Hacker News Reader

bzhang255on What if remote working, not AI, is to blame for weak junior hiring?

Isn't that kind of how society works? i.e. If a senior employee benefitted from having close mentorship and a strong social network when they were a junior, then they may wish to pay it forward by being present and mentoring juniors now that they're a senior.

bzhang255on Google employee charged with $1M Polymarket insider trading bet on search term

Disclaimer: I have not read any literature on the economics of prediction markets, and I know nothing about the mechanics of Polymarket/Kalshi.

I would imagine that in theory, everyone thinks they have the best information at the time, something like:

House: "Odds that X happens? We'll put $1 on both sides to get it started. 50/50."

Someone comes along: "Oh dang, I'm definitely more than 50% confident that X is happening. Let me put $1 in." Now it's 67:33.

Someone else comes along: "Oh I'm more than 67% confident X is happening, let me put $1 in." Now it's 75:25.

And of course, you get people going: "I'm more than 25% confident that X is _not_ happening, let me put $1 in!" And now it's 60:40.

The murky part, I would imagine, comes when the odds and the payout actually act as something that influences the outcome, but in perfect theory-land, if everything goes as planned, this should move the odds to the most informationally-accurate measurement, which should, in theory, benefit observers by making this measurement public.

bzhang255on The math of shuffling cards almost brought down an online poker empire

None of this is wrong, but anecdotally, I will say that there are still human beings playing poker online, and a better human being can still win in the long run. (Though, live poker is much more fun)

bzhang255on 108B Pixel Scan of Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring

I feel obliged to point anyone interested to Proust on Vermeer: https://www.essentialvermeer.com/proust/proust.html

bzhang255on It's not just obesity. Drugs like Ozempic will change the world

For people who suffer from anxiety, there already exists a plethora of anti-anxiety medication, both short-term and long-term.

bzhang255on Postmortem of my 9 year journey at Google

I think it's shallow and not because it's short. To me, it just sounds very typical: "I joined Google back when it was fun. Now it's more bureaucratic and less fun. But I made a ton of money on the stock." I think there have been countless blog posts from Ex-Googlers like this. It's fairly shallow.

And it is worth noting that a lot of the bullet point lists do start with "I made a ton of money" in as many words, which is also just not very interesting to most folks, though it is certainly very relevant and important to the writer.

bzhang255on The unexpected poetry of PhD acknowledgements

Acknowledgements have a quality which is hard to describe.
They feel like they’ve been drafted a hundred times in the head of the author, but then put down on the page in a hurry, the clock ticking on their deadline.

Like, they’re trying to tell you the most important thing they’ve ever said - at the very moment the ship is pulling away from the dock.

A lovely read. I also have an affinity for dissertation acknowledgements and I think this entire piece really captures why they feel so special :)

bzhang255on Virginia Woolf's list-making

I would agree with suggesting Dalloway before To The Lighthouse, because I think Dalloway is generally more concrete and attainable. To The Lighthouse takes Woolf's characteristic stream-of-consciousness interiority a step further and can also be very roundabout in its approach to the "thing" that a character is actually thinking about or trying to say. It's also a bit more experimental in its form, and can be overall a bit harder to "grasp". I think someone new to Woolf would benefit from having Dalloway as an opportunity not only to get used to her style of writing, which will help smooth the learning curve if you decide to read To The Lighthouse, but also to form a judgement of her in a more "typical" setting so that you can decide if she merits your working through her more experimental works. Cheers.

bzhang255on 87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue

Anxiety is a somewhat overloaded word, in my opinion, because while you're right that everyone experiences "anxiety", there's a distinction between that and an anxiety disorder, which is recognized as a very real mental health issue. This is also why I suspect that letting people self-report will result in overestimating people suffering from anxiety disorders as a mental health issue, vs experiencing regular anxiety.

bzhang255on 87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue

Anxiety is considered a mental health issue by both the featured article and by NIMH, and considering that the 87.7% figure is self-reported, it's probably overestimated.

bzhang255on What's Going on with ‘Nonplussed’? (2017)

Well, also according to the article itself :)

bzhang255on No one buys books

I read that line as sardonic. The author is pointing out how the economics of publishing are contrary to what we would expect, or perhaps would like.

bzhang255on Anatomy of a credit card rewards program

Don't ever read Proust!

bzhang255on Is the Job Market Dying?

The gender comment feels unnecessary.

bzhang255on Apple hiring compiler developers for improving Swift / C++ interoperability

Looking at the qualifications, this seems to be an entry level position, as there is no years of work experience listed.

bzhang255on Ibogaine banishes PTSD, small study finds

From the abstract: "Exposure therapy showed... a negligible effect relative to other trauma-focused treatments or medication."

Anyway, from my understanding, medications for treating PTSD are less effective than medications for other mental disorders. I'm waiting for the day that PTSD medications catch up, because therapeutic treatment for PTSD is currently centered on reducing discomfort, without much hope for remission, which feels like a dim outlook.

bzhang255on Google ends deal to build 15,000 Bay Area homes due to "market conditions"

I know this isn't a literature review forum but I think the standard for commentary could be a little higher than what you've just written.

bzhang255on AI Tinder already exists: 'Real people will disappoint you, but not them'

I'd like to push back against the anti-medication sentiment in this comment because depression is not the most clearly understood mental condition and for many people, medication can be a life-saving intervention.

bzhang255on Google accused of directing motorist to drive off collapsed bridge

I think there were a few things going on here that make me more sympathetic to the driver:

1. The picture in the article makes it seem like the bridge is located in a very residential spot where you might have your guard down.

2. The article mentions it was dark and raining when the accident occurred.

3. The driver was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and in those times, I think many, many people have gotten very used to relying on Google/Apple Maps to "get you home without directing you into a creek".

bzhang255on The Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection

I don't really understand the purpose here, given that literature is significantly aesthetic by nature. Can't students just read contemporary, accessible books if they want something easier?

bzhang255on Michel de Montaigne

I think his direct influence on English speakers has definitely dropped off a lot. I first learned about him from an essay Virginia Woolf wrote on him.

bzhang255on Ask HN: Are a lot of books just useless?

> Glibness was mistook for wisdom.

You listed three realist authors. This is like complaining because you expected your apple to taste like an orange.

bzhang255on Atlassian to shed 5 per cent of workers

> They should lay off 100% and go out of business.

Suggesting that 9000 people lose their jobs feels like a needlessly hateful way to express a dissatisfaction with a company's products.

bzhang255on What is Chess? What to think and for how long

Were you one of those youths or are you just romanticizing someone else's past (which you know nothing about) so you can criticize a contemporary youth populace (whom you know nothing about)?

bzhang255on The Little Learner: A Straight Line to Deep Learning

Sure - but I think that's the least important part of my comment. The preview is basically just an intro to Scheme. I would rather be able to see how well the book covers interesting ideas about deep learning. While the jury is still out, my personal skepticism is that this is a really beautiful passion project that looks great on bookshelves, but that any serious learner would be better served dedicating their time to working through the existing, more traditional, and very high-quality resources available online.

bzhang255on The Little Learner: A Straight Line to Deep Learning

The initial preview is a little disappointing because it feels like it does a great job displaying the pedagogical style but not enough to demonstrate the pedagogical value (i.e. whether this resource actually does a good job teaching a complex topic).

Given the wealth of information and the problem of appraising it all, I don't think it helps this book that it costs $55 and requires the reader to learn an esoteric language (for the field), when there are so many educational books and lecture series by experts in the field that you can find freely available online.