Simple circuits can create complex behaviors
79 comments
- Points215
- Comments68
#7Rank now –
#5Peak rank
2Days on list
237Score · 7d
Oct 31, 2026First seen
Rank · 7 days
On Hacker News
- Points
- 215
- Comments
- 68
- Submitted by
- aatish
- Posted
- Oct 27, 2026
- Site
- aatishb.com
Story details from Hacker News ↗ · linked article on aatishb.com.
Trending history
Simple circuits can create complex behaviors was first seen on Hacker News · Front page on Oct 31, 2026. Since then it has appeared in 86 checks on 2 different days. Its best position was #5 of 30, reached on Nov 1, 01:37 UTC. It is #7 right now, holding steady at #7 over the last 6 checks. The same link also trended on Lobsters, which raises its cross-platform score.
Rank history
Position on Hacker News · Front page at every check (lower is better).
Last 14 days
Best rank per day (UTC).
6
5
Oct 19today
Metric history
points as reported by Hacker News.
Where it trended
| List | Best | Days | Checks | Last seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hacker News · Front page | #5 | 2 | 86 | |
| LLobsters · Hottest Let’s Build a Brain | same link | |||
From the discussion
A few top-level comments from Hacker News, shortened. Read the full thread on Hacker News.
The ancestor is not Braitenberg. It's Grey Walter's turtles. In 1948, W. Grey Walter built two simple robots that could sense light and touch.[1] Much complex behavior emerged. That's where this idea started. Watch the video.[2] It's very impressive for 1948 and tube technology. If you've seen an original Roomba,…
> If you saw creatures behaving like this in the wild, you might attribute some rudimentary intelligence to them. > But we’ve just shown you how this apparent intelligence arises from the bottom up, with just four neurons and two connections. There’s no magic here. In this view, behavior emerges from neural circuits.…
Growing up I tinkered with BEAM robotics. It's a philosophy of design that begins with these types of very simple reactive circuits usually from scavenged parts. It's nice to see someone break down the effect of different variables in the design. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEAM_robotics
Questions
Is Simple circuits can create complex behaviors trending on Hacker News right now?
Yes. As of Nov 1, 10:52 UTC it is #7, holding steady at #7 over the last 6 checks.
What is the highest rank Simple circuits can create complex behaviors reached?
#5 on Hacker News · Front page, on Nov 1, 01:37 UTC. Trendoday checks this list every 15 minutes.
How long has Simple circuits can create complex behaviors been trending?
It was first seen on Oct 31, 2026 and has been on the list on 2 days (86 checks) since.
How much discussion did it get on Hacker News?
215 points and 68 comments; submitted by aatish on Oct 27, 2026.