<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><channel><title>Hacker News: nerdface</title><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=nerdface</link><description>Hacker News RSS</description><docs>https://hnrss.org/</docs><generator>hnrss v2.1.1</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:37:43 +0000</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://hnrss.org/user?id=nerdface" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"></atom:link><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Take One Small Step"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> When we are stressed/anxious/afraid, the part of the brain called the amygdala activates our “fight or flight” response. When that happens, we stop thinking rationally and start looking for the quickest way to relieve the stress/anxiety/fear.<p>It’s typically the right amygdala responsible for this. Authors often write “amygdala” in an ambiguous fashion. You have two amygdala (amygdalae is the plural term) which have differing-but-related responsibilities.<p>Good article — taking the micro-steps towards the longer-term habits is wise.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 06:55:55 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46485638</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46485638</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46485638</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "40 percent of fMRI signals do not correspond to actual brain activity"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I raise this as given the extent of research performed on my brain, the fMRI was not discussed with me whatsoever, nor was it mentioned in the pre-operative justifying factors. I raise this in relation to this submission; I hadn't given it any thought before.<p>Thanks for the link, useful to read.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:34:11 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46319775</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46319775</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46319775</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "40 percent of fMRI signals do not correspond to actual brain activity"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I'm not a specialist by any means, although I am a patient of an fMRI. One thing I will note is that in the eventual, resultant paperwork from the broad array of tests I had, the fMRI was not noted whatsoever, neither was it discussed with me by any of the numerous neurologists or surgeons involved in my case. I was quite curious as to why it was performed at all, but presumably it was some formality to check a box.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:09:43 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46293728</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46293728</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46293728</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Ask HN: Anyone else's short-term memory gone to hell?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Progressive epilepsy that only got worse and untreatable. The most powerful of drugs wouldn’t work. I had an experimental surgery; more of my brain was removed than usual.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 14:23:42 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45414232</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45414232</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45414232</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Ask HN: Anyone else's short-term memory gone to hell?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Last year I had the entirety of my left hippocampus and amygdala removed (yes, seriously). And yet I still work in a highly cognitive area of software engineering as a senior engineer. Has my short term memory gone to hell? Wait, what was this post about again? I joke.<p>Many, many years ago when I was in college studying computer science I spent an extraordinary amount of time studying holistic learning techniques to help aid in my exams. The next year I was in a coma. Shortly thereafter, I swung back fighting, making sure the universe knew it didn’t have the upper hand. I won.<p>So there’s several things here. There are people like yourself, battling this kind of thing. Don’t feel like you’re alone. Secondly there are approaches to help improve things, whether it be holistic learning, repetition, or both. And finally, tell the universe to go screw itself, otherwise you’re giving it permission to win.<p>Good luck.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2025 05:09:31 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45410497</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45410497</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45410497</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Loneliness in Midlife: A Growing Gap Between US and Europe"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I live in the Bay Area. The problem here is the temporary nature of those residing here. They tend to plan to leave after a few years when enough of their RSUs have vested to afford a nice home elsewhere.<p>One thing that helped me enormously was… getting a dog. I’ll take multiple walks in the neighborhood each day and eventually got to know a whole bunch of neighbors. Even now I’ll go out for a brisk thirty minute walk only to end up spending multiple hours chatting with neighbors.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:13:41 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39757251</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39757251</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39757251</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Ask HN: What would you do if you could start over?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>In terms of career; don’t get comfortable. If you are comfortable then you’re not being challenged enough, and if you’re not being challenged enough then you’re not growing at a decent rate.<p>It’s ok to be comfortable absolutely, but if you’re looking to advance your career then do not get comfortable.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:34:11 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39034538</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39034538</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39034538</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Intermittent fasting more effective than calorie restriction"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I once heard a great tip to prevent those pre-bedtime snacks. After dinner, brush your teeth as if you’re going to bed. Your brain already associates that with “no more food” and so programmatically dissuades you from eating. It’s always worked for me.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2023 16:18:39 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38192571</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38192571</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38192571</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "How to find time to learn after work (2017)"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Exactly this. I have three kids and a dog. There is zero spare time. I typically sit down for the first time at 9pm at which time I'm so exhausted that learning is not really possible. I may get to read for 30 mins to an hour before I crash.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 2023 16:06:33 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37296281</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37296281</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37296281</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Even when we know they’re “fake,” placebos can tame our emotional distress"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>This is so wholesome</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 13 Apr 2023 01:52:23 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35549833</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35549833</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35549833</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Launch HN: Electric Air (YC W23) – Heat pump sold directly to homeowners"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> This is not a bad route to go if you enjoy/feel comfortable doing the work and don't care about air quality, smart thermostat integration, etc<p>You're insinuating that doing the work yourself means you'll have poor air quality, poor thermostat integration etc. That's not true at all. If you've gone to the trouble to do a DIY install then you're now already experienced enough to install a heat-recovery ventilator to get fresh air into your home via an independent system. I installed my own ecobee thermostat with my heat pump and electric furnace and it works with HomeKit so is integrated with my entire ecosystem.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Mar 2023 19:16:49 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35140965</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35140965</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35140965</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "The gap between how old you are and how old you think you are"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Sorry for your loss</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Feb 2023 22:27:20 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34950275</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34950275</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34950275</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Yes pretty much this. It’s subjective based on an enormous number of factors. Your lifestyle, your personal experiences, reading too much news (especially in the US), having a pessimistic attitude towards everything, your general personal beliefs and how they align with the world. The list goes on. Many of these factors can be personally influenced.<p>For example, I live in the Bay Area and love it, have lived here seven years now. I had a friend live here for three years and tell me how terrible it was and listed off all the terrible things about it. The experience was subjective and I respect that; he found a way to have a more positive life by leaving and good for him.<p>Not all things are equal, especially our perceptions of the world.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2023 20:05:03 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34561193</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34561193</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34561193</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Twitter's Infrastructure Continues to Crumble, Silently"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>He says in that very blog that he’s posting more to Mastodon than Twitter and has even updated his contact details accordingly.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2023 16:33:33 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34505911</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34505911</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34505911</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "The art of knowing when to quit"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>> because I associate those decisions with low resilience to frustration I had, and low discipline to exert my patience further<p>Absolutely this. You’re always going to end up in testing environments somewhere so it’s good to practice both patience and resilience. The more you train that muscle the easier it becomes to work in those situations.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2023 00:55:29 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34421884</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34421884</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34421884</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Heat pumps of the 1800s are becoming the technology of the future"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Usually because those contractors have zero experience with heat pumps and want to sell you what they offer.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2023 02:29:19 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34408459</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34408459</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34408459</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "I don't read web articles anymore, but I read books"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Interesting because I’ve been doing the same these last few months; getting back into physical books. I find there’s so much more peace and focus in reading a book vs scrolling the Internet. I don’t think our minds were supposed to have so many distractions communicated through a backlit medium.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Jan 2023 01:18:04 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34319007</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34319007</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34319007</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Legal use of hallucinogenic mushrooms begins in Oregon"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I live in the Bay Area and I’m curious about trying mushrooms for personal reasons. I’m not addicted to anything and don’t drink alcohol or smoke or do any other drugs After reading information about mushrooms recently I’ve been interested to try them for personal growth and wellbeing.<p>Where do you even get them? How do you know how much to take? How do you take them? I’ve tried finding centers to go to where they assist you but can’t seem to find any that aid with it end-to-end.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2023 04:36:45 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34242087</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34242087</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34242087</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "Get Running with Couch to 5K"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>Which running shoes have you found best?</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 01 Jan 2023 21:22:54 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34211063</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34211063</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34211063</guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[New comment by nerdface in "On the psychology of “tech money”"]]></title><description><![CDATA[
<p>I live in Silicon Valley so can speak from experience. Typically one person pays for everything (and gets the CC points) then sends everyone a picture of the receipt and requests the exact amount of money owed, often given via Venmo or the likes. Whoever used the salsa pays the person who paid for the entire meal the precise amount.</p>
]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 27 Nov 2022 05:45:09 +0000</pubDate><link>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33760720</link><dc:creator>nerdface</dc:creator><comments>https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33760720</comments><guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33760720</guid></item></channel></rss>