Skipping lunch
Skipping lunch helps you get more done if you need get something finished by three, but it’s much less effective if you’re going to be… Read More »Skipping lunch
Stuart Patience
Eye on AI: Benedict Evans on automation and the Jevons paradox
We began with humans as beasts of burden and moved up: we automated legs, then arms, then fingers, and now brains. We went from farm… Read More »Eye on AI: Benedict Evans on automation and the Jevons paradox
The first time takes twice as long
There is a world of difference between doing something for the first time, doing it a second time, doing it regularly, and doing it as… Read More »The first time takes twice as long
Design matters (22): Phases of the moon
“Every day, the moon rises fifty minutes than the day before.” I found this video really helpful for visualising the details of how moon-phases work.… Read More »Design matters (22): Phases of the moon
Eye on AI: Ross Anderson on model collapse; or, The Curse of Recursion
Until about now, most of the text online was written by humans. But this text has been used to train GPT3(.5) and GPT4, and these… Read More »Eye on AI: Ross Anderson on model collapse; or, The Curse of Recursion
Recommendation: Philip Marris on the Theory of Constraints
A very good introduction.
Double discounting the future
“I’ll get it to you next week.” Discounting the future is a double-edged sword. First, we find it easier to commit to events further in… Read More »Double discounting the future
Design Matters (21): Book of Common Prayer, built to last
RULE TO KNOW WHEN THE MOVEABLE FEASTS AND HOLY-DAYS BEGIN EASTER-DAY, on which the rest depend, is always the First Sunday after the Full Moon,… Read More »Design Matters (21): Book of Common Prayer, built to last
A good solution
All else being equal, a good solution: All else is never equal, of course. But every time you make a trade off in one of… Read More »A good solution
Alasdair MacIntyre on virtue and practices (3): Practices, virtue and learning
[See here for MacIntyre’s initial definition of a practice] A practice involves standards of excellence and obedience to rules as well as the achievement of… Read More »Alasdair MacIntyre on virtue and practices (3): Practices, virtue and learning