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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: July 2nd, 2023

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  • More powerful AI says:

    No, not all lettuces are the same species, although many commonly consumed lettuces (e.g., iceberg, romaine, butterhead, oakleaf, and leaf lettuce) belong to the same species, Lactuca sativa.

    However, some plants commonly called “lettuce” belong to different species or even genera. Examples include:

    Lactuca sativa: The typical garden lettuce varieties (iceberg, romaine, butterhead, oakleaf, loose-leaf lettuces).

    Lactuca serriola: Wild lettuce, an ancestor to cultivated lettuce.

    Valerianella locusta: Corn salad or lamb’s lettuce, commonly consumed as lettuce but from a different genus.

    Cichorium endivia: Endive, sometimes called lettuce but technically not in the lettuce genus (Lactuca).

    Eruca vesicaria (Arugula or rocket): Often mixed with lettuces but belongs to an entirely different genus and family.

    In summary, while most common lettuces belong to a single species (Lactuca sativa), not everything commonly called lettuce or used similarly in salads is botanically the same species or even genus.


  • I guess it’s more useful as a store of wealth than a currency. Like gold it can be transferred irreversibly between owners, except now the transfer and storage costs are significantly reduced and it’s available to the general public as an option. The key benefit is the use of the internet as a transfer medium, you no longer have to rely on a third party to facilitate the exchange, which for most large transactions means paying someone to transport it and store it (lawyers, guards, banks).

    It does allow for easy exchange for all users, including criminals, but generally using it for crime is a terrible idea, as every member of the network can see all transactions. Bitcoin is more of a notice board about what addresses have what amounts, and if you can prove to the people that post on the notice board that you control an address, you’re allowed to spend the contents and update everyone of where you sent it.

    People came up with an idea for how to do chargebacks, it’s called an escrow service, a third party that holds the money until all parties have had a chance to raise a dispute and confirm they are happy. This is the same as how PayPal works, trust based on reputation of the escrow provider, and the escrow provider is payed a fee. It’s just that now with bitcoin, you also have the option to complete the transaction online without an escrow provider, the same as you would in person with cash.


  • I appreciate your viewpoint, your garden looks great, but that short grass is a barren wasteland for biodiversity. You have to work out what’s important for you, and all sides should respect that decision.

    It would be possible to maintain some of it as a native wildflower meadow instead, and keep the overall length managed without using weed killers and poisons and huge amounts of water like grass requires. There’s no such thing as a native weed, but you do have to remove some individuals for diversity and soil health if they grow too large. I do this with brambles and other large light blocking species, as I don’t have the space to support them, even though they’re great for wildlife, they end up having a short term negative biodiversity impact in a small space. Even a small corner or container of native wildflower would support native pollinators and vastly improve the health and biodiversity of your entire garden. Get a solitary bee hotel, if they exist in your country. Leave a pile of sticks/logs somewhere for insects. Get a pond if you can. You already compost so that’s good. Nature isn’t meant to be tidy, neat or uniform. But I understand that not everybody can appreciate the value that could be gained from millions of gardens improving thier biodiversity, and that conforming with others and past practices and traditions may be a stronger factor for some people to want to keep their gardens neat. You’re clearly a good gardener, but no wildlife conservationist, you can have both though. It’s not about being intentionally messy, it’s about creating conditions for wildlife to be invited in. Those fully overgrown gardens are probably great for nature, but you are right that they have to consider the size of the space and the proximity of neighbours before doing that, and not being considerate of that can make them a bit of an asshole.


  • So it’s an app on Linux which you can get from github, and then an app on the Quest store. And it works by loading up the app on the Quest and streaming it all to there. Just AVR on the store, made by the same people as the GitHub. There’s guides online and it might be a bit fiddly if you’re not good with Linux. It still seems like a work in progress and you’ll need strong WiFi.







  • Just because you said medieval ruins, I’m much more impressed with the medieval buildings that aren’t ruins. Definitely worth looking into some of these less well know places if you ever plan a trip, or just want to look up some cool pictures.

    For US people, the thing thats most impressive, is that all of these were built before Christopher Columbus even started his voyage to the americas in 1492.

    Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham - Established around 1189, makes it approximately 835 years old. The pub is partially built into the sandstone caves beneath Nottingham Castle. Still a great looking and fully functioning pub today, I want to go there.

    Anne Hathaways Cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire - Dates back to about 1463, which makes it around 560 years old. A very British medieval farmhouse and the childhood home of William Shakespeare’s wife.

    Stokesay Castle, Shropshire - Was built in the late 13th century, around 1291, which makes it over 730 years old. It’s one of the best preserved fortified manor houses in England.

    Monnow Bridge, Monmouth, Wales - Was built in the late 13th century, around 1272-1297, making it about 725 years old. It’s the only remaining fortified river bridge in Britain with its gate tower intact.

    St. Ives Bridge, Cambridgeshire - Built in the 1400s, making it around 600 years old. The bridge has a full chapel in the middle.


  • Just to address the chatgpt comments, I assumed you were a troll but I now see that you’re a real person, deserving of a real answer. My standpoint is that science should enhance religion: as they approach different problems, they should be compatible. Science deals with the workings of the natural world and how things happen, while religion often addresses why the world exists and what our purpose might be. For this reason I’m against dismissing scientific discoveries solely due to religious teachings. Some see new discoveries about the universe as enhancing our understanding of God. Just because the bible was written without the understanding we have today doesn’t mean that the progress of all modern knowledge is false. And similarly when specific bible teachings are disproven doesn’t mean that the underlying purpose or values are invalid. In summary, ai think the purpose of religion is to improve society and wellbeing by addressing fears, providing a deep need for community and creating a moral code. I think problems and frictions arrive when, the moral codes develop over time due to new understanding of what is right or fair, and knowledge of the world improves. There are religions that accept that they should change over time and accept these new viewpoints, such as evolution, dinosaurs, or to respect womens rights. There are other hardline religions that believe that the world is 6000 years old, that women have no rights, that dinosaurs are false creatures created by the devil, and that technology is evil and should be avoided. Right now you seem to be leaning towards more hardline standpoints, which can anger some people, as you’ve seen by the down votes. I would encourage you moving forwards to not see new viewpoints and scientific understanding as a challenge to your religion, and instead accept that the world is beautiful and this knew knowledge was a gift to you from God. Gay marriage is legalised, so God accepts that people should be allowed to be happy in themselves, accept that into your religion. Dinosaurs are found and thousands of people work to understand them, God has given those people a gift to work in such an exciting career, accept the gift into your religion. To dismiss knowledge, is to dismiss a gift from God. Ancient wisdom and modern understanding should go hand in hand.


  • It sounds like you’re taking a skeptical stance towards the conventional interpretation of dinosaur fossils without proposing an alternative hypothesis for their origins. This approach can be useful for critically examining evidence but might limit understanding if alternative explanations aren’t explored. In scientific discourse, it’s typically valuable not only to critique existing theories but also to propose viable alternatives that can be tested and evaluated against the evidence. If the goal is to challenge established views like the existence of dinosaurs, developing a coherent alternative theory on the origin of fossils could strengthen your argument and provide a new perspective for consideration.


  • The existence of dinosaurs is well-established through a variety of scientific evidence. Here are some of the key proofs:

    1. Fossil Evidence

    • Bone Fossils: The most compelling evidence for the existence of dinosaurs comes from fossils. These are preserved remains found in sedimentary rocks that have formed from sediments laid down in ancient rivers, lakes, and seas. Dinosaur bones show distinct features, such as air-filled cavities that indicate they were adapted to support massive bodies while being lightweight, similar to modern birds.
    • Tracks and Footprints: Fossilized footprints and tracks give clues about the behavior, movement, and size of these creatures. Sites like the Paluxy River trackways in Texas and others around the world show clear, sequential dinosaur footprints.
    • Egg Fossils: Fossilized eggs have been found in many locations around the world, providing direct evidence of reproduction in dinosaurs. Some nests even contain embryos, which help scientists understand growth and development in these creatures.

    2. Geological Distribution

    • Global Spread: Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent on Earth, including Antarctica. This widespread geographic distribution is consistent with the known plate tectonics and continental drift over geological time scales, supporting the timeline in which dinosaurs are said to have existed.

    3. Radiometric Dating

    • Age Determination: Radiometric dating methods allow scientists to determine the age of rock layers where dinosaur fossils are found. These methods typically use the decay of naturally occurring isotopes, such as uranium-lead or potassium-argon dating, to establish the age of rocks as ranging from about 66 to over 200 million years old—corresponding to the Mesozoic Era, the time period during which dinosaurs thrived.

    4. Comparative Anatomy and Phylogeny

    • Anatomical Similarities: The study of dinosaur fossils allows scientists to reconstruct their skeletons and infer muscle attachments and body shapes. Comparisons with modern animals can help interpret their posture, diet, and lifestyle.
    • Evolutionary Relationships: Dinosaurs share many features with other groups of vertebrates, especially birds. In fact, modern birds are considered the direct descendants of theropod dinosaurs, a relationship supported by numerous anatomical and genetic data.

    5. Soft Tissue and Molecular Evidence

    • In some rare cases, soft tissues have been preserved in dinosaur fossils. For example, flexible blood vessels and cells have been reported in Tyrannosaurus rex fossils. While controversial and rare, such findings can provide insights into the biology of these ancient creatures.

    6. Paleoenvironmental Reconstructions

    • Contextual Clues: Fossilized plants, pollens, and associated animal fossils found alongside dinosaur remains help reconstruct the environments they lived in, further validating their existence and providing context about the ecosystem dynamics of the past.

    Collectively, these evidences from paleontology, geology, and biology robustly demonstrate that dinosaurs existed as real, living organisms on Earth millions of years ago. Their study continues to provide valuable insights into the history of life on our planet.