Hacker News: phantom_of_cato

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "Sandy Hook Families Seek $2.75T from Alex Jones"

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 01:37:16 +0000

That has nothing to do with the ridiculous argument made above.

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "ask HN: How is psychology not bullshit?"

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 00:30:24 +0000

It is, for the most part. The replication crisis supports that statement. [1] Quite a few results you may have read about in "Thinking: Fast and Slow" probably won't replicate. [2]

There are at least two factors at play: what they are studying is quite complex, and people who tend to study it aren't the smartest. Take two PhD students, one in the psychology department, and one in physics. Make them switch roles. Who do you think is going to be in more trouble? [3]

[1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replication_crisis

[2]: https://replicationindex.com/category/thinking-fast-and-slow...

[3]: http://www.paulgraham.com/say.html

Sandy Hook Families Seek $2.75T from Alex Jones

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 00:12:30 +0000

Article URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-21/sandy-hook-families-seek-2-75-trillion-from-alex-jones

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33294300

Points: 19

# Comments: 27

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "Iran's government moves to criminalize VPNs (2021)"

phantom_of_cato — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 03:31:46 +0000

> What is the point of making this comment?

The point is that if we don't resist internet censorship here in the west, for which the pressure is building up, there won't be a free internet Iranians could connect to using a VPN.

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "“Free speech” networks and anti-semitism"

phantom_of_cato — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 10:05:27 +0000

We all know that many public libraries carry holocaust denial books, right? It's time to do something about that. /s

Euclidea: Geometric construction game with straightedge and compass

phantom_of_cato — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 09:58:44 +0000

Article URL: https://www.euclidea.xyz/

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33201528

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "U.S. Army Chooses Google Workspace"

phantom_of_cato — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 02:13:07 +0000

The military-industrial complex [1] on full display.

[1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military–industrial_complex

Why I think there's a one-in-six chance of an imminent global nuclear war

phantom_of_cato — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 06:42:00 +0000

Article URL: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Dod9AWz8Rp4Svdpof/why-i-think-there-s-a-one-in-six-chance-of-an-imminent

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33138744

Points: 49

# Comments: 119

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "My Trip to Space Filled Me with Overwhelming Sadness"

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 22:45:45 +0000

> As I stared up into the heavens, I had this deeply profound realization that our planet is traveling through space like all the other planets.

I genuinely don't understand what would be sad about that. The possibility of the next generation being able to explore at least one of those planets is very real.

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "My Trip to Space Filled Me with Overwhelming Sadness"

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 22:42:17 +0000

Well, maybe he should have sponsored a loved one (or even just a random person) to go instead. Most people would probably be filled with wonder and joy.

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "PayPal user agreement fining users $2,500 for 'misinformation' was error"

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 21:41:14 +0000

That really sounds like a lie, they are probably just responding to the backslash.

New Policy Lets PayPal Pull $2,500 from Users’ Account for ‘Misinformation'

phantom_of_cato — Sat, 08 Oct 2022 06:49:42 +0000

Article URL: https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-paypal-policy-lets-company-pull-2500-from-users-accounts-if-they-promote-misinformation

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33130347

Points: 10

# Comments: 0

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "Woman, 23, who survived 2016 Brussels airport ISIS bomb euthanised in Belgium"

phantom_of_cato — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 20:15:41 +0000

First of all, the entire field of psychiatry is very dubious. It's nothing similar to a mature science. They aren't really doing objective evaluations. For example, very often, if you really want to take a medication, you almost certainly can find someone who'd write you a prescription for it. [1]

Also, why would someone's academic qualifications entitle them to essentially sentence a suicidal person to death?

[1]: e.g "Also, if by some chance a psychiatrist doesn’t give a patient Adderall, that patient practically always goes to another psychiatrist, and that next psychiatrist does." (https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/12/28/adderall-risks-much-mo...)

Woman, 23, who survived 2016 Brussels airport ISIS bomb euthanised in Belgium

phantom_of_cato — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 17:55:59 +0000

Article URL: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11291995/Woman-23-survived-2016-Brussels-airport-ISIS-bomb-euthanised-Belgium.html

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33124748

Points: 12

# Comments: 9

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "Spotify acquired a company that detects harmful content in podcasts"

phantom_of_cato — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:34:04 +0000

Harmful and "false" content shouldn't be censored by tech platforms either. There's no API for truth.

There's some role for courts, through libel/defamation lawsuits. And even then, the general criteria is false factual statements (not merely opinions) causing demonstrable harm _intentionally_.

The Hottest App in China Teaches and Tests Citizens About Their Leader (2019)

phantom_of_cato — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 18:22:45 +0000

Article URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/07/world/asia/china-xi-jinping-study-the-great-nation-app.html

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33099287

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "“Spending money is not an assertion of freedom. It’s the key to enslavement”"

phantom_of_cato — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 01:06:27 +0000

Will the author be willing to dispose of all the tokens of enslavement in their possession by moving them to my bank account? I will not charge them anything for that.

Police use DNA phenotyping in unsolved sexual assault

phantom_of_cato — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:52:53 +0000

Article URL: https://www.edmontonpolice.ca/News/MediaReleases/DNAPhenotypeOct4

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33089506

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "Mandated diversity statement drives Jonathan Haidt to quit academic society"

phantom_of_cato — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 16:02:29 +0000

> Not all ideological disputes are about rational argumentation, many are based in a fundamental misalignment of values.

On one hand, you are acknowledging that some values are not based on rationality, and on the other hand you think they should be imposed upon those who don't share them by censorship?

New comment by phantom_of_cato in "Instagram permanently disables Pornhub account"

phantom_of_cato — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 00:24:50 +0000

Out of all the censorship tech companies do, this is probably the least harmful.