1. Detroit wants to be the first big American city to tax land value
Total comment counts : 52
Summary
Detroit is planning to implement a radical new tax system that would tax land at a higher rate, regardless of whether there are buildings on it, in an effort to reduce blight and encourage development. The current property tax system in Detroit raises very little revenue, and the proposed changes aim to lower taxes for most residents while potentially spurring development. The city’s long-standing challenges with assessing property values and high foreclosure rates are concerns, but proponents believe that the new tax system could have positive effects.
Top 1 Comment Summary
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Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the concept of a “land value tax” and how it differs from existing property tax regimes. It also mentions a specific case in Detroit where different rates of taxation are applied to land. The difference in tax rates could potentially be achieved by increasing the land component of a property’s value.
2. BB(3, 3) is Hard
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
The article discusses a Turing Machine called “Bigfoot” that cannot be proven to halt or not without solving a Collatz-like problem. It explains that solving the BB(3, 3) problem is at least as difficult as solving this Collatz-like problem. The article provides rules and configurations for Bigfoot and analyzes its behavior, suggesting that it will likely run forever based on a Markov chain argument. The author proposes calling such machines “Cryptids” and expresses hope that someone might find a clever mathematical property to analyze this specific problem. However, the author notes that Collatz-like problems tend to fall into either easily provable or unsolvable categories. The article concludes by expressing the desire to prove the BB(3, 3) problem remains within reach.
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The article suggests that the problem BB(3, 3) may appear difficult, as it shares similarities with the challenging Collatz conjecture. However, it also points out that this specific instance might not be as difficult due to biased behavior and the need to only consider one trajectory instead of multiple trajectories for all integers.
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The article discusses a Turing machine with 748 states that halts if and only if ZFC (Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with the axiom of choice) is inconsistent. The author points out that although this machine cannot currently be run due to computing power limitations, in principle, it could be run for a certain number of steps. If it halts, it would prove that ZFC is inconsistent, and if it does not halt, it would prove that ZFC is consistent. However, the author acknowledges Gödel’s second incompleteness theorem, which states that ZFC cannot prove its own consistency. The author speculates that there may be a technical detail in the proof of the theorem that requires a stronger metatheory than ZFC to show the machine’s behavior. The author suggests that running the machine for a specified number of steps would only prove that ZFC+ (ZFC plus the assumption of the existence of an inaccessible cardinal) proves ZFC is consistent, which is already known. The author seeks insight from those who have explored this problem in depth.
3. Getaddrinfo() on glibc calls getenv(), oh boy
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
The article discusses the issue of thread safety in the Unix environment, specifically focusing on the manipulation functions under glibc. The author warns that calling certain functions, like setenv and getenv, in a multi-threaded environment can lead to potential problems such as segmentation faults. The article highlights a specific case where this issue arises in Go programming language when using the getaddrinfo() function, which unexpectedly calls getenv(). The article advises readers to be aware of this issue, especially if they are using glibc on Linux.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article states that most C library functions have the potential to call the getenv() function. It also mentions that even printing a number requires checking the locale, which can be configured through the environment. The author recommends avoiding calling the setenv() function after spawning threads.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is questioning why OS libraries do not have a lock around the setenv/getenv functions to ensure only one thread can access them at a time. They do not see how this could cause a deadlock and do not believe the performance of the calls would be negatively affected by adding a lock.
4. Small business owners say they’re pressured to hire off-duty cops for security
Total comment counts : 50
Summary
The article discusses the issue of off-duty work for Minneapolis police officers as a requirement for businesses, particularly small businesses owned by immigrants or people of color. The author interviews Maya Santamaria, who owned a club in Minneapolis and was required to hire off-duty police officers for security. Santamaria alleges that the requirement was racially motivated and that she was overcharged for their services. Other business owners share similar experiences and claim that they were led to believe they had no choice but to hire officers or risk being ignored by the police. The article also mentions the difficulties in reforming the off-duty work program due to a court injunction and the police union contract. It discusses the parallels between the Minneapolis Police Department’s off-duty work system and the one in New Orleans, which was found to be corrupt and contributed to abuse and corruption. The article concludes by suggesting that the Department of Justice may need to intervene to bring about reform.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the widespread practice of hiring off-duty police officers as security personnel, commonly referred to as “rent-a-cops.” The pressure to hire cops is prevalent, and security companies are often coerced or left in a difficult position if they resist. The author argues that the police in the US have excessive control over local government and politics and possess an ideology that fosters self-righteousness and a militaristic mindset. They also have a monopoly on violence. The article suggests that dealing with the police is more akin to dealing with radical militias than with government officials, and individuals who have not experienced this are simply fortunate or have not posed a threat to their interests.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article highlights a connection between the owner of a nightclub, Maya Santamaria, and Derek Chauvin, the former police officer involved in the killing of George Floyd. Santamaria explains that when she owned the club, she was required to provide security plans, and the officers insisted on being paid in cash. Eventually, Chauvin was hired as a security officer at the club for 17 years. Santamaria sold the club in 2019, and when she saw the video of Chauvin pinning Floyd to the ground, she recognized both of them because Floyd had also worked as a bouncer at the club in 2019.
5. Encrypting private data and private communications is now an ethical duty
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
The article argues that end-to-end encryption of private data and communications is not just an option but an ethical duty. It uses the example of a hypothetical law that requires all buildings to have glass walls to illustrate the importance of privacy. The article emphasizes the need for secrecy for professions such as whistleblowers, journalists, doctors, lawyers, and activists. It criticizes the European Commission’s “Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying Down Rules to Prevent and Combat Child Sexual Abuse” and calls for the use of strong encryption tools and techniques to protect privacy. The article concludes by stressing the importance of collective action and civil disobedience to resist mass surveillance.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the difference between “The Rule of Law” and “the law” in a class called “jurisprudence.” The Rule of Law refers to permanent ground truth, while the law refers to ephemeral du-jure laws. The author argues that if one deeply believes in the necessity of The Law and society’s institutions, they should also passionately break laws and oppose tyrants, idiots, and dumb laws. The author suggests that opposition to technological tyranny has become a true conservative position and that defenders of common sense and human dignity are forced to take a radical stance.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that while more encryption is generally a good idea, the author takes issue with the idea that everyone should use advanced encryption tools and abandon proprietary operating systems in favor of Linux or other free alternatives. They argue that this is an unrealistic and impractical moral duty for all individuals and undermines the credibility of the rest of the article. The author believes that such a statement lacks a serious ethical analysis and does not consider what is actually feasible or effective in the real world.
6. SiFive Rolls Out RISC-V Cores Aimed at Generative AI and ML
Total comment counts : 13
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions that Google had plans to use SiFive X280 for their TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), but the current status is unknown.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentions that Google will be using the base scalar and vector of X280 to implement push/pop vector instructions. The exact definition of push/pop vector instructions is not provided in the article, but the question suggests that it could be similar to old school OpenGL 1 era matrix stacks, or it could involve traditional stack-style access between memory and a vector register file. The author is unsure about the exact meaning of push/pop vector instructions.
7. Free IRS-run tax filing pilot to be available in 13 states
Total comment counts : 40
Summary
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the details of the Direct File pilot program for the 2024 filing season. The pilot program will allow taxpayers in certain states to electronically file their federal tax returns directly with the IRS for free. Arizona, California, Massachusetts, and New York have agreed to participate in the pilot, and taxpayers in nine other states without an income tax may also be eligible. The Direct File pilot will be a limited, phased pilot and will not replace existing filing options. The IRS will assess customer support, technology needs, and operational challenges during the pilot. The pilot is part of the IRS’s efforts to provide taxpayers with more options in how they interact with the tax agency.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the benefits of a “guaranteed-free” tax filing system for people, especially those with lower incomes. It highlights how private companies often try to avoid providing free tax filing services, which can be a financial burden for individuals. The author hopes that in the future, they can stop paying money to tax filing companies like Intuit or Jackson Hewitt.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of third-party services for tax calculation and resolution. The author questions why such services are necessary, considering that in the UK, individuals can log in to a government website to complete their annual tax self-assessment. The author explains that the process typically takes around an hour and includes considerations for PAYE (pay as you earn), dividends, expenses, and offsets. Overall, the author suggests that routine taxation should be handled by routine means, as is the case with PAYE in the UK.
8. Antibiotic Identified by AI
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
The article discusses the use of machine learning to discover a potent antibiotic called abaucin that targets the bacterial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. Traditionally, antibiotics were discovered through the screening of soil microorganisms, but this method is expensive and time-consuming. The use of computational approaches and artificial intelligence has shown promising results in accelerating the discovery of new drugs. The study described in the article used a machine learning algorithm to predict the antimicrobial activity of molecules against Acinetobacter baumannii. This discovery has the potential to help combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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The article discusses the experimental validation of a large dataset, which was the key factor in the research. The effectiveness of the Chemprop method is deemed average. The significance of a tanimoto similarity of less than 0.3 depends on the chemical fingerprint parameters used. The cheminformatic filtering steps taken by the researchers were done well. The experimental validation of the target was also well done, highlighting the extensive preclinical work required to validate a molecule and mechanism. However, it is noted that the researchers were fortunate as their compound hits were highly potent, which is not typically the case and often requires further optimization.
Top 2 Comment Summary
A recent article in Canada reported a case of a woman who had a recurring urinary tract infection (UTI) for eight years, despite receiving antibiotics. Eventually, she had to undergo a kidney removal and was at risk of losing her other kidney. However, a combination of bacteriophages and antibiotics was used in a Canadian trial, and the woman was successfully cured in a short period of time. For more information, you can refer to the article: link.
9. Iowa man files lawsuit after being arrested twice for criticizing the police
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a recent Supreme Court decision where an appeal was rejected from a man who was arrested for creating a parody Facebook page of his local police department. The man was also denied the right to sue on the basis of “qualified immunity.” The article mentions that The Onion, a satirical news publication, submitted a humorous amicus brief in this case.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a case in which a man claims to have been wrongfully arrested by the police. The man’s body cam footage reveals the incident, and it is described as infuriating. Despite the police’s efforts, they were unable to find any evidence against the man. The article suggests that the police had a vested interest in arresting him, even though they were facing dead ends.
10. The story of ispc: origins (part 1) (2018)
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
The article provides a history of ispc, a compiler that was developed at Intel for their failed Larrabee project. Larrabee was Intel’s attempt to create a high-end GPU, but it faced several problems, including difficulty in utilizing the vector units effectively. The Intel compiler team attempted to address this issue through auto-vectorization, but it proved to be a flawed approach. The graphics team at Intel suggested applying concepts from GPU programming models, such as the SPMD model, to improve CPU vector programming. However, there was a disconnect between the two teams, and the compilers team did not fully grasp the benefits of the SPMD model. The article concludes with a teaser for the next installment, which will discuss the author’s experiences in Sweden and their experimentation with LLVM.
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The article discusses Matt Pharr, who is known for co-authoring the book “Physically Based Rendering.” It highlights how he became involved in building a SIMD compiler at Intel, despite not being a compiler expert but a graphics programmer. The article also mentions some internal politics at Intel that may have contributed to the company’s current situation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the differences between a GPU compiler and LLVM and GCC. It specifically focuses on the autovectorization of numerical code and the challenges of determining which instructions can be packed into vector registers. The GPU compiler differs from autovectorization by assigning the responsibility of data independence to the programmer. On the other hand, the compiler used in LLVM keeps the instructions in the scalar style until very near code generation. The article concludes that the GPU compiler’s approach of immediately mapping vectorized code onto vector operations appears to be a better choice, but acknowledges that it would be expensive to experiment with changing LLVM to determine if it is more effective in practice.