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A 50-Year-Old Bug in C's File I/O: Unraveling a Legacy Mystery

2024-12-26

While improving a DOS emulator, a developer stumbled upon a seemingly trivial bug in file I/O: appending text to a file using the `echo` command produced unexpected results. Debugging revealed a flaw in how C runtime libraries handle switching between reading and writing, a flaw tracing back to the 1970s and even earlier UNIX systems. The article delves into the historical context, from early K&R C to modern C standards, exploring implementation differences across various UNIX versions and C compilers. The root cause is identified as limitations in early C libraries' handling of update mode, with variations in how different operating systems and compilers addressed these limitations. The author concludes that even today, for portable C code, an explicit `fseek` call is necessary when switching between reading and writing a file.

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(www.os2museum.com)
Development file I/O legacy bug

Is Current AI a Dead End?

2024-12-27
Is Current AI a Dead End?

Professor Eerke Boiten of De Montfort University Leicester argues that current AI systems based on large neural networks, such as ChatGPT, are unsuitable for critical applications due to their inherent complexity and unpredictability. These systems lack manageability, transparency, and accountability; their behavior is emergent rather than compositional, making effective verification and error correction difficult. Boiten suggests that the current direction of AI development may be a dead end, advocating for compositional neural networks or hybrid approaches combining symbolic reasoning to build more reliable AI systems.

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(www.bcs.org)
AI AI Safety neural networks

Do Plants Have Intelligence? A Revolution in Understanding Life's Cognition

2025-02-26
Do Plants Have Intelligence? A Revolution in Understanding Life's Cognition

An ancient olive tree at the Eden Project bears witness to humanity's evolving understanding of 'intelligence.' From Darwin's initial explorations of plant intelligence to recent discoveries of intelligence in plants, fungi, bacteria, and even cells, science is undergoing a cognitive revolution. This article delves into the challenges of defining 'intelligence' and explores the possibility of reinterpreting cognition from a biological perspective, emphasizing the importance of collective intelligence and the necessity of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Research suggests that electrical signals play a far more significant role in diverse organisms than previously imagined, offering a new perspective on building a more sustainable future.

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(www.noemamag.com)
Tech plant intelligence collective intelligence biological cognition

The Walmart Effect: A Hidden Cost of Low Prices

2024-12-24
The Walmart Effect: A Hidden Cost of Low Prices

Walmart, known for its low prices, has long been considered a boon for lower- and middle-income families. However, two new research papers challenge this view. The studies find that while Walmart lowers consumer prices, it also leads to decreased income and increased unemployment in communities, with the negative effects outweighing consumer savings. This is attributed to Walmart undercutting local competitors, reducing jobs, and leveraging its monopsony power to suppress wages for both suppliers and employees. This raises questions about the "consumer welfare standard," which prioritizes low prices as a measure of economic health. The research suggests that a singular focus on low prices can lead to long-term economic harm, prompting a reevaluation of policy priorities.

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(www.theatlantic.com)
Startup economic impact consumer welfare

Scented Candles: Indoor Air Pollution Rivals Car Exhaust

2025-02-20
Scented Candles: Indoor Air Pollution Rivals Car Exhaust

New research from Purdue University reveals that using scented products indoors significantly alters air chemistry, producing air pollution comparable to car exhaust. Using a miniature 'tiny house lab,' researchers measured nanoparticles released by flameless candles, finding alarmingly high concentrations capable of reaching deep into the lungs and posing respiratory health risks. These nanoparticles reached levels comparable to those emitted by traditional candles, gas stoves, and even vehicle exhaust, with billions of particles deposited in the respiratory tract per minute. The study underscores the importance of indoor air quality and suggests considering these factors in building design and ventilation systems to mitigate health risks.

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(newatlas.com)
Tech indoor air pollution nanoparticles

Reproducing OpenAI's o1: A Roadmap from a Reinforcement Learning Perspective

2025-01-03
Reproducing OpenAI's o1: A Roadmap from a Reinforcement Learning Perspective

A new paper explores the path to reproducing OpenAI's enigmatic model, o1, from a reinforcement learning perspective. Researchers argue o1's powerful reasoning isn't due to a single technique, but rather the synergy of four key components: policy initialization, reward design, search, and learning. Policy initialization equips the model with human-like reasoning; reward design provides dense and effective signals guiding search and learning; search generates high-quality solutions during training and testing; learning utilizes data from search to improve the policy, ultimately achieving better performance. This paper offers valuable insights into understanding and reproducing o1, providing new avenues for LLM development.

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(arxiv.org)
AI reinforcement learning model reproduction

AI Hallucinations: Technology or the Mind?

2025-06-16
AI Hallucinations: Technology or the Mind?

Internet ethnographer Katherine Dee delves into how AI, specifically ChatGPT, seems to amplify delusional thinking. The article argues that such incidents aren't unique to AI, but a recurring cultural response to new communication technologies. From Morse code to television, the internet, and TikTok, humans consistently link new tech with the paranormal, seeking meaning within technologically-enabled individualized realities. The author posits that ChatGPT isn't the primary culprit, but rather caters to a centuries-old belief – that consciousness can reshape reality through will and word – a belief intensified by the internet and made more tangible by AI.

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(default.blog)
AI

Meta's Interoperability Proposal: Why XMPP is the Real Solution

2025-03-29
Meta's Interoperability Proposal: Why XMPP is the Real Solution

Designated a gatekeeper under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta must ensure interoperability between WhatsApp and Messenger. However, Meta's proposed solution, relying on restrictive NDAs, proprietary APIs, and centralized control, falls short of true interoperability. The article argues that the established open standard XMPP offers a superior alternative, enabling seamless federation, decentralized control, enhanced privacy, and scalability. The author urges Meta to adopt XMPP to create a truly open and competitive messaging ecosystem.

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(xmpp.org)
Tech Interoperability

Hyperspace: A Mac App That Reclaims Disk Space Using APFS Clones

2025-02-25
Hyperspace: A Mac App That Reclaims Disk Space Using APFS Clones

John Siracusa, a veteran developer, has released Hyperspace, a Mac app that cleverly leverages the cloning features of the APFS file system to free up valuable disk space. Unlike other apps that delete duplicate files, Hyperspace reclaims space losslessly by converting files with identical content into clones sharing a single data instance. The article details Hyperspace's development journey and the author's experiences and challenges using SwiftUI and Swift 6. While Hyperspace's method of manipulating files carries risks, its powerful functionality and ease of use make it a boon for Mac users.

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(hypercritical.co)
Development Mac app Disk space

Tokyo Xtreme Racer: A Technical Deep Dive into the UE5 Powered Reboot

2025-01-23
Tokyo Xtreme Racer: A Technical Deep Dive into the UE5 Powered Reboot

After an 18-year hiatus, the Tokyo Xtreme Racer series roars back with a new entry in Steam Early Access. This technical review delves into the game's Unreal Engine 5.4 implementation. Surprisingly, even a GTX 1070 can run the game smoothly at 1080p with high settings. The author provides detailed comparisons of visual quality and performance across different presets, exploring the impact of Lumen lighting technology. Steam Deck performance and future update expectations are also discussed. The game proves surprisingly scalable and visually appealing, even on older hardware.

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(cookieplmonster.github.io)
Game Unreal Engine 5

Denmark's HPV Vaccination Program Nearly Eradicates Two Major Cancer-Causing Strains

2025-09-17
Denmark's HPV Vaccination Program Nearly Eradicates Two Major Cancer-Causing Strains

Research published in Eurosurveillance shows that Denmark has virtually eliminated infections with the two most prevalent cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) since the vaccine's introduction in 2008. Analysis of cervical cell samples from Danish women aged 22-30 (2017-2024) revealed that HPV16/18 infection rates in vaccinated women plummeted from 15-17% to less than 1%. This demonstrates not only individual protection but also herd immunity, reducing overall HPV16/18 circulation. However, roughly one-third of screened women still had infections with high-risk HPV types not covered by the initial vaccine. This is expected to decrease as women vaccinated with the newer nine-valent vaccine reach screening age, potentially prompting a review of cervical cancer screening guidelines.

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(www.gavi.org)
Tech HPV vaccine cervical cancer herd immunity

Ariane 6's First Commercial Launch Successfully Deploys CSO-3 Earth Observation Satellite

2025-03-10

Arianespace's Ariane 6 rocket successfully completed its maiden commercial launch, deploying the CSO-3 Earth observation satellite into orbit. CSO-3, the third in the series, was built for the French Defense Procurement Agency and CNES for the French Air and Space Force's Space Command. This launch completes the CSO system and solidifies France and Europe's independent access to space, providing high-resolution imagery for French and European partners.

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(www.arianespace.com)
Tech Earth Observation

The Norman Conquest and English Spelling: A Lost Story of Diacritics

2025-07-07
The Norman Conquest and English Spelling: A Lost Story of Diacritics

This article explores how the Norman Conquest profoundly impacted English spelling. After 1066, French became the official language, and scribes carried over French writing conventions into English, resulting in letter combinations representing single phonemes, like "sh" and "th." The Renaissance saw French develop a system of diacritics through printing and standardization, while English retained the spelling conventions established during the Norman period. This explains why English lacks widespread use of diacritics today.

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(www.deadlanguagesociety.com)
Misc English history Norman Conquest

100 Self-Driving Cars Tackle Rush Hour Congestion

2025-04-04
100 Self-Driving Cars Tackle Rush Hour Congestion

Researchers deployed 100 reinforcement learning (RL)-trained autonomous vehicles (AVs) onto a highway during rush hour to mitigate congestion and reduce fuel consumption. These AVs learned to smooth traffic flow, maximizing energy efficiency while maintaining throughput and safe operation around human drivers. The experiment demonstrated that even a small percentage of well-controlled AVs significantly improves traffic flow and fuel efficiency for all road users. This large-scale experiment provides valuable insights into deploying AVs to improve traffic conditions.

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(bair.berkeley.edu)
Tech traffic optimization

DeepSeek-R1: A Reasoning Model Trained via Reinforcement Learning and its Distilled Versions

2025-01-20
DeepSeek-R1: A Reasoning Model Trained via Reinforcement Learning and its Distilled Versions

DeepSeek has released its first-generation reasoning models, DeepSeek-R1. Trained via large-scale reinforcement learning without supervised fine-tuning, DeepSeek-R1 addresses issues like endless repetition and poor readability present in its predecessor, DeepSeek-R1-Zero, by incorporating cold-start data before RL. DeepSeek-R1 achieves performance comparable to OpenAI-o1 across various benchmarks. Furthermore, DeepSeek has open-sourced DeepSeek-R1 and six distilled models based on Llama and Qwen. DeepSeek-R1-Distill-Qwen-32B surpasses OpenAI-o1-mini on multiple benchmarks, setting new state-of-the-art results for distilled models. These models, along with a user-friendly API and chat interface, are available on Hugging Face.

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(huggingface.co)
AI model distillation

Viral Animal Illustrations Made Entirely of Circles

2025-04-02
Viral Animal Illustrations Made Entirely of Circles

Artist Dori's stunning illustrations of animals, constructed entirely from circles, have gone viral. The simple yet elegant designs sparked a wave of requests for high-resolution wallpapers and prints. Dori not only shared her creative process but also eventually published a full tutorial on Smashing Magazine. This story highlights the power of creative design and the engaging interaction between artist and audience.

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(www.dorithegiant.com)
Design illustration

The Dark Side of Software Dependencies: A Trust Crisis and Security Risks

2025-02-13
The Dark Side of Software Dependencies: A Trust Crisis and Security Risks

Modern software development heavily relies on third-party libraries, creating significant security risks. This article delves into the types of software dependencies, the role of package managers, and resulting issues like supply chain attacks, malware, and backdoors. The author emphasizes the importance of regularly auditing dependencies, using signatures and verified sources, implementing security policies, and employing the principle of least privilege. Strategies such as minimizing dependencies and using well-maintained standard libraries are also suggested, ultimately concluding that isolating and containing untrusted software is crucial for mitigating risks.

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(linux-howto.org)
Development supply chain attacks

The Curious Case of the Converging UNIX Workstation

2025-07-20

The author, having amassed a collection of 1990s RISC/UNIX workstations from SGI, HP, and DEC, noticed a peculiar trend in their internal layouts after watching a video on PC case history. Early models adhered to traditional VME bus designs. However, later models surprisingly adopted a layout reminiscent of the LPX standard – a flat motherboard with rear I/O and a left-side expansion slot. This bears a striking resemblance to contemporary PC designs. The author speculates on whether this was independent convergence or a collaborative effort, leaving the question of coincidence versus design trend unanswered, but prompting intriguing questions about the evolution of hardware design.

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(thejpster.org.uk)
Hardware UNIX workstations

AMD's Beastly Ryzen AI Max+ Debuts: Radical Memory Tech Fuels RDNA 3.5 & Zen 5

2025-01-06
AMD's Beastly Ryzen AI Max+ Debuts: Radical Memory Tech Fuels RDNA 3.5 & Zen 5

AMD unveiled its 'Strix Halo' Ryzen AI Max series at CES 2025, boasting groundbreaking integrated memory architecture. These APUs pack a 40-core RDNA 3.5 iGPU, delivering monstrous performance for thin-and-light gaming and AI workstations. AMD claims up to 1.4X faster gaming than Intel's Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V, 84% faster rendering than the Apple MacBook M4 Pro, and a staggering 2.2X AI performance advantage over the desktop Nvidia RTX 4090, all while consuming 87% less power. The flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 features 16 cores/32 threads, 40 RDNA 3.5 CUs, and supports up to 128GB of shared memory, dynamically allocated between CPU, GPU, and XDNA 2 NPU. Desktop versions are expected in the future.

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(www.tomshardware.com)
Hardware

North Korea's Crypto Laundering Scheme: A Billions-Dollar Headache

2025-03-18
North Korea's Crypto Laundering Scheme: A Billions-Dollar Headache

North Korea's hacking spree has netted billions in cryptocurrency, but converting this loot into fiat currency presents a massive challenge. Unable to use major exchanges due to KYC regulations, they rely on a global network of over-the-counter brokers, particularly in under-regulated regions like China. The sheer volume of funds, however, creates a significant bottleneck, leaving vast sums of crypto trapped in wallets – a modern-day equivalent of Escobar's cash storage problem. While employing mixers and other tools to obfuscate transactions, North Korea faces persistent pressure from nations like the US, who employ various methods to track and seize these illicit funds. This includes using provisions in the USA PATRIOT Act to subpoena Chinese banks, a strategy requiring significant political capital.

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(www.coindesk.com)
Tech Cryptocurrency Laundering

Unthinkable Reconciliation: Rwandan Genocide Survivors Forgive Their Attackers

2025-01-12
Unthinkable Reconciliation: Rwandan Genocide Survivors Forgive Their Attackers

Thirty years after the Rwandan genocide, which claimed half a million lives in 100 days, an extraordinary reconciliation is underway. Survivors and perpetrators, through a community-based sociotherapy program called 'Mvura Nkuvure' (I heal you, you heal me), are forging unlikely friendships. The therapy focuses not on forgiveness, but on helping individuals cope with trauma and rebuild their lives. Through 15 weekly sessions, participants learn trust, care, and respect, ultimately focusing on the future. Many participants describe the therapy as life-changing, fostering connection and hope in a deeply scarred society.

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(www.positivenewsus.org)
Misc Rwanda Genocide Reconciliation

Fighting Tech's Inevitabilism: We Still Have Choices

2025-07-15

This article analyzes how tech leaders use 'inevitabilism'—the assertion that an AI-dominated future is unavoidable—to shape public discourse. Drawing a parallel to a debate with a skilled opponent, the author shows how this strategy frames the conversation to pre-ordained conclusions, silencing dissent. The article critiques statements from figures like Zuckerberg, Ng, and Rometty, arguing that the future of AI isn't predetermined; we should actively shape it, not passively accept a supposed 'inevitable' outcome.

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(tomrenner.com)
AI AI future inevitabilism

The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest Concludes After 42 Years

2025-03-09
The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest Concludes After 42 Years

After 42 years, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a competition for the worst opening sentences to imaginary novels, has come to an end. Founder Scott Rice, citing age, announced the contest's closure, expressing gratitude to participants and judges. His daughter, EJ, also thanked the community and encouraged continued contact, requesting donations to maintain the contest's archives.

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(www.bulwer-lytton.com)
Misc writing competition literature contest

Carbon: An Open-Source Operating System for Manufacturing – Challenging the ERP Status Quo

2025-08-05
Carbon: An Open-Source Operating System for Manufacturing – Challenging the ERP Status Quo

Carbon is an open-source operating system built for manufacturing, designed to address shortcomings in existing ERP systems: lack of modern tooling, vendor lock-in, and the absence of a 'one-size-fits-all' solution. It features an API-first architecture, empowering users to extend the platform through custom app development with readily available building blocks and tools. Built using Turborepo for efficient monorepo management, Carbon integrates with services like Supabase, Redis, and Stripe. Installation and deployment are streamlined via command-line instructions, and example code facilitates rapid onboarding.

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(github.com)
Development

Transhumanism: A Cult for Our Times?

2025-03-24
Transhumanism: A Cult for Our Times?

This article explores whether the transhumanist movement exhibits cult-like characteristics. Using Robert J. Lifton's eight criteria for identifying cults, the author analyzes transhumanism's information control, mystical manipulation, purity demands, confession culture, sacred science, loaded language, doctrine over person, and dispensing of existence. The author argues that transhumanism displays similarities to cults in its closed-mindedness, exclusionary practices, and apocalyptic salvation narrative. While not geographically centralized, transhumanism's online communities foster strong group identity and suppress dissent, showcasing blind optimism towards future technologies and devaluation of non-believers. The article concludes that the future trajectory of transhumanism will depend on whether its technological predictions materialize and how its adherents react to reality.

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(ewanmorrison.substack.com)
Misc Transhumanism

US Restricts Swiss Access to AI Chips: A Tech Cold War?

2025-01-27
US Restricts Swiss Access to AI Chips: A Tech Cold War?

The US has excluded Switzerland from unrestricted access to AI computer chips, prompting criticism from Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin. This move limits Swiss academic and corporate access to these vital components, placing Switzerland in a category with restricted imports. Parmelin stated this is incomprehensible, as the ETH Zurich utilizes these chips for innovation crucial to the US, making this a potential “own goal” for America. Negotiations are underway to secure unrestricted access. The US aims to prevent rivals, particularly China, from obtaining this technology and circumventing export restrictions. Separately, President Trump's announcement to forgo the global minimum tax will have consequences for Switzerland, impacting the federal government, cantons, and businesses. The Swiss government will consider reciprocal measures.

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(www.bluewin.ch)
Tech tech cold war trade restrictions

The AI Design Paradox: Convenience vs. Creativity

2025-02-12
The AI Design Paradox: Convenience vs. Creativity

A veteran designer explores the double-edged sword of AI design tools. While AI offers rapid design generation, it simultaneously compresses the design process, eliminating the 'productive void' – those crucial moments of waiting, exploration, and iteration where inspiration blossoms. The author argues this 'process collapse' risks shallow, unoriginal designs and expresses concern about AI's potential to diminish human creativity. He urges designers to use AI cautiously, viewing it as a tool for expanding, not compressing, creativity, and to value the friction and reflection inherent in the design process.

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(www.chrbutler.com)
Design design process

Fighting the Digital Ghosts: Author Robin Sloan Builds an Alternative Network

2025-03-18
Fighting the Digital Ghosts: Author Robin Sloan Builds an Alternative Network

Author Robin Sloan, concerned about the internet's increasing dominance by algorithms and malicious information, is exploring the creation of an alternative network based on mail. He's opened a small shop selling zines printed on an eco-friendly Riso printing press, aiming to leverage the US Postal Service to build a more authentic and human connection network to combat the "ghosts" of the digital age. This isn't just nostalgia; it's a commitment to democracy and offline connection.

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(www.robinsloan.com)
Startup alternative network mail Riso printing

My 2024 Reading List: A Journey Through Philosophy, Science, and Literature

2025-01-01
My 2024 Reading List: A Journey Through Philosophy, Science, and Literature

Waqas Younas shares his 2024 reading list, a diverse collection spanning philosophy, logic, literature, history, and biography. From Cicero's letters to Nietzsche's Human, All Too Human, and from quantum mechanics to Tagore's poetry, the books reflect a journey of intellectual exploration. The engaging review interweaves insightful excerpts and personal reflections, making it a captivating read for anyone interested in a broad spectrum of subjects.

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(thoughts.wyounas.com)
Misc reading list book review 2024 reads
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