The hottest Substack posts right now

according to Hacker News
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Bicycles for the Mind and Software-Augmented Mentats

Bzogramming • 30 implied HN points • 06 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Cognitive Science Artificial Intelligence Digital Tools Software Development
  1. Our minds work like software made up of various pieces that interact with each other. The way we learn, remember, and think can change based on our experiences and the information we take in.
  2. Computers can help enhance our thinking, just like a bike helps us move better. But we still have a long way to go in fully using technology to improve how we think and learn.
  3. As we learn more about how the brain works and how to interact with computers, we may discover new ways to enhance our mental abilities. This could lead to different skills and talents that we haven't seen before.

Fight to Repair Daily: Monday, September 26, 2022

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 26 Sep 22
🕹 Technology Antitrust Repair
  1. Big tech companies like Apple are being criticized for their superficial support towards the right-to-repair movement, with issues like inflated costs and limitations in repair programs being highlighted.
  2. Modern cars and tractors are becoming increasingly complex and expensive to repair due to advanced technology and proprietary repair software, leading to challenges for users in fixing minor issues and high repair costs.
  3. Efforts to promote right-to-repair legislation globally are gaining traction, with scholars and legal experts advocating for better access to repair information and parts to empower consumers and reduce electronic waste.

An Intelligence Beneath the Surface -

Charles Eisenstein • 1 implied HN point • 18 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Consciousness Community Mindfulness Social Philosophy Ethics
  1. The video argues that strange or “crazy” ideas are often symptoms of deeper social and environmental conditions rather than the root causes of our problems. It uses images like geese and solitary confinement to show how isolation and stress produce those thoughts.
  2. Comments have been turned off on Substack and conversations are being moved to a dedicated forum to keep discussions focused and avoid spreading the creator too thin.
  3. This is one of a series of short videos for the Sanity Project 2026 that will be posted frequently, and the project is reader-supported with free and paid subscription options.
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Trump v Powell: The Credibility Cost of Politicized Monetary Policy

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 12 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
💰 Finance Monetary Policy Political Economy Central Banking Economic Analysis
  1. Trump wants lower interest rates, but if the Fed lowers them while inflation is still high, it could lead to bigger problems like stagflation. This may feel good short-term but is risky long-term.
  2. Political pressure on the Fed can hurt its independence and credibility. If the public thinks the Fed is making decisions based on politics, it could lead to higher inflation expectations.
  3. Comparing US interest rates with other countries without considering their unique situations is misleading. Monetary policy should be based on domestic economic conditions, not just foreign examples.

The White House Weighs in on AI

Technically Optimistic • 19 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Regulation AI Ethics Government Open Source
  1. The Executive Order on AI safety issued by the White House focuses on incentivizing widespread and equitable adoption of AI, promoting cross-sector collaboration and accountability, and prioritizing human interests in AI development.
  2. The EO includes measures for sharing safety test results, creating standards for red-teaming, and protecting against the misuse of AI for biological warfare to hold developers of powerful AI systems accountable.
  3. Everyday Americans can benefit from increased privacy protection, efforts to prevent algorithmic discrimination, and the focus on AI education and worker support mentioned in the Executive Order.

Only the paranoid survive

Tech Ramblings • 19 implied HN points • 03 Nov 23
💼 Business Startups Management Finance Competition Strategy
  1. Always be aware of your competition, but don't obsess over them. Check in from time to time to learn and adjust, but your main decisions should come from your own vision.
  2. Prepare for tough times by planning for unexpected challenges. Budget more than you think you'll need and set realistic goals to avoid panic later.
  3. Think ahead about employee turnover and customer commitments. People and situations change often, so it's smart to expect the unexpected and have a plan in place.

Design an Application with 3 Layer Architecture[Systems Design Sundays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 07 Nov 22
🕹 Technology Architecture Software Coding Newsletter
  1. One of the classic patterns in software design is the Layers Pattern, promoting low coupling and high cohesion among different layers.
  2. 3 Layer Architecture has been widely used in software development for decades, segregating applications into three logical and physical computing tiers.
  3. Despite modern advancements, the simplicity, flexibility, and practicality of the 3-layer architecture make it a foundational choice in software development.

We don’t want auditors to be good at their job

Klement on Investing • 2 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
💰 Finance Investing Regulation Risk management Auditing Corporate Governance Accounting
  1. Corporate accounting scandals recur and auditors are routinely made the public scapegoat, prompting regulatory fixes that don’t stop the next failure.
  2. If auditors actually caught all fraud, investors who lose money would still look for someone else to blame, because many people outsource their own due diligence.
  3. The blame cycle usually expands to regulators and then quiets after reforms, allowing auditors and the system to be gradually exonerated and the pattern to repeat.

Tutorial: How to narrate video with Sora, GPT-Vision, and ElevenLabs

Artificial Ignorance • 79 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Video Models Narration Tutorial AI
  1. The emergence of tools like Sora from OpenAI is revolutionizing video production with realistic outputs and seamless object interactions.
  2. Creating nature documentaries and other narrative videos through automated processes involving Sora, GPT-Vision, and ElevenLabs is becoming increasingly feasible.
  3. The future of entertainment and media is set to be transformed by AI-driven technologies, enabling faster video generation and real-time content creation for indie filmmakers and creators.

Putting Yourself Out There

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 9 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
💼 Business Career Advice Entrepreneurship Personal Branding Success Strategies Networking
  1. To be successful, you need to take action and put yourself out there. Simply wishing for success won’t get you anywhere.
  2. Building a network is crucial. Attend events, go to parties, and meet people to create opportunities for yourself.
  3. Don't be afraid to shoot your shot and ask for help. Having a large network can provide support and open doors for you.

Will AI skyrocket inequality?

Economic Forces • 12 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
💼 Business Economics Workforce AI Inequality Labor
  1. AI might change job markets and wages, but we need to examine how it affects skilled and unskilled workers. Understanding labor demand and supply can help explain these changes.
  2. There is a potential for AI to increase inequality, especially between those with higher education and those without. However, AI might make some skilled tasks easier for less-educated workers, which could balance things out.
  3. As AI evolves, the way we categorize jobs might need to change. We should look at how AI creates new job roles and affects wages within different skill groups.

The Programmers of the Future

Based Meditations • 8 HN points • 12 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Programming AI Artists Industry Future
  1. The future of programming may shift towards a focus on creativity and innovation rather than just logic and coding skills.
  2. The impact of AI and automation on the programming industry is uncertain, leading to a potential rise in independent artists creating software.
  3. There is a growing trend of passionate developers moving away from traditional software jobs to pursue artistic endeavors, potentially transforming software development into a form of art.

Leverage is back for mining cos.?

Miner Weekly • 19 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
💼 Business Regulation Financial Corporate Hardware Finance
  1. Recent Bitcoin market rally is reviving interest in leverage for mining companies like Northern Data.
  2. Public mining companies have been deleveraging since Q3’22 but are now making moves like securing unsecured debt facilities and reorganization plans.
  3. Upcoming earnings calls for mining companies reveal varied growth estimations based on production capacities and changing market conditions.

“It Just Struck Me As Wrong.” Kyle Wiens on Apple’s War on Customer Repair and the Birth of iFixit

Fight to Repair • 59 implied HN points • 15 May 22
🕹 Technology Repair Apple Podcast Right-to-repair
  1. Kyle Wiens founded iFixit after being inspired by Apple's restrictive behavior towards repair information, leading to a global right to repair movement.
  2. Wiens saw the need for individuals to have access to repair information not provided by manufacturers, sparking the creation of iFixit's platform for user-generated service manuals.
  3. The journey towards establishing the right to repair involved challenges, learnings about the influence of corporations, and ongoing efforts in various states to pass right to repair laws.

The Mathematical Capabilities of ChatGPT.

Deep-Tech Newsletter • 39 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Mathematics Innovation Development AI Research
  1. Recently published research suggests that ChatGPT's mathematical abilities are below those of an average mathematics graduate student.
  2. There is skepticism that large language models like ChatGPT will lead to Artificial General Intelligence due to their poor mathematical reasoning performance.
  3. ChatGPT has been subject to criticisms and shortcomings, with some considering it less innovative and revolutionary compared to expectations.

My writing robot

Kyle Chayka Industries • 127 implied HN points • 15 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI Digital technology AI Tools AI writing
  1. Artificial intelligence is becoming more integrated into our lives, used for tasks like writing and answering questions.
  2. AI tools can mimic a person's style but struggle to create original content or meaningful arguments.
  3. Working with AI for writing may not be as efficient or satisfying, especially for deep thinking and knowledge synthesis.

The Tech Buffet #11: Ruff - A Blazing Fast Linter and Code Formatter For Python

The Tech Buffet • 19 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Development Tools Open Source Programming Software
  1. Ruff is a Python linter and formatter that is much faster than other tools, making it great for big projects. It can speed up how developers work on their code.
  2. It works well with modern Python and supports a lot of rules, which helps keep code consistent and error-free. Plus, it can fix issues by itself.
  3. Ruff is easy to install and use, and you can set it up with your project settings. If you want a better coding experience, Ruff is a tool to consider.

OpenAI Deep Research Explains Itself

From the New World • 26 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
🕹 Technology AI Software Data science Hardware Machine Learning
  1. AI hardware has evolved significantly, from early specialized chips to powerful GPUs and TPUs. These advancements make training AI models much faster and more efficient.
  2. The design of algorithms, especially with transformers, has greatly improved AI's ability to understand and generate language. These models can now learn complex patterns that were hard to capture before.
  3. Building and maintaining large AI systems requires careful planning and practices. Companies need efficient workflows and monitoring systems to manage data, hardware, and software effectively.

Saturday 25th November, 2023 - Passing the Baton of Chaos (Issue #142)

Mark Smith’s Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 25 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Podcasts Blockchain Simulation Social media
  1. The baton of chaos shifted from Elon Musk and social media to OpenAI, causing a frenzy globally.
  2. Amid the chaos, significant developments in banking, society, social media renaissance, and reality simulation were happening.
  3. Podcasts covered topics like Bitcoin for banking failures, AI and regulatory capture, and the impact of software in government and technology.

Fight to Repair Daily: Friday, September 23, 2022

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 23 Sep 22
💼 Business Right-to-repair
  1. A National 'Right to Repair' Bill is unlikely in the U.S. due to limited interest from lawmakers and challenges with a split congress.
  2. Progress on right to repair legislation is slow, but there is increased interest from federal lawmakers.
  3. Connecting with right to repair is more effective when framed in everyday material terms, like broken tractors, to resonate with people.

Beyond Dunbar

Philip’s Newsletter • 24 implied HN points • 25 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Community Building Networking Social media Privacy
  1. Tech can help people build trust and connect more in local communities. By using technology, we can find out who we have in common with others, making it easier to meet new friends.
  2. Having groups, like school alumni or local clubs, helps establish trust between strangers. If we create safe online spaces for these groups, it can strengthen our connections with others.
  3. Sharing locations securely with close friends can enhance trust. With the right technology, we can let friends know where we are without compromising our privacy.

A benefit greater yet

Model Thinking • 39 implied HN points • 06 Nov 22
💰 Finance Economics Policy Analysis Healthcare Government spending Population
  1. Optimal population subsidies can differ greatly based on the discount rate assumption, with the model showing notable variations between a 5% and a 7% discount rate.
  2. There's evidence of a non-linear relationship between fertility rates and income, with high-income groups having more children in some cases, impacting population growth predictions.
  3. The marginal benefit of a birth is suggested to increase rapidly with population growth and discounts rates, leading to implications concerning government spending priorities and possible optimization opportunities.

307 Cybersecurity Exhibitors at Black Hat 2025

The Security Industry • 10 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Venture Capital Industry Trends Data Analysis Exhibitions Cybersecurity
  1. At Black Hat 2025, there will be 307 exhibitors focusing on cybersecurity. This event gives you a chance to meet many of the top vendors in the industry.
  2. These cybersecurity vendors have received over $43 billion in funding, showing the industry's rapid growth and strong investment interest.
  3. Despite global challenges, the number of exhibitors remains steady compared to last year. This indicates that companies still want to participate and showcase their solutions.

Impartial giving, a la Effective Alturism, is not a politically neutral idea (v. short)

Philosophy bear • 78 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Political theory Right-wing Ethics
  1. Leftwing respondents were more likely to display ethical impartiality, showing a strong association between politics and impartial altruism.
  2. Effective Altruism's self-image as neutral or centrist is contradicted by the political alignment of EA survey respondents.
  3. Impartial compassion manifests differently between left and right political ideologies, with rightwing individuals more likely to reject impartiality.

Humility in leadership

Sunday Letters • 99 implied HN points • 24 Apr 22
💼 Business Strategy Leadership Organizational Teamwork Management
  1. Leadership should be about helping others, not just about personal achievement. Think about how you can support your team instead of just focusing on being at the top.
  2. An inverted org chart can help visualize leadership as a service. Instead of one person at the top, imagine the leader at the bottom, supporting the team that does the work.
  3. Making decisions in leadership requires humility. It's important to delegate and build trust, as this creates a more effective and supportive team environment.

Under the microscope: MDK (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 29 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Console gaming Video Games Cheat Codes Game Development Programming
  1. MDK has hidden cheat codes that many players might not know about, adding more fun to the gameplay.
  2. Some codes need to be unlocked with other specific codes to work, which can change game mechanics and visuals significantly.
  3. Finding these codes involves programming and testing various button combinations, which can be a fun challenge for enthusiasts.

How the UK AI Safety Summit Can Make AI Safer: A Single Policy Proposal

Eva’s Substack • 19 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Regulation International Collaboration Safety measures AI
  1. The UK AI Safety Summit aims to address risks from powerful AI systems and create national and international AI regulation.
  2. A proposed key principle is to monitor and control the use of computational resources for advanced AI to reduce risks.
  3. Another suggestion is to establish a concrete threshold for compute usage above which AI development should be restricted or prohibited, paving the way for international AI regulations.