HNHacker News
TopNewBestAskShowJobs

bewatson

32 karma · joined June 17, 2014

Daily reader, unlikely commenter. Marketing and strategy, past YC intern. Chicago
submissionscomments
bewatson··on The Curious, Astounding Collection of the Magician Ricky Jay
One of my all time favorite pieces of (non-political) journalism. A beautifully told story about magic and one of it's greats.
bewatson··on Show HN: Weight Lifting Algorithm Based on 5M Workouts
I agree, and just as important as weight/reps and number is the speed of reps. Muscle growth comes from the amount of time the muscles are being utilized under weight. If someone cranks out 10 bench press reps quickly, that will have vastly different results than a 3110 lift. (3 seconds up, 1 second hold, 1 second down)
bewatson··on Glitter bomb tricks parcel thieves
so is stealing a package off someones porch
bewatson··on List of oldest companies: Before 1300
Interestingly, the list lower on the page that has companies from 1300 to 1399 is twice as long. Does anyone know if something significant happened in the world that leaves so many more companies from that century around?
bewatson··on Sudden savant syndrome, in which exceptional abilities emerge after brain injury
A great book that touches on the subject is "Musicophilia" by the late Oliver Sacks. It goes deep into the neurology of conditions like acquired savant syndrome, though the core of the book is on music-related neurological anomlaies https://www.amazon.com/Musicophilia-Tales-Music-Revised-Expa...
bewatson··on The Island Where Scientists Bring Extinct Reptiles Back to Life
I saw a movie about this once. It didn't end well
bewatson··on Pokemon Go is a huge security risk
if true, something is seriously messed up
bewatson··on How “Silicon Valley” Nails Silicon Valley
On top of that, I loved the irony that it was basically too ridiculous to use on the show.
bewatson··on All the best advice we could find on how to get a job
As a recent graduate, I know many people who used the "free work for a short term" method to get in the door for a new job. It isn't going to work at very large companies, but at startups and agencies, absolutely. "Illegal" sure, but a smart manager wouldn't turn down a chance to get a great look at a potential employee
bewatson··on Jeremy Guillory's Counter-Complaint against Cruise Automation
On top of what @theoracle110 said, would other contracts in previous investment rounds (in which Jeremy did not speak up) have any power/relevance?
bewatson··on SolarCity’s Gigafactory
I am glad to see this step towards economic growth for Buffalo. This project has helped out a lot of people in the area by providing jobs. Hopefully that progress continues.
bewatson··on Google says self-driving car hits municipal bus in minor crash
I utterly despise that local rule, even as someone who grew up with it.
bewatson··on Google says self-driving car hits municipal bus in minor crash
I wager that if this happened, it would both increase the use of public transportation and increase the public opinion of AVs (assuming it is done once the technology is acceptable). Probably not as profitable for the companies producing the consumer vehicles though.
bewatson··on The Kochs Are Plotting a Multimillion-Dollar Assault on Electric Vehicles
I think Elon's twitter sums it up pretty well: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/700583378328784896
bewatson··on Justice Department Calls Apple’s Refusal to Unlock iPhone a ‘Marketing Strategy’
I wouldn't say it's their main priority with the refusal, just a potential added benefit.
bewatson··on Multiple Black Vehicles with MD License Plates at Apple Executive Briefing Center
Interesting they have MD plates. Why not just have local NSA cars have CA plates?
bewatson··on G.M. Invests $500M in Lyft
This is something I never thought about. What an interesting shift it would be if remote workers became much more nomadic than most are now.
bewatson··on Will your driverless car kill you so others may live?
Very interesting hypo. "CARMA" made me laugh. Another element to consider is if there are fleets of empty and unmaned cars on the road (eg an Uber), an empty car could take the hit to skip the single unnecessary death.
bewatson··on Popcorn Time for music is here
First "Airbnb/Yelp/other-big-startup for ______" now "Popcorn time for _____". Its like we are starting to highlight black hat startups
bewatson··on Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration [pdf]
In the movie "The Martian" (not a spoiler), there is a part where they describe Mars as international waters. I think it is a pretty interesting take on the subject: "There’s an international treaty (the Outer Space Treaty signed by the US and Soviet Union in 1967) saying no country can lay claim to anything that’s not Earth. And by another treaty, if you’re not in any country’s territory, maritime law applies. So Mars is “international waters.” NASA is an American nonmilitary organization, and it owns the Hab. So while I’m in the Hab, American law applies. As soon as I step outside, I’m in international waters. Then when I get in the rover, I’m back to American law."

If and when this becomes a legitimate issue, it will be interesting to see who claims what, or if it will be it's own independent place.

bewatson··on The Threat of Creativity
I think this is a little off. Creativity is vital throughout the process of design, as is discipline and truly understanding problem. It is a process of first understanding the problem, then creating solutions, and finally narrowing down the solutions and executing them. Creativity and discipline go hand in hand throughout, and as a designer you should be able to both execute well and create well with both of which being optimized by a deep understanding of the problem. It's a cycle