Today I Learned

[kyphysics]

I learned that if one particle of dust is introduced onto a silicon wafer, during production process, the whole batch can be at risk of being ruined. Creating a microchip from silicon is a very, very meticulous process demanding extreme precision and care.

It takes an average of 12 weeks to make one of these chips. Who knew. . .

 

[jack action]

I learned that if one particle of dust is introduced onto a silicon wafer, during production process, the whole batch can be at risk of being ruined. Creating a microchip from silicon is a very, very meticulous process demanding extreme precision and care.

It takes an average of 12 weeks to make one of these chips. Who knew. . .

And then you learned about the fascinating story of how this guy did one at home, something experts thought was impossible:

​

More info on his website: http://sam.zeloof.xyz/first-ic/

 

[berkeman]

I learned that if one particle of dust is introduced onto a silicon wafer, during production process, the whole batch can be at risk of being ruined.

And then you learned about the fascinating story of how this guy did one at home, something experts thought was impossible:

Yeah, but way different feature sizes.

It's no fun getting into a bunny suit to go into a fab to debug machine problems (especially if you have to bring your instruments with you)...

 

[BillTre]

 

[BillTre]

 

[pinball1970]

TIL (the other week but just got round to it) UK flu vaccine is quadrivalent. 2x A and 2x B strains.

 

[kyphysics]

Amazon is gutting its voice-assistant Alexa. Employees describe a division in crisis and huge losses on 'a wasted opportunity.'​

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-alexa-job-layoffs-rise-and-fall-2022-11

So, no futuristic A.I. voice/bot assistant in every U.S. home on the horizon? And I thought we were getting closer and closer to Star Trek living.

I also didn't know Alexa was behind Google Assistant and Apple Siri in use/popularity.

 

[Hornbein]

Amazon is gutting its voice-assistant Alexa. Employees describe a division in crisis and huge losses on 'a wasted opportunity.'​

https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-alexa-job-layoffs-rise-and-fall-2022-11

So, no futuristic A.I. voice/bot assistant in every U.S. home on the horizon? And I thought we were getting closer and closer to Star Trek living.

I also didn't know Alexa was behind Google Assistant and Apple Siri in use/popularity.

I tried. I was told the site was unsafe, then the whole thing went into an infinite loop.

 

[Orodruin]

Today I found this out …

 

[fresh_42]

Today I found this out …
View attachment 317508

If we meet, then LIGO can make a measurement.

 

[Orodruin]

View attachment 317532If we meet, then LIGO can make a measurement.

I was not referring to the PF Singularity though, I was referring to the hidden USER menu in the mobile interface. There is no indication it is there until you happen to click it.

Edit: Actually, it is not just the mobile interface. Shrinking your browser width enough leads to the same effect.

 

[fresh_42]

I was not referring to the PF Singularity though, I was referring to the hidden USER menu in the mobile interface. There is no indication it is there until you happen to click it.

Oh! We had this discussion recently and I commented: "I want to speak to the programmer!" so I missed the point.

 

[pbuk]

I was not referring to the PF Singularity though, I was referring to the hidden USER menu in the mobile interface. There is no indication it is there until you happen to click it.

Oh yes, there is an icon missing! @Greg Bernhardt was this not resolved recently?

 

[Orodruin]

Oh yes, there is an icon missing! @Greg Bernhardt was this not resolved recently?

I mean, not only is there a missing icon. It is displaced vertically and smaller than the other menu icons.

 

[DaveC426913]

Yeah, it's missing on my phone. But this is what it looks like on PC:

 

[BillTre]

TIL that there is a computer program that can beat people at the game of Diplomacy.
This is a board game set in pre-WWI Europe. It involves a lot of strategy, negotiating, making alliances (and lying), breaking alliances. No dice and everyone moves at once.

 

[berkeman]

This is a board game set in pre-WWI Europe.

Probably chosen to avoid the extra complications of nuke/chem/bio weapons...

 

[Borg]

I'm not too surprised. I've thought about working on a similar program for a WW II game called Squad Leader starting with just a few types of units and minimal rules. That will have to wait until I retire.

 

[fresh_42]

Probably chosen to avoid the extra complications of nuke/chem/bio weapons...

Sadly, you have to strike out chem in that list.

 

[berkeman]

Sadly, you have to strike out chem in that list.

Yeah, I realized that after I posted...

 

[Bystander]

TIL: stonk, artillery fire? Don't remember learning that at Ft. Sill.

 

[Mondayman]

TIL: stonk, artillery fire? Don't remember learning that at Ft. Sill.

I believe this was slang mostly used by Canadians during WW2. I recall it from some of my books.

 

[Ibix]

TIL: stonk, artillery fire? Don't remember learning that at Ft. Sill.

It was WWII era British army slang, I gather, although I don't know how widespread or long lasting.

 

[pinball1970]

It was WWII era British army slang, I gather, although I don't know how widespread or long lasting.

Stonking means good in English slang, a stonking good time!

 

[Ibix]

Stonking means good in English slang, a stonking good time!

Yeah. My dad didn't like the phrase because he associated it with someone making fairly serious efforts to kill him. Like I say, I don't know how widespread the usage was.

 

[pinball1970]

Yeah. My dad didn't like the phrase because he associated it with someone making fairly serious efforts to kill him. Like I say, I don't know how widespread the usage was.

WW2?

Yes after a search there are a lot of applications. Marbles (origin claimed there on one site) being drunk (Oz) stock market, Artillery fire and
Not a word you hear often in the UK, not North West anyway.

 

[Drakkith]

Stonking means good in English slang, a stonking good time!

I thought it meant stonks!

 

[pinball1970]

I thought it meant stonks!

View attachment 317672

I had no idea of any of those other connections.
Including the stock market or darker military ones.

I put stonking with 'spiffing.' An Etonian, Wodehouse type of phrase.
"Everyone had an absolutely spiffing time."

 

[Ibix]

WW2?

Yes - he'd've been 100 next year.

I agree it's not a common phrase these days in any context. I only learned of the artillery fire connotations because Comic Relief did a novelty single called "The Stonk" one year and my dad grumbled about it not sounding comical to him.

 

[fresh_42]

I told you not to mention the war. See where we got! It doesn't go away anymore.

 

[Ibix]

I told you not to mention the war. See where we got! It doesn't go away anymore.

I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it...

 

[fresh_42]

I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it...

I have such a feeling that it somehow should have changed, if outspoken, and did already, in reality, change to: Don't mention the Brexit!

 

[pinball1970]

I have such a feeling that it somehow should have changed, if outspoken, and did already, in reality, change to: Don't mention the Brexit!

Brexit is like the interpretations of Quantum Mechanics discussions. I read the threads that seem to follow the same lines but I come away from them with little recall or understanding of them.

 

[BillTre]

Cool looking water effects:

 

[kyphysics]

Musk’s Neuralink Hopes to Implant Computer in Human Brain in Six Months

The startup awaits implant approval while already working on curing paralysis

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Corp. aims to start putting its coin-sized computing brain implant into human patients within six months, the company announced at an event at its Fremont, Calif. headquarters on Wednesday evening.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...s-for-human-trials-approval-within-six-months

Who would be willing to undergo such an operation? . . .