Power, Sex, Suicide by Nick Lane (2006) Updated +Created
All pages below are from the second edition from 2018. It seems that there weren't any changes in the text, the updated preface mentions
As it happens, nearly 15 years have passed since the 1st edition of Power, Sex, Suicide was published, and I am resisting the temptation to make any lame revisions. Some say that even Darwin lessened the power of his arguments in the Origin of Species through his multiple revisions, in which he dealt with criticisms and sometimes shifted his views in the wrong direction. I prefer my original to speak for itself, even if it turns out to be wrong.
This is partly addressed in the preface of the second edition from 2018.
Central thesis:
Smaller points:
Nitpicks:
  • the book calls ATP synthase "ATPase" in several points, which is confusing because -ase means "something that breaks", and in 2020 parlance, there are ATPases which actually break ATP: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATPase. The book itself acknowledges that on page 135:
    The ATPase is freely reversible. Under some circumstances it can go into reverse, whereupon it splits ATP, and uses the energy released to pump protons up the drive shaft, back across the membrane against the pressure of the reservoir. In fact the very name ATPase (rather than ATP synthase) signifies this action, which was discovered first. This bizarre trait hides a deep secret of life, and we’ll return to it in a moment.
Some criticisms:
  • some of the later chapters are a bit more boring, like the stuff about warm-blooded animals. Perhaps is it that Ciro Santilli is more interested in the molecular aspects than macro
  • the author talks about some very recent research at the time. While this does highlight his expertise, some of the points mentioned might still be in a state of flow. This is acknowledged by the author himself on the 2018 updated preface however.
Cellular respiration Updated +Created
Film Updated +Created
Our definition of "film" is a broad one, including any moving picture, of any length, animated or not.
For the standard "2 hour film" format, see feature film.
Film directed by Adam Curtis Updated +Created
Final Fantasy VI Updated +Created
OMG, the second half of the game where the world becomes quite open and all backstories are revealed, is one of the best gaming moments ever.
Mitochondria are only inherited from the mother Updated +Created
Notably, it does not undergo crossover.
Oracle Corporation Updated +Created
Evil company that desecrated the beauty created by Sun Microsystems, and was trying to bury Java once and or all in the 2010's.
Their database is already matched by open source e.g. PostgreSQL, and ERP and CRM specific systems are boring.
Oracle basically grew out of selling one of the first SQL implementations in the late 70's, and notably to the United States Government and particularly the CIA. They did deliver a lot of value in those early pre-internet days, but now open source is and will supplant them entirely.
Quantum computer physical implementation Updated +Created
Video 1.
How To Build A Quantum Computer by Lukas's Lab (2023)
Source.
Super quick overview of the main types of quantum computer physical implementations, so doesn't any much to a quick Google.
He says he's going to make a series about it, so then something useful might actually come out. The first one was: Video "How to Turn Superconductors Into A Quantum Computer by Lukas's Lab (2023)", but it is still too basic.
The author's full name is Lukas Baker, www.linkedin.com/in/lukasbaker1331/, found with Google reverse image search, even though the LinkedIn image is very slightly different from the YouTube one.
As of 2023 he was a PhD student at NYU.
Filesystem Updated +Created
Fixation (histology) Updated +Created
Foundation series Updated +Created
Four Gentlemen Updated +Created
Figure 1.
Plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum Chinese painting by Zheng Xie
. Source. This is an example of bird-and-flower painting, of which the Four Gentlemen are a common theme. TODO date.
Fraudster Updated +Created
Free and open-source software Updated +Created
A more precise term for those in the know: open source software that also has a liberal license, for some definition of liberal.
Ciro Santilli defines liberal as: "can be commercialized without paying anything back" (but possibly subject to other restrictions).
He therefore does not consider Creative Commons licenses with NC to be FOSS.
For the newbs, the term open source software is good enough, since most open source software is also FOSS.
But when it's not, it's crucial to know.
French company Updated +Created
French nuclear weapons program Updated +Created
High level quantum synthesis Updated +Created
This is a term "invented" by Ciro Santilli to refer to quantum compilers that are able to convert non-specifically-quantum (functional, since there is no state in quantum software) programs into quantum circuit.
The term is made by adding "quantum" to the more "classical" concept of "high-level synthesis", which refers to software that converts an imperative program into register transfer level hardware, typicially for FPGA applications.
MongoDB Updated +Created
List databases:
echo 'show dbs' | mongo
Delete database:
use mydb
db.dropDatabase()
or:
echo 'db.dropDatabase()' | mongo mydb
View collections within a database:
echo 'db.getCollectionNames()' | mongo mydb
Show all data from one of the collections: stackoverflow.com/questions/24985684/mongodb-show-all-contents-from-all-collections
echo 'db.collectionName.find()' | mongo mydb
Two-stage P2SH inscription Updated +Created
To decode these, we throw away the last tx and the last constant of each input, e.g.:
btc getrawtransaction 033d185d1a04c4bd6de9bb23985f8c15aa46234206ad29101c31f4b33f1a0e49 true | jq -r '.vin[].scriptSig.asm' | head -n -1 | sed -r 's/ [^ ]+$//' | tr -d '\n'  | xxd -r -p > tmp.jpg

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