tech, startups, internet

AI;DR is a new policy.

AI;DR is a new policy. “If you’re not bothered enough to review and edit it… …then I’m not going to bother reading it.” Rick Manelius names the reflex many of us now have when someone drops unfiltered AI output into […]

fun facts

You can hear cauliflower growing.

You can hear cauliflower growing. “That rapid expansion means the florets of the plant’s popcorn-like heads often rub against one another as they grow, creating a noise many farmers call “cauliflower creak.”” It can grow up to 1 inch per […]

fun facts

Take Google’s phishing test.

Take Google’s phishing test. “AI is already making phishing attacks more sophisticated, personalized, and common.” Google’s Jigsaw made a quick quiz to practice noticing the little tells before you click. ~ learn more

fun facts

How trains led to time zones.

How trains led to time zones. “At best, people might miss their train; at worst, trains were more likely to collide when using a single track.” Railroads needed everyone to agree on the clock, so in 1883 US and Canadian […]

fun facts

A modern apartment is full of things that once drew awe.

A modern apartment is full of things that once drew awe. “If we could have devised an arrangement for providing everybody with music in their homes, perfect in quality, unlimited in quantity, suited to every mood, and beginning and ceasing […]

big ideas

What Shenzhen knows.

What Shenzhen knows. “What Shenzhen knows’ is not written down in a book whose covers can be sliced off and ingested into a model, it’s a few million humidity stories stored in people, and a pace of knowledge-rich adjustment that […]

big ideas

Kinetic prompt injection.

Kinetic prompt injection. A presentation from the Black Hat USA conference demonstrates how one can jailbreak a robot with voice or visual input. “Prompt injection is usually treated as a text problem contained on a screen: a bad output, leaked […]

teaching the kids

Smart is dime a dozen.

Smart is dime a dozen. “I tell my kids the world doesn’t need nor give a smouldering turd about another smart person. Dime a dozen.” A blunt parent essay about growing up in a high-achievement bubble, and why he thinks […]

teaching the kids

A negative data point for Alpha School performance.

A negative data point for Alpha School performance. They created a charter school in Arizona called Unbound Academy using their 2-hour-per-day learning software. “Unbound Academy’s 2025-26 assessment scores underperformed not just its predicted targets above, but also the Arizona state […]