Anybody interested in taking drugs they’ve cooked up should familiarize themselves with MPTP/MPP+ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPTP
That looks like yet another reason to stay the heck away from opiates.
BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
121–130 of 215 posts
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#122Earlier quoted context omitted.
The story probably has two sides, as you mention. However, I think everyone should be in charge of their own decisions, including taking not approved drugs, without being considered criminals or similar, under their strict own responsibility.
This question is pedantic but I’ll ask it anyways: is it actually illegal to take an unapproved drug? Sale of, marketing for, distribution, etc. all might be (are?) illegal but is TAKING an unapproved drug illegal? I can’t believe it is, there’s an entire industry that peddles nootropics and supplements. My understanding has always been that if you can get it (however that is), you can take it without issue (although…
Isn't the FDAs rule it becomes controlled once the active ingredient in the supplement is proven to have significant pharmacological effects on health conditions? So you can take it up to and until it becomes clear it has a benefit to you, the you can only take the FDA approved version.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#123> We all know that custom, hand-made, artisan-crafted, boutique tools are always better than something factory made. A guitar, a wood chisel, a chef's knife, a built racing engine, a firearm, a suit, a pair of shoes. Given that this is so well-known, and so universally understood, it's peculiar at best that this is not seen by most people when it comes to medicine. It is however also true. I have seen this sentiment…
> a pair of shoes
>> For all of the things listed, I would rather have factory made versions.
I think people believe this who haven't ever experienced truly custom hand-made things. The process of creating an actual "custom, hand-made, artisan-crafted, boutique" shoe will involve first creating a custom "last" - a wooden mold to build the shoe around.
This last isn't literally a mold of your foot, it is a custom-sculpted shape that is specific to both your foot and the particular shoe style. The shoemaker will keep all of their customer's lasts in a large library, so once your last is customized properly for you (in-person), you don't have to return to order more of that type of shoe - you can place future orders in different colors/materials and the shoe will be created around that same wooden last, ensuring a very specific fit that is most comfortable for you.
A factory cannot do this.
The point of hand-made things is customization that goes far beyond what a factory could ever do. If you're buying hand-made things that aren't truly customized for you, then you're largely missing the point.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#124While a noble cause, this seems like a prime example of “techies convince themselves they are smarter than everyone and they can solve every single problem with JavaScript”. Which is why, when you actually look at the project, it’s a website, instructions for a 3D printed version of the chemistry kit I bought my kid for Christmas for $40, several software suites all listed as “pre-alpha” (read: not working), and inst…
> it makes me want to actually get out of tech and into a field where people are more grounded. Something with fewer religious fanatics, God complexes, and delusions of grandeur.
I've been having this thought a lot lately. Do you have any thoughts about which field you might transition to, if you did this?
I've been considering bioinformatics, so far the classes have been pretty fun, but I haven't yet gotten close enough to the day-to-day work to know if it's any less toxic or just toxic in new and unpleasant ways.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#125Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If that claim about hand made items being better were true, there would be a market for hand made CPUs Isn't a CPU kind of one of the most complex thing humanity has ever created in hardware terms? Like the scales involved are so different, compared to the examples of a guitar, chisel or knife. It requires so tiny tolerances and measurements, that I guess we're past it's even possible to "make a CPU by hand" that c…
Nobody expressing the general sentiment of “hand made is intrinsically better than factory made” has been able to produce evidence of intrinsic superiority. The burden of proof is on those making such claims and evidence largely favors factories as producing superior products. There can be exceptions, but that is due to bad decisions rather than some intrinsic issue with the idea of a factory production line.
> I really don’t expect to learn any differently by doing further research, which I expect to be a waste of my time.
I guess that settles that, then.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#126> We all know that custom, hand-made, artisan-crafted, boutique tools are always better than something factory made. A guitar, a wood chisel, a chef's knife, a built racing engine, a firearm, a suit, a pair of shoes. Given that this is so well-known, and so universally understood, it's peculiar at best that this is not seen by most people when it comes to medicine. It is however also true. I have seen this sentiment…
In regards to objects like the guitar listed in the quote, there is a draw to how a hand-crafted item can be _unique_ due to slight imperfections. This can range from just slight imperfections in the wood to things such as believing your guitar has a unique sound. Sure the factory guitar may sound "perfect", but the only guitar that sounds like this handmade guitar is this handmade guitar.
Wouldn't a better example than guitars be violins? A handmade violin is always going to sound better than one machinemade because the luthier is able to treat the wood specifcally to showcase the tone of the wood used.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#127This could get super interesting with my country’s political situation. I could see two particular groups getting into med production: - Pregnant women who need abortion medication - Trans people who need hormones With finasteride and puberty blockers/HRT being criminalized, a lot of people in the above categories are turning to black market / DIY solutions.
It's crazy how DIY HRT and puberty blockers are now necessary to prevent trans kids from being mutilated by going through the wound puberty, then having to pay tens of thousands of dollars for reconstructive surgeries to fix maybe a fifth the damage.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#128Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can avoid a lot of joy that way, too.
I do not see how. A well made guitar from a factory would give the same joy as a hand made one as far as I am concerned. Perhaps even more upon realizing imperfections were avoided.
You two are in a battle over aesthetics, it is a battle that neither of you can win.
There is something attractive about a new set of work gloves. They are fresh, clean, almost begging you to use them in a project.
There is something attractive about a set of work gloves that have curled to the shape of your hands and have been burnished by sap and sawdusts and oils: come on old friend, let's remake our previous magic.
There's something nice about a fleecy throw, but they are not as cozy as the quilts my wife made for my daughter, but defining that coziness will remain out of reach as far as my words go.
No one can be correct, here. It's just what appeals more or less to you.
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#129> We all know that custom, hand-made, artisan-crafted, boutique tools are always better than something factory made. A guitar, a wood chisel, a chef's knife, a built racing engine, a firearm, a suit, a pair of shoes. Given that this is so well-known, and so universally understood, it's peculiar at best that this is not seen by most people when it comes to medicine. It is however also true. I have seen this sentiment…
> a pair of shoes >> For all of the things listed, I would rather have factory made versions. I think people believe this who haven't ever experienced truly custom hand-made things. The process of creating an actual "custom, hand-made, artisan-crafted, boutique" shoe will involve first creating a custom "last" - a wooden mold to build the shoe around. This last isn't literally a mold of your foot, it is a custom-scul…
I recall my father once took my discarded factory made Rockport shoes out of the trash to have the soles repaired by a cobbler in China. From what my father told me, the cobbler claimed he had never seen such high quality shoes. My father thought he was doing me a favor. Unfortunately, I had several pairs of identical shoes in my closet prepared in advance for when the soles wore out.
If he had never seen such high quality shoes, I certainly do not expect him to be able to produce equal quality shoes even if he is able to make a better fit. However, they make enough sizes of shoes that you can approximate the right fit and actually getting the right fit is not significantly different. I have wide feet, which makes getting shoes that fit well difficult since the wide variety is not often shipped to stores and likely has limited production. That is why I had so many duplicates of the same shoe in my closet in the first place. Having found shoes that fit, I do not feel any need for a custom fit.
That said, a custom fit is a very different thing than a claim of being intrinsically better. If we go by what my father claimed the cobbler in China said, the factory made shoes are the better ones (or at least the Rockport ones I wear are).
Re: BioTerrorism Will Save Your Life with the 4 Thieves Vinegar Collective [video]
#130> We all know that custom, hand-made, artisan-crafted, boutique tools are always better than something factory made. A guitar, a wood chisel, a chef's knife, a built racing engine, a firearm, a suit, a pair of shoes. Given that this is so well-known, and so universally understood, it's peculiar at best that this is not seen by most people when it comes to medicine. It is however also true. I have seen this sentiment…
> I have seen this sentiment expressed, but I have yet to see any real evidence for it.
This boils down to the definition of what "better" means, and for items like those listed that's actually quite easy! "Better" means "the way I want it". Customized to my individual needs. Factory produced can never give you that.
If I want a Gyuto style knife with an octagonal handle made from carbon fibre and blade in CPM-10V alloy, I'm not going to find it at Ikea.
If I want a suit or a leather boot that fits my particular body perfectly, it needs to be custom made.
If I want a built K20 turbo engine, it will need to be very different if it goes in a circuit racing car or a time attack car, and both need to be very different from the factory engine.
The factory needs to optimize for the average person. It needs to satisfy regulators, beancounters, shareholders. The artisan does not.