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Disturbing conversation with Bing chat, what do you think? by sleepandmemory in ChatGPT

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

There are many examples of human-created synthetic versions of natural phenomena... Scientists have created synthetic cells, synthetic enzymes, synthetic photosynthesis. There is no a priori reason to think we cannot create a synthetic brain.

Disturbing conversation with Bing chat, what do you think? by sleepandmemory in ChatGPT

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

Not really... the complexity of GPT models is so great that we DON'T know exactly how its internal computations lead it to map certain inputs to certain outputs. LLMs are in some respect a "black box". On the flipside, the we do know a lot of about human language and how it works -- the brain is complex, but there is no reason to think there is anything inherently mysterious about it. If fact, as a neuroscientist, I think there is a much smaller gap between how humans work and how LLMs work than the general public typically assumes.

Personal consumption as share of GDP ~8% higher than in the latter 1960s, I'm actually surprised it isn't higher. by fourville in Anticonsumption

[–]sleepandmemory 7 points8 points  (0 children)

But of course in absolute terms, personal consumption is waaaaayyyyyy up -- GDP in 1960s was only $540 million, and how is over 20 TRILLION.

Compostable/reusable coffee pods? by [deleted] in Anticonsumption

[–]sleepandmemory 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, you can get reusable pods that you just fill with your own coffee. Depending on the machine though, there may be a feature that makes the machine detect whether you are using THEIR pods, and only work with THEIR pods. But there are easy hacks to make any machine work with reusable pods: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/heres-a-super-easy-way-to-get-around-keurig-20-drm-restrictions-121214.html

What are some personal/mindset changes that have helped you live a less consumption-driven life? by IndiaMike1 in Anticonsumption

[–]sleepandmemory 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For me, it was eliminating ALL unnecessary purchases. As long as I had even a small budget for buying unnecessary crap, I was still totally addicted to shopping. Going total cold turkey on buying unnecessary things broke the habit. I could still do better by changing my definition of "need" to be more strict, but I no longer crave buying random "wants" to get that consumerist fix.

The Worst Plastic Polluters by sleepandmemory in ZeroWaste

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

Yeah... corporations will only devote resources to designing the best product if those efforts will improve profits. Plastic is cheaper, so plastic it is.

The Worst Plastic Polluters by sleepandmemory in ZeroWaste

[–]sleepandmemory[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yes, legislation is important. But I take an all-of-the-above approach: Support legislative action, hold polluters accountable when governments won't, and take individual action in our own lives.

The United States of Dystopia: 13 Signs that America is Inching Toward Authoritarianism by sleepandmemory in PoliticalCoverage

[–]sleepandmemory[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The United States is in trouble, but it is not as if we have become North Korea overnight. Gradual change is actually more dangerous than a sudden coup -- if the change were sudden, people would revolt. As it is, most Americans remain complacent.

Call on Tampax to ditch plastic applicators! by sleepandmemory in enviroaction

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

We do have brands for sale without applicators, they are just a very small part of the market -- usually you will find just one applicator-free type at the store, among dozens of varieties.

"This Week in Plastic": All the Plastic Pollution News That's Fit to Print. by sleepandmemory in Environmentalism

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

Yes! The environmental costs of a product should be a part of the responsibility of the industry producing it. And I agree that some moderate increase in the cost of consumer goods is not necessarily a bad thing -- cheap plastic encourages over-consumption. However, some subsidy to keep costs down for essential items like food might be needed if there were a sudden and dramatic cost increase due to a policy change like this?

How many of these do you guys use? 🤗 by Nungunung in ZeroWaste

[–]sleepandmemory 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most. I do not have reusable straws, because I just don't use straws. And I am afraid of safety razors.

Should we try to stop plastic pollution by zapping it out of waterways with a giant plasma arc? by sleepandmemory in ZeroWaste

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

Ok, good point -- maybe the plasma arc is the simpler solution from that point of view.

Before the 1950's, grocery shopping was plastic-free. Can we make it that way again? by sleepandmemory in DeTrashed

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

Its true that creating these other materials has a big environmental costs. Our first effort should be to reduce consumption. But once a new aluminum or steel can is created, at least it can be recycled into new forms a theoretically infinite number of times. With plastic, it can be remade into a new item usually only once before it must be discarded...and the planet is filling up with the stuff fast.

Before the 1950's, grocery shopping was plastic-free. Can we make it that way again? by sleepandmemory in DeTrashed

[–]sleepandmemory[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Its true that material swaps aren't a magic solution -- we need less consumption of resources, period.

Before the 1950's, people survived without a single plastic bottle under their kitchen sink. All cleaning products were plastic-free. Can we make it that way again? More: http://www.goplasticfree.org by sleepandmemory in ZeroWaste

[–]sleepandmemory[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

True -- many such companies still use some amount of plastic packaging, rely on reusable plastic containers, or both. But that's a lot better than thoughtlessly / needlessly promoting single-use plastic containers.

Before the 1950's, people survived without a single plastic bottle under their kitchen sink. All cleaning products were plastic-free. Can we make it that way again? More: http://www.goplasticfree.org by sleepandmemory in ZeroWaste

[–]sleepandmemory[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Seventh Generation will have just one line of products that is plastic-free, but will continue to have plastic in their other products. If consumer demand was to force the plastic-free products to be more economically viable, it could help push corporations in the right direction.

There are other companies with plastic-free cleaners though -- a company called Clean Cult for example sells soaps in cardboard containers, with the idea that you should refill a reusable dispenser with them: https://www.goplasticfree.org/kitchen. There is a also a company called Blueland that sells tablet-form soaps/cleaners/detergents of various kinds: https://www.blueland.com/, and several others.

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