Hacker News
1Show HN: Strange Attractors
- The author built a Strange Attractors project using three.js as a fun side project that reminded them of early programming days. They particularly enjoyed creating a 3D version of the Simone Attractor with GPT's help, making all parameters configurable for users to experiment with.
Visualizing higher dimensions
Discussion about the challenges and possibilities of visualizing mathematical objects beyond 3D space. Users debate whether humans can truly grasp 4D+ dimensions, with some claiming ability to visualize Klein bottles in 4D while others argue our neural circuitry is limited to 3D reasoning.Historical context and learning resources
Users share books and resources about chaos theory and strange attractors, including J.C. Sprott's 1993 book with floppy disk, Gleick's "Chaos: Making a New Science," and references to pioneers like Boltzmann and Gibbs in statistical mechanics.Creative applications and nostalgia
Users reminisce about experimenting with attractors decades ago on slower computers, discuss sonification of mathematical patterns, Eurorack synthesizer modules, and express desire for gaming applications using these beautiful mathematical structures.
2You can't refuse to be scanned by ICE's facial recognition app, DHS document say
- ICE uses a facial recognition app called Mobile Fortify that people cannot decline to use when verifying identity and immigration status. The app stores face photos for 15 years, including those of U.S. citizens, according to internal DHS documents obtained through public records requests.
Algorithmic accountability and technology misuse
Users discuss how ICE's Mobile Fortify app allows officers to ignore citizenship documents like birth certificates if the app flags someone as an "alien." Many compare this to "computer says no" scenarios and argue the technology provides cover for predetermined biases while removing human accountability.Constitutional violations and civil rights concerns
Discussion centers on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and the concerning practice of detaining citizens without due process. Users worry about the erosion of constitutional protections and the creation of a surveillance state targeting vulnerable populations.Database fragmentation and identity verification problems
Users with complex immigration histories express concern about orphaned records and outdated information in government databases. The fragmented US identity system creates scenarios where citizens could be wrongly flagged due to incomplete or contradictory data across multiple systems.
3Futurelock: A subtle risk in async Rust
- This RFD describes a complex "futurelock" issue discovered in the Oxide control plane, similar to their previous async cancellation problem. While the affected programs appear correct from a programmer's perspective, this represents a deep technical challenge that took experienced Rust developers significant time to identify and understand.
Rust async design flaws and alternatives
Discussion about whether Rust's async/await model with "inert" futures is fundamentally flawed compared to actor models like Erlang/Go. Users debate performance vs safety tradeoffs, embedded constraints, and whether simpler abstractions would prevent these footguns.Futurelock prevention and tokio improvements
Debate over whether this is a tokio bug vs language limitation. Suggestions include banning &mut futures in select!, priority inheritance mechanisms, better abstractions, and making MutexGuard !Send to prevent holding locks across awaits.Comparison to traditional concurrency problems
Users relate futurelock to priority inversion and classic deadlock patterns. Discussion of how this differs from thread-based concurrency where the OS handles scheduling, and whether deadlock detection is possible in async runtimes.
4Chat Control proposal fails again after public opposition
- The European Union Council has withdrawn its controversial Chat Control proposal that would have required widespread scanning of encrypted messages. This marks another defeat for the "zombie proposal" that has repeatedly resurfaced since 2022 despite opposition from privacy advocates, technical experts, and civil society organizations. The proposal sought to create backdoors in encryption for content moderation, but security researchers argue this would fundamentally weaken encryption and make all users vulnerable to malicious actors. While this withdrawal represents a victory for digital rights, the underlying political pressures remain, and the proposal is likely to resurface in modified forms under future EU presidencies.
Persistent reintroduction attempts
Users expect Chat Control to be repeatedly reintroduced under different names like "Protecting Children and Countering Terrorism Act." They emphasize that proponents only need to succeed once while defenders must win every time, creating an asymmetric battle.Corporate and lobbying interests
Discussion reveals Hollywood celebrities via Thorn NGO, which sells CSAM detection tools, are driving the initiative. Users argue big corporations benefit from expensive compliance requirements that create barriers for smaller competitors.Constitutional and legal protections
Multiple users cite constitutional provisions in Germany, Italy, and Sweden that protect communication privacy. They note politicians exempted themselves from scanning, revealing the law's true surveillance intent rather than child protection.
5Updated practice for review articles and position papers in ArXiv CS category
- arXiv's computer science category now requires review articles and position papers to undergo peer review at journals or conferences before submission. This change addresses an overwhelming influx of low-quality submissions, many generated by AI tools, allowing moderators to focus on core research papers while still accepting valuable review content that has been externally validated.
Bad incentive systems
Discussion about how rewarding volume over quality leads to gaming behaviors across research, content creation, and other systems. The root cause is designing metrics that optimize for algorithms rather than humans, creating perverse incentives.ArXiv policy changes
Debate over arXiv's new requirement for peer review of position/review papers before submission. Discussion covers whether this helps quality control or undermines arXiv's original preprint mission and creates delays.LLM impact on academic publishing
Concerns about AI-generated papers flooding arXiv, particularly low-quality survey papers and position pieces. Discussion of whether to blame the tools or focus on better detection and quality control systems.
6Addiction Markets
- Maryland Senator Joanne Benson introduced legislation to repeal online sports wagering, marking the beginning of pushback against corporate gambling's proliferation since the 1970s. Online sports betting has exploded since 2018, with Americans wagering over half a trillion dollars and facing widespread addiction, bankruptcy, and debt. What began as New Hampshire's 1963 lottery to avoid taxes has evolved into pervasive corporate gambling that corrupts sports culture and exploits vulnerable populations through sophisticated app-based platforms.
Gambling taxation and state revenue
Discussion centers on Maryland deriving 6.4% of its budget from gambling revenue, nearly matching corporate tax income. Commenters debate whether this reflects excessive gambling taxes, inadequate corporate taxes, or problematic state dependency on vice-based revenue streams.Advertising restrictions as harm reduction
Many suggest banning gambling advertisements as a compromise between personal liberty and public health. Comparisons drawn to tobacco regulation and Norway's alcohol policies. Debate over whether ad bans effectively reduce harm or if other friction-adding measures work better.Trading card games as gateway gambling
Discussion explores how Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, and similar card games with randomized packs constitute gambling mechanics. Commenters note evolution from 90s collecting to modern pack-opening content and speculate on connections to sports betting addiction.
7Ask HN: Who uses open LLMs and coding assistants locally? Share setup and laptop
- Andrea is seeking information from developers about their real-world workflows using open-source LLMs and coding assistants on laptops, including which models and integrations they use, their hardware specifications, performance, and the reliability of different coding tasks like completion and debugging.
Local model performance and hardware requirements
Discussion centers on running large language models locally, with gpt-oss-120b emerging as the standout performer. Users share experiences with various hardware setups from MacBooks with 128GB RAM to custom GPU servers, comparing token speeds and model capabilities.Hardware and software setups for local coding
Community members detail their specific configurations including Mac Studios, Framework desktops, and custom workstations. Popular tools include Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, and various IDE integrations like Continue.dev and Aider for coding assistance.Model comparison and practical applications
Users evaluate different models like Qwen3-Coder, Gemma, and various quantized versions for specific tasks. Discussion includes real-world applications from documentation generation to code completion, with performance benchmarks and use case recommendations.
8Hard Rust requirements from May onward
- Julian Andres Klode announces plans to introduce hard Rust dependencies into APT starting May 2026, specifically for the Rust compiler, standard library, and Sequoia ecosystem to improve memory safety and unit testing for parsing .deb, .ar, .tar files and HTTP signature verification. He advises maintainers of ports without working Rust toolchains to implement one within six months or sunset their ports, emphasizing the need for the project to adopt modern tools rather than being constrained by retro computing devices.
Memory safety and Rust adoption
Discussion centers on whether critical infrastructure should move from C to Rust for memory safety benefits. Supporters argue Rust prevents entire classes of bugs and is designed as a modern C replacement. Critics question if old, battle-tested C code really needs replacement and worry about new compatibility issues.Architecture support and obsolete platforms
Debate over dropping support for legacy architectures (alpha, hppa, m68k, sh4) that lack Rust toolchains. Some view these as genuinely obsolete "retro computing" platforms, while others worry about abandoning niche but valid use cases and the precedent this sets.Rust community culture and pushback
Ongoing tension around Rust evangelism and adoption tactics. Critics describe pushy "acolytes" and corporate-driven changes, while supporters argue technical merits justify adoption. Discussion touches on whether negative reactions stem from legitimate concerns or cultural resistance to change.
9Just use a button
- Using a div element instead of a button for interactive elements is wrong and inaccessible. Divs lack proper screen reader semantics, keyboard focus, and key event handling that buttons provide automatically. Developers often try complex workarounds with roles and event listeners when they should simply use the correct HTML button element.
Proper use of HTML elements
Developers should use semantic HTML elements like "<button>" and "<a>" tags instead of "<div>" elements with onclick handlers. Using proper elements provides built-in accessibility features, keyboard navigation, and browser functionality like middle-click for new tabs.Accessibility and user experience issues
DIV-based buttons break expected browser behaviors, making websites harder to use for people with disabilities and power users. Proper HTML elements provide free accessibility features that are difficult to replicate manually.Framework influence on bad practices
Modern JavaScript frameworks and AI code generation tools perpetuate poor HTML practices by making it easier to create custom implementations rather than using semantic elements, leading to widespread accessibility problems.
10AMD could enter ARM market with Sound Wave APU built on TSMC 3nm process
- AMD is developing its first ARM-based APU called "Sound Wave" on TSMC's 3nm node, targeting 5-10W TDP to compete with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite. The chip features a 2+4 core design, RDNA 3.5 graphics, and will power Microsoft Surface devices in 2026.
Jim Keller's cancelled K12 ARM project
Discussion centers on whether AMD made the right decision canceling Jim Keller's K12 ARM CPU project after he left. Some argue it was a missed opportunity given Apple's later success with ARM, while others defend AMD's focus on Zen architecture as the safer bet that ultimately drove their stock success.ARM vs x86 efficiency and market dynamics
Debate about ARM processors' inherent power efficiency advantages over x86, with discussion of whether efficiency comes from the instruction set architecture itself or design culture differences. Participants discuss market adoption challenges and the role of lithography improvements.AMD's Sound Wave chip speculation
Users speculate about AMD's rumored "Sound Wave" ARM APU, discussing potential applications from Microsoft Surface devices to gaming consoles, home servers, and media boxes. Questions arise about advantages over existing Zen architectures and market positioning against Qualcomm.