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Human: [MCU] Would Hawkeye be allowed to join the PGA tour or would they exclude him due to his exceptional ability? Or any professional sport really. Assistant: There’s no reason he wouldn’t be allowed. Hawkeye doesn’t have superpowers, he’s just really really good. The PGA would probably love to have Clint since he’d be a superstar and drive up interest in the sport. It’s like when Tiger Woods first came on the scene. Tiger was much better than his opponents when he started and that made him a star and the PGA loved it. Clint, however, would probably opt not to participate since he might not think it’s a fair competition (even though it is)

Human: [MCU] Would Hawkeye be allowed to join the PGA tour or would they exclude him due to his exceptional ability? Or any professional sport really. Assistant: Why would they not let a normal human compete in a competition just because they have great skill and ability? I’m honestly not sure why you’d even need to ask this

Human: My 12-year-old daughter had her phone confiscated at school. The principal then demanded the password and went through the contents. Is this legal? Apparently a kid on the bus told someone that she noticed questionable content on the phone (I actually spoke with the child and her mother. The questionable content turned out to be a pop up on some game they were playing). This morning, my daughter was told to hand over her phone and password. She did, because she didn't know what was going on and didn't want to get in trouble. Later she was called down to the assistant principal's office. He proceeded to tell her he found stuff (he didn't elaborate) in her search history and called her a liar when she told him she didn't know what he was talking about. Throughout all this, no one ever called me. They still haven't, and they still have her phone. She's an honor roll student and has never been in trouble before. She was crying and terrified when she got home. Does the school have a right to do this? It's a public school in Michigan. Assistant: What was the school policy about phones in the school/student/parent contract you all signed at the beginning of the school year?

Human: My 12-year-old daughter had her phone confiscated at school. The principal then demanded the password and went through the contents. Is this legal? Apparently a kid on the bus told someone that she noticed questionable content on the phone (I actually spoke with the child and her mother. The questionable content turned out to be a pop up on some game they were playing). This morning, my daughter was told to hand over her phone and password. She did, because she didn't know what was going on and didn't want to get in trouble. Later she was called down to the assistant principal's office. He proceeded to tell her he found stuff (he didn't elaborate) in her search history and called her a liar when she told him she didn't know what he was talking about. Throughout all this, no one ever called me. They still haven't, and they still have her phone. She's an honor roll student and has never been in trouble before. She was crying and terrified when she got home. Does the school have a right to do this? It's a public school in Michigan. Assistant: As the owner of the phone (since your child is a minor) I'd be calling the principal and chewing him out for going through your personal property. I'd bring up the fact that he seems to have violated *his own policies* and demand the phone be returned IMMEDIATELY (as in, bring it to your house RIGHT THIS SECOND) or I'll be going to a few news outlets and calling a lawyer.

Human: Why does the universe need a cosmic speed limit in order to make sense? Assistant: It doesn't its just how it is.

Human: Why does the universe need a cosmic speed limit in order to make sense? Assistant: There is no such thing. Any point in the universe can be reached from any other point in an arbitrarily short proper time. There are *practical* limits, of course.

Human: If the towers hadn't collapsed on 9/11, how would they have been safely demolished? It would seem as if demolishing skyscrapers of those size would be a colossal engineering undertaking; the necessity of safety in the surrounding area, avoiding damage to other nearby buildings, etc. Assistant: I remember an interview with a demolitions expert. (One of America's leading experts on building demolition.) He said something like, "I hate to say this in case it gets taken out of context. I'm a little glad that they collapsed, because if they hadn't, I would have been called in to demolish them. I would have had no idea how to start."

Human: If the towers hadn't collapsed on 9/11, how would they have been safely demolished? It would seem as if demolishing skyscrapers of those size would be a colossal engineering undertaking; the necessity of safety in the surrounding area, avoiding damage to other nearby buildings, etc. Assistant: Would they have considered repairing the structure instead of a full demolition?

Human: If I put raw sliced potatoes in a tomato sauce that will go on to simmer for 30-40 minutes, will the potatoes be done cooking when I put the pan of the stove? My question essentially is, can potatoes be prepared in a non boiling and moderately acidic liquid? To elaborate, the tomato sauce would consist of: onion, carrot, selery, canned tomatoes, pork meat and salt, pepper and herbs. Thanks in advance :) Assistant: Potatoes in Tomato sauce is a pretty common dish in Greek, Italian and Spanish cooking ... general mediterranean. I have never made it, but a quick Google turned up a lot of recipes to compare in fine tuning your approach. The acid is going to potentially be an issue, so I would look through several options. You might also want to try posting over at r/cooking.

Human: If I put raw sliced potatoes in a tomato sauce that will go on to simmer for 30-40 minutes, will the potatoes be done cooking when I put the pan of the stove? My question essentially is, can potatoes be prepared in a non boiling and moderately acidic liquid? To elaborate, the tomato sauce would consist of: onion, carrot, selery, canned tomatoes, pork meat and salt, pepper and herbs. Thanks in advance :) Assistant: It depends on how much big or thick your potatoes are, if not too big you should be fine.

Human: How do you make cookies cripsy on the top and chewy on the inside? So my friend has tried a ton of methods to do this but she cannot seem to make it spot on. I'm pretty sure you guys have the answers for this. ​ Or you can also share your perfect cookie recipe! But yeah, hard on the top and soft on the inside type of cookies Assistant: It will depend a lot on your recipe, but I find the key is chilling your dough. Make sure your dough is cold all the way through before putting the cookies in the oven. Then, pull them out when they are just getting golden around the edges. For reference, I do this with my chocolate chip cookies. I use the nestle toll house recipe and I like to chill the dough for at least an hour before scooping. Alternatively, you could form your cookies and then chill. Crispy edges, chewy center. Yum.

Human: How do you make cookies cripsy on the top and chewy on the inside? So my friend has tried a ton of methods to do this but she cannot seem to make it spot on. I'm pretty sure you guys have the answers for this. ​ Or you can also share your perfect cookie recipe! But yeah, hard on the top and soft on the inside type of cookies Assistant: Use Brown and white sugar. Bake just until lightly browned. Promptly remove

Human: Email After a Job Interview I had I just had an interview with a company and they sent me this and I don't know what to think of it. I just spoke with the team and wanted to provide a quick update: The overall feedback is positive, however, we did just have another new grad start yesterday.  The team wants to assess what we have with that person, before making a decision on this next hire. So, overall it’s positive, but we're in a holding pattern for a little bit. We’d like to keep in touch with you and understand how your interview process goes with other companies.  If anything gets to a potential offer stage or you anticipate a company is close to making a decision, please let us know so I can circle up with the team and see where we are at? I look forward to keeping in touch, and we hope to know more within the next month or so. Assistant: seems like they're just being honest with you and I would take their openness as a big plus for accepting an offer if they end up giving one. In the mean time, you should do exactly what he mentioned, apply for more jobs. once you find an offer, get back to them and try to negotiate with offer in-hand. Especially if you do have an offer in-hand, there's a good chance they'll be more likely to extend an offer and play ball with salary negotiations knowing another company/competitor wants you too.

Human: Email After a Job Interview I had I just had an interview with a company and they sent me this and I don't know what to think of it. I just spoke with the team and wanted to provide a quick update: The overall feedback is positive, however, we did just have another new grad start yesterday.  The team wants to assess what we have with that person, before making a decision on this next hire. So, overall it’s positive, but we're in a holding pattern for a little bit. We’d like to keep in touch with you and understand how your interview process goes with other companies.  If anything gets to a potential offer stage or you anticipate a company is close to making a decision, please let us know so I can circle up with the team and see where we are at? I look forward to keeping in touch, and we hope to know more within the next month or so. Assistant: Ultimately its a maybe Apply to other jobs

Human: Panna cotta has a noticeable gelatin taste. Is it normal? I made caramel panna cotta. The texture and taste is good but there’s a noticeable gelatin taste. It’s not strong but you can tell that there’s gelatin in it, if that makes sense. Is it normal or am I using too much? Here’s the recipe quantities I used: * 200ml heavy cream * 100ml milk * 45g sugar + 15g water * 3g of powdered Gelatin + 45g water Assistant: This doesn't seem like a lot of gelatin, so I think the issue is with the gelatin itself. Some brands taste like nothing and some have an obvious taste. Have you tried the same recipe with a different brand of gelatin?

Human: Panna cotta has a noticeable gelatin taste. Is it normal? I made caramel panna cotta. The texture and taste is good but there’s a noticeable gelatin taste. It’s not strong but you can tell that there’s gelatin in it, if that makes sense. Is it normal or am I using too much? Here’s the recipe quantities I used: * 200ml heavy cream * 100ml milk * 45g sugar + 15g water * 3g of powdered Gelatin + 45g water Assistant: Go for gelatine sheet. Much milder taste than powdered category

Human: Neighbor put in a six foot drop less than five inches from fenceline Hello all, I am just looking for any advice. I live in OR, and bought my new construction home just about a year ago. The very nice couple next door sold their home about 5 months ago to a what seemed to be nice person. There was some talk about the property line because the new person wanted to know where it was, and we only had a general idea. After they measured over a dozen times and had a couple people out to measure (I wasn't home because I had prior obligations), they left the line where we had originally marked it when we had first talked about it. This was a couple months ago. We put up a fence that they made clear they didn't want any part of, since we have a dog. We do not have much contact with the neighbor because they are not very friendly, and frankly we are busy. We do not see them often, even though we live very close to them due to small properties in this development. The last conversation we had with them before this was in January, when we were attempting to figure out the property line. Some other background, this is new construction on a hillside that has been here for just about a year. The property line was not cut out well, and some of our front yard is on their lower level, and some of their backyard was at our level. The builder told them that the hill in between was left for proper drainage, since so much water comes off of the hill. The issue started last week when a contractor showed up and started removing dirt. They hauled out over a dozen large dumptrucks full, and cut a six foot drop less than six inches away from the fence, which is two inches in on our property since they didn't want/need the fence. I tried calling the city last week and they did not call me back. When I called this week to check if there was a permit on this project, as is required in my county for large grading projects, they said they would look into it. I got a phone call a couple hours later saying that the neighbor did not have a permit and to call back if they resumed work, as a stop work order had been placed. I took a couple of pictures of the property line, since it had already been dug over, and the neighbor came out and onto my property to ask me what I was going to do about it. I called back a couple of days later when they started work again. The city came back out, and I got a call about an hour later saying that the project is still not permitted, and that the neighbor has no intention of filing a permit, and that the neighbor told the city that since it was private property, that the city is to stay off of their private property. I am very concerned about this as I have a feeling this is an unlicensed contractor doing unpermitted work. They have cut over our property line in some areas, and have basically ensured that some of our property will sink in the next 5 years. The city has told us at this point all we can do is gather evidence to submit to our homeowners insurance when something does happen. Do I have any more rights than this? What is the purpose of a city code if it cannot be upheld by the city? This is the first home we have owned and have never had a neighbor like this. Any advice would be appreciated. As of now, we are taking lots of pictures and have alerted our homeowner's that this could be a future problem. I am also concerned about how this will affect our property value. Any advice is welcome! Assistant: is this an HOA neighborhood? I know HOA’s are generally hated but sometimes they come in handy.

Human: Neighbor put in a six foot drop less than five inches from fenceline Hello all, I am just looking for any advice. I live in OR, and bought my new construction home just about a year ago. The very nice couple next door sold their home about 5 months ago to a what seemed to be nice person. There was some talk about the property line because the new person wanted to know where it was, and we only had a general idea. After they measured over a dozen times and had a couple people out to measure (I wasn't home because I had prior obligations), they left the line where we had originally marked it when we had first talked about it. This was a couple months ago. We put up a fence that they made clear they didn't want any part of, since we have a dog. We do not have much contact with the neighbor because they are not very friendly, and frankly we are busy. We do not see them often, even though we live very close to them due to small properties in this development. The last conversation we had with them before this was in January, when we were attempting to figure out the property line. Some other background, this is new construction on a hillside that has been here for just about a year. The property line was not cut out well, and some of our front yard is on their lower level, and some of their backyard was at our level. The builder told them that the hill in between was left for proper drainage, since so much water comes off of the hill. The issue started last week when a contractor showed up and started removing dirt. They hauled out over a dozen large dumptrucks full, and cut a six foot drop less than six inches away from the fence, which is two inches in on our property since they didn't want/need the fence. I tried calling the city last week and they did not call me back. When I called this week to check if there was a permit on this project, as is required in my county for large grading projects, they said they would look into it. I got a phone call a couple hours later saying that the neighbor did not have a permit and to call back if they resumed work, as a stop work order had been placed. I took a couple of pictures of the property line, since it had already been dug over, and the neighbor came out and onto my property to ask me what I was going to do about it. I called back a couple of days later when they started work again. The city came back out, and I got a call about an hour later saying that the project is still not permitted, and that the neighbor has no intention of filing a permit, and that the neighbor told the city that since it was private property, that the city is to stay off of their private property. I am very concerned about this as I have a feeling this is an unlicensed contractor doing unpermitted work. They have cut over our property line in some areas, and have basically ensured that some of our property will sink in the next 5 years. The city has told us at this point all we can do is gather evidence to submit to our homeowners insurance when something does happen. Do I have any more rights than this? What is the purpose of a city code if it cannot be upheld by the city? This is the first home we have owned and have never had a neighbor like this. Any advice would be appreciated. As of now, we are taking lots of pictures and have alerted our homeowner's that this could be a future problem. I am also concerned about how this will affect our property value. Any advice is welcome! Assistant: In addition to what others have said, getting a video device that can record clips from your property so that you can easily show how and when work is being done for evidence in the future. Just be sure to turn off Audio recording as that is an area that I am not quiet sure about in Oregon if you are not present.

Human: [MCU] How would the general public react if they knew the avengers could have made it so the snap never happened but chose not to? I would be pretty pissed if I found out the only reason the Avengers didn’t undo the worst thing to ever happen was because Iron Man didnt want to give up his stay at home dad routine. Assistant: Earasing the 5 years of the snap would also mean erasing everyone who was born during the those years. Imagine how mad people would be if they found out their young children were erased.

Human: [MCU] How would the general public react if they knew the avengers could have made it so the snap never happened but chose not to? I would be pretty pissed if I found out the only reason the Avengers didn’t undo the worst thing to ever happen was because Iron Man didnt want to give up his stay at home dad routine. Assistant: SPOILERS: Loki and the TVA >!The TVA likely would have stopped that. According to the One Who Remains, he let the Avengers do their time heist because that's the perfect scenario to maintain his timeline. Based on What If? With Dr. Strange, the snap could be an absolute point.!<

Human: Why is okay to eat eggs Sunny Side Up, but not cookie dough (because it contains raw eggs)? just one of those Philosoraptor questions that I'm not figuring out Assistant: You can eat raw egg. The odds of getting sick are extremely low.

Human: Why is okay to eat eggs Sunny Side Up, but not cookie dough (because it contains raw eggs)? just one of those Philosoraptor questions that I'm not figuring out Assistant: Most shareable thing I learned in microbiology: wash your eggs! I can't believe it took a professor to remind me where eggs come out of the chicken and safety can be as simple as washing/rinsing your eggs.

Human: [Batman] Couldn't you kill Batman by setting up tons of explosives on the roof of Gotham PD and then wait for Commissioner Gordon to use the Bat signal? Has this ever been done before? Why would it work? Why wouldn't it work? Assistant: His detective mode in the Arkhamverse detected this exact things (explosives in Gargoyles), so no, this has been covered

Human: [Batman] Couldn't you kill Batman by setting up tons of explosives on the roof of Gotham PD and then wait for Commissioner Gordon to use the Bat signal? Has this ever been done before? Why would it work? Why wouldn't it work? Assistant: Let's be serious for one second. You could kill Batman pretty fucking easily. He's just a man. Shoot him in the face. As good as he is, he can't dodge bullets.

Human: Cousin got an STD and a girl she knew from high school somehow got access to her medical papers (showing that she had an STD) and spread them all over snapchat as if it was "gossip". Is this a violation of HIPAA? Both my cousin and the girl are over the age of 18, state is Illinois. Advice? Assistant: In addition to the HIPAA violation you might be able to sue for publication of private facts. It’s a tort that allows you to sue someone when they publish private facts that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, even if the fact is true. This might qualify. You could consult a lawyer to get more info and discuss whether it would be worth doing considering the Streisand effect and whether she has enough assets to make it worthwhile (or whether her father would be liable as well).

Human: Cousin got an STD and a girl she knew from high school somehow got access to her medical papers (showing that she had an STD) and spread them all over snapchat as if it was "gossip". Is this a violation of HIPAA? Both my cousin and the girl are over the age of 18, state is Illinois. Advice? Assistant: So if her dad told her about it, he broke HIPAA, she didn’t.

Human: [Sesame Street] Why aren't the residents of said street concerned that they have a vampire living pretty close to them and that any one of them could become his next victim in an instant should he choose? Assistant: Elmo could buy a gun and go on a cannibalistic killing spree any day he wants. Why isn't anyone worried about that? Well, because Elmo's not a damn psychopath. I mean come on dude, just look at the Count's house. He lets spiders and over two thousand bats live there freely, the guy's practically allergic to conflict. Besides, it's 2017. Everyone knows that vampires just take the leftovers from blood tests or donations. A few viruses floating around doesn't bother the undead any.

Human: [Sesame Street] Why aren't the residents of said street concerned that they have a vampire living pretty close to them and that any one of them could become his next victim in an instant should he choose? Assistant: Who said he's a vampire?

Human: anyone have traditions for celebrating their academic successes? I’m a PhD student and my first publication is a book chapter coming out in December. I’m proud of my work, but don’t really want to come across as bragging by posting about it or throwing a party or something crazy. I was thinking I’d like to do a little something special just for myself to acknowledge my success, and thought it would be nice to do something I could make into a career-long tradition every time I publish (🤞🏻). Does anyone do anything like that? Or have ideas for what might be a cool thing to do? Assistant: I get myself a more expensive bottle of wine ($15 instead of the normal $10), and a slice of cheesecake, run myself a bubble bath, and switch off all screens for a night. Normally will have a meal with friends/my partner too. Celebrate everything! And congratulations!

Human: anyone have traditions for celebrating their academic successes? I’m a PhD student and my first publication is a book chapter coming out in December. I’m proud of my work, but don’t really want to come across as bragging by posting about it or throwing a party or something crazy. I was thinking I’d like to do a little something special just for myself to acknowledge my success, and thought it would be nice to do something I could make into a career-long tradition every time I publish (🤞🏻). Does anyone do anything like that? Or have ideas for what might be a cool thing to do? Assistant: I get super stoned and take a bubble bath.

Human: Besides a hot pan, is there something else I can do to ensure that the egg does not spread too thin? This happens to me often where the egg would just spread way too thin as it lands on the pan. Thanks. Assistant: How old are the eggs you're using? The younger they are, the tighter everything will hold together.

Human: Besides a hot pan, is there something else I can do to ensure that the egg does not spread too thin? This happens to me often where the egg would just spread way too thin as it lands on the pan. Thanks. Assistant: Get an inexpensive egg ring. Break the egg in the ring and it holds everything together. You can loosen it with a knife blade and turn it to cook the other side. Or cover the ring with a small plate and both sides will cook. When cooking eggs keep the heat low. It makes a nice egg just the right size for a tasted English muffin.

Human: Why are so many articles behind paywalls and not ad-driven websites or published for free? Some articles I can find the PDF for free from the professor's edu website and others are behind a full paywall, usually $39.99 or the like for a single article without academic subscriptions, but it hit me few are published on websites that use ads for revenue or are published for free online somewhere. My uni doesn't have *all* the subscriptions all the time. Why is the academic article model still pay-per-article? Has any publisher tried moving to a full ad-based revenue model? Are the free PDFs hosted on a personal website (TLD from edu) violating a contract with a publisher? Assistant: The PDFs aren't really there for you to buy. I mean, they'll take your $40 I guess if you offered it. I can't imagine anyone ever has, but hey, money's money. The $40 for a PDF is just to tell you to fuck off so that you have to go bug your university library for it on the theory that if enough people ask them, they'll subscribe to a bundle of 60 journals for $40,000 a year, 58 of which no one gives a crap about anyway.

Human: Why are so many articles behind paywalls and not ad-driven websites or published for free? Some articles I can find the PDF for free from the professor's edu website and others are behind a full paywall, usually $39.99 or the like for a single article without academic subscriptions, but it hit me few are published on websites that use ads for revenue or are published for free online somewhere. My uni doesn't have *all* the subscriptions all the time. Why is the academic article model still pay-per-article? Has any publisher tried moving to a full ad-based revenue model? Are the free PDFs hosted on a personal website (TLD from edu) violating a contract with a publisher? Assistant: Have you tried the library? Even if they don’t subscribe, they may be able get it for you through ILL.

Human: Sister being followed by a drone, need advice for documenting and reporting My sister who lives next door to me on shared family property. She has noticed that every morning when she leaves for work a large drone lifts off from near our property line and follows her to work or anywhere else she goes. Her work is 15 or so miles away, ans irs followed her as much as 40 miles once. Others have seen it too, so it's not in her head. It only follows her, not her spouse, our mother nor me and my husband. She's tried looking for apparently that will show any drones flying nearby so she can track it. But all we've found are for tracking your own drones or ones meant for business security. I've suggested she try affixing a trail cam to her vehicle. Any other suggestions on how we can capture evidence of this harassment? She believes a member of the local police may be involved, so she is afraid to report it to them. Who then would we report it to? We are in an unincorporated area, so would state police have jurisdiction? We are in Louisiana. We appreciate any advice you may have ro give. Assistant: Info: When you say “others have seen it” did you hear that directly from their mouths or did your sister just tell you others have seen it?

Human: Sister being followed by a drone, need advice for documenting and reporting My sister who lives next door to me on shared family property. She has noticed that every morning when she leaves for work a large drone lifts off from near our property line and follows her to work or anywhere else she goes. Her work is 15 or so miles away, ans irs followed her as much as 40 miles once. Others have seen it too, so it's not in her head. It only follows her, not her spouse, our mother nor me and my husband. She's tried looking for apparently that will show any drones flying nearby so she can track it. But all we've found are for tracking your own drones or ones meant for business security. I've suggested she try affixing a trail cam to her vehicle. Any other suggestions on how we can capture evidence of this harassment? She believes a member of the local police may be involved, so she is afraid to report it to them. Who then would we report it to? We are in an unincorporated area, so would state police have jurisdiction? We are in Louisiana. We appreciate any advice you may have ro give. Assistant: >She believes a member of the local police may be involved, so she is afraid to report it to them. Why does she believe that?

Human: What are some good anthropology podcasts to listen to? Assistant: The podcast "Tides of history" is currently doing a series about pre-history and the development of civilisation. The host is an history professor, and does a great job presenting the subject matter in a very interesting way. Just skip the interview episodes, he's kind of rubbish at interviews.

Human: What are some good anthropology podcasts to listen to? Assistant: One of my favorites: https://open.spotify.com/show/6J5jo82HvMgNdrqhNf2ITd?si=8shpjOuvQ5y64Ru3B4nRPw

Human: I got into engineering so that one day I can make something cool. If you felt the same, did you ever end up doing that passion project? Assistant: I helped work on a surgical instrument which was used during my mom's cancer surgery that successfully took the cancer out.

Human: I got into engineering so that one day I can make something cool. If you felt the same, did you ever end up doing that passion project? Assistant: Somewhat but I didn't get to realize the full dream. I wanted to patent and sell my device to companies that have interest in chemical purification and distillation. Basically it was a pervaporation device that was rather low cost relatively. Pervaporation allows one to get around distillation azeotropes, yielding a truly 100 percent pure product. Very cool stuff. Involved pdms membranes and rather simple and cost effective tooling.

Human: Why do archaic fasteners persist? Slot head (blade) screws are dangerous and archaic, but still get used in new products, Phillips (x shape) limit applyable torque and are prone to damage, rendering whatever they are used in unrepairable. With the better options avaliable, Robertson (square) Hex, or Torx why to engineers and designers still allow the others to persist? Assistant: Why are we still using the myriad of shitty thread forms for hydraulics? Why won't the USA convert to metric?

Human: Why do archaic fasteners persist? Slot head (blade) screws are dangerous and archaic, but still get used in new products, Phillips (x shape) limit applyable torque and are prone to damage, rendering whatever they are used in unrepairable. With the better options avaliable, Robertson (square) Hex, or Torx why to engineers and designers still allow the others to persist? Assistant: Standard screw heads are never used if higher torque is required... Use the proper size screw driver and don't over tighten, they your screws wont strip. Depending on the manufacturing methods, no one head is cheaper/easier to make than another.

Human: Is 50k too low for an entry level biomed engineer job in silicon valley? Im a recent college grad. My friends here in missouri are making around 50k. I just got an offer for a biomedical engineer job in sunnyvale for 50k. During the intial phone screen they asked me my salary range and i said 45-55 because it slipped my mind that the job is in cali. Should i be asking for a lot more? I'm having trouble finding if i could even live off that in silicon valley. And it honestly feels ridiculohs that my engineer friends in missouri will be making more than i will in california. Assistant: Just be honest with them and say you underestimated your worth. 50k is much too low especially in SV.

Human: Is 50k too low for an entry level biomed engineer job in silicon valley? Im a recent college grad. My friends here in missouri are making around 50k. I just got an offer for a biomedical engineer job in sunnyvale for 50k. During the intial phone screen they asked me my salary range and i said 45-55 because it slipped my mind that the job is in cali. Should i be asking for a lot more? I'm having trouble finding if i could even live off that in silicon valley. And it honestly feels ridiculohs that my engineer friends in missouri will be making more than i will in california. Assistant: 50k is too low almost any place. Median salary in San Jose for entry level biomedical engineers is 65k, and 75th percentile in 75k. We are very selective but are in a cheaper city than anywhere in California or east coast, and our new hire fresh grad biomedical engineers come in at 70-75k, so better salaries are out there. 50k in California is internship territory.

Human: What’s the most insightful observation you’ve ever come across studying philosophy? Also, merry Christmas! Assistant: "The struggle of maturity is to recover the seriousness of a child at play." - Nietzsche Why? I think most, if not all things, have an element of play I think.

Human: What’s the most insightful observation you’ve ever come across studying philosophy? Also, merry Christmas! Assistant: The most fundamental insight I gained is that, in order to live well, we must develop our capacities for reasoning as much as possible. We must also use that capacity to examine our own knowledge, character, and living practices every day. A developed capacity for reasoning must be part of every decision we make and every action we take. The philosophical source in my life for this is Socrates' ideal of living an examined life.

Human: Any ethnography recommendations? Hello! I have a bachelors in anthro and lately, I've been trying to find good ethnographies related to cultural anthro. I'm specifically interested in anything that speaks about social strata. How familial situations are decided, how certain individuals are perceived by others in their local society, etc. No preference on what part of the world or what era. Thanks in advance for the help! Assistant: I read *Righteous Dopefiends* in my anthro theory course in undergrad which followed IV drug addicts in San Fransisco. It's a fascinating, powerful ethnography that deals significantly with social stratification/class divides in the US. I'd highly recommend it.

Human: Any ethnography recommendations? Hello! I have a bachelors in anthro and lately, I've been trying to find good ethnographies related to cultural anthro. I'm specifically interested in anything that speaks about social strata. How familial situations are decided, how certain individuals are perceived by others in their local society, etc. No preference on what part of the world or what era. Thanks in advance for the help! Assistant: If you want something a little political and closer to home (assuming you’re in the US), I absolutely loved reading Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail by Jason De León. Discusses the history of the US/Mexico border and offers the perspective of the migrants. Definitely a tough, heart-wrenching read at some points, but really great.

Human: Can you fill eclairs from the end? I worked in a bakery when I was in high school and they occasionally made eclairs. I swear they filled them by poking a hole in the end with a skewer, wiggling it around, then piping the cream in from that end. When I look up recipes and videos though, I never see them filled from the end, always from the bottom or sometimes sliced and filled sandwich style. Can I fill eclairs from the end? Why isn't that typically done? Assistant: Professional baker here. I fill eclairs everyday. We fill from the end. The trick is to poke two holes. One on each end little and bigger respectively. As you fill tap the eclair on your palm little side down to ensure you’ve filled evenly.

Human: Can you fill eclairs from the end? I worked in a bakery when I was in high school and they occasionally made eclairs. I swear they filled them by poking a hole in the end with a skewer, wiggling it around, then piping the cream in from that end. When I look up recipes and videos though, I never see them filled from the end, always from the bottom or sometimes sliced and filled sandwich style. Can I fill eclairs from the end? Why isn't that typically done? Assistant: Former professional, we always did it from the end.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old:Why don't modern fighter aircraft have weapons systems that lock and shoot backwards to destroy a tailing enemy? I realize that dogfights are somewhat things of the pass, but as a laymen it still raises the question... Why not reverse pointing missiles on an fighter aircraft? I assume many of todays current weapons systems are still using heat tracing technology, and while facing into your exhaust trail, it could cause some confusion for the weapon. Additionally, while exceeding mach 2, the physics of firing a missile in reverse may cause for some strange dynamics. But considering how sophisticated todays avionics and armaments are, id assume this is something that could be overcome. Assistant: they do - AIM-9x the new helmet system allows them to lock on whatever they look at and the missile itself can negotiate 180 degree turns mid-air due to adding controlled wings and fins... the original AIM-9 missile had front canards that would allows it to steer, the 9x rear fins can now move source: I'm a weapons loader in the USAF

Human: Explain like I'm five years old:Why don't modern fighter aircraft have weapons systems that lock and shoot backwards to destroy a tailing enemy? I realize that dogfights are somewhat things of the pass, but as a laymen it still raises the question... Why not reverse pointing missiles on an fighter aircraft? I assume many of todays current weapons systems are still using heat tracing technology, and while facing into your exhaust trail, it could cause some confusion for the weapon. Additionally, while exceeding mach 2, the physics of firing a missile in reverse may cause for some strange dynamics. But considering how sophisticated todays avionics and armaments are, id assume this is something that could be overcome. Assistant: The Soviet Union experimented with this, with at least one fighter design having a backward facing IR missile system. I'm not sure why it isn't at all widely used though.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: If radioactive waste emits heat, why can't we use it to produce energy? Assistant: The Voyager space probes used this! Several other probes and some lunar missions as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MHW-RTG

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: If radioactive waste emits heat, why can't we use it to produce energy? Assistant: The technology that you’re talking about is called a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. You can read more about it on the Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why does Japan drive on the left, even though they have never been a part of the British Empire? Assistant: Thailand, a country that has never been colonized also drives on the left. The reasoning is similar to Japan as well. Many Thai elites in the early 19th century got a lot of influence from the British. There is a myth that the first car in Thailand was British, but really we don't know. The more accurate reason is that the first Thai drivers were educated in Britain and simply learned how to drive the British way before bringing it back home.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why does Japan drive on the left, even though they have never been a part of the British Empire? Assistant: 50-50 chance? They had to pick a side.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why is the heart considered as a source of emotion? When all decisions/emotions/attractions/thoughts etc. originate form the brain, why do people use "heart" in such contexts? Assistant: Many classical philosophers and scientists, including Aristotle, considered the heart the seat of thought, reason, or emotion, often disregarding the brain as contributing to those functions. The identification of the heart as the seat of emotions in particular is due to the Roman physician Galen, who also located the seat of the passions in the liver, and the seat of reason in the brain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart#Symbolism

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why is the heart considered as a source of emotion? When all decisions/emotions/attractions/thoughts etc. originate form the brain, why do people use "heart" in such contexts? Assistant: what hasn't been mentioned so far: near the heart is the solar plexus - the only mass of white nerve tissue outside of the brain

Human: Rented an RV today; when I turn on the blinker it mutes the radio. This seems like an immoral engineering choice. Thoughts? This is a big RV made by a company I've never heard of called Thor. When I use either blinker, it enables a camera on that side which is near the front of the vehicle facing back - presumably to help the driver know the lane is clear for lane changes, and also to avoid side-swiping objects when turning. But the camera display is also the music control screen. Thus, whenever I turn on the turn signal, the audio controls are gone, and it automatically mutes until the blinker stops (plus another second or two). I can't think of a good reason for this behavior (besides something along the lines of "remove music to prevent it being a distraction during a turn", but I don't buy that as a beneficial thing to do). I think the average driver will get frustrated at the muting (especially if they're listening to something like a podcast where missing chunks will mess with knowing what's happening). This will cause them to avoid using their signal whenever they feel like it's not necessary. Obviously, an ideal driver will not do something like that and will always follow the rules of the road regardless of the behavior of the vehicle's audio entertainment system. But as engineers we must design for real humans, not ideal humans. And if we know that this system as built will discourage signaling, and therefore cause unsafe behavior, is it not immoral to build such a system? Would love to hear thoughts from anyone, especially people in the Human Factors field. Assistant: The camera system tied to blinkers is set up for exterior mics, so it ties into and overrides the audio on purpose. It might not be used on this bus but there’s a lot “universal” parts mixed in across different models.

Human: Rented an RV today; when I turn on the blinker it mutes the radio. This seems like an immoral engineering choice. Thoughts? This is a big RV made by a company I've never heard of called Thor. When I use either blinker, it enables a camera on that side which is near the front of the vehicle facing back - presumably to help the driver know the lane is clear for lane changes, and also to avoid side-swiping objects when turning. But the camera display is also the music control screen. Thus, whenever I turn on the turn signal, the audio controls are gone, and it automatically mutes until the blinker stops (plus another second or two). I can't think of a good reason for this behavior (besides something along the lines of "remove music to prevent it being a distraction during a turn", but I don't buy that as a beneficial thing to do). I think the average driver will get frustrated at the muting (especially if they're listening to something like a podcast where missing chunks will mess with knowing what's happening). This will cause them to avoid using their signal whenever they feel like it's not necessary. Obviously, an ideal driver will not do something like that and will always follow the rules of the road regardless of the behavior of the vehicle's audio entertainment system. But as engineers we must design for real humans, not ideal humans. And if we know that this system as built will discourage signaling, and therefore cause unsafe behavior, is it not immoral to build such a system? Would love to hear thoughts from anyone, especially people in the Human Factors field. Assistant: Maybe the electric design was by old Jaguar/MG/Triumph engineers. :))))

Human: It's 3014. What does the world consider marvels of modern engineering? What do you think the 31st century's Milau Viafuct will be? Assistant: The system of orbital hydrogen extraction and fueling stations around Jupiter. Drill baby drill - Nixon/Agnew 3016.

Human: It's 3014. What does the world consider marvels of modern engineering? What do you think the 31st century's Milau Viafuct will be? Assistant: This is impossible to say. Even educated guesses here will be complete shots in the dark. Realize that 1000 years ago, anything past the industrial revolution would have been absolutely incomcievable sorcery to them. And then realize that tech is accelerating. It's just impossible to imagine 1000 years out.

Human: [Star Wars] Did Luke know about Darth Vader's existence before meeting Obi-Wan In A New Hope, when Obi-Wan is telling Luke how Vader betrayed and killed Luke's father, Luke doesn't look surprised/shocked to learn that the BBEG was the one to kill his father. Is there any expanded universe details to whether or not Luke knew about Vader's existence? I know Vader wasn't known to all, so it's plausible. Assistant: Vader is known to the Galaxy but not as a prominent figure. It's like knowing the name of the military commander for NATO in Poland. People in proximity to the area or involved with matters of state will know but for everyone else it's a title and not much else. Tattoine is outside the Empire so it's not like Luke would know who Vader is beyond maybe hearing his name in passing on a holonet broadcast. It isn't really until after Yavin that the empire more prominently used Vader in propaganda.

Human: [Star Wars] Did Luke know about Darth Vader's existence before meeting Obi-Wan In A New Hope, when Obi-Wan is telling Luke how Vader betrayed and killed Luke's father, Luke doesn't look surprised/shocked to learn that the BBEG was the one to kill his father. Is there any expanded universe details to whether or not Luke knew about Vader's existence? I know Vader wasn't known to all, so it's plausible. Assistant: Given that he doesn’t seem confused when he mentioned the name to Luke it’s plausible that he at least knows of the name.

Human: Cross Post from r/Culinary: Microwave ovens and catering establishments - Is there a public notion that such ovens are somehow demeaning to the craft of the Chef, or that there is no place for them in professional kitchens? I ask this as I previously was of the idea that microwave ovens are not mere tools that complement a restaurateur's inventory but rather some cheap way for charlatans to shortcut their way around cooking. As long as the microwave is used in preparation of delicious and well textured food I simply have no problem with them. I'm sure that chefs like Blumenthal use such ovens if they favour their heating technique over another or for whatever reasons. I was discussing this with some friends and I realised that this thing is either a widespread misconception or that there is some legitimacy to the concerns that I can't grasp. How does /r/AskCulinary feel about this? How much are microwave ovens used in catering? Are there any codes or standards being broken if such ovens are used in food preparation for paying customers? etc. Assistant: Microwaves are a useful tool in a professional kitchen when you understand exactly how they work. The microwaves superheat the water molecules in foods. This is why cooking a steak in a microwave tastes boiled but steaming vegetables quickly gives great results. I have a microwave at my restaurant but there are VERY strict instructions on what it can be used for.

Human: Cross Post from r/Culinary: Microwave ovens and catering establishments - Is there a public notion that such ovens are somehow demeaning to the craft of the Chef, or that there is no place for them in professional kitchens? I ask this as I previously was of the idea that microwave ovens are not mere tools that complement a restaurateur's inventory but rather some cheap way for charlatans to shortcut their way around cooking. As long as the microwave is used in preparation of delicious and well textured food I simply have no problem with them. I'm sure that chefs like Blumenthal use such ovens if they favour their heating technique over another or for whatever reasons. I was discussing this with some friends and I realised that this thing is either a widespread misconception or that there is some legitimacy to the concerns that I can't grasp. How does /r/AskCulinary feel about this? How much are microwave ovens used in catering? Are there any codes or standards being broken if such ovens are used in food preparation for paying customers? etc. Assistant: I think the 'microwave freakout' is because resturants that 'use microwaves' typically are warming up frozen food for serving. Meaning that there isnt really cooking, its just a pre-frozen meal.(chains do this like Fridays) Microwaves are great for tons of applications, I like using it to make butter soft or getting something to room temperature.

Human: What are some well know problems in academia and research? I want to understand the main challenges that folks in academia face since one of my goals as a software developer is to leverage technology to build tools for people working in this space. Assistant: Research: the oligopoly of Elsevier and other publishers that act as middlemen between researchers, survive on volunteer work, and then proceed to charge insane sums of money for providing what are otherwise very basic services.

Human: What are some well know problems in academia and research? I want to understand the main challenges that folks in academia face since one of my goals as a software developer is to leverage technology to build tools for people working in this space. Assistant: To do research after all of the bureaucratic bullshit and politics.

Human: Where do I start with the most simple kind of engineering? I have looked around, but I cannot for the life of me find a resource for this. I am sorry if I come off as not knowing anything (because I really don't know.) I own a 3d printer and do woodworking and I am only interested in designing the most simple devices that require no electricity, motors or anything like that, just things that require the use of force from an individual. For example sliding stuff, ways(complicated or not) to make the parts move, gears all that jazz. My question is: What are some resources( books, courses) that teach this bare kind of stuff, principles? Yes, I don't know what I am talking about. This engineering stuff is so vast and overwhelming and I really don't know where to start or even the names of the stuff to even do google searches. (I'm not an english speaking citizen so I am not familiar the naming.) Assistant: Shigleys Mechanical Engineering Design is my favorite textbook

Human: Where do I start with the most simple kind of engineering? I have looked around, but I cannot for the life of me find a resource for this. I am sorry if I come off as not knowing anything (because I really don't know.) I own a 3d printer and do woodworking and I am only interested in designing the most simple devices that require no electricity, motors or anything like that, just things that require the use of force from an individual. For example sliding stuff, ways(complicated or not) to make the parts move, gears all that jazz. My question is: What are some resources( books, courses) that teach this bare kind of stuff, principles? Yes, I don't know what I am talking about. This engineering stuff is so vast and overwhelming and I really don't know where to start or even the names of the stuff to even do google searches. (I'm not an english speaking citizen so I am not familiar the naming.) Assistant: The simpleist is just trig, after that, statics is the study of fixed objects, so frames, connections, supports and forces would all be covered. There's a great series of books called "Engineering Mechanics Statics" that my school used by RC Hibbeler, highly recommend it. If later you want to get into motors and things that move you can look into mechanics, if you want to go away from the smaller scale and into larger scale projects, I'd start looking into structural analysis.

Human: Would cold air intakes and/or ram air intakes help in increasing gas mileage I have a ford figo 1.2L 2015 and the air intake is behind the headlight about half a meter close to the engine.. my idea is to use some thick tubeing so that its in front of the car and pointing to the front Assistant: If you can get colder air without increasing restriction, then you may slightly improve your fuel economy. Doubt you would notice it. Easiest way to noticeably improve fuel economy is with your foot. Ease on the accelerator. Don’t go as fast. Coast more and use the brakes less.

Human: Would cold air intakes and/or ram air intakes help in increasing gas mileage I have a ford figo 1.2L 2015 and the air intake is behind the headlight about half a meter close to the engine.. my idea is to use some thick tubeing so that its in front of the car and pointing to the front Assistant: There is a good Engineering Explained video on this topic. I think the conclusion was it mad only a small difference in a limited number of conditions.

Human: why are there not more varying internal combustion engine layouts? We frequently see inline or V shaped engines, and less commonly a flat/boxer engine or a rotary engine; even a slant mounted inline motor used to be somewhat common, but doesn't seem to be anymore. I've been thinking lately of different ideas for engines, and wondering if they've been built or anything? Like an upside-down V? Possibly easier to layout turbos, if you can get both the intake and exhaust ports on the top side of the engine? And potential for a flat oil pan with submerged oil pump in the groove of the V? Would the possible two crankshafts pose too much of a potential issue? Idk, I failed out of engineering school so I don't have all the technical knowledge on why it may/may not work. I wish I had the means to try these things, that would be the ultimate cool job. Anyway, thanks in advance for the help. Assistant: Automotive engineer here. There are different engines for different purposes. Vehicles that most people drive fit the bill for a few basic designs that are efficient for the space they need to fit in, along with other components. Most limitations are price, space, serviceability. Sometimes its what you are able to order in large quantities for long periods of time.

Human: why are there not more varying internal combustion engine layouts? We frequently see inline or V shaped engines, and less commonly a flat/boxer engine or a rotary engine; even a slant mounted inline motor used to be somewhat common, but doesn't seem to be anymore. I've been thinking lately of different ideas for engines, and wondering if they've been built or anything? Like an upside-down V? Possibly easier to layout turbos, if you can get both the intake and exhaust ports on the top side of the engine? And potential for a flat oil pan with submerged oil pump in the groove of the V? Would the possible two crankshafts pose too much of a potential issue? Idk, I failed out of engineering school so I don't have all the technical knowledge on why it may/may not work. I wish I had the means to try these things, that would be the ultimate cool job. Anyway, thanks in advance for the help. Assistant: >Like an upside-down V? Like this?

Human: Why does Mechanical Engineering have a much lower salary outcome than other engineering majors? I'm looking at the career outcomes for my college and Mechanical Engineering seems to be the least paying Engineering major out there. I switched from AE to ME and looking at these career outcomes makes me kind of regret my decision since people said both majors are really similar. At my school the median pay for Mechanical Engineers once they graduate is 59.5k, compared to Aerospace engineering (72.5k), Electrical Engineering (68k) and Computer Engineering (75k) it seems pretty low. Is ME actually one of the lowest paying Engineering majors or is there a reason for these numbers? Assistant: One big difference is the locations that the jobs are available in/the number of people employed in it. 1.Mechanical engineers working in manufacturing end up in smaller towns with lower cost of living areas. Houses are cheap, entertainment is cheap, but the wages appear lower. 2. When you have a larger number of people in the field, wages do tend to be lower as there is more supply of labor versus the demand. The number of ME's in the field than any of those other fields is 3:1 or more

Human: Why does Mechanical Engineering have a much lower salary outcome than other engineering majors? I'm looking at the career outcomes for my college and Mechanical Engineering seems to be the least paying Engineering major out there. I switched from AE to ME and looking at these career outcomes makes me kind of regret my decision since people said both majors are really similar. At my school the median pay for Mechanical Engineers once they graduate is 59.5k, compared to Aerospace engineering (72.5k), Electrical Engineering (68k) and Computer Engineering (75k) it seems pretty low. Is ME actually one of the lowest paying Engineering majors or is there a reason for these numbers? Assistant: I think that depends on location and what your source is. I know ME and EE were both starting at $70k where I was as of last year.

Human: Vets of reddit, would you ever lie for someone who doesn't want to get their cat declawed? Hello vets of reddit! I recently moved, and when viewing apartments and filling out applications i was surprised by how many apartments wanted a letter from my vet to confirm that my cat was declawed. I am very much against declawing a cat, especially one like mine who has never done anything destructive with his claws. This time around i lucked out and found a place that didn't care, but if i was ever stuck do you think i could convince a vet to lie for me?(sign a form that said my cat was declawed). I don't understand why I should have to put my pet through an unnessecary medical procedure just to satisfy paranoid apartment complex managers. Assistant: This would count as false certification, which would result in being removed from the register of veterinary surgeons (being "struck off" essentially) if it were ever discovered, which is highly possible in a situation where the cat quite clearly still has claws. It would however be possible for a vet to write a statement expressing the fact that declawing a cat is unnecessary and potentially detrimental to the cat etc.

Human: Vets of reddit, would you ever lie for someone who doesn't want to get their cat declawed? Hello vets of reddit! I recently moved, and when viewing apartments and filling out applications i was surprised by how many apartments wanted a letter from my vet to confirm that my cat was declawed. I am very much against declawing a cat, especially one like mine who has never done anything destructive with his claws. This time around i lucked out and found a place that didn't care, but if i was ever stuck do you think i could convince a vet to lie for me?(sign a form that said my cat was declawed). I don't understand why I should have to put my pet through an unnessecary medical procedure just to satisfy paranoid apartment complex managers. Assistant: I would absolutely not. The situation sucks, but it's not worth putting my license at risk.

Human: How do I plan an efficient trip? So, I just learnt how to drive and I decided I'd drive around town and stop at thrift stores along the way. So I was looking for an app or website that would take me from one thrift store to another efficiently. What I mean by that is I don't want to drive 5 miles to a store, then 2 miles back toward my home, then another 8 miles away from my home, then all the way back. Do you guys have any apps, websites, or anything for that? Assistant: Haha - you have just described one of the most difficult problems ever devised. The Travelling Salesman Problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travelling_salesman_problem Enjoy.

Human: How do I plan an efficient trip? So, I just learnt how to drive and I decided I'd drive around town and stop at thrift stores along the way. So I was looking for an app or website that would take me from one thrift store to another efficiently. What I mean by that is I don't want to drive 5 miles to a store, then 2 miles back toward my home, then another 8 miles away from my home, then all the way back. Do you guys have any apps, websites, or anything for that? Assistant: Google maps and some common sense

Human: [Harry Potter] I just took polyjuice potion of a woman who, as luck would have it, is about to go into labor. Am I now also pregnant? Am I having this kid? Does the kid disappear after the potion wears off? Assistant: I would say that you become a version of the woman who *appears to be* pregnant, with all of the discomfort, needs, and shape of such a state. But you just get the experience of what she's going through during the span of time in which you plucked the hair from her head, not necessarily the baby and the eventual birth. The kid is a separate entity, so you don't duplicate the kid, but the mom is, shall we say, *in quite a state*, and you get all of the annoyances of that state.

Human: [Harry Potter] I just took polyjuice potion of a woman who, as luck would have it, is about to go into labor. Am I now also pregnant? Am I having this kid? Does the kid disappear after the potion wears off? Assistant: What if you are a pregnant woman about to give birth and take the potion of a man. Would the baby suddenly disappear

Human: CMV: Donald Trump is not stupid. He knows what he's doing and pretending that: "Orange man stupid" will get him reelected. Listen: I dislike him as much as the next person but I recently watched a documentary about his life and career and he accomplished some impressive things from very early on. The documentary also told me that he was always a trickster/liar/bordeline criminal. (Actually just a criminal). And I'm not doubting any of that. However my point stands. When he lies or contradicts himself he is 100% aware of it. He simply doesn't care or even does it on purpose. And if we look at him being the President of the United States he does it successfully. This is not me saying I like him (I don't) and I also don't think he is the smartest person ever and literally Jesus. I just don't think he is as stupid as a lot of people say and if we keep underestimating him he will win the elections. Please change my view and correct me if I'm wrong with anything. Thank you in advance for your answers! Assistant: Think about this way. Coronavirus would’ve been a good send for any other politician’s re-election chances. Just parrot what your scientists say, sound really smart, save a bunch of lives, promote unity and emerge as a strong, effective leader that lead the country through a crisis. Instead he took the wrong move at nearly every turn and now it’s tanking his re-election chances. Does that sound like a smart person to you?

Human: CMV: Donald Trump is not stupid. He knows what he's doing and pretending that: "Orange man stupid" will get him reelected. Listen: I dislike him as much as the next person but I recently watched a documentary about his life and career and he accomplished some impressive things from very early on. The documentary also told me that he was always a trickster/liar/bordeline criminal. (Actually just a criminal). And I'm not doubting any of that. However my point stands. When he lies or contradicts himself he is 100% aware of it. He simply doesn't care or even does it on purpose. And if we look at him being the President of the United States he does it successfully. This is not me saying I like him (I don't) and I also don't think he is the smartest person ever and literally Jesus. I just don't think he is as stupid as a lot of people say and if we keep underestimating him he will win the elections. Please change my view and correct me if I'm wrong with anything. Thank you in advance for your answers! Assistant: "The wettest water from the standpoint of water" is not a phrase said by a smart person

Human: Our landlord of 2 years asked/offered us to sign another lease, then days later told us he is selling the building and we need to be out by the end of July because that's when our current lease ends. The rental market is a nightmare right now, so I'm trying to get advice on what we can do next (MA) As I said in the title, we fully planned on signing on for another year here and the landlord offered this about a week ago. About 3 days later, he told us he decided to sell the building and we could either use our deposit for June and be out by the end of the month, or pay June and use our deposit for July and be out by the end of July. I asked if we could stay and just rent from the new buyers, but he told me that he doesn't know who the buyers will be yet and he has work to do on the apartment before he lists it. All of this communication has been through text. The rental market in the city we live in is insane right now, everyone is struggling. My partner and I are both on Unemployment at the moment, and I have a 13 year old son. Trying to apply for an apartment on Unemployment is going to be nearly impossible, and the time we've been given isn't going to be enough time to save up for a deposit and first and/or last month rent for a new place. Needless to say, I'm terrified. We have been perfect tenants, have never paid rent a day late even once, keep everything clean and are quiet. I understand the market is great for sellers right now so I can't blame him, but I have a feeling this is going to drag on and be messy because we just logically aren't going to be able to find a place and be out in a month and a half. If I'd known sooner and had more time to look, it would have been different. I still don't know why he offered a new lease and then changed his mind days later, but I'm just hoping someone might be able to give some advice on what to do next. Thanks so much in advance Assistant: If you don’t leave by the end of July you will be evicted, with an eviction on your record you will be in a much worse situation trying to find alternative accommodation. You could try to work with your landlord to find a compromise, offer to go month to month so he is still receiving rental income until he has a buyer. Request a good reference to help you find somewhere and offer to accommodate the sale by keeping the place tidy and making it available for viewings etc.

Human: Our landlord of 2 years asked/offered us to sign another lease, then days later told us he is selling the building and we need to be out by the end of July because that's when our current lease ends. The rental market is a nightmare right now, so I'm trying to get advice on what we can do next (MA) As I said in the title, we fully planned on signing on for another year here and the landlord offered this about a week ago. About 3 days later, he told us he decided to sell the building and we could either use our deposit for June and be out by the end of the month, or pay June and use our deposit for July and be out by the end of July. I asked if we could stay and just rent from the new buyers, but he told me that he doesn't know who the buyers will be yet and he has work to do on the apartment before he lists it. All of this communication has been through text. The rental market in the city we live in is insane right now, everyone is struggling. My partner and I are both on Unemployment at the moment, and I have a 13 year old son. Trying to apply for an apartment on Unemployment is going to be nearly impossible, and the time we've been given isn't going to be enough time to save up for a deposit and first and/or last month rent for a new place. Needless to say, I'm terrified. We have been perfect tenants, have never paid rent a day late even once, keep everything clean and are quiet. I understand the market is great for sellers right now so I can't blame him, but I have a feeling this is going to drag on and be messy because we just logically aren't going to be able to find a place and be out in a month and a half. If I'd known sooner and had more time to look, it would have been different. I still don't know why he offered a new lease and then changed his mind days later, but I'm just hoping someone might be able to give some advice on what to do next. Thanks so much in advance Assistant: So to clarify, you did not actually sign the new lease he offered?

Human: Strawberry Rhubarb jam won't get to 220 before scorching Exactly what the title says. I've made jam hundreds of times. Clean and prep fruit. Add sugar. Macerate until juicy. Add lemon juice or citric acid powder. Bring to the boil. Boil merrily, stirring the whole time. Skim foam. At 220 degrees, reduce heat and test gel on frozen plate. If gelled, turn off heat, transfer to sterile jars, and process. This isn't rocket surgery. I went to culinary school. WHY CAN'T I GET THIS SHIT UP TO 220 BEFORE IT STARTS TO SCORCH? Assistant: more sugar , your liquid doesn't have enough sugar

Human: Strawberry Rhubarb jam won't get to 220 before scorching Exactly what the title says. I've made jam hundreds of times. Clean and prep fruit. Add sugar. Macerate until juicy. Add lemon juice or citric acid powder. Bring to the boil. Boil merrily, stirring the whole time. Skim foam. At 220 degrees, reduce heat and test gel on frozen plate. If gelled, turn off heat, transfer to sterile jars, and process. This isn't rocket surgery. I went to culinary school. WHY CAN'T I GET THIS SHIT UP TO 220 BEFORE IT STARTS TO SCORCH? Assistant: It's probably the low sugar content of rhubarb. Rhubarb has almost no sugar. Think of when you've made jam before, you probably have a ratio of fruit to sugar that you use (something like two to one fruit to sugar). You might want to add extra sugar to make up for the sugar that's missing from the rhubarb.

Human: [WA] My girlfriend's coworker gave out very personal information to a possible scammer or stalker My girlfriend is a manager at a really nice restaurant and is away right now opening up a store in another location. She received a very weird call late at night claiming to be one of the board of directors from the company, saying that she has served him before, saying he wants to give her a scholarship, to train her in the entertainment business, to be his right hand girl on red carpet events, and promising her a ton of things but in a weird and creepy way. What was most weird is this guy knew her name, where we lived, her previous work place, and the hotel she was staying in currently. Said he talked to her GM by name making it sound believable. The next day she finds out 3 other girls got that same call and they though it was creepy and inappropriate and they verified it with higher management that said the person doesn't exist. Now they are investigating this whole thing, making sure the girls are getting walked back to their hotels, changed the names on the rooms at the hotel and basically the girls are now scared for their lives. With more investigating, the GM from the Seattle location called and said the manager below him gave this person all this information without verifying this person. As you can guess, my gf is livid and she works under that person and knows better than to give anyone her coworkers info. The GM is also trying to downplay it now and try to protect the manager who leaked all this private information out. He says there's nothing more he can do and is just trying to sweep this under the rug. It's insane. My girlfriend is scared for her life, she has had stalkers in the past, and has be sexually assaulted before and is now living in fear again and its the fault of a person who should have known better than to give personal information about their staff and coworkers. This person should be fired but the gm is trying to protect her. My gf is going to HR to hopefully get some resolve but I have a feeling HR might not do anything about it. I hope they do but I just hear horror stories about it. Any advice for my gf from this community would be appreciated. Are we doing everything we can? What can we do if HR doesn't help? Thank you for taking your time to read a this. Assistant: Can she get together with the other women who's info was shared? Because in general, going to HR as a group is going to have a bigger impact. Firing might not be on the table, but they may transfer her to another location if a group of employees don't feel they can trust her. And ask what they're doing to make sure things like this don't happen again.

Human: [WA] My girlfriend's coworker gave out very personal information to a possible scammer or stalker My girlfriend is a manager at a really nice restaurant and is away right now opening up a store in another location. She received a very weird call late at night claiming to be one of the board of directors from the company, saying that she has served him before, saying he wants to give her a scholarship, to train her in the entertainment business, to be his right hand girl on red carpet events, and promising her a ton of things but in a weird and creepy way. What was most weird is this guy knew her name, where we lived, her previous work place, and the hotel she was staying in currently. Said he talked to her GM by name making it sound believable. The next day she finds out 3 other girls got that same call and they though it was creepy and inappropriate and they verified it with higher management that said the person doesn't exist. Now they are investigating this whole thing, making sure the girls are getting walked back to their hotels, changed the names on the rooms at the hotel and basically the girls are now scared for their lives. With more investigating, the GM from the Seattle location called and said the manager below him gave this person all this information without verifying this person. As you can guess, my gf is livid and she works under that person and knows better than to give anyone her coworkers info. The GM is also trying to downplay it now and try to protect the manager who leaked all this private information out. He says there's nothing more he can do and is just trying to sweep this under the rug. It's insane. My girlfriend is scared for her life, she has had stalkers in the past, and has be sexually assaulted before and is now living in fear again and its the fault of a person who should have known better than to give personal information about their staff and coworkers. This person should be fired but the gm is trying to protect her. My gf is going to HR to hopefully get some resolve but I have a feeling HR might not do anything about it. I hope they do but I just hear horror stories about it. Any advice for my gf from this community would be appreciated. Are we doing everything we can? What can we do if HR doesn't help? Thank you for taking your time to read a this. Assistant: have they advised exactly what information was given? like was it just name and phone number (which is bad enough), or was it addresses, social security numbers, etc?

Human: My manager is setting me up for failure I am using a throwaway as well as avoiding any overly specific details because you can never be too careful but I would like anyone's advice on how to handle this I have been working a little over a decade in my industry and I have been at my current job for around 2 years. I noticed around 6 months ago some drama started where my project was having resources pulled from it and moved to higher priority projects. This is nothing new and I have dealt with this before and I even completely agree with the company doing this, but the problems came when my manager wrote me up for falling behind on my project. I literally can't get tests run because the technicians are told not to work on my project and I am not supposed to or qualified to setup and perform testing myself. Now I am being pressured to hit deadlines that the project is nowhere ready for but it looks good when the project is reported out to do so. as an analogy lets say I was building a house. The walls and roof are not on the house because my manager sent the framing guys to another job, but I am supposed to have carpet in by next week so I am told to go ahead and have installers lay carpet. I explain the carpet will get rained on but my manager doesn't want to hear excuses and just says carpet needs to be in by the deadline no matter what, so I have installers lay carpet on a slab foundation and my boss is happy with the result. this short sighted managing has already caused the project to take even longer as I have to go back and redo things that were already done because of this. I would like to quit but nobody is hiring now and I like paychecks. Even my manager's boss seems to be on board as far as I can tell but I don't trust him enough to bring this to him and risk him siding with the manager who he likes and it makes things far worse far faster, so at this point I am following my manager's direction and just getting ready for failure. I have spoken with coworkers I trust and they have said my manager is problematic but also because my project is lower priority due to a huge rush on a few other projects, that my experience is far worse, but not exactly different than what they are used to. On the bright side, if I do get fired, having a job loss around this time will not raise any red flags with employers considering the economy. I would love to stand up and flat out say this is shit and is going to blow up in my face, but I have explained the risks in a more polite manner and my manager simply doesn't care about my concerns. Assistant: Communicate exlusively trough e-mails....with everyone...the lab guys and include your boss in it so nobody can claim that was uninformed. Backup everything. Prepare yourself a timeline. If something is said to you in person by your boss write him an e-mail like a MoM. If something is said to you in person by the lab guys, tell them that you are too bussy and ask politely to send you an e-mail with those informations. Look for new job.

Human: My manager is setting me up for failure I am using a throwaway as well as avoiding any overly specific details because you can never be too careful but I would like anyone's advice on how to handle this I have been working a little over a decade in my industry and I have been at my current job for around 2 years. I noticed around 6 months ago some drama started where my project was having resources pulled from it and moved to higher priority projects. This is nothing new and I have dealt with this before and I even completely agree with the company doing this, but the problems came when my manager wrote me up for falling behind on my project. I literally can't get tests run because the technicians are told not to work on my project and I am not supposed to or qualified to setup and perform testing myself. Now I am being pressured to hit deadlines that the project is nowhere ready for but it looks good when the project is reported out to do so. as an analogy lets say I was building a house. The walls and roof are not on the house because my manager sent the framing guys to another job, but I am supposed to have carpet in by next week so I am told to go ahead and have installers lay carpet. I explain the carpet will get rained on but my manager doesn't want to hear excuses and just says carpet needs to be in by the deadline no matter what, so I have installers lay carpet on a slab foundation and my boss is happy with the result. this short sighted managing has already caused the project to take even longer as I have to go back and redo things that were already done because of this. I would like to quit but nobody is hiring now and I like paychecks. Even my manager's boss seems to be on board as far as I can tell but I don't trust him enough to bring this to him and risk him siding with the manager who he likes and it makes things far worse far faster, so at this point I am following my manager's direction and just getting ready for failure. I have spoken with coworkers I trust and they have said my manager is problematic but also because my project is lower priority due to a huge rush on a few other projects, that my experience is far worse, but not exactly different than what they are used to. On the bright side, if I do get fired, having a job loss around this time will not raise any red flags with employers considering the economy. I would love to stand up and flat out say this is shit and is going to blow up in my face, but I have explained the risks in a more polite manner and my manager simply doesn't care about my concerns. Assistant: This is pretty much constructive dismissal if you get fired for it, and I think illegal in most countries.

Human: what is the purpose of coating the blueberries in a cornstarch/lemon juice slurry in this blueberry cake recipe? > toss blueberries with 1/2 Tbsp corn starch and 1 tsp lemon juice, stirring until well combined and no dry white cornstarch remains. https://natashaskitchen.com/blueberry-lemon-cake/ i’ve made this cake twice now and it comes out great, just trying to learn about what the cornstarch lemon juice on the blueberries achieves Assistant: Like /u/Herbisretired stated, the thought process is that the cornstarch mix will help keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the batter while it cooks. However, Stella Parks did a (rather quick and dirty) test and found that the flour did nothing. She suggests, like /u/Garconavecunreve said, to just put some plain batter in first. Me personally, I don't mind if some sink to the bottom so I don't bother with either method.

Human: what is the purpose of coating the blueberries in a cornstarch/lemon juice slurry in this blueberry cake recipe? > toss blueberries with 1/2 Tbsp corn starch and 1 tsp lemon juice, stirring until well combined and no dry white cornstarch remains. https://natashaskitchen.com/blueberry-lemon-cake/ i’ve made this cake twice now and it comes out great, just trying to learn about what the cornstarch lemon juice on the blueberries achieves Assistant: the lemon juice reinforces the pectin in the berries, helping them retain their shape while baking. The cornstarch soaks up excess moisture, stopping the berries from staining the batter.

Human: how to get craggy extra crispy fried chicken tenders similar to popeyes? i've tried flour > liquid > flour. also flour > liquid > flour > liquid > flour. for the liquids, ive tried butter milk and also a thin batter. for the flour, ive tried AP flour and also a mixture of AP flour, cornstarch, and a bit of baking powder. end results have been crispy and acceptable, but nothing like popeyes or kfc extra crispy thanks for any help =) Assistant: Kenji has a great recipe that I've used and really liked. Tasty seems to have a well researched recipe too, and I'll probably try that next. Kenji uses a buttermilk brine and double fries, and Tasty uses a dry brine and double dips. I'm thinking next time I'll dry brine, double dip, and double fry. I'm definitely doing all thighs next time. All those different pieces cook at different rates and it's usually just me and I don't need to eat an entire fried chicken.

Human: how to get craggy extra crispy fried chicken tenders similar to popeyes? i've tried flour > liquid > flour. also flour > liquid > flour > liquid > flour. for the liquids, ive tried butter milk and also a thin batter. for the flour, ive tried AP flour and also a mixture of AP flour, cornstarch, and a bit of baking powder. end results have been crispy and acceptable, but nothing like popeyes or kfc extra crispy thanks for any help =) Assistant: vodka

Human: In the current employment market with such a glut of applicants, how is a failed search even possible? With literally hundreds of applicants for each job posting, how does it actually happen that the search committee is unable to find someone? In my frustration I'm thinking it's ineptitude...but I've never been on a search committee, and so I'm looking for a more empathetic explanation. Assistant: It's like online dating. The most desirable actors will game the system to their benefit, and have numerous gentleman/lady callers, even though they can "only" end up with one person (I'm ignoring polyamory here). Everyone they date may ignore more reasonable candidates and end up getting burned after the whole thing shakes out.

Human: In the current employment market with such a glut of applicants, how is a failed search even possible? With literally hundreds of applicants for each job posting, how does it actually happen that the search committee is unable to find someone? In my frustration I'm thinking it's ineptitude...but I've never been on a search committee, and so I'm looking for a more empathetic explanation. Assistant: If all of their top applicants accept other jobs, they might not have money/time to continue the search and bring more candidates for on-campus interviews.

Human: Hourly employees checking emails outside work hours? [WI] At my office, we have two part time, hourly employees who work approximately 16-24 hours a week. I've become aware that one of them is accessing their work email and responding to emails while they are not at the office. (I found this out as they responded directly to me on an email I sent). I have no evidence that she is responding to external requests, the only ones I know about are internal. This specific employee is in customer service, there is no confidential or secure information that they are receiving or accessing, we do not work in the medical field so things like HIPPA are not a concern. We do not require or ask our hourly employees to put access to their email on their phone (email is outlook so accessible through the app or website), this employee has chosen to do so. I've seen in other posts that hourly employees asked to do things outside of work hours (i.e. attend an event) should be paid for this time but in this case the employee was not asked to address emails outside of work hours. Aside from us in general not wanting part time employees to feel like they need to address emails outside of work hours, is there anything that would be concerning or should be addressed with the employee? I want to make sure she's aware that she does not need to do this, but if she continues to do so - should we be paying her? should she be reprimanded? or is this a situation where it's simply she is deciding to do this and that's on her? Assistant: I think you’re over-complicating this. Just tell her this needs to stop and if it continues their could be further consequences. I do not think the employee should feel like they’re being punished if this expectation was not accurately explained in the past. In that same mind, make sure this is explained to new employees during orientation moving forward.

Human: Hourly employees checking emails outside work hours? [WI] At my office, we have two part time, hourly employees who work approximately 16-24 hours a week. I've become aware that one of them is accessing their work email and responding to emails while they are not at the office. (I found this out as they responded directly to me on an email I sent). I have no evidence that she is responding to external requests, the only ones I know about are internal. This specific employee is in customer service, there is no confidential or secure information that they are receiving or accessing, we do not work in the medical field so things like HIPPA are not a concern. We do not require or ask our hourly employees to put access to their email on their phone (email is outlook so accessible through the app or website), this employee has chosen to do so. I've seen in other posts that hourly employees asked to do things outside of work hours (i.e. attend an event) should be paid for this time but in this case the employee was not asked to address emails outside of work hours. Aside from us in general not wanting part time employees to feel like they need to address emails outside of work hours, is there anything that would be concerning or should be addressed with the employee? I want to make sure she's aware that she does not need to do this, but if she continues to do so - should we be paying her? should she be reprimanded? or is this a situation where it's simply she is deciding to do this and that's on her? Assistant: I was her, sometimes am her still. But be clear if there’s a policy and be clear and should not be answering emails outside of work hours for security risks.

Human: Eli5: Why monarchs have numbers in their names to keep them distinct, why can't they have a different name? like why king xyz 2 and not some other name ? Assistant: It's not just a monarch thing, everyday people do it too. If my name Gorgle. My son could be Gorgle Jr., his son Gorgle the 3rd, his son Gorgle the 4th. etc. I've known several 3rds etc and even a 5th or two in my life. It's not suuuper common, but it's totally a thing (at least in English/Western culture). Why not just name the Glorgiete, in lieu of more Gorgles? It's just a respect and familiar memory sort of tradition.

Human: Eli5: Why monarchs have numbers in their names to keep them distinct, why can't they have a different name? like why king xyz 2 and not some other name ? Assistant: Why not? Americans do the same. John Jnr II for example. They can have a different name if they want to, just as anyone can.

Human: What were the most amazing/crazy technologies or products developed by and engineer in spite? You know, person A says it can't be done. Person B gets angry and does it. Sort of like Steve Jobs or even just an engineer at a normal company. Assistant: i spent every personal penny I had making a newly designed belt fed machine gun, living in a shipping container, and showering in baby pools with a garden hose. that was last year, this is this year. p.s. it works quite well

Human: What were the most amazing/crazy technologies or products developed by and engineer in spite? You know, person A says it can't be done. Person B gets angry and does it. Sort of like Steve Jobs or even just an engineer at a normal company. Assistant: GNUs Not Unix

Human: My bread smells like soap but tastes fine? I’m pretty sure that my oven and the containers I used was nice and dry, but for some reason it smells like soap? But it tastes fine though. Assistant: When the dough is rising do you cover it with kitchen towels? I remember once when my mom made bread and she covered it with freshly cleaned kitchen towels and the smell of the laundry soap used kind of transferred to the dough it was touching.

Human: My bread smells like soap but tastes fine? I’m pretty sure that my oven and the containers I used was nice and dry, but for some reason it smells like soap? But it tastes fine though. Assistant: Is Cilantro involved?

Human: AskCulinary Annual Christmas Questions Thread With Christmas coming up, we realize you're going to have a lot of questions and we're here to answer them. Use this post from now until Christmas day to hit us up with any questions you might have. Need to plan how much meat to order - we got you. Need to know how you're going to make 15 pot de cremes - we're here to help. Can't decide between turkey or duck - let us decide for you! Need a side dish - we've got plenty of recipes to share. Need to know if the egg nog you made last year is still safe - sorry food safety rule still apply :( Assistant: Okay this is an easy one. We're not doing anything fancy but I would like to reduce the amount of work I have to do on Christmas morning. Can I crack eggs Saturday afternoon and store them in a Tupperware until Xmas morning when I'm going to make scrambled eggs?

Human: AskCulinary Annual Christmas Questions Thread With Christmas coming up, we realize you're going to have a lot of questions and we're here to answer them. Use this post from now until Christmas day to hit us up with any questions you might have. Need to plan how much meat to order - we got you. Need to know how you're going to make 15 pot de cremes - we're here to help. Can't decide between turkey or duck - let us decide for you! Need a side dish - we've got plenty of recipes to share. Need to know if the egg nog you made last year is still safe - sorry food safety rule still apply :( Assistant: Got a good recipe for latkes that come out crispy but not greasy?

Human: Software Engineers, What other ISO standards should I be aware of? Hello all, In this thread I learned that there is a standard covering how to express dates (ISO 8601) and one covering country abbreviations (ISO 3166). What other standards do you find yourself using or designing to on a regular basis? Further, which of these are generic (like dates or countries) and which are field specific? For context , I am just trying to build my awareness of existing standards. There is no project reliant on this data other than professional development. Assistant: IEEE 754 (ISO/IEC/IEEE 60559:2011): Floating point representation and arithmetic. For Quality Management Systems AS9100 is what I'm used to, but this encompasses ISO 9000. Requirements Management ISO 9001. ISO/IEC 80000: International System of Quantities

Human: Software Engineers, What other ISO standards should I be aware of? Hello all, In this thread I learned that there is a standard covering how to express dates (ISO 8601) and one covering country abbreviations (ISO 3166). What other standards do you find yourself using or designing to on a regular basis? Further, which of these are generic (like dates or countries) and which are field specific? For context , I am just trying to build my awareness of existing standards. There is no project reliant on this data other than professional development. Assistant: ISO 9660 is a filesystem often used on CD-ROMs.

Human: [Star Wars] Why did it only take 4 years to build the second Death Star when it took 20 years to build the first Death Star? Assistant: All of the largest problems had been solved, and the reorganization of the galactic economy to Imperial systems and standards had been completed. There was no Senate to hide it from, and the whole of the "loyal opposition" that once might have raised a stink about the expense and disruption were either Outlawed Rebels or dead.

Human: [Star Wars] Why did it only take 4 years to build the second Death Star when it took 20 years to build the first Death Star? Assistant: Technology advanced and they became better at it.

Human: Does MSG draw out water in the same way that salt does? \^ Assistant: MSG is a soluble salt, and is capable of creating a osmotic pressure. If you place it on the other side of a semi-permeable membrane (i.e. a piece of meat), it will start drawing out water. MSG is not hygroscopic, which means it will not absorb water from the atmosphere as table salt does. So, MSG can do some of the things that table salt does, but not all.

Human: Does MSG draw out water in the same way that salt does? \^ Assistant: Yes but MSG has three times the molar mass of salt, so it is three times less potent in drawing out water (osmotic pressure being dependent on molar concentration)

Human: Other than feynman's which are other examples of legendary or wonderfully inspiring physics lectures? Preferably video lectures from this century Or text Assistant: I don't know that his lectures are necessarily legendary, but since we used Shankar's math methods book in my physics class this past year I looked up some of his lectures on YouTube. I think he does a good job of explaining math concepts like Taylor series in a physics-y fashion for intro level classes. I'd recommend looking at some of his lectures just for topics you might be interested in or as a supplement for a topic you might have missed class on or are struggling with.

Human: Other than feynman's which are other examples of legendary or wonderfully inspiring physics lectures? Preferably video lectures from this century Or text Assistant: susskind

Human: Engineers of reddit, what personal engineering at-home projects are you up to lately or that may catch the attention of an employer? Assistant: Not that an employer will care but I built a small bouldering gym into my garage. https://imgur.com/a/ACt08vM I still need to build in the shelving behind the wall. The project was a lot of fun and I've been getting a lot of use out of it. On the other end of things I'm studying for the PE exam which I'm taking at the end of December. I work in medical device R&D so it's not something that I need but it will be nice to have if I want to start consulting on my own at some point.

Human: Engineers of reddit, what personal engineering at-home projects are you up to lately or that may catch the attention of an employer? Assistant: Even though I live in a legal state, I'm professional enough to know I probably shouldn't share my fully automated hydroponic cannabis growing system to a potential employer.

Human: What obscure skill have you picked up as a grad student/academic? I'm doing a biology PhD, and know exactly how to empty a mortar of powdered plant material suspended in liquid nitrogen into a tiny vial without it exploding (easier said than done), an obscure "skill" I've picked up doing hundreds of DNA extractions. Purely our of curiousity, what's your obscure skill? Assistant: I can read this fucking shit. Still can't read my mom's grocery lists, though.

Human: What obscure skill have you picked up as a grad student/academic? I'm doing a biology PhD, and know exactly how to empty a mortar of powdered plant material suspended in liquid nitrogen into a tiny vial without it exploding (easier said than done), an obscure "skill" I've picked up doing hundreds of DNA extractions. Purely our of curiousity, what's your obscure skill? Assistant: I work in mortality causes and life expectancy. My obscur skill is saying : « oh, he/she has [insert amount of time] to live ». It scares people, but I’m no medium, I’ve just read so much about it that I *know* how long in average how much time you have to live depending on your age, gender, education, health status etc 😅

Human: What non-alcoholic ingredient can I use instead of rum for tiramisu? I have a lot of younger siblings so I don't want to add alcohol to my tiramisu. However, when I tried it this way it just didn't have the extra kick of flavour. Is there anything else I can use besides rum and alcohol that would yield similar results? A friend recommended sparkling water but I want a second is opinion. Assistant: Well first of all Rum is not the original alcohol for Tiramisu (I believe it's Marsala), but if you want rum flavored tiramisu I suggest just using rum flavoring. On the other side, I have been served desserts made with rum and other alcohol since I was 4 or 5, but obviously that's a European kid privilege.

Human: What non-alcoholic ingredient can I use instead of rum for tiramisu? I have a lot of younger siblings so I don't want to add alcohol to my tiramisu. However, when I tried it this way it just didn't have the extra kick of flavour. Is there anything else I can use besides rum and alcohol that would yield similar results? A friend recommended sparkling water but I want a second is opinion. Assistant: I just use strong brewed coffee! no alcohol ever, and it tastes great

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why aren't quad rotor copters used in full size, people-carrying applications? Assistant: They're currently being developed, I think the latest iteration is called the E-Volo

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why aren't quad rotor copters used in full size, people-carrying applications? Assistant: They are. Look up VOLO on YouTube Uses more than 4 rotors. But is also electric driven, not regular avuation fuel Edit with updated link e-volo VC200 18 rotor 2 person electric helicopter - first flight ..http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3jMJ8PewhdY

Human: How can I adjust my favourite cheesecake recipe to an eggnog cheesecake? This is my favourite, most-used cheesecake recipe ever: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chantals-New-York-Cheesecake I'd love to convert it to something a bit more festive for Christmas dinner. Ideally, I'd be adding eggnog, nutmeg, cinnamon and rum to the recipe. I'm just afraid of messing up the consistency. What liquid should I remove to accommodate for the added eggnog - the 3/4 cup of milk? Will the rum cause any issues? Thanks in advance! Assistant: Pastry Chef checking in. Use 3/4 c. of eggnog. Cut 1/4 reach of the cream cheese and sour cream. You'll be fine.

Human: How can I adjust my favourite cheesecake recipe to an eggnog cheesecake? This is my favourite, most-used cheesecake recipe ever: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chantals-New-York-Cheesecake I'd love to convert it to something a bit more festive for Christmas dinner. Ideally, I'd be adding eggnog, nutmeg, cinnamon and rum to the recipe. I'm just afraid of messing up the consistency. What liquid should I remove to accommodate for the added eggnog - the 3/4 cup of milk? Will the rum cause any issues? Thanks in advance! Assistant: You can completely swap the milk with eggnog, but remember the consistency will change because the fat content in eggnog is significantly higher than the fat content in whole milk. alternatively you can take the regular whole milk from the recipe and scald it ( do not boil it.. just make it hot to the touch) with 1/2 a cinnamon stick and nutmeg. strain and cool completely. Then while mixing the batter for your cheesecake add rum extract along with the vanilla extract. I hope this helps. :]

Human: Say I want to build an electronic 10,000 year clock. What are my obstacles? The Clock of the Long Now is a mechanical clock that's being designed to keep time for 10,000 years. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_of_the_Long_Now) Is something like this possible with modern COTS electronic components? 50 years seems doable. What about 100, 1000, 10,000? It would be placed in a granite cave at the top of a mountain, in a geologically stable area, just like the Clock of the Long Now. Say I use a robust microcontroller with several ways to track the passage of time. * Crystal oscillator (seconds) * Solar panel current (days) * External temperature sensor (days and seasons) Also say I use solid-state energy harvesting methods. * Solar panels * Thermoelectic plates harvesting temperature differences in rock face * RTG with a long-lasting isotope (not COTS lol) Seems like energy storage would also have to be solid-state. * A buttload of ceramic capacitors? * Ultracaps? What sort of display technology would last more than a few years? LED? LCD? Say it's used only intermittently. I could protect it from the environment with a nitrogen-filled welded titanium box. How would I seal wire entrances? Can I expect sealants like silicone to last more than a couple decades? What about potting the electronics? Are there any potting compounds that would last? What would cause a microcontroller and associated semiconductors to fail? Assuming they can be protected from the environment, would they last forever? What about a crystal oscillator? Assistant: The biggest problem is paying for it to remain intact and protected for 10,000 years. How do you know whether the curator of the /u/Omacitin museum, 4000 years from now, will decide that your 4,000 year old clock is uninteresting and irrelevant? By then society will have made great advances in timekeeping and your prehistoric old fossil won't be the least bit interesting or useful.

Human: Say I want to build an electronic 10,000 year clock. What are my obstacles? The Clock of the Long Now is a mechanical clock that's being designed to keep time for 10,000 years. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_of_the_Long_Now) Is something like this possible with modern COTS electronic components? 50 years seems doable. What about 100, 1000, 10,000? It would be placed in a granite cave at the top of a mountain, in a geologically stable area, just like the Clock of the Long Now. Say I use a robust microcontroller with several ways to track the passage of time. * Crystal oscillator (seconds) * Solar panel current (days) * External temperature sensor (days and seasons) Also say I use solid-state energy harvesting methods. * Solar panels * Thermoelectic plates harvesting temperature differences in rock face * RTG with a long-lasting isotope (not COTS lol) Seems like energy storage would also have to be solid-state. * A buttload of ceramic capacitors? * Ultracaps? What sort of display technology would last more than a few years? LED? LCD? Say it's used only intermittently. I could protect it from the environment with a nitrogen-filled welded titanium box. How would I seal wire entrances? Can I expect sealants like silicone to last more than a couple decades? What about potting the electronics? Are there any potting compounds that would last? What would cause a microcontroller and associated semiconductors to fail? Assuming they can be protected from the environment, would they last forever? What about a crystal oscillator? Assistant: Make a really big gnomon like Stonehenge. That'll last 10K years. /civil engineer

Human: water pressure argument with friend. who is right? i am currently trying to track down a leak in a swimming pool. the pool has 3 lights, all the same height/level. we have determined that the water will leak out if the pool is filled to just over the light level. however, we dont know which light is the culprit. so, i made a tall wooden box (20cmx20cm) that is the full height of the pool. it is a 3 sided box (one side is open) that has the open side forced over a light and sealed. i filled the pool with water,and the box with water, both the same level. just above the lights. on the first light, the water sill leaked out. now the box is over the second light, filled with water, and there is no leak. i hypothesise that this light is the culprit, because even though it is under water, it is not leaking. and i "think" that the small size of the box has reduced the pressure on the hole compared to a full swimming pool, even though the level is the same. my friend reckons the horizontal water force inside the small box would be the same as the horizontal force inside the large pool. however i think the force in the box is less, hence why the light doesnt leak now. who is right? Assistant: Is this a real question or is my old fluids professor is up to his old tricks? Drop food dye next each light and follow it. Source: pool owner with lights and a fixed leak.

Human: water pressure argument with friend. who is right? i am currently trying to track down a leak in a swimming pool. the pool has 3 lights, all the same height/level. we have determined that the water will leak out if the pool is filled to just over the light level. however, we dont know which light is the culprit. so, i made a tall wooden box (20cmx20cm) that is the full height of the pool. it is a 3 sided box (one side is open) that has the open side forced over a light and sealed. i filled the pool with water,and the box with water, both the same level. just above the lights. on the first light, the water sill leaked out. now the box is over the second light, filled with water, and there is no leak. i hypothesise that this light is the culprit, because even though it is under water, it is not leaking. and i "think" that the small size of the box has reduced the pressure on the hole compared to a full swimming pool, even though the level is the same. my friend reckons the horizontal water force inside the small box would be the same as the horizontal force inside the large pool. however i think the force in the box is less, hence why the light doesnt leak now. who is right? Assistant: Alternatively: flex seal all the lights until they can't possibly be the leak culprit.

Human: What's the most interesting anthropological/archaeological fact that you know? Assistant: Unrelated domestic animals share 'domestic' traits. E.g. Domestic dogs and pigs both have shorter,wider skulls. Nearly all domestic animals come in a wide variety of colours (dogs, cats, pigs, horses, chickens). This goes on with changes in pregnancy length, maturation rates, brain sizes (more variable), floppy ears, behaviour (reduced aggression, increased inquisitiveness) and more. The real crazy thing is that we still don't know *why* There's lots of theories, but we're still working it out.

Human: What's the most interesting anthropological/archaeological fact that you know? Assistant: People in Europe once believed that ceramic sherds from past civilizations naturally formed in the earth and emerged from the ground on their own. Or fairies made them.

Human: [Vancouver/Toronto] Stalker situation turned out to be private investigator following me; mother-in-law admitted via Facebook to hiring PI to follow me. What are my legal options? [long post] For the past three weeks, I've had a problem with a female stalker, this woman kept following my car and she was also filming me in public (from a discreet distance). I know there's laws about privacy and filming in public... but this? This same woman has been following me in a Subway store, and even when I went across the border to the US for the Black Friday deals recently, she even was filming me and some girlfriends who live in Seattle when we ate at a Mexican restaurant there (I could tell it was the same woman, even with the beanie hat she had on). I've removed personal info and just given cities for privacy. I didn't want to confront her in case things turned violent. I'd had issues with a stalker before in my youth (male) but the guy wasn't threatening and didn't really understand he was even stalking me just because we happened to be on the same campus (luckily no harm done) and when I was 20 I had some creepy old guy following me; but that turned out to be a situation where he mistook me for a granddaughter of his (dont really want to talk about this). I'm 31 years old, newlywed, been married for 18 months now, my husband is 32. I told my husband about the stalking issue last week and he suggested we get the cops dealing with it, but then on Wednesday he showed me a message on Facebook from his mother (my MIL) in which my mother-in-law admitted to hiring a private investigator "to get closer to my daughter-in-law find out what makes her tick". My husband showed me a picture of the PI and a link to her website and other related things about her in his mother's Facebook private message. My husband has confronted his mother (who lives in Toronto) over this and told her it is unacceptable but she insists she's done nothing wrong. Since this site asks for location, I'm in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Why would a PI be following me? Surely it can't be legal for a mother-in-law to hire a PI to constantly follow me throughout the day? Also, what's the legal situation about her following me across the border into the US and filming me in a restaurant (isn't that breaking some American law too)? I should add, I've never actually spoken to this female PI in any way. I don't fully understand why a PI would be following me in public or even why my mother-in-law hired a PI ("getting closer to me:" is what my husband had said my mother-in-law claimed was the reason). My husband is *very angry* about this, we're newlyweds and shouldn't have to deal with this sort of thing. Under Canadian law, what offences has this PI committed/laws broken and what action can or should me and my husband do about this "stalking"? I am not a lawyer but need advice from people who know more about private investigators than I do. I'm worried about how the situation will go next; could my MIL continue to hire this PI indefinitely? (I should add, my husband is wealthy so MIL can afford services of a PI and the fees). I'm confused, angry and feel violated. Please help me with this, thanks! I'm emotional, and really don't know what the hell I should do legally here. Sorry if I keep on rambling. 3:30 in the afternoon and I'm having to do this. I need some advice from people who know more than me so I know where to go next, or rather, so we know where to go next (my husband wants to try and work out how to resolve this). Assistant: Neither your MIL nor the PI has done anything illegal, but your MIL is a goddamn nut. I do not know if hiring a PI to find out what makes you tick qualifies for a restraining order, but there's no reason you and your husband should not take steps to either cut out or severely curtail ANY contact with your MIL the goddamn nut.

Human: [Vancouver/Toronto] Stalker situation turned out to be private investigator following me; mother-in-law admitted via Facebook to hiring PI to follow me. What are my legal options? [long post] For the past three weeks, I've had a problem with a female stalker, this woman kept following my car and she was also filming me in public (from a discreet distance). I know there's laws about privacy and filming in public... but this? This same woman has been following me in a Subway store, and even when I went across the border to the US for the Black Friday deals recently, she even was filming me and some girlfriends who live in Seattle when we ate at a Mexican restaurant there (I could tell it was the same woman, even with the beanie hat she had on). I've removed personal info and just given cities for privacy. I didn't want to confront her in case things turned violent. I'd had issues with a stalker before in my youth (male) but the guy wasn't threatening and didn't really understand he was even stalking me just because we happened to be on the same campus (luckily no harm done) and when I was 20 I had some creepy old guy following me; but that turned out to be a situation where he mistook me for a granddaughter of his (dont really want to talk about this). I'm 31 years old, newlywed, been married for 18 months now, my husband is 32. I told my husband about the stalking issue last week and he suggested we get the cops dealing with it, but then on Wednesday he showed me a message on Facebook from his mother (my MIL) in which my mother-in-law admitted to hiring a private investigator "to get closer to my daughter-in-law find out what makes her tick". My husband showed me a picture of the PI and a link to her website and other related things about her in his mother's Facebook private message. My husband has confronted his mother (who lives in Toronto) over this and told her it is unacceptable but she insists she's done nothing wrong. Since this site asks for location, I'm in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Why would a PI be following me? Surely it can't be legal for a mother-in-law to hire a PI to constantly follow me throughout the day? Also, what's the legal situation about her following me across the border into the US and filming me in a restaurant (isn't that breaking some American law too)? I should add, I've never actually spoken to this female PI in any way. I don't fully understand why a PI would be following me in public or even why my mother-in-law hired a PI ("getting closer to me:" is what my husband had said my mother-in-law claimed was the reason). My husband is *very angry* about this, we're newlyweds and shouldn't have to deal with this sort of thing. Under Canadian law, what offences has this PI committed/laws broken and what action can or should me and my husband do about this "stalking"? I am not a lawyer but need advice from people who know more about private investigators than I do. I'm worried about how the situation will go next; could my MIL continue to hire this PI indefinitely? (I should add, my husband is wealthy so MIL can afford services of a PI and the fees). I'm confused, angry and feel violated. Please help me with this, thanks! I'm emotional, and really don't know what the hell I should do legally here. Sorry if I keep on rambling. 3:30 in the afternoon and I'm having to do this. I need some advice from people who know more than me so I know where to go next, or rather, so we know where to go next (my husband wants to try and work out how to resolve this). Assistant: Bring her a coffee and introduce yourself. I'm sure she's familiar with crazy in-laws.

Human: [Marvel] Would Mjolnir let me wield it if it were absolutely imperative to the survival of Asgard? Suppose Thor and Odin have both fallen by the siege of Surtr or the Frost Giants or what have you. There is only me, a warrior who managed to make it to Asgar some long time ago. If in this last-stand scenario would Mjolnir let me lift it or would it rather let Asgard die than break the "Whoever is worthy" enchantment? Assistant: It stands to reason that the hammer would determine your worth in this situation based on whether or not you showed yourself up to the task of stopping the disaster in the hammers magical-intuitive calculus. It might be a conditional and short-term agreement rather than a permanent one, as "your" worthiness sounds (hypothetically) in question.

Human: [Marvel] Would Mjolnir let me wield it if it were absolutely imperative to the survival of Asgard? Suppose Thor and Odin have both fallen by the siege of Surtr or the Frost Giants or what have you. There is only me, a warrior who managed to make it to Asgar some long time ago. If in this last-stand scenario would Mjolnir let me lift it or would it rather let Asgard die than break the "Whoever is worthy" enchantment? Assistant: Superman was allowed to wield it when the fate of two multiverses was at stake.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why does putting one foot out from under the blankets bring so much relief of heat while laying in bed? Assistant: People talking about heat transfer at your foot, but I think the bigger affect is how when you stick your foot out, you've created an opening in the blanket that allows warm out to leave and for cooler air to enter.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why does putting one foot out from under the blankets bring so much relief of heat while laying in bed? Assistant: If you look at your foot, you can see more veins near the surface of the skin than you would if you look at your lower leg because there is far less fat or muscle. With all those blood vessels near the surface of the skin to help transfer heat/cool between the blood and skin surface, feet are great temperature regulators.

Human: my fiance is being sued by an ex who is jail for committing a lot of fraud and taking out 230k in her name without her awareness. He plead guilty and is in jail but now is harrassing her suing her with the most absurd requests like claiming she stole 6 trillion from him. I feel like her lawyer is taking her for a ride since he has already confessed to the crime of taking money out in her name among many other crimes. Does she have any recourse to take to make him pay for all these frivolous claims. He's representing himself as hes too broke to hire a lawyer, despite his claims of wealth, not to mention hes already in jail so this is just his way to harrass her and cost her family money. I just dont know if there is a way to force all the expenses onto him? Assistant: See about having him declared a vexatious litigant.

Human: my fiance is being sued by an ex who is jail for committing a lot of fraud and taking out 230k in her name without her awareness. He plead guilty and is in jail but now is harrassing her suing her with the most absurd requests like claiming she stole 6 trillion from him. I feel like her lawyer is taking her for a ride since he has already confessed to the crime of taking money out in her name among many other crimes. Does she have any recourse to take to make him pay for all these frivolous claims. He's representing himself as hes too broke to hire a lawyer, despite his claims of wealth, not to mention hes already in jail so this is just his way to harrass her and cost her family money. I just dont know if there is a way to force all the expenses onto him? Assistant: If she has a lawyer let that lawyer handle the matter. Your fiancé can request detailed itemized billing statements if she is concerned about the propriety of the billing. Besides, she has a trillion dollars. What’s the problem? :D

Human: CMV: Societies should be allowed to risk their lives during pandemic times I am Brazilian and just last week we went to the pools to elect your congresspeople and senators. A common pattern was that many politicians who run President Bolsonaro's anti-lockdown policies were elected (notably former Health Minister General Pazuello was the most voted congressmen of my state). Of the 20 cities with the most deaths per capta, 17 voted for Bolsonaro for President. I am liberal and pro-science. I of course lament most of what happened with covid in most places, including Brazil. But I came to the conclusion that Bolsonaro at least had a better grasp of what was Brazilian society trade-off between civil liberties and public health than I did. To me it's reasonable to think that democracies can choose the path of "I understand and I wish to continue". Here's my game plan if I were running a country like Brazil (but could be America or any federalist country): -Leave all lockdown choices to the states -Make a public campaign explaining the risks people are choosing and saying my opinion "I'd stay at home" -Support financially the people who choose to isolate, regardless of what the society choose -Create sanitation rules for workers I understand the burdens this can create to the health system and things don't need to be binary. If the system is too overloaded or the pandemic is too high, you can decrease civil liberties accordingly, but aware of the trade-offs of the citizens. Assistant: I do not think pandemic policies should be left to the states, the reason for this is that pandemic policies are more effective the more people take part in them so they should be decided for the biggest population they can.

Human: CMV: Societies should be allowed to risk their lives during pandemic times I am Brazilian and just last week we went to the pools to elect your congresspeople and senators. A common pattern was that many politicians who run President Bolsonaro's anti-lockdown policies were elected (notably former Health Minister General Pazuello was the most voted congressmen of my state). Of the 20 cities with the most deaths per capta, 17 voted for Bolsonaro for President. I am liberal and pro-science. I of course lament most of what happened with covid in most places, including Brazil. But I came to the conclusion that Bolsonaro at least had a better grasp of what was Brazilian society trade-off between civil liberties and public health than I did. To me it's reasonable to think that democracies can choose the path of "I understand and I wish to continue". Here's my game plan if I were running a country like Brazil (but could be America or any federalist country): -Leave all lockdown choices to the states -Make a public campaign explaining the risks people are choosing and saying my opinion "I'd stay at home" -Support financially the people who choose to isolate, regardless of what the society choose -Create sanitation rules for workers I understand the burdens this can create to the health system and things don't need to be binary. If the system is too overloaded or the pandemic is too high, you can decrease civil liberties accordingly, but aware of the trade-offs of the citizens. Assistant: May I ask if you have the same view for drunk driving?

Human: [CAN] How do I deal with my hostile team of manager reports? I recently joined a small consulting company as a director. I have two management reports: Jane and Carol. Both are very competent, but have limited management experience. Carol (who has been there longer) interviewed for the job I have but was not considered experienced enough for a senior leadership role. Jane has only been there a few months, but seems to have added a lot of value. Both have control issues. My read is that Carol wants to control everything because she doesn't want anyone to make a mistake. Jane wants to control everything because it's connected to ego and authority. Carol is well liked by most people, except her direct reports - which consider her highly risk averse, and a Micromanager. One of her direct reports (which I consider essential to the team) indicated to me that they were ready to leave the company until I promised them cultural change. The other of her direct reports (The “up and comer”), seems poised for a management role in the near future - so I don’t think they are going to rock the boat and escalate issues to me. Jane is very highly educated and competent, but is hostile to “the next level up” on the team i.e. myself and my peers. She is friendly and far warmer with my bosses, and her direct reports. For peers outside our direct team, she is brusque and bossy, and has no issue disparaging my peer group to me in out 1:1s, (which leads me to believe she would have no compunction doing the same about me with others). She is highly disagreeable with me and pushes back on every suggestion or idea. I also feel that hoards information because she actually doesn't want me to know how to do my job or manage her. She also uses a lot of “MY”/”I” talk - and continuously wants to show what’s in her control. In the past weeks, I have noticed escalating tensions. I think both managers resent my appointment. I also think that Jane is being slanderous, and encouraging people to not engage with me. I should also note - that Jane, Carol, and “Up and Comer” are friends, and are social with each other outside of work. Things I have noticed in the past 2 weeks: 1. Carol canceled a team meeting I was to attend, and re-booked the meeting with her direct reports excluding myself. 2. Jane has openly contradicted me on factual matters in team meetings (despite my certainty) 3. Jane has asked me not to communicate with her direct reports, and seems to have a problem with any method of communication I chose (Emails are rarely responded to) 4. At our last team meeting, every idea or comment I put forward (none negative) are met with silence and disengagement 5. Members of the team are obviously in a side text conversation during team meetings (one looks down at the phone, then another, and back and forth 3 or 4 of them go). For my part, I have been working to understand every aspect of the business that I can be exposed to, be engaged, ask questions, and try to find ways to support people and build consensus. I'm very enthusastic about this job, I like my bosses and would like to make this work. My wife who hears me working from home (and would relish the opportunity to point out if I was approaching this badly LOL) tells me that I am a fair and encouraging manager, focused on problem solving. I’m not very hierarchical, I don’t give orders, and ask people what they think as I try to build consensus between what MY bosses want, and how they will work effectively. I'm not sure what to do here. Jane seems hostile from day one - and I think she is intentionally exacerbating everyone's stress and instigating dissent during the transition period. Its also obvious she’d rather get individual stats than win as a team. Despite her technical expertise, I feel she will be a liability to the team long-term. I think if Jane were eliminated, Carol would become far easier to manage, and probably happier. We could also do more cross training and build capacity if this “me/my” nonsense is eliminated or minimized. I would welcome all thoughts - including those that would indicate that I might be the problem! Assistant: As someone who has worked for many toxic bosses, I salute you OP for taking this toxicity seriously and doing something about it. You're going to improve the health of everyone on the team, and maybe these two managers will get fired and use that time for introspection as both sound like bad faith hostile actors. Stand your ground, I'm not in HR but you are honorable. Toxicity like this gives people PTSD, mental illness, disease, strokes & heart attacks.

Human: [CAN] How do I deal with my hostile team of manager reports? I recently joined a small consulting company as a director. I have two management reports: Jane and Carol. Both are very competent, but have limited management experience. Carol (who has been there longer) interviewed for the job I have but was not considered experienced enough for a senior leadership role. Jane has only been there a few months, but seems to have added a lot of value. Both have control issues. My read is that Carol wants to control everything because she doesn't want anyone to make a mistake. Jane wants to control everything because it's connected to ego and authority. Carol is well liked by most people, except her direct reports - which consider her highly risk averse, and a Micromanager. One of her direct reports (which I consider essential to the team) indicated to me that they were ready to leave the company until I promised them cultural change. The other of her direct reports (The “up and comer”), seems poised for a management role in the near future - so I don’t think they are going to rock the boat and escalate issues to me. Jane is very highly educated and competent, but is hostile to “the next level up” on the team i.e. myself and my peers. She is friendly and far warmer with my bosses, and her direct reports. For peers outside our direct team, she is brusque and bossy, and has no issue disparaging my peer group to me in out 1:1s, (which leads me to believe she would have no compunction doing the same about me with others). She is highly disagreeable with me and pushes back on every suggestion or idea. I also feel that hoards information because she actually doesn't want me to know how to do my job or manage her. She also uses a lot of “MY”/”I” talk - and continuously wants to show what’s in her control. In the past weeks, I have noticed escalating tensions. I think both managers resent my appointment. I also think that Jane is being slanderous, and encouraging people to not engage with me. I should also note - that Jane, Carol, and “Up and Comer” are friends, and are social with each other outside of work. Things I have noticed in the past 2 weeks: 1. Carol canceled a team meeting I was to attend, and re-booked the meeting with her direct reports excluding myself. 2. Jane has openly contradicted me on factual matters in team meetings (despite my certainty) 3. Jane has asked me not to communicate with her direct reports, and seems to have a problem with any method of communication I chose (Emails are rarely responded to) 4. At our last team meeting, every idea or comment I put forward (none negative) are met with silence and disengagement 5. Members of the team are obviously in a side text conversation during team meetings (one looks down at the phone, then another, and back and forth 3 or 4 of them go). For my part, I have been working to understand every aspect of the business that I can be exposed to, be engaged, ask questions, and try to find ways to support people and build consensus. I'm very enthusastic about this job, I like my bosses and would like to make this work. My wife who hears me working from home (and would relish the opportunity to point out if I was approaching this badly LOL) tells me that I am a fair and encouraging manager, focused on problem solving. I’m not very hierarchical, I don’t give orders, and ask people what they think as I try to build consensus between what MY bosses want, and how they will work effectively. I'm not sure what to do here. Jane seems hostile from day one - and I think she is intentionally exacerbating everyone's stress and instigating dissent during the transition period. Its also obvious she’d rather get individual stats than win as a team. Despite her technical expertise, I feel she will be a liability to the team long-term. I think if Jane were eliminated, Carol would become far easier to manage, and probably happier. We could also do more cross training and build capacity if this “me/my” nonsense is eliminated or minimized. I would welcome all thoughts - including those that would indicate that I might be the problem! Assistant: Highly recommend using this framework. &#x200B; https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/

Human: I am a graduate student who is in desperate need of help (throw-away account). I'll try and give as much info as possible, but mainly I'm just hoping someone has been in my shoes and can help me. I am a 6th year PhD student in chemistry. I have passed every requirement throughout my graduate career, but as it stands my adviser (P.I.) is unwilling to discuss anything graduation. I have met with the dean and she was as unhelpful and non-committal as one could expect from someone in her position. At this point I don't care about a letter of rec. or keeping any form of a relationship with my adviser. All I wan't is that stupid piece of paper that says I have my PhD. I have tried discussing things with my adviser and it turned into a verbal assault in which I stood their and was called horrible names for bringing the subject up (this doesn't begin to describe the level of abuse that my adviser exhibits over myself and other students). I am most certainly not alone, there are three other students in my lab that are my year and going through the same experiences. What I am really asking is does anyone know of a process by which I can force my graduation. Whether it is petitioning or speaking to a certain representative. The dean that I spoke with said that the only way for me to graduate is with my advisers signature, but I cannot believe that the university does not have a fail safe to protect its students from sociopath professors. Especially considering I have passed every bench mark asked of me (besides my thesis defense of course). Any help would be appreciated. Assistant: If the chair of your department and your graduate advisor are unwilling to help, the next step is an advisor in either graduate studies or the college of natural sciences, depending how your university is organized. You can also get in touch with the ombudsman and start escalating if you feel like you are being verbally abused.

Human: I am a graduate student who is in desperate need of help (throw-away account). I'll try and give as much info as possible, but mainly I'm just hoping someone has been in my shoes and can help me. I am a 6th year PhD student in chemistry. I have passed every requirement throughout my graduate career, but as it stands my adviser (P.I.) is unwilling to discuss anything graduation. I have met with the dean and she was as unhelpful and non-committal as one could expect from someone in her position. At this point I don't care about a letter of rec. or keeping any form of a relationship with my adviser. All I wan't is that stupid piece of paper that says I have my PhD. I have tried discussing things with my adviser and it turned into a verbal assault in which I stood their and was called horrible names for bringing the subject up (this doesn't begin to describe the level of abuse that my adviser exhibits over myself and other students). I am most certainly not alone, there are three other students in my lab that are my year and going through the same experiences. What I am really asking is does anyone know of a process by which I can force my graduation. Whether it is petitioning or speaking to a certain representative. The dean that I spoke with said that the only way for me to graduate is with my advisers signature, but I cannot believe that the university does not have a fail safe to protect its students from sociopath professors. Especially considering I have passed every bench mark asked of me (besides my thesis defense of course). Any help would be appreciated. Assistant: If you have a graduate student union they should have procedures and people there to help. They can bring in mediators to help facilitate discussions if that is needed.

Human: Feeling I'm like a patient in a bad medical drama 29f, need some advice on how to proceed. My retina is detaching? 29f 165 5''4' non smoker occasional drinker Meds: Wellbutrin 150mg Losartan 100mg Propranolol 75mg Apologies if this reads like a bad medical drama - but I feel like I've lost control of my life/health and I have no idea what to do from here, but I need help, bad. If you can help me in any way, I can offer you reddit awards, custom art pieces, gifts, whatever. I just really really really need some help. I've been plaqued with severe abdominal pain, dizziness and nasuea, and peeing like every twenty minutes and a ton since last December, BP was high that day too. In my efforts, I have ended up in the ER about 4 times. I went initially when I felt like I was being stabbed, suspected kidney stones. They sent me home and told me to follow up with my GP. GP have me antibiotics and repeated a pee test. Nada. She sent me to gastro, gastro bounced me to gynecologist, gynecologist sent me to urogynecoligist, who sent me to a urologist, who sent me to a new gp who sent me to back to a gastro, then to a rhuematologist and endocrinologist. They all concur that something is definitely wrong, but can't seem to find what it is. Findings have been rare - some microscopic blood in my pee and that's about it, a lung nodule, and an accessory spleen. Abysmally low vitamin d, which was odd since I took a daily supplement for that. I started taking magnesium with the vitamin d and my levels were fine and I felt much better and slept more easily, the pain was reduced from a stabbing to a pinching and I thought maybe with some time it would go away completely. After my last specialist appt, I asked my doc about acute cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome. He prescribed me lidocaine patches, which helped a ton. He then decided I had "slipping rib syndrome" and I needed trigger point injections. He injected me with cortisone in my ribs and a couple days later - I felt fantastic. I forgot what I looked like without bags under my eyes. I stopped taking the magnesium around that time because I had ran out and I wouldn't need it anymore, right? I was a new woman. But it was short live. After 3 days I started feeling off. By the forth day, I was almost catatonic. I could barely speak, my heart was pounding so hard it felt like my whole body was shaking in time with my pulse, and my blood pressure was 200/124. My partner rushed me to the ER, where they couldn't figure out what had caused my BP to skyrocket out of nowhere. It is generally 120/80, other than the other few times I had gone to the ER. My BP didn't respond to the labetetol they gave me and they admitted me. My eyes started feeling like there was a stabbing pain, the nurse insisted I was fine and to try to get some sleep, despite my heart rate being 150. They put me on more blood pressure meds which didn't help, and something for my heart rate. A few days in it spiked again and my vision when totally blurry. It started to come down but my vision never unblurred so I went to the ER. They said it was a migraine and to go sleep it off. When my doc heard it wasn't working after about a week he insisted it was anxiety, although at one of my other stints in the ER they gave mea good healthy dose of Ativan, which much to their surprise, did not touch my BP/heart rate either. He prescribed me Wellbutrin to take for anxiety, which, has actually only made me feel worse. He scheduled an abdominal ultrasound to look for this extremely rare tumor - that I had already tested negative for. They cancelled the ultrasound because he said he ordered the wrong one. He wanted to order an MRI but my insurance rejected it. My vision never unblurred so I popped into the eye doctor - my retina was detached. I was ushered over to an opthalmologist for emergency reattachment. My doc said he would call me since he is nights for a while and can't schedule an appointment, and he hasn't called me. Should I get a new GP? What on earth could possibly be wrong with me. I've been having these weird episodes with high blood pressure and dizziness for years now and I would love to figure it out because it just seems to be getting worse and potentially blinding me. Anyone who can help me try and piece this all together - I would be eternally grateful to you and any wish of yours that is in my power to grant if you can help me figure out what the hell is going on. My family and friends are terrified because I've been declining rapidly. Assistant: Personally the only thing I can think of is a Pheochromocytoma but you've had scans that should've revealed it buuuttt sometimes they do get missed because they are so tiny. If you haven't had a 24 hour urine test that could help to rule that out. Cardiologist is definitely a next stop either way. Not a doctor.

Human: Feeling I'm like a patient in a bad medical drama 29f, need some advice on how to proceed. My retina is detaching? 29f 165 5''4' non smoker occasional drinker Meds: Wellbutrin 150mg Losartan 100mg Propranolol 75mg Apologies if this reads like a bad medical drama - but I feel like I've lost control of my life/health and I have no idea what to do from here, but I need help, bad. If you can help me in any way, I can offer you reddit awards, custom art pieces, gifts, whatever. I just really really really need some help. I've been plaqued with severe abdominal pain, dizziness and nasuea, and peeing like every twenty minutes and a ton since last December, BP was high that day too. In my efforts, I have ended up in the ER about 4 times. I went initially when I felt like I was being stabbed, suspected kidney stones. They sent me home and told me to follow up with my GP. GP have me antibiotics and repeated a pee test. Nada. She sent me to gastro, gastro bounced me to gynecologist, gynecologist sent me to urogynecoligist, who sent me to a urologist, who sent me to a new gp who sent me to back to a gastro, then to a rhuematologist and endocrinologist. They all concur that something is definitely wrong, but can't seem to find what it is. Findings have been rare - some microscopic blood in my pee and that's about it, a lung nodule, and an accessory spleen. Abysmally low vitamin d, which was odd since I took a daily supplement for that. I started taking magnesium with the vitamin d and my levels were fine and I felt much better and slept more easily, the pain was reduced from a stabbing to a pinching and I thought maybe with some time it would go away completely. After my last specialist appt, I asked my doc about acute cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome. He prescribed me lidocaine patches, which helped a ton. He then decided I had "slipping rib syndrome" and I needed trigger point injections. He injected me with cortisone in my ribs and a couple days later - I felt fantastic. I forgot what I looked like without bags under my eyes. I stopped taking the magnesium around that time because I had ran out and I wouldn't need it anymore, right? I was a new woman. But it was short live. After 3 days I started feeling off. By the forth day, I was almost catatonic. I could barely speak, my heart was pounding so hard it felt like my whole body was shaking in time with my pulse, and my blood pressure was 200/124. My partner rushed me to the ER, where they couldn't figure out what had caused my BP to skyrocket out of nowhere. It is generally 120/80, other than the other few times I had gone to the ER. My BP didn't respond to the labetetol they gave me and they admitted me. My eyes started feeling like there was a stabbing pain, the nurse insisted I was fine and to try to get some sleep, despite my heart rate being 150. They put me on more blood pressure meds which didn't help, and something for my heart rate. A few days in it spiked again and my vision when totally blurry. It started to come down but my vision never unblurred so I went to the ER. They said it was a migraine and to go sleep it off. When my doc heard it wasn't working after about a week he insisted it was anxiety, although at one of my other stints in the ER they gave mea good healthy dose of Ativan, which much to their surprise, did not touch my BP/heart rate either. He prescribed me Wellbutrin to take for anxiety, which, has actually only made me feel worse. He scheduled an abdominal ultrasound to look for this extremely rare tumor - that I had already tested negative for. They cancelled the ultrasound because he said he ordered the wrong one. He wanted to order an MRI but my insurance rejected it. My vision never unblurred so I popped into the eye doctor - my retina was detached. I was ushered over to an opthalmologist for emergency reattachment. My doc said he would call me since he is nights for a while and can't schedule an appointment, and he hasn't called me. Should I get a new GP? What on earth could possibly be wrong with me. I've been having these weird episodes with high blood pressure and dizziness for years now and I would love to figure it out because it just seems to be getting worse and potentially blinding me. Anyone who can help me try and piece this all together - I would be eternally grateful to you and any wish of yours that is in my power to grant if you can help me figure out what the hell is going on. My family and friends are terrified because I've been declining rapidly. Assistant: Pheochromocytoma is my guess

Human: [General] Assuming you are capable and any skill was learnable, Which teacher would you train under in their specific art? (i.e. King Kai (Dragon Ball Z, Martial Arts/Ki), Master Yoda (Star Wars, The Force), Professor Dumbledore (Harry Potter, Magic), etc.)? Why? Assistant: The correct answer to this is DOOM! one of the most powerful magic users in marvel as well as a brilliant inventor there is no better teacher to learn all that the universe has to offer! But I don't have a lot of ambition beyond learn cool stuff so he might be kinda disappointed in me...

Human: [General] Assuming you are capable and any skill was learnable, Which teacher would you train under in their specific art? (i.e. King Kai (Dragon Ball Z, Martial Arts/Ki), Master Yoda (Star Wars, The Force), Professor Dumbledore (Harry Potter, Magic), etc.)? Why? Assistant: Given the choice between a god, a muppet, and an old man, I’d probably pick the god

Human: Weekly Discussion: Shopping at the Latin Grocery There is more to Mexican cooking than Taco Tuesday and a wide range of Latin cuisines beyond Mexico. But many Americans haven't ventured any further than the shelf of salsas in their local supermarket. So, if you are going to make the special trip to the Latin market (and there is one in your community, most likely) we hope to give you a guide to help with your shopping. What ingredients are worth making the trip for? What are your shopping strategies to ensure you come home with the makings of a meal? How do you make sense of the array of peppers and cheeses and the dozen types of sausages all marked "chorizo"? Any brand recommendations for the prepared foods? Assistant: I'm working my way slowly through *Gran Cocina Latina*. Several of the recipes call for achiote oil. I made some based on the recipe in the book (simmer annato seeds in oil for ~10 mins). Frankly, I don't taste any difference in achiote oil versus plain oil. Should I be simmering longer? What sort of flavors is annato seeds supposed to impart? I used canola oil as they call for, but maybe I should use a decent olive oil?

Human: Weekly Discussion: Shopping at the Latin Grocery There is more to Mexican cooking than Taco Tuesday and a wide range of Latin cuisines beyond Mexico. But many Americans haven't ventured any further than the shelf of salsas in their local supermarket. So, if you are going to make the special trip to the Latin market (and there is one in your community, most likely) we hope to give you a guide to help with your shopping. What ingredients are worth making the trip for? What are your shopping strategies to ensure you come home with the makings of a meal? How do you make sense of the array of peppers and cheeses and the dozen types of sausages all marked "chorizo"? Any brand recommendations for the prepared foods? Assistant: Re: chorizo—get the house-made stuff if they have it. It'll be worlds better than the pre-packaged stuff.

Human: Interested in teaching, less interested in research Currently pursuing a master's degree in media that is heavily research-focused. I have no problem with my research or the field I'm in, but I prefer plain old teaching over teaching and research. I was contemplating applying to schools for a PhD once I graduate, but I'm wondering if I need to. Can I teach at the university level without one? I understand PhD programs are heavily rooted in research, which again I have no problem with doing, but I'm wondering if this path is necessary if I'm interested more in teaching. Assistant: The irony is that while teaching colleges usually require a phd, the classes you teach will be at such a low level that you will quickly get bored. I’m stuck in a hell of having a doctorate and teaching the same gen ed class 8 times a year for 13 years. Don’t be me.

Human: Interested in teaching, less interested in research Currently pursuing a master's degree in media that is heavily research-focused. I have no problem with my research or the field I'm in, but I prefer plain old teaching over teaching and research. I was contemplating applying to schools for a PhD once I graduate, but I'm wondering if I need to. Can I teach at the university level without one? I understand PhD programs are heavily rooted in research, which again I have no problem with doing, but I'm wondering if this path is necessary if I'm interested more in teaching. Assistant: I'm at a teaching focused school. you can get an MA and be on the lecture track...but the pay tops off really fast. Schools want the PhD for accreditation reasons.

Human: Why is it that f = ma? Why is it that force = mass x acceleration but it would certainly kill me if a train moving at a constant speed hit me? Assistant: btw F=ma is a specific case. actually F is the derivative of momentum wrt time. If mass is constant only then, f=ma. or else, f= dp/dt where P is the momentum of the body. in this case, masses are same so f=ma holds. You'd die because your momentum is changing by a large amount in a short time ( which means basically means you just experienced a large force) when the train hits you even though it's at a constant velocity. Edit : u/Purely_Theoretical pointed out a common rookie mistake.

Human: Why is it that f = ma? Why is it that force = mass x acceleration but it would certainly kill me if a train moving at a constant speed hit me? Assistant: Shouldn't momentum be a valid answer here apart from the most upvoted comment ? Edit : Dumb comment of mine, both are trying to say the same thing.

Human: Gasoline prices are low and getting lower. At what point would it be cheaper to power your house off a generator instead of buying electricity from the utility? Assistant: So I work in power generation and do this kind of thing all the time. For most domestic applications, even if fuel is free, the purchase price and cost of maintaining a generator is still more expensive than buying grid power.

Human: Gasoline prices are low and getting lower. At what point would it be cheaper to power your house off a generator instead of buying electricity from the utility? Assistant: Diesel or natural gas generators are still going to be more cost effective. Also gas generators go through ALOT of gas, you would probably need to have tankers supply you.

Human: Physicists of Reddit, what’s your favorite science fiction movie and/or book? Assistant: Although it's a tv show, I'm going to go with Futurama. It has my favorite physics joke of all time.

Human: Physicists of Reddit, what’s your favorite science fiction movie and/or book? Assistant: The Matrix Foundation series by Asimov

Human: Your name was mentioned in a paper recently found by Academia! Dear Academia.edu, no one is mentioning my name in any papers. Please stop. Assistant: I get weekly emails from them with wilder and wilder paper publications. I'm a paleontologist. I highly doubt I would be doing something regarding "the increased complexities of the herpes virus". Honestly I haven't put them in the spam folder yet because their suggestions of papers that I have possibly written are just too amusing. What makes it even funnier is that I'm not even a published author yet. I'm still working on my first manuscript.

Human: Your name was mentioned in a paper recently found by Academia! Dear Academia.edu, no one is mentioning my name in any papers. Please stop. Assistant: Shit, I thought I was famous.

Human: [The Matrix] Why did the drone flush Neo after he woke up? Did it consider him dead or was it considered too difficult to plug someone back in? If I recall, the pills were just tracer programs and didn't do anything except help the crew find Neo among the thousands of banks of tubes. Assistant: With what we learned of the Machines in the second two movies it's fully possible that the drone saw him and thought "Looks like Zion has a new recruit. Better flush him so they can take care of him." Hell, it's possible the drone was thinking "Neat, they finally fine The One. Better cancel my plans, this 'war' is about to get lit".

Human: [The Matrix] Why did the drone flush Neo after he woke up? Did it consider him dead or was it considered too difficult to plug someone back in? If I recall, the pills were just tracer programs and didn't do anything except help the crew find Neo among the thousands of banks of tubes. Assistant: I had always thought that the drone was hacked by Morpheus/the rest of the gang, so it was acting on their behalf.

Human: [Star Wars] Why are there so many blatant worker safety hazards on the Death Star? Assistant: The lack of railing and holes in floors? The Death Star was originally designed by the Geonosians. They can fly and don't need railing.

Human: [Star Wars] Why are there so many blatant worker safety hazards on the Death Star? Assistant: Safety takes time and is expensive. And most jobs on the deathstar seem to be pretty menial and easy to train someone for. And the workforce is vast in the empire. Though I wonder how much redundant crew the bring along into space to be able to fill the gaps caused by worker deaths.

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why is there such a big push to colonize Mars when it doesn't appear necessarily more viable than colonizing the deserts of earth? Is it a matter of our atmosphere's sustainability? Or is it the principle of us simply proving our ability to do so for future missions? Assistant: Why not do this on the moon instead of Mars? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to transport materials?

Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why is there such a big push to colonize Mars when it doesn't appear necessarily more viable than colonizing the deserts of earth? Is it a matter of our atmosphere's sustainability? Or is it the principle of us simply proving our ability to do so for future missions? Assistant: Pride, gall, the extend of human drive to procreate and dominate terroritores she does not already posses. It is simple human instinct to go forth and conquer, secure, and lay claim to what is not already ours. The deserts are owned, while they may be usesless in land value, they isolate what is and protects what has not the resources or means to traverse it. Mars is just another challenge our race will rise to face.

Human: [The Simpsons] Marge Simpson is an old-fashioned, uptight, prudish and conservative person. So why does she wear a strapless tube dress in her day-to-day life? Assistant: She just thinks they're neat

Human: [The Simpsons] Marge Simpson is an old-fashioned, uptight, prudish and conservative person. So why does she wear a strapless tube dress in her day-to-day life? Assistant: It’s not really the most risqué item, though, is it? We see it demonstrated several times that it kind of hides her figure Besides, parents always try to seem uptight for the kids, but they were young once too

Human: Before digital scales, how was a weight measurement of accurate to .01g performed? Are there any affordable analog scales for weighing items under 30g to this degree of accuracy? Assistant: Digital scales aren't necessarily more accurate than analogue scales. They're just easier to use. Indeed, for the same price, a digital scale is probably less accurate than a balance scale. For very high precision, a digital scale needs a very delicate spring setup, and needs to be recalibrated whenever it's moved. An analogue balance just needs a bigger lever. For very very high precision you also need a vacuum chamber.

Human: Before digital scales, how was a weight measurement of accurate to .01g performed? Are there any affordable analog scales for weighing items under 30g to this degree of accuracy? Assistant: In a way it’s simpler with a balance because a balance measures mass. With a spring scale, which is what modern digital scales are, it measures force and high precision work requires calibrating to local gravity.

Human: What type of coffee to use for coffee cake? I’m going to make Claire Saffitz’s Coffee Coffee Cake and the recipe calls for 1/2 cup "strong brewed coffee". I'm not a coffee drinker apart from the occasional flat white (that I buy, not make myself!) so sorry for the clueless question: can I use instant coffee granules for the coffee, or is that different to brewed coffee? Otherwise I could buy a takeaway espresso for it if that would work? The recipe notes to use instant coffee granules rather than instant coffee powder for the cake, but doesn't mention anything about the brewed coffee.. Assistant: I've made this cake multiple times. I've always just made my own coffee with instant coffee granules and used that. It's always come out great

Human: What type of coffee to use for coffee cake? I’m going to make Claire Saffitz’s Coffee Coffee Cake and the recipe calls for 1/2 cup "strong brewed coffee". I'm not a coffee drinker apart from the occasional flat white (that I buy, not make myself!) so sorry for the clueless question: can I use instant coffee granules for the coffee, or is that different to brewed coffee? Otherwise I could buy a takeaway espresso for it if that would work? The recipe notes to use instant coffee granules rather than instant coffee powder for the cake, but doesn't mention anything about the brewed coffee.. Assistant: Honestly, 7-11 coffee is cheap and the right strength for what you need. A small cup is less than a buck. I'd do the breakfast blend for this. If you don't drink coffee, there's no need to buy stuff you won't use again.

Human: Client wants lemon cake with whipped cream for their summer wedding - impossible? Hey friends, I am recipe testing for a client who is getting married this summer. Her requests for the cake are: lemon, fresh fruit, and a light whipped cream frosting. From my experience working with whipped cream, it’s very temperature sensitive and can’t possibly remain stable enough to last a wedding. The venue is indoors, but I don’t want to take any chances with the summer heat/humidity potentially causing a cake collapse. I’d love some recommendations for the most stable, yet light and airy sort of frosting for a multi-layered cake. Thanks so much!!! Assistant: Stabilized whipped cream or an italian meringue

Human: Client wants lemon cake with whipped cream for their summer wedding - impossible? Hey friends, I am recipe testing for a client who is getting married this summer. Her requests for the cake are: lemon, fresh fruit, and a light whipped cream frosting. From my experience working with whipped cream, it’s very temperature sensitive and can’t possibly remain stable enough to last a wedding. The venue is indoors, but I don’t want to take any chances with the summer heat/humidity potentially causing a cake collapse. I’d love some recommendations for the most stable, yet light and airy sort of frosting for a multi-layered cake. Thanks so much!!! Assistant: stabilized whipped cream? i use mascarpone but you can also use pudding mix, gelatin, etc. i did a mascarpone whipped cream frosted cake and brought it to a park in a heat wave and it held up great! i’ve also heard ermine is nice and light, but i’ve never made it so can’t confirm.

Human: What's the best way to freeze cake layers? Long story short, I baked a couple cake layers yesterday to frost and eat today, but my mental health has other plans for me. As such, I want to freeze them to frost another day. Assistant: Looks like you’re covered for freezing advice, just wanted to say I hope you feel better soon. ❤️

Human: What's the best way to freeze cake layers? Long story short, I baked a couple cake layers yesterday to frost and eat today, but my mental health has other plans for me. As such, I want to freeze them to frost another day. Assistant: ^ what they said. Make sure they’re completely cooled and not super damp when you wrap otherwise they could stick to the plastic and break off in large layers!

Human: What is your physics/maths/academia-related pet peeve as a physicist? I'll go first. I feel like I'm gonna get quite a bit of hate for this one. I know it could be incredibly useful sometimes, but I hate when scientists name phenomenon / new discoveries / algorithms etc. with surnames, especially their own surnames. I understand that they deserve to be credited for their incredible hard work and it could be an amazing ego boost, but surnames don't provide information without a formal explanation, and imo it would be so much more effective in spreading the incredible knowledge of physics if we could just spend a couple more seconds mentioning these things in conversations with longer terms that would convey summarised ideas, than to say surnames that don't necessary mean anything. I'd much rather see "String Sigma-Model Action" than "Polyakov Action". Furthermore, a lot of discoveries are often contested anyway as to who they were made by and should take the credit. Naming phenomenon with surnames has, as I can imagine, left a lot of academics bitter, because it seems like their hard work has not been recognised. Say you don't know the definition of a Boson and are a beginner in particle physics. If it was called a "integer-spin particle", honestly I don't think you can deny that it would build a much strong intuition at an earlier stage, especially if you were just skim-reading articles/textbooks to get a feel of this field (no pun intended). What do you think? And what is/are your pet peeve(s)? Assistant: for the record, I did a math thing and left the name very vague. Other published papers referred to it as my name. I'm fine with calling the Fourier transform by that name, rather than the 'Wiggles" transform or the "change of basis" transform or "solutions to the simple harmonic oscillator" transform.

Human: What is your physics/maths/academia-related pet peeve as a physicist? I'll go first. I feel like I'm gonna get quite a bit of hate for this one. I know it could be incredibly useful sometimes, but I hate when scientists name phenomenon / new discoveries / algorithms etc. with surnames, especially their own surnames. I understand that they deserve to be credited for their incredible hard work and it could be an amazing ego boost, but surnames don't provide information without a formal explanation, and imo it would be so much more effective in spreading the incredible knowledge of physics if we could just spend a couple more seconds mentioning these things in conversations with longer terms that would convey summarised ideas, than to say surnames that don't necessary mean anything. I'd much rather see "String Sigma-Model Action" than "Polyakov Action". Furthermore, a lot of discoveries are often contested anyway as to who they were made by and should take the credit. Naming phenomenon with surnames has, as I can imagine, left a lot of academics bitter, because it seems like their hard work has not been recognised. Say you don't know the definition of a Boson and are a beginner in particle physics. If it was called a "integer-spin particle", honestly I don't think you can deny that it would build a much strong intuition at an earlier stage, especially if you were just skim-reading articles/textbooks to get a feel of this field (no pun intended). What do you think? And what is/are your pet peeve(s)? Assistant: Physicians. Why can’t we call those guys doctors and take that cool title for ourselves?

Human: How do you/did you engage in self-care during grad school? I am currently finishing up my MA degree and moving on the the PhD program in the same department. Given that I am in a psychology program, our department as a whole encourages discussions around self-care and being self-compassionate. I really appreciate this as I know not all departments/supervisors are as supportive and understanding. However, while these discussions do happen, they tend to be intellectualized and do not focus on what we can actually do about it. Personally, I have been feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and like nothing I do is ever good enough. I struggle with finding a balance in keeping up with course deadlines, managing clients, doing side readings for client cases, and advancing my research. I was wondering if anyone has any coping strategies or self-care rituals that they have found really effective? I would also be interested in knowing whether this is something that tends to improve over time (in your experience)? Assistant: Find a hobby that has tangible results. There are so many possibilities: painting, pottery, woodwork, knitting, whatever. So much of an academic lifestyle exists in our minds. It's hard to see progress when you're writing, waiting for a review, working with clients/patients, teaching, or even just learning new things. I've found it's really worthwhile to have something where I can say: "I made that."

Human: How do you/did you engage in self-care during grad school? I am currently finishing up my MA degree and moving on the the PhD program in the same department. Given that I am in a psychology program, our department as a whole encourages discussions around self-care and being self-compassionate. I really appreciate this as I know not all departments/supervisors are as supportive and understanding. However, while these discussions do happen, they tend to be intellectualized and do not focus on what we can actually do about it. Personally, I have been feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and like nothing I do is ever good enough. I struggle with finding a balance in keeping up with course deadlines, managing clients, doing side readings for client cases, and advancing my research. I was wondering if anyone has any coping strategies or self-care rituals that they have found really effective? I would also be interested in knowing whether this is something that tends to improve over time (in your experience)? Assistant: You’re human, do the sorts of things humans do to recreate.

Human: Before Einstein was there any philosopher who claimed or suggested that the time and the space could be distorted or relative to the observer? Assistant: Surprised no one has mentioned the obvious answer. Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916) was an Austrian philosopher whose ideas had a great and direct influence on Einstein, especially (but far from exclusively) Mach's criticism of Newton's concept of absolute space.

Human: Before Einstein was there any philosopher who claimed or suggested that the time and the space could be distorted or relative to the observer? Assistant: Nicholas of Cusa

Human: Does My Thanksgiving Hor D'oeuvres Make Sense? Seeking Advice I'm making this recipe up completely on my own, and I need both a sanity check and recommedications. I want to make small tarts in muffin tins using shredded chicken thighs. * Brown chicken thighs in a pan with butter, adding garlic, rosemary, and thyme, etc. -- typical Thanksgiving flavors. Shred chicken once cooked. * Form store-bought puff pastry into muffin tins (and par-bake if necessary?). * Spread a layer of caramelized onions into the bottom. * Add a layer of the shredded chicken. * Add a layer of cheese sauce (butter, flour, milk, and a neutral white cheese). * Place two very thin slices of habanero peppers across the top, top along with a tiny amount of a funky cheese, and bake. This is just something I came up with, and I have no idea if it would actually work. I'm looking for some traditional Thanksgiving flavors, but with a tiny bit of kick in spice and funk, since it's a starter. Assistant: All scans really well. Only caveat is with the cheese sauce. I'd recommend making it quite thick and use it sparingly, so it doesn't make your pastry go too soggy. A thin sauce can often underwhelm, when baked. A blue cheese can be a great match with chicken, especially thigh meat, so consider that maybe for the final dollop of cheesy loveliness. Roquefort, St Agur, Stilton or something from closer to home, perhaps. Good luck and hope everyone enjoys your efforts!

Human: Does My Thanksgiving Hor D'oeuvres Make Sense? Seeking Advice I'm making this recipe up completely on my own, and I need both a sanity check and recommedications. I want to make small tarts in muffin tins using shredded chicken thighs. * Brown chicken thighs in a pan with butter, adding garlic, rosemary, and thyme, etc. -- typical Thanksgiving flavors. Shred chicken once cooked. * Form store-bought puff pastry into muffin tins (and par-bake if necessary?). * Spread a layer of caramelized onions into the bottom. * Add a layer of the shredded chicken. * Add a layer of cheese sauce (butter, flour, milk, and a neutral white cheese). * Place two very thin slices of habanero peppers across the top, top along with a tiny amount of a funky cheese, and bake. This is just something I came up with, and I have no idea if it would actually work. I'm looking for some traditional Thanksgiving flavors, but with a tiny bit of kick in spice and funk, since it's a starter. Assistant: Maybe layer something drier than onions as your first layer to preserve your crust better? Onions first may sog the bottom

Human: Help with sponge for Swedish Princess Cake (Princesstarta)! Hi bakers! My wife and I are having trouble with the sponge cake for a Swedish princess cake we are making. We have made this exact cake from this exact recipe last year and the cake came out beautifully on our first try, if we have had multiple failures this year. We have a new oven, so are having to navigate that, but can’t figure out what we’re doing wrong. The exterior of the cake is rising well above the cake tin (9” springform), but the inside is “falling” and is just a dense bunch at the bottom. So we end up with a hard exterior shell of sorts and an inside that still seems raw and flat well after the recommended bake time has come and gone. Any ideas on what could be going wrong? Here is the link to the recipe: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/prinsesstrta_17336 Assistant: I’m drunk right now so can’t remember exactly but the dense part is caused by over mixing the batter. Make sure to fold very gently. And definitely agree to make sure baking powder is not older than 6 months.

Human: Help with sponge for Swedish Princess Cake (Princesstarta)! Hi bakers! My wife and I are having trouble with the sponge cake for a Swedish princess cake we are making. We have made this exact cake from this exact recipe last year and the cake came out beautifully on our first try, if we have had multiple failures this year. We have a new oven, so are having to navigate that, but can’t figure out what we’re doing wrong. The exterior of the cake is rising well above the cake tin (9” springform), but the inside is “falling” and is just a dense bunch at the bottom. So we end up with a hard exterior shell of sorts and an inside that still seems raw and flat well after the recommended bake time has come and gone. Any ideas on what could be going wrong? Here is the link to the recipe: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/prinsesstrta_17336 Assistant: Are you beating the eggs and sugar long enough? You need to do that for around 10 minutes in a stand mixer on high speed. And afterwards only fold in the rest of the ingredients very gently. Also, are you greasing the sides of your cake tin? If yes, stop doing that. The sponge is so light it needs something to "grip" to rise. With oiled sides it might not be able to rise, or slide down too easily.

Human: eli5 Why does it take 2-3 years for braces to straighten your teeth but they can revert quickly if you don't wear a retainer when the braces come off? Assistant: Your teeth have a place they want to be. Braces put them where they should be but they still want to go home to where they were. Retainers help them obey.

Human: eli5 Why does it take 2-3 years for braces to straighten your teeth but they can revert quickly if you don't wear a retainer when the braces come off? Assistant: If you want to reposition a tree branch, you have to slowly adjust it to another location to avoid breaking the branch (braces). Once you have moved it to the intended location, you still have to put in support (retainer) or else it will slowly revert to its original position due to gravity and tension. Only when a long time goes by can you remove the support as the new position is the new "normal."

Human: GX460 or JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT? Alright... so I am looking to trade in my 2017 Lexus IS350, I love the car but the reason why? Well, I adopted Zoco. He’s a 65lb sharpei/ lab mix. Which means, a sedan is just not enough space! I’ve been searching for some SUVs around my area. I test drove a lot but two vehicles stood out the most. A. LEXUS GX460 with 22k miles for $39k B. JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT with 40k miles for $48k Both are great deals! I can just imagine Zoco in the back enjoying the car rides :) So please I need some advices, I’ve been always into fast cars so the SRT would be great but The proven reliability of Lexus vehicles are that can’t be ignored Help me out and have a wonderful day! Assistant: So, a Lexus (toyota build quality with luxury interior), for less money and fewer miles than a Grand Cherokee (mopar cheap plastic interior & weak engineering)? Seems pretty obvious to me. Unless it's a trackhawk cherokee

Human: GX460 or JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT? Alright... so I am looking to trade in my 2017 Lexus IS350, I love the car but the reason why? Well, I adopted Zoco. He’s a 65lb sharpei/ lab mix. Which means, a sedan is just not enough space! I’ve been searching for some SUVs around my area. I test drove a lot but two vehicles stood out the most. A. LEXUS GX460 with 22k miles for $39k B. JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SRT with 40k miles for $48k Both are great deals! I can just imagine Zoco in the back enjoying the car rides :) So please I need some advices, I’ve been always into fast cars so the SRT would be great but The proven reliability of Lexus vehicles are that can’t be ignored Help me out and have a wonderful day! Assistant: GX460 all day

Human: [CA] A friend of mine was told that her resignation is not accepted and any prospective employers would be given a bad review in a right-to-work state. This is illegal, right? A friend of mine works in California on a job with variable hours. She hasn't been getting much work despite required 24-hour monday-saturday availability, and in July alerted the owner that if she can't make rent she would quit. She found new employment and gave them notice that she's leaving in one week. She was told they "do not accept the resignation" and if she left, anyone asking would receive a disparaging review. I'm not an HR professional, but I'm fairly sure that this is not only illegal in an at-will state with no contract clause requiring notice, but massive lawsuit bait. Can you point me at the laws specifically describing this? Assistant: Sounds like she didn't leave soon enough!

Human: [CA] A friend of mine was told that her resignation is not accepted and any prospective employers would be given a bad review in a right-to-work state. This is illegal, right? A friend of mine works in California on a job with variable hours. She hasn't been getting much work despite required 24-hour monday-saturday availability, and in July alerted the owner that if she can't make rent she would quit. She found new employment and gave them notice that she's leaving in one week. She was told they "do not accept the resignation" and if she left, anyone asking would receive a disparaging review. I'm not an HR professional, but I'm fairly sure that this is not only illegal in an at-will state with no contract clause requiring notice, but massive lawsuit bait. Can you point me at the laws specifically describing this? Assistant: California is not a right-to-work state. In right-to-work states, an employer cannot require that you join a union as a condition of your employment. Since no such law exists in California, an employer can require you to join a union as a condition of employment. You are confusing the term right-to-work with the at-will doctrine.

Human: How has the Donald Trump Presidency affected your life in academia so far? Asking this question towards people in academia in the United States, but if it's affected you abroad as well feel free to answer. Assistant: Swastikas spray painted on campus, so there's that.

Human: How has the Donald Trump Presidency affected your life in academia so far? Asking this question towards people in academia in the United States, but if it's affected you abroad as well feel free to answer. Assistant: So far, only in the sense that I suspect future grant proposals will have to be framed without reference to climate change. I imagine that funding cuts will significant affect whether I'm funded at all, though. Or at least the level of funding.

Human: If you had to choose 3 car brands to recommend for maintenance cost AND longevity, which would you choose? I currently have a Ford Focus but am unhappy with it because the transmission crapped out on me only a few months after buying it. I want a car that is cheap to maintain on average and lasts a long time because I don’t replace my car frequently and I barely drive. I’m doubtful of how long the Ford will last now and it looks like they’re expensive to maintain as well. I’m thinking Toyota, Honda, or Mazda? What do you guys think? Assistant: best based solely on longevity and maintenance is toyota. if you want to add some fun to the driving experience mazda and then honda. so purely on reliability toyota, honda, mazda based on reliability and fun mazda, honda, and toyota this is assuming vehicles in the same class like a mazda 3 , corolla or civic and not a miata or civic si or type r type vehicles

Human: If you had to choose 3 car brands to recommend for maintenance cost AND longevity, which would you choose? I currently have a Ford Focus but am unhappy with it because the transmission crapped out on me only a few months after buying it. I want a car that is cheap to maintain on average and lasts a long time because I don’t replace my car frequently and I barely drive. I’m doubtful of how long the Ford will last now and it looks like they’re expensive to maintain as well. I’m thinking Toyota, Honda, or Mazda? What do you guys think? Assistant: Toyota Honda …. Lexus. Lol

Human: My dog was hit by a truck My dog was in an accident today, she has minor cuts and has been eating, she’s in pain when she jumps up and down from furniture and has been coughing and sometimes tries to throw up, she has been walking around and it’s been about 4 hours since she was hit. our vet is closed today, and we won’t be able to take her in till tomorrow, i’m afraid she has internal injuries, is there any type of things I can, or any dog pain medicine I can buy until tomorrow, or signs to look for Assistant: Emergency vet

Human: My dog was hit by a truck My dog was in an accident today, she has minor cuts and has been eating, she’s in pain when she jumps up and down from furniture and has been coughing and sometimes tries to throw up, she has been walking around and it’s been about 4 hours since she was hit. our vet is closed today, and we won’t be able to take her in till tomorrow, i’m afraid she has internal injuries, is there any type of things I can, or any dog pain medicine I can buy until tomorrow, or signs to look for Assistant: Pawp is an emergency insurance for a one-time visit to the ER vet up to $3000. It can be used anywhere, and is directly deposited to your account. I'd look into using that. Even with minor exterior injuries, you desperately need to take your dog to the ER. It may suck financially, but please don't let your dog suffer.