The LED Traffic Light and the Danger of "But Sometimes!"

Why HN readers recommended it

Cited constantly as the name and example of the 'but sometimes' argument, where edge cases are used to resist better technology such as EVs and solar.

This is a summary from the source dataset, not an endorsement by Hacker News or the video creator.

Video & recommendation details

Creator / channel

Technology Connections

Topic

led traffic lights and technology criticism

Format

explainer

Level

general

HN recommenders in dataset

7

HN mentions in dataset

16

Recommendation years in dataset

2019–2024

These counts and years describe the included Hacker News records; they are not YouTube views or the video’s publication date.

From the original HN conversations

Excerpts from the recorded comments. Follow each source for the full comment and surrounding discussion.

• I watched a YouTube video [0] this morning which actually does a fantastic job of explaining the pros and cons of LED-based traffic lights. Short answer: it's complicated. [0]: [VIDEO]

• The one on traffic lights is way more interesting than it sounds! Everybody should check it out. There's also a really interesting point he makes at the end that applies to something a lot of people on HN might relate with [VIDEO] The toaster one …

• I love Technology Connections' take on this line of argument [0]: > When there's a new innovation which changes how we do things for the better, its benefits are obvious. ... However when the "But Sometimes" rears its ugly head, people tend to freak out. …