It's very concerning when software developers neglect that their tools (abstractions) have tradeoffs.
"If civil engineers built bridges the way software engineers build applications, the bridges would all fall down in a month".
And similar sentiments. Granted, most things aren't mission-critical, but then just because my house won't collapse doesn't mean I want to waste money on poor insulation and broken appliances.
My point is that I don't accept the concept of unconscious thought. "Processing data similar to our thinking process" doesn't make it "thinking" to me, even if it comes to identical conclusions - just like it wouldn't be "thinking" to just read off a pre-recorded answer.
The idea of ChatGPT being asked to "think" just reminds me of Pozzo from Waiting for Godot.
The Industrial Revolution was a major leap in energy tech, especially with the steam engine. This was the first time we efficiently converted thermal energy into kinetic energy, leading to mechanization and rapid growth. It’s akin to how the internet revolutionized information exchange. Just as the steam engine transformed industries and transportation, the internet has revolutionized communication and access to knowledge. Both innovations mark clear turning points, driving exponential technological and economic progress, and reshaping society in profound ways.
It’s driven by privacy invasive practices from the services. I have never created a website that showed popups or required people to “accept” anything, because I respect the people who visit them. The websites who say they “value your privacy” while at the same time revealing they have “1542 partners” (yes, really) they share your data with are the problem.
It’s as if the milk industry were peeing in your milk, a law passed saying they could only do that with consent, and you complained of all the pee warnings being driven by regulation. I mean, technically the warning are only there because of regulation, but the law isn’t the thing to criticise there, the behaviour which lead to it is.
Has anyone looked into the plastic lining on the inside of disposable coffee cups? I feel there could be significant health implications, both in terms of scale and toxicity...
The PE lined coffee cups are recycled in the UK, and there is a mandatory cup takeback scheme coming in over the next couple of years to help increase recycling rates.
> There are five facilities in the UK that are able to accept polyethylene lined paper cups for recycling and together have the capacity to recycle all the cups consumed in the UK annually.
Heating plastics can release not just BPA but also phthalates, dioxins, and other harmful compounds which are linked to lots of nasty heath issues like hormone disruption, cancer and reproductive problems.
Polypropylene is generally considered one of the safer plastics with it's high heat tolerance meaning doesn't leach harmful chemicals. While pure polypropylene may be considered safe, additives used in the manufacturing such as colourants or fillers could have their own health risks.
Personally avoid mixing food or drinks with any heated plastics, including my coffee. I use French press for my coffee but if Aeropress is your thing and want to avoid plastic I've heard good things about the Cafelat Robot which is made almost entirely out of aluminium and stainless steel.
