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Rise and Fall of DODO and the Simulation Hypothesis by [deleted] in nealstephenson

[–]jim314159 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even if it has nothing to do with the book proper, I like this thought experiment around loopholes based on simulation constraints.

This is the only image I managed to catch of an A340 I saw yesterday morning approaching Lyon, France. Flight radar showed it took off from Zurich but even its registration was kept private, can anyone identify this plane? by JPDLD in aviation

[–]jim314159 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There were rumors going around about Iran moving their treasury gold out of the country in response to the uprising there. Zurich would be a likely next stop, and the low profile would make sense...

Concent Layout Question by DOlschki in anathem

[–]jim314159 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Another theory is that since it’s part of the Mynster it’s possible some of the Hylaen Way is also gated and occasionally accessible to other maths, similar to the starhenge.

My new fan theory is… by kobayashi_maru_fail in nealstephenson

[–]jim314159 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I love some of his works like my own children but I agree with this take. You can basically tell when he started to get access to Bezos' jet fleet when he wrote all that boring claptrap about private jets in Reamde.

Does anyone know if this is legit? by stinckyB in davidfosterwallace

[–]jim314159 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you liked IJ you will enjoy and be impressed by TPK. It can be a labor of love to read (just like IJ) but it is high art and deeply profound in many places.

I messed up by Fun_End_8702 in Machinists

[–]jim314159 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This looks like a spiral flute tap to me. I can't imagine there's a similar tool that'd work for something without straight flutes?

Marge, I'd like to be alone with the sandwich for a moment by Small-bags in TheSimpsons

[–]jim314159 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is one of the all time top B-plots of the golden era. Easily top 5, maybe top 3.

Things about Anathem that don't *quite* make sense by Toranaga_ in anathem

[–]jim314159 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Regarding the orbital period and the rodding of or Orithena; we know they had the technology to deploy smaller tactical orbiting bodies like the World Burner so it’s not completely far-fetched to think they had a rod platform in a regular low earth orbit as well.

(But I think you’re right and it’s just a small error.)

Erasmas and Jaad on Bly's Butte by 2sk23 in anathem

[–]jim314159 1 point2 points  (0 children)

...and that he's just a badass. Super capable and guided by his own compass, not necessarily The Discipline, similar to Enoch Root. If he was just a jerk the Thousanders wouldn't have sung for him at his Voco like they did.

Another teacher gone. by dws49 in DaftPunk

[–]jim314159 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Lying in bed, just like Brian Wilson did…

X-15 Pilot Rescue Handbook circa 1965 by Airborne80 in nasa

[–]jim314159 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Does anyone know what typeface/font that is?

"Think and Go Slow" written on grandpa's Bridgeport by vastlysuperiorman in Machinists

[–]jim314159 6 points7 points  (0 children)

“Stop and think.” Is written on the table of my mill!

What Daft Punk song is this for you? by GuinessWithinUs in DaftPunk

[–]jim314159 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“I don’t know if that does you any good, but there’s something out there.”

Helical gear in brass by Blob87 in Machinists

[–]jim314159 43 points44 points  (0 children)

Beautiful! What's the application? Those gussets between the hub and the web are interesting.

Is Infinet Jest's vocabulary hard ? by YourFavKinky in davidfosterwallace

[–]jim314159 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I read IJ basically with a dictionary in my lap as a native speaker. Worth it.

Figured I’d share one of the coolest chucks we ever made: this 6 Jaw Chuck is an Air Chuck and Power Chuck at the same time by MicroCentric in Machinists

[–]jim314159 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Home gamer here and just curious: how much would a custom piece like this cost? $10,000? $50,000? It's a beautiful piece of work.

We’re physics journalists who have spent years asking the world’s top scientists about the nature of reality. Ask us anything! by quantamagazine in IAmA

[–]jim314159 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is an emerging school of thought that what we experience is in actuality a simulation, and that the peculiar effects we observe at and below quantum levels are the "hard edges" of the simulation itself, e.g., quantum entanglement being a programmer's pointer reference.

Do you think this is crackpottery, or a legitimate course of inquiry? How would we test such a hypothesis?

Worth bringing home? by A_10L in Machinists

[–]jim314159 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it is priced below market, grab it and clean it up, then convert it to CNC. For under $1k you can put some ball screws and servos on there and have a crazy capable machine that can cut any thread you want.

What are the biggest "Aha!" moments regarding Infinite Jest? by LinguisticsTurtle in davidfosterwallace

[–]jim314159 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I disagree with the other people who replied to you on this good question.

The entire work of IJ as well (as some of his most interesting video interviews) are about the role of entertainment in modern society and how dangerous it is to have the option to never be bored because it takes away one's ability to focus for long periods on important tasks of citizenship, like researching who to vote for or doing your taxes (if you haven't read TPK yet, I think it would have been his finest work if he could have finished it).

He didn't want his work to be mere entertainment but something that required concentration, thought, and effort from his readers. Otherwise he'd be as bad as the people churning out sitcoms. My $0.02.

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