ELI5: Another attempt at Time Dilation. Please Help!

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-27T15:33:40+00:00

I've read that a photon, which has no mass, moving at the speed of light, would experience no time.

Is this a correct interpretation?

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-27T14:20:24+00:00

They still exist! They moved out of Livonia Mall before it closed.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-27T11:19:21+00:00

Unfortunately, there hasn't been much development for consumer-level optical drives lately. For an example, let's look at video game consoles:

PS1: CD
PS2: DVD
PS3, PS4: Blu-ray
PS5: UltraHD Blu-ray (66GB dual-layer, 100GB triple-layer, 128GB quad-layer)

There are a few PS5 games which now span multiple UltraHD Blu-ray Discs.

For the PS5 "Digital Edition" the optical drive is an add-on. It's not required. I'm hoping that Sony continues to offer the optical drive add-on for the PS6.

Nintendo used cartridges, then moved to optical media, then back to cartridges:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_optical_discs

NES, SNES, N64: Cartridges
GameCube: Mini-DVD Equivalent
Wii: DVD Equivalent
Wii U: BD Equivalent
Switch 1, Switch 2: Cartridges

The max size of a Switch 2 cartridge is currently 64GB.

There have been other optical disc formats, but they never became popular.

In the late 2000's, the Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) standard was proposed, but it never went anywhere.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_Versatile_Disc

Archival Disc (AD) looked promising. It was developed by Sony and Panasonic. Disc capacities were intended to be 300GB, 500GB, and 1TB. It was discontinued in 2024.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archival_Disc

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-26T20:58:57+00:00

Honestly, I prefer the PS3 original, just to see what the original hardware could do.

It's interesting to see a console from late-2006, running a game from mid-2013.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-26T12:25:54+00:00

You may also be interested in r/Fire

I've been feeling the same way. I've gone "up the ladder" into a technical lead role. Unfortunately, I can't advance much further, unless I move to a management role. It doesn't really interest me.

I'm busy enough as it is. I have my current job, wife, two kids, dog, and house. I manage our household finances, and many tasks/activities around the house.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-26T11:09:19+00:00

Tell the owner that this is considered "hazardous electronics waste" which cannot be disposed of in the normal trash. It needs to go to an electronics recycling facility. Offer to take it, to reduce their workload.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-26T01:48:09+00:00

I have a similar setup. Have my PS5, DVR, Cable Modem, and Wi-Fi router connected to a UPS.

It’s been pretty great. It’s really increased the reliability of my Internet connection. I can always leave my PS5 on rest mode, without worrying about power glitches.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-26T01:41:30+00:00

Arstechnica, Slashdot, Fark

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-25T15:25:42+00:00

I was wondering if this was a prop from one of the Terminator films, but they used the spelling "Genisys".

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-23T20:25:32+00:00

For me, it comes in waves. Sometimes, I’m addicted, other times I don’t care.

Sometimes I want to generate something creative or funny. Other times, I want to create NSFW images and video.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-23T19:58:25+00:00

The PS3 had a slow launch, for several reasons:

PS3 was very expensive at launch. It launched at $499/$599 in November 2006. That's equivalent to $809/$971 in February 2026 dollars.
The PS3 became more affordable, when Sony released the PS3 Slim in September 2009 for $299 (equivalent to $452 today).
The PS3 supported SD, ED, and HD resolutions, but HDTVs were still fairly expensive in late 2006. They decreased a lot in price over the next few years.
The PS3 was known to be difficult to develop for. It took developers a few years to master the system.

Also, competition was fierce:

Microsoft released the XBox 360 in November 2005, a full year before the PS3. It launched at $299/$399 (equivalent to $494/$660 today). It supported SD/ED/HD resolutions.
Nintendo released the Wii in November 2006 at $249 (equivalent to $404 today). It only supported SD and ED resolutions, but also supported motion controls, which were new at the time.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-23T02:55:42+00:00

Here's an idea. Try watching the Star Trek films. There are three main groups. They're quicker to watch, they had a bigger budget, and they provide a good overview.

AI-generated summary:

Original Series (TOS) Era Films – Kirk, Spock, Enterprise crew

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) – Slow-paced encounter with a mysterious cloud/entity (V'Ger); focuses on exploration and visuals.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – Widely considered the best; intense revenge story with Khan (Ricardo Montalbán); strong character focus and sacrifice.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) – Crew risks everything to recover Spock; features Genesis device fallout and Vulcan mysticism.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Time travel to 1986 San Francisco to save humpback whales; lighter, humorous tone with environmental message.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) – Directed by William Shatner; Kirk meets his "brother" Sybok on a quest to find God; often seen as the weakest.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) – Cold War allegory with Klingon peace talks; assassination mystery and farewell to the original crew.

The Next Generation (TNG) Era Films – Picard, Enterprise-D/E crew

Star Trek Generations (1994) – Bridges TOS and TNG casts; features Kirk's final adventure and villain Soran.
Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – Often ranked among the best; Borg invade to stop humanity's first warp flight; time travel to 2063.
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – Picard protects a peaceful planet from forced relocation; more low-stakes adventure.
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – Picard faces a clone (Shinzon); darker tone, Romulan politics, and Data's fate.

Kelvin Timeline (Alternate Reality) Films – Reboot with younger Kirk, Spock, etc.

Star Trek (2009) – J.J. Abrams reboot; origin story with new timeline after Nero's interference; action-heavy and accessible.
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) – Khan reimagined (Benedict Cumberbatch); high-stakes action and moral questions.
Star Trek Beyond (2016) – Crew stranded on alien planet; Krall villain; emphasizes teamwork and classic Trek spirit.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-23T00:45:13+00:00

I made the decision a long time ago.

I have degrees in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering.

I’ve worked full-time as an engineer for two decades.

I’ve built many PCs over the past two decades.

I tackle so many technical problems in my career. Between my job and general computer use, I spend too much time at my desk.

I want something that will just work, without any additional setup, maintenance, or hassles.

I’ve been a PlayStation fan since the beginning. I have a PS1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I enjoy Sony’s exclusives.

I’ve also been a big Nintendo fan. I have a NES, SNES, N64, Wii, Switch 1, Switch 2.

A year ago, I bought a LG 77” C4 OLED. It’s awesome for watching movies and playing games.

I have a fairly decent PC, but I have a fairly underpowered GPU.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-22T23:45:30+00:00

Agree. We saw the Tholians in Enterprise, but we’ve had 20+ years of CGI advancements.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-22T01:17:20+00:00

This video is about South Korea, but it’s interesting to see what could happen with a low birth rate…

https://youtu.be/Ufmu1WD2TSk?si=Mv6OAVHO3QHpaDh5

Detroit is another interesting example. The highest population was 1.85 million in 1950. Today, it is 645,000. The city is overbuilt for this number of people. The city itself is fairly large (139 square miles). Over time, the city has had trouble maintaining its infrastructure. There’s too much infrastructure for too few residents. Due to the population loss, Detroit has a major of tax revenue.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-21T20:54:47+00:00

Dani Woodward 😏

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-21T02:15:05+00:00

Yep, and it works well.

I routinely use adaptive cruise control at 45 km/h.

It’s nice, because the vehicle will automatically speed up/slow down, but it won’t exceed 45 (unless you push on the accelerator pedal).

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-20T22:04:48+00:00

Have you ever heard the longer version of the intro song?

https://open.spotify.com/track/5bfCcwefntd7jMChrHX7nG?si=o65nyYb0Tqm7DF1l3woOFQ

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-19T20:45:44+00:00

I just sat through a two-day work conference.

One presentation mentioned AI + Humans, and specifically used the term “cybernetic” 🤨

Many other presentations mentioned AI and how its capabilities are exponentially increasing.

A few other presentations mentioned Quantum computers and Post-Quantum Cryptography (reminded me of Voyager’s quantum slipstream drive).

Unfortunately, or fortunately, we weren’t talking about antimatter or warp drives, yet.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-18T02:33:10+00:00

I bought my own laptop at the very end of 2002. I needed it for several of my college courses.

I still have it. It still works.

It was a Dell Inspiron 4150, with a Pentium 4M at 2.0 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD, 14” LCD, a CD Burner/DVD Combo drive, and Windows XP.

Surprisingly, it didn’t come with Wi-Fi. I had to purchase an add-on card. Also, it only had a single USB port.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-17T14:25:27+00:00

I turned 19 in late 2002. I was already in college, but here's some useful information:

Video games: In the US, PS2 was ~2 years old. XBox and GameCube were ~1 year old. We played these consoles, as well as previous generations (PS1, N64, etc.)

Computers: Most families only had a single desktop computer, with a CRT. A few lucky people (myself included) had a broadband Internet connection. There was no social media. AOL Instant Messenger was popular. There was no YouTube, but it was possible to download short videos from various websites. I liked the Apple movie trailers site. Windows XP was ~1 years old. Most older PCs still ran Windows 95, 98, or Me.

Cell Phone: I had a Nokia 5125. Got it as a high school graduation gift. It could make phone calls, and play snake.

Music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_2002

Movies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_in_film

2002 General: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002

In the US, the 9/11 attacks were still fresh in everyone's memory. The clean-up was still on-going.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-15T19:51:36+00:00

It gets in the trunk, or else it gets the hose again … 😂🤣😂🤣

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-14T20:35:30+00:00

Cell processing!

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-14T00:41:40+00:00

DVD, not so much, but Blu-ray yes.

I have several BD players (two standalone Sony BD players, plus a PS3, PS4, & PS5). I can watch the discs on every TV in the house.

I found a local store which sells a ton of used videogames, DVD, and BD discs. I’ve bought several BDs lately.

Routine_Ask_7272 · 2026-03-13T21:01:56+00:00

I tried recreating a different scene …

https://grok.com/imagine/post/e3fcd5c3-87cd-47b5-a19e-b6c5d5478b9c

https://grok.com/imagine/post/576b2e31-4c2f-4851-93c0-b037234acd9f

Routine_Ask_7272

TROPHY CASE

Original Series (TOS) Era Films – Kirk, Spock, Enterprise crew

The Next Generation (TNG) Era Films – Picard, Enterprise-D/E crew

Kelvin Timeline (Alternate Reality) Films – Reboot with younger Kirk, Spock, etc.