The Most Argued-About Posts on Hacker News
We track 206,107 stories from Hacker News, averaging 247 points each. github.com was the most linked source, with 11,665 stories. Together they drew 27,824,877 comments, 135 per story on average.
1
What caused the 'baby boom'? What would it take to have another?
derekthompson.org · mmcclure · 15 Jul 2025
116 pts
864 comments
7.4x
Discussion →
2
The turbulent AI era is here
gatesnotes.com · nanna · 26 Aug 2026
49 pts
297 comments
6.1x
Discussion →
3
Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms (2015)
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · LoveGracePeace · 25 May 2022
280 pts
1.7k comments
6.0x
Discussion →
4
Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US
businessinsider.com · NN88 · 3 Jan 2024
370 pts
2.1k comments
5.7x
Discussion →
5
Former intel officer says 'non-human biologics’ found at alleged UFO crash sites
bbc.co.uk · instagraham · 26 Jul 2023
118 pts
648 comments
5.5x
Discussion →
6
Auto industry executives admit electric vehicle plans are in jeopardy
businessinsider.com · momirlan · 2 Nov 2023
116 pts
635 comments
5.5x
Discussion →
7
The United States’ Unamendable Constitution
newyorker.com · psteitz · 26 Oct 2022
135 pts
713 comments
5.3x
Discussion →
8
Trump wins presidency for second time
thehill.com · koolba · 6 Nov 2024
1.8k pts
9.3k comments
5.2x
Discussion →
10
Soaring Student Debt Prompts Calls for Relief
wsj.com · jstreebin · 13 Sep 2016
106 pts
516 comments
4.9x
Discussion →
11
The withering dream of a cheap American electric car
wsj.com · voisin · 17 Nov 2024
159 pts
761 comments
4.8x
Discussion →
12
SEC has not approved Bitcoin ETFs [fixed]
twitter.com · pawelduda · 9 Jan 2024
102 pts
486 comments
4.8x
Discussion →
13
Why hasn't commercial air travel gotten any faster since the 1960s? (2009)
engineering.mit.edu · sorentwo · 10 Feb 2025
142 pts
667 comments
4.7x
Discussion →
14
Why America's economy is soaring ahead of its rivals
ft.com · kvee · 4 Dec 2024
481 pts
2.2k comments
4.6x
Discussion →
15
Inappropriate comments at pycon 2013 called out
twitter.com · nashequilibrium · 18 Mar 2013
135 pts
612 comments
4.5x
Discussion →
16
How many EV charging stations does the US need to replace gas stations?
wired.com · Brajeshwar · 27 May 2024
105 pts
474 comments
4.5x
Discussion →
17
Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem
idealista.com · diggan · 5 Jun 2024
197 pts
886 comments
4.5x
Discussion →
18
To do politics or not do politics? Tech startups are divided
nytimes.com · CapitalistCartr · 22 Nov 2020
154 pts
689 comments
4.5x
Discussion →
19
Tesla Q3 2021 Earnings
tesla-cdn.thron.com · marc__1 · 20 Oct 2021
136 pts
599 comments
4.4x
Discussion →
20
Rent collections are down in New York
politico.com · JumpCrisscross · 21 Jun 2026
126 pts
554 comments
4.4x
Discussion →
21
OSHA to require employers with 100 employees vaccinate or test workforce
whitehouse.gov · putnambr · 9 Sep 2021
285 pts
1.2k comments
4.4x
Discussion →
22
India's surprise baby bust
economist.com · hakonbogen · 5 Jun 2026
244 pts
1.1k comments
4.4x
Discussion →
23
To make dishwashers great again? (2020)
greenbuildinglawupdate.com · MichaelZuo · 10 Sep 2023
130 pts
566 comments
4.4x
Discussion →
24
Microsoft eyes $10B bet on ChatGPT
semafor.com · minimaxir · 10 Jan 2023
120 pts
520 comments
4.3x
Discussion →
25
Young people are flocking to astrology
washingtonpost.com · bookofjoe · 23 Jul 2023
216 pts
931 comments
4.3x
Discussion →
26
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fatally shot in Manhattan
bloomberg.com · mupuff1234 · 4 Dec 2024
107 pts
460 comments
4.3x
Discussion →
27
The end of the manual transmission is near?
popularmechanics.com · Tozen · 23 Aug 2022
198 pts
851 comments
4.3x
Discussion →
28
Several people fired after clampdown on speech over Charlie Kirk shooting
theguardian.com · Geekette · 13 Sep 2025
113 pts
482 comments
4.3x
Discussion →
29
The fishy death of Red Lobster
businessinsider.com · qsi · 2 May 2024
123 pts
521 comments
4.2x
Discussion →
30
Mass timber is great, but it will not solve the housing shortage
construction-physics.com · taion · 13 Mar 2024
184 pts
775 comments
4.2x
Discussion →
31
Why can't I write code inside my browser?
tomcritchlow.com · null_object · 15 Jan 2021
145 pts
604 comments
4.2x
Discussion →
32
New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night
thedrive.com · ourmandave · 13 Dec 2020
123 pts
512 comments
4.2x
Discussion →
33
No one wants to have kids anymore
torturechambersmalltalk.substack.com · loudtdarrow · 6 Dec 2022
107 pts
443 comments
4.1x
Discussion →
34
Toyota CEO talks about why he isn’t all-in on EVs
cnbc.com · mfiguiere · 2 Oct 2022
243 pts
1k comments
4.1x
Discussion →
35
Neuralink faces federal probe, employee backlash over animal tests
reuters.com · Terretta · 5 Dec 2022
181 pts
746 comments
4.1x
Discussion →
36
‘With brain preservation, nobody has to die’
theguardian.com · bookofjoe · 3 Dec 2024
118 pts
481 comments
4.1x
Discussion →
37
Europe is now a corporate also-ran. Can it recover its footing?
economist.com · N1H1L · 11 Jun 2021
218 pts
863 comments
4.0x
Discussion →
38
Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (July 2026)
david927 · 12 Jul 2026
292 pts
1.2k comments
4.0x
Discussion →
39
The case against masks at school
theatlantic.com · hrl · 26 Jan 2022
267 pts
1.1k comments
3.9x
Discussion →
40
In ‘The Book Against Death,’ Elias Canetti rants against mortality
washingtonpost.com · Caiero · 7 Aug 2024
158 pts
621 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
41
Americans Are Putting Billions More Than Usual in Their 401(k)s
bloomberg.com · uptown · 5 Jan 2017
115 pts
452 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
42
The destruction of Gaza's internet is complete
wired.com · sharno · 28 Oct 2023
141 pts
554 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
43
The singularity is close?
mkaic.substack.com · mkaic · 31 Mar 2022
170 pts
666 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
44
SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth
zdnet.com · CrankyBear · 10 Jul 2026
319 pts
1.2k comments
3.9x
Discussion →
45
Cities try to phase out gas stoves but cooks are pushing back
wsj.com · voisin · 18 Jul 2021
123 pts
481 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
46
Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (February 2026)
whoishiring · 2 Feb 2026
142 pts
554 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
47
Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (March 2026)
david927 · 9 Mar 2026
290 pts
1.1k comments
3.9x
Discussion →
48
Why IPv6 is so complicated
github.com · signa11 · 18 Apr 2026
130 pts
505 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
49
The EV Transition Is Harder Than Anyone Thinks
spectrum.ieee.org · jnord · 28 Mar 2023
241 pts
936 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
50
Why Finland Selected the F-35A (2021)
corporalfrisk.com · sklargh · 1 Feb 2023
114 pts
442 comments
3.9x
Discussion →
51
Ask HN: What are you working on? (May 2026)
david927 · 10 May 2026
290 pts
1.1k comments
3.9x
Discussion →
52
Why Linux is not ready for the desktop, the final edition
itvision.altervista.org · itvision · 30 Dec 2024
122 pts
460 comments
3.8x
Discussion →
53
Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (June 2026)
whoishiring · 1 Jun 2026
154 pts
578 comments
3.8x
Discussion →
54
Kiwi Farms is down across all domains as DDoS-Guard terminates service
twitter.com · intunderflow · 5 Sep 2022
308 pts
1.2k comments
3.8x
Discussion →
55
Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth
hive.co.uk · MaysonL · 2 Feb 2024
171 pts
641 comments
3.7x
Discussion →
56
Has Xbox lost the console wars?
theverge.com · mfiguiere · 24 Jun 2023
126 pts
471 comments
3.7x
Discussion →
57
Germany locks down unvaccinated people, as leaders plan to make shots compulsory
cnn.com · Tomte · 2 Dec 2021
435 pts
1.6k comments
3.7x
Discussion →
58
How South Korea’s birth rate dropped below Japan’s
nippon.com · neom · 30 Aug 2023
111 pts
414 comments
3.7x
Discussion →
59
Americans’ views on the war reveal a striking generational divide
economist.com · ptr · 14 Apr 2022
143 pts
532 comments
3.7x
Discussion →
60
More than 60k rent-stabilized apartments are now vacant
thecity.nyc · jhonovich · 21 Oct 2022
128 pts
474 comments
3.7x
Discussion →