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The big alcohol study that didn't happen
Why did a huge alcohol RCT get cancelled? A strange story of science, academia, bureaucratic maneuvering, ambition, politics, capitalism, the deep state, secret emails, and slippery ethical slopes.
Topics /
Science & Space
The most popular blog posts about science & space on Hacker News. 409 posts.
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How SpaceX lands Starship (sort of)
aka: how I “accidentally” discovered what I already suspected: optimization methods are at the heart of landing rockets.
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Sequencing your DNA with a USB dongle and open source code
It takes the most exquisite measurements you can imagine, recording the changes in current associated with different bits of DNA.
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If you think psychological science is bad, imagine how bad it was in 1999
Shane Frederick points us to this article from 1999 , “Stereotype susceptibility: Identity salience and shifts in quantitative performance,” about which he writes:
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Melatonin: Much More Than You Wanted to Know (2018)
[I am not a sleep specialist. Please consult with one before making any drastic changes or trying to treat anything serious.] Van Geiklswijk et al describe supplemental melatonin as “a chrono…
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Ancient secrets of computer vision
This class is a general introduction to computer vision. It covers standard techniques in image processing like filtering, edge detection, stereo, flow, etc. (old-school vision), as well as newer, machine-learning based computer vision. It was originally offered in the spring of 2018 at the University of Washington .
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Hiding Images in Plain Sight: The Physics of Magic Windows
I recently made a physical object that defies all intuition. It’s a square of acrylic, smooth on both sides, totally transparent. A tiny window.
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Why can’t I go faster than the speed of light?
I should state from the very beginning that the title of this post is a bit of a tease. I don’t know why nothing can go faster than the speed of light. No one does. It is a fundamental pos…
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FAA approves hundreds more engines to use unleaded avgas
The FAA has approved approximately 611 more engine models to burn General Aviation Modifications Inc.'s 100-octane unleaded avgas that, when combined with approvals announced in July, account for about 70 percent of the GA aircraft fleet's powerplants. An AOPA consultant said the move signals the FAA's "bullish"…
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Why Retaining Walls Collapse
[Note that this article is a transcript of the video embedded above.]
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The Overview Effect – William Shatner's Words After Returning from Space
William Shatner's profound words about his experience in space after returning on Blue Origin NS-18:
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Facial expression software confirms bronze medalists happier than silver
The Carlson School of Management research showed replicated and expanded on what was previously found: bronze medalists were more likely to exhibit a smile than silver medalists, while gold medalists were happier than other medalists.
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AstraZeneca vaccine doesn't prevent B1351 Covid in early trial
Two doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine were ineffective against mild-to-moderate infections with the B1351 variant first identified in South Africa, according to a phase 1b-2 clinical trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine .
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The Entire History of Soviet Rocket Engines
Soviet rocket engines - this article is about their history, their development, their use and their rockets.
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Exploring the software that flies SpaceX rockets and starships
Spaceflight, from the beginning, has depended on computers – both on the ground and in the spacecraft. SpaceX has carried it to a new level. We recently spoke with Steven Gerding, Dragon’s software development lead, about the special challenges software development has for SpaceX's many missions.
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Desalination Breakthrough Could Lead to Cheaper Water Filtration
AUSTIN, Texas — Producing clean water at a lower cost could be on the horizon after researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and Penn State
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The Orbit of Planet Nine
Five and a half years after our proposal of the existence of Planet Nine, we have finally accomplished what is perhaps the most important t...
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How Audio Fingerprinting Works
An intuitive explanation of how audio fingerprinting works helping users in identifying music from short snippets
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What if I were 1% charged? (2013)
In case you hadn’t heard, the universe is governed by four fundamental forces. But when it comes to understanding nature at almost any level larger than a nucleus and smaller than a planet, …
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This Can’t Go On
The long view of economic history says we're in the midst of a huge, unsustainable acceleration. What happens next?
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Bring back hydrogen lifting gas
According to one estimate, there are around 25 blimps worldwide. What will it take to bring back these majestic beasts of the sky?
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New Concerning Variant: B.1.1.529
I hope everyone in the States had a fantastic Thanksgiving (even if you’re a Dallas Cowboys football fan).
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The main thing about Phenylacetone meth is that there's so much of it
Since around 2009, methamphetamines have been made with phenylacetone (P2P). Is there a chemical different causing schizophrenia?