1. Lynn Conway Has Died
Total comment counts : 50
Summary
Lynn Ann Conway was an American computer scientist, electrical engineer, and transgender activist. She worked at IBM in the 1960s and made significant contributions to computer processing, including inventing generalized dynamic instruction handling. She also played a crucial role in the Mead-Conway VLSI chip design revolution, which transformed microchip design and led to advancements in electronic design automation and chip production.
Conway faced personal challenges related to her gender identity but eventually underwent a successful gender transition with the help of renowned researcher Harry Benjamin. She experienced professional setbacks due to discrimination and was fired from IBM when she revealed her intention to transition. However, she continued her career as a contract programmer and went on to work at other notable companies such as Memorex and Xerox PARC.
Conway’s contributions to the field of chip design were groundbreaking and widely recognized. She co-authored the influential book “Introduction to VLSI Systems” and developed dimensionless, scalable design rules that simplified chip design. She also played a key role in the development of the Metal Oxide Semiconductor Implementation Service (MOSIS) system, which facilitated rapid prototyping and fabrication of chip designs.
Overall, Lynn Ann Conway’s work revolutionized the field of chip design and had a lasting impact on the computing industry. Despite facing personal and professional challenges, she became a pioneer in her field and a prominent advocate for transgender rights.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses Lynn Conway, a pioneer in VLSI design and a trans activist. Conway co-wrote the book “Introduction to VLSI Systems” and taught a groundbreaking VLSI Design Course where students designed and fabricated their own integrated circuits. She invented superscalar architecture at IBM but was fired in 1968 after revealing her intention to transition. In 2020, IBM formally apologized to Conway. Despite facing challenges, Conway successfully rebooted her life, taught VLSI design to industry pioneers, and helped many people with their transitions and finding acceptance. The article also mentions that Conway received the 2009 IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author met someone at a bio conference in Hawaii by chance. They struck up a conversation and the person mentioned that they worked in VLSI, a field the author knew nothing about. The person was interested in biology and wanted to learn how they could contribute. The author later discovered that the person genuinely worked in VLSI.
2. POV-Ray – The Persistence of Vision Raytracer (2021)
Total comment counts : 59
Summary
This article discusses the Persistence of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray), a high-quality tool for creating three-dimensional graphics. The source code is available for those who want to do their own ports. The article also mentions a Kickstarter campaign by David K. Buck, the creator of DKBTrace, to fund the creation of an open-source IDE for PigeonTalk. POV-Ray 3.8 is currently in beta, and beta releases can be obtained from their GitHub repository. The article also discusses the early history of POV-Ray and mentions that their server recently experienced a catastrophic hardware failure, but is now back in read-write mode. Other topics mentioned include a Blender to POV-Ray release, the addition of POV-Ray export capability to the open-source white_dune 3d editor, and submission opportunities for Ray Tracing Gems.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article describes their experience of learning ray tracing with POV-Ray. They started by creating simple shapes and gradually progressed to more complex ones, experimenting with textures. The results, including the source code and rendered images, can be found in the given GitHub repository. The author invites readers to check them out and hopes they will enjoy them.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author reminisces about leaving their old computer running overnight to render simple scenes with POV-Ray, despite being noisy. They then express their excitement when upgrading to a faster computer that was able to render the scenes in minutes instead of hours.
3. I like the RP2040
Total comment counts : 37
Summary
The article discusses the RP2040 microcontroller made by Raspberry Pi and its advantages in terms of cost, availability, and standardized usage. Unlike other microcontroller manufacturers that offer a wide range of slightly different controllers to cater to different needs, Raspberry Pi chose to stick with just one microcontroller. This decision allows for cost savings in manufacturing and ensures that users worldwide are working with the same part. Despite the limited options, the RP2040 has a significant amount of support, including StackExchange questions, blog posts, libraries, and tools. The article praises Raspberry Pi’s deliberate design choices, such as the inclusion of a peripheral called “PIO” for fast and precise IO execution and the implementation of a read-only bootloader that makes the microcontroller almost impossible to brick. Overall, the author appreciates the thoughtful consideration given to the niche market the RP2040 serves and the trade-offs made in its development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The PIOs in the RP2040 chip are its standout feature, making it superior to competitors like the ESP32. These PIOs have gained popularity in the console hacking industry due to their unique capabilities. However, it would be beneficial for a future version of the chip to improve power consumption in low-power modes for battery-powered applications.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the use of the RP2040 microcontroller in electronic badges for the RVASec security conference. The author mentions that writing software for the RP2040 has been a pleasant experience. They provide a link to the GitHub repository for this year’s badge, which includes a software-only badge simulator. The author notes that some of the multiplayer features that rely on infrared communication between badges may not be available in the simulator. The article also provides links to a video showcasing the 2023 badge and the RVASec conference website.
4. Deterioration of local community a major driver of loss of play-based childhood
Total comment counts : 21
Summary
This article discusses the decline of local community, trust, and social capital as a significant factor in the changes seen in American society and the mental health of teenagers. The decline began in the mid-1960s and was influenced by generational differences and the rise of new communication technologies such as television. These technologies had an individualizing effect and led to a decrease in community engagement and interactions. The loss of local community and trust resulted in parents becoming more protective and restricting their children’s freedom. With the introduction of personal computers, the internet, and smartphones, a new era of phone-based childhood emerged, exacerbating the decline in social capital.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article suggests that the design of the physical environment plays a significant role in the differences between child independence in Europe and Japan compared to the US. In Europe and Japan, children are still able to walk and bike to school and engage in unattended outdoor activities, while in the US, this is less common due to safety concerns and lack of infrastructure. The car-centric design in the US contributes to the difficulty of children walking or biking as everything is too far and there are limited safe pathways.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article is criticized for lacking proper analysis and consideration of various factors. The author appears to have a predetermined conclusion and uses flashy graphs to support their argument. There is no mention of confounders, control groups, or paired studies. Additionally, the mention of phones and other influences on teen behavior is seen as unrelated and used to add credibility. The overall assessment is that the article is not scientific but rather a reductionist op-ed presented as fact with clickbait tactics.
5. Siberia’s ‘mammoth graveyard’ reveals 800-year human interactions with mammoths
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses how the relationship between humans and mammoths has been negatively impacted by ivory hunters who have looted a site where the mammoths resided. The author highlights a photo essay by Radio Free Europe that sheds light on these new “mammoth pirates.” The article can be found at this link: https://www.rferl.org/a/the-mammoth-pirates/27939865.html
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the history of piracy in the region and the exploration of islands off North Siberia. It mentions the discovery of fossil tusks in large quantities on these islands. One fur-hunter named Liakoff was particularly successful in obtaining valuable furs and fossil ivory from mammoths’ tusks and teeth. The ivory was sold in markets at Yakutsk.
6. Forsp: A Forth+Lisp Hybrid Lambda Calculus Language
Total comment counts : 22
Summary
The article discusses a programming language called Forsp, which combines features of Forth and Lisp. Forsp has a simple evaluator and uses a computation process similar to Forth. The language has three syntactic special forms, with “quote” being the only one that requires special handling. Thunks, which are pushed onto the stack, can be forced using the “force” term. Thunks also act as closures, binding the current environment on creation. Forsp is shockingly expressive and can be used to express the lambda calculus through simple re-write/re-ordering rules. It supports call-by-push-value (CBPV), combining the determinism of call-by-value and the laziness of call-by-name. Forsp also includes a fixpoint combinator, the Y Combinator, for achieving recursive functions.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the combination of Lisp and Forth programming languages and the advantages of this combination. The author finds the concept mind-blowing and praises the simplicity of the interpreter’s code. They express excitement about studying the source code and comparing it to another Lisp language called “fe.” The author concludes with gratitude for making this online and wishes everyone happy hacking.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the concept of a “cvbp” (continuous-valued Boolean processor) and how it is considered to be more fundamental than both Lisp and Forth. The reader is reminded of a related PDF document and wonders about the connection between the two.
7. Engage your audience: get to the point, use story structure, force specificity
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses the importance of clear communication and provides tips on how to effectively articulate ideas. It recommends techniques such as using a concise action title or “the one thing you must know about this topic is…” framework to grab the audience’s attention and convey the main point. The article also suggests reading books backwards and skimming them to understand the main thesis before delving into the details. Additionally, it highlights the usefulness of the 3-line scene framework for quick thinking and storytelling. Specificity in communication is emphasized, and the concept of inversion is mentioned as a way to solve problems or make decisions. The article concludes with an invitation to subscribe to the blog.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses two different story structures used by Vicky. The traditional structure starts with describing the situation, followed by the problem, solution, and moral. However, Vicky’s structure reverses this order by starting with the most important point (using Linux), adding surprises and questions, and ending with answers. This leads to conflicting ideas in the blog post.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the idea that presentations should have a clear thesis and be upfront about it. It also suggests that presentations should have a narrative structure. However, the author disagrees with the examples given in the article, finding them to be click-baity. The author feels that the examples assume the audience wants to know something about a certain topic without addressing the “why” behind it.
8. Ship Something Every Day
Total comment counts : 40
Summary
The author emphasizes the importance of shipping or completing something every day, whether it’s in professional software development or personal projects. They clarify that shipping doesn’t necessarily mean pushing code every day, but instead contributing something valuable, such as documentation or issue triage. The author suggests that regularly completing and sharing small tasks can provide several benefits.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article argues that the frequent release of software, driven by an “ADHD-ish attitude,” is detrimental to its quality. The author suggests that developers should take a step back, think deeply, and not feel pressured to ship code that barely works. The constant rush of seeing code being shipped leads to decreased ability for long-term attention. The addictive nature of being able to immediately see changes results in unproductive rapid iteration loops, where developers make random changes until something works. The focus on looking busy rather than actually working on tough problems is seen as problematic. The article also mentions the importance of maintaining a good commit streak on platforms like GitHub, but warns that optimizing for metrics alone is not effective and can be seen as mere showmanship. The author emphasizes that the satisfaction of completing a task is greater when one has persevered for a longer period of time.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article criticizes the practice of doing certain things for the wrong reasons. It argues that shipping incomplete features just to impress a manager is a sign of a toxic work environment. Similarly, filling up a GitHub profile with superficial displays is seen as a hollow gesture. The author, who has ADHD, suggests that they are content with learning, solving problems, and supporting their team without the added pressure of constantly shipping new things. The article concludes by advising readers to strive for progress but also to avoid burnout and not feel guilty if they don’t achieve something every day.
9. Biodiversity enhances immune regulation among daycare children (2020)
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the importance of the gut microbiome and argues that children should be allowed to explore and get dirty to expose their bodies to different elements and pathogens. The author believes that excessive cleanliness and obsession with keeping kids spotless may actually harm them in the long run. They share a personal anecdote about growing up in an unhygienic environment, where allergies were rare and common illnesses were not severe. The author suggests that a lack of exposure to germs may weaken the immune system. They mention that germ-free rodents used for medical tests are constantly sick and weak, highlighting the importance of exposure to microorganisms for overall health.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a 28-day intervention where daycare centers provided forest elements for children to play with, aiming to enrich their microbial biodiversity. This intervention resulted in changes in the skin and gut microbiota of the children, which were related to changes in plasma cytokine levels and Treg cell frequencies. These findings suggest that exposure to environmental microbial diversity can alter the microbiome and modulate the immune system in children, specifically stimulating immunoregulatory pathways. However, the study does not examine long-term effects or establish a well-established link between the observed changes and lasting immune system changes.
10. British duo arrested for SMS phishing via homemade cell tower
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The article explains that building a homemade BTS (Base Transceiver Station) is easy, with the author recalling making one in 2011 using a USRP SDR. Nowadays, it is possible to create not only an LTE network, but even a 5G network using open-source software and an SDR. The article mentions that scripting can be used to automate tasks, like flooding SMS messages.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article states that EE, a telecommunications company, has significantly reduced the number of scam SMS messages through its enhanced anti-spam filter in 2021. However, the exact percentage of blocked messages is not mentioned.