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Topics /
Society, Policy & Culture
The most popular blog posts about society, policy & culture on Hacker News. 13,065 posts.
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English is relatively easy to learn, but not to master (2018)
English is a (relatively) simple language to learn enough of to communicate (rather than to master) because it’s had so many non-native adults learning and using it.
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Unfortunately, the ICEBlock app is activism theater
At this summer's HOPE conference, Joshua Aaron spoke about ICEBlock, his iPhone app that allows users to anonymously report ICE sightings within a 5 mile radius, and to get notifications when others report ICE sightings near them. You can see the full talk, and the lively/infuriating Q&A,
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Good times create weak men (2019)
Software abstraction ladder becomes too tall and starts to fall
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Strengthening our workplace with neurodiverse talent
Google Cloud launches a career program for people with autism designed to hire and support more talented people with autism in the rapidly growing cloud industry.
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How Does This End?
Russia’s war in Ukraine has an infinite number of scenarios, but scores of war games point to two likely paths.
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Hispaniola's great divergence
Why are Haiti and the DR so different?
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Who owns Parliament?
This week, MPs have returned to Parliament from their summer recess. As they walk through its corridors, drink in its subsidised bars, and plot in its tea-rooms, I wonder how many MPs stop to ask: …
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Longbets: A bioerror will lead to one million casualties by Dec 2020
Biotechnology is plainly advancing rapidly, and by 2020 there will be thousands-even millions-of people with the capability to cause a catastrophic biological disaster. My concern is not only organized terrorist groups, but individual weirdos with the mindset of the people who now design computer viruses. Even if all…
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Inclusiveness at Mozilla
I am deeply honored and humbled by the CEO role. I’m also grateful for the messages of support. At the same time, I know there are concerns about my commitment to fostering equality and welcome for LGBT individuals at Mozilla. I hope to lay those concerns to rest, first by making a set of commitments to you. More…
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Why AC is cheap, but AC repair is a luxury
The Baumol Effect and Jevons paradox are related
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Beware Centralization
Imagine merging three public firms, by making each firm into a division of a single new firm with one new boss.
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U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for "Armageddon,"
Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military
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The Zero-Sum Bias: When people think that everything is a competition
The zero-sum bias occurs when people mistakenly expect gains and losses to be directly balanced in a situation where they’re not, especially in terms of one party benefiting directly at the expense of others. For example, the zero-sum bias can cause someone to think that a resource they’re interested in is limited…
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Why drinking coffee in Iran has become so complicated
It all started with a sarcastic jab in a chat: “You shouldn’t be more Catholic than the Pope. You go to order a coffee, and the guy’s like, ‘From Kenyan farms or Brazil?’ It’s l...
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Faking a Positive Covid Test
True cyber security combines advanced technology and best practice. Get tips and read articles on how to take your online security even further.
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How Seattle Killed Micro-Housing
Micro-housing—dorm-room-sized apartments in desirable, walkable neighborhoods—isn’t for everyone, but it most definitely is for Anna Rogers. Anna is a recent college graduate who grew up in the suburbs of Seattle and now works a retail job while looking to start a career that harnesses her passion for politics. Thanks…
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Interview: Vitalik Buterin
In which we talk about the big shifts in crypto.
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Long-Term Building in Japan
It is striking that this part of Japan houses two sets of structures, both of nearly equal age, and both made of largely ephemeral materials that have lasted over 14 centuries through totally different mechanisms and religions.
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90% of crypto's Illinois primary spending failed to achieve its objective
The cryptocurrency industry super PACs dumped $14.2 million into the Illinois primaries. 90% of that – $12.8 million – was wasted, in that it went to opposing Democratic candidates who won their primaries (Stratton in the Senate race, Ford in H-07) or supporting their opponents. The PACs' only victories in the state…
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Delegative Democracy – a scalable voting model
In between representative democracy , where voters elect politicians to make decisions on their behalf, and direct democracy , where voters directly decide the issues, lies a third model that deserves more consideration. In this model, people have the choice of either voting directly on a decision, as in direct…