blogs
Feed URLA river of articles from this list.
Articles from 11 followed author(s) of this list.
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Asymmetric Agents
One of the promises of the AI-filled future is that we'll all have highly capable autonomous servants "agents" to work for us. Even back in the 1990s, it was a common trope in future-gazing to
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ICE Collecting DNA Samples
ICE collected nearly a million (https://www.wired.com/story/ice-dna-collection-fbi-codis/) DNA samples last year.
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Don’t steal the revelation
Teaching and learning aren’t always aligned. Sometimes organized teaching is defensive. “Here, take all this down in your notes, it will be on the test.” This gives the teacher deniability, but
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LLMs and Contextual Integrity
I have been thinking a lot about AI and integrity. Part of that is contextual integrity. I recently found two papers on the topic. “CIMemories: A Compositional Benchmark for Contextual Integrity
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The Amazon tax
It’s not technically a tax. Taxes produce valuable public benefits, like medical research and parks. This is simply legal theft. Amazon makes nearly a billion dollars in profit from search ads.
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And then the men with guns tell you to do it anyway
In early February 2011 Egypt was in the middle of a political revolution. One morning, everyone's phones suddenly pinged with an alert. The Armed Forces asks Egypt's honest and loyal men to confront
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Hacking Public Wi-Fi DNS to Steal Credentials
Criminals are hacking (https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-hijack-hotel-wi-fi-dns-to-steal-microsoft-365-accounts/) into public Wi-Fi devices—at hotels, conference centers, and
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Consider the AI tear down
Find a safe critic. Upload your essay, your book, your artwork, your business plan or your resume to Claude. Then, pick a critic. “Write a detailed, specific negative review that might appear on
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Thoughts on visiting the Edinburgh Fringe as a newbie
This was my first ever time at The Fringe™. Here are some scattered thoughts looking at the good, the bad, and the annoying aspects of this madly extravagant exhibition of talent. We saw 23 shows
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Replace the filters
Here’s a simple hack/reminder: If you buy something that has a filter or other part that needs replacing, create a recurring event in your calendar. Also mention where you store the extra filters,
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Book Review: Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth ★★★⯪☆
I'm really not sure what to make of this book. It was recommended by my book club as something between tragedy and comedy. The characters are excruciatingly well written - if you (or your friends)
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Short term dumb, long term smart
Culture provides scaffolding, and learning happens over time. The result is that we’re each capable of extraordinary feats. People can fly planes, ski down mountains, figure out how to use
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Friday Squid Blogging: Searching for the Colossal Squid
Fascinating video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W1Mwd0BWT4) about searching for life undersea. The video basically makes the point that our bright white searchlights are scaring everything away,
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Edinburgh Fringe: Target Audience ★★★★★
Easily the best show I've seen at the Fringe. For plot-related reasons, a television company asks a literary genius to create a "pro-weapons sitcom". It is a fast paced mix of the sitcoms 2012 and
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Upcoming Speaking Engagements
This is a current list of where and when I am scheduled to speak: • I’m speaking, signing books, and participating in panel discussions at LAcon V (https://www.lacon.org/) in Anaheim,
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Edinburgh Fringe: Stand-up Philosophy ★★★⯪☆
For a pay-what-you-want show this was decent. Three comedians doing sets on the theme of philosophy - followed by a Q&A where the audience poses philosophical conundrums to them. It more-or-less
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Edinburgh Fringe: Waiting for Wonka ★★★⯪☆
This play is fucked up! Such a brilliant concept - what happened to the kids from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory after they were rejected by Wonka? Stuck together in a Big-Brotheresque household,
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If the Markets Reject OpenAI and Anthropic, the US Should Nationalize Them
This essay was written with Nathan E. Sanders, and originally appeared in The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/12/openai-anthropic-ai-models). OpenAI, and then Anthropic
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Emotional hygiene
After doing an autopsy at the morgue, it’s a good idea for doctors to wash their hands before delivering babies. A few hundred years ago, Ignaz Semmelweis proved this now-obvious insight about
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An Update on Leaving Gmail for Fastmail
It’s been a few months since my post on leaving Gmail (https://moddedbear.com/gmail-thinks-im-stupid-so-i-left/) which sparked a lot of discussion on Hacker News
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Edinburgh Fringe: Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Room Divas ★★★★⯪
Quite simply marvellous! Three Scottish divas giving us their interpretations of the greats while backed by an excellent pianist. So many shows at the Fringe skimp on sets and props - not this! A
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Edinburgh Fringe: The Musical Mystery Caller ★★★★★
Walking down the street, I noticed a ringing phone box so, naturally, I answered it. What happened next was a few minutes of pure fringe magic! I had a little chat with the caller, he welcomed me
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Edinburgh Fringe: Miscast Sondheim ★★☆☆☆
I'm not sure what they're teaching at LAMDA, but it certainly isn't vocal projection. We were forewarned about the technical difficulties - but if a trained stage singer can't reach the 6th row of a
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Edinburgh Fringe: Hot Flush – A Bold, We’re Old(ish) Burlesque Show ★★★☆☆
Are menopausal women hot? It is often said that pornographic actresses move straight from "barely legal" to "MILF" without so much as moment in between. Unlike the fringe's other burlesque shows -
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Edinburgh Fringe - Eleanor Morton: The Mermaid ★★★⯪☆
The undisputed queen of short-form viral video comedy snacks takes to the stage. Well, swims to the stage. The Mermaid is a delightful and gentle amble through the confusing world of a girl who just
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