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Cake day: March 4th, 2025

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  • A big issue with Switzerland is that the EU lacks direct democracy i.e. the ability for the people to force a vote.

    It’s actually pretty awesome. I mean sometimes they end up forcing a vote on stupid things but generally it’s a safeguard that allows the people to block legal changes. So a situation like the Trump tariffs couldn’t happen in Switzerland if the majority of the population objected.

    Personally, I think the EU would be a stronger democracy if they added it, and the odds of Switzerland joining would increase substantially.














  • It’s basically subjecting the entire population to 1 hour jetlag twice a year. The problematic switch is to summer time (losing an hour), which causes many people to be tired for most of the week following the change.

    Lots of tired people means more accidents on the road and at work. There is also a definite uptick in heart attacks.

    Then there is the longer term impact of late evening light on people’s sleep. Whilst it is more social to have more light at night, it’s better for our sleep for darkness to come earlier and to have more light in the mornings. There are tons of studies on the health impacts of insufficient sleep and / or misaligned body circadian rhythms. Summer time is particularly problematic for night owls (which includes all teenagers), who already struggle to fall asleep at a reasonable time.

    The economic costs arise from things like loss of productivity due to tiredness, accidents, and higher health costs.



  • Tissue Resident Macrophages hang out in the area of initial infection, waiting for “that guy” to show up again.

    This is specifically the bit I’m struggling with. How will they know it’s “that guy”?

    It’s a bit like saying “We know this criminal uses disguises. We’ve given everyone copies of his mugshot, which they’ve used for target practice. Now if he wanders in wearing a disguise, people will recognise him.”

    As I understand it, “hidden” is a relative thing.

    I guess this is the answer?

    Going back to my analogy, you’re saying his disguises are pretty simple. So he might wear glasses or a fake beard, but he isn’t likely to turn up in a full clown outfit, with multi-coloured hair, make up, and a big red nose.