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Automated summaries of top Hacker News stories written by a large language model.
Give AI curiosity, and it will watch TV forever
Researchers from OpenAI, in collaboration with researchers from UC Berkeley and the University of Edinburgh, have found that giving AI algorithms a sense of curiosity allows them to learn without human guidance. By providing the algorithm with a simple definition of curiosity, the researchers found that the AI was able to explore over 50 video games and even beat some of them without any human-provided information. However, the researchers also discovered that curiosity comes with a cost, as the AI agent would sometimes intentionally die in order to see the Game Over screen or become fixated on a fake TV, flipping through channels to find something new. The researchers believe that this research could have applications beyond video games, such as debugging code or identifying glitches.
Show HN: Samsung NVMe Developers AMA
The author, Klaus, introduces himself as a NVMe software engineer with experience in High Performance Computing and tape storage. He has worked on OpenChannel SSDs, NVMe Zoned Namespaces, and Flexible Data Placement, and is actively involved in the NVMe community. Klaus proudly co-maintains the NVMe emulation in QEMU and has created libvfn, a library for writing user space PCI drivers. While not an expert in databases, Klaus is enthusiastic about emerging storage technologies and is excited to engage in a conversation about NVMe and storage tech in general. He invites readers to ask him anything.
Show HN: Watch Life – A compact "analog" watch in Conway's Game of Life
The project is called "Watch Life" and it is a compact "analog" watch created in Conway's Game of Life (GoL). The purpose of the project is to create a small design that allows users to see the inner workings of the watch without having to zoom in. The watch has three readouts: a standard hour dial, quarter hour markers, and an analog inner dial for minutes and seconds. The author mentions that the design requires some training to tell the time, but with practice, users can quickly estimate the time by glancing at the watch. The author also mentions that the project is unique because of its compact size and the use of gliders to indicate time.
Ask HN: Does Microsoft Teams work in Firefox for you?
The author of this post on news.ycombinator.com is asking if Microsoft Teams works in Firefox on Linux. They mention that they have been experiencing slow loading times and frequent blanking and repainting of the page. The author is trying to determine if this is a problem specific to their setup or if it is a wider issue. They also reference a blog post about platform tilt, suggesting that this could be another instance of such an issue.
A plan to save democracy by ending homelessness, reducing the prison population
The article discusses a proposal by George Hotz to address the issues of homelessness and the prison population in America. Hotz suggests the creation of a new class of Americans called "Subjects" who would be provided with all their basic needs, including food, shelter, and entertainment, in a designated city called Wireheading City. The city would offer Universal Basic Income (UBI) in the form of basic necessities instead of money. Hotz argues that this approach would allow individuals to opt out of society while not interfering with the rest of society. The article highlights the controversial nature of this proposal and emphasizes the need for innovative solutions to address societal challenges.
Stochastic Terrorism
Stochastic terrorism is a form of terrorism that involves political or media figures using indirect and vague language to demonize a person or group, which can inspire their supporters to commit acts of violence against the target. Unlike direct incitement to terrorism, stochastic terrorism allows the instigator to disclaim responsibility for the resulting violence. The term "stochastic" refers to something random or involving chance, while "terrorism" refers to the use of violence or intimidation for political or ideological goals. Stochastic terrorism is characterized by public, indirect, and seemingly random acts of violence. The term gained popularity after being used to describe certain incidents, including comments made by Donald Trump during his campaign rally in 2016. Countermeasures to stochastic terrorism include attitudinal inoculation and increasing penalties for violent actions or threats against essential personnel. (Summary based on 66% of story text.)
Elon Musk Is Overpaid
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Man Who Sued 'Are We Dating the Same Guy?' Groups Files Class Action Lawsuit
Nikko D'Ambrosio, a resident of Illinois, recently filed a class action lawsuit against "Are We Dating the Same Guy?" groups. Initially, his individual case was dismissed, but he has now refiled it as a class action lawsuit. D'Ambrosio is seeking other men who have been negatively affected by these dating groups, specifically those who have encountered "red flags or tea?" The lawsuit aims to bring attention to the potential harm caused by these groups and hold them accountable for their actions.
Ask HN: How would you approach mastering a skill ASAP?
In this post on news.ycombinator.com, the author poses a question to the community about mastering a skill as quickly as possible. They mention the popular belief that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert and calculate that at 12 hours a day, it would take approximately 2.28 years to achieve this milestone. The author seeks advice on how others would approach this challenge and asks for opinions on how long it would take them personally. The post raises the controversial notion of whether the 10,000-hour rule is accurate and prompts readers to share their strategies and experiences.
Constructing a Four-Point Egg
The author of this web content is discussing the construction of a four-point egg shape. They mention that they prefer this shape over Moss's egg shape and provide a step-by-step guide on how to construct it using a straight edge and compasses. The author also includes an interactive version of the four-point egg where users can drag the points and observe how the shape changes. The controversy or surprising aspect of this content is not highlighted.
Show HN: Twine – Gorgeous open source multiplatform RSS app
Twine is an open-source multiplatform RSS reader app built using Kotlin and Compose Multiplatform. It provides a beautiful user interface and experience for browsing through RSS and Atom feeds. The app supports Material 3 content-based dynamic theming and includes features such as a gorgeous home feed, pinning frequently visited feeds, smart fetching of feeds from website homepages, reading view with shortcuts to fetch full articles, bookmarking posts, searching posts, background sync, and feed management. Twine also allows users to import and export their feeds with OPML. The project differentiates itself by using a combination of technologies such as Kotlin Multiplatform, Kotlin Coroutines, Compose Multiplatform, Ktor, SQLDelight, Decompose, and Kotlin-inject.
It's true, LLMs are better than people – at creating convincing misinformation
Computer scientists have discovered that large language models (LLMs) are better at creating convincing misinformation than humans. Researchers from the Illinois Institute of Technology examined whether LLM-generated misinformation is more harmful than human-generated false claims. They found that LLM-generated misinformation is more difficult to detect computationally. LLMs are already flooding the internet with dubious content, with 676 AI-generated news and information sites identified by NewsGuard. The researchers used LLMs such as ChatGPT, Llama, and Vicuna to generate content based on human-generated misinformation datasets. They found that LLM-generated misinformation can be harder to detect and can have more deceptive styles, posing a serious threat to online safety and public trust.
Apple is turning developers against Vision Pro before it even arrives
Apple's new iOS App Store changes in the EU, which are part of iOS 17.4, have been criticized by developers as an example of "malicious compliance." The changes include a new "Core Technology Fee" that is charged annually for each first install, even if the app is free. Developers have been shocked to find that their apps could give up half their revenue or more to Apple, even if Apple doesn't distribute the app or process payments. These changes have led to concerns that Apple is making it unappealing for developers to use anything other than the App Store. This controversy comes at a crucial time as Apple launches its new product, Apple Vision Pro, which relies on strong developer support.
Differ: Tool for testing and validating transformed programs
The blog post introduces a new tool called DIFFER, which is designed for testing and validating transformed programs. It combines elements from differential, regression, and fuzz testing to help users find bugs in programs that have been altered by software rewriting, debloating, and hardening tools. The author used DIFFER to evaluate 10 software debloating tools and found that it discovered debloating failures or soundness violations in 71% of the transformed programs produced by these tools. DIFFER fills a critical need in post-transformation software validation, as existing testing approaches do not naturally support testing transformed programs against their original versions. The author also discusses the background research that motivated the creation of DIFFER, how it works, and its future plans for improvement.
KDE's Megarelease 6 – Release Candidate 2
KDE has announced the release of the second Release Candidate (RC) for its upcoming Megarelease 6. The Megarelease, scheduled for the end of February 2024, will include Plasma 6, Frameworks 6, and a new set of applications in KDE Gear. The RC versions are intended for developers and testers and are considered largely stable but not recommended for production environments. Users are encouraged to report any bugs they encounter to help improve the software. Plasma 6 integrates the latest version of Qt and offers new features and better hardware support. KDE Gear includes a wide range of applications produced by the KDE community.
Fed Holds Rates Steady and Inches Closer to Cutting in Future
The Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rates unchanged for now, but has signaled that a rate cut may be on the horizon. This decision comes as the central bank assesses the impact of trade tensions and slowing global growth on the U.S. economy. While the Fed's decision to hold rates steady was expected, the indication of a potential rate cut in the future has surprised some analysts. This move reflects the Fed's cautious approach to monetary policy and its willingness to respond to economic uncertainties.
Ask HN: Is the job market is bad as everyone claims it is?
The author of this post on news.ycombinator.com is seeking advice on whether now is a good time to switch jobs. With only two years of experience, they are concerned about the current state of the job market, which they have heard is quite challenging. The author is looking for insights and opinions from the community to help them make an informed decision.
No one is "non-technical" (2022)
In this article, the author challenges the concept of "non-technical" roles within teams and argues that there is no such thing as a "non-technical" person. The author highlights that using this language perpetuates a hierarchy where those in "technical" roles are privileged and those in "non-technical" roles are undervalued. The author also questions the use of the "hard/soft" skills terminology, which they argue is rooted in sexist notions of value. Instead, the author suggests being more specific and inclusive when discussing different skills and perspectives within a team. They emphasize the importance of diverse input in creating digital products that consider the impact on people's lives.
Building an early warning system for LLM-aided biological threat creation
OpenAI is investing in the development of improved evaluation methods for AI-enabled safety risks, specifically focusing on the potential for AI systems to assist malicious actors in creating biological threats. They conducted a study with 100 human participants, including biology experts and students, to evaluate whether access to the GPT-4 language model increased participants' access to dangerous information about biological threat creation compared to the internet alone. The study found mild uplifts in accuracy and completeness for those with access to the language model, but the effect sizes were not statistically significant. OpenAI emphasizes that information access alone is insufficient to create a biological threat and that this evaluation does not test for success in physically constructing threats. They also discuss the limitations of statistical significance in measuring model risk and the need for further research in assessing the meaningfulness of model evaluation results.
Elon Musk's battle with Delaware is about more than a $55B pay package
Elon Musk's $55.8 billion Tesla pay package has been voided by a Delaware court ruling, which Tesla can still appeal. The decision not only affects Musk's personal gain but also puts his ambitions for Tesla and SpaceX at risk. Musk argued that he needs 25% ownership of Tesla to have the voting control necessary for decision-making on key areas of innovation. Failure to gain more control could lead Musk to focus on AI and robotics ventures outside of Tesla. Additionally, the ruling could impact Musk's ability to finance his plans for SpaceX and his other business ventures. The controversy lies in the flawed process leading to the approval of Musk's compensation plan and the lack of independent directors on Tesla's board at the time. This ruling may also prompt a reconsideration of Delaware as a corporate domicile, with Musk recommending Nevada or Texas instead.
Hearing aids slow cognitive decline in people at high risk
A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that hearing aids can slow cognitive decline in older adults at high risk of dementia. The study, led by Dr. Frank Lin from Johns Hopkins University, enrolled nearly 1,000 adults aged 70 to 84 into a clinical trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either hearing aids or a health education program focused on promoting healthy aging. While there was no difference in cognitive decline between the two groups overall, those from the heart-health study who received hearing aids experienced a 50% reduction in the rate of cognitive decline compared to the health-education group. The researchers recommend regular hearing checks for older adults to address any hearing issues.
Lawmakers Seeking to Outlaw Rent Price Fixing Reported by Propublica
A group of senators is introducing legislation to outlaw the use of algorithms by landlords to artificially inflate rent prices or reduce the supply of housing. This comes after a ProPublica investigation revealed that software sold by RealPage was collecting data from landlords and using it to recommend rent prices. The investigation found that the software was widely used by competing landlords, potentially enabling cartel-like behavior. The proposed law, called the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, would make it illegal for property owners to contract with companies that coordinate rent prices and housing supply information. RealPage and another property management technology company, Yardi, have been specifically called out in the legislation.
Security giant Proofpoint is laying off 280 employees, about 6% of its workforce
Security company Proofpoint is laying off approximately 6% of its workforce, which amounts to 280 employees. The decision was made as part of the company's strategy to align investments and hiring with its strategic priorities, streamline the organization, and expand its operational footprint. About half of the eliminated positions will be relocated to Proofpoint's global centers in Ireland and Argentina. The company expects to maintain a similar headcount by the end of the year. The layoffs were first reported by Calcalist, and it is unclear how many employees in management were affected. Proofpoint was acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo in a $12.3 billion cash deal in 2021. The company's profitability was not disclosed.
Death by Numbers – The London Bills of Mortality
The London Bills of Mortality were a series of weekly publications that documented the deaths in early modern London. Initially focused on the plague, the bills expanded to include various causes of death, making them a comprehensive record of mortality in the city. This website, Death by Numbers, explores the historical significance of these bills and provides insights into the causes and patterns of death in London during this period. It offers a unique perspective on the impact of diseases and other factors on the population, shedding light on the social and medical history of the time.
Towards a Precise Definition of Microflows
This web content discusses the concept of microflows and proposes a precise definition for it. A microflow is an executable specification that orchestrates a collection of external functionalities to provide new business-relevant functionality. It is different from traditional programming languages as it requires less programming skills and often uses a graphical metaphor or a syntax closer to non-IT savvy users. The content also explains the programming paradigms, with microflows following an imperative paradigm. It describes the graph structure of a microflow, with activities representing external functions and edges defining the control flow between them. The content also discusses control flow and data flow features of microflows. (Summary based on 23% of story text.)
Justpaid.io (YC W23) Account Executive
Justpaid.io is a company that provides payment and revenue solutions with AI. They are currently looking for a talented full desk Account Executive to join their team and drive sales through cold outreach, product demos, and successful closings. The responsibilities of this role include cold outreach, identifying potential clients, crafting personalized messages, conducting product demonstrations, managing the entire sales cycle, and maintaining client relationships. The ideal candidate should have a bachelor's degree, 1-2 years of sales experience in a tech company, familiarity with startup culture, and excellent communication skills. Justpaid.io offers a fully remote team culture, competitive compensation, and opportunities for professional development. They encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
Launch HN: Encord (YC W21) – Unit testing for computer vision models
Encord, a developer tooling company, has launched Encord Active, a model and data unit testing toolkit for computer vision (CV) teams. The toolkit helps developers understand and debug their vision models by allowing them to "unit test" different parts of the model and identify areas that are working well or need improvement. Encord Active provides concrete recommendations and actionable steps to solve model and data errors by analyzing model performance and data distribution. The toolkit has been successful in improving model accuracy for early customers, with one reducing their dataset size by 35% while increasing their model's accuracy by 20%. Encord encourages users to try out the product and provide feedback.
Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's online rant spurs threats to supes, police reports
Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan's recent online rant has sparked controversy and threats towards San Francisco supervisors. Tan posted online that seven supervisors should "die a slow death," which led to at least two supervisors receiving threatening letters at their homes and two more filing police reports. Tan's rant included photos of his private liquor stash and indicated that he was inebriated. The supervisors named in Tan's post did not take the incident lightly and expressed concern for their safety and the safety of their families. Tan later apologized for his comments, but the controversy surrounding his remarks continues.
Joe Biden on Decision to Pause Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas
In this statement on the White House website, President Joe Biden discusses his decision to pause pending approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports. He emphasizes the devastating toll of climate change, citing hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and record temperatures. Biden highlights his administration's commitment to tackling the climate crisis through investments in clean energy, environmental justice, and international cooperation. The temporary pause on new LNG approvals is seen as a necessary step to assess the impacts on energy costs, national security, and the environment. Biden criticizes Republicans who deny the urgency of the climate crisis and pledges to prioritize the voices of young people and frontline communities. The statement emphasizes the opportunity to create clean energy jobs and build a better future for future generations.
Announcing TypeScript 5.4 Beta
Microsoft has announced the availability of TypeScript 5.4 Beta. The update includes several new features and improvements. One notable change is the preservation of narrowed types within function closures, making the narrowing process smarter. Another addition is the introduction of the NoInfer utility type, which allows developers to exclude certain types from type inference. TypeScript 5.4 also adds support for Object.groupBy and Map.groupBy static methods, as well as the ability to use require() calls with the moduleResolution bundler and module preserve options. These updates aim to enhance the developer experience and make it easier to write JavaScript code in TypeScript. (Summary based on 54% of story text.)