1. Fine tune a 70B language model at home
Total comment counts : 42
Summary
Answer.AI has released a fully open-source system that allows the efficient training of a 70 billion parameter language model on a regular desktop computer with gaming GPUs. This collaboration between Answer.AI, Tim Dettmers, and Hugging Face’s Titus von Koeller and Sourab Mangrulkar aims to make better models accessible to the open-source community. The system enables small labs to access large models and brings high-performance gaming GPUs, which are much cheaper than data center GPUs, into the training process. The challenge lies in the limited memory of gaming GPUs, but Answer.AI aims to overcome this hurdle to train large models. This project aligns with Answer.AI’s mission to make useful AI available to everyone and empowers individuals to create their own personalized models. The organization operates as a for-profit R&D lab and aims to solve challenging problems like inexpensive and accessible large model training. Traditional academic research groups may not prioritize this work, and big tech companies and startups may not have the need to address this specific problem.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses various questions and suggestions related to a system for fine-tuning models using GPUs. The author inquires about the time it would take to fine-tune a 70b model, the cost of training, and the expected loss of quality. They also inquire about the compatibility of the technology with (-1, 0, 1) encoding. The author expresses appreciation for the work and suggests that it helps individuals compete in the LLM market. Lastly, they mention changing their password to focus on their work and create a new presence on a platform.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The NeurIPS Efficiency Challenge showcased the effectiveness of QLoRA, as all of the highest-ranking models in the challenge utilized this technology. This is evidence of QLoRA’s significance and usefulness. The author suggests conducting a dual-GPU challenge in the future, now that multi-GPU functionality is available.
2. Akira Toriyama has died
Total comment counts : 75
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article emphasizes the significant cross-cultural influence of Toriyama, particularly in areas such as manga, anime, video games, and pop culture. The author refers to Toriyama as a genius and laments his early death, noting the impact he had on Central and Southern America. The author also expresses personal emotions and connections to Toriyama’s work, highlighting the positive themes of Dragon Ball, including positivity, humor, naivety, happiness, strength, and growth. The article concludes with gratitude towards Toriyama for the laughs, smiles, tears, and chills brought about by his creations.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article expresses sadness over the death of a childhood hero and recommends reading the Dragon Ball series to experience the amazing, cute, charming, funny, and creative story. It provides links to purchase the first two books and read the first chapters for free.
3. My favourite animation trick: exponential smoothing (2023)
Total comment counts : 77
Summary
The article discusses a simple animation technique commonly used in graphics. The author explains how to add animation to UI components, such as toggle buttons, by smoothly moving them instead of teleporting. They demonstrate the use of easing functions to add more natural movement to the animation. The article also extends the animation technique to more complex scenarios, such as camera scrolling in a map. The author introduces exponential smoothing as an alternative method that requires less bookkeeping and eliminates jumping issues. Overall, the article provides examples and code snippets to explain the animation technique and its applications.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses a stateless method that handles various inputs in a regular way, which is useful for CSS transitions. It addresses the problem of choosing a duration for animations based on the distance they need to move. The article also mentions the limitations of exponential smoothing and proposes a solution by adding a friction term to ensure a minimum speed.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of eased tweens with a preset duration for most UI animations in game development. However, it also highlights the usefulness of another type of animation called exponential lerp for smoothing continuous and unpredictable movements without definite start or end points, such as dragging and dropping tiles on a grid or moving a camera around. The author mentions that many games, including their own, use the less accurate linear lerp and face issues when played on high-refresh-rate monitors. They appreciate the article for sharing this specific knowledge, which is often passed down orally within teams.
4. Don’t fuck with paste
Total comment counts : 61
Summary
The article discusses a Google Chrome and Firefox extension that prevents the blocking of pasting into input fields on web applications. The author shares their annoyance with websites that prevent them from pasting content into input fields or copying it out. They explain that using tools like 1Password to copy and paste is more efficient and less error-prone than typing out all the characters. The article introduces a Google Chrome extension that removes copy and paste blocking and explains how to add websites to the blacklist. Version 2 of the extension provides improved functionality and visibility into its active/inactive state for each tab. The author addresses concerns about privacy by highlighting that the open-source code can be examined to understand how the extension works with user data.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article argues that disabling user input actually worsens application security. When users are unable to copy and paste passwords, they tend to use simpler passwords, compromising security. Additionally, enforcing complex input hampers user experience, as users are unable to generate the desired input efficiently.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the permissions required by a Chrome extension that notifies users when they change active tabs. The extension needs the “tabs” permission, which allows it to “read and change all your data on websites you visit.” The author points out that while the description of this permission may sound alarming, the extension is open-source, meaning anyone can inspect the code to ensure the extension is not misusing data. However, the article also highlights the potential risks associated with future updates and changes in the extension’s ownership, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance when using extensions.
5. Home Lab Beginners guide
Total comment counts : 50
Summary
The author of the article recounts their experience as nomads before settling down and setting up a home office. They met with a tech friend who inspired them to build their own home lab. The article discusses the importance of having a home lab for experimenting and learning without causing disruptions in production equipment. The author shares their plans for their own home lab and discusses the process of selecting the location for it. They recommend considering factors such as room temperature, space, cable runs, and future expansion. The author advises planning and mapping out the home network before starting the lab.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the benefits of using a homelab, specifically focusing on the use of a single NUC (Next Unit of Computing) with 64GB RAM. The NUC is efficient for running continuously but can become noisy under sustained CPU load. To expand the setup, the article suggests using Dell SFF (Small Form Factor) OptiPlex or Precision Tower servers with ECC (Error-Correcting Code) memory, which can be purchased from eBay. These servers are compact, have quiet fans, and can accommodate 10G Mellanox 3 cards. The article advises against using older OptiPlex models and suggests opting for those with 12th gen CPUs, as they are more cost-effective. If needed, the article also mentions the possibility of upgrading to an i9-14900 (non-K) CPU with the LGA1700 socket.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article praises Proxmox for home server use, noting that it makes it easy to have multiple containers and virtual machines on a single hardware device. They share their personal experience of running a Linux server at home for 25 years and explain that using Proxmox eliminates the difficulties of managing a single Ubuntu system. The author also mentions advantages such as backups, high availability, and the ability to organize services into separate containers.
6. Reentry of International Space Station Batteries into Earth’s Atmosphere
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The European Space Agency (ESA) is monitoring the reentry of a pallet of used ISS batteries, which is expected to occur on 8 March between approximately 15:35 CET and 22:25 CET. The batteries weigh around 2.6 metric tonnes, but most of it is expected to burn up during reentry. The risk of anyone being hit by falling debris is very low. The reentry will happen between -51.6 degrees South and 51.6 degrees North, but uncertainties in atmospheric drag make precise predictions difficult. The ESA is providing member states with the latest predictions for the time and location of the reentry. Reentries like this occur approximately once per week, with fragments typically burning up before reaching the ground.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the appearance of batteries used on the International Space Station (ISS) and speculates on how they could be improved with the latest advancements in battery chemistry.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the toxicity and environmental impact of nickel salts, specifically in relation to nickel-hydrogen batteries. It mentions a closed industrial city in Russia, Norilsk, which is heavily polluted with nickel. The city’s residents claim that the pollution is so severe that they can taste it. The article provides links to further information on nickel-hydrogen batteries and the pollution in Norilsk.
7. How to become a pirate archivist (2022)
Total comment counts : 8
Summary
The article discusses updates on the Pirate Library Mirror, including generous donations and technical improvements. It highlights the importance of digital preservation and pirate archivism in preserving knowledge and culture. The author acknowledges the challenges of doing this work secretly and the psychological toll it takes. They emphasize the need to find a supportive community and to be cautious in confiding in others. The article encourages readers to join the pirate community and offers resources for getting started.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article advises against engaging in illegal activities and sharing them with others, as it can be risky and potentially harmful. It emphasizes the importance of not revealing personal information unless in a safe environment.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses concerns about the approach and wording of a website’s download page. The page encourages users to become members to support the preservation of books and papers, with the benefit of fast downloads as a gratitude for their support. The article also mentions referral bonuses and different server options depending on the donation amount. The author is seeking others’ thoughts on this matter.
8. The Life and Death of the Bulbdial Clock
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
This article is about a website that uses a security service to protect itself from online attacks. It explains that certain actions can trigger a security block, such as submitting certain words or phrases, a SQL command, or malformed data. Readers who are blocked can contact the site owner and provide information about what they were doing and the Cloudflare Ray ID. The article also mentions that the website’s performance and security are provided by Cloudflare.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses disappointment and surprise at the acquisition of Evil Mad Scientist by Bantam Tools. They describe Evil Mad Scientist as a small and personalized business and express concern about the potential fate of acquired companies.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of the Equation of Time to convert sundial time to actual time. It mentions that some sundials have calendars marked on them to make the conversion easier. Additionally, there are dials that include a circular slide rule to implement the Equation of Time.
9. Thousand Character Classic
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
The Thousand Character Classic is a Chinese poem that has been used since the sixth century to teach Chinese characters to children. It contains exactly one thousand characters, each used only once, arranged into 250 lines of four characters each. The poem is sung, much like an alphabet song, to help children memorize the characters. Along with the Three Character Classic and the Hundred Family Surnames, it formed the basis of literacy training in traditional China. The origins of the poem are unclear, with various stories suggesting different authors and motivations. The Thousand Character Classic was widely read in China during the first millennium and was even used to put documents in order during the Song dynasty. It also played a role in the education of the Buddhist Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho. The poem, along with the Three Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames, was collectively known as San Bai Qian and was an important literacy text for students, particularly boys from elite backgrounds. Memorizing these texts allowed students to recognize and pronounce around 2,000 characters. The Thousand Character Classic was also introduced to Korea and played a role in the introduction of Chinese characters into the Korean language. It was used as a writing primer for children, and wooden printing blocks of the text were created in 1583.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The Iroha is a famous poem in Japan that is also a perfect pangram of kana syllables. It is used as the traditional sort order in Japan. The poem reflects on the impermanence of life and the desire to remain grounded in reality.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article emphasizes the significance of primer texts from a particular period, stating that they were crucial for every literate person in China and other Sinic reading cultures. It mentions that individuals would have learned to read and write a set of 1000 characters, regardless of their spoken language. Additionally, the article briefly mentions that these texts were also used for a Keno-style game that became popular across the Pacific. [Link to the mentioned game: https://games.porg.es/games/pigeon-lottery/]
10. Chlorpyrifos: Pesticide tied to brain damage in children
Total comment counts : 12
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights the use of Chlorpyrifos, a banned chemical in the EU, in Morocco. Imports of olives contaminated with this chemical have been detected, but they have entered the EU. Additionally, strawberries in Morocco are irrigated with sewage water, and consignments of contaminated strawberries carrying the hepatitis virus have also entered the EU. The article suggests that if health is at risk, the chemical should be banned at all sources, including importation. Morocco is planning to establish a major import hub through the Canary Islands to potentially obscure the origin of products. It questions whether the EU is aware of this situation.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the ongoing game between industry and nature’s chemistry, questioning the need for extensive testing before introducing new chemicals. It ponders whether nature could have optimized itself and if it is possible to return to a natural state. It also questions whether the food we produce can be considered natural and suggests that altering the chemistry of the food chain may lead to diseases spreading among different social classes and species indefinitely.