| 1. |
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▲ Webb captures iconic Horsehead Nebula in unprecedented detail (esa.int)
In a universe where attention spans are shorter than the odds of intelligent life replying to Earth's memes, NASA/ESA/CSA's James Webb Space Telescope throws a celestial bone to the masses with yet another photo of the Horsehead Nebula—but this time in *unprecedented* spatial resolution. Comment sections light up with armchair astronomers gawking at links of NIRCam and MIRI images, fervently comparing this cosmic photoshoot to Hubble's greatest hits, while engaging in a delightful illusion of understanding astrophysics through hyperlinks. One brave soul embarks on a daring adventure to explain the seemingly arbitrary number of galaxies in the universe with "basic algebra," providing a much-needed midday laugh to those fluent in actual math. Meanwhile, others share personal anecdotes of cosmic horror and existential dread, blissfully unaware that their deep thoughts on the insignificance of human life and the vastness of the universe are, in fact, the most cliché cocktail party conversation since Pluto's demotion. 🌌🔭
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255 points by rbanffy
2024-04-29T15:31:49 |
71 comments
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| 2. |
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▲ I made a new backplane for my consumer NAS (codedbearder.com)
In another thrilling episode of "Geeks With Too Much Free Time," an individual takes a fearless plunge into modifying their consumer NAS because, apparently, buying a perfectly good one off the shelf is just too mainstream. Commenters, in a display of unwavering support for such life-threatening endeavors, share their own tales of hardware heroics, from soldering parts they can barely see without a microscope to hacking together NAS systems with LEGO bricks and dreams. One brave soul even admits to using so much solder paste that the components float in a metallic pool of hope and guesswork, because who needs reliability when you live on the edge? Meanwhile, others muse about the lack of hackable, consumer-priced NAS devices, blissfully unaware that the real treasure is not the data storage, but the friends we make along the soldering journey. 🤓💾🔥
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63 points by granra
2024-04-29T15:56:56 |
21 comments
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| 3. |
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▲ Project Habbakuk: Britain’s ice “bergship” aircraft carrier project (2017) (99percentinvisible.org)
In an **epic** tale of British ingenuity and sheer absurdity, we meet Project Habbakuk, the WWII-era plan to create a behemoth aircraft carrier out of *ice*. Because, when you're out of steel and rational ideas, why not turn to the stuff your drinks chill in? The comments section quickly devolves into a pseudo-scientific slam poetry session, where terms like "glass transition temperature" and links to blacksmithing videos are thrown around as if anyone lurking there came for a lecture instead of mocking the floating freezer concept. Meanwhile, a lone soul contemplates the profound connection between biblical references and colossal military follies, offering a moment of philosophical respite before being drowned in the sea of "cool yet so silly" observations. Truly, a chilling reminder of the lengths to which wartime desperation can ice-sculpt our sense of practicality.
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57 points by not_a_boat
2024-04-29T15:35:31 |
18 comments
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| 4. |
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▲ Kaytu: Open-Source Tool for Optimizing Cloud Costs Using Actual Usage Data (github.com/kaytu-io)
In an incredible display of missing the point, the denizens of GitHub have blessed us with Kaytu, a tool poised to revolutionize the *cutting-edge* world of cloud cost optimization. Named after a mountain nobody can afford to climb due to their AWS bill, Kaytu promises to save the day by suggesting you use cheaper cloud resources based on the shocking revelation that you're not using what you're paying for. Armed with the collective confusion about what a server component does and an insatiable appetite for comparing every new tool to every existing tool, commenters leap into action, providing invaluable feedback such as "cool" and pressing queries about Google Cloud Platform integration. The Kaytu team, in a heroic effort to prove they're *serious* developers, assures everyone that they'll open-source their server "real soon" and spend paragraphs explaining how their simple tool, which apparently requires both a CLI and a server to function, will make cloud cost optimization as easy as overpaying for a mediocre coffee. Buckle up, cloud spenders; salvation is just one obscure GitHub link away.
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31 points by acx1729
2024-04-29T15:57:03 |
5 comments
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| 5. |
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▲ Memary: Open-Source Longterm Memory for Autonomous Agents (github.com/kingjulio8238)
In another groundbreaking moment for GitHub repositories, Memary: Open-Source Longterm Memory for Autonomous Agents emerges to reinvent the wheel by burdening the term "knowledge graph" with the hefty task of conducting similarity searches. Because when your project's innovation is as thin as a blockchain pitch in 2017, why not stir the pot by misappropriating terms? The tech savants in the comments embark on a journey through the annals of what a "knowledge graph" should entail, breaking into factions over whether or not storing responses as entities qualifies. Among them, a lone voice wonders if they can liken the creation of an ontology to assembling a brain—because, obviously, what tech discussion is complete without a poorly drawn analogy to human cognition?
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137 points by james_chu
2024-04-29T11:12:51 |
36 comments
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| 6. |
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▲ The Internet Archive's last-ditch effort to save itself (lunduke.locals.com)
In a thrilling saga that might just end in the tragic demise of the Internet Archive, enthusiasts at lunduke.locals.com wax poetic about the institution's noble yet potentially suicidal stand in the face of copyright law. Commenters, armed with the unshakeable belief that hoarding digital copies of everything short of their grandma's cookie recipes constitutes a valiant fight for cultural preservation, engage in a slapstick comedy routine over the legality of the "National Emergency Library." Critics scream "piracy" while supporters argue that copyright is basically the fossilized remains of a dinosaur trying to eat their future. Meanwhile, the specter of losing the digital ark of history looms large, but fear not - there's always a backup argument about how this all is for the greater good. In the end, the discussion reveals a truth universally acknowledged: in the pursuit of saving digital culture, the Internet Archive may be shooting itself in the motherboard.
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66 points by rbanffy
2024-04-29T17:04:15 |
39 comments
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| 7. |
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▲ Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe (theins.ru)
In a world teeming with espionage, bombings, and the shadowy maneuvers of the GRU, internet intellectuals have found the true crux of international intrigue: a TV show. Rather than focus on the disturbing implications of spies aiding in European destabilizations, our keen commenters regale us with tales from their Hulu watchlist, recommending "The Americans" with the fervor of someone who just discovered you can watch shows while on a treadmill. Keri Russell's career is rigorously re-evaluated amidst discussions that veer dangerously close to admitting they might enjoy a well-done spy narrative, provided it doesn't insult their towering intellects with any of that pesky, unrealistic "super-human" stuff. Ah, to be so blissfully detached from reality, where the biggest concern isn’t international espionage, but whether a TV show can sustain its narrative depth through six seasons on basic cable. 📺🕵️♂️
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257 points by dralley
2024-04-29T15:00:15 |
112 comments
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| 8. |
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▲ Atomic nucleus excited with laser: A breakthrough after decades (tuwien.at)
In a thrilling turn of events that sounds more like the premise of a rejected Marvel screenplay than actual science, physicists have *finally* zapped a thorium nucleus with lasers, causing it to get excited and potentially unlocking the secrets to futuristic clocks. Meanwhile, the comments section quickly transcends the mundane reality of scientific advancement, fixating instead on the cosmic joke that a researcher named THORsten SchUMm is playing with THORium. It's as if nominative determinism is the only real science here. Predictably, the discussion veers off into the potential for creating a comic book hero (or villain) because, of course, what's the point of groundbreaking research if you can't fantasize about sending spiders into the reaction chamber to bite the guy with the radioactively cool name?
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356 points by geox
2024-04-29T05:01:33 |
160 comments
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| 9. |
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▲ Man impersonated law enforcement, sought to investigate own crimes, police say (courtwatch.news)
In an episode that firmly cements the internet's reputation as the world's leading exporter of irony, a man evidently decided to cut out the middleman by impersonating a law enforcement officer to investigate his own crimes. Because who needs real cops when you can play a high-stakes game of cops and robbers solo? The comment section, ever the bastion of enlightened discourse, quickly turned into a circus of armchair sleuths and legal experts, each more convinced than the last that they, in fact, missed their calling at the FBI. It's a wonder the case wasn't solved between one user's conspiracy theories and another's spirited defense of the "Do-It-Yourself" approach to criminal investigations.
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4 points by anigbrowl
2024-04-29T17:42:21 |
0 comments
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| 10. |
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▲ How do you accidentally run for President of Iceland? (uxdesign.cc)
In a world where clicking "I Agree" without reading could accidentally make you the next President of Iceland, the hive mind of internet pundits has gathered once more to marvel at the absurdity of digital design gone rogue. "This is bad/confusing design for sure," cries one commentor, heroically adding to the endless saga of user experience disasters, right next to the infamous "Hawaii missile alert" and the "butterfly ballot" debacle. Another, in a moment of enlightenment, solves the riddle of ambiguous digital semantics with a suggestion so groundbreaking, it's a wonder it's not already patent-protected: "Register as a candidate to collect endorsements" - because, evidently, making the presidential candidacy as easy as adding favorites on a social media platform is what democracy has been missing. As the chorus swells, "People don't read," becomes their rallying cry, a modern mantra for the digital age, presumably soon to be ignored on the back of every designer's hand, right next to "wash before use."
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100 points by simonw
2024-04-29T15:38:46 |
35 comments
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| 11. |
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▲ Copilot Workspace is GitHub's take on AI-powered software engineering (techcrunch.com)
In a bold move that surprises exactly no one, GitHub decides to once again try convincing the world that AI is not just a fancy autocomplete for code but indeed the future of software development. Armed with nothing but buzzwords and the promise of making developers obsolete, GitHub’s Copilot Workspace swoops in to save the day. Commenters quickly divide into two camps: those who pledge undying allegiance to their AI overlords and dream of a future where code writes itself, and a lone voice of reason warning against turning the keys of the kingdom over to the SaaS behemoth known as Microsoft. As always, the internet proves to be the best place to watch people argue fervently about who gets to automate themselves into obsolescence first. 🤖💻
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33 points by ollieglass
2024-04-29T17:05:58 |
4 comments
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| 12. |
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▲ 93% of Paint Splatters Are Valid Perl Programs (2019) (mcmillen.dev)
In an era where distinguishing between high art and programming languages is becoming increasingly difficult, one brave soul at mcmillen.dev embarks on an intellectual quest to determine if your toddler's latest refrigerator masterpiece doubles as valid Perl code. Spoiler alert: it probably does, but that doesn't make it any more comprehensible than actual Perl programs. The internet's comment section, never one to miss a beat in misunderstanding both art and computer science, leaps into action with discussions that blend ignorance and enthusiasm in a way that only anonymous users can. Amidst the chaos, someone questions the relevance of Perl in the current year, inadvertently highlighting the only real question we should be asking: Why are we still using Perl?
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51 points by ellieh
2024-04-29T11:30:51 |
5 comments
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| 13. |
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▲ How do satellites communicate with a GPS system? (2018) (allaboutcircuits.com)
In yet another breathtaking display of the internet's ability to regurgitate basic science facts, allaboutcircuits.com takes a bold leap into the unknown by explaining how satellites communicate with a GPS system - a mystery that surely would have remained unsolved if not for their intrepid journalism. Armed with the kind of diagrams you'd expect in a high school textbook, the article valiantly attempts to fill its word count, presumably for those who've managed to live under a rock (or behind a very large building) their entire lives. The comment section, a delightful cesspool of confusion and misplaced expertise, somehow manages to both miss the point and prove it simultaneously, as self-proclaimed tech savants argue over details as trivial as the article itself. It's a spectacle of human achievement: we can guide a car through a bustling city using satellites in space, but can't navigate our way through a straightforward explanation without turning it into a circus.
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14 points by reqo
2024-04-28T15:34:59 |
0 comments
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| 14. |
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▲ GitHub Copilot Workspace: Copilot-native developer environment (github.blog)
In the latest episode of Silicon Valley's never-ending quest to replace human interaction with code, GitHub proudly unveils *GitHub Copilot Workspace*, the latest artificial brainchild designed to convince developers they can go from a half-baked idea to a fully-fledged software disaster using nothing but natural language and the hope their actual coding skills won't atrophy overnight. Cue the comments section, where GitHub Next performs an admirable impression of a support bot, spewing optimistic gibberish about AI's role in development, subtly reminding everyone that, yes, they're still figuring out the obvious next step of integrating this monstrosity into VSCode. Meanwhile, the peanut gallery oscillates between unfounded fear of professional obsolescence and a peculiar form of techno-optimism that suggests that maybe, just maybe, flooding the market with machine-generated code will inflate demand for the few remaining humans who can read it. As the philosophical debate rages on whether AI will lead to a coder utopia or dystopia, the rest of us can't help but wonder: if everyone's coding with AI, who's left coding *for* AI? 🤖💻👩💼
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62 points by davidbarker
2024-04-29T16:03:03 |
77 comments
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| 15. |
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▲ Pdf.tocgen (krasjet.com)
In a world where the definition of "efficiency" means ensuring your code runs faster than Usain Bolt on a caffeine high, one brave soul ventures into the depths of Discord to complain about PyMuDF's sluggish pace. 🐌💨 Miraculously, the developers wield their magic wands (or perhaps just actual coding skills) to supercharge the `getToc` function from a leisurely stroll to a blink-and-you-miss-it sprint. 🚀 Then, as if they hadn't already ascended to nerd Valhalla, they contemplate the existential crisis of navigating the treacherous waters of software licenses. 📜😱 Meanwhile, the commenters dive into a geek odyssey, debating the merits of OCR engines as if unlocking the secrets of the universe depended on whether your scanned PDF can be turned into a bedtime story podcast without setting your CPU on fire. 🔥📚 Amidst talks of licensing limbo and the holy grail of OCR optimization, we are reminded that in the realm of software development, the quest for a hassle-free, open source project is more myth than reality.
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141 points by nbernard
2024-04-28T08:51:18 |
34 comments
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| 16. |
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▲ Answering Legal Questions with LLMs (hugodutka.com)
In a world where Googling symptoms before going to the ER is considered peak millennial efficiency, hugodutka.com introduces us to the ground-breaking idea that maybe, just maybe, doctors and lawyers should let computer programs make their tough decisions instead. Commenters, always a beacon of well-measured response, oscillate between terrifying visions of a future where your surgeon consults a chatbot before cutting open, and utopian fantasies where legal advice is as easy and reliable as a WebMD diagnosis. One brave soul reminisces about the simpler times when doctors used Wikipedia, presumably when AI was just a glint in Skynet's eye, while others debate whether it's better to be inaccurately diagnosed by a human or a machine with the warmth of a Speak & Spell. Meanwhile, the legal profession ponders whether swapping the gavel for a keyboard is the upgrade they never knew they needed, or just another way to automate themselves into obsolescence. The consensus? AI might not replace your doctor or lawyer, but it could make them dangerously overconfident or gloriously efficient - as long as it doesn't suggest leeches for your headache based on a misread tweet.
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119 points by hugodutka
2024-04-29T14:01:47 |
86 comments
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| 17. |
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▲ Physical fitness and risk of mental disorders in children and adolescents (jamanetwork.com)
In a groundbreaking revelation that will shock absolutely no one, a study published on jamanetwork.com discovers that doing star jumps might actually be better for your brain-box than sitting on your couch eating crisps. Meanwhile, in the comments section, armchair nutritionists and wannabe psychiatrists emerge from their Google Scholar bunkers to herald this study as the Second Coming of the Dietary Guidelines. One genius resolves his diabetes with magic beans and suddenly fancies himself a mental clarity guru, while another recounts the tragedy of paying $25 to watch Little Timmy ruin gym class. It's a real roller-coaster in the world of unsolicited health advice, where correlation is causation if you squint hard enough and ignore all other variables.
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22 points by pseudolus
2024-04-29T17:16:58 |
15 comments
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| 18. |
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▲ Cheyenne Super Computer Auction (gsaauctions.gov)
In a thrilling testament to the undying human spirit of hoarding useless junk, the Cheyenne Super Computer auction garners excitement from dozens of IT enthusiasts ready to relive their boyhood dreams of owning a slightly glorified space heater. One particular visionary, misty-eyed over the chance to own a decommissioned compute beast, muses about turning a rack into the world's most overengineered media server—because nothing says "Netflix and chill" quite like a 1,500-pound, water-cooled shrine to computational overkill. Meanwhile, the peanut gallery chimes in with hot takes on parting out the beast for a cool few hundred bucks, blissfully unaware of the niche market for 2016-era server parts roughly equating to the bustling trade in Betamax recorders. Cue the collective realization that moving and maintaining a defunct supercomputer is about as practical as adopting a pet elephant, leading to an abrupt and disheartening return to streaming cat videos on their decidedly pedestrian laptops.
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100 points by zrules
2024-04-29T12:10:47 |
87 comments
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| 19. |
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▲ Angle-grinder: Slice and dice logs on the command line (github.com/rcoh)
In the latest episode of "Developers Absolutely Need Another Command Line Tool," GitHub presents Angle-grinder: a software marvel purportedly designed to "slice and dice logs," presumably because simply reading them is passé in the high-tech world of software development. Commenters, in an awe-inspiring display of collective amnesia, trip over themselves to hail this Rust-written offspring of sumoshell as the Second Coming, conveniently ignoring a world saturated with log parsers like kittens with yarn balls. They trade GitHub URLs like Pokémon cards, each promising their tool is both cooler and less efficient than the last, because who needs performance when you're coding in Python for fun? Someone mentions their tool doesn't choke on bad input, heralding a new era where "try-catch" blocks are not just for decoration. 🙄 In the comments' underbelly, a confusion brews about whether this tool is "like jq but for logs" or "jq’s long-lost cousin twice removed," culminating in a tech orgy where jq, agrind, and a Kubernetes log tailer called stern come together in a menage à trois, proving once again that no log file is safe from overengineering.
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90 points by kqr
2024-04-29T07:36:03 |
23 comments
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