It depends what you mean by ‘security’. Obviously, by introducing more layers, you have more places where exploits can life. However, the biggest threat by orders of magnitude is being tricked into giving stuff up, and that risk will remain constant.

Non-human, uncaring machines who amass and hoard wealth beyond human comprehension honestly doesn’t sound any different than what we have now.

Ah ok. That’s not how I understood your comment initially, but that’s reasonable.

Even if we can’t, should we not try? It’s only, as you say, a few thousand. We can spare the resources to keep them locked up/under house arrest/whatever for the rest of their natural lives if we must.

If we must execute people to heal the wounds inflicted by their sheer callousness, then so be it. But I don’t really accept the argument that anyone is “irredeemable” without even trying.

What, do you think, would be the worst material from which to build a trebuchet and have it still function?

What are the chances that visiting Steven Hawking is the most interesting/fun thing you can do, if you could freely time travel? I’d much rather go look at dinosaurs, or visit the construction of the pyramids, or go listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech.

Even if my goal was to meet a single scientist, I think I’d personally pick any other. Pliny the Elder, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein…

Not to be rude to Mr. Hawking (well, maybe he deserves it, I don’t know what got him in to the Epstein files…), but a thorougly average party is simply not likely to attract very many time travellers.

Whenever you enter a new (sub-)culture, you have to learn the social norms. Some people have an easier time, others have a harder time. There’s not much advice we can give you, since every culture is different. Some value privacy, others openness and honesty. Some communicate stuff via head nods, others by how far you stand away, and others by pitching the tone of their voices.

You will learn too, but it will take lots of exposure and trying. Some people will dislike you for not understanding, others will be forgiving. How much you should make allowances and whether it makes sense to tell them that you are autistic depends on their specific culture and personalities. So, uh, good luck.

note: (sub-)culture here does not mean only the nation you’re in, but it can change group-to-group. Essentially it’s the vibe that a group has.

It’s not really “know as 過労死” in Japanese. That’s just the words for “excess”, “work”, and “death”. That’s kinda like saying “it’s known as ‘overworking to death’ in Britain”.

So do goats, but they’re plenty tasty.

Kind of like how a piston in an engine also kinda just “shakes about” (because of explosions or steam or whatever) and yet delivers a lot of power.

That’s not making an argument for privacy, that’s being a jerk.

You’re missing the point.

China might use your data and hurt you in some far future, whereas the USA will use your data right now in a direct and violent way.

I can explain how the US government having access to the database of all of TikTok’s data might directly result in a visit from ICE. The path to damage caused by China may exist too, but is much more nebulous, and much more difficult for China to execute on.

Yes, if you are in a government position, or in the army, you probably shouldn’t use TikTok under China’s management. But Joe Schmoe from California has little to materially fear from them. But he does have reason to fear the USA government who might well come over and arrest him.