Interesting Links for 21-10-2015

[andrewducker]

• Personality traits not affected by individual's birth-order position (first borns a little smarter though)
  • (tags: personality children birth intelligence )
• Gene on-off switch works like backpack strap
  • (tags: genetics )
• Burnout and Depression: Two entities or one?
  • (tags: burnout depression psychology )
• Government powerless to intervene in non-banking

Comments

[heron61]

Earth was one of the universe’s first habitable planets, and we’re likely to miss chance to meet future alien civilisations

Given that this is just a bit of math about the total number of potential habitable planets in the universe, and also the total number of planets that currently exist and even that currently exist in our galaxy seems to be pretty darn vast, I'm unimpressed with the headline. A more accurate one would be "Habitable planets will likely continue to form for billions of years".

Also, dear gods Magic Leap looks awesome, I really want one. The potential for both games and Magic Leap cosplay will be amazing.

[gonzo21]

Yeah I must admit I was confused, the article starts out by saying Earth was amongst the first 8% of habitable worlds to form. So 8% of a very big number is still a very big number.

[xenophanean]

I wonder if it's the start of a Christianity-esque retreat in the wake of evidence from the "we're definitely alone in the universe" camp (the evidence being liquid water actually not that rare, more planets than expected, life could possibly form in space).

We've not a clue what's in other solar systems, so it's too early to say what the state of things is, however it's an important question. We should start investing in much more powerful space telescopes so that we can get a better idea of the answer.

Putting equations into computers regarding a universe which we don't really understand ian't going to get these answers.

[gonzo21]

And at the rate at which our civilisation has accelerated over the last 50 years, one only needs to imagine an alien civilisation getting started just a few thousand years before us in order to have achieved... truly remarkable things.

[gonzo21]

Heh, says it all doesn't it. Trillions for the bankers. Bugger all for the steel workers.

I don't know why anybody thinks we still live in a capitalist free-market state.

[octopoid_horror]

Since the people at the top of the banks fucked up some years ago, there have been news stories every few months about all the large banks shedding thousands of jobs. The bank as a company may matter to the government, but the staff certainly don't once you get below the ones who get to hobnob with the ministers and treasury.

[gonzo21]

I believe they are aggressively downsizing in Western countries, and employing more and more people in the emerging economies.

[danieldwilliam]

I certainly experience burnout and depression as closely linked.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I see (most) depression as a turning inwards, away from external unpleasantness, and cutting oneself off from it. Burnout has certainly been a trigger for me there before.

[danieldwilliam]

That's an interesting way of looking at it which is making me reconsider how I view it.

The analogy I use is that depression is when the knob that controls the delivery of "ugh, that's unpleasant, sort it out" chemicals in my brain gets jammed on 11. Often it gets jammed because I'm burnout (i.e. too much energy going out, not enough energy coming back in, for too long) coupled with some anxiety, self-doubt and guilt about my circumstances.

But sometimes not, or not particularly, sometimes it sort of just happens. I think. Perhaps there is always a cause I'm just not able to see it.

So I've not seen it as a turning away from external unpleasantness, a self-defencive mechanism, but more a being overwhealmed by external circumstances and some dysfunctional internal processes for dealing with them.

(Totally not saying my view is right - even for me - just saying how I have described it to myself.)

[andrewducker]

That's fascinating. So depression, to you, is the feeling you get when you're feel overcome with the need to fix things, to the point where you just fall over?

[naath]

what it takes> Does say average... but... I run hard for an hour most days and bike everywhere and eat ok and my fat % remains 28. Not as easy to get to 24 as that makes out. But, still, good point about how getting to 'body builder' is super hard, especially how not being able to eat out trashes your social life

[channelpenguin]

On the 'what it takes',  I know the site and a bit about getting lean, and it's pretty much assumed you'll also be doing weights to increase/maintain muscle mass and adjusting your diet (composition as well as amounts) until you personally *do* see changes. Also assumed is the knowledge that after 30, you are 'running to stand still ' in terms of muscle mass, as it naturally declines (by about half a pound a year) so even if your weight stays stable, your body fat % creeps up. It gets worse after menopause, when creating new muscle becomes hard. For men and women both, for most (but not all people, some are genetically lucky, in a specific way to do with muscle that I can't recall)  after 70, muscle loss *even* for lifelong trainers who still stick at it and still do weights. Even those blessed in their youths with the genetics for competitive bodybuilding.

Damn. I need to get back to a proper fitness routine. I'm lazy because I don't get fat and seem to maintain strength and muscle rather well. I blame my parents. (well, not for the