Norwegian Student Takes Secret Street Photos In The 1890s - <AUTHOR> https://www.boredpanda.com/spy-camera-secret-street-photography-carl-stormer-norway/ <comment><USER2> The fellow with the round glasses is and a moustache, is physics professor Kristian Birkeland. While working on an electric cannon he had invented, he came up with a theory that could explain the northern lights (stella borealis). The photographer himself and professor Birkeland went on expeditions together in the arctic parts of norway. Few believed in Birkeland's theories, until modern satelites proved he was actually right and it's electromagnetic.

To me it seems like some of the young women liked the photographer. Some of my ancestors lived in Oslo at that time, and could be present in some of the photos. As an inhabitant of Oslo myself, these photos are a real gem.

</comment><comment><USER3> Here's a little more on the camera:

[https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/08/16/alexiadis-vest- pocket...](https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/08/16/alexiadis-vest-pocket-spy- camera-would-have-intrigued-sherlock-holmes/)

 _The photographer would wear the 6-inch diameter chrome camera under his vest. The lens would poke out a buttonhole, and the shutter could be tripped by pulling a cord. The camera could shoot six images on a circular dry plate; the photographer would advance the plate by patting his chest to activate a lever. [...] The camera, which retailed at $15, was popular among amateurs and professionals alike._

I didn't realize exposure times of film were short enough to get snapshots like this in the 1880's.

According to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_photography_techno...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_photography_technology), this change was in 1878: _Heat ripening of gelatin emulsions is discovered. This greatly increases sensitivity and makes possible very short "snapshot" exposures._

edit:

Also, $15 is about $400 now: [http://www.in2013dollars.com/1890-dollars- in-2018?amount=15](http://www.in2013dollars.com/1890-dollars- in-2018?amount=15)

<comment><USER4> Kinda odd that in 2018, these types of buttonhole cameras aren't super easy to find. I mean they have them on spy gear websites, and we all have phones, and there was Google Glass, but nothing super cool that's an obvious choice.

<comment><USER5> The Narrative Clip is similar - the Clip 2 sells for about $200, which isn't too far off from the adjusted price. It's not branded as a spy camera, but looks pretty discreet.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> I just figured out why I think these photos are so interesting. I thought about these photos all day and couldn't stop wondering why.

I don't think I've ever seen such an old photo of people that weren't posing. I feel like these photos are a magical window into life back then. It's so amazing and eerie at the same time. Look at them tip their hats to greet the man. Look at these people walking down the street, petting their cats, and enjoying life. But yet they are all gone and don't know how the world changed. Amazing.

<comment><USER7> Look at how clean those streets are! Is there someone from Oslo who can comment on these streets now? Are they still as clean (because they're in the political district?) or did we make our cities more dirty since then?

<comment><USER8> Are you American? Streets in plenty of European cities still look like that.

<comment><USER7> London based now, but in Belgium they sure didnt. And I visited Stockholm and Alesund but didnt notice such cleanliness.

<comment><USER9> In Vienna they did. And the joke goes that the Swiss say the Austrians are dirty :P

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> If you like blurry old candid photos of people about town, you might be interested in the work of Miroslav Tichý, who from the '60s to the '80s made his own cameras, that were so rubbish they didn't look real, so people didn't behave as if they were being photographed [1]:

[https://fstoppers.com/natural-light/photographer-snaps- nearl...](https://fstoppers.com/natural-light/photographer-snaps-nearly- hundred-photos-day-homemade-camera-4848)

[http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/articles/2013/febru...](http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/articles/2013/february/25/miroslav- tich-show-uncovers-unseen-images/)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_Tich%C3%BD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_Tich%C3%BD)

[1] maybe

<comment> m-localhost Tichy is one of a kind. Such an interesting person (or maybe just a creep ^^)

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> It's actually nice to see people smiling in these old photos. Something that was absent in posed photos of those days.

<comment><USER12> I was thinking the same. I wonder if he knew them or they are strangers. I grew up in a village and if you saw someone, even if you didn't know them (although you knew most people), you'd say hello, but it's strange to imagine that happening in a city today.

<comment><USER13> Looking at the pictures it seems that they were taken exactly in the moment of greeting the photographer (People with their hands on hats...). The way the function of the camera is described, using the gestures of greeting someone may have nicely helped in keeping his camera a secret.

Also: Indeed, very nice to see people smiling in that time! I wonder how much the grim-looking portraits we know add to the cliche of hard-ship and sadness we have of earlier times.

Then, having to look that way when being portrayed may stemmed from who were the earliest people being portrayed: Saints, Kings and Queens.

<comment><USER14> _Then, having to look that way when being portrayed may stemmed from who were the earliest people being portrayed: Saints, Kings and Queens._

That certainly might have contributed to the lack of smiling, yes. From sources I have long since lost, it is my understanding that portraits were expensive, and photographs were serious business. Add to that the fact of...umm, why do we smile for photographs again? I do it because everyone else does. Build a time machine, and someone from the 1800s is going to ask, "why does everyone in your photographs look like a smiling idiot? Was there a rash of some brain-eating disease in your time?" I've also heard the theory based on exposure times, but by the very late 1800s exposure times had dropped dramatically. Though it could be argued that not smiling was a carry-over from the days of long exposure. Again, though, documentation I've seen simply said, "that's just how it was done".

Fashions change, just like we don't wear corsets anymore (well, I don't; but I don't judge), now we smile for pictures.

<comment><USER15> > I've also heard the theory based on exposure times, but by the very late > 1800s exposure times had dropped dramatically. Though it could be argued > that not smiling was a carry-over from the days of long exposure. Again, > though, documentation I've seen simply said, "that's just how it was done".

Presumably photographic portraits were done in the style of painted portraits.

<comment><USER14> Hmm, so maybe it _is_ a result of "exposure time". Dunno about you, but I sure can't keep a smile on my face for a few hours while Leonardo does me in oil. (Err, wait, that didn't come out right...)

Despite any documentation, I think it's just a matter of asking for an answer to a negative action. "Why didn't you smile for your photographs back then?"

"Same reason we didn't do a handstand: why would we?"

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> There are 33 photos from him at [https://imgur.com/a/Eplvs](https://imgur.com/a/Eplvs). Several look as though the subject is aware of the camera, and at least a couple don't look pleased about it.

<comment><USER17> I'm amazed that no one seems to think it's creepy. Go around taking covert photos of strangers these days and see how people react...

<comment><USER18> It is in public. And if you sneakily take a photo of someone, how would they know to react? On top of that, there are cameras everywhere in public taking covert photos of everyone, I haven't seen anyone react to it.

<comment><USER17> They're portraits, not wide angle crowd shots (and yes, the law distinguishes between the two, for privacy and copyright purposes). And the people reacting are the ones you told that you were taking sneaky photos, not the subjects of the photos (although if they did pick it, they also might not be pleased - FTFA: "This is physics professor Kristian Birkeland - the only one of Størmer's subjects to rumble him. Apparently he got quite cross!").

Try taking a bunch of covert photos then showing your friends: "Hey look at these photos I took of people with my spy cam!" I guarantee the reaction won't be entirely positive.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER19> I always marvel at both the differences and the similarities between pictures like these and today. I hope someone over at [https://www.reddit.com/r/ColorizedHistory/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ColorizedHistory/) takes a crack at some of these.

</comment><comment><USER20> His grandson is actually a mathematics professor at my university: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erling_St%C3%B8rmer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erling_St%C3%B8rmer) Really funny and amicable guy.

</comment><comment><USER21> Whenever I see pictures from the pre-WW1-era I marvel at the shoes people wore back then. From the outside they appear comfortable, sturdy, and elegant. I wonder which would be more comfortable to wear -- hand-made, customized shoes from a 1900's-inspired, experienced shoemaker, or modern, mass-produced sneakers (which are pretty comfortable to begin with).

<comment><USER22> Yes, and the clothes. Okay, I know by many statistical measures we're wealthier now. But those clothes would cost a fortune now. Do they have fewer outfits? Are we only seeing the elite?

<comment><USER23> My grandfather was a tailor, and ended up employing a 100 people or so. Tailor made clothing was the norm, rather than the exception for anybody of moderate means and just about everybody that could afford it had a sewing machine or knew how to use one. Sewing machines were common wedding gifts, and were the equivalent in money of a small car today. Fabrics were of far better quality than the ones we have today and repairing stuff rather than throwing it away was normal. Fashion was as much a thing back then as it is now.

<comment><USER24> I grew up in a house that still has a sewing machine. My grandmother knew how to use it, and my father does too - he still repairs some old pieces from time to time, but never touches anything made of newer fabrics, he says there is nothing that he can mend there. Funny thing, he's a civil engineer.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER25> What/where is the location of the (third) picture with two ladies and a very curvy street? That looks like an optical illusion of sort given his POV, or is the street really as curvy and as steep as that? Beautiful shot that one.

<comment><USER26> Victoria Terrace (Terrasse), Oslo. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Terrasse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Terrasse)

It doesn't seem particularly stretched by a "fish-eye" effect, all vertical lines of the buildings remain vertical, it is just a particular effect of the perspective, compare with:

[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Os...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Oslo._Victoria_terasse_- _NB_MS_G4_0396.jpg/500px-Oslo._Victoria_terasse_-_NB_MS_G4_0396.jpg)

[https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Fil:70._Christiania,_Victo...](https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/wiki/Fil:70._Christiania,_Victoria_Terrasse,_1892_-_NB_bldsa_AL0070.jpg)

[http://www.enerhaugen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Oslo- Vi...](http://www.enerhaugen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Oslo-Victoria- terrasse-_-resampled_greyscale.jpg)

Ok, found one similar: [https://www.vartoslo.no/media/uploads/2017/06/Victoria- terra...](https://www.vartoslo.no/media/uploads/2017/06/Victoria-terrasse.jpg)

</comment></comment><comment><USER27> For the Bay Area contingent, a similar series of candid photographs taken by Walker Evans in the 1940s - 60s is one of the current MOMA exhibitions if you're looking for an excuse

</comment><comment><USER28> These photos are a treasure.

It's remarkable how elegantly dressed everyone was, even the children.

<comment><USER29> They are elegant because they are probably from the local bourgeoisie. Go out of the city center and I would bet clothes would look way worse than that. It was probably a minority who could afford to dress like that.

<comment><USER30> Or who could afford a $15 camera like that. ($400 in today's money based on another comment)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER31> Nice pictures. But... what happened to using img size tags? The page is very hostile to the viewer since if you start browsing the pictures, it keeps adding photo elements as they load, making it impossible to actually read anything or view the photos until all the images have loaded. Seems to happen a lot to me these days.

edit: I should note, the article now links to a better-behaved site.

<comment><USER32> People generally caring about declaring img size attributes died out like 15 years ago. _grumble_

Declaring image sizes doesn't fit into the distributed model that is that is the rage these days, so I guess people don't care since it's so _hard_. At least it makes their ms/req numbers look great, nevermind that the experience for the actual users sucks.

</comment></comment><comment><USER33> I wish people still wore suits all the time

<comment><USER34> I sort of want to start but don't want to deal with the explaining. My buddy started with the nice leather briefcase and he got relentlessly roasted in college.

<comment><USER35> I've worn a suit almost every day for the past 3 years, no one really mentions it. Looks perfectly casual depending on the tie and jacket you pick. Natural materials for ties somehow look less formal I've found.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER36> > I had a string down through a hole in my trouser pocket, and when I pulled > the string the camera took a photo

It makes me wonder how obvious it was when he yanked on the string in his pocket.

<comment><USER37> And there is the noise also

</comment></comment><comment><USER38> Clicked the article thinking maybe a Norwegian Google Streetview competitor had invented time travel... Was still worth the read! Was not disappointed.

</comment><comment><USER39> I always really like old photographs of everyday life. It's always amazing how different but still similar life was.

</comment><comment><USER40> Is it me or was his original motivation to take a photo of a woman he was sweet on without her knowing kind of creepy?

</comment><comment><USER41> Did not know they could take pics with quick shutter speeds, theres barely any blur in movement.

</comment><comment><USER42> The more that changes the more it stays the same.

</comment><comment><USER43> Original page, with more pictures, including a (modern) picture of the camera itself - [https://www.boredpanda.com/spy-camera-secret-street- photogra...](https://www.boredpanda.com/spy-camera-secret-street-photography- carl-stormer-norway/)

<comment><USER44> Not that "secretly" taken: one of the subjects is indicating the camera, and most subjects are also looking straight at it.

More like "unauthorizedly" taken.

<comment><USER45> It looks to arouse the same response you might get from Google Glass.

When approached by a young man with a camera lens sticking out of his jacket, younger subjects seem to be amused; some of the older subjects are not.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER46> I visited this page two times and it caused my browser to download a file called 'n5hm6dsspmjfor3d5akscs.gz' and then another called 'rblsat02tsnsr899bpjig2.gz'.

<comment><USER44> Same. I want to be charitable and believe some content-compressing mechanism was misconfigured. Who would ever distribute a virus as ".gz"?

</comment></comment><comment><USER47> WTH, as I scroll down the page I get loads of dialogues saying firefox has downloaded different cryptically named gzip files.

<comment><USER48> Url since changed; see [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16053599](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16053599).

</comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> OP here - apologies all, looks like this should have been the BoredPanda url in retrospect. Funny enough, I thought BoredPanda was a social click farm by the name and when I went to MyModernMet I had no issues.

@Mods can we change the link to: [https://www.boredpanda.com/spy-camera- secret-street-photogra...](https://www.boredpanda.com/spy-camera-secret- street-photography-carl-stormer-norway/)</comment>


White House Economists Warned in 2019 a Pandemic Could Devastate America - <AUTHOR> https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/business/coronavirus-economy-trump.html <comment><USER2> I find stories like this bizarre and exasperating. You don't have to be any kind of expert to know that a pandemic would devastate the world. And it certainly isn't something that was discovered in 2019. Planners have been contemplating this sort of thing for decades, if not centuries.

The question is not "Should we not have done more knowing this might happen?", which is useless. Rather it's "Considering _all_ of the various awful things that might happen, are we allocating our resources correctly?" It may very well be that we forseeably did not, but there are a _lot_ of other really serious risks, and getting this tradeoff right isn't trivial.

We can't spend an infinite amount of money on everything.

</comment><comment><USER3> Also watch Trump backtracking on his stance: [https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/politics/trump- coronavirus/in...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/politics/trump- coronavirus/index.html)

<comment><USER4> Trump closed US borders.

Even as democrats and the media called him racist for it.

The only backtracking that matters.</comment></comment>


Busted: BitTorrent Pirates at Sony, Universal and Fox - <AUTHOR> http://torrentfreak.com/busted-bittorrent-pirates-at-sony-universal-and-fox-111213/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Torrentfreak+%28Torrentfreak%29

<comment><USER2> An insightful nugget at the very end, for anyone missing it:

>In a response [another copyright advocate caught 'stealing'] issued a press release stating that their IP-addresses were spoofed. A very unlikely scenario, but one that will be welcomed by BitTorrent pirates worldwide. In fact, we encourage Sony, Universal and Fox to say something similar. After all, if it's so easy to spoof an IP-address, then accused file-sharers can use this same defense against copyright holders.

Could such a defense be expected to work ? Has it ever ?

<comment><USER3> It depends on the TCP stacks on each side; some crappy TCP stacks let you forge connections rather easily. I don't think Bittorrent works over UDP, but if it does, that's very easy to forge in theory (assuming your ISP doesn't do egress filtering).

The best excuse is probably, "I installed some malware and I guess it turned my box into a torrent gateway".

<comment><USER4> Spoofing IP addresses is wildly more difficult than this, and implausible in the BitTorrent scenario.

* There are no mainstream TCP stacks that have the vulnerability you're alluding to (poorly randomized sequence numbers).

* Even during the Mitnick/Shimomura days, the attack only got you the transmit side, not the receive side; it was sufficient to push an RSH command, but not to dump a file.

* There are network-level controls that make this attack more difficult; for instance, ISPs increasingly do reverse path filtering to ensure they're only egressing traffic from their own ISP space (we'd watch this happen while monitoring DDoS attacks at Arbor, seeing "randomized" source addresses constrained to prefixes from specific ASNs).

There is still IP spoofing, but it's got dollar signs attached to it, significant enough to merit BGP tampering.

When laypersons claim to be victims of spoofing, they are overwhelmingly likely to be full of it.

I couldn't possibly be less interested in the politics of Bittorrent and labels ("Movie theater employees caught sneaking into shows without tickets --- FILM AT 11") and admit to reading this thread only out of masochism, but my nerd brain can't get past 'jrockway talking about IP spoofing; if it was anyone else, sure, but 'jrockway should know what he's talking about here. :)

<comment><USER5> > When laypersons claim to be victims of spoofing, they are overwhelmingly > likely to be full of it. </quote>

What prevents a tracker to mix up some random IP. How do you know that it is not correct unless your torrent client tries to connect to it?

<comment><USER6> Usually for any torrent case just being on the tracker is not enough for conviction, they have to record the user sending copyrighted data to the investigator.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> As someone inside the music industry, this comes as no surprise. The spotlight of the attempts of anti-piracy actions on the part of the big four and rights groups overshadows the actions of the individuals working at these companies and the others in the industry. Not everyone in these companies agrees with what the rights groups and major labels/studios are doing, or see it as case of "it's okay for as long as it's not ours".

<comment><USER8> The first rule of leadership is to be willing to do what you ask of others.

The stink of hypocrisy is to ask others to do what you are unwilling to do yourself.

I am sure all of the companies involved have a "no piracy" company policy on their books with severe penalties (probably reprimands leading to dismissal on repeated offenses). If they are unwilling to enforce their own policies on their own employees, they are being hypocrites, not leaders.

<comment><USER7> You're probably right. And you may find those who are breaking these rules are the ones entrusted (sysadmins) to uphold and enforce these rules.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> When someone at Sony, Universal and Fox use bittorrent, why is that not legal distribution? Especially when they hire someone to spy on bittorrent users, because in that case their distribution is clearly authorized. Maybe the blocklists used by torrent clients should be inverted?

<comment><USER6> I've always felt that when two torrent clients start talking, they should require each other to say something to the effect: "I am an agent of the copyright holder of this material, and I hereby authorize you to use and distribute this material freely" before sending any data. Try to sue someone in court when you have your investigator on record telling them they can use and distribute your works.

<comment><USER10> Won't work for FLOSS/CC licensed material, or public domain works. The distributor is not an agent for the copyright holder; she either has a license which allows redistribution, or does not need one to legally redistribute.

So, your disclaimer is reduced to "I am legally allowed to redistribute this media". Which is pointless. It's inherently implied by the fact that you _are_ redistributing the work. Unless you are breaking the law - in which case, why would lying about it bother you?

Oh, yes, I am totally authorised to redistribute this media. And these genuine Rolex watches I am selling for $20 fell off the back of a truck. They are definitely not fakes infringing on trademarks, nor are they actual genuine articles which are stolen and being fenced, no siree!

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> I thought it was interesting everybody thought the site was s joke. Now we have a highly trafficked site using it as a means to convict the companies who are going after the pirates.

</comment><comment><USER12> There were plenty of people coming from the IPs of music labels on Napster back in the day so it doesn't surprise me that they continue to use P2P services. IIRC, it was on the order of tens of thousands though that included parent companies and subsidiaries.

Our lawyers told us it wasn't useful (and might have been harmful) to our case so we never did anything with the information.</comment>


Spare a thought for the Western men trapped in Japan - <AUTHOR> http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2015/03/23/voices/spare-thought-western-men-trapped-japan#.VR1cv-G8CH4 <comment><USER2> > _Jim, an American in his late 20s, used to be a very passionate young man. > He claimed he was a communist — a Stalinist, even. He would engage in > endless political debates during smoking breaks and drinking sessions. He > dreamed of graduate school, an academic career and, one day, even leading a > riot. But instead, he got married to a Japanese girl and already had > children by the time he graduated. She did not want to leave Japan and > insisted he earn a stable income, so he ended up teaching English somewhere > in the sticks, far from any big university. "It is only for the time being," > he insists, but it's difficult to see how he will ever have the money or > mobility to realize his dreams._

This doesn't seem like something that uniquely happens to western men in Japan. This seems like the sort of thing that happens to people in relationships the world over.

<comment><USER3> Yep; if you tie yourself down with children, what do you expect to happen besides getting yourself stuck?

<comment><USER4> Potentially: realizing personal fulfillment based on nurturing your own offspring, and learning new depths to connecting and loving others!

But if you're young and unattached, so much more the reason to travel and fly and explore. For most people, it's a lot easier to do that before kiddos.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> > Patrick, a 31-year-old American IT specialist, decided to leave a Japanese > company he was working for because after all the overtime work he put in, he > hit the glass ceiling.

Could that be a well known HNer by any chance?

<comment><USER6> The gentleman who provided that quote is not me.

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> Interesting reading but I had to chuckle at this: "He dreamed of graduate school, an academic career, and even leading a riot" ... But now .. . "it's difficult to see how he will ever have the money or mobility to realize his dreams" (of leading a riot)

<comment><USER8> I also chuckle at the writer who has no imagination. This guy is starting his own tribe. Is it so difficult to see how a tribe can lead to fulfilled Stalinist dreams and even riots.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> > These Western men do not really have to learn the language or try to fit in. > Their Japanese girlfriends or wives will take care of the majority of things > for them.

This part is glossed over, but kind of telling. Not learning the language or trying to assimilate is a choice, and obviously has its disadvantages. When you make your partner compensate for a lot of those, then it's pretty hard to sympathise, especially when you add children into the mix.

</comment><comment><USER10> This article does not tell the whole, sad truth about the landmines for Western men in relationships with Japanese women: 1) lack of full parental rights for men,[0] 2) potential for false allegations compounded with a very high conviction rate[1].

[0] [http://www.blacktokyo.com/2013/11/24/divorce-child- kidnappin...](http://www.blacktokyo.com/2013/11/24/divorce-child-kidnapping- and-parental-rights-the-fight-continues-for-joint-custody-in-japan/) [1] [http://www.economist.com/node/17259159](http://www.economist.com/node/17259159)

<comment><USER11> > lack of full parental rights for men

Yeah, that's not just Japan. In most countries, even where the law is "unbiased", courts, social workers, and law enforcement typically takes the side of the mother. There are many cases in the UK for example where courts ruled in favor of the dad, but orders are simply not enforced.

I have not been with my kids for birthdays, Christmas or New Years' for 6 years now. Although I have a legal right to see them for these and many other days, their mother doesn't let them, even though they _really_ want to.

I can go to Court, but even though the Judge is extremely likely to rule in our favor, My Lawyer tells me there is very little hope in achieving compliance and enforcement. He advised me to save the money, and pay for their school instead.

My son will be 16 next year, and will have significantly more freedom in making his own choices. Just one more year...

</comment></comment><comment><USER12> >Sebastian, a 32-year-old student with several part-time jobs and 12 years of service in the German armed forces, was dumped by the Japanese girlfriend he had been seeing for a year because he had 'no future' in Japan, she said.

Just what I need to read as I'm in the happiest relationship of my life with a Japanese girl.

<comment><USER13> Take heart: If you're dating a Japanese girl that wasn't raised in Japan, you probably have nothing to worry about. If you are, you're still probably okay - she's already going pretty far outside of the usual "traditional" values.

If you're really that worried, you could just be an adult and talk to her about your concerns before you take the plunge and get married. You should probably be doing this anyway - what are your goals and dreams? What do you expect to change or stay the same after getting married? What are your long term plans? These sorts of questions should be fully answered by both parties before you tie the knot.

<comment><USER12> No she's from Japan. True blood through and through. But yes, you're correct, she's not very traditional. I'm not all that worried; I know things will work out and if they don't I move on.

We're both young. She's 27, I'm 25. We're both travelers and neither of us wants to waste the working holiday boat before we're 30. If we're still going strong at 29-30 then I'll propose. It's not something we're talked about directly but it's something we both know without words. Her and I both want the same thing around 30 which is monogamy and kids.

I think I'll be fine. I'm pretty happy and excited for the next few years.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> Cry me a river.

<comment><USER15> I agree. If you get a woman pregnant and marry her, it's called fulfilling your responsibility as a parent. You don't like it? Don't become a parent in the first place.

I find it disgusting that the writer would describe the guy's situation as being "sucked into a trap" (implying Japanese women are just scheming to catch a man) or that she would be sympathetic to him for being dumped by a girlfriend who wanted a stable breadwinner for a husband. The writer already states that "many women drop out of [employment] when they get married and have children, whether they want to or not," so wanting a husband who can support them is simply sensible.

<comment><USER16> > I find it disgusting that the writer would describe the guy's situation as > being "sucked into a trap"

You find it disgusting because you didn't read very carefully. Read it again:

> Japan can be the best place in the world for some, but for others it can be > a trap. And sometimes I think it's far easier for Western men to be sucked > into this trap than women.

Then the author proceeds to list all of the ways in which a foreign man can become "trapped", from overworking, to hitting a career ceiling, to entering an unfamiliar relationship:

> Men can be sidelined when it comes to participation in child-rearing and > other home-related matters, such as controlling the family budget.

to having difficulty finding work, to being harassed, and finally to having difficulty communicating with coworkers and people and feelings of exclusion.

All of that is the "trap". I read absolutely _no_ such implication that Japanese women are scheming.

<comment><USER17> It's still ridiculous that they are portrayed as victims while Japan is portrayed as a "trap."

It's not like these men are refugees from Syria. They chose to come to Japan, they chose to stay, and the nature of Japanese society has never been a secret.

Most of their hardships are common sense. Surprise, surprise, career advancement in Japan often requires fluency in Japanese. And yes, supporting a family is generally pretty hard if you want to be a full time student.

A subset of foreigners in Japan make it their hobby to explain to why their lives are tough, but leave out the fact that they chose it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER18> > He claimed he was a communist — a Stalinist, even. He would engage in > endless political debates during smoking breaks and drinking sessions. He > dreamed of graduate school, an academic career and, one day, even leading a > riot.

I am really glad this guys dream's got crushed by reality. He just sounds like a horrible person.

<comment><USER19> Communist is one thing, but I can't imagine anyone having any sympathy for a self-identified Stalinist. Would this article have painted him in the same light if he said "National Socialist" instead of "Stalinist"?

<comment><USER20> I would love the irony of a poor national socialist militant being a victim of discrimination in a foreign country.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER21> I'll save my pity for the tech forums still trapped in Orientalism.</comment>


Def.js - Ruby-style inheritance for JavaScript - <AUTHOR> http://github.com/tobeytailor/def.js

<comment><USER2> That is seriously an awesome hack! I have never liked any of the other approaches to inheritance in javascript libraries (syntax wise).</comment>


Ikea built a website inside Instagram - <AUTHOR> http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/27/5848880/ikea-built-a-website-inside-instagram

<comment><USER2> Wherever the website is, the problem is always going to be that how to make people see the content first time.</comment>


Just a programmer - <AUTHOR> http://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/tag/just-a-programmer/ <comment><USER2> It pretty much sums up what I feared for a long time. I think a different approach many programmers (especially on HN as it seems) is a startup as an alternative.</comment>


HTML5 Canvas Cheat Sheet v1.x - <AUTHOR> http://simon.html5.org/dump/html5-canvas-cheat-sheet.html

<comment><USER2> Also see:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3025566>

</comment><comment><USER3> The source it's taken from is better. Important bits are cropped in the linked version.</comment>


Why is there arbitrage on BitCoins? - <AUTHOR> http://www.btc123.com

<comment><USER2> inefficient market. not enough liquidity... yet</comment>


Ask HN: How to find better clients as a two-person remote dev team? - <AUTHOR> I'm a European developer and I've been subcontracting through Gigster and similar for the last year making around $7.5k/month ($50/h) working with US based companies, 100% remote.
Recently I've decided to team up with a good friend and work directly with clients. I do client-side development (React, es6 etc.) and UX design, while my colleague does Ruby on Rails, DevOps and system administration. We are high-skilled, self-managing, and have worked together on several complex projects.
We work remotely and are based in a small Central European country, but we're happy to visit US based clients when required. We are looking to charge $80+/per person/per hour.
The biggest hurdle is finding the first $80+/h client, as we never took the time to grow our professional networks (subcontracting will do that to you).
I've read patio11's essays and those of many other similar authors, but most of the advice is based on local consulting.
Are there any HN-ers who are working 100% remotely outside the US, and have been able to earn $13+k/month consistently? What's your story? <comment><USER2> > The biggest hurdle is finding the first $80+/h client...

Suggestion - reach out to Slovenia Ex-Pats in the US working as CIOs/CTOs/VP of Engineering.

They will likely be more willing to work with an overseas contractor. You can find them by sorting on Linkedin.

Also, recommend this book on prospecting > [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26270465-fanatical- prosp...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26270465-fanatical-prospecting)

<comment><AUTHOR> Great suggestion, I did not think of that at all.

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> You've just pointed out the key issue - taking the time to grow professional networks.

As always, it's easier to sell services face-to-face and through someone who already knows you than it is to go cold.

As you're looking to do remote work, your competition will be the local dev shops. To be able to command $80+/hr, you'll need to provide proof that you're worth that amount to take on the risk of being remote.

Look at referrals, look at testimonials, share your project communication process, put out side projects to showcase your quality of work, do everything you can to help people feel more comfortable that you will be able to deliver what you're charging for.

Once you've done that, I'm convinced that you can go further than $80+/per person/per hour.

It all boils down to trust and relationship (or rather the level of relationship you have with the person).

</comment><comment><USER4> Fill out your profile here on Hacker News. It should give some idea of what you do, that you are available for remote work and some means to contact you. Then make sure you participate in a way that makes folks think well of you.

Do the same with any other forum or social media accounts you have.

Make sure to check the Freelancer Seeking Freelancer post that HN does on the first of every month.

Edit: I am not a programmer, but I do work 100 percent remotely.

<comment><USER5> Yes I hope they are still paying attention to this discussion, update their profile, and post their offer on the monthly freelancer discussion you mentioned and I lninked elsewhere.

I don't have the experience to deliver this type of an opportunity, but they may hear from someone already in the states looking for what their team can provide - even if looking on behalf of someone else. Perhaps no contact info was a way to avoid these recruiter-ish types!

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> How many clients do you have outside of the various intermediaries?

It seems like you can deliver, just have to find a foot in the door on your own. It might be worth practicing this on smaller opportunities.

I also am not sure of the ethical/legal implications of asking your current clients through various platforms to act as references and/or refer work directly to their colleagues without the intermediary involved, even if they can not themselves cut out the middleman.

Unfortunately here on HN there seems to be a much larger supply than demand: [https://hn.algolia.com/?query=seeking%20freelancer&sort=byDa...](https://hn.algolia.com/?query=seeking%20freelancer&sort=byDate)

<comment><AUTHOR> > How many clients do you have outside of the various intermediaries?

Most of our engagements were between 6-12 months long, so we don't have tons of past clients to begin with. Of those we worked with, most can't afford us anymore. That's why we switched to exclusive platforms in the first place.

> I also am not sure of the ethical/legal implications of asking your current > clients through various platforms to act as references and/or refer work > directly to their colleagues without the intermediary involved, even if they > can not themselves cut out the middleman.

It's against the contract and kind of douchey. Moreover, I've only worked with one client on the intermediary platform, it was almost a year long contract.

I honestly think that cold, hard selling is the best option right now. Once we get the next client, we can look into the future and start increasing our presence and nurturing our network.

The success of these exclusive platforms proves that there are thousands of companies and entrepreneurs that are willing to pay high rates for high- skilled remote professionals.

I'm relatively certain that we can sell ourselves, but our biggest challenge right now is indentifying companies that are willing to buy.

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> Sorry for unrelated comment, but I'm curious, because I'm from Central Europe too, wanting to be freelancer one day. When you say you make 7.5k$/month, what is your net income after you pay every insurance, tax etc (I haven't really looked into the details of freelancing yet)? Because income like that would put you into top 1% in this area. Or am I wrong?

BTW. Small Central European country => fellow Slovak? :)

<comment><AUTHOR> Not Slovakia; but close to Slovenia ;)

$7.5k gross, $5.6k net after all taxes. Subcontracting platforms take a huge cut, so the client is paying around $13k to the platform.

We're trying to remove the middleman and work with clients directly. And we're not really freelancing, more like contracting. Most of our engagements have been 6-12 months long.

> Because income like that would put you into top 1% in this area. Or am I > wrong?

Probably, but one can always do better.

Edit: Whoops!

</comment></comment><comment><USER7> How did you get a gig at Gigster?

<comment><AUTHOR> I just applied via their website, but it's not worth it imho; they don't have enough clients. I got into Toptal aswell and they do a much better job.</comment></comment>


First 3 months of my "not so romantic" entrepreneurial journey - <AUTHOR> http://dudeofjude.tumblr.com/post/47181365807/first-three-months-of-my-entrepreneurial-journey

<comment><USER2> Whatever happens, you are a winner.

You decided to get out of your comfort zone, at your own expenses - not many people are that brave, and this will always pay out. Even if it doesn't work out for your startup, you know you tried, and you did your best. If you didn't even try, you would have spent your life wondering what would have happened if you did.

This will be a huge learning experience for you that at the worst may land you a highly paid job in some company looking for techies with horizontal knowledge that spaces on growth, marketing, business development, product, etc... - it is very difficult to acquire all these skills while working as employee.

Persistence is key: keep getting feedback (from customers, entrepreneurs, competitors' study, ...), keep improving the product and don't waste your time thinking about failures, depression etc... - they are just energy drainers. Whenever your brain starts sidelining on these sad topics, just think "what can I get done in the next five minutes?" - it may be answering a support ticket, fixing a bug, changing copy, implementing a new A/B test, etc... ANYTHING is still better than thinking about failures. You are failing when you think too much about it and do nothing to get back on track. And you DO have the energy to go ahead, so just go! You'll realize that very likely these 5 minutes will become 10, then 60, etc... and at the end of the day you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment.

You will be rejected a number of times. Your work and skills will be understated. A LOT. Entrepreneurship is a great toughening experience. Be a winner, believe in yourself and always work to proof people wrong.

Also, if you need more customers - would you be able to provide a free account to some early members, in exchange of some valuable feedback? This is one of the best product growth hack.

One advice though: if you don't need to, don't search for funding. Build a MVP that works, that customers love and make it profitable. Even if you have a very small set of customers. You may need funding when you decide to scale it - but that's a much better situation to be in (and your startup evaluation will be way higher).

Now, think about what you can do your next five minutes to improve your product - and do it :)!

Best of luck!

<comment><AUTHOR> Extremely thankful, it brought smile back on my face. Thanks a lot, next 5 mins. yes I am going to do some stuff for sure. Thanks a ton man! Folks on HN are so amazing.

<comment><USER2> glad to help - I went through many times a situation like this, and I admire people like you who take initiative and get out of the comfort zone.

Whenever something gets really tough - you should be thankful, because if means that you stumbled upon a situation that only few people overcome (for entrepreneurs, many times this situation is depression), and now it's your chance to finally distinguish yourself as a winner.

FYI: <http://1humor.com/img/upload/25062012104430-zone.jpg>

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER3> Find a co-founder. Being a single founder is hard. VERY HARD. Doing startups is a tough and demanding job and having someone who shares your passion beside you along the journey is priceless.

A good co-founder not only can help you with some tech/business aspects of the startup, but he/she will be your best friend in this emotional rollercoaster that you are going through as an entrepreneur.

</comment><comment><USER4> Good luck dude.

Might be a good idea to link your startup somewhere in the post too ;-)

<comment><AUTHOR> No, I don't want people to figure out, who I am. I want to build an anonymous identity read this [http://dudeofjude.tumblr.com/post/45575373237/maintaining- an...](http://dudeofjude.tumblr.com/post/45575373237/maintaining-anonymity-on- internet) :-)</comment></comment>


Nginx Serving 73 of the 100 Highest Traffic WordPress Sites - <AUTHOR> https://wp100.club/stats <comment><USER2> It is a high percentage when compared with overall web servers statistics (apache vs nginx).

Note that 31 of the 73 are being served by cloudflare (on nginx).</comment>


Show HN: Real-time team sketch diagramming for HipChat - <AUTHOR> https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/io.sketchboard.hipchat.addon

<comment><AUTHOR> This is an integration between HipChat and Sketchboard.io. Short intro video about the integration [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk8cciaPAf0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk8cciaPAf0)

Integration allows you to start real-time team sketch diagramming from HipChat. Upload sketch snapshot back to HipChat room to continue discussion on HipChat. Add HipChat users to your Sketchboard.io team.

Example /sketch commands:

"/sketch Awesome Idea" \- creates a board with a name

"/sketch add @UserName" \- adds HipChat user to Sketchboard.io team

Example public boards created with Sketchboard.io can seen from [https://gallery.sketchboard.me](https://gallery.sketchboard.me)</comment>


Show HN: Which iPhone 5c Color Should I Buy? Simple JS app - <AUTHOR> http://namanyayg.com/lab/whichcoloriphone5c/

<comment><USER2> "(Though you shouldn't really buy an iPhone 5c, IMO)"

Why?</comment>


Visualization of Home Price Reductions - <AUTHOR> http://explore.trulia.com/datavis/priceredux/Q1-2011/

<comment><USER2> I'm surprised they're aggregating at the zip code level. The neighborhood differences within a zip code seem too great for an average measurement to have much meaning to an individual homebuyer/seller. Case Shiller breaks values down into three tiers of price, which provides a little more insight.

<comment><USER3> How can they measure to give more meaningful prices?

<comment><USER2> Personally, I'd want it at the neighborhood level. Though there may not be enough data within a reasonable timeframe at that level, it can at least be reasonably compared to a broader index for the city.

I don't think you get much at the zip code level that you wouldn't get at the Metro level.

The probability of a second reduction is also too simple. It makes no account for the market turning positive. That's precisely the error in modelling that failed us on the upswing: the assumption that present trends will continue.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Realtors can and do handle price reductions by delisting and relisting the property. This hides the ask price drop, and zeroes the days on market, to the advantage of sellers and realtors. A brief look at Trulia's "methodology" description suggests that they are just mapping these easily gamed MLS numbers.</comment>


Discriminate, but do it well - <AUTHOR> http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/nov/27/prejudice-discrimination-the-reality <comment><USER2> Biases are turtles all the way down, one learns. The only "solution" I've found for myself is not to "correct" them, but to have a lot less conviction about my own correctness. Big error bars.

<comment><USER3> Well said.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> In some ways statistical modeling is trying to do with rigor and honesty about error what we seem to do quite naturally in daily life. That is we make decisions based on observed and/or shared and taught patterns.

Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination are the crude, less substantiated and often mean-spirited cousins of statistical models.

Models are useful as long as their limitations are well understood, and humans use them with caution and compassion.

<comment><USER5> Modern statistics and statistically modelling are actually just confirming the validity of the majority of widely held stereotypes.

As statistics in the academy become more common and advanced, more and more old stereotypes are just confirmed to be accurate. This is considered a crisis right now in social psychology, for instance, because there are almost no stereotypes that research has debunked. Again and again, research confirms stereotypes, and shows that humans in the aggregate are very good at creating accurate inferences.

Stereotypes create injustice when they lead to prejudice--failing to give an individual a chance because they belong to a stereotyped group--but prejudice is wrong because outliers deserve a chance, not because stereotypes are incorrect.

How can liberalism persist in the face of so much science that dismantles its most sacred beliefs?

<comment> nommm-nommm >there are almost no stereotypes that research has debunked. Again and again, research confirms stereotypes, and shows that humans in the aggregate are very good at creating accurate inferences.

I'm calling BS on this unless you give some specific examples.

Not only this but confirming stereotypes does not mean that "humans in the aggregate are very good at creating accurate inferences."

For example if (group) have the stereotype of being dumb that doesn't mean that others are good at making accurate inferences, it may just mean that others are good at denying (group) access to education and the same standard of living.

<comment><USER5> The only catch is that when attributes of the stereotyped population change over time, the stereotype can lag behind the change for awhile, but the stereotypes eventually catch up to fit the new situation. All cultures stereotype and all cultures are quite good at it. Stereotypes are a pragmatic and democratic form of knowledge-making that all human cultures use[1].

This bullet proof research came out of various well-funded attempts to debunk stereotypes during the last 30 years. You know that science is working when sincere and hopeful attempts to debunk common knowledge end up confirming it very strongly!

[1]:Heine, Steven J., Cultural Psychology. 3rd edition. W.W. Norton, 2016. ISBN: 9780393263985.

<comment> nommm-nommm You gave no specific examples so I'm still calling BS.

<comment><USER5> "Calling BS" does not seem very substantive and it doesn't feel very civil either. I don't see who made you the authority here.

There are too many examples to list, but the citation I gave contains dozens and dozens[1]. For instance, it turns out that North Asians really are better at math than people of European ancestry. Ashkenazi Jews really are better at learning languages and have larger vocabularies and superior grammatical understanding and usage. Cultural psychologists have tabulated voluminous data on all the ethnic stereotypes throughout the world--hundreds of stereotypes that different Asians have of each other for instance--and again and again they are found to be more true than not.

The big mistake would be to then have prejudice--to prejudge an individual on the basis of their group affiliation. While it's a scientific fact that North Asians (Korea, China, Japan) are better at math than other populations, there are plenty of people in those groups that are worse than the global average. So it would be a mistake to assume that just because someone you meet is North Asian they are better than average at math.

[1]: Heine, Steven J., Cultural Psychology. 3rd edition. W.W. Norton, 2016. ISBN: 9780393263985.

<comment><USER6> No one would deny that there are substantial physical differences between men and women, not just in form but in function, such as athletic performance. Men hold the majority of individual performance world records, consistent with stereotype. But there are also cognitive and intelligence differences [0]. Men have an IQ distribution with greater variance than women, which suggests statistically that there are more men than women per capita in the top percentiles of intelligence, as well as the bottom [1] - one study placed twice as many men as women in the top 2% [1], while Down syndrome and other learning disabilities are also more common in males. Some studies find that men have slightly (a few points) higher average IQ [2] and perform better on reasoning tests [3]. (There is controversy of opinion about some of these results and I don't know how to summarize their standing in the scientific community.)

Anatomical differences in the brain are well known, with males having larger brains, and using their hemispheres differently than females. A 2013 study reported, "Sex differences in human behavior show adaptive complementarity: Males have better motor and spatial abilities, whereas females have superior memory and social cognition skills. [...] Overall, the results suggest that male brains are structured to facilitate connectivity between perception and coordinated action, whereas female brains are designed to facilitate communication between analytical and intuitive processing modes." [4]

Another example is that female babies are more interested in faces and social situations, while males are more interested in mechanical objects. This difference even begins days after birth, too soon to be influenced by culture [5], meaning that the difference is innate.

Some of these studies could be seen to be confirming stereotypes, e.g., males having a proportionately greater attraction to mechanical objects could be an inclination that leads to more men than women self-selecting into engineering disciplines. More men having top percentile intelligence could correspond to historical geniuses being stereotypically male (Newton, Einstein, Ramanujan, etc.) - and there being more men in the bottom percentiles could explain why more men are homeless and have mental illness (bag man or hobo stereotype). My understanding is that IQ differences by race also tend to align with stereotypes, with Asians and Ashkenazi Jews as you mentioned having top average intelligence.

I try to understand as much research as I can, since I view it as the most effective objective way to learn about the world. Scientific results don't / wouldn't alter my view that humans all deserve to be treated with fairness, equality, compassion, and judged on their individual behavior and merit, and not by membership in some group.

[0] [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_intellige...](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_differences_in_intelligence)

[1] Deary, Ian J.; Irwing, Paul; Der, Geoff; Bates, Timothy C. (2007). "Brother–sister differences in the g factor in intelligence: Analysis of full, opposite-sex siblings from the NLSY1979

> Here we use a novel design, comparing 1292 pairs of opposite-sex siblings > who participated in the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 > (NLSY1979) [...]. Males have only a marginal advantage in mean levels of g > (less than 7% of a standard deviation) from the ASVAB and AFQT, but > substantially greater variance. Among the top 2% AFQT scores, there were > almost twice as many males as females. These differences could provide a > partial basis for sex differences in intellectual eminence.

[2] Allik, J., Must, O., & Lynn, R. (1999). Sex differences in general intelligence among high school graduates: Some results from Estonia. Personality and Individual Differences, 16, 1137-1141. [3] Lynn, Richard (1994). "Sex differences in intelligence and brain size: A paradox resolved". Personality and Individual Differences 17 (2): 257–71

> Yet the consensus view is that there is no sex difference in general > intelligence. An examination of the literature shows that the consensus view > is wrong. Among adults, males have slightly higher verbal and reasoning > abilities than females and a more pronounced superiority on spatial > abilities. If the three abilities are combined to form general intelligence, > the mean for males is 4 IQ points higher than the mean for females.

[4] Ingalhalikar M, Smith A, Parker D, et al. (January 2014). "Sex differences in the structural connectome of the human brain". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111 (2): 823–8.

[5] [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638300...](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638300000321)

> Sexual dimorphism in sociability has been documented in humans. The present > study aimed to ascertain whether the sexual dimorphism is a result of > biological or socio-cultural differences between the two sexes. 102 human > neonates, who by definition have not yet been influenced by social and > cultural factors, were tested to see if there was a difference in looking > time at a face (social object) and a mobile (physical-mechanical object). > Results showed that the male infants showed a stronger interest in the > physical-mechanical mobile while the female infants showed a stronger > interest in the face. The results of this research clearly demonstrate that > sex differences are in part biological in origin

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> There's a trade-off between evaluating everything on a case-by-case basis (which takes time and energy) and using general rules of thumb that allow quick decisions making, but is essentially discrimination.

I like to reflect on my own judgement before I actually need to use it, deciding which rules will be acceptable, what situations call for carefulness, what ideas I should be wary of even if I'm in a horrible mood. The subconscious is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it's nice to take charge of one's own thoughts a little bit.

<comment><USER8> It's not just about time and effort. There are situations where we simply do not have access to complete information, no matter how much time and effort we spend gathering it.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> TLDR: use priors to help estimate robustly under uncertainty. Don't use incorrect priors.

<comment><USER10> Help eliminate robustly?

</comment></comment><comment><USER11> Completely off-topic, but is the quote at the top grammatically correct? The comma looks unnecessary.

I feel like it should be "We must make snap judgments on the basis of various shortcuts, or we'd be unable to function", not "We must make snap judgments, on the basis of various shortcuts, or we'd be unable to function". Is this just an error, or was the comma added to more closely reflect how the individual spoke?

<comment><USER12> It changes the meaning, I think. In the second case, it means that snap judgements must be made to function, and they're, incidentally, based on shortcuts (but you can leave out this part of the sentence), while in the first case 'on the basis of various shortcuts' is a very integral part of the information, and snap judgements must be made this way.

<comment><USER11> Good point. I think I agree.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> I'm not sure I get the point of this article. On the teacher example, of course we discriminate based on skill, no one's disputing that. I could not find a deeper point than discriminate by legitimate metrics but not by skin color, race, etc which is fairly obvious.

<comment><USER14> The point of the article is that using outrage and shame culture to resolve discrimination can be just as bad as acts of discrimination themselves. The act of shaming a person can make you feel you have done your 'good deed for the day', and allow you to unconsciously commit your own biases against others. The article suggests that instead of shaming or attacking biases we observe in others, we should reflect on ourselves first, and fix our own misdeeds and mistakes.

The entire article could be summarized from a verse in the (NKJV) Bible:

 _Why do you look at the speck in your brother 's eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?_

<comment><USER15> Because my brother is actually being a racist, which is a beam in his eye, whereas I am calling him out for being a racist, which, if we accept that there's something wrong with "outrage and shame culture" (which, tbh, I mostly see used interchangeably with "PC" as a catchall putdown by people upset that they can't just talk shit about minorities and women without consequence like they used to be able to do in the good ol' days), is a speck in my eye.

<comment><USER16> Is that really what you got from the article? I feel like the author makes a pretty valid point: everyone pattern-matches people at first impression. If you decide to climb on a tower of moral virtue because you _think_ you've consciously decided to stop pattern-matching on the basis of race/gender and thus don't introspect about your (many) other subconscious biases, you're really not doing anyone a favor.

<comment><USER15> I was specifically responding to the idea, suggested by Afforess, that "using outrage and shame culture to resolve discrimination can be just as bad as acts of discrimination themselves", which is ridiculous, and which the second paragraph of the article at least somewhat seems to imply.

Obviously, if someone claims they've defeated the biases that everyone falls prey to constantly, they are almost certainly incorrect. But, at least in my experience, I've never seen that; I've seen a lot of people who are cognizant of the studies suggesting everyone's prone to bias who then try to consciously counteract that, I've seen a lot of people reject those studies and their conclusions entirely and claim they and many others can make judgments that are not prone to those biases, and I've seen a lot of people who don't know what studies you're talking about. I haven't seen anybody saying "Everyone is prone to these biases except me," much less the epidemic the article suggests.

<comment><USER17> So your argument is: "...said nobody ever."

I haven't heard anybody in real life call black people dumb. So I could claim that racism doesn't really exist.

Personal anecdotes prove nothing. We are both biased. I can't see what harm is done by warning people about this stuff.

<comment><USER15> You can literally go on twitter and find somebody spewing racist shit every second of every day. You cannot do the same with "people claiming that everyone is implicitly biased except for them".

<comment><USER17> You can literally go on Facebook and find somebody spewing "you're racist". They may or may not think "I'm racist too, but I handle it better." For some reason they usually are careful not to say anything pointing to that direction. We can't know that those people think.

That racist stuff on twitter could be just humor and nothing more. We don't know how those people think either.

The point of the article was "hey people, you might be biased in this way." Now what's wrong with saying that aloud?

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER18> This is a survey article of sorts built on shaky foundations. The most relevant paper to read in relation to this story is this one: "Over half of psychology studies fail reproducibility test." [http://www.nature.com/news/over-half-of-psychology- studies-f...](http://www.nature.com/news/over-half-of-psychology-studies-fail- reproducibility-test-1.18248)

By the time the results get distilled into a Guardian article, the situation is probably hopeless.

<comment><USER19> Economics, too: [https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/papers-in- economic...](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/papers-in-economics- not-reproducible)

</comment></comment><comment><USER20> I read the title, saw the photo of the author, and made a snap judgment that the article was going to be a pseudo-intellectual, covertly conservative argument, such as: "Why race is actually a thing, sometimes" or "Why gender pay imbalances may be sometimes helpful" \- and my snap judgment was right.

<comment><USER21> What's funny about discrimination is some is overt, but much more is covert. Overt is mostly frowned upon, although e.g. car insurance companies still openly charge men more. I'm pretty sure that's only allowed because men aren't the "protected gender" when it comes to discrimination.

<comment> nommm-nommm The term you are looking for is protected class.

When gender based discrimination is outlawed men are included as well.

That being said Montana outlaws gender based discrimination in auto insurance as does the EU.

Where its allowed it is allowed because nobody got around to outlawing it. That can change.

Until Obamacare many US states allowed health insurance companies to charge women higher premiums because women go to the doctor more. Obamacare outlawed that.

I think gender discrimination is auto insurance will end eventually.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER22> That article didn't say shit. It just asked me to go read a book..</comment>


1808/1809 Mystery Eruption - <AUTHOR> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1808/1809_mystery_eruption <comment><USER2> The mention of global cooling makes me wonder if we (as in the human kind) will start blowing stuff up when we get desperate about reversing the effects of climate change... Because the way things are going you know we'll blast through 2 degrees, 4 degrees, etc, before 2100.

<comment><USER3> Scientific American has had articles on this. For $20 billion we can put enough sulfur in the upper atmosphere to block enough sun rays to stop global warming. But this solution has many, many problems. For instance, the sulfur eventually comes down and adds to the acidification of the oceans, already bad. The strategy is like drinking alcohol to calm down after you've done too much cocaine.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> The VolcanoCafe blog has some detailed information on this period. [https://www.volcanocafe.org/1809-the-missing- volcano/](https://www.volcanocafe.org/1809-the-missing-volcano/)

I've not seen anyone suggest that this was an earlier, but less-violent (somewhat less emissive) Tambora eruption. The character of the gasses sounds similar. Seems there were few reliable eyewitnesses in the area.

</comment><comment><USER5> I couldn't find how many core samples showed this event or how far away they were from each other.

Maybe there was a kind of ice sheet "earthquake", where one layer of ice slid underneath of another sheet, causing a double hit of the 1815 eruption when cored?

<comment><USER6> Wikipedia cites cores from both Greenland and Antarctica. That would be some earthquake.

No, the eruption happened for sure. We just don't know which volcano it was. In particular the southwest pacific has lots and lots of volcanism from comparatively low peaks in island regions that don't leave a lot of obvious geology around where we can see it.

<comment><USER7> What about an undersea volcano also? Tonga has had a few new islands appear and then disappear, although I'm unsure as to how that would work with the gas outputs detected.</comment></comment></comment>


Scientists stop the ageing process - <AUTHOR> http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/08/11/2331197.htm <comment><USER2> Emmm...... no. Yes.

Title is total linkbait, article is old. But the science is cool (overexpress chaperone molecules in liver, increase traffic to lysosomes even in old mice).

What's a good HN denizen to do? How about add a link to something a little less fluffy, from the lab the research came from?

[http://www.aecom.yu.edu/cuervo/aging_and_protein_degradation...](http://www.aecom.yu.edu/cuervo/aging_and_protein_degradation.htm)

here's the pubmed link too: <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18690243>

<comment><USER3> _article is old_

no, they stopped the aging process of the article too.

</comment></comment><comment><USER4> Brilliant! I saw a TED video on this in the past.

[http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TEDTalks_video/~3/289438364/3...](http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TEDTalks_video/~3/289438364/39)

Amazing Stuff!

</comment><comment><USER5> Mice can now drink as much as they want...

On a more serious note when will this be tried on human livers?

</comment><comment><USER6> If you're a mouse, you are all set. If half this stuff would work in people....</comment>


JSConf EU – The How-To Guide - <AUTHOR> http://www.nonblocking.io/2011/10/jsconf-eu-how-to-guide.html

<comment> joe-mccann If you weren't at JSCfonf EU this, this post sums up what went into it and every JSConf event.

TL;DR - Do it for the love not the money.</comment>


16 Ways to Get Your Email Past Spam Filters - <AUTHOR> http://blog.expresspigeon.com/2014/07/28/avoid-spam-filters/

<comment><USER2> This all obvious stuff. Anyone know how to get real emails past Microsoft's hopeless filters? They mark customer specific order confirmation emails as spam if they mention the word Paypal - if I thank a customer for their paypal payment then bam -> spam.</comment>


Ask HN: Why aren't mobile phone cameras in the middle? - <AUTHOR> Every time I try to take a picture with my phone (Nexus 6), my left hand winds up covering the camera lens, or at least getting close enough to it to interfere. I have to hold the phone awkwardly to shoot the picture. If the camera lens were in the middle of the body, I could comfortably place both hands on the sides and use my thumbs to operate it. <comment><USER2> Battery.

<comment><USER3> Especially in 6-inch phones like in this case, the cameras could definately be closer to te center than in smaller phones, even with a respectable battery inside. Either by placing the battery on a side a la iphone 6(s) or making it more squarish. The 5.5-inch OnePlus Two managed to place the camera quite nice, and the 3300 mAh battery sits relaxed away from any edge of the chassis...</comment></comment>


Why Python is the Last Language You'll Have To Learn - <AUTHOR> http://jakevdp.github.io/blog/2012/09/20/why-python-is-the-last/

<comment> dj-wonk Giving "reasons" why a language will be around a while is roughly somewhat comparable to giving "reasons" why a particular business or industry will last. These kinds of comparisons are a waste of mental energy.

Things like languages or businesses last (or do not) largely because of their interaction with their environment -- not because of (a) innate properties or (b) characteristics that we observe at this moment in time. A great language, like Python, deserves praise because of how useful it has been, but let's not get carried away and sanctify it.

Time will tell how long it lasts.

In the meanwhile, I like to use languages that help my productivity (for a particular problem) and don't help me shoot myself in the foot.

</comment><comment> dj-wonk It backwards to suggest that any one language is the last you'll have to learn. Learning new languages is part of staying relevant. Even English is subtly changing over time.

(I don't mean to be a stickler just because I don't like the title -- and I don't -- but the language we choose matters.)

</comment><comment><USER2> I learned python first. Then I wanted to make iOS apps. Then I wanted to make cool frontend for websites. Then I wanted to make really fast code for simuating things. What a stupid article premise.</comment>


Geometric Algebra Developer for Hire - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/chakravala <comment><AUTHOR> Find out more at [https://grassmann.crucialflow.com](https://grassmann.crucialflow.com)

</comment><comment><USER2> HN is not a job board, please see the FAQ.

There is a post Monday that is appropriate for this</comment>


R.I.P. Google Hangouts – Chrome App - <AUTHOR> https://medium.com/@AdamScott/r-i-p-google-hangouts-chrome-app-7b04d780dce9 <comment><USER2> I can't seem to get over the old google talk inside gmail view. So snappy to use!</comment>


Researchers have seen colistin-heteroresistant germs in the US - <AUTHOR> https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/03/scary-superbug-can-sneakily-dodge-last-resort-drug-and-we-dont-know-how/ <comment><USER2> _The researchers also sequenced the genomes of bacteria resisting colistin and those susceptible to it. They were genetically identical.

Even though they have the same blueprints, they're activating their genes differently, Weiss says. It's unclear how or why this happens._

I think that's the most interesting part of the article. Skip to that if you want to save some time and don't need the background on antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

It also highlights a misconception I had that genetically identical individuals would express the same genes when subjected to the same stimuli/conditions. Can someone with more knowledge share more details about how gene expression works?

<comment><USER3> The keyword to search for, if you are interested, is epigenetics. Modification to e.g. histone protiens can change the expression of genes through a variety of mechanisms. As far as I'm aware, exactly how this works isn't that well understood.

<comment><USER4> Just a note: in this case, histones are irrelevant, since prokaryotes don't have any. But more generally, protein binding, modification of bound proteins, and methylation of the DNA itself are all epigenetic mechanisms that could be in play here.

<comment><USER5> To add to the list: activity of restriction enzymes, especially specific ones.

Colistin has a pretty interesting mechanism of action, disrupting ionic balance in cell wall of lipopolysaccharide.

The mechanism of resistance may well be lucky upregulation of ionic balance and cell wall stabilization proteins in response to the attack. Same as for lysozyme.

This kind of ionic environment has wide ranging effects on cell metabolism so changes genre expression. In multiple generations, the resistance might get baked into the genome...

<comment><USER4> The OP says that the genome sequence hasn't changed. So in order to have that persistent upregulation without any change in the genome sequence, you (most likely) need an epigenetic mechanism to explain it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> It's long past time for the west to start looking seriously into phage therapy, which Russia has been using for decades. Find the virus that targets the bacteria you want gone, and let it do the hard work for you.

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

<comment><USER7> last year I read that they have two major innovations in this field: 1. they can use a t4 bacteriophage to deploy an arbitrary genetic payload and 2. they can alter the "hooks" on the t4 to make it attach to a large variety of cells.

together, these discoveries pave the way to much more precise genetic engineering.

</comment></comment><comment><USER8> _They're members of a notorious family of multidrug-resistant pathogens, called carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which collectively have mortality rates as high as 50 percent and have spread rapidly around the globe in recent years. A 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that there were more than 9,300 CRE infections in the US each year, leading to 600 deaths._

Is it correct to assume that while CREs have up to 50% mortality rate worldwide, the US mortality rate of CRE infections is around 6.5%?

Edit: I applaud efforts to increase access to healthcare worldwide. We really need to do more to combat the spread of such bacteria through better management of antibiotic use, mainly in agriculture.

<comment><USER9> No, it's like saying shark attacks have up to 50% mortality rate (Great Whites) with the average rate for all sharks being 6.5% (Hammerhead and Great White and ...).

</comment></comment><comment><USER10> It's of no surprise, we've long been warned that we are in for a drug- resistant germ catastrophe in the coming decades.There's already strains of some infections that are extremely resistant to all known forms of medication. The biggest problem being that the advancement in the medical field for developing new cures is minimal. We're re-using the same anti-biotics and anti-x solutions for everything. Unless there are major medical breakthroughs in the next 20 years, we are expected to see complete anti-biotic resistance strains emerge.

<comment><USER11> That's a popular, but untrue, idea. There is a ton of research into new antibiotics, and new classes of antibiotics. We just didn't need to until recently.

[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/14/first-new- ant...](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/14/first-new-antibiotic- in-30-years-discovered-in-major-breakthroug/)

[https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/ten-new- antibiotics-60091...](https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/ten-new- antibiotics-6009164)

[http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43032602](http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43032602)

<comment><USER7> > That's a popular, but untrue, idea. There is a ton of research

my microbiology professor said it is true. several major antibiotic companies have shut down their antibiotics research program because the economics of antibiotics are fucky.

[https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfect...](https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/24708)

[https://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk/about-antibiotic- resis...](https://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk/about-antibiotic-resistance/)

<comment><USER12> It wouldn't be particularily expensive for USA or EU, to fund research or create economical incentives for commercial initiatives.

You could say that it might even be the very purpose for which democratic states exists; to protect it's people.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> Can these resistant bacterias be credited to excessive prescriptions of antibiotics by doctors?

As I have come to understand, is that some countries they prescribe antibiotic for the smallest thing. In Norway that is not he case. I have the assumption that you need to be really sick to get any.

<comment><USER14> My understanding is that most of it is due to overuse of antibiotics in livestock, due to the sheer scale.

</comment></comment><comment><USER15> As someone who takes colistin regularly, this is frightening.

<comment><USER16> Out of curiosity, why do you take colistin regularly?</comment></comment>