961
Can a model trained on satellite data really find brambles on the ground?
Can a model trained on satellite data really find brambles on the ground? We put a new model to the test with a field trip around Cambridge. The results...
Topics /
Science & Space
The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 2,038 posts.
962
963
Why you can’t grow cool-climate plants in hot climates
Since moving to Deep South Texas 4 years ago I've come to realize that many plants I used to love growing in the cool mild maritime climate of the SF bay area are impossible to grow where I live. This is not just because of the high daytime heat. It's not as simple as that. Specifically, it is the h
964
Does the Past Still Exist?
Science News, Physics, Science, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
965
Telomeres – Too much of a good thing?
One of the major themes in aging science of the last 15 years has been that there is natural variation in telomere length, and individuals with longer telomeres have lower disease risk and longer life expectancy than those with shorter telomeres.
966
A programmer's view of the Universe, part 1: The fish
Bravo. Here's hoping I never reach the end of that vine. I like to think there's always more.
967
No funding for uncomfortable results
Latanya Sweeney blew the whistle on how easy supposedly de-identified data could be re-identified. Her results were not well received.
968
Powering the Lunar Base
NASA’s selection of SpaceX’s Starship within the Human Lander System (HLS) program was both surprising and exciting for space nerds all over. Previously I have written about how Starshi…
969
The unstallable plane that stalled
The Cessna 185 Skywagon is a high wing, single engine aircraft: basically a Cessna 180 with six seats, a strengthened fuselage and a slightly more powerful engine. It’s a popular aircraft in remote…
970
What the Dunning-Kruger effect is and isn’t (2010)
If you regularly read cognitive science or psychology blogs (or even just the lowly New York Times!), you’ve probably heard of something called the Dunning-Kruger effect. The Dunning-Kruger e…
971
972
Bayesian statistics for confused data scientists
A gentle introduction to Bayesian statistics for data scientists who, like me, are confused by it.
973
974
An idiot’s guide to lead optimisation for proteins
Lead optimisation is the step in drug design where you take a molecule that sort of works and try to make it actually work, and it’s arguably the step where most real-world design campaigns succeed or die. Due to the influence of a couple of my pals , I have recently become interested in using machine learning to do…
975
When will virtual reality take off? The $100 bet
Writings on artificial intelligence, personalization, recommendations, and the tech industry.
976
Does the world have enough lithium to move to electric vehicles?
The world has enough lithium, but we need to scale up production this decade.
977
978
A Visualization of Galactic Settlement
Oh good, Star Wars got it right. The Core will indeed be a nexus of galactic civilization.
979
How much power can we expect from rainfall?
Can the teardrops that fall after reading bad science writing generate renewable electricity? Yes, they can. 1. The puzzle of power from raindrops The usually excellent Marginal Revolution blog fea…
980
Watching Paint Dry: The unexpectedly interesting story of car coatings
The unexpectedly interesting story of car coatings and what they tell us about the modern world
981
Caesar's Last Breath
Caesar’s Last Breath — Charlie Sabino.
982
How do transistors work, anyway?
The internet is littered with explanations of how transistors work. Most of them don't really explain anything.
983
The Eclipse via Satellite
Yesterday’s eclipse as seen by the GOES-East weather satellite. I just grabbed the full-disk geocolor JPGs with wget and stitched them together with ffmpeg. BTW, If you’re wondering why the clouds remain in view as night falls to the East, it’s because the geocolor image is a composite of “true color” daytime and a…
984
Can solar and wind power Britain? An update of David MacKay's numbers
These technologies have developed a lot since 2008. Should we be any more optimistic about their potential to power Britain?
985
The crash of Air France flight 447 (2021)
The story of the infamous disappearance of an Airbus A330 over the Atlantic, and the fundamentally human mistakes which led to the tragedy.
986
I measured the pollution from my gas stove
Here's what I learned putting air quality monitors all over my house.
987
A small 2009 car demolishes a 1959 Chevy in a crash test [video]
In 2009, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted a crash test between a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu. The video plainly shows how
988
989
How is music possible
If you take a scene from a horror movie and add funny music, the killer suddenly looks hilarious. Isn’t it strange that that happens?
990
‘Oumuamua, Thin Films and Lightsails
Thanks, Hamilton1. The two reports look like excellent studies. At first scan, it looks like there are still things to examine though. For example, if ‘Oumuamua is considered representative of extra-solar objects in its debris trail, then the idea that extra solar meteorites showing up, say in Greenland, is in real…