uninformed aldehyde
@informaldehyde.bsky.social
again?? i cant believe this shit
opinions solely those of wabbits lurking in the local vegetation
following does not imply endorsement
opinions solely those of wabbits lurking in the local vegetation
following does not imply endorsement
As a one-time chemistry TA:
the HC in this article refers to hexachloroethane (C2Cl6), not hexavalent chromium. The main heavy metal of concern is zinc; Cr(VI) seems to be a (relatively minor) contaminant or byproduct (per the same sources).
the HC in this article refers to hexachloroethane (C2Cl6), not hexavalent chromium. The main heavy metal of concern is zinc; Cr(VI) seems to be a (relatively minor) contaminant or byproduct (per the same sources).
January 15, 2026 at 7:32 AM
As a one-time chemistry TA:
the HC in this article refers to hexachloroethane (C2Cl6), not hexavalent chromium. The main heavy metal of concern is zinc; Cr(VI) seems to be a (relatively minor) contaminant or byproduct (per the same sources).
the HC in this article refers to hexachloroethane (C2Cl6), not hexavalent chromium. The main heavy metal of concern is zinc; Cr(VI) seems to be a (relatively minor) contaminant or byproduct (per the same sources).
A thing that feels related:
some (other?) folks already have a lot on their minds, and fixing AI is the last thing they want/need to be dealing with, but they are pushed into it for one reason or another. For some it leads to passivity, for others anger.
some (other?) folks already have a lot on their minds, and fixing AI is the last thing they want/need to be dealing with, but they are pushed into it for one reason or another. For some it leads to passivity, for others anger.
January 2, 2026 at 5:57 PM
A thing that feels related:
some (other?) folks already have a lot on their minds, and fixing AI is the last thing they want/need to be dealing with, but they are pushed into it for one reason or another. For some it leads to passivity, for others anger.
some (other?) folks already have a lot on their minds, and fixing AI is the last thing they want/need to be dealing with, but they are pushed into it for one reason or another. For some it leads to passivity, for others anger.
But it’s not made to be reproducible (broken clock etc), and (as far as I know) there are infinitely more ways for chatbots to give advice that is harmful, irrelevant, or harmful-because-irrelevant. End/?
December 29, 2025 at 9:52 PM
But it’s not made to be reproducible (broken clock etc), and (as far as I know) there are infinitely more ways for chatbots to give advice that is harmful, irrelevant, or harmful-because-irrelevant. End/?
We might need to remind ourselves some people will occasionally experience similar things from ChatGPT (or ChatDBT, etc), maybe little moments of unexpected absurdity that achieves a similar effect), and go on to say that it saved their lives, etc. ?/?
December 29, 2025 at 9:52 PM
We might need to remind ourselves some people will occasionally experience similar things from ChatGPT (or ChatDBT, etc), maybe little moments of unexpected absurdity that achieves a similar effect), and go on to say that it saved their lives, etc. ?/?
edit: found it hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depr...
Depression Part Two
I remember being endlessly entertained by the adventures of my toys. Some days they died repeated, violent deaths, other days they traveled ...
hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:48 PM
edit: found it hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depr...
I remember reading Hyperbole and a Half, and there’s a section where the depressed author unexpectedly sees a random object (I think a speck of corn under a refrigerator?) and it breaks her out of the loop, and she just starts laughing uncontrollably.
2/2
2/2
December 29, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I remember reading Hyperbole and a Half, and there’s a section where the depressed author unexpectedly sees a random object (I think a speck of corn under a refrigerator?) and it breaks her out of the loop, and she just starts laughing uncontrollably.
2/2
2/2
This probably reads like a nitpick, but maybe not only humans? Perhaps sometimes pets, or sometimes random coincidences. 1/2
December 29, 2025 at 9:48 PM
This probably reads like a nitpick, but maybe not only humans? Perhaps sometimes pets, or sometimes random coincidences. 1/2
“trust the meme” is the most anti-memetics statement ever. Questioning the meme is how you do memes!
December 28, 2025 at 10:27 PM
“trust the meme” is the most anti-memetics statement ever. Questioning the meme is how you do memes!
“You have the power to DONATE ASS”
December 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM
“You have the power to DONATE ASS”
code vibing
December 26, 2025 at 8:29 PM
code vibing
*laughs nervously in trypophobia*
December 19, 2025 at 8:51 AM
*laughs nervously in trypophobia*
(but I guess there will always be some amount of people who are like IRL antivaxxers, too.)
December 19, 2025 at 7:08 AM
(but I guess there will always be some amount of people who are like IRL antivaxxers, too.)
(oh, and add in reckless experimentation by charlatans with rampant disregard for medical ethics,)
then I’d expect a lot more people to be anti-“inoculation”. A reasonable person, with limited knowledge and resources, could reasonably arrive at the (incorrect) conclusion that “inoculation” is bs.
then I’d expect a lot more people to be anti-“inoculation”. A reasonable person, with limited knowledge and resources, could reasonably arrive at the (incorrect) conclusion that “inoculation” is bs.
December 19, 2025 at 7:06 AM
(oh, and add in reckless experimentation by charlatans with rampant disregard for medical ethics,)
then I’d expect a lot more people to be anti-“inoculation”. A reasonable person, with limited knowledge and resources, could reasonably arrive at the (incorrect) conclusion that “inoculation” is bs.
then I’d expect a lot more people to be anti-“inoculation”. A reasonable person, with limited knowledge and resources, could reasonably arrive at the (incorrect) conclusion that “inoculation” is bs.
Were this an alternative reality (or perhaps historical period) in which homeopathy and actual vaccines alike are *widely* marketed as simply “inoculation”, there is no combination of scientific consensus and law to distinguish them, and people are injecting radium to treat radiation sickness, etc,
December 19, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Were this an alternative reality (or perhaps historical period) in which homeopathy and actual vaccines alike are *widely* marketed as simply “inoculation”, there is no combination of scientific consensus and law to distinguish them, and people are injecting radium to treat radiation sickness, etc,
Another example seen recently:
bsky.app/profile/timb...
bsky.app/profile/timb...
Note that the authors never use the term "artificial intelligence" or "AI." However, in the hands of institutional PR professionals, "machine learning" magically becomes "artificial intelligence," and that framing is in turn picked up by the popular press.
9/
9/
AI Models Makes Precise Copies of Cuneiform Characters
Researchers from Cornell and Tel Aviv University have developed an approach to use AI for reading ancient cuneiform tablets.
tech.cornell.edu
December 18, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Another example seen recently:
bsky.app/profile/timb...
bsky.app/profile/timb...
Seems like it’s really a project about improving digitization (at least that’s the only tech actually mentioned), but they dressed it in AI hype language and made it sound like it’s about language models. Just really cynical stuff.
December 18, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Seems like it’s really a project about improving digitization (at least that’s the only tech actually mentioned), but they dressed it in AI hype language and made it sound like it’s about language models. Just really cynical stuff.
I would guess a significant chunk of that is salary, not compute? $700k is (very roughly) 5-10 FTEs for a year.
And this kind of project probably requires multiple archivists and historians (maybe not full time, but still).
Someone who understands grants better than I do can probably chime in.
And this kind of project probably requires multiple archivists and historians (maybe not full time, but still).
Someone who understands grants better than I do can probably chime in.
December 18, 2025 at 2:44 AM
I would guess a significant chunk of that is salary, not compute? $700k is (very roughly) 5-10 FTEs for a year.
And this kind of project probably requires multiple archivists and historians (maybe not full time, but still).
Someone who understands grants better than I do can probably chime in.
And this kind of project probably requires multiple archivists and historians (maybe not full time, but still).
Someone who understands grants better than I do can probably chime in.
and, in case people are wondering (because AI hype has distorted much vocabulary):
this is about improving access to archives through *better digitization*; it is not about text extrusion (at least according to the article).
this is about improving access to archives through *better digitization*; it is not about text extrusion (at least according to the article).
December 18, 2025 at 2:05 AM
and, in case people are wondering (because AI hype has distorted much vocabulary):
this is about improving access to archives through *better digitization*; it is not about text extrusion (at least according to the article).
this is about improving access to archives through *better digitization*; it is not about text extrusion (at least according to the article).
For anyone who wants to avoid/postpone iOS 26, here’s how to get iOS 18.7.3 instead:
* Go to settings
* Search for “open beta updates”
* Sign in & enroll in the beta program
* Then choose “iOS 18 beta”
* Phone will now provide option to upgrade to 18.7.3.
* Unenroll from beta program if you must.
* Go to settings
* Search for “open beta updates”
* Sign in & enroll in the beta program
* Then choose “iOS 18 beta”
* Phone will now provide option to upgrade to 18.7.3.
* Unenroll from beta program if you must.
December 17, 2025 at 2:08 AM
For anyone who wants to avoid/postpone iOS 26, here’s how to get iOS 18.7.3 instead:
* Go to settings
* Search for “open beta updates”
* Sign in & enroll in the beta program
* Then choose “iOS 18 beta”
* Phone will now provide option to upgrade to 18.7.3.
* Unenroll from beta program if you must.
* Go to settings
* Search for “open beta updates”
* Sign in & enroll in the beta program
* Then choose “iOS 18 beta”
* Phone will now provide option to upgrade to 18.7.3.
* Unenroll from beta program if you must.
… that’s your takeaway? and not, say, “this is going to seriously impede international collaboration, because it makes people from some countries sound fake via association”?
December 16, 2025 at 8:31 AM
… that’s your takeaway? and not, say, “this is going to seriously impede international collaboration, because it makes people from some countries sound fake via association”?
right. afaict methyl groups from “the environment” (implied to be free floating radicals) aren’t really a thing unless you (say) live in the reactor vessel of a chemical plant.
if you did, you’d have much, much bigger problems than lactose intolerance.
if you did, you’d have much, much bigger problems than lactose intolerance.
December 15, 2025 at 4:39 PM
right. afaict methyl groups from “the environment” (implied to be free floating radicals) aren’t really a thing unless you (say) live in the reactor vessel of a chemical plant.
if you did, you’d have much, much bigger problems than lactose intolerance.
if you did, you’d have much, much bigger problems than lactose intolerance.
potentially the first two seasons of Westworld (they can be watched as a mostly self-contained story)
(latter seasons didn’t vibe with me at all and we seem to have similar tastes, idk)
(latter seasons didn’t vibe with me at all and we seem to have similar tastes, idk)
December 15, 2025 at 5:47 AM
potentially the first two seasons of Westworld (they can be watched as a mostly self-contained story)
(latter seasons didn’t vibe with me at all and we seem to have similar tastes, idk)
(latter seasons didn’t vibe with me at all and we seem to have similar tastes, idk)
*laughs in tism*
December 2, 2025 at 5:38 PM
*laughs in tism*
here in [redacted] we had a gas leak. one of flatmates’ kid had left the stove on, and the flame went out at some point. they were still milling about, debating what the odor was when I came in.
that (among other things) culminated in quitting my job & moving out of town.
that (among other things) culminated in quitting my job & moving out of town.
November 29, 2025 at 11:20 PM
here in [redacted] we had a gas leak. one of flatmates’ kid had left the stove on, and the flame went out at some point. they were still milling about, debating what the odor was when I came in.
that (among other things) culminated in quitting my job & moving out of town.
that (among other things) culminated in quitting my job & moving out of town.