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¶ I've been thinking a lot about, and experimenting a lot with, the uses of AI — its promises, possibilities, pitfalls, and especially its uncanny (in many senses) insights into the shape of the human cultural corpus. ¶ Large Language models work in the principle of a predicting the next element in sequence of tokens — of words and fragments: given what came before, what comes next? ¶ The posts here combine older work and new, in the form of a collage, an experimenter's log, and a commonplace book.

Featured

• 🕉️Infinite Reflection

  What you learn when you let LLMs follow their bliss

• 🖨️Reclaiming the Cliché

  What is it that makes the output of large language models and other varieties of generative AI so interesting, and then so boring? For me the most useful operative metaphor for AI’s promise and problems is the cliche.

• ✍️Blog Resurrection

  Using LLMs to pull thousands of old blog posts back from a grave of mangled database text and rotten links

Recent

• 🏯Who Built the Great Wall of China?

  The most massive symbol of Chinese culture hasn’t always taken the same route, or served the same purpose—and no single person can take the credit.

• ⚛️What Countries Have Nuclear Weapons?

  The first five nations to build atomic bombs became part of the 'Nuclear Club'; others have since gained weapons, despite global treaties.

• 🤖When a Claude Meets a Claude

  AI stress tests and the "spiritual bliss" attractor

• 💡It's All Printing

  Semiconductor fabrication continues the age-old tradition of lithography at the bleeding edge of physics

Archive

• 🐴Nepal Horse Book

  Reflecting on the intriguing connection between horses and the remote valley of Mustang in Nepal.

• 🕌Untitled, by Manuel Guerzoni

  An exploration of beauty in architecture, contrasting the elegance of the Taj Mahal with the simplicity of utilitarian design.

• 🗑️Sign your work!

  Yvonne Froud, a shopkeeper in Joys Green, Gloucestershire, has taken a creative approach to combat littering among local children by marking snack wrappers with their names and encouraging them to take responsibility for their waste.

• 🌊Astoria Pool, by Angie Smith

  Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, and this beautiful image captures the essence of the Astoria Pool in Queens, NY.