HN Explorer

Ask HN: Finding Something Novel to Do?

1 points by ge96 ↗ HN
It seems like the ones to pursue now:

FTL, fusion, stop aging, holograms, GAI, BCID, cellular regen, brain transfer, space colonies, etc...

I wonder, I know it's not great to look at a movie but in the movie Jobs 2013, there's a moment, where they turn the board on and you see the characters flash across the CRT. I also am aware there were other similar devices at the time eg. alto.

Still that's like a new thing... even from that perspective was impossible to foresee what we have now all the computer-related things that were made.

I think this is the topic of 0 to 1, doing hard things.

I'm still looking for that thing that I genuinely pursue/will relentlessly pursue until it's real.

6 comments

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ggm
From this list, pretty much only holograms is rooted in reality. The rest are chasing fools gold. GAI is like fusion, behind a perpetually 50 year horizon. Don't allow DALL-E to make you think "it's alive" because it's not.

Holograms exist. Free air animated holograms a la "Obi-Wan Kenobi you're my only hope" are a long long way off. Peppers Ghost is good.

Adding value to things is hard. But, keep trying. These arent good choices, they're all hugely capital intensive or high risk. Pick a field like civil engineering or bio sciences, find people doing work who need data science or programming, or visualisation. Take you skills in, add value. Incremental improvement which is provable is very high value. Even good science to negative outcome, is higher value than "I think I can get fusion in 25 years for $20b of risk money come back me and my home fusor"

Help an archeologist!

ge96
That is true about the huge investment cost.

Yeah the hologram thing, closest I've seen to what sci-fi shows is the laser based ones that are loud/pop from the excitation sound.

Brain transfer would be nice as far as staying alive/von Neumann probe deal but yeah the brain is like magic right now to us.

> find people doing work who need data science or programming, or visualisation

Would be curious where to look? They just post it in a forum somewhere? The other thing about this is the time commitment but yeah that's what supporting a cause means I suppose.

I appreciate the thoughts.

ggm
Some communities of data science organize "help wanted" lists. Join local interest groups in a space you want to work, you'll wind up being direct to mailing lists, forums, social media groups where a post of "I can do X" will be seen. University Departments often organize extra-mural engagement, it can be an opportunity to engage with a professional in the field and ask if there are outlets for your skills.

I now volunteer with a local online seniors group helping the over 70s with keyboarding and basic networking issues. Its nice work, one menu at a time.

Aside from which, socialising with like minded people doing some other endevour may broaden your horizons anyway. Even if they never want your core assets, you might move the dial a few millimeters in a local space.

I know a network engineer who joined the local council to argue for community fibre. She had the chops, and the skills.

ge96
Haha you have great patience. "What is the power button?" The... power... BUTTON!

Man I'm blessed with fiber, it's crazy you can get 2Gbps like who needs that but yeah nice to have.

I did volunteer at a local thing... it was kind of disappointing because they met up for an hour a week and they expected to achieve something like building an app... so it was largely just a "showing for community service" like to feel good vs. actually achieving something.

Anyway I appreciate the ideas and will keep them in mind.

beardyw
Sorry to be grumpy, but what is the objective? Doing something novel is teaching llamas to dance.

Please let's start with what you want to achieve. Make money, become famous, world peace, what?

Most of the things you mention are solutions looking for problems. If that is academic curiosity, do whatever you like.

ge96
Yeah it's probably the first two, money and fame. At least to be remembered.

There's also the "reality bending" aspect where you advance people further than what as normal eg. people going into space.

Probably is just a "I want to be special" deal.

edit: I also realize it's not true motivation if you're not already gunning for it without the thought of money/fame.