Poll: How old are you? • Hacker News Board

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#141

Post by dominotw » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:14 PM UTC

chubot wrote: post #71

alexvr wrote: post #60

At what age would you say you were smartest, if you have noticed any fluctuation? I hear you mental power peaks at about 22 and begins to decline after 26, but that's pretty depressing, and I don't want to believe it, so if you have experience to counter or confirm this, please share. If you have noticed any decline in "fluid intelligence," is it negligible? Does your wisdom and experience outweigh any mental decline…

The good thing is that software isn't math or music. In those fields you might peak at 26. Software is mathematical but it also requires a lot of judgement and experience. Consider that Guido van Rossum didn't even START working on Python (most popular language on HN) until age 35. From what I can see 30's and 40's is a sweet spot for a lot of programmers. It seems like a lot of startup founders are young, but I thin…

I am thirty one and just started a BA in mathematics and I am usually the sharpest in the class filled with 20somethings .

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#142

Post by sliverstorm » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:14 PM UTC

mililani wrote: post #82

mindcrime wrote: post #61

Ugh. I turn 40 in 3 days. Thanks for the reminder. :-( All joking aside, it isn't so bad. EDW's chart above is pretty accurate in some ways. Certainly life doesn't end at 40(ish)... In my case, the main issues are more joint pain, more random stiffness (after long car rides or something, for example) and other minor physical issues. Well, that and adult-onset (type 2) diabetes. But that's managed with oral medication…

I turn 40 in a few months. And time is going by faster as I get older.

time is going by faster as I get older

I've noticed that too, and it terrifies me.

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#143

Post by DigitalJack » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:15 PM UTC

pvnick wrote: post #21

dllthomas wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In what way does this data back up your opinion?

For the following reasons: 1) assume that the HN readership satisfactorily correlates to the startup demographic at large 2) the majority of the respondants answered 26-30, as was also the case in the poll that tptacek referenced elsewhere in this thread 3) the longtail is heavily skewed towards the older folks, rather than towards the younger side

The highest bin does not necessarily a majority make. Right now that bin is less than a third.

Just clarifying the facts. Not disputing your conclusion.

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#144

Post by krapp » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:36 PM UTC

alexvr wrote: post #60

At what age would you say you were smartest, if you have noticed any fluctuation? I hear you mental power peaks at about 22 and begins to decline after 26, but that's pretty depressing, and I don't want to believe it, so if you have experience to counter or confirm this, please share. If you have noticed any decline in "fluid intelligence," is it negligible? Does your wisdom and experience outweigh any mental decline…

I hear you mental power peaks at about 22 and begins to decline after 26, but that's pretty depressing

That seems... odd, and doesn't reflect my experience. I'm doing the best and most creative work of my life right now, I wouldn't have even been capable of any of it at 22.

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#145

Post by moheeb » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:45 PM UTC

leed25d wrote: post #125

rollo_tommasi wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And, sadly, the sharper edges of the mind...

Nothing sad about it. You are actually better able to see the big picture I would say.

No, I would say you are better able to understand the big picture, but less able to see it ;)

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#146

Post by djent » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:48 PM UTC

Enquiry wrote: post #43

People aged 1-20: How did you find HN? HN isn't easily found on search engines (except for the exact keywords "hacker" and "news"). I can't imagine how a 15 year old is stumbling upon Hacker News, other than a mentor or parent referring them.

I'm 17. I found HN last year when I searched "Hacker" in the iOS App Store, or some similar query. Found an app, which I no longer use, and started frequenting the site.

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#147

Post by timothybone » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:51 PM UTC

ferdo wrote: post #28

I'm so old I still reckon in baud.

I'm still young so I can't say for sure, but I reckon the brain's baud rate peaks in a similar fashion as the heart's peak BPM. That being said, I think more efficient cycle clocking, a.k.a wisdom, makes up the difference.

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#148

Post by dasil003 » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:52 PM UTC

rollo_tommasi wrote: post #29

gilrain wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And an approximate measure of the gradual deterioration of your body.

And, sadly, the sharper edges of the mind...

arrogance you mean?

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#149

Post by mililani » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:56 PM UTC

future_grad wrote: post #95

mililani wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I turn 40 in a few months. And time is going by faster as I get older.

What do you do?

What do you mean? For a living?

Re: Poll: How old are you?

#150

Post by moheeb » Wed, Jul 17, 2013, 10:58 PM UTC

thechief35 wrote: post #100

It's interesting to see that in all three polls, after the 30 mark, the number decreases significantly. Why is that?

I think that is mostly because you would have had to have been an early adopter to get in before that age. 30+ is BBSs, modems...no real internet at that point.