Al Parsai
@parsai.bsky.social
Pharmacist interested in science (including Pharmacometrics), philosophy, literature and everything in between.
He/him
He/him
Wittgenstein’s Philosophy Is Daunting. This Biography Makes Him Human. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/b...
Wittgenstein’s Philosophy Is Daunting. This Biography Makes Him Human.
www.nytimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Wittgenstein’s Philosophy Is Daunting. This Biography Makes Him Human. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/b...
Reposted by Al Parsai
Telling the same story in different ways can change the brain networks that the listener uses to form memories
Your Brain’s Memory of a Story Depends on How It Was Told
Telling the same story in different ways can change the brain networks that the listener uses to form memories
www.scientificamerican.com
October 20, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Telling the same story in different ways can change the brain networks that the listener uses to form memories
How Empathy Became a Threat www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/b...
How Empathy Became a Threat
www.nytimes.com
July 19, 2025 at 1:51 AM
How Empathy Became a Threat www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/b...
Reposted by Al Parsai
When I read Philip K Dick at 16 and it blew my mind, I was inspired me to go out and read Berkeley’s _Principles_.
When these guys saw The Matrix at 32 and it blew theirs, they were inspired to go out and ask ChatGPT “generate a five-minute podcast about what The Matrix really means.”
When these guys saw The Matrix at 32 and it blew theirs, they were inspired to go out and ask ChatGPT “generate a five-minute podcast about what The Matrix really means.”
June 17, 2025 at 10:56 AM
When I read Philip K Dick at 16 and it blew my mind, I was inspired me to go out and read Berkeley’s _Principles_.
When these guys saw The Matrix at 32 and it blew theirs, they were inspired to go out and ask ChatGPT “generate a five-minute podcast about what The Matrix really means.”
When these guys saw The Matrix at 32 and it blew theirs, they were inspired to go out and ask ChatGPT “generate a five-minute podcast about what The Matrix really means.”
Reposted by Al Parsai
The Natural Philosophy Symposium is underway! I had some idea of live-skeeting, but the real-time event is too absorbing.
www.naturalphilosophyhopkins.org/natural-phil...
Anyway, we've had:
(cont)
www.naturalphilosophyhopkins.org/natural-phil...
Anyway, we've had:
(cont)
May 29, 2025 at 8:27 PM
The Natural Philosophy Symposium is underway! I had some idea of live-skeeting, but the real-time event is too absorbing.
www.naturalphilosophyhopkins.org/natural-phil...
Anyway, we've had:
(cont)
www.naturalphilosophyhopkins.org/natural-phil...
Anyway, we've had:
(cont)
Reposted by Al Parsai
I went on Piers Morgan to talk with Eric Weinstein. Not a productive conversation, alas.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7L...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7L...
May 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
I went on Piers Morgan to talk with Eric Weinstein. Not a productive conversation, alas.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7L...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m7L...
Reposted by Al Parsai
With all the bad shit going on, I'm trying to spend more time reading science and math and less doom-scrolling.
Today's diversion was an exploration of the James-Stein estimator, wherein we can get a better joint estimate of the means of three variables than by taking the mean of each variable.
Today's diversion was an exploration of the James-Stein estimator, wherein we can get a better joint estimate of the means of three variables than by taking the mean of each variable.
(PDF) Stein's Paradox in Statistics
PDF | On May 1, 1977, Bradley Efron and others published Stein's Paradox in Statistics | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate
www.researchgate.net
March 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
With all the bad shit going on, I'm trying to spend more time reading science and math and less doom-scrolling.
Today's diversion was an exploration of the James-Stein estimator, wherein we can get a better joint estimate of the means of three variables than by taking the mean of each variable.
Today's diversion was an exploration of the James-Stein estimator, wherein we can get a better joint estimate of the means of three variables than by taking the mean of each variable.
Reposted by Al Parsai
Join us on Wednesday March 26 for the start of our season of American neo noir films of the 1970s. At 7pm, Robert Altman’s THE LONG GOODBYE (1973), followed at 9.10pm by Don Siegel’s DIRTY HARRY (1971). Full program details via the link on our bio.
www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...
www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...
March 23, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Join us on Wednesday March 26 for the start of our season of American neo noir films of the 1970s. At 7pm, Robert Altman’s THE LONG GOODBYE (1973), followed at 9.10pm by Don Siegel’s DIRTY HARRY (1971). Full program details via the link on our bio.
www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...
www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...
Reposted by Al Parsai
Worse than I thought! For example:
“John Lilly, a neurophysiologist and psychedelic researcher who once used LSD to investigate dolphin communication, famously abused ketamine until he believed that he was contacted by an extraterrestrial entity who removed his penis.”
“John Lilly, a neurophysiologist and psychedelic researcher who once used LSD to investigate dolphin communication, famously abused ketamine until he believed that he was contacted by an extraterrestrial entity who removed his penis.”
March 8, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Worse than I thought! For example:
“John Lilly, a neurophysiologist and psychedelic researcher who once used LSD to investigate dolphin communication, famously abused ketamine until he believed that he was contacted by an extraterrestrial entity who removed his penis.”
“John Lilly, a neurophysiologist and psychedelic researcher who once used LSD to investigate dolphin communication, famously abused ketamine until he believed that he was contacted by an extraterrestrial entity who removed his penis.”
Reposted by Al Parsai
"Under Fascism there appear for the first time a type of man who does not want to give reasons or to be right, but simply shows himself resolved to impose his opinions."
José Ortega y Gasset
José Ortega y Gasset
March 7, 2025 at 10:23 PM
"Under Fascism there appear for the first time a type of man who does not want to give reasons or to be right, but simply shows himself resolved to impose his opinions."
José Ortega y Gasset
José Ortega y Gasset
Reposted by Al Parsai
Are complex systems predictable? Can we use (un)predictability to measure complexity? Here's a great review by A. Vulpiani and co-workers on how chaos, Lyapunov exponents, information theory and statistical physics get together to answer these questions denali.phys.uniroma1.it/~cencini/Pap...
March 5, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Are complex systems predictable? Can we use (un)predictability to measure complexity? Here's a great review by A. Vulpiani and co-workers on how chaos, Lyapunov exponents, information theory and statistical physics get together to answer these questions denali.phys.uniroma1.it/~cencini/Pap...
Reposted by Al Parsai
French polling on Ukraine
Macron is giving a televised address tonight, likely on defence and security
So here's polling from this week on how French people see the war in Ukraine
First, 73% say the US isn't an ally of France
🧵
So here's polling from this week on how French people see the war in Ukraine
First, 73% say the US isn't an ally of France
🧵
March 5, 2025 at 8:54 AM
French polling on Ukraine
Reposted by Al Parsai
“Want to organize a union? Check out these resources from experienced union leaders:
📌 UE’s 5 Steps to Organizing: ueunion.org
📌 NEA Union 101: nea.org
📌 Organizer’s Handbook: workerorganizing.org
📌 Teamsters Guide: teamster.org
📌 Digital Union Guide: uniontrack.com
#UnionStrong #OrganizeNow”
📌 UE’s 5 Steps to Organizing: ueunion.org
📌 NEA Union 101: nea.org
📌 Organizer’s Handbook: workerorganizing.org
📌 Teamsters Guide: teamster.org
📌 Digital Union Guide: uniontrack.com
#UnionStrong #OrganizeNow”
UE
The Union for Everyone | Members Run This Union
ueunion.org
March 5, 2025 at 7:36 AM
“Want to organize a union? Check out these resources from experienced union leaders:
📌 UE’s 5 Steps to Organizing: ueunion.org
📌 NEA Union 101: nea.org
📌 Organizer’s Handbook: workerorganizing.org
📌 Teamsters Guide: teamster.org
📌 Digital Union Guide: uniontrack.com
#UnionStrong #OrganizeNow”
📌 UE’s 5 Steps to Organizing: ueunion.org
📌 NEA Union 101: nea.org
📌 Organizer’s Handbook: workerorganizing.org
📌 Teamsters Guide: teamster.org
📌 Digital Union Guide: uniontrack.com
#UnionStrong #OrganizeNow”
Reposted by Al Parsai
🚨I promised I'd say more on the Royal Society and Elon Musk, so here it is. 🚨
I've resigned my position as Associate Editor at Royal Society's journal Open Science in protest at their lack of action over Elon Musk.
My op-ed in @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I've resigned my position as Associate Editor at Royal Society's journal Open Science in protest at their lack of action over Elon Musk.
My op-ed in @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Elon Musk is a proven danger to good science, but the Royal Society won’t say so. That’s why I resigned | Kit Yates
It is vital to act, and I urge colleagues to do so. How can we stand by and laud this man while he undermines scientific integrity? asks academic and author Kit Yates
www.theguardian.com
March 4, 2025 at 3:51 PM
🚨I promised I'd say more on the Royal Society and Elon Musk, so here it is. 🚨
I've resigned my position as Associate Editor at Royal Society's journal Open Science in protest at their lack of action over Elon Musk.
My op-ed in @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I've resigned my position as Associate Editor at Royal Society's journal Open Science in protest at their lack of action over Elon Musk.
My op-ed in @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Al Parsai
In an ideal world, every College and University in the States would have a mass protest and general strike tomorrow.
March 4, 2025 at 7:40 PM
In an ideal world, every College and University in the States would have a mass protest and general strike tomorrow.
Reposted by Al Parsai
‘The basis of eugenics’: Elon Musk and the menacing return of the R-word www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
‘The basis of eugenics’: Elon Musk and the menacing return of the R-word
The slur is rooted in the dehumanization of people with intellectual disabilities. Its resurgence threatens the fragile progress we’ve made
www.theguardian.com
March 4, 2025 at 12:10 PM
‘The basis of eugenics’: Elon Musk and the menacing return of the R-word www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
Reposted by Al Parsai
“I’m Not a Robot,” a darkly comic film about a woman trying to convince her computer that she is human, won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. It is the second film released by The New Yorker to be honored with an Oscar.
The New Yorker Film “I’m Not a Robot” Wins a 2025 Academy Award
The Oscar for Best Live Action Short went to Victoria Warmerdam’s darkly comic tale about a woman who fails a series of CAPTCHA tests.
www.newyorker.com
March 3, 2025 at 3:04 AM
“I’m Not a Robot,” a darkly comic film about a woman trying to convince her computer that she is human, won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. It is the second film released by The New Yorker to be honored with an Oscar.
Reposted by Al Parsai
Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines?
Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take.
thebullshitmachines.com
Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take.
thebullshitmachines.com
INTRODUCTION
thebullshitmachines.com
February 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines?
Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take.
thebullshitmachines.com
Jevin West (@jevinwest.bsky.social) and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take.
thebullshitmachines.com
Reposted by Al Parsai
The importance of Taleb’s system
From the Fourth Quadrant to the Skin in the Game
branko2f7.substack.com/p/the-import...
From the Fourth Quadrant to the Skin in the Game
branko2f7.substack.com/p/the-import...
The importance of Taleb’s system
From the Fourth Quadrant to the Skin in the Game
branko2f7.substack.com
February 23, 2025 at 10:02 PM
The importance of Taleb’s system
From the Fourth Quadrant to the Skin in the Game
branko2f7.substack.com/p/the-import...
From the Fourth Quadrant to the Skin in the Game
branko2f7.substack.com/p/the-import...
Reposted by Al Parsai
As a reminder, the federal funding freeze memo went out on a Monday, and NSF froze their funds on Tuesday. When he says jump, they ask “how high?”, science be damned.
"You screwed people": Inside the National Science Foundation’s firing of 168 workers👇
‘You screwed people’: Inside the National Science Foundation’s firing of 168 workers
At an emotional meeting, foundation officials announced layoffs for about 10 percent of their workforce and warned of more firings to come.
www.politico.com
February 21, 2025 at 2:33 AM
As a reminder, the federal funding freeze memo went out on a Monday, and NSF froze their funds on Tuesday. When he says jump, they ask “how high?”, science be damned.
Reposted by Al Parsai
Reposted by Al Parsai
The US government has been turned over to a group of extraordinarily ignorant people, and they are working to destroy science in this country. Cutting over half the NSF budget would save < 0.1% of the federal budget, but do incalculable harm. Simply heartbreaking.
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
White House budget proposal could shatter the National Science Foundation
“This kind of cut would kill American science and boost China.”…
arstechnica.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:28 PM
The US government has been turned over to a group of extraordinarily ignorant people, and they are working to destroy science in this country. Cutting over half the NSF budget would save < 0.1% of the federal budget, but do incalculable harm. Simply heartbreaking.
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...