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Systems design explains the world: volume 1

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Resurfaced independently across 5 calendar years, with breakout response in 2 of them.

submissions
6
submitters
4
observed span
2020–2025
peak thread · 152 comments
337 pts
latest 20+ return · 2023-03-09
193 pts

Submission timeline

2007–2026

One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.

First comments on top threads

HN comment order

One of the greatest System Design stories of all time is the evolution of mammals. Warm blood? A huge, complicated heart? Are you insane? The metabolism rates will be off the charts. Record-breaking spin-up times before adulthood? Where the parent animals will have to actively care for their helpless young? And spend bodily resources to produce a fluid with which to constantly feed each one? How could they ever compete with a species that lays 10,000 eggs a year, dashing…

raldi·337-point thread·

Great article. I find systems design and complex adaptive systems fascinating. I really recommend the book, "Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity" by John H Holland. It is technical but aimed at the educated, non-technical reader, with enough description that you could code along to his models. I really wish he had written more books. RIP. Another good source of systems thinking are the books by Jane Jacobs on urban planning. I think anyone wanting to study this area rigorously…

The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.

Breakout years
2

100+ points or 50+ comments

Total points
540

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Total comments
195

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Every submission

DateTitle as submittedByPointsComments
2020-12-27Systems design explains the world: volume 1First breakout · Best threadpeapicker337152
2022-10-13Systems design explains the world (2020)tosh20
2022-11-13Systems design explains the world (2020)tosh50
2023-03-09Systems design explains the world (2021)Latest 20+ point returncraigkerstiens19343
2024-08-10Systems design explains the world: volume 1 (2020)Hall inductiontosh10
2025-03-16Systems design explains the world (2020)Tomte20