sockpuppet2
1mo ago
It's not just them as individuals; high schools also embrace Goodhart's Law - students getting into good colleges makes them look good.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
I just wish we could turn back the clock and have all desktops run Windows 7... That was the peak of personal computing.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
I defer to Your Modiness, of course, but, for future reference and in the interests of transparency, why did you flag this comment and not the one below it, linking to a blogpost about Penrosian qualia? The purposes of the threads seem to have become muddled, with even a mod saying he just posts in whichever thread is newest.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
I'm still enjoying playing with LLMs. I'm using duck.ai, because I care about privacy (There are dozens of us! Dozens!) and I have a budget of $0 (There are billions of us! Billions!), which makes it easy to try different models. It's been interesting to see that GPT-5 mini isn't consistently better than 4o mini, but I haven't been systematic in comparing them. One funny "jailbreak" I found is that Claude Haiku 3.5 often (but not always?) refuses to give the pros and cons of 9x19 and 45acp for ccw, if it's the initial prompt in a chat, but will give the pros and cons of 5.56 and 7.62 for carbines, as an initial prompt, and then give the pros and cons of 9x19 and 45acp for ccw, if the request is a follow-up prompt.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
AP: Conservative news network Newsmax files antitrust lawsuit against Fox News
As always, initial reporting is based on the complaint and the respondent's PR statements, so take with a grain of salt. Why CW? I can't recall a precedent for this - can anybody else? If not, is it because of something Fox-specific or something about the culture of the conservative infotainment ecosystem?
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
That seems like something that should be corrected in tuning/user experience design.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
I appreciate the Chappelle's Show reference. The rest of the comment could use revision.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
Copy and paste the content of the whateverthefuckitscalled thread as a quote.
It's difficult to comment on OF economics without any obvious subjects for comparison.
sockpuppet2
2mo ago
Playing with LLMs is addicting, but I'm struggling to tell if they're useful. In this example, the LLM can't do the task but gives wrong answers rather than say it can't do the task:
Can you think of a definition for "planet" that would apply to the eight known planets of the solar system and Pluto, but no other known dwarf planets/Kuiper Belt objects? . Llama 4 Scout Definition of a Planet
A definition for "planet" that would apply to the eight known planets of the solar system and Pluto, but no other known dwarf planets/Kuiper Belt objects, could be:
A planet is a celestial body that:
Is in orbit around the Sun. Has sufficient mass to assume a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (i.e., it is nearly round in shape). Has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
The key phrase here is "has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit." This criterion would exclude dwarf planets and other Kuiper Belt objects that have not become gravitationally dominant in their orbits. Applying the Definition
The eight known planets in our solar system meet this definition. Pluto also meets this definition, as it has a highly eccentric orbit and has become gravitationally dominant in its orbit.
Excluding Other Dwarf Planets
Other dwarf planets, such as Eris and Makemake, do not meet this definition because they have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbits.
This definition provides a way to distinguish between planets and dwarf planets, while still considering Pluto as a planet.
Has Pluto cleared the neighborhood around its orbit? . Llama 4 Scout Pluto's Orbital Neighborhood
No, Pluto has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. Key Points to Consider
Pluto's orbit overlaps with that of Neptune, and there are other celestial bodies in the Kuiper Belt that are similar in size and composition to Pluto. Specifically, Pluto is part of a population of similar objects in the Kuiper Belt, and it is not gravitationally dominant in its orbit.
Conclusion
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) definition of a planet, which was adopted in 2006, states that a planet must have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. Based on this criterion, Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet, rather than a full-fledged planet.
Can you think of a definition for "planet" that would apply to the eight known planets of the solar system and Pluto, but no other known dwarf planets/Kuiper Belt objects? . Llama 4 Scout Definition of a Planet
A definition for "planet" that would apply to the eight known planets of the solar system and Pluto, but no other known dwarf planets/Kuiper Belt objects, could be:
A planet is a celestial body that:
Is in orbit around the Sun. Has sufficient mass to assume a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (i.e., it is nearly round in shape). Has a mass ratio of at least 1:10,000 with respect to the total mass of all other objects in its orbital zone.
Rationale
This definition would exclude other dwarf planets and Kuiper Belt objects, as they do not meet the mass ratio criterion. Notes
This definition is not officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and is proposed here for discussion purposes only. The IAU definition of a planet, adopted in 2006, states that a planet must have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, which Pluto does not meet.
Does Pluto have a mass ratio of at least 1:10,000 with respect to the total mass of all other objects in its orbital zone? . Llama 4 Scout Pluto's Mass Ratio
According to estimates, Pluto's mass is approximately 1.31×1022 kg. Total Mass of Other Objects in the Kuiper Belt
The total mass of other objects in the Kuiper Belt, specifically in Pluto's orbital zone, is difficult to determine precisely. However, it is estimated that the total mass of the Kuiper Belt is approximately 1022−1023 kg. Comparison
Comparing Pluto's mass to the estimated total mass of other objects in the Kuiper Belt, Pluto's mass ratio is roughly 1:10 to 1:100, not 1:10,000. Conclusion
Therefore, Pluto does not meet the mass ratio criterion of at least 1:10,000 with respect to the total mass of all other objects in its orbital zone.
Can you think of a definition for "planet" that would apply to the eight known planets of the solar system and Pluto, but no other known dwarf planets/Kuiper Belt objects? . Llama 4 Scout Definition of a Planet
After considering various factors, I propose the following definition:
A planet is a celestial body that:
Is in orbit around the Sun. Has sufficient mass to assume a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (i.e., it is nearly round in shape). Has an orbital zone with a relatively small number of other objects of comparable size.
Rationale
This definition is more nuanced and focuses on the characteristics of the orbital zone. Notes
This definition is not officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and is proposed here for discussion purposes only.
Does Pluto have an orbital zone with a relatively small number of other objects of comparable size? . Llama 4 Scout Pluto's Orbital Zone
No, Pluto does not have an orbital zone with a relatively small number of other objects of comparable size. Key Points to Consider
Pluto is part of a population of similar objects in the Kuiper Belt, known as dwarf planets or plutoids. Specifically, there are other objects in the Kuiper Belt, such as Eris, Makemake, and Haumea, that are similar in size and composition to Pluto.
Comparison to Other Planets
In contrast, the eight known planets in our solar system have orbital zones with relatively few other objects of comparable size.
Conclusion
Therefore, Pluto does not meet this criterion, and this definition would not classify Pluto as a planet.
Glass half-full, you might interpret this as an indication that the IAU's taxonomy is sound, but why do LLMs give wrong answers rather than tell you they can't satisfy your criteria? Mistral Small 3 tried a criterion of "Has a significant gravitational influence on its orbit, such that it dominates the region around its orbit and is not part of a larger population of similar-sized objects." then admitted Pluto failed this and switched to a criterion of "historical significance," while 4o mini and Claude Haiku 3.5 used Pluto-based size criteria.
I didn't check if this accurately describes Pluto's orbit, but if it does, GPT-5 mini did the best by an AU:
Yes. One workable definition:
A planet is a celestial body that
Orbits the Sun, Has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to assume a nearly round shape (hydrostatic equilibrium), and Has a perihelion distance from the Sun less than 49 astronomical units (AU) and a current orbital eccentricity less than 0.25.
Why this works (briefly):
Conditions 1–2 match widely used physical criteria that include Pluto (round, Sun-orbiting). Condition 3 is an orbital cutoff chosen to include Pluto (perihelion ≈ 29.7 AU, eccentricity ≈ 0.25 but slightly below the 0.25 threshold in this formulation) while excluding most known dwarf planets and Kuiper Belt objects, whose perihelia and/or eccentricities place them beyond 49 AU or have higher eccentricities. The combination of a perihelion limit and modest eccentricity filters out scattered/detached trans-Neptunian objects and most smaller Kuiper belt bodies while retaining the eight classical planets and Pluto.
Notes and trade-offs:
The numeric cutoff (49 AU and 0.25) is adjustable; it’s chosen to separate Pluto from the larger population of distant/Highly eccentric TNOs but is not unique or canonical. This definition is deliberately dynamical/geometrical rather than requiring orbital dominance clearing (the IAU 2006 criterion) so it can include Pluto without reclassifying many other KBOs. It relies on measured orbital elements rather than detailed mass/clearing estimates, making classification straightforward for known bodies but sensitive to future discoveries near the cutoff.
sockpuppet2
3mo ago
Did Scott coin the "50 Stalins Protest?" If not, who did? If so, what were the prior descriptions of the notion?
sockpuppet2
3mo ago
Now I personally have religious reasons to oppose this sort of intervention
What are those reasons? Do you oppose IVF, in general?
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
What downsides of occupational castes do you foresee, and how did you come to the conclusion that they would be a net-improvement?
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
This is funny because Trump's own VP's explanation for birtherism (and I suppose it applies even more to the demands to see his university transcripts) was a class-driven inferiority complex.
Have a link to this?
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
What kind of engineer?
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
Can you charge at home for as long as you plan to keep the car? Quality concerns about Teslas aside, I think the main things to consider when weighing BEV or PHEV vs ICE are:
-
Can you charge at home for as long as you plan to keep the car?
-
Can you responsibly afford the upfront cost?
-
Do you like a car that's more "gadget" than "appliance?"
If "yes" to all three, you're probably better off with an electric car. If only the first two, it depends how much the "gadget" design ethos commonly used in BEVs annoys you. If you can't charge at home and/or the upfront cost is over a responsible budget, you're probably better off with a non-plug-in hybrid or ICE-only powertrain.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
What natural experiments show this for race, controlling for income? That's why this is confusing.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
If your logic is based solely on income, including race is very confusing.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
At some point, the cost of increased marginal fraud avoidance exceeds the cost of the marginal fraud. Acknowledging this dynamic in any given domain is important. However, the rhetorical statement "The optimal amount of [bad thing] is not zero" is silent on the reason for why "not zero," failing the rhetorical goal of delivering concise, memorable, and clear insight.
Contrast "Motorsport can't be safe enough:" The double meaning of an endless pursuit of risk reduction and the impossibility of completely eliminating risk is a related concept, but the nuance behind the rhetoric is much more memorable and transferable between domains.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
Vladeck elaborates on the difference between lack of enforcement and dispensation and why dispensation is a major problem.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
It's subtle, but once you see it, you can't unsee it.
Like the Porsche design language and the original Volkswagen - once you see it, you can't notsee it.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
What evidence is there of this for income or race?
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
I wrote back in January about how the TikTok executive order President Trump signed on his first day of office committed whoever the Attorney General would be to take that first position about the meaning of the statute (which should’ve been reason enough for any principled lawyer to refuse nomination to the office, and for the Senate to refuse to confirm any nominee). But it’s the second claim—that the President, through the Attorney General, has a dispensing power—that is even more extreme; that is not even required by the executive order; and that, if it becomes a precedent, would turn the separation of powers (if not the rule of law itself) entirely on its head.
...
Late last week, in response to FOIA requests, 21 of those letters were made public. The letters are worth reading in their entirety (in some cases, multiple letters to the same company sent at different times were included). But to summarize the highlights, across those letters, the Attorney General of the United States memorialized some variation of the following three conclusions:
- Companies that continue to support the TikTok app are not, in fact, violating the TikTok statute;
- The TikTok statute is “properly read” to not “infringe upon . . . core Presidential national security and foreign affairs powers”; and
- The Department of Justice is “irrevocably relinquishing any claims the United States might have had” against the recipients of the letters for both previous and ongoing violations of the act.
Each of these three arguments is ludicrous. The first argument is inconsistent with the literal text of the statute—which is not exactly ambiguous about what it prohibits. Unless TikTok’s Chinese owners divested by January 19 (and they didn’t), U.S. companies are barred from:
Providing services to distribute, maintain, or update such foreign adversary controlled application (including any source code of such application) by means of a marketplace (including an online mobile application store) through which users within the land or maritime borders of the United States may access, maintain, or update such application.
Of course, “providing services” to distribute, maintain, or update the TikTok app is … literally what these companies are doing. Thus, there is no plausible argument that these companies are not violating the TikTok statute; they are continuing to do exactly what it bars.
See, also, Alan Rozenshtein in Lawfare.
Should the Senate have refused to confirm any nominee who committed to using "dispensation?" What is the appropriate response to this kind of corruption?
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
the optimal quantity of flooding deaths is not zero
"Lying For Money" is a good book, but this turn of phrase is bad. The optimal quantity of [bad thing] is 0; the question is what trade-offs are optimal, given the available options for reducing bad things.
sockpuppet2
4mo ago
Get rid of Medicaid. It maybe made sense at one point, but it's current incarnation is, as far as I can tell, such a disgusting mess for all involved parties that it's better to just kill it with fire.
What, other than benefit cliffs, is bad for Medicaid recipients? Hospitals would rather the reimbursement rates were higher, but what hospitals are saying that it's "such a disgusting mess for all involved parties that it's better to just kill it with fire?"
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-want-reach-young-male-voters-how-get-them-is-up-debate-2025-10-06/
Reports like these have been an almost weekly occurrence all year. To state the obvious that none of these articles include: The Democratic Party and liberals engage in bulverism and bulverism alienates people. But is the problem purely liberals alienating young men or are conservatives also successfully courting them?
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