Discussions, summarized

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• Hacker News1Tell HN: Bob Cringely has diedBob, whose real name was Mark Stevens, reportedly died in his sleep early Saturday, according to a family friend. An early Apple employee, he was best known for his PBS documentaries, especially "Triumph of the Nerds." He will be missed.Admiration for his books and documentaries:Many credit Accidental Empires, Triumph of the Nerds, Nerds 2.0.1 and NerdTV with inspiring their tech careers. Users shared archive links, favorite columns, and early ideas he popularized, like bufferbloat and foveated video compression.Allegations of fabrication and the Mineserver Kickstarter:A widely shared Jeremy Reimer post argues that Cringely invented the house fire, cataracts and other stories to excuse a failed Kickstarter. Some also dispute his "Apple employee #12" claim, and others question whether he has actually died. A few defend it as a good-faith effort.Plane Crazy documentary:Users fondly recalled his PBS show about building a composite plane in 30 days, which collapsed and was rescued with a kit plane. One commenter saw in it a recurring pattern of overpromising, dismissing experts and concealing problems that mirrored his later Kickstarter failure.
• Reddit science1Study of 2.5 million children finds no link between MMR vaccine and autism.A study of over 2.5 million U.S. children found that receiving the MMR vaccine before age two, regardless of timing, was not linked to a higher risk of autism. Results held across multiple analyses, though the study lacked data on family history of autism.Anti-vaxxers are immune to evidence:Users doubt the study will change minds, blaming anti-intellectualism, "do your own research" culture and distrust of experts. Some say new evidence only entrenches believers, and that RFK Jr. will misrepresent it. A few hope hesitant parents may still be swayed.Frustration over repeating settled research:Many lament money spent re-proving a debunked claim stemming from Andrew Wakefield's fraud and object to the reversed burden of proof. Others argue debunking misinformation is constructive and necessary because the myth still harms children.Autism stigma and diagnosis rates:Commenters, including an autistic user, condemn the implied preference for a dead child over an autistic one. Others note that rising autism rates reflect better diagnosis, not vaccines, and that MMR predates the increase.
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