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US ADHD Rates Skyrocket: New Health Secretary Launches 100-Day Investigation

2025-03-01

US ADHD Rates Skyrocket: New Health Secretary Launches 100-Day Investigation

America's new health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is deeply concerned about the soaring rate of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among American children. One in nine children aged 3-17 has been diagnosed with ADHD, two to three times the rate seen in other Western countries. On his first day in office, President Trump tasked Kennedy with leading a special commission to investigate the reasons behind this alarming trend and other chronic conditions affecting American children within the next 100 days.

(www.economist.com)

Tech US Healthcare

Near-Death Experience: A Rebirth of Consciousness

2025-09-01

Near-Death Experience: A Rebirth of Consciousness

The author recounts his battle with a brain tumor. On the eve of surgery, he undergoes a profound experience, gaining a deep understanding of time, life, and love. Post-surgery, despite a painful recovery, he cherishes life more and realizes that 'consciousness' is not just neuronal activity but also care, love, and the perception of life. This story is filled with profound reflections on the meaning of life and a delicate portrayal of love.

(bigthink.com)

Misc life experience

Generic Programming in C: A Comparison of Four Approaches

2025-03-19

Generic Programming in C: A Comparison of Four Approaches

C's lack of support for generic types (parametric polymorphism) is a common frustration. This article explores four methods for emulating generics in C: template macros, template headers, type erasure, and inlining macros. Template macros are simple but suffer from readability and error-proneness; template headers improve readability but still have naming challenges; type erasure sacrifices type safety but is useful for FFI or dynamic linking; inlining macros are user-friendly but lead to code bloat. Ultimately, the author suggests choosing between template headers (easier to develop) and inlining macros (easier to use) based on project needs.

(btmc.substack.com)

Development

Postgres Sharding: A Thrilling Tale of Scaling to 6x

2025-03-14

A company faced a challenge with PostgreSQL's write capacity, handling 100,000 users/second. Instead of migrating to NoSQL, the engineering team chose to shard their database. They split the database into 6 instances, syncing data with logical replication. This involved writing Ruby and Python code to handle sharding keys and custom tools to address sequence issues. The successful 6x expansion resulted in the creation of PgDog, an open-source project for automated Postgres sharding. This story highlights the ingenuity and determination of engineers, and the scalability of PostgreSQL.

(pgdog.dev)

Development database sharding

Servo Rejects AI Code Generation Tools: Protecting Open Source Integrity

2025-04-11

Servo Rejects AI Code Generation Tools: Protecting Open Source Integrity

The Servo browser project's Technical Steering Committee (TSC) initially voted to relax its ban on AI code generation tools like GitHub Copilot, but later reversed the decision due to strong community opposition. The author argues that AI-generated code suffers from logic errors and unpredictability, leading to lower code quality, increased maintenance burden, and reputational damage. The post details the potential risks of AI tools and community feedback, ultimately calling on the TSC to explicitly prohibit the use of AI-generated code to maintain the project's integrity and credibility.

(www.azabani.com)

Development

A Blast from the Past: Exploring Vintage Optical Media from Japan

2025-04-02

A Blast from the Past: Exploring Vintage Optical Media from Japan

The author documents their journey collecting vintage optical media from Japan, both online and in person. The article details several brands of DVDs and CDs, including TDK, LG, Sony, Maxell, Mitsubishi, and Fujifilm, testing their performance across various metrics. Tests included burn speeds, read speeds, error rates, and physical characteristics. TDK's UV-protected discs performed exceptionally well, while an older Maxell CD-R showed signs of age-related degradation. The experience is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, showcasing the evolution of optical media technology and manufacturing across different eras and brands.

(goughlui.com)

Misc optical media vintage japan

Google Search Goes Full AI with Gemini 2.0

2025-03-07

Google Search Goes Full AI with Gemini 2.0

Google is revolutionizing search with Gemini 2.0, its latest AI model. A new "AI Mode" replaces the familiar ten blue links with a comprehensive AI-generated answer incorporating web summaries, Knowledge Graph data, and shopping information. Initially rolling out through Search Labs, this feature will eventually be available to all users, including those not logged in and minors. While aiming for faster answers to question-based searches, the accuracy and usefulness of AI Mode remain areas for improvement.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

The Rise of Modern Mercantilism: Reshaping the Global Economic Order

2025-08-11

The Rise of Modern Mercantilism: Reshaping the Global Economic Order

Bridgewater's co-CIO, Greg Jensen, argues in a new research paper that the global economy is shifting from free trade towards a new system of "modern mercantilism." Driven by the rise of China and policy shifts in the US and elsewhere, this system prioritizes state control over the economy, emphasizes trade balances, utilizes industrial policy, and protects national champion companies. This shift will reshape the global economic order, posing risks to countries reliant on trade surpluses and potentially leading to various forms of trade conflict.

(www.bridgewater.com)

Tech modern mercantilism trade conflict

Litestack: All-in-One Data Infrastructure Gem for Ruby on Rails

2024-12-23

Litestack: All-in-One Data Infrastructure Gem for Ruby on Rails

Litestack is a Ruby gem offering a comprehensive data infrastructure solution for Ruby and Ruby on Rails applications. Leveraging SQLite's power, it integrates a full-fledged SQL database, a fast cache, a robust job queue, a reliable message broker, a full-text search engine, and a metrics platform—all in one package. Unlike traditional approaches requiring separate servers and databases, Litestack delivers superior performance, efficiency, ease of use, and cost savings. Its embedded database and cache reduce memory and CPU usage, while its streamlined interface simplifies development. It seamlessly integrates with ActiveRecord and Sequel and automatically optimizes for Fiber-based I/O frameworks.

(github.com)

Development Data Infrastructure

US Fusion Firm Eyes Japan Deployment in the 2030s

2025-09-07

US Fusion Firm Eyes Japan Deployment in the 2030s

Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a US-based nuclear fusion developer, aims to deploy a reactor in Japan in the late 2030s or early 2040s, aligning with Japan's broader plans for this low-carbon energy source. The company, which recently secured $863 million in funding, is collaborating with a consortium of 12 Japanese companies, including Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp., to facilitate technology transfer and knowledge sharing. Commonwealth is also developing a 400-megawatt commercial power plant in Virginia, targeting operation in the early 2030s, with Google committed to purchasing half its output.

(www.japantimes.co.jp)

Tech

lsr: Blazing Fast File Listing with io_uring

2025-07-18

lsr is a lightning-fast file listing utility leveraging io_uring, significantly outperforming the traditional `ls` command. Benchmarks demonstrate dramatic speed improvements and reduced syscall counts when handling numerous files. It offers a rich set of options including showing hidden files, sorting by time, and colored output, along with straightforward installation and usage instructions. The project is hosted on GitHub and supports cloning via HTTP or SSH.

(tangled.sh)

Development

Microsoft Killing Off its Remote Desktop App

2025-03-11

Microsoft Killing Off its Remote Desktop App

Microsoft is ending support for its legacy Remote Desktop app for Windows on May 27th, 2025. Users will need to switch to the newer Windows app, which offers features like multi-monitor support and dynamic resolutions. While the built-in Remote Desktop Connection app in Windows remains unaffected, the new app currently only supports work or school accounts. Microsoft plans to eventually add personal account support, aligning with its long-term goal of fully cloud-based Windows.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Remote Desktop

From Hand-Coding HTML to Zola: My Blog Migration Journey

2025-02-12

Clayton Ramsey shares his experience migrating his personal blog from hand-coded HTML to the Zola static site generator. Initially, he found hand-coding HTML manageable, but the repetitive tasks of handling math formulas (using MathML), code highlighting, and maintaining navigation bars became overwhelming. He switched to Zola, leveraging a Python script to convert LaTeX to MathML, ultimately automating the deployment process. While encountering challenges with GitHub Actions' YAML configuration, he found the migration significantly improved efficiency and lowered the barrier to writing new posts.

(claytonwramsey.com)

Development blog migration

Neuralink Implants Brain Device in Third Patient

2025-01-13

Neuralink Implants Brain Device in Third Patient

Elon Musk announced that Neuralink's brain-computer interface device has been implanted in a third patient, with plans to implant 20 to 30 more in 2025. This technology aims to help patients with paralysis and ALS control external devices. Neuralink currently has two FDA-registered clinical trials, one for paralyzed patients and another for those needing assistive robotic arms.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Tech Brain-Computer Interface Biotech

The Humble Silica Gel Packet: Unsung Hero of Global Supply Chains

2025-04-01

The Humble Silica Gel Packet: Unsung Hero of Global Supply Chains

Have you ever noticed those tiny silica gel packets tucked into shoeboxes and snack bags? This article delves into the surprisingly complex world of these ubiquitous desiccant packets. It explores the science behind their moisture-absorbing properties, their manufacturing history, and their diverse applications, revealing their crucial role in maintaining global product transport and storage. From microscopic structure to macroeconomic impact, the article highlights the intricate connection between technological advancement and globalization, arguing that the widespread use of silica gel isn't a case of it 'taking over the world', but rather a consequence of the evolution of global supply chains.

(www.scopeofwork.net)

Tech silica gel global supply chain

AI Chatbots in the Workplace: Adoption and Impact

2025-02-25

AI Chatbots in the Workplace: Adoption and Impact

A survey reveals that only a small percentage of workers regularly use AI chatbots, with younger (18-29) and postgraduate-educated individuals showing higher adoption rates. Common uses include research, content editing, and report writing. While 40% of users find AI chatbots highly efficient, a majority (69%) have never used them, citing lack of need or interest. Employer attitudes are largely neutral, with encouragement limited to certain sectors like information technology and finance.

(www.pewresearch.org)

Tech AI chatbots workplace adoption

SeleniumBase: A Powerful Web Automation Framework

2024-12-17

SeleniumBase: A Powerful Web Automation Framework

SeleniumBase is a robust Python framework for web automation, testing, and bypassing bot detection. Built on Selenium WebDriver and integrating with test runners like pytest, it offers a clean syntax and extensive features such as automatic waits for page elements, test report generation, a dashboard, and support for multiple browsers and operating systems. SeleniumBase also includes modes like UC Mode and CDP Mode for enhanced stealth and reliability, along with comprehensive examples and documentation for quick adoption.

(github.com)

Development web automation testing

Open Source Solaar: A Linux Manager for Logitech Devices

2024-12-18

Open Source Solaar: A Linux Manager for Logitech Devices

Solaar is an open-source Linux device manager for many Logitech keyboards, mice, and other devices connecting wirelessly via Unifying, Bolt, Lightspeed, or Nano receivers, as well as many Logitech devices connecting via USB cable or Bluetooth. It's not a device driver; it responds to special messages from devices otherwise ignored by the Linux input system. Solaar supports pairing/unpairing devices with receivers, configuring device settings, custom button configurations, and running rules in response to special messages from devices. Installation options include pre-built packages and source code compilation.

(github.com)

Development

Aluminum-Ion Batteries: A Revolutionary Breakthrough for Safer, Cheaper, and Longer-Lasting Energy Storage

2025-02-06

Aluminum-Ion Batteries: A Revolutionary Breakthrough for Safer, Cheaper, and Longer-Lasting Energy Storage

A team of scientists in Beijing has developed a novel aluminum-ion battery poised to revolutionize energy storage. The battery utilizes a stable solid-state electrolyte, overcoming the corrosion, safety, and short cycle-life issues plaguing previous aluminum-ion battery attempts. This solid-state electrolyte, composed of aluminum fluoride salt and a liquid electrolyte, features a porous 3D structure that absorbs and stabilizes the liquid while allowing ion mobility, increasing conductivity and preventing leakage. Tests show the battery retains 99% of its original capacity after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles, significantly outperforming lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, it offers enhanced safety, recyclability, and lower cost, promising to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech aluminum-ion battery solid-state electrolyte

LLM Showdown: A Real-World Evaluation of 130 Prompts

2025-08-24

The author conducted a real-world evaluation of over a dozen LLMs across four categories: programming, sysadmin tasks, technical explanations, and creative prompts, using 130 prompts from their bash history. Open-source models consistently outperformed closed-source options like Gemini 2.5 Pro in accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness. The author concluded by using a combination of fast, cheap open-source models, supplemented by more powerful closed-source models as needed.

(darkcoding.net)

AI

The Plight of the Pre-Modern Peasant: Land, Labor, and Exploitation

2025-09-13

The Plight of the Pre-Modern Peasant: Land, Labor, and Exploitation

This article, the third in a series, explores the realities of pre-modern peasant life. Previous installments assumed ideal conditions – abundant yields and infinite land – demonstrating sufficient production for comfortable subsistence and surplus. This piece revisits those assumptions, considering limited landholdings and capital. Even under ideal conditions, the study reveals peasant families lacked enough land to fully employ their labor. Average farm sizes were far smaller than model assumptions, with even wealthy peasants rarely owning sufficient acreage. This resulted in excess labor for limited land, hindering basic subsistence, let alone comfort. Survival necessitated strategies for accessing more land, such as sharecropping with wealthier farmers or landlords. However, such arrangements often involved exploitative terms, leaving landlords with the lion's share of the harvest. The article further analyzes the exploitation of peasant surplus labor through various means like conscription, forced labor, heavy taxation, and debt peonage, resulting in significantly higher labor demands and a drastically lower standard of living than in modern society.

(acoup.blog)

Tech pre-modern agriculture peasant life land tenure

Amazon Q Developer Neovim Plugin: AI-Powered Coding Assistant

2025-09-03

Amazon Q Developer Neovim Plugin: AI-Powered Coding Assistant

AWS has released a Neovim plugin integrating Amazon Q Developer, offering AI-powered code suggestions, refactoring, and chat functionality. It supports both free tier and paid subscriptions, and installation is straightforward via plugin managers or manual cloning. The plugin leverages LSP for code completion and provides commands like `:AmazonQ` to open the chat window and `zq` to add selected text to the chat context. Currently experimental, contributions and feedback are welcome.

(github.com)

Development

A Glimpse into OS/2's Built-in Virtualization

2024-12-17

This blog post explores the surprisingly advanced built-in virtualization capabilities of OS/2 2.1 from 1993. The author demonstrates OS/2's ability to load and execute disk images, much like modern hypervisors, by creating a simple VGA mode program and running it in DOSBox, QEMU, and OS/2's own virtual environment. OS/2 can even run images that aren't true bootable DOS floppies, using VMDISK to create an image file and running it in fullscreen or windowed mode within OS/2. This functionality, remarkable for 1993, is essentially a built-in QEMU, prompting the author to consider the further potential of OS/2's virtualization features.

(www.uninformativ.de)

Misc virtualization

Why Your iPhone Photos Don't Make for Great Prints

2025-07-30

Ever wonder why you rarely see smartphone photos printed and framed? This article explains why. By comparing iPhone photos to those from a professional camera, the author highlights several key differences. iPhone's fisheye lens creates distortion, especially noticeable in body posture and facial features. The computational photography attempts to brighten everything, sacrificing crucial facial details and shadow accuracy. The background blur (bokeh) is also far less natural and pleasing than that produced by professional cameras. In short, while convenient, iPhone photos lack the detail and realism suitable for prints and framing.

(candid9.com)

Design image quality

Classic 2 Mouse Released: USB-C, Improved Scroll Wheel, and Still Open Source!

2025-04-02

The Classic 2 mouse is here, starting at $144 CAD! This updated version retains the beloved ergonomics of the original Classic, but features a significant upgrade to USB-C connectivity. The biggest improvement is a much smoother, more accurate scroll wheel thanks to a new Raspberry RP2040 microcontroller that resolves previous responsiveness issues. It remains open-source and boasts improved 3D printability. Unfortunately, no upgrade kit is offered for the original Classic.

(blog.ploopy.co)

Hardware

BigQuery's New Pipe Query Syntax: Easier to Read, Write, and Maintain

2025-02-13

Google BigQuery introduces a new pipe query syntax that simplifies writing and maintaining SQL queries with a linear structure. This syntax allows applying operators like SELECT, aggregate, GROUP BY, JOIN, and WHERE in any order and any number of times, resulting in clearer and more understandable query logic. It addresses issues in standard SQL such as strict clause ordering, the need for CTEs or nested subqueries for complex queries, and introduces new pipe operators like EXTEND, SET, DROP, and RENAME for greater flexibility in data manipulation.

(cloud.google.com)

Development Pipe Syntax

Proxmox Datacenter Manager Alpha Release Announced

2024-12-19

Proxmox has released an alpha preview of its Datacenter Manager. This software centralizes management of all nodes and clusters, offering basic features like virtual machine migration without requiring a cluster network. Developed entirely in Rust, from the backend API to the new frontend, it boasts a modern web UI for improved speed and compatibility. This alpha release aims to gather user feedback, test core features, and foster collaboration. While some features are incomplete and bugs are expected, it's already capable of managing thousands of remotes and virtual machines.

(forum.proxmox.com)

Development Datacenter Management Alpha Release

The Apathy Epidemic: Why Doesn't Anyone Care Anymore?

2025-01-15

The Apathy Epidemic: Why Doesn't Anyone Care Anymore?

This rant explores the pervasive apathy in modern society. From malfunctioning software and poorly designed public infrastructure to everyday inconsiderateness, the author argues that a lack of care is rampant. While not necessarily malicious, this indifference stems from a failure to exert even minimal effort to improve things. The author laments this state of affairs and yearns for a community where caring is the norm, reflecting on their own attempts to inspire positive change and the challenges of living among those who seem unconcerned.

(grantslatton.com)

Misc apathy

TikTok Returns to US App Stores After Ban

2025-02-14

TikTok Returns to US App Stores After Ban

Nearly a month after being banned in the US, TikTok has returned to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This follows a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi to Apple assuring them of no penalties for hosting the app. While President Trump issued an executive order temporarily suspending enforcement of the ban, Apple and Google hesitated due to potential billion-dollar fines. Vice President JD Vance is reportedly overseeing negotiations for a potential sale of TikTok.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech app stores

US Restaurant Productivity Soared During COVID: The Fast Food Revolution?

2025-03-14

US Restaurant Productivity Soared During COVID: The Fast Food Revolution?

A new study reveals that real labor productivity at US restaurants surged over 15% during the COVID-19 pandemic—an unprecedented jump after nearly 30 years of stagnation. Using mobile phone data tracking over 100,000 limited-service restaurants, researchers found this wasn't due to economies of scale, increased market power, or pandemic-related demand fluctuations. Instead, it strongly correlates with reduced customer dwell time, especially a rise in customers spending 10 minutes or less. The frequency of such takeout orders increased dramatically during COVID, even at fast-food restaurants, and remained elevated. The relationship between productivity and reduced dwell time almost entirely accounts for the overall productivity increase. This suggests the pandemic accelerated the adoption of fast food and takeout, significantly boosting restaurant efficiency.

(bfi.uchicago.edu)

Tech labor productivity covid impact fast food

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