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2024-11-21

ICC issues warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas officials

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  • The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders Netanyahu and Gallant, along with Hamas officials, for alleged war crimes.
  • The warrants underscore the ICC's jurisdiction over crimes in Palestinian territories, even though Israel does not recognize the court's authority.
  • This situation highlights challenges in international law enforcement, as major powers like the US do not recognize the ICC, potentially limiting its effectiveness and making actual arrests unlikely.

Everyone is capable of, and can benefit from, mathematical thinking

  • David Bessis, a mathematician, posits that mathematical thinking, which balances intuition and logic, is beneficial for everyone, enhancing creativity and understanding.- In his book "Mathematica: A Secret World of Intuition and Curiosity," Bessis likens mathematical thinking to a dialogue between reason and instinct, akin to yoga, and emphasizes it as a skill developed through practice.- Bessis views math as a universal life lesson that can bring joy, clarity, and self-confidence, suggesting it is not just problem-solving but a form of self-help.

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  • Mathematical thinking is beneficial for everyone, but many face challenges due to ineffective teaching methods and lack of motivation.- Math is often mistakenly viewed as an innate talent rather than a skill that can be developed with the right approach and mindset, similar to sports.- Emphasizing that math is accessible to all, teaching should focus on developing mathematical thinking skills, making learning enjoyable and inclusive.

Z-Library Helps Students to Overcome Academic Poverty, Study Finds

  • A study in the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice examines the use of Z-Library, a shadow library providing free books and academic articles, highlighting high costs and limited access as primary motivators.
  • Chinese postgraduate students, among others, use Z-Library to combat academic poverty, viewing it as crucial for academic success despite legal issues faced by the platform.
  • The study recommends that universities and publishers increase free access to content to bridge digital divides and address the needs of students relying on such resources.

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  • A study emphasizes Z-Library's role in alleviating academic poverty by offering free access to textbooks, aiding students in previewing books before buying physical copies.
  • The discussion explores the dual nature of piracy, with arguments that it can both negatively impact sales and potentially lead to legitimate purchases, maintaining resource relevance.
  • The conversation also references other platforms like Sci-Hub and Libgen, debating the ethical and educational implications of piracy in accessing educational and software resources.

Weight-loss drug found to shrink muscle in mice, human cells

  • A University of Alberta study indicates that weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic may lead to heart and muscle shrinkage, raising concerns about potential long-term health effects.
  • The study observed heart muscle loss in both mice and human cells, prompting researchers to recommend monitoring heart health in users of these drugs.
  • Experts suggest that up to 40% of weight loss from these drugs is muscle, advising users to maintain muscle mass through proper nutrition and resistance training during treatment.

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  • A study indicates that semaglutide, a weight-loss drug, may lead to more muscle loss than traditional dieting, raising concerns about its long-term health effects.
  • The research found that semaglutide reduces heart muscle in both mice and human cells, prompting a debate on whether the benefits of weight loss outweigh the potential risks.
  • Experts recommend proper nutrition and exercise to counteract muscle loss, emphasizing the need for further research on semaglutide's impact on muscle and overall health.

A common urban intersection in the Netherlands (2018)

  • Urban intersections in the Netherlands, such as those in 's-Hertogenbosch, are designed to prioritize safety and efficiency for all road users, including motor traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians.
  • Key features include protected cycleways, raised intersections, clear road markings, and priority rules that favor non-motorized traffic, reducing the need for traffic signals.
  • This design approach emphasizes the Dutch commitment to accommodating diverse traffic types through innovative and thoughtful infrastructure planning.

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  • The Netherlands prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians at urban intersections, contrasting with countries like the UK and Italy, where cycling infrastructure often lacks priority and can be awkward or poorly designed.- The success of the Dutch model is due to a cultural shift and legal frameworks that favor cyclists, leading to safer and more efficient cycling environments.- There are calls for other countries to adopt the Dutch model to improve cycling safety and infrastructure, highlighting its effectiveness and appeal.

Google stops letting sites like Forbes rule search for "Best CBD Gummies"

  • Google has revised its site reputation abuse policy to address "Parasite SEO," where established websites use their domain authority to promote unrelated third-party product recommendations.
  • This update has led to a decline in search rankings for sites like Forbes and Time, which have been using this tactic for affiliate content.
  • The policy change aims to improve the search experience by reducing the influence of exploitative SEO practices on search results.

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  • Google has implemented changes to prevent sites like Forbes from dominating search results for terms such as "Best CBD Gummies," addressing issues with SEO spam and affiliate marketing.
  • This change aims to improve search result quality, which has been affected by AI-generated content and aggressive SEO tactics.
  • The move is also seen as a response to competition from AI tools like ChatGPT, as Google seeks to enhance search results and diminish the impact of low-quality content.

Electrobun: Cross-platform desktop applications written in TypeScript

  • Electrobun is a tool for developing fast, small, cross-platform desktop applications using Typescript, leveraging bun for execution and zig for native bindings.
  • The latest version, Electrobun v0.0.13, can be installed with $ bun install electrobun, offering compact app bundles (~12MB) and minimal updates (as small as 4KB).
  • It provides an integrated workflow that allows developers to start coding in 5 minutes and distribute applications in 10, ensuring efficient performance with isolated processes and easy Remote Procedure Call (RPC) capabilities.

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  • Electrobun is a new framework designed for creating cross-platform desktop applications using TypeScript, similar to Electron but utilizing Bun and the system webview instead of Node.js and Chromium.
  • Currently, Electrobun is only available for macOS, with future plans to support Windows and Linux, and is in its early development stages focusing on stability.
  • The framework promises small update sizes and a custom Remote Procedure Call (RPC) mechanism for efficient inter-process communication, though it currently lacks comprehensive documentation and visual examples.

PHP 8.4

  • PHP 8.4.1 introduces significant updates, including property hooks for computed properties and asymmetric visibility for property access control.- Enhancements include an updated DOM API with HTML5 support, new array functions, and a new JIT (Just-In-Time) implementation for improved performance.- Deprecated features involve unbundled extensions and changes to certain constants and functions, encouraging users to upgrade for better performance and syntax.

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  • PHP 8.4 introduces property hooks, a feature aimed at simplifying getters and setters, drawing comparisons to similar functionality in C#.
  • The update includes performance enhancements, improved stack traces, and new array functions, contributing to PHP's ongoing evolution.
  • Developers are divided on the changes, with some concerned about added complexity, while others appreciate the reduction in boilerplate code and a shift from Java-like verbosity.

Hyrum's Law in Golang

  • Hyrum's Law, named after Google engineer Hyrum Wright, suggests that with enough API users, all observable behaviors will be relied upon by someone, making changes risky.
  • In the Go programming language, altering error messages like "http: request body too large" can disrupt existing code that depends on these messages, illustrating Hyrum's Law.
  • This concept is not exclusive to Go; it is also evident in other languages like JavaScript, emphasizing the importance of designing systems to minimize unintended dependencies.

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  • Hyrum's Law suggests that any observable behavior in a system, even if unintended, can become a dependency for users, making changes potentially disruptive.
  • Library authors should document stable API parts and consider user dependencies, while consumers should be cautious of relying on undocumented features.
  • The discussion emphasizes balancing technical improvements with user expectations, noting differences in handling changes between open-source and enterprise software.

We open-sourced our compost monitoring tech

  • Monty Compost Co. is a startup focused on enhancing composting efficiency for both residential and industrial use through open-source technology.- The technology integrates with platforms like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, using sensors to monitor gas, temperature, moisture, and air pressure, with data exportable as CSV files.- While initially designed for compost monitoring, the technology is adaptable for Internet of Things (IoT) and environmental monitoring applications.

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  • Monty Compost Co. has released its compost monitoring technology as open-source, allowing for adaptation in various applications beyond composting.
  • The system is compatible with Raspberry Pi and Arduino, featuring sensors for gas composition, temperature, moisture, and air pressure, with data exportable as CSV files.
  • This technology is designed to optimize composting but is also applicable for Internet of Things (IoT) and environmental monitoring, encouraging user experimentation and project sharing.

The meme-ification of the "Demon Core"

  • The "Demon Core," associated with two fatal nuclear accidents, has become a dark internet meme, often featuring unexpected juxtapositions with cute anime characters.- The meme's popularity since 2019 highlights a niche interest that has gained wider recognition, despite being considered in poor taste.- The "Demon Core" was the third plutonium core intended for WWII, adding complexity to its meme-ification, particularly due to its Japanese origins.

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  • The "Demon Core" memes originate from a blend of dark humor and historical nuclear incidents involving a plutonium sphere.
  • The memes juxtapose the core's dangerous nature with humorous or absurd contexts, sparking debate on whether the humor stems from the reckless experiments or as a coping mechanism for nuclear history.
  • This phenomenon illustrates how humor can emerge from serious topics, offering insights into human behavior and unexpected reactions.

The Matrix: Infinite-Horizon World Generation with Real-Time Interaction

  • The Matrix project is developing a real-time, immersive digital universe with high-quality visuals and frame-level precision, inspired by the film's concept.
  • It utilizes advanced models like Swin-DPM for generating infinitely long videos, allowing real-time control and exploration of dynamic environments.
  • The project plans to open-source its data to encourage research and innovation, showcasing diverse scenes that blend virtual and real-world settings.

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  • The discussion focuses on the potential for generating infinite virtual worlds, inspired by "The Matrix: Infinite-Horizon World Generation with Real-Time Interaction."
  • Comparisons are made to games like Minecraft, which utilize procedural generation to maintain spatial consistency, and suggestions include using low-resolution 3D worlds for effectiveness.
  • The role of AI in enhancing virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality experiences is highlighted, alongside concerns about the current technology's usability and marketability.

Bike route planner that follows almost only official bike trails

  • A new bike touring route planner app has been developed, focusing on utilizing existing bike infrastructure and allowing users to explore routes via maps or official trails.- The app currently covers Europe and uses OpenStreetMap data for optimal route planning, with future expansion plans to North America and globally.- Technically, the app employs Graphhopper for route finding, is built with Next.js 14 and Typescript, and uses a .NET backend, with map tiles sourced from MapTiler, though self-hosting is planned.

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  • A new bike route planner app has been developed, focusing on official bike trails for bike touring, and is currently available in Europe.- The app utilizes OpenStreetMap data and employs Graphhopper for route finding, with a web app built using Next.js and .NET.- Future expansion plans include extending the app's availability to North America and other regions, with an open invitation for feedback and collaboration from developers.

Boeing overcharged the U.S. Air Force 8,000% above market for soap dispensers

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  • Boeing charged the U.S. Air Force $149,072 for soap dispensers, significantly above market price, equating to $671 per plane for 222 C-17 aircraft.
  • The inflated cost is attributed to compliance with military specifications and documentation requirements, sparking debate over the procurement process's efficiency.
  • The situation underscores potential inefficiencies in military contracting, with suggestions that the system may favor contractors like Boeing.

Europe's Internet resilience mitigates impact of submarine cable cuts

  • Recent cable cuts in the Baltic Sea, specifically the BCS East-West Interlink and C-Lion1 cables, did not significantly disrupt Internet connectivity in Europe due to resilient infrastructure.
  • Europe's robust Internet infrastructure, featuring multiple submarine and terrestrial connections, ensures minimal impact from such incidents by providing alternative routes.
  • Cloudflare Radar actively monitors global Internet connectivity, offering updates through social media and blog posts, highlighting the importance of redundant network architecture to prevent disruptions.

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