Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#161

Post by johngunderman » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:36 PM UTC

dmoney wrote: post #130

lionhearted wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did some research into living forever at one point. Basically, three things kill us: Disease, old age, and trauma. Disease seems beatable. Reversing old age is going to be trickier, especially as things we don't expect to fail start failing after we prolong our vitals for longer. But these both should be doable. The real killer is trauma. I scubadive. Given forever, eventually I'm going to something stupid underwat…

The real killer is trauma. This could be solved by perfect VR and disposable bodies grown in a vat, with a remote control system instead of a brain. Your real body hibernates and your real brain can think its scuba diving, while only having to worry a little about getting eaten by a shark (it would probably hurt).

...and thus was born the Matrix. Although it sounds appealing, It may prevent general trauma, but it also might create many news susceptibilities.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#162

Post by anamax » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:40 PM UTC

Mystalic wrote: post #145

mechanical_fish wrote: post #6

Get people to stop using IE6 to visit sites, by any means necessary. Bonus points if you can take out IE7 as well.

I was just thinking about this one again, and here's a proposed solution: Create an anti IE6 Coalition. Here me out - you'd have one central website stating the purpose and all. If you wanted to join the cause, all you would have to do is place a javscript tag on your website. If it detects IE6, a message appears at the top talking about how IE6 hurts innovation, wastes millions of dollars a year, etc. and links to I…

I'd go elsewhere.

There are almost always other options and the cost of going to another website is lower than the cost of changing browsers.

Users don't care about your pain.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#163

Post by anamax » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:46 PM UTC

mrtron wrote: post #21

I got flamed for suggesting this recently, but I'd like to see it: Equal wages/prices for all regardless of geography, brought on by a single world currency and the internet? That would solve world hunger (which is a money issue, not supply issue). edit: Awesome. It's getting downvoted here too? What the hell is wrong with the concept? edit 2: Oh I was completely blind to the obvious here...I mean equal wages in term…

> Equal wages/prices for all regardless of geography,

Why?

There are different costs and benefits to living in different places, so why wouldn't the wages vary as well?

And, if you think that that the cost differences can be eliminated, Hawaii is going to become very crowded.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#164

Post by johngunderman » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:50 PM UTC

gravitycop wrote: post #17

Problem: lump-sum up-front car-insurance that fails to take into account how much customer drives, and other risks. Potential solution: Car insurance by the minute/mile with instant-update rates based on: * steering and pedal input * time-of-day/day-of-week * location * speed * acceleration data It's a $200 billion market (US only). http://www.ohioinsurance.org/factbook/2006/chapter1/chapter1... With payment by the m…

The issue with this is common with all insurance. As we approach perfect information, the price becomes such that it is equal or greater than the value of any accident that may occur, which defeats the purpose of insurance. In my mind, the solution is to abandon traditional insurance and instead create a tax-free holding account where people can put aside money for critical accidents only. All else should come out of pocket. Of course, you do have a good point about your idea improving driver safety.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#165

Post by laut » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:53 PM UTC

mrtron wrote: post #21

I got flamed for suggesting this recently, but I'd like to see it: Equal wages/prices for all regardless of geography, brought on by a single world currency and the internet? That would solve world hunger (which is a money issue, not supply issue). edit: Awesome. It's getting downvoted here too? What the hell is wrong with the concept? edit 2: Oh I was completely blind to the obvious here...I mean equal wages in term…

Eliminating hunger is a noble goal. Equal prices is a terrible goal and not a way to eliminate hunger.

You can't have equal prices everywhere. If you want to try to force prices to be equal, you would ruin the price system. Without a working price system you would end up with something like the USSR.

Why is equality the ideal? It's not people in the "first world" that are starving, so why not look at what works in the first world? The problem is that in the countries where people are starving, they don't have the economic freedom that enables the wealth that means you don't have to starve.

So I hope that there will be more economic freedom in poorer countries. Then they will be able to achieve a higher standard of living.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#166

Post by zack » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 4:58 PM UTC

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #104

cx01 wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's rather probable that speakers of different languages think different. So a unified language might lead to (more) unified thinking. I'm not sure if that would be a good or bad thing.

I believe that's called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis ), which I generally agree with. A universal language would change the way people think about stuff -- it's a very interesting thought experiment.

There is also a lot of evidence contradicting the Whorf hypothesis. In by Steven Pinker, Pinker suggests that humans think with separate thought-modules and then only express the substance of thoughts through arbitrary languages.

That being said, I think there is something to be said for diversity of culture, and perhaps better more fluid translation services are the true solution.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#167

Post by DanielBMarkham » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:06 PM UTC

zack wrote: post #166

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe that's called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis ), which I generally agree with. A universal language would change the way people think about stuff -- it's a very interesting thought experiment.

There is also a lot of evidence contradicting the Whorf hypothesis. In by Steven Pinker, Pinker suggests that humans think with separate thought-modules and then only express the substance of thoughts through arbitrary languages. That being said, I think there is something to be said for diversity of culture, and perhaps better more fluid translation services are the true solution.

Notice I hedged my bets with "generally agree with"

The fact that the question is still open is why (in my opinion) the thought experiment is so interesting.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#168

Post by Allocator2008 » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:09 PM UTC

P=NP is a problem I always wonder about. Can an answer that can be verified in polynomial time also be solved in polynomial time? I do think, modeled correctly, NP problems can become P problems, but that is the trick. How to model an NP problem so that it becomes a P problem? Or, if this cannot be done, then demonstrate a proof of that. Show exactly why an NP problem can never be modeled as a P problem. Maybe this will never be solved, but certainly worth thinking about.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#169

Post by imgabe » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:16 PM UTC

ggrot wrote: post #71

A solution between owning and renting. I don't want to purchase a home because the cost is too high and I have no interest in being "invested" into the real estate market. However, renting has limitations imposed by the owner: - pet/smoking/# residents preferences - can't realistically make significant improvements to the property

Condo ownership or a co-op are in the middle, with varying degrees of trade-offs on the freedom/responsibility line.

Re: Ask YC/HN: What's a problem you'd like to see someone solve?

#170

Post by sgrove » Wed, Jan 21, 2009, 5:17 PM UTC

ddemchuk wrote: post #56

Universal language...there's no reason why people speak different languages anymore, they only create barriers now. In our newly technologically connected world, our languages we speak should not be getting in our way anymore...

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Esperanto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esperanto). It's a meticulously systematic language with a wonderful spelling system and intuitive grammatical structure. I speak a few languages, and was able to pick up Esperanto at a conversational level in around two weeks rather than the customary 6 months to a year.

Plus there's the bonus of the Esperanto travel network, where people all over the world allow others who speak Esperanto to stay with them for free/cheap.

Definitely recommend it anyway - and good idea.