Reach for the Stars @antares@qoto.org

Cistercian Numbers; are an extremely interesting and basically forgotten number system developed 8 Centuries Ago. It is much more compact than Arabic and Roman systems, you can basically write any integer from 1 to 9999 with one character.

@archeohistories #Numbers

I hope this spurs a rethink of fediblock policy. Conflicts over Palestine/BDS and how commentary related to it can be considered antisemitic/dangerous, is my go to example to lefties re why moderation on the #fediverse needs to be more nuanced. Less about safety than preventing the abuse that shuts down conversations. But that depends on what you want this place to be about. Sharing the best art and journalism or just a place to hang out with your peeps? #fediblockmeta
https://social.mondoweiss.net/@mondoweiss/111194372218023969

I'm sorry if my timeline for the next week is filled with landscapes and scenes from the mountains of the Picos de Europa. I have only just been able to get the images off camera (I know, I'm a bit old school that way!).

The mountains here completely blew me away! Anyway, here's a sample from the week to come. Dramatic peaks, cloud inversions, narrow gorges and beautiful alpine meadows.

#mountains #walking #hiking #landscape #landscapephotography #spain

Analysts keep modeling a classic #EV S-curve as linear because no one loses their job for taking the under. “EV transition will take 30 years”— nah 🤡https://rmi.org/the-ev-revolution-in-five-charts-and-not-too-many-numbers/

We may have passed some kind of Turing threshold when you go to a web page and can't decide if it's LMM-generated nonsense or simply the same old human-authored SEO-optimized bullshit as before.

And when pretty much every page in Google's search results is now one or the other.

A Venn diagram of faculty who don’t read directions and those who complain students don’t read the syllabus is a single circle.

The whole #Nobel prize situation with Katalin Karikó, who was previously pushed out of #UPenn and forced to become an adjunct would be deeply funny except… I’m all too familiar with the exploitation of being an adjunct professor.

My mother is a literal refugee from #Ukraine who teaches at #Cornell as an adjunct - she STARTED their Ukrainian program. Her classes get over enrolled in within a day with tons of demand. Students love her.

She had to fight for her health insurance 🥲🥲🥲

The 2023 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective #mRNA #vaccines against COVID-19.

Despite all the known issues with these (& other) prizes, this one makes me particularly happy: it is extremely well deserved and (another) clear example of what basic science can do for humanity.

@KimPerales

Hi, expert here. I have worked for 2 years as a COVID-19 research scientists.

Yes masks can help reduce infection when worn properly, though this does take training and you should be far more mindful, as improper use may create a false sense of safety... So use a mask if you are at particular risk, but be sure to learn proper safety.

That said also dont let posts like this paint a picture that COVID is "back" like it was before I is around, and it is here to stay, so it always will be. But the current infection rates in the USA is on the order of magnitude of a small fraction of what it was pre-lockdown (about 1/10th) and the death rate is even much smaller than that. So yes be mindful, practice good practices, but as an expert I assure you, no need for panic or over-the-top alarm either... be responsible, and live your life.

@freemo
The longer we keep a two party system the further we will keep this red v blue mentality. I wonder if I will ever see an independent sworn in before I die of climate change.

Which party do you think is to blame if there is a government shut-down?

#poll
#USpolitics
#GovernmentShutdown

Please share.

Nick Bloom of Stanford, probably the world authority on data-driven studies of the impact of remote work, delivers what is so far the definitive assessment of whether or not it’s a good idea.

Short answer: it can do wonders. Both hybrid and remote work, work.

But they require the right management and tools.

Managers who don’t know how to manage remote workers can ruin the experience for everyone.

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/4228100-does-working-from-home-damage-productivity-just-look-at-the-data/