1
Politics and the English Language (1946)
"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."
Most cited
Posts that commenters keep linking to, ranked by how many different people have cited them in Hacker News comments. 117 posts.
Life, Learning & Writing
Any year
2
3
No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health
The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented. The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.
4
E.W. Dijkstra Archive: On the cruelty of really teaching computing science (EWD 1036)
The second part of this talk pursues some of the scientific and educational consequences of the assumption that computers represent a radical novelty. In order to give this assumption clear contents, we have to be much more precise as to what we mean in this context by the adjective "radical". We shall do so in the…
5
Good sleep, good learning, good life
Discover effective online language learning with SuperMemo. Learn languages with proven courses, intelligent repetitions, and AI tools. Start today!
6
Data Backup Strategies: Why the 3-2-1 Backup Strategy is the Best
A Backblaze survey found 54% of people know someone who’s lost data. Learn how the 3-2-1 backup rule can help prevent data loss and keep your files secure.
7
8
9
Howl
I I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for…
10
A placebo can work even when you know it’s a placebo
You may have heard of the “placebo effect,” in which people taking an inactive drug as part of a study actually experience an improvement in their symptoms. As it turns out, the placebo effect ...
11
How to prolong lithium based batteries
Manufacturers take a conservative approach and specify the life of Li-ion in most consumer products as being between 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles.…
12
13
14
The Archive (macOS) – Note Taking: Nimble, Calm, Plain.txt • Zettelkasten Method
Calm, simple, and beautiful macOS note-taking app for creative thinking.
15
16
C Is Best (2025)
Since its inception on 2000-05-29, SQLite has been implemented in generic C. C was and continues to be the best language for implementing a software library like SQLite. There are no plans to recode SQLite in any other programming language at this time.
17
18
Blue light has a dark side
Light at night is bad for your health, and exposure to blue light emitted by electronics and energy-efficient lightbulbs may be especially so....
19
Vitamin D toxicity: What if you get too much?
Understand the risks of taking high doses of this vitamin in supplement form.
20
The Inner Ring (1944)
When Boris entered the room, Prince Andrey was listening to an old general, wearing his decorations, who was reporting something to Prince Andrey, with an expression of soldierly servility on his purple face. “Alright. Please wait!” he said to the general, speaking in Russian with the French accent which he used when…
21
Five Laws of Human Stupidity (1976)
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
22
The Second Coming
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the…
23
Effective learning: Rules of formulating knowledge (1999)
This article will help you overcome one of the greatest difficulties you will face when trying to accelerate learning: formulating knowledge.
24
The Fun Scale (2014)
What is your idea of fun? Kelly Cordes details The Fun Scale, measuring the degrees of fun activities in the outdoors.
25
This Be The Verse
But they were fucked up in their turn By fools in old-style hats and coats, Who half the time were soppy-stern And half at one another’s throats.
26
Debunking False Accusations Against Richard Stallman
Explains and debunks the most broadcast accusations against Richard Stallman, providing evidence of outright fabrication, exaggeration, or deceit.
27
Where the goblins came from
How goblin outputs spread in AI models: timeline, root cause, and fixes behind personality-driven quirks in GPT-5 behavior.
28
Bill Watterson Commencement Speech (1990)
A speech Bill Watterson gave at Kenyon College, Gambier Ohio, to the 1990 graduating class.
29
Ozymandias
Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those…
30
Effective learning: Rules of formulating knowledge (1999)
This article will help you overcome one of the greatest difficulties you will face when trying to accelerate learning: formulating knowledge.