Always invite Anna. “Every Friday night we’d make plans to go out together and party. But Anna would always refuse to come. She’d say something along the lines of “I have to study” or “I just don’t feel like it […]
The humanoid thesis. Here’s a bull case for humanoids of the future. “Enter general-purpose humanoids. Humanoids won’t just fill labor gaps, they’ll do it cheaper, faster, and at scale. At a $50,000 unit price, a humanoid robot is already cheaper […]
Reality is ruining the humanoid robot hype. Over the past several months I’ve entertained some skeptical thoughts on this market, especially with regards to battery life (mentioned in this IEEE Spectrum feature post). There may have to be a “winter” […]
Why do AI proof-of-concepts keep failing in corporations? “The researchers found that “AI and radiologist predictions are somewhat correlated, but radiologists don’t take this correlation into account.” This concept of correlated uncertainty represents a fundamental blind spot in how humans […]
Austin City Council bingo drama. “While constituents are expressing comments and concerns in front of their elected officials, a former staff member for an Austin City Council member said some council staff are playing constituent ‘bingo’ behind the scenes.” This […]
Fishing tournament uses lie detector test. “B.A.S.S. officials announced the disqualification of Elite Series angler KJ Queen from the 2025 Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River event, following two failed credibility assessments administered via polygraph. In addition to the […]
Your phone already has social credit. “The only difference between your phone and China’s social credit system is that China tells you what they’re doing. We pretend our algorithmic reputation scores are just “user experience features.” At least Beijing admits […]
The case for life on Mars just got a teensy bit stronger. “In July, 2024, after covering 18 miles in nearly three and a half years, [the Perseverance rover] arrived at a quarter-mile-wide river valley that is home to a […]
Food companies could be required to disclose when products contain gluten. In my travels I’ve noticed Europe has a lot more allergen disclosures than the US, especially at restaurants. Part of the current US administration’s agenda seems to be disclosure […]
Not all fiber is good fiber? I guess this falls into the ‘too much of a good thing’ bucket. “But emerging research shows that some fibers used in these products, especially in high doses, could lead to health problems in […]