Welcome to Saturday's Potluck - 12-25-2021

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

Merry Christmas

a little silliness
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2C4yRG-r-0]

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A little food for thought. Metal can learn?

Nickel oxide’s ability to learn could fuel new AI fields

For over half a century, neuroscientists have studied sea slugs to understand basic animal learning. Two fundamental concepts of learning are habituation and sensitization. Habituation occurs when an organism’s response to a repeated stimulus continuously decreases.

When researchers first touch a sea slug, its gills retract. But the more they touch the slug, the less it retracts its gills. Sensitization is an organism’s extreme reaction to a harmful or unexpected stimulus. If researchers then shock a sea slug, it will retract its gills much more dramatically than when it was merely touched. This is sensitization.

Nickel oxide has features that are strikingly similar to this learning behavior. Instead of gills retracting, we measured the change in electrical conductivity of the material. The stimulus, instead of a finger poke, was repeatedly alternating the environment of the nickel oxide between normal air and hydrogen gas.

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What is on your mind today? (Responses to Covid questions and dialog to be conducted at The Dose diary)

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studentofearth's picture

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6 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

Lookout's picture

Off to B'ham to visit with my 90 YO Mom. Haven't seen her much over the last couple of years.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!
I like singing this one with my somewhat altered verses...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5LROczmJHg]
I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day in the morning.

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

O they sailed into Bethlehem,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

O they sailed into Bethlehem,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

And all the bells on earth shall ring,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

And all the souls on earth shall sing,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice again,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

Then let us all rejoice again,

On Christmas Day in the morning

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day in the morning.

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day in the morning.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

be well and have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

TheOtherMaven's picture

@enhydra lutris

As a seagoing country and ascending maritime power, they just couldn't imagine getting to anywhere else by any other way than by sea. Smile

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

studentofearth's picture

@Lookout safe travels and a lovely visit.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

thank you for the great open threads you grace this site with.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@JtC

be well and have a good one

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7 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

studentofearth's picture

@JtC Back atcha - Thanks for keeping it running.

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7 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

enhydra lutris's picture

Merry Christmas. Nitenol, an alloy, have been famous as the "memory metal" since I was a kid, but in a completely different fashion. Thanks for the information and food for thought.

be well and have a good one.

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8 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

studentofearth's picture

@enhydra lutris
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hayCTb3PNk]

Merry Christmas

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6 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

enhydra lutris's picture

@studentofearth

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

We struggled but got this 9 + footer into the house this year. My spouse is like a kid in a candy store. We have so many ornaments from over the years. This tree was big enough to hang many of them, at least 300, and she knows where each one came from. Amazing.

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Thanks for the OT's!

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

I don’t have room for my little tree, but have put out my Peanuts nativity scene and of course the little Charlie Brown tree.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

studentofearth's picture

@QMS souvenirs gathered during travel, gifts, remembrances of departed friends and relatives it is quite a celebration.

Thanks for sharing photos.
Merry Christmas

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5 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

snoopydawg's picture

It’s sunny here with a few left over piles of snow around. Much, much different from my childhood Xmasas where it was measured in feet’s and traveling through the snow to grandma's house was an adventure. Sadly all my relatives that hosted Xmas dinners have passed so Sam and I are making our own memories. But I will look back at the memories of times passed with great fondness. Ribs, potatoes and a nice merlot to look forward to for dinner. She will get one bone, but lots of meat.

Thanks everyone who dish out the Open Threads and finds ways to make them interesting. Thanks to all who help make this site what it is. Hope your day is filled with merriment and love.

Snoop and Sam the dawg.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg

your feast sounds delightful to go with the snow patches
ours is stuck in rain and fog, which is normal
chicken marsala with leeks and mushrooms
creamed taters with buttermilk and sour cream
mashed butternut squash with maple syrup

like you, family is all but gone, so we make our own

Cheers!

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snoopydawg's picture

@QMS

I’m basically a meat and potatoes person and I don’t like crunchy or slimy things that get in my mouth. Our family’s way of saying I don’t like that. I’d probably enjoy the chicken part of it though.

Speaking of chicken, Sam still insists on having some every morning from her days with parvovirus so she gets a bit of cheese each day and we call it chicken. She has me well trained.

Cheers back at'cha.

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@snoopydawg

An ancient food, the leek’s origins can be traced back to central Asia. It was also commonly eaten by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.
Perhaps more than any other culture, however, the leek is associated with the Welsh.
So how did it come to be one of the national emblems of Wales? The leek was apparently essential to the country’s victory during the battle of Heathfield in 633 C.E.
As one version of the story goes, a celtic monk named David persuaded the army to distinguish themselves from their enemies by wearing leeks in their helmets. (To be fair to David, this wasn’t that weird of a suggestion—the battle was happening in a leek field).
To everyone’s surprise, this identification tool helped them win the battle.

They’re a good source of vitamin A (which is good for vision), vitamin K1 (which supports blood clotting and heart health), and vitamin C (which is essential for a healthy immune system).

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@QMS

perhaps the rum nog is getting its way with this christmas cookie

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The shallot is considered an important plant in Indian medicinal practices and is commonly prescribed as an effective remedy for several ailments in Ayurvedic medicine. In fact, it’s been used to heal numerous bodily conditions for thousands of years – both internally and externally, thanks to its natural “cooling” effect on the body. This makes shallots (and onions too) beneficial for lowering inflammation, muscle aches, swelling and water retention.

Like garlic, leeks and onions, shallots are a flavor-building vegetable in the allium family. They’ve been a common ingredient in Asia and the Middle East since ancient times, with crusaders bringing them home to Europe in the eleventh century. Today, shallots are a staple in both home kitchens and restaurants.

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studentofearth's picture

@snoopydawg Gathering here keeps getting smaller. Spirit of Christmas and holiday cheer remains high.

Thanks for doing the heavy lifting on responding to comments and bringing fresh information.

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5 users have voted.

Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

snoopydawg's picture

@studentofearth

And thank you for your contributions to the knowledge base. It’s all so helpful.

Yeah it’s weird seeing the family getting smaller. a few years ago it was just my mom and her sister carrying on the traditions. My cousins do their own thing as does my brother, but I’m just so happy to spend the holidays with whatever dawg is blessing my life. This year it’s Sam the wonder dawg.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.