CIRCLE WITH A DOT

@vgarzareyna @billiglarper @quixoticgeek there isn't, but IMO the language of efficiency is a bit misleading when it comes to solar panels because we're using to thinking low efficiency = bad and needs fixing. That's true for fossil fuel technologies, where the energy put into the system is in a form that is rare, expensive and dangerous, so it matters a lot what percentage of that energy in is actually going to come out as useful work.

Photons from the sky are ludicrously plentiful and free, so the trajectory of solar panel manufacture has generally been to not worry too much about pushing the limits on efficiency, and work instead on making them cheaper and cheaper. And it's worked, solar is now the world's cheapest energy source! The solar panels we already know how to make are GREAT, the improvement needed is nearly all in, well, political will. (And battery storage/grid stability, but that's just political will in a trenchcoat.)

@hex I really like the Underworks ones! https://www.underworks.com/tri-top-chest-binder They're not universally loved because the fabric is somewhat stiff, but I find it more comfortable than softer ones because the tissue doesn't slip around underneath. A properly fitting binder shouldn't restrict breathing and plenty of people wear them all day, at least for reasonable lengths of going to school/work (more: https://www.rainbow-project.org/safe-binding-and-packing/) Even if your kid just wants to try it sometimes for certain outfits, it's still a fun wardrobe option to have!

If you're in a big city it's also possible there's a physical store that will allow trying them on, though that also would be likely to be a sex store so ymmv on how that would be to take your kid there!

@futurebird I think my main concern would be loneliness. so smaller for sure, I'd have lots of company down there

@futurebird as a student, this was me transferring from a department with mostly research-oriented profs to engineering, which has mostly profs from industry. A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM USE FREAKING WORD TO TYPESET LAB DOCUMENTS. IT'S INSANE. The good news is I have successfully converted my lab partners from the last few years to latex (with overleaf, yeah...) latex documents just have that "trust me, I'm a professional" je ne said quoi that TAs love to give high grades to regardless of the content

(For stuff I don't need to collaborate on I like texstudio, though.)

watching the trailer for The Place of Ghosts/Sk+te’kmujue’katik JEREMY DUTCHER SONG SPOTTED... I shall come watch...