Erik Explores

Erik Explores Substack delves into software development, space exploration, green energy, and microprocessors with a focus on historical context, technological evolution, and practical applications. The posts examine themes like iterative development, AI emergence, computing history, and hands-on guides for technology usage and understanding.

Software Development Space Exploration Green Energy Microprocessors and Computing History Artificial Intelligence and Its Applications Technology Evolution Practical Technology Guides

The hottest Substack posts of Erik Explores

And their main takeaways

Wehrmacht, Elon Musk and Unix Software Development

122 implied HN points • 03 Feb 23
  1. Different organizations can achieve different outcomes with similar resources by prioritizing quick decision-making and adaptation.
  2. Iterative approaches, such as 'worse is better,' emphasize simplicity, correctness, consistency, and feedback-driven improvement.
  3. Concepts like evolution, the market economy, and lean/agile methods in production systems are examples of how iterative, feedback-based strategies can lead to more successful outcomes.

How Modern AI Arose Accidentally

61 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Art Programming Statistics Training
  1. Modern AI systems like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion arose from solving small, narrowly defined problems.
  2. Today's AI systems are more of an emergent phenomenon rather than meticulously planned for general intelligence.
  3. The key to AI advancements lies in simple, iterative processes based on statistics and probabilities.

How Does a Microprocessor Run a Program?

61 implied HN points • 01 Dec 22
  1. A microprocessor runs a program by fetching, decoding, and executing instructions one by one.
  2. Each instruction goes through steps like fetching from memory, decoding, executing (like arithmetic operations), and writing back results.
  3. Different microprocessors have unique instruction-set architectures (ISAs) that define the available instructions and registers.

Using Ten's Complement to Represent Negative Numbers

61 implied HN points • 21 Nov 22
  1. Computers represent negative numbers using two's complement due to memory constraints
  2. Ten's complement helps understand how computers work with negative numbers without binary knowledge
  3. Ten's complement can be extended to simulate negative numbers in mechanical computation devices
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From Abacus to Microprocessors

61 implied HN points • 20 Nov 22
  1. Modern microprocessors have similarities with old mechanical calculating devices like the Arithmometer in terms of basic operations like addition and subtraction.
  2. Learning about ancient calculating devices like the Abacus can help in understanding the evolution of technology and the big picture in modern computing.
  3. Shift operations, similar to those used in Abacus and mechanical calculators, are also essential in microprocessors to speed up multiplication and division processes.

The Big Rocket Showdown: Falcon 9 vs Neutron

1 HN point • 04 Feb 23
  1. Neutron rocket by Rocket Lab is a strong contender against the Falcon 9 in the rocket launch industry.
  2. The design and material choice of the rockets affect their specifications, performance, and cost.
  3. Neutron aims to reduce infrastructure costs and increase launch frequency for cost-effectiveness.

Working with Skin tones using Blending Ranges

0 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Tutorials
  1. In Affinity Photo, skin tones can be adjusted using blend modes and blending ranges.
  2. Understanding blend modes categories like Darken, Lighten, Color, and Contrast helps in practical applications.
  3. Blending ranges in Affinity Photo are useful for altering skin tones by using techniques like color burn, multiply, and adjusting opacity for different tone ranges.

Understanding Colors for AI Artists

0 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Color Theory Digital Art
  1. To excel in AI art, mastering traditional color models like RGB, CMYK, and HSL is crucial.
  2. Adjusting colors optimally involves steps like tweaking brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, and luminosity.
  3. Different color adjustment layers like Color Balance, HSL, and Selective Color serve specific purposes in photo editing and AI art.

AI Bring Back Analog Interfaces

0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Design Interfaces User Experience
  1. AI technology could bring back physical analog interfaces with buttons, dials, and sliders, allowing for innovative design concepts.
  2. Luxury brands use simple interfaces but signal sophistication through material quality and intricate design, challenging the assumption that simplicity equals low quality.
  3. Tactile feedback from physical interfaces like buttons and dials can be more user-friendly and efficient in tasks like driving and cooking compared to touch-based interfaces, due to the principle of progressive disclosure.

Why Were Computers Invented?

0 implied HN points • 01 Dec 22
  1. Early computers were initially similar to calculators but had the ability to repeat operations conditionally.
  2. Early computer programs could jump back to the beginning and repeat instructions, allowing for automation of data processing.
  3. The development of computers stemmed from the need to automate complex calculations required in fields like ballistics and navigation.

The Calcutron-33 Decimal-Based Computer

0 implied HN points • 03 Dec 22
  1. The Calcutron-33 is a fictional computer working on decimal numbers, offering a learning tool for understanding microprocessors and assembly programming.
  2. A microprocessor is made up of functional units like the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) that perform operations on registers in response to instructions from memory.
  3. Assembly code instructions are decoded by the control unit in a microprocessor, which orchestrates how data flows between functional units through buses.

The Calcutron-33 Instruction-Set

0 implied HN points • 25 Nov 22
  1. Understanding the Calcutron-33 instruction set involves knowing different instructions like INP, BGT, and JMP.
  2. Instructions in Calcutron-33 use mnemonic codes translated to single digit opcode, followed by operands encoded as numbers.
  3. Pseudo instructions in Calcutron-33 are shorthand versions of base instructions and provide ease of writing code with various optimizations.

From Arithmometer to Microprocessors

0 implied HN points • 20 Nov 22
  1. Modern microprocessors use transistors for computations, but old technology like gears and shafts were used for arithmetic operations.
  2. Different mechanical calculators like the Pascaline and Arithmometer performed addition and subtraction using gears with cogs representing digits.
  3. Leibniz wheel and adders were used in mechanical calculators to handle carry operations and work with numbers larger than nine.

Writing Calcutron-33 Assembly Code

0 implied HN points • 02 Dec 22
  1. Install the Calcutron-33 Assembler and Simulator by downloading the binary releases for your operating system
  2. Access example code for programming challenges like Doubler, Equalizer, Maximizer, and Countdown
  3. Use the Calcutron-33 Debugger to step through programs, modify code, and understand machine code translation