Top stories

eatonphil about 19 hours ago

Size of Life

The article explores the relative sizes of various living organisms on Earth, from microscopic bacteria to the largest known animals. It provides a visual representation and comparison of the scale of different lifeforms to help readers appreciate the wide range of sizes in the natural world.

neal.fun
2,021 218
Summary
The Cost of a Closure in C
ingve about 4 hours ago

The Cost of a Closure in C

The article discusses the performance impact of using closures in C++, highlighting the additional memory and runtime costs associated with them. It provides insights into the underlying implementation and considerations for developers when deciding to use closures in their C++ code.

thephd.dev
63 14
Summary
Getting a Gemini API key is an exercise in frustration
speckx about 15 hours ago

Getting a Gemini API key is an exercise in frustration

The article discusses the author's frustration with obtaining a Gemini API key, highlighting the challenges of navigating the exchange's onboarding process and the lack of clear documentation, which can be a barrier for users seeking to integrate with the platform.

ankursethi.com
547 224
Summary
chirau 1 day ago

Australia begins enforcing world-first teen social media ban

https://archive.md/i0VxX

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cwy54q80gy9t

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/world/asia/australia-soci... (https://archive.ph/Ba2JR)

reuters.com
781 1,182
Summary
Patterns.dev
handfuloflight about 10 hours ago

Patterns.dev

The article discusses the importance of design patterns in software development, providing an overview of common patterns and how they can be applied to create more maintainable, scalable, and efficient code.

patterns.dev
282 71
Summary
birdculture 7 days ago

Booting Linux in QEMU and Writing PID 1 in Go to Illustrate Kernel as Program

The article explores the inner workings of the Linux kernel, describing it as a program that manages the hardware and software components of a computer system. It delves into the kernel's role in resource allocation, process management, and system call handling, highlighting the complexities involved in designing and maintaining this crucial component of the Linux operating system.

serversfor.dev
96 24
Summary
__rito__ about 18 hours ago

Auto-grading decade-old Hacker News discussions with hindsight

Related from yesterday: Show HN: Gemini Pro 3 imagines the HN front page 10 years from now - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46205632

karpathy.bearblog.dev
447 205
Summary
dom96 3 days ago

Python Workers redux: fast cold starts, packages, and a uv-first workflow

The article discusses the advancements made in Cloudflare's Python Workers, including the introduction of Python 3.9, the ability to access environment variables, and the ability to make HTTP requests. These updates aim to enhance the functionality and flexibility of Cloudflare's Python-based serverless platform.

blog.cloudflare.com
53 14
Summary
How the Brain Parses Language
mylifeandtimes 3 days ago

How the Brain Parses Language

The article profiles neuroscientist Liina Pylkkänen, who investigates how the brain processes language and meaning, using a multidisciplinary approach that combines linguistics, neuroscience, and computer science to better understand the neurological mechanisms underlying language comprehension.

quantamagazine.org
20 6
Summary
eamag 5 days ago

VCMI: An open-source engine for Heroes III

VCMI is an open-source project that aims to create a modern, cross-platform engine for the classic turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic III, allowing players to enjoy the game on various operating systems and devices.

vcmi.eu
98 14
Summary
How Google Maps allocates survival across London's restaurants
justincormack 2 days ago

How Google Maps allocates survival across London's restaurants

The article explores how Google Maps quietly allocates resources, focusing on the company's use of machine learning to prioritize certain locations and routes over others, potentially impacting traffic patterns and accessibility for users.

laurenleek.substack.com
267 128
Summary
OuterVale about 7 hours ago

Incomplete list of mistakes in the design of CSS

The article discusses common mistakes made in CSS development, including over-specificity, inefficient use of selectors, lack of modularity, and performance issues. It provides guidance on how to avoid these pitfalls and write more maintainable and efficient CSS code.

wiki.csswg.org
111 64
Summary
Go's escape analysis and why my function return worked
bonniesimon 6 days ago

Go's escape analysis and why my function return worked

The article discusses the concept of escape analysis in the Go programming language. It explains how Go's compiler can optimize memory allocation by determining when variables can be stored on the stack instead of the heap, improving performance and reducing memory usage.

bonniesimon.in
6 3
Summary
italophil 1 day ago

Rubio stages font coup: Times New Roman ousts Calibri

https://archive.md/x0Sxc

reuters.com
284 463
Summary
Super Mario 64 for the PS1
LaserDiscMan about 16 hours ago

Super Mario 64 for the PS1

This project aims to port the classic Nintendo 64 game Super Mario 64 to the Sony PlayStation. The goal is to provide a playable version of the game that can run on the older PlayStation hardware.

github.com
231 90
Summary
Show HN: Wirebrowser – A JavaScript debugger with breakpoint-driven heap search
fcavallarin about 21 hours ago

Show HN: Wirebrowser – A JavaScript debugger with breakpoint-driven heap search

Hi HN!

I'm building a JavaScript debugger called Wirebrowser. It combines network inspection, request rewriting, heap snapshots, and live object search.

The main experimental feature is BDHS (Breakpoint-Driven Heap Search): it hooks into the JavaScript debugger and automatically captures a heap snapshot at every pause and performs a targeted search for the value or structure of interest. This reveals the moment a value appears in memory and the user-land function responsible for creating it.

Another interesting feature is the Live Object Search: it inspects runtime objects (not just snapshots), supports regex and object similarity, and lets you patch objects directly at runtime.

Whitepaper: https://fcavallarin.github.io/wirebrowser/BDHS-Origin-Trace

Feedback very welcome, especially on whether BDHS would help your debugging workflow.

github.com
29 8
Summary
Why Startups Die
makle 3 days ago

Why Startups Die

The article examines the common reasons why startups fail, including lack of market need, running out of cash, poor management, and inability to scale. It provides insights into the key factors that contribute to startup success and survival in the competitive technology industry.

techfounderstack.com
4 0
Summary
Fossils reveal anacondas have been giants for over 12 million years
ashishgupta2209 9 days ago

Fossils reveal anacondas have been giants for over 12 million years

Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2025.2...

scienceclock.com
47 17
Summary
pretext about 19 hours ago

Qwen3-Omni-Flash-2025-12-01:a next-generation native multimodal large model

The article discusses the launch of Qwen.ai's new Omni-Flash AI model, which promises enhanced performance and capabilities compared to previous versions. It highlights the model's potential applications in various industries and the company's commitment to advancing AI technology.

qwen.ai
269 95
Summary
Flow Where You Want – Guidance for Flow Models
rundigen12 5 days ago

Flow Where You Want – Guidance for Flow Models

The article discusses the importance of finding flow, a state of deep engagement and focus, in one's daily activities. It suggests techniques to help individuals achieve flow more easily, such as setting clear goals, providing immediate feedback, and matching task difficulty to one's skill level.

drscotthawley.github.io
16 1
Summary
sodality2 about 18 hours ago

Show HN: Automated license plate reader coverage in the USA

Built this over the last few days, based on a Rust codebase that parses the latest ALPR reports from OpenStreetMaps, calculates navigation statistics from every tagged residential building to nearby amenities, and tests each route for intersection with those ALPR cameras (Flock being the most widespread).

These have gotten more controversial in recent months, due to their indiscriminate large scale data collection, with 404 Media publishing many original pieces (https://www.404media.co/tag/flock/) about their adoption and (ab)use across the country. I wanted to use open source datasets to track the rapid expansion, especially per-county, as this data can be crucial for 'deflock' movements to petition counties and city governments to ban and remove them.

In some counties, the tracking becomes so widespread that most people can't go anywhere without being photographed. This includes possibly sensitive areas, like places of worship and medical facilities.

The argument for their legality rests upon the notion that these cameras are equivalent to 'mere observation', but the enormous scope and data sharing agreements in place to share and access millions of records without warrants blurs the lines of the fourth amendment.

alpranalysis.com
181 103
Summary
todsacerdoti 1 day ago

Common Lisp, ASDF, and Quicklisp: packaging explained

The article discusses the relationship between Common Lisp, Quicklisp, and ASDF, highlighting their importance in the Lisp ecosystem. It explains how these tools work together to manage and distribute Lisp libraries, making it easier for developers to build and maintain Lisp-based applications.

cdegroot.com
83 17
Summary
PaulHoule 8 days ago

3D-printed carotid artery-on-chips for personalized thrombosis investigation

advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
20 2
Scientists create ultra fast memory using light
giuliomagnifico 7 days ago

Scientists create ultra fast memory using light

Researchers have developed a new type of ultra-fast memory using light, which can potentially revolutionize computer processing speeds. This novel memory technology utilizes the unique properties of light to achieve significantly faster data storage and retrieval compared to traditional electronic memory systems.

isi.edu
95 23
Summary
Valve: HDMI Forum Continues to Block HDMI 2.1 for Linux
OsrsNeedsf2P about 18 hours ago

Valve: HDMI Forum Continues to Block HDMI 2.1 for Linux

The article discusses Valve's ongoing efforts to have the HDMI Forum unblock HDMI 2.1 support for Linux systems. Despite previous promises, the HDMI Forum has continued to deny this request, which Valve argues is unfairly restricting access to the latest HDMI technology for Linux users.

heise.de
723 408
Summary
Gundam is just the same as Jane Austen but happens to include giant mech suits
surprisetalk 9 days ago

Gundam is just the same as Jane Austen but happens to include giant mech suits

This article explores the similarities between the popular Gundam anime series and the works of Jane Austen, arguing that both share common themes of social commentary, character development, and exploration of human relationships, despite the vastly different settings and genres.

eli.li
211 144
Summary
Terrain Diffusion: A Diffusion-Based Successor to Perlin Noise
kelseyfrog about 17 hours ago

Terrain Diffusion: A Diffusion-Based Successor to Perlin Noise

arxiv.org
129 38
Is it a bubble?
saigrandhi about 18 hours ago

Is it a bubble?

The article discusses the debate around whether the current stock market conditions constitute a 'bubble'. It analyzes various factors such as valuation metrics, investor sentiment, and market fundamentals to examine the potential risks and opportunities in the current environment.

oaktreecapital.com
241 370
Summary
andr3wV 7 days ago

Golang's big miss on memory arenas

The article discusses how Go's memory arenas, a feature designed to improve memory management, can lead to unexpected memory usage and performance issues in certain scenarios. It explores the limitations of the current implementation and suggests potential ways to address these challenges.

avittig.medium.com
136 110
Summary
The future of Terraform CDK
mfornasa about 16 hours ago

The future of Terraform CDK

Terraform-CDK is an open-source infrastructure as code framework that allows developers to use familiar programming languages like TypeScript, Python, and Go to define cloud resources, providing a more flexible and programmatic approach to infrastructure management.

github.com
114 112
Summary