under the microscope

False-positive psychology.

“In this article, we show that despite the nominal endorsement of a maximum false-positive rate of 5% (i.e., p ≤ .05), current standards for disclosing details of data collection and analyses make false positives vastly more likely. In fact, it […]

better doing

Take ownership of your future self.

This feels related to the idea of using a secret identity or alter-ego to enhance your performance. “Your personality, skills, likes, and dislikes change over time — but that change isn’t out of your control. What can you do to […]

tech, startups, internet

Chain of Thoughtlessness.

This research makes the claim that using “Chain of Thought” prompting for LLMs does not generalize. I consider this evidence of LLM limitations (at least for now?). “This spotlights drawbacks of chain of thought, especially because of the sharp tradeoff […]

tech, startups, internet

Time sinks and money sinks.

“To dramatically oversimplify the internet, every product on the Internet is just one of two things…” I didn’t realize it at the start of my career, but one reason lots of other businesses didn’t make sense to me is because […]

oh, chicago

Chicago’s fake robbery visa scam.

Here’s a story about a, “ Chicago-based scheme that staged armed robberies so the purported victims could apply for U.S. immigration visas reserved for legitimate crime victims.” ~ learn more

fun facts

Phase diagrams.

“Understanding and interpreting phase diagrams. Created by Sal Khan.” ~ learn more

fun facts

Messy desks and the myth of the perfect workspace.

“Whenever I see one of those ‘here’s my workspace’ posts with the perfect photos of a sleek, clean, and pristine desk, I vom a little.” I do not have a messy desk, but that’s only because I have not had […]

fun facts

Jerry Seinfeld at Duke’s 2024 Commencement.

This was pretty good! “All of you here, without question, are the best of the best. Just don’t lose your humor. It’s not an accessory. It’s your Stanley Cup water bottle on the brutal, long hike of life,” said Seinfeld. […]