Michael Porter @MichaelPorter@qoto.org
- Pronouns
- he/him
- Size
- XLT
- Philosophy
- Humanist
- Politics
- Lefty-Antifa
Retired Chem/Physics/Earth Sciences teacher. I'm interested in everything.
I like a good debate that introduces me to other perspectives. I don't waste much time with people who devolve to name-calling or insults, aside to call them out on it.
I think society performs at its best when we take care of others, especially the weakest among us. That means a strong social safety net, with "free" healthcare, education, and public transit. It's a dream, I know.
30+ years of explaining stuff to teenagers has left me with some habits... I'm not a mansplainer, but I *do* like to find ways to 'splain stuff to receptive ears 😊
I like dogs, cats, and astronomy pictures with a bias towards the shorter wavelengths (kinda leaves out all those lovely Hα pics 😄).
The first thing I look at when shopping for cars is headroom/legroom. Saves a lot of time.
Joined Nov 2022
@johnefrancis and peaches!
@johnefrancis I once had a colleague that ate kiwis with the peel, so that’s another possibility
@johnefrancis I’m not even going to glance behind my monitor (it’s nice and big and hides a lot of sins). I’m talking about the extensive collection of extra cables that fills a few boxes and takes up 1/4 of the floor in my office…
I thought of opening a museum, but sadly gave away my SCSI and most of the ADB cables, so not a complete collection 😄
@alan I *really* need to keep a record of all the fake birthdays I’ve submitted to forms like this…
Michael Porter
boosted
When I was young, I wondered why Jewish people talked so much about the Holocaust. They said they had to make sure history wasn't denied or sanitized. I thought their fears were irrational. After all, there was so much evidence.
Now I understand what they were worried about.
@johnefrancis Those dates are just suggestions… If it doesn’t smell funny or look fuzzy, you’re good to go 😄
Michael Porter
boosted
Andrew McCarthy
@AJamesMcCarthy/Twitter
Mars is at it's closest to Earth. Here's a photo I captured of it last night using a 14" telescope. You can clearly see the northern polar ice cap! I'm working hard to learn to overcome the challenges of planetary photography to bring you the best images of Mars at opposition.
Michael Porter
boosted
@JohnBarentine As people build their starter castles with external floodlights as some sort of pathetic echo of a moat, our night sky is slipping from a 1 to a 2. Sigh.
@drhafezster Okay, the inevitable question… Planes, StarLink, or meteors?
Michael Porter
boosted
A beautiful timelapse of the Milky Way setting behind Mount Rainier by Alex Spaeth.
Michael Porter
boosted
Michael Porter
boosted
I was diagnosed with #HIV in 1998, when I was 30.
At the time, I did not expect to live to 50.
I’m 55 now.
HIV treatment works and it means I can’t pass it on - we call this #UequalsU.
HIV changed. Tell everyone.
#WorldAIDSDay #WorldAIDSDay2022 #AIDShistory #CantPassItOn #FightStigma
Michael Porter
boosted
Okay, going to organize my cables. See you in a month.
The real difference between 
and 
? I just read a post here that used the phrase “begging the question” correctly 🤯
Michael Porter
boosted
I hold the philosophical position that if two things are indistinguishable, their difference is irrelevant.
"What if we live in a simulation?" -- irrelevant
"What if you couldn't tell the difference between taking to a computer and a real person?" -- irrelevant
But more precisely, it's begging the question to say "imagine something was indistinguishable, now how would you treat it differently???"
Michael Porter
boosted
A new meta-analysis of "light pollution effect on human health, focusing on the main human pathologies and the types of polluting lights" finds that "the increase in exposure to artificial light triggers mainly sleep and mood disorders, with light from electronic devices and artificial night the main source of pollution."
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09291016.2022.2151763
- Pronouns
- he/him
- Size
- XLT
- Philosophy
- Humanist
- Politics
- Lefty-Antifa
Retired Chem/Physics/Earth Sciences teacher. I'm interested in everything.
I like a good debate that introduces me to other perspectives. I don't waste much time with people who devolve to name-calling or insults, aside to call them out on it.
I think society performs at its best when we take care of others, especially the weakest among us. That means a strong social safety net, with "free" healthcare, education, and public transit. It's a dream, I know.
30+ years of explaining stuff to teenagers has left me with some habits... I'm not a mansplainer, but I *do* like to find ways to 'splain stuff to receptive ears 😊
I like dogs, cats, and astronomy pictures with a bias towards the shorter wavelengths (kinda leaves out all those lovely Hα pics 😄).
The first thing I look at when shopping for cars is headroom/legroom. Saves a lot of time.
Joined Nov 2022
