Are there any forums like HN but more focused on areas that are, as the author put it, more "steeped in reality"? I love having the ability to follow some of th

Are there any forums like HN but more focused on areas that are, as the author put it, more "steeped in reality"? I love having the ability to follow some of the best minds in SV's tech scene, but ultimately I would be much more interested in things like (off the top of my head) cancer research, sustainable energy, or education than the latest social network. I understand, as other posters have mentioned, that work in HN-friendly areas can potentially have important effects, such as the democratic empowerment enabled by social media for example, but I'm sure there are amazing technical things being done in all sorts of interesting fields that don't get much traction here. Also, I think the author is misunderstanding the business model Dalton is proposing. The platform will be paid for via subscriptions; the crowdsourcing aspect is just there initially to ensure a critical mass of participants, something crucial for venues with network effects.