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Troy

@ troyunrau @lemmy.ca

Posts
19
Comments
401
Joined
3 yr. ago

Centrist, progressive, radical optimist. Geophysicist, R&D, Planetary Scientist and general nerd in Winnipeg, Canada.

troyunrau.ca (personal)

lithogen.ca (business)

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  • By approximately the wingspan of a pterodactyl

  • Getting your settings just right

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  • It's not like this particular screensaver can load data, so it cannot be made to do bad things with malformed data or something. The security nightmare is only about finding a trusted copy of the original 32 bit SCR file. (Not the 16 bit one, which also exists.)

    Windows asks for admin approval before copying it into system32. So you probably can't do this in a corporate environment.

  • Getting your settings just right

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  • This is amazing!

    If you're feeling nostalgic, grab the Win95 screensaver here, and plop it in C:\Windows\System32

    https://archive.org/details/ssstars_201812

    Works on Win 10 and 11. Still jitters exactly as expected heh.

    Linux users have clones available

  • Which of your favorite sci-fi tech seems achievable in a reasonable timeframe, say 100 years?

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  • And every one of those are as grounded in reality as sci fi's agelong obsession telepaths, telekinesis, or mutants with powers.

    There is a class of modern sci fi authors are all coming to terms with this.

    I'd recommend checking out stories like Neptune's Brood -- sci fi which takes on interstellar economics in slower than light scenarios.

  • Kitteh posing for my new phone camera 🐱

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  • Exactly

  • Which of your favorite sci-fi tech seems achievable in a reasonable timeframe, say 100 years?

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  • Exceeding FTL (and breaking causality) is basically a sci fi trope at this point with about as much credibility as psychics. To have at least some credibility you need one of: a testable hypothesis, or an unexplained phenomenon. Right now we have neither. At best, we have some equations, that work below light speed, where we can extrapolate past light speed and see how the math works. The problem is: none of these equations are testable as they all contain infinities or other asymptotic features that prevent passing light speed itself. So, if there's no viable math to get from sublight to FTL, and there's no unexplained phenomena, then what we're left with is nothing.

    Even quantum entanglement, which is a darling of sci fi whenever they need a plot device (hello Le Guin and the ansible), has categorically been shown to obey causality and the light speed limit in every lab test.

    At some point it's like asking for negative mass, antigravity, or other things that the math would allow. Except our universe doesn't.

    I've got a wormhole to sell you ;)

  • Which of your favorite sci-fi tech seems achievable in a reasonable timeframe, say 100 years?

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  • Seems entirely reasonable that a Gattaca future is achievable. Whether desirable is the other question. Somewhere CJ Cherryh is being worshipped as a prophet.

  • Which of your favorite sci-fi tech seems achievable in a reasonable timeframe, say 100 years?

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  • Not FTL though. Slower than light, causality preserving version? Sure.

  • No! Go do that outside!

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  • At least, do it on the hard floor...

  • The great cat escape of 2025

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  • Glad he didn't just run!

    We let our cat out with us in the morning when we have coffee on the front deck. She wanders around with us, checking all the plants. But, most importantly, she has learned where to run towards when she is scared (the door is wedged open a sliver and she can push her way back into the house).

    It's great, because it means she doesn't run if she gets out accidentally.

  • #Goals

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  • Yes. This is the correct view of capitalism if seen from the position of money.

    Until you step back and ask where that money comes from.

    And you realize that it is a funnel, from those without money to those with money.

    And then the exponential growth "feature" starts to feel bad.

    I say this as a small business owner experiencing double digit year-over-year equity growth, trying to claw my way up and out of the crab bucket.

  • Devils Panties 06/09/2025

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  • There's a lot of versions and variations of this, all saying the same thing. Including the comic above. I don't think any of them are wrong, as long as the message is heard :)

  • Devils Panties 06/09/2025

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  • Good English version too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_They_Came

    First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist.

    Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist.

    Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

    Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

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  • Funding bait

  • Bricked up

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  • Doubly so for being a trans brick

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  • If the music is good, yes :)

  • Bricked up

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  • I want to take that through airport security in the US. ;)

  • The Zoey creature enjoys the outdoors from time to time.

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  • Majestic

  • What are some creative ways to use an unused telephone jack outlet?

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  • Wouldn't put more than like 5V DC on it, but you could use it to put power to some low power USB toys.