i’m indifferent to that notion.

if people would like to have children that’s fine. if not, that’s also fine.

is there any reason why homo sapiens must be preserved, just for the sake of it?

doesn’t saying the volume evaporates instantly presumes that there is no real demand? (certainly a possibility)

alternatively, could another stablecoin take the place of tether, without any fundamental change in crypto trading volume?

i’m sure that’s their cover story. but in reality they aren’t anywhere close to the level of self driving needed where you could give your full attention to the touch screen.

Sure, hence "pending software". And if you happen to follow their progress on youtube (just search FSD Beta 10), you'll see just how advanced it already is. And it's getting better at an exponential rate.

better would be that i can legally go to sleep and let the car drive the highway portion of my trip. then i wake up and complete the final leg of the trip.

as you say, i don’t think this is entirely out of reach (even if it required specialized highway infrastructure or car to car communication). seems like lower hanging fruit than trying to get full self driving working on local/city roads.

i would pay a ton for the highway only capability…

“(1) the pandemic affected both groups in the same way, so that taking the difference between the two groups cancels out the pandemic effect“

i think this is a significantly flawed assumption. in my experience, the people that had been working from home previously are much better equipped to deal with the pandemic (e.g. likely have a home office set up vs. working from makeshift workspace like a kitchen table).

why do you refer to the black “ghetto” vs the white “neighborhood”?

To make my claim more specific (not all black neighborhoods are dangerous, just ghettos) and because a far larger proportion of primarily-black neighborhoods are ghettos than primarily-white neighborhoods (since there are far fewer black people and they're a disadvantaged demographic)

this sounds really interesting. i am personally very passionate about this space (reducing the impacts of factory farming due to unethical treatment of animals), but as a systems engineer (with degree in mechanical/electrical/software) i don’t really have the Bio background to get more involved.

did you find that to be a hindrance for yourself?

Thanks, yes it an important topic that's still underrated today I think.

I wouldn't say hindrance, but it would probably be a bit easier if I had a biochemistry or food engineering/science background.

My partner has an environmental science background, so that helps a bit and she is the one doing most of the experimenting.

But in the end, it's about trial and error. That's also what an expert would need to do. I think if you're interested enough in the topic it's possible to acquire the necessary knowledge.

We plan to hire experts later on once we have the cash to do so (we're not raising money, all bootstrapped).

Systematic animal torture sounds dystopic.

Why not attack that from all angles? Convince people to eat less meat and more vegetables…sure. But you will still have holdouts saying that they prefer the taste of meat. Hence plant based meat alternatives and lab grown meat.

There can be multiple solutions to a given problem.

> Systematic animal torture sounds dystopic.

I agree on principle but I'm not sure what you mean by "systematic animal torture". For example, for me industrial farming is just that, but small-scale farming (where herds are no larger than a few dozen animals, for cows, more for goats and sheep) are not.

So I think we'll disagree on that. Basically, I think some people find eating animals dystopic regardless of how it's done, while I don't.

sorry i should have been more clear, my comment was referring to factory farming specifically. i agree that small scale farming can be done in a more humane, ethical way. unfortunately, it does not scale to meet global food demand.

then those things won’t be developed.

if human beings determine a need, then we should pay the price for their development. not force that onto “lesser” species.

Not enough people agree with you for that principle to be controlling.

Ultimately I am ok with that, but I understand it is a difficult ethical question.

I am personally not ok with subjecting animals to torture, in order to extend human lifespans.

It’s not something I would want done to me if a more advanced alien species were to come along, but I suppose it is an easier decision to make when you are on the side that benefits.