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u6uhkf

askacademia_train

Would it be possible for a person with an IQ of 85, one SD below average but within the normal range, through hard work, to earn a legitimate PhD in *any* field, from a legitimate institution? Is anyone *known* to have achieved this? I would expect that they’d have probably never had reason or opportunity to take an IQ test until after earning the PhD.

i5b2sn4

i5aq2dh

I just wanna say it sounds like you like the SOUND of having a phd. You keep talking about "maybe in this field" or "I'll just do simple data collection". These are the wrong reasons to get a phd and that attitude of wanting something without having sufficient reasons why is what will make you fail at getting a phd, not necessarily your intelligence.

I mean, IQ isn’t a valid measurement in any capacity. It’s built with inherent biases that mean rich WASPs score the highest on it. That’s something you learn pretty quickly in psychology. Even if it was accurate, it doesn’t measure all types of intelligence.

vg11um

explainlikeimfive_train

Explain like I'm five years old: how do people end up with extraordinary amounts of medical debt if they have medical insurance? I thought all policies have an out of pocket/OOP maximum that would be the most someone would have to pay in a year.

id0hwhz

id0r845

With insurance: I had good insurance with a $6.5K maximum. Diagnosed with cancer midyear, and then hit it three years running. Only $20K, but that could break someone. That was without uncovered surprises. You know, Medicare has no maximum? But self employed people often wind up with high deductible policies. You think you can manage, but you don't realize you can hit the maximum repeatedly.

Because in the US insurance companies have the right to refuse paymen... Land of free... I live in europe, i have state mandated medical insurance, which is paid by the employer, it is about 25 USD per month... This is mandatory for every "able to work" adult, everyone pays. For this, you get these "free" things * Regional primary care phyisician based on your address * Dentistry * Hospital emergency, ambulatory and stay-in care * Emergency ambulance * Surgeries * Free or subsdized medicine * Sickdays are covered by insurance at 60% of your wage if you are sick longer than 1 week Granted it is not sunsine and happiness, they have obsolete tools, underfunded staff, the queues for "elective" procedures can be very long. HOWEVER, it is still better than the constant dread of debilitating debt, so that if you broke your leg, and for an x-ray and a cast you would need to sell your kidney. You may never use it in your life, only once or twice, but if there is trouble you have safety net, that actually helps and not trying to suck your dry financially

gp4r6b

explainlikeimfive_train

Explain like I'm five years old: Why does the pitch of a spoon tapping the inside of a coffee mug get lower as you stir and then go back up as the liquid settles back down? I assume it has something to do with how well the wave is transmitted through various media of different densities, but I’m not sure that the density of coffee changes when you stir it...?

frjuycb

frjqioi

You know how putting more or less water in a cup can control the pitch it makes when you tap it, so you can even make music just with cups of water? Well the pitch isn't controlled by how *much* water there is, it's how far the water reaches up the side of the cup that matters. You can see this yourself by filling a cup halfway with water and tapping it to hear the pitch, then if you put something in the water large enough to raise the water level and tap again, the pitch will be lower (though the geometry of some glasses works out that this pitch change is actually backwards and adding more water *raises* the pitch, such as in this video.) And what happens when you stir your coffee? It makes a little whirlpool, the center of the coffee goes down, and the edge of the coffee goes up! You can even stir really fast to make the whirlpool bigger and change the pitch even more... just don't get so enthusiastic you wind up splashing coffee all over the counter :)

I think it has to do with changing density from dissolving sugar, and micro bubbles in the liquid rising to the surface. Also, I think that heat changes the pitch of both the water and the mug. And lastly, there are solids from the coffee beans all through the liquid. As it sits, it starts to settle and stratify. As you stir, it changes the mix quickly until it settles into a homogenous equilibrium. These are just my guesses. I have often wondered the same thing. I also noticed that I can tell a tiny difference in the sound of rushing water when it is hot. Like a running sink sounds different when the water started to get hot. And, I grew up in Yellowstone and could tell if a stream was hot or not by the sound while approaching.

9ogz17

changemyview_train

CMV: The dehumanization of opponents through the "NPC" meme is an direct response to the dehumanization of opponents through calling them "Russian Bots", and both are forcing an Us vs. Them mentality that continues to divide the West. From what I've seen people are outraged that the alt-righters are completely dehumanizing and devaluing the opinion of their leftist opponents to sub-human levels. It should also be noted that a similar tactic was on the other side of the political divide, in calling those who replied, liked, or retweeted Trump's twitter posts "Russian Bots", devaluing their opinion to an equal level of an "NPC". I will concede however that atleast the Russian Bots dehumanizing comes from some sort of reality, that Russia has it out for America. The whole NPC thing is nonsensical from my knowledge and has no (grounded in reality) background.

e7ujmpm

e7u0kyd

>The whole NPC thing is nonsensical from my knowledge and has no (grounded in reality) background. From what I have seen the NPC part is based off the interactions people have with protesters. For example, asking protesters what the person they are protesting said that they disagree with and the protester just pauses or walks away. It is about how their response to such an easy question is met with a blank face, as if the answer isn't in the scripted responses, so the person just defaults out, like an NPC.

Two wrongs don't make a right, do they? Russian bots exist, and in fact impersonate Americans on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms all the time. They foment division by falsely amplifying views. Sometimes, those bots even impersonated real Americans. So there is an actual, real life chance that someone you're interacting with online is a 'bot. It's rude to say to someone you know is a real person, though arguably, none of us really know anything about each other. Calling someone an NPC is just a baseless insult formulated in response to the real fear of 'bot amplifying divisive messages. 700,000 people may have interacted with bots, thinking they were real. The irony is that sometimes, those bots were amplifying so-called leftist views, in an inflammatory way to fuel arguing and division. So anyone, left or right, could be a bot, I guess. But this NPC accusation is exclusively from right to left, which makes it seem spiteful. Everyone should be concerned about bots. No one should be concerned about NPCs.

slwa1o

legaladvice_train

[MA] Left a toxic work situation due to egregious sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting. Arbitrated out of court with a judge and received a settlement in exchange for an NDA. Since signing this NDA, former employer has gone to various lengths to make my life harder. Latest- incorrect tax forms- incorrect reporting of my earnings- too high by more than 15k. Have seen online postings for same job- it’s a small field so I even was asked about it from someone looking to apply. At what point can I break the NDA?

hvtq8u3

hvtv7ru

Ask your lawyer if you can say that there is an NDA at all. If someone is asking about it and you say: "I cannot say anything negative due to an NDA I signed in return for a settlement. That's all I'll be saying about this, please do not ask me again." That would already be really telling. Make sure even that can't get you into trouble though.

Are you remembering to count the full settlement as part of your earnings? If the settlement was, say, $45,000, and your lawyers got $15,000, that could be part of your income; the lawyers' fees would be your expense. If they report your income on a Form 1099, you can deduct that expense as a legitimate cost of doing business. If they report your income on a Form W-2, that means they paid the federal government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts withholding taxes on the nonexistent $15,000 out of their own pocket, which would be against their interests and do you little damage. Thus, it's unlikely to be a retaliatory measure. In any case, though I'm not a lawyer, I doubt you would prevail in court if you said, "I broke my NDA because they misreported my income." The recourse for misreported income is to correct the report, not to break your NDA.

gbmxip

askengineers_train

Can a device be engineered such that it that can still perform its function after being buried for a thousand years? If so, can you describe that device? The question is an engineering challenge. Describe a device that performs some function such that it could be buried for a thousand years or more and later discovered and still be functional. Even better if the function is still relevant in the time that it is found. The Antikythera device is one example of something that meets this criteria. Is there a modern example?

fp6oofk

fp6os5v

Depends on your definition of modern. Certain purely Mechanical devices can do that but digital devices are almost guaranteed to require maintenance or replacement.

Well, depending on how long our current SI system remains in use, a 1 kg weight made out of material that does not decompose over time will still perform it's function after being burried for a thousand years.

wludj5

askengineers_train

Will employers care if a program is not ABET accredited? I'm looking at Northeastern's college of professional studies to do a degree in mechatronics. Looks good on paper and I would be able to work and take classes at night. From the website it doesn't look ABET accredited though. Do you think employers will care?

ijwap3i

ijw7rkd

If you ever want to work government it matters there

Every job I’ve applied for requires an ABET engineering degree.

zoof4o

askscience_train

How exactly is a parrot able to mimic sounds with so much accuracy? I’ve seen several videos of parrots mimicking ring tones and all kinds of noises. How, from a neurological and physiological perspective do they do this? I know they have something called a syrinx, their version of the human larynx, so I kind of understand the sound production part. I’m more interested in the neurological process; how do those tiny brains process acoustical information and produce it through the syrinx? How is is different from the way the human brain produces sounds?

j0r3kzm

j0rd6p3

I can only speak of humans, but I think the process is similar. When a baby is developing they have what musicians call perfect pitch, the ability to "Know" exactly the pitch and timbre of a sound or musical piece. Most humans lose this ability unless trained in music from an early age, but without it, a child would not learn to talk; it's a necessary early development in the toddler brain to learn the sounds of the mother's voice amid other competing sounds.

Unlike most birds, parrots are vocal learners (along with the hummingbirds and the oscines). This means they are not born with an innate song, but they learn what to vocalise from their environment. They also have the ability to learn throughout life where other birds crystallize their song after a year. Neurologically, they have specialized brain areas involved in vocal learning. We know from experiments with other birds that they learn a "template" from listening, and then match their own vocalizations to that template via trial and error. I'm guessing it's the same for parrots. There are many similarities to human language learning. We also have an innate capacity for language, but no pre-specified words. These are all learned by experience. We also have dedicated language areas in the brain for production, comprehension and so on. One very intriguing connection is that there is a gene (FoxP2) which causes language disorders in humans when mutated. Songbirds also have this gene which acts as a master gene for vocal learning in birds (not sure about parrots specifically). Even though we are separated by tens of millions of years in evolution, there might be a common genetic mechanism behind vocal learning. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/inside-dr-pepperbergs-lab-parrots-vocal-learning/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180328092527.htm

x6jl4w

askphilosophy_train

Using Pure Maths In Philosophy So I’m about to get my maths degree, and probably going to go pure maths, and then later get a masters in Philosophy and then get a PhD in one of the two. But I’m trying to figure out if there is room for pure maths applications when talking about things like metaphysics, ethics, or other courses more broadly than just logic. And if there is a specific name for this philosophy field that focuses more on answering philosophical questions with the help of Mathematics?

in7ca7b

in7btwe

Check out the computational metaphysics project at Stanford! https://mally.stanford.edu/cm/ There’s also an SEP entry on computational philosophy (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/computational-philosophy/) that may be of interest to you. Also check out Science Without Numbers by Hartry Field (and his other work) for an example of the role of pure math in philosophy of science. At its essence, he extends Hilbert’s strategies for axiomatizing Euclidean geometry into a nominalistic version of Classical Physics, proving representation theorems and theorems about a property he called conservativeness along the way.

I wish you luck with your studies. However, you're thinking wayyy too far ahead (no offense). You don't "use pure maths in philosophy". Pure math is essentially just logic applied to mathematical concepts; it's very similar in style/tools to analytic philosophy. That's why logicians are sometimes in math departments and sometimes in philosophy. So, many branches of analytic philosophy and pure math look very similar. But no, things like the definition of an integral or whatever aren't really used in ethics or metaphysics.

g16qd7

askculinary_train

Is there a difference between coconut milk you can buy in the supermarket fridges near the regular milk, and canned coconut milk you buy near all the spices, curry pastes, etc? Tried googling the answer and I'm coming up blank!

fndyl3o

fnecnew

One has a fuck load of fat so you can make curries and one is for putting in your granola.

As someone else said, you've gotten a lot of good answers! Canned for cooking almost always! Only thing I'd like to add is that a lot of the canned types have thickeners added (things like guar/xanthan gum, carrageenan, agar, or starch) to give it a smooth consistency in place of actually being creamy due to fat content. I try to find brands without these as they don't always sit well on my stomach (yay Crohn's...) and may be something else to consider when you're selecting a type!

l4h9l6

askbaking_train

How do I get my chocolate chip cookies to flatten out more? I've been baking this recipe for a very long time, they're chocolate chip chili cookies. My partner loves them, but I think he used to love them more when they were like flatter and wider. For some reason, they've sort of stayed higher and more balled up for the past few years. They're still delicious, but they've taken on a more cakey texture. We miss my thin & crispy crunchy chocolate chip chili cookies. Can someone please remind me what causes them to be either flatter and crunchier, versus higher and cakier? Thanks!

gkoj8a5

gkptza2

Food Network has an article on this that could help.

the more you cream together the butter and sugar the flatter your cookies will turn out.

rjkf8r

askengineers_train

What the hell is up with companies advertising $18-$23/hr for junior engineers? Doesn’t junior engineer translate to entry level engineer? Why are they paying horrendously?

hp4b1mh

hp557fh

No clue, I make more as an intern.

In my experience if you only target companies that post on indeed this largely seems to be the case. That was how i got my first job at a small company and was making around 25.50 with 4 days pto annually basically being a cad monkey. I only lasted 6 months and really really really dreaded coming into work everyday for the last month or so. It was only me and my manager and they had my desk facing a corner in room at the end of a hallway. It was so fucking isolating after awhile and hearing my manager bitch about his wife or some shit in his life really got annoying. I quickly lost respect for him. This guy is approaching 50 and bitching about his marital problems to guys in their 20s, jfc. Hearing the VP laugh obonixiously on whatever bullshit was annoying af too and he tried to sell me that smaller companies are better than larger companies cause "yOu GeT tO SeE tHe ManFacTuRiNG PrOcEsS" I thought i could handle the 45min-1hr commute waking up at 6 and starting at 7:30 and coming home at 5 but it was too taxing on my body and i couldnt adjust to the sleep schedule. I ended up putting in my two weeks and instead they let me go the first day of it caused the VP got offended that I asked the hr lady if it was possible to use my vacation during that period. If she said it wasnt then i wouldve been cool with that. Literally as I was driving home that day, I got a call to do a last minute interview with a top tier big name company. Ended up getting the offer and about 50% increase in pay plus 5k bonus plus relocation and about 4 weeks off inc pto and holidays. I start next month. Moral of the story, stay the fuck away from smaller companies especially if there are less than 3 engineers cause the pay and pto is dog shit. Target larger companies where they can afford to pay more with better benefits. Rant over.

l7wqbo

askbaking_train

Do you use melted chocolate or cocoa powder for your brownies? I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect brownie recipe and most of the recipes (about 70%) use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. What are the benefits of using cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate? Which ingredient do you prefer? I've also found a few recipes that use both, what's your opinion on that?

glbdnxn

glb48ax

https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/08/my-favorite-brownies/ Smitten Kitchens are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I honestly am not sure which is better- people are saying the chocolate makes the brownies more fudgey which sounds like it would make sense, but I’ve been using this great recipe for years and it uses cocoa powder: https://www.bunsinmyoven.com/good-ol-homemade-brownies/

s0ut4o

askbaking_train

What to do with leftover baked goods when you live alone? I live alone and baking is one of my favorite ways to relieve stress. As a particularly heavy academic season is setting in I am baking two or three times a week. The problem is my college is remote right now so I don’t have any friends to share my baked goods with and I live alone. There isn’t anywhere to donate baked goods to near here (they only accept packaged foods for safety reasons.) I can’t eat two dozen cupcakes every week but I also feel very badly throwing away perfectly good food. Anyone have workarounds for this? Thank you in advance!

hs5xu85

hs51krs

I started 2021 exactly the same. Trauma, loss, stress, anxiety. I took it out in the kitchen. Over time I landed on doing sourdough and complex recipes that took more than a day to complete. Not recipes that are really time consuming, but that take maintenance over longer chunks of time. I have a small group of locals that I now sell to about once a week. Before I would eat some and force loaves on people. Sometimes I would eat just some for a day and throw the rest away... Today is coincidentally my starters bday! Good luck with all of everything!

Neighbors

zu667t

asksciencefiction_train

[General] do beings like Superman with the ability to fly in space need to consider orbital mechanics? I’ve noticed that individuals like Superman, Capitan Marvel, Omni Man, etc… seem to fly through space with little to no consideration of orbital mechanics. Is this simply because it’s too complicated a subject for writers to include when considering super powered space flight, or is there some concept in astrophysics that allows them to maneuver freely without considering orbital mechanics?

j1hho7q

j1h9pbm

They can hoover and fly very quickly, and go from zero to top speed almost instantly. When you can go at those speeds, turn on a dime, and don't need to worry about fuel, you can just point towards the planet you wanna go to and blast towards it. Mars won't move that far in the 4 minutes it takes you to go there

Not really. Superman can hover almost indefinitely, so he doesn't need to orbit just to stay in space.

cd3guk

asksciencefiction_train

[MARVEL] why is there a prejudice against mutants, that goes as far creating a division to hunt, kill and contain them, but no prejudice against inhumans (who are practically the same) or other mutates and superpowered people like spiderman and the fantastic four?

etr6zvr

etr8o7z

Hatred doesn't have to be logical

"First race war, Summer?" Edit: I had the quote slightly wrong. It's "Aw Summer, first race war, huh?"

npm8sd

changemyview_train

CMV: Not tipping your delivery driver or server is a dick move and "they should be paid a living wage" isn't a good reason not to. There's a post on r/all right now about Dominos having a blurb on their box asking you to tip higher for good service. Which is a shitty thing for the corporation to do when they could just pay their drivers a higher hourly rate. Literally everyone agrees on that. But if you use that as a reason to 'go against the company' and not tip, you're not doing anything to the company you're just hurting some 17 year olds income, and you as a consumer should be doing all you can to help the people providing you that service. I currently work in a restaurant as both a cook and a waiter, depending on what they need me as, and was a delivery driver for the Hut before this job. So often Ill engage in conversation with one of the other servers and they will be saying how their tables didn't tip and how just one big party not tipping can absolutely destroy their night. We're already working for a very unstable income so you as a consumer of our services should be doing what you can to support us, until the company decides to do so itself. Not tipping us and killing our income isn't the way to do it, protest it by supporting a higher minimum wage or better work laws regarding tip culture. TL;DR not tipping because companies should pay their workers more does nothing but hurt the individual employee.

h060wwx

h061uyv

I look at a menu. Order the food I can afford based on the menu price. I don't buy food from a server or a delivery driver. I buy from a restaurant. If you want to get paid better form a union. I don't mind tipping when part of a large party or when small children are at the table.

Why should I care about a server at a restaurant? Really, what value are they providing? Why is a waiter worth tipping while a McDonald’s worker is not worth tipping? I’d be happy to put my order in an app, get my own drink refills, and grab my order myself when it comes out. I go to sit down restaurants because they have food that I don’t want to cook and clean up myself. Why should waiters get big tips for something I’d be happy to do myself? If I’m paying extra for a good experience then I should really be tipping the cooks and dishwashers.

o1n0y6

changemyview_train

CMV: The price of your restaurant bill should not dictate how much you tip. First of all, I want to clarify that I am not against tipping in anyway. I've worked in the restaurant industry and make sure to always tip well. However, I don't like the common idea of tipping 15-20% of your bill. For instance, one would tip their waiter $10 if they get a $50 plate (going with 20% tip here). But tip the same waiter, in the same restaurant, $4 if they ordered a $20 plate instead . In both instances, you are getting the same quality of food, same service, and the waiter is doing the same amount of work. It doesn't make sense to me to have to give such a larger tip for the same amount of work only because I decided to get a more expensive dish/drink.

h21pudo

h22fsj7

It makes sense from the perspective of the psychology of a human; we see prices in relative terms so taking a set portion that is relative is only natural.

Lol tipping is bs. Said every non-American ever.

pl1lyz

askbaking_train

Flavors that would complement almond extract in a cake or loaf? Hi all, I want to try incorporating almond extract in baked goods like sponge cake or quick breads. I was wondering what flavors would complement the almond flavor, whether it's in spices or frosting or other extracts. Also, if I make an almond sponge cake for example, do you think vanilla egg custard would go along nicely with it? I'd really love to hear how you use almond extract and what you enjoy to pair it with.

hc7mf02

hc95or3

Almond poppy seed quick bread is amazing!

I baked my female pup a “pink cake” for her birthday every year for 17 years. It was usually just a white cake mix to which I added vanilla and almond extract tinted with red food coloring. One year I was out of red food coloring, so I sprinkled unsweetened cherry koolaid until I achieved the desired shade. Several party guests told me it was one of the best tasting cakes they ever had, and I bake a lot of cakes.

szfsv6

askscience_train

AskScience AMA Series: I am Kerstin de Wit, M.D., and I am passionate about mental health awareness. I am a leading researcher in mental health and blood clots, particularly for people diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, and/or depression following a blood clot diagnosis. AMA! I am Kerstin de Wit, M.D., and my research takes a close look at the psychological distress that can come with a medical diagnosis, specifically after a blood clot diagnosis. In a recent study, half of the patients with a blood clot had some degree of ongoing psychological distress, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, but almost two-thirds of these patients did not seek out mental healthcare. I am an associate professor and emergency medicine physician specializing in bleeding and clotting disorders at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. Follow me on Twitter at @KerstinDeWit. I'll be on at 11 a.m. US ET (16 UT), ask me anything! Username: /u/WorldThrombosisDay

hy3u8of

hy3qtjs

Do you have any suggestions for how patients can begin a discussion with their doctor and their family about their anxiety or depression they feel after diagnosis? It seems more challenging to have these conversations when there is not the widespread public recognition that DVT/PE has some of the same mental health impacts as surviving other life-threatening cardiovascular events with risk of recurrence like stroke and heart attack.

In your research/experience, what role does apathy play in decision making among depressed individuals? Do you find patients to be less engaged or to make bad decisions about health or treatments when theyre depressed? The studies I came across suggest no difference in risky decision-making but Im not sure if that considers apathy.

s0ut4o

askbaking_train

What to do with leftover baked goods when you live alone? I live alone and baking is one of my favorite ways to relieve stress. As a particularly heavy academic season is setting in I am baking two or three times a week. The problem is my college is remote right now so I don’t have any friends to share my baked goods with and I live alone. There isn’t anywhere to donate baked goods to near here (they only accept packaged foods for safety reasons.) I can’t eat two dozen cupcakes every week but I also feel very badly throwing away perfectly good food. Anyone have workarounds for this? Thank you in advance!

hs4h9ho

hs4adex

I halve recipes, and freeze whatever I can't give away to friends.

I completely understand this predicament. Covid has meant a lot of places just won’t take things anymore for safety like you said. Here are my thoughts. I don’t know if you live in a house/apartment/dorm or otherwise but maybe you could type up a little note that explains you love to bake and try new recipes but always end up with left overs. You could ask if neighbors might be interested in a few treats from time to time. You give them an email or number to text if they are open to it and if they are not no harm done. Maybe leave the notes on just a few neighbors places to start. You might be able to make some new friends this way too. Lots of people love free baked goods. If you live in a dorm or apartment ask Managment/dorm advisor if there is a common place or community board you can post a flyer on doing this. If you find even 1-4 neighbors who say yes or want 1-4 treats each that can easily help lessen the amount you keep. If you wanted you might even be able to set up a private fb group or something similar where you post what you made and people who you give access too can comment if they would like some. You can also freeze a lot of baked goods. Learn to wrap them well and freeze them and they can last a good amount of time. Maybe until you have visitors or family/friends over or you want to deliver some treats to them.

a2sdt2

askacademia_train

PhD students, how busy are you at the end of the semester? Do you get busier when the semester is just about to end? Specify what year you are in as well

eb1d3nd

eb16ddl

I don't really have time to answer this to be honest.

More so this semester than ever before. I picked up a little over fifty essays to mark on top of my other teaching. Took way longer than I expected but a bit of Christmas fun money can't go amiss!

ujphxl

askhr_train

[CAN] From an HR perspective, is there a reason you would choose to keep a terrible employee even though they are still within their probationary period? I'll try and keep this short. Though it's not the shortest, I apologize. I will say I work in Ontario, Canada. And while this isn't urgent I'm just looking for some potential insight on why my place of employment would keep the person I discuss below. No names or anything. All of us are over 25+ in age. And my company has a *six month* probation period. **TL;DR** At the bottom. November: Temp starts in my department. She's doing okay weeks 1-3 and then I notice that she's actually not. When I have a moment to take a closer look at her work, I noticed many *many* errors. I try to correct them, and train her to the best of my abilities. We become somewhat friends but I notice she has a terrible attitude at work. She cannot take responsibility for her inabilities, she does not listen well/properly, she is argumentative when corrected. I try to take it with a grain of sand but at some point find it becomes too much. I approach my manager who pretty much shoves the blame on me. Maybe I'm not trying to teach her every way I can, maybe I'm misspeaking when I instruct her. I try to let it go. December: We stop being friends. She cannot learn the tasks of the job. I express my concern to my manager who again pushes it back onto me. For some reason refusing to acknowledge this temp might not be worth keeping. She's relatively new in a management role (she started Nov. as well). Temp begins taking a very defensive and snarky attitude with me. Everything I correct now comes back with "You didn't teach me to do it/do it that way", "That's not what you said", "I didn't do that". I avoid talking to her where I can, make small talk if needed. But I had a severe ear infection and was working my butt off to sort my dept out since my predecessor was let go of and left me a giant mess. And through all that I was catching attitude from her for *taking my given paid sick days that dont rollover, while I have a raging ear infection that makes it hard to focus on anything*. January: A little more time now, so I try to retrain temp. Doesn't work. Same problems as before. Not listening/poor listening skills. For someone who has a "degree in computers" she can't even figure out that excel files need to be unfiltered. She is still doing almost everything wrong. Speak to my mamager, who tells me that now I have to start sending her training documents, and CC'ing management (the one I was talking to) so I have a "paper trail". Things don't get better. I extend an olive branch, even though I had done nothing wrong and she accepts. We start getting along again. But it's at this time our sick receptionist quits and for some reason other employees encourage temp to apply. She applies, she somehow gets it. February and March and April: She's out of my dept and no longer my problem. I dont pay much attention, and although my manager tells me I should give her some of my work, I do not. I get another temp who is doing amazing in my department. Could not feel more grateful to have her. But during this time, a coworker who sits relatively close (we have cubicle pods, and she's in my pod) starts complaining about temp (when I say temp I mean bad temp from above, not my current and good temp... always the bad one) who does some of her work too. Temp is coworkers backup. Coworker relays the same complaints I had previously expressed to our manager. She tells manager who brushes it off. During this time I stopped speaking to temp. She became snarky and snide and was starting to be the root cause of panic attacks on my way to work (I love my job, I've been managing my anxiety well and this is the first time I cannot control them in a long time, and it's at the thought of having to interact with someone who just says rude and nasty things to me when we speak). May: Manager finally set up a meeting - I assume after temp complained about me not talking to her - trying to "sort things out". It's gone on now since November 2021. Manager essentially calls me out without directly saying my name, saying not speaking to someone or trying to make polite small talk is harassment and bullying, which was not my intention. I'm just trying to keep my mental health in line. I have already gone to HR and reported both temp and manager for lack of action on this issue at this point. Manager then says that we all need to work together to get everyone trained properly. I scoff. I'm annoyed. "We need to be a cohesive unit," she says, "we need to learn to work together". No. I've tried. I do a secondary call to explain to manager why I'm not speaking to her or where the challenges might be. She is - for the first time since she's entered the role - listening and being sympathetic. She now knows that this is beginning to burn my mental health. I am miffed that it got this far. But she essentially told me she knows temp has a bad attitude and that she will talk to her. I must make small talk but she is essentially ordering both of us to rat one another out if we feel the other is being shitty and snarky. Today: Temp has messed up the same task she has been instructed on three days in a row. Coworker is told she must retrain her (for a third time now). She is also told she must book a meeting in the calendar, make sure manager knows it's happening, do training, and follow up with a training document stating key points she needs to know/do when completing the task, email it and CC manager. My coworker is very much annoyed today. **TL;DR: We've had a temp since November 2021 who cannot do the tasks of any department she is put in. She doesn't listen, has a nasty/snarky attitude (very argumentative and incapable of taking responsibility for her mistakes as well) and does almost every task incorrectly. However my manager seems eager to brush these issues off and keeps forcing us to train and retrain her on everything. Even though by now, she should be able to do it. But she's still within a 6 month probation period. From an HR perspective, am I missing something (as a low level employee like myself) on why they won't just let her go?**

i7k9p13

i7kduyd

Maybe she’s somebody’s kid, or she’s cute?

Sometimes keeping a sucky worker is better than no one.

11awxp

asksocialscience_train

What would happen if the US federal system was disbanded and each of the states became a nation in it's own right?

c6l3ghj

c6kvz7m

This is a really cool question to think about. I think as soon as the federal system was disbanded, states wouldn't even consider functioning alone (maybe a few exceptions like California, who could sustain themselves all around, however, a lot of other areas near them would depend on them). Certain geographical regions of the country would immediately negotiate and form large unions together. The Midwest (Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan, a few others) and the South regions (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, possibly the Carolinas) working together. It would be an easy transition I think; considering the current political/economic ideologies. Then you have the Northeast region, which is pretty much what we all refer to as "New England" today. States like Virginia, Pennsylvania, and possibly the Carolinas part of this region as well. Then you have the Western region, and California dominating all activity in that region. Oregon and Washington being key players as well. Many states West of the Mississippi, but not near the coast (Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, New Mexico, Arizona) will heavily depend on food coming out of the fertile regions in California and some parts of Oregon. California has a lot of different kinds of foods coming out of there as opposed to producing large amounts of one thing. The West, Northeast, and South regions would have a huge advantage considering they have access to the rest of the world via ocean. However, the Midwest really is a huge producer in crops and livestock. These industries are already completely established in the Midwest as well. So no money or time would be spent trying to get these industries going. The West in the near future would have a lot of fresh water problems as well. I think that would be a huge concern for them. Then you have Alaska. All up there by itself. 2/3 the size of the continental US. Larger than any region by itself, and sitting on all that precious oil. It would probably be a mad dash to become allies with Alaska for that reason. Especially for the Midwest region. They are landlocked and depend heavily on oil for transporting goods, electricity, etc. Fuck Hawaii. It's too far. Honestly I can't even make an educated guess as to how the rest of the events would play out. I do believe however, that if the regions didn't work together (they all have something to offer each other), then an unavoidable civil war would occur. It would be pretty ugly.

This happened from 1777 to 1789... it didn't work. Articles of Confederation Honestly, Alaska would be conquered by the Russians, California would descend into Civil War, and mor flyover and farming states would collaborate and become the United Prairie States and hold the East and West Coasts hostage with their food supplies.

6qeeuc

changemyview_train

CMV: Donald Trump has a cult-like following and unlike the left, his followers are unable to be critical of him and this is dangerous. One of Google's definition of a cult is: "a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing". I feel this definition describes a lot of Trump's supporters. When Hilary ran her campaign and during Obama's presidency, the left did not worship these figures blindly (generally speaking). The left has been vocally critical of Clinton's wall street ties and Obama's foreign and immigration policy. On the other hand, no matter what Trump says or does, his supporters seem to find a way to rationalize it, even when it warrants criticism. All of the crazy things he said during his campaign--from the total shut down of all Muslims entering the US to his recorded conversation on the Access Hollywood bus is pushed off as not being "politically correct" or telling it like it is. In reality, these are scapegoats from just criticizing him. I truly believe he can shoot someone like he said and not lose a supporter. Any news article that says something negative that factually happened about Trump is labeled fake news by his supporters. They blindly worship his cabinet picks and then when he fires someone, they suddenly "always had a bad feeling". R/thedonald will ban you if you even hint at not absolutely loving president Trump. When the Donald himself did a AMA during his campaign there, he literally only answered questions that were easy and laced with praise. I remember reading someone posting a list of five questions and he only answered the first two that didn't hint at criticism and was gilded like 20 times for his 2/5 answer. When asked, "how will you get big money out of politics?" his answer was something a long the lines of "I won't let crooked Hilary gain the presidency!". That clearly is not a real answer, but nonetheless got thousands of up votes and several golds. I think Trump's followers are cult like and their inability to be critical is dangerous. CMV.

dkwnxq2

dkx5pe0

The left is fully incapable of being critical of itself or tolerating criticism of itself currently in the US, and much of the world. In fact if you look at the issues happening in universities with conservative student groups being disbanded, banned, or denied spaces to gather; speakers being banned or events canceled due to protests from the left; leftist groups violently attacking those of differing view points and physically taking people hostage as they take over schools; etc. The left is currently more cult-like and far less able to have constructive conversations on average.

For example, this article presents the opposite picture of what you described and provides extensive data to support that. E.g.: >In the Nation Tracker, we've been following Americans in terms of their support for the president and what policies they want. Out of all his backers, we've been labeling the strongest segment the "believers," and today they compose just 19 percent of the country, down from a high of 22 percent in February and 21 percent in March. According to their data, even among Donald Trump's strongest supporters more and more people become critical of his actions, which directly contradicts your view. Some people fail to see fault in the current president, but it's far from all supporters. Do you have a specific reason to doubt these kinds of findings? Most importantly, **do you have data to support your view that not some but *most* Trump supporters are never critical of him** or **is it just a hunch**?

f5bv79

askculinary_train

Weekly discussion - Cooking for one and dining alone With Valentines behind us, let's leave the happy couples behind for a little while. How do you keep up your enthusiasm for cooking when you're only cooking for yourself? Do you make big batches and eat the same thing for a week or freeze portions for later? Or do you just keep things simple until you have someone to cook for? How do you deal with eating out alone? I understand for some this is quite a challenge. Do you people-watch? Bring a book? Have you become a regular and developed a relationship with the staff for some camaraderie?

fhxyq5l

fhybmci

I mostly cook for myself and share the food pics and sometimes the recipes with my close friend who also enjoys cooking. This kinda makes me more enthusiastic about making a dish that looks and tastes nice.

I've been single for a little while by my own choice. I also enjoy eating good food, so I had to learn how to cook for myself. It's gotten to the point where I'm disappointed in going out to eat because I can often cook better than the restaurants I go to. Honestly though, when I do go out to restaurants, I'm usually browsing Reddit on my phone until the food comes. As far as cooking at home for a single guy, I find I only need to cook about 3 nights a week, then have leftovers the other nights. Whenever I make soup, stews or spaghetti I make sure to freeze a quart ziplock bag of it so I have a quick meal when I don't feel like cooking. I haven't bought canned soup or frozen meals from the store in years now. I like to plan out my meals before I go to the grocery store. It keeps me from buying random crap I don't need and makes sure I have all the ingredients I do need. I usually plan for 3 meals and go shopping for that. Each meal usually has 3 parts, like meat and two veggies, so again it's not too hard. I cook the 3 meals in order of how quickly the ingredients spoil, so there's as little waste as possible. I absolutely hate it when food goes bad in my fridge. I now have a repertoire of several meals I go through, but I still scour the web in search of new ideas. There's an Asian market right by my house I love to go to, so I have gotten really good at Asian food lately. I'll make a batch of Instant Pot pho ga, then look for recipes to use up the left over bean sprouts and rice noodles. I learned how to make pad Thai, stir frys and even Japanese Habachi (teppanyaki) style meals just trying to use up all my ingredients and have no waste. This isn't Asian, but I also learned how easy and delicious making caprese salad is to use up my left over basil leaves. At this point I love cooking. I've thought about going to culinary school, but I've had too many friends in the restaurant industry telling me too many horror stories about it. If only I could become some family's private chef...

tibmun

askengineers_train

Something designed to fail? I am looking for examples of products where a component is designed to fail in some manner. Ideally made of plastic. A classic example is the retaining right on a bottle of soda that has to fracture in order to access the soda. Can you think of others? The more complex the better, but simple systems will work as well. Not frangible items, or things built for planned obsolescence.

i1dbcqn

i1d28aa

OP I'm about to blow your mind. Packaging. It's sole purpose is to hold an item until it is deemed worthy of opening, at which point it's purpose is to be destroyed. Candy bars, bag o chips? Plastic wrappers with triangles cut along the edge? Failure zones, meant to be teared opened easily. That super fucking durable plastic that houses common electrical components and tools? Made to be hard to open to prevent stealing. Ever take a pair of scissors and cut along it? Shit spreads wide open easily. Packaging wrap or the common household name Saran wrap. It's sole existence is to be destroyed. Used everyday in manufacturing shipping and for your grandma's pork chops which will later be crumpled up and thrown in the trash. Shifting gears. Contacts, the things people put in their eyes. Made to be consumed and thrown away. Cellulose, a life matter that is a polymer, used as a common fiber in foods to make you shit out all the bullshit you've been eating. Chewing gum, it's made to be chewed then discarded. There are millions of items that use plastics in our life that have a lifespan of exactly one time use. -A polymer engineer

Oo a good one is the SawStop on a table saw. Designed to break your table saw if it senses a finger.

mmugh5

askbaking_train

Seeking icing recipes that aren't too sweet! Hi there, I usually make my family members cakes for their birthdays, but every year my parents find the frosting too sweet, although they like the aesthetics of it, so I'm in a bit of a pickle lol. I know that icing is pretty much all sugar, but I was wondering if anyone has any alternatives (that is not just whipped cream). Thank you!

gttmenx

gttofx8

Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream

https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/01/frostings-guide.html

lcljjt

askphysics_train

Is doing a PhD in Astro Physics Worth it? I am thinking about going to grad school and I am looking at the different paths that I could take. I am really interested in anything quantum, but I also have an interest in astro physics. I am not sure which path I would take. Is going the astro physics route even respectful in our field or is it considered taking the easy way out?

gm0rqe7

gm0p7t2

No one would ever say you're taking the easy way out if you're doing a PhD in anything. It depends on what type of career you want. If you want to stay in academia I would just go with whichever interests you more. In terms of industry, quantum is probably more reliable because it's only becoming more relevant(by this I mean there's more of a chance of you doing a job that uses quantum mechanics). It'd be tough to find anything in industry directly related to astro, but the computer and data science skills you'll pick up along the way could land you in a really good place for a job in data science. Edit: I forgot to mention that a PhD can be tough, you're more likely to stick with it if you really love the subject so I would prioritise whichever field you're more interest in before anything else.

There's a lot going on in QM, and I'd wager you'd be better served by qm if you're equally as interested in both. Then again just look at Brian May! Good luck on yr journey

cn3wom

legaladvice_train

Recently found out I am not the biological father of my 2 year old son. She is aware of this and threatens for me never see him again over any minor parenting disputes. Is there anything I can do? Also, first ever reddit post, very new to this. I live in the UK. Me and his mother haven’t been together since before he was born as we broke up when she was pregnant. We agreed we didn’t want to be with each other but wanted to do right by our son. However long story short, I did a peace of mind DNA test (private - not legally binding) found out he wasn’t mine. However I want to just carry on raising him as i love him as if he were my own son and have been having every weekend since he was born and some days in the week. We have a very loving rather & son relationship and he calls me Daddy. However she is aware that I am not the biological father and the real father is not interested and is staying away. Here is the kicker, she seems to have it in her head that now I have a gf who also has a child, she kicks off all the time even though absolutely nothing with my son has changed, not the relationship with him, time spent with him, nothing. I have no idea why on earth she is so bitter towards me other than catching her out I guess. She has already said that my gf can never meet him as she doesn’t like her (literally never met or spoken to her) if she does she will take me to court have my name taken off the certificate and bye bye. Is there absolute anything I can do to legally protect myself against this major abuse of power? Or to stay in his life do I just have to jump to her tune and do what she says for 18 years? Any help or feedback would be great, thanks.

ew6ry8w

ew70ixx

Unless you were married at time of birth unfortunately you have no rights. It’s not your child, but it is hers. As awful as it sounds your best bet is giving up, if you continue with your path she will destroy your life and forever hold the boy over your head. It will ruin your relationships with anyone else and she will get worse and worse. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, but again, you have about no legal rights to this child at all, she can take away visitation with one call. Trying to reason with her or tough it out will just make life hell for you, and eventually for the son

There's a lot of really bad advice on this thread. OP, as your name is on the birth certificate for this child born after a legal change on 1.12.03 you are legally the father and you have Parental Responsibility for him. That is the right to make decisions coequally with the mother. Because you are not the bio father, in court proceedings she could seek a declaration to that effect and thereby end your parenthood and PR. However, in deciding whether to order a court valid DNA test, the court will balance the child's right to know his heritage against the distress caused by removing his father figure to work out what is in the child's best interests. There are cases where judges have refused to order tests even though they'd give certainty, although these tend to be extreme situations. Even if the court declared you not the legal parent, it could still give you Parental Responsibility as this status does not depend on legal parenthood. It could also make a child arrangements order specifying time with him. It all comes down to what is in the child's best interests. So don't be afraid that not being the parent is fatal to your relationship.

upmdyk

askculinary_train

How to keep homemade popcorn fresh? I'm making homemade popcorn on the stove several ways for a movie night but due to size limitations of my wok I can only make so much at once (plus some kinds I'm flavoring from the start so I need to do multiple batches anyway). I've found that stovetop popcorn gets stale fairly quickly and I want to avoid that, so is there any way to keep it fresh for at least a couple of hours?

i8mss3i

i8ma0pq

The trick is to let it cool to room temp before storing; plastic bags or Tupperware works great for this, but you don’t want it hot and steaming when it goes in, or it’ll lose its crunch. I also find you can microwave a bowl of popcorn for 15-20 seconds and bring it back from slightly stale even several days later.

I have a couple of 6L air tight plastic containers from a restaurant supply that I use for both bread dough and popcorn. Probably also available from Amazon.

tp5frm

changemyview_train

CMV: The only reason to oppose a well-run vote by mail system is to keep voter suppression tactics in place. Several states have been using vote by mail exclusively for more than 20 years with almost zero fraud and good voter participation.  Fraud is almost impossible, actually.   First, federal law says all would-be voters have to prove three things to be eligible: citizenship, age, and address. In my state, once those things are proven, you are automatically registered and you provide an electronic signature.  There is a free ID option for those who need it.   About three weeks before every election, you get your ballot in the mail, vote at your leisure, sign the return envelope and either mail it back or drop it in a secure dropbox.  A few days later you can sign online to see that your ballot was received.   If you get a ballot in the mail that is not yours, you can do whatever you want with it EXCEPT vote,  If you do try it, you are not only committing a felony, but your attempt at the person's signature will not match the one on file and that ballot will be pulled.  The Elections Division will give the signer an opportunity to cure the ballot, and if they don't, the person's name is removed from the registry until they come in.  If it can be proven that the ballot was signed fraudulently, an investigation is opened.  Since it can be traced to your address and they can compare your signature, you get arrested and possibly serve jail time.  And all for nothing because the ballot wasn't even counted.  Only incredibly stupid people would even attempt this.  High consequences, zero results.  If someone steals ballots out of mailboxes, again they won't be able to sign correctly.  Also, most people are expecting their ballot, so if they don't get one, they start asking questions.   The point is, with vote by mail, you can vote on the toilet at 2am on a Thursday if you want. There are no lines, last minute polling place closures, no machines that just happen to break down, no polling place volunteers, no intimidation, no barriers or impediments.   The envelope to return the ballot is even self-addressed and stamped.  The process is every bit as secure as any other process we currently use.  The ONLY reason to oppose it is that you want to be able to control the voting process to suppress the vote of certain people or groups.

i28vj5c

i29bbh9

>but your attempt at the person's signature will not match the one on file and that ballot will be pulled. Are signatures really secure? Like it baffles me that signatures are still something that is considered legally valid as a security measure. This is a security system which combines the unusual features of : 1) Adults are regularly unable of using it 2) Tonnes of kid know how to forge one It's the worst of both worlds. Hard to use, easy to break. >The process is every bit as secure as any other process we currently use. Not every bit as secure. A good voting system accomplishes the following : 1. Ensures that every person only votes once 2. Ensures that other people can't see what a voter voted on 3. Ensures that the voter can't prove to other people who they voted for Vote-by-mail can do 1, it does 2 less well than in-person voting, and 3 even worse.

In Cybersecurity, there are 3 metrics used to determine security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Examining all three can show that mail-in voting across the board is less secure than traditional voting, even compared to voting machines and scantron voting, which both have their own issues. Confidentiality: Making sure the only people that have access to the data (ballot) are those with the clearance to do so. Putting mail in ballots in the hands of ballot harvesters, mail collectors, or even family members breaks this metric. There were reports after the 2020 election (though I have not independently verified the articles I have read) that showed boxes of ballots not being turned in, deliberately hidden, or destroyed. Some envelopes allowed people to read what was checked, giving them the ability to determine whether or not THEY wanted to destroy/misplace the ballot. It also leaves the data available for corruption, leading to the second metric. Integrity: Making sure the data (ballot votes) is what was intended, and not changed or corrupted after initially created. Issues with mail in ballots would include changing data before, during, or after the voting process. We heavily debate and secure polling sites from voter coercion, but cannot secure the home environment. If the envelope had to be signed from the outside, there is still a possibility for stuffing the envelope with a 'counterfeit' ballot which would pass inspection because of the presigned envelope. There is also the possibility of someone destroying or altering the signature, invalidating the entire ballot and causing the need to revote, leading to metric number three. Availability: Making sure the data (ballot) is accessible and verifiable, as well as the method to create or change said data. With mail in voting, if your ballot is stolen out of the mailbox, you have now lost your ability to vote. If the argument is that you need mail in voting to provide voting access to those who cannot go to their voting precinct, you have now just disenfranchised that person. If the argument is that you could just order a new ballot when yours 'never arrived', consider that you are now relying on your local, county, or state government to provide you a new ballot securely. Here in Florida, we can barely rely on said government to count the ballots properly, and mail in voting now adds a new level of complexity. In addition, if your ballot is destroyed or misplaced, you will NOT get a notification that you did not vote to have the opportunity to vote again. You are required to be proactive and check the status site, which is also reliant on the government to properly maintain (see above government reliability argument). If your signature is destroyed and invalidates your ballot, you will be notified to remedy the situation, but will oftentimes be required to go in person to a voting site to do, disenfranchising those who are unable to go there in person. It is also reliant on the person receiving the notification and acknowledging it properly and in a timely manner. So to sum it all up, voting in person is, currently, the only way to even somewhat have a secure vote. You, the person voting, would maintain control of the ballot from the time you arrive until the time you turn in, you can verify what you voted for was actually on the ballot, and that there was no corruption in between filling out and counting (not afterwards, which is an issue with our current systems as well). We can stem or eliminate coercion by keeping confidentiality of votes in person. There is no risk of your ballot being lost and no notification given, and we can identify each person that does vote is allowed to and is who they say they are. Absolutely not saying we shouldn't fix things. There are a TON of things I would fix if I were given the ability to, for example a federal voting holiday. Also not saying that mail in voting could BE viable, but not in the capacity we have now or that I can see. It's also worth noting that many places did unsolicited mail in voting in 2020, with no checks or updates to identity, voting address, or eligibility, meaning addresses received ballots with no relation to them and little secure checks in between. Hope all that made sense to non IT people. Thank you for joining my TED Talk.

f1qo1q

askacademia_train

What are the pros about getting a PhD degree? I’m tired about hearing the cons. Thank you.

fh8d8ql

fh8uia8

Crazy deep knowledge about a very specific topic, the discipline to stick with a project for longer than just a few seconds (i.e., for years), the ability to skillfully express your argument in writing, the possibility to just think and write, getting to know the giants in your field (at conferences, discussions, drinks), and sometimes the luck to collaborate with them, last but not least being called 'doctor' (and sometimes having to explain that your are not 'that kind' of doctor), and a certain status that comes with it are fun too, but shouldn't be your primary reason to pursue a PhD.

Once you have it, you have a different kind of confidence that other more structured degrees give. It's a trial by fire against the capricious whims of Mother Nature, and you come out of it having extracted something original and valuable to at least a few people. You walk the Earth for the rest of your days knowing you triumphed over an unpredictable and stubborn adversary. Part of what makes it hard is what makes it great. A degree like a BS is mostly a structured tutorial in learning where the answers are already known by the human race, and can often times be found in the back of the book. A PhD is a live fire battle with the unknown. You vs the wolves. If you graduate, you at least scored a blow for humanity. The sense of self you can get is indescribable. It lasts a lifetime.

zicejx

explainlikeimfive_train

Explain like I'm five years old: How did they figure out how the challenger blew up? They said it was an o ring failure, how did they figure it out when everything was blown to bits

izqorlo

izqpzv1

They had a head start on the investigation because, prior to launch, Allan McDonald, director of Morton Thiokol's booster-motors program and Roger Boisjoly, their O-ring expert told their bosses and NASA that the cold weather was likely to cause the O-rings to fail and "The result could be a catastrophe of the highest order — the loss of human life." But the concerns were overruled.

I wrote a paper about this! Part of how they knew was because the same components had been the subject of a massive cover up/safety concerns case leading up to launch. Basically the engineers in charge of making the o-rings knew that they wouldn’t work below a certain temperature, but weren’t allowed to spend more time and money developing them further, and everyone they brought their concerns to ignored it. There’s actually transcripts of the meetings where the top executives discussed the o-ring problem, realized it wasn’t entirely safe, and decided to launch anyway. There’s of course a lot more layers to this and figuring out who knew what and who passed along which information takes more time that you probably want to spend on this, but the bottom line is that the shuttle exploded because the people who decided stuff didn’t listen to the people who knew stuff. There’s been lawsuits upon lawsuits, and maybe some reparations attempted, but NASA’s not going to like admitting that they blew up a shuttle and five crew members because their executives either ignored important information or never received it because someone else deemed it unimportant. We know that the problem was the o-rings because the engineers made predictions as to exactly how they would fail given the weather they were forced to launch in, and those predictions lined up almost exactly with the actual event. It’s unlikely that anything else was the cause, since all other components were held to a much higher standard. The engineers just hadn’t had time to test and refine them fully before the launch, which had already been delayed once and which NASA wasn’t willing to delay again, even for a safety issue. Hope that helps explain it some.

fwpl7t

askacademia_train

COVID-19 Effects on University Budgets/Graduate Student Stipends I am a graduate student at a US university in the epicenter of the pandemic. This morning, we received word that our program is likely to lose the funds available for graduate student stipends. This is likely the result of the state reallocating funds towards combatting the virus. This includes previously awarded stipends (i.e., your guaranteed 5 years of funding is no longer guaranteed). No official announcement yet, but it seems as though university administrators are giving us a 'heads up' about this. Obviously, this news has been quite difficult for me and other students in my department. Has this happened to anyone else? Are you anticipating your department/university will do the same?

fmqtjym

fmqeidn

I can't speak to graduate students, but many faculty I know (including myself) are receiving contracts with new force majeure clauses in them that specifically cite pandemics. Totally new language that will all them to cut tenured faculty positions if the virus impacts fall enrollments or causes another shutdown. My university is looking at a budget deficit for this semester that runs about 8% of the annual budget...that's huge for many schools. Jobs are being cut all over but the budget will not balance for FY 2020 without tapping reserves. Next fall enrollments are almost certain to decline 5-10% (or more) even if the virus is gone. I expect our faculty will go down by a similar amount. I would not be surprised at all if funding for graduate students was cut in efforts to address similar shortfalls.

Is this an R1? What field are you in?

k7gm02

askhistorians_train

AskHistorians Calls, Will You Choose To Answer? • The /r/AskHistorians Flair Application Thread XXII! Welcome flair applicants! This is the place to apply for a flair – the colored text you will have seen next to some user's names indicating their specialization. We are always looking for new flaired users, and if you think you have what it takes to join the panel of historians, you're in the right place! For examples of previous applications, and our current panel of historians, you can find the previous application thread here, and there is a list of active flaired users](/r/AskHistorians/wiki/flairedusers) on our wiki. **[Requirements for a flair** A flair in /r/AskHistorians indicates extensive, in-depth knowledge about an area of history *and* a proven track record of providing great answers in the subreddit. In applying for a flair, you are claiming to have: * **Expertise in an area of history**, typically from either degree-level academic experience or an equivalent amount of self-study. For more exploration of this, check out this thread. * The ability to **cite sources** from specialist literature for any claims you make within your area. * The ability to provide **high quality answers** in the subreddit in accordance with our rules. For a more in-depth look at how applications are analyzed, consult this helpful guide on our wiki explaining what an answer that demonstrates the above looks like. **How to apply** To apply for a flair, simply post in this thread. Your post needs to include: * Links to **3-5 comments** in /r/AskHistorians that show you meet the above requirements, and of which at least three were posted in the last six months. Answers linked in an application should go 'above and beyond' the base requirements of the rules here, and reflect the depth of your expertise. * The **text of your flair** and which category it belongs in (see the sidebar). Be as specific as possible as we prefer flair to reflect the exact area of your expertise as near as possible, but be aware there is a limit of 64 characters. One of the moderators will then either confirm your flair or, if the application doesn't adequately show you meet the requirements, explain what's missing. If you get rejected, don't despair! We're happy to give you advice and pointers on how to improve your portfolio for a future application. Plenty of panelists weren't approved the first time. If there's a backlog this may take a few days but we will try to get around to everyone as quickly as possible. **"I'm an Expert About Something But Never Have a Chance to Write About It!"** Some topics only come up once in a blue moon, but that doesn't mean you can't still get flair in it! There are a number of avenues to follow, many of which are dealt with in greater detail at the last section of this thread. **Expected Behavior** We invest a large amount of trust in the flaired members of /r/askhistorians, as they represent the subreddit when answering questions, participating in AMAs, and even in their participation across reddit as a whole. As such, we do take into account an applicant's user history reddit-wide when reviewing an application, and will reject applicants whose post history demonstrate bigotry, racism, or sexism. Such behavior is not tolerated in /r/askhistorians, and we do not tolerate it from our panelists in any capacity. We additionally reserve the right to revoke flair based on evidence of such behavior after the application process has been completed. /r/AskHistorians is a safe space for everyone, and those attitudes have no place here. **Quality Contributors** If you see an unflaired user consistently giving excellent answers, they can be nominated for a "Quality Contributor" flair. Just message the mods their username and some example comments which you believe meet the above criteria. **FAQ Finder** To apply for FAQ finder, we require demonstration of a consistent history of community involvement and linking to previous responses and the FAQ. We expect to see potential FAQ Finders be discerning in what they link to, ensuring that it is to threads which represent the current standards of the subreddit, and they do so in a polite and courteous manner, both to the 'Asker', and also by including a username ping of the original 'Answerer'. **Revoking Flair** Having a flair brings with it a greater expectation to abide by the subreddit's rules and maintain the high standard of discussion we all like to see here. The mods will revoke the flair of anybody who continually breaks the rules, fails to meet the standard for answers in their area of expertise, or violates the above mentioned expectations. Happily, we almost never have to do this. **Additional Resources** Before applying for flair, we encourage you to check out these resources to help you with the application process: * Our Rules Roundtable on what a 'Good Answer' looks like * Our Wiki Guide on what makes a good application * The Previous Application Threads, to see what makes for successful - and not successful - applications. * The Sunday Digest, and Monthly Awards which can provide many examples of we are looking for regarding the caliber of flaired users.

gkzwmjn

grup8q6

I have come a-wondering if I could ask for my flair to be changed to **Slavery in the US and British Caribbean | Early Mormonism**, which I think is within the character limit. I only have two answers to contribute on early Latter Day Saint history but I am hoping that I can be cheeky, and trade off their length and ~~the $500,000 I'm wiring to your bank accounts~~ my track record. These answers are: * A five part answer on how the Latter Day Saint movement handled the question of succession after the murder of Joseph Smith Jr in 1844; * A two part answer on Joseph Smith Jr's practice of polygamy and the age of some of the women and girls involved, plus this three-part exposition in follow-up. If you'd like a third proper answer, we don't get many Mormon questions, so I may need a question to mysteriously appear on the sub.

Hello! I would like to apply for the flair and I believe '**Medicine and History**' should be a proper one, as I usually try to cover not the history of medicine and hygiene (that is the most common topic I happen to provide responses for) but also to provide some insight into historical events and issues from the perspective of modern medical knowledge, whenever applicable. As my entries are being selected for the Weekly Digest on a regular basis for some time now, I believe it is a good time to issue this application. ​ **Here follow selected entries from the last 3 months:** How was scabies treated before the invention of antiparasitics? Why didn’t they amputate Henry VIII’s leg? Antibiotics and sir Dr Fleming! Pregnancy Before Modern Tech Is depression a relativly new illness? Or has it be always been a thing? ​ **Selected entries older than 3 months:** I just found out one of the Chernobyl reactors remained operational until 2000. How could people keep going to work there every day, post 1986? Especially given that there’s an exclusion zone and visitors (even now) have to be extremely careful while there? Field Marshall Mikhail Kutuzov was shot through the temples on two seperate occasions and survived. How is this possible given the caliber of firearms of the time and the near sureity of a gunshot wound to the head being fatal? Did any of the historical treatments for syphilis actually work? I slipped and fell, and broke my shoulder. I can't lift my right arm anymore. By modern standards I would have to stop working for 6 weeks and maybe even get surgery. What are my options as a medieval peasant? Can I rely on family, or some early form of "welfare" from my liege lord? People who ate mostly white rice would often get Vitamin B deficiency. However, white rice is more expensive than brown rice. Why would someone be able to afford white rice but no sources Vitamin B? Were there a lot of issues with skin cancer back in medieval times with serfs spending often times all days outdoors in the sun without modern amenities such as sunscreen? ​ **Responses related to the general topic of medicine in history, but more focused on various associated fields, such as history of hygiene, folk medicine, diet, psychology etc.** The Hashish/Vodka Line Copper pipe fitters & the Black Plague Did people really "develop faster" in the past? When did insect repellent first become widely available? Were people prior to insect repellent just getting eaten alive by mosquitos non-stop? Birch tar as all-purpose remedy: Why did people stop using it? How did Medieval people deal with Acne? Were European medieval hygiene habits and beliefs really as terrible as we’ve been commonly led to believe, or were they, at least in some cases, better than most would think? What was snake oil, what was supposed to make it so great, and why has it become the catch all phrase for a dubious medicine? Was lead acetate used as an artificial sweetener? ​ Best regards!

f89kho

askculinary_train

Americans / Mexican Americans of Reddit, any recommendations for a good / authentic Mexican cookbook and / or youtube channel? (FYI english speaking)

fikax8k

fik8dbz

Rick Bayless - all day every day.

Nopalito is really good. The owners are from Mexico and make authentic food in San Francisco. I would highly recommend the posole recipe is clutch

j9bjps

askacademia_train

No matter what I do, I keep feeling the pull back to higher ed. I'm 28 and will probably apply for a PhD next year but feel like I'm too old and the market is too volatile. Thoughts? I graduated from university several years ago now. I had intended to apply for a PhD straight out but didn't due to a combination of health issues, feeling insecure about my chosen PhD project, and imposter syndrome. Well, at the end of last year it became clear to me that my mind was never going to stop gravitating back to higher ed. I just fucking loved it. I loved taking classes, I loved going to guest lectures and panels and doc screenings, and I really loved being a research assistant. And, in a weird way, I felt a sense of kinship with my discipline (in the social sciences) and my professors. It's hard to not feel gushy about it all, but I felt it then (even when it wasn't easy) and I feel it now. My intention was to apply this year but all things 2020 really took a toll on me mentally, to the point where it really started to impact my physical health. So, sadly, I am not ready to apply for programs this cycle (and a lot of programs closed their admissions anyway). At this point, the insecurities have started flooding in. Partially because I feel like I'll be starting my PhD very old and that it will make me incredibly unattractive in an already unstable and volatile higher ed market. There is also the good ol' imposter syndrome drilling away at me HARD. I'm honestly just looking for any personal advice/thoughts. No one else in my life has any real grasp on the academic or higher ed space. So I'd just love to talk to someone about this.

g8iwugi

g8j2fus

I hate the term "imposter syndrome". Sometimes you really do suck and just should not be getting a PhD or at least a PhD in a particular field. Let people sort it out for themselves which situation they're in.

Definitely not too old. My department typically hires between 30 and 45 year olds for TT positions. Also, age brings maturity. In retrospect, I was a clueless baby when I started my TT position in my 20s.

e7j8m5

askengineers_train

When do you guys toss out all your college notes and books? I'm a Civil PE that's been out of school for about 6 years now. I have a bookshelf worth of class binders, books, and reference manuals that I've never opened since the class finished. Am I crazy for hanging on to them?

fa10qk5

fa119uk

Anything I didn't use when studying for the PE got tossed. Anything that I hadn't touched between then and when my firm moved offices I tossed as a part of the moving process. I'm down to 4 textbooks and a couple of binders.

Kept most of my books, 25 yrs. pulled them out a few times. I wish I could retain all of it. Haha.

sir451

changemyview_train

CMV: It’s valid to feel sad about growing up in this era. I missed out and the world is worse in a lot of major ways I’m 19. Over and over again I see adults feeling sorry for people my age for growing up with x (usually social media or tech or Covid or polarization or whatever), and missing out on y (when music was good or some random nostalgia like that). I know that every generation since forever has done that to the next. But I can’t help but feel like there’s some truth to it, and that I was born at a bad time and that life without the internet was more fun and that I have forever missed out on some good times simply by being unlucky to be born this time. Basically: can you deinstall the “this generation and time is bad” message I’ve been fed my entire life?

hvb4qnw

hvac88w

My best counter argument is the good old days didn’t seem that great at the time. A good example is the 80’s. Shows like Cobra Kai or Stranger Things highlight the crazy fashions, awesome movies and fun music of the era. These shows also emphasize how life was more simple before social media and constant internet access. But simple doesn’t mean better. I remember being bored out of my mind a lot as a kid. Racism, sexism and bullying were a lot worse too. And if you were stuck in some small backwards town, you had no idea how much better life could be. At least now kids who don’t fit in can find online communities that will accept them and help them see there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Finally, the pandemic will hopefully wind down in the next few months. If there are “80’s” era things you want to do like road trips, camping or beach parties then put those on your to-do list.

People tend to remmeber the good things and gradually romanticize them, in a way that causes their memories to also turn into that. In a sense, memories are like wine. The longer its aged, the better they are. Do keep in mind that it is just survivorship bias. Those who died during the Vietnam War, Korea War, HIV endemic, and later on battling drug cartels do not have the chance to pass on their opinion.

ty8b3g

changemyview_train

CMV: Gender Dysmorphia is a disorder Firstly, no this isn't a hate post. Nothing against the trans community / peoples. Secondly - I really want my view changed on this, I have a son and don't wish to pass on what is being deemed as incorrect and unfair towards a certain peoples. I too wish to be in alignment with this view. I can't escape the idea that it is a disorder, that this is a new thing (relatively speaking) poping up which is for the most part unnatural. Do I beleive Gender dysmorphia is real and it happens? 100% my view is it is similar to a mental illness that needs to be "cured" for lack of better term. Scientist haven't found any concrete reason as to why this happens? some psychologist claim its because as kids some people may have missed out on an experimental phase and are now actualising it as adults? I'm not too sure. To this that have Gender dysmorphia /GD (transitioned or otherwise) - would you have preffered not to felt GD at all or transitioned? Apologise if I had caused offence, I really would like my view changed if at all possible and beleive being honest will facilitate this. Thanks

i3qvcni

i3qsrda

I apologize ahead of time for my response being a real longboi. >I can't escape the idea that it is a disorder, that this is a new thing (relatively speaking) poping up which is for the most part unnatural. Being transgender is most certainly not a new thing. Without getting too into the weeds here, this Wikipedia article goes into the history of trans people by culture. This one is more of a timeline with multiple examples of transgender people who lived in the very distant past. If you do a few Google searches it's not hard to dig up hundreds of examples of people living in the distant past who are what we would now call transgender, including many people who lived their entire life as some gender only for it to be found after their death that they weren't born that gender. There were many times and places where being trans could get a person burned at the stake, and people still did it. The only new thing about trans people is that now we're actually talking about them and accepting them. One of my parents is a trans woman who transitioned in her 50's. She grew up in an era where the word "transgender" didn't even really exist, she always knew that she wanted to be a woman but it's something she tried to repress and didn't dare talk about. She just suffered in silence, channeled her dysphoria in some rather unhealthy ways, tried to take her own life more than once... But unlike the vast majority of people throughout history in her position, she lived to see now. A time where trans people have become visible and there is growing acceptance of it. She's living as a woman now, and by her own account transitioning is the best thing she ever did. She feels like herself for the first time in a lifetime. >Do I beleive Gender dysmorphia is real and it happens? 100% my view is it is similar to a mental illness that needs to be "cured" for lack of better term. Why though? This isn't how we even deal with most mental disorders. To speak from personal experience: I have autism. There is no magical cure for autism, and if one existed it would change who I am so much that it would be a really hard sell. So am I just fucked for life? Well... no. I can make changes to the way I live my life to make life with autism easier. I pick jobs that can work around my shortcomings, I avoid foods that have textures I can't stand, I keep noise canceling headphones on a lot of the time, the lights in my house are kept dim, I avoid situations that I know I'll not do well in when I can, I memorize scripts and rules to use in social interactions, and so on. Autism need not be considered a disability, it's believed that Albert Einstein had autism for instance. With some changes to society and culture to make it all more accommodating, autism in many of its forms need not be considered a disability at all. It could just be a different way that people can be. This is called the social model of disability, and I would strongly argue that it's infinitely better than the medical model of disability which you seem to promote. In the medical model of disability there is some "right" way to be chosen based on how most people are, and anyone who deviates from that is seen as being sick and in need of a cure to make them normal. It's an idea that can be useful in some situations such as physical disabilities, but even then it's not everything. There are other tools at our disposal: ramps, subtitles, sign language interpreters, braille, screen readers, and so on which we still use. The goal of treatment should be to make someone's life better, not necessarily to cure them. If curing them achieves that and it's possible, great. But it's one option among many. And what's indisputably true is that transitioning makes the lives of trans people better, incredibly so. So why take that away from them? >To this that have Gender dysmorphia /GD (transitioned or otherwise) - would you have preffered not to felt GD at all or transitioned? There is an interesting concept in AI research that applies here. The AI research field is very interesting because in trying to break down the fundamentals of how intelligence works in the attempt to emulate it in a computer, it reveals a lot about how our own minds work. One general rule which comes from that field of study is that any intelligent agent will in general resist any changes to its terminal goals. A terminal goal is something that an intelligent agent wants for its own sake. For humans that's a wide variety of things that bring us happiness, as well as other stuff like not dying. Imagine for instance that I gave you a button which would rewire your mind, if you push it you'll suddenly stop caring about everything you currently care about and instead you will single-mindedly desire nothing more than killing your entire family. But once you kill them, you will be perfectly happy for the rest of your life and not feel the slightest bit of guilt. This is an extreme example, but it's safe to assume that you think that sounds like a really shit deal. A less extreme example would be a button that changes someone's sexual orientation. If you ask gay, bisexual, and asexual people if they would want to become straight, they'll say no in all but the most extreme situations. If you offer a straight person a button that will turn them gay, you'd need to offer them a whole lot of money to get them to press it. Most people don't think that their sexual orientation is the superior one, everyone just tends to prefer being what they already are. Trans people are much the same way. If you ask them if they would rather have been born as a cis person of the gender they identify as, they'd generally be super into that idea since it involves keeping their mind much the same while changing their body to what they want it to be. But the idea of swapping one's own gender identity is quite a lot more terrifying, it involves changing a pretty huge part of a person's identity and changing what they want out of life on a pretty deep level. Trans people who are living in denial or who feel terrible about having gender dysphoria would probably take you up on that, but that's an extreme situation and most trans people aren't that. Most trans women would rather remain trans women than become a cis man, most trans men would rather remain trans men than become a cis woman. Just like how I would rather remain autistic than be cured.

I'm a trans guy myself, have been on testosterone for 3 years. The theory I believe is that our brains and bodies developed differently in the womb. There was a small study that showed trans men brains to be more similar to cis men brains instead of cis women, before taking any type of hormones. It was the same for trans women/cis women. I know there are holes with this theory but I think there needs to be more research into it. At the end of the day, we were born this way and there's no cure. If we were to use the definition of disorder as "an illness that disrupts normal physical or mental functions", I don't think gender dysphoria fits in there because it's not an illness. If you were to do brain surgery and remove a cis man's brain and put it in a cis woman's body, they'd feel extraordinarily uncomfortable and dysphoric. Does that mean they now have a mental disorder? I wouldn't say so. That's the type of situation I see us trans people in. Our brains are not in the right bodies, it's an issue with development in the womb and not how our brain is wired. Yes I would 100% have preferred not to have gender dysphoria and not have to transition. But if you asked me if I could take it away and be a cis woman, I would say no. I can't imagine myself as a woman.

qhpin4

askbaking_train

Is there a difference between brown sugar and sugar + molasses substitution? I make a lot of cookies but my biggest issue is that my brown sugar keeps hardening. I've heard that if you put 1tbs of molasses into 1cup of sugar it makes dark brown sugar. The texture is correct but the coloring is not. I am planning to switch to this substitute permanently bc molasses stores better. My question is does it make any difference taste wise?

hig25vp

hiedvi7

If you have dark molasses (NOT blackstrap), that should produce the right color. If you have regular unsulphured molasses (like grandma's brand), the color will be lighter and the flavor won't be as pronounced imo.

My mom would put a piece of bread in the bag with the brown sugar. I have one of those terra cotta thingies that you soak in water and then place in the bin with the brown sugar. Keeps the sugar from hardening

bucrqv

askacademia_train

Advice needed: I am considering a PhD position in a lab, but the phD students haven't given me a good testimony of the lab So I am currently doing an internship in a lab and have been considered for a PhD position. I love the research they are doing and am already helping them carry out a mini project for a publication. The PI seems really cool to me, we talk about TV shows and so far have a good reportoire with her. I have seen her interact with the students and I like how she keeps a check on their individual projects but gives them the independence to plan it out themselves. I love the city the lab is based in, falls under top 30 universities for my subject in the world has made major contributions in the field I am interested in (although the lab is relatively new) The problem lies with the interactions I had with the present PhD students. 2 out of the 3 PhD students in the lab have strictly asked me to apply to other places, they complained about the PI being very dominating and lacking empathy (doesn't help when establishing a new technique or protocol in the lab) and about the lack of facilities. The one phd student who was supportive of the lab did mention that the PI is dominating, but she suggested that being a little diplomatic and portraying your point in different ways can help you get your way with the PI. I attended a progress report of one of the phd student who had given me a negative feedback, he was harshly criticised and I agreed with all of the points that my PI had put forward (basically the presentation sucked and it didn't seem like he was doing a lot of work). I just heard that he is officially going to quit his PhD (I am suspecting he was either fired or it was mutual) I am extremely confused, I love almost everything about this lab, but the testimony from my lab mates seems very stressful. PhD is a long term commitment and I don't know how important is their opinion. Anybody out there who went through something similar or has any advice for me? Thank you! TL, DR: I love the research, the lab in general, but the present PhD students have given me a negative feedback about the lab.

epasi9z

epauje0

There’s been some great advice on this thread so far but I’m going to counterbalance it just a little. Different people require different mentor types. What I mean is, your PI may only know how to handle students a specific way and that might not be a way your lab mates excel under. During my masters I worked in a lab with two PhD students. One ended up quitting in her third year, stating that the PI was unsupportive and refused to help her. The other graduated in 4 years with multiple big journal manuscripts and secured a postdoc at a very prestigious institute in our field. This, to me, was a clear cut case of one student flourishing under a slightly hands off approach and another who needed a different mentoring style. Now, that being said, you should definitely take what the students tell you to heart and really consider your options. You’ve heard it a million times on this sub but I’ll say it again because it’s so true. Your mentor is far more important than your project. Make sure this is someone you can work with for several more years. If the students are complaining then there is a real reason. But also consider how you work and what mentor style works best for you. Best of luck!

A PI who is a jerk to other students will eventually be a jerk to you. It's up to you how much you care about your PI being a jerk to you though. It's also sometimes easier to be nice to undergraduate students because you are not relying on them for your important data and publications. People told me this before the PhD, but who you pick as your supervisor is incredibly important, and a personality 'fit' is just as important as everything else. Has anybody graduated from the lab? Where did they end up? Can you ask them, now that they no longer work for the PI?

zluev4

changemyview_train

CMV: God does not give his toughest battles to his “strongest soldiers” Why do people say this? There are plenty of ways to make yourself feel better about a bad circumstance you went through than to say such an obvious lie. An omniscient, omnipotent being would give their toughest challenges to those second to only them and to them alone. Once again, why do people say this? I get that people like to feel consolation and reasons for their adversities but a bold faced lie? Your just kidding yourself I hear this saying everywhere. In music, in local and national crisis, during birth, etc etc. It’s a saying that needs to stop being said. I may come off as insensitive, but I’m coming from a perspective of a realist, not someone looking to offend. Yall get what I mean?

j07bgee

j07ku8g

It seems less like there is anything wrong with the phrase and more to the fact of you don’t like. It’s motivational fluff. Meant to make someone feel like they have the strength to beat whatever challenges are presenting themselves. This phrase won’t help anyone without religious faith. Like I’m not really super religious so it doesn’t really motivate me that much. But to say “you are kidding yourself” to those who use it is insensitive. It’s no different than saying “it’ll all work out, I know it will” to someone who is struggling. No we don’t. It very well could not work. But it’s purpose is to give hope to whoever hears it. And I would not tell people who do use it that they are delusional. That they can’t know it’ll work out. Because we all know that. We know we can’t all be “god’s strongest soldier”. Biblically speaking thats probably his angels or some prophets like Moses or any other number of individuals. But it’s meant to inspire faith in your own strength.

It's not a theological argument, it's a community empowerment argument that utilizes ingroup terminology. It boils down to this: "I believe in God, and you do too, because that is appropriate" "Life is hard" "God is good and loves you" "Culturally, we value strength of character and hard work for historic reasons" Then, as a result : "Life is hard, but God loves you, and wouldn't give you challenges you are not capable of tackling." Now, if you believe in some god, and think that they are responsible for give you challenges, rather than challenges just being things that appear, then this argument is an appeal to faith. It holds true until it doesn't, and those for who it doesn't hold true can't complain, because they are dead. It's no different than "as long as you are alive, things could get better." This isn't a lie, or particularly insightful, but most people aren't looking to talk metaphysics, they just want to hear something like "You got this, champ." Your slogan is the same thing, just worded for a particular community. It's been mocked for a long time; read the Canterbury Tales.

wjmd5e

askculinary_train

Do I really only use 1 tsp of spices? So many recipes instruct you to use 1 tsp of each spice in the dish. I just can’t even taste this small of an amount. If I make spaghetti and I add such a small amount of oregano, I can’t taste it and I have no idea it’s even there. Is there some sort of method I can use for determining how much of a spice to add? I just want to get into spices but I’m confused.

ijjmd31

ijj924y

Issue is more than half of the recipes online are pretty much total horseshit.

I find it's usually too little. A lot of recipes aren't well written. Always taste it and adjust the seasoning to your liking

6rk1ov

changemyview_train

CMV: There is nothing wrong with marrying, loving or dating outside of your own race. So I just got done listening to The Breakfast Club and Dr. Umar Johnson talking about how Black people should only date inside of their own race because it is detrimental to his culture to do so. Apparently, there is no greater symbol of loyalty to your culture and struggle than marrying into your own race. He also went on to say that love isn't a feeling, but rather a function of your values and priority. The doctor went on to state that Fredrick Douglas' impact on America was minimized because he married a white woman. I totally disagree with this man and think that not only is his rhetoric racist, but also a dangerous precedent to be set for the next generation. Change my view. (link to video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVhBOcUv4QY _____ > *This is a footnote from the CMV moderators. We'd like to remind you of a couple of things. Firstly, please* ***read through our rules***. *If you see a comment that has broken one, it is more effective to report it than downvote it. Speaking of which,* ***downvotes don't change views****! Any questions or concerns? Feel free to* ***message us***. *Happy CMVing!*

dl5y0k8

dl5vv38

This is one of those situations where there are angry extremists on both sides, and I personally take a more moderate approach to this. On one hand, one should not dictate or judge people (especially their race-loyalty) based on whom they are dating or marrying. It is a personal matter, and attacking people for private decisions re-opens a can of worms that took our society a very long time to close. On the other hand, it is a fact that out of inter-racial datings and marriages, some (not all) view it as a form of gaining social status or acceptance / integration in a society of racial inequality. So when a person of color (black, asian, indian, latino etc.) marries a white person, their social status, both within their own communities and within larger white communities go up. This is a fact. This is made worse by the problem of colorism, where, for example, Indian people (my community) would be more accepting of white but less of black because they would fetishize mixed race babies with whiter characteristics (and some may see it as a genetic upgrade). Even worse things happen - where if there are 2 siblings, the one who looks whiter is generally more loved by the family, and even parents. Then, there is also the concept of romantic fetishism, where a power-dynamic develops between the couple. The white person is viewed as a bagged trophy, while the non-white person is viewed as a "the one you settled for" and thus, the subservient one. Although the above things happen only in a few cases, they do happen, it is a reality, and these things need to be addressed without generalizing all inter-racial couples. This video from mtv decoded gived a balanced view of the matter. The presenter herself has married a white guy, but she is aware of racial fetisihization and status dynamics in interracial dating and marriage. Hence, she gives a middle-ground view on the topic.

Speaking as a blonde white guy who is engaged to a woman of Palestinian descent, racism is a very real thing. Especially if you convert religions a lot of people are going to treat you like you're lower than dirt. From both sides of the situation. People in the community you join who you may need help from will turn their backs on you. If you're unlucky one or both of your families will completely try to ruin things. If it's one family it is doable. If it's both good luck unless you and your SO are willing to basically be vagabonds for a period. Unless you both have amazing families it will put so much strain on your relationship it might just fall apart. People try to erode your happiness. They want you to fail. I wouldn't ever change my mind, but I would find it hard to encourage someone else to try to bridge the caucasian-arab divide. You will see the worst of a lot of people. I imaging most race divides are similar.

5l8kc6

explainlikeimfive_train

Explain like I'm five years old If you did a ton of sprints, going farther and building endurance, could you eventually full sprint a mile? Is there a limit we can push ourselves?

dbtvojc

dbtwaq3

there is a limit. when you sprit the oxigen from breathing is not enough to sustain energy production so your muscles will start anaerobic respiration which is inefficient and produces lactic acid. Lactic acid acummulates in muscles resulting in pain and decrease in performance and oxigen to tissue transfer. your muscles will hurt and you will run slower and slower until you stop

Professional sprinters can hold their top speed for about 10 strides. Usain Bolt achieved and maintained his top speed for 8 strides during his 9.58s record 100m run. He covered that 100m in ~40 strides, so his top speed lasted only ~20m, between ~50-70m marks. Carl Lewis used to have slightly better speed endurance than Bolt, his top speed lasted 10-12 strides, and his slowing down later in the race was less than typical, so it looked like he accelerated toward the finish line relative to the others. Slow twitch muscles, where endurance is built in, are required even for 100m. The opposite is true for fast twitch muscles, one needs a speed to run a marathon. There is no clear physical boundary between a sprint and endurance runs. The difference between a sprint and endurance runs is in contribution of each muscle type. Sprint events "end" at 400m, and endurance events "begin" at 1500m, 800m is a like a 50-50 combo of the two, meaning 50% of work(=power*time) comes from each muscle type. You can try to "sprint" a mile mentally, like go a full force from the start and try to hold for as long as possible. But physically it would be something like 95% of power by the fast muscles and 5% of power by the slow muscles from the start. Then the ratio changes as the run progresses, and in the end your power ratio is something like 20% and 80%. I'm making these numbers up, but you get the point. Such attempted "sprint" would be extremely exhausting and maybe dangerous. I don't think even animals running for their lives from a predator can pull this off. They still tactically pace themselves and conserve strength even when a certain death is right behind them.

lznoy5

askacademia_train

This might sound really stupid, but can I still submit abstracts to conferences call for papers after graduating and no longer being a graduate student? Please forgive me if this is the wrong space to post this. I finished my MA degree a few years ago, and I have been doing work unrelated to my degree since. Today my former second reader professor forwarded me a call for papers for a special conference about a very specific niche, on which I wrote my MA thesis. I really want to be a part of this conference, but I only submitted and presented papers while I was a student, and I no longer belong to an organization or school. Is it allowed for a regular "no-longer-a-student" person to participate? Will they welcome my submission? The call for papers said, "Early career scholars and graduate students are very welcome."

gq3a9u9

gq38v8n

Go for it. There's usually no requirement that you have a current university affiliation in order to present at a conference. It's not extremely common for a variety of reasons, but people do present papers and publish as "independent scholars".

Yes, you’d likely be categorised as an Independent Scholar.

ohazz0

askengineers_train

How do you know when it’s time to move on? Been working at a consulting gig for 5-10 years. Seen a few recent posts about work life balance which is pretty non-existent for me. My current employer refuses to establish roles and responsibilities for personnel. They don’t want you to use it as merit to prove a promotion. Insane. I’m finding the only way to be successful in my role and not fall behind is to work excessive hours which I just can’t do anymore. Although I enjoy the challenges my role encounters, technical growth is stagnant, and I don’t see any financial growth opportunities on the horizon. As I continue to fall behind, I feel it’s only a matter of time for less than stellar reviews to come my way. Anyone else read the writing on the wall and leave a job they were currently content with but had untenable expectations for success? If so, how did that work out?

h4o2afy

h4o3d8u

Once you've reached the point that you're not excited to get up every morning to get after it at work, that's always been my sign. Some places I only stayed a year and others much longer. I've got my dream job now (but there will always be obstacles). Just be strategic on your moves, network to find better opportunities, and plan/think ahead.

If you haven't gotten a decent raise/promotion in 2-3 years and don't LOVE your job, it's time to look elsewhere.

tb67id

askphysics_train

Is there anyway humans could turn off the sun? Could we like nuke it or send the moon or some other body into it? I'm trying to define objects existing that can't be changed by humans no matter how hard we try. That kind of reassurance that we can't change some things gives me a lot of peace of mind and wonder. Thank you all!

i056ifr

i05ev0u

Hmm no. Not even remotely. Nuke it? Bitch please, the sun eats nukes for breakfast. Throw the moon at it, not even gonna put a dent in the sun. The only weapon against it, is time itself. You can wait for it to die…

You could try waiting a long time

yektni

changemyview_train

CMV: Companies should not be allowed to ask for your Name, DOB, Gender, Race, or any other personally identifying information before the hiring decision has been made. ## Introduction and Reasoning: There is political discussion from various different factions about discriminatory hiring practices, but I think it's safe to say that discriminatory hiring practices (that is, hiring one person over another for any reason other than pure merit) hurts everyone. The most obvious accusation is that companies can employ racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise discriminatory hiring practices, even if the hiring managers are doing it subconsciously. I remember seeing a study about how people who apply for jobs with, "black sounding," names were less likely to be hired. There are also things such as affirmative action or minority quotas, which have been criticized for being racist practices. There are other types of discrimination though, which aren't talked about as much. Political discrimination is a good example, I have seen TikToks and posts on other sites where hiring managers or recruiters talk about how they scan their potential employees' Social Media pages, and choose not to hire them based on political beliefs. This creates a society that is hostile towards anyone with political beliefs that aren't in line with what corporations expect, and it goes against the principals of free speech and democracy. To be clear, I'm not talking about free speech *the law*, I mean free speech *the idea*. The first amendment is great, but there are many ways that it falls short in the modern age, and it could totally be expanded to include more types of speech, and speech in different mediums. ## Implementation: With my reasoning being laid out, let's talk about the implementation of this idea. The most obvious weakness that I think others would point out with this idea is that when a company does in-person interviews, they would obviously be able to see the person. My solution to that is what I think will be the most controversial aspect of this idea: With companies collecting personally identifiable information being outlawed before the hiring decision has been made, that would also make in person, face-to-face interviews illegal. Now, I get that in person, face-to-face interviews are a big part of the hiring process for most companies, however, I'm confident that alternatives which replicate many of the benefits of this could be used instead. Obviously the internet could be used; an interview could be conducted via messaging or voice chat, for example. With the resources of hundreds of massive companies combined, however, I'm sure they could come up with an even more creative solution that still respects privacy and the new restrictions imposed. Some detail/information that hiring managers get from an in person interview would, of course, be sacrificed. That's definitely a sacrifice that's worth it though, because on one hand, they might get slightly less information in the hiring process, but on the other hand, it would eliminate hiring discrimination almost in it's entirety, which is a societal benefit that greatly outweighs the cost. Of course questions about things such as background checks can be brought up as well. My solution to that is a multi-step hiring process. Once companies have decided to hire someone, if a background check is needed, that person can be passed to phase-2. At this point, the only reason that the company is allowed to reverse their hiring decision would be if their background check comes back, and turns out they have a criminal record that makes them a bad fit for the job. Another weakness with this idea is that the company might fire someone for a discriminatory reason after that person has been hired. The solution to this is to have stronger laws against wrongful termination with much more steep penalties. Unions would also be a great defense against this, if we could get rid of some of those pesky laws that prevent workplace organization. ## Conclusion: I could continue to list details about the implementation, but then the post would become even longer than it already is. It also reduces the amount of things that can be discussed in the comments, which is no fun. The whole point is for other people to poke holes in this idea, so that I can either strengthen it and create a more concrete basis for it, or scrap it as a bad idea and go back to the drawing board. I've had this idea for a long time, and I just think about it every time I hear about discriminatory hiring practices, so I'm excited to discuss it regardless of the outcome, whether it gets absolutely destroyed, or if I end up believing in it even stronger than I did initially.

ityp2i3

ityr3a1

If I was disabled/black/gay would I really want to get a job where the manager was ableist/racist/homophobic though? It's all good being able to get the job but you still have to work in that environment and if the boss is homophobic and employee is gay they could just make your life hell until you leave which would be a waste of everyone's time, cause distress and the employee has wasted their time in a job they'd never progress in because of prejudice. Honestly if someone has that kind of bias anyway it's probably better you don't get the job with them and work for people who are actually going to respect you.

There's a couple of issues which come to mind. Job history - if it was undated, would give the impression that a person may or may not have been switching jobs frequently (which is undesirable to an employer) if a person lists 10+ companies they've worked for. If the job history *is* dated, then by default you'd be able to roughly figure out the persons age anyway. There's potentially an issue for women who may have taken a prolonged absence from working in order to raise a young child being filtered out on the basis that unexplained periods of unemployment are generally seen as a 'red flag', but most hiring managers wouldn't necessarily look at an absence which was highlighted as being time off work to raise a child as a negative. If this was made explicit on a CV they would however usually conclude that the candidate is most likely female and of a certain age. There's maybe a slight (albeit unlikely) issue of risking hiring a person who has exhibited some level of egregious behaviour which isn't necessarily criminal, but *is* documented online. Having someone show up to work and have the staff identify them as *'That racist person from that video which went viral a couple of years ago'* isn't going to be ideal for an employer. A more likely scenario is that someone who has a particularly poor reputation within the industry is hired because their job history doesn't make them immediately identifiable. More so than anything, a highly aspirational candidate who doesn't necessarily have the best work history (and maybe didn't have the best opportunities so far) and whose best chance of selling themselves to the employer would be through a face-to-face interview to express their passion, may inevitably be overlooked for the unmotivated 'lifer' with a more impressive job history.

biobw2

askphilosophy_train

How is Karl Popper seen in the academic world? To quote a redditor I was discussing this with: > EE: Karl Popper is not a serious thinker and his popularity on the internet among particular demographics is directly inverse to his value. But of course if Copernicus is too much for liberalism today it should be obvious that quantum mechanics must be denied and falsified. Remember that the entirety of Popper's work on science (which is not much, most of it is just generic liberal screeds) was a reaction against quantum mechanics which implied for the natural world what Marxism had already done to history and Freud had done to psychology. That Popper didn't read or understand physics, economics, or psychoanalysis is to be expected and is a large part of his popularity and contemporaries today like Jordan Peterson (there is a direct connection through Carl Jung between them, the fascist ideologue against the dual Freudo-Marxian revolution in science). See Lenin's work which already grasped the essence of the problem by 1908: https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1908/mec/index.htm#five2 The only value of Popper is that he is stupid enough to be unambiguous and is forced to dismiss both physics and biology as unscientific (which accidentally shows the dialectical essence of both the Darwinian and Einsteinian revolutions). The essence of the problem of listing features as a definition is that it is tautological and presumes a coherent concept which must be traced empirically to retroactively define itself.

em1vmpd

em1x2i1

Read some Popper. The guy had a lot to say, even if some of it has been proven wrong.

In every "science and theory" grad student seminar I have been in, Popper is held up as the exemplar of "traditional" science, and Kuhn is held up as the stand in for all that wishy-washy sociological science stuff. Never mind what either of them said. In my undergrad philosophy classes, Popper was treated like Freud in psychology: historically important but kind of wrong about everything.

xfjgzs

explainlikeimfive_train

Explain like I'm five years old: Can black holes "eat" matter indefinitely or is there a limit? Do they ever have trouble absorbing large masses or is it always the same?

iomunys

iomvnoa

It can eat matter indefinitely. Large masses, like a star coming in at once will likely swirl around the black hole creating a very high energy disk and some of that plasma may be launched away from the black hole in a jet instead of falling in. I don't know exactly how it works but there is good evidence of super massive black holes spewing out giant jets of gas so in that sense there may be a sort of limit to how much gas a black hole can absorb at once without throwing a bunch of it out into space in the process.

As others have said, there is no known limit to the *amount* of matter a black hole can consume. However, there is a limit in how *fast* it can consume matter. The gravitational attraction from black holes is really strong, and that strength can cause matter falling in to rub and squish and compress, heating it up. That hot matter will start to glow brighter and brighter the hotter it is. Eventually, the stuff falling in will be *so insanely bright* that the outgoing radiation is *stronger than the black hole’s gravity*. All nearby matter will get blasted away by the radiation temporarily, until it cools down again, and starts falling back in. This actually leads to a fun physics problem we have yet to figure out. We’ve discovered supermassive black holes that are bigger than they should be allowed to be. If we assume they started as regular black holes, because of that “eating limit”, they haven’t had time to grow to their sizes just from consuming other matter. Figuring out where these come from is still an active field of physics research!

4sodia

asksciencefiction_train

[Meta] Attention whoever keeps reporting all pokemon-related questions: Fuck off, they're not against the rules. That is all.

d5bf4dg

d5b7213

Obviously because it's no longer science *fiction*. They're all over the place. Pokemon are science *fact*. Duh. - From the desk of C. Cabra

Now, Digimon on the other hand, report that to your hearts content. Fuck those guys.

jcw2kn

askscience_train

When can we expect COVID-19 trials for children? What criteria will be used to determine effectiveness and safety? Why are children being put in trials last?

g940djk

g95ysp5

Once efficacy of a drug/vaccine is established in those who are able to give their *own* informed consent, then it would be reasonable to move on to those who have the most to lose and can't legally consent themselves. We don't need another thalidomide-type crisis where kids are harmed through no fault of their own if something unexpected happens.

I know this question was asked a bit ago but I’m a pediatric medical researcher (oncology) and we are starting some COVID stuff, but I do know other researchers who are infectious disease peds researchers, so here is the summary 1. Safety and efficacy will be evaluated just like every other clinical trial, so that means looking at various SAEs (serious adverse events) throughout the study. Usually there is a board / committee that monitors this and if something bad happens, the trial gets halted until further investigation. This happened with one of the vaccines and it was determined to be unrelated. 2) Clinical trials are evaluated in stages so safety will be first, then efficacy. 3) Kids are last because on the whole, they are fairing a LOT better than adults. But also unless it’s a child specific disease, most clinical trials actually start with an adult population and then move to kids. Sometimes in tandem but not always. What people should be more concerned about is the disproportionate # of kids who are getting severely sick / dying and are POCs. It’s startling and incredibly upsetting. And to clarify, these trials are already happening.

eyhu5d

askacademia_train

Is it ok to cold email professors (USA) about post doctoral opportunities in their labs? Is it ok to enquire about post doctoral opening by emailing usa professors? I have been applying through job listing sites with no luck.

fgid1pl

fgij7es

Yes, it's fine. It would help if your advisor set up the introduction first, however.

I got into an HHMI funded lab through a cold email so it is definitely possible. In the end it's just luck about who has a position available and reads your email and that also chooses you over others. I made a list of my top 15 postdoc labs, emailed all of them. Only 1 was actively advertising for a position so the other 14 were cold as ice - never met them and my advisers didn't know them. I got an interview with the advertising lab and one more interview, so 1 out of 14 cold emails "worked". Of the 14 that said no, I got 2 replies saying they didn't have space, the other 12 were radio silence. As long as you tailor your emails to their lab and what you could bring to their lab there's no harm in trying. They'll either feel flattered or not read it. Best of luck!

5hnwcs

legaladvice_train

Husband left the day after our daughter was born. No contact since without lawyers. She's almost one and our divorce is almost final. He's demanding a maternity test (paternity test showed he's the father). Is this normal? I'll ask my lawyer Monday but just wondering - Wyoming

db26v4u

db2h33v

I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit: - /r/bestoflegaladvice] [Previously on Day of Our Lives, the paternity test proved that the baby Maria gave birth to was indeed Calvin's daughter, but will the maternity test show that Maria is the mother? Tune in to find out... [](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))* [](#bot)

Would a judge even order a maternity test for a hospital birth(witnesses ect.)? Wasn't there a case that CPS and accusations of kidnapping and the mother failed the maternity test because she had absorbed a non identical twin in the womb?

un7fgl

explainlikeimfive_train

Eli5: What is the rationale why car lights don't shut off on total engine off? I experienced having depleted batteries and thankfully recovered from it. The reason was I forgot to turn off the car lights and left it overnight. Now I'm curious why it's designed that way that they aren't connected to the car's "main switch".

i87jlxo

i87s3mt

Some cars have a timer so the headlights turn off 30 seconds after you've removed the key and closed the door. Why? For safety and convenience. You've parked your car and the lights were on, therefore it's dark outside and you're near the car. Isn't it handy to have lights on so you can get to your front door? Plus a passing car is less likely to run over you if your car's lights are on and illuminating the area. ​ I installed running lights to an old car I had many years ago that had the 30 second timer function. The lights turned on automatically when the car was on and they were mounted like fog lights under the front bumper. I soon realized what a hassle it was because whenever I parked at the store, people would tell me I left my lights on.

It's a feature, not a bug. You don't need to run the engine to have your cars electrical system work. So you can turn the headlights on and light an area without burning you gas.

yj7hr4

askacademia_train

Accidentally outed a top student During lecture yesterday I was engaging with students and accidentally let slip that one of the students that answered a question had a perfect score on the midterm. Instant regret - but I can’t take that back obviously. I feel like I should write the student an email apologizing, is that sufficient? What would y’all do?

iuofp2w

iuntc94

Out of curiosity why is this a bad thing?

I had a professor in from an American university. He made it as a tradition to share three top scores on tests/exams/etc.

vcrw2g

askscience_train

AskScience AMA Series: We just crunched the numbers on how the transition to a renewable-based future is progressing & we want to talk about it! Go ahead & ask us anything (we're renewable energy experts but we're up for any & all questions)! "We" are part of REN21's team, a network made up of academia, NGOs, industry, govt, and individuals who are supporting the world to transition to renewable energy. We recently released the Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (#GSR2022) so we're hosting an AMA to talk about renewables, energy, the future, and everything in between. Multiple people from the team are joining including: + Nathalie Ledanois is a Research Analyst & Project Manager of the Renewables 2022 Global Status Report, Nathalie is our expert in anything investment-finance-economy related. + Hend Yaqoob is also a Research Analyst at REN21 who led on coordinating the chapter on distributed #renewables for energy access (DREA). + Nematullah Wafa is our intern who is a very valued member of the team who brought the #GSR2022 together. We'll be going live from 11am ET (15 UT), so ask us anything! Username: /u/ren21community

icg0a7x

icgfs7g

We’ve gone well past the point of curbing emissions, what is the role of renewables in terms of powering CO2 reduction / scrubbers? And how do you feel about nuclear energy?

What battery chemistries seem most promising for production level scaling? America's power grid is not up to the challenge of distributed energy storage and supply, what steps have been or should be taken by the US government and/or utilities and energy producers to improve the adaptability, and reliability of our power grid? When will then be now?

c0k7vu

askengineers_train

Caught someone lying about having an engineering degree, he is already employed as an engineer. What do? A peer I went to high school with, had on facebook, he went to my university, and graduated in my class. I know neither was true. Kind of shocked me to see this. I know he didn't do this. I asked him, and he ignored the message. Any suggestions on what should be done? Intelligence and credentials aside, he is not a good person, I've seen him do horrible things.

er59kw1

er5obh9

contact HR and watch your back. if he takes your inquiry as a threat he may try to get dirt on you

You know what he put on his Facebook page. You do not know what he told the company that hired him. You don't know what kind or level of "engineer" he is and I'm guessing there's some serious animosity between he and you. Drop it.