Phoonzang

@Phoonzang@lemmy.world

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨But yes.⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  There’s also fuel cells, where fuel is not burned to create steam to move something, but combined with oxygen in a different way (the end products still being the same) so the electrons shuttled around during this reaction can be utilised as electricity. Think of combustion as oxidation of your fuel, the oxidation meaning that you (among other things) move electrons from the fuel to oxygen. In combustion, unfortunately you can’t access the electrons directly, as they are always stuck in the chemical bonds of the molecules, that’s why we take the detour via heat/mechanical - the steam engine. The fuel cell now separates fuel and oxygen, and thus divides the combustion reaction into two parts that happen at opposite sides of the cell. Those sides are divided by a membrane that does not allow the electrons to transfer across, so they need to take a detour through an electric circuit, in which we can harvest them as electrical power.

  I always found it really fascinating that fuel cells are the only other technology than solar where the electrons we use as electrical power are more or less directly generated as opposed to the detour via a generator. Unfortunately, fuel cells are still a very niche technique.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨epidemiology⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  To be less hypothetical and more scary: Think about all the ancient pathogens that are dormant in the permafrost. Those could become a real problem when it starts to thaw because of global warming.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How is the hydrogen made?⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  …and with what devices? Currently, there’s 11 GW of Electrolysis capacity available worldwide, with about 400 GW potentially realised by 2030. That’s 0.07% now of the total production of 16 TW from fossils, increasing to a whopping 2.5% in 2030. And that does not take into account that energy markets will be competing with industry that uses hydrogen as a reduction agent (steel, for example) to replace fossils. It also does not take into account that hydrogen is not as easy to transport than other fossils.

  Hydrogen might be the solution to the energy crisis, but for that we’d have to pick up our game immensely. Which will not happen if everyone thinks hydrogen is already freely and abundantly available.

  !Remind me in 20 years

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Discord Shuts Down Servers for Switch Emulators Suyu & Sudachi; Disables Lead Developers Account As Well⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Wait. The OPA from expanse? There is some resemblance, but I’d say it more looks like a gamepad/emoji hybrid.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The existence of Sloths implies the existence Wraths, Lusts, Gluttonies, Prides, Envies, and Greeds.⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m pretty sure my Dad’s cat is really a glutton.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨the Perks of ownership...⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Homeowners insurance: “Since you don’t have some certificate or whatever, your proper solution is something we won’t cover. If you want it covered, get someone with a certificate to do a hackjob.”

  At least in Germany, you’re not allowed to touch anything “important” like water, electric, plumbing, or gas. Even if you would do a much better job, quicker, and cheaper, than any contractor who’d be allowed to do that work. Every single contractor I hired remodeling our house did something which was clearly not up to code (DIN or EN), and almost every time they put up a fight explaining it away, even when I read them the exact wording of the norm. “Well, if I’d do it that way, I would never finish work!” “This would be too much work, nobody does it that way” “I am always doing it this way and never had any complaints”

  Discussion was always over when I asked whether I should get an inspector to settle it. They begrudgingly fixed the issue, and without fail tried to bill me for it (additionally).

  I am so done with contractors, those are the original gatekeepers.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Amazon exec says it’s time for RTO: ‘I don’t have data to back it up, but I know it’s better’⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Because WFH has shown that large parts of middle management are useless, and those MM people are pushing upper management for RTO before it becomes evident. It’s what MM has always done, suck up to UM and kick down on the workers, without real benefit to the company.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I tried over 20 Steam Next demos so that you don't have to!⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  I think it’s “Tiny civilization”, which is really cute indeed. Got it on sale for less then 2 bucks, well worth it!

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨More Than 80 Percent Of Americans Can’t Afford New Cars⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s completely wild to me that the default for buying a car comes up to a monthly payment, why not pay cash? Save those 800 for three months, buy a beater for 2400. While driving this into the ground, continue saving the 800, even if that beater craps out after six months, you can upgrade to a 4800 not-so-crappy beater, rinse and repeat, and at some point you saved up the 48000 to get that new car. Financing something that depreciates in value quickly and exponentially at anything above the inflation rate is, financially speaking, complete and utter nonsense to me.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What games can you recommend that didn't get the appreciation that they deserved?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  I picked it up on sale after watching Fury Road, which in turn I put off watching for years because I really like the first trilogy and did not want to have that memory tainted by some cash grab Hollywood sequel. Boy was I wrong about the film, and I was equally blown away by the game, to a point I felt really guilty getting it for 10 bucks or so. I really, really wish there was a multiplayer, though.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Have you ever felt a imaginary switch click that changed the trajectory of your life?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  That switch flipped a few years ago. Unfortunately it only did so after my mother passed away, but I suddenly realised that I don’t need my dad’s approval in my life. And that he’s a toxic narcissist which I don’t have to like or have in my life. Understanding that, I could unravel a lot of crap from my childhood, which helps understanding some things that are wrong with me today. I guess the switch that flips when you understand that your parents don’t necessarily need to be good for you is a really important one.