I thought we were well past trying to understand mathematics. After all, John von Neumann long ago said "In mathematics we don't understand things. We just get used to them."
Readit Newsgeomark commented on Mathematics is hard for mathematicians to understand too science.org/doi/10.1126/s... · Posted by u/mmaaz
geomark commented on LM8560, the eternal chip from the 1980 years tycospages.com/other-them... · Posted by u/userbinator
As an electronics experimenter I would have to say the REAL eternal chip is the 555 introduced in 1972. It's become a bit of a meme: You could have used a 555 for that!
Yep. Just used a 555 today to whip up a low frequency clock source.
geomark commented on Introducing a terms of use and updated privacy notice for Firefox blog.mozilla.org/en/produ... · Posted by u/pentagrama
Ask HN: Is Brave an ok alternative?
geomark commented on LA wildfires force thousands to evacuate, NASA JPL closed theregister.com/2025/01/0... · Posted by u/rntn
LA is surrounded by high fire risk areas. The wildfire risk is also really unpredictable. The rule of thumb is the closer you are to the beach, the lower the risk.
We were looking to buy a house in Orange or Anaheim Hills because those areas are comparatively affordable. But after the airport fire we steered clear. I took a fire insurance quote on an Orange property, their model says the fire risk is 4 on a scale of 15, but they treat it like 10 because the variance is too high.
My sister lives in Anaheim Hills. A couple years ago a brush fire burned right up to the property line behind her house. Fortunately her house was undamaged. Last year the insurance company declined to renew her policy. I think you made a wise choice to avoid that area.
Imagine the absurdity of if China put missiles on the Mexican border ...
Imagine the US engaging in an invasion of Mexico as equally stupid and unprovoked as Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Then not only would Mexico have a perfect right to seek whatever help it needed to resist the aggression directed at it, we would -- unless we were damned fools -- fully expect Mexico to seek and obtain that help.
When people say "unprovoked" do they not know the history, or they think the history doesn't matter, or do they just not care?
geomark commented on Wafer Scale and Trilogy Systems: Part 1 thechipletter.substack.co... · Posted by u/signa11
Interesting article. I wonder if in part 2 they will cover the work done at TRW as part of the VHSIC Phase 2 program. They succeeded with a WSI chip called the CPUAX that used some of the same redundancy techniques together with a built in self test and configuration system.
geomark commented on When To Do What You Love paulgraham.com/when.html... · Posted by u/underdeserver
> The others all had their kids raised by daycare workers.
I'm not sure this changes when parents are older. all the older parents raising kids I know also send them off to daycare workers.
Then they're doing it wrong. The idea is that you grind when you're young to set yourself up for more free time to spend with your kids when you're older. You can afford for one parent to stay home, both if you've really nailed it
geomark commented on When To Do What You Love paulgraham.com/when.html... · Posted by u/underdeserver
I honestly completely disagree. We had kids young and honestly it was so much easier in our 20s than it is now with a baby in our 30s. Despite having more money, babies are just harder as you get older. It's the moderate things. With our first, I was so active and nimble. Now I have slight back pain and stuff but it makes me noticeably less active with my third.
By the time my oldest is an adult, I will be in my early 40s. That's still young enough to do whatever you want to do. I encourage people to have kids young. Honestly, we should normalize having kids in college (free daycare, etc). This would be great for young women especially. Yes, it might stretch out how long it takes them to get a degree. But if dad completes it in four years and starts working, by the time dad starts working, the child is school aged and now doesn't need daycare. Then mom can complete her degree while dad works full time, and graduate with a six year old and job prospects. Kind of jealous of all my mormon friends at BYU who did this lol. By the time their kids are grown they'll be 40 year olds with professional careers, ready to do whatever they want, with the bonus of money.
On the other hand, the first-time parents I know in their mid 30s are struggling. It's harder. You're more tired. Also, by the time you're done you're getting ready to retire.
Most of my friends had kids young. They were busy working and hardly saw them grow up. A few were fortunate that the mothers could and wanted to stay home. The others all had their kids raised by daycare workers. When they found out what was happening in schools all they could do was scream about it. When covid hit and the schools shut those parents were buried and their kids suffered setbacks in their education. That's the standard routine. No thanks.
geomark commented on When To Do What You Love paulgraham.com/when.html... · Posted by u/underdeserver
Not having kids makes early retirement and an adventurous life much more practical. With enough money I suppose you could try both at the same time?
Have kids later. After early retirement if you can.
You know the meme with the normal distribution where the far right and the far left reach the same conclusion for different reasons, and the ones in the middle have a completely different opinion?
So on the far right you have people on von Neumann who says "In mathematics we don't understand things". On the far left you have people like you who say "me no mats". Then in the middle you have people like me, who say "maths is interesting, let me do something I enjoy".