BroccoliFarts
We’re used to viruses that have narrow cell types they can infect. Rhinoviruses can infect mucus membranes in the head and maybe throat. Influenza can infect the same plus lung tissue.
These coronaviruses can infect so many cell types. Because it’s spread via the air, it almost always infects mucus membranes of the head first, then moves to lungs (or maybe it infects lungs first in some people). So we think of it as a respiratory virus at first.
Now we know it can infect tissues of the gut, fat, T cells, and the testes. There was a wave of orchitis/epididymitis that was discovered to be coronavirus caused. I’m not sure if it’s considered COVID, I think COVID is the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus, but not sure about other diseases. Similar to how the varicella virus causes two diseases: chicken pox and shingles.
When people in the US talk about a classist system, it’s more of the structure than the cost. There are state IDs that are inexpensive in most states, but the Motor Vehicles branch (or whatever the state calls their department) that issues the ID are frequently difficult to travel to in lower income areas. Occasionally, the branches are understaffed and information about what can be used as proof of ID isn’t communicated clearly. Combine this with the US’s poor labor laws, and it means that it’s risky for someone to take off work, spend significant time getting to a DMV branch, waiting in line a long time because of understaffing, then be told they need more proof of ID and to do it all over again.
It’s frustrating for me and I have a driver’s license and a white-collar job so I can drive myself to the DMV easily and not worry about losing my job or losing a half-day’s pay.
It’s still kind of messy also because proof of birth by birth certificate wasn’t required until relatively recently. My grandad was never issued a birth certificate. As far as the government is concerned, he didn’t exist until he joined the army. We all have to take his word on when he was born and his name. He told it to the army and had no legal proof before then. So my state establishes identification without using birth certificates, which takes more paperwork and complications.
My utility company uses Twitter, and keeps it updated with better information than they do via text message alerts. I wish they would get a mastodon account. During tornado season or ice storms, it’s nice to know if power will be back on in an hour or in three days. And once the boil water notice appeared on Twitter a couple of hours before being sent out by text.
I do this on the side, buy bulk low cycle lithium ion cells, spot weld them together into banks, and make larger packs.
What is the biggest safety problem seen with these?
My packs are 64P, right now 4s but hopefully 7s soon.
My main safety features are per-cell 5A fuses, 100A fuse on each bank under the battery wrap (not removable without cutting the wrap), and keeping the cells and nickel strips under a layer of kapton tape, followed by an ABS plate I designed and printed, then all the wiring, taped to the ABS with kapton tape. Which is then inside of the battery wrap. I use a lower current circuit breaker on the whole circuit.
My layman research suggests that loose wires are the main reason for fires, so all wires are taped down, and the nickel strips are protected from stress. A cell shorting out should blow the 5A fuse. And if I’m careless and bump the two terminals to a conductor while moving it, there’s always a 100A limit. I also only use low-cycled matched cells and currently am charging to 4V and discharging to 3V.
Any other things I can do to make it safer?
At one point in time, the goal was to remain below 1.5C heating (I forget over which time frame), with the worst effects kicking in at 2.0C. I believe one of the recent IPCC reports suggest to stay near 2.0C, we have to sequester carbon using a process that’s not invented yet.
I believe that current thought is that we will reach 2.0 C of heating even if we stop fossil fuel usage, entirely, tomorrow.
My post was pretty pessimistic, but the reality is pretty bad. The reason that all that carbon was sequestered prior to burning it is that plant life existed before fungi for a significant amount of time. Plants would sequester carbon, die and fall, then remain and not rot.
Today, sequestering carbon can only be done by adding biomass. Trees sequester carbon until they die, then release all of the carbon back into the atmosphere (either quickly in a forest fire or slowly as they rot). Existing forests really aren’t doing much sequestering once they reach steady-state biomass (growing trees balanced by rotting trees).
I have no idea what the cycle is in the ocean, though. I know it’s 70% of Earth’s photosynthesis. Maybe the situation is not quite as dire.
The future is uncertain, perhaps humanity will figure out methods to mitigate things. There are thoughts that injecting synthetic volcano ash into the atmosphere might be feasible with today’s technology. This would emulate the cooling effect seen with volcanic eruptions that reach high enough. The effect can last a couple of years.
Unless Biden decides not to run, I’m almost certainly going to vote for him. Not voting or voting third party puts us closer to authoritarian leaders.
Although at this point, I’m kind of wondering if the GOP has it right on climate change. If climate change is a giant volcano, humanity is free-falling directly into it. The GOP wants to point headfirst and tuck our arms by our side to speed towards it. The DNC wants to deploy a parachute that will ensure we slow down, but still fall into the volcano much more slowly and painfully.
Sorry Earth. Humanity fucked it up. We were too stupid to figure out fossil fuels and greenhouse gasses early in industrialization. When it was realized at first, greedy business executives hid it from society. When society at large became aware of it, we were too selfish to give up fossil fuels. By the time green energy was made feasible, it was too late to avoid 2C, which may trigger positive feedback processes that humans have no hope of controlling.
I’m not falling into the trap of “it’s too late so let’s not do anything and drill, baby, drill”, but some days I wonder if the radical energy policy will extend the suffering.
Anyways, hope everyone has a great Thursday!
Not sure he understands, other than “get attention”.
Seriously, this is probably the time when humans have the least amount of “discretionary attention”, and it’s very difficult to get people’s attention. Many technology algorithms are geared to sap up as much as it can from all of us.
The quickest way to gain attention is to bypass human reasoning and shoot straight for basic needs of humans: fear, sex, hunger, humiliation/ostracization.
No idea about the hosting source, but here’s an example from 100 years ago when Listerine figured it out: https://www.melanieharlow.com/vintage-ad-fun/vintage-ad-fun-with-listerine/
Summary: “You will not be able to have a meaningful romantic relationship because your breath stinks. Use Listerine”
Today this is amplified. I can’t pump gas in my car without someone trying to hijack my attention with ads.
RFK is using tech algorithms to get attention.