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Comment by gffrd | Hacker News Reader

I have to ask: what is HN's interest in knots?

Regularly (and dependably!), posts about knots make their way to the front page, often to the top … it's nearly in the same mold as "articles warning about lending/housing behavior".

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If one has a hacker mindset that extends outside of startups and technology, knots are pretty dang useful. I use them all the time in DIY projects, camping, etc.

Perhaps because it relates (vaguely) to

- Topology

- Combinatorics?

- Practical stuff like tying up boats?

I like knots because of the relationship to protein folds, but hey ymmv.

It's good for attracting a partner that's into shibari

Knots take a nearly 1-dimensional object and generate a 3d structure that is both durable and potentially useful, sometimes bordering on life-changing. That's super cool.

I think a lot of us also have a bit of a primitivist streak, and knots are a low technology that can replace a lot of higher tech and still get a lot done (compare to HN's enduring fascination with Forth).

Knots are generally a solution to a problem. I think that's why they fit.

Question is, why don't we see as many about saws?

Exactly! Or … I don't know, fans?

I suspect it has to do with that knots are universal, transform something simple into an incredibly useful tool, and has limitless applications.

I'm now trying to thing of other things that fit this description beyond raw materials.

For me it's fishing and camping.

It’s something else to feel smug about. “Ah, I know more knots than the average person. I truely am a hacker and more enlightened”

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