HN Top 10 — July 14, 2026
Today’s Top 10 on Hacker News
1. Japan develops a method to recover up to 90% of lithium from used EV batteries
⭐ 525 💬 132 👤 donohoe 🔗 Discuss on HN
Japanese researchers have developed a hydrometallurgical process that recovers up to 90 percent of lithium from spent electric vehicle batteries, significantly higher than the 50-70 percent typical of current methods. The approach uses a selective leaching agent that targets lithium while leaving other metals intact, potentially reducing recycling costs and supply chain dependencies.
2. Alternative(s) to run CUDA on non-Nvidia hardware
⭐ 51 💬 22 👤 alok-g 🔗 Discuss on HN
Spectral Compute is building hardware and software tools to run CUDA workloads on non-NVIDIA accelerators, targeting the growing frustration with CUDA’s vendor lock-in. The article examines their emulation layer approach, competitive landscape including AMD ROCm and open-source alternatives, and whether their strategy can succeed against entrenched ecosystem advantages.
3. Australian energy retailers must provide three hours of free daytime electricity
⭐ 121 💬 186 👤 i2oc 🔗 Discuss on HN
Australia’s energy regulator mandated that all residential electricity retailers must offer three hours of free daytime electricity, aimed at reducing peak demand and encouraging solar energy adoption. The policy applies to standard variable tariffs and is designed to shift consumption patterns toward midday when renewable generation is highest.
4. The git history command
⭐ 324 💬 187 👤 turbocon 🔗 Discuss on HN
A comprehensive guide to the git history command and related tools for navigating repository history, including git log, git blame, git bisect, and git reflog. The post covers practical techniques for understanding who changed what and when, finding when bugs were introduced, and reconstructing lost commits.
5. Indian scientists produce most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem
⭐ 67 💬 5 👤 BaudouinVH 🔗 Discuss on HN
Indian researchers have created the most detailed three-dimensional atlas of the human brainstem to date, mapping over 100 distinct nuclear structures with sub-millimeter resolution. The atlas was built using advanced MRI techniques and high-resolution histology, providing a valuable reference for neurology research and surgical planning.
6. YouTrackDB is a general-use object-oriented graph database
⭐ 130 💬 40 👤 gjvc 🔗 Discuss on HN
YouTrackDB is an open-source, general-purpose object-oriented graph database that stores data as interconnected objects rather than relational tables. It supports ACID transactions, ad-hoc queries through a built-in DSL, and automatic relationship tracking, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional databases for highly connected data.
7. Notable Knot Index (2016)
⭐ 11 💬 0 👤 surprisetalk 🔗 Discuss on HN
The Notable Knot Index from 2016 catalogs historically and culturally significant knots, their origins, and traditional applications across different civilizations. This revival of a mathematics and culture crossover resource highlights how knot theory connects abstract mathematics with practical human knowledge spanning thousands of years.
8. Building and shipping Mac and iOS apps without opening Xcode
⭐ 489 💬 208 👤 speckx 🔗 Discuss on HN
An in-depth guide to building and distributing macOS and iOS applications entirely from the command line, without ever opening Xcode. It covers toolchains like xcodebuild, swift build, and automated signing and notarization, plus CI/CD workflows for complete headless app development and deployment.
9. Fundamentals of Wireless Communication (2005)
⭐ 138 💬 6 👤 teleforce 🔗 Discuss on HN
The complete textbook ‘Fundamentals of Wireless Communication’ by David Tse and Pramod Viswanath (2005) is now freely available. This MIT Press reference covers modern wireless system design including MIMO, OFDM, capacity theory, and physical layer protocols, and remains a standard graduate-level text in communications engineering.
10. How to build a circular LCD clock
⭐ 86 💬 34 👤 birdculture 🔗 Discuss on HN
A detailed DIY walkthrough for building a circular LCD clock using a round IPS display, ESP32 microcontroller, and custom firmware. The project covers hardware sourcing, 3D-printed enclosure design, software for time display and animations, and power supply considerations for a wall-mounted digital clock.