Discussions, summarized

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• Hacker News1Mr TIFFThe author spent years researching tech inventors for his book, including tracking down Stephen Carlsen who created the TIFF image format at Aldus. After extensive detective work involving misspelled names and a mailed letter, he found Carlsen and learned about TIFF's development. Two years later, Carlsen's ex-wife contacted him to say Stephen had passed away, calling him "Mr TIFF." The author then updated Wikipedia to properly credit Carlsen as TIFF's creator rather than just listing the company Aldus.TIFF magic number 42 origin:Discussion confirms that TIFF's magic number 42 was deliberately chosen as a reference to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." The TIFF creator Stephen Carlsen himself confirmed this on Wikipedia, and the number appears throughout his life including in his obituary.Stephen Carlsen recognition and tribute:Readers were moved by the story of Stephen Carlsen, the true inventor of TIFF who received little recognition. Many expressed gratitude for documenting unsung engineers and preserving tech history before it's lost.TIFF format technical discussion:Users discussed TIFF's extensibility as both its greatest strength and weakness - enabling flexible compression and metadata but creating compatibility issues. The format remains important in specialized fields like microscopy and geospatial applications.
• Reddit science1Using scented products indoors changes the chemistry of the air, producing as much air pollution as car exhaust does outside, according to a new study. Researchers say that breathing in these nanosized particles could have serious health implications.Using scented products indoors, such as flame-free candles and wax melts, can create significant indoor air pollution comparable to car exhaust. Research by Purdue University found these products release nanosized particles that can penetrate deep into lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream, posing serious respiratory health risks.Misleading title scope:Discussion about how study only focused on wax melts but title suggests all scented products, with debate about whether findings could logically extend to other scented itemsHealth concerns from chemist:A chemist's perspective against using scented products leads to sharing of personal health impact stories, from COPD to cancer cases, and debate about necessity of artificial scentsAir purification solutions:Discussion of HEPA filters and other air purification methods as solutions, with debate about effectiveness against different types of pollutants like VOCs and nanoparticles
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