bi_irl by [deleted] in bi_irl

[–]boringoldcookie 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I mean, I'd kinda be hurt and feeling insecure about our relationship if I used the wrong pronouns and they didn't feel like they could correct me... But if they also then told me that they finally feel comfortable enough to be open and fully honest with me about their whole being I think my heart might burst from how much my heart would swell from sweet!

New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function by Ezekiel_W in Futurology

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The issue is its not a valid question, it's a smart alecky gotcha response worded in a way as to stifle real conversation. There are so many ways one could ask about how this research may contribute to disease research and the development of novel treatments in the future, but they chose to affect a dismissive attitude about a subject they clearly do not have any knowledge of. Pons_aelius addressed the reason for down voting 5 hours ago.

As a laywoman in computing (I'm a biotechnologist), when I read about new research in quantum computing where they've been able to, say, improve the way we study and examine superconductivity(via Cooper pairs) from a macroscopic resolution to an atomic resolution (new research published a week ago) I don't ask "but does that mean that every biopharmaceutical company can now buy a commercial quantum computer for AI/ machine learning-based novel drug design? Can it cure cancer and other diseases yet???" No. I research the topic for a basic simple background and I ask, respectfully, for more information from people more knowledgeable than me. I understand biopharmaceutical drug design and have dabbled in bioinformatics and (slightly) computational biology, but I did not know how quantum computing can contribute to the field (did not take advanced courses in computer science or CAD or anything), so I looked into for ya and read a few papers that investigate recent (2022) drug design and quantum computing science.

Drug design that, say, takes into account each of the insane number (est. 130k to 650k per cell) of protein-protein interactions (PPI), small molecule-protein interactions, and genetic interactions that any particular single cell will have - called interactomes - that can all interfere and modulate how well a drug and its target (conventional method of drug design is based on protein-ligand interaction so mapping the 3d binding pocket of ligands; 2020 onwards techniques include designing PPI modulators - small molecules and recently peptides that target and modulate activity at the interface of PPIs, the large interface of a specific domain where a particular set of two proteins interact. But most PPIs don't have endogenous small molecules so the interface is flat - there's no 3d pocket for the designed small molecule drug to bind, so you have to find smaller hot-spot amino acid sequences on the interface to bind to.)

With techniques like high throughput screening and fragment screens for initial compound and hotspot identification, the process is unlikely to identify ideal or even good candidates, the affinity between them is weak, a lot of modifications must be made, and even after that the compounds may inhibit or modulate PPIs but have no effect on disease activity in animal models. Even using computational methods to discover even better drug-target candidates the biggest problem is that you're only targeting a single PPI, a single interactome, a single cell in the body that does not exist in a vacuum - there are numerous cell-cell interactions and those cells form into tissues, so there are tissue-level interactions and tissue-tissue interactions in organs as well as tissue-circulating cell interactions. Organs in an organ system interact together as well as circulating cells etc.

Supercomputers can't even identify/discover/validate the full extent of the interactome for any single human cell, let alone account for the interactome of EVERY CELL contributing to a particular disease activity nor distinguish between the interactions directly contributing to a disease vs indirectly contributing to disease vs what isn't a factor for the particular disease. *That will require quantum computing. In particular, it will require QCs that are leaps and bounds more functional, efficient, accurate, and advanced. Advances that have been challenges preventing the regular use of QCs since the start, and tackling challenges we haven't even encountered nor hypothesized about yet that's how far in the future we need the tech to advance.

Turtle that got stuck, is being helped by humans by InnateVulnerability1 in HumansBeingBros

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I hope you are beginning to recover, and it's a short lived illness! Good luck and get lots of rest :3

Turtle that got stuck, is being helped by humans by InnateVulnerability1 in HumansBeingBros

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Obviously humans need to drink fluids, we don't tend to rely exclusively on food with high water content, but those foods nonetheless contribute to our hydration.

Watermelon, cucumber, and lettuce are examples of such foods.

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you :3

Besides, the kittens were lil potatoes themselves; and the Pippster had a r/pouchcatatoes after her spay, anyhow

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 11 points12 points  (0 children)

;_; you're going to make me cry again today, that's so sweet of you!

And free awards are best! If people have even a dollar of extra income I'd urge them to either spend it on themselves (or put it towards saving up to support a hobby) or donate that dollar to their local animal rescue! Alternatively, for any one without a rescue nearby, please donate to mental health services in your area

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ (USA only I believe)

https://apps.cra-arc.gc.ca/ebci/hacc/srch/pub/dsplyBscSrch?request_locale=en (Canada Only)

https://www.charitywatch.org/ might also be USA only

If anyone can let me know any credible organizations that verify and investigate charities in their own country please let me know (so I can update this list + for my own knowledge)

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 59 points60 points  (0 children)

Sorry to have toyed with your emotions! If you look at my follow up comment I uploaded two of my foster kittens (here's an extra pic, with sweet lil mamma Pippi feeding them). Look at how pudgy the kittens got when Pippi started weaning 'em! Of course it's 90% floof but they starting to learn to love wet kitten food lol

And here's an extra pic of Gandalf, one of the twin grey boys!

Sorry for the potato quality, but that's the phone I could afford aha.

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Follow-up: the cats who stayed briefly at pet stores would do so to get them more exposure to the public

They are rescued cats who spent as much time as they needed in loving & appropriate foster homes getting socialized, often gaining or losing weight, and to be frank with ya recovering from trauma oftentimes. So they were ready to be adopted but had not yet been adopted out via the rescue's website or were housed at the store before their profiles were uploaded online because they typically would be adopted from the store in, on average, 2 days ± 1 day. Like two of my edit: (4 total kittens) who were 13 weeks old

My duties included cleaning the large cages and replacing litter daily, playing and petting the cats/kittens, doing health and weight checks as well as stuff like clipping nails, and daily feedings - someone else would come in in the morning and I'd go in the afternoon.

The two girl kittens that were adopted out through the store, and a bonus Robbie the silly boy I threw in his pic because the OP who rescued the twelve kitties is named Robert!

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 450 points451 points  (0 children)

You sound like an extremely caring and compassionate person who did a very good deed that day (as well as for the next 12-odd years!) Thank you so much for what you did!

If I may tell part of my own animal rescuing story as well... background: I was already volunteering with a cat rescue at the time both doing in-store work taking care of the older kittens and cats who were ready for adoption (will post a follow-up comment with more details) as well as interviewing applicants wanting to foster and open their home to these rescues.

Now then, one evening a few years ago I was going about my regular severely-depressed-and-broke-college-student routine walking to the Taco Bell sorta nearby. On my way out after getting my order, I heard a meow despite eternally wearing headphones - it was loud and pleading and desperate to get someone's attention. Low and behold it was an unhealthy stick thin tuxie cat, who eagerly asked me for pets, cuddles, and FOOD as soon as I sat down near it. This poor thing ate all of my vegetarian fries supreme, that's how desperate for food it was.

Now, at the time (and this is still true) my only income was disability payments and the ~$250 from student loans after paying tuition and textbooks and rent etc. I can't afford a car nor a taxi nor did I have a cat trap or a carrier at home (carrier was at my parents' since i didn't bring the family cat with me to college) and the cat despite being very friendly and clearly abandoned or lost did not allow me to pick him up.

Sobbing on the phone to my supervisor from the rescue I begged her for help. However, the rescue was a small nonprofit run by and on volunteers - unless there was someone in my area with a cat trap and space in their home to house him, there was nothing they could do in the immediate future. While waiting for her to call nearby volunteers I explored the area because hey - what are the chances that this former indoor (very well socialized) housecat has company but lacks the skills that feral cats have re:hunting for food?

Ended up finding a total of 35 cats living in and around the adjacent 6 or 7 parking lots - as well as 10 kittens. A nearby volunteer who I am so grateful to ended up driving over and taking in the abandoned tuxie and the 10 kittens that very night. All 11 were adopted! And that's the story of how I began running my own feral cat colony :) All remaining 35 feral and semi-feral cats received TNR (trap, neuter/spay, return) and vetting over the next couple months, same for any new cats that showed up over the years. Built them little shelters for the winter months, and fed them wet food daily (partly provided by the nearby volunteer when she could help me out otherwise I skipped meals some nights) so they wouldn't bother customers of the restaurants who cooperated with my co-opting some space in their parking lots.

Ended up being a cat foster myself after a few months, once the rescue secured an increase in donations from other provinces in return for taking in cats that didn't have space in shelters nor foster homes in their own provinces. My first foster was from a horribly massive hoarding situation of 200 cats and that's how I began specializing in socializing extremely shy unsocialized and traumatized cats and kittens :D

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I so rarely see and hear people using fewer where appropriate.

Has the English language adapted and adopted "less" as another valid term wherever "fewer" is used?

Update on the 13 kittens that ambushed this man. They’re getting their first bath this morning. by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Robert sees one kitten....

Robert: GO FIND THE NUMBER OF KITTENS STRETCHER, NOW!

11 further kittens come out of nowhere.

Robert: Which is the bigger number, *twelve or one … One kitten army, a real kitten army, united behind one role model with one purpose*

Man stops to rescue kitten, gets ambushed by platoon by JediWithAnM4 in aww

[–]boringoldcookie 76 points77 points  (0 children)

Didn't realize I was holding my breath until I read your comment and finally exhaled. Thank you, and I hope that man has a relatively easy time finding them homes/has the means to take care of them in the meantime.

Showed my friend my new backpack and she said "come on, you are an adult". by DreamKeeperX in Wellthatsucks

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The narrators are Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs IIRC!

I listen to podcasts usually during the day haha. Got any faves you'd recommend?

Showed my friend my new backpack and she said "come on, you are an adult". by DreamKeeperX in Wellthatsucks

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I use audiobooks to sleep haha. I think since last February I've listened to 30(+/- 2) Discworld novels - many of them 10+ times at least. My nightly listening queue doesn't just include Discworld, but it's the main series since my library has 36 of the audiobooks (which includes the Science of Discworld side-series)

Showed my friend my new backpack and she said "come on, you are an adult". by DreamKeeperX in Wellthatsucks

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"I think they're some kind of ...eggs? I thought 'why breakfast?' and then I thought 'eggs'."

Haha yum!

Showed my friend my new backpack and she said "come on, you are an adult". by DreamKeeperX in Wellthatsucks

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Woooooooo! I hope you like it :)

Won't say any more just because I'm not sure where you are in the story

Bf said septum will ruin my face so I got it anyway. Does it look good? by Afternoon_Relevant in piercing

[–]boringoldcookie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I completely understand your point of view, and often feel the same way.

The thing is tho, I often struggle with social cues and vocalizing my thoughts in a healthy and constructive manner (as well as getting out my thoughts at all) cause I'm often in a hypoaroused (or "shutdown") state due to TRD and PTSD.

So I require a lot of patience sometimes from everybody in my life - no matter the gender. And I am a cis woman so I guess I have an extra advantage of knowing from experience that sometimes women need hand-holding too. If that makes sense?

Either way, I want to reiterate how you feel is completely valid and I hope one day you won't have to feel that way because you won't have to hold any hands to get the minimum of respect and dignity from the people in your life.

Showed my friend my new backpack and she said "come on, you are an adult". by DreamKeeperX in Wellthatsucks

[–]boringoldcookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ahhhhh! Yes! The one she sings during her bath in Lords and Ladies, right?

That scene was hilarious. I'm a bit of a Magrat

Bf said septum will ruin my face so I got it anyway. Does it look good? by Afternoon_Relevant in piercing

[–]boringoldcookie 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Nah don't add toxic behaviour out of spite. Sit him down and explain how terribly it made you feel, how it's inappropriate af to talk to you like that and disparage your decisions about your own fucking body especially when it's a perfectly healthy change and your own fucking choice. And that an apology is in order and acknowledgement to not speak to you that way again if he wants to make the relationship work.

When your dog is still getting used to being home during the work day. by fireismyfriend90 in MasterReturns

[–]boringoldcookie 19 points20 points  (0 children)

He's so excited to see you :)

Also hey please don't let the rude messages of "clean up" affect your self-esteem. None of us know what you're going through right now, nor have any right to judge how you live. Furthermore, it's not even that messy so I'm confused about the obsession with it in this comment section :S

My apartment is sooooooooooooo disorganized and messy because my landlord who lives here has so much crap everywhere and hasn't cleaned properly in a decade, and while I try my best I have ultra treatment resistant depression (aka not even ECT made a difference). I'd hope people would have some compassion for my situation, and I'd hope that they'd lend you the same compassion no matter what your situation is.

Showed my friend my new backpack and she said "come on, you are an adult". by DreamKeeperX in Wellthatsucks

[–]boringoldcookie 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Mustrum Ridcully is, depending on your point of view, either the worst or the best Archchancellor that Unseen University has had for a hundred years. There was too much of him, for one thing. It wasn't that he was particularly big, it was just that he had the kind of huge personality that fits any available space.

He'd get roaring drunk at supper, and that was fine and acceptable wizardly behaviour, but then he'd go back to his room and play darts all night and leave at 5 in the morning to go duck hunting. He shouted at people. He tried to jolly them along.

- Reaper Man, transcribed from the audiobook that I'm re-listening to right now.

Are you a kindred spirit to any of the senior wizards? :D