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anon91831837

13 karma · joined September 29, 2019

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anon91831837··on A computer built from NOR gates: inside the Apollo Guidance Computer
NOR gate logic, like NAND and NOT/AND/OR gate logic, are functionally-complete.

Combinational logic examples:

- NOT gate -> N-input (N >= 1) NOR with all inputs tied together to the input

- N-input OR gate -> N-input NOR gate with a NOT gate at the output

- N-input AND gate -> N-input NOR gate with a NOT gate in front of each input

- Bonus - sequential logic: S-R latch -> 2x 2-input NOR gates with one each of their inputs tied to the other gate's output

anon91831837··on Bounded Integer: Header-only C++ library replaces integers, adds explicit bounds
Reminds me of Pascal having dependent types like

    var
      age: 18 ... 130;
anon91831837··on A.I. researchers are making more than $1M, even at a nonprofit
If you wanted to command, let's say $5-8 megabucks per year conservatively, I would sell the idea of self-programming systems. Automating software development to not need as many humans and implement prototype systems more rapidly is a business holy grail because it could significantly reduce the need for as many developers and their relatively large salaries. It will happen eventually, it's just a matter of time and who's going to profit that's the question. Furthermore, as automation intensifies over time, there will be overall fewer jobs but their salaries will continue to increase if they are related to automation and further reduction of jobs. If I were an AI researcher, I would be in self-programming systems, insist on patent assignment and consider forming a startup to deliver it as a hybrid cloud/on-prem SaaS... this would be the most obvious path to get rich from it.
anon91831837··on How to Succeed as a Poor Programmer
Yes, it's a terrible, second-stringer attitude. Curiosity and obsession are a couple of the key differentiators between a workaday jobber in it for the money (like many who flocked to tech in the dot-com times) and a badass. TBH, if someone's only in it for the money, they're wasting their life in the wrong field when they could be doing something else such that their morale and satisfaction would be greater.
anon91831837··on Before 737 Max, Boeing’s Flight-Control System Included Key Safeguards
Remember the 2010 Ducommun 737 NG (-600 to -900) scandal? Boeing subcontracted key structural components to them to be CNC machined, instead they were crudely hand-fabricobbled and out-of-spec, but Boeing management ordered them installed anyhow. Furthermore, when a Boeing blue-ribbon panel reported its findings, they were ignored. As a result, several aircraft fuselages have broken up on hard landings and runway overruns, killing several passengers. In the past, aircraft fuselages remained intact in similar situations. There are an unknown number of substandard airframes flying around that have the potential to spontaneously break up in heavy turbulence, accelerated fatigue damage, hard landings, and runway overruns. If the flying public and professional pilots were smart, they would avoid aircraft designed, manufactured, or overhauled within the past 20 or so years because of the pervasive, systematic deficiencies introduced by regulatory capture. Older aircraft, if maintained properly, are demonstrably safer until regulators get back on the ball to insist on depth and breadth of safe, proper engineering and manufacturing.
anon91831837··on Life as a cancer patient: ‘it feels like dying from the drugs meant to save me’
A friend of mine had a Whipple procedure but it ruined his quality of life (he couldn't eat almost anything) and he died not long after. He wasn't even into his mid-40's, CMU alumnus and worked on XEmacs.
anon91831837··on Life as a cancer patient: ‘it feels like dying from the drugs meant to save me’
Immuno-oncology and fasting are the future, but polychemotherapies still have their uses.
anon91831837··on Unexpected cracking found on critical Boeing 737 Next Generation part
Unsurprising given the 2010 Al Jazeera revelations of the Boeing-Ducommun conspiracy and cover-up: critical structural elements that were supposed to be CNC machined by Ducommun were crudely made by hand and Boeing managers ordered them installed into 737 NG (-600, -700, -800, -900) anyhow. And then when a blue-ribbon panel of Boeing employees went to find out what happened, their findings were buried and no corrective action was taken. 737 NG's are flying around with substandard critical structural components like spars and the areas around doors, leading to several fuselage breakups on hard landings and runway overruns, which has killed at least several passengers to date. In past similar incidents, aircraft fuselages survived intact. There's a very real possibility that one or more 737 NG's may breakup in heavy turbulence, hard landings and runway overruns at any time, and Boeing knows about it, but has done nothing to remedy it.

https://youtu.be/IaWdEtANi-0