Hacker News Reader

wilwadeon Federal health expert drop flossing from health guidelines

I think the issue here is not if it is actually helpful or not, but that it was claimed (and advertised) to be without the necessary research.

The AP article explains that flossing had to be dropped from the federal guidelines as those are required to be backed by research.

The groups that claim it is good for you all have a financial reason to claim it. Not alone wrong, but wrong in the absence of quality research backing the claims.

wilwadeon Ask HN: What are your favorite board games?

El Grande is an older, but great game.

The re-release of Elfenland just came out "Elfenroads" is a great buy. http://riograndegames.com/Game/1295-Elfenroads

There are others, but I'll let others pick their favorites. P.S Not a strategy game, but Concept has hit the table a lot for us with lots of different types if people.

wilwadeon Peter Doig sued for disavowing 40-year-old painting

If there is a right to be forgotten, perhaps there is a right to deny authorship as well?

wilwadeon Facebook disabling messaging in its mobile web app to push people to Messenger

I don't use FB, but my wife does. She is quite unhappy about it. She doesn't want FB to have access to everything (yes, some poor folk like us are not on Android 6 and will not be for a while.).

The other issue is the size of the app. I realize that most people don't have this issue, but on the lower end phones adding another 36mb app means loosing another. And given history that 36mb app is likely to be 80 by the end of the year.

wilwadeon Someone wrote ‘Trump 2016′ on campus. Some students say they don't feel safe

http://www.npr.org/2016/03/09/469757753/tough-political-clim...

A friend of my wife had her Asian-White child told at school that when Trump becomes president and builds a wall that she will have to leave the country.

These are may be relatively isolated incidents, but I think "Trump" (the name not the person) is becoming a racial slur to sling at someone (regardless of if he is attempting to).

While likely this chalking is merely someone who supports Trump for president, to many it is the same as writing "You don't belong here and soon we are going to kick you out."

wilwadeon The dominance of baby boomers is becoming total

I wonder if the idea of those in power (in this case a large voting block and those directly in power) having more to loose plays out in changes in the traditional balance between privacy vs safety/security?

wilwadeon ADHD Is Fuel for Adventure

> waiting too long for medication probably isn't a great idea either

I think this is critical. I have a 7 year old daughter who was diagnosed about a year ago. For context pre-meds she was getting frustrated at her inability to put together her own LEGO creations. She would work on 5+ at a time. She was frustrated and was just being able to express her own frustration. Post-meds (dexmethylphenidate) she can actually build with LEGO (her greatest love I think).

The key idea however for us is that the meds give her time to learn. Not school learning stuff, but to learn about actions and consequences. About how her executive functioning can be improved and how her brain works.

wilwadeon Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (January 2016)

Location: Chattanooga, TN, USA

Remote: Yes

Willing to relocate: No

Technologies: PHP, HTML/CSS, JS, Linux, git, etc... Some Android, GoLang and this and that. I pick up stuff quick

Résumé/CV: http://wilwade.github.io/resume.pdf

Email: wil@wilwade.com

wilwadeon Ask HN: How did you get to your current job/startup?

I also found my startup job on Craigslist. I was looking for other interviews in the area after I found one.

wilwadeon Agony to ecstasy: on taking children to museums

As someone who has also gone through all three stages, I think the key for children is choosing the museums and exhibits that they or you like and enjoying them instead of analyzing them.

For example, my 6 year old daughter enjoys the local art museum, but I don't think she has looked at any one painting more than 5 seconds. As a parent you have to be OK with missing out on a part of the experience for you and work on the experience for your children. The specific experience I suggest focusing on for young children is just enjoying it, or a specific part. Mostly that means letting them go quickly by that masterpiece and asking what they like about whatever they do stop to see.

wilwadeon Medication errors found in half of surgeries

And people wonder why I would prefer to have an IBM Watson powered robot treating me. (Actually I would prefer the doctor required to work in conjunction with Watson. So many simple errors would be caught).

wilwadeon USDA Scientist Punished for Pollinator Research

Having worked in a USDA/ARS lab as just a tech, I can note a few things that might be of interest (my observations only of course).

1. Industry connections are very deep in USDA/ARS.

2. Managers are scientists. This is a double edged sword. Often scientists are not very good managers, but managers without deep science knowledge would cause other issues.

wilwadeon What is it like to have never felt an emotion?

Along the same lines are those who have low affect or have emotions, but they are very weak. I would classify myself in that category, so I can perhaps understand a bit of what alexithymia would be like. For example, I took a roller coster once, and it was interesting by emotionally void.

So imagine the "feeling" of just sitting in a chair in an empty room. Now imagine "feeling" that way all through a roller coaster. No excitement, fear, enjoyment, etc...

wilwadeon Blindsight: Some people who have lost their vision find a “second sight”

Reminds me of Julian Jaynes' ideas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicameralism_(psychology) (And if I remember correctly, the original study is referenced in his book)

wilwadeon [dead]

While this company sounds like it is just trying to check a box, I am curious what good ways there are to ask this? I believe some number of (most?) companies may need a female/black/etc... perspective to understand their customers better.

This leaves you in the position where you are looking to hire based on gender/race/etc...

Any ideas on how to do that? Perhaps saying that you value their non-work experience?

wilwadeon Comcast to bring two-gigabit Internet service to Bay Area, boost existing tiers

Over here in Chattanooga, TN we have had 1Gb service for a while, but nearby Atlanta it was only when Google started talking about bringing fiber to the Atlanta area, that Comcast started talking about boosting speeds in Atlanta.

wilwadeon “Just remove the duck” (2013)

NPR had a story about this in graphic design where it has the term "Hairy Arms": http://www.npr.org/2014/11/17/364760847/whats-with-all-of-th...