The author, Lauren Markham, explores the possibility of moving her family from the US to Italy, drawn by the allure of affordable housing through the €1 house program in struggling Italian towns. Frustrated with the high cost of living in the Bay Area, she and her husband, Ben, seek a new life in a beautiful location where they can continue their work in community service.

The €1 house initiative allows municipalities to sell abandoned properties for just one euro to attract new residents and revitalize their communities. Although many houses are auctioned for much higher prices, and buyers must commit to renovations, the program has successfully brought life back to many towns. However, it raises ethical concerns about gentrification and the impact of foreign buyers on local culture.

Markham interviews residents and officials from towns like Sedini and Montieri, where these schemes are being implemented. While some towns celebrate the influx of foreign investment and new businesses, others worry about losing their cultural identity. The article highlights the challenges of purchasing property in Italy, including bureaucratic hurdles and the difficulties of adapting to a new life.

Throughout her journey, Markham grapples with the idea of "home" and the complexities of migration, ultimately questioning whether moving to Italy is the right choice for her family. By the end, while still captivated by the dream, she realizes that her current life in California may not be as bad as it seems and that the possibility of adventure can coexist with contentment in her existing life.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) server is an open-source tool that helps language models (LLMs) understand the concept of time. Unlike typical setups that connect LLMs to external data, MCP enhances their capabilities by allowing them to perceive time and other contextual information.

It includes six functions, such as current_datetime and time_difference, which enable models like Claude and GPT to recognize pauses, understand rhythms, and analyze conversation structures. The server can be run locally in under a minute or accessed through a demo online.

Beyond time, MCP could potentially integrate other contextual signals like location, weather, device status, calendar events, and even biometric data. The creator is interested in ideas for additional signals that could improve collaboration with LLMs and invites feedback and contributions.

The text discusses a new concept in magnetism called "altermagnetism." This phenomenon has significant implications for technology, suggesting that it could lead to advances in various fields. The articles linked provide further information on the topic and its potential applications.

Hi HN,

I'm Ghita, co-founder of ZeroEntropy (YC W25). We create accurate search tools for RAG and AI Agents.

We've just launched two new rerankers: zerank-1 and zerank-1-small, with one being fully open-source.

Our training method is inspired by the Elo rating system and involves these steps:

1. Collect preferences between document pairs using LLMs.
2. Apply an Elo-style system to convert these comparisons into scores for each document.
3. Adjust scores across different queries to ensure fairness.

You can test the models through our API or on HuggingFace.

We welcome your feedback on our models and training method. A detailed technical report will be available soon.

Thank you!

Summary of Active-active Replication Extension for PostgreSQL (pgactive)

pgactive is an extension for PostgreSQL that enables active-active database replication, allowing multiple instances to write data simultaneously.

Overview:

• Database replication copies changes between database instances, crucial for high availability, reduced latency, and data migration.
• Traditional PostgreSQL replication is active-standby, where only one instance accepts changes, making it easier to manage.
• Active-active replication allows multiple instances to accept changes, making it suitable for scenarios like multi-region databases and reducing write latency. However, it introduces complexities like conflicts and replication delays.
• Logical replication is key for active-active setups, allowing systems to interpret changes before applying them, which helps in conflict resolution. PostgreSQL has supported logical replication since version 10 but needs more features for complete active-active support.

Security and License:

• Additional security details are provided in the CONTRIBUTING section.
• The project is licensed under a specific license.

On July 14, 2025, Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 DNS Resolver service experienced a major outage from 21:52 to 22:54 UTC, affecting most users globally. The outage occurred due to a misconfiguration in the system that manages Cloudflare’s IP addresses, not because of an attack.

Key Points:

• The issue was caused by a configuration error made on June 6, which linked the 1.1.1.1 service to a non-production service. This dormant error only became problematic during a subsequent configuration change on July 14, leading to the withdrawal of the 1.1.1.1 IP addresses from Cloudflare's data centers.
• As a result, users could not access internet services relying on 1.1.1.1, causing a significant drop in DNS queries.
• The incident was resolved by reverting to the previous configuration, restoring service by 22:54 UTC.

Actions Taken:

• Cloudflare acknowledged the incident and expressed regret for the disruption. They plan to improve their systems to prevent similar issues in the future by phasing out outdated systems and adopting better deployment practices.

In summary, Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1 service outage was due to an internal error, which they are addressing to enhance stability and reliability.

No summary available.

Firefox 141 will launch WebGPU on Windows, marking a significant update after years of development. WebGPU provides a modern way for web applications to use the computer's graphics processor, enhancing performance for games, visualizations, and computations on the web.

While WebGPU has been available in Google Chrome since 2023 and will soon be in Safari, Firefox’s version is currently limited to Windows, with plans to expand to Mac, Linux, and Android in the future. Firefox's implementation is based on WGPU, an open-source project that interfaces with various low-level graphics APIs.

Although WebGPU is complex, the Firefox team has worked to ensure it runs smoothly for many applications. However, they acknowledge there are still performance improvements and features to be added, such as better communication with the GPU and support for importing external textures.

Users are encouraged to try WebGPU in Firefox and report any issues to help improve it. The team is excited about this release and looks forward to seeing what developers create with WebGPU.

The text discusses concerns raised by companies like OpenAI, Google, DeepMind, and Anthropic about the growing complexity of artificial intelligence (AI). They warn that as AI systems become more advanced, it may become harder for people to understand how they work. This raises alarms about transparency and the risks associated with relying on AI that is difficult to interpret.

FluentBird Summary

FluentBird is a theme for Mozilla Thunderbird that mimics Windows 11's Fluent Design and Mica transparency. It was created by Danny King and is available under the MIT License.

Key Features:

• Applies Fluent Design styles to Thunderbird.
• Works in both dark and light modes based on system settings.
• Highlights Mica transparency for Windows 11 users.

Recent Updates:

• Version 0.1.5 improved the dark mode envelope graphic and fixed layout issues.
• Version 0.1.4 added Fluent icons and improved button styling in dark mode.

Setup Instructions:

1. Enable userChrome.css in Thunderbird settings.
2. Set Mica flags in advanced configuration.
3. Ensure no other theme is active, and copy the theme files to the 'chrome' folder in your Thunderbird profile.
4. Restart Thunderbird.

Known Issues:

• This is a beta version, so expect bugs.
• Not fully tested on Mac and Linux.
• Some Thunderbird elements cannot be themed due to "Shadow DOM" limitations.

For support, check the GitHub repository. Enjoy using FluentBird!

Summary of "Pascal's Scams"

The text discusses "Pascal's scams," which are belief systems that promote worrying about or hoping for unlikely events with potentially huge consequences. Named after Pascal's Wager, these scams encourage people to invest time and resources into improbable outcomes, like winning a large lottery. However, the underlying problems with these beliefs are:

1. Uncertainty in Probabilities: It's hard to accurately assess the likelihood of rare events due to poor evidence. Small amounts of new information can significantly change our understanding of these probabilities.

2. Uncertainty in Consequences: The potential consequences of actions taken based on these beliefs can be misunderstood. People often focus on positive outcomes while ignoring negative ones, leading to disastrous results.

3. Lack of Falsifiability: Many of these ideas can't be tested or disproven, making them difficult to evaluate properly. This contributes to an environment where dubious claims can proliferate.

The author urges caution against getting caught up in these scams and advocates for focusing on real-world evidence and experiences instead of hypothetical scenarios. He suggests that when considering low-probability, high-impact events, it's crucial to gather reliable information and propose ways to test these ideas, rather than indulging in fantasies based on poor evidence.

No summary available.

Summary of Tilck Project

Tilck is an educational monolithic kernel that runs on i686 and RISC-V (riscv64) architectures. It is designed to be compatible with Linux at the binary level, allowing it to run existing Linux applications without needing a separate set of custom applications. This makes it an excellent tool for learning about kernel development while comparing it with Linux.

Key Features:

• Compatibility: Tilck can run many mainstream Linux programs, like the BusyBox suite, and aims to be simple and small.
• Future Expansion: Plans include adding networking support, storage options, and potentially porting to ARM architecture, targeting embedded systems where low memory usage is essential.
• Not a Linux Replacement: Tilck is not intended to replace the Linux kernel but provides a different approach with fewer features, aiming for simplicity, smaller size, and deterministic behavior.

Technical Aspects:

• Architecture Support: Currently supports i686 and riscv64, with plans for ARM. It can run on minimal hardware, even with just 3 MB of RAM.
• File Systems: Implements basic file systems including FAT32, with a focus on in-memory operations.
• Processes and I/O: Supports basic process management, including fork and vfork, as well as standard I/O operations.
• Console and Userspace Applications: Provides a console that supports many Linux features and can run various applications, including Vim and TinyCC.

Booting and Testing:

Tilck includes a bootloader that works with both legacy BIOS and UEFI systems. It can be easily tested using QEMU or on physical hardware. The project has integrated testing infrastructure to ensure reliability.

User Experience:

Tilck emphasizes ease of use for developers, making it accessible for beginners. Its build system is designed to be straightforward, requiring minimal setup.

Conclusion:

Tilck serves as an educational platform for kernel development while being practical for real-world applications, particularly in the embedded systems domain. It aims to provide a user-friendly experience, encouraging contributions from both experienced developers and newcomers.

Ukrainian hackers, working with military intelligence, successfully attacked Gaskar Integration, a major Russian drone manufacturer. This cyberattack destroyed over 47 TB of important data, disrupted the company's operations, and blocked access to their systems. The hackers, part of the BO Team and Ukrainian Cyber Alliance, accessed sensitive information about the production of drones, including details of the company's collaboration with China. They also paralyzed the plant's internet and production systems, forcing employees to use fire exits. The stolen data included confidential employee information and technical documentation on drone production, which has been shared with Ukraine's Defense Forces.

No summary available.

DataRamen is a local SQL explorer designed to help you access data quickly without having to write repetitive queries. You run it on your computer and connect it to your databases.

Key features include:

• Automatic Joins: Easily view related records by right-clicking on a row.
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Navigate quickly using shortcuts for tasks like jumping to tables and filtering.
• Named Tabs: Keep multiple queries open in separate tabs for easy comparison, and save them for later.
• Instant Editing: Edit or add rows with a click, without writing full queries.
• Multi-Database Support: Connect and search across several databases at once.
• Column Search: Find data even if you don't know the exact column name.

This tool can save you a lot of time if you often explore data. Feedback is welcome, especially from frequent data users. More information can be found at DataRamen's website.

(Note: The logo design is a work in progress.)

Summary of cppyy

Cppyy is a tool that automatically creates bindings for using C++ in Python and vice versa. It allows developers to call C++ code from Python without needing to write additional boilerplate code. Key features include:

• Run-time Generation: This allows for optimizing performance and reducing memory usage in large projects.
• Dynamic Interaction: Cppyy supports advanced features like cross-inheritance and callbacks, letting Python and C++ work together interactively.
• No Extra Language Requirements: Users don’t need to deal with intermediate languages or extensions.
• Based on Cling: Cppyy uses Cling, a C++ interpreter, to maintain Python's flexibility.

Examples in the documentation illustrate how to define C++ classes and functions directly in Python, showing how to manipulate C++ objects seamlessly.

Cppyy is compatible with both CPython and PyPy, enabling high performance and supports large-scale C++ programs. It is designed to minimize dependencies, making it suitable for diverse development environments.

For more details, users can refer to the changelog, installation guides, and feature descriptions available in the documentation.

The text discusses the MARS.EXE program, a Martian landscape renderer originally created in 1993 by Tim J. Clarke. The program's code has been simplified and reduced from 5649 bytes to 1517 bytes. The author invites Tim Clarke to get in touch, as they have been trying to reach him.

The document includes a table of contents, which lists:

• The original MARS.EXE code (5649 bytes)
• An algorithm description by Tim Clarke
• Conversion details to MARS.COM (1517 bytes)
• The source code of MARS.COM

It also provides instructions for using a debugging tool to retrieve raw data and decode binaries, emphasizing that working within the debugger is preferable. The text features some technical assembly code snippets from the original program, showcasing its functionality and structure.

Summary of GPUHammer: Rowhammer Attacks on GPU Memories

GPUHammer is a new attack method that successfully demonstrates Rowhammer bit flips in GPU memories, specifically targeting GDDR6 memory in NVIDIA's A6000 GPU. This attack can manipulate data stored on the GPU, affecting users in shared environments.

Key Points:

• Rowhammer Vulnerability: This is a hardware flaw where rapid access to one memory row causes errors in adjacent rows. While it has been studied in CPUs, this research brings it to GPUs.
• Challenges in GPU Attacks: GDDR6 memory has higher latency and faster refresh rates than CPU memory, making Rowhammer attacks more difficult. Additionally, the internal address mappings are unknown, complicating the attack.
• Successful Exploitation: The researchers used advanced techniques to identify memory addresses and maximize the rate of memory access needed to induce bit flips. They synchronized the attacks with memory refresh cycles to bypass existing defenses.
• Impact on Machine Learning: The researchers showed that even a single bit flip could drastically reduce the accuracy of deep learning models from 80% to 0.1%, demonstrating the practical implications of this vulnerability.
• Mitigation Strategies: Enabling Error Correction Codes (ECC) can help prevent these bit flips but may slow down performance by up to 10%. While ECC may correct single-bit errors, it does not address the underlying hardware issue.

Future Considerations: The authors suggest that while current high-end GPUs may not be affected, ongoing research is needed to explore vulnerabilities in future models. They responsibly disclosed their findings to NVIDIA and major cloud providers, who acknowledged the issue and recommended enabling ECC as a precaution.

For more detailed information, the full paper is available at USENIX Security 2025.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Summary of LLM Daydreaming Proposal

This proposal discusses the limitations of current large language models (LLMs) in generating truly novel insights, suggesting that they lack key components of human thought, specifically the ability to learn continuously and think unconsciously.

Key Points:

1. Missing Abilities:

   • LLMs are "frozen" and cannot learn from new experiences, making them incapable of producing groundbreaking ideas.
   • They lack a "default mode" for background processing, which is crucial for spontaneous creativity in humans.

2. Day-Dreaming Loop (DDL):

   • The proposal introduces a concept called the Day-Dreaming Loop, where LLMs would continuously generate and evaluate new ideas from random pairs of concepts stored in their memory.
   • This process would involve a generator model that creates new links and a critic model that assesses their value, creating a feedback loop of innovation.

3. Costs of DDL:

   • Implementing this loop would be resource-intensive, as the majority of generated ideas may be unoriginal or irrelevant. However, the investment could lead to significant breakthroughs and a competitive edge in AI.

4. Strategic Implications:

   • To make AI more cost-effective and efficient for users, it might be necessary to first develop systems that engage in this "wasteful" background exploration.
   • This approach could help create unique training data for future models, circumventing challenges faced in data acquisition.

5. Comparison to Human Thought:

   • Unlike LLMs, humans engage in continuous thinking, even during sleep, leading to unexpected insights. This ongoing cognitive processing is suggested as a model for enhancing LLM capabilities.

6. Challenges and Future Directions:

   • There are significant hurdles to implementing the Day-Dreaming Loop, including balancing efficiency and cost.
   • The proposal indicates that only specialized users may be willing to pay for the extensive computational resources required for this innovation.

In conclusion, the Day-Dreaming Loop represents a potential path to enhancing LLMs' creative capabilities, although it comes with high costs and complexities.

Today marks six years since the announcement of Project Gemini. This past year has been quiet, and the author acknowledges missing two important updates, expressing disappointment but also holding plans to finalize minor issues. They hint at sharing more by November 3, 2025, but recognize skepticism from the community.

The author has decided to stop reporting on the size of Geminispace, as continuous growth was never a project goal. Despite feeling inactive, they appreciate community contributions, including patches to improve documentation and support for services that keep the project running. They thank everyone for their ongoing efforts.

Over the past year, advancements in robotics have emerged alongside developments in large language models (LLMs). Robots like Pi’s π0.5 and Tesla’s Optimus can perform tasks, but they lack expressiveness, which is crucial for natural interactions. To explore this idea, the author created Shoggoth Mini, a soft tentacle robot designed to express intent and engage users more naturally.

The development process involved creating a basic testbed for the robot, experimenting with its design, and making adjustments to improve functionality and iteration speed. The author encountered challenges with cable management, which were resolved by adding spool covers and calibration scripts.

Shoggoth Mini features a two-dimensional control system that simplifies interaction, allowing users to move the tentacle intuitively with a trackpad. The control system is layered, with low-level commands for basic movements and high-level commands from GPT-4o for more complex actions.

For perception, the robot uses hand tracking and tentacle tip tracking, facilitated by a dataset and a YOLO model for object recognition. The author also explored reinforcement learning for closed-loop control, aiming to create smooth and responsive movements.

However, as the robot became more predictable, it started to feel less alive. This raised questions about the balance between expressiveness and unpredictability in making robots feel comfortable around humans.

Future development could involve giving the robot a voice, expanding its control capabilities, and adding more tentacles. The project is open for collaboration and further exploration in robotics, reinforcement learning, and LLMs.

The author reflects on their experience working at OpenAI after leaving the company three weeks ago. They joined OpenAI in May 2024 and share insights about the company's culture, rapid growth, and their work, particularly on the Codex project.

Key Points:

1. Rapid Growth: OpenAI expanded from over 1,000 to more than 3,000 employees in just a year, leading to challenges in communication and team dynamics.

2. Unique Culture: The company operates primarily through Slack, with a bottoms-up approach encouraging meritocracy and quick decision-making. Good ideas can emerge from anyone, making it a very dynamic environment.

3. Secrecy and Scrutiny: OpenAI is secretive due to high public interest and scrutiny, which can create a serious atmosphere focused on the significant responsibilities of developing AI technologies.

4. Product Launch: The author describes the intense effort behind launching Codex, a coding agent, within seven weeks. The team worked long hours, demonstrating a strong commitment to innovation.

5. Learning Experience: The author valued their time at OpenAI for the learning opportunities and the chance to collaborate with talented people, ultimately finding it a rewarding experience.

6. Future of AI: They believe that OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are the leading organizations in the race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), each with distinct approaches.

In summary, the author appreciates the innovative and fast-paced culture at OpenAI, the challenges of rapid growth, and the valuable experiences gained during their time there.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has created the most accurate atomic clock in the world, capable of measuring time to an astounding 19 decimal places. This new "quantum logic clock" combines an aluminum ion with a magnesium ion, improving accuracy by 41% and stability by 2.6 times compared to previous clocks.

Over 20 years of development, the team carefully enhanced every aspect of the clock, including the trap design where the ions are held, and improved the vacuum system to minimize disruptions. They also utilized one of the world's most stable lasers to increase measurement efficiency, reducing the time needed to achieve high accuracy from weeks to just a day and a half.

This clock plays a significant role in redefining the second with greater precision, contributing to advancements in science and technology. It also serves as a platform for exploring new concepts in quantum physics, potentially leading to breakthroughs in understanding fundamental nature constants.

The author is excited about using Bloom Filters, a data structure that efficiently tracks potential set membership without increasing in size as more unique items are added. This makes them ideal for searching large datasets, like logs and documents. The author has developed a Go package called BloomSearch, which includes features like:

• Efficient memory usage with Bloom Filters and streaming row scans.
• Interfaces for various data backends.
• Hierarchical pruning with partitions and indexes.
• Searching by different criteria with complex combinations.
• High scalability for handling large amounts of data and queries.

BloomSearch aims for high performance, targeting over 100 billion rows per second, and aims to reduce costs associated with log storage while allowing unlimited data retention and easy querying. The author is pleased with the progress and sees potential for further improvements.

No summary available.

No summary available.

Summary of "One Million Chessboards" Project

• Overview: One Million Chessboards is an online chess game featuring a massive 1000x1000 grid of chessboards where players can move pieces between boards in real-time, with no turns.

• Launch Success: In the first ten days, the game attracted over 150,000 players who made more than 15 million moves without any server issues.

• Design Goals: The game was built to minimize bandwidth costs and run on a single process, making it efficient and fast. The goal was to avoid the complexities of sharding and to ensure quick response times for player moves.

• Game Rules: Players can move pieces across boards, but capturing pieces from other boards is restricted, leading to unique gameplay experiences.

• System Architecture: The game utilizes a single Golang process with an Nginx reverse proxy. The game state is maintained in a large array, and updates are sent to players based on their position on the board.

• Data Handling: Instead of sending all game data to players, the server sends snapshots and move batches relevant to their current position. This is optimized to reduce bandwidth use.

• Rollback Mechanism: The game employs a rollback system to allow players to see immediate results of their moves, even if the server response is delayed. This system requires careful handling of move conflicts.

• Performance: The server runs efficiently with low CPU usage and optimized data transmission, leading to a manageable cost structure for the project.

• Challenges and Learnings: The project highlighted the importance of good design for user experience, particularly in conveying the game's scale and mechanics. The developer learned valuable lessons about managing expectations, gameplay design, and technical challenges.

• Future Improvements: Feedback indicated that the game could benefit from clearer tutorials and explanations of its unique rules, as some players found it confusing compared to traditional chess.

• Conclusion: The developer reflects on the journey of creating One Million Chessboards as a learning experience, emphasizing the importance of passion in game development and the joy of creating engaging experiences for players.

To become a better programmer, it's helpful to practice reasoning through your code as if you're writing a proof in your head. This technique can improve both the speed and accuracy of your coding. Here are the key concepts to focus on:

1. Monotonicity: Look for parts of your code that only move forward without going back. For example, when a script saves its progress, it can resume from the last completed task, ensuring a consistent forward progression.

2. Pre- and Post-Conditions: Define what must be true before (pre-conditions) and after (post-conditions) a function runs. This helps you verify that your function works correctly and can guide your unit tests.

3. Invariants: These are conditions that should always hold true during the execution of your code. Check that your code maintains these invariants throughout its operation.

4. Isolation: Understand that changes in one part of your code can affect others. Try to structure your code to limit the impact of changes, using boundaries that prevent unintended consequences.

5. Induction: Use this mathematical reasoning technique when dealing with recursive functions. Prove the function works for a base case and then show it works for larger cases based on the smaller ones.

6. Proof-Affinity: Strive to write code in a way that makes it easy to reason about. Good design allows you to easily verify that your code is correct.

To improve at these techniques, practice writing proofs and tackling programming problems that challenge your logical thinking. Engaging with mathematical proofs can sharpen your skills and enhance your programming abilities.

Summary:

Bitvise, a company that offers an SSH client, is facing backlash for controlling the domain name putty.org, which is historically linked to the open-source SSH client PuTTY. The domain's use by Bitvise raises concerns about trust and transparency in the open-source community, as the site promotes Bitvise's product while also referencing PuTTY. Critics argue this misleads users and exploits PuTTY's reputation.

Bitvise has responded to criticism with hostility, including publishing a journalist's private emails without consent. They argue that they legally own the domain and dismiss ethical concerns about its use, claiming that their service is valuable. However, digital rights advocates highlight that just because a domain is legally owned doesn’t mean it should be used in a way that confuses users about its affiliation with established projects.

The situation illustrates ongoing issues of ownership and ethics in the software community, questioning whether Bitvise's actions are smart business or deceptive.

The author expresses frustration with feeling powerless when encountering disturbing news online. They wish they could physically react, like crumpling a newspaper, but find it difficult to do so with digital content. To address this, they created a browser extension that lets users click a button to unleash a swarm of cursors that visually tear apart the web page, providing a fun way to express discontent. The extension is available for Firefox and Chrome.

Summary of ProductClaude for Financial Services

On July 16, 2025, a new Financial Analysis Solution named Claude was launched to enhance how finance professionals analyze data and make investment decisions. This solution integrates various financial data sources into a single platform, allowing easy access to critical information with direct links for verification.

Key features include:

1. Advanced Financial Capabilities: Claude 4 models excel in financial tasks, showing high accuracy in competitions and complex analyses.
2. Expanded Tools: Tools like Claude Code help modernize trading systems, automate compliance, and perform complex analyses.
3. Data Integration: Pre-built connectors provide access to essential financial data from multiple renowned sources, ensuring comprehensive market insights.
4. Expert Support: Tailored onboarding and training help users quickly realize the value of the platform.
5. Data Protection: Users' data remains confidential and is not used to train AI models.

Claude simplifies financial analysis, making it faster and more reliable by verifying information across multiple sources. It supports various financial tasks like due diligence, market research, and portfolio performance monitoring.

Leading financial institutions report significant productivity gains and improvements in efficiency since using Claude. The solution is available on AWS Marketplace, with plans for future availability on Google Cloud Marketplace. Interested organizations can contact the sales team for more information or to schedule a demonstration.

No summary available.

Summary of the FIPS 140-3 Go Cryptographic Module Blog Post

The FIPS 140-3 standard is important for cryptographic implementations in regulated environments, and Go has now integrated native FIPS 140 support into its standard library. This aims to make compliance easier and more secure for Go users.

The Go Cryptographic Module version 1.0.0, included in Go 1.24, is the first non-JVM memory-safe library to achieve FIPS 140 validation. It has received necessary certifications and allows Go applications to use FIPS 140-3 approved algorithms without needing unsupported solutions.

Key features include:

• Seamless Integration: The module works transparently with existing Go applications. Users can easily enable FIPS mode with a simple setting.
• Improved Security: The module maintains or exceeds the security of previous Go libraries while complying with FIPS 140-3 requirements, including enhanced random number generation.
• Broad Compatibility: The module is tested across various operating systems and hardware platforms, ensuring wide applicability.
• Comprehensive Algorithm Support: All approved algorithms are included and validated, making it easier for developers to create compliant applications.

The new module aims to provide a more secure and user-friendly way for Go developers to meet FIPS 140 compliance requirements, replacing the older Go+BoringCrypto solution. Future updates will continue to enhance the module and maintain compliance standards.

Claude, a product from Anthropic, is outperforming ChatGPT in a specific area: user-generated app creation. This comes after a shift in focus at OpenAI, which has seemingly abandoned its Custom GPTs feature since Spring 2024. Custom GPTs were designed to harness network effects but have seen low engagement.

In contrast, Anthropic introduced "Artifacts," which allows users to create simple HTML apps easily. This feature gained popularity and recently evolved to enable the creation of AI-powered apps without the need for coding. Users can create shareable apps that leverage Claude's AI capabilities without worrying about technical issues like API authentication or usage costs.

Claude's approach is seen as a smart business strategy, making app creation accessible and risk-free for users. This positions Claude as a strong competitor in the generative AI space, similar to how Dropbox revolutionized file sharing. Overall, the article highlights Claude's innovative features and their potential to reshape user engagement in AI.

CoinTracker helps individuals and businesses manage cryptocurrency taxes and accounting automatically. They track over $100 billion in crypto assets for 3 million users, including casual investors and large enterprises. The company is remote-first, with a team of 80 experienced professionals from top companies like Google and Airbnb.

CoinTracker is currently hiring for various roles, including software engineers, product designers, product managers, crypto accounting CPAs, marketers, and customer experience specialists. Their mission is to simplify crypto taxes and accounting as more financial activities move online.

Key features of CoinTracker include:

• Aggregating transactions from over 500 wallets and exchanges.
• Classifying complex transactions like DeFi and NFTs.
• Generating tax forms compliant with IRS and international standards.

The company uses modern technologies like TypeScript, Node, Python, and React, and promotes a remote work culture with regular meet-ups. They offer competitive salaries, equity, healthcare, 401(k) matching, and learning opportunities.

If you’re interested in joining the team and tackling challenges in crypto data, check out their job openings at CoinTracker’s careers page.

This article discusses techniques for creating organic simulations using algorithms primarily for artistic purposes. Here are the main points:

1. Physarum Algorithm: Developed by Jeff Jones, this algorithm simulates the behavior of organisms like Physarum polycephalum. It involves particles (agents) that move through a 2D space, leaving trails behind them. The agents sense the intensity of trails ahead, to the left, and to the right, and move based on where the strongest trail is detected.

2. Algorithm Steps:

   • Sensing: Agents look at three positions to detect trail intensity.
   • Rotation and Movement: Agents turn towards the strongest trail or move randomly if ahead is the weakest.
   • Deposit: After moving, agents add a value to the trail map at their new position.
   • Trail Diffusion and Decay: The trail is blurred and reduced in intensity over iterations to create a stable effect.

3. Advanced Techniques: In "36 Points," Sage Jenson enhances the algorithm by allowing each point to represent different behaviors based on varying parameters. This results in more complex and varied simulations.

4. Implementation: The author has created a version of the algorithm that allows for real-time processing using GPU shaders, enabling many agents to be simulated simultaneously.

5. Color and Velocity Experiments: The article explores ways to add color to simulations and introduce velocity effects to give particles a sense of inertia.

6. Interactive Features: The author discusses a project where users can control parameters and spawn particles, making the simulation interactive.

7. Further Experiments: Various techniques are explored to manipulate particle behavior and enhance simulation diversity.

The article concludes with an invitation for others to experiment with these ideas and acknowledges the contributions from previous works. The content is shared under a Creative Commons license.

Summary of "10 Most(ly dead) Influential Programming Languages"

The article discusses several programming languages that are now considered "mostly dead" but were highly influential in shaping modern computing. The author critiques a previous list of significant languages for excluding important ones like ALGOL and Pascal simply because they are not widely used today.

Key Languages Discussed:

1. COBOL:

   • Created in 1960 for business applications.
   • Introduced the concept of structured data, though it is now complex and less influential.

2. ALGOL:

   • Developed for algorithm research, it introduced many foundational concepts such as lexical scoping and structured programming.
   • Became overshadowed by languages that built on its ideas.

3. APL:

   • Focused on array processing with a unique symbol-based syntax.
   • Influenced modern data manipulation languages but struggled due to its complex keyboard requirements.

4. BASIC:

   • A simplified language for beginners that became popular in the microcomputer era.
   • Its social impact was significant as it introduced many people to programming.

5. PL/I:

   • Aimed to combine features of FORTRAN and COBOL but failed to gain traction due to its complexity and vendor lock-in.

6. SIMULA 67:

   • Introduced object-oriented programming concepts but was too slow for practical use, leading to its decline.

7. Pascal:

   • Aimed to simplify ALGOL for teaching purposes and had a significant influence on software development practices.
   • Its decline was not due to a lack of merit but rather the changing landscape of programming languages.

8. CLU:

   • Focused on abstract data types and introduced concepts like iterators and generics, influencing many later languages.

9. ML:

   • Known for type inference and functional programming features, it influenced modern theorem proving but remained a niche language.

10. Smalltalk:

    • Popularized object-oriented programming but lost ground to Java due to performance issues and compatibility challenges.

The article emphasizes the importance of recognizing these "mostly dead" languages for their lasting impact on programming and the evolution of modern languages. The author believes that studying historical languages helps us understand the foundations of current technology and appreciate lost ideas in programming.

The annotations can be found at the provided link.

Nextflow is a powerful workflow system designed for creating scalable and reproducible workflows using the dataflow programming model. This model simplifies the process of writing parallel and distributed pipelines, allowing developers to concentrate on data and computation flow. Nextflow can run on various platforms, including local machines and cloud services like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes. It also supports a range of software dependency management tools, such as Docker and Conda.

To get started with Nextflow, you can install it using a simple command or through Bioconda. The documentation for Nextflow is readily available, and you can seek help or engage with the community through forums or Slack. The community is active, hosting regular meetings and events, and contributing to the nf-core project, which offers high-quality workflows.

Nextflow is open-source, licensed under Apache 2.0, and contributions are encouraged. If you use Nextflow in your research, it's important to cite the original paper. The system is built on Groovy and GPars, with support from YourKit's Java Profiler.

Summary of "The Sound of Inevitability" by Tom Renner

In this post, Tom Renner discusses the concept of "inevitabilism," which is the belief that certain futures, particularly regarding technology and AI, are unavoidable. He shares his experience with debate and emphasizes the importance of framing discussions to maintain control of the argument. Renner mentions insights from Professor Shoshana Zuboff’s book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, which introduces new terms that help articulate concerns about technology.

He highlights quotes from tech leaders who frame the conversation about AI as something we must accept and adapt to, rather than question. Renner expresses skepticism about the idea that AI is the inevitable future, asserting that people have choices about how to shape their future with technology. He encourages readers not to let the notion of inevitabilism dictate the conversation and to actively consider and advocate for the future they desire.

Summary of "Designing for the Eye: Optical Corrections in Architecture and Typography" by Niko Kitsakis

This article discusses the importance of optical corrections in visual design and architecture, explaining how our perception can be influenced by visual illusions.

Key points include:

1. Optical Illusions: The Müller-Lyer illusion shows how our brains can misinterpret the length of lines. Research suggests that these illusions affect everyone, regardless of cultural background.

2. Visual Design and Typography: Designers, like Paul Renner, have long understood the need for optical corrections. Typography involves adjustments to make letters visually appealing, compensating for visual biases.

3. Examples from Typography: Renner’s typeface Futura illustrates how subtle adjustments are made to shapes like the letter "O" to appear more balanced. Designers must consider how letters work together visually.

4. Architecture and Typography Similarities: Both fields require a blend of technical skill and artistic sensibility. Optical corrections are crucial in architecture as well, ensuring structures appear harmonious and appealing.

5. Historical Context: The Parthenon in ancient Greece exemplifies the use of optical corrections in architecture. Its columns are tapered, and the base is slightly curved to create a sense of balance and beauty.

6. Cultural Appreciation: The article emphasizes the value of understanding and appreciating the subtleties in design, arguing that mediocrity in design leads to a loss of beauty in our surroundings.

Overall, Kitsakis argues that both typography and architecture must account for human perception to create visually satisfying designs, highlighting the enduring importance of these principles throughout history.

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No summary available.

The text tells the story of Comer Cottrell, a beauty entrepreneur who popularized the Jheri curl hairstyle in the 1980s with his product, the Pro-Line Curly Kit. Before this innovation, the Jheri curl required expensive salon treatments. Cottrell's kit allowed people to achieve the look at home for just $8, making it widely accessible during a recession.

The Curly Kit was a massive success, selling nearly $10 million in its first year and transforming the Black haircare market. It became a staple for many, including celebrities. The kit's popularity led to a surge in related hair products as consumers sought to maintain their styles.

Although the Jheri curl had cultural significance, reflecting a shift from natural styles to more processed looks during the 1980s, it eventually fell out of fashion due to changing tastes and maintenance challenges. Nevertheless, its legacy continues, influencing modern Black haircare trends.

Cottrell later sold his company for around $75 million, and his family has continued to innovate in the beauty market. The story illustrates how economic factors can shape consumer behavior and create opportunities in the beauty industry.

Mistral AI has introduced Voxtral, a new set of open-source speech understanding models aimed at improving human-computer interaction through voice. Voice is the most natural interface, but current systems are often unreliable and costly. Voxtral addresses these issues by offering high-quality speech transcription and understanding at an affordable price.

Key features of the Voxtral models include:

• Two sizes: a larger 24B model for production use and a 3B model for local applications.
• Exceptional transcription capabilities with support for long audio files (up to 40 minutes).
• Built-in question and answer functions and summarization abilities.
• Multilingual support, automatically detecting languages and performing well in many of the world's most spoken languages.
• The ability to trigger backend functions directly from voice commands.

Voxtral models outperform existing systems in both transcription accuracy and understanding, making them suitable for various real-world applications. They are available for download and integration via an API, with pricing starting at $0.001 per minute.

Mistral AI is also providing advanced features for enterprise users, including private deployment options and domain-specific fine-tuning. Future updates will enhance capabilities further, such as speaker identification and emotion detection.

To foster development, Mistral AI is looking to hire talented individuals to join their team in advancing voice interface technology.

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Stellantis has decided to stop developing hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which they had planned to launch this year. Despite the appeal of quick refueling times, hydrogen has significant drawbacks, including inefficiency, high production costs, and a lack of refueling infrastructure. Most hydrogen is produced through energy-intensive methods, and the market for hydrogen vehicles remains small and unsustainable. Stellantis aims to focus on electric and hybrid vehicles instead, ensuring they meet CO2 regulations and customer expectations without laying off any staff involved in the abandoned hydrogen project.

Summary: Encrypting Files with Passkeys and age

On July 14, 2025, a new method for encrypting files using passkeys and the age encryption format was introduced through Typage, a TypeScript implementation that works across various platforms. Important points include:

1. Passkeys: These are secure, phishing-resistant WebAuthn credentials that can be stored in places like password managers or on hardware keys. They improve security compared to traditional passwords.

2. WebAuthn PRF: The WebAuthn credential can generate a Pseudo-Random Function (PRF), which acts as a secure key for symmetric encryption. This requires user verification (like a PIN or biometrics).

3. Encryption Format: The new age format uses the PRF to encrypt file keys, ensuring that each file is securely bound to its own encryption key, which enhances privacy and security.

4. Implementation: Typage 0.2.3 supports this encryption method, allowing users to create passkeys and encrypt/decrypt files easily through a simple API.

5. Cross-Device Compatibility: Passkeys can be used across devices, allowing users to encrypt files on one device and decrypt them on another, enhancing convenience while maintaining security.

6. Security Keys Support: FIDO2 hardware tokens can also store passkeys, though limitations exist. An age CLI plugin is available for using these security keys outside the browser.

Overall, this development aims to provide a more secure and user-friendly way to encrypt files using modern authentication standards.

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The author has been living in Denmark for four years and wants to learn Danish, especially since they have a Danish girlfriend. They initially practiced by texting in Danish but often struggled with vocabulary and sentence structure. To overcome this, they used GPT to help correct their messages, but found it tedious to reuse the prompts. So, they developed an app that allows users to write in Danish, mark unclear parts with curly braces, and receive instant corrections and explanations. The app also includes a history feature to help learners review their mistakes. This tool is designed for language learners to practice writing without the fear of making mistakes or needing to switch to a translator.

The author was unhappy with basic Mandelbrot explorers calling themselves Fractal Graphing Calculators. During a summer break, they created a real graphing calculator that converts LaTeX to WebGL, allowing users to graph various mathematical expressions like sin(z^2+c), c^z, and z^{1.7}+c. The tool also supports animation by letting users define variables. It can compute Mandelbrot or Julia Set styles and works with both graphics cards and integrated graphics.

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The text discusses a new research collaboration on hierarchical networks (H-Nets), which aim to improve AI architectures by better organizing and processing input data. Current AI models treat all inputs equally, leading to inefficiencies and challenges in learning from complex data like language, images, and audio. H-Nets address these issues by using a dynamic chunking mechanism that groups raw data into meaningful concepts, enhancing the model's ability to learn and reason.

Key features of H-Nets include:

1. Improved Scaling: H-Nets perform better with large datasets compared to traditional models, especially in complex contexts like Chinese or DNA sequences.
2. Deeper Learning: They can stack to learn from deeper hierarchical structures, boosting performance.
3. Robustness: H-Nets are more resilient to minor changes in input data, aligning better with human reasoning.

The research aims to create next-generation AI models that can understand and generate multimodal data efficiently, reason over long contexts, and optimize training and inference processes. The text highlights the potential of hierarchical modeling to address fundamental AI challenges.

For more details, the authors encourage reading their full research on arXiv and exploring their released model checkpoints on HuggingFace.

Summary of Hazel

Hazel is a functional programming environment based on type theory. You can explore it online and access various branches through the Hazel website.

Building and Running Hazel:

• To build Hazel, ensure you have OCaml (5.2.0), OPAM (2.0+), and npm installed. Use these commands:
  1. Clone the repository: git clone [email protected]:hazelgrove/hazel.git
  2. Navigate to the directory: cd hazel
  3. Install dependencies: make deps
  4. Build the project: make dev
• To view Hazel, run a local server with Python: make serve and open http://0.0.0.0:8000/ in your browser.

Contributing and Syntax:

• Hazel is written in ReasonML, which is similar to OCaml. You can convert between the two using a provided tool or terminal commands.

Development Tools:

• For Visual Studio Code (VS Code) users, recommended extensions for editing ReasonML include ocaml-platform, Bracket Pair Colorizer 2, Indenticator, and indent-rainbow.
• If you prefer Vim, switch to NeoVim for better support, and set up the Language Server Protocol (LSP) for enhanced coding features.

Build System:

• Hazel compiles to JavaScript using the js_of_ocaml compiler. Use make dev for development builds that include debugging information.
• For a clean build, you may need to set up a local OCaml environment.

Debugging and Testing:

• Use print_endline to log messages to the browser console. Helper functions for printing data types are also available.
• For testing, run make test, and for code coverage, use make coverage.

Continuous Integration:

• When you push changes to the repository, a GitHub Action builds the branch and deploys it if successful. You can view the build status in the GitHub Actions tab.

This summary highlights the essential information about Hazel, its setup, tools, and development process.

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On July 11, 2025, Spain awarded Huawei a contract worth €12.3 million ($14.3 million) to manage and store wiretaps for law enforcement and intelligence agencies. This decision has raised concerns about the potential for Huawei to be influenced by the Chinese government for espionage purposes. The contract follows a public procurement process, and Huawei was already providing technical support for Spain's wiretap system.

Despite Huawei's compliance with cybersecurity guidelines, there is increasing unease among Spain's National Police and Guardia Civil about the company's involvement in sensitive operations. While many European Union countries and NATO allies have restricted Huawei from 5G networks due to security fears, Spain has taken a different approach, emphasizing supply chain reliability over geopolitical risks.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been a strong supporter of Huawei, which has also established research facilities in Madrid. Experts note that Spain's inconsistent policy towards high-risk technology vendors contrasts with more restrictive measures in other nations. Huawei maintains that its equipment has never been found to have security backdoors, while the Chinese government claims that Western concerns are unfounded and economically motivated.

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We created our inference engine using Rust, and it outperforms llama cpp in every situation we tested. We welcome your feedback. The engine was built from the ground up, allowing you to support any kernel and platform.

The text provides information about the Amiga OS 3.1 Workbench manual available on the Internet Archive. Here are the key points:

• Manual Title: Amiga OS 3.1 Workbench by Escom, published in 1995.
• Accessibility: The online bookreader requires JavaScript; users may need to enable it in their browser settings.
• File Size: The manual is 298.8 MB and is available in multiple download formats including PDF, EPUB, and DAISY for users with print disabilities.
• Views and Reviews: The manual has been viewed over 2,700 times and has 8 favorites.
• Additional Features: Users can share the manual on social media or embed it on other sites.
• Uploaded Date: It was added to the Internet Archive on February 18, 2019.

Overall, it’s a digital resource for the Amiga OS 3.1 Workbench manual with various download options and sharing capabilities.

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The text discusses how technology, particularly smartphones and AI, negatively impacts our cognitive abilities and attention spans. Key points include:

1. Cognitive Decline: Having a phone nearby can lower memory and attention during tasks.
2. Distraction: Scrolling on platforms like TikTok makes it easy to forget what you were doing, taking about 25 minutes to regain focus.
3. Improvement: Blocking mobile data for two weeks can reverse up to 10 years of age-related cognitive decline.
4. AI Usage: Using AI tools like ChatGPT can significantly reduce brain connectivity and information recall.
5. Coding Efficiency: Developers may spend more time coding with AI but feel they complete tasks faster.

To manage these issues, the author shares personal strategies:

• Avoiding phone use during specific times (in the morning and before bed).
• Not taking the phone into the bathroom.
• Setting timers for distracting apps.
• Practicing a simple daily meditation technique.
• Planning the day intentionally using pen and paper.

The author also mentions the concept of "centaur guardrails," where human oversight improves AI performance. They suggest a box to block phone signals for better focus.

The article argues that true meritocracy cannot exist without random selection, or "lottocracy." It explains that when selection criteria for authority positions are clear, they can be manipulated, leading to the selection of individuals who are good at gaming the system rather than those who are genuinely qualified. This is evident in systems like representative republics and hereditary monarchies, where charm and connections often take precedence over competence.

The author suggests that randomness helps eliminate manipulation, ensuring that authority is given to those who are truly capable. It introduces ideas for implementing random selection in governance, such as appointing oversight boards through random selection and using random sampling for committees.

Despite concerns about incompetence and accountability in random systems, research shows that well-structured groups can outperform individuals. Historical examples, like juries and the governance of Venice, demonstrate the effectiveness of randomness in decision-making.

Ultimately, integrating chance into selection processes can safeguard meritocracy, preventing it from being dominated by schemers and ensuring that true talent has the opportunity to thrive.

The blog post discusses the author's experience with language learning apps, particularly focusing on the challenges faced with the app Duolingo while trying to learn Dutch. The author reflects on a previous attempt to learn German using the app, which resulted in a lack of practical language skills despite a long streak of usage.

The post contrasts gamified learning apps with traditional flashcard methods, like Anki, which the author finds less effective due to a lack of engaging feedback and active involvement. The author reminisces about a spaced repetition app called Genius, which was user-friendly and provided motivation through simple rewards.

After noting that Genius is no longer functional on modern macOS, the author expresses interest in reviving the app. They successfully accessed the source code and managed to build a working version of Genius on their macOS system, making it modern and functional again. The author concludes by sharing their excitement about using the revived app for memorization, as it was intended.

Summary: Easy Dynamic Dispatch with GLIBC Hardware Capabilities

With GLIBC version 2.33 and later, developers can create a shared library that targets various CPU optimization levels. The dynamic linker will automatically choose the best version based on the CPU's capabilities. For example, on a Ryzen 9 5900X, the library would load from the highest supported version available.

GLIBC Hardware Capabilities (hwcaps) make it simple to implement dynamic dispatch for AMD64 and POWER builds. This method was discovered while packaging the ggml tensor library for Debian, which required a way to optimize performance across different CPU architectures.

Hwcaps allow libraries to be built for multiple CPU levels, such as x86-64-v4, x86-64-v3, and x86-64-v2. When an application runs, the linker searches for the appropriate library starting from the highest level supported by the CPU, ensuring that the best performance is achieved. If a system does not support hwcaps, the lowest performance version can still be loaded from a standard path.

Overall, this feature enhances library performance and compatibility across various systems, and it will soon be adopted in the Debian package for ggml.

Helix Release 25.07 Highlights - Summary

On July 15, 2025, the Helix text editor released version 25.07, featuring significant updates and new functionalities contributed by 195 developers. Here are the main highlights:

1. File Explorer: A new file explorer is added, allowing users to navigate directories easily and view their hierarchy. This offers a more precise tool for managing large projects compared to the previous file picker.

2. Document Colors: Helix can now request and display inline color swatches from language servers, enhancing the visual coding experience.

3. Command Mode Enhancements:

   • A complete rewrite of command mode improves how commands are parsed and completed, fixing bugs and adding new features like flags and expansions.
   • Flags: Simple modifications to commands (e.g., :sort --reverse).
   • Expansions: New syntax allows for dynamic variable insertion into commands, improving flexibility.

4. Tree-sitter Integration: The release replaces the old tree-sitter components with a new system called Tree-house, which enhances syntax highlighting and parsing capabilities. Key improvements include:

   • Injections: Supports switching languages within code (e.g., Markdown within Rust).
   • Incremental Parsing: Only the changed parts of the document are re-parsed, improving efficiency.
   • Locals Handling: Maintains parameter highlighting even when their definitions are out of view.

These updates aim to improve the overall functionality and performance of the Helix editor, making it more user-friendly and efficient for developers. For more details, users can refer to the full changelog and join discussions on Helix's development.

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No summary available.

Clippy was created to solve a problem with the command pbcopy, which can't copy files for use in GUI apps. When you use pbcopy with a file, it only copies raw data, not the file itself. Clippy addresses this issue by allowing you to:

• Paste files directly into apps (e.g., clippy report.pdf).
• Use it with commands to paste files (e.g., curl image.png | clippy).
• Copy multiple files at once (e.g., clippy *.jpg).
• Still work with text files like pbcopy does.

Clippy uses Objective-C and CGo to copy file references instead of raw content, and it automatically cleans up temporary files without using AppleScript. You can install it using the command: brew install neilberkman/clippy/clippy.

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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered a unique cosmic object called the Infinity Galaxy, formed by the collision of two disk galaxies. This galaxy has two compact red nuclei surrounded by rings, resembling the infinity symbol. Researchers found an active supermassive black hole located between these two nuclei, within a large area of gas.

The team believes this black hole may have formed through a process called "direct collapse," where a gas cloud collapses directly into a black hole, potentially explaining the existence of massive black holes seen in the early universe. This finding is significant because it suggests a new way of forming black holes that has not been observed before.

The Infinity Galaxy also has evidence of ionized gas and two additional active supermassive black holes in its nuclei. The researchers are studying the velocities of the black hole and gas to confirm if the black hole indeed formed in its current location. While they cannot definitively prove it yet, the data supports the idea of witnessing the birth of a supermassive black hole.

In "The Birth and Death of Search Engine Optimization," the author discusses the decline in the quality of search results from engines like Google over the past decade. An experiment showed that searching for specific tools, like "yt-dlp" (a YouTube downloader), often leads users to irrelevant or scammy sites instead of the desired content.

Many tech users feel Google search results have worsened, while a vocal minority believes they remain effective. The author suggests that experienced users have developed tricks to navigate poor search results, unlike average users who may struggle.

The author conducted tests using various search engines, including Google and ChatGPT, to compare their effectiveness in returning relevant and safe results for several queries. The results were rated on a scale from terrible to great. The findings revealed that some lesser-known search engines, like Marginalia, performed surprisingly well, while Google returned many low-quality, ad-laden results.

The author highlights that the current advertising model of search engines often prioritizes profitability over providing quality results. This leads to a prevalence of misleading ads and spammy content, which can confuse users. The article raises questions about the potential for smaller search engines to improve results and whether user-curated approaches could effectively compete with Google.

Overall, the text critiques the commercialization of search engines and the impact it has on the quality of information users receive.

The article criticizes Marc Andreessen for his recent comments about the university system and his views on discrimination against certain groups, particularly Trump supporters. It argues that Andreessen, a successful venture capitalist, is betraying the very system that helped him succeed, including the partnership between government, academia, and industry that has fostered innovation in America.

The author highlights Andreessen's disdain for elite universities like Stanford and MIT, which he claims have become political entities undermining American innovation. It recounts the history of the Internet's development, emphasizing how much of the technology that led to Andreessen's wealth was built on public investment and research conducted at universities.

The article asserts that the American system, which combines public and private efforts, has benefitted Andreessen and other tech oligarchs immensely. However, Andreessen now feels betrayed by the institutions he once relied on, blaming them for turning against him and his peers.

In conclusion, the author argues that Andreessen and other tech leaders are not victims but rather traitors to the system that made them rich, prioritizing their grievances over the responsibilities they have to society, which could lead to dangerous consequences for democracy and social stability.

Researchers have developed a new imaging technique that can create detailed maps of the nerves in a mouse's body. This method allows for high-resolution images of the nerve pathways from the brain and spinal cord to various organs. Unlike previous methods that focused on mapping the brain's nerve connections, this technique successfully traces the complex nerves throughout the entire body.

To prepare the mouse for imaging, scientists use chemicals to make its tissues transparent, allowing for a clearer view of the nerves, which are marked with fluorescent proteins. The imaging process involves slicing the mouse's body and taking 3D images at a rapid pace, completing the entire mapping in just 40 hours. This new approach is much faster than older methods, which could take months and risk damaging the samples.

The study involved 16 adult mice and used different techniques to label various nerve types. This advancement is seen as a significant step in the field of neuroscience, helping to expand our understanding of the nervous system beyond just the brain.

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Summary: VHS, VCDs, and Laserdiscs in Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia, especially Singapore, VCDs and Laserdiscs were more popular than VHS tapes, partly due to the region's humid climate causing mould on tapes. While VHS was used, local tapes didn't suffer as much from mould compared to imported ones.

Laserdiscs were favored by video enthusiasts for their better quality and longevity, but they were expensive. VCDs became the dominant format in the 1990s because they were cheaper, smaller, and could be mass-produced easily. They used digital technology that made them more durable than VHS tapes.

During this time, there was a significant market for both legitimate and pirate VCDs, with many people opting to buy VCDs instead of recording shows on VHS. The popularity of VCDs continued even as DVDs emerged, especially for lower-budget TV shows.

In conclusion, while the climate affected the popularity of VHS in Singapore, economic factors played a major role in the rise of VCDs and Laserdiscs.

The article by Constance Grady discusses concerns about children's reading abilities in America, questioning whether there is a genuine literacy crisis or if these concerns are just a recurring theme across generations. Grady reflects on how every generation tends to criticize the next, often feeling that children are less capable than before.

There are two main issues at play: college students may struggle with reading complex texts, while elementary students show declining reading test scores. Experts highlight that fears about literacy may stem from the rise of technology, like smartphones and social media, which some believe affects children’s ability to read and process information.

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that reading scores have been declining for years, particularly among struggling readers. While high-achieving students maintain their skills, those who find reading difficult are facing more challenges.

The article also acknowledges that the current educational reforms focus heavily on phonics, which might neglect broader reading comprehension skills. Experts suggest that schools should adapt to today’s communication styles and not solely rely on traditional methods.

Overall, while many children can read well, there are significant concerns about those who struggle, and the article emphasizes the need for continued attention to literacy education.

Summary of Kiro: An AI IDE for Development

Kiro is a new integrated development environment (IDE) designed to help developers move from idea to production smoothly, particularly when working with AI applications. It addresses common challenges in development, such as unclear requirements and documentation gaps, by using "spec-driven development."

Key Features:

1. Specs: Kiro generates detailed specifications from simple prompts. These specs clarify requirements and guide the development process, ensuring the application meets user needs.
2. Hooks: These are automated tasks that help developers by performing checks and updates in the background. For example, when saving a file, hooks can update related test files or documentation.
3. Integrated Workflow: Kiro combines the process of defining requirements, designing systems, and implementing tasks into a seamless workflow. It generates technical documents and tasks based on the specifications, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
4. Consistency and Quality: Hooks enforce coding standards and quality checks across the team, reducing the chance of errors and improving code quality.

Kiro aims to simplify software development, resolve conflicts in requirements, and maintain documentation throughout the project lifecycle. It is currently available for free during its preview phase and supports multiple operating systems and programming languages.

Developers can sign up easily and access tutorials to help them get started with building applications.

The text discusses a frustrating bug that the ClickPipes team encountered while working with PostgreSQL, specifically related to the creation of logical replication slots on read replicas. Key points are:

1. Issue Overview: A customer faced a problem where a query to create a logical replication slot was stuck, leading to customer dissatisfaction and potential database instability. The query took hours to execute instead of seconds, and common methods to terminate it were ineffective.

2. Previous Encounter: This was not the first time the team faced this issue; a similar problem occurred months earlier with another customer. They initially attributed it to specific conditions in the managed service but later realized it was a deeper PostgreSQL bug.

3. Investigation Process: The author investigated the problem, identifying that the backend process was caught in a loop of sleep calls without completing the task. This was linked to how PostgreSQL handles transactions and replication slots, especially on read replicas.

4. Technical Findings: On read replicas, the way PostgreSQL waits for transactions to complete can lead to long delays. The design of the system caused the query to become "unkillable" due to a lack of interrupt handling in the waiting loop.

5. Resolution: The author proposed a patch to add interrupt checks in the code, which was accepted and backported by the PostgreSQL community. This change should help users avoid similar issues in the future.

6. Lessons Learned: The situation highlighted the complexities of database systems and the importance of community collaboration in addressing bugs. The author emphasized the advantages of open-source technology for identifying and fixing issues.

7. Promotional Note: ClickPipes offers managed real-time data replication solutions for ClickHouse users, which enhances performance and efficiency in data handling.

Overall, the text illustrates the challenges of debugging complex database systems and the benefits of community support in resolving these issues.

The text discusses how termites and ants build complex structures without any central planning or instructions, using a process called stigmergy. Each insect leaves pheromone markers in their environment, guiding others to contribute to the construction of their nests. This decentralized approach shows that collective intelligence can achieve great things without a leader.

The author relates this concept to their own struggles with memory and organization. They often forget tasks and find digital reminders insufficient. Instead, they use physical cues in their environment, like leaving a bicycle pump by the door or moving Lego bricks, to remind themselves of tasks. This method serves as an external memory system, similar to how insects use stigmergy.

The author concludes that memory and organization are not just abstract mental processes but can be supported by physical actions and environmental cues, as demonstrated by humble ants.

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No summary available.

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A recent memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outlines a new policy allowing the deportation of immigrants to third countries—countries where they have no connections—sometimes with as little as six hours' notice. This policy permits deportation even if there are concerns about potential persecution or torture in the destination country, unless the U.S. has obtained diplomatic assurances that the deported individuals will be safe.

The memo, issued by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, states that under normal circumstances, ICE must follow specific procedures, such as providing a notice of removal in a language the immigrant understands and waiting at least 24 hours before deportation. However, in urgent situations, deportation can happen much faster as long as the immigrant has the chance to speak with an attorney.

Critics, including Trina Realmuto from the National Immigration Litigation Alliance, argue that this policy violates legal protections for immigrants and lacks transparency about the countries involved. The memo follows a Supreme Court ruling that enables deportations to countries without prior connections, raising concerns about the potential for human rights abuses. The Department of Homeland Security claims that these deportations are necessary for national security and have negotiated safe third country agreements.

Cloudflare has started blocking access to pirate websites in the UK, displaying an "Error 451 - Unavailable for Legal Reasons" message to users trying to visit these sites. This marks a significant shift since local internet service providers (ISPs) like BT and Virgin Media have traditionally handled site blocking after court orders.

The recent wave of blocking includes nearly 200 domains requested by the Motion Picture Association (MPA). Cloudflare's involvement means that even users using VPNs may see this blocking notice if they are connected through UK servers, creating a barrier against piracy.

Cloudflare typically resists blocking requests due to its role as a content delivery network (CDN) but has complied with a legal order in this case. However, the details surrounding these orders are often unclear, as there is no requirement for public transparency. While some information about the blocking orders is available through resources like the Lumen Database, specifics about the legal requests and issuing authorities are often missing.

Overall, the scale of blocking could be broad, potentially affecting hundreds or thousands of domains linked to piracy. Users are advised to avoid these domains, as they often pose security risks due to malware.

This morning, I experienced intermittent search failures, but now every search gives an error message saying, "Sorry, we ran into an error displaying these results. Click here to try again." I looked for an official status page but couldn't find one. However, it seems others are having the same problem, as noted on a site called DownDetector.

They have since updated the search results page to indicate that they are experiencing an outage and thanked users for their patience.

The CEO of Co-op, Shirine Khoury-Haq, has confirmed that all 6.5 million members had their personal data stolen in a cyber-attack in April. The stolen data includes names, addresses, and contact information, but no financial details. Khoury-Haq expressed her devastation over the breach and its impact on employees and members. Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the attacks affecting Co-op and other retailers, but they have been released pending further investigation.

Co-op is working to restore its systems and has partnered with a cyber-security recruitment company to help channel young talent into legal careers. The cyber-attack also affected Marks & Spencer, which is still recovering from significant disruptions. Co-op initially thought the attack would have a minor impact but later revealed the extent of the data breach.

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On July 9, 1925, Werner Heisenberg wrote a letter to Wolfgang Pauli, sharing his groundbreaking ideas that would change physics forever. He was working on a new interpretation of quantum mechanics that moved away from the old model of atoms as tiny solar systems. Instead of focusing on unobservable electron orbits, Heisenberg aimed to create a model based on experimental observations.

This letter included a draft of his important paper, which is viewed as the start of modern quantum theory. Heisenberg's work led to the development of matrix mechanics, with contributions from other scientists like Max Born and Pauli himself. Today, these early ideas form the basis of the Standard Model of particle physics, which continues to hold up under experimental scrutiny at CERN.

As we celebrate 100 years of quantum mechanics, researchers are still exploring its implications. New technologies, like quantum sensors and simulations, are evolving, and many questions about the nature of quantum theory remain unanswered. Heisenberg expressed hope that future scientists would make sense of these complexities, a challenge that persists a century later.

The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration has made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting the merger of the largest black holes ever observed, creating a final black hole about 225 times the mass of the Sun. This event, named GW231123, was recorded on November 23, 2023, during the fourth observing run of the LVK network.

Previously, the largest black hole merger detected was GW190521, which had a total mass of 140 solar masses. The new merger involved two black holes, each around 100 and 140 solar masses, and both were rapidly spinning, which complicates our understanding of black hole formation. Researchers are exploring theories, as such massive black holes don't fit into current stellar evolution models.

The LIGO observatories, along with partners Virgo and KAGRA, have together observed over 200 black hole mergers in their latest run. This discovery challenges existing astrophysical models and demonstrates the capabilities of gravitational-wave astronomy. Researchers are still analyzing the intricate details of the GW231123 signal and its implications.

The findings will be presented at the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation in Glasgow, Scotland, and the data will be made available for further research.

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Happy 20th birthday, Django!

On July 13, 2005, Django started with its first public commit by Jacob Kaplan-Moss. Now, twenty years later, Django celebrates this milestone with over 400 releases.

To celebrate, a special website highlights events happening worldwide throughout 2025, including birthday cakes, trivia quizzes, and community achievements.

As a birthday gift, the Django Software Foundation is seeking support. They aim for 200 new donors to contribute at least $20 each over the next 20 days. Donations can be made on their website or through GitHub sponsors.

Currently, they have raised about $76,707 towards a $300,000 goal for 2025.

Looking ahead, Django aims to continue thriving as a leading web framework, promising new releases, an expanding ecosystem, and a supportive community.

Join the celebration and consider donating!

Brian Jeffrey, also known as Simon, is a self-appointed curator who worked as an electronic technician on the DEWLine from 1960 to 1963. His time there sparked a deep interest in the DEWLine, and you can read about his personal experiences by clicking the globe icon below.

The text is a review of the book "English Translators of Homer" by Simeon Underwood. The reviewer believes the title should focus on translations rather than translators, as the book discusses the history and choices of translators without enough text comparisons. They express frustration over the lack of examples to illustrate points about different translators' styles.

The reviewer appreciates the book's insights on translation, noting that translating poetry poses unique challenges in balancing the original text's meaning with modern readability. They highlight Homer’s works as significant historical texts that deserve careful translation.

The review discusses various translators, including Lattimore, Logue, and Mitchell, comparing their styles. Lattimore's translations are seen as accurate but difficult to read, while Logue's modernized versions provoke thought even if they stray from the original text. The reviewer prefers Mitchell and Lombardo for their more accessible translations.

Overall, while the reviewer finds the book informative, they feel it lacks depth and sufficient examples to be considered great, though it does contain valuable insights.