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user_235711on Ask HN: How do you deal with getting old and feeling lost?

I second the "Man’s Search for Meaning" recommendation. That book is great for putting one's struggles into perspective, and emphasizing the importance of a "why."

user_235711on The dawn of post-theory science?

Insofar as the algorithms in the machine are adjusted to overcome past inaccuracies (whether they are adjusted by the machine itself or by the machine programmers) we are merely witnessing a new tool for use when developing scientific theories.

Whether or not we understand everything that the ML systems are doing, we can still observe if events corroborate their predictions, and will be forced to debug or reprogram them if they are not learning well.

Also, I am guessing that many if not most of these ML systems do not start learning from zero, but have some pre-ML naming, sorting, and classification scheme baked into their algorithms. If that is the case, increasing the accuracy of the scheme - refining the concepts of the theory - should only increase the accuracy of the systems' predictions.

user_235711on Ask HN: I suck at math, where to start?

Any edition of "Mathematical Ideas"[0] might be a good place to start. While it may seem too basic for some, I feel that it covers a lot of concepts and material that are very useful when programming - problem solving, set theory, logic, number theory, basic algebra, etcetera - and does so in a way that is gradually cumulative and not so daunting.

Maybe this book will help you to realize you don't really suck at math, you just had some terrible teachers or whatever. It's also a great introduction to many different mathematical subfields so you can see which ones are most interesting/useful to you for future study.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Ideas-14th-Charles-Mille...

user_235711on Ask HN: Share your fav quirky, weird, interesting websites (like postcrossing)?

Two of my favorite bands have great and expansive websites. Because the bands are insanely prolific (Guided By Voices with their studio releases and Phish with their live recordings) I don't think I'll ever be able to visit every single page on either site.

https://GBVDb.com/

https://phish.net/

And for humor there's always the startup generator :) http://tiffzhang.com/startup/

user_235711on Ask HN: Answering interview with major social anxiety, how can I do better?

Beyond the technical aspect, the thing that has helped me the most to not be as anxious before interviews is preparation. Read the job description a few times, and even if you don't have experience with all of the requirements listed (I mean who does) at least familiarize yourself with the technologies so you can talk about them a bit. Check out the company's website so you know what/how they do and why.

Also, this list[0] of common interview questions is a great help. If you have already figured out and practiced your answers to most of these then the interviewer will have less of a chance to catch you off guard with them.

Lastly, write and practice an "elevator pitch"[1] that way "tell me about yourself" or questions like it won't catch you off guard either.

Best of luck getting the job you want! Job hunting and interviewing is very difficult for anyone who is new to it, regardless of their technical skills. I definitely agree with blingojames that interviewing is kind of a subject all its own.

[0] https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/common-interview-questions/

[1] https://www.thebalancecareers.com/elevator-speech-examples-a...

user_235711on Ask HN: Why does our community enjoy blogging so much?

For me writing is thought exploration and a way to share knowledge, and while I have published some books and am working on others, some of my thoughts do not warrant being included in a book but are still interesting enough to want to share them. That's where the blog comes in, for content that is not quite book-worthy but definitely share-worthy.

Also, I suppose that an indirect benefit of having a blog as an author (whether you monetize it or not) is that it allows potential readers to experience some of your writings, thoughts, and writing style for free.

user_235711on Cosmologists Parry Attacks on the Vaunted Cosmological Principle

> Most everyone agrees that the cosmological principle is worth scrutinizing.

Well, any scientific principle worth anything is worth scrutinizing, since surviving scrutiny and numerous attempts at falsification is the only way such principles can be corroborated.

user_235711on The Arctic Is Warming Four Times Faster Than the Rest of the World

Indeed. Presumably extreme weather events were in existence before humans were here to experience them, and they will continue to exist so long as the Earth's surface is heated unevenly by the Sun. But which events would have happened anyway, and which are the result of some new element(s) accounted for by the theory in question? In fact - if we are unable to distinguish the former from the latter - is the theory in question refutable by any conceivable event?

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7434469-a-theory-which-is-n...

user_235711on The Atlas for the Aspiring Network Scientist

Wow. This is a full-blown book, not merely a post or a paper. A thorough mathematical survey of network science (probability, graph theory, path analysis, etc.). Downloaded my copy. Although I wouldn't mind paying some money for the printed tome.

user_235711on Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices

This definitely seems like a bad move, and not very customer-centric. It reminds me of when they disabled the download of any mobile browser alternatives in the 2nd-Generation Kindle Fire in order to push their Silk browser (which itself was terrible nearly to the point of being unusable). This is not to say that Amazon Instant Video is not a great service. It's pretty awesome IMO. But forcing people who want alternatives to seek them out elsewhere will just inconvenience them and drive them away from amazon.com.

user_235711on Trucks Are Killing Us

Definitely. Seems like way too many drivers in traffic only see road space in front of another vehicle as "an opportunity to change lanes and go faster" rather than "that vehicle's following distance". I drove a moving truck halfway across the country one time and was amazed at just how often in the cities small cars sped in to fill whatever following distance I created in front of me. And yes, a couple of them nearly got rear-ended as a direct result of their driving, not mine. I can only imagine dealing with the same scenario but with a semi instead. Scary thought!

user_235711on To combat falling ratings, TV networks are increasing ads up to 10%

This is hilarious. I would never pay for cable anyway because advertisements are just repulsive, even when the volume of them (in both senses) was slightly lower a decade or two ago. But whenever I happen to be in a hotel room and happen to turn the TV on I am just amazed that it is actually possible to click through nearly 100 channels in sequence and see nothing but commercial after commercial on. And if I do find something to watch it seems like every two minutes or so I have to mute the TV because it starts yelling at me to buy pharmaceuticals. Definitely not sad to hear that this medium of communication is in trouble because the internet alternatives are amazingly and obviously much better.

user_235711on Ask HN: Does any good software exist for browsing / organizing digital photos?

Thanks for the recommendations! Either mobile or desktop is what I had in mind. The functionality required would be pretty simple ideally, just a few static buttons and a photo viewing area as a bare minimum. While I prefer desktop in general I could see myself using this type of program on mobile if it were the better option.

user_235711on Shoring up Tor

Previous discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9967984

user_235711on NirCmd – a multipurpose Windows command line tool

This is a great tool. I use it for adjusting brightness/volume via cmd.exe on laptops (because I hate using sliders); taking screenshots and enacting delays in batch files; and also for creating macros using batch files. It is an excellent easy-to-install augmentation to cmd.exe since all it requires is the nircmd.exe file in a known location.

user_235711on Show HN: A random startup generator

http://tiffzhang.com/startup/index.html?s=621269333409

Errorme "the last word in diligent errors"

user_235711on What are your favorite sci-fi and fantasy books?

Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement

The Song and the Pendant by Magnus Von Black

user_235711on EBook Readers for Android

"eBooks nearly twice as cheap (on average) as psychical books"

Pretty sure that "physical" was the intended adjective, although I do like the idea of a 'psychical book'.

user_235711on Your Next Chevy May Watch You Watching the Road

What if I am looking away from the road to read the traffic signs, so I can know what the law is on a particular stretch or in a particular town? What if I am reading the signs of establishments so I can figure out what kinds of services are offered along the route I am traveling? Will I only have x number of seconds to look away before my car obnoxiously suggests "You are tired, pull over soon"? Driving involves a lot more than simply looking at the road. In fact you have to look away from the road constantly to evaluate your surroundings, discover where things are, read traffic signs, check your rear and side view mirrors, watch for vehicles from incoming roads to drive defensively, etc. How is an algorithm supposed to detect the difference between looking away from the road for one of the above mentioned reasons and looking away from the road because I am tired or distracted? It seems to me this technology could be extremely annoying due to false positives. Last thing I want while enjoying scenery on a road trip is some stupid algorithm suggesting to me that I'm tired when I'm wide awake.

user_235711on Ask HN: I'm a really lonely college student. What can I do?

Definitely second petewarden's suggestions 'exercise' and 'get a hobby'. You do not have to join a gym or anything. Exercise can be something as simple as going walking for an hour with your iPod (or equivalent). No matter what the particular exercise, the fact is that it will usually get you out of your own head for awhile.

Aside from those I would suggest maybe reading Party of One [1] and/or Quiet [2], as they bring to light very well the fact that mainstream society unfairly and illogically looks down upon those who prefer aloneness. Being surrounded by laughing groups of sociable people has a way of making anyone not involved feel like they are missing out on something or that there is something wrong with them, when this might not be the case at all.

Props for such an honest post; and I hope you feel better soon.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Party-One-The-Loners-Manifesto/dp/1569...

[2] http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/d...

user_235711on Epistemology of Wave Function Collapse in Quantum Physics [pdf]

Thanks for the tips. I will definitely use them next time I post an arXiv link.

user_235711on Ask HN: Resources to learn JavaScript in 2014?

I second JavaScript: The Good Parts[1]. It is very well-written and very dense, so you can read and reread it multiple times, each time gathering something new. Along with that I would recommend the Mozilla Developer Network JavaScript reference[2].

[1] http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Good-Parts-Douglas-Crockfor...

[2] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Refe...

user_235711on Ask HN: What actually goes into learning math? I don't know where to start.

There is plenty of math that does not lie on the academic beaten path (i.e. arithmetic -> algebra -> calculus --> etc.) I would recommend trying to figure out what area of math you are most interested in first, that way you will be enthusiastic about learning it. Once you have the mathematical momentum from that you will probably be able to learn whatever math you need to. A couple of books that helped me to find a direction were Mathematical Ideas[1] and Concepts of Modern Mathematics[2], which cover many different areas with just enough depth to give you a feel for each. If you are wanting to learn math solely for CS I would also recommend something like Schaum's Outline of Discrete Mathematics[3].

[1]http://www.amazon.com/Mathematical-Ideas-Edition-Charles-Mil...

[2]http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Modern-Mathematics-Dover-Book...

[3]http://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outline-Discrete-Mathematics-R...

user_235711on Ask HN: best music to code to?

I would recommend Boards of Canada[1] and Thievery Corporation[2] most of all. But really anything in the vein of what has been dubbed "chill" music works great for me due to the awesome atmospheres and driving beats. Here[3] is a list I made of some of the best albums IMO in that genre.

[1]http://www.amazon.com/Boards-Of-Canada/e/B000APHPF8/

[2]http://www.amazon.com/Thievery-Corporation/e/B000APFP6E/

[3]http://www.amazon.com/Top-10-Chill-Out-Albums/lm/R32Q5RHQR51...

user_235711on Ask HN: How has knowing data structures and algorithms been useful to you?

Excellent point. I had not thought of it like that. The way you put it makes it seem akin to learning new mathematical techniques, which is almost always beneficial in that it facilitates more possibilities when approaching a problem.

user_235711on Ask HN: How has knowing data structures and algorithms been useful to you?

Much thanks to everyone for the insights! You have definitely given me some good reasons to go ahead and learn it.

user_235711on Ask HN: what chair are you using for coding and how comfortable is it?

I believe it is known as a task chair (since it lacks armrests and is not too expensive), but for me not having armrests is the single most important aspect of a coding chair. If armrests are present, chances are that they will prevent me from pulling up to the desk completely - since they hit the desk before my body does - and as a result I will have to lean forward (and by extension begin to slouch) in order to reach the keyboard.

user_235711on Ask HN: What new skill do you want to learn in 2014?

Regex. I have been aware of its existence for probably a year or so, and can generally recognize when it should be utilized, but I am far from being able to make the leap from a string-pattern-identifying algorithm in my brain straight to a regex. I usually have to - at that point - refer to a book or online resource.

user_235711on Ask HN: What is something you believe that nearly no one agrees with you on?

Humankind is not the end of evolution.

user_235711on Ask HN: How to increase reading speed

What is the reason you are concerned with reading fast? Maybe it's just me, but I think that comprehending what is read is far more important than finishing reading quickly.