The hottest Science Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

Will We Become Hunter-Gatherers Again?

The Digital Anthropologist • 0 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🔬 Science Anthropology Technology Wealth Distribution Egalitarianism
  1. The concept of becoming hunter-gatherers again in the future is speculated due to integrating technology and redefining what it means to be a hunter-gatherer.
  2. As digital technologies evolve and become invisible, we might shift towards hunting for experiences and gathering knowledge and ideas.
  3. Hunter-gatherer societies are often more egalitarian, encouraging communal wealth distribution and democratic engagement, hinting at potential changes in societal structures.

Disputable Science

A Natural Language • 0 implied HN points • 10 Mar 23
🔬 Science Climate Environment Data Analysis
  1. Natural phenomena like desertification can often be explained by factors such as land stewardship and natural variability rather than solely climate change.
  2. Environmental crises like extinction and overfishing may be more effectively managed by focusing on creating toxin-free habitats and sustainable growing systems.
  3. Human activities like poor water management and forest practices significantly contribute to natural disasters like floods and wildfires.

Từ đại số đến Bitcoin: 26, Fermat và tôi

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 15 Jul 14
🔬 Science Mathematics Algebra Number Theory Cryptography
  1. 26 is a unique natural number sandwiched between a square and a cube, a discovery by Fermat, a notable French mathematician.
  2. Euler's proof on Fermat's equation $y^2 = x^3 - 2$ showcases the power of abstract algebra and group theory in solving complex mathematical problems.
  3. Understanding algebraic structures like groups, rings, and unique factorization plays a crucial role in various fields, from cryptography to machine learning.

On Humans And Our Love of Data

The Digital Anthropologist • 0 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
🔬 Science Data Mathematics Technology Statistics History
  1. Our brains love patterns, math, and language to comprehend the world and shape realities.
  2. Humans have a deep-rooted history of creating, analyzing, and utilizing data for various purposes throughout civilizations.
  3. Data, when transformed into information and knowledge, holds significant value and potential for enhancing human evolution and species advancement.

Chemical warfare against the common cold

The Quack Doctor • 0 implied HN points • 14 Jun 24
🔬 Science Chemistry Medicine History Therapy Research
  1. US Chemical Warfare Service experimented with chlorine for treating respiratory infections, like colds, and saw promising results in the 1920s
  2. Chlorine treatment gained initial popularity post-World War I but faced criticism for lack of control groups and evidence of effectiveness
  3. Commercial products like the 'Kilacold Chlorine Bomb' were promoted for treating various illnesses but eventually dwindled in use due to shifting priorities and lack of scientific support
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Running AMOC

Surfing the Future • 0 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🔬 Science Climate Oceanography Research Risk
  1. The ocean/atmosphere system is already changing, and latest studies suggest these changes may have dire implications for the world.
  2. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is at risk of an abrupt shift that could impact global climate regulation.
  3. An article on this topic is recommended reading for political, business leaders, and investors globally.

Exploring the depths: Uncovering the mysteries of the sea

Weekend Collection • 0 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🔬 Science Oceanography Marine life History Exploration
  1. Explorers have delved deep into the ocean to uncover hidden wonders like bioluminescent creatures and coral forests.
  2. Books and articles have explored sea monsters, mermaid sightings, and sunken ships to reveal intriguing mysteries.
  3. Interesting studies exist about topics like slime's history and the first man who swam across the English Channel.

More first order systems

Only Wonder Knows • 0 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
🔬 Science Systems Mathematics
  1. Linear time-invariant systems are characterized by impulse or step response and frequency response.
  2. Measurement of systems is done using step response and response to sinusoids of different frequencies.
  3. First order systems are characterized by gain at zero frequency and either time constant or corner frequency.

Links #2

Splitting Infinity • 0 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
🔬 Science Energy Microbiology Genetics Biotechnology Health
  1. Proximity to friends can enhance happiness; a startup is aiding in buying houses near friends for this reason.
  2. People tend to use tools to act more rationally, shown by the study on people's behavior and commitment systems.
  3. Generosity exists even with high financial stakes; many spend significant amounts on others and charities when given money.

Modular Peptide Nanotechnology

Splitting Infinity • 0 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
🔬 Science Nanotechnology Proteins Energy Efficiency
  1. Proteins can be used in nanotechnology for various functions like constructing structures and manipulating light.
  2. Designing peptides separately for specific roles can speed up the protein design process by reducing costs and enhancing iteration capabilities.
  3. Combining specialized peptides into modular proteins offers new functionalities like staining cancer cells or filtering specific molecules from wastewater.

Links #3

Splitting Infinity • 0 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
🔬 Science Biology Physics Engineering Computing Research
  1. The use of genetically modified neurons to improve MRI imaging of the brain by producing protein-based contrast agents is an intriguing idea.
  2. Real hedge funds do not seem to use certain advanced algorithms for portfolio selection despite proven performance improvement.
  3. FPGA's are versatile hardware that can be programmed for various computational tasks and have applications in fields like antennas, random number generation, and hardware security.

The Public Goods Funding Landscape

Splitting Infinity • 0 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
🔬 Science Cryptocurrency Public Goods Funding Cryptography
  1. Public goods are resources that are nonexcludable and nonrivalrous, and modern technology is making some private goods resemble public goods.
  2. Mechanisms for funding public goods face challenges like the free-rider problem and impossibility theorems regarding efficiency, incentive compatibility, individual rationality, and budget balance.
  3. Different mechanisms like assurance contracts, Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanism, quadratic funding, lotteries, and the Lindahl process aim to address the public goods funding problem, each with its own strengths and challenges.

How Planes Take Off, Cruise, and Land: A Few Surprising Numbers

Kartick’s Blog • 0 implied HN points • 20 Nov 25
🔬 Science Aerospace Physics Engineering Mathematics Travel
  1. Planes take off and land at speeds between 250 and 310 kph. In places like Bangalore, the altitude makes the takeoff speed a bit faster because the air is thinner.
  2. When cruising, planes fly at around 39 to 41 thousand feet and can travel at speeds of about 800 kph. From up there, you can even see highways on clear days.
  3. Planes begin to descend over 200 kilometers before landing. Once they go below 10,000 feet, it usually takes just over 9 minutes to touch down.

Are you risking your income without even knowing it? Shocking truth that's affecting life.

The Tweetsift Report • 0 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🔬 Science Economics Risk Analysis
  1. Subjective earnings risk is the worry about not making enough money in the future, even when doing well now.
  2. Federal Reserve study shows people may underestimate the risk of earning less in the future, especially when changing jobs.
  3. Young and low earning workers are at higher risk of not evaluating their subjective earnings risks and need to be cautious in career choices.

Issues with MATH()

The Irregular Voice • 0 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
🔬 Science Mathematics Evaluation Language Models
  1. Some math problems in the MATH() dataset have incorrect answers marked during evaluation, possibly due to bugs in question generation or solution calculation code.
  2. Certain math problems in the MATH() dataset are overly complex, requiring lengthy computations or involving very large numbers, making them challenging for un-augmented language models.
  3. The MATH() dataset includes math problems with arithmetic or factorization involving extremely large numbers, which may not accurately test a language model's mathematical reasoning ability.

Đường đến Galois

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 04 Nov 15
🔬 Science Mathematics Algebra Group Theory
  1. When working with polynomial equations with complex roots, Galois theory provides a powerful tool to understand and solve them.
  2. Field extensions, such as adding roots of numbers to the rational field, play a key role in finding all roots of a polynomial.
  3. Galois theory reveals the importance of group theory in understanding the symmetries and roots of polynomial equations.

Linear regression and the least squares problem

The Palindrome • 0 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🔬 Science Mathematics Machine Learning
  1. Linear regression can be optimized by hand, especially for single variable models where the loss function is simple.
  2. Gradient descent for linear regression can be like using a cannonball to shoot a sparrow, due to the simplicity of the loss function.
  3. Premium subscribers of The Palindrome can access exclusive content and chapters of 'Mathematics of Machine Learning' for an in-depth education.

A Whirlwind Tour of Galois Theory

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 06 Nov 15
🔬 Science Algebra Group Theory
  1. Learning complex mathematical theories like Galois Theory can be accessible and engaging through practical problem-solving and exploring related topics.
  2. Understanding the concepts and applications of field extensions and automorphisms is crucial in grasping the fundamental ideas of Galois Theory.
  3. Galois Theory provides powerful tools to solve mathematical problems, such as finding the minimal polynomial with specific roots, and has practical implications in fields like cryptography.

$i^i$

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 10 Jan 16
🔬 Science Mathematics
  1. The imaginary number $i$ has a square of $-1$ and when raised to the power of $i$, it yields approximately 0.2, an unexpected real number result.
  2. Euler's identity is a beautiful and seemingly magical equation that involves $e$, $i$, $ extit{ extbf{ extgreek{π}}}$, $0$, and $1$, which are all fundamental mathematical constants.
  3. Leonhard Euler, a prolific mathematician, produced an incredible amount of work under challenging circumstances, with impressive achievements and contributions to mathematics.

A mythology of progressing intelligence

Meaningful Particulars • 0 implied HN points • 24 Nov 23
🔬 Science Language Intelligence Artificial Intelligence Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Condillac's fable illustrates the origins of language through natural cries associated with objects.
  2. Herder disagreed, emphasizing that language involves intention and understanding, not just responses to signs.
  3. Human intelligence is qualitatively different due to reflective self-awareness and language, challenging the idea of a ladder of progress.

OLMo: Accelerating the Science of Language Models

Gonzo ML • 0 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🔬 Science Language Models Research Open Source Training Evaluation
  1. OLMo is an open language model created by Allen AI, differentiating itself by being completely open-source including logs, checkpoints, and evaluation scripts under the Apache 2.0 License.
  2. OLMo comprises three models: 1B, 7B, and 65B, demonstrating improvements in classic transformer decoders similar to GPT, such as specific tokenization for PII and non-parametric layer normalization.
  3. OLMo was trained on data from their own dataset Dolma with plans to expand beyond English, showcasing their training process with PyTorch FSDP and evaluation using their benchmark Paloma and the Catwalk framework.

When It Was Night in Bhubaneswar but Sunset in Bangalore

Kartick’s Blog • 0 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🔬 Science Astronomy Earth Science Physics Scientific Method Science Education Observation
  1. Because the Earth rotates, places farther east see night sooner — Bhubaneswar was already dark while Bangalore was still at sunset.
  2. Seeing such moments firsthand turns dry book facts into a living, fascinating experience and makes the world feel full of small wonders.
  3. A core idea of science is verifiability: being able to check a theory's predictions yourself builds trust in those ideas.

Giải trí^H^H^Htoán cuối tuần

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 06 Jun 16
🔬 Science Mathematics Logic Problem Solving
  1. The author recalls enjoying solving math problems as a child but never had one published, reminiscing about a math professor who is now a professor in the US
  2. The author recently discovered a math test and attempted to solve a problem involving finding integer solutions and another that required rearranging numbers in a specific way, providing multiple solutions
  3. The author shares a strategy for rearranging numbers to satisfy a given condition, showcasing a step-by-step approach to solve the problem and inviting readers to explore different methods

Thursday Curiosity Links

Grist Potentia • 0 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🔬 Science History Research Art Technology
  1. Joseph Schumpeter popularized the term 'creative destruction' and emphasized the role of entrepreneurship in capitalism.
  2. Researchers are studying the ancient partnership between moss and fungi.
  3. There is ongoing discussion about whether science is considered a public good.

Autonomous Labs: How AI Could Reshape Scientific Discovery

philsiarri • 0 implied HN points • 14 Aug 25
🔬 Science AI Research Innovation Technology Experimentation
  1. AI can help run labs with less human help, making experiments faster and more efficient. This opens up new possibilities for research that we haven't explored yet.
  2. Robotics and machine learning work together in these labs to analyze data in real-time. This helps scientists get results faster and improve their discoveries.
  3. As AI-driven labs become more common, they could change how we do science and lead to new types of breakthroughs in various fields.

The Manis Mastodon

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 0 implied HN points • 22 Jul 21
🔬 Science Paleontology Archaeology History Geology Anthropology
  1. The Manis Mastodon is a significant archaeological site where a mastodon was found with a projectile point embedded in its rib, suggesting early human hunting around 13,800 years ago.
  2. Another discovery of bison bones on Orcas Island showed signs of butchering, providing more evidence that ancient humans hunted large animals for food.
  3. Some scientists are skeptical about the human connection to these finds, suggesting that the animals could have died from natural causes or other means, not necessarily human actions.

Lecture 7

Quantum Formalism • 0 implied HN points • 30 Oct 20
🔬 Science Quantum physics
  1. Lecture 7 covers Linear Operators 101 - Part 2.
  2. The session materials, including lecture slides and community links, are available online for reference.
  3. The YouTube channel provided offers video content for this session.

Hot Topics #20 (Mar. 1, 2023)

The Merge • 0 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🔬 Science Deep Learning Neural Networks
  1. Protein design using deep learning techniques to create custom biocatalysts
  2. Efficient de novo protein design through relaxed sequence space for better computational efficiency
  3. Improving robotic learning with corrective augmentation through NeRF for better manipulation policies

Are LLMs like bees?

Boris Again • 0 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🔬 Science Animals Consciousness Artificial Intelligence Language Communication
  1. Bees use a complex non-verbal language to communicate precise information like the location of food.
  2. Bees can operate with complex concepts but do not understand their essence or think abstractly like humans.
  3. The comparison between LLMs and bees raises questions about whether LLMs operate with concepts but lack true understanding or deep knowledge.

Nhật ký trong nhà: điểm tin khoa học

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 20
🔬 Science Traditional Medicine
  1. The origin of the coronavirus is believed to be linked to bats, which raises concerns about potential infections and superhero-like transformations.
  2. Watching movies with low ratings can still be a disappointing experience, like the film Contagion, illustrating the importance of quality selection.
  3. Amidst crisis, the urgency for quick action and decisiveness is highlighted, contrasting the slow pace of scientific developments and the need for expedited solutions.

Electricity

Barn Lab • 0 implied HN points • 21 May 23
🔬 Science Electricity Transformers
  1. Generators produce electricity when a wire is present within a magnetic field, requiring movement or change for electrical output.
  2. Transformers modify AC by increasing or decreasing voltage and amperage without moving parts, crucial for transmitting energy efficiently.
  3. Capacitors store electrical charge and can act as filters, allowing the passage of AC while blocking DC, useful for various applications like frequency filtering.

The Limits of the Existence Proof Argument for General Intelligence

Amadeus Pagel's Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🔬 Science Artificial Intelligence General Intelligence Simulation
  1. The existence proof argument for general intelligence is not conclusive because the existence of something does not prove it can be perfectly simulated by a computer.
  2. Concerns about artificial intelligence should not be based on the assumption that it would be fundamentally different from human intelligence.
  3. The existence of one thing does not prove the possibility of a fundamentally different thing.

Flexures and Compliant Mechanisms

Barn Lab • 0 implied HN points • 05 Mar 23
🔬 Science Compliance Robotics
  1. Flexures and compliant mechanisms are designed to provide flexibility and compliance in systems.
  2. Compliant mechanisms can transmit forces without introducing errors if kept under control.
  3. Flexures are used in various applications like robotics, MEMS, and optical systems for improved precision and durability.

Predictive Processing: A Brief Introduction

State Space Adventures • 0 implied HN points • 01 Jun 21
🔬 Science Neuroscience Psychology Medicine
  1. The brain might function predominantly as an organ of prediction, shaping perceptions and actions based on anticipated information and prediction errors.
  2. The growth in interest around predictive processing has been substantial, with a surge in published papers and general attention starting around 2010.
  3. Neuromodulators like acetylcholine, noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin play key roles in determining the level of precision on how our brain processes sensory information, impacting perception and behavior.

AI has unblocked progress toward advanced nanotechnologies

AI Prospects: Toward Global Goal Convergence • 0 implied HN points • 31 Mar 24
🔬 Science Deep Learning Protein engineering Artificial Intelligence
  1. AI, particularly deep learning, has enabled breakthroughs in protein engineering, paving the way for advanced nanotechnologies.
  2. Transformative nanotechnologies will bring about atomically-precise fabrication, scalable products, high-throughput processing, and wide-ranging applications in various fields like medicine, spaceflight, carbon capture, and computation.
  3. AI is key in driving progress towards transformative nanotechnologies, with physically manifested digital revolutions that will revolutionize how we create things in the material world.

अलकनंदा दीर्घिकेचा शोध एवढा महत्त्वाचा का?

FutureIQ • 0 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🔬 Science Astronomy Astrophysics Cosmology Science communication
  1. A large, well-formed two-armed spiral galaxy was seen as it looked about 12 billion years ago, meaning it already existed only ~1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
  2. This is surprising because standard galaxy-formation theories predict such ordered spiral structures need roughly 3–4 billion years to form, so the finding challenges and may require revisions to those models.
  3. The galaxy was identified by carefully analyzing publicly available infrared space-telescope data, illustrating how open data and modern analysis methods can reveal unexpected and important discoveries about the early universe.

अलकनंदा आकाशगङ्गा की खोज इतनी महत्वपूर्ण क्यों है?

FutureIQ • 0 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🔬 Science Astronomy Cosmology Astrophysics Data Analysis
  1. A well-formed two-armed spiral galaxy called Alaknanda was observed at redshift z≈4, meaning we see it as it was about 12 billion years ago — only ~1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
  2. The galaxy’s mature disk and clear spiral arms so early in cosmic history conflict with current models that predict such structures need about 3–4 billion years to form, so our theories of galaxy formation need revision or expansion.
  3. The discovery relied on deep JWST infrared data, gravitational lensing, and advanced analysis of public datasets, highlighting how modern instruments and open data can enable unexpected breakthroughs.

The hubris of social scientists

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🔬 Science Social Science Public Policy
  1. Researchers should expand beyond randomized trials in social science evaluations due to the complexity of the social world and challenges in replicating findings.
  2. The 'hubris of social scientists' refers to the overconfidence and limitations in assuming new ideas will succeed, highlighting the commonality of failures in various fields, not just social policy.
  3. Identifying small effects in social science research is difficult due to the high variability across contexts, limitations in sample sizes, and challenges in replicating studies, necessitating a more systematic approach to data collection and policy evaluation.