Greg Grothaus

Fortunately existing benefits continue to get paid, though there are some negative consequences to social security programs if the GOP can't manage to pass a budget and the government shuts down. I added a new guide here:

ssa.tools/guides/gover...

The deadline to sign SB 79 and legalize more housing near transit in California is coming up. This is a hugely important bill both for ending the state's housing crisis and for securing its climate future. Please join me in urging @gavinnewsom.bsky.social to sign!

I'm thinking of this more for folks who don't have panels already, but absolutely this could add capacity too. The price of panels is dirt cheap now and battery costs are plummeting, so it won't be long before the highest cost of this is permitting and installer. Make that DIY and it's very cheap.

It feels like this could become a cheap decentralized option for charging vehicles within a few years. It could skip the permitting and installer costs. Anyone comfortable with mounting a few panels to a wall or roof could charge up at least their daily commute. Fast charging stations for the rest.

It's got an DC->AC->DC conversion loss, but perhaps this doesn't even matter much.

It seems like with off-the-shelf battery systems (ecoflow for example), one could today set up some solar panels for charging an EV entirely DIY (not grid-connected) without involving a utility. The only real barrier I see is the cost of the batteries, which are on a rapid cost reduction curve.

Presumably it will get a Shakespearean character as its name, like the other moons. I suggest Iago.

Voyager missed it, but James Webb Just Found Uranus’ hidden moon Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered a tiny new moon orbiting Uranus, increasing the planet’s moon tally to 29. The object, only about six miles wide, escaped Voyager 2’s de...

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...

We just found a new moon in the solar system with the JWST. That's incredible.

These pools in the rocks at Point Lobos appear to be formed by trapped seawater from spray getting evaporated and leaving behind salt.

What I don't understand is why the salt formations create thin fibers that look an awful lot like spider webs.

The strategy that finally causes you to fall asleep is the one you don't remember.

The expanse already has a lock on that.

If you have a cat, you should absolutely get one of these transparent window bird feeders.

When the margin is this small, you can blame any electoral factor you want. Weather, closure of a poll early, anything will be a true statement. It's not even clear if this was the actual vote count.

What really caused Bush to beat Gore was the Supreme Court.

Apparently there is a blood test for determining if you are immune to Measels, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR titer test). My last MMR vaccine shot was in 2000 so my docs ordered the test. Turns out, my immunity had waned, so I got a new shot. Seems like it might be worth doing, especially lately.

I don't disagree. Though states already do have mini-femas for smaller responses. The idea is that FEMA only steps in for major disasters.

I think the policy argument is that states could do it better / more efficiently and they could still be funded by grants.

That's far from a proven assertion, I don't buy it.

Even if true, it would probably take years for most states to build up the capacity to handle this.

I feel so old.

If You're So Smart, Why Can't You Die? What does AI tell us about the word "intelligence?"

The AI discussion is sometimes surprisingly philosophical. The framing of this is worth a read. I think it puts some useful context on the differences between the impact of computation and training data.

desystemize.substack.com/p/if-youre-s...

Advertisers are allowed to remove any comments they want on their ads or leave them but prevent anyone but the commenter's friends from seeing the comments. So it ends up filtered to only the positive comments.

The monarchs at Santa Cruz Natural Bridges today.

Bitcoin is estimated to be 1/3 of that. And it will drop in consumption exponentially over time due to halving. I'm not in favor of Bitcoin and it's power usage is in my opinion 100% waste, but it's not the only part of computing that has an environmental impact.

Bitcoin is estimated to be 1/3 of that. And it will drop in consumption exponentially over time due to halving. I'm not in favor of Bitcoin and it's power usage is in my opinion 100% waste, but it's not the only part of computing that has an environmental impact.