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rottc0ddon I'd like to take a moment to speak to you about the Adobe PSD format (2009)

For those who are wondering, this is quote from "Hitchhiker's guide to Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_th...

rottc0ddon Introduction to Deep Learning (CMU)

There was another hn page where discussion happened on this topic. Please check following comment thread.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43391604

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43395172

These resources were helpful for me. Note that, [1] and [2] are concerned about systematic understanding rather than hands on. [3] is a hands on exercise to build neural networks from ground up.

1. A fantastic resource and best resourse IMO, for getting probablistic perspective about machine learning from ground up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MuDZIAzBMY&list=PLoROMvodv4...

2. Another good free course.

https://work.caltech.edu/telecourse

3. For hands on after getting some knowledge and building things from ground up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMj-3S1tku0&list=PLAqhIrjkxb...

rottc0ddon The Lost Art of Research as Leisure

As mentioned elsewhere, I should have been more careful with my phrasing. What I meant is I am much more aware of my own understanding, gaps and shortcomings and more actively involved in learning and processing information when I am reading.

rottc0ddon The Lost Art of Research as Leisure

But, media consumption habits to a certain degree, do dictate our thinking and how much and how long we can actually concentrate, no? I also agree that we need not do everything the same way we have done before and there are different ways to achieve the end.

>> I feel like this person has some kind of dark academia aesthetic fetish that they need to hold onto to feel superior to everyone else.

We all have our bias. We settle with and swear by a way we end up finding to work for us for right reasons.

I notice this a lot while doing math. I would normally start with books because they already have predefined structure and have all the topics a person would normally need. I buy 3 or 4 books for which solutions are available. I start with book and then I would listen to lectures. If I do not understand, I would read some other book on same topic. I would have one book which I can understand better than other. Then try to solve many problems from all the books and look up solutions.

Though this is so time consuming and demanding with a full time job, when I engage with learning, I try to engage in this manner. If somebody asks me, I would recommend this because for fairly technical topics because other ways have left me with vague understanding but not good enough mental model to make me relate to problems in terms of the abstractions from those topics. That does not mean this is the only way and each might have to find thier own path.

LLM has been godsend for me too here, particularly when I am trying to fill my gaps in understanding while reading technical books. And it is much more easier to listen or see, than to read. So, given our current landscape and how much time is spent with work, it is true that it is getting harder and harder to read and almost not feasible for many of us.

rottc0ddon The Lost Art of Research as Leisure

I should have been more careful with my phrasing. What I meant is I am much more aware of my own understanding, gaps and shortcomings and more actively involved in learning and processing information when I am reading. And I honestly cannot think of even consuming certain books with audio medium. As I commented elsewhere, "Gravity's rainbow" is one such book, in which for me, even a single page cannot be consumed using audio medium.

rottc0ddon The Lost Art of Research as Leisure

I think, it is much more to do with the fact that audio or visual way of consuming information is so natural that you can sometimes go with the flow.

It helps me to be much more aware of the information being consumed, exactly because reading is an unnatural and learned way of consuming information. You can definitely do the same with audio medium, but books make me aware of where I am in the process much more than former.

rottc0ddon The Lost Art of Research as Leisure

Edit: Made my points subjective

Harder for me. I thought I can while reading fiction. "Gravity's rainbow" proved that wrong too.

What I mean is, I am more aware of information flow particularly because it is not the natural way of consuming knowledge. Speaking language is in a way part of our evolution. But, written language is a skill you learnt, like driving a bicycle.

This unnatural way, makes me much more aware of my own thinking. While I am reading, even if I understand I stop and muse and breathe in and bask on thoughts it cultivated in me. It has not happened, for me, in other medium.

rottc0ddon The Lost Art of Research as Leisure

This is a personal take. I agree if you are actively participating and grappling with the material in your mind. One reason I like reading is that, if I don't understand I cannot move on to next step. So, it forces me to actively participate, argue and understand the text.

In audio and visual medium, it is somewhat easier to trick myself into following the flow without actually understanding. I heard, that is why Feynman lectures are bad for some people. It is very easy to understand, but doing physics require active problem solving.

Consuming audio is the most human way and if it works for you, it works for you.

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

Got it. What is the common phrase used in this case? Same as what sibling comment has said?

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

I think real genius is translating all the heavy symbolic manipulation into visual processes, that people can see and interpret. Suddenly, you are not seeing some abstract derivation somewhat removed from real world, but another real visual process which you pause and reason with.

That makes the whole concept tick.

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

Thanks. Sorry for the oversight.

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

From, a comment I posted elsewhere for written versions.

There is a course reader for CS109 [1]. You can download pdf version of this.

There is also book[2] for excellent caltech course[3].

[1] https://chrispiech.github.io/probabilityForComputerScientist...

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Data-Yaser-S-Abu-Mostafa/dp/...

[3] https://work.caltech.edu/telecourse

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

There is a course reader for CS109 [1]. You can download pdf version of this.

There is also book[2] for excellent caltech course[3].

[1] https://chrispiech.github.io/probabilityForComputerScientist...

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Data-Yaser-S-Abu-Mostafa/dp/...

[3] https://work.caltech.edu/telecourse

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

Non native speaker here. Will remember this.

Hm... Saw that, I have used it multiple times in my comment. I was just trying to convey the meaning.

What is right use of word? What would be right word to use here?

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

Caltech's learning from data was really good too, if someone is looking for theoretical understanding of ML topics.

https://work.caltech.edu/telecourse

rottc0ddon Deep Learning Is Not So Mysterious or Different

If anyone wants to delve into machine learning, one of the superb resources I have found is, Stanfords "Probability for computer scientists"(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MuDZIAzBMY&list=PLoROMvodv4...).

It delves into theoretical underpinnings of probability theory and ML, IMO better than any other course I have seen. (Yeah, Andrew Ng is legendary, but his course demands some mathematical familarity with linear algebra topics)

And of course, for deep learning, 3b1b is great for getting some visual introduction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk&list=PLZHQObOWTQ...).

rottc0ddon There is more to colliding blocks that generate PI [video]

Follow up to following videos:

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEfHFsfGXjs&pp=ygULcGkgLyA0I...

2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brU5yLm9DZM&pp=ygUPY29sbGlza...

rottc0ddon How Pi Almost Wasn't

There is a playlist by 3b1b for different interesting derivations of Pi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GPy_UMV-08&list=PLZHQObOWTQ...

rottc0ddon History of Maths for Beginners

For calculus history, one of my earliest books I read was "Calculus wars" (https://www.amazon.com/Calculus-Wars-Jason-Socrates-Bardi/dp...). This also is a essentially book about the Newton and G W Leibneiz. But, it is pretty much a deep dive into life of these two men. Highly recommended.

Another great book is "Infinite Powers" by Steven Strogatz (https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Powers-Calculus-Reveals-Univ...).

rottc0ddon The early days of Linux (2023)

Wow! I think he got different in his English diction much later in his life?

rottc0ddon Money lessons without money: The financial literacy fallacy

Hey,

Non native speaker here. I think I conveyed something that I did not mean to convey. I was just saying concentrating on the "why" and having a utiliterean perspective about the topics to learn while useful and help the children to relate, need not be the only criteria.

Cause, lot of things can be a little more abstract and some what removed from exact applications in real world. But, they can still be beautiful. That is what I meant to say. I think I conveyed the exact opposite.

rottc0ddon Money lessons without money: The financial literacy fallacy

https://xkcd.com/1050/

Excuse the smugness. Just providing counter perspective.

I know people, this does not help more people to easily understand the topic. But, lot of math like number theory was worked out as a intellectual exercise rather than application based.

Application followed theory. And people theorized for fun.

That can also make topics, abstract and unrelatable.

rottc0ddon Storytelling lessons I learned from Steve Jobs (2022)

Even just saying the whole thing out loud again and again, makes the talk better. Because, you would understand what you whizzing past, what you are spending time on and reduces the time you would buffer while talking.

rottc0ddon Ask HN: Books about people who did hard things

Too late to edit. Paul Allen it is

rottc0ddon Ask HN: Books about people who did hard things

I really "Idea Man" by Paul Newman. Though survivorship bias is apparent, it was insightful read on how Apple an Msft came to be and why they are what they are. For example, why closed system was important and worked for Apple.

It was great read until he leaves Microsoft.

rottc0ddon Books I Loved Reading in 2024

I personally loved "The Gene : An intimate history". I thought genes were hardcoded code that is needed sometime during life creation and once the cells specialized, they are done.

The cells are computer that operated on proteins, the input is protein being present and output is specific protein that does specific job.

rottc0ddon Java in the Small

I agree that can serve as terrible intro to programming. But, often when we have tools either designed for a purpose in mind or a dominant paridigm or reaction to existing set of tooling, this can result in understandable yet extreme abstractions.

Java is designed with OOP in mind and it kind of makes sense to have the user to think in terms of lego blocks of interfaces. Every method or class needs to have clear understanding of its users.

public - software handle is for all users

protected - software handle for current and extending classes

default - software is exposed to current package

private - software is restricted to be used in current class alone and nowhere else

So, the beginning of java programming starts with interface exposed to the user or other programmers. Is it weird and extreme. Yes. At least, it is consistent.

rottc0ddon Why Rethinkdb Failed (2017)

Done.

rottc0ddon Making a watch from scratch

It is quite famous in hn and discussed a lot.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31261533

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38591084

His whole blog is a treasure trove:

https://ciechanow.ski/gps/

https://ciechanow.ski/airfoil/

https://ciechanow.ski/internal-combustion-engine/

rottc0ddon C++ Template Macroprogramming versus Lisp Macros

Another post comparing C and lisp Macros: http://lists.warhead.org.uk/pipermail/iwe/2005-July/000130.h...

HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31199992