Krishnan Viswanathan @matungawalla@transportation.social

Another day, another disaster, at another place.

This is the climate crisis.

Our debate must turn around: It is not climate action that has to justify itself, but rather inaction.

Problem 1️⃣ : Car bloat endangers others on the street

Tall vehicles have bigger blind spots and are more likely to strike a person’s torso or head.

Heavier vehicles exert more force crashing into a person, bicycle, or smaller car. They also have longer braking distances.

Summary: Car bloat is terrible – for road safety, for the planet, for equity, and for road maintenance.

But bigger cars are often more profitable, so automakers like making them.

The only way out: Government action. Examples:
🔹 Tax vehicles by weight.
🔹 Test vehicles for pedestrian and cyclist safety (still doesn’t happen in the US).
🔹 Require a CDL for the most gigantic vehicles.

Left alone, this problem will only worsen. Governments must step up.

https://slate.com/business/2023/01/electric-cars-hummer-ev-tax-fees-weight-joe-biden.html

After almost six months of work, I'm proud to finally present my integrated commuter rail map of New York City and Philadelphia!

Showing five different commuter rail systems (#CTRail, #MetroNorth, #LIRR, #NJTransit, and #SEPTA), this map depicts everywhere a passenger can get to by train from NYC or Philadelphia without using Amtrak.

This is by far the most complicated map I've ever made, but I'm incredibly happy with the result!

If you're new to using multiple desktops in Windows, they exist in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 (although we've made improvements to the experience in 11)

You can use them from Task View (WIN + Tab), but you can do it with keyboard shortcuts:

• WIN + CTRL + D: Create a new desktop
• WIN + CTRL + Left or Right Arrow: Switch between desktops
• WIN + CTRL + F4: Close the current desktop

To understand Musk's renewed obsession with X and focus on financial services, you REALLY need to understand the X/Confinity merger that became PayPal.

And, particularly, the Peter Thiel-led coup that kicked Musk out as CEO/Chief Strategist.

Here's how that happened. 1/🧵 #history #technology

For a few years, I was an adjunct instructor at a community college in FL.
My class consistently got high ratings, but today I'd be fired for my syllabus.
Why?
Because I taught very basic facts about history and culture.

Guys - if you've not seen the French football women's World Cup ad, you HAVE to. It's a piece of artistic & political genius

#MastodonFC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVNZRHIZVL8

They are privileged, lucky and in some cases good at tech innovation. They are not wise.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/07/17/elon-musk-technology-leaders-influence/

Crashes kill 43,000 people per year in the US.

Self-driving car companies claim to have the solution.

In Slate, I call bullshit.

https://slate.com/technology/2023/07/cruise-autonomous-vehicles-safety-waymo-self-driving-cars-ad-new-york-times.html

#autonomousvehicles #avs #cars #sanfrancisco

A major issue in the entertainment industry strikes now -- and in many other strikes that will be coming in other fields -- is fears of jobs being destroyed by AI. And these unions are absolutely correct to be taking firm stances on this.

i like how "illegal in the EU" means it probably violated a human right and "illegal in florida" means it probably is a human right

My new social media app is called Grouse. You can only post criticism of the 3,000 other new social media apps.

Posts are called “Gripes.” No likes or reposts—just one button to “Commiserate.” If a Gripe receives enough Commiseration it’s elevated by the algorithm into a “Complaint.”

Also there’s an academic version called “Faculty Meeting.”

it is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you that the tech bros have invented sails

SCOTUS struck down AA b/c it’s allegedly discriminatory. Here’s the Facts:
•AA benefitted white women more than all other groups COMBINED—plaintiffs never complained about that
•43% of white Harvard students are legacy or athlete students, of which 75% would not be admitted otherwise—plaintiffs never complained about that
•Asians are 6% of the population & 26% of Harvard admissions—plaintiffs never complained about that

This SCOTUS ruling is 100% anti-fact & 100% anti-Black racism.

There is nothing stopping Harvard, Yale, & the other Ivy League schools from announcing today that they will end legacy admissions. They will not, however. Because those legacy admissions are central to their core conception of themselves and of their role in our society.

All good blessings to the kid on my train seeing bumper to bumper traffic on the inbound bridge into DC and saying "Boooo! Booooo driving! Boring in traffic! It's 100 degrees!" And kudos to their parent who probably explained to them why they take the train versus drive.