1. Voyager 1 is back online! NASA spacecraft returns data from all 4 instruments
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft, which experienced technical issues in November 2023, has resumed full science operations. The spacecraft, which is 46 years old and located 15 billion miles away from Earth, lost its ability to communicate effectively but has now fixed the problem. The team identified that the flight data subsystem was causing the issue and implemented a workaround. Initially, only two of Voyager 1’s four science instruments were sending usable data, but now all four instruments are fully operational. Voyager 1’s primary mission was to study Jupiter and Saturn, which was accomplished by 1980. The spacecraft entered interstellar space in 2012 and continues to provide valuable data. NASA will continue to optimize Voyager 1’s performance and maintain its functionality.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article is a tribute to Ed Stone, one of the core project scientists for Voyager spacecraft, who recently passed away. The author remembers meeting Dr. Stone at a NASA event and asking him about the feeling of knowing he built the farthest man-made object in the universe. Dr. Stone responded with a smile, saying it felt “pretty darn good.” The article concludes with condolences for Dr. Stone and a reference to more information about his life.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The user is looking for an article they read in the past about the programming and equipment used in the Voyager missions. They express a desire to locate the article again.
2. Eden Abhez: The strangest hit songwriter
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
This article discusses the life and impact of Eden Ahbez, the songwriter behind “Nature Boy,” a hit song recorded by Nat King Cole in 1948. Despite being labeled a one-hit wonder, Ahbez is described as a guru or a mystic, and even the first hippie. The article tells the unique story of how Ahbez gave the song’s score to Cole’s valet, leading to its recording. It also describes Ahbez’s unconventional lifestyle, including living in a cave and under the Hollywood sign, and his preference for natural living. The article explores the poetic and philosophical tone of the song’s lyrics, and the controversy surrounding its meaning. Although the song was initially disliked by Capitol Records, it became a success.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article does not mention that the song discussed is a centerpiece of Baz Luhrmann’s film, Moulin Rouge!
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentions that “Eden’s Island” is currently at the top of a website, despite being relatively unknown. However, the article describes it as a legendary piece of fantastic exotica music and states that it is considered iconic. Additionally, a documentary about it is said to be in development.
3. Face of ancient Australian ‘giga-goose’ revealed after fossil skull found
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
The article discusses the discovery of the skull of Genyornis newtoni, one of the largest birds that ever existed. The skull provides insight into how the bird lived and reveals that it was a giant goose. Genyornis newtoni lived more than 45,000 years ago in ancient Australia but went extinct shortly after humans arrived, likely due to being eaten and climate change. The skull was found at Lake Callabonna in South Australia, and its discovery sheds light on the bird’s diet, appearance, and behavior. The closest living relative of Genyornis newtoni is the horned screamer.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the extinction of Genyornis, a large bird species, shortly after humans arrived. The main cause of their extinction is believed to be overhunting by humans, with climate change also playing a role. The article questions why the birds survived through previous periods of climate change but couldn’t survive the arrival of humans.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the term “giga-goose” and its significance in search results. Prior to June 3rd, searching for this term yielded very few relevant results. The origin of the nickname is unknown, and the article questions its importance in the publication of the article. Furthermore, the author wonders if there is a shift towards using “giga” instead of “mega” as a prefix to denote large size. The possibility of using “tera” in a similar manner is also explored.
4. Chaos in the medium: Watercolour plotting
Total comment counts : 10
Summary
The author of the article has been experimenting with painting in watercolours using an AxiDraw plotter. They combine watercolour painting with code by creating SVGs using JavaScript and using an AxiDraw plugin to control the plotter. They explain their set up, which includes paths for picking up paint, swirling the brush in water, and dabbing the brush on paper towel. The author shares their initial watercolour tests, noting issues with color fading and uneven results. They also discuss their experiments with different brushes and how brush placement and speed affect the outcome.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article mentions an artist named Licia He who has inspired the post. It also states that Licia He has a course coming up on how to paint with plotters. The article recommends checking out Licia He’s work on her website.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses the author’s experience with reproducing GCODE using simple dead reckoning. They found that by keeping everything in the same positions, no adjustments were needed and the reproductions were accurate.
5. Syzygy: An open standard for low cost, compact and high-performance peripherals
Total comment counts : 7
Summary
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Top 1 Comment Summary
The author of the article is expressing their desire for hard PCIe endpoints to be more prevalent in MCUs/MPUs and the general silicon world. They describe it as a high-speed, low-latency, widespread, standard communication channel that could benefit various applications, including interfacing with a desktop PC. The author laments that current options for PCIe are limited to expensive FPGA solutions or a limited selection of MCUs/MPUs with often closed-source designs. They mention their frustration with the lack of options for creating a USB3 gadget and the limited availability of fast, low-latency data transfer options.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author is surprised to find a standard he helped create while working at Opal Kelly. They mention that the standard had some innovative ideas, such as using analog voltage for peripheral addressing. Over time, the standard has been adopted more widely, and the author expresses a desire for even greater adoption in the future.
6. Perplexity AI is lying about their user agent
Total comment counts : 66
Summary
The author discusses their experience with blocking AI bots on their server and on their website, MacStories. Despite implementing blocking measures, they find that Perplexity AI is still able to access their site and provide a summary of a specific blog post. The author questions how this is possible and realizes that Perplexity AI is not respecting the robots.txt file and is not sending the correct user agent string. The author expresses frustration and explores potential actions they can take, such as filing a bug report and considering GDPR requests.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses two concerns regarding the use of Perplexity, a language model, in relation to user data. The first concern is whether it is possible to prevent Perplexity from training itself using personal data. The second concern is whether Perplexity can access and present website data based on user request, which raises questions about banning this activity. The article argues that various tools, such as ad blockers and screen readers, perform similar functions to Perplexity, and blocking its use would be inconsistent with the use of these tools. The author argues against the use of DRM (Digital Rights Management) to restrict the way websites are displayed, stating a desire for the ability to customize website presentations. They also express discomfort with labeling the use of Perplexity as unethical, as long as it properly cites the source.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article points out that website owners should not restrict users from accessing their sites with different browsers, including Perplexity. It suggests that when retrieving a webpage for the user, it is acceptable to use a user agent (UA) string that appears as a browser client. However, if Perplexity is collecting training data without using a UA, it should cease doing so. The article fails to provide evidence of this claim.
7. Leveraging Zig’s Allocators
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
The article discusses the development of an HTTP server library for the programming language Zig. The author explores the challenges faced when handling dynamic content and the need for an allocator to manage memory efficiently. The solution proposed involves the use of an ArenaAllocator, which automatically frees memory when it is no longer needed. The author also introduces the concept of a FixedBufferAllocator, which allows for the reuse of allocated memory, resulting in improved performance. These explicit allocators simplify resource management and enhance server performance in Zig.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses using the fba.reset() call in between requests. It also mentions the benefits of the opaque allocator system, which allows for the creation of customized wrappers. The example given is using the standard library json parser, which creates an arena for allocating memory, and returns a wrapper with a deinit method to free the allocated memory. The article emphasizes the flexibility of choosing different allocators, such as stack allocators or other arenas, depending on the specific requirements.
Top 2 Comment Summary
This article discusses an issue with Zig allocators where the memory from the arena is getting reused without clearing it. This can lead to memory corruption and the leaking of previously freed memory. The article suggests that even without process isolation between workers, one can still prevent memory corruption by placing memory arenas far apart in virtual memory and implementing other safety measures.
8. H.264 Is Magic (2016)
Total comment counts : 18
Summary
The article discusses the importance of video compression in reducing bandwidth required for transmission. It highlights the features and efficiency of H.264, a video compression codec standard. The author explains the concept of lossy compression, where less important bits are discarded to save space. H.264 uses various techniques to discard unnecessary detail information in frames, resulting in significantly smaller file sizes compared to lossless codecs like PNG. The article also introduces the concept of information entropy and its role in representing and describing datasets with minimal number of bits.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the increasing use and adoption of the AV1 video codec for various applications. Meta is gradually using VP9 and AV1 streams for video streaming, while AV1 is being utilized for video calls by Facebook. Microsoft is also starting to implement AV1 in Teams, specifically for screen sharing. Although H.264 will still be present for a while, AV1 is expected to become the new standard for internet video.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article mentioned is titled “H.264 is Magic” and it has been discussed multiple times on the Hacker News forum. There are several links provided that lead to different discussions of the article over the years, with varying amounts of comments. The article seems to be a technical walkthrough of H.264, a video compression standard.
9. Kizhi Pogost
Total comment counts : 2
Summary
The article discusses the Kizhi Pogost, an architectural ensemble located on Kizhi Island in Lake Onega. It consists of two 18th-century wooden churches and an octagonal wooden bell tower. These unique structures showcase the visionary architecture and carpentry skills of the Russian people. The Church of the Transfiguration, in particular, is considered a wonder of the world and was built without the use of nails. The ensemble is the only one in Russia to have two multi-domed wooden churches. The churches were rebuilt after being struck by lightning in 1693.
Top 1 Comment Summary
This article discusses the construction of a structure using only wood-to-wood connections, such as dovetails, instead of nails. This method eliminates the risk of rusting in the damp climate of a lake coast.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article explains how a technique taken from Norway is used to fix structures. The method involves hanging up the entire structure from its top to create a loose connection. This allows for the removal and replacement of any damaged wood. Finally, the structure is released to land back on its own gravity.
10. Threescaper: A website for loading Townscaper models into Three.js
Total comment counts : 9
Summary
The article discusses a website that allows users to load Townscaper models into a three.js software. The website takes user feedback seriously and offers available qualifiers for users to explore. Additionally, a live demo of the website is provided for users to try out.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses two town-building games. The first game is called Townscaper, which is described as a meditative and obstacle-free game available for $6. The author highly recommends it. The second game mentioned is called Tiny Glade, which is written in Rust and utilizes Bevy. It currently has a free demo available.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses their excitement and gratitude for a new discovery called Townscaper. They have been building townscaper builds as a meditative task and have always wanted to explore them further. They describe the builds as having embedded coves, labyrinthine stairways, and hidden gardens that are difficult to fully appreciate with normal controls. They express their appreciation for those who create these builds and thank the person who shared the information. The author plans to spend their day exploring these little worlds and mentions their curiosity about finding floating castles. They also mention a specific build they are currently working on.