The hottest Engineering Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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How did places like Bell Labs know how to ask the right questions?

FreakTakes • 30 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. New science orgs should aim to combine the positive aspects of both applied and basic research.
  2. Applied and basic research distinctions are sometimes arbitrary, with some projects blurring the lines between the two.
  3. Institutions like Bell Labs successfully managed research by selecting profitable courses that satisfied both basic and applied research needs.

October 2024 Update

Maker News • 7 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. This October update includes fun Halloween-themed projects like a DIY smart pumpkin and an anti-social pumpkin.
  2. There are interesting articles to read about reverse engineering tech like a fighter plane's indicator and headphones.
  3. The update encourages sharing the newsletter with friends and highlights various tech projects to explore.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

How We Drive Developer Productivity at Yelp | with Kent Wills, Director of Engineering, Engineering Effectiveness at Yelp

platocommunity • 2 HN points • 25 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Engineering Effectiveness at Yelp aims to boost engineering capacity through organizational efficiency, working on projects to enhance workflows and systems, like 'paved paths' inspired by Netflix.
  2. Yelp dealt with challenges like transitioning from a monolith to a service-oriented architecture, focusing on issues such as maintaining consistent styles, testing across service boundaries, and facilitating migrations.
  3. The current state of Yelp's Engineering Effectiveness involves supporting web development, improving language support, automating code migrations, and prioritizing better observability of debt and engineering value.

Troubleshooting 101: Possibility Spaces and Proxies

Load-bearing Tomato • 5 implied HN points • 10 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. When facing a problem, break it down into smaller pieces to see what might be causing it. This way, you can quickly rule out big areas and find the real issue.
  2. Always remember that tools and data can sometimes be misleading. It's important to check the real situation and not just trust what you see on the screen.
  3. Keep track of what you've already validated in your troubleshooting process. Rechecking things that are already confirmed can waste a lot of time.

MakerNews - June 2023

Maker News • 22 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. June 2023 newsletter is packed with exciting video content
  2. Learn about analog to digital conversion and chip scanning
  3. Discover innovative DIY electronics projects and advancements in technology

Structured rollouts boost Copilot adoption and satisfaction

Engineering Enablement • 6 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. A structured rollout of tools like Copilot can significantly improve user satisfaction and adoption, with increases seen by up to 20%.
  2. Training and support during the rollout process lead to better tool usage, helping teams realize the full benefits of their tools.
  3. Creating community spaces for users to share experiences and asking for feedback can enhance overall satisfaction and engagement with the tool.

Why didn't DeepMind build GPT3?

Root Nodes • 26 HN points • 27 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. OpenAI released impressive products like GPT3, Dalle-2, and ChatGPT, reshaping perceptions of machine learning capabilities.
  2. GPT3 lacked a clear evaluation metric, diverging from past AI challenges like Go or Protein Folding.
  3. OpenAI's focus on building practical AI systems led to a different team structure and innovation strategy compared to academic machine learning.

The Pragmatic Engineer Podcast Interview + other updates

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 6 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The host shared insights from a podcast interview about how Google operates and tips for getting promoted in big tech. It's a great resource if you're trying to grow your career in tech.
  2. They recently gave a keynote speech at a conference in Germany, discussing how to lead teams effectively even when resources are limited. Public speaking can be a powerful way to share knowledge.
  3. A yearly survey is open for subscribers to provide feedback and potentially win cash prizes. It's a fun way to help shape the content and direction of the newsletter.

✳✴❇ Behavioural Science, Better Data Engineering & Timnit Gebru’s New Institute

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 05 Dec 21
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Behavioral science can improve how data engineering is done. Understanding how people think and behave helps create better tech solutions.
  2. There’s a new hackathon for data scientists featuring a challenge to predict loan defaults. It has already attracted over 1,000 participants.
  3. A conference for machine learning developers will be held in-person in Bangalore. It's a great opportunity to learn and connect with others in the field.

The End of Software, Long Live Software

Chaos Engineering • 5 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI Agents are changing how we think about software. They are smart programs that can do tasks for us, but we still need humans to help out to make sure everything runs smoothly.
  2. Using AI to create software can make things cheaper, but it also makes the software more complex. As we rely on AI, we need to ensure we can trust it to work reliably.
  3. Data is super important for AI to work well. We need to collect good quality data to train these AI Agents so they can do their jobs effectively and produce accurate results.

Everything Wrong With: "Illumina: The Measurement Monopoly" Part 4/8

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. The term 'TechBio' may seem superficial, but technology development in biology is complex and involves a mix of disciplines.
  2. The first qPCR machine from 1992 involved intricate instrumentation like photomultiplier tubes and a variety of electronic components.
  3. The development of technology in biology requires navigating complexity and balancing biochemistry and detection techniques to meet market demands.

Polymath Engineer Weekly #63

Polymath Engineer Weekly • 15 implied HN points • 03 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The article discusses different types of requests to Slack and their handling by Edge Services.
  2. Experimenting with new coding approaches may initially seem beneficial but can lead to productivity issues in the long run.
  3. The post explores the concept of following predetermined paths in life versus pursuing entrepreneurship.

Sort Product Update – July 2024

Database Engineering by Sort • 7 implied HN points • 01 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Sort now has a Change Requests feature that lets users propose fixes to their data, similar to GitHub's Pull Requests. It's designed to help teams review and apply changes easily.
  2. Users can safely make changes to their Postgres databases using this new feature, which is great for managers and tech leads.
  3. The Sort platform has also seen improvements, including bug fixes and updated pricing to reflect its features better.

One MILLION Stories!

Something interesting • 4 implied HN points • 28 Nov 24
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Building a skyscraper with a million stories would be huge. It would have to cover a massive area and be taller than any building we have today.
  2. Elevators in such a tall building would take forever to reach the top. They might need to be super advanced and comfortable, like mini-hotels.
  3. The universe is really big, and we are very small. Even the tallest buildings are tiny compared to the whole Earth and space around us.

The Future of Large Scale Open Source AI

Chaos Engineering • 3 implied HN points • 19 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Kubeflow is an important open-source tool for making AI and machine learning easier and more scalable. It helps developers build and manage their AI projects more effectively.
  2. The Steering Committee aims to increase the use of Kubeflow by collaborating with companies and improving user-friendly features. They want to ensure that more people can use and enjoy the platform.
  3. Open-source AI tools are becoming very important as the technology grows. Focus on building strong communities and good support will help everyone succeed in using AI effectively.

Why is it so hard to build a quantum computer?

More is Different • 3 implied HN points • 18 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Building a quantum computer is very tricky because qubits are sensitive to their environment. If they interact with other things, they can lose their special state, making it hard to perform calculations.
  2. There are different types of quantum computers like trapped ion, superconducting, and photonic, each with its own challenges and advantages. For example, superconducting qubits need to be kept super cold, while photonic qubits work at room temperature but have their own difficulties in control.
  3. Current technology has big hurdles to overcome for scaling quantum computers up to the millions of qubits needed for practical use. Many experts think we might not easily reach such high numbers due to these challenges.

Stick to boring architecture for as long as possible.

Elevate • 1 HN point • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Stick to well-established, 'boring' technologies at the start of a project and only use new, exciting tech when it significantly adds value.
  2. Avoid the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in technology decisions - prioritize solutions that solve specific problems and enhance your product.
  3. Focus on delivering value with software by keeping user needs at the forefront, rather than getting lost in the latest tools and technologies.

Rabbit Holes 🕳️ #60

Creative Destruction • 9 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Engineering
  1. The Slow Revolution is about embracing a lifestyle with enoughness and meaningful nourishment.
  2. Viewing our consumption habits as a form of addiction sheds light on the need for a therapeutic approach to promote sustainable living.
  3. Degrowth Engineering suggests reimagining how engineers design products within the limits of economic, human, and ecological needs.

Satellite receivers

Only Wonder Knows • 2 HN points • 12 May 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Satellite receivers use a device called Low Noise Block (LNB) to amplify signals from satellites.
  2. Satellite reception projects involve intricate components like amplifiers, mixers, and oscillators.
  3. The functionality of a satellite receiver is controlled by factors such as polarization selection and band choice.

An Fc engineering approach that modulates antibody-dependent cytokine release without altering cell-killing functions

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. An innovative Fc engineering approach can adjust antibody-dependent cytokine release without impacting cell-killing functions. This shows that manipulating cytokine release independently is possible.
  2. Different IgG isotypes have varying abilities to stimulate proinflammatory cytokine release. This indicates the importance of isotype selection beyond just cytotoxicity.
  3. Engineering antibodies to selectively engage FcγRs can potentially enhance immune responses. This opens up new possibilities for optimizing antibody immunotherapies against cancer.

Product and Platform Engineers

Optimism (for the web) • 10 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Frontend developers are no longer just writing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  2. Backend developers are often faced with choosing between writing more frontend code or focusing on software infrastructure.
  3. Product Engineers work on creating great user experiences while Platform Engineers focus on supporting the product's infrastructure.

Appendixxel

Tigerfeathers! • 3 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Satellites are like little robots that orbit Earth, collecting data and images from space. They are placed in different orbits depending on their purpose, such as communications or imaging.
  2. Building satellites involves carefully balancing many factors like weight, power, and resolution. Companies like Pixxel make their own satellites around specialized cameras to maximize their capabilities.
  3. Getting a satellite into space requires rockets and a lot of planning to ensure they reach the right orbit safely. After launch, the satellite needs to stabilize and start working correctly to send valuable data back to Earth.

The 11th MUTCD is Exactly What We Should Expect...

Exasperated Infrastructures • 7 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
📰 News Engineering
  1. The 11th edition of the MUTCD addresses the need for updated road safety measures but lacks clear accountability processes.
  2. The controversial '85th percentile speed trap' rule in the MUTCD has received criticism for rewarding law-breaking behavior.
  3. The new version of the MUTCD includes factors like pedestrian activity in speed limit determinations, but lacks clear definitions and enforcement mechanisms.

Invisible Engineering

Fish Food for Thought • 10 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Engineering work that goes unnoticed is crucial for keeping systems running smoothly.
  2. Leaders should do a better job at highlighting the importance of hidden work within organizations.
  3. Understanding and appreciating invisible work is essential for effective management and smooth operations.

I left AI Research to build an AI Startup. Here is what I learned.

Oleksii Sidorov • 10 HN points • 14 Feb 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. In real life, business cares more about whether your AI solution solves a problem than about complex models or theories.
  2. Simplicity often wins in AI solutions - using what you understand well and can deploy quickly can be more effective than complex algorithms.
  3. Understanding the problem domain deeply and focusing on impact rather than endless research is crucial for successful AI projects.

Understanding The Monte Carlo Method

Photon-Lines Substack • 6 HN points • 20 Jul 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. The Monte Carlo method uses random sampling to estimate complex mathematical results or simulate probabilistic events.
  2. It is applicable in various fields like finance, physics, engineering, risk analysis, environmental modeling, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.
  3. The method involves generating a large number of random samples to approximate outcomes when exact solutions are difficult to obtain analytically.

KAKHOVKA DAM DESTRUCTION

Black Mountain Analysis • 1 HN point • 08 Jun 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. The dam collapse was likely caused by a combination of human factors and events such as shelling, water pressure buildup, and vibrations.
  2. The destruction of the dam had significant strategic implications for both Ukraine and Russia, impacting military operations, civilian populations, and environmental factors.
  3. The technical aspects of dam design, including the sluice gates, were critical in understanding how the dam was damaged and the potential consequences of the breach.

Fusion Startup Spotlight: Realta Fusion

Fusion Hub • 1 HN point • 11 Aug 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. High temperature superconducting magnets revolutionizing magnetic fusion energy for commercialization
  2. Fusion startup Realta Fusion focusing on industrial process heat market initially, aiming for cost-effective energy production
  3. Realta Fusion collaborating with CFS to use HTS magnets on simple mirror reactor design for cheaper and more efficient fusion energy

Perception Shaping

software + caffeine = blog • 1 HN point • 31 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. SRE should shape engineering's perception of reality through accountability and visibility.
  2. SRE should be a lifeline for other engineering teams, prioritizing help and mentoring.
  3. SRE should focus on creating conduits with management rather than enforcing rules, understanding priorities, and coaching executives.

Wonders of our World #3: Undersea Cables

Of All Trades • 6 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Undersea cables are critical for global communication, commerce, and collaboration, carrying majority of international data traffic.
  2. The evolution of undersea cables from telegraph to fiber-optic technology has significantly increased data capacity, reliability, and speed.
  3. The undersea cable network is a remarkable feat of human engineering, showcasing global interconnectedness and the importance of unseen digital infrastructure.

The “Bus Test” Considered Harmful

Rethinking Software • 2 HN points • 03 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The 'bus test' checks if a company can function without a specific person. If they can't, their idea is often rejected. But this test can stifle creativity and good ideas.
  2. Believing every employee is replaceable can hurt a company's innovation. Unique contributions should be valued, as they help a company grow and stay competitive.
  3. Encouraging unique ideas instead of over-standardizing processes can motivate employees. When people feel appreciated for their creativity, they are less likely to leave the organization.