Robb Allen

An average picture that you save on your phone or PC has a size of around 800 kilobytes. It doesn't do anything, it's just a static image. Now take a game like Elite which had a size of 22 kilobytes on the BBC Micro, or 82 kilobytes on the C64 - and now think about what Braben and Bell turned those 22 kilobytes (or 82 kilobytes) into. A universe with eight galaxies, each containing 256 star systems (for a total of 2,048 planets/systems). Each system also featured unique details: government type, economy, technology level, population, commodity prices, and even descriptive text (e.g., a planet known for "carnivorous arts graduates" or similar quirky combinations). If you still need a bit more help to contextualize that, try this: Elite was smaller than many modern text files or desktop icons, yet it contained (and let you freely explore!) a multi-galaxy-spanning universe that felt vast and limitless. By the way - for thos who will argue "but the universe and stars were created randomly, so that's easy" - I think you wil find that the word is procedurally (with structure), which is not random... and anything but easy. Oh, and by the way, the game also rendered 3D wireframe ships, stations, and planets in real time on processors with 2 MHz. Impressed yet? This is no slight on today's game designers. They work with what they have, and that's okay. But when you think about the worlds that some programmers created with the tools they were given, it sometimes breaks my brain trying to understand how they did it. Elite is a true masterpiece on so many levels. I played the C64 version back in the day, and even 40+ years later it still feels like one of the most incredible programming wonders ever.

Today seems like a good day for a hotassery thread. I'll go first but feel free to add what you like.

Actresses who Moved from Mainstream to 0nlyFans/Adult Industry... A Thread. 🧵👇 10. Jaime Pressly. 🇺🇸

The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) 💀💀💀

This guy makes six figures driving people across a bridge they're too scared to drive over themselves. He charges $40 cash. 10 to 30 clients a day. Some have been paying him daily for years. He meets them at a truck weigh station, hops in their car, drives them across in four minutes, and gets driven back by his assistant to do it again. The alternative route takes four hours through Baltimore. Here's what's wild... and possibly a little concerning: He said Airline pilots have used his service. His wife even makes custom eye masks that say "I hate this bridge." Steven Eskew has been running this business for years and has made tens of thousands of trips. I'll let you do that math. There's a business for everything. I promise you.

This is the person who invented the plug that goes into the wall and secures the screw. His name is Artur Fischer, from Germany. The plug was invented in 1958. He also invented the flash that synchronizes the capture of the image. He has 1,100 patents, more than Thomas Edison's with 7. He died in 2016.

Nobody in America voted for data centers. Nobody in America voted for AI. Nobody in America voted for surveillance capitalism. The entire fabric of our society is being changed without the will of the people. Without a vote.

Easy way to save People ask all the time about the wooden mallets used in timber framing. They want to know why we don't use a rubber mallet or a deadblow, instead. There are three main reasons: 1) tradition 2) vibes 3) Money Large mallets cost a lot. Usually $100-$200. Most wood mallets and commanders can be made for free using firewood and cut offs.

Men’s top don’t-want in a spouse is “overweight” by a 2.5x margin over the next item. Women’s top don’t-want is “rude” by a 1.5x margin. Men’s rejection filter is dominantly physical. Women’s is dominantly character. Both sexes’ top wants are identical though: kind and funny. (Keeper data on millions of stated preference clauses.)

Responsibility without authority is how my wife buy’s a jar of Grillo’s pickles every time she goes to Costco and it’s my responsibility to try and eat them all but I don’t have the authority to compel her to stop buying jar’s of Grillo’s pickles.

Cheap energy since 1950 has meant a lot of energy efficiency went to shit. There is a lot to learn from hand/horse powered tooling lost for a few generations.

If handguns are allowed to be mailed through USPS: - Criminals can get their hands on firearms more easily - Gun trafficking will increase. That’s exactly what will happen if the Trump admin enacts this dangerous rule. We must reject this major threat to public safety.