HACKER Q&A
📣 adityaathalye

What have you been curious about?


Asking, prompted by this thread: "Just for Fun. No, Really" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41496725

-----

If you are anything like me, you will have about five answers at any given point in time for "What are you curious about?". And that set will change depending on the day of the week. Or, also like me, you may be having that sort of week where you (mistakenly) "know for sure, beyond a shadow of doubt" that you have lost the curiosity directive. Basically, you might immediately (and once again, mistakenly) feel like a flake or a failure or some horrid in-between. I sure do.

Luckily, arguably, a more interesting, revealing, and kinder question is; "What have you been curious about?".

So... GOTO post title.

-----

(That's the gist of it, though I detailed a bit more at: https://www.evalapply.org/posts/what-have-you-been-curious-about/)


  👤 7373737373 Accepted Answer ✓
1. Will humanity ever solve Collatz(-like) problems and know the 6th busy beaver number? https://www.sligocki.com/2024/07/06/bb-6-2-is-hard.html (and will automatic theorem provers play a role?)

2. What would my perfect story look like?

3. Are peoples' aesthetic preferences clustered in some way?

4. How can the world hold the powerful, and especially the evil ones, to account, and distance itself from a corporate-controlled, boring, antisocial internet (and future generally)?

5. TBD


👤 onecommentman
I’m pondering whatever Pinky from Pinky and the Brain is pondering…

https://www.splashlearn.com/blog/pinky-and-the-brain-quotes-...


👤 yen223
I am mildly curious about how people in the olden days did maths, back before pen and paper or standardised maths notation were a thing.

👤 interstice
1) Will a ticket system help resolve some issues with invoicing meandering email threads

2) Is it possible to create a robust self reinforcing alternative to capitalism from emergent fractal properties (simple rules)

3) Is it worth buying forged pistons so I can turbocharge my classic mini project

4) Is it possible to get a self employed working visa in the Netherlands as an NZ business owner

5) can cheap fresnel lenses be adapted for use as optical waveguides + can waveguides be made from clear epoxy / how hard is it to set up at home metal casting / can I source batteries for my 50kw electric motor / where can I find adaptor for my welder so I can start learning to weld / etc etc


👤 purple-leafy
- browser extension build steps

- how sql works under the hood

- best cut of meat to smoke

- am I fulfilled in life

- low poly shapes