1. I’m 17 and wrote this guide on how CPUs run programs
Total comment counts : 67
Summary
The author discusses their journey to understand how computer programs run on a computer, exploring topics such as CPU execution, syscalls, and simultaneous program execution. They conducted extensive research and compiled their findings into an article, with Chapter 3 being recommended for readers who are already familiar with the basics.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author, Lexi, shares their experience of teaching themselves how programs run on a computer. They express frustration with the lack of reliable online resources and decide to create their own comprehensive guide. Lexi spends months researching, writing, and creating illustrations for the guide. Finally, they share the final version of the guide, which they are proud of. The website is a static HTML/CSS project and Lexi hopes that it becomes a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning about program execution.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is praised for its well-written and detailed analysis of a specific topic. It mentions that while some young programmers may rely on copying code without fully understanding it, the writer believes that eventually they will reach a limit. The article author is commended for creating valuable educational resources for others to learn from. The article concludes with a suggestion to write an emulator, which is described as a fun activity.
2. G9.js: Automatically Interactive Graphics
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article introduces the g9 gallery, a tool for creating graphics that allows users to interact with the graphics by dragging elements. It explains that g9.js exposes a single function, g9, which takes initial data and a drawing context as inputs. When someone interacts with the graphics, g9 optimizes over the possible values for the data to find a set of values that create the desired change. The entire scene is then rerendered with the new data. The article also mentions that g9 has an API and provides examples demonstrating how to use g9 to create different shapes and animations.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is fascinated by the ability to select and manipulate a node within a recursive tree, causing the rest of the tree to react. They are curious about how this is accomplished and how well it functions when the positions of points in the tree are not connected smoothly.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a new API called g9 that allows users to manipulate charts and graphics by dragging elements to change data values. This feature is praised for its simplicity and effectiveness. Although the use cases may be limited, it is seen as a useful tool for certain situations.
3. Llama from scratch, or how to implement a paper without crying
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The article provides tips on implementing a paper called Llama, which is a transformer-based model for language modeling. The author discusses their approach, including creating a config object, generating training data and labels, evaluating the model, and defining a basic feed-forward neural network. The article also covers debugging issues with the model, such as reshaping tensors and removing softmax layers. The author then explains three architectural modifications to the original Transformer model, including the use of RMSNorm and RoPE positional encoding. The article concludes with insights into tensor dimensions and the importance of testing and evaluating the model’s performance.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a bug related to the parameter beta in the SwiGLU model. In the original reference paper, beta is set as a constant, but in the beta version of SwiGLU, it is a learnable parameter. The official llama implementation of SwiGLU has removed the constant beta. The article also highlights that during training, the beta value degenerates into 0 instead of remaining constant at 1, as it should be.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article is praised for their work but a commentor points out that there is a lot of wasted computation in the model being discussed. Specifically, they mention that a particular layer in the model is unnecessary and the model could be simplified. The commenter explains that the model is effectively a single hidden layer MLP and calculates the number of operations wasted in terms of FLOPS.
4. Infrastructure audit completed by Radically Open Security
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is about the author’s experience with a VPN service called Mullvad. The author praises Mullvad for its commitment to security and customer privacy. However, the author also expresses disappointment when Mullvad disabled port forwarding without notifying customers, resulting in a sudden loss of service for the author. Despite this, the author still appreciates Mullvad’s technical prowess and security measures, and wishes them success as the only VPN service they trust.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author regrets not joining the company Mullvad due to their alignment with his values of placing liberty over convenience. He criticizes the majority of technical enthusiasts who use cloud providers under the jurisdiction of the US Government, leading to issues such as adherence to US sanctions. This prevents individuals from certain countries from accessing the games he created. The author finds it refreshing to see a company like Mullvad that values liberty and is not considered “scummy.”
5. Want employees to return to the office? Then give each one an office
Total comment counts : 138
Summary
The article discusses the drawbacks of remote work and open office spaces, and offers advice to employers on how to create productive work environments. The author believes that remote workers miss out on valuable skills and connections and are at higher risk during economic downturns. They suggest that employers should provide individual offices or small rooms with desks and doors that close, as open offices can be noisy and hinder concentration. The author acknowledges that there are benefits to in-person work, but excessive closeness and the cost of open offices may not be necessary to achieve these benefits. They argue that the remote work revolution has made extra office space more affordable, presenting an opportunity for employers to create better work environments by giving their employees space and privacy.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the preference for working from home (WFH) and the reluctance of individuals who enjoy working remotely to return to the office. These individuals would only consider returning if the office is conveniently located near their homes. The article highlights that the time and cost savings associated with avoiding a daily commute outweigh the benefits of a nicer office environment. However, those who are eager to return to the office are typically individuals who do not enjoy WFH and prefer more social interactions and a change of environment. The article emphasizes that while a nicer office can enhance the work experience, it will not significantly shift people’s preference for WFH.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how Joel Spolsky emphasized the importance of private offices with doors that close. However, the author shares their experience of working on a Data Science team that transitioned to an open floor plan. The result was that individuals who needed to concentrate on projects would choose to work from home instead of in the office.
6. Testing Intel’s Arc A770 GPU for Deep Learning
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
The author conducted tests on Intel’s Arc A770 GPU and its performance with Intel’s OpenVINO library and PyTorch-DirectML package. Initially, the PyTorch-DirectML package was incomplete and the author could not test the card’s training performance. However, after Intel released updates, including experimental support for Arc GPUs, the author tried again and successfully got the card working on Ubuntu and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). The author used a training notebook to compare the performance of the Arc A770 with a Titan RTX GPU, finding that the training time on the Arc A770 was within 10% of the Titan RTX. The author also tested the extension in WSL and found it to be slower than a native Ubuntu installation. The article concludes that Arc GPUs are now viable options for deep learning tasks, although there may still be certain operations or edge cases that cause issues.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses Intel’s efforts to improve its graphics capabilities. The driver team has been working on resolving issues and trying to catch up with AMD and Nvidia. They are particularly focused on fully supporting machine learning workloads. The author mentions that Intel’s 16GB card at an affordable price indicates their dedication. The author expresses hopes for the next generation Battlemage graphics card to have 32GB for larger models.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article is surprised by the performance of a particular software. They compare it to the Titan RTX, noting that despite being four years older and more expensive, the Titan RTX has better specifications. However, in gaming workloads, the Arc cards underperform compared to their theoretical performance. The author speculates that this may be due to the drivers or micro-architectural differences. They express excitement for the next generation of technology.
7. J-CIA64 – Modern spare part for Commodore 64, Commodore 128, SX-64
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author discusses their decision to give up on owning a real Commodore 64 (C64) due to the complexities and the need for replacement parts. They find that VICE emulation is sufficient for their needs, but they still desired the keyboard for an authentic experience. The most feasible option they found was buying the retroremake TheC64, which resembles a C64 but runs on an ARM chip with VICE. Despite not being perfect or a genuine C64, the author is able to play games, type programs, create art, and relive their childhood experiences.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author reflects on their past experiences as a teenager attending user group meetings where they would share pirated software, watch impressive demonstrations, and marvel at the capabilities of various computer models like the C128 and the Amiga. They also mention the presence of Apple users with their IIe’s and IIc’s, while never having seen a Mac in real life until college. The author acknowledges that this nostalgic era of their life is unlikely to be replicated, but understands why others would want to build these machines today.
8. A Critical Problem (2017)
Total comment counts : 17
Summary
The article discusses the importance of criticality safety when working with dangerous materials, specifically focusing on the handling of plutonium. The author shares personal experiences working with high-voltage lasers and managing people in charge of developing cans for storing plutonium. The article also mentions the risks and precautions associated with criticality incidents, referencing the deaths of Louis Slotin and Harry Daghlian during their experiments with nuclear weapons design. The author expresses concern about a recent incident where a technician ignored safety limits in arranging plutonium for a photograph, as well as the reported lack of importance given to the criticality safety group by certain managers. The article concludes by highlighting the necessity of educating workers about the dangers of handling plutonium and the potential consequences of poor safety practices. The author also questions the involvement of management in the incident and the safety procedures in place.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the concept of nuclear criticality safety and the potential failure modes associated with it. The author highlights the importance of understanding and engineering compliance in order to account for human behavior and prevent accidents. The article also mentions a survey published by Los Alamos, which provides insights into worldwide criticality accidents.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a natural nuclear fission reactor that occurred on Earth. This reactor formed when a uranium-rich mineral deposit became flooded with groundwater, which acted as a moderator for the neutrons produced by nuclear fission. The reaction produced heat that caused the groundwater to boil away, slowing or stopping the reaction. After the mineral deposit cooled, the water returned, and the reaction restarted, completing a cycle every 3 hours. The reaction continued for hundreds of thousands of years until the decreasing fissile materials and the buildup of neutron poisons prevented the sustainment of a chain reaction. Overall, it is an intriguing natural phenomenon.
9. LK-99: Phonon bands, Localized Flat Band Magnetism, Models and Chemical Analysis
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author is expressing concern about claiming anything about LK-99, as each synthesized version seems to be different. They emphasize the need for a thorough analysis of the sample provided by Lee and Kim.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the dismissal of a theoretical physicist named Bogdan Bernevig, who is known for predicting superconductors. The author presents two reactions to this dismissal. Firstly, if Bernevig’s models could predict useful room temperature superconductors, we would have already discovered one. Secondly, if his models do not agree with a particular material called LK-99 being a superconductor, but it turns out to be one, Bernevig would need to revise his theories. The author suggests that finding a room temperature superconductor may require a theoretical framework that is not currently available.
10. Happy Birthday OpenStreetMap
Total comment counts : 11
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article discusses their job’s use of the OpenStreetMap (OSM) system for route planning and how they contribute changes and updates to benefit their planning. They also mention their personal use of OSM for biking and hiking trails, where they upload 360 camera images to Mapillary and Google Street View. This helps create a street view-like experience and improves trail and biking routes in OSM. The author emphasizes the importance of accurate route planning to avoid inconveniences, such as carrying a gravel bike on an unplanned route or encountering unwalkable paths. They find enjoyment in exploring new roads and adding them to the map.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the OpenStreetMap (OSM) project as one of the top projects in the open-source movement. It highlights how OSM offers an alternative and effective way of organizing information landscapes. The article concludes by expressing appreciation for OSM and hoping for more similar projects to follow its path.