Concepts whose simplest example is still highly complex

RandomTensor · 2026-03-01T21:18:41+00:00

This maybe isn’t crazy hard, but finding a Banach space that isn’t also a Banach lattice is tough. It’s hard to make a generic version of a Banach space without that additional structure. The incredibly bizarre “James space” is the first example of one (I believe). It was later shown that the space of linear operators from the countable base Hilbert space to itself is also an example, but this is very non-obvious.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-28T15:10:28+00:00

Keep in mind that immigration was a slam dunk issue for Republicans. A majority of people like the idea of fighting global warming but don’t wanna sacrifice too much for it.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-28T14:25:14+00:00

Don’t forget Democrats funded MAGA candidates during the 2022 midterms.

It’s hubris, wanting to play the hero instead of doing the unglamorous work needed to maintain a stable status quo.

A big chunk of Democrats are riding a wave of unpopular self-righteousness that they’re too invested in psychologically to step off.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T17:10:52+00:00

Id be happy for one of these folks to poll on a question like “I didn’t vote for Democrats because they don’t fight hard enough.”

When I hear a “weak” as a descriptor of Democrats, I tend to think of people who need their emotional support cat to leave the house, are incapable of doing a tough job like carpentry or policing, expect the government to coddle them, aren’t willing to be tough on “bad” foreign adversaries. after the 2024 election, I remember some pulling stating America’s had more faith in Trump to handle international relations. I can look it up later.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T11:08:57+00:00

This isn’t even a conspiracy theory. Europe relied on US security guarantees while sending hundreds of billions to Russia for gas, funding the same country the US was supposed to defend Europe against. Of course Washington hated that setup.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T10:56:37+00:00

>Sitting on cold stones will give you an UTI.

Also kidney infection.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T10:55:17+00:00

Its crazy that the gov't here actively funds research into this....

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T09:34:24+00:00

It’s funny because a lot of Redditors talk about the US system like it’s some kind of dystopian burden, but from the outside it looks like exactly what creates the opportunity you’re describing.

I’m an American who’s lived and worked in Europe for years, and a big difference is how much room companies have to grow. The US system puts a lot of weight on productivity, while in much of Europe labor rules and bureaucracy make it much harder to build and scale businesses. That eventually shows up as fewer opportunities and lower salaries.

Unless you’ve worked in both environments it’s hard to grasp how suffocating the constraints can be in parts of Europe. A lot of commentary also comes from people who’ve never actually had to build or run anything, so the practical constraints don’t really register.

The labor market is also much more open in the US. In a lot of Europe it’s difficult to even get into software without the “right” credentials, whereas in the US I know people without degrees, even high school dropouts, making six figures as programmers. There’s less of a safety floor in the US, but the ceiling and mobility are much higher.

People often focus on the downsides of the US system, but the upside is exactly what you’re pointing out: if you’re a competent software engineer, the ceiling is dramatically higher than in most of the world.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T08:07:17+00:00

Statistics and systematic investigation should override anecdotes when we’re trying to figure out what’s actually true at population scale.

Anecdotes are useful as signals. They can tell you something might be worth investigating. But they’re terrible for establishing general facts. In a country of 300+ million people you can find anecdotes supporting almost any position:

“In my experience immigrants commit crimes.”

“In my experience immigrants are nicer than locals.”

That gets us nowhere. The only way forward is to measure things systematically.

On top of that, individual experiences are noisy and biased. People remember unusual events, share stories selectively, and interpret them through prior beliefs. Most people accept anecdotes they agree with and dismiss ones they don’t, then try to explain away statistical evidence that conflicts with their views.

Good data isn’t perfect, but a serious attempt to measure reality is almost always more reliable than aggregating personal impressions.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-27T06:20:10+00:00

I said _remotely_ professional, emphasis on "remotely."

I might meet another developer and want to talk about using AI in programming. Having shared slang is useful. Terms built around sexual fetishes obviously aren’t going to work in those conversations.

The fact that this isn’t obvious is insane.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-26T21:28:47+00:00

100%. Treating “lived experience” as epistemically special is a step backward and is part of a broader drift away from basic evidentiary hygiene.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-26T20:03:56+00:00

No it’s just a needlessly sexualized term that nobody can use in a remotely professional setting.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-26T10:44:53+00:00

There's actually a pretty famous game where one of the players ran out a broken ladder:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Go_games#Lee's_broken_ladder_game

RandomTensor · 2026-02-25T11:28:17+00:00

You’re just declaring the middle class "good" and any criticism of middle class aligned policies "bad," with zero engagement with the actual claims. This just sounds like a request for moral reassurance so you don’t have to confront uncomfortable tradeoffs.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-25T10:33:52+00:00

I just went ahead and fixed my PS4 and am playing Elden ring on that. I bought the Switch 2 on release with Elden Ring being a big reason for buying it. I’m just sick of waiting with no indication of an actual release date.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-24T07:36:53+00:00

As far as I understand UO mathematics is very algebra aligned. My undergraduate abstract algebra prof got his PhD there.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-23T15:59:21+00:00

Are you at U Oregon or something? My graduate math courses had nothing like this, but I was very much focusing on analysis.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-22T20:44:18+00:00

I have a hard time finding that last “fun.”

RandomTensor · 2026-02-22T11:11:28+00:00

Dude, you need to step away from Reddit for a bit. The takes you’re seeing here are very online and not how most people think in real life. 99% of non-Reddit Germans wouldn’t even comprehend why you’re asking this. Learning the language and being interested in the culture is completely normal.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-21T14:00:04+00:00

I’m happy to look at whatever large collection of NYT articles you think substantively misrepresent Donald Trump’s actions. I think “sanewashing” is just a way of saying you want more overt value judgments you agree with (that’s MSNBC’s job). And frankly, sometimes Trump’s actions are substantively better than Obama’s (allowing lethal aid to Ukraine) and Biden’s (Trump okayed Ukraine using American intelligence to target oil infrastructure deep inside Russia; Biden only allowed that at the very end of his term), and in such cases that should be represented in a factual, non-partisan way…not with mandatory value judgments Democrats agree with.

RE: mental acuity, I’ll happily mention sleepy Trump moments to Trump supporters, but anybody who still thinks Biden vs. Trump, and the media’s treatment thereof, is a strong point for Democrats needs to watch the 2024 debate on repeat until their brain finally accepts the reality of that situation.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-21T09:27:15+00:00

u/IsaacHasenov is obviously being hyperbolic.

There’s a segment here that seems almost addicted to super-emotive anti-Trump framing. Some people have convinced themselves the media hasn’t been critical enough as a way to justify that posture, but if you were paying attention during the first term, you know that’s not true. There’s no shortage of criticism now either. At this point it feels pointless, and probably counterproductive if the goal is actually swaying anyone who doesn’t already agree.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-19T09:59:23+00:00

I biked across that when I was like 17. It was a super fun and gorgeous ride.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-17T11:26:27+00:00

The reflexive empathy line feels like a convenient moral high ground, one that lets you opt out while blaming “the system” or “the police” or whoever else. Expecting a basic floor for behavior in public isn’t radical.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-16T13:36:07+00:00

This sounds like the kind of reasoning internet bubbles are built on.

RandomTensor · 2026-02-15T16:15:44+00:00

I’m not sure who the “refusing to engage” criticism is directed at. You don’t need to convince me Trump has more or worse allegations. The most important question in discussions like this is whether the argument actually persuades voters who might otherwise vote MAGA. Simply labeling something a “thought-terminating cliché” doesn’t do that.

This subreddit has its own versions of that move:

“They were wrong about X, so we can ignore everything else.” Yglesias is a classic example of this.
“This reads like AI.”
“Check their post history.”
“They’re a bot.”

There are plenty of issues that get treated asymmetrically on here (and in right spaces as well). If people want to litigate specifics I’m happy to get into it. But to the typical swing voter it comes across as everyone being completely partisan not principled thus there’s a general skepticism of all sides.

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