TL;DR summary of stories on the internet
British computer scientist Peter Kirstein, an Internet Hall of Fame inductee, passed away in January 2020, commemorated for connecting the UK to the early internet in the 1970s. Kirstein’s foresight in creating network protocols and unique approaches allowed the UK to join Arpanet. Initially met with technical and bureaucratic challenges, his persistence paid off when […]
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Wildfires are raging through Los Angeles, causing chaos and destruction. Surprisingly, TikTok’s LA-based employees are expected to continue working from home during this crisis or use their personal/sick days. Despite their office being closed due to power outages from the fires, employees are still being asked to work in the midst of a disaster. Employees […]
Kagi is a new search engine that offers quality search results for a monthly fee of $10 USD. Unlike other search engines, Kagi is ad-free and prioritizes user privacy. The company focuses on providing a good search experience without bombarding users with ads or tracking their searches. They also offer unique features like the ability […]
Rodney Brooks gives an annual update on his predictions from 2018 about self-driving cars, robotics, AI, and human space travel. He reflects on the hype surrounding AI, machine learning, and robotics, emphasizing the importance of rational evaluation. Brooks discusses changes in technology over the years and challenges exaggerated expectations. He highlights the complexities of self-driving […]
The author discusses how SQL treats NULL values differently in columns with UNIQUE constraints, allowing multiple NULL values because each NULL is considered a distinct value. Using examples in SQLite, Postgres, and MYSQL, the author shows that NULL values are not considered equal to each other but can be checked using the IS operator. To […]
The British Museum holds a collection of around 130,000 clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia, with most remaining untranslated due to the complex languages they are written in. Recently deciphered tablets dating back to between 1900 and 1600 B.C. contain the earliest known mentions of omens related to lunar eclipses, a cause of great concern for […]
The author highlights the multitude of new self-hosted software projects that have emerged in 2024, showcasing a variety of exciting options for users to explore. The article includes standout projects such as Hoarder for bookmarking, Pinchflat for managing YouTube content, and Glance for creating a customizable dashboard. Other notable projects include Docmost for documentation collaboration, […]
The author discusses the deep-seated desire to write that has been with them their whole life, allowing them to express their thoughts more clearly than through speech due to their childhood experiences. Writing provided stability and immutability that social interactions did not. They began writing early, connecting with the pleasure of making up stories and […]
Conference attendees were skeptical when mathematician Roger Apéry claimed he could prove the irrationality of the famous number ζ(3). Apéry, with his hillbilly accent and reputation as a provocateur, presented a seemingly impossible proof that left attendees hooting in disbelief. However, Henri Cohen emerged convinced and, along with a few other mathematicians, completed the proof […]
I created a website to visually showcase Factorio blueprints. You can import blueprints as text and adjust drawing settings or generate random designs. Everything, from buildings to connections, is displayed using vector graphics for high resolution viewing. Note that blueprints from versions before Factorio 2.0 may have issues, but can be updated by importing and […]