The hottest Research Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health Politics Topics

Brief Data Post

Cremieux Recueil • 102 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
📰 News Research
  1. Happiness and income are related, and this relationship is usually linear in log(income).
  2. Studies show that incarceration likely reduces violent crime by targeting high-risk individuals.
  3. The US Congress is aging, with members being the oldest in history.

MOLECL / DNAQuraCy

ASeq Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 20 Aug 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. MoleCl was originally introduced as DNAQuraCy, focusing on using solid-state nanopore technology.
  2. This technology is meant to improve sample quality control before sequencing, which is not possible with current methods like fluorescence-based analyzers.
  3. Its goal is to provide better analysis of DNA fragments and detect any contaminants in the sample.

Unringing Asilomar's False Alarm Bell

Viruses Must Die • 8 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Paul Berg expressed strong opposition to strict government regulations on recombinant DNA research. He believed such laws could harm important scientific progress.
  2. He felt that the fears surrounding recombinant DNA were overstated and more harmful than the risks of the research itself. He argued that the real danger lies in too much government control over science.
  3. Berg warned that excessive bureaucracy could drive scientists to conduct their work in other countries. He stressed the need for a supportive environment for scientific exploration and innovation.

The moral urgency of a good study on cold showers and depression & anxiety

Philosophy bear • 64 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. A good study on the potential benefits of cold showers for mood disorders like depression and anxiety is urgently needed.
  2. Previous studies have shown promising results, but a comprehensive study is still lacking, presenting an opportunity for significant positive impact.
  3. Running a study on the effects of cold showers could be a low-cost initiative that may potentially help millions suffering from mood disorders.

Can the UK broaden its horizons in research?

Science Forever • 19 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🔬 Science Research
  1. Brexit tensions have caused a loss of funding for UK collaborations with European researchers, affecting scientific innovation. The UK needs to navigate complex agreements to regain those collaborations.
  2. The UK's aspiration to be a 'science superpower' is challenged without strong collaborations with Horizon Europe. Rebuilding partnerships may take years and is contingent on trade deals and agreements with the EU.
  3. Isolated science is less effective than shared science. The UK risks missing out on vital collaborations and scientific progress if it can't participate in international research partnerships.
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Dashboard Update: NIST Subcategories, MITRE Subtechniques and Mitigations

The Security Industry • 30 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. The platform now includes detailed information on over 9,000 cybersecurity products, helping professionals match their needs with available solutions. Users can see how each product aligns with NIST and MITRE standards.
  2. Customers will soon be able to analyze their entire security stack, finding overlaps and gaps in their cybersecurity coverage. This feature will help them save costs and improve efficiency.
  3. Traditional research firms only cover a small fraction of the cybersecurity industry. By capturing detailed data on all products, this platform aims to provide a more comprehensive view of available options.

Lessons from a failed experiment

Sunday Letters • 19 implied HN points • 20 Aug 23
🔬 Science Research
  1. People often trust the old experts too much, which can block new ideas. It's important to stay open to new possibilities, even if they seem strange.
  2. In science, we tend to only celebrate successful discoveries, while failed experiments often get ignored. Both successes and failures are essential for learning.
  3. Being open minded and willing to be wrong is key to making groundbreaking discoveries. Sometimes, you have to fail many times before you find something that works.

Can I Solve Science?

TheSequence • 63 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. AI can advance scientific workflows but will always be limited by computational irreducibility.
  2. Stephen Wolfram's theory explores the potential of AI in discovering new science.
  3. The combination of AI and computational languages could open doors to advancing science.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Can Psychedelics Deflate the Biggest Ego of Them All?

Tripsitter • 19 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Narcissism is a spectrum that ranges from mild traits to Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), requiring specific conditions for diagnosis.
  2. Psychedelics show potential in addressing narcissism through enhancing empathy, inducing awe and ego dissolution, and promoting connectedness and transcendence.
  3. Psychedelics can aid in reducing narcissistic traits, but long-lasting change requires post-experience integration and may be challenging due to the complexity of NPD in therapeutic settings.

Edge 453: Distillation Across Different Modalities

TheSequence • 28 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Cross-modal distillation allows one model to teach another model that works with a different type of data. This means you can share knowledge even if the models are processing images, text, or something else entirely.
  2. This method can be really helpful when there's not much paired data available. It helps improve the learning process in situations where gathering data might be difficult.
  3. Hugging Face’s Gradio lets developers create AI applications for the web easily. It's a neat tool that helps bring AI to everyday use in a user-friendly way.

DARPA Neurotechnology: The Deep Dive

Asimov Press • 122 implied HN points • 28 Mar 23
🔬 Science Research
  1. DARPA has initiated over 40 neurotechnology programs in the last 24 years, showing a significant focus in this field.
  2. Neurotechnologies funded by DARPA have led to advancements like memory prostheses, speech decoders, and robotic prosthetic arms with sensory feedback.
  3. Studying DARPA's history and outcomes in neurotechnology can provide insights for funding high-risk technologies, mapping the human brain, and preparing for artificial general intelligence.

Towards a Situationist Blockchain

Cybernetic Forests • 79 implied HN points • 12 Dec 21
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Bitcoin's revolutionary potential is critiqued for maintaining libertarian, capitalist perspectives and lacking discussion on equitable distribution of benefits.
  2. The Situationist International emphasized reclaiming lived experiences from distractions of the spectacle and offered detournement as a tactic for transformation.
  3. LutteCoin challenges the concept of productivity by reimagining blockchain with a Proof of Non-Work protocol, aiming for liberation from digital spectacle and a focus on immaterial desires.

The ethical is the political

Philosophy bear • 64 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Research
  1. There is a strong relationship between political and ethical beliefs.
  2. Consequentialism often aligns with political views, and there is a need to debunk misconceptions about it.
  3. Philosophers should consider the impact of impartiality and partiality on political ideologies and delve deeper into the debate over consequentialism.

Roche: Where NGS Goes To Die...

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Roche has a history of acquiring new technologies, like the 454 sequencer, but often fails to support them properly, leading to their demise.
  2. Despite having potential with longer read capabilities, the 454 sequencer couldn't compete with faster competitors like Illumina, which changed market dynamics.
  3. Roche's failed attempts to acquire Illumina show their struggle to keep up in the competitive NGS market, further damaging their reputation.

Being Early—And Patient—In Psychedelics

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 9 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Research
  1. Psychedelics are gaining more attention and acceptance in society, including unexpected support from political parties. This shift could help the industry grow and become more legitimate.
  2. Investing in psychedelics has been unpredictable and challenging this year, especially compared to other sectors that are doing well.
  3. Despite the current volatility, there are still promising companies in the psychedelics space that may be worth considering for the future.

Awarding the amazing autosegmentation work from 2024

Vesuvius Challenge • 21 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Two teams were awarded for their amazing work on automating scroll segmentation. They worked really hard, using only a few hours of human help to get impressive results.
  2. The new methods focus on breaking down the task into smaller parts, like surface prediction and fitting, making it easier and faster to recover lost texts from ancient scrolls.
  3. Even though there are still challenges, the community is excited about the progress and future plans, like getting better at detecting ink on more scrolls.

New tools or old?

Sunday Letters • 79 implied HN points • 17 Apr 22
🕹 Technology Research
  1. It's important to learn new tools and technologies to keep growing. Having a variety of skills helps you adapt to changes in your field.
  2. While it's good to be comfortable with familiar tools, relying on them too much can make you stuck. Balance old and new tools to stay current and efficient.
  3. Look for tools that work well together and can be reused. This way, you can get more value out of what you learn and build over time.

November Newsletter

RSS DS+AI Section • 29 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Data science and AI are constantly evolving, with new research and developments being released regularly. It's important to stay updated on these changes to understand their implications.
  2. Ethics, bias, and regulation in AI continue to be hot topics. Discussions around how to handle these challenges are crucial for the responsible use of AI technologies.
  3. There are many practical applications and resources available for those interested in implementing AI. Tips and how-to guides can help individuals and organizations make better use of these technologies.

GPT-4 Was the Biggest Disappointment Ever

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Research
  1. GPT-4 is seen as disappointing compared to expectations. People hoped for more detailed information, but it was not provided.
  2. OpenAI's decision to keep model specifics secret may have led to letdowns. Transparency could have changed many opinions about its performance.
  3. The head of OpenAI hinted that users should prepare for disappointment, which matched how many felt after experiencing GPT-4.

A Little More Roche Information...

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Roche is developing a new nanopore sequencer, which is creating some buzz in the scientific community. People are eager to hear more about its features and capabilities.
  2. Alex Dickinson shared his thoughts on Roche's new sequencer after a private briefing. His insights mostly echoed what is already known but added some new expectations for the upcoming announcement.
  3. A few individuals, including the author, have decided to skip NDA previews, allowing them to speculate freely about the product. This has led to informal discussions and excitement about what might be revealed soon.

Something Up At Oxford Nanopore?

ASeq Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. There are rumors that Clive Brown might have left Oxford Nanopore, but it's not confirmed. It's important to check and verify such news before spreading it.
  2. Investment opportunities for Oxford Nanopore were discussed earlier, suggesting potential growth for the company. Keeping an eye on funding can indicate how the company might progress.
  3. The information shared is meant for paid subscribers, highlighting the value of the insights provided. Paid content often offers deeper analysis and exclusive news.

How To Respond To Roche

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Roche's upcoming announcement could greatly change the DNA sequencing industry by introducing low-cost, high-output nanopore sequencing technology.
  2. Even if the quality of Roche's sequencing isn't the best now, the high throughput they promise means they could outpace current methods and become competitive.
  3. Current sequencing companies need to rethink their strategies quickly to stay relevant or they might risk being outmatched and going extinct in this evolving market.

Welcome, and what this is

The Counterfactual • 59 implied HN points • 17 Jul 22
🚌 Education Research
  1. The newsletter will cover topics like language, statistics, and AI, mixing research with personal thoughts. Expect both solid research reviews and imaginative columns about the future.
  2. Posts will be written in a clear, clean format using Substack. This platform helps catch mistakes easily and connects with a larger community of writers and readers.
  3. The author aims to write about things that are interesting and useful, hoping to share knowledge and insights that spark curiosity in readers.

A Roche Nanopore History

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. Nanopore sequencing has a rich history, starting back in 1998 with important patents that set the stage for modern techniques. It’s a fascinating story of innovation and scientific progress.
  2. Lingvitae, founded by Preben Lexow, aimed to develop nanopore sequencing but faced funding challenges, affecting its ability to grow. This shows how essential money is for scientific advancements.
  3. Stratos Genomics had a better funding situation and was able to pursue similar nanopore sequencing ideas, demonstrating different paths for startup success in the biotech field.

AI peer review, microbial defence & clot busting strategies

The Strategy Toolkit • 8 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
🔬 Science Research
  1. New communication tools often get manipulated by people to send hidden messages. This has happened with many forms of media over time.
  2. Recent findings show that some researchers used hidden prompts in their academic papers to get positive AI reviews. These prompts were hidden in ways that people couldn't easily see.
  3. This kind of trickery shows how any automated process can be tricked, and it's important to be aware of such practices in scientific research.

Science may not be able to exist on controversial issues

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 60 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. Some controversial issues may not allow science to exist due to preconceived notions and ideology dominating the discourse.
  2. Activists can potentially cause harm if their actions and beliefs overshadow scientific reasoning and discussion.
  3. The dominance of preconceived notions and ideology can be observed in various narratives, such as recent reports from organizations like the NHS.

Specifying objectives in RLHF

Democratizing Automation • 90 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Reinforcement learning from human feedback involves using proxy objectives, but over-optimizing these proxies can negatively impact the final model performance.
  2. Optimizing reward functions for chatbots with RLHF can be challenging due to the disconnect between objective functions and actual user preferences.
  3. A new paper highlights fundamental problems and limitations in RLHF, emphasizing the need for a multi-stakeholder approach and careful consideration of current technical setups.

The Twisted Path of Trust

Integrity Talk • 99 implied HN points • 11 Jun 23
🔬 Science Research
  1. Undebated findings can undermine scientific institutions.
  2. Trusting sources on social media can lead to following problematic individuals.
  3. Addressing and critiquing dubious studies is crucial to maintain scientific integrity.

Lack of Real AI Alignment Incentives

Vishnu R Nair • 1 HN point • 23 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. AI companies often focus on getting their products out quickly, which can lead to unsafe practices. They might ignore safety just to beat the competition.
  2. Governments are struggling to create effective regulations for AI. If regulations are too strict, companies might move to places with fewer rules, which doesn't help safety.
  3. It's hard to agree on what 'safe AI' means because different people see it in different ways. Without clear definitions, holding anyone accountable for AI risks becomes complicated.

Long Live the Gene

Holodoxa • 39 implied HN points • 02 Nov 22
🔬 Science Research
  1. There is a heated debate between the importance of genetics and environment in shaping human behavior with stark divisions between political ideologies.
  2. The debate often oversimplifies complexities, with genetics and environmental factors both playing significant roles, despite the polarized views.
  3. Kampourakis' book, 'Understanding Genes,' critiques genetic essentialism but lacks depth in explaining the significance and impact of genetic science, presenting a one-sided view.

Exercise helps long covid patients in a randomized trial

Vinay Prasad's Observations and Thoughts • 59 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Exercise has been shown to improve quality of life for long COVID patients in a randomized trial.
  2. Even with varying levels of participation, the exercise program led to positive impacts on mental and physical health in long COVID patients.
  3. This study highlights the importance of consistent exercise as a potential treatment for long COVID symptoms.

Predicting Future Knowledge

Unfashionable • 114 implied HN points • 10 Mar 23
🔬 Science Research
  1. We can't predict all future knowledge because if we could, we'd already have it.
  2. By looking at incentives and motives, we can make educated guesses about future scientific findings.
  3. It's important to be skeptical of information that comes from sources with vested interests or under external pressures.

Understanding Cancer

Holodoxa • 39 implied HN points • 30 Oct 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Research
  1. Robin Hesketh, a Cambridge biochemistry professor, has written a book, 'Understanding Cancer,' giving a concise primer on cancer for science undergrads or curious lay readers.
  2. The book emphasizes that cancer is a genetic disease and explains how somatic mutations accumulate over time, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation and metastasis.
  3. While well-organized and informative, 'Understanding Cancer' may feel like a detailed outline rather than a narrative read, catering more to young biomedical science undergrads than casual readers.

Ramanujan, The Langlands Project, and Fermat's Last Theorem [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 39 implied HN points • 25 Jul 22
🚌 Education Research
  1. The Langlands Project seeks to connect Geometry with Algebra, which is a significant development in mathematics.
  2. Connecting Geometry with Algebra has helped solve important problems like Fermat's Last Theorem, leading to substantial recognition and rewards.
  3. Even if you're not into math research, being aware of projects like Langlands can impact various aspects of the world and help you benefit from advancements in the field.

A Note on the Changing Faces of (D)ARPA

The Good Science Project • 22 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. DARPA has undergone significant changes over the years due to increased oversight and bureaucratic rules, impacting how projects are managed and funded. Initially more flexible, DARPA now operates under stricter regulations that slow down decision-making.
  2. The role of leadership has evolved where major visions for projects often come from office directors rather than project managers. This shift affects how projects are pursued and who gets to drive new ideas.
  3. Timelines for project payoffs and the focus on military needs greatly influence which projects get started and how they develop. Changes in political climates or military demands can quicken or slow down the pace of innovation at DARPA.

AI Roundup 054: Ten million tokens

Artificial Ignorance • 58 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Google introduces Gemini 1.5, a powerful model with a context window of up to 10 million tokens, promising significant improvements in AI capabilities.
  2. OpenAI releases Sora, a text-to-video model that can create photorealistic videos and simulate the real world, showcasing advancements in video generation technology.
  3. US Patent and Trademark Office states that AI cannot be named as a patent inventor, aligning AI with being a tool and not a creative entity, impacting patent regulations and inventorship.

Promoting Platform Takeoff and Self-Fulfilling Expectations

Platform Papers • 19 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
💼 Business Research
  1. Successful launch of new platform ventures is crucial for expansion and innovation in online platforms.
  2. In platform industries, marketing involves more than just creating awareness; it's about coordinating market actors to shift from one equilibrium to another.
  3. Promoting new platforms should focus on creating expectations of a large future user base rather than revealing small current user numbers.

The NIH and Data . . .

The Good Science Project • 22 implied HN points • 25 Dec 24
🔬 Science Research
  1. The NIH is starting a program to give scholars access to its internal data. This will help them answer important questions about the economic impact and effectiveness of research policies.
  2. They are creating a new metric called the S-index to reward scientists for sharing data with the wider community. This aims to encourage more collaboration rather than just focusing on personal achievements.
  3. The NIH is offering a $1 million prize for innovative ideas on how to implement the S-index metric, encouraging creativity and participation from the scientific community.

Hunting for a Flywheel | Refactoring’s Luca Rossi

Dev Interrupted • 18 implied HN points • 04 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Research
  1. Developer success depends on feeling happy and respected. When developers are motivated, they can work faster and better.
  2. AI is becoming important for all industries, not just tech. Companies like Goldman Sachs are hiring AI experts to improve efficiency.
  3. Automating tasks like code reviews can help teams focus on important work. Tools that make this easy can boost a team's productivity.