1. I wrote a book called “Crap Towns”. It seemed funny at the time
Total comment counts : 51
Summary
The article discusses the author’s reflections on editing the “Crap Towns” book series, which humorously highlighted the UK’s worst places. Initially intended to spark conversations about urban regeneration, the author now questions its relevance in today’s politically sensitive climate. Feedback from journalists suggests that such candid critiques may no longer be acceptable, prompting introspection about societal changes in humor and self-deprecation. While the author grapples with feelings of nostalgia and shame regarding “Crap Towns,” they also recognize a shift in public attitudes towards humor and criticism, noting the rise of puritanical responses to satire.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author expresses gratitude for the engagement and thoughtful comments on their post. They acknowledge their inability to draw definitive conclusions and highlight discussions about atomization and increasing inequalities. The author reflects on how sharing jokes has changed since 2003 and questions the contemporary dynamics of humor. They also clarify that they are not a comedian, but work in publishing, suggesting their insights about publishers’ nervousness stem from experience rather than concrete evidence.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses how expectations around humor and cultural content have shifted over time. The author reflects on how a book that may have been popular in the past would struggle to find the same reception today, not merely due to political correctness but also because contemporary contexts render certain jokes unfunny and mocking less affectionate. This change may be linked to a broader societal malaise, where the recognition of failure and self-mockery, once charming, now feels inappropriate or “grubby”. The author suggests deeper reasons behind this shift beyond mere humor.
2. Berkeley Humanoid Lite – Open-source robot
Total comment counts : 14
Summary
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed the Berkeley Humanoid Lite, an open-source humanoid robot aimed at democratizing the field of humanoid robotics. Unlike existing high-cost, closed-source options, this robot features a modular, 3D-printed design with easily accessible components, keeping total costs under $5,000. Its cycloidal gearbox design addresses durability issues, while extensive testing validates its performance. Demonstrations included various tasks and reinforcement learning experiments. The project introduces a new performance metric to compare cost-effectiveness against other robots, emphasizing accessibility and customizability in humanoid technology development.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the current state of hobby robotics, emphasizing a desire for high-level functionality with minimal effort on lower-level systems. The author seeks recommendations for software to control a robotic arm and car, preferably something that integrates well and operates efficiently. The potential option mentioned is ROS2, which is considered suitable for these applications.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author supports the idea of developing an open source platform as we move past core hardware issues. The focus should now be on reducing costs and widening design possibilities while also addressing significant unsolved software challenges. An open source initiative could facilitate progress in both areas.
3. Parallel ./configure
Total comment counts : 25
Summary
In 2025, a developer expresses frustration with existing build configuration tools like Autoconf and CMake, which fail to utilize the full potential of modern multi-core CPUs, causing long configuration times. The author proposes a new parallel approach using a Makefile to run configuration tests concurrently, drastically improving efficiency. By generating independent makefile fragments for compiler flags and merging them, the process becomes significantly faster. A proof-of-concept project demonstrates this method, achieving up to 802% CPU utilization, showcasing a substantial performance enhancement compared to traditional configuration steps.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights the problem of developers lazily copying configuration scripts from older projects, leading to outdated checks in modern codebases. This results in unnecessary verifications for things like integer size or specific headers, even when the code only targets common architectures like x86 and ARM with compilers like GCC or Clang. Consequently, the codebase may inconsistently use types like int64_t without proper validation in the configure script.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article discusses a modified build system where the configuration step is integrated into the make process. Instead of separating the “configure” and “make” steps, the author generates a Makefile or ninja file during configuration that allows for simultaneous detection of compiler definitions and building the executable. This approach maintains similar behavior to traditional methods but enables interleaving configuration and build tasks, improving efficiency. The author did not fully utilize this interleaving but acknowledges its potential benefits.
4. Cloth
Total comment counts : 15
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article highlights a new tool available for web browsers, which can be accessed through the provided link.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author successfully learned verlet integration and created a cloth simulation after reading a blog post by Marian Pekár.
5. ICE Deports 3 U.S. Citizen Children Held Incommunicado Prior to the Deportation
Total comment counts : 29
Summary
In the early hours, the New Orleans ICE deported two families, including U.S. citizen children, amidst serious due process violations. Detained without communication for days, the families were isolated from legal counsel, preventing vital discussions about their children’s welfare. One mother, pregnant, was deported without prenatal care; another family’s child with cancer lacked necessary medication during their removal. Critics, including legal advocates, condemned ICE’s actions as cruel and unlawful, highlighting a pattern of abuse and the jeopardization of vulnerable individuals’ rights. Calls for accountability and the return of the families were made by various organizations.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author initially supported wide-scale deportations but now opposes them due to their harmful impact on families and communities, which creates fear and undermines trust in the law. This approach diverts attention from violent crime and fosters a surveillance culture. The author advocates for border security that targets real threats while providing law-abiding residents with a clear path to legal status, aiming to maintain safety without compromising civil liberties.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article suggests that participants in a conversation are overly focused on technicalities and specific wording, questioning whether this attention to detail is truly relevant to the overarching discussion.
6. An end to all this prostate trouble?
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
Prostate-related issues cause significant health concerns for men, including a 1 in 40 mortality rate from prostate cancer and widespread benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) among older men. BPH can obstruct urination and may become malignant. A theory by Israeli doctors Gat and Goren suggests that BPH arises from spermatic vein incompetence, potentially offering a straightforward solution. Despite their promising findings published in reputable journals, the medical community has largely ignored this theory. Further investigation is warranted to understand better the underlying causes of prostate diseases beyond the current complex theories.
Top 1 Comment Summary
Vivifi Medical, a startup linked to the Texas Medical Center, is conducting clinical trials for a minimally invasive procedure to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in El Salvador. The innovative method involves snipping dysfunctional blood vessels and reconnecting them to improve blood flow, potentially reversing BPH within months. With an estimated market of 500 million men, Vivifi plans to seek FDA approval by 2028, offering a promising alternative to more disruptive procedures like TURP. The cost per procedure is projected to be a few thousand dollars, significantly lower than traditional treatments.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Gat and Gornish’s article discusses prostate enlargement and its possible link to vitamin K2, referencing a 2014 study by Nimptsch et al. that found a strong inverse relationship between vitamin K2 intake and prostate cancer risk. Vitamin K2 may reduce arterial stiffness and improve venous flow, potentially decreasing the incidence of varicoceles that increase testosterone levels and contribute to prostate enlargement. To benefit from K2, it’s suggested to consume more grass-fed butter or take supplements, which could also enhance bone strength and potentially prevent prostate cancer.
7. Watching o3 guess a photo’s location is surreal, dystopian and entertaining
Total comment counts : 49
Summary
OpenAI’s new o3 model allows users to guess the location of a photo by analyzing it. The process involves uploading a photo and prompting the model to identify clues. Initially, it mistakenly claims it can’t see the photo but quickly analyzes visual elements, suggesting a coastal California location. After extensive cropping and zooming, it deduces the photo was taken in El Granada, California, nearly 200 miles from its initial guess of Cambria. While it doesn’t always access EXIF data, users have reported varied results with different models. Overall, the o3 model showcases impressive visual analysis capabilities.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author, a competitive Geoguessr player, finds that AI performs impressively well in identifying locations based on photos, often matching or surpassing human expertise. The AI uses personal knowledge and analyzes factors such as vegetation, terrain, and architecture to arrive at conclusions. In comparisons with vacation photos from various locations, the AI consistently outperformed individual human players, demonstrating a broader knowledge base than any single person could maintain, even with extensive study or flashcard aids.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The author expresses confidence that a program did not cheat in identifying a font from a photograph, referencing the EXIF data. They note that the program inconsistently claimed it couldn’t access image data and suggest that its reliability is questionable. To verify its performance, the author recommends running the analysis again after removing the EXIF data.
8. The Friendship Recession: The lost art of connecting
Total comment counts : 38
Summary
The “Friendship Recession” highlights a significant decline in American friendships, with 12% of adults reporting no close friends, a fourfold increase since 1990. The average time spent with friends dropped from 6.5 to 4 hours weekly between 2014 and 2019, driven by suburban sprawl, a diminished focus on community spaces, and the demands of the gig economy. Moreover, cultural shifts prioritize work and family over social connections, risking isolation. As Americans invest more in careers and intensive parenting, meaningful relationships fade, suggesting a need to deliberately prioritize friendships for well-being.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the phenomenon of “late stage individualism” in the U.S., where people prioritize personal needs over community connections, partly due to the internet enabling physical avoidance of social interactions. It notes that younger generations tend to have fewer community ties compared to older ones, who still maintain friendships. The author reflects on their own struggles to form adult friendships, recognizing that minimal efforts to connect with neighbors contribute to this trend of individualism.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Modern expectations of friendship have become unrealistic, influenced by movies that depict friends as unwavering supporters. The true nature of friendships is often transient, with effort levels varying between individuals. As people age, finding friends requires actively seeking established communities, like sports or trivia nights, and consistently participating to build connections. The decline in friendships, termed the “Friendship Recession,” stems from human inertia; forming new bonds requires vulnerability and effort, which many find daunting compared to the ease of consuming online content. Ultimately, friendships need active cultivation rather than high expectations.
9. Reading RSS content is a skilled activity
Total comment counts : 26
Summary
The internet has shifted from a quirky, altruistic space to one focused on commodifying user attention, often harming user experience due to an algorithm-driven approach. RSS offers a chance to reclaim attention by allowing users to curate their content actively. Success with RSS requires a “chains of trust” method, where users subscribe to trusted sources and discover related content. This personal curation process, akin to gardening, enables users to filter meaningful information and foster a more intentional engagement with content, ultimately enhancing the value of their online experience.
Top 1 Comment Summary
The author has optimized their Newsblur subscriptions by organizing them into groups. They created a main group, “0-front,” for feeds they regularly read, like favorite comics, while placing other less urgent feeds in separate groups. This allows them to stay current with their most loved content while addressing additional feeds only when they desire.
Top 2 Comment Summary
Engaging with content through an RSS reader allows users to determine its value, enhancing their ownership of attention. While backlogs in RSS feeds were commonly discussed in the past, the focus has shifted. The author adopts a “read it now or read it never” approach, keeping their RSS feeds empty and avoiding “read it later” queues. They believe important information will resurface when needed, making it acceptable if some content is ultimately missed.
10. Australian who ordered radioactive materials walks away from court
Total comment counts : 30
Summary
error
Top 1 Comment Summary
The article discusses the absurdity of a case involving the importation of minuscule amounts of plutonium embedded in acrylic for display, asserting it’s safe due to its alpha radiation. It highlights that many everyday items, including smoke detectors and coal, emit more radiation than nuclear plants. The author notes that while people fear radiation, it exists everywhere and safety depends on dosage. It contrasts this fear with the acceptance of pollutants from cars that significantly contribute to cancer. A recommended video from “Explosions and Fire” is linked for further insights.
Top 2 Comment Summary
The article highlights a judge’s need to link the behavior of collecting various materials from the periodic table to mental health issues, thereby avoiding ridicule of existing laws in Australia. This connection underscores the complexities of legal interpretations related to unusual behaviors and mental health in society.