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Joined 3 years ago
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Cake day: July 1st, 2023

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  • That level of complexity and precision is not needed for distributing daylight.

    But that’s my point. The data thing isn’t relevant. It’s just transmitting light. The fact it can transmit data doesn’t means that’s what it’s for. It just transmits light of any intensity.

    It’s a lot easier to just run some cables than install specialty ducts though. It doesn’t need as much space and you also don’t need to worry about being in straight lines. You just run the cable wherever you want and the light ends up there. Fiber optic cables effectively are just tubes with mirrors, except they dynamically adjust to whatever shape they’re in. If you’ve got a short path to the outside, sure, do the duct, although you might as well just do a window. If it’s to the interior of a building, especially if it’s already constructed, fiber optic cables are the only reasonable option.




  • There is an on and an off state. Either the light is on or the light is off. That’s how it translates into binary. Literally that’s what binary data is: a single data-point is either on or off.

    Not really. Yes, binary is on or off, but how the signal is read is it has a threshold for on/off. This is true for light, with fiber optics, and also electricity. The universe doesn’t work on binary. We say “if the signal value is > X, do Y”. Electrical engineering actually has to handle variability in the signal, while computer science just pretends it’s actually binary.

    Fiberoptics would technically work, but it’s more material than you need because it would require running fiberoptic cables everywhere instead of just using hollow chromed tubes. Also, the quantity of light it can receive and transmit is limited to the thickness of the cable.

    I’m not just making up hypotheticals. If your idea were better it would be used. Fiber optics to transfer light is actually a thing that’s done. Here is a company selling that product, and there are many others, but I’ve also seen things about large structures using a custom solution too. It literally does work and is actually done in reality.


  • Well, the reason it’s good for data transfer is the same reason it’d be good here. The properties of the cable means it’s flexible and transmits light down the cable with little loss, and it’s also pretty cheap. Light exiting the cable if reflected, because of the material properties, so it bounces down the path easily. A duct with mirrors doesn’t have this property. You’d have to make sure the mirrors are angled correctly, and it’d only work if the light is collumated, so it’s all traveling parallel and not spreading out.

    Fiber obtic cables, again, are just transferring light. They don’t have an on or off state. It’s just light. It isn’t just used for data transfer. It’s just good for that because it’s flexible and transmits light with little loss, and little spread. Light that comes in one end almost all comes out the other end, no matter how it bends on its path. This also means it’s great for something like transferring light in a building. You don’t need perfectly aligned mirrors that would decay in effectiveness with dust. You just run some cables from a skylight to where you want light, and it’ll come out the other end.

    You can transfer data without fiber optics. It can be done with mirrors, just like your idea. The problem is that this system runs into a lot of issues. It is only done for data transfer in very specific circumstances, where you can’t have a direct connection usually, because of this. The same issues would happen here (with a little less concern, because we don’t care about data integrity, only quantity). All this is to say, fiber optics are great for transferring light where you can’t have a straight line, not just for data.




  • I have seen at least plans, and I think it’s actually been done, for using fiber optic cables connected to a skylight to transfer sunlight to rooms that otherwise wouldn’t be able to have any.

    Nothing about fiber optic cables are about data specifically. It’s just a cable that transmits light in a very similar way a tunnel with mirrors would (but better). It happens to be very useful for data, but it’s just sending light through it that’s interpreted as data at the other end.








  • I agree that we’ve lost some “education” in conflict handling. For example, I think people should get their asses kicked for doing things society doesn’t agree with, like neo-Nazis. That can’t really happen anymore because there’s too much surveillance, and it’s technically illegal. Things like the “no tolerance policy” have made this worse too, where defending yourself is the same as attacking someone.

    On you’re question of learning to deal with ignorant assholes, no, I think I’d rather have parents that support me, because there’s already far too many ignorant assholes who will treat them poorly. There’s no need for a parent to add to that. They’ll learn that lesson soon enough, if they haven’t already. If they could choose one or the other, then sure, your option is better. They don’t though. They will be bullied and mistreated for it outside of the home. The least that could happen is for them to be able to come home and be welcomed for who they are without judgement.


  • I think you’re missing the point though. If you actually don’t give a fuck, and it would be something that they appreciate, why not change what you call them? Isn’t that the right thing to do? If it actually cost you something then fine, there’d be an argument to not do it. Also, if you cared about it then there’d be an argument to not do it. Since you’ve said you don’t care, why not just do it? If you can make your kid just a little happier, at no cost to yourself, why wouldn’t you take that opportunity?

    I wish I could say you’re being selfish, but you aren’t even doing that. It doesn’t benefit you to not change. It’s just spite I guess. You think it effects who you are to be nice to your child in a way that doesn’t effect anything else.

    Yeah, we don’t know what the reality of the situation is. We only know what you’ve said. What you’ve said though is uncomfortable to hear. I don’t like hearing about parents choosing to not do things that make their kid’s life a little easier for absolutely no reason. If you actually don’t care about what your child is called, and if you care about doing what’s right for your child, then change. It’s free, and I’m reasonable sure your child will appreciate it, probably more than you could realize. They obviously still want to be around you and don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so return the favor.