Big Ball of Mud (1999) - <AUTHOR> http://www.laputan.org/mud/

<comment><USER2> > A simple way to begin to control decline is to cordon off the blighted > areas, and put an attractive façade around them. We call this strategy > SWEEPING IT UNDER THE RUG. In more advanced cases, there may be no > alternative but to tear everything down and start over.

I've found the most successful way of dealing with these code bases is definitely not this. It is to surround them with a body end-to-end _functional_ tests and then slowly refactor what is underneath, which mostly just involves doing this:

* De-duplicate wherever there is code duplication.

* Pull the different modules apart so that they are minimally dependent upon one another instead of tightly coupled.

* Replacing re-invented wheels once they are de-coupled with higher quality modules.

An unappreciated facet of dealing with big balls of mud is also that unit tests usually range from unhelpful to downright harmful. If you don't have self-contained, loosely coupled _algorithmic_ modules to test, unit tests aren't helpful. They will almost inevitably mean tightly coupling your tests to architecture you know is bad, a mess of unnecessary mock objects and an inability to write tests for real bug scenarios that users report.

<comment><USER3> But that requires substantial investment. Which is exactly what you don't have in most cases.

<comment><USER4> I think that's precisely why this testing insight isn't more commonly used. In reality, it's not about unit vs functional, it seems to be about scope. E.g. If you have behavior that can't be tested without doing a full manual integration test, then that's where you need to start. Automate it and start to push back the layers until you get to functional, until you get to unit.

I've been experimenting with applying code coverage to integration test since it gives testers insight into whether they are testing the code at hand vs internals of other integrated systems (this difficulty is likely what keeps many from trying such testing).

But yes, these methods take a lot of time that we don't have.

The other approach I've been leaning towards is static code-flow analysis, which can also be difficult (esp. in distributed web applications).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I work at an organization that has a large number of big balls of mud. Key performance indicators and budgets last for 6 months, so no one has any incentive to invest in cleaning up the mess. So I am resigned to the fact that I have to work with it for as long as I remain here. But I am paid astoundingly well, and my job is very secure.

<comment><USER6> While I'm glad that you have financial security, dear stranger on the Internet, please make sure that you keep improving your architectural skills despite working on your BBMs. For the sake of both you and any future poor souls that will inherit your code.

<comment><USER5> If I made the code better you know what will happen? My job will get shipped to India. It has happened to many of my peers.</comment></comment></comment>


Attention Wantrepreneurs: Here is the ONE thing you are missing - <AUTHOR> http://pando.com/2014/12/21/attention-wantpreneurs-heres-the-one-thing-you-are-missing-and-its-not-a-fundraising-round/

<comment><USER2> summary: find a co-founder</comment>


Show HN: My Weekend Project - Am I Crazy? - <AUTHOR>

I created https://foundermeals.com as a weekend project, and as part of an internal competition we do at http://www.freshform.com
I love the concept, and I'll be ecstatic if the project is funded and can move forward. But I'm curious if I'm focusing too much on my own insane hunt to find the simplest way to cook, or if that appeals to others. Most people I've told about this respond with, "You're kinda analytical, huh?" or "You think people would pay for that?" or even "...."
The thing is, I'm not trying to sell recipes, I'm trying to sell convenience, and I'm not sure I've communicated that fully on the sales page. What do you think?
1. Can you tell what FounderMeals is? 2. Would you buy the product? (I consider all of HN to be part of the market)
(I just pushed this live this morning, you can view my launch metrics here: https://www.foundermeals.com/metrics - something new I'm trying) <comment><USER2> The idea sounds really good, and probably something we could use, but I won't sign up for the simple fact that I don't have a clue what _kind_ of meals you would be providing. Is it even food I'm interested in eating?

Also, as my SO is currently on a diet it would be good to have calorie information included for each meal (when the recipes come). Maybe a future iteration could be allowing people to choose between regular and low cal meal plans.

Regarding "...an Agile Approach..." yeah, that works for us geeks, but you're selling a food product, and there are WAY more people out there who need to eat than geeks. I'd replace that wording with something that has meaning to the population at large.

Don't make me scroll down below the fold to find the highest value sentence on the page "Less than 3 hours in the kitchen (per week)" and don't make that a lighter text color than the main body text. Highlight that %$#@% and put it up near the top. THAT + not having to think about what I need to buy at the supermarket is a HUGE selling point for me. I'd work on some quick blurb that highlights those two points, make it big, bold, and up by the top of the page. As for leftovers... we're in America. In general we seem more inclined to throw out spare crap than worry about the fact that it exists. Yeah, it's nice that there won't be any (in theory) but I suspect most people aren't that bugged by it. They'll just trash excess leftovers like they trash everything else.

But, again. I won't buy it because I don't have any idea what kinds of foods and flavors you are proposing I put in my mouth.

</comment><comment><USER3> I used to manage a very popular online diet subscription service.

My quick reaction is that you are addressing a pain point that many people have -- it's annoying to plan meals and map grocery purchases to them, while the "shop first and figure it out later" approach is inefficient.

BUT, in reality, people have a lot of foibles about what they do and don't like to eat, allergies, aversions, what's considered acceptable/very good/too fancy, what they will and won't buy, whether and how often they're cooking for 1/2/more, what's in season or easily available where they are, how expensive ingredients are, how long cooking takes, etc.

Before subscribing, I personally would need a lot more color on the above and probably some sample recipes.

As an MVP, it's a perfectly reasonable experiment to keep it simple, but I would think to be even moderately successful you'll need to generate some custom content based on preference variables -- or at least some profile alternatives (like, say, a vegetarian, simple/balanced meals, and foodie option per week), and some basic substitutions for things people don't like and/or aren't readily available.

</comment><comment><USER4> > 1\. Can you tell what FounderMeals is?

It looks like a set of recipes to make meals for a week, plus a grocery list of stuff to buy to make the recipes.

> 2\. Would you buy the product?

Afraid not. I don't want to spend even more time and money in food prep, which is what would happen if I bought it.

I'm probably not your target audience though. I know how to cook, but I dislike cooking. I generally make things that can be done by throwing food in a pot and simmering. E.g. Split pea soup, lentil soup, beef stew, chili, spaghetti, stir fry. In addition I sometimes bake a chicken. For very quick prep times, I make sandwiches (PBJ, tuna salad, etc) and salads (big box of pre-washed salad lasts for a few days).

I know how to make all these things without referring to a recipe (or with a quick glance).

Your promo says "no more leftover food" but this is not an issue for me. I just make it a priority to eat stuff before it goes bad (bananas, salad). Other stuff like soups etc can be frozen, then reheated later. Quick, easy, no waste.

<comment><AUTHOR> Good to know. Thank you for taking the time to give me feedback!

It's awesome to get a fresh perspective on this.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> My thoughts... I think it's a pretty good idea.

1\. I could tell what it was, it was pretty clear, although at first I thought it was foundmeals.com which is very different.

2\. For something like this, if you gave the first week free, or even a short 3 day set of recipies free I think that would help - I'd have real trouble paying for this before I could see an example of what I am getting. Also, will you account for different dietary requirements (keeping in mind that different people have different ideas of 'healthy)?

It also seems natural that in some big cities (like San Francisco) you could pair up with restraunts or delis and just have the food delivered, instead of the recipies.

</comment><comment><USER6> This reminds me of a Google Doc found on the /r/keto reddit: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nFFXn_Uve5uh0qtqdAa0HvpE...](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nFFXn_Uve5uh0qtqdAa0HvpEqqwKn6K00Z773pgLmEw/edit?pli=1)

I really like the concept of being able to spend an afternoon cooking meals for the week. Especially if the recipes are simple and office-friendly. So I can definately tell what FounderMeals is.

As far as buying the product, I would rather pay $20 for this as cook book with the recipes than a monthly fee. Or maybe $10 for a "Starter" book and $5 each for different "addon" books (different cuisine, new recipes, etc).

</comment><comment><USER7> I really want to pre-order this - it looks great - but I'm not willing to give you my bank info. There's a reason I use services like PayPal. I do understand why you need it however and I'm unsure how you could get around the issue. At the very least though, could you do an option just to enter an email address so I can find out when/if the product launches? Fantastic idea though. I love to cook but find I just don't have the time.

<comment><AUTHOR> Ok, you're all set. There is a subscribe form at the bottom of the page now: <https://www.foundermeals.com/customers/new>

Thank you for the kind words!

<comment><USER7> Subscribed :-)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> The site describes your mealplans as "Nutritionist-approved"- It's worth noting that "Nutritionist" is not a protected term in the US and does not indicate any kind of formal qualifications. I'd recommend either strengthening that claim or removing it.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritionist>

<comment><AUTHOR> Ah, good to know. I need to lookup the qualifications and revise that. I went with "nutritionist" since it is simple and understood by many. Thank you very much for the heads up!

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> Will definitely keep an eye on this. If it delivers on it's promise, then I'll probably try it out for a few weeks at least. I cook a lot on my own already, so the main thing I'm looking for is expanding my horizons a bit.

<comment><AUTHOR> Totally agree. That's what I've been looking for the past few months and it's been really nice.

Also, to clear up any confusion. This won't be a subscription service (at least initially). The $9 price you see is a one-time fee for a week of recipes you can re-use as often as you like. So if you like the idea, consider throwing in a pre-order! ;-) You won't be signing up for anything long-term.

</comment></comment><comment><USER10> 1 I get it. You can probably skip the bullets about yourself, they are strange. 2 Too expensive! $15/week for a handful of recipes? A book with hundreds of recipes is like $35, why is yours so expensive?

</comment><comment><USER11> preordered, sounds cool

</comment><comment><USER12> I really like the idea. But I agree that instead of asking for bank/cc info. right away, why not have a email signup page as a potential user. Also how do you plan to list recipes/items ? For the $15 or $9 pre-ordered meal, what will be included ? Is it based on what users choose ?

<comment><AUTHOR> I see your point and have added an email signup if you're interested on this page: <https://www.foundermeals.com/customers/new>

The reason I ask for CC info up front is to further validate the idea. Tons of people are willing to sign up for updates, but many of those wouldn't actually buy. If I'm going to devote many more hours to this product, I need to know: 1\. There is some acceptable level of fit with the market. 2\. People are actually willing to pay for recipes.

#2 has been a big question for me. Recipes are something you can get online for free, like many other things. But I think there is still room for a premium, convenience product. I've had access to free recipes forever, but I realize that doesn't help me. I need structure. I'm wondering if others are willing to pay for that same structure, but won't know for sure unless I collect CC info.

As for what is included, I am planning on launching with a few options for each component. For example, you could choose 2 breakfast, dinner, and lunch recipes from a pool of 4 breakfast, dinner, and lunch recipes. This should give you enough of a choice, and if you still aren't satisfied - there is a money back guarantee :-)</comment></comment>


Show HN: Vandium – a security wrapper for serverless infrastructure - <AUTHOR> https://www.vandium.io/ <comment><USER2> Curious regarding how the various algorithms providing security were vetted.</comment>


An Unschooling Manifesto - <AUTHOR> http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2009/04/25.html

<comment><USER2> Previously submitted:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=580209>

I see what URL difference kept the HN duplicate detector from noticing this duplicate.</comment>


The Internet Needs a Plan B - <AUTHOR> http://www.wired.com/business/2013/02/the-internet-needs-a-plan-b/

<comment><USER2> Hillis could not have used a better analogy than the Financial Sector. He is reminiscent of all the whistle blowers leading up to the 2008 Financial Crisis, and their were handfuls of such whistle blowers who worked for the Government, banks and investment firms.

Like Hillis these people were screaming to the top of their lungs of the impending catastrophe. What happened to said whistle blowers, the stories I am familiar with anyway, they got fired whether bank or government employees. What is worse those same whistle blowers and their efforts are ignored to this day (can you name a single whistle blower regarding the real estate bubble or financial crisis?), and to this day the government and banking "economic experts" are the ones that get interviewed by the media and they lie through their teeth and represent that none of the "experts" foresaw what occurred. Meanwhile the truth is, everyone from bankers, to government regulators, down to mortgage brokers and mortgage holders knew what was going on and buried their head in the sand, while those courageous enough to speak up where fired and swept under the rug.

It is sad to think this situation might play out the same, and Hillis will have no option but to watch it unfold in front of his face. Even worse, then the "tech experts" will be interviewed and explain how none of the experts could have foresaw such an event.</comment>


My work in progress: Footprint Analytics - <AUTHOR> http://www.footprintanalytics.com

<comment><AUTHOR> Very much incomplete, the blog is the main part (I probably should've linked to that). It's just going to be a collection of what I've learned, but hopefully geared towards people without a technical background.

<comment><USER2> The blog is horrifying, frankly. I can't understand that layout no matter how hard I try. Where are the actual articles?

Also, it's trying to tell me that it's Monday already. Maybe where YOU are...

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. I was trying for a magazine type thing, but perhaps I'll make it more traditional if it's difficult to follow.</comment></comment></comment>


Launch HN: Caelum  Health (YC S17) – Digital Therapeutic for Stomach Problems - <AUTHOR> We're Luke and Lauren, the founders of Caelum Health (http://caelumhealth.com). Caelum is a digital therapeutic for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We optimize your diet and figure out which foods are driving your stomach problems.
Lauren is an MD from UPenn who saw how patients with stomach problems (IBS alone affects 15-20% of people) couldn't get the care they need. The best treatments - diet and lifestyle changes -  work in clinical trials, but are extremely hard to execute in the real world without continuous expert guidance. Very few patients have the resources to afford this type of guidance.
Our app fixes this by providing 1-on-1 digital coaching (via messaging). We guide patients through the leading IBS diet (the Low-FODMAP Diet) with turn-by-turn directions and daily lessons/exercises.
Currently, the diet requires several stages of eliminating food groups and then adding them back in to see whether symptoms change - forcing each patient to "start from scratch" even though many other patients have gone through the same process. We leverage user data to personalize each patient's program based on their eating habits, past food trials, and demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, etc).
We're launching our consumer-facing product and will be starting our clinical trial soon.
We're a sibling team and have wanted to start a company together since we were kids. When Luke went into tech and then business school, and Lauren into healthcare investing and then medical school, we thought it probably wouldn't happen. We were obviously wrong. We became pretty obsessed with bringing data to medicine and applying it to the treatments right in front of us: food, exercise, sleep, stress-reduction. <comment><USER2> What they are offering is actually very simple, and systematic.

While the list of foods containing fodmaps has changed a lot lately, there are several sources that are up to date. University of Michigan has a lot of reliable resources.

The system is described in full here: [http://www.myginutrition.com/diet.html](http://www.myginutrition.com/diet.html) (U of M)

They also have a pinterest that has tons of ideas and specific brands they've tested... Which is here: [https://www.pinterest.com/UMGIdietitians/](https://www.pinterest.com/UMGIdietitians/)

Full list of foods here: [http://www.myginutrition.com/downloads/Low_FODMAP_foods.pdf](http://www.myginutrition.com/downloads/Low_FODMAP_foods.pdf)

The warning my dietitian has given me, is that many of the websites out there are using out of date information pertaining to foods; and that I should only trust their lists.

<comment><USER3> You just put this startup out of business. The Michigan Uni website and video tutorials are more complete than Caelum's mvp. Couldn't figure out how to get Caelum's website to work, it just dumped me into a food log todo-style app with no info how to use it.

<comment><USER4> Our core value currently is the 1-on-1 coaching, so the MVP app is meant to support the coaching service (and currently working on building out the content). Michigan has some great content, but it's a different experience than having a coach or dietitian. It could be supplemental to a dietitian - sounds like this is the use case for trowway21. There are definitely people out there who want to do the diet with content/info only, and our service wouldn't be a good fit for them.

Thanks for your feedback on finding the app disorienting - that's helpful for us to know as we improve it moving forwards.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I feel like your pricing is off. $29/week is too expensive for consumers, yet far too cheap if you plan to get reimbursed from insurers. Especially considering you'll need a lot of people and show improvements for them if you want insurers to pay - this pricepoint won't let that happen.

<comment><USER6> If you compare that to paying for a dietitian, it's actually not TOO bad. BUT, I think churn will be high due to price.

I could see a declining fee model. Just a thought.

We are trying a low FODMAP for my wife. I could see her paying for it for 2-3 months, then we would probably find that expensive at $29/w...but, if after 3 months, it went down to say $29 per month, then it would totally make sense as we would use it a lot less, I think.

At least if we compare to when she stopped gluten, lactose and a few other things 6 years ago...the worst was the first 2-3 months.

<comment><USER7> A dietitian is a different service though. Registered dietitians are trained, accredited professionals that can legally give you medical advice. This service will not give you medical advice.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> As any new project that pops up in here, I wish you well and hope you guys make it.

However, as a IBS sufferer, I'm not sure I get it.

Yes identifying the foods that make you ill is a top priority for IBS patients like me, but I downloaded this app:

[https://www.monashfodmap.com/i-have-ibs/get-the- app/](https://www.monashfodmap.com/i-have-ibs/get-the-app/)

And within a week or two I identified the culprits, took them out of my diet and I'm back in business all for I think it was a one time payment of $6.99 and some willingness to make some changes. The app is fantastic.

I guess what you are really selling is the coaching and I'm sure some people do need it. Good luck guys

</comment><comment><USER7> Your terms state that "The services are not medical advice or treatment". If that is the case then this service is operating in a legal grey area where customers could be under the impression that medical advice is being given out and could sue Caelum Health if the diet does have a negative impact on their health. And if the customer knows it isn't medical advice, then they should run the advice past a medical professional on a regular basis which kind of defeats the purpose of the service.

<comment><USER4> That language is intended to indicate that we're not a physician, hospital, drug company, etc. - pretty standard for companies in our space.

But you're right that, similar to drugs, dieticians, or physical therapy, we're not a substitute for a doctor - in fact, one of the ways our users find is through referrals from their doctor.

<comment><USER7> But unlike FDA approved drugs, registered dietitians and licensed physical therapists your service is not accredited and can't legally give the advice that it claims to give. As an example Ohio state law says that "only licensed dietitians can practice dietetics".

Practising dietetics is defined as including "Nutritional assessment to determine nutritional needs and to recommend appropriate nutritional intake" and "Nutritional counseling or education as components of preventive, curative, and restorative health care"

Either your service isn't doing those things (and outwardly it seems it is) or the service must be provided by a licensed dietitian to customers in Ohio or it is breaking Ohio state law.

[1] [http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4759](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4759)

<comment><USER4> We've worked with our lawyers on this topic and so far we're in good shape. But it's definitely something we need to keep an eye on as we introduce new functionality / try out different marketing.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> Can you speak a bit about how this is regulated? Are you working with the FDA Digital Health group?

<comment><AUTHOR> The FDA is currently selectively regulating mobile apps, primarily based on risk categorization. We haven't been subject to regulation so far, but will of course work with any regulatory bodies if/when that time comes (and, of course, regulation of digital health products is continuously evolving).

<comment><USER9> I would suggest taking a more proactive approach in your relationship with the FDA, perhaps hiring an experienced consultant to either help you work with the FDA (the new "Pre-Cert" program might be worthwhile) or dial back your marketing claims to a safer position.

Right here on this Show HN you've said "Caelum is a digital therapeutic for Irritable Bowel Syndrome." This statement makes clear that you're intending for this to be used in the treatment of a specific disease (so this is a medical device and is subject to FD&C Act).

You're also said you're providing "1-on-1 digital coaching" and more specifically you "personalize each patient's program based on their eating habits, past food trials, and demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, etc)" (so specific treatment regimens). "Minimal risk" for the FDA generally excludes individualized treatment regimens. There may be sufficient grounds to support oversight.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks, will bring up these points with our advisers in this area

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> I have a long lasting gastritis and would love to try you guys out. I am wondering if I should wait for the lactose/fructose/sorbit tests or not.

Another question is I already have a huge list of things I tried, can I just feed those in?

<comment><AUTHOR> Getting started isn't dependent on any particular lab testing - the low-FODMAP diet includes elimination of lactose/fructose/sorbitol, so as you follow your plan you'll figure out if those are triggers for you.

For the things you've already done, you can tell your coach it'll be incorporated into your plan.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> Oh god, love it! This is not that expensive if you compare to having someone helping you that you pay for, and need to get a meeting with.

On the business side, I would assume churn will be pretty high after a few months.

<comment><USER4> Yup, this is the comparison we see - alternative is going to a dietitian, which is very expensive. Re: your other post on people potentially churning after 2-3 months - we've actually seen strong retention, but leaving after 2-3 months is certainly a use case we've seen as well. Those users tend to have gotten a lot of value from the product, and are also profitable for us - overall not a bad outcome

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> Cool project and great idea! Unfortunately your website falls a bit short on selling me though. And at $29/week after the free trial I don't even want to find out if I love your app, because then I would know exactly what I was missing out on after having to cancel based on price.

<comment><AUTHOR> Glad you like the idea! Thanks for the feedback about the website. Would love to learn more - is there a particular part that especially falls short (or something that, if included, would have sold you)?

<comment><USER10> One example which is as simple as possible as complicated as necessary would be great.

<comment><AUTHOR> Gotcha, that makes a lot of sense - appreciate it

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> When we get back from vacation my wife is absolutely subscribing. Its a step up from dieticians (who guve worksheets and meet in person) since the app looks like it will make everything much more streamlined.

<comment><USER4> That's great! Look forward to having your wife on board

</comment></comment><comment><USER13> Do you all have plans to support ulcerative colitis or the SCD diet?

<comment><AUTHOR> We're building the platform so that it can support any diet, and UC/Crohn's are on our short list. (Some folks with those conditions have benefited from the Low-Fodmap diet too, although it wasn't designed for that purpose.)

<comment><USER13> thanks lauren. good luck with your company.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Do you consider yourself a covered entity? If not, what kind of data are you collecting about your users?

</comment><comment><USER15> Cost? It is not showing me the cost when I click on free trial. Could be a bug, using Chrome.

<comment><USER4> The cost ($29/month) should be displayed both on our homepage and when the user gets to the payment screen in the sign up flow.

If this is a bug obviously want to track it down - where exactly did you click?

</comment></comment><comment><USER16> just sent to one of my best friends who has been suffering for years. I hope it can help

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for sending along! Hope we can help.</comment></comment>


Changing the packaging saves thousands of lives - <AUTHOR> http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/a-simple-way-to-reduce-suicides/

<comment><USER2> Yes; let's increase frustration for everyone based on some flimsy evidence!

"One [study] in Ireland, for example, found no reduction in overdoses"

</comment><comment><USER3> I wonder what the ecological impact of all those blister packs is.</comment>


Google Zeitgeist - <AUTHOR> http://www.googlezeitgeist.com/en/

<comment><USER2> Wait... Rebecca Black was the most searched for? WTF?

<comment><USER3> This is "fastest rising", not "most searched".</comment></comment>


Kelly Criterion in detail - <AUTHOR> http://www.elem.com/~btilly/kelly-criterion/ <comment><USER2> I have a feeling this could be one of those stories on HN where it gets a bunch of upvotes but not very much discussion.

If you enjoy pop economics/trading books ala Michael Lewis then I'd recommend Fortunes Formula. Great book focusing mostly on Ed Thorpe who is one of the fathers of modern day quantitative trading.

[https://www.amazon.ca/Fortunes-Formula-Scientific-Betting- Ca...](https://www.amazon.ca/Fortunes-Formula-Scientific-Betting- Casinos/dp/0809045990)

I don't want to speak for an industry, but I don't see it used very much in practice in investing anymore, mostly because firms nowadays seem to make much smaller bets much more frequently( think HFT firms) so even pension funds that don't do investments under say $20-$30 million are usually doing sizes that amount to 1/50 of Kelly.

It may have use for very small individual investors, think someone with under $100,000 to invest that wants to pick their own holdings and not jut buy the market via an ETF.

Having said that, if you want to work on the buy side soon er or later someone will ask you about it during an interview so its in your best interest to understand it.

<comment><USER3> I second the recommendation. I expected it to be mediocre at best, but _Fortune's Formula_ is actually both good on the the technical & philosophical aspects of Kelly, and on the history & people involved.

<comment><USER4> William Poundstone is one of my Guilty Pleasures. I've been reading (and re- reading...) his books for years, starting with his Big Secrets series, and he is always interesting and thought-provoking, while not taking himself too seriously. Think a better Malcolm Gladwell, but with a worse PR team.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> One thing most people don't think about. The kelly criterion isn't particularly useful for investors, as you need to be able to quantify the expected outcomes. It's not particularly useful for gamblers (rarely do they have quantifiable positive expected value), but it's an absolutely amazing resource for casinos themselves.

Almost every bet that happens on a casino floor the casino can quantify their expected returns and risks and knowing the state of their bankroll knowing what is sensible to risk or not.

But other than that, it probably is mainly useful to teach investors a healthy fear of variance. If it'd be foolish for a casino with a $1M bankroll to let a roulette player bet more than $12000 on a spin, it might give you a healthy sense of the importance of diversification.

<comment><USER6> Every pro gambler and every syndicate I know is trading based on a model, so I'm not sure Kelly's quite as rare in gambling as you think. I do think it's interesting to think about the work required when adding expert judgements on top of model outputs, though.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Anyone want to give example inputs for the calculator? I find it very confusing. Are the Odds input as percentages? Decimal Odds?

I created [http://sportsbettingcalcs.com/#kelly_calculator](http://sportsbettingcalcs.com/#kelly_calculator) which I have pre-filled with an example which is much more intuitive to me. This calculator is more advanced, as it can maximize over multiple bets, but I'm finding it difficult to use. Another calculator which I have no affiliation with is [http://www.sportsbookreview.com/picks/tools/kelly- calculator...](http://www.sportsbookreview.com/picks/tools/kelly-calculator/)</comment>


Woman Banned from US After Border Agent Finds Proof of Drug Use on Phone - <AUTHOR> https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ywwvxm/woman-banned-from-us-after-border-agent-finds-proof-of-drug-use-on-phone <comment><USER2> So she was banned from entering the US not because she was carrying any drugs, and not because she intended to sell any drugs or get hold of any drugs, and not because she was currently using any drugs.

She was banned from entering the US because she had _previously_ taken drugs...

EDIT: Also, the video on how to protect yourself when crossing the US border is "not available in my region"? What the hell? Do people in my region not have to protect ourselves when crossing the US border?

<comment><USER3> She was banned from the US because border control are arbitrary, intrusive, judgemental, prejudiced and like the fact that they have power over people who have no rights in that context.

<comment><USER4> US border control is indeed an unpleasant experience. Even Chinese border control is nicer.

<comment><USER5> Chinese border control has been a pleasant experience for at least the last 20 years (as long as I've been visiting China) and probably longer.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> It's public knowledge I was charged with two counts of _Traffic controlled drug_ and one count of _Posses Prescription drug_. All charges later dropped.

I still joke about it on a daily basis with friends in all the usual digital chat apps.

There is _absolutely no freaking way_ I would _ever_ go to the US.

Full stop. Period. End of story.

Edit: fixed an the words

</comment><comment><USER7> The exchange they found on her phone that established her prior drug use was a conversation between her and her doctor. Is border patrol allowed to violate patient/doctor confidentiality? What about attorney/client privilege?

<comment><USER8> They shouldn't have been looking on her phone anyway. What the fuck kind of fascist nation has the US become?

<comment><USER9> Putting aside whether you think drug use should be a disqualifying factor for entering the country, assuming it is, why is it wrong to find evidence of it?

Are you implying that an alien attempting to cross the border has all the same constitutional rights as a citizen?

<comment><USER10> I am not so familiar with the US law but why wouldn't they?

The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

To be even clearer, the second states:

"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status."

Not being a US citizen does not allow the US government to violate basic human rights.

And just if you think pricavy is not a basic human right, in the same declaration you find:

"No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."

EVERYONE. Not just "US Citizen".

But then again maybe the US do not respect the most basic human rights.

<comment><USER9> The "everyone" referred to in that document and all other laws in the USA apply to people after they're here. Not before.

Yes they apply to both citizens and non citizens alike. All have those freedoms and short of seeking elected office or voting, there isn't much distinction.

But that doesn't mean those rights apply externally. A woman in Saudi Arabia doesn't have freedom of speech per the US first ammendment. A man in Russia doesn't have fourth ammendment protections against searches.

Arriving at the border doesn't mean you're inside. Until the country lets you in, you're still outside.

<comment><USER11> > Arriving at the border doesn't mean you're inside. Until the country lets > you in, you're still outside.

You do realise that "border" is not well-defined, right?

It's somewhere between 25-250 miles around the US... So when have you actually entered? The CBP certainly don't view it as having been processed through customs and immigration and regularly detain people who have been processed.

> all other laws in the USA apply to people after they're here.

When do they arrive?

You can spend your entire visit within the US's border region.

<comment><USER9> > You do realise that "border" is not well-defined, right?

> It's somewhere between 25-250 miles around the US... So when have you > actually entered? The CBP certainly don't view it as having been processed > through customs and immigration and regularly detain people who have been > processed.

Again, I never said I agree with any of this. I'm saying this is how the current laws have been interpreted and upheld till now.

> When do they arrive?

After they've passed customs. Being inside the custom's office doesn't grant special rights.

<comment><USER11> > After they've passed customs.

I specifically said _that is not the case_ , and BCP say that is _not_ the case, and Congress do not say that is the case. (See U.S. v. Hernandez-Lopez, where 50 miles _after_ passing through customs was still sufficient to allow for detainment by border patrol.)

It is an expectation of most travelers, but it is patently false.

> Again, I never said I agree with any of this.

Neither have I. The law is _ambiguous_ , and practically without restraint. Even when there is restraint, the BCP regularly are not aware, and violate it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> "A British Columbia woman was issued a lifetime ban at the US border after officials found an email with her doctor"

A very clear example why it is important to have encryption in the context of email. A private conversation between a patient and their doctor should be sacrosanct, and if government can't keep their hands away then technology need to step in and try to do its best to protect people.

<comment><USER13> They read the email on her phone. Encryption of the message between the phone and her doctor would have been useless.

<comment><USER12> Encryption can also work on data in rest. There is no reason why very sensitive information is not stored in more safe way on the phone.

<comment><USER14> Having your email app configured within the "secure folder" on a Samsung Galaxy, protected by Knox encryption and requiring biometrics or a password, for example.

<comment><USER13> But to even get to anything on the phone they must have got the owner to unlock it anyway. All this is pointless if the user can be compelled or persuaded to grant access. Which in this case is what happened. And if you don't grant access, they just don't let you into the country anyway. Is still don't understand how you think these measures would help.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER15> I don't plan on ever visiting the US, especially with its current administration, but if I were to visit then I'd just take a £20 burner phone and no other tech. Anything I need I can put in to any number of cloud services and get it when I'm through the pointless interrogation.

<comment><USER16> I thought about it but what if they consider it suspect that you have a burner or a freshly wiped phone?

<comment><USER17> A job I interviewed for recently found it suspicious that I didn't have a facebook or other social media accounts. As if I was lying and had something to hide. I can only imagine what law enforcement would think about that.

<comment><USER18> I'd be happy to not take a job with a company like that.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER3> Meanwhile in another thread people are arguing about "free speech" in the context of Nazis. I wonder if some of the people so keen to defend the worst kinds of speech could be redirected to argue that people might have a right to _private_ free speech with their doctor and also enter the US?

<comment><USER19> I fail to see why there should necessarily be this tention between free speech and privacy?

<comment><USER3> If I report what you said to someone else, is that my free speech or your privacy?

Privacy isn't just about how wide the 4th amendment is and whether it applies to cellphones at borders, it's a broader construction which in some cases requires suppressing information.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> Tourism is one of the largest industries in the US. Approximately 77 million foreigners traveled here in 2016 [1]. Hopefully, in time, we can get some statistics about lost revenue due to these policies and persuade congress against them. Lost profits seem to be something they understand and take action on.

[1] [https://www.statista.com/statistics/214686/number-of- interna...](https://www.statista.com/statistics/214686/number-of- international-visitors-to-the-us/)

</comment><comment><USER20> This is a intrusive and brazen breach of the right to privacy as is any inspection of personal devices and papers wherever it occurs.

It's time to stop the apologism and accept we are at the bottom of the slippery slope. It's also time to stop the pointless grandstanding about China, Russia etc to feel smug and superior because there is zero moral authority to pull that off.

The bigger problem is inspite of the outrage by many nothing happens. Is democracy working?

</comment><comment><USER21> Yet another reminder to _never_ cross borders while carrying anything other than disposable electronic communications and/or storage devices containing zero personal information. If anything leaves your sight, consider it copied and compromised - burn it.

</comment><comment><USER22> Thanks border guards for keeping this terrorist out. /s

Seriously, she should not have admitted to drug use. Do not admit to anything at any border at any time. Always password protect the phone or even log out of your accounts in case they get in anyway. I've seen border agents pull a family into questioning because the mother hadn't signed her passport. Don't do that shit. The border is the worst place on earth and you can't fuck around there (any border to any country). Have fun after you cross over. Have common sense at the border. Lie if necessary but make sure it's a proper lie for the situation.

</comment><comment><USER23> proof of law breaking, yes but the snooping is worrying

<comment><USER24> She wasn't in the US at the time. Which US laws were broken?

<comment><USER23> do they have to be US laws, if laws are broken in the country of origin it means she's a criminal.

<comment><USER24> Using drugs is not illegal. Possession is, but if you are given something by a friend and take it (as described in the article) you don't take possession. There was no proof of any laws being broken.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER25> Why such an accent on the gender? I see no any relevance of the gender in regards with article contents.

<comment><USER26> Half the headlines start with "Man [verb] ..." and you never noticed. Maybe look within for the sexism?

<comment><USER27> [https://www.reddit.com/r/FloridaMan/](https://www.reddit.com/r/FloridaMan/)

<comment><USER26> Good point. It's arguably way more than half.</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Ford Is Finally Getting Serious About Making Electric Cars - <AUTHOR> https://www.wired.com/story/ford-electric-cars-plan-mach-1-suv <comment><USER2> Most exciting thing in this article is that they are bringing back the Ranger. I never understood why they quit the light truck market for a few years.

<comment><USER3> The chicken tax effectively killed foreign competition for light trucks and domestic automakers punted as mid-full size trucks are more profitable.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax)

<comment><USER2> That doesn't seem right. Toyota Tacomas, Nissans, Ford Rangers, Chevy S10s, etc have been popular throughout that period.

The only thing I can think of is emissions mandates that have made the full- size pickups roughly equivalent to the mpg advantage that light trucks used to have.</comment></comment></comment>


Should Holocaust Deniers be Heard? - <AUTHOR> http://popecenter.org/clarion_call/article.html?id=2493 <comment><USER2> Denying the holocaust is right down there with claiming that the Earth is 6,000 years old and that humans saddled dinosaurs. Or that the Earth is flat. Or heliocentricity. These arguments have already been debunked. Repeatedly. Meticulously. Leaving no doubt as to their falsehood.

Raising these issues again and again, year after year, without presenting some new startling evidence to re-open the case is a lot like a convicted killer asking for a new trial without presenting any evidence of new information or errors in the original process.

We are not saying that Holocaust denial should not be heard. It already has been heard, it already has been presented for debate, and it has already been defeated soundly and without doubt by rational persons.

At a certain point you turn to the Holocaust deniers and say, "Your argument is wrong, and this has been conclusively demonstrated. Your position will not merit re-examination and re-debate until you come up with new information and new evidence, and the onus is on you to present it. Until then, your argument has already had its time, has already been heard. It does not need to be heard again."

We passed that point decades ago. So my statement is yes, Holocaust denial is an argument that should be heard and it has been heard, it does not need to be heard again.

<comment><AUTHOR> Claiming a proof that 1+1=1 is right down there with claiming the Earth is 6,000 years old. This argument has already been debunked.

Raising these issues semester after semester, without presenting some startling evidence to re-open the case is a lot like a convicted killer asking for a new trial without finding new evidence or errors.

At a certain point you turn to the 1+1=1 crowd and say, "your proof is wrong, and this has been conclusively demonstrated. It does not need to be heard again."

We passed that point over a hundred years ago. Thus, the argument that 1+1=1 has been heard, and does not need to be a homework assignment in any future "Intro to Proofs" classes.

See, this is the flaw in your argument. The conversation here is about exposing students to these arguments as an intellectual exercise. The relevant question to ask is not "can _someone_ debunk holocaust deniers/debunk the proof that 1+1=1?". The relevant question is "can _this class of students_ debunk holocaust deniers/spot the flaw in the proof that 1+1=1?"

(Details on 1+1=1. <http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57110.html> )

<comment><USER3> I don't get the downvoting - this is pretty much the point of TFA, and it's _valuable_. Ideas like these gain support in the first place because people don't have the critical mindset to see what's wrong with them.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> The mountain of evidence pointing towards the Holocaust actually happening means that we should indeed let deniers speak but any position they take is so indefensible that it's more an exercise in observing human stupidity than considering two sides of an argument.

<comment><USER5> My main problem with this is the fact that it's actually a crime punishable by jail sentences in many places in Europe.

Call it an observation of human stupidity, sure. But, last I checked, we don't jail people for being stupid or saying stupid things.

edit: Something interesting I just thought of.

A lot of Islamic & Arab countries have laws in place that punish "insulting Islam". A lot of these "insults" (see Jyllands-Posten) seem to come from Europe, who advocate a huge amount of free speech. How can the laws ban one instance of hate-speech and not another? Is Satire or Humor allowed?

Again, if anyone can shed light on this matter, I'd appreciate it, but in countries like France or Germany, are there laws in place to protect against all kinds of hate-speech or just specifically Holocaust Denial?

<comment><USER6> Yes, in Germany, open Holocaust denial is only one form of _Volksverhetzung_ (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksverhetzung>)

The reason that this is punished is _not_ stupidity. Publicly spoken words are never just an personal opininion, but have the potential to influence other people, and can lead to violent actions. In that case, the german constitution holds that the safety and dignity of the targetted people (e.g. an ethnical group) outweigh the personal freedom of an individual.

This trade-off has to be made somehow, and I would agree with the german constitution: personal freedom ends where other people get physically hurt or degraded.

<comment><USER7> _"This trade-off has to be made somehow, and I would agree with the german constitution: personal freedom ends where other people get hurt or degraded."_

Merely hurt or degraded? That is one hell of a low bar.

<comment><USER6> With hurt, I meant physically hurt, thanks for letting me clarify. Updated my post.

<comment><USER7> Ah, ok. That makes more sense.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> _Very_ interesting post, I would have loved to have taken this course, if only to write a an essay giving an unequivocal "Yes" to this question.

It would have been great if he hadn't placed all the emphasis on the Holocaust but also discussed two other well-known, widely believed denials: one scientific ("Americans didn't land on the moon") and one very recent ("9/11 was actually planned by the US government").

<comment><USER9> I'm curious whether your "Yes" is because you yourself deny the holocaust or because you think that it is important to hear the other side of the story.

I will admit myself that while I don't actually believe it to be true, I often take the denial side of the "Americans landed on the moon" argument. It is always fun to challenge people on their long held beliefs and make them rationally defend their position.

I've never personally found the holocaust denying evidence to be at all worth parroting even for the benefit of theoretical discussion.

<comment><USER10> _I often take the denial side of the "Americans landed on the moon" argument. It is always fun to challenge people on their long held beliefs and make them rationally defend their position._

Do people actually try to defend it, or just write you off?

If someone tells me they're a holocaust denier I'm not likely to try to prove it happened. The evidence exists if they cared to spend 5s looking. I'm much more likely to just say, "OK", and then avoid at all costs, since frankly I'm a little afraid to be around people with such beliefs -- since the belief that it didn't happen is also strongly associated with "and if it did, it would have been justified".

<comment><USER9> Some people definitely write me off. The key to engaging them is not coming off as if I believe it too much. Then they think that they can convince me. When I come off as either an asshole or a conspiracy nut then people just laugh it off.

I feel like its a good conversation starter and usually don't beat it into the dust. Ask people if they really think we could go to the moon in 1969, before we had personal computers or the internet and it at least makes them stop and think.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> This is a very good article that really gets you thinking.

I would have to say that Holocaust deniers should be heard, and measured based on their arguments. To shut these people out before their case is heard is (to me) completely irrational. I might not like such people, but if these people can present a rational argument that challenges my view of events, then I've gained something. Either my view holds up on the basis of rational debate and my view is reinforced, or I'm forced to question it by a greater logic. To remove the voice of holocaust deniers is to remove that opportunity.

<comment><USER12> The essay question seems to be mainly about teaching. Things that are taught have usually been through some sort of evaluation process. This evaluation process is the right place for the voices of deniers'. If they manage to make a convincing argument their views should certainly be presented to classes.

One of the things I would probably emphasize if I were writing such a essay is that there should be no automatic process of exclusion but also no automatic process of inclusion. Evidence matters and if deniers don't have it their views and voices have no place in classes.

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> Are there any other notable examples of free speech that are banned by Western-European countries?

I believe Holocaust Denial is officially a crime punishable by jail in many places in Europe; was just wondering if the laws there had any similar stances on other "free-speech" issues?

<comment><USER13> Hate speech: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_speech>

</comment></comment><comment><USER14> Giving them a voice is inevitable, and beating them isn't hard. Just provide point-by-point rebuttals and refer students to them. At some point, after checking five or six stories, the doubter will realize the deniers are either intellectually dishonest or eager to remain ignorant. The real damage is when someone hears two or three provocative ideas from deniers and never learns anything more. _Especially_ if people refuse to engage with them.

I put in my dues exchanging emails (over a period of months) about biology with a white supremacist. He was a very bright guy just starting a law career, and he didn't reveal his ideas to many people. I think he was impressed that I was able to provide point-by-point responses to the claims he made about human evolution. He was very well read in racist literature, especially the older stuff from a time when more sophisticated people were still openly taking the position that non-white races were biologically inferior.

He was under the impression that a lot of the points from those old books were still unaddressed by "mainstream" biology, and the fact that I was able to provide him with straightforward answers and pointers to further reading discredited a lot of his current sources. I don't think I cured him of his racism, but I did convince him that biologists weren't as stupid or brainwashed as he thought they were, and that his sources of information did not stand up to modern ideas, because they were obsolete in some cases and simply ignorant in others. His tendency to believe in the superiority of white people remained, but I destroyed his belief that the issue had already been scientifically settled and was being ignored or suppressed by current biologists.

Addressing the issues honestly is the only way to make progress. It's sad that much of what is written about untouchable political issues is written to gratify people who are eager to agree with the author and just need some authoritative reassurance. "The Mismeasure of Man" is an egregious example. If it included white supremacists (or just people who learned towards believing in racial inequality) in its target audience, if it addressed itself to those people with an intent to persuade them, it would have been a lot more useful. Of course, it would not have won accolades -- it would have creeped people out, because people do not want to see those ideas taken seriously. What they want, and what "The Mismeasure of Man" gave them, is reassurance that those ideas have been conclusively dealt with and can be ignored. But that doesn't actually accomplish anything except providing some peace of mind to non- racists. The goal should have been to shift the ideas of people who are racist.

</comment><comment><USER15> It's difficult to talk about this subject without mentioning the Faurisson affair: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faurisson_affair>

</comment><comment><USER16> > Holocaust denial is inconsistent with critical thinking.

Wow, if I don't believe in the 'Holocaust', I'm not just an antisemitic, I'm also stupid.

> If the mountains of evidence (records, photos, films, testimony, artifacts) > which converge to support the currently accepted interpretation are not > sufficient grounds for belief in its reality, then what would be sufficient?

Since people who dare say that they have doubts about the 'Holocaust' are instantly labelled as antisemitic, I doubt that we will ever see evidence that does not support the 'Holocaust'.

What baffles me about this 'Holocaust' story is that it defies logic:

The Germans rounded up hundred thousands of Jewish people and killed them, while fighting both the Russians and the USA, just because they were evil.

You can conjure up mountains of evidence, but it still has plotholes.

Also in order to even begin understanding such a complex thing we require continuity. Why would the Germans do such a thing?

Example:

A killed B.

We should convict A.

But wait:

A killed B, because B wanted to murder A's wife C.

It's not the same.

You may have evidence that A killed B, but that's still not the full story.

So my conclusion is: the 'Holocaust' is not something you can easily prove or disprove of, it's too complex, we will never know what really happened because it's impossible to question the 'Holocaust', without being labelled as an antisemitic.

</comment><comment><USER17> Everyone should be allowed to _speak_ , because America has freedom of speech, but no, they should not be _heard_.

Hearing implies actually entertaining their absurd and ridiculous claims that have been repeatedly proven false.

</comment><comment><USER16> For me the Holocaust is just like God. People tell you to believe it just because they said so.

I neither deny nor confirm the existence of this so called 'Holocaust' because I wasn't there when it happened. And we all know history is written by the winners. I have witnessed first hand how much lies are contained within those history books, that's why I simply don't care and don't believe anything they say.

Also a lot of people died for stupid reasons not just the jews, I don't know what makes them more special than anybody else.

Downvoters: please elaborate before just downvoting because I hurt your beliefs.

</comment><comment><USER18> "The reason for the capstone paper is to prepare students to recognize the methods employed by malicious or unhinged deceivers: 9/11 truthers, religious cultists, UFO abductees, and so on."

Like ad hominems?

<comment><USER19> What group listed do you think are not malicious or unhinged deceivers?

<comment><USER18> Of the ad hominems listed, which do you think are actually groups?

<comment><USER19> The only answer possible to your question is 'mu' because it is based on flawed assumptions. However if I rephrase your question as 'which groups are listed in the post', it's quite easy to answer:

        - 9/11 truthers
        - religious cultists
        - UFO abductees

Are these not groups according to you? I'm not sure what obscure point you're trying to make.

<comment><USER18> "Are these not groups according to you?"

No, of course not. I have no reason to believe that, say, subjects who report having contact with 'entities' after receiving cranial electromagnetic stimulation in controlled laboratory settings are malicious:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN3ggRgY7Ac>

Nor does it make any sense to claim that anyone who wants an intellectually honest investigation into 9/11 is a deceiver. That's just ridiculous 1984-style propaganda.

These 'groups' are just a loose collection of people who have little or nothing in common. Are some of these folks malicious or deceivers? Of course. But putting them all in the same box is just willful intellectual dishonesty.

<comment><USER19> There are two claims here: 1\. are these people 'groups' 2\. are they 'malicious or unhinged deceivers'

1 is easy - a 'group' is a collection or subset of a larger whole of people, which all of the named categories are. This is a simple semantic issue, completely uninteresting, but I still don't understand what point you're trying to make by claiming these people are not 'groups', apart from the non sequitur in your first sentence (when I say 'are these not groups', you say 'I have no reason to believe that they are malicious'). Of course they're not 'organized' as in that they have no central authority and there is strong disagreement about many things between them, but they're still 'groups'. But again this is a wholly uninteresting question and I'm not sure why you brought it up in the first place.

Then nr 2, the question was 'are they malicious or unhinged deceivers'. So that means they're either 'malicious deceivers' or 'unhinged deceivers'. Many (most?) are not 'malicious', but anyone who claims 9/11 was an inside job by the US government _is_ 'unhinged'. (9/11 truthers are not 'anyone who wants an intellectually honest investigation into 9/11', they're whack jobs for whom nothing will ever convince them that they're wrong; much like the holocaust deniers in the OP.)

They're also 'deceivers' because they all operate to convince as many people as they can about their loony ideas, using all means possible. Repeatedly and without willingness to engage in actual, rational debate repeating claims of being 'oppressed', 'repressed' or 'silenced by the majority' is just the beginning of this deceitfulness.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> Mostly I think it's more a cultural quirk of some European countries and I don't really care all that much. What bothers me more is stuff like this: [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014271060_b...](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014271060_busads19m.html)

</comment><comment><USER21> One problem I have is that Holocaust Deniers, I think, realize that they aren't going to 'win' the argument, they are mostly looking to plant the seeds of doubt. They're not trying to convince you the holocaust didn't happen, but they're trying to convince the public that the evidence is debatable in order to weaken their opponents position. So giving them a voice is basically the same as letting them win.

<comment><USER7> You can't "give someone a voice", they have that right be default.</comment></comment>


What really happened to that melted NASA camera? - <AUTHOR> https://www.nasa.gov/feature/what-really-happened-to-that-melted-nasa-camera <comment><USER2> I like to place trail cameras in the mountains during hikes and leave them for a few months to see if they catch any animals. One of them caught in one of the big fires in CA last year.

When I got back to the area the only thing I could find was the metal rod it was on, some wires and a disk of molten plastic material under it. I guess they were luck to find as much as they did :-)

<comment><USER3> Is it legal to just place cameras where you live? I think in Germany you could get in serious trouble for planting cameras.

<comment><USER4> The law in the USA is _vastly_ from Europe with regards to photography. Generally speaking, "When in public spaces where you are lawfully present you have the right to photograph anything that is in plain view." (Source: [https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/photographers-what- do-...](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/photographers-what-do-if-you- are-stopped-or-detained-taking-photographs)).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> When I opened this, I thought it was going to be about the camera inside the space shuttle Columbia. After the disaster, there were rumours that the footage from the shuttle's inside camera – which had captured the crew's horrific final moments – had survived the crash, but of course this footage would never be disclosed to the general public.

<comment><USER6> They did recover a mini dv camcorder from sts-107 and managed to record some video during the early phase of re-entry. [https://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030225caib/](https://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030225caib/)

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Kind of a clickbait headline -- yeah, it was a brush fire, wasn't that part of the original reporting?

</comment><comment><USER8> Amazing that the memory card was still intact after the camera caught fire.

<comment><USER9> Given that this looks to be a Canon 5Ds I would have been more surprised if the card _didn 't_ survive.

This is what the body of the camera looks like underneath the skin:

[https://www.eoshd.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/02/canon-5ds.j...](https://www.eoshd.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/02/canon-5ds.jpg)

From the animated GIF it looks like the fire wasn't very hot, and most of the damage was just the plastic lens hood melting over the front element.

<comment><USER10> I've seen YouTube videos where people try to destroy Canons. In one, they froze it (with water inside the camera), through it down the stairs, and burned it. And the mirror was still functioning. It wasn't taking great pictures, but it WAS taking something. They're tanks.

<comment><USER11> The "pro" camera bodies from both Nikon and Canon are designed to take a beating. Here's a similar video with a Nikon:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBB- CvqjdCE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBB-CvqjdCE)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> >The "toasty" camera (below right), as Ingalls calls it, is likely headed for display somewhere at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Cool.

>Meanwhile, Ingalls himself will soon travel to Kazakhstan to photograph the June 3 landing of the International Space Station's Expedition 55 crew. He expects that will be a completely normal assignment.

Something about that last sentence made me laugh. Some sort of "Dry NASA humor" plus "Don't temp fate!"

</comment><comment><USER13> In case anyone is interested in that anchor, here's a little time saved: [https://theclaw.com/product/c101earthanchoringsystem/](https://theclaw.com/product/c101earthanchoringsystem/)

</comment><comment><USER14> What exactly set the gras on fire? Can't believe it's the exhaust since the camera is so far away from the launch pad. Is there burning debris falling from the rocket that can ignite vegetation? Does this also happen during launches on the east coast?</comment>


The Future of React Router and Reach/Router - <AUTHOR> https://reacttraining.com/blog/reach-react-router-future/ <comment><USER2> This post is several months old. Is the React Router team still planning on this? The road map linked in the post has been deleted.</comment>


Show HN: Website that finds least amount of clicks between two Wikipedia pages - <AUTHOR> https://wikigolf1.herokuapp.com/ <comment><AUTHOR> Hey HN

This is my hobby project I've been working on. At the moment there are 15231991 pages in English wikipedia, and a whopping 671872114 links between them.

This project uses custom-built Rust parser to parse through the data (in 15 minutes!) and Google BigQuery to find the shortest path between two pages using a rather simple breadth-first search query.

Let me know what you think!

</comment><comment><USER2> We used to play this game in school. Everybody clicks random article at the same time then races to traverse links to a decided destination page.</comment>


Ask HN: Launching soon email capture – anyone using Twitter as an alternative? - <AUTHOR>

Instead of the standard Mailchimp/LaunchRock 'launching soon' email capture form, we're considering using Twitter as a substitute (e.g. 'Stay up to date on our launch by following us on Twitter' vs 'Enter your email and we'll let you know when we've launched').
Anyone have any experience doing the same? Metrics, anecdotes, opinions are all welcome.
We know our target launch market user is also likely to be a Twitter user, and we're OK with limiting our reach at launch to Twitter users. Our only concern is that the notifications will get lost in the firehose for users with large following counts.
Thanks HN! <comment><USER2> Last time I heard a statistic about this, about 10% of tweets were seen by followers. That means you'd have to tweet 10 times to have a reasonable chance of reaching all of your followers.

Also, not that many people use Twitter. The bounce rate is astronomical, tons of the "users" are bots, and engagement is in decline. In general, it's an echo-chamber. It's where people go to read/respond to established celebrities and journalists.

From experience marketing online, almost no one uses "social media" buttons on websites, especially landing pages.

You might as well have the Twitter option, since it's easy, but email is tried-and-true and should be your primary option.</comment>


RNN in opus codec for Music/Speech classification - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/xiph/opus/commit/af93fbd55fd5c23a2492166816311d9f67df1b24 <comment><USER2> Why did you submit this? It would help if you described the novelty or significance.</comment>


Redacted Online Beta, a Cards Against Humanity clone built on Meteor - <AUTHOR> http://redacted.meteor.com

<comment><USER2> Doesn't work on cards that need 2 answers selected... can only select one.</comment>


Zenith: "The Sentinel" remake - <AUTHOR> http://johnvalentine.co.uk/zenith.php

<comment><AUTHOR> I know making up your own titles in generally frowned upon, but this page did not have a good one. And a remake for one of the best games of all-time certainly deserves it!</comment>


A 1:10 trillion scale model of the Solar System (and beyond) - <AUTHOR> https://www.facebook.com/therealjoshjordan/posts/888006895650

<comment><USER2> Not a link.

<comment><AUTHOR> It is for me - maybe it's Facebook's clever methods for deciding who can see what.

Here's the link taken directly from a window showing the post:

[https://www.facebook.com/therealjoshjordan/posts/88800689565...](https://www.facebook.com/therealjoshjordan/posts/888006895650)

If you can't link from that, then something is weird.

Here is the text:

Here I describe a 1:10 billion scale model of the solar system, with the Sun centered the middle of the house I grew up in. The solar system is exactly 10 billion times larger than this model. And since mass scales as the cube of length, and every object in the solar system has a mass of exactly 10^30 times the mass of its counterpart in the model. Let's walk through our solar system, imagining that the planets are aligned with my driveway. We'll start in the living room.

1\. THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM

In the very center of the octagon-shaped house -- built by my parents with hand tools -- is the Sun. The size of a large melon (14 cm), it hovers in the middle of the room, emitting light and heat. Our model Sun weighs about 2 kg.

Mercury, the size of the ball of a very fine (550 µm) ballpoint pen, is circling the inside of the living room slowly at a distance of 6 m from the Sun, making a complete circuit once every 88 days. It weighs just 330 µg.

Just as we step outside the house, 11 m from the Sun, we find Venus, a tiny ball about the size of a lower-case 'o' (1.2 mm) weighing 5 mg.

A few steps further, 15 meters from the Sun, we cross the orbit of Earth, a 1.3 mm ball weighing 6 mg, which circles the octagon once a year. It takes 500 seconds for the light from the Sun to reach the Earth, so the speed of light in our model is 30 mm/s. The Moon is a 70 µg ball about the size of a period (300 µm), just 40 mm away from Earth.

As we reach the inner edge of Frisbee Field, 23 meters from the house, we cross the orbit of Mars. Measuring 640 µg at 700 µm in diameter, Mars is the ball of a ballpoint pen just slightly less fine than that of Mercury.

We pass through Frisbee Field, which itself corresponds to the the main asteroid belt which lies between Mars and Jupiter.

2\. THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM

As we come to the outer edge of Frisbee field, 80 meters from the house, we cross the orbit of Jupiter, a marble-sized object (14 mm) which weighs about 2 g.

A little further down the road, 140 m from the house, we look down and see the tree fort code named Top Secret which crosses the orbit of Saturn. Weighing 600 mg and measuring 12 mm in diameter, Saturn is about the size and weight of a sugar cube, and it passes by this spy headquarters once every 29 years.

After we cross the bridge, approximately 300 m from the house, we pass the abandoned 1950s-era Ford truck we nicknamed Sadie and with it, the orbit of Uranus. Weighing about 90 mg, Uranus is a 5 mm ball -- about the size of Facebook's "World" button in the upper-right corner of the screen.

As we begin the final stretch of the driveway, 450 meters from the house, we pass under the Rimpells trailer and the orbit of Neptune. Neptune is about the same size as Uranus, but weighs a bit more (100 mg) and its orbit takes it all the way out here.

Finally, about 600 m from the house, we reach the Kuiper belt, and Pluto, a tiny 250 µm ball that weighs just 13 µg. It passes by this point just once every 250 years. With that, the driveway ends.

3\. AND BEYOND ...

A light year in the real world is about 10^16 m; this is almost 1,000 km in the scale model. That's about the distance from the house (near Laytonville, CA, USA) to the border of Mexico. Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to us, is 4.3 light years away, which is the distance to New York City in the model.

So how far is it to the edge of the observable universe? Much further. Much, much further. The radius of the observable universe is about 45 billion light years or 450 Ym (that's the largest SI unit prefix - "yotta", meaning 10^24), a distance is so vast that words like "vast" don't do it justice. In order to represent the observable universe, our scale model would have to extend out about as far as the _real_ Alpha Centauri. In all directions.

(*) I have rounded all numbers for simplicity. If my calculations are correct, the rounded numbers are within 6% of the true value, as it is currently known.

Diagrams made with Keith Enevoldse's ThinkZone's Solar System Scale Model Calculator ([http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemModel.php](http://thinkzone.wlonk.com/SS/SolarSystemModel.php)) and Google Earth.</comment></comment>


Pi Scan is a simple and robust camera controller for book scanners - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/Tenrec-Builders/pi-scan <comment><USER2> Would this work with the Elph 350 HS (Ixus 275)?

<comment><USER3> There is nothing specific in Pi Scan that requires the two supported cameras. It may work on any recent camera that can run CHDK. The difference is that if you try it and it doesn't work, I can't do much to help find the problem if it is not an A2500 or ELPH 160 because those are the models I have in hand.</comment></comment>


Ask HN: Should the CPU be compared to the mitochondrion instead of the brain? - <AUTHOR> The CPU is often compared to the brain. This analogy have caused lots of misconceptions. Could the mitochondrion be a better analogy? <comment><USER2> No way.

The main function of the mitochondria is to transform ADP to ATP. A good analogy is that ADP is an uncharged battery and ATP is a charged battery, so the mitochondria are the rechargers.

The ATP can be used in other parts of the cell to make something useful, like moving or building a molecule. To use it, the ATP is split and it produces ADP. So they are like a battery.

The function of mitochondria is totally unrelated to the function of CPU and brain.

<comment><AUTHOR> You are absolutely right, I wanted to say the ribosome was. I confused both. My bad.

<comment><USER2> Ribosomes! Not a bad idea.

Anyway, I think that ribosomes have a very restrictive type of "calculation", you can compare them with a Jackard Loom [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom) or a Pianola [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_piano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Player_piano) . Perhaps an old programmable calculator.

Currently the CPU have a lot more of computational abilities.</comment></comment></comment>


IPhone Super-Hacker Let Go From Apple, Goes To Work For Google - <AUTHOR> http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/04/24/iphone-super-hacker-comex-let-go-from-apple-goes-to-work-for-google/

<comment><USER2> > Super-hacker

> from the future

> the most tightly restricted consumer operating system in the world

> hacker savant

These things make it hard to take an article like this seriously. Never mind the complete lack of new information. I really dont understand the hyperbole used when talking about young people and technology. Not too long ago the Summly kid was a genius too. I'm hoping one day we can reserve this kind of language for the likes of John Nash and others like him.

<comment><USER3> > These things make it hard to take an article like this seriously.

Took you that long? I didn't managed to get past "Forbes" in the URL to stop taking the article seriously. I would be astounded if someone could point me to a Forbes article on technology that isn't pure bottom-of-the-barrel, sub- journalistic trash.

<comment><USER2> Honestly, I don't encounter many Forbes tech articles. But now that you mention it, if I think back some of the worst ones I've seen were indeed Forbes. I'll know to steer clear in the future.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> > Within two months, Allegra was given an internship at Apple. But just over a > year later, Allegra says he was suddenly let go for failing to respond to an > email that would have extended his employment.

To me, this doesn't read like he was "let go" at all from Apple. It seems like they extended him an offer to come back for another internship, which he failed to respond to in a timely fashion. Deadlines like this are given because departments need to determine their itern headcount for a summer so they can extend offers and allocate funds accordingly.

<comment><USER5> It still reads like Apple didn't want him anymore, because if really was all those things the article said and actually contributed to the organization in a substantial way, they wouldn't have just let him fall through the cracks. It feels like something is being left out.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> The guy had an internship at Apple, which ended 7 months a go. Now he has landed another internship at Google and is going to start there shortly. Good for him, but this is not exactly the kind of story Pulitzers are won with. I expect to read this on his Twitter feed, not for Forbes to regurgitate it.

<comment><USER3> Then your opinion of Forbes is what's out of whack.

<comment><USER6> Haha, fair enough. I used to read the print magazine though. Maybe it was because I was younger, but I remember it being alright.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> A "missed email?" Really? I fail to see how someone so "exceptional" would be let go from a missed email. I get HR deadlines and such, but is this Apple being Apple or was he simply not valuable enough to make an exception?

</comment><comment><USER8> So, because this article literally says nothing of value, is this guy the one who discovered the exploits, or did he just package them for consumption?

</comment><comment><USER9> His shirt is off-center.</comment>


Etymology of "Slave" - <AUTHOR> https://www.etymonline.com/word/slave#etymonline_v_23653 <comment><USER2> Odd fact: in Finnish the word for slave is "orja" \- which comes from thousands of years in the history, from the name for the tribe of Indo- Europeans - also known as Aryans nowadays. Finnish is not an Indo-European language of course.

So maybe it's quite universal that it's actually just some neighboring tribe.</comment>


San Francisco Homeless Count and Survey 2019 Executive Summary [pdf] - <AUTHOR> http://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-PIT-Executive-Summary-2019-San-Francisco.pdf <comment><USER2> The way I read it:

TL;DR - Jobs are stressing people out mentally and financially

1\. We need more jobs, and with lesser trauma; Why do jobs have to stress the heck out of people?

2\. SFO needs 3X shelters to accomodate the current population, and may be something the city can fix now. It needs to do whatever it already is doing, billing the biggest companies within the city, to cross subsidize the rents.

3\. The number of people suffering from alcohol and drug abuse is only 18% of the population, and there are indeed other factors attributing to homelessness in the city.</comment>


The Samsung Galaxy back-door was bullshit. Really? - <AUTHOR> http://code.paulk.fr/article18/the-samsung-galaxy-back-door-was-bullshit-really

<comment><AUTHOR> I don't care for samsung's response. The fact that it is possible for modem to read files (and if run with root privileges, that means all data) means that my phone is comprimised.</comment>


Microsoft to get early Silverlight, Web tools out the door - <AUTHOR> http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9750062-7.html

<comment><USER2> I don't know of even one startup that's considering Silverlight. Is anyone here using it? What are your experiences with it so far?</comment>


Ask HN: What to read instead of Techcrunch? - <AUTHOR>

I'm interested in reading other tech blogs other than Techcrunch. I've checked out Epicenter, VentureBeat, ReadWriteWeb and InfoWorld. Which one of those would you say is the best compared to TC? What tech/startup news blogs are worth following? <comment><USER2> Hi I'm Paul Hontz and I run The Startup Foundry. I built TSF as a place where entrepreneurs could learn and grow from each other. Often times I will cover a hot startup that is still flying under the radar, conduct interviews with founders via Skype, or share advice.

We have some fantastic content lined up this week and I hope you'll check us out. We are obviously not a techcrunch clone, but I think that's a good thing :) Say "hi" in the comments if you decide you want to hang your hat at TSF for a while. All the best, Paul.

Edit: link <http://thestartupfoundry.com>

<comment><USER3> The site looks really slick and even yourself sound slick. I just couldn't get passed your nickname. I want to read the site even more now.

<comment><USER4> The nickname is just part of his charm.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> I'm pretty much disillusioned with all professional blogs; and by that I mean any blog where the writers are trying to build a business from it. I think Gruber pulls it off reasonably well at Daring Fireball simply because he's not greedy and he's only trying to support himself. But sites like TechCrunch have to sustain an amazing volume of content and visitors, and they can't rely on quality to keep the numbers up. Despite best efforts, they inevitably drift towards more fluff and sensationalism to drive pageviews.

It's not that the signal to noise ratio is very bad per se, but when I stack it up against my favorite blogs by individuals who I really respect, it dilutes the quality of my RSS reader considerably. Frankly, if anything is big enough news that I really need to know about it, it'll be on HN, and I can focus my attention on lesser known information that is probably a lot more valuable in the long run.

</comment><comment><USER6> <http://thestartupfoundry.com/>

</comment><comment><USER7> <http://www.techmeme.com/> is all you need.

<comment><USER8> Why downvote? I love techmeme too!

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> Doesn't count as a blog per se, but I'm publishing a book with 35+ interviews of younger startup founders. Think companies like AirBNB, foursquare, Reddit, Hipmunk, Grooveshark, Github, Weebly, etc. I think I spoke to mainly YC founders. If you liked Founders at Work, you'll like this one (although the two aren't affiliated). I'll post it on Hacker News when it's ready, hopefully sometime next weekend. I haven't talked to anyone about it yet, but mainly because I've been busy with it (much greater time commitment than I had anticipated).

</comment><comment><USER10> just read HN...if its important it'll get voted up.

This way you can stop wasting time reading and start doing.

<comment><USER11> I hear you, but there are things that will never appear on HN that might be up your alley. I'm all for avoiding TechCrunch, but there are decent sites out there that are not pumping out constant garbage just to get page views.

<comment><USER10> you'll learn more by trying than you will by trying to pick up bits and pieces of "what works" from hundreds of different industries.

<comment><USER12> I'm less interested in _what works_ than in _what doesn't work_ and _why it didn't work_ details.

While my own are certainly always very educational, I prefer to learn from the mistakes made by others. This due to the time and cost savings involved.

Just repeating mistakes is, well, boring.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> <http://thenextweb.com/> is pretty good for certain fields. <http://mashable.com/> also covers similar topics.

<comment><USER14> I switched off TechCrunch with the thenextweb.com feed as my main tech source and HN for the rest.

</comment></comment><comment><USER15> Surprised no one's mentioned GigaOm (gigaom.com) yet, personally, I think they do the best job out of all the 'professional' blogs.

</comment><comment><USER16> Although not tech news blogs, I find Chris Dixon (<http://cdixon.org>) and Mark Suster's (<http://bothsidesofthetable.com/>) blogs very insightful. You should also check out Suster's weekly video podcast, This Week in Venture Capital (<http://thisweekin.com/thisweekin-venture-capital/>). Even better, imo, is Jason Calacanis' This Week in Startups (<http://thisweekin.com/thisweekin-startups/>).

</comment><comment><USER17> Check out The Startup Project: <http://www.startupproject.org/>

</comment><comment><USER18> Hey there! A couple of friends and I have started a blog Called The Startup Cafe. We're trying to make it a place where entrepreneurs can share their stories of success and or failure so that we all can learn a few lessons and hopefully not repeat past mistakes. Were only about 2 weeks old so Id love any feedback you can give. Thanks!

<http://thestartupcafe.com>

</comment><comment><USER19> The Mises Daily (<http://mises.org/daily/>) is awesome. It is a welcome break to technical articles. It can get quite in depth though. The subject is interesting given the current economic climate, and this site has so much great content. Its not a light read, but well worth diving into.

<comment><USER20> >The subject is interesting given the current economic climate

You mean the one that's improving apace with expectations?

</comment></comment><comment><USER21> You may want to check out <http://readwarp.com/startups>. I worked on readwarp full-time for a year, gave up on it as a startup, demoted it to project, and still use it most days for my reading. These days I turn to it after I've gone through my can't-miss feeds on google reader.

</comment><comment><USER22> The Register <http://www.theregister.co.uk/>

</comment><comment><USER23> StartupDigest reading list is usually pretty good for startup news.

</comment><comment><USER24> When all fails, go to <http://jimmyr.com>

</comment><comment><USER25> Hacker News</comment>