Daniel Lemire @lemire@mastodon.social

Science and Technology links (December 4th 2021): Amazon is building new computer chips, autonomous floating cities are just around the corner, AKG could be a strong anti-aging compound, and more at https://lemire.me/blog/2021/12/04/science-and-technology-links-december-4th-2021

Someone had to say something https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-03TUc9goQs

"The benefit to this is that it may work to get more people vaccinated in shorter order. But it also conveys that the government does not trust its citizens to make good decisions on their own, a condescension that in turn—this is human nature 101—eventually generates resentment, even revolt, and the disengagement of significant segments of the population." https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/needle-points-vaccinations-chapter-one

Stop spending so much time being trolled by billionaire corporations! https://lemire.me/blog/2021/11/02/stop-spending-so-much-time-being-trolled-by-billionaire-corporations/

"Name a nonfiction book by a black American writer [except Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Thomas Sowell] that neither battles or even addresses racism." https://www.amazon.com/Woke-Racism-Religion-Betrayed-America/dp/0593423062/

Nobody owns the truth except tyrants. Censorship by state actors is a civilization-level threat because it enables tyranny. Whoever controls the information controls the people. You may think that the good guys should be in charge but history tells us there is no good guy.

"It was a system in which any manifestation of personal autonomy or unorthodox interests could make you an enemy of the state. Jazz fans who circulated clandestine copies of Western records were persecuted in the late 1950s. Karate, which became hugely popular in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, was abruptly banned in 1981, reportedly because the authorities were concerned that it was channeling attention away from more important Olympic sports" https://reason.com/2021/11/01/yes-it-was-an-evil-empire/

Science and technology links (Oct. 31st 2021): training to become a scientist is a losing proposition financially, health-wise, there is such a thing as too much physical activity, greater gender differences in richer countries and more at https://lemire.me/blog/2021/10/31/science-and-technology-october-31st-2021/

"The flaw was never in the remedy, but in those who failed to behave and thereby brought the plague upon themselves." https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/i-have-been-through-this-before-bauer

"Vaccine effectiveness against infection waned progressively from 92% at day 15-30 to 47% at day 121-180, and from day 211 and onwards no effectiveness could be detected." https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3949410

Ireland seeing record hospitalisation rates. 91% of the 12+ population is vaccinated.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/covid-19-number-in-hospital-with-the-disease-reaches-highest-level-in-seven-months-1.4711225

In C, how do you know if the dynamic allocation succeeded? https://lemire.me/blog/2021/10/27/in-c-how-do-you-know-if-the-dynamic-allocation-succeeded/

Outbreak in a gym (Ontario) https://www.thestar.com/ths/news/hamilton-region/2021/10/25/covid-outbreak-ancaster-gym.html

In C++, is empty() faster than comparing the size with zero? https://lemire.me/blog/2021/10/26/in-c-is-empty-faster-than-comparing-the-size-with-zero/

U of A researchers find SARS-CoV-2 infects immature red blood cells, reducing oxygen in the blood and impairing immune response.

https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2021/06/new-study-may-help-explain-low-oxygen-levels-in-covid-19-patients.html

Governments chose to believe in transmission by droplet because it allows them to enforce various measures on people, without themselves having responsibilities.

“Droplets and surfaces are very convenient for people in power —all of the responsibility is on the individual (...) On the other hand, if you admit it is airborne, institutions, governments and companies have to do something.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/every-medical-authority-failed-realise-covid-airborne-late

Freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.

COVID has a case fatality rate similar to the flu for the general population.

BioNTech (Pfizer’s partner) CEO says the virus will likely be able to evade vaccines next year.
https://www.ft.com/content/d88457da-6bbc-4f07-82a6-4738aa845492

"Orange County — a non-mask-mandate county — had a very similar outcome to neighboring Los Angeles County, the first California county to bring back indoor masking in response to delta. Not only were the hospitalization figures identical, but Orange County actually had a lower case rate. Orange County has a similar vaccination rate to Los Angeles County, which makes it much easier to compare the two." https://www.sfgate.com/coronavirus/article/California-mask-mandates-delta-COVID-19-data-works-16502191.php