Hacker News Reader

unrealpon Friendship Begins at Home

This one I found useful - "Stop trusting your thoughts. Why not? Havent they failed you over and over and over?" - Gangaji

unrealpon Ask HN: What are some (weird) ways you're using ChatGPT?

I used it for a while to understand mindfulness (vipassana) and problems I was facing in understanding the concepts and problems I was facing during the practice. It was pretty good, brainstormed well, knew references to original writings etc. Was useful.

unrealpon Buddhist Meditation and Depth Psychology (Douglas M. Burns 1994)

Came across this rare article which looks at this topic in depth and breadth. The appendix also has lot of meta writing, which is quite useful. Very open and unbiased writing based on author's experiences.

unrealpon How to Work from Home Without Going Insane (Repost from 2011)

2011 post. WFH wasnt a hot topic at that time, still insightful.

This is original post and discussion - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3219929

unrealpon Artist or AI Quiz on Boredpanda

I got 10/20 though I am not too familiar with most artists. I am wondering if it is just me or folk with more experience with the said artists do better.

unrealpon Show HN: A beat composer by placing beans on paper [video]

I am planning to add more features. Say volume control - a volume square and place more beans there to increase volume. Or a pause button - currently while placing beans hand gets into camera view and gets interpreted as object and plays several odd notes haha. Things like that.

One plan is to try with people. Camera overhung and people walk below and compose music as a group!

unrealpon Breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness

So the narrative was emotional/trauma release. When people get into altered state, the narrative said that their unresolved emotions would come to surface and be felt into their body and then they accept those things from the past and then the emotions would dissolve and there will be a 'release'. Its a common narrative, I wrote and organized the content so that a first timer would get impressed to expect a release. It worked for several people.

unrealpon Breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness

The study that has been mentioned talks about Holotropic Breathwork and Consciously-Connected breathwork are. I have worked with CCB.

unrealpon Breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperventilation - This leads to hypocapnia, a reduced concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in the blood.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocapnia - Acute hypocapnia causes hypocapnic alkalosis, which causes cerebral vasoconstriction leading to cerebral hypoxia

Though not acute, you can see the effects very easily. Within couple of minutes of deep breathing we could create peripheral numbing and tingling effect. (yoga folk say you are feeling energy moving though body and that kind of stuff haha)

unrealpon Breathwork supports emergence of altered states of consciousness

Sounds counter intuitive but breathwork reduces o2 to brain. Basically due to reduced co2, blood vessels in the brain constrict.

Having said that, I worked with a breathwork teacher for a while, creating narrative for the session, for mental imagery and guidance. It also had music as a backdrop. Fun times. And it was definitely altered state for a lot of people.

unrealpon Ask HN: What rabbit hole(s) did you dive into recently?

How to improve one's speaking voice. Mine is tiny, no strength, no quality, monotone. Found something called "kharaj ka riyaz" and practiced it for a few weeks and voice quality and strength improved. Then quality went down and my voice is not irritable and scratchy. I hope it recovers.

unrealpon Ask HN: What rabbit hole(s) did you dive into recently?

I tried creative coding. Sonic Pi, Processing, p5js, there are so many frameworks built around creative coding that I didnt know even existed. It was really fun.

unrealpon 'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien tech

Clickbait. Isnt this just orbital resonance?

My solution to fermi paradox is intelligent civilizations realize futility of life and get enlightened and just die out. Similar to moksha in hinduism.

unrealpon Did the ancient Greeks and Romans experience Alzheimer's?

I dont know why this was downvoted. cadaver-derived growth hormone supplementation correlation with alzheimer's is well established.

unrealpon Cannabis use linked to anxiety diagnoses, worsened anxiety disorders

+ 1 for propranolol. Its a beta blocker. It binds to receptor sites for adrenaline so adrenaline doesnt have effect. Usually anxiety attack is a loop where brain panics, triggers body reaction like increased heart rate etc and that causes brain to panic further and this loop escalates. Propranolol blocks this loop in the body, as in, heart rate wont increase.

Personally I found it useful.

unrealpon Ask HN: 9-yo son wants to build a game, I'm lost. What can I do?

Seconding use of Processing. It was written for electronic arts, new media art, and visual design communities with the purpose of teaching non-programmers the fundamentals of computer programming in a visual context.

I have used it often, found it easy, has necessary functionality for graphics and interfacing.

unrealpon Diffusion-SDF: Conditional Generative Modeling of Signed Distance Functions

Diffusion-SDF: Conditional Generative Modeling of Signed Distance Functions

unrealpon Govt to Bring Resolution to Rename India as Bharat in Parliament Special Session

Please do not promote politics here.

Please see - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

"Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, or celebrities, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. Videos of pratfalls or disasters, or cute animal pictures. If they'd cover it on TV news, it's probably off-topic."

"Please don't use Hacker News for political or ideological battle. That tramples curiosity."

unrealpon Ask HN: My mother is slowly losing her eyesight, how to prepare?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vOICe.vOICe&hl...

This app converts visual scene as seen from phone's camera to audio. Soundscape of a kind. Not sure how useful this is but I have been hearing about this app for quite a number of years.

unrealpon Ask HN: Tell us about your project that's not done yet but you want feedback on

Breath focused meditation gear syncronized with pulse rate - today people breathe based on a count, like 4-7-8 is a popular pattern. 4 count inhale - 7 count hold - 8 count exhale. problem is the pattern doesnt account for metabolic level, so I plan to use pulse sensor to monitor pulse and breathing count will be in terms of pulses. This might create some feedback loop so not sure if it will work.

The gear I have is a cheap heartbeat/pulse monitor integrated with raspberry pi.

unrealpon Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

@dang - kindly note this frequently posted topic by same user every few weeks. Not sure if this is just for advertising. Since this is being pushed by founder there should be at least be showhn?

unrealpon The gestalt of AI (generative AI) [pdf]

AI seems to be doing few things that are similar to principles of Gestalt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_psychology#Properties

unrealpon Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

yes. like the black hole is clearing up the path for intergalactic super highway in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

unrealpon Hubble sees possible runaway black hole creating a trail of stars

I wonder if this is an opportunity to detect intelligent life. If the black hole is affecting any intelligent life on the way, they might do something to save themselves or their planet, which might be detectable?

unrealpon Pursuing status will never bring true happiness

one of the hacks i always suggest for social anxiety is fixing status to a middle or lower value. socially anxious people, are always assessing their status and that puts lot of stress, in addition to anxiety. assuming a fixed but middle or lower status gives some stability and reduces the stress part. it at least frees part of your brain and you can focus on what is going on around you.

unrealpon The Embodied Turing Test

I see a need for a better test. Not very convinced this is the one. Evolutionary goals can be off from intelligence goals.

Thoughts?

unrealpon Incompetent but Nice

Tech people need to know when to struggle on their own vs when to ask for help. Some people struggle a lot on their own, while some people dont struggle at all and ask for help on the first hint of hurdle. Both approaches have +-. A wholesome engineer does both.

unrealpon Bicycle

Riding bicycle - as a skill is awkward and fascinating. It was established at very old times and so has remained. Imagine bicycles were invented today, its a product that nobody would buy. It takes lot of learning, falling, injuries, and for a lay person it looks awkward and risky.

If we generalize this, we are missing out on some skills, which are awkward but which our bodies and nervous system can learn? but perhaps we are not trying to learn thinking its risky?

unrealpon Shields Up

I think there is also a hidden cost of this, which is, the filtering that the brain needs to do prevents you from seeing other opportunities. We have X amount of time and attention and these things fill that up.

For example, when it comes to improving personality/body language, there are lot of tools in theater/acting that can be useful. Mainstream media never talks about these opportunities. I came to know about these very late, accidentally.

unrealpon Ask HN: Small scripts, hacks and automations you're proud of?

Power saving on lab setups when nobody is using them. they have google calendar for booking. so a daemon looks calendar every hour, if no booking, turns off outlets (the power supplies are remotely controllable over telnet).