Chebucto Regional Softball Club

@Kierkegaanks

**sustained screaming**

And it might work if you, say, cheat. If you, for example, select a population of students with parents who can buy materials for them, and only let in students who have already learned how to do self-guided instruction you can have a class of 90 students and lecture them on calculus and they will learn a lot.

But at some point SOMEONE had to put in the real time to get them ready to do that.

"HoW dO We IMprOVe EdUcaTIoN??"

People act like it's a big mystery but it's not?

1. Better educated teachers.
2. More experienced teachers. (as in a ratio to new teachers)
3. Limit class size to 20 students aim for an average of 14.
4. Equip schools with sufficient materials eg: buildings that are safe and functional, internet that works, computers for students, you know the materials.

Most "education innovations" are trying to skip this stuff and use something else instead to save money.

I spent an hour yesterday working with one student. She was scared of the soldering iron. "Do your parents let you use the stove at home? It could burn you too, right? But we understand how to be safe and it's not a problem."

She did a beautiful job on her project and learned the names of many parts and learned that she can be scared to do something but still be extremely successful.

This is only really possible because my classes are small. If I need to work with a student I can do it.

@apophis @Archnemysis

It is POTATO this is a US staple food. It should be dirt cheap.

I assume it's mostly labor cost... not that they pay the people like it is.

Anyway. I can't afford french fries.

@Archnemysis D

@gerrymcgovern

So this is what I mean about "understanding chess"

https://sauropods.win/@zachweinersmith.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy/114659299818582553

@CoolerPseudonym they hated it lol

How much is a medium french fry at Mcdonald’s in NYC?

If you can understand why *YOU* care so much about your strange obscure mechanics, all these imaginary worlds that you love to create and understand and "make work"

You might be closer to understanding why they might also matter to the characters in your story and thus the reader.

I could be as simple as "Boy people would be surprised if THIS MESS happened" ... so don't forget to have someone there to be surprised. Shocked. Who has to deal with it all.

Then you are good to go!

Listen bub. I went to Drama School so I know that most people stay engaged with stories because of likable (or at least interesting) characters who need things from other characters.

You can't just expect people to read about the orbital mechanics of your imaginary planet unless it matters to someone who needs something.

That's the "story part"

I think for SF writers keeping these woven together can be hard.

But, there is one weird trick.

Three Act Structure Fans HATE it.

Deeply invested in the fate of Mr.Happy

@medley56 @KanaMauna

And sunflower seeds and sunflower oil.

@ketmorco

"MORE? Of course! We aim to serve."

**cranks the grinder faster**

This started happening at the same time I was learning more details about ant anatomy. Over a month it went from possible to look for reference images in search engines to impossible.

The images are more obviously upsetting, but the same thing is true of text about just about everything.

If you don't see the errors that's OK. That's part of the problem to most people this might look like a plausible ant. But, it's not. It's as wrong as a person with two noses and five eyes.

The sloppy and haphazard application of these technologies have forever damaged the credibility of anyone claiming they are going to do something useful or productive with them.

If you don't get this imagine it's a car, or a whatever you might care about and it's just made up and full of random senseless errors.

Why do I get so upset about the idea of "AI" in the same sentence as "insect identification" ? Really images like these have traumatized me.

Two sets of mandibles, no clypus, and ocelli in a pattern never seen on any ant that ever lived! (they should be centered, and there could be one or three... not two spread out like this is a spider!) but it's a "macro photo" (no it isn't nothing looks like this)

I don't know if this makes anyone else upset, but it's very annoying to me.

@r343l @alexwild

My trust is deeply shaken and I am not taking this well.

This whole AI thing is like being in a restaurant with a fancy waiter who has one of those giant pepper shakers, only it's full of bird poop and anthrax and he keeps asking "would miss like a little AI on her pasta?" with every dish that comes out... and when you say "NO" he starts grinding anyway and won't stop until you physically knock him over.