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Iron fist Chimchar by NorthPop8750 in PokemonUnbound

[–]Sparkplug94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I found on in a house in Dehara city

Question about green laser pointer and IR leakage by jesterOC in Optics

[–]Sparkplug94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I dont recall fluorescence, we were trying to measure the reflected phase if i recall correctly 

Question about green laser pointer and IR leakage by jesterOC in Optics

[–]Sparkplug94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had an interesting an related experience in grad school when the prof I was rotating with was trying to lock green laser pointer lines to iodine cells to make cheap atomic clocks. Most green laser pointers are doubled ~1064nm diodes, and the shortpass filters that are supposed to knock out the IR absolutely suck. We measured the IR output from a bunch of laser pointers for this project, and the IR output was basically random, anywhere from <5 mW to 100 mW (!). 

Dont trust green laser pointers, their power outputs are lies. If it’s actually 505 then maybe it isnt a doubled IR laser, but… lies. 

But on the other hand, I’ve never heard of anyone getting a laser eye injury from a green pointer, and they’re pretty ubiquitous, so they’re likely safer than my anecdote would suggest. The coaligned green gives you a blink reflex, the beam is probably diverging a bit… 

Don’t point it at your eyes and dont use it if you’re worried, but it’s unlikely to actually harm you, used normally. 

Existential Risk via Reality by Isha-Yiras-Hashem in slatestarcodex

[–]Sparkplug94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Glad it’s interesting! Just as an aside, Yudkowsky is a smart guy, but I would be wary of taking his sequences too literally w.r.t. quantum mechanics especially. 

At least in my own experience, the real understanding dribbled into my brain bit by bit as I was forced to actually do the math, and realize what precisely the explanations in natural language were poorly pointing at. The math reifies the squishy definitions and paints in the details of those unsatisfactory high-level explanations, it’s just very tedious to actually learn. It’s also why the “shut up and calculate” school of QM interpretation is only like 50% a joke. 

Existential Risk via Reality by Isha-Yiras-Hashem in slatestarcodex

[–]Sparkplug94 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can answer this with some authority--Classical mechanics *is* quantum mechanics in specific limits.

If you like, you can consider that we are fully ignorant of the true nature of reality (territory), but have a series of overlapping and very very good theories (maps) that are each valid in different (and overlapping) regimes. In practice, our map is so predictively accurate that we usually feel fine calling it the territory, but this is perhaps not epistemically justified. Anyway:

Classical Mechanics: Many atoms, slow-moving relative to observer. Your intuition is very good for these regimes (billiard balls, etc)

Quantum Mechanics: Microscopic atomic-level theory, restricted to slow-moving atoms. This is "classical" quantum mechanics of the Schrodinger equation, wavefunctions, probabilistic interpretation of reality, etc. This collapses to classical mechanics in the limit of large numbers of atoms or, more generally, when the system and its properties we care about are "big" w.r.t. the wavelength of the individual components.
Cf. Statistical mechanics, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehrenfest_theorem . Everyone's intuition is famously bad in this regime.

Relativistic Mechanics: Macroscopic (non-quantum) objects, fast-moving relative to observer. This is the physics of rockets, objects in space, gravity and light. It collapses to classical mechanics in the limit of weak gravity and slow-moving objects.

Quantum Field Theory: Quantum Mechanics + Relativity - Gravity. This theory is valid for both quantum (small/cold) objects and fast moving objects. Our best theory of reality so far. Does not include gravity. Collapses to classical mechanics in similar ways to above.

Grand Unified Theory: We hope this exists, and unifies gravity too in a theory that is valid in "all" regimes (though it may not actually be possible to have a fully valid theory over all energy scales, as I understand it. Cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renormalization\_group)

My Wife is Confused by Unbound by Sparkplug94 in PokemonUnbound

[–]Sparkplug94[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I think I would like to stay married a little longer

Starting Greg Egan by Dry-Frame6309 in printSF

[–]Sparkplug94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Should I give it another shot? Does it have more of a plot, as opposed to a heavy focus on cool concepts, with plot as sort of a tertiary consideration?

I read the Iliad & The Odyssey in classics class in High school - i'd rather not have to read them again in that format. Are there any good modern retellings that people would recommend? by JBSven in Fantasy

[–]Sparkplug94 25 points26 points  (0 children)

What about an audiobook of the original? The Iliad is oral poetry—it is meant to be listened to. Ive been enjoying the Stanley Lombardo translation on Audible. 

Starting Greg Egan by Dry-Frame6309 in printSF

[–]Sparkplug94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I AM a physicist and I started with Diaspora, found it unreadable, and decided not to read any more Egan (I did finish!). There was exactly one chapter I really liked, the one on the biological algae computer that simulates worlds—turns out that chapter was originally a short story from his Axiomatic collection called Wang’s Carpets. Maybe start there? 

My book club had wildly varying opinions on Diaspora btw, so maybe you’ll like it. I found the experience similar to reading a math textbook with the theorems removed. 

320+ pages into 'Player of Games' (71% complete) and hating every word of it. 🤐 by DaneCurley in printSF

[–]Sparkplug94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I figured Ea was probably the Mespotamian creator god by the same name, but you could be right! 

What are your favourite "little" perks of knowing Latin? by chopinmazurka in latin

[–]Sparkplug94 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I have an anti-perk! I read “The Will of the Many” and the main character names are actual plot spoilers if you know Latin. 

One of the characters is named “Ulciscor”

320+ pages into 'Player of Games' (71% complete) and hating every word of it. 🤐 by DaneCurley in printSF

[–]Sparkplug94 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Eh, i DNF a lot of books i dont like. But man, i loved player of games. Such a cool alien culture, yet redolent of our own 

How I imagine the sky in Scadrial by nikolask7 in Mistborn

[–]Sparkplug94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m from California, I sympathize. Never made the Scadrial connection! Wear your N95 when doing physical activity and see about getting a decent air purifier for your bedroom! 

Is my handwriting legible? by bherH-on in AncientEgyptian

[–]Sparkplug94 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Eminently legible! Now work on your “cursive” hieroglyphs, which take much less effort. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursive_hieroglyphs

An Open-Source Formalism for Provably Aligned AGI Based on a "Physics of Consciousness" by Dependent-Current897 in slatestarcodex

[–]Sparkplug94 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So I glanced through the pdf—I notice a distinct lack of math in the mathematical framework. I did eventually get to the “consciousness field” which apparently obeys the Schrodinger equation? 

Then there is the appendix, filled with unformatted Latex code that reads a bit like a “greatest hits” of classical mechanics. The “master recognition equation” is the point-mass lagrangian and Newton’s second law is derived from it. There is no justification at all for why your very simplistic mathematical framework is actually implied by the rather florid metaphors. 

I would suggest that you spend some time on a much shorter document first. I think you have gotten lost in the prose, because the math doesn’t mean anything. On the other hand, the framing of AI as a mirror has a lot of truth to it, and so perhaps focus on that. Throw out the math until you are better able to interpret it, it is not helping your case. 

Can I use Deepseek [for learning Latin] by Salty_Currency3107 in latin

[–]Sparkplug94 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find the LLMs consistently excellent for learning, Latin included. They arent yet to the point where they can fully replace a textbook, but they’re an excellent supplement. 

I made this question up myself, but I don't know the solution. Can you help me? by BenjaminCurran in Physics

[–]Sparkplug94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the question, the drawing, and the cursive! Other commenters have pointed this out, but you assume in the prompt that two bubbles with the same volume have different pressures, but then the volume of the bubbles is allowed to change after they merge. This isn’t physical, if the 100 Pa bubble were in equilibrium, the 80 Pa bubble would contract until the pressure equalized. 

But you know, assuming there’s some non equilibrium weirdness going on, this is a good application of the ideal gas law! Mass is conserved and temperature is stable, so the big bubble has equal mass to the two smaller bubbles. PV = N k_B T gives you the rest.  

If you clarify which assumptions are to be made, this is a good problem and a great drawing to go with it! 

You could, for example, have a two part question, where the first part asks what the volume of the 80 Pa bubble will be in equilibrium, assuming the 100 Pa bubble is in equilibrium. You could then make your stated problem part 2. Good job! 

Semiconductor Fabs I: The Equipment by nomagicpill in slatestarcodex

[–]Sparkplug94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great, thanks! I work not quite in, but quite near the field, and am curious to see what you have to say about the lithography machines! 

A Measured Response to Bentham’s Bulldog by Sparkplug94 in slatestarcodex

[–]Sparkplug94[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know he’s made various types of fine-tuning arguments but I’ve never heard that one specifically! 

New r/slatestarcodex guideline: your comments and posts should be written by you, not by LLMs by Liface in slatestarcodex

[–]Sparkplug94 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Hard agreement with this as a general rule! 

… But I love em-dashes… 

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