Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run • Hacker News Board

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#101

Post by Turing_Machine » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 12:38 AM UTC

bullfightonmars wrote: post #80

Turing_Machine wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Rather than autonomous cars, we should be focusing on Taleb's antifragile solutions like walking and biking." Let me guess: you're in your 20s-30s and in perfect health, that you live in an urban environment, and that you don't have a family to shop for.

Walking and biking infrastructure and livable/walkable cities/neighborhoods are key pieces to health from youth into old age. Just because it doesn't now exist in the United States doesn't it mean it can't or should not.

The population density in the United States is far too low to support this.

Increase the population of the U.S. to a billion or so, then maybe it will work.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#102

Post by cowsandmilk » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 12:42 AM UTC

zo1 wrote: post #83

itl12 wrote: post #36

Very sad story. RIP. How is it that the driver lived (allegedly doing 100) and even managed to run away from the scene? What vehicle was he in? :/

I came here wanting to know the same thing. I'm not exactly clued-up on accidents and cars, etc. But it seems highly odd that one can just die from being rear-ended by a car (even if it's going 100)? The only thing I can think of is that the breaks were on, so his body/head whip lashed forward badly or something. Anyone have any other theories about this sad event?

You can see it easily from the story. Ey's car spun around the road into a concrete wall. Malsch, the drunk driver, had his car stay on the road, just suffering front end damage from hitting Ey.

In all the videos, Ey's car looks absolutely demolished while Malsch's looks like just a rough accident.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#103

Post by icebraining » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 12:52 AM UTC

zo1 wrote: post #88

icebraining wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, it's the drunk's fault. But that's irrelevant if you're trying to stop people from getting killed, instead of just trying to assign blame. What matters is what we can do about it, and pushing for a reduction in car usage is an effective way of reducing vehicular manslaughter. Being drunk is not the only way to kill someone while driving at 100mph. As someone who was in a car when the steering wheel simply st…

" What matters is what we can do about it, and pushing for a reduction in car usage is an effective way of reducing vehicular manslaughter. " Let me play a bit of devil's advocate here. Where are you going to draw the line? All too often I see people talking about reducing this, preventing that, etc. However, everyone does so with all sorts of weird convenience and funding constraints/caveats, effectively reducing th…

I view it in the opposite way - to me, there's nothing weird about stopping when it becomes too expensive; nor do I see a need to draw a line - each possible measure has a different line over which the costs are higher than its benefits.

I don't want to "declare war" on drunk driving. I want to take small and measurable steps that achieve a sustained y/y reduction in those deaths.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#104

Post by coffeemug » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 12:58 AM UTC

Chevalier wrote: post #29

oflordal wrote: post #8

Säd. Coindidentally the same happened to one of the Oculus founders. http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/01/oculus-vr-co-founder-andrew...

Not that it's any more or less tragic, but I've always been astonished that Silicon Valley is so car-dependent. We've concentrated the most brilliant minds in the world in this small area... and then force everyone to pilot two-ton bullets to pick up groceries? Not all workers can demand decent living conditions, but you'd think the competitive draw for workers in Silicon Valley would entice company towns to, I don't…

> Not all workers can demand decent living conditions

You're assuming that car-oriented urban planning is synonymous with poor living conditions, which isn't true. A lot of people (most?) in the U.S. actually prefer it -- for many people the perceived convenience of cars beats public transportation and biking.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#105

Post by zzleeper » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 1:00 AM UTC

VLM wrote: post #47

Chevalier wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not that it's any more or less tragic, but I've always been astonished that Silicon Valley is so car-dependent. We've concentrated the most brilliant minds in the world in this small area... and then force everyone to pilot two-ton bullets to pick up groceries? Not all workers can demand decent living conditions, but you'd think the competitive draw for workers in Silicon Valley would entice company towns to, I don't…

This article is being flooded with weird anti-car hate. Yet, my car is perfectly safe and can only kill someone in a hit and run at 100 MPH if, and only if, I get drunk first. Given that I don't drink very much and then only at home (a sixer lasts me about a season, sometimes half a year) that means my car is incredibly safe and will almost certainly never kill anyone. Odd how there's no anti-alcohol hate here on HN,…

Alcohol? For me, every time during the day that I see a car doing stupid things (i.e. stuff that can kill me on my bike) they are on their phones. Looking down, driving erratically, either too fast or too slow, etc.

I still can't believe its not illegal to use the phone while driving on many parts of the US (and where its illegal, its just a slap on the wrist)

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#106

Post by watersb » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 1:07 AM UTC

Awful tragedy.

I fucking hate cars. I really tried to like them, because they are required for child care in the United States. But I failed.

Haven't driven a car to work since 1997. But I used taxis in 1998. Moved out to a remote area where I could walk to work in 1999. And my miles-driven-per-year remained the same as when I lived in the Bay Area.

Damn. America is big, and relatively sparsely populated.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#107

Post by bovermyer » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 1:08 AM UTC

And this is why humans should not be allowed to drive cars.

Reliable, safe, self-driving cars can't come soon enough.

My deepest condolences to Mike's family and friends. =(

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#108

Post by chadaustin » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 1:16 AM UTC

I worked with Mike Ey at IMVU for several years. He was the first tech lead for our 3D engine team, and his contributions to the company are innumerable. Moreover, I only now see how much he meant to me. He taught me how to solder, basic electronics, and spun me up on Unity3D. He was always willing to help, and one of the happiest people I've ever met.

The world dimmed a little this weekend. We'll miss you Mike.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#109

Post by dhagz » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 1:22 AM UTC

varelse wrote: post #85

mahyarm wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the USA that is car-default. SF, NYC & Chicago are the exceptions, and they have their own special kind of problems too.

We've created a national infrastructure that IMO nearly requires driving to be a civil right. That sucks. But I really don't have an answer to this problem when proposals to address this are either voted down or end up ridiculously over budget.

Considering the sheer vastness of the continental US, it's not surprising to me that there haven't been many good plans to remove our dependence on cars. The only options, really, for good nation-wide transport are trains and planes. Trains have an incredibly expensive infrastructure, especially the high-speed trains needed to traverse the thousands of miles between the East and West coasts. Planes are slightly less expensive, but the pain of needing to show up three hours early for a one hour flight, risk of lost luggage, and general fear now associated with traveling by air make planes a less than attractive option.

Re: Mike Ey, Microsoft HoloLens designer, killed in hit and run

#110

Post by guiambros » Thu, Mar 05, 2015, 1:36 AM UTC

DiabloD3 wrote: post #52

Chevalier wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm using SV as shorthand for the tech industry generally -- and Redmond is very much to Seattle what Silicon Valley is to San Francisco. Car-dependent suburbia that threatens the health, safety, and quality-of-life of everyone forced to be there. San Francisco is as walkable as the West Coast gets, which alone testifies to the disgrace of American urban planning. Ey would have been killed long ago if he dared to rid…

I actually agree with this response. Because of Microsoft, Seattle has become Silicon Valley North, just the same as NYC has become the Silicon Alley and Chicago is... whatever they're calling Chicago now. All of them are similar, heavy car usage, not enough walking, and no safety for humans. Google is trying to solve it by making smarter cars. How about we solve it by making our communities smarter instead?

"Heavy car usage", in NYC?

After decades living in real car-only cities (Atlanta, Miami, Sao Paulo), I'm glad to live car-free in NYC. And considering family and small child.

While gentrification continues to push people away from Manhattan, you still have decent options of public transportation to everywhere around here.

We can criticize NY for many things, but being a 'car city' is not one of them.

Anyway, I really wish more cities in the world could offer similar life style, allowing people to leave their cars behind and use public transportation. It would save lives, the environment, and increase everyone's happiness.

RIP Mike.