Parachuting robots
Learning and science
programming puzzle
SHOW HN2015
60points
55comments
#469of 2,565 in 2015
Top 19%of 2015 by points
How HN took it
CuriousMostly questions and neutral comments
5 positive, 25 neutral or asking, 3 mixed, 5 critical, out of 38 comments about the project. Thread score +0.07.
Idea: 3 for, 2 againstExecution: 0 for, 3 againstDesign: 1 for, 0 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Fun puzzle with a great visualization
From 3 comments
I'm not sure I would have gotten the puzzle without the great visualization. Very cool! Much appreciated entertainment on a lazy friday at work :)
Lewton on HNFantastic puzzle. Took me ages to realise the twist though, because I was somehow set on making them oscillate further on every iteration and couldn't understand how I was to…
somehnreader on HNGreat puzzle, took me some time to get it.
Geee on HN
Nicely created site
From 2 comments
I made it through with two [0] [0] https://gist.github.com/kanche/92c92c5e926ebc66da68 To watch them run around is so cool! Cool puzzle. Nicely created site. I am trying to give…
kanche on HNWow, great puzzle. Also great implementation and beautiful site. Though, IMHO there could be a button named "parse & run", my eyes have missed a "parse" button, and I thought…
trymas on HN
Objections
Play button disabled before parsing is confusing; parse and run needed
From 2 comments
Wow, great puzzle. Also great implementation and beautiful site. Though, IMHO there could be a button named "parse & run", my eyes have missed a "parse" button, and I thought…
trymas on HNAnswering your question, maybe a popover with text "Your program is not parsed" would help? Also somehow I am used to "build" (instead of "parse") terminology, so my eyes just…
trymas on HN
Randomize routine makes some solutions fail
From 2 comments
With your code they end up right where they started? I see 'random locations' in the text above but the location is always the same here. Adding a couple of 'left's works,…
lucb1e on HNI think they meant: ``` left x 6 # but that should probably be 7? as maxRange in the randomize routine is 8. scan: skipNext right goto scan ``` Which works but only because the…
pbhjpbhj on HN
Requests
Ability to share code
From 1 comment
How many labels you need to solve this? I have four, but I wonder if it can be simplified. Suggestion: Add ability to share the code.
rplnt on HN
Grading of code by efficiency
From 1 comment
Additional suggestion: ability to grade code. I see solutions that are a lot shorter than mine in code (2 labels, 5 instructions), but they take about 87 instruction cycles to…
lucb1e on HN
Questions
Whether goal is short or fast program
From 1 comment
Is the goal to create a short programm (less lines) or an efficient programm (fast)? Spoiler! ``` start: left skipNext goto start speedup: left goto speedup ```
progx on HN
Alternatives named
Microsoft interview question on loop detection in linked lists
From 3 comments
"It seems to originate from a Microsoft interview question." Using inefficiency to solve problems, I'm not surprised.
nyan4 on HNThis problem was posed to me for real in a Microsoft interview in the late 90s. At first I was like "How hard could this be?" but quickly discovered that it wasn't so obvious. If…
iconjack on HNThat interview question seems related to the "how to detect loops in a potentially infinite list" question which I was asked at least once.
sugarcube on HN