Anybody have first-hand experience with a place called Code Ninjas? https://www.codeninjas.com/

I have friends with an early-elementary aged child who is showing some interest in programming. Another family friend programmed a simple video game for them, and know the child is talking about programming their own game, but they don't have any knowledge besides making some simple Scratch scenes.

The family lives near one of the company's locations and were wondering whether it would be a fun thing to try. Nobody is expecting the kid to be a professional developer coming out, but it would be nice if they learned at least some basics about loops and so on (i.e., they'd rather the students not just be set in front of a screen to vibe code everything). Also, obviously, they'd want it to be fun for their kid.

It's hard to trust any general online reviews, so I was hoping someone here would be willing to share!

Hopefully I can make this clear with an example. On my current keyboard, Alt is directly under X and Win is directly under Z. On most of the models of mechanical keyboards I have looked at, those keys are shifted well to the left of where I am used to. The bottom row layout is often (3 keys, spacebar, 4 keys). If I could switch it to (4 keys, spacebar, 3 keys), that would match what I am used to.

I am testing out an Aula F87, and I've found that the difference is not just cosmetic. I use the Alt and Win keys a lot between video games and my window manager, and it is substantially less comfortable to have to reach the additional distance so frequently.

How much work would I have to do to, or is it even possible at all, to move things around as described? If it's not possible, does anyone have suggestions for finding a keyboard that matches what I want (other than just looking at pictures of lots of keyboards until I find one that looks comfortable)?

I was inspired by today's XKCD text: "Scientists occasionally invent alternative periodic table layouts, which is usually a sign that they don't have enough enrichment in their enclosures." (emphasis mine)

If we spend nearly all of our time alone, what kinds of "enrichment" do we need to keep ourselves from going crazy?

I assume ethical research here would be difficult to find, but it seems like there could be observational studies of prisoners, scientists at isolated outposts, etc. I wonder how many work-from-home people are keeping themselves in conditions that would be considered unethical if those conditions were forced on them.

(I'm not doing as badly as this post would imply -- it's just a slow Friday here :) )

EDIT: People seem to be really fixating on the prison thing. It was an example of a place where people can feel isolation and still be monitored. I am aware that my home is not a prison.

I work from home. I like working from home. Sometimes I get lonely or bored, and I wondered what science said I should do to ensure I'm having the best experience possible.

@[email protected] nailed the intent of my question. It was meant to ask about research-backed positive things that people should ensure they are doing.

I often find I'm limited in my assistance work more because my joints (shoulders, elbows, sometimes wrists) start to hurt and/or pop than because my muscles are tired. I'm wondering whether there is a warm-up or stretching routine that would fix some of my issues.

I had lower-back problems that started to feel much better after I added Limber 11 to my warm-up, so I'm hoping that there's a similar dynamic routine I can do a few times a day for my upper body. I tried Defranco's Simple 6, and that helped in some areas, but I think the sleeper stretch was starting to mess up one of my shoulders, so I'm going to move on from that.

Does anyone here have a go-to routine that has helped them stay loose and healthy through their arms, neck, and upper back?

I once saw a post on Reddit or similar claiming that the poster lived near a US Naval base and that occaisionally all hobbiest drones flying near the base would just shut down. They claimed that this was due to the powerful radar signals sent out from the base that either interfered with the drones' controls or caused an electrical problem of some kind in the drones. I'm not sure whether they said it was a ship or something on the base itself that sent the signals.

I guess my question comes in two parts. First, is what this person claimed even a real thing? Would naval radar take small, hobbiest-type drones out of the air? I can't find the post, and I didn't see anything similar mentioned in a brief search.

Second, this made me think about more fun what-if type questions. If someone just set up an antenna in a suburban neighborhood and blasted out radar with the power of a "typical" US Navy ship or station, what effects would it have on the neighborhood? For example:

• Would it damage any other devices, such as TVs or computers?
• What effects would it have on nearby humans? Would people in the house be burned?
• How much power would be required?
• I know this would be super illegal. How long would it take the FCC to determine exactly which house had done it? How would they pinpoint the location?

I feel stupid adding this caveat, but I'll mention that don't worry, I have no intention of blasting high-powered radar signals from my residence.