The hottest Mechanics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

A 15-minute intro to involute gears

lcamtuf’s thing • 6938 implied HN points • 17 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Engineering Manufacturing Design Mathematics Mechanics
  1. Involute gears are used in many everyday items like toys and cars. Their special shape helps them work smoothly and efficiently.
  2. These gears have specific properties that reduce friction and vibrations, allowing them to transfer motion without problems. This ensures they work together seamlessly.
  3. Understanding the design of involute gears helps in creating various gear types, even unique shapes, making it easier to innovate in mechanical engineering.

3.4 James Clerk Maxwell & His Equations

Fields & Energy • 359 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🔬 Science Physics Mathematics Electromagnetism History Mechanics
  1. James Clerk Maxwell was a key figure in understanding electricity and magnetism. He linked these topics together, showing how they relate to light.
  2. Maxwell created a set of equations that describe how electric and magnetic fields behave. These are known today as Maxwell's equations.
  3. Maxwell built on the ideas of earlier scientists, like Gauss and Faraday, and later, Heaviside simplified his work into the four equations used today.

Success

RPG Design Theories • 334 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🚌 Education Game design Mechanics Narrative
  1. Game mechanics should aim to be believable, easy-to-understand, and fun at the same time.
  2. Mechanics should tie to what's important in the game, determining when dice rolling comes into play.
  3. Consider the impact of player failure on their gameplay experience and find the right balance of randomization in tasks.
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Links #6

Splitting Infinity • 39 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🔬 Science Evolutionary Theory Mechanics Animal Welfare
  1. Being an Honest Broker is important in a community to prioritize honesty and fairness.
  2. The connection between evolutionary theory and Newtonian mechanics is intriguing and may lead to new ideas.
  3. Exploring measurable animal welfare can lead to uncomfortable questions about balancing welfare across species.

Unified Core Mechanics

Homo Ludens • 0 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Gaming Game design Mechanics
  1. Early editions of Dungeons & Dragons had non-unified core mechanics with different dice. This made the game confusing for some players.
  2. The third and 3.5 editions of Dungeons & Dragons introduced unified core mechanics centered around the d20 die, simplifying gameplay and making it more appealing to new and returning players.
  3. Unified mechanics, now commonly expected in tabletop games, streamline gameplay, remove complicated rules, and make the overall experience more accessible.