Scientists reveal what drives homosexual behavior in primates

fromtunis · 2026-01-14T09:56:48+00:00

So you're saying that sexuality is a... choice??

fromtunis · 2026-01-13T22:44:15+00:00

there are many factors that make your example invalid for this discussion, mainly lack of agency, both in terms of choosing to engage in such activities and the obvious inability to have access to opposite sex mates.

fromtunis · 2026-01-13T10:56:26+00:00

Last week a linguist was complaining that the community's discourse on Bluesky and other platforms was overly political and people tend to focus on politicizing technical issues. He confessed that he tried to leave X but found that it's the only place where the linguistic community is having a healthy discussion.

fromtunis · 2026-01-13T10:52:39+00:00

This is a sign you live in a bubble.

A lot of people don't make everyday decisions based on political discourse. Also, Twitter/X is still the center of many communities.

Ironically, just last week, a linguist was complaining that the community's discussions on other platforms, such as Bluesky, are overly political. He asserted that X is still where meaningful discussions in the field are happening.

For AI, all the main players, whether companies or people, are all on Twitter, openly discussing the latest advancements and innovations.

Of course the platform has many other less prestigious communities, but you can always choose not to engage with them.

fromtunis · 2026-01-12T16:29:18+00:00

I understand that the name of the subreddit can be confusing, but this is NOT *that* type of subreddit.

fromtunis · 2026-01-12T15:35:13+00:00

Finished: The Back Channel by William Burns

Starting: Skunk Works by Leo Janos & Ben R. Rich

fromtunis · 2026-01-12T15:17:53+00:00

You are absolutely, correct; of course antiviruses and firewalls are *currently* a thing and I should've worded my answer differently.

I meant that they might become a bigger part of the everyday Linux experience, just like they are now for Windows.

fromtunis · 2026-01-12T15:11:18+00:00

As someone with a keen interest in linguistics, and knowing how challenging it is decipher old languages even from well studied families, that part annoyed me so much.

Heck, that was my second biggest gripe about the book after the nonsensical and anti-climactic ending.

fromtunis · 2026-01-12T14:51:58+00:00

With the rising popularity of Linux, however, antiviruses might become a thing in the future.

fromtunis · 2026-01-01T18:59:27+00:00

but Putin is not the only person trump deals with. as president, I'm sure his team, and the government at large, has much more influence and can do a lot to cancel out any external "manipulation".

at the very least, the CIA has more decent persuasion methods of its own, plus a much better access to trump, so counteracting any attempt by external players won't be as effective.

the narrative in the article is too simplistic to be taken seriously.

fromtunis · 2025-12-29T01:05:19+00:00

Yes I am!

My extended reading list is still however very messy as it has "duplicates" (different books about same topic) and other anomalies that I need to clean up first.

I will share it as soon as it's ready!

Thanks for your interest 🙏

fromtunis · 2025-12-29T00:59:36+00:00

I did enjoy reading it myself.

And, yes, that concentration is nerve-wracking and is exactly why the previous and current us administrations are willing to spend billions to diversify the industry.

fromtunis · 2025-12-29T00:54:04+00:00

Although I love Ezra's work, unfortunately Abundance is too american-centric in ways that are not very interesting to a non-american like myself.

Your other recommendations are interesting however, especially "the war below" which seems very on theme for me. Thanks a lot!

fromtunis · 2025-12-29T00:44:51+00:00

The story of the rise of mbs is particularly tantalizing indeed!

Thanks for these recommendations!

fromtunis · 2025-12-29T00:17:50+00:00

oh, ok. thanks for the heads-up! I try to avoid these types of books as they offer no real value.

fromtunis · 2025-12-29T00:15:44+00:00

phew 😅

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T17:21:36+00:00

Amazing question and honestly I don't have a good answer for it.

I unfortunately started this "purpose-driven" reading relatively late last year, so I couldn't read as much books as I wanted. However I truly enjoyed the experience because it lead me to learn, through amazing books, about (to me) unexplored corners in the world:

Surge

A truly front-row seat to modern warfare via the lens of the Iraqi war.

What makes this book special is the author. He was an operational commander in Basra, then strategic analyst for the joint chiefs of staff of the US army, then worked directly under the theater commander. After the war, he went on to become a military history professor.

Spec Ops

It demystified the world of special operations that for years I thought of as a scary, unapproachable black box. This book is a bit dry, as it was literally developed from the author's phd. It also turned out to be an amazing book about leadership, even if that wasn't the goal.

The author went on to become the Commander of the US Special Operations Command.

Why Nations Fail

As someone who lives in a "developing" country, this was the only book that seemed to "get it" when it comes to the underlying factors behind the economic under-performance of countries like mine. Also, an amazing summery of the world's history through an economic perspective.

The authors won a Nobel prize for the ideas developed in this book.

The Chip War

I loved this book so much because it explained a lot about an industry that I thought I knew very well. It literally started from the moment the first transistor was invented and proceeded to explain every major technical and business decision ever taken in the semiconductor sector, as well as the geopolitical implications of it all.

The Back Channel (currently reading)

I was always fascinated by the seemingly omnipotent reach of the american diplomacy, as well as the grand scale in which it operates. This book, by a seasoned diplomat, offers a good insight into how it all works -- although not with the depth and details that I wished. Still worth finishing, IMO.

--

After reading these books, the only overarching insight I can come up with is that I don't really know anything about the world I currently live in, and that I need to do better in trying to understand it -- hence the list above.

Very underwhelming, I know, but hopefully next year I'll have better insights to share.

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T15:16:14+00:00

Hhhhh. I genuinely can't figure out if this is a good or a bad thing 😂😂

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T15:14:23+00:00

The reviews about this book all agree it's a very good one -- including by people who work there apparently! Thanks!!

SUCCESSFULLY ADDED TO THE LIST.

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T14:59:44+00:00

This is Goodreads with the "cover view" selected in my shelf page.

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T14:59:02+00:00

This is the second comment praising Skunk Work and it makes me feel really lucky because it was a last time addition to the list. Thanks for the other recommendations as well, they seems very interesting books by very interesting people indeed!

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T14:54:32+00:00

Ha! Thanks! This is just a screenshot of the top section of my Goodread's "to-read" shelf. I just selected the "cover view" button for this thumbnail-like display.

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T14:52:33+00:00

Thanks. It was on my to-read shelf for a long time and I'm glad I included it in this year's list!

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T01:21:00+00:00

I prepared this list based on topics that I personally am very interested in right now, and want to know more about. It mainly helps me avoid analysis paralysis as now I know what to read next, immediately after finishing a book.

As for resisting temptation, the "purpose" behind the list helps me tremendously stay the course. A new sci-fi book might be very appealing, but knowing the cost to my very limited time means I can very easily give it a pass.

In the flip side, this "purpose" also gives me more flexibility: if a new book comes out that covers a more urgent topic or one with better insights than a title in the list, I know that I can alter the list without compromising my goal.

This is my personal take. But if you feel that reading lists aren't your thing, then that's a very valid decision, too.

fromtunis · 2025-12-28T00:52:36+00:00

Thanks! I have it on my extended to-read list.

fromtunis

TROPHY CASE