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Society, Policy & Culture
The most popular blog posts about society, policy & culture on Hacker News. 13,066 posts.
United Airlines Threatens to Engage Collections for Passengers Who Skip Segments
United reportedly has an effort to go after customers specifically that utilize Skiplagged to fly hidden city itineraries on the airline. In one case they're demanding payment of over $3000 and threatening to shut down the member's frequent flyer account and ban then from the airline. They are also threatening to send…
Five Laws of Human Stupidity (1976)
Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
I live in the country with the most expensive Apple products on the planet
I live in Brazil. Brazil is a developing country. It is definitely not a rich country, but it is definitely not among the poorest either. We are placed on 84th in human development index rankings. You will find Brazil similarly in the middle of other rankings like per-capita income, education or life expectancy. There…
Vinyl Chloride and the Ohio Train Derailment
The recent Ohio train derailment and subsequent fire that released vinyl chloride into the environment has been a terrifying experience for the nearby population. The accident rekindles memories of the 1979 train accident in Mississauga, Ontario, when over 200,000 people had to be evacuated after a wheel bearing…
I am leaving the AI party after one drink
Personal website of Lara Aigmüller. Thoughts about web frontend development, music, and more…
The Military-Industrial Stock Buyback Complex
Why is the US military ceding ground to China? As a new DOD report shows, big defense contractors are middlemen whose main purpose is stock buybacks and dividends.
Toronto Is in a Housing Bubble
With stocks hitting new all-time highs almost every day, global bond yields at or near zero, and Canadian home prices at nose-bleed levels, it seems like everything these days is in a bubble. This is particularly true for the Toronto housing market with average home prices up 22% Y/Y.
Memoirs of a Bullied Kid
A mid-depth cap with classic style for any occasion, this Nike Club Cap comes in smooth cotton twill that's been softly washed for casual, daily comfort. Soft and unstructured, the precurved bill makes for easy styling, and the adjustable back-strap lets you find the right fit. Nike Hat Size 6 1/2 6 5/8 6 3/4 6 7/8 7…
Study Finds Microplastics in Nearly 90% of Proteins Sampled
Researchers at Ocean Conservancy and University of Toronto estimate that American adults could be consuming up to 3.8 million microplastics per year from protein alone
NSA's Warrantless Wiretaps (2012)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank Kent Gladstone, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), for a critical reading of both manuscripts. Many critical comments and corrections from Brad Howard have made the Mini-Tutorial a better adventure for anyone who follows his path.
Are Humans Intelligent? An AI Op-Ed
After seeing so many people debate whether computers can be intelligent I thought it only fair to ask an AI. As with previous posts, I picked the best responses, but everything after the bolded pro…
On leaving Turkey (2021)
Painless, quick delivery of your domain name. Fast and professional service.
New Twitter Has Become Browser Poison
Over the weekend, I noticed that YouTube video would stutter every 3-4 seconds in every browser I tried: the latest versions of Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. This didn’t used to happen. In fact…
How prestige outlets get away with copypasta
On the anatomy of malpractice
Celebrate the web by using another browser than Google’s Chrome
I like Chrome. It’s a great browser. But it’s not so good that it deserves to be the only browser. And that’s the unfortunate opportunity we, people browsing the web, are opening for Google by so o…
The Saddest Map In America
Yep, there it is: the result of a scholarly study by Dorothy Gambrell of the “missed connections” section of Craigslist. This is where you thought you saw your future spouse or date or …
The Newton hypothesis: Is science done by a small elite?
In previous posts I said that the extent to which "Fund people" works will depend on the distribution of scientific talent. Think about the following …
Against the Dark Forest
The complex of ideas I’m going to call the Dark Internet Forest emerges from mostly insidery tech thinking, but from multiple directions.
Fosstodon Hub – More Upgrades
The Twitter storm continues to swell and in response, we've had to upgrade, yet again.
Would you accept cheaper rent in exchange for a monthly Amazon purchasing quota?
I’m sure many of you either have an Alexa-powered device in your house, or at least have played around with one somewhere. So it won’t be surprising to you that Amazon has been partnering with home…
The Erosion of Free Will: Why Society's Loss of Belief in Freedom Is Dangerous
Pay attention to how people are talking about freedom. It's a leading indicator of cultural (and economic) trends.
Airline Takes Revenge After Bad Review, Posts Passenger's Passport Online
YouTuber Josh Cahill, who has nearly 700,000 subscribers, reviews flights and courts drama, it seems. Just a couple of months ago he was banned by Qatar Airways over a negative review. Now he’s taken on East Timor’s Aero Dili.
Research reveals ways lead and cadmium in chocolate may be reduced
Chocolate Industry and As You Sow release three-year, collaborative study BERKELEY, CA –A new report released today by As You Sow and the National Confectioners Association is the result of a three-year effort by a multi-disciplinary panel of four experts...