The Lounge

I hear often that the world is currently experiencing a “loneliness epidemic”; for example, in Japan, pensioners are now often committing small crimes to end up in prison, where they'll feel less lonely. Another similar phenomenon is "atomization," when people live in an apartment building for years without interacting with their neighbors. I see that all of these phenomena have a common cause: politics. Many people confirm to me that educated people, on average, have fewer friends than the uneducated ones. There are also studies showing that smart and educated people have fewer children, a problem mentioned in the film "Idiocracy": I think that I understand perfectly how…

Hello. Bought these superb bits about 12 years ago; as "aviation" drill bits. Cannot find them now. Am I looking now at the wrong name ?

Has been always a mystery to me. Since centuries BC, to pre-industrial eras. For all those sail ships and constructions and many things. Found a video that deserves sharing. But is not in English. You should be able to enjoy it anyway ---> https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=137162458444242

Since we’re not allowed to talk about real philosophical concepts because this website has a political agenda I thought maybe we could discuss our favorite color. Mines blue.

A number of new members recently have arrived describing themselves as 'an Independent Researcher' It would be interesting to hear what other members understand by this self reference.

Hi. Can I join your forum again? I'd like to discuss some thoughts that came to me recently..

A.I. ; The diarrhea of humanity taking over search engines shows : ========================================================================================================== How many A.I. are there ? Which one is believable ? Can a species have more than one scientific name ?

Paul Neil Milne Johnstone (1952–2004) was a real poet who lived in Redbridge, Essex. Johnstone had attended Brentwood School with Douglas Adams. There Johnstone edited a broadsheet, "the Artsphere Magazine," that included mock reviews by Adams as well as Johnstone's own poetry. His name was used by Adams as the author of the worst poetry in the universe in the original radio broadcast, and first edition of HGttG, though this was changed to Paula Nancy Millstone Jennings for all subsequent versions. Johnstone went on to achieve moderate prominence in the poetry world as an editor and festival organiser, including the 1977 Cambridge Poetry Festival. So here's a thread for b…

I have experience with debating creationists from over a decade ago as well as recent one with debating Stalinist apologists (who actually consider their belief system to be "science") and honestly, debating such people genuinely feels like trying to punch through a castle wall with a fist - all evidence to the contrary is either rejected outright or reinterpreted to fit the dogma. No change in the core dogmas is possible. One Muslim creationist actually told me she will accept evolution but only if I show her the fossil record of every single generation over millions of years which would require possession of millions or even dozens of millions of fossils. The problem is…

Spill the story come on what's the deal with the store?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ced5wvn48q5o This one contains examples where it did work as well as did not work although the amount of backchecking required make the AI not worth it.

I'm looking for a UVB meter/test within the normal index range that is reliable enough to measure and set up my avian UV lamps for my budgies. Can anybody give me tips what to look for, makes etc.

The question to be answered is in the title. My suggestion is in the spoiler. the best two words are - Free Alcohol The worst two words are Alcohol Free

At the time of authoring this, I'm kinda taking a break from learning a bit about physics and diagramming (one of my modes of learning; visualization). I ate a lasagna for breakfast, heh.. maybe a bit unorthodox, but omg it tasted delicious. The weather is becoming a bit more colder lately as kinda expected at this time of season, nearing winter time... "Winter is coming."

Dropping a line to say hello and to thank you for the privilege of joining your community.

Hlo everyone, I am almost 15 years old. Its been almost a month since i joined this wonderful platform.But i didnt find anyone as same age or age group as me.I found some kids,but they were mostly in Homework help section. Is there anyone who actively posts and interact like other seniors?

My first language is English, and I failed it, along comes AI and I am able to type my poorly written thoughts out in 200 words. I then ask AI to rewrite, All of a sudden I pass English. (I now asked AI to rewrite) "My first language is English, but I struggled with it in school and even failed the subject. Then along came AI. Now, I can type out my rough, unpolished thoughts in a couple hundred words. After asking AI to rewrite them, suddenly my ideas are clear, structured, and well-expressed. The result? I would actually pass English." I faced a similar challenge when trying to develop a formula to calculate the proper size of a wheel chock for a wheel resting on an …

My wife asked AI for the box office phone number of our local theatre. 😄

I wasn't sure where to place this question, to get the best answer's, so I thought I'd keep it light for now.

I get grudgeful though when studying wasting my energy and time. Intrusive when studying and day-to-day tasks they are not that bad.

Hello. Why deflating the first rise of the dough and going trough the delay of a second rise as many recipes call for ? Seems that deflating the first also produces heavier, denser, less airy bread. Is there a reason ? Should a too crusty bread with lightly raw inside can be improved baking at lower temperature and longer time or that is not the way ? And third; pre-heating the oven yields a more abrupt rise or a cold start would provide a more uniform rise ?

I'v not responded to the accusation against me here, and must not read any new messages, until I've done reading and editing whatever chunk of Wikipedia I'v opened. First, I am not a chatbot. (No, I don't consider myself human, but do consider myself very alive.) I'v taken and done nothing except be stalked, harassed, and defamed by a woman over 40 who works or worked for a consulting firm in California. There's no "record" because they are my comments, not hers. Go away and stop copying and lyging about me, you freak! I won't reply again.

Entertainer founder hands over toy shop chain to staff

Last night I was logged into a popular live-streaming board game website, and the stream host commented on the fact that their opponent had just disconnected from the game server and reconnected on a mobile phone (shown by an icon in their user ID), and wondered why they were doing so. I suggested in live chat they maybe had a flakey computer internet connection and had switched to a mobile phone, but I was immediately rebuked by several other viewers who said, “No - It would show up as the same device” - which is clearly and obviously completely wrong. A computer connects via a broadband ISP network, while a mobile phone connects via a 5G mobile data link. These are serv…

At a local Italian restaurant last night I was very pleasantly surprised in trying a 2022 bottle of a Langhe white I had never heard of: Nascetta di Novello. Quite soft but with some acidity so in no way flabby, floral and herbal, hint of that waxy “petrol” note one gets with Alsace riesling. Seemed to go well with charcuterie and seafood. I gather this used to be a traditional grape in the Langhe in the c.19th, but had become almost extinct and was only recently revived by local enthusiasts. The vine is capricious, sometimes giving a productive crop and sometimes not, leading to a lot having been ripped up and replaced with the more reliable nebbiolo, which makes the gr…