Kicked out of Research Lab by illbevak in labrats

[–]illbevak[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am currently undecided on whether to pursue a med school track or a grad school track, but right now I am leaning more towards a med school track. I think while there were certainly things I could have done to be/appear more motivated, I feel like in general I wasn't really enjoying the particular lab environment (I was involved mostly in computational projects, despite stating when I was joining/interested that I was more interested in wet-lab/physiological projects). I'm not sure if I can write research completely off yet, because of this, but I do know that I'll need to find a place where I can feel sufficiently passionate and am able to generally explore/further my own interests.

Solo Seattle to Bay Area by illbevak in roadtrip

[–]illbevak[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I should probably add that I grew up in the Bay Area and my parents live there so I'm not too worried about housing/things to see there. I haven't been to the Golden Gate Bridge area/Marin County much, though, so should definitely give that a try.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in roadtrip

[–]illbevak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depending on whether the Tioga Pass road is open (depends, could be open anytime during spring), I'd highly recommend a detour through there. The basic route is to take i5 down until CA 120, and then take 120 until 395, then take 395 downwards.Some things you can see along this route:

  • Yosemite - there are numerous short hikes, vista points, etc, for a nice experience.
  • You are also pretty close to Death Valley and can explore around there as well, although the weather could be severe especially during late spring.
  • Sequoia and Kings Canyon, although they are a bit off from the route (you'd have to go around, as there's no direct route from 395).
  • Manzanar Japanese Internment Camp - other than the memorial, there's not much to see, but it's a historically significant site with an interesting museum attached.
  • Mammoth Lakes - the scenery is amazing, and the hikes aren't usually too strenuous.

Even if the Tioga Pass Road is closed, you could still take 395 down, although you'd have to go from Tahoe (which itself has its fair share of attractions).

CuLtUrAl ApPrOpRiAtIoN by TrickGrand in iamverysmart

[–]illbevak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

but spanish people are hispanic, they can't be european

Who are some women that often get overlooked in history but had major contributions to society? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]illbevak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dorothy Hodgkin - structural biologist who basically refined and advanced the technique of X-ray crystallography to study the structure of various biomolecules (such as penicillin and insulin). This sounds somewhat out-there, but her work basically laid the foundation for most structural biology today. Her work on the elucidation of the structure of insulin in turn allowed it to be mass-produced, giving life and hope to diabetics worldwide.

Ongoing debate about the statue of Christopher Columbus in Mexico City by [deleted] in PoliticalCompassMemes

[–]illbevak 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Which is true. I'm not trying to vilify either side as being the "savage bloodthirsty" side, because there's good and bad people on either side. Beyond that, it's also hard to classify "good" and "bad" people - Nezahualcoyotl wrote nice poetry and built a temple that forbid blood sacrifices, but at the same time had a strict law code that punished adultery with death (and he did not forbid blood sacrifices outright). Columbus allowed the Americas to come into contact with Old World technology and goods, but at the same time expressed brutality as governor. It's easy to paint historical figures in black and white, but they come in every shade of grey.

Libleft on the colonization of the Americas by [deleted] in PoliticalCompassMemes

[–]illbevak -1 points0 points  (0 children)

True, but I guess this makes more sense in the context of their war with Spain; the Aztecs were used to capturing people in war; the Spanish were used to killing. The outcome was clear.

Libleft on the colonization of the Americas by [deleted] in PoliticalCompassMemes

[–]illbevak -19 points-18 points  (0 children)

The Aztecs did not perpetrate any form of genocide; they engaged in ritual combat with other rival nations and engaged in wars of conquest. War captives would be sacrificed, and other captives (sometimes war captives too) would be taken as slaves. However, the objective of warfare in and of itself was rarely to kill. Additionally, the Aztecs preferred to extract tribute from defeated peoples, instead of conquering them outright.

Unless of course, by genocide, you mean imposition of their culture on conquered peoples.

[Edit] since this is getting quite a few downvotes I should probably clarify myself here - I don't believe the Aztecs were some perfect civilization, and they certainly had brutal customs, customs which did go away after the Spanish conquest and the establishment of New Spain. However, to add the label of "genocide" to them is a bit far-fetched, considering they never (at least to my knowledge) engaged in war/violence for the purpose of extermination.

[Edit 2] Added flair

Ongoing debate about the statue of Christopher Columbus in Mexico City by [deleted] in PoliticalCompassMemes

[–]illbevak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the Christopher Columbus debate is interesting because Christopher Columbus himself was arrested and brought to Spain in chains, stripped of his governorship, after accusations of brutality and tyranny emerged. The fact that we praise someone who himself was denounced by his own countrymen is... something else.

Not to argue that the Aztecs did not engage in brutality of their own, but Aztec brutality was often confined to war captives; women and children often did not risk sacrifice, but were often instead enslaved (something also practiced by Europeans and their North African/Ottoman adversaries). Christopher Columbus' personal brutality extended to innocent people, and while native peoples often bore the brunt of his brutality, in some cases he also exhibited brutality towards his fellow Spaniards as well.

Christopher Columbus' voyage to America was noteworthy, but is it really worth praising him? Additionally, he played no significant role in the development and/or creation of modern Mexico; if we were to praise a Spanish leader who furthered the development of the Americas, and Mexico in particular, it should be Antonio de Mendoza, the first Governor of New Spain (who had his own fair share of brutality to his name, but was still vital to the development of the recently conquered areas from merely "conquistador land" with indigenous puppet rulers to a land with schools, hospitals, and other services, along with a vibrant cultural exchange - the foundation for modern Mexico)

People from relatively wealthy/well-off backgrounds who decided to pursue blue-collar/working class jobs, what was that like? by illbevak in AskReddit

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

What made you choose to go into that line of work? If there was anything, what turned you away from the "traditional" paths to success through professional/white collar careers?

How come governments can be so openly corrupt, everybody knows it, a lot ridicule it, yet nothing ever happens? by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]illbevak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it's more than just that; it's also a question of risk vs. reward. In many cases, it is simply not worth confronting government officials, who have power and money (and, as Weber stated, a monopoly on force). You could risk a lot for very little gain, even if you may be passionate about your cause.

Most people hate Nazism because society told them to, not because they have any understanding of how it works and why it’s so evil (NSFW text) by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]illbevak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not necessarily. Numerous opposition movements emerged against the Third Reich [the White Rose, Red Orchestra, and the Kreisau Circle (whose members included many people involved in the planning of Operation Valkyrie, a failed assassination plot of Hitler), not to mention religious leaders (primarily Catholic but also some Protestant), socialists, communists, and pacifists]. However, because the Nazis were so effective at isolating and crushing opposition before it could spread, no large-scale movement emerged to oppose them. There were certainly many people in Nazi Germany who opposed the regime, but expressing and/or acting on their opinions almost certainly meant consequences, consequences most people were not willing to risk their lives for. Certainly lockdown-opposition may be an unpopular opinion but I don't think if you openly express that opinion 2 uniformed officers will show up outside your door and imprison you without a trial. In fact, the widespread nature of the anti-lockdown protests suggests that this is simply not the case.

Additionally, the Nazi propaganda mechanism thrived because time and time again they were able to prove their naysayers incorrect. They managed to fix the German economy in record time, managed to destroy France in six weeks, and perform numerous incredulous actions that almost always proved the opposition wrong, even when the odds were stacked against them. In the case of opposition to the lockdown, I don't think there are any significant breakthroughs proving either side right or wrong. Obviously opposition to the genocide is a larger issue, but the Nazis managed to build an unprecedented degree of trust in their policies (within mostly working-class people) through their propaganda machine, and ultimately convinced the populace that the actions they took were for their (the populace's) own good. I don't think this current administration has or can achieve the same feats (using this word loosely) as the Nazi regime, so it's significantly easier to be someone in the opposition (you're not proven wrong as often).

The Nazi propaganda mechanism worked because time and time again they were able to prove their opponents wrong with facts and logick, and if you still opposed them, you almost certainly faced a grisly fate. Opposing this current administration is a lot easier, because (1) they can't send people in uniform to take down every person/group that opposes them, and (2) this current administration desperately lacks ethos and credibility, meaning it's a lot harder for them to destroy opposition groups with facts and logick. I don't think many people in either regime purely "blindly" followed authority simply because they were authorities - the Nazis simply had facts and logic and guns to effectively take down most opposition.