sparksbet's recent activity
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Comment on The 100 games that taught me game design in ~games
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Discussion - The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin in ~books
sparksbet Link Parent"Untranslatable" phrases are definitely translatable, but sometimes they require a bit more description in one language than in another. I'm definitely of the understanding that we all feel the..."Untranslatable" phrases are definitely translatable, but sometimes they require a bit more description in one language than in another. I'm definitely of the understanding that we all feel the same things and just describe them differently. And yeah, the ultimate benefit is that if you struggle to describe something in a pithy way in a language, you can always borrow or coin a word for it.
For example, I definitely think English-speakers could feel and even express Schadenfreude before we borrowed the word, they'd just describe it differently using other English words. Borrowing the German word just gave an opportunity to have one pithy way to refer to that very specific thing.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Discussion - The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin in ~books
sparksbet Link ParentI haven't read the books we're discussing here, but yeah I can absolutely weigh in on the linguistics discussion side of things. @syllo hope you don't mind. I find it interesting when books delve...I haven't read the books we're discussing here, but yeah I can absolutely weigh in on the linguistics discussion side of things. @syllo hope you don't mind.
I find it interesting when books delve into language and culture in this way, but in general the idea that language shapes thought is overplayed. The idea that languages have a built-in ethical framework is so much further down that path that it veers into very worrying territory anthropologically. Language is hugely influenced by culture, which hugely influences one's ethical framework, but the idea that there is some inherent ethical framework to a language itself is dicey -- especially if it's a natural language. But I haven't read that Ian M. Banks book, so I can't really weigh in on more than what you've quoted here.
The idea that language shapes how we think is known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. There are "strong" and "weak" versions of this hypothesis, and the strong version, that language determines how we think, has been entirely debunked. That you bring up color is very useful here -- studies have shown people can divide beads by shade even when their language doesn't make a distinction between the color words for two different shades. The weaker version of Sapir-Whorf is that language has some influence on thought. Here the evidence is still flimsy, but there's evidence of a very minor influence. Going back to color, studies have shown that speakers of a language that distinguishes light and dark blue (like Russian) are faster at sorting things by those color categories than languages that don't distinguish those using basic color terms (like English). But it's worth qualifying that "faster" here is on the order of milliseconds -- statistically significant iirc, but not something you'd actually notice much in practice. Color is fun to study like this because dividing up the color space is something that can be done a ton of different ways -- you'd be surprised how subjective and wobbly colors and color distinctions in particular can be.
As for the article in the Scientific American, it does what a lot of pop sci does in that it vastly overstates things at best and just straight up fudges at worst to tell a good story. And it's a fun story! But the vast majority of actual differences seen are due to cultural and other non-linguistic factors that in turn influence language, rather than language directly influencing thought. It's true that different languages will express information differently, and that in some circumstances it's easier to be vague in one language or specific in another. But the idea that language determines how we think because of these features at more than an extremely subtle level? It's just bunk, scientifically.
I'm about to go to bed so I'm not gonna delve into all the examples in that article individually though. Let me know if that's something you're interested in me doing later when I'm more awake. Or if you're more interested in talking about language and culture in general, 'cause that's super fun.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
sparksbet Link ParentAnd it would be the same situation -- the punishment is cruel and doesn't fit the crime, but I would have been an idiot to travel somewhere where that's a potential consequence without being way...And it would be the same situation -- the punishment is cruel and doesn't fit the crime, but I would have been an idiot to travel somewhere where that's a potential consequence without being way more vigilant about what's in my bag.
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Comment on Students invent quieter leaf blower in ~engineering
sparksbet Link ParentOh yeah the only reason I know what a muffler is is from hearing my parents complain whenever we passed someone who'd "broken" theirs.Oh yeah the only reason I know what a muffler is is from hearing my parents complain whenever we passed someone who'd "broken" theirs.
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Comment on I am a witch. Well, a well witcher... in ~talk
sparksbet Link ParentWe got married in Denmark, where they kindly let you opt for the ceremony to be done in English, and the officiant actually pronounced it that way then. Made the whole thing that much more fun.We got married in Denmark, where they kindly let you opt for the ceremony to be done in English, and the officiant actually pronounced it that way then. Made the whole thing that much more fun.
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Comment on Students invent quieter leaf blower in ~engineering
sparksbet Link ParentForgive my ignorance, but isn't this what a muffler is? Honestly you'd be surprised how much car noise comes from the tires. There has been work on engineering "quiet pavements" that cut down on...And then a mute button for the exhaust systems of all of the cars that drive through my neighborhood?
Forgive my ignorance, but isn't this what a muffler is?
Honestly you'd be surprised how much car noise comes from the tires. There has been work on engineering "quiet pavements" that cut down on this noise, but unfortunately it's not in use in many places yet.
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Comment on What is your opinion on Dan Brown novels? in ~books
sparksbet Link ParentI think "realistic fiction" as a genre is typically meant to identify works that aren't speculative fiction (aka scifi and fantasy) or historical fiction -- "realistic fiction" is usually used for...I think "realistic fiction" as a genre is typically meant to identify works that aren't speculative fiction (aka scifi and fantasy) or historical fiction -- "realistic fiction" is usually used for works set somewhere close to the modern day at the time of writing in a world that approximates our own. Dan Brown's books definitely aren't accurate or realistic, but they're set (partially? I haven't read much of it) in the modern day in a world that's at least supposed to be the one we live in, which I think it what could get them categorized as "realistic fiction" the genre even though they're not very realistic.
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Comment on I am a witch. Well, a well witcher... in ~talk
sparksbet Link ParentNot much "the husband" though. Maybe it's the extra syllable. In Norwegian the word for husband is just "the man" whereas there's a whole separate word for wife (though it's also said with...Not much "the husband" though. Maybe it's the extra syllable. In Norwegian the word for husband is just "the man" whereas there's a whole separate word for wife (though it's also said with definite marking commonly as well).
I say "the wife" and my wife says "the spoose" all the time.
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Comment on I am a witch. Well, a well witcher... in ~talk
sparksbet Link Parent... it's only upon reading your comment that I realized OP's username is meant to be read as "go west young man" not "gowest young man". I did wonder what "gow" meant.... it's only upon reading your comment that I realized OP's username is meant to be read as "go west young man" not "gowest young man". I did wonder what "gow" meant.
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Comment on Cyberattack forces major US health care network to divert ambulances from hospitals in ~health
sparksbet Link Parent...wait, when was this? I live in Germany and both see doctors and fill prescriptions regularly, and I don't remember any attack bringing our systems down within the past several years....wait, when was this? I live in Germany and both see doctors and fill prescriptions regularly, and I don't remember any attack bringing our systems down within the past several years.
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Comment on "twitter.com" is now officially dead in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentI'll stop deadnaming his website when he accepts his trans daughter. Which is to say, probably never.I'll stop deadnaming his website when he accepts his trans daughter. Which is to say, probably never.
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Comment on "twitter.com" is now officially dead in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentI don't think people have any problem referring to the fruit even after Apple's success, and I suspect the same would be the case for "Sun" and the celestial body. People are able to distinguish...I don't think people have any problem referring to the fruit even after Apple's success, and I suspect the same would be the case for "Sun" and the celestial body. People are able to distinguish between different uses of a word in different domains, which is part of why trademarks have to specify which domains the word is being trademarked in. Even the word "tweet" is used perfectly clearly to refer to the sound birds make, with any confusion for posting on Twitter only present in deliberate attempts at humor.
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Comment on "twitter.com" is now officially dead in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentTrademarks are generally registered within a certain context, so presumably he registered the word apple only within the domain of technology companies or smth similar.Trademarks are generally registered within a certain context, so presumably he registered the word apple only within the domain of technology companies or smth similar.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
sparksbet Link ParentI don't think homosexuality should be illegal anywhere but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be an idiot to travel somewhere where it was while there was a travel advisory about it and start making out...I don't think homosexuality should be illegal anywhere but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be an idiot to travel somewhere where it was while there was a travel advisory about it and start making out with my wife.
It's possible for the punishment to be cruel and too strict and for the people who brought loose ammo with them to be doing something dumb.
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Comment on US President Joe Biden raises tariffs on $18 billion of Chinese imports: EVs, solar panels, batteries and more in ~finance
sparksbet Link ParentBiden was also publicly opposed to it when Trump did it, fwiw.Biden was also publicly opposed to it when Trump did it, fwiw.
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Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv
sparksbet Link ParentOh yeah I've watched some Blackadder and he's hilarious in that. Americans are sometimes too easily impressed by Brits doing American accents but Laurie is genuinely impressive, it's like the...Oh yeah I've watched some Blackadder and he's hilarious in that. Americans are sometimes too easily impressed by Brits doing American accents but Laurie is genuinely impressive, it's like the whole shape of his mouth changes.
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Comment on Indiana judge rules tacos, burritos are sandwiches in ~food
sparksbet Link Parentiirc this was also the original purpose of the taco, wasn't it?iirc this was also the original purpose of the taco, wasn't it?
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Comment on Postmodernism, conservatism, reactionarism: A brief attempt at deconstructing the purist fans in ~humanities
sparksbet Link ParentI did not construe this post as trying to engage in debate with the type of reactionary fan OP describes (which, fwiw, absolutely does include people who get mad because there are black or LGBT...I did not construe this post as trying to engage in debate with the type of reactionary fan OP describes (which, fwiw, absolutely does include people who get mad because there are black or LGBT characters in works that previously didn't have them) but rather discussion with other people about that type of reactionary fan as a phenomenon.
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Comment on I gave up meat and gained so much more | A tale of one person's life, culture, and growing up in ~life
sparksbet Link ParentI absolutely agree with this! I cook a lot of plant-based meals and cook meat myself to a relatively limited degree as a result. I think this is a slight misread of what I was saying here, but I...And if there's one thing I could impress upon you, it's this: it's not worth eating mediocrely prepared meat.
I absolutely agree with this! I cook a lot of plant-based meals and cook meat myself to a relatively limited degree as a result.
You seem to be caught-up on the assumption that embracing animal empathy would necessitate veganism, but I'd like to push back on this belief.
I think this is a slight misread of what I was saying here, but I can see where you got it. The type of issue I'm trying to describe in the comment there is more like this: if I accept that veganism is the only moral choice because consumption/use of any product that resulted in an animal's death is immoral, I must also eschew the use of other products that result in human suffering and death (much like your friend's reason for eschewing chocolate, but extended to a huge variety of products because the world really fucking sucks). If you've seen The Good Place, it's very similar to Chidi's personal struggles.
So I would end this treaties with a platitude: don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Veganism is probably better than vegetarianism which is probably better than meat reduction, but all of those are better than doing nothing.
This I also absolutely agree with, and it's probably a more pithy way of saying something I tried to express in my first comment.
The guy looks pretty young when I've seen his face in videos. I doubt he's much older than me, and I was born in the late 90s. Doesn't take much effort not to have played games that came out before you were born -- if anything it takes effort to go back and play influential titles from earlier days of gaming.