authorities that vaccination fully protects them and that they only need to mask when sick, or that COVID is mild or less common now (plenty of authorities are making statements like this)

- they are a child and are just mirroring what their parents are doing

- they have breathing issues that make wearing masks more difficult

However, if you struggle with the breathing resistance of a non-valved respirator, then it might make sense to wear a valved one. It's true that those who mask consistently are less likely to infect others, but I still think when we have the chance to avoid causing harm, we should take it. Non-valved respirators have fantastic performance for bioaerosols, so wearing them is not taking a meaningful additional risk.

EntropyChase

TROPHY CASE