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luke-smith
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 (4y ago)

The Fragility of Physics
Physics has a reputation of being a uniquely “scientific” field.In other fields, you might hear of the concept of “Physics Envy” which is supposed to be a deep-seated desire of academics of other disciplines for the rigorousness and elegance of physics.Only physics, so the popular understanding goes, is truly able to abstract away from the messiness of detail and create truly beautiful and solvent models of their subject matters.Physics is thus the queen of the “hard sciences.”
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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Programs and Equipment I Use
After many requests, here are the programs I use for everything. I’m only putting here programs I consider tried and true and have used for a while.

Software I Use Priorities

I’m about getting things done quickly and having as little space between my thoughts and actions on the computer.

I like having vim-like bindings and prefer running programs in the terminal for simplicity’s sake. That said, I’m very much against the cringey meme that things … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Why I Use the GPL and Not Cuck Licenses
Every piece of software I write I license under the GNU Public License Version 3 (GPLv3) unless I have forked it from something else.

The GPLv3 is the premiere copyleft license, meaning that it not only allows users to run, modify and distribute their own versions of what I write, but it also requires that no one in that chain of development restrict and close-source that software: it and sof … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Notes on Learning Languages
I get asked a lot about learning languages, so I have a few comments about it here.Hopefully I can awaken you from some dogmatic slumbers about language.

Vocabulary is the least important part of learning a language.

This is hard for people to understand because I think most monolingual people think that languages are just different word lists that people use.As a result, 101 students will manually look up every word in the dictionary to translate.This actually … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Reviews of All Linux Distros (That Matter)
Firstly, once you reach basic competency in Linux, different distributions don’t matter. A lot of newbies analyze distros based on what they look like when you install them, often not realizing that it’s a pretty simple affair not just to change superficial things like your theme and setup, but entire desktop environments. Basically all distro reviews online are wastes of time for people who know what they’re doing. When I came to YouTube, all … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Only Use Old Computers!

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The ideal ThiccPad.

If there is a single point of advice I can offer novice computer users, it is stop using modern computers.

If you look at “technology YouTube,” part of my neighborhood, but I more mean the massive multi-million subscriber channels, nearly all of it is devoted to constantly reviewing and comparing every new computer, processor, graphics card and product. There’s big money in it be … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Learning European Languages (Michel Thomas)

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From Gottfriend Hensel’s 1791 Synopsis Universae Philologiae

I’ve said on a couple livestreams that the ideal way for an English speaker to begin learning or excel in learning other major European languages (Spanish, French, Italian and German) is to use Michel Thomas’s audiotapes. They can be found for free on Pirate Bay and other sites, but you can also buy them [on his official … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Learn Latin

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Latin was the first language I learned and has probably been the most useful. Here I’ll talk about some of the things it’s gotten me and some recommendations for how to learn it well.

What I’ve gotten out of learning Latin You get multiple languages for one.

Latin, as you probably know is the ancestor of Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, etc. Once you know Latin, it is quite literally downhill learning any of these. In college … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Why It’s Bad to Have High GDP

To put it in other words…

The common way of looking at Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is that it’s a metric of economic success: more GDP is more wealth.Wealth is good. “Poverty” (meaning low per capita GDP) is bad.Nowadays, pretty much everyone talks about “economics” like this as if this truism was scribbled on the back walls of the cosmos.

This is just looking at one side of the ledger in a kind of global double-entry accounting book.A logically equivale … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Science vs. Soyence

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There’s nothing necessarily wrong with science, reason, knowledge etc. To some degree, they’re fundamental for survival in this world in one way or another. But one of the more worrisome problems which have arisen since the Enlightenment, and especially in the past several years, is the fact that whenever scientific knowledge has increased, human arrogance has accelerated even faster. This isn’t a metaphysical, moral arrogance; it’s one that is more and mor … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Hedonism, Asceticism and the Hermetic Answer
The modern world more or less gives you the philosophical choice of either Hedonism or Asceticism.You never really hear it in those terms, but that’s how it is.

Hedonism living for pleasure. Your default lifestyle is eating whatever, watching Netflix and playing video games irrespective of how late it is.You watch porn, masturbate, have sex as much as you can and any consequences of any of this are just facts of life which you view a … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Veganism Is the Pinnacle of Bugmanism
People have quoted me as saying that.I forget where it comes from, probably a livestream, but I definitely stand by it.Since a lot of people labor under the assumption that my channel is about “Linux,” I’ve accumulated a lot of subscribers that are variously nerds, furries, degenerates, coomers, libertarians, communists, trannies and among them are vegans.Some of them (I assume) are good people.

There’s a stereotype about vegans that they are annoyin … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Learn Chinese

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Chinese is the hardest language to learn according to normies who have never tried to learn it.

In reality, Chinese is really easy. It has literally no complex morphology: no tense, plurals, gender. It doesn’t have irregular verbs or nouns because it has no verb and noun endings whatsoever. It’s almost difficult to explain how easy Chinese is.

The only different thing is the writing system which is I hesitate to say anachronistic. The Chinese character system i … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

The Parable of Alien Chess
A parable on the Logical Postivist “interpretation” of scientific models.

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The Parable

Suppose an alien race comes to Earth and wants to observe our games.They are very interested in chess, despite the fact that they have eyes with properties that make it impossible to make out what actually happens on a chess board.(The whites and blacks and squares all blur together.)

They can still learn about … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

We Want Our 4 Causes Back!

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Aristotle, a medieval depiction

Aristotle, in his Physics argued that there are four causes behind everything that exists. These causes answer the question of “How” or “Why” something is the way it is.

The Material CauseThe material from which something is made. E.g. the stone of a statue.The Efficient CauseThe external force that causes something to be made. E.g. the artisan and his tools who make a statue.The Formal Cause … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Hating Brave is Cool!

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I like and use the Brave Browser.It’s a free and open source browser with features like:

  1. Ad-blocking by default.
  2. Tracker-blocking by default.
  3. Anti-fingerprinting mechanisms to prevent you from being monitored.
  4. Built-in Tor windows.
  5. Run by a based Christian and not furry leftists.

As far as I’m concerned, Brave is indisputably the best general-purpose browser out there.There are other okay brows … ⌘ Read more

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luke-smith
feeds.twtxt.net
 (4y ago)

Livestream on PeerTube ONLY at 10AM New York time
As the title says, I’ll be livestreaming today on PeerTube only at this link.

I’ll talk about finishing my book reptinting project that you’re going to want to know about and perhaps “recent events” (several weeks late)
for example, on Richard Stallman.

I’ll read donations I get if you want to talk about other things.

If you haven’t already, subscribe to my PeerTube’s RSS feed to get up … ⌘ Read more

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