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Human: Answering boss off the clock Hi all, First time posting. I just wanted some advice on what I should do when my boss texts/calls me off the clock about work. Here is some context about my job: I’m a co op student working the reception/hr assistant postion for the summer. My contract doesn’t specify that I have to work off hours, but if I do work out of those hours I wouldn’t be penalized. My manager has a habit of texting or calling me when she can’t find something in the email Or wants an answer right away when I’m off the clock. They sometimes don’t even bother asking my co worker first (whose works full time and is a permanent employee). It bugs me because I don’t want to get in trouble so I respond. However, sometimes she catches me at bad moments when I can’t respond. Also, I don’t get paid for the time I’m “working off the clock”. How should I approach this situation ? Assistant: My personal policy when I was hourly was that I would respond to texts only if they were less than a Minute response, I only read but never responded to emails after hours unless on the clock. Receiving and important call meant that I tacked on an additional x minutes into my timecard. (Non hr field but I assume it’s pretty similar at most places.)	Human: Answering boss off the clock Hi all, First time posting. I just wanted some advice on what I should do when my boss texts/calls me off the clock about work. Here is some context about my job: I’m a co op student working the reception/hr assistant postion for the summer. My contract doesn’t specify that I have to work off hours, but if I do work out of those hours I wouldn’t be penalized. My manager has a habit of texting or calling me when she can’t find something in the email Or wants an answer right away when I’m off the clock. They sometimes don’t even bother asking my co worker first (whose works full time and is a permanent employee). It bugs me because I don’t want to get in trouble so I respond. However, sometimes she catches me at bad moments when I can’t respond. Also, I don’t get paid for the time I’m “working off the clock”. How should I approach this situation ? Assistant: Flexibility by both parties goes along way! If you want your boss to look the other way if you need to leave 1/2 hour early or late one day or the many other things that can happen in life...you know, build up some goodwill in the ‘bank’ then I would continue. As well if you want a future job or reference!	0.794524
Human: Not talking to women in the work place because of religious beliefs. Is this discrimination? [Ireland] Hey everyone, One of my colleagues is a radical christian nut job who personally went around to each one of our female colleagues and told them that if they have a question for him they should not go to his desk, but contact him via Skye. According to him it is inappropriate for men and women to talk at such a close distance; i.e. face to face. I'm a guy so he hasn’t said anything to me, but I still find this whole situation to be completely outrageous in this day and age. For example, if anyone were to say "I don't want any \[Insert one of these minorities here: Black, Gay, Disabled, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, LGBT, Democrat, Republican, etc\] employees to come to my desk..." surely that would count as discrimination. But how is it not discrimination to say you don't want to speak to someone because of their gender? For the record, I'm saying “not discrimination” because after this fact our HR team told the women in my office to respect his wishes and simply "Avoid him, and only write him via Skype or e-mail". It would seem that they are siding with him. I tried to informally speak to HR about this and I was told "We have to be tolerant of his beliefs". By the way, he is a sort of "senior" agent. Meaning he is the person who is tasked with training newcomers and going on visits to other companies who buy our products. Of course they gave him that position before he became "born again". But still... He hasn’t been demoted our moved to another position or anything. Can any HR agent or anyone with legal expertise please confirm whether this is indeed discrimination or not? (In Ireland or any other EU country) Assistant: Yikes. I mean if he’s doing it for half the employees then he should be told to do it to all employees...at least that’s my personal opinion.	Human: Not talking to women in the work place because of religious beliefs. Is this discrimination? [Ireland] Hey everyone, One of my colleagues is a radical christian nut job who personally went around to each one of our female colleagues and told them that if they have a question for him they should not go to his desk, but contact him via Skye. According to him it is inappropriate for men and women to talk at such a close distance; i.e. face to face. I'm a guy so he hasn’t said anything to me, but I still find this whole situation to be completely outrageous in this day and age. For example, if anyone were to say "I don't want any \[Insert one of these minorities here: Black, Gay, Disabled, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, LGBT, Democrat, Republican, etc\] employees to come to my desk..." surely that would count as discrimination. But how is it not discrimination to say you don't want to speak to someone because of their gender? For the record, I'm saying “not discrimination” because after this fact our HR team told the women in my office to respect his wishes and simply "Avoid him, and only write him via Skype or e-mail". It would seem that they are siding with him. I tried to informally speak to HR about this and I was told "We have to be tolerant of his beliefs". By the way, he is a sort of "senior" agent. Meaning he is the person who is tasked with training newcomers and going on visits to other companies who buy our products. Of course they gave him that position before he became "born again". But still... He hasn’t been demoted our moved to another position or anything. Can any HR agent or anyone with legal expertise please confirm whether this is indeed discrimination or not? (In Ireland or any other EU country) Assistant: How can he train newcomers and make sales visits if the contact is female? The company may need to find a job for him in a different capacity in order to honor his beliefs . I don’t see him being able to do his job if he has such restrictions.	0.697029
Human: Explain like I'm five years old: What is actually happening when you drink something and it get's "caught" in your chest/throat and it's really painful? Assistant: There is a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis that is essentially similar to an allergic reaction your body can have to different things. This can make your esophagus smaller due to inflammation and lead to things getting stuck. Its a bit more complex than that but....different sub. I used to think getting food stuck occasionally was normal. Turns out it isn't normal but it is treatable by a few different methods.	Human: Explain like I'm five years old: What is actually happening when you drink something and it get's "caught" in your chest/throat and it's really painful? Assistant: If you meant “swallowing wrong” as some people use, you have two tubes from your mouth that lead into your body: a tube to your stomach and a tube to your lungs. There is a flap over the tube to your lungs, called the epiglottis, that’s protects from food and water entering your lungs normally. Sometimes, you can swallow water and even food, that might enter the tube to your lungs, which typically causes coughing.	0.794058
Human: Is there a list or book of fun engineering/applied math/physics word problems available? I'm an RF Engineer and also in grad school for RF & EM. I'd still like to stay sharp on my math, physics, and overall problem solving skills. Is there a book or a comprehensive list of good word problems that are challenging? I looked through my Adv. Eng. Math book but I don't really want to just solve math problems or prove Greens Theorem. Ideally I'm looking for word problems that span a wide range of topics, or even cover multiple topics within the same problem. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks! :) Assistant: I recently came across this thing about the math olympiad questions. It was quite interesting in a nerdy kind of way, so maybe you can look into past problems from the math olympiads.	Human: Is there a list or book of fun engineering/applied math/physics word problems available? I'm an RF Engineer and also in grad school for RF & EM. I'd still like to stay sharp on my math, physics, and overall problem solving skills. Is there a book or a comprehensive list of good word problems that are challenging? I looked through my Adv. Eng. Math book but I don't really want to just solve math problems or prove Greens Theorem. Ideally I'm looking for word problems that span a wide range of topics, or even cover multiple topics within the same problem. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks! :) Assistant: brilliant.org?	0.780883
Human: When the LHC was created there was an expectation that it would lead to the discovery of the Higgs boson. Do we have any similar discoveries we are expecting to make in the near future? Assistant: Single-molecule imaging is on the horizon at XFEL facilities. I'm not sure if anyone's suggested a timeframe at this stage, but a lot of people are talking about it. This would huge for structural biology as it would permit solving of protein structures that can't be crystallised (lots).	Human: When the LHC was created there was an expectation that it would lead to the discovery of the Higgs boson. Do we have any similar discoveries we are expecting to make in the near future? Assistant: Possible life on Jupers Moon Europa. Europa has one of the highest probabilities of sustaining (at least microbial) life in the solar system. Even though its is not in the habitable zone, heat is generated inside of Europa from tidal flexing. The irregular shape and orbit squashes and stretches the icy moon creating a subsurface ocean; the perfect conditions necessary for life. Nasa is launching a mission in the 2020s, you can read more about it here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/europa-mission/	0.457846
Human: My Eyesssss Hey! I was wondering how people take care of their vision/eyes being in a career that involves a lot of staring at books/computers/whiteboards/etc. I've noticed that my eyesight has gone down this year, and wanted to see if any of you had any tips on how you deal with this. Thanks! Assistant: Have your eyes tested at an optometrist and get a pair of glasses if you need it. Unfortunately, most peoples' eyesight degrades over time. It's not usually something to worry about. Aside from that, it helps if you look into the distance every 10 minutes or so. Just take a look out of the window every once in a while. It relaxes your eyes for a bit.	Human: My Eyesssss Hey! I was wondering how people take care of their vision/eyes being in a career that involves a lot of staring at books/computers/whiteboards/etc. I've noticed that my eyesight has gone down this year, and wanted to see if any of you had any tips on how you deal with this. Thanks! Assistant: I have 20/20/20 written on a sticky note above my desk and try to hold myself to this: Every 20 minutes, look up from the screen for at least 20 seconds, and find something 20 feet away to focus on. I don't know how scientific it is or anything, but I find it helps break up the monotony of staring at a bright screen for long periods and gives my eyes some variety	0.733676
Human: Does anyone else purposefully incorporate the number "69" into their designs? For instance, if there is a pipe invert set at elevation 50.71, I will almost always change it to 50.69, as long as it doesn't negatively affect my flows, grades, etc. Just innocuous changes for the lol's. I'm clearly a very mature person. Assistant: No, I have never done that. I HAVE however made sure to be really redundant about referring to erection drawings.	Human: Does anyone else purposefully incorporate the number "69" into their designs? For instance, if there is a pipe invert set at elevation 50.71, I will almost always change it to 50.69, as long as it doesn't negatively affect my flows, grades, etc. Just innocuous changes for the lol's. I'm clearly a very mature person. Assistant: Not really design label per se but every time I type "See Architectural Drawings", or S.A.D. for short, I whisper, "Suck a dick".	0.730021
Human: Substitute for heavy cream? I've been trying to make some sauces that call for heavy cream. I've tried creaming butter to make the heavy cream but never turns out. ( ie. Alfredo sauce) I've searched grocery stores, bulk stores etc. Can I use whipping cream? Is that an acceptable substitute? My apologies if this isn't allowed. Assistant: Whipping cream is the closest sub to Heavy Cream Are you near a Starbucks? Ask for a Venti Heavy cream, if they don't know how to charge, say it's milk+heavy cream charge x 2 No guarantee the barista isn't a dick faced ass head but it shouldn't be a big deal and if they still balk talk to the manager or ask for the district manager's information, pouring a cup of milk and charging for a cup of milk should be within reasonable limits.	Human: Substitute for heavy cream? I've been trying to make some sauces that call for heavy cream. I've tried creaming butter to make the heavy cream but never turns out. ( ie. Alfredo sauce) I've searched grocery stores, bulk stores etc. Can I use whipping cream? Is that an acceptable substitute? My apologies if this isn't allowed. Assistant: What’s the reasoning behind substituting the heavy cream? Is it cost/availability or wanting to use something with less fat/calories?	0.699347
Human: When this lava is moving along the surface, what is it doing to the underlying soil and rock. Partially melting them? Is it more of a layering that is going to just erode back to the bedrock, which I suppose is just old magma? Any volcanologists or geologists out there? Assistant: Can I piggy back on this and ask what happened to that car that was "consumed" by the lava? Did it melt? Will there be a mold of it under there? Did the gas tank rupture, and if it did, will that cause an explosion within the lava flow and the bubbles create a "mini eruption" where they burst out of the surface of the flow? I'm genuinely curious.	Human: When this lava is moving along the surface, what is it doing to the underlying soil and rock. Partially melting them? Is it more of a layering that is going to just erode back to the bedrock, which I suppose is just old magma? Any volcanologists or geologists out there? Assistant: We pour lava over different materials in the lab, such as quartz sand and clay, and I have never seen remelting of the substrate. Mostly because these materials have a higher melting point than basaltic lava. What mostly happens is the heat burns off molecular water and the material changes color slightly. The organic material will burn, but no wholesale melting of the underlying surface.	0.777539
Human: I've been boiling split peas for two days straight and they're still crunchy. HELP I do not know what's happening, I've cooked splitpea and ham soup many times and this is the first time it happened. It is bonkers. The second day I've added baking soda to the soup, helps me tremendously with beans or chickpea, but not in this case. What's wrong with my split pea? Assistant: Old split peas.	Human: I've been boiling split peas for two days straight and they're still crunchy. HELP I do not know what's happening, I've cooked splitpea and ham soup many times and this is the first time it happened. It is bonkers. The second day I've added baking soda to the soup, helps me tremendously with beans or chickpea, but not in this case. What's wrong with my split pea? Assistant: I pressure cooked kidney beans for 8.5 hours total one time before I gave up. They were still crunchy in the middle. Sorry I can't actually help, just wanted to let you know that I've been in that boat.	-0.175833
Human: [X-Men] Why does Charles Xavier have a British accent? From X-Men first class, we see young Charles in a mansion in Westchester County, New York. He lives in that mansion until he goes bald and into adulthood. I know Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy are both from the UK, they're also good actors and doing an American Accent wouldn't be much of a problem for them. Assistant: The real question is: why does Magneto? Funny enough, watched the first movie earlier today for the first time in years and thought this. He was ~13 in 1945 in Germany, says he came to America in 1949. I forget if First Class changes any of this but judging just by the first movie it doesn't make much sense.	Human: [X-Men] Why does Charles Xavier have a British accent? From X-Men first class, we see young Charles in a mansion in Westchester County, New York. He lives in that mansion until he goes bald and into adulthood. I know Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy are both from the UK, they're also good actors and doing an American Accent wouldn't be much of a problem for them. Assistant: Deadpool would probably say something along the lines of "He's played by a British actor."	0.370009
Human: Is it safe to poach eggs in cling film? First of all, I know there are many many recipes online that involve cling film but I have seen some articles about how certain types of cling film are dangerous when used in cooking (e.g. poaching eggs) - claims of leaching chemicals into the food? Long story short, is it safe to poach eggs in cling film? I've been meaning to perfect mine for breakfast but when I just crack into the pan I waste a lot of egg white in the water - not cool. Note: I have PVC Supermarket Brand Cling Film (From Morrisons in UK if you want specifics) Assistant: The egg already comes in a convenient wrapper! Simmer it in the shell for one minute or so, then remove it with a slotted spoon, crack it open with a suitable utensil back into the water. It should largely hold its shape, perhaps flattening out slightly. Cling film sounds interesting though, I might try it just to experiment.	Human: Is it safe to poach eggs in cling film? First of all, I know there are many many recipes online that involve cling film but I have seen some articles about how certain types of cling film are dangerous when used in cooking (e.g. poaching eggs) - claims of leaching chemicals into the food? Long story short, is it safe to poach eggs in cling film? I've been meaning to perfect mine for breakfast but when I just crack into the pan I waste a lot of egg white in the water - not cool. Note: I have PVC Supermarket Brand Cling Film (From Morrisons in UK if you want specifics) Assistant: They do sell silicone egg poacher dealies too if you're a little more comfortable with that.	-0.12935
Human: Several East Asian recipes use ketchup or tomatoes in their sauces, however, from what I've heard, tomatoes have only been popular in that region for about 100 years. What was traditionally used in those recipes, or are they new creations that came to be after the introduction of the tomato. Examples include sweet and sour sauces. I'm quite fascinated in general about how the Columbian Exchange influenced different cuisines. It's hard to imagine a thai dish without peppers... Assistant: New creations, at least here in Vietnam. We have a ton of soup recipes here that simply didn't exist before tomatoes came to be. If you think about it, Pho and Banh Mi (our two most famous foods) didn't exist either until as early as French Colonialism. Just a short time before that, noodles in soup wasn't even a concept until the Chinese brought it down with them either.	Human: Several East Asian recipes use ketchup or tomatoes in their sauces, however, from what I've heard, tomatoes have only been popular in that region for about 100 years. What was traditionally used in those recipes, or are they new creations that came to be after the introduction of the tomato. Examples include sweet and sour sauces. I'm quite fascinated in general about how the Columbian Exchange influenced different cuisines. It's hard to imagine a thai dish without peppers... Assistant: tomatoes are from the Americas, so even quintessentially Italian food like ragu alla bolognese or pizza were only created in the 19th century	0.026599
Human: Engineers of Reddit, What is the stupidest thing you ever build? Assistant: Definitely this monstrosity. Of all the projects I have worked on I thought this was the least likely to get to market, and yet there it is!	Human: Engineers of Reddit, What is the stupidest thing you ever build? Assistant: Energy building and equipment for Paris Airport. Building of 6M eur Equipment of 15M eur When it was almost finished, one subcontractor decided to go bankrupt and so all this has never been used !	0.76325
Human: A world on the interior surface of a spherical shell I’m a physics grad student writing a D&D campaign for other physics grad students, and I’m planning a few planet-scale physics-related puzzles for the players to solve. The setting is the interior surface of a planet-sized rotating spherical shell. There is a mostly handwaved force combatting gravity that causes the net force on people to be pointed radially outward with a strength similar to gravity’s. My question is, what experiments could be done by a person on the interior surface of this shell to show that they’re on the interior surface rather than the exterior surface? I’m probably looking for something classical (something with one of the fictitious rotating-frame forces maybe?). Assistant: There would be no horizon in such a case. All lines of sight would end on some other part of the the interior surface. If you have a sun in the center, then only those lines of sight would not.	Human: A world on the interior surface of a spherical shell I’m a physics grad student writing a D&D campaign for other physics grad students, and I’m planning a few planet-scale physics-related puzzles for the players to solve. The setting is the interior surface of a planet-sized rotating spherical shell. There is a mostly handwaved force combatting gravity that causes the net force on people to be pointed radially outward with a strength similar to gravity’s. My question is, what experiments could be done by a person on the interior surface of this shell to show that they’re on the interior surface rather than the exterior surface? I’m probably looking for something classical (something with one of the fictitious rotating-frame forces maybe?). Assistant: Sum of angles of a triangle or the closing of the square. The typical tests for the curvature of a manifold. Edit: Was just reminded that this is actually wrong. Got confused a little the curvature is innate to the surfave the orientation doesnt matter.	0.791419
Human: [Meta] Would it be a correct statement to say that Italian Cuisine, specifically American Style "Italian", is very forgiving in cooking....as in that it takes a lot of effort for it to truly taste bad? I mean this in regard to other cuisines of the world, specifically authentic cuisines and not Americanized.... Assistant: I have experienced a whole lot of bad marinara and minestrone. I'd say it's easy to do well, but not hard to do badly.	Human: [Meta] Would it be a correct statement to say that Italian Cuisine, specifically American Style "Italian", is very forgiving in cooking....as in that it takes a lot of effort for it to truly taste bad? I mean this in regard to other cuisines of the world, specifically authentic cuisines and not Americanized.... Assistant: Don't mistake rustic for sloppy, or slapdash. Italian is especially easy to make poorly. Im sure weve all had overly sweet or overly acidic tomato sauce, dense and dry meatballs, thick and congealed cream sauces, overcooked noodles, soggy and overdressed salads, under ripe tomatoes in bruschetta, and so on. Simple food takes a lot of care to do well, because when your have few ingredients they absolutely have to shine.	0.454394
Human: Do commercial kitchens all use stainless steel cookware. If so, why? I have noticed that in some cooking/kitchen documentaries. The cookware used in their kitchens are usually made of stainless steel and we do not see stuff like non stick pans. Just wondering is it because I happened not see them in the documentaries or is there some other reasons for this. Assistant: Aluminum. Despite what most people think, even those who work in restaurants, most is aluminum. There is some stainless (mostly the equipment) but aluminum is lighter and cheaper. Sheet trays, pots, pans, sauté pans, even the metal storage pans. Aluminum. You’ll occasionally find some cast iron, blue steel, and other specialty stuff, and it’ll cost ya!	Human: Do commercial kitchens all use stainless steel cookware. If so, why? I have noticed that in some cooking/kitchen documentaries. The cookware used in their kitchens are usually made of stainless steel and we do not see stuff like non stick pans. Just wondering is it because I happened not see them in the documentaries or is there some other reasons for this. Assistant: I work in a steakhouse, I'd say 80% of our cookware is stainless. We also keep a few non-stick pans around for eggs for breakfast or a couple fish dishes we do. The rest is carbon steel mixed with a pair of cast irons we keep for Chicago steaks.	0.435051
Human: What's the difference in the end when crushing vs slicing garlic So I've read my fair share of recipes and a good deal involve garlic. Some recipes tell you to crush the garlic while others tell you to thinly slice it. I get the difference between crushing and slicing, but I fail to grasp what difference it makes in the end. Could anyone please enlighten me? My gut feeling is that it doesn't make a difference, but I'm happily told I'm horribly wrong :) Assistant: Serious Eats has a good article on the differences and how it effects flavor. https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/how-to-mince-chop-garlic-microplane-vs-garlic-press.html	Human: What's the difference in the end when crushing vs slicing garlic So I've read my fair share of recipes and a good deal involve garlic. Some recipes tell you to crush the garlic while others tell you to thinly slice it. I get the difference between crushing and slicing, but I fail to grasp what difference it makes in the end. Could anyone please enlighten me? My gut feeling is that it doesn't make a difference, but I'm happily told I'm horribly wrong :) Assistant: Crushed≈ incorporating flavor Sliced ≈ texture and presentation If I were making a tomato sauce I wouldn't generally look to have pieces of anything in there but I want the garlic flavor, I'd crush it. If I was looking for a more textured sauce I'd fry the slices and continue from there	0.620305
Human: Neighbor had 10+ pitbulls that are eating our fence open and attacking our dogs Hi, I live in douglasville Georgia. Recently my neighbors dogs have been chewing up our fence and getting over to our back yard. We saw 4 aggressive pit bulls attacking our dogs (we have 1 small breed and 2 medium) but when confronting them about it my wife and I noticed they have what looks like an entire breeding scheme going on. The fence is our landlords and it was in perfect condition before these incidents but now there are multiple holes that have been chewed into it with the largest one being the size of an adults head. My youngest dog was limping after we found the 4 of them in our yard and just now one of them reached through and bit another one of our dogs faces. We have a 2 month old baby and I am what you would call a very constitutional southern man yet still I always try to avoid the nuclear option. I love dogs and I don't want to shoot them dead but they are becoming a danger to my family and property. What can I do to resolve this before it reaches a bad ending? Assistant: Call animal control. Some places actually have a limit on how many pets you can have in a household. Quick google search shows that if you have 6+ animals in Georgia, you need to have a hobby/ kennel permit or license. I’m no expert but your local animal control should have the information on this.	Human: Neighbor had 10+ pitbulls that are eating our fence open and attacking our dogs Hi, I live in douglasville Georgia. Recently my neighbors dogs have been chewing up our fence and getting over to our back yard. We saw 4 aggressive pit bulls attacking our dogs (we have 1 small breed and 2 medium) but when confronting them about it my wife and I noticed they have what looks like an entire breeding scheme going on. The fence is our landlords and it was in perfect condition before these incidents but now there are multiple holes that have been chewed into it with the largest one being the size of an adults head. My youngest dog was limping after we found the 4 of them in our yard and just now one of them reached through and bit another one of our dogs faces. We have a 2 month old baby and I am what you would call a very constitutional southern man yet still I always try to avoid the nuclear option. I love dogs and I don't want to shoot them dead but they are becoming a danger to my family and property. What can I do to resolve this before it reaches a bad ending? Assistant: Call your local animal control and report them.	0.479153
Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why does our heart not ache after an intense cardio session at the gym the same way other muscles do after a workout (example, quads after a leg day)? Assistant: Hold up. Yours doesn’t?	Human: Explain like I'm five years old: Why does our heart not ache after an intense cardio session at the gym the same way other muscles do after a workout (example, quads after a leg day)? Assistant: I get very sore in my intercostal muscles, the muscles that expand and contract your ribs so you can breathe. Not what you asked, but I haven't heard of other people getting sore from breathing hard.	0.785421
Human: Transgender name changes and publication history I've got a lot of hurdles to get over before this really becomes an issue for me, but it's on my mind this morning and I can't focus on chemistry until I just ask the question. I'm a second year grad student who recently realized that I am transgender. I was wondering how name changes effect publication records. I've got a couple first author papers out already, and (as soon as I get some crystals) I'll be submitting another paper in a couple months. I don't know whether I should keep publishing under my given name or if/when I should switch to my chosen name. I am out with my lab peers, but haven't talked to my PI yet. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance from someone who has thought about these things before. I'm really new to understanding myself as transgender and it is very confusing. Assistant: I just want to mention this amazing, sadly recently-dead neuroscientist Ben Barres who transitioned at 40 after starting his lab. He wrote several articles discussing trans issues and gender in science including this: https://www.nature.com/scitable/content/does-gender-matter-by-ben-a-barres-10602856/. He was also a huge name in neurobiology with a big lab in Stanford and a killer publication record despite switching his name (though he used the same initial, Barbara -> Ben).	Human: Transgender name changes and publication history I've got a lot of hurdles to get over before this really becomes an issue for me, but it's on my mind this morning and I can't focus on chemistry until I just ask the question. I'm a second year grad student who recently realized that I am transgender. I was wondering how name changes effect publication records. I've got a couple first author papers out already, and (as soon as I get some crystals) I'll be submitting another paper in a couple months. I don't know whether I should keep publishing under my given name or if/when I should switch to my chosen name. I am out with my lab peers, but haven't talked to my PI yet. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance from someone who has thought about these things before. I'm really new to understanding myself as transgender and it is very confusing. Assistant: Depending what you change your name to, you could just leave an initial in place of previous name. I know several people who legally and professionally have different names. To stand true to your identity, if you change your name to the same as your middle, it’ll flow really nicely and no one will notice. S Example John L Doe J Leaanne Doe	0.74562
Human: My son has Type 1 Diabetes. We have been struggling with constant lows for the past 36 hours despite giving him a lot of uncovered food. I am posting here because it is the weekend and the Diabetes Hotline is only open for emergencies. My son is white, ten years old. He is severely autistic and nonverbal. He has Type 1 Diabetes; he was diagnosed with it a year ago. We've been able to manage it quite well so far. He wears a DexCom glucose monitor because he is nonverbal and can't tell us when something feels off. My son uses Humalog as his fast acting insulin and Lantus as his basal insulin. For the past 36 hours, he has had constant blood sugar lows (70 or less) no matter how much food we give him. He will go up to the 100s for a bit then plummet back down an hour later. At one point he was in the 30s and we had to scramble to give him oral glucose, though he has not lost consciousness.This is highly unusual for him; usually we have more problems with his sugars being high. We have not administered Glucagon. I can't even tell you how much uncovered food we've given this guy. Apples, juice boxes, crackers, even a whole second plate of dinner, all without insulin coverage. Normally, he'd skyrocket, but he just bumps up a bit then crashes back down. It's like there is a magnet trying to pull his sugar down all the time. We were up all night responding to low alarms even though we gave him plenty of oral glucose. We have cross checked his DexCom readings with finger sticks; the numbers are accurate. One thing that may be noteworthy-- we recently bought my son a bouncy ball and he LOVES it, he's been bouncing and chasing it around for hours on end. But I didn't think physical activity could have such an effect on blood sugar. He's not exactly swimming across the channel, but he's not sitting still like he usually does either. We've already decided to reduce his Lantus per his endocrinologist's standing orders and our extensive patient education. But we can only reduce it by 10% because that is all we are authorized to do under the parameters of our orders. Can moderate physical activity really impact sugars that much? Is there any more we can do other than stuff him full of food and wait? I want to call the Diabetes Hotline but my partner is more hesitant to do so because she doesn't want to occupy the line when there might be someone else in the state who just passed out and received Glucagon. It's usually one nurse on call and that's it. Thank you for your time and help. Eric Assistant: Does your pediatric endocrinologist have a phone line you can call to get some advice and speak to the doctor? Most do. I'd suggest calling them.	Human: My son has Type 1 Diabetes. We have been struggling with constant lows for the past 36 hours despite giving him a lot of uncovered food. I am posting here because it is the weekend and the Diabetes Hotline is only open for emergencies. My son is white, ten years old. He is severely autistic and nonverbal. He has Type 1 Diabetes; he was diagnosed with it a year ago. We've been able to manage it quite well so far. He wears a DexCom glucose monitor because he is nonverbal and can't tell us when something feels off. My son uses Humalog as his fast acting insulin and Lantus as his basal insulin. For the past 36 hours, he has had constant blood sugar lows (70 or less) no matter how much food we give him. He will go up to the 100s for a bit then plummet back down an hour later. At one point he was in the 30s and we had to scramble to give him oral glucose, though he has not lost consciousness.This is highly unusual for him; usually we have more problems with his sugars being high. We have not administered Glucagon. I can't even tell you how much uncovered food we've given this guy. Apples, juice boxes, crackers, even a whole second plate of dinner, all without insulin coverage. Normally, he'd skyrocket, but he just bumps up a bit then crashes back down. It's like there is a magnet trying to pull his sugar down all the time. We were up all night responding to low alarms even though we gave him plenty of oral glucose. We have cross checked his DexCom readings with finger sticks; the numbers are accurate. One thing that may be noteworthy-- we recently bought my son a bouncy ball and he LOVES it, he's been bouncing and chasing it around for hours on end. But I didn't think physical activity could have such an effect on blood sugar. He's not exactly swimming across the channel, but he's not sitting still like he usually does either. We've already decided to reduce his Lantus per his endocrinologist's standing orders and our extensive patient education. But we can only reduce it by 10% because that is all we are authorized to do under the parameters of our orders. Can moderate physical activity really impact sugars that much? Is there any more we can do other than stuff him full of food and wait? I want to call the Diabetes Hotline but my partner is more hesitant to do so because she doesn't want to occupy the line when there might be someone else in the state who just passed out and received Glucagon. It's usually one nurse on call and that's it. Thank you for your time and help. Eric Assistant: Its of course possible. I would check body temperature also. Sounds like he might not be able to communicate having a fever either. Fevers can also cause blood glucose to go all wonky i diabetes patients	0.756762
Human: How’s the academic job market for epidemiology/biostatistics in the U.S.? Assistant: I'm in Nursing (not a bad job market for academics, btw) and I know a lot of colleges of nursing and health professions are looking for biostatisticians but I think it's more of a support position than a TT line.	Human: How’s the academic job market for epidemiology/biostatistics in the U.S.? Assistant: There seems to be limited interest in offering taught courses in biostatistics as its own subject abroad, which might make it more competitive in the US as well.	0.790881
Human: Got into a heated debate about math with my husband; be told me to 'ask a physicist' so here I am I'm really just genuinely curious, not trying to prove anyone wrong I swear. I understand that the concept of math is a universal constant and was something discovered - not invented - by humans. My question lies with mathematic equations. My husband supports that all equations were also merely discovered by humans. I am unsure if I fully understand that, as I should think that they are possibly a mixture of discovered and invented concepts. However, what I posited is that mathematical equations could be considered a form of technology. Merriam-Webster defines 'technology' as 'the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area'. So in my mind, whether math is discovered, invented, or a fusion of both doesn't matter: if you're using math to figure something out, you are applying scientific knowledge to a practical setting, which is the simplest definition of technology. Again, husband didn't agree. He's incredibly good at math and physics and all that, and since I am not I am probably incredibly wrong. But the thought won't leave my brain and I'm dying to see what others think. Thank you! Assistant: There’s no right or wrong here, you’re just using words differently. What kind of evidence or argument do you expect could possibly settle this question? It’s just a question of opinion, not fact.	Human: Got into a heated debate about math with my husband; be told me to 'ask a physicist' so here I am I'm really just genuinely curious, not trying to prove anyone wrong I swear. I understand that the concept of math is a universal constant and was something discovered - not invented - by humans. My question lies with mathematic equations. My husband supports that all equations were also merely discovered by humans. I am unsure if I fully understand that, as I should think that they are possibly a mixture of discovered and invented concepts. However, what I posited is that mathematical equations could be considered a form of technology. Merriam-Webster defines 'technology' as 'the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area'. So in my mind, whether math is discovered, invented, or a fusion of both doesn't matter: if you're using math to figure something out, you are applying scientific knowledge to a practical setting, which is the simplest definition of technology. Again, husband didn't agree. He's incredibly good at math and physics and all that, and since I am not I am probably incredibly wrong. But the thought won't leave my brain and I'm dying to see what others think. Thank you! Assistant: Ignoring the epistemological notions of math and ideas, all I can say is this: Nearly every Professor of Mathematics or Physics that I have seen lecture has at one point or another described some mathematical concepts, proofs, set of equations, methods, or conclusions as "tools" or "machinery". I do find it a little strange to call math "technology" since I have never hear it described that way. Describing it as a tool however is certainly common.	0.790623
Human: Weekly Discussion - What's Your Specialty? We want to know what dish you make a better version of than anyone else you know. What specific ingredients or techniques do you use to make it distinctively yours? Teach us your secrets. Assistant: chili con carne. Some secret ingredients: >bone with marrow >chocolate powder >sliced mushrooms >3 different chili powders >can or so of lager >stew meat instead of any other kind of grind	Human: Weekly Discussion - What's Your Specialty? We want to know what dish you make a better version of than anyone else you know. What specific ingredients or techniques do you use to make it distinctively yours? Teach us your secrets. Assistant: Smoked meats, specifically Texas style brisket. But anything that can be smoked. Pork, beef, chicken, etc. I've even made a coconut cream pie on the smoker. Yes, it was awesome.	0.179044
Human: Looking for a reliable system to store recipes that can automatically scale them Hi - I recently found a handwritten recipe book from my late father's restaurant. It has a lot of good stuff but its all restaurant scale. I'm hoping to find a system that will allow me to enter the recipe as written (Gallons, pounds, many cups etc.) and convert them to say 1/20th that original scale. I like BBQ sauce but I don't need a yield of 9 gallons. I know I can do this manually but I'm hoping the very expensive calculator I'm typing this message on will do it for me in some convenient way. Extra points if I can convert it to metric and weights instead of volumes. Assistant: You can’t just convert all recipes by scaling every ingredient by the same factor. Remember that evaporation occurs based on surface area while scaling is based on volume/mass, and in something like a braise or stew, the surface area (and thus rate of evaporation) of that pot is the same no matter how much liquid is in it. That’s just the most blatant reasons why it doesn’t work so neatly.	Human: Looking for a reliable system to store recipes that can automatically scale them Hi - I recently found a handwritten recipe book from my late father's restaurant. It has a lot of good stuff but its all restaurant scale. I'm hoping to find a system that will allow me to enter the recipe as written (Gallons, pounds, many cups etc.) and convert them to say 1/20th that original scale. I like BBQ sauce but I don't need a yield of 9 gallons. I know I can do this manually but I'm hoping the very expensive calculator I'm typing this message on will do it for me in some convenient way. Extra points if I can convert it to metric and weights instead of volumes. Assistant: AnyList. Been using it for years.	-0.259095
Human: I am looking to take up baking cakes. Would start simple and basic and then work up. Any tips? I’m not too bad in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, and I can bake from a box, but I’ve never tried anything from scratch other than chocolate chip cookies. I kind of don’t know the first thing about baking even the simplest of cakes, but I do enjoy watching videos of people do it. Any tips on where to begin? Videos? Websites? Types of pans and utensils to buy? Assistant: King Arthur baking site has some awesome simple recipes that are easy and very reliable. Their "Original Cake Pan Cake" is one of my favorites and it's very forgiving for new bakers. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/king-arthurs-original-cake-pan-cake-recipe	Human: I am looking to take up baking cakes. Would start simple and basic and then work up. Any tips? I’m not too bad in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, and I can bake from a box, but I’ve never tried anything from scratch other than chocolate chip cookies. I kind of don’t know the first thing about baking even the simplest of cakes, but I do enjoy watching videos of people do it. Any tips on where to begin? Videos? Websites? Types of pans and utensils to buy? Assistant: Along with everything other people commented, the Serious Eats website has some solid recipes, but more important, they also have pages that explain the science behind baking, like how and why baking soda works, etc... Once you understand why the process works, a lot of recipes feel more intuitive and easier to bake successfully.	0.538009
Human: What is the difference between morals and ethics? Assistant: A lot of thinkers will distinguish between the two, often in totally different ways. A lot of thinkers don't distinguish between the two at all. Neither word has some metaphysical ur-meaning that ought to supersede what's useful in the context of a given line of thought. Read for how they're being used in a given context. One distinction that's fairly common: Morals are socio-cultural. Ethics are personal-universal.	Human: What is the difference between morals and ethics? Assistant: Every professor I've had thus far has used those terms interchangeably, and has specifically noted that they were using them as such.	-0.079401
Human: [Demolition Man] What do you think was the significant turning point in the Franchise Wars that gave Taco Bell the upper-hand? Assistant: The widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet. Taco Bell was able to eliminate meat from their menus without making any significant changes.	Human: [Demolition Man] What do you think was the significant turning point in the Franchise Wars that gave Taco Bell the upper-hand? Assistant: Climate change caused the sudden and dramatic unavailability of the russet potato, used by almost all fast food companies, as well as a beef shortage. By not needing either of these in as large quantities, Taco Bell was able to much more easily adapt their menu to use ingredients like chicken, pork, and corn.	-0.071295
Human: [LOTR films] Why didn't Gandalf use magic to light the warning beacons of Gondor? Wouldn't it have been safer instead of having Pippin scale the side of a cliff to get to the beacon? Assistant: Maybe he’d used up all his spell slots 🤷🏼‍♀️	Human: [LOTR films] Why didn't Gandalf use magic to light the warning beacons of Gondor? Wouldn't it have been safer instead of having Pippin scale the side of a cliff to get to the beacon? Assistant: Either Pippen succeeds and lights the fire or he falls and dies then he would have to deal with that fool of a took. Its a win win either way.	0.69739
Human: [Batman] Why is Batman so respected in the DC series? Why do so many high powered supervillians/heros respect him? Assistant: Because he does it all without superpowers. He can stand and fight beside literal gods because he thinks ahead and has a plan for everything. He's a regular human who could and would, if necessary, take down Superman.	Human: [Batman] Why is Batman so respected in the DC series? Why do so many high powered supervillians/heros respect him? Assistant: Batman backflipped Darkseid's omega beams. That is all	0.696222
Human: Good introductions to political philosophy? I’m(16f) really interested in politics and starting to get politically active. I would love to start reading some introductions on political philosophy and theory but I have absolutely no idea on where to start. I’ve so far tried reading Friedman’s “Free to Choose” and Nozick’s “Anarchy, state and utopia” but I found them to be a little bit too hard and complicated and I wasn't able to finish them. I’m a liberal and so I would prefer books with a liberal perspective but I’m also open to reading on other ideologies/perspectives. Assistant: Jonathan Wolff's An Introduction to Political Philosophy is a standard text, concise and very readable. It will introduce you to big names in the discipline like Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Rawls, and Nozick. You'll learn about liberal democracy, anarchism, Marxism, and more, and I think it will give you a good orientation to direct any further reading you might want to do.	Human: Good introductions to political philosophy? I’m(16f) really interested in politics and starting to get politically active. I would love to start reading some introductions on political philosophy and theory but I have absolutely no idea on where to start. I’ve so far tried reading Friedman’s “Free to Choose” and Nozick’s “Anarchy, state and utopia” but I found them to be a little bit too hard and complicated and I wasn't able to finish them. I’m a liberal and so I would prefer books with a liberal perspective but I’m also open to reading on other ideologies/perspectives. Assistant: Leo Strauss - What Is Political Philosophy?	0.02608
Human: Why aren’t Plug-In Hybrid’s Popular? I’ve been very interested in the conversation being had about the transition from ICE to EV’s and I can’t figure out why the Plug-In hybrid isn’t considered a good middle ground for people that are still tentative about making the switch. In my mind you get the best of both worlds, the efficiency on an EV for short regular drives, and the range and convenience of a gas engine when you need more range. Are Plug-In hybrids as well designed as I think they are?Is there a significant design flaw that I’m now seeing? Or is it merely a symptom of poor marketing? Also, I’m an ME student. If you work in this industry I would also love to learn about how you got started! TIA! Assistant: Also EE. Also love my Prime. An EV could not keep up with our road trips and our ICE SUV sits at home unused except for camping or skiing.	Human: Why aren’t Plug-In Hybrid’s Popular? I’ve been very interested in the conversation being had about the transition from ICE to EV’s and I can’t figure out why the Plug-In hybrid isn’t considered a good middle ground for people that are still tentative about making the switch. In my mind you get the best of both worlds, the efficiency on an EV for short regular drives, and the range and convenience of a gas engine when you need more range. Are Plug-In hybrids as well designed as I think they are?Is there a significant design flaw that I’m now seeing? Or is it merely a symptom of poor marketing? Also, I’m an ME student. If you work in this industry I would also love to learn about how you got started! TIA! Assistant: I don't have a car right now, and if I did it would have to be a hybrid as I can't charge from home... Park on Street, busy village pavement, old stone walls, shared path, long garden and upstairs apartment work against plugging in at home being possible yet on a job I could charge there.	0.160329
Human: CMV: Cancel Culture is wrong because it only goes one way and certain peoples are completely immune to cancel culture. Over the weekend it took 1 NYT columnist to remove Pepe le pew from polite society. This Cartoon Skunk has not been culturally important in what 10-15 years? Yet he was canceled all the same. The reason why conservatives hate cancel culture isnt because they necessarily disagree with whom is being canceled( i thought pepe was a goner years ago) but because only select individuals decide who is allowed to stay and who is allowed to go. lets take Future for example, one of the most popular rappers alive right now and certainly of 2015-2019. one of his most popular songs is called "mask off" the lyrics in the chorus are "Percocet, Molly Percocet". my problem with cancel culture is if we agree that Pepe is contributing to rape culture surely future is contributing to the opioid epidemic no? but the gatekeepers do not ever hold rappers to the same degree that they do this cartoon skunk and if you ever try to bring it up they dismiss you. If you want me to take cancel culture seriously you have to hold it across all cultures and entertainment not just stuff nerdy white people like (cartoons, Magic the gathering, republicans lol) Assistant: Large, national conservative groups have been putting out lists of companies to boycott for decades. So called "cancel culture" isn't new. It isn't unique despite someone coming up to with a new name. And outrage from the right over their own beloved tactics being used against them is more of the same persecution fetish that they have displayed for years.	Human: CMV: Cancel Culture is wrong because it only goes one way and certain peoples are completely immune to cancel culture. Over the weekend it took 1 NYT columnist to remove Pepe le pew from polite society. This Cartoon Skunk has not been culturally important in what 10-15 years? Yet he was canceled all the same. The reason why conservatives hate cancel culture isnt because they necessarily disagree with whom is being canceled( i thought pepe was a goner years ago) but because only select individuals decide who is allowed to stay and who is allowed to go. lets take Future for example, one of the most popular rappers alive right now and certainly of 2015-2019. one of his most popular songs is called "mask off" the lyrics in the chorus are "Percocet, Molly Percocet". my problem with cancel culture is if we agree that Pepe is contributing to rape culture surely future is contributing to the opioid epidemic no? but the gatekeepers do not ever hold rappers to the same degree that they do this cartoon skunk and if you ever try to bring it up they dismiss you. If you want me to take cancel culture seriously you have to hold it across all cultures and entertainment not just stuff nerdy white people like (cartoons, Magic the gathering, republicans lol) Assistant: > lets take Future for example, one of the most popular rappers alive right now and certainly of 2015-2019. one of his most popular songs is called "mask off" the lyrics in the chorus are "Percocet, Molly Percocet". Those lines are about his drug use. Why would that lead to him being cancelled?	0.766778
Human: Parvo I have a question for anyone working in the veterinary field..I work at an animal shelter, I've dealt with parvo many times. My dog is actually a parvo survivor. Recently, we got a litter of 8 week old malnourished pups in. We kept them for about a week to try get some weight on them. The day after we adopted them out, one of the pups got sick. The adopters brought him to the vet and he tested pos for parvo. So we called every adopter, explained to them what happened and the gravity of the situation. We offered to pay all vet bills, take the puppies back, etc. All of the pups but one were taken to the vet. The guy that got this puppy said that he was doing fine. He was eating, drinking, and playing. We told him that we suggest he takes him to the vet right away, he was convinced his puppy was fine. We told him that if the puppy stops eating or drinking, seems lethargic, vomits, or has diarrhea to bring him to the emergency vet right away. This was on Wednesday. On Saturday night the guy tries to post a picture of the dead puppy on our fb and says that we sold him a sick puppy and told him it would be fine. I called the manager and said someone needs to call him and get that pup's body, we bring them to the vet for cremation. She got a hold of the guy and he said that the puppy was just fine. He was eating and drinking, wagging his tail, and playing. Then he laid down and just quit breathing. Now from my own experience I called bullshit. I have NEVER seen a case where a 9 week old puppy showed no signs or symptoms and just died. He said he would bring the puppy in the morning, even though I offered to go pick it up that night. He brought the pup wrapped in a blanket inside a big tote. I wanted to check the pup over before I put him in the freezer..first thing I noticed, the horrible smell. It smelled like this pup had been dead for at least 24 hours, but I didn't know if parvovirus or his size would have an effect on that. Second thing was rigor had already passed. He was limp. This guy claimed the pup died 12 hours earlier. In my experience, none of this adds up to the story he is telling us..but I am not a vet. My question is this..Is this man's story plausible? Could the pup have been eating, drinking, and playing one minute and be dead the next with zero signs or symptoms? Would the size of the pup and parvo affect the decompostion rate and how fast rigor mortis subsides? Assistant: Your shelter may also want to contact Austin Pets Alive. They are a shelter/rescue in Austin Texas that has both parvovirus and distemper treatment wards and they perform research in the treatment of both. They have treated over 6000 parvo pups there. They have quite a bit of information available for shelters/rescues so they may be a good resource for your shelter.	Human: Parvo I have a question for anyone working in the veterinary field..I work at an animal shelter, I've dealt with parvo many times. My dog is actually a parvo survivor. Recently, we got a litter of 8 week old malnourished pups in. We kept them for about a week to try get some weight on them. The day after we adopted them out, one of the pups got sick. The adopters brought him to the vet and he tested pos for parvo. So we called every adopter, explained to them what happened and the gravity of the situation. We offered to pay all vet bills, take the puppies back, etc. All of the pups but one were taken to the vet. The guy that got this puppy said that he was doing fine. He was eating, drinking, and playing. We told him that we suggest he takes him to the vet right away, he was convinced his puppy was fine. We told him that if the puppy stops eating or drinking, seems lethargic, vomits, or has diarrhea to bring him to the emergency vet right away. This was on Wednesday. On Saturday night the guy tries to post a picture of the dead puppy on our fb and says that we sold him a sick puppy and told him it would be fine. I called the manager and said someone needs to call him and get that pup's body, we bring them to the vet for cremation. She got a hold of the guy and he said that the puppy was just fine. He was eating and drinking, wagging his tail, and playing. Then he laid down and just quit breathing. Now from my own experience I called bullshit. I have NEVER seen a case where a 9 week old puppy showed no signs or symptoms and just died. He said he would bring the puppy in the morning, even though I offered to go pick it up that night. He brought the pup wrapped in a blanket inside a big tote. I wanted to check the pup over before I put him in the freezer..first thing I noticed, the horrible smell. It smelled like this pup had been dead for at least 24 hours, but I didn't know if parvovirus or his size would have an effect on that. Second thing was rigor had already passed. He was limp. This guy claimed the pup died 12 hours earlier. In my experience, none of this adds up to the story he is telling us..but I am not a vet. My question is this..Is this man's story plausible? Could the pup have been eating, drinking, and playing one minute and be dead the next with zero signs or symptoms? Would the size of the pup and parvo affect the decompostion rate and how fast rigor mortis subsides? Assistant: The only way that you could know for sure would be to get a necropsy.	0.206551
Human: [DC] Can batman learn magic if he wanted to? And if he can, why doesn't he? I'm not sure if in DC universe normal people can learn magic. But if any mortal can learn magic with enough effort and brain power can batman? And is there any universes where he does? But also does batman have anything against magic? Assistant: The necessities of magic make the most scientific and analytical minds ill-suited to the task. People like Wayne and Luthor can't be good at magic, because magic goes against the very way they see the universe. Sure, they can learn some spells (he knows one: an antimagic spell), but they will never be GOOD at it.	Human: [DC] Can batman learn magic if he wanted to? And if he can, why doesn't he? I'm not sure if in DC universe normal people can learn magic. But if any mortal can learn magic with enough effort and brain power can batman? And is there any universes where he does? But also does batman have anything against magic? Assistant: All magic had a cost. There is always a cost, and everything needs to be balanced. Bruce isn’t willing to use any method, any choice that puts the innocents around him at risk of things blowing back on them. Magic is too risky, too unpredictable with its costs and effects.	0.788962
Human: I'm Dr. Robert Thompson, here to discuss my new book _Clear, Hold, and Destroy: Pacification in Phú Yên and the American War in Vietnam_. AMA! Hello everyone! I'm a historian with the Films Team at Army University Press. I'm here to chat about my new book Clear, Hold, and Destroy: Pacification in Phú Yên and the American War in Vietnam. What I cover in the book: >By the end of the American War in Vietnam, the coastal province of Phú Yên was one of the least-secure provinces in the Republic of Vietnam. It was also a prominent target of the American strategy of pacification—an effort, purportedly separate and distinct from conventional warfare, to win the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese. In Robert J. Thompson III’s analysis, the consistent, and consistently unsuccessful, struggle to place Phú Yên under Saigon’s banner makes the province particularly fertile ground for studying how the Americans advanced pacification and why this effort ultimately failed. > >In March 1970 a disastrous military engagement began in Phú Yên, revealing the enemy’s continued presence after more than three years of pacification. Clear, Hold, and Destroy provides a fresh perspective on the war across multiple levels, from those making and implementing policy to those affected by it. Most pointedly, Thompson contends that pacification, far from existing apart from conventional warfare, actu- ally depended on conventional military forces for its application. His study reaches back into Phú Yên’s storied history with pacification before and during the French colonial period, then focuses on the province from the onset of the American War in 1965 to its conclusion in 1975. > >A sharply focused, fine-grained analysis of one critical province during the Vietnam War, Thompson’s work demonstrates how pacification is better understood as the foundation of U.S. fighting in Vietnam. I'll start responding to questions at 10am EST. I look forward to answering your questions related to the book! Assistant: Dr. Thompson, As a novice, there is this image of Saigon as this monolithic entity that was corrupt, difficult to coordinate, control and guide, and that was very out of touch with the rural/regional areas of South Vietnam. How accurate is that portrayal and how much of the insurgency issues (only term that comes to mind) were a result of Saigon issues? To rephrase the latter part, would operations have been MORE successful with a more adept government (if that was the case) in Saigon?	Human: I'm Dr. Robert Thompson, here to discuss my new book _Clear, Hold, and Destroy: Pacification in Phú Yên and the American War in Vietnam_. AMA! Hello everyone! I'm a historian with the Films Team at Army University Press. I'm here to chat about my new book Clear, Hold, and Destroy: Pacification in Phú Yên and the American War in Vietnam. What I cover in the book: >By the end of the American War in Vietnam, the coastal province of Phú Yên was one of the least-secure provinces in the Republic of Vietnam. It was also a prominent target of the American strategy of pacification—an effort, purportedly separate and distinct from conventional warfare, to win the “hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese. In Robert J. Thompson III’s analysis, the consistent, and consistently unsuccessful, struggle to place Phú Yên under Saigon’s banner makes the province particularly fertile ground for studying how the Americans advanced pacification and why this effort ultimately failed. > >In March 1970 a disastrous military engagement began in Phú Yên, revealing the enemy’s continued presence after more than three years of pacification. Clear, Hold, and Destroy provides a fresh perspective on the war across multiple levels, from those making and implementing policy to those affected by it. Most pointedly, Thompson contends that pacification, far from existing apart from conventional warfare, actu- ally depended on conventional military forces for its application. His study reaches back into Phú Yên’s storied history with pacification before and during the French colonial period, then focuses on the province from the onset of the American War in 1965 to its conclusion in 1975. > >A sharply focused, fine-grained analysis of one critical province during the Vietnam War, Thompson’s work demonstrates how pacification is better understood as the foundation of U.S. fighting in Vietnam. I'll start responding to questions at 10am EST. I look forward to answering your questions related to the book! Assistant: What are some of the new questions that arose for you in the course of researching your book? Are there any particular areas that you'd like to explore, but were out of scope for your immediate work?	0.099844
Human: Why do electrical warning signs warn about voltage but not current? I was always told that it is current that kills you, as it passes through the body. Assistant: Don’t worry about gunpowder because it’s the rapidly moving projectile that kills you.	Human: Why do electrical warning signs warn about voltage but not current? I was always told that it is current that kills you, as it passes through the body. Assistant: Think of voltage as the “potential” and current as the “release of potential”. In general, you warn about the potential, because when you release the potential, it’s already too late.	-0.165488
Human: CMV: If you are a high school student who wants to reduce the chances of a shooting at your school, inviting the guy who is going to shoot up the school to participate in your life is likely to be much more effective than walking out of school to protest gun laws. Staging a walkout to bring attention to gun laws and get congress to enact some ambiguously defined "common sense gun control" legislation is unlikely to have any impact whatsoever. If nothing was done after Sandy Hook when Democrats were in power, I'm not sure why you think protesting is going to bring chance while Republicans are in power. What could have a significant impact, especially at your particular school, is to reach out to the guy who is going to be shooting up the school and include him in your life. Whenever a school shooting occurs, the students are rarely surprised at who the shooter is. Take a poll of 20 students at your average high school, and you're going to hear the same 2-3 names come up over and over and over again again when asking "who is most likely to shoot up the school". Kids are still bullied, ostracized and dehumanized just as much today as they were in 1999. It's been 20 years and we've tried to blame video games, mental health and gun accessibility. We still haven't addressed the core issued: People being dicks to each other. Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Red Lake, Columbine and now Parkland. These shootings aren't being done by the popular starting football quarterback. They're being done by the guy who is pushed in the hallway. They guy who is laughed at, or worse, when he dares to smile at or talk to a girl. The guy who teachers would rather exclude from the classroom than reach out to and help. More succinctly, the guy who is treated like a bug being squashed on the sidewalk, rather than being treated as an actual human being. If the other students made a point to include that person in life, rather than continuing to ostracize, mock and humiliate him, the likelihood of him shooting up the school is going to drop significantly. Invite him over to play video games. Ask him to join you at McDonald's after the game. Be a positive influence in his life. Kids that are included in high school life don't shoot up the school. Kids that have a friend group don't shoot up the school. Kids that are treated as human beings don't shoot up the school. Kids that are treated as less-than-human shoot up the school. Assistant: Kids are not stupid - they can see when you are faking a friendship (suddenly are friendly when they never were, they aren't friendly to your friends or other similar kids, you really don't get along, etc). It might motivate them even more since fear of violence is the only reason why they are so nice - remove the fear of violence and you lose their friendliness.	Human: CMV: If you are a high school student who wants to reduce the chances of a shooting at your school, inviting the guy who is going to shoot up the school to participate in your life is likely to be much more effective than walking out of school to protest gun laws. Staging a walkout to bring attention to gun laws and get congress to enact some ambiguously defined "common sense gun control" legislation is unlikely to have any impact whatsoever. If nothing was done after Sandy Hook when Democrats were in power, I'm not sure why you think protesting is going to bring chance while Republicans are in power. What could have a significant impact, especially at your particular school, is to reach out to the guy who is going to be shooting up the school and include him in your life. Whenever a school shooting occurs, the students are rarely surprised at who the shooter is. Take a poll of 20 students at your average high school, and you're going to hear the same 2-3 names come up over and over and over again again when asking "who is most likely to shoot up the school". Kids are still bullied, ostracized and dehumanized just as much today as they were in 1999. It's been 20 years and we've tried to blame video games, mental health and gun accessibility. We still haven't addressed the core issued: People being dicks to each other. Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Red Lake, Columbine and now Parkland. These shootings aren't being done by the popular starting football quarterback. They're being done by the guy who is pushed in the hallway. They guy who is laughed at, or worse, when he dares to smile at or talk to a girl. The guy who teachers would rather exclude from the classroom than reach out to and help. More succinctly, the guy who is treated like a bug being squashed on the sidewalk, rather than being treated as an actual human being. If the other students made a point to include that person in life, rather than continuing to ostracize, mock and humiliate him, the likelihood of him shooting up the school is going to drop significantly. Invite him over to play video games. Ask him to join you at McDonald's after the game. Be a positive influence in his life. Kids that are included in high school life don't shoot up the school. Kids that have a friend group don't shoot up the school. Kids that are treated as human beings don't shoot up the school. Kids that are treated as less-than-human shoot up the school. Assistant: While I think I largely agree with you on the issue of bullying and the effect it has on violence, the way you have worded your view here is slightly troubling to me. It is possible that I am just misreading it. It seems to me that you are advocating for identifying possibly dangerous children and then inviting them into your life. While this is noble, it is also a lot to ask of children, and I'm not sure it is truly wise to seek greater involvement with dangerous peers.	0.788527
Human: Am getting married and love to bake Hi everyone! I am getting married and am creating a wedding registry. I adore baking but currently have no good supplies for it AT ALL. Like seriously, my all pans are from Stop and Shop. I’m one of those people who does tons of research for anything I buy (or in this case put on my registry). I want to get a set of pans for baking - they don’t have to all come in one set, but I would like them to match. I really like things that have reusable lids, and have set my sights on Nordic ware with lids. However, I also have enjoyed using Big Daddio anodized aluminum pans since someone gave me one recently. I would like something that won’t rust, will last a long time, has lids, and it would be awesome if it’s dishwasher safe but my research is showing me that’s pretty nigh impossible. I’m also looking for a set of seamless silicone spatulas. Recommendations for pans please! Oh, and any other baking gadget you can’t live without! Assistant: Big Daddio may be another name for Fat Daddios (in my part of the world). Wholeheartedly recommend those. Zeal are my favourite brand of seamless spatulas. One thing that you might like to put on your registry is a good stand mixer - doesn't need to be Kitchenaid (although the attachments are nice to have) - Bosch and a few other brands make good ones. If you don't already have one, and you bake regularly, it will change your life!	Human: Am getting married and love to bake Hi everyone! I am getting married and am creating a wedding registry. I adore baking but currently have no good supplies for it AT ALL. Like seriously, my all pans are from Stop and Shop. I’m one of those people who does tons of research for anything I buy (or in this case put on my registry). I want to get a set of pans for baking - they don’t have to all come in one set, but I would like them to match. I really like things that have reusable lids, and have set my sights on Nordic ware with lids. However, I also have enjoyed using Big Daddio anodized aluminum pans since someone gave me one recently. I would like something that won’t rust, will last a long time, has lids, and it would be awesome if it’s dishwasher safe but my research is showing me that’s pretty nigh impossible. I’m also looking for a set of seamless silicone spatulas. Recommendations for pans please! Oh, and any other baking gadget you can’t live without! Assistant: If you like making bread get a dough whisk. Especially if you don't have a KitchenAid, it's really useful for getting doughs mixed with less effort	0.037735