Hacker News: bzhang255

New comment by bzhang255 in "What if remote working, not AI, is to blame for weak junior hiring?"

bzhang255 — Sun, 31 May 2026 23:59:59 +0000

Isn't that kind of how society works? i.e. If a senior employee benefitted from having close mentorship and a strong social network when they were a junior, then they may wish to pay it forward by being present and mentoring juniors now that they're a senior.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Google employee charged with $1M Polymarket insider trading bet on search term"

bzhang255 — Thu, 28 May 2026 05:42:52 +0000

Disclaimer: I have not read any literature on the economics of prediction markets, and I know nothing about the mechanics of Polymarket/Kalshi.

I would imagine that in theory, everyone thinks they have the best information at the time, something like:

House: "Odds that X happens? We'll put $1 on both sides to get it started. 50/50."

Someone comes along: "Oh dang, I'm definitely more than 50% confident that X is happening. Let me put $1 in." Now it's 67:33.

Someone else comes along: "Oh I'm more than 67% confident X is happening, let me put $1 in." Now it's 75:25.

And of course, you get people going: "I'm more than 25% confident that X is _not_ happening, let me put $1 in!" And now it's 60:40.

The murky part, I would imagine, comes when the odds and the payout actually act as something that influences the outcome, but in perfect theory-land, if everything goes as planned, this should move the odds to the most informationally-accurate measurement, which should, in theory, benefit observers by making this measurement public.

New comment by bzhang255 in "The math of shuffling cards almost brought down an online poker empire"

bzhang255 — Sun, 07 Sep 2025 06:16:06 +0000

None of this is wrong, but anecdotally, I will say that there are still human beings playing poker online, and a better human being can still win in the long run. (Though, live poker is much more fun)

New comment by bzhang255 in "108B Pixel Scan of Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring"

bzhang255 — Thu, 01 May 2025 04:16:40 +0000

I feel obliged to point anyone interested to Proust on Vermeer: https://www.essentialvermeer.com/proust/proust.html

New comment by bzhang255 in "It's not just obesity. Drugs like Ozempic will change the world"

bzhang255 — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 21:28:14 +0000

For people who suffer from anxiety, there already exists a plethora of anti-anxiety medication, both short-term and long-term.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Postmortem of my 9 year journey at Google"

bzhang255 — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 02:27:11 +0000

I think it's shallow and not because it's short. To me, it just sounds very typical: "I joined Google back when it was fun. Now it's more bureaucratic and less fun. But I made a ton of money on the stock." I think there have been countless blog posts from Ex-Googlers like this. It's fairly shallow.

And it is worth noting that a lot of the bullet point lists do start with "I made a ton of money" in as many words, which is also just not very interesting to most folks, though it is certainly very relevant and important to the writer.

New comment by bzhang255 in "The unexpected poetry of PhD acknowledgements"

bzhang255 — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 18:43:25 +0000

Acknowledgements have a quality which is hard to describe.

They feel like they’ve been drafted a hundred times in the head of the author, but then put down on the page in a hurry, the clock ticking on their deadline.

Like, they’re trying to tell you the most important thing they’ve ever said - at the very moment the ship is pulling away from the dock.

A lovely read. I also have an affinity for dissertation acknowledgements and I think this entire piece really captures why they feel so special :)

New comment by bzhang255 in "Virginia Woolf's list-making"

bzhang255 — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 21:01:29 +0000

I would agree with suggesting Dalloway before To The Lighthouse, because I think Dalloway is generally more concrete and attainable. To The Lighthouse takes Woolf's characteristic stream-of-consciousness interiority a step further and can also be very roundabout in its approach to the "thing" that a character is actually thinking about or trying to say. It's also a bit more experimental in its form, and can be overall a bit harder to "grasp". I think someone new to Woolf would benefit from having Dalloway as an opportunity not only to get used to her style of writing, which will help smooth the learning curve if you decide to read To The Lighthouse, but also to form a judgement of her in a more "typical" setting so that you can decide if she merits your working through her more experimental works. Cheers.

New comment by bzhang255 in "87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue"

bzhang255 — Thu, 02 May 2024 21:32:23 +0000

Anxiety is a somewhat overloaded word, in my opinion, because while you're right that everyone experiences "anxiety", there's a distinction between that and an anxiety disorder, which is recognized as a very real mental health issue. This is also why I suspect that letting people self-report will result in overestimating people suffering from anxiety disorders as a mental health issue, vs experiencing regular anxiety.

New comment by bzhang255 in "87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue"

bzhang255 — Thu, 02 May 2024 18:44:58 +0000

Anxiety is considered a mental health issue by both the featured article and by NIMH, and considering that the 87.7% figure is self-reported, it's probably overestimated.

New comment by bzhang255 in "What's Going on with ‘Nonplussed’? (2017)"

bzhang255 — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:49:33 +0000

Well, also according to the article itself :)

New comment by bzhang255 in "No one buys books"

bzhang255 — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 17:25:06 +0000

I read that line as sardonic. The author is pointing out how the economics of publishing are contrary to what we would expect, or perhaps would like.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Anatomy of a credit card rewards program"

bzhang255 — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 01:44:58 +0000

Don't ever read Proust!

New comment by bzhang255 in "Is the Job Market Dying?"

bzhang255 — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 05:42:58 +0000

The gender comment feels unnecessary.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Apple hiring compiler developers for improving Swift / C++ interoperability"

bzhang255 — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 10:48:20 +0000

Looking at the qualifications, this seems to be an entry level position, as there is no years of work experience listed.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Ibogaine banishes PTSD, small study finds"

bzhang255 — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 22:40:04 +0000

From the abstract: "Exposure therapy showed... a negligible effect relative to other trauma-focused treatments or medication."

Anyway, from my understanding, medications for treating PTSD are less effective than medications for other mental disorders. I'm waiting for the day that PTSD medications catch up, because therapeutic treatment for PTSD is currently centered on reducing discomfort, without much hope for remission, which feels like a dim outlook.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Google ends deal to build 15,000 Bay Area homes due to "market conditions""

bzhang255 — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 23:29:28 +0000

I know this isn't a literature review forum but I think the standard for commentary could be a little higher than what you've just written.

New comment by bzhang255 in "AI Tinder already exists: 'Real people will disappoint you, but not them'"

bzhang255 — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 20:33:28 +0000

I'd like to push back against the anti-medication sentiment in this comment because depression is not the most clearly understood mental condition and for many people, medication can be a life-saving intervention.

New comment by bzhang255 in "Google accused of directing motorist to drive off collapsed bridge"

bzhang255 — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 18:05:16 +0000

I think there were a few things going on here that make me more sympathetic to the driver:

1. The picture in the article makes it seem like the bridge is located in a very residential spot where you might have your guard down.

2. The article mentions it was dark and raining when the accident occurred.

3. The driver was in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and in those times, I think many, many people have gotten very used to relying on Google/Apple Maps to "get you home without directing you into a creek".

New comment by bzhang255 in "The Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection"

bzhang255 — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:48:37 +0000

I don't really understand the purpose here, given that literature is significantly aesthetic by nature. Can't students just read contemporary, accessible books if they want something easier?