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The Art of Grouping Attribute Values in HTML: Making Code More Readable

2025-06-02

The Art of Grouping Attribute Values in HTML: Making Code More Readable

This article introduces an improved way to organize HTML class attributes. By adding spaces, newlines, or other characters within the class attribute value, different CSS classes can be grouped more clearly. For example, using `[card] [section box] [bg-base color-primary]` or `card | section box | bg-base color-primary` instead of `card-section-background1-colorRed`. While this approach isn't without limitations (optimizers might strip spaces, pre-processors might reorder values), it can improve code readability and maintainability, especially in large projects. The author also demonstrates more creative ways to enhance class attribute readability using emojis or comments, reminding readers to prioritize code understandability and teamwork.

(shkspr.mobi)

Development

Heavy Social Media Use Linked to Higher Irritability

2025-01-23

Heavy Social Media Use Linked to Higher Irritability

A study published in JAMA Network Open found a correlation between frequent social media use and higher levels of irritability among US adults. The research, involving 42,597 participants, revealed that even after accounting for anxiety and depression, frequent use, especially among active posters, was associated with increased irritability scores. A dose-response relationship was observed, with TikTok users exhibiting the largest increase in irritability when posting multiple times daily. Political engagement also correlated with higher irritability levels. The findings suggest a potential feedback loop between social media use and irritability.

(medicalxpress.com)

Tech irritability

USAID's Demise: A Looming Humanitarian Crisis

2025-05-16

USAID's Demise: A Looming Humanitarian Crisis

The world's largest foreign aid agency, USAID, is effectively defunct. Budget cuts have led to the closure of numerous programs across Africa and Asia, including HIV centers, malaria prevention initiatives, and nutrition clinics. Researchers predict that cuts to just five programs could result in 483,000 to 1.14 million excess deaths in the next year, and 1.48 million to 6.24 million over five years. This highlights the crucial role of international development aid in global health and well-being, and the devastating consequences of its reduction.

(asteriskmag.substack.com)

Tech mortality

A Hagiography of Nine Inch Nails and their Mystical Guitarist

2025-03-15

A Hagiography of Nine Inch Nails and their Mystical Guitarist

This essay is a deeply personal reflection on the author's 25-year relationship with Nine Inch Nails, focusing on the band's music and the mystical aura surrounding their guitarist, Robin Finck. The author explores themes of rage, sexuality, and mysticism within NIN's work, detailing Finck's unique stage presence and playing style as a form of ecstatic experience. The writing process is likened to creating a hagiography, weaving together personal experiences of music, identity, and spiritual exploration into a compelling cultural critique and personal narrative. It's a captivating read for anyone interested in music, identity, or the power of artistic expression.

(www.thewhitereview.org)

Misc

The Mensa Reading List: A Challenge to Comfort

2025-04-06

The Mensa Reading List: A Challenge to Comfort

This article explores the Mensa Excellence in Reading List for grades 9-12, a collection of challenging classics like *The Divine Comedy* and *The Magic Mountain*. The author argues that these books aren't meant for simple knowledge acquisition, but to challenge preconceived notions and comfort zones. The discomfort these books evoke forces deeper thinking and promotes critical analysis. The ultimate point isn't to become well-read, but to cultivate a continuous learning process fueled by self-reflection and intellectual growth. The journey of reading these works is about confronting ambiguity and embracing the uncomfortable.

(onepercentrule.substack.com)

Misc classic literature

Mitochondria: The Social Networks of Cells and Human Health

2025-05-21

Mitochondria: The Social Networks of Cells and Human Health

This article delves into the social nature of mitochondria—the powerhouses of cells—and their impact on human health. The author, drawing on personal research experiences, reveals that mitochondria not only generate energy but also maintain cellular and organismal health through communication, fusion, and information exchange, like a complex social network. Mitochondrial dysfunction is closely linked to various diseases, including diabetes, cancer, autism, and neurodegenerative disorders. The article also explores how exercise, social connection, and ketogenic diets promote mitochondrial health, thereby improving physical and mental well-being, and suggests that maintaining energy flow through the mitochondrial collective may be key to good health and a meaningful life.

(www.scientificamerican.com)

Tech cellular energy health longevity

Secret DHS DNA Collection Program Exposed: A Surveillance State in the Making?

2025-09-24

Secret DHS DNA Collection Program Exposed: A Surveillance State in the Making?

A secret DNA collection program run by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since 2020 has been exposed, raising serious privacy concerns. Leveraging legal loopholes and technological advancements, CBP has amassed a vast database of DNA from immigrants, travelers, and even US citizens, feeding the data into the national CODIS system. This program lacks transparency and legal safeguards, with even children's DNA being collected and potentially used in future criminal investigations. Oversight bodies and lawmakers have voiced strong opposition, highlighting the program's transformation into a sweeping genetic surveillance regime. Lawsuits are underway to compel CBP to release more information.

(www.wired.com)

Tech genetic surveillance

Chrome EULA Controversy: Google's Swift Response and Correction

2025-03-02

Chrome EULA Controversy: Google's Swift Response and Correction

A blog post clarifies a misunderstanding regarding a clause in the Google Chrome End User License Agreement (EULA). The clause granted Google broad rights to content created by users within Chrome, raising user concerns. The Google Chrome team swiftly responded, explaining it was due to the use of universal terms of service and that the clause didn't apply to Chrome, promising its removal. Google subsequently updated the EULA, explicitly stating users retain copyright and other rights to their content, resolving the controversy.

(www.mattcutts.com)

Tech EULA

Harlan Ellison: The Typewriter-Wielding Sci-Fi Master Rejects the Digital Age

2025-05-09

In an interview, acclaimed science fiction writer Harlan Ellison defends his staunch refusal to use computers, preferring the tactile experience of his manual typewriter. He views computers as hindering the direct connection with his muse and diminishing the inherent difficulty of artistic creation. Despite his prolific career spanning 70+ books and numerous awards, Ellison maintains that art should be challenging, not easy. He discusses his latest short story collection, *Slippage*, and the republication of his *Edgeworks* series, highlighting their unique value and accessibility.

(harlanellison.com)

Tech Writing Process Technological Resistance

Formalizing Machine Knitting: Towards Optimizing Compilers via Category Theory

2025-04-22

This blog post explores the surprising connection between machine knitting and theoretical computer science. The author tackles the problem of defining rigorous semantics for machine knitting programs, highlighting the challenge of strand crossings and their impact on program commutativity. By leveraging algebraic topology and the theory of braided monoidal categories, a polynomial-time algorithm for program canonicalization is developed. This enables compiler optimization and opens doors for more sophisticated analysis and design of machine knitting languages. The work bridges programming languages, topology, category theory, and even hints at connections to quantum computing.

(uwplse.org)

Development machine knitting topology

LHC Ultraperipheral Collisions Unravel the Mystery of Gluon Saturation

2025-02-11

LHC Ultraperipheral Collisions Unravel the Mystery of Gluon Saturation

Ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) offer a unique window into gluon dynamics. Experiments use photons to probe gluons within protons and nuclei, investigating gluon saturation—a dynamic equilibrium between gluon splitting and recombination. Researchers found that as energy decreases, the number of gluons in hadrons increases, forming 'gluonic hotspots' that overlap in the gluon saturation regime. The experiments also observed nuclear shadowing, where nuclei contain fewer gluons than expected. These findings shed light on the origin of 99% of the visible universe's mass and the nature of the strong interaction. Future LHC runs and the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) will further explore gluon dynamics, uncovering more mysteries.

(cerncourier.com)

Tech gluon saturation hadron physics

Microsoft's Microfluidics: Revolutionizing Datacenter Cooling

2025-09-24

Microsoft's Microfluidics: Revolutionizing Datacenter Cooling

Microsoft is developing microfluidics, a revolutionary chip cooling technology, to address the escalating heat challenges in datacenters. Traditional air and cold plate cooling are insufficient for the power demands of future high-performance AI chips. Microfluidics dramatically improves cooling efficiency by directly delivering coolant to the chip surface, reducing energy consumption, and enabling higher server density and advanced 3D chip architectures. This technology not only boosts compute performance but also reduces datacenter energy usage, leading to environmental benefits and aiming to become an industry standard, driving innovation in chip technology.

(news.microsoft.com)

Tech microfluidics datacenter cooling

Hidden Webshell: Identical MD5 Hash PHP Files

2025-09-24

Hidden Webshell: Identical MD5 Hash PHP Files

Two PHP files share the same MD5 hash, but one is a webshell. This technique allows attackers to bypass cached webshell detection. A hexdump reveals subtle differences between the files, resulting in identical MD5 hashes despite vastly different functionality. This highlights the insufficiency of relying solely on MD5 hashing for security checks; a more comprehensive security strategy is needed.

(github.com)

Development MD5 collision security detection

LLMs in 2024: A Year of Breakthroughs and Challenges

2024-12-31

LLMs in 2024: A Year of Breakthroughs and Challenges

2024 witnessed a remarkable evolution in Large Language Models (LLMs). Multiple organizations surpassed GPT-4's performance, leading to dramatically increased efficiency—even enabling LLM execution on personal laptops. Multimodal models became commonplace, with voice and video capabilities emerging. Prompt-driven app generation became a commodity, yet universal access to top-tier models lasted only months. While 'agents' remained elusive, the importance of evaluation became paramount. Apple's MLX library excelled, contrasting with its underwhelming 'Apple Intelligence' features. Inference-scaling models rose, lowering costs and improving environmental impact, but also raising concerns about the environmental consequences of new infrastructure. Synthetic training data proved highly effective, but LLM usability remained challenging, knowledge distribution remained uneven, and better critical evaluation is needed.

(simonwillison.net)

AI Multimodal

Finding the Best Restaurants in Colorado Springs with LLMs and the Google Places API

2025-02-15

Finding the Best Restaurants in Colorado Springs with LLMs and the Google Places API

This post details a data science project using LLMs and the Google Places API to identify the best restaurants in Colorado Springs. The author navigated the complexities of Google API registration, data cleaning (including removing irrelevant entries like synagogues and shops), and experimented with ranking algorithms like Bayesian Average and Wilson Score Interval before settling on the latter. The final output includes a ranked list of restaurants and heatmaps visualizing their locations, revealing interesting geographical patterns in the city's culinary scene.

(mattsayar.com)

Development

Android App Developer Verification Mandate: A Library to Warn Users

2025-09-02

Android App Developer Verification Mandate: A Library to Warn Users

A new open-source library, `FreeDroidWarn`, helps Android developers inform users about Google's upcoming developer verification requirement. Starting in 2026/2027, apps on certified Android devices will need developer verification. This library displays a warning dialog upon app launch, allowing developers to inform users without needing to share their personal information. The library is licensed under GPLv3 and is easily integrated.

(github.com)

Development App Compatibility

Harvard Rejects Federal Government's Attempt to Control Academic Freedom

2025-04-14

Harvard Rejects Federal Government's Attempt to Control Academic Freedom

Harvard University President Alan Garber issued a letter strongly condemning the federal government's attempt to interfere with the university's academic freedom and internal governance under the guise of combating antisemitism. The government's demands go beyond addressing antisemitism, encompassing direct control over Harvard's intellectual environment, including auditing viewpoints and limiting the power of specific individuals. Harvard argues these demands violate the First Amendment, exceed the government's authority under Title VI, and refuses to comply, vowing to defend its academic independence and constitutional rights. Harvard reaffirms its commitment to fighting antisemitism while upholding academic freedom and open inquiry.

(www.harvard.edu)

Misc government intervention Harvard University

In Defense of Adverbs: A Counterintuitive Approach to Writing

2025-06-06

In Defense of Adverbs: A Counterintuitive Approach to Writing

This article challenges the common writing advice to avoid adverbs. The author argues that adverbs are a valuable part of language and shouldn't be dismissed outright. The piece dissects the misconceptions surrounding adverb use, highlighting how adverbs can be precise and effective when used intentionally, rather than merely repeating information already conveyed. Using Denis Johnson's work as an example, the author demonstrates how adverbs contribute to unique style and character development. Ultimately, the article emphasizes the importance of practical principles over rigid rules in writing.

(countercraft.substack.com)

Development adverbs craft

OpenJKDF2: Open-Source Reimplementation of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II Engine

2025-02-23

OpenJKDF2: Open-Source Reimplementation of Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II Engine

OpenJKDF2 is a function-by-function reimplementation of the Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (JKDF2) engine in C, with 64-bit ports for Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, and Linux. It aims for fidelity to the original, including the original byacc and flex for COG script parsing. A valid copy of JKDF2 is required; the DRM-free GOG version is recommended. Multiple configurations are supported, using OpenGL and WebGL rendering. The project is ongoing, with features like Android and iOS support planned. A WebAssembly demo is available.

(github.com)

Game

Founding Engineer: AI-Native Ops for Mental Healthcare

2025-04-10

Founding Engineer: AI-Native Ops for Mental Healthcare

Legion Health (YC S21, $1M+ ARR) is hiring a Founding Engineer to build AI-native care infrastructure. They've already built a real-time, AI-powered backend supporting 2000+ patients with a robust tech stack (Node.js, Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase, AWS). This role demands full-stack expertise, encompassing backend architecture, LLM agent infrastructure, human-AI UX, and data compliance. It's a high-impact opportunity for engineers eager to pioneer AI in healthcare.

(www.ycombinator.com)

Development Mental Health Tech Full-Stack Engineering

Controversial AI Startup Aims for Total Job Automation

2025-04-20

Controversial AI Startup Aims for Total Job Automation

Silicon Valley startup Mechanize, founded by renowned AI researcher Tamay Besiroglu, has sparked controversy with its ambitious goal: the complete automation of all work. This mission, alongside Besiroglu's connection to the respected AI research institute Epoch, has drawn criticism. Mechanize aims to automate all jobs by providing the necessary data, evaluations, and digital environments, resulting in a massive potential market but raising significant concerns about widespread job displacement. While Besiroglu argues that automation will lead to explosive economic growth and higher living standards, he fails to adequately address how people would maintain income without jobs. Despite the extreme ambition, the underlying technical challenge is real, and many large tech companies are pursuing similar research.

(techcrunch.com)

AI startup controversy

MIT Retracts AI Research Paper: Data Falsification, Unreliable Conclusions

2025-05-16

MIT has retracted a preprint paper on artificial intelligence, scientific discovery, and product innovation. The paper was questioned due to concerns about data falsification and unreliable research findings. Following an internal investigation, MIT confirmed serious issues with the paper and requested its withdrawal from arXiv and The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Two professors acknowledged in the paper also publicly expressed their concerns, emphasizing the unreliability of the results and urging that they not be cited in academic or public discussions. This incident highlights the importance of research integrity.

(economics.mit.edu)

AI

UK Universities Shell Out Millions for Controversial Oracle Java Deal

2025-06-13

UK Universities Shell Out Millions for Controversial Oracle Java Deal

UK universities and colleges have signed a £9.86 million ($13.33 million) framework agreement with Oracle to continue using its controversial Java SE Universal Subscription. The deal includes a waiver of historical fees for institutions using Oracle Java since 2023. This follows criticism of the new subscription model's high cost, prompting many to switch to open-source alternatives. Despite this, UK higher education institutions chose to renew, citing simplified licensing and increased efficiency. However, questions remain about why they didn't switch to open-source options.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech Licensing Agreement Open Source Alternatives

Millions of CT Scans Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

2025-04-19

Millions of CT Scans Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

A new study from UC San Francisco reveals that CT scans may be responsible for up to 5% of all annual cancers. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, estimates that the 93 million CT scans performed in 2023 in the US could lead to nearly 103,000 cancer cases—three to four times higher than previous estimates. Infants and children face the greatest risk, but adults are also vulnerable due to higher scan frequency. Researchers urge a reduction in both the number and dosage of CT scans to mitigate this significant health concern. While CT scans are invaluable for diagnosis, the ionizing radiation they emit is a known carcinogen. The study highlights the need for better informed consent and reduced overuse of CT scans.

(www.ucsf.edu)

Tech

Cuttlefish Communicate Using Elaborate Arm Movements and Water Vibrations

2025-05-07

Cuttlefish Communicate Using Elaborate Arm Movements and Water Vibrations

Scientists have discovered that cuttlefish use distinct arm movements to communicate, employing a multi-sensory system involving both visual cues and water vibrations. Researchers identified four distinct arm gestures, combined with skin color changes, that appear to convey different meanings. Remarkably, cuttlefish seem to perceive these signals differently depending on their orientation, similar to how humans perceive faces. Furthermore, experiments revealed that cuttlefish can detect these signals through water movement, likely utilizing their lateral line and statocysts. This dual-channel communication system adds a new dimension to our understanding of cephalopod intelligence and animal communication.

(scienceblog.com)

Tech cuttlefish multi-sensory

The Hydraulic Analogy: A Detriment to Electronics Education

2024-12-30

The Hydraulic Analogy: A Detriment to Electronics Education

Many introductory electronics textbooks use the hydraulic analogy to explain circuits, comparing electric current to water flow and batteries to pumps. However, the author argues this analogy is deeply flawed, especially when explaining semiconductor components like JFETs and MOSFETs. The analogy fails to accurately represent their characteristic curves, ultimately hindering learning. The author advocates abandoning this inaccurate analogy and instead learning electronics from more fundamental principles.

(lcamtuf.substack.com)

Development electronics education hydraulic analogy

WhaleSpotter: AI-Powered Whale Detection System Aims to Prevent Deadly Collisions

2025-04-22

WhaleSpotter: AI-Powered Whale Detection System Aims to Prevent Deadly Collisions

Developed by scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WhaleSpotter uses AI and human verification to detect whales from ships and land-based installations. Since its 2019 trials, its capabilities have drastically improved, with over 51,000 marine mammal detections in 2024. Now partnering with Matson Navigation Company, the system is being adapted for use on large container ships to reduce whale-ship collisions. Improvements have extended detection range to 6 kilometers, aiming for zero false positives to ensure timely captain intervention. While not a panacea, WhaleSpotter is vital for protecting endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale.

(www.biographic.com)

Tech Ocean Conservation Whales

Solving Blue Prince's Propositional Parlor Puzzle with Logic

2025-04-21

Solving Blue Prince's Propositional Parlor Puzzle with Logic

This article details how to automatically solve a logic puzzle from the game Blue Prince using propositional logic. The puzzle involves three boxes (blue, white, black) each making statements, and rules stating at least one box is entirely true, at least one is entirely false, and the prize is in exactly one box. The author models the problem in propositional logic, uses a brute-force approach to find all satisfying assignments, and thus determines the prize's location. The article includes a JavaScript implementation and discusses code optimization.

(buttondown.com)

Game logic puzzles

QMK Autocorrect: On-Keyboard Typo Correction

2025-01-08

QMK firmware now includes autocorrect, offering real-time typo correction directly on your keyboard. Using a Trie data structure, it efficiently corrects common misspellings (e.g., 'ouput' to 'output') with minimal resource overhead (1672 bytes for 71 entries, ~20µs per keypress). It's case-insensitive, customizable via a dictionary, and currently supports only alphanumeric characters and apostrophes. While limited to English, it significantly enhances typing efficiency for programmers and similar users.

(getreuer.info)

Development Autocorrect Keyboard Firmware

Strong Links vs. Weak Links: The Plight of Science

2025-02-08

Strong Links vs. Weak Links: The Plight of Science

This article explores the concepts of 'strong-link problems' and 'weak-link problems'. Weak-link problems, such as food safety, depend on the quality of the worst link; strong-link problems, like scientific progress, depend on the quality of the best link. Many mistakenly treat science as a weak-link problem, focusing excessively on preventing poor research, thereby stifling groundbreaking work. The author argues that this stems from the intense competition and status concerns within academia, ultimately leading to stagnation in scientific progress.

(www.experimental-history.com)

Tech weak links strong links

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