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helixc

78 karma · joined December 22, 2017

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helixc··on ChatGPT-Generated 65-Page Tutorial of a Fake Programming Language
And test it on the VM [1] inside itself.

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[1]: https://www.engraved.blog/building-a-virtual-machine-inside/

helixc··on Stringbike: Benefits (2020)
Fully agreed! A dedicated bike lane that separates riders from car traffic could make riding experience very enjoyable.

I was born in China during the 80s, when biking was the most common way of transportation. The term "Kingdom of Bicycles" [1] was used as a tag line for China in that era. Most roads had bike lanes which could be just as wide as car lanes. Between the lanes are physical separators: 3-4 ft high, made of metal, reliable and heavy-duty [2].

Now I live in the US, and still enjoy biking cause there're nice bike trails near my place. However, most city roads seem not safe for biking. Biking becomes a recreational activity, and no longer a transportation method for me. I appreciate the nicely maintained bike trails, but I hope the city build more physical bike lane separators, not only painted lines on the ground, that can actually stop some reckless drivers entering bike lanes.

--- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle#China_a...

[2] Another good reading about the bike history in China: The Rise, Fall, and Restoration of the Kingdom of Bicycles. https://macropolo.org/analysis/the-rise-fall-and-restoration...

helixc··on Show HN: Constructor – simple issue tracking for small teams, inspired by Trello
We're Constructor customer, and use it to manage our open source projects. It's fast and simple, and does all we want.

In addition to all that, the founding team, esp. Seth, is a hidden feature! Every time I feel our team needs some extra functions, I book a time and talk to Seth. He asks very deep questions about our work flow and pain points. Some of the questions even helped me to reflect on our way of doing things, so we could use the opportunity to evolve.

(edit: fixed typos)

helixc··on Microsoft Loop brings back Google Wave?
Thanks for introducing Automerge, and pointing out the pros/cons! Will dig deeper.
helixc··on Microsoft Loop brings back Google Wave?
Has anyone tried to develop anything with MSFT's Fluid Framework [1], which is used to build Loop? I have not got a chance to check details. But it seems quite nice. Any general remarks are welcome.

Particularly, I'm interested in understanding customizability of Fluid components, integration with React, and any concerns about Azure service lock-in.

[1] "The Fluid Framework is a library for building distributed, real-time collaborative web applications using JavaScript or TypeScript." https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework

helixc··on Blue Origin: Toxic, dysfunctional ‘bro culture’, low morale and delays
Very interesting considering both WP and BO are owned by the same boss ...
helixc··on Marc Andreessen on Investing and Tech
I believe, this is how scaling works, and exactly the price we pay to afford the top-notch. In any given field, company, pro sport team, there are top 10% labs/groups/players that matters the most. However, to make the 10% emerge, there has to be a pyramid where the rest 90% is responsible for forming a stable infrastructure. Then it comes down to how well we can design the pyramid. Our result should be evaluated not by how thin we cut down the infrastructure, but how easy we make top-players emerge.

On another note, I have seen small no-name labs published impactful scientific results, and then went back to stealth mode again. It's super cool. Science labs, unlike a business entity, should not be measured by recurrent revenue and growth.

helixc··on Cheap material converts heat to electricity
You don't understand the difference btw a research paper and a product launch. A paper is to provide inspiration. In this case, a high ZT p-type crystal may indicate a new mechanism that can be applied to searching / designing new thermoelectric materials. It's not for selling you a working device that can be put in your shopping cart.

(I did research in nano thermoelectrics and published a few papers in this field)

helixc··on Ask HN: Best container runtime for process isolation / security?
Exactly what I'm looking for. Waiting for more insights.
helixc··on Internal Combustion Engine
Why do you have to learn JS? If you just want to make a web app and add some interactive 3D models on it, there're some Python libraries can help with that, like: https://github.com/streamlit/streamlit https://github.com/wang0618/PyWebIO https://github.com/plotly/dash
helixc··on An Interview with Sci-Hub’s Alexandra Elbakyan on the Delhi HC Case
A reasonable request is not to shut all prestigious publishing monopolies down, but to ask/beg/fight them to be less greedy. As you mentioned, publishers run market places and sell distribution channels. They do not need that high margins to run the business. Where the profit goes to? Not the science community, but heir owners and executives high up on the rank who do not contribute much but get the most cash rewards. I believe this is what worth fighting for.
helixc··on Learn Quantum Computation
Super interesting! Could you share the link to your 2 qubit algorithm paper? I'm also doing quantum research, bit on the hardware side, and really interested in knowing algorithm development.
helixc··on Learn Quantum Computation
Very insightful! Could you share how many qubits you can use in your lab? I guess one need at least 3 qubits to run some interesting quantum algorithms?
helixc··on Learn Quantum Computation
I have a question to the folks who are interested in quantum computation: do you feel getting benefits if you can have direct access to a physical quantum computer? In other words, what hands-on experience you hope to obtain, but cannot make it using a quantum simulator or cloud based quantum programming environment?
helixc··on The first two years of my PhD
Chatting with friends or their kids, I often got asked if I liked my PhD study. They tried to figure out if PhD is worthwhile for them or their kids to pursue.

I liked it a lot because: 1) I had a great relationship with my professor. 2) I published often. 3) I traveled a lot, to carry experiments in national labs, to present in conferences, to visit universities and other research groups. 4) My living cost was low, and I enjoyed my lifestyle.

As a matter of fact, in any career, these 4 things (working with great leaders; being productive; expanding a professional network; maintaining positive cash flow) can lead to a happy life.