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Ask HN: Most prescient HN posts/comments

10 points by AlexMuir 16y ago

Looking back, what HN users have made uncanny predictions that have turned out correct? Feel free to blow your own trumpet.

cperciva 16y ago
This wasn't a prediction, but I'd say it still qualifies as a remarkably prescient question: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079
- jacquesm 16y ago
  http://www.maa.org/awards/putnam.html http://www.maa.org/awards/putnam.html lists 345 Putnam award winners to date. A far portion of them will have passed on, so the number of Putnam winners is less than that. So, the chances indeed quite low, what made it extra funny is the way the OP made his remark. I figure the chances of something like that happening to be between 1:1,000,000 and 1:2,000,000 given the number of Americans alive of the right age at the moment relative to the number of putnam winners, but then again, probably the chances are much higher because there is some correlation between hackers and math, so the chances of running in to a Putnam winner on a hacker forum are better. Now the paranoid guy in me is wondering if it wasn't a set-up ;)
  - cperciva 16y ago
    lists 345 Putnam award winners to date. After eliminating multiplicity, I count only 268 winners. Now the paranoid guy in me is wondering if it wasn't a set-up ;) I can't speak for sanj, but if it was a set-up I wasn't involved. :-)
    - jacquesm 16y ago
      Ah, my bad, I didn't realize you could win the prize multiple times. > I can't speak for sanj, but if it was a set-up I wasn't involved. :-) I believe you :) It still is funny as hell though. Would have liked to see the look on Sanj's face when he read your reply.
      - cperciva 16y ago
        Would have liked to see the look on Sanj's face when he read your reply. You should have seen the look on my face when I read the question. :-)
jeffepp 16y ago
This is re: turning $1k into 10k in 6 months. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1481191 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1481191 Would already be at ~ 3k currently. Event (FDA Panel) is yet to take place: if approved, this will 10x
- AlexMuir 16y ago
  I guess it depends how many stock tips you throw out - not saying it doesn't count, but it does depend.
  - jeffepp 16y ago
    touche, for the record this is tip #1 for the year. More importantly, my money is where my mouth is. I have been long $ARNA calls for several months.

10 points by AlexMuir 16y ago

Looking back, what HN users have made uncanny predictions that have turned out correct? Feel free to blow your own trumpet.

cperciva 16y ago

This wasn't a prediction, but I'd say it still qualifies as a remarkably prescient question: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079

jacquesm 16y ago
http://www.maa.org/awards/putnam.html http://www.maa.org/awards/putnam.html lists 345 Putnam award winners to date. A far portion of them will have passed on, so the number of Putnam winners is less than that. So, the chances indeed quite low, what made it extra funny is the way the OP made his remark. I figure the chances of something like that happening to be between 1:1,000,000 and 1:2,000,000 given the number of Americans alive of the right age at the moment relative to the number of putnam winners, but then again, probably the chances are much higher because there is some correlation between hackers and math, so the chances of running in to a Putnam winner on a hacker forum are better. Now the paranoid guy in me is wondering if it wasn't a set-up ;)
- cperciva 16y ago
  lists 345 Putnam award winners to date. After eliminating multiplicity, I count only 268 winners. Now the paranoid guy in me is wondering if it wasn't a set-up ;) I can't speak for sanj, but if it was a set-up I wasn't involved. :-)
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    Ah, my bad, I didn't realize you could win the prize multiple times. > I can't speak for sanj, but if it was a set-up I wasn't involved. :-) I believe you :) It still is funny as hell though. Would have liked to see the look on Sanj's face when he read your reply.
    - cperciva 16y ago
      Would have liked to see the look on Sanj's face when he read your reply. You should have seen the look on my face when I read the question. :-)

jeffepp 16y ago

This is re: turning $1k into 10k in 6 months. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1481191 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1481191 Would already be at ~ 3k currently. Event (FDA Panel) is yet to take place: if approved, this will 10x

AlexMuir 16y ago
I guess it depends how many stock tips you throw out - not saying it doesn't count, but it does depend.
- jeffepp 16y ago
  touche, for the record this is tip #1 for the year. More importantly, my money is where my mouth is. I have been long $ARNA calls for several months.