2023-04-09
I wish GPT4 had never happened
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Discussion Service. An article on the negative impact of GPT-4 gains attention with a mix of opinions on taxation, productivity, socioeconomic classes, and government regulation. A mass professional shift is happening, causing social turmoil, but some argue it opens opportunities for technical skills. Wealth distribution and ownership in a free society are debated, with some arguing for a new solution to AI's adoption downsides. ChatGPT helps users feel more confident with programming languages, but concerns about AI-generated code's increased likelihood of bugs are expressed. GPT-4 is deemed a powerful productivity tool with the potential to replace developers in certain areas. AI's impact on society and the workforce is not yet clear, but AI is not intended to replace human skill and judgment.
Why human societies developed so little during 300k years
Original. The article discusses anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon's findings on Yanomamö warfare and their unique cultural practices that kept populations down while having abundant resources. The article sheds light on pre-Malthusian societies and how humans have existed in a state of population equilibrium. Human development is episodic, and the question arises, what made human males abandon the zero-sum game and develop more complex societies? The article suggests a new perspective on human history and the evolution of civilization, and comments bring in diverse perspectives, including Marxist views on war in primitive societies.
Discussion Service. Discussion on why human societies stagnated for 300,000 years, with varying perspectives on the role of technology, population growth, and literacy. Some users point out the importance of specific knowledge in fields like engineering and mathematics. A conversation on the development of societies challenges the author's premise and highlights the need to consider societal and cultural factors beyond material technology. The Tech Times report aims to provide concise, unbiased insights for experts in the field. Stay neutral and focus on key points that interest readers, avoiding political or religious statements.
The Garbage Collection Handbook, 2nd Edition
Original. The Garbage Collection Handbook, 2nd Edition updates the state of automatic memory management research and development, with a focus on the latest advanced techniques, like parallel, incremental, concurrent, and real-time garbage collection, and their implications for garbage collector designers and implementers. The text also delves into new challenges posed by recent hardware and software advances. This comprehensive guide is primarily intended for memory management researchers and developers seeking insight into different memory management algorithms and designs.
Discussion Service. 'The Garbage Collection Handbook, 2nd Edition' released, featuring info on Concurrent copying/compaction GC and page fault handling. Userfaultfd and linear logic noted. Debate on GC in Java/Ada, tracing GC and reference counting connectors. Importance of minimizing heap memory allocation discussed. Real-time and non-real-time GCs exist. Some users feel GC is essential, while others prefer manual memory management. Language design expertise ≠ computer science expertise. Discussion on value types in Swift and sarcasm about garbage collection book in Rust.
New Orleans teenagers found a new proof of the Pythagorean Theorem
Original. Two teenage girls have presented a new proof of the Pythagorean Theorem to the American Mathematical Society, creating quite a stir. This exemplary example proves how open elemental math is to everyone and may encourage others to explore mathematics.
Discussion Service. New Orleans teenagers discovered novel Pythagorean Theorem proof based on Law of Sines. Experts share differing opinions. The two female African-American students presented their work to the American Mathematical Society. Proof uses infinite series of nested triangles and trigonometry conventions. Some users suggest alternative ways to prove theorem. Underrepresented group's achievement and parent involvement debated. Proof only needs to be logically correct. High school students' accomplishment subject to intense scrutiny by experienced mathematicians. Proof not new, but the simplest and most beautiful trigonometric proof to date. Importance of creativity and originality highlighted. YC Summer 2023 applications open.
Do judges give out tougher sentences when hungry? A study too good to be true
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Discussion Service. A study suggesting that judges give harsher sentences when hungry is disputed, citing experiences with fasting. Religious fasting could actually benefit judges' judgment, while short Ramadan fasts are not comparable to longer ones. Fasting experiences and opinions vary, with some noting clearness and productivity. Studies show positive correlations between cognitive performance and fasting or restricted carbohydrate diets, but more research is needed. Judges fasting during Ramadan in Pakistan were more likely to acquit defendants by 10% each additional hour fasted, but small sample size and scheduling biases were noted. Scientific studies on social phenomena are unreliable and open to differing interpretations, based on comments. The nature of science and the importance of shared truth in scientific discourse were also discussed.
Everything advertised on social media is overpriced junk
Original. A study by Carnegie Mellon and Pamplin College found that targeted ads on social media cost an average of 10% more and come from vendors with poor ratings, leading the study to conclude that all advertised products on social media are overpriced junk. Contextual ads perform as well and have better control over creative content. Legislative action is needed to implement an opt-in consent policy for data collection, and to regulate the ad-tech market. A federal privacy law could prevent spying by social media giants and foster competition in app stores, allowing media outlets to earn more revenue. Shifting control from Big Tech can benefit the media at large.
Discussion Service. An article claims that social media advertisements sell overpriced junk, countered by views on benefits including enabling small businesses to advertise for less money. The article focuses on razor market and niche products. Suggestions are made for high-quality products, brand research and regulation of advertising. Product advertising and reviews' limitations are discussed, and the decline in product quality is a common issue. Some point out that newer growth-focused brands may offer better deals. Problems with targeted advertising, lunar topography products, and a delivered scam are experienced.
Go port of SQLite without CGo
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Discussion Service. A Go port of SQLite without CGo for cross-compiling is discussed on Discussion Service, with alternatives suggested. Concerns about stability and transaction behavior are raised, with some recommending the C library. There is debate about implementing SQLite in Go, and the benefits of Go-sqlite over standard drivers. The main advantage of Go-sqlite is not using CGO, with developed methods using C to Go compiler for SQLite. Some praise the method, while others report transaction lock errors. An alternative approach using Wasm is recommended.
Why and How We Retired Elm at Culture Amp
Original. Culture Amp has retired Elm as its preferred language for new front-end code after four years despite its previous promotion by the company's engineering lead. The move was due to an attempt by Culture Amp's design team to build a language-agnostic library of reusable user interface components with Web Components, which demands its framework. Culture Amp chose to stick with React due to its acquisition of a company with an entirely React code base and TypeScript's ability to match Elm's state management. Culture Amp's decision reflects an increasing trend towards selecting React in TypeScript for new projects, and Elm may move from "adopt" to "contain" status on their Tech Radar. Engineers supported the decision to contain Elm due to the complexity it creates.
Discussion Service. Culture Amp's decision to reject job candidates with a specific language preference sparks discussions on Discussion Service, with some agreeing and others disagreeing. Some users caution against being too zealous about a technology and encourage focusing on actual indicators of expertise. Elm's challenges and decline are discussed, with suggestions for other languages. Discussion Service comments discuss company culture, design systems, and tech stack choices. A former Elm user shares their experience switching to TypeScript, while a company with difficulty maintaining two frameworks decides to phase out Elm. The editor must avoid political or religious statements and capture vital points of interest to tech-savvy readers.
FAA K-12 Airport Design Challenge in Minecraft
Original. The FAA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Aviation and Space Education (STEM AVSED) Program is organizing an Airport Design Challenge in Minecraft for students in grades K-12. This interactive learning and collaboration opportunity covers topics ranging from airport layout, pavement, lighting, and structures, to innovative growth. Participants have the chance to work with FAA aerospace and engineering experts, meet aviation professionals, and engage with other designers. Collaborative work between students, parents, and teachers is performed in a virtual environment, and knowledge check assignments and screenshots of designs are used to provide feedback.
Discussion Service. The FAA hosts an airport design challenge using Minecraft for K-12 students in the US. Users discuss the potential benefits and limitations of Minecraft as an educational and creative tool. Some express concerns over kids' technology use, while others highlight its potential to cultivate later interests. The competition generates interest as a unique combination of Minecraft and aviation design. The post suggests that even airport designers can learn from the creativity of 12-year-old kids. The competition also crowdsources 3D world replicas for infrastructure projects and sparks interest in open-sourcing government infrastructure projects for public contribution. Discussion Service users express positive reactions to Minecraft-inspired projects that stimulate children's growth and learning, such as programming and engineering skills.
Google to Ban Financial Lending Apps from Accessing User Photos, Contacts
Original. Google has updated its personal loans policy to prevent apps that offer loans from accessing user contacts or photos. This move is aimed at addressing predatory behaviour from some lenders who harass and intimidate borrowers into paying outstanding debts. In addition to this, it will require country-specific licensing documentation to prove their ability to provide or facilitate personal loans, such as in Pakistan. Such practices have led to debt collectors sending manipulated photos to the friends and family of debtors, resulting in a number of targeted individuals taking their lives in countries such as India and Kenya.
Discussion Service. Google will ban lending apps from accessing user photos and contacts. Suggestions include a two-pronged approach in the Play Store or presenting fake data when permissions are denied. Secure core architecture promises to eliminate malware. Users complain about too many permissions and misuse of data by loan apps. Call for better regulations or a whitelist for loan app access. Privacy concerns and need for individual sharing of contacts. Need for streamlined media access function. Desktop users lack permissions limits. Alternative app stores could weaken user protections. Unique scam in Kenya. Google bans payday loan ads despite allowing them on the app store.
Go 1.21 will (likely) have a static toolchain on Linux
Original. The upcoming version of Go 1.21 will have a static toolchain on Linux, which means that the compiler will be built using the pure Go resolver only and will be a static executable, unless the developers revert for some reason. This will allow for a nice quality of life improvement for people who mostly work on recent Linuxes, but who occasionally have to deal with older ones. However, this change will not automatically make user programs version-independent. Currently, elements of the plan have already landed in the Go development version.
Discussion Service. Go 1.21 to have faster static toolchain on Linux, but criticisms on handling of nil pointer panics still persist. Some suggest retrofitting features without breaking backwards compatibility, but others argue against generics. Users praise ease of use and toolchain appeal of Go. Rust's borrow checker, memory safety limitations, and lifetimes are also discussed. Go's DNS resolver and reliance on libc debated, with pros and cons of dynamic vs. static linking. DNS lookup implementation on macOS discussed, building client executables in debian squeeze docker container suggested, and using Go for fully reproducible toolchain on 1.21.
Electricity Prices by Country
Original. The article delves into the cost and sources of electricity across countries, revealing how Germany and Bermuda are the most expensive while Sudan, Venezuela, and Iran are the cheapest. Most countries still primarily depend on fossil fuels for electricity generation. Notably, the US has the highest household electricity usage but a similar cost to the global average. Furthermore, 13% of the world's population is still without access to electricity. It's important to consider access and sustainability when analyzing electricity prices, with cheap prices often causing harm to the environment.
Discussion Service. An article on "Electricity Prices by Country" gains attention on Hacker News, as readers discuss factors such as regional energy usage differences and propane usage in rural areas. Users share their experiences in drastically reducing energy consumption, while others point out flaws in data and express surprise at low energy usage. Regional variations in pricing due to geography and political policies are significant, and prices should be normalized by local average income for a fair comparison. Argentine and Venezuelan subsidies spark concerns, while critics suggest simplistic data comparisons for marketing purposes. Germany's high prices are attributed to the cost of natural gas, while Swede and UK prices are cited as not matching on-the-ground costs. The article covers electricity prices in African countries, though commenters note flaws in using averages to describe the entire sample, and the irrelevance of prices without electricity availability.
0x0: Share Files from Terminal
Original. Online file-sharing service 0x0 has been taken offline after German police seized its servers. The shutdown came despite 0x0.st operating a clear prohibition against illegal file sharing or activity. Anonymous uploads and remote URLs were made available using the platform, which could delete files and set expire dates. The service's operator, named Mia, said hosting costs were €60 ($65) a month, while adding that the service was blocked to exit nodes due to many rule violations, and that uploaders who violate the site's rules would have their IP address banned. No arrests have been reported to date.
Discussion Service. 'Hacker News' talks about a file-sharing service for the terminal, and shares legal risks and deterrents. Several alternatives mentioned. Another discussion about file-hosting services, suggested alternatives, but pointed out lack of support for .rar files and uploads related to cryptocurrency. CloudFlare-powered version is also noted. A GitHub page with curl instructions marked "made to look like a crash" and a code snippet with "enhancements" with an opened application for YC Summer 2023.