The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
Category

Under the microscope: Jet Moto 3 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Tools Reverse Engineering Software Gaming Programming Security
  1. Ghidra and a small Python script were used to reverse‑engineer the game's cheat system by mapping letters to PlayStation controller button bit patterns, which let the author extract the actual button combos for each code.
  2. Many decoded codes reliably unlock content or change gameplay — for example EVERYTHING unlocks nearly everything, ALLTRAC adds bonus tracks, SEASONS opens Season levels, and other codes enable turbo, camera modes, and special hops — and some codes must be entered at the title screen while others work during play.
  3. Not every discovered code has a visible effect: several camera codes do nothing, STUNT and RACE appear unused, and some cheats have prerequisites (e.g., COP requires unlocking Granny), so results vary by code.

UX Roundup: How People Use AI | AI Does User Research | Founding Designers | Prompt Engineering | AI Agent Use Cases | Electricity Fuels AI | GPT 5.2 Beats Humans

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 23 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Compute Infrastructure Interaction Design User Research User Experience Artificial Intelligence Product Design
  1. Workers are already using AI a lot — often secretly — so product design must support both automation and collaboration, teach prompting, and give users control (especially for creative workflows that need canvas-style UIs and curator tools).
  2. AI can run and analyze large-scale interviews, turning qualitative insights into quantifiable themes and making researchers into orchestrators, but agent behavior and user needs change over time so longitudinal usability studies are essential.
  3. Simple persona prompts don’t improve factual accuracy, yet models and costs are improving rapidly — cutting task costs and enabling AI to outperform experts on many half-day tasks — so designs and infrastructure (including power capacity) must evolve quickly.

What would you do if you had pizza money?

Tech and Tea • 263 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
💰 Finance Investing Personal Finance Financial Independence Wealth Management
  1. The pizza money scenario encourages people to think about their relationship with money and what they're willing to sacrifice for financial independence. It reveals whether people prioritize financial gain or their daily comfort.
  2. Responses to the pizza question vary widely, showing that some people are focused on maximizing wealth while others prefer to maintain their lifestyle. This highlights how different priorities shape our choices.
  3. The absurdity of the situation helps clarify what truly matters in life. It encourages introspection and helps people identify their values, leading to better alignment between life choices and personal goals.
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🧪⚛🧬 Broken promises: CHIPS Act funding for science research falls short

Faster, Please! • 822 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Policy AI Research Economics Health
  1. Despite promises made in the CHIPS and Science Act, Congress significantly underfunded key agencies and programs for scientific research, hindering progress in fields like artificial intelligence.
  2. Investment in basic scientific research, often a public good with long-term benefits beyond immediate financial gains, is essential for innovation and societal advancement.
  3. Government-funded R&D has historically played a crucial role in business sector productivity growth, supporting the argument for increased federal spending on research and development.

Ticker Take: a weekly newsletter on investing.

Jon’s Newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 21 Apr 24
💰 Finance Investing Economic Trends Stocks Crypto Market Analysis
  1. Investors are advised to stay calm during challenging times. Historical data shows that the stock market often rebounds after geopolitical issues arise.
  2. Bitcoin's next steps may be influenced more by new ETF trends than by traditional events like the halving. Experts believe institutional money could drive significant growth.
  3. Gold has outperformed stocks in about one-third of the last 40 years. However, generally, stocks have offered better returns over that same period.

Generative AI, Bullshit as a Service

The Algorithmic Bridge • 891 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Ethics AI Writing Creativity
  1. Generative AI technology is often used for negative purposes like spamming, cheating, and faking.
  2. The democratization of creative freedom through AI may not be beneficial as it can lead to misuse by those who don't truly value it.
  3. Despite the potential of AI to revolutionize the world, its primary current use is for mundane and simplistic tasks, highlighting the complexities and limitations of humanity.

Do Tariffs Reduce Trade Deficits?

In My Tribe • 288 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
💰 Finance Economic Policy Tariffs Macroeconomics International Trade
  1. Understanding international economics is complicated and involves many factors. It's not just simple numbers, but a mix of many different elements.
  2. A country's trade surplus is linked to its ability to save more than it invests. Countries that save well will usually end up holding other countries' debt like U.S. Treasury bills.
  3. Imposing tariffs might not significantly reduce trade deficits. Instead, currency appreciation can offset any potential benefits from tariffs, so real change depends more on national savings rates.

Dirty Work: The Return of Blue Collar

State of the Future • 144 implied HN points • 04 Jun 25
💼 Business Economics Employment Education Automation Labor
  1. AI is taking over many white-collar jobs, especially those that are routine and easily automated. Many of these roles aren't as valuable as we once thought.
  2. There are plenty of blue-collar jobs available that can provide real satisfaction and meaning. These jobs often require skills that AI cannot replicate.
  3. Blue-collar jobs are likely to gain more respect and higher status in the future. We should encourage young people to consider these careers now.

JAX things to watch for in 2025

Gonzo ML • 378 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Data science AI Software Programming Machine Learning
  1. The new NNX API is set to replace the older Linen API for building neural networks with JAX. It simplifies the coding process and offers better performance options.
  2. The shard_map feature improves multi-device computation by allowing better handling of data. It’s a helpful evolution for developers looking for precise control over their parallel computing tasks.
  3. Pallas is a new JAX tool that lets users write custom kernels for GPUs and TPUs. This allows for more specialized and efficient computation, particularly for advanced tasks like training large models.

Will long context windows solve all your problems?

Generating Conversation • 140 implied HN points • 19 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Data processing AI Tools Information Retrieval Machine Learning
  1. Long context windows are not a fix-all solution for every AI problem. They can help with things like summarization, but you need effective searching to get the best results.
  2. Using a lot of unnecessary data can be costly and slow. It’s important to narrow down what you really need to save time and money when working with large models.
  3. Including too much information can actually confuse the AI and lead to less helpful answers. Focusing on quality data instead of just throwing in everything will lead to better outcomes.

The Sequence Radar #669: MiniMax-M1 is a Very Impressive Model

TheSequence • 140 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Data Analysis Machine Learning Software Engineering Tech Innovation AI Models
  1. MiniMax-M1 is a new AI model with 456 billion parameters. It can handle a huge amount of context, making it efficient and powerful for tasks.
  2. This model uses a special attention mechanism called Lightning Attention to process information faster and at a lower cost than previous models. It's designed to work well without needing massive amount of resources.
  3. MiniMax-M1 was developed quickly and economically, showing that strong performance in AI can be achieved without spending a fortune. This opens new possibilities for making advanced AI accessible to more people.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers (6/17)

Human Capitalist • 39 implied HN points • 18 Jun 24
💼 Business Talent Acquisition Corporate changes Job Market Workforce Insights
  1. A lot of job changes are happening in the business world, including big names moving to new positions. It's interesting to keep track of who is switching jobs and why.
  2. OpenAI is attracting talent from different fields, indicating its growing influence in technology, especially in areas like health tech and data science.
  3. Following job changes can provide insights into industry trends and help in networking, whether you're a recruiter or just curious about the job market.

Government Funding for R&D and Productivity Growth

New Things Under the Sun • 272 implied HN points • 07 Feb 25
💼 Business Innovation Economic Impact Government Policy
  1. Government funding for research and development usually offers significant returns, boosting economic growth over time. For example, for every dollar spent on R&D, there can be several dollars in economic benefits.
  2. A 1% increase in government R&D funding can lead to a noticeable rise in national productivity within a few years. Specifically, it can increase productivity by about 0.2% over the long term.
  3. Different types of R&D spending, like defense versus non-defense, can have varying impacts on productivity. Non-defense R&D tends to have a greater positive effect, meaning it’s often more beneficial to overall economic growth.

Last Week in AI #255: AI voice scams, flood of bad AI translations, self-rewarding LLMs, FTC probes AI partnerships of tech giants, and more!

Last Week in AI • 139 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Tech Giants Language Models Machine Translation
  1. Scammers are using AI to mimic voices and deceive people into giving money, posing serious risks for communication security.
  2. Many sentences on the internet have poor quality translations due to machine translation, especially affecting low-resource languages.
  3. Researchers introduce Self-Rewarding Language Models (SRLMs) as a novel method to improve Large Language Models (LLMs) without human feedback.

Data Sharing in the Real World: Why SFTP Remains Essential for Companies

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 400 implied HN points • 31 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Data Sharing Data Engineering Standardization
  1. SFTP stands for Secure File Transfer Protocol, and it's a popular method for companies to send and receive data securely, like sending packages in the digital world. Many businesses, even big tech ones, still rely on SFTP instead of newer methods.
  2. Setting up SFTP jobs requires careful planning, especially for user authentication and file encryption. Using SSH keys and methods like PGP encryption helps ensure the data remains safe during transfers.
  3. Although there are more advanced data-sharing technologies emerging, SFTP isn't going away anytime soon. Many companies still rely on SFTP for their data needs, showing its continued importance in the industry.

The Evil God Challenge

Bentham's Newsletter • 117 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy God Debate Theism Evil
  1. There are two versions of the Evil God Challenge, one questioning a good God's likelihood and another flipping the Problem of Evil.
  2. The Evil God Challenge presents compelling arguments, but there are counterarguments to consider for theism.
  3. The idea of an Evil God is intuitively less believable, and there are logical reasons why a Good God is more plausible.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 502

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 319 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Data science Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Computing
  1. Generative design is making strides in drug discovery, but there are still challenges to address for better outcomes.
  2. The UK government is investing in a Foundation Model Taskforce to harness AI for societal benefits and safety.
  3. Keeping updated with developments in data science, such as new models and applications, is essential for professionals in the field.

Leaving the Military: What I Learned

The Radar • 119 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business Communication Work Environment Leadership Career transition Decision-making
  1. In civilian life, don't expect people to understand or care about your military experiences. You are a new kid on the block.
  2. Be cautious of trust and mutual support in civilian teams. Not everyone has the same values and can work against you.
  3. Job security is different in the civilian world. Always be prepared for uncertainties and be mindful of stricter performance expectations tied to pay.

Organizations are on the verge of losing control of their data forever

The Orchestra Data Leadership Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 21 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Generative AI
  1. Organizations are at risk of losing control of their data due to lack of focus on data quality and overlooking data as a value-driver.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) can improve data quality control and help in automating tasks effectively with context.
  3. Before implementing LLMs, organizations should prioritize data cleaning, auditing, and defining valuable datasets.

Aristotle on Knowledge of the Contingent

Logos and Liberty • 59 implied HN points • 20 Apr 24
📖 Philosophy Epistemology Metaphysics Aristotle
  1. Different philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and the Sophists had varying views on knowledge - from belief in absolute truth to belief in only probable knowledge.
  2. Plato believed in knowledge of the fully real, while Aristotle expanded it to include knowledge of the contingent world of becoming and change.
  3. Aristotle's approach to knowledge, embracing the changing world and proposing methods for understanding it, laid the foundation for experimental science and intellectual progress.

OpenAI WebSocket Mode, 0x Cross-Chain API, TradeStation + Capitalize

The API Changelog • 1 implied HN point • 03 Mar 26
🕹 Technology AI APIs Blockchain Fintech Integrations Developer Tools
  1. APIs are shifting from stateless REST to low‑latency, persistent connections so AI agents can orchestrate complex actions in real time.
  2. New one‑to‑many and aggregator APIs hide provider complexity behind a single, normalized endpoint, cutting integration work and speeding product development.
  3. APIs are becoming programmable operational metrics that let teams embed visibility and decision signals directly into workflows so data drives immediate action.

Data Science Weekly - Issue 535

Data Science Weekly Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Engineering Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Data science Statistical Analysis Software Engineering
  1. Scaling AI tools like ChatGPT involves overcoming many engineering challenges to handle large user demands. It's important to manage growth effectively to keep users satisfied.
  2. There's a lot of information out there about generative AI, making it hard to keep up. A guidebook can help condense this information and provide practical insights.
  3. Linear regression is still a valuable tool in data science. Sometimes going back to basics can yield better results than relying on complex models.

AI and child safety

Tech + Regulation • 59 implied HN points • 13 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Child safety Digital Policy Cybersecurity
  1. The internet was not originally designed to be safe for kids, but improvements have been made over the years. Now, with new technology like generative AI, there's a chance to build better protections for children right from the start.
  2. Generative AI poses new risks for kids, especially with issues like deepfake pornography. These risks can lead to harmful impacts on their mental health and safety, as they might encounter misleading or abusive content online.
  3. Organizations like NCMEC play a crucial role in reporting and managing child exploitation content online, but they are underfunded. New laws need to ensure that these organizations receive the necessary resources to effectively combat these growing threats.

Why I love marketing

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 10 Jul 24
💼 Business Marketing Advertising Branding Consumer behavior Digital marketing
  1. Marketing is much more than just advertising; it's everything a company does to connect with its customers. This includes building websites, social media, and promotional campaigns.
  2. Great marketing focuses on a company's values and what they mean to customers, rather than just the products. Successful ads often connect with deeper themes like community and enjoyment.
  3. Instead of viewing marketing as a hindrance, see it as a chance to communicate and engage with people. Good marketing can create lasting impressions and loyalty.

TheSequence Radar #674: Transformers in the Genome: How AlphaGenome Reimagines AI-Driven Genomics

TheSequence • 133 implied HN points • 29 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Data science AI Genomics Research Biotechnology
  1. AlphaGenome is a new AI model that helps understand the genome better. It predicts various functions in DNA, enabling quick analysis of genetic variants.
  2. This model combines different types of data into one system, making it easier and faster to see how genetic changes might affect health.
  3. DeepMind is offering early access to AlphaGenome for researchers, encouraging collaboration between academia and industry to unlock more discoveries in genetics.

Diary Entry #1: Early Numbers

Shades of Greaves • 216 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Publishing Marketing Self-Publishing Book Sales
  1. Social media followings are crucial for authors as publishers consider the 'platform' when deciding on book deals.
  2. Self-publishing a book involves challenging odds, as most books sell fewer than 300 copies in their lifetime.
  3. Tracking and analyzing book sales data is essential for authors in understanding promotional tactics' effectiveness and areas for improvement.

In Defense of Repression II

Litverse • 279 implied HN points • 06 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Anthropology Self Psychology Psychoanalysis
  1. Repression could be a tool for building a new self by accepting and integrating past pain, according to Marcel Proust's Impressionist painter Elstir.
  2. Ernest Becker theorizes that repression is crucial not just for personal growth but also for maintaining societal agreement on fundamental truths, preventing a future with conflicting values.
  3. Projection, seen as a defense mechanism by Freud, is viewed optimistically by Becker, who believes it fulfills human narcissism and helps find purpose by prioritizing the outer world as part of the inner self.

The Only Three Products in the Universe

Ulysses • 159 implied HN points • 15 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Information Energy Software Industry
  1. The three primary products in the universe are information, matter, and energy. These are the fundamental components of economic activity.
  2. Software businesses focus on processing and disseminating information, which can disrupt social activities that involve thinking and language.
  3. The ultimate value in economic activity is derived from manipulating matter and energy efficiently, with the mastery of synthetic biology predicted to have a greater impact than AI.

Welcome to my Substack!

The Uncommon Executive • 99 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
💼 Business Venture Capital Career Advancement Coaching Entrepreneurship Diversity
  1. Yue Zhao is passionate about helping minorities succeed in the business world, as she believes the best opportunities are unfairly distributed to white men.
  2. Yue Zhao started her career in engineering, worked at prestigious companies like McKinsey, Thumbtack, and Instagram, and is now a venture partner at LifeX Ventures.
  3. Yue Zhao aims to use her Substack newsletter to share insights and advice to help minorities and women advance in their careers and personal lives.

ANOTHER Nanopore Company! (Meilitech)

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 16 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Research tools Nanotechnology Instrumentation Genomics Biotechnology
  1. Meilitech has introduced the MerrySeq nanopore platform with modest claimed performance (around 95% accuracy) and small device pore counts (1–96), positioning it differently from bigger competitors.
  2. The platform emphasizes reusability and openness: chips are advertised as reusable 5–10 times with dry/wet separation, and the system offers multiple pore protein options plus raw-trace output for user tinkering.
  3. The product looks less mature than other offerings but could be attractive as a low‑cost, hackable research tool; it also sells patch‑clamp rigs and standard data outputs, though real-world availability and performance are unclear.