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filmdojo's comments
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filmdojo  ·  3422 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: 5 Hubski funding ideas that don't involve bitcoin

Allow user tips and transactions with other users and take a percentage cut. That's the best model because people who are broke like myself and can't afford the $X or opportunity cost involved with giving payment information to test a new site out that doesn't give me a chance to make my money back just wouldn't be worth the sign up process because of the paywall.

filmdojo  ·  3422 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Dear Hubski, how is your life?

I have had an unimaginably difficult, anguished, systematically oppressed, and overall terrible life. That said, this year has been particularly better than usual as I see a light at the end of the tunnel and have won many opportunities both because of and in spite of my life's hardships. Although, I would not say that I have yet reached par for a good life.

I would like to share, but I am sure my identity is easily revealed (that just complicates things and might be embarrassing), and I'm sure anything I write would come across as a humblebrag, which would not be my intention.

filmdojo  ·  3425 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: How Climate Scientists Feel About Climate Change Deniers .

The leading culprit for carbon emissions in the travel sector is the shipping and freight industry. We could have a fission reactor that is relatively safe on every boat like the military does with subs, but you'd need a highly trained nuclear physicist on each boat to handle that correctly.

According to this awesome chart, it's quite clear that it is the energy sector producing the largest amount of CO2. If Fusion reactors are a required means of producing grid energy, then our travel emissions will be easily balanced out naturally, especially if we can require reactors on freighters and large ocean transport since I believe that is about 3% of total world emissions and a good chunk of travel emissions.

Plus with battery cars like Tesla getting more popular, consumer emissions will continue to shrink.

The problem with fission reactors is that while they are safe, people don't want them in their backyard and a lot of regulations get in their way. They also need extra cost fortification when compared to other power sources and startup is difficult. Plus with Fukushima, almost everyone has realized that the "Black swan" phenomenon is not so unlikely. They also have a long term cost of radioactive waste and storage or recycling.

Fusion byproducts are not very dangerous. It's only bottlenecks will be dealing with corporate interests that are not aligned with companies producing fusion (and increase cost of startup or bad press, etc.) and scalability/distribution of the reactors. 10 years to get to market another 5 or ten to scale and we have reduced all our carbon emissions form the energy sector. This is one reason why I'm not worried about global warming. It is not a doomsday scenario at all.

filmdojo  ·  3427 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Large Hadron Collider discovers new pentaquark particle.

Is there a link to the whitepaper or does anyone know the color/strangeness makeup of the pentaquarks? Both seem to be missing from the article.

filmdojo  ·  3428 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Teaching myself Physics, what would you suggest?

There are SO MANY great courses online that you should take advantage of. Check out what Stanford offers at iTunes University. Those are some of my favorites. Other places you can look to learn are The teaching company, which is not free, but has some really easy to understand, but relatively thorough lectures available. Also, Kahn academy, which is free, has some pretty straightforward lessons and tutoring in physics and math.

Don't start with the quantum mechanics... you will build up to that, but also, don't be afraid to read about quantum theory and so called "laymen's" books on quantum physics: just make sure they are by a real scientist like Hawking or Kaku. Avoid woo-woo like Deepak Chopra.

Take a good introduction to classical field theory and electro-magnitism, and try to learn calculous along the way. Don't be frightened by those who say you need to know all of pre-calc to get into calculous. While you will eventually need to know all of pre-calc, there is nothing that should keep you from learning both calc and pre-calc simultaneously. Just learn things as the problems present themselves. When you find them again in the classroom, you'll have already had some experience and it won't be as difficult.

From one relentless auto-didact to another, Good luck!