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Joined 11 months ago
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Cake day: June 23rd, 2025

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  • Actually, Russia has vast natural resources, but much of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of oligarchs. The post-communist period in Russia was marked by violent power struggles between oligarchs, often involving private militias or hired hitmen targeting rival businessmen. Perhaps it just wasn’t as visible in the US.

    BTW, do not forget that most rich men in the US (Elon, Mark, Jeff) are rich on paper (stock market, company shares), while Russian millionaires have real physical control over resources or industries (eg Vladimir Potanin - rare earth elements, Vagit Alekperov - oil, Leonid Mikhelson - gas).






  • I think the problem is mostly systemic rather than individual. Most scientists do not enter academia in order to waste time. They are often curious and motivated. But universities and funding systems reward publications and other measurable output more than impact or risky new ideas.

    IMO this is the reason why we see many researchers end up producing work that is technically correct but has little relevance. The system forces you to survive inside academia than to explore. As a consequence, the system can become self-perpetuating and disconnected from societal or industrial needs, which makes the entire situation far more worse.

    So, these are all in general systemic problems, but one should not forget that individual scientists have also the responsibility for how they approach their work.


  • I see the problem how it is presented - sometimes like new findings. Replication is just replication and the question always remains if the results are just different due to new technics (computer, larger experiments) or due to errors. Does it really push science ahead? Is it really new. Don’t think so, because it just adds the information that the constellation (!) may affect the hypothesis, while the hypothesis is not said to be false at all. I hope you understand what I mean.

    IMO you get new findings more often in astrophysics when they approach new dimensions of the universe and suddenly certain laws does not apply or in medicine where due to mutations and resistance new frontiers and challenges appear.









  • I think the key issue is secularization. Many European countries went through long historical periods where religion dominated politics and public life, followed by centuries of conflict, reform, and eventually stronger separation between religion and state. Modern secular democracies in Europe are partly the result of learning from that history.

    Not all religious traditions or societies went through the same process. In some places, religion still plays a central role in law, politics, and daily life, hence it is treated not just as personal belief, but as the basis for governing society.

    That does not mean religion itself is uniquely bad or that every religious society behaves the same way. There are also belief systems deeply tied to culture, philosophy, or nature - for example Aborigines or certain Buddhist traditions - that historically were less focused on universal expansion or religious conquest.

    The point is not „religion should disappear”, but that societies require separation between religious authority and state power. BTW, Jesus wasn’t a capitalist. If you would be like Jesus, you would be broke today.

    Edit: removed redundant text from previous version.



  • I would say that you don’t leave any living being in the car, which is not capable to opening the door with ease by itself, when temperatures are elevated outside!!! This counts for elderly, immobile or physically or mentally disabled people as well as for any animal - dogs die often due to leaving them alone in the car when it’s hot, sometimes the window slightly open, though this does not help.

    So, please, take action if you see anybody or any animal suffering in a car, because it is hot. In some countries you can call the police.


  • Interesting to see so many comments defending religion, especially one particular religion. Anyway, IMO religion should be always a private matter. If you don’t like certain rules or laws, nobody is preventing you to leave and be happy somewhere else. So, if a Christian is not happy in a Muslim country due to restrictions, the person can move to a Christian or secular country. If a Muslim is not happy in a basically Christian or secular country, there are many Muslim countries, which will allow him or her to follow the rules of the religion. So, everybody is happy. Hence, what is the deal here?