Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Computer engineering is literally designed to allow the most simple reliable substrate for the most complex possible abstractions to be built upon. It's bizarre (but common?) for computer science practitioners to be strangely unaware of how artificial the tools they use are. Then expecting the rest of the world to be as "simple" as their environment.

   logic: analog>digital
   gates: multi-level>binary
   timing: ripple>global clock
   architecture: logic>ISA/CPU/GPU
   memory: register/cache/disk>monolithic VM
   language: binary ASM>Compile/Interpreted
   memory/device: management interrupt loop>Kernel/OS
   Libraries, Frameworks, Virtualization
It goes on and on.

Semiconductor processing on the other hand is physics. Success is discovered rather than primarily designed. There are development tools, but things like the "pixie dust" used to avoid the superparamagnetic limit in spinning media were not understood for years after they were commercially shipped in hard drives. Biology/Pharma is much more complex/hit-miss and the biotech industry treats most employees quite badly.



Consider applying for YC's Winter 2027 batch! Applications are open till November 2.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: