The hottest Engineering Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Weekly Dose of Optimism #118

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 119 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Osmo Labs has made a breakthrough in scent teleportation. They can now predict how smells will be based on chemical structures, which could change how we experience scents online.
  2. Semaglutide, a diabetes drug, might help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease. A study shows it significantly reduces the chances of first-time diagnosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.
  3. A company called Physical Intelligence is developing robots that can fold laundry like humans. This could save us from doing tedious chores and allow us to focus on more enjoyable tasks.

Superhuman Powers for Superhero Developers

Ben’s Newsletter • 3 HN points • 06 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Developers face a lot of challenges with technical debt which slows down projects. It's important to address this debt by improving code and reducing dependencies.
  2. AI tools are really helping developers work faster and more efficiently. Many developers are now using AI to help write and debug their code.
  3. Reproducibility and effective tooling are key to a smooth software development process. Using the right tools can save time and make it easier for teams to work together.

Summer haze comes with ink

Vesuvius Challenge • 34 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Researchers are using advanced scanning techniques to read ancient carbonized scrolls. They hope to find ways to read more ink that isn't visible to the naked eye.
  2. They are experimenting with different scanning methods and technologies to better capture the details of the scrolls.
  3. The research team is committed to sharing their findings more often to keep the community updated on their progress.

Revenge of the SVP of Partnerships

Dev Interrupted • 32 implied HN points • 17 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI is changing how we develop software and who gets to build it. More people in a company can now create software, not just engineers.
  2. Companies need to measure productivity by looking at how much value their products deliver, not just how quickly code is written. It's about what customers actually want and need.
  3. To make sure everyone can build safely, organizations should set clear rules and provide tools and training for all employees. This way, everyone can collaborate and innovate effectively.
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Is AI Making Interviews Human-Centric Again?

ppdispatch • 11 implied HN points • 11 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI has changed how companies interview candidates. Instead of focusing on memorized answers, interviews are now looking for real human skills like problem-solving and teamwork.
  2. Architectural debt isn't just about coding problems; it also includes how a business's processes and strategies fit together. Addressing this debt helps avoid risks and improves long-term success.
  3. Silent disagreements in teams can hurt projects and careers. It's important to encourage open communication to uncover any hidden issues and improve team trust.

Using fake deadlines without driving your engineers crazy

Leading Developers • 98 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
💼 Business Engineering
  1. Setting deadlines helps teams focus and improve productivity. When there’s a finish line, people are more likely to get things done quickly.
  2. Involve your team in setting deadlines to avoid frustration. If they help decide what's realistic, they'll feel more committed to meeting the goal.
  3. It's okay to be flexible with deadlines. Sometimes things change, and what's important is clear communication with the team about any adjustments.

Starting off 2024: Invitations for Soft skills & OOP Encapsulation

🔮 Crafting Tech Teams • 39 implied HN points • 02 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. The focus for 2024 is on developing human and soft skills alongside Software Engineering Fundamentals, starting with architecture and design techniques.
  2. The XP disciplines will be covered in February, building on the foundational knowledge of architecture and design.
  3. The importance of human skills alongside technical skills in technology will be discussed in an upcoming stream on Jan 3rd.

Constructing space-filling curves

A Piece of the Pi: mathematics explained • 90 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Space-filling curves, like the Hilbert curve, can fill a whole area by connecting points in a specific way through iterations. They start small and grow by adding more points and connections at each step.
  2. Different seeds can lead to different types of curves. Each seed can be developed using two choices for how to connect the points, leading to many possible variations.
  3. The process used to create these curves can also be reversed. By looking at a curve and breaking it down, you can see how it was made step by step.

I'm back, 2025 is THE year.

Abe • 78 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI technology is advancing quickly and is making tasks easier and faster. Many people are starting to see big benefits from using AI tools in their work.
  2. The focus is shifting from just building products to understanding customer needs first, especially when using AI. It's important to sell the idea before jumping into development.
  3. There is a strong interest in using AI in practical ways to create new business solutions, rather than competing in the complex technical infrastructure of AI. Many are looking for innovative ways to apply AI to solve real-world problems.

A psychology PhD's journey from academe to human factors engineering

The Recovering Academic • 59 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
💼 Business Engineering
  1. Ashley Ruba transitioned successfully from academia to the industry, showcasing the value of building online professional relationships.
  2. The academic job market can be challenging and unmeritocratic, leading to difficulties in securing faculty positions despite impressive achievements.
  3. Ashley Ruba's journey highlights the importance of exploring career options outside of academia, especially when facing challenges like limited job prospects and the impact of external factors.

How to improve developer productivity [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 18 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Learning from the mistakes and successes of others through stories can help in personal and professional development.
  2. Insight from top-tier developers at Google, like Chris Laffra, can provide valuable lessons on improving developer productivity.
  3. Subscribing to resources like Beyond Coding podcast can offer access to high-quality content for continuous learning and growth.

Randomness- A billion dollar problem in Software Engineering [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 22 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Randomness in software engineering introduces unpredictability and can be used for various reasons like generating different outputs and introducing randomness into systems.
  2. Careful consideration is needed when using randomness in software engineering to avoid security risks and unnecessary complexity.
  3. To test the randomness of a system, consider using Diehard tests, which are intuitive and effective in evaluating randomness.

Stubs (I)

Only Wonder Knows • 58 implied HN points • 21 Jul 23
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Stubs in transmission lines can cause reflections and affect signal quality.
  2. The impact of a stub can be minimized by understanding its notch frequencies.
  3. For frequencies below half of the notch frequency, the effect of a stub can be ignored.

The misguided yearning for a better plan

Wednesday Wisdom • 104 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
💼 Business Engineering
  1. Having a better plan isn't the solution; it's all about how well you execute the plan you have. Good results come from good execution, not just a fancy plan.
  2. Many people look for secret techniques to improve, but the truth is that everyone knows what to do. The problem is usually that they just aren't doing it well.
  3. Instead of searching high and low for a better plan, focus on improving how you do what you're already doing. Making small changes in execution can lead to big improvements.

NextSeq 2000 Reagent Reuse

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 25 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Illumina's DNA sequencers, especially the NextSeq 2000, are highly advanced compared to competitors. They have made significant improvements over time, focusing on speed and imaging technology.
  2. The NextSeq 2000 features a unique fluidic system that keeps reagents separate from the instrument, making it more efficient. This system might allow for the reuse of reagents, which is an interesting development.
  3. There's speculation that Illumina is working on reagent reuse technology as mentioned in their patents. This could change how we approach sequencing in the future.

Edge 437: Inside BlackMamba, One of the Most Important SSM Models Ever Created

TheSequence • 112 implied HN points • 08 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. BlackMamba combines two powerful AI techniques: mixture-of-experts (MoEs) and state space models (SSMs). This helps it process long sequences and solve various AI tasks more effectively.
  2. The Mamba SSM is known for its efficiency, and BlackMamba builds on that strength while improving performance with MoE strategies.
  3. The creator is starting a new company focused on AI evaluation and benchmarking, looking for team members with expertise in these areas.

Stop begging for JSON

Artificial Ignorance • 88 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Using AI tools has gotten better with structured outputs, which ensures that AI responses follow a specific format. This means developers can rely more on AI results.
  2. OpenAI introduced features like JSON mode and Structured Outputs, making it easier for developers to get the correct data structure from the AI. This reduces errors and makes integration smoother.
  3. Even with improvements, some challenges like inconsistent names and types in data still exist. Developers need to be aware and manage these issues when using AI.

April Progress Prizes / Updates

Vesuvius Challenge • 38 implied HN points • 23 May 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. New techniques for analyzing scroll shapes are improving the way we handle and segment data. This means we can understand and work with historical documents much better.
  2. There have been exciting updates in scroll deformation methods, which can help in restoring the original shapes of ancient scrolls. This makes analyzing them easier and more accurate.
  3. The new developments in fiber analysis provide important information that can help reconstruct ancient writing surfaces. This can lead to better ways to unroll and study papyrus materials.

As Above, So Garage

Breaking Smart • 83 implied HN points • 07 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Hermeticism blends mysticism with practical engineering. It encourages creativity and experimentation, much like how tinkerers and inventors think today.
  2. Modern technology can sometimes feel dull and overly cautious compared to the adventurous spirit of past inventors. The best innovations often come from taking risks and trusting your gut.
  3. The ideal of the 'garage hacker' symbolizes a deeper, more soul-driven approach to innovation, focusing on passion rather than just profits or strict theories.

The 6 reasons why your AI strategy is stalling

Dev Interrupted • 28 implied HN points • 10 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. It's not just about having the right tools for AI, but having a solid foundation of knowledge and data. If your information is messy or outdated, the AI won't work well.
  2. Your infrastructure needs to be set up for AI to work smoothly. If it's too complex or manual, it can slow everything down rather than speeding things up.
  3. Governance is important for AI. You need to make sure there are clear rules and oversight to build trust in the system and ensure AI helps rather than harms your workflow.

RDEL #34: How do developers adopt new tools? (with Monica Bajaj, VP Developer Experience at Okta)

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Engineers build trust in tools through factors like usability, testing, documentation, support, flexibility, security, maintainability, and extensibility.
  2. Biggest challenges in tool adoption include lack of usability, cost, integrations, and organizational support.
  3. Managers can evaluate tool effectiveness by considering the effort (onboarding, adoption, integration, customization) and impact (productivity, quality, cost).

Unveiling the Mystery of Compressed Regions

Vesuvius Challenge • 20 implied HN points • 15 Aug 25
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. They are using very small scans to understand why some layers of ancient papyrus look blurry. This helps them figure out how to get clearer images.
  2. The blurriness in the scans seems to come from the structure of the papyrus fibers, which scatter the X-rays. Identifying this can help improve future scanning methods.
  3. The team is developing tools to manage and analyze the huge amounts of data from their scans. This makes it easier to work with and improves their chances of reading the ancient texts.

The right amount of bullshit

Sunday Letters • 139 implied HN points • 12 Dec 22
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Finding a balance between creativity and practicality is important. You need to let your imagination run wild while also being careful with details.
  2. Too much confidence without evidence can lead to failures, like in the case of Theranos. But sometimes a little bold thinking can lead to great innovations, like SpaceX.
  3. It's crucial to be in the gray area between being overly cautious and overly confident. This is where the most exciting and new ideas often come from.

Faster coding isn't enough

Dev Interrupted • 32 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. AI is changing software development, but it's mostly helping with coding and testing. Other important parts, like planning and reviewing, still need a lot of human effort.
  2. Relying too much on AI for speed can be a mistake. It's better to focus on improving the entire development process, not just trying to code faster.
  3. To use AI effectively in development, teams should create clear rules, encourage trying new things, and make sure quality and security aren't compromised.

Code coverage doesn't matter much

Andrew's Substack • 83 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Code coverage alone doesn't indicate whether tests are good or useful. It's more about the quality of the tests than the quantity.
  2. Not all tests are valuable; some can be complex and fail for reasons that don't matter, which can lead to false confidence in the code.
  3. The aim of testing should be to assure that your code works and to catch errors, instead of just trying to raise a coverage percentage.

The Breakthrough in Fusion We've All Been Waiting For

Gordian Knot News • 190 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. 90 odd power plants in the country are n-U fusion reactors, creating electricity with an engineering gain of about 18.
  2. Operators of these fusion plants are advised to apply for a Section 30 license from the NRC quickly or contact their state regulatory agency if in an Agreement State.
  3. The breakthrough in fusion we've been waiting for involves the significant engineering gains of n-U fusion reactors, surpassing other fusion concepts in terms of proven efficiency.

Intel Demonstrates High-Speed 3nm Silicon

More Than Moore • 186 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Intel showcased high-speed 3nm silicon technology at ISSCC 2024, revealing their advancements in SERDES connectivity.
  2. SERDES links, like PCIe, have evolved over the years and can now achieve faster transfer rates through encoding advancements like PAM-4 and PAM-6.
  3. Presenting impressive silicon like the Bixby Creek chip demonstrates Intel's commitment to developing power-efficient high-speed connections and prepares IP blocks for customer use in new process nodes.

The Trouble with Fusion

Gordian Knot News • 183 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🔬 Science Engineering
  1. Fusion faces difficult technical challenges like damage to the first wall, intense heat transfer, and high maintenance due to activation of materials.
  2. Achieving economic viability in fusion is a major hurdle, with immense parasitic loads and a fusion gain ratio that can be a significant challenge to achieve.
  3. Standard fusion processes like using deuterium and tritium result in energy losses due to the need for high quality energy input, which makes fusion less self-sustaining than fission.

My Path to CTO, Part II

The Engineering Manager • 6 implied HN points • 30 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Understanding how to get hired for CTO roles is important since these positions aren't always advertised. It helps to know the recruitment process.
  2. Choosing a company like Shopify allowed for personal growth and aligned with lifestyle goals. Picking the right job is key to happiness.
  3. Economic changes can shift company culture, and personal milestones like becoming a parent can lead to tough career choices. Connections made in the past can open new doors.

Nikola Tesla Did Not Reincarnate As Elon Musk, He Reincarnated As Maxwell Chikumbutso.

C.O.P. Central Organizing Principle. • 54 implied HN points • 11 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Maxwell Chikumbutso has invented a new way to harness electricity from radio waves, which could be a big step towards energy independence for Africa.
  2. Tesla's ideas about free energy are being realized in this invention, which could change how we think about powering our homes and vehicles.
  3. The invention might disrupt current energy monopolies and could be crucial for Africa's recovery from historical exploitation.

What's Quantum Computing

Technically • 59 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering
  1. Quantum computing uses qubits instead of bits. While bits can be either 0 or 1, qubits can be both at the same time, allowing for much faster problem-solving.
  2. Qubits can work together in a unique way, using superposition and interference to find answers much faster than traditional computers. This makes them great for complex problems like drug discovery.
  3. Quantum computers are still in the experimental stage and have challenges like needing very cold temperatures and handling errors, but they hold great promise for the future.

Applying Socratic Wisdom to Engineering Management

The Healthy Engineering Leader • 39 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
💼 Business Engineering
  1. Humility is important in engineering. Recognizing that you don’t know everything helps create a culture where everyone feels valued and can share ideas.
  2. Being a leader means being a lifelong learner. It’s vital to keep learning about your team and technology to support them effectively.
  3. Taking time to reflect on actions and decisions can lead to better results. Regular team retrospectives can help improve processes and boost team morale.