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Ask HN: How have you applied computer science IRL?

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Ask HN: How have you applied computer science IRL?

#1
Sooo... I just got done putting away a load of laundry and realized I've applied efficiency techniques to the process. I first sorted the clothing types into buckets (piles IRL) then performed type-specific processing on each of the buckets, reducing as much as possible my disk I/O (turning around and taking a couple steps to put the clothes in the drawer/on the rack IRL).

How have you changed some process in your life based on computer science algorithms or principles?

Re: Ask HN: How have you applied computer science IRL?

#2
I have a specific schedule that I follow when starting different parts of dinner to make sure that everything is done at the same time, including adjustments for different pots that I know cook differently. I suppose you could think of this as some sort of scheduling algorithm.

Re: Ask HN: How have you applied computer science IRL?

#4
Sure.. exponential back-off for trying to get my son to sleep at night. Didn't work.

Mark & Sweep Garbage Collection for my desk. Commonly used stuff stays on the top, and then I periodically pause for garbage collection where I drop the lower layers into a draw. Occasionally I do survivor generation compaction, too.

When doing washing, I always build an index by hanging it out in order, so then putting it away can utilize the index (in English - I put pairs of socks together when I hang them out, so when I bring them in they are already paired)

Re: Ask HN: How have you applied computer science IRL?

#6
I work in retail atm and use algorithms a lot (in my head at least).

E.g.: to stock beer we have a big pile with myriad brands. To make it easier to stock I stack it to where each type is easily accessible. Maybe analogous to certain heap paradigms... .

I also think about how I can reduce touching of the actual product (unload truck -> floor, as opposed to unload truck -> belt -> stock -> floor).

Basically being lazy and trying to make my life more efficient/easier leads me to utilize algorithms.

Re: Ask HN: How have you applied computer science IRL?

#10
Sorting room full of dated reports from several dozens of years.

First pass: put raports in the bins year by year maintaining sort order in the bins. Binary search used to place new report in the bin.

Second pass: put year by year sorted reports in the correct order on the shelfs.

I don't remeber the name of the algorithm used and the book from which it come was given to the library.

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