How can we slow, stop, mitigate, and/or reverse the effects of global warming ---- in a way that aligns with capitalist incentives and the natural human inclination to be lazy?
Ask HN: Interesting problems that should be solved but aren't being worked upon?
11–16 of 16 posts
Re: Ask HN: Interesting problems that should be solved but aren't being worked upon?
#12Clean drinkable water from ocean water and dirty water. most of the world suffers from lack of clean drinking water. create a tech to clear sewer water without needing much electricity in a cheap way
Re: Ask HN: Interesting problems that should be solved but aren't being worked upon?
#13The government's lack of uniform application of the law and disregard for rule of law. I'm tired of the hypocrisy and corruption. Unionizing or creating a standardized contract for software developers across the industry. I'm tired of companies breaking their own policies, eroding benefits, and having unrealistic expectations. Political parties need to be refreshed and probably add more so there aren't just two mains…
>Unionizing or creating a standardized contract for software developers across the industry. I'm tired of companies breaking their own policies, eroding benefits, and having unrealistic expectations. Why on earth would software developers unionize? There probably isn't a profession where the workers have more power. If you don't like the way a company is treating or compensating you, leave! Standardized contracts wou…
The vast majority of software developers don't have leverage over their employer. There are some in high demand tech hubs that do.
Some interesting things that could happen:
- We software developers create a hierarchy/training program much like trade workers (electrical for instance) where your title in the union is dependent on mentoring and peer reviews.
- Silly interview leet bullshit disappears. Union people interview and assess candidates/new union people. Titles are earned via a formal process.
- Specializations could emerge that have more stringent requirements to attain a title/modifier.
- A company wouldn't need recruiters, they would be part of the union. If unionized software devs work at company ABC, then the union rep would know the contract is being expanded and they need 10 more devs and at what levels.
- Union representatives would negotiate contracts for pay and benefits. They would be uniform across devs at that company, possibly that region.
- Union workers could go on strike if they determine they find the employer doing morally questionable business practices.
- A bunch of software nerds will make a lot of poor attempts at jokes and memes like they are union mobsters so it should be called a guild, it suits us better :)
Re: Ask HN: Interesting problems that should be solved but aren't being worked upon?
#14A "Wikipedia of Arguments", one can refer to in public discussions. Relevant links: https://github.com/canonical-debate-lab/paper/blob/master/RE... . https://www.societylibrary.org/
This reminds me of a joke.
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After years of training to be a monk, John left his monastery to travel the world and visit other places of worship. One day, he ended up at a monastery high up in the Himalayas. After exchanging pleasantries with his fellow monk brethren, they all gathered for their evening prayer followed by supper. Afterwards, the monks got to telling jokes to pass the time.
“Who would like to tell the first joke?” Said the lead monk.
“I would!” Replied brother Jacob. After some thought, brother Jacob said: “35!” Suddenly, all the monks began to laugh hysterically. John was confused as to why everyone found this so funny, so asked the monk next to him, who replied: “we monks have lived together for so long that we tell each other the same jakes over and over again, so we decided to number them to make things simpler.”
After a few more jokes, John was called upon to tell a joke. After thinking hard, John said: “126.” John then witnessed the monks laugh harder than he had ever seen before. John was both proud of himself and somewhat confused at the same time, so he asked the monk next to him “why is everyone laughing so hard at that joke?”
The monk turned to John and said: “because we’ve never heard that one before!”
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Imagine in future arguments, a discourse that sounds like:
Person A: The sea levels are rising. Person B: 4,512 Person A: but 125 Person B: Yes, and also 51.
Re: Ask HN: Interesting problems that should be solved but aren't being worked upon?
#15A "Wikipedia of Arguments", one can refer to in public discussions. Relevant links: https://github.com/canonical-debate-lab/paper/blob/master/RE... . https://www.societylibrary.org/
This reminds me of a joke. --- After years of training to be a monk, John left his monastery to travel the world and visit other places of worship. One day, he ended up at a monastery high up in the Himalayas. After exchanging pleasantries with his fellow monk brethren, they all gathered for their evening prayer followed by supper. Afterwards, the monks got to telling jokes to pass the time. “Who would like to tell t…
Haha, good joke and indeed very related!
Re: Ask HN: Interesting problems that should be solved but aren't being worked upon?
#16All kinds of medical cures, for flu, for colds, for acne, for Lyme, for West Nile, for chronic fatigue syndrome, the list goes on. They say the flu is too difficult to cure because it mutates, but they also said DNA was too difficult to sequence. For many of these there is no research funding at all and no one is really even trying.