1. Helen Keller on her life before self-consciousness (1908)
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Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author recalls a story their professor once told them about growing up deaf in a time when specialized schools for deaf individuals did not exist. The professor struggled until she found a teacher who could instruct her in sign language, which is Brazil’s second official language. Before this, she had difficulty with complex thoughts and did not realize her father had a name beyond “daddy.” The author is grateful for their professor’s class and that she found someone to help her during her upbringing.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author reflects on their childhood experiences and how their understanding of the world changed over time. They express a belief in the idea that our knowledge is limited to our own feelings and ideas. The author then describes the process of learning to recognize and understand the emotions and sensations of others, which helped them develop their own identity and understanding of the world. The author concludes that this process of introspection is something that all people go through, and it allows them to find meaning in the universe.
2. Diffusion Models
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Summary
The article discusses the rise of AI art and the use of diffusion models for image generation. It explains the concept of generative modeling and the limitations of generative adversarial networks (GANs). The article introduces the idea of normalizing flows and their application in image generation, using examples from OpenAI’s 2018 Glow. It then explores the concept of denoising diffusion models, which involve mapping data points to a normal distribution by blending random noise into them. The article highlights the advantages of stochastic mapping over deterministic mapping and discusses the training and sampling processes of denoising diffusion models.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This person had previously believed that diffusion originated from score matching, but they recently learned that diffusion actually came before the score matching theory. They also mentioned that OpenAI trained on 250 million images without a solid theory to explain why they were modeling the underlying distribution, which they thought was a bold move.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses an issue with the train loop, stating that x0s and eps are not used in the expression of xts. This results in the training of a model that predicts random noise.
3. Hurl, the Exceptional Language
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article describes a language called Hurl, which is based around exception handling as the only control flow. It provides documentation, examples, and guidance for using Hurl, as well as debugging techniques. The article also mentions that the creator of Hurl originally had reservations about implementing the language and does not want her name associated with it. The source code for Hurl and the documentation site are both available in Hurl’s repository. The article concludes by mentioning the licensing requirements for contributions to the project.
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The article suggests that when designing a programming language, it would be beneficial to enforce namespaces to include/imports. It also recommends not allowing top level side effects. The use of namespaces and imports makes it easier to reason about code and avoids confusion about whether certain functions or variables are part of the standard library or included elsewhere.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses their dislike for exceptions as it makes the relationship between a caller and a callee unclear and leads to tightly coupled code. They prefer the approach taken in Go or Rust, which uses return values instead. They propose the idea of having an IDE that can identify all uncaught exceptions in a function and allow the user to navigate to each potential place where an exception could be thrown. The author acknowledges that this approach may result in a complex control flow graph and is unsure about how to handle coupling.
4. Braid: Synchronization for HTTP
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article announces the upcoming release of a new braid-text library, which allows for easy addition of collaborative editing to web apps. The library can be added to any (req, res) handler in a Node.js app without the need for websockets. It introduces a new merge-type called “simpleton” which requires no history overhead on the client. The library supports any OT (Operational Transformation) or CRDT (Conflict-free Replicated Data Type). The Braid-Chrome extension is also mentioned, which allows users to directly read and write using the library. The author expresses excitement about the library and mentions it will be announced in a meeting tomorrow.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author discusses the absence of version numbers in URLs and suggests that versions are instead sent as separate headers, making it difficult to link to specific versions. They also question the close tie between synchronization and HTTP, as well as the independence of metadata from the actual data types being synchronized. The author contrasts this with git, where the data is standardized and supports various methods of communication. However, they note that git does not care about the contents of a file, similar to HTTP.
5. GRC SpinRite
Total comment counts : 32
Summary
The article discusses the author’s experience with hard drives and the decrease in the need for HDD recovery in recent years. The author attributes this to improvements in HDD technology and their buying habits. The article also mentions the shift from conventional magnetic storage to solid-state drives (SSDs) and the different failure modes of SSDs. The author reminisces about data recovery tools and services that were more prominent in the past, but are now less common. The article then explores the distinction between data recovery for consumers/business users and forensic analysts, focusing on the technique of file carving in forensic analysis.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the website grc.com and its criticism by grcsucks.com. Grc.com offered a link to HDD recovery software and a section called ‘shields up’ that allowed users to perform a port scan on their own IP address. The owner, Gibson, also criticized Microsoft’s support for raw sockets. The author remembers the website being somewhat dubious in the past but remains uncertain about its authenticity.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that GRC’s main product, SpinRite, may not receive regular maintenance. However, it mentions that Gibson recently released version 6.1 of SpinRite.
6. Why is x & -x equal to the largest power of 2 that divides x?
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
The article explains that the bitwise AND operation between a number (x) and its negation (-x) yields the largest power of 2 that divides x. The author goes on to explain binary representation, one’s complement, two’s complement, and the connection between negative numbers and the bitwise AND operation. The article concludes by discussing the mathemagical property of the largest power of the base in base format and why the resulting number from x & -x ends with a certain number of consecutive zeroes.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article explains that the largest power of 2 that divides a number “x” is equal to 2 raised to the number of trailing zeros in “x”. It also discusses the observation that the bitwise negation of “x” (denoted as “-x”) is equal to the bitwise complement of “x” plus 1. It further explains that when the binary bits of “x” are flipped in “~-x + 1”, all the trailing 1’s become 0’s and the next highest 0 flips to become 1. Another crucial observation is that the highest power-of-2 divisor of “x” can be isolated by finding the bits that match between “x” and “~x + 1” when you perform a bitwise AND operation between them.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses different representations of signed integers in programming languages. It clarifies that the mentioned article only covers two representations, while older versions of C allowed for three representations. It also mentions that floats use one of these representations, and there is another representation called base negative-2, although its practical use is uncertain. Overall, there are a total of five possible representations.
7. How do layer 2s differ from execution sharding?
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
The article discusses the similarities between L1 sharding and a rollup-centric world in blockchain development. It highlights that both approaches utilize ZK-SNARKs to verify computation and DAS to verify data availability. The differences lie in the consequences of code bugs, with rollups risking lost coins and shard chains experiencing consensus failures. The article also explores the idea of execution environments in Ethereum and how L2s serve a similar purpose. It mentions that Ethereum L1 provides a strong security guarantee but at high costs, whereas L2-centric approaches allow for different security models and lower transaction fees. The article concludes by discussing the future expectations of ZK rollups and the complexities surrounding passing assets from L2 to L2.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author questions the complexity of the Ethereum ecosystem and wonders if it is necessary to solve the problems it aims to address. They express a preference for elegant and simple solutions in engineering, suggesting that the increasing complexity may be unnecessary.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article explores the concept of validating something without observing it. The author suggests that without observation, it is difficult to validate something. They argue that in order to scale on chain, one may have to sacrifice the ability to validate the entire chain. The author concludes by questioning the importance of distinguishing between what is on chain and what is off chain.
8. Simplicity – Google SRE Handbook (2017)
Total comment counts : 16
Summary
The article discusses the importance of balancing stability and agility in software systems. It suggests that while stability is desirable, it is sometimes necessary to sacrifice it for the sake of agility. The article also highlights the role of SREs (Site Reliability Engineers) in creating procedures, practices, and tools to make software more reliable while minimizing the impact on developer agility. It emphasizes the need for code to have an essential purpose and recommends practices such as removing dead code and avoiding software bloat. The article concludes by stating that every new line of code is a liability and that smaller projects are easier to understand and test.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the idea of companies being diverse and the potential for people within a company to have valuable lessons to share, despite the company itself making mistakes. It uses Google as an example of a company that may not always follow the advice in the article but still has employees who can teach important things. The article also mentions Boeing as another example, highlighting how people in engineering and quality control may have valuable lessons to share despite the company’s leadership and management problems.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the cause of complexity in engineering and software development. It criticizes the idea that emotional attachment to creations is the primary reason for complexity, emphasizing that decisions and agency play a significant role. The article argues that engineers often prioritize features over simplicity and maintenance, leading to a lack of consideration for the effective cost of maintenance. It suggests that improving simplicity and maintainability should be a continuous process rather than accepting a major rewrite later on. The article suggests that the accusation of emotional attachment is rooted in an “us vs them” attitude between SRE (site reliability engineering) and software engineering, which detracts from the discussion on the importance of simplicity.
9. To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)
Total comment counts : 38
Summary
MIT neuroscientists have found that reading computer code does not activate the regions of the brain responsible for language processing. Instead, it activates a distributed network called the multiple demand network, which is also involved in complex cognitive tasks such as math problems or crossword puzzles. The study suggests that understanding computer code is a unique cognitive process that is not the same as language or math. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain activity while participants predicted the actions of snippets of code in Python and ScratchJr. The study found that coding tasks mainly activated the multiple demand network, which is responsible for holding multiple pieces of information in mind and performing various mental tasks. The researchers also found that reading computer code activates both the left and right sides of the multiple demand network, with ScratchJr activating the right side slightly more than the left. The study suggests that specialized brain activity related to coding may develop in individuals with extensive coding experience.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions a study where programmers were shown snippets of code while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. They were then asked to predict what action the code would produce. The writer suspects that writing code and understanding code written by someone else are different skills.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a study that found a region of the brain is activated when reasoning through unfamiliar problems. The researchers suggest that this finding may not apply to people with many years of programming experience. The author questions the validity of comparing this research to natural language processing, something that the subjects are experienced in.
10. Turn Your iPhone into a Dumb Phone
Total comment counts : 39
Summary
This article provides instructions on how to turn your iPhone into a dumb phone using various apps and settings. The goal is to reduce screen time and embrace digital minimalism without completely giving up the capabilities of a smartphone. The recommended tweaks include using a minimal homescreen launcher, choosing a plain wallpaper to hide the dock, enabling grayscale mode, and disabling notifications. These changes make the phone less visually engaging and distracting while still allowing access to social media, emails, and the internet. The article also suggests using a minimal homescreen launcher called Dumbify, which costs $4.99. Overall, the article offers ways to create a more simplified and digitally minimal lifestyle without needing to switch to a completely limited device.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the controversy surrounding slot machine apps and the importance of having some barriers to accessing them. The author believes that having a small amount of friction in accessing these apps can help reduce the time spent on them. However, they also acknowledge that some people still find these apps useful and deleting them completely is not a viable solution. The article suggests that the key is moderation and self-control when it comes to using these apps, but acknowledges that the internet often criticizes this approach.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author of the article discusses their experience using a “grayscale-only display” and finds it inadequate, particularly with apps like Maps that rely on different colors. They also mention the benefits of disabling notifications, stating that it has been one of the best decisions for their phone. They recommend turning off notifications for new apps unless they are essential, such as for medical or school-related purposes. The author shares that their home page has a minimal wallpaper and they keep a row at the bottom for beta-testing and region-specific apps. They also mention that they do not have any social media apps on their phone and have a daily average screen time of 37 minutes. The article includes a link to an older article the author wrote but mentions that it still holds relevance.