Implementando el algoritmo de clasificación de Hacker News en SQL

Sin probar:

  SELECT x.*
    FROM POSTS x
    JOIN (SELECT p.postid, 
                 SUM(v.vote) AS points
            FROM POSTS p
            JOIN VOTES v ON v.postid = p.postid
        GROUP BY p.postid) y ON y.postid = x.postid
ORDER BY (y.points - 1)/POW(((UNIX_TIMESTAMP(NOW()) - UNIX_TIMESTAMP(x.timestamp))/3600)+2, 1.5) DESC
   LIMIT n