Top posts
Every blog post that took off on Hacker News, ranked by the votes of its best submission. 742 posts.
If the number of children is not growing, why is the population still increasing
50 years ago, the total fertility rate was five. This figure has more than halved. Yet the global population is still rising — why?
Free Solo and Economic Growth
The references to Gutenberg reminds me of a discussion in Simon Winchester's fascinating book "The Man Who Loved China". There the author points out that the first printed book occurred in China about 500 years before Gutenberg. The question posed by Winchester's "Man" (Joseph Needham) was why, with such a lead…
Personalized news recommendations and privacy are not mutually exclusive
Why personalized news recommendations and privacy are not mutually exclusive
Record Numbers of Americans Want to Leave the U.S
Record numbers of Americans have wanted to leave the U.S. since Donald Trump became president, including 40% of women younger than 30.
Linux doesn't have Photoshop
Linux doesn’t have Photoshop. One common rant I get to hear when I try to help someone to switch to Linux. It is almost 2020 and say what? people still agree with this statement.
Less than a month to go before Google breaks links to Google+ Picasa albums
Google purchased Picasa, a super efficient photo editor that offered seamless integration with online publishing (e.g., you add a photo to an album on your desktop computer and […]
Twitter Thread Compiler Apps and Copyright Ethics
Twitter threads are a pain to read! So let's just steal them, right? Umm... Nope, probably wrong. I'm going to say very wrong. Think about it.
EFF Statement on Assange Indictment and Arrest
While the indictment of Julian Assange centers on an alleged attempt to break a password—an attempt that was not apparently successful—it is still, at root, an attack on the publication of leaked material and the most recent act in an almost decade-long effort to punish a whistleblower and the...
Cybersecurity Checklist for Political Campaigns
Short-lived political campaigns rarely build formal security programs and often assume they're too small to attract serious attackers, but campaigns across the United States have been targeted by document theft and credential phishing. Six observed attacker tactics map to a short list of defensive priorities, starting…
Happiness and Life Satisfaction (2017)
Self-reported life satisfaction differs widely between people and between countries. What explains these differences?
Link between health spending and life expectancy: US is an outlier (2017)
Americans have a lower life expectancy than people in other rich countries despite paying much more for healthcare. What factors may explain this?
The world’s most-surveilled cities
We've gathered data on CCTV cameras in use in 120 major cities across the globe to determine which cities have the most surveillance cameras per person.
We can break up Big Tech
By Elizabeth Warren
What Percentage of Americans Own Stock?
Since 2023, an average of 62% of Americans report owning stock, a rebound after more than a decade of lower readings.
Pulitzer Finalist: Staff of BuzzFeed News
For a stunning probe across two continents that proved that operatives with apparent ties to Vladimir Putin have engaged in a targeted killing campaign against his perceived enemies on British and American soil.
Urbanization
Around 80% of the world’s population lives in cities, towns, and suburbs rather than rural settlements. How has this changed, and what does urbanization look like across the world today?
What was the death toll from Chernobyl and Fukushima?
When we think of nuclear safety, two accidents often come to mind: Chernobyl and Fukushima. What was the death toll and impact of these disasters?
The Poorest 20% of Americans Are Richer on Average Than Most European Nations
The US is so economically exceptional that the poorest 20 percent of Americans are richer than many of the world’s most affluent nations.
Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States, 2014-2015
This Research Brief presents updated data on crash risk using data on crashes from the US DOT in conjunction with data on driving mileage from the AAA Foundation's American Driving Survey.
What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?
Read Gallup's short answer to this common question about gun ownership, including what percentages of major demographic subgroups own guns.
Only 2% of federal criminal defendants went to trial in 2018, and most who did were found guilty
Trials are rare in the federal criminal justice system: Just 2% of criminal defendants went to trial in fiscal 2018. Acquittals are even rarer.
Impact Speed and a Pedestrian's Risk of Severe Injury or Death
This study examines how vehicle speed influences the probability that a pedestrian struck by a vehicle will sustain severe injuries or die.
Welcome to Gentoo is Rice, the Volume goes to 11 here.
Welcome, this page is dedicated to the Linux Community's greatest ambassadors, Gentoo users. Like the annoying teenager next door with a 90hp import sporting a 6 foot tall bolt-on wing, Gentoo users are proof that society is best served by roving gangs of armed vigilantes, dishing out swift, cold justice with baseball…
Wildlife Garden Activities
Make your garden a haven for wildlife with our garden activities. From building a bird box to attracting beneficial insects, there's something for everyone
Population Growth
Explore global and national data on population growth, demography, and how they are changing.
Land Use
How is humanity using the Earth’s land? And how can we decrease our land use so that more land is left for wildlife?