Hacker News Reader

realitygrillon Training like Tesla: An Experiment of the Mind

I have a well developed spatial sense, but am very weak visually. When I try to visualize, the best I get is impressions of abstract glow-y lines that fade away quickly. I also tried to develop mental visualization but to little effect (I did have a vivid dream once. Only once, though.)

obligatory LW link: http://lesswrong.com/lw/dr/generalizing_from_one_example/

realitygrillon Reasons Not to Stretch

It's not just that. You're going to have to contend with the resistance of people you're attempting to dislodge conventional wisdom from.

To quote Alistair Fraser, "I find teaching of science fairly easy. I have no difficulties with science education; my difficulties are with science reeducation. If I can teach something about which the students have never heard, I find that they generally both welcome and understand it. It is when I have to teach them about something that they have already learned incorrectly, that I start to identify with Sisyphus."

http://www.ems.psu.edu/~fraser/BadScience.html

realitygrillon Philosophy and the practice of Bayesian statistics [pdf]

You're welcome. You might try his blog, too - his views on subjects like the "wisdom of crowds" and IQ are intellectual fun.

http://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/weblog/315.htm...

realitygrillon Philosophy and the practice of Bayesian statistics [pdf]

Shalizi is no slouch either - his notebooks are fascinating.

http://vserver1.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/notabene/

realitygrillon Zuck, Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey In Short Film To Inspire Kids To Learn How To Code

their inability to get good projects on which they would improve.

As someone who learned to code informally and is now looking for their first real software development job, I worry about this most.

realitygrillon I'm a shut-in. This is my story

It's interesting, but psychologists have found no evidence of learning styles.

title: "Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence" abstract: http://psi.sagepub.com/content/9/3/105.abstract fulltext: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.p...

realitygrillon Execution in the Kingdom of Nouns (2006)

Your explanations of Haskell concepts have been impressing me lately. Do you write elsewhere?

realitygrillon Four Hours of Concentration

I first read about the ~4 hour limit from D.E. Littlewood's book, Littlewood's Miscellany. He recommends "four hours a day or at most five, with breaks about every hour (for walks perhaps)."

Since then I've read of luminaries mentioning this in passing, but I haven't really tried to employ it. (I'm also pretty sure I've seen pg say this is empirically false with YC founders, and perhaps he and axiom are correct)

I'd like to know if there's evidence of this for learning, however, even if it is mathematics.

realitygrillon The lactose-tolerance mutation

Think about this. Those two statements are not mutually exclusive.

realitygrillon The Writing Revolution

Yes. On a smartphone currently, so google Scott Aaronson's blog post on sympathy vs empathy and sociopaths.

realitygrillon The Latest On Intelligence

At least you're not succumbing to the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect, gwern.

realitygrillon Why the days are numbered for Hadoop as we know it

I've started on this. Want to mentor me?

realitygrillon Real Tales of Learning Computer Science as a High School Girl

that moniker is still popular

realitygrillon For Women to Think Mathematically, Colleges Should Think Creatively

People will only start worrying when the ratio is closer to 3 women graduating per male?

realitygrillon What Does It Mean To Love What You Do?

How'd he manage that? It's quite impressive.

realitygrillon Ask HN: Who is Hiring? (March 2012)

Your profile doesn't include your email, though I sent one through hackernewsers.

realitygrillon What we’ve learned from Hacker School

I'll second this. Both Dave and Nick were really easy to talk to, and it's clear they're looking for kindred 'hacker' spirits.

Also, the isolation is spot on. It can be pretty depressing to be trying to, say, do SICP on internet advice, while people around you ask why you don't just take a Java/C++ class. I applied in large part to meet others truly interested in programming, and though I can't make it this time around, HS is tops on my list of things to do in 2012.

realitygrillon Everything You Thought You Knew About Learning Is Wrong

From what I recall, spaced repetition works best for simple motor tasks, and less well for skills of increasing complexity - say operating a traffic control tower.

realitygrillon A Redditor's insightful message for discouraged students

Goto source is Carol Dweck; read Mindset for the general ideas and pick up Self-Theories for a in-depth look.

realitygrillon Some Asians' college strategy: Don't check 'Asian'

Wisdom is rare, and not easily discerned. Tread carefully.

realitygrillon Watch a VC use my name to sell a con

aka the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect

realitygrillon Will Dropouts Save America?

Hey, fellow SRCer! (does that acronym still apply?)

realitygrillon Will Dropouts Save America?

It's really not that difficult. For formality's sake you could pick up a GED, but I think most colleges don't have a HS diploma as a strict requirement and would waive it if they did (assuming some evidence you're ready).

EDIT: I speak for the USA only.

realitygrillon Edward Tufte's "Data Analysis for Politics and Policy"

This is an excellent book. I bought a used copy this summer, and what has been so striking to me is the quotes and examples he uses; I have read most of them before, in one form or another, travailing the internet. It feels like someone modern collated the examples for the book, but Tufte wrote it in 1974! You also get a glimpse of Tufte before he becomes the information visualization guru.

realitygrillon Founders: Burn Your Boats

Try reading Schelling's Strategy of Conflict to see examples of limiting yourself to win. Or if you don't have time, you can read this (which I was directly reminded of) quick synopsis: http://lesswrong.com/lw/14a/thomas_schellings_strategy_of_co...

realitygrillon Monroe or Einstein? Instant eyesight check.

I've had glasses for most of my life, but had a similar problem studying. Recently found out I have convergence insufficiency, which rarely gets diagnosed. So even if you have glasses you might want to get a more comprehensive eye exam :)

EDIT: Also, this image makes me queasy.

realitygrillon Tell HN: Setting up a live-in hacker house

Sure. I have odd circumstances, but I'll ping ya.

realitygrillon Autodidactism for the chronically lazy and hyperactive

On Roger Federer (http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/2004):

Every day brought fresh challenges for Paganini to keep the young firebrand’s morale high. “Roger is not a workaholic that you can hit 3,000 backhands to and he hits them and feels good doing it. Training has to be fun for Roger,” said Lundgren.

“He wants to work hard but he needs a lot of variety,” Paganini said. “He has to see that an exercise is useful to him. He is an artist. If you motivate him, then he turns into a training animal.”

realitygrillon American Education: Much Worse Than You Think

I'm kicking around one (submitted to Imagine K12; rejected). Shoot me an email!

realitygrillon What happens to all the Asian-American overachievers when the test-taking ends?

Not to mention wider society - it's difficult to countersignal that you are intrinsically driven.