Hacker News
1New Work by Gary Larson
- Gary Larson explains that his "New Stuff" section isn't a return to daily Far Side cartoons. After retiring from syndication, he stopped drawing until a clogged pen led him to try digital tablets. He rediscovered his love for drawing and is now experimenting with digital art, exploring creativity without deadlines while maintaining his sense of adventure in cartooning.
Technical tools and RSS feeds
A user shared an RSS feed they created for The Far Side comics using GitHub Actions, prompting discussion about web scraping tools, digital drawing tablets enabling artists, and technical solutions for following web content.Far Side humor and cultural impact
Users discussed how Far Side jokes became everyday expressions, shared favorite comics, and debated whether the humor is universally appreciated, with some admitting they don't "get" Larson's style.Gary Larson's new digital work
Discussion centered on Larson's "New Stuff" section from 2020 onwards, his transition to digital drawing tablets, changes in artistic style, and recent tribute to Jane Goodall showing he's still creating.
24Chan Lawyer publishes Ofcom correspondence
- Ofcom is attempting to regulate 4Chan under Britain's Online Safety Act, claiming jurisdiction over the American company while simultaneously seeking protection under US law. The author argues this overreach makes Britain look foolish and warns it could lead to a "Great Firewall of Britain" that would be ineffective against tech-savvy children using VPNs, ultimately making internet safety worse rather than better.
Jurisdictional authority and enforcement
Discussion centers on whether the UK can legally regulate foreign companies like 4chan. Some argue the UK should handle enforcement domestically through ISP blocks rather than demanding foreign compliance, while others compare this to how countries regulate cross-border activities.Extraterritorial power and sovereignty
Debate over the UK's attempt to enforce laws beyond its borders, with comparisons to US extraterritorial enforcement. Critics argue this represents overreach, while supporters note precedent in international law for regulating services affecting domestic citizens.Technical implementation vs government blocking
Discussion of whether the UK should implement a national firewall or ISP-level blocks rather than pressuring foreign companies. Some see this as the UK avoiding the optics of being an authoritarian state while others argue for more direct domestic enforcement.
3The pivot
- The world is undergoing an unprecedented energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, driven by dramatically falling solar panel costs and China's rapid deployment. This shift is causing geopolitical upheaval as oil-dependent economies face stranded assets worth trillions, while electric vehicles and distributed solar power promise to reshape global politics and reduce dependence on resource extraction states.
Charlie Stross fiction recommendations
Users share recommendations for Stross's works including Accelerando, Laundry Files, and Merchant Princes series. Discussion covers his freely available novels and how he applies economic/scientific thinking to speculative scenarios.Energy transitions and societal change
Debate over whether solar/renewable energy will drive major civilizational changes. Some argue it's transformative like past revolutions, others question if it's sufficient alone or if transitions are actually additive rather than replacements.COVID as ongoing vascular pandemic
Discussion of Stross's reference to COVID as an ignored "vascular disease" rather than respiratory illness, with users explaining how SARS-CoV-2 affects blood vessels throughout the body and causes long-term effects.
4EVs are depreciating faster than gas-powered cars
- Electric vehicle resale values are collapsing worldwide, with some EVs losing 60% of their value in 3-5 years compared to less than half for traditional cars. The crisis stems from uncertainty about battery lifespans and limited data on EV longevity. Fleet operators face existential threats as their vehicles become worthless before loans are repaid, while companies like Hertz lost billions dumping depreciated EVs. Regional differences exist, with EV-friendly markets like China and Norway showing better resale stability. However, emerging solutions include battery-as-a-service models and improved data on battery health, which may help restore confidence and stabilize future resale values.
Rapid technological advancement causing depreciation
Commenters debate whether EV depreciation reflects rapid tech improvements (like smartphones/computers in early days) making older models less attractive, or if it's evidence of successful EV transition as prices drop and capabilities improve.Tesla-specific depreciation factors
Discussion focuses on Tesla's particular value decline due to Elon Musk's controversial image, aggressive price cuts in 2023-2024, and Hertz dumping 30,000 used Teslas on the market simultaneously.Battery concerns vs. reality
Users debate whether battery degradation fears are justified, with data showing batteries lasting longer than expected (90%+ capacity at 100k+ miles) versus public perception of expensive replacements and unknown longevity.
5Ripgrep 15.0
- ripgrep 15 is a major version release featuring bug fixes, minor performance improvements, and new features. Key highlights include fixes for gitignore matching bugs, memory usage improvements for large gitignore files, support for Jujutsu repositories, nested curly braces in globs, and aarch64 Windows support.
Praise for ripgrep's performance and quality
Users consistently praise ripgrep as an essential, time-saving tool that feels "like magic" due to exceptional engineering. Many mention installing it immediately on new systems and using it daily for navigating codebases.Technical usage tips and comparisons
Discussion covers specific features like the "--type" flag, "--replace" option, and comparisons with other tools (fd, ag, git grep). Users share custom functions and workflows for integrating ripgrep with git repositories.Ripgrep's influence on Rust adoption
Several users mention that ripgrep's quality sparked their interest in Rust programming language, with one noting how it piqued curiosity about what language could produce such effective software.
6You did no fact checking, and I must scream
- The author demonstrates how easy it is to fact-check information using basic online tools, after newspapers published false claims about actress Patricia Routledge's death. Simple searches revealed multiple inaccuracies in a viral story that major publications ran without verification. The piece argues that stopping misinformation requires individual responsibility to check facts before sharing, as traditional media has failed in this duty due to the rush to publish clickable content.
Journalism industry problems
Discussion of systemic issues plaguing journalism including underpaid fact-checkers, editors making unauthorized changes that expose journalists to lawsuits, poor working conditions, and the need for better funding of investigative newsrooms.Economic pressures on media quality
Debate over how profit-driven motives and economic constraints force media to prioritize engagement over accuracy, with some pointing to non-profit newsrooms as potential solutions while others argue the free press has always been for-profit.Fact-checking as a skill
Disagreement over whether basic fact-checking is truly easy or requires specialized skills, with some arguing it's a rare professional ability while others contend journalists should minimally possess these verification capabilities.
7./watch
- This watch design embraces visible electronic components rather than hiding them, drawing inspiration from command-line interfaces and computer hardware unlike typical quartz watches that conceal digital elements.
Command-line interface design criticism
Users debate whether the watch's terminal-style prompt (#:~$) truly captures CLI principles of compact, precise design. Critics argue it wastes screen space and mixes root (#) and user ($) prompts incorrectly, suggesting alternatives like "date" commands.Watchface aesthetics and target audience
Mixed reactions to the pseudo-terminal interface design, with some calling it juvenile "13-year-old discovering Linux" aesthetic while others defend it as retro-future kitsch appealing to the Casio community.Hardware design and manufacturing suggestions
Discussion of PCB aesthetics and manufacturing options, including transparent solder masks, clear rigid PCBs, and concerns about protruding screws on the watch back affecting comfort.
8Intercellular communication in the brain through a dendritic nanotubular network
Penrose quantum consciousness theories
Discussion debates whether this discovery vindicates Penrose's quantum consciousness hypothesis. Some see it as supporting quantum effects in cognition, while others argue it's unrelated "crank science" and that these are classical transport mechanisms, not quantum processes.Ongoing anatomical discoveries
Users express amazement that new human body structures are still being discovered, discussing why we haven't found everything yet despite centuries of study. Factors include small scale structures and the complexity of biological systems.Implications for artificial intelligence
Participants debate whether this discovery should influence AI architecture design, discussing the growing gap between biological and artificial neural networks and questioning if ANNs should incorporate these newly discovered communication pathways.