MurphyA/hacker-news huggingface dataset:
by xvector | 2025-12-30 17:03:53+00:00
I am deeply skeptical of this statement. Soft power is great but actual power comes from the ability to project your military and economy.

As such, the US's soft power will remain until the EU is willing to compromise on its welfare state to build an actual functioning defense industry and an economy that prioritizes innovation over taxes/regulation.

But I am skeptical the EU/UK will ever reach such a compromise (see: mass riots in France over raising the retirement age, despite it being objectively and clearly necessary; the UK's reluctance to release the triple lock pension despite it impoverishing the country, etc.)
by cowpig | 2025-12-30 17:04:09+00:00
Proudhon and Marx were two philosophers making observations about a rapidly-changing economy nearly two centuries ago. Society, politics, and economies have all drastically changed since then.

I don't think "Proudhon debunked this" is going to change anyone's mind. I don't find his arguments particularly compelling, even taking the historical context into account. I see him as trying to take a moral position and then trying to shoehorn it into an economic theory. The spirit of the underlying moral position is much more interesting than his pseudo-intellectual attempt at rigour.
by toast0 | 2025-12-30 17:04:18+00:00
Times New Roman is available at no cost under the Microsoft Core Fonts for the Web. (Microsoft no longer distributes this, but the license allows redistribution and redistribution is popular). AFAIK, Apple explicitly licenses the fonts and most open source OS distributions have a package for these fonts.

It's not libre, but font copyright is weird anyway, and the federal government doesn't always need to follow copyright.
by harrisreynolds | 2025-12-30 17:04:21+00:00
I think "The Bitter Lesson" is relevant here [1].

This wave IS different.

It isn't a matter of "if" but "when".

I am a long-time software developer too... but I am strongly encouraging people to embrace the future now and get creative in finding ways to adapt.

There will always be demand for smart and creative people. BUT ... if you don't look up and look around you right now at some point you will be irrelevant.

Also see Ray Dalio's "Principles" book on embracing reality. A critical principle in the modern age of AI.

Nothing but love for my fellow developers!!

[1] http://www.incompleteideas.net/IncIdeas/BitterLesson.html
by tarentel | 2025-12-30 17:04:54+00:00
As someone who has been coding production Swift since 1.0 the Go example is a lot more what Swift in practice will look like. I suppose there are advantages to being able to only show the important parts.

The first line won't crash but in practice it is fairly rare where you'd implicitly unwrap something like that. URLs might be the only case where it is somewhat safe. But a more fair example would be something like

func fetchUser(id: Int) async throws -> User {
guard let url = URL(string: "https://api.example.com/users/\(id)") else {
throw MyError.invalidURL
}

// you'll pretty much never see data(url: ...) in real life
let request = URLRequest(url: url)
// configure request

let (data, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: request)
guard let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse,
200..<300 ~= httpResponse.statusCode else {
throw MyError.invalidResponseCode
}

// possibly other things you'd want to check

return try JSONDecoder().decode(User.self, from: data)
}

I don't code in Go so I don't know how production ready that code is. What I posted has a lot of issues with it as well but it is much closer to what would need to be done as a start. The Swift example is hiding a lot of the error checking that Go forces you to do to some extent.
by AndrewKemendo | 2025-12-30 17:05:07+00:00
Humans can’t convert sun energy into biological energy. We aren’t plants.

However we eat plants and we eat the things that eat plants. So do you consider plants and animals part of your environment or not?

Is the basic requirements for having an economy being a set of humans in a society that has language and culture and exchange?

There’s no free lunch

Human activity takes from the non-human environment.

Under an abstracted society which you could call capitalism if you like these resource extractions are done with no view to externalities and we know this because even in a basic undergraduate economics degree you will be told companies do not price externalities and there are no pricing mechanisms for externalities outside of Reactionary measures historically

Again I’ll reference here the entire history of ecology and cybernetics has tried to make this abundantly clear that these are all connected and the fact that you seem befuddled about these connections tells me everything I need to know about this conversation
by yakattak | 2025-12-30 17:05:10+00:00
My coworkers do sure. But I don’t have to completely reread what I wrote to grok it. That’s the issue.

You either prompt and read the code it wrote to understand it before making a PR, or you prompt and drop the PR for your team. The latter is disrespectful.

This has been my biggest hurdle so far. Sure the models do great at writing code, find things faster than I would. But time wise I still have to read what it wrote, in depth.

ETA: I also implicitly trust my coworkers. This trust has been built over years. I don’t trust LLM generated code the same way.
by kenforthewin | 2025-12-30 17:05:18+00:00
I find the cost discussion to be exceedingly more tedious. This would be a more compelling line of thinking if we didn't have highly effective open-weight models like qwen3-coder, glm 4.7 etc. which allow us to directly measure the cost of running inference with large models without confounding factors like VC money. Regardless of the cost of training, the models that exist right now are cheap and effective enough to push the conversation right back to "quibbling about the exact degree of utility LLMs provide".
by piker | 2025-12-30 17:05:28+00:00
One thing that I don’t see much mentioned in the article or the comments is that for Word documents at least, Times New Roman may be a more portable default if you want the document to render identically across platforms. Not everyone has Word and Word proprietary fonts installed. Times is proprietary but available on Linux and MacOS and has a metric compatible substitute in the open source. Not sure about Calibre.

Yes, fonts can be bundled with a document but that might impose legal considerations as well as technical.

Using more "standard" fonts like Times New Roman might thus help fight against the word processing monopoly.
by convolvatron | 2025-12-30 17:05:30+00:00
despite how common this opinion is, it fails to recognize that the US itself wanted to structure things that way. this was a politically viable way to continue to funnel huge amounts of money into weapons development and research. its not unlikely that European dependence on the US was a bonus.

were the host countries in Europe pushing for US base deployments or was it really the US and its insane desire to land explosives anywhere in the world in 30 minutes or less and sustain two simulateous land conflicts.

none of this is that simple. were the Europeans happy to take the security and invest more in their civil societies? absolutely, but they eroded their own sovereignty by doing so and the US was more than happy to act like the big brother in control of the whole situation.

the US wanted worldwide military dominance and the dependence of its allies. it really quite weird to say its all their fault.
by RaftPeople | 2025-12-30 17:05:39+00:00
> Are you really expecting an answer here? I'll answer anyway.

Yes, and thanks for the examples, it's now clear what you were referring to. I agree that most of those are generally good fundamentals (e.g. wrong states, error handling, time+space), but some are already in complex territory like mutability. Even though we can see the problem, we have a massive amount of OOP systems with state all over the place. So the application of a principle like that is very far from settled or easy to have a set of rules to guide SE's.

> The software engineers' body of knowledge can change 52 times in a year

Nah, those changes are only in the surface, at the most shallow level.

I think the types of items you listed above are the shallow layer. The body of knowledge about how to implement software systems above that (the patterns and approaches) is enormous and growing. It's a large collection of approaches each with some strengths and weaknesses but no clear cut rule for application other than significant experience.
by chamomeal | 2025-12-30 17:05:49+00:00
For another excellent scripting solution that has
- fast startup (no compilation)
- uses a real language
- easy to upgrade beyond a script
- has tons of excellent dependencies baked-in

Look no further than babashka! It’s a clojure interpreter that has first class support scripting stuff. Great built in libs for shelling out to other programs, file management, anything http related (client and server), parsing, html building, etc.

Babashka is my go-to tool for starting all new projects now. It has mostly everything you need. And if it’s missing anything, it has some of the most interesting and flexible dependency management of any runtime I’ve ever seen. Via the “pod protocol” any process (written in go/rust/java whatever) can be exposed as a babashka dependency and bundled straight in. And no separate “install dependencies” command is required, it installs and caches things as needed.

And of course you keep all of the magic of REPL based development. It’s got built in nrepl support, so just by adding on ‘—nrepl-server 7888’ to your command, you can connect to it from your editor and edit the process live. I’m building my personal site this way and it’s just SO nice.

Sorry for the rant but when superior scripting solutions come up, I have to spread the love for bb. It’s too good to not talk about!!
by goda90 | 2025-12-30 17:05:55+00:00
One problem is that the more you have happen without it being caused by/linked to player interaction, the more you need to have be possible to happen. Then you're either wrestling with a small chaotic world that doesn't make much sense, or you need to scale it up so much that there's no way the player will actually get to experience most of it. If you have 10 villages in your game world, then how many off-screen events can you realistically fit in while the player is away and have it still be interesting for the player when they come back?
by rootusrootus | 2025-12-30 17:07:09+00:00
I will stick to the Lightning since I know it best:

1. The Lightning auto-resumes lane centering after a lane switch, Tesla requires manually restarting (along with the annoyances which accompany that, like re-enabling auto wipers every single time).

2. CarPlay. (Which presumably Tesla is finally going to bring us.) Responding to text messages while driving is easier and less fussy with CarPlay (plus, if you are used to how CarPlay works, you will forget that after you dictate a reply to a text message in the Tesla you need to hit the send button on the screen). iMessages to non-phone recipients works with CarPlay but not at all with Tesla.

3. The Ford app lets me set a one-off "charge to 100%" flag which automatically resets to the previous setting after that charge.

4. And even though it is so obvious that it is probably boring to point out at this point, the rain sensing wipers on the Lightning actually work. The Tesla dry wipes, or not at all even when it is pouring, and everything in between.

5. The Lightning has radar. Without a lead car my Tesla remains prone to phantom braking at overpasses on bright sunny days. I have not ever had phantom braking on my pickup.

6. Windows. No amount of recalibration makes my Tesla windows go up exactly into the right position to be sealed. And pushing the button again just makes them lower slightly. So you have to monkey with it a couple times to make the sound of wind next to your ear go silent. I've never had a car amongst the dozens I've owned that got this basic functionality wrong, but both of my Teslas have struggled with it.

7. Comfort. Ford does not vertically integrate production of the interior and seats, and it shows. Nor do they cut corners on insulation. Someone else in this thread said that interiors were an inexpensive way for incumbents to differentiate from Tesla but I disagree on one point -- I think good interior design is expensive, which is exactly why Tesla does basically nothing. So the road noise is excessive and the flat, thin, barely bolstered seats are uncomfortable if you don't have enough built-in padding on your butt. Ford just outsources, probably to someone like Recaro, who has infinitely more experience making seats that don't suck.

First the Bolt, and then the Lightning has convinced me that there is no special sauce. I have a pickup that drives like my Tesla, but is still a pickup with all of the upsides and still has a comfy normal interior without the quirks. Tesla won't get any more of my business, for example, until they bring back the stalks and put in an IR rain sensor. They may eventually do both of these (I think they may have already started caving on the stalks). But now that I know that there are other options at least as good, I'm more picky and less accepting of the persistent cost cutting.
Show HN: Enact – A package manager for AI agent tools
by keithgroves | 2025-12-30 17:07:18+00:00
I built a tool registry for AI agents.

Problem: Agents need tools, but the current options are awkward.
You either wire up tools manually in your codebase, or you spin up MCP servers that bundle more than you need. Neither is
discoverable, shareable, or safe to run.

Enact is a package manager for executable tools:

enact search "web scraping"
enact run enact/firecrawl --args '{"url": "https://example.com"}'

Each tool is a SKILL.md manifest (typed input/output schemas) plus
code in any language. Tools run in containers, so dependencies are
declared and execution is isolated.

Key differences from MCP:
- Tools, not servers. Install one capability, not a bundle.
- Registry with discovery. Agents can search for tools at runtime.
- Containerized. Run untrusted tools safely.
- Sigstore signing for trust.

Live registry: https://enact.tools

CLI: npm install -g enact-cli

Source: https://github.com/EnactProtocol/enact

Would love feedback on the manifest format and whether this solves
a real problem for folks building agents.
by convenwis | 2025-12-30 17:07:21+00:00
I've been thinking a lot about the fact that so much of our software has become engagement driven. E.g. Duolingo isn't optimized for learning a language, Facebook isn't optimized for connecting with your friends and family.

I wonder if AI coding tools might get out of this for some cases at least. Make an app that is clearly derivative but actually is optimized to do the thing it actually is supposed to do.

Harder with network effect apps but might be possible for others.
Show HN: Solo trader built algo trading platform via AI – no dev experience
by DepthSight | 2025-12-30 17:07:31+00:00
Hey HN,

I'm Artem, a trader from Ukraine. I tried learning to code 15 years ago and failed—I wanted to build trading systems, not fight with syntax.

8 months ago, I decided to try again using Claude/GPT/Gemini as my "pair programmers." I built DepthSight by describing what I needed in plain language. No prior dev experience.

What it does:
• Native AI strategy generation from plain text
• Visual logic builder with weighted conditions
• Dual backtesting: vector engine for speed, event-driven for accuracy
• Genetic algorithms to evolve strategy parameters
• Order book + tape analysis (market depth, open interest)
• Full mobile PWA

The Twist:
Instead of a signup page, I built a terminal ARG.

Type "help" in the terminal at the bottom of depthsight.pro to start. You'll need to:
- Decrypt hidden shards (Base64, HEX)
- Find files in fake logs
- Crack sudo access
- Solve the final puzzle

Rewards:
First solve: Lifetime Pro (unlimited compute)
Top 10: 3 months free
Everyone else: Beta access + 30% lifetime discount

Current status: Open beta—built solo over 8 months during blackouts, so there are rough edges. Live trading is disabled until I'm confident in production stability. Bug reports welcome.

I'm here to answer questions about the architecture, the AI collaboration process, or how I survived 8 months of solo development.

Thanks for reading!
by simonw | 2025-12-30 17:08:54+00:00
I'm definitely an outlier - I've been pushing the boundaries of these tools for three years now and this month I've been deliberately throwing some absurdly ambitious problems at Opus 4.5 (like this one: https://static.simonwillison.net/static/2025/claude-code-mic...) to see how far it can go.
Show HN: Property Profit Scanner – AI analysis for real estate listings
by todaycompanies | 2025-12-30 17:09:25+00:00
Hi HN,
I built Property Profit Scanner to help investors quickly analyze deals without opening a dozen tabs. You can paste a URL from 35+ sites (Zillow, Realtor, LoopNet, Land.com, etc.) or just an address, and it generates an investment analysis including:
Profit potential and risk assessment
Creative income strategies (STR, flipping, etc.)
An aggregated investment score
It’s free to try for a few searches. I’d love to hear your feedback on the data accuracy and what other metrics you’d find useful.
Check it out: https://propertyprofitscanner.com
by amber_raza | 2025-12-30 17:09:49+00:00
You hit the nail on the head regarding the 'semantic gap'.

Currently, I handle this via Smart Routing. The engine analyzes the intent of your query (e.g. identifying if you’re looking for an RCT, a specific guideline, or drug dosing) and routes it to the most relevant clinical database using high-precision keyword matching.

I chose this deterministic approach for the launch to ensure clinical precision. While vector/semantic search is great for general concepts, it can sometimes surface 'similar-ish' papers that miss the specific medical nuances (like a specific ICD-10 code or dosage) required for clinical evidence.

The LLM (Gemini 2.5 Flash) currently lives in the Synthesis Layer. It takes the raw, high-precision results and synthesizes them into the clinical summaries you see.

I actually have LLM-based query expansion (translating natural language into robust MeSH/Boolean strings) built into the infrastructure, but I am keeping it in 'staging' right now. I want to ensure that as I bridge that semantic gap, I don't sacrifice the deterministic accuracy that medical professionals expect.
by ardakaan | 2025-12-30 17:10:04+00:00
hi hn,

i built this small tool as a harsh reality check for 2026 financial goals. it calculates how long you'd need to work (without spending a dime) to match the net worth of billionaires like musk or bezos.

the math is depressing (often resulting in thousands of years), but i wanted to visualize the scale of wealth inequality vs. labor income.

i made this to promote my main project, clint (https://clint.website), which is a tool to manage the money you actually have.

made with lovable.
by bwfan123 | 2025-12-30 17:10:07+00:00
I saw this in a past hype cycle. What happens is that it becomes a "performative" art in an echo-chamber for startups, startup founders, VCs. Performative meaning doing things one thinks others want to see rather than when it makes sense.

Management is quizzing their tech teams on injecting agents into their workflows whatever the f that means. Some of these big companies will acquire startups in the space so they are not left behind on the hype-train. So, they can claim to have agentic talent on their teams.

Those of us who have seen this movie play out know the ending.
by lazide | 2025-12-30 17:10:26+00:00
I never said it’s okay at all. Where are you getting that from?

Reality doesn’t particularly care about one persons idea of right or wrong. And if you look at the planet, good luck coming up with a consistent definition either.

I’m also 100% sure some random persons idea on the internet or what is moral or right has zero to do with the dynamics of dating interactions either.
by flumpcakes | 2025-12-30 17:10:36+00:00
I assume this is a reply in jest :)

> I can vibe code at any scale.

That's the thing - I know what 'vibe coding' is because that's pretty much how I use AI, as an exploratory tool or interactive documentation or a search engine for topics I want surface level information about.

It does not make me a 10x-100x more efficient. It's a toy and a learning tool. It could be replaced or removed and I wouldn't miss it that much.

Clearly I am missing something. I care about quality software, so if it's making someone 100x more productive but their producing the same subpar nonsense they would anyway then I am not interested. Hence I want to see a really proficient programmer use it, be 10x+ more productive, and have a quality product at the end. That's what I want to see demonstrated.
by danamakes | 2025-12-30 17:10:46+00:00
Just to clarify the motivation a bit.

This isn’t meant to be a new IDE or a “better prompting” layer. It came out of frustration with how quickly AI-assisted projects drift once they grow beyond a few files.

The core idea is that architecture usually lives in people’s heads or in docs, so every generation forces the model to re-infer structure from raw code. That inflates context and increases the chance of subtle breakage.

Archeon treats architecture as a small, explicit, machine-readable artifact that exists outside the model and is validated before code is generated. The goal is to reduce degrees of freedom early, not to make the model smarter.

Everything runs locally and can be ignored or removed at any time. If it doesn’t help a project stay coherent over time, it’s not worth using.

I’m mostly curious whether others have hit the same scaling problems with AI-assisted codebases, and how they’ve tried to address them.
by smurda | 2025-12-30 17:10:51+00:00
Marissa Mayer on why Google chose sans-serif fonts for search results:

When I had to make a decision about should the Google results pages be serif or sans-serif, I didn't have enough users to do the split A/B testing and mathematically figure that out, so I ended up reading a lot of research and ultimately finding out that serif fonts are more readable, and sans-serif fonts are more legible.

The serifs create a horizontal rule that guides the eye, so serif fonts are much better when you’re reading long pieces of text. Sans-serif fonts are more legible which means that... when the serifs are removed your eye can spot read a character much better and much more quickly, and as a result it is much better for spot reading. In an activity like search it turns out you want to facilitate spot reading to a much greater degree than reading long prose.

Here's the 2006 talk: https://stvp.stanford.edu/podcasts/nine-lessons-learned-abou...
by wryoak | 2025-12-30 17:11:09+00:00
I don’t understand the appeal (is there any?) of overhead showers. Yeah sometimes I don’t want to wash my hair, but I’ve got a different primary beef. For me, it’s how do I rinse my pits or between my legs or anywhere facing down, folded or partially covered? I’m just supposed to rely on enough water running down the nearby parts of my body? Bend at difficult to balance angles on the slick shower floors? Cup my hand and splash? Garbage design through and through imo, and I regard anyone who has last used one as likely unclean in some rather key areas
by amber_raza | 2025-12-30 17:12:32+00:00
I hear that frustration. The reality is that the 15-minute visit model leaves zero time for 'deep dives', which leads to the friction you described.

My hope is that by reducing the time it takes to verify a paper from 20 minutes to 30 seconds, we can make it easier for providers to actually engage with the research a patient brings in. It helps prevent them from dismissing it just because they 'don't have time to read it'.