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Top posts
Every blog post that took off on Hacker News, ranked by the votes of its best submission. 8,937 posts.
Life, Learning & Writing
Any year
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To learn a new language, read its standard library
The best way to learn a new programming language, just like a human language, is from example. To learn how to write code you first need to read someone else’s code. But who is the best person to learn from? Which code should we read? Where should we look to find it?
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U+237C ⍼ Is Azimuth
One year ago, on 28 February 2025, Wikipedia user Moyogo updated the page for Angzarr with a citation to the type foundry H. Berthold AG’s 1950 symbol catalogue listing ⍼ as Azimut, Richtungswinkel , or “azimuth”, “direction angle”. Mystery solved!
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I don't know, Timmy, being God is a big responsibility (2007)
A note from the author This is an older version of this story, from 2007. Here's the latest version, from 2022. Tim already had his bag and overcoat on and his keys in his hand and was about to leave when Diane stopped him at the door. "I just got this thing working....
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Anki as Learning Superpower: Computer Science Edition
Discover how Anki can enhance your memory and productivity in computer science and maths. Learn techniques from G-Research's expert insights.
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Hashcards: A plain-text spaced repetition system
Announcing my latest open-source project.
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Why vampires live forever
The modern longevity movement's obsession with blood transfusions makes perfect sense — if you accept that Peter Thiel and Bryan Johnson are vampires.
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I deleted my social media accounts
Retrogames revised.
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Timezone Bullshit
People often use short timezone abbreviations like EST and PST to refer to timezones. If you're doing this in a computer program, you are almost certainly making a huge mistake. Let's take take a look, using the disastrously bad unix libc timezone tools , which you're almost certainly using under the hood if you're…
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Fifty
So, it has finally happened. I just turned 50 and I can’t say it was something I was looking forward to. First the good news: today seems to be a day like any other so if you’re younger than I am, from the far side of the great divide, I’m happy to inform you that there is nothing that feels abruptly different. The…
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Patrick Winston of MIT CSAIL has died
Beloved professor conducted pioneering research on imbuing machines with human-like intelligence, including the ability to understand stories.
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What it's like to be cancelled
An honest look at what it looks like to be cancelled, one year after it happened. A hopeful yet realistic message for everyone.
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Lead-Free Solder Is Better for You
I spent the morning reading material Safety Data Sheets, because someone on the internet was wrong!
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The Church of Interruption
A conversation with a Wizard
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Read less HN
< Random thoughts of John Murray
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What taking my daughter to a comic book store taught me
I like to think that I'm a pretty decent human being. Don't think I didn't hear that snort of derision...lighten up - I didn't say "perfect", I just said "prett
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2025 Letter
Corgis, compute, Cold War; Ecclesiastes; ties; Stendhal; humor; Pascal's Wager; deep infrastructure; Germanic obedience; Texas State Fair
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I walked across Luxembourg
A hike from the west to the east of the Grand Duchy
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The Joy of Small Projects
When was the last time you completed a project? When was the last time you started a project? Have you every felt that you were trapped working on something that you don’t enjoy anymore? Size is something that I’m sure most developers with the drive to do side projects have felt. Recently I have been completing more…
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There are six internet links on my office on wheels—seven when Starlink arrives
If you are going to work remotely anywhere in Australia from a van, you need damn good internet. Here's how I put together a vehicle with the best internet connectivity in Australia.
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Biomarker for chronic fatigue syndrome identified
Stanford scientists devised a blood-based test that accurately identified people with chronic fatigue syndrome, a new study reports.