Ben McCary
@benmccary.bsky.social
Seattle data scientist. Dad. Likes birds, the Puget Sound, bad music. view expressed are my own.
The Water Knife! Watching this was surreal. It's like if you wound that book back in time when things were just starting and no one knew what was coming. Wild.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfzw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfzw...
Could Texas Run Out Of Water? Wall Street Is Betting Big On It.
YouTube video by More Perfect Union
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:11 AM
The Water Knife! Watching this was surreal. It's like if you wound that book back in time when things were just starting and no one knew what was coming. Wild.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfzw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfzw...
I recently got to explain snuffaluffagus to a non-western non-english native colleague.
It was a highlight of my professional career.
It was a highlight of my professional career.
November 10, 2025 at 5:14 AM
I recently got to explain snuffaluffagus to a non-western non-english native colleague.
It was a highlight of my professional career.
It was a highlight of my professional career.
I've been doing a lot with coding agents lately. It's super weird to be giving instructions with all caps to add emphasis: "DO NOT edit the files in directory...."
I'm terrified I'll accidentally write a ticket for a peer with this prompting style 😬
I'm terrified I'll accidentally write a ticket for a peer with this prompting style 😬
November 4, 2025 at 5:55 AM
I've been doing a lot with coding agents lately. It's super weird to be giving instructions with all caps to add emphasis: "DO NOT edit the files in directory...."
I'm terrified I'll accidentally write a ticket for a peer with this prompting style 😬
I'm terrified I'll accidentally write a ticket for a peer with this prompting style 😬
🤣
October 18, 2025 at 6:55 PM
🤣
I love the west seattle version of protesting: everyone waits for a red light at our all-way-stop intersection, crosses the street, then waits for the next red light
Patiently waiting to cross the street is the most west seattle protest I could ever
#NoKings #WestSeattle #Seattle #SeattleNoKings
Patiently waiting to cross the street is the most west seattle protest I could ever
#NoKings #WestSeattle #Seattle #SeattleNoKings
October 18, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I love the west seattle version of protesting: everyone waits for a red light at our all-way-stop intersection, crosses the street, then waits for the next red light
Patiently waiting to cross the street is the most west seattle protest I could ever
#NoKings #WestSeattle #Seattle #SeattleNoKings
Patiently waiting to cross the street is the most west seattle protest I could ever
#NoKings #WestSeattle #Seattle #SeattleNoKings
It's wild how AI has captured data collection/ads space where previously unreachable: Most tech companies succeed by capturing your attention. If you were in a spreadsheet, coding, working in sfdc there's very little a search engine can do to get data & sell ads.
Now that space is now fair game.
Now that space is now fair game.
October 18, 2025 at 7:15 AM
It's wild how AI has captured data collection/ads space where previously unreachable: Most tech companies succeed by capturing your attention. If you were in a spreadsheet, coding, working in sfdc there's very little a search engine can do to get data & sell ads.
Now that space is now fair game.
Now that space is now fair game.
AI Slop Is Killing Our Channel
YouTube video by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
youtu.be
October 7, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by Ben McCary
Just gonna keep tapping the sign*
*𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
*𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
October 1, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Just gonna keep tapping the sign*
*𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
*𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦
Reposted by Ben McCary
Washington state health officials may be on the verge of winning a yearslong fight to gain access to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. The health department has been trying to get into the center to investigate complaints about the conditions there.
Block on Tacoma ICE facility inspections may soon be lifted
Washington state health officials may be on the verge of winning a yearslong fight to gain access to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
The Washington State Health Department has been tryi...
www.kuow.org
September 29, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Washington state health officials may be on the verge of winning a yearslong fight to gain access to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. The health department has been trying to get into the center to investigate complaints about the conditions there.
I've seen a lot of hype about being in an "AI bubble."
Yes. And after the dotcom bubble the internet really fell off! Just like people basically gave up real estate assets after the housing bubble.
An AI bubble has no bearing on the viability of AI tech.
Yes. And after the dotcom bubble the internet really fell off! Just like people basically gave up real estate assets after the housing bubble.
An AI bubble has no bearing on the viability of AI tech.
September 28, 2025 at 7:30 AM
I've seen a lot of hype about being in an "AI bubble."
Yes. And after the dotcom bubble the internet really fell off! Just like people basically gave up real estate assets after the housing bubble.
An AI bubble has no bearing on the viability of AI tech.
Yes. And after the dotcom bubble the internet really fell off! Just like people basically gave up real estate assets after the housing bubble.
An AI bubble has no bearing on the viability of AI tech.
Reposted by Ben McCary
Your war correspondent on the ground in battle-ravaged inner northeast Portland
September 27, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Your war correspondent on the ground in battle-ravaged inner northeast Portland
Good overview of the "rise in autism." The formal autism diagnosis is only 34 years old. So right now the leading hypothesis for rising ASD is more broad diagnostic criteria & growing awareness.
(Real science isn't fear based. We investigate environmental factors!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Kf...
(Real science isn't fear based. We investigate environmental factors!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Kf...
Why Is Everyone Autistic Now?
YouTube video by Fads
www.youtube.com
September 28, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Good overview of the "rise in autism." The formal autism diagnosis is only 34 years old. So right now the leading hypothesis for rising ASD is more broad diagnostic criteria & growing awareness.
(Real science isn't fear based. We investigate environmental factors!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Kf...
(Real science isn't fear based. We investigate environmental factors!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Kf...
This is also a really good site see how detainee populations are growing over time: www.vera.org/ice-detentio...
September 26, 2025 at 12:13 PM
This is also a really good site see how detainee populations are growing over time: www.vera.org/ice-detentio...
The Seattle ICE detention center is nearly at capacity for the first time
tracreports.org/immigration/...
#ICE #Seattle
tracreports.org/immigration/...
#ICE #Seattle
September 26, 2025 at 10:46 AM
The Seattle ICE detention center is nearly at capacity for the first time
tracreports.org/immigration/...
#ICE #Seattle
tracreports.org/immigration/...
#ICE #Seattle
BirdNET Pi is so cool!
September 25, 2025 at 5:03 AM
BirdNET Pi is so cool!
Reposted by Ben McCary
More than 1800 detainees are missing after the closure of Alligator Alcatraz. Their families and lawyers can’t find them and they’ve vanished from the ICE database. Feels like this should be a much bigger story www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
Hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees drop off the grid after leaving site
As of the end of August, the whereabouts of two-thirds of more than 1,800 men detained at Alligator Alcatraz during the month of July could not be determined by the Miami Herald.
www.miamiherald.com
September 23, 2025 at 5:39 PM
More than 1800 detainees are missing after the closure of Alligator Alcatraz. Their families and lawyers can’t find them and they’ve vanished from the ICE database. Feels like this should be a much bigger story www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
Reposted by Ben McCary
So cool they discovered the cause of autism on basically day they guessed they would. I’m also glad they are withholding this information for a few days to prep for a WrestleMania-style announcement. This is how science works.
September 22, 2025 at 6:46 PM
So cool they discovered the cause of autism on basically day they guessed they would. I’m also glad they are withholding this information for a few days to prep for a WrestleMania-style announcement. This is how science works.
Reposted by Ben McCary
The Kimmel video: "The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it."
September 18, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The Kimmel video: "The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it."
Reposted by Ben McCary
this is, hands down, the best video I've seen on men's influencer content and it's not close either
September 14, 2025 at 1:50 AM
this is, hands down, the best video I've seen on men's influencer content and it's not close either
This is a really well done video! The title is kind of clickbait, but the content is 🔥.
The media will totally sensationalize the resesrch (AI sends subliminal messages!?) but this demystifies that. Worth a watch!
youtu.be/NUAb6zHXqdI?...
#AI #DataScience #AI-Research
The media will totally sensationalize the resesrch (AI sends subliminal messages!?) but this demystifies that. Worth a watch!
youtu.be/NUAb6zHXqdI?...
#AI #DataScience #AI-Research
How AI sends hidden messages [Subliminal Learning]
YouTube video by Welch Labs
youtu.be
September 6, 2025 at 6:12 PM
This is a really well done video! The title is kind of clickbait, but the content is 🔥.
The media will totally sensationalize the resesrch (AI sends subliminal messages!?) but this demystifies that. Worth a watch!
youtu.be/NUAb6zHXqdI?...
#AI #DataScience #AI-Research
The media will totally sensationalize the resesrch (AI sends subliminal messages!?) but this demystifies that. Worth a watch!
youtu.be/NUAb6zHXqdI?...
#AI #DataScience #AI-Research
Reposted by Ben McCary
Tax them. Just tax them! If these things have to exist we might as well make some money out of it www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Safety and space at risk as SUVs reach 30% of car market in English cities, researchers warn
Campaigners call for Paris-style parking charges amid fears big vehicles are taking up excessive public space
www.theguardian.com
August 29, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Tax them. Just tax them! If these things have to exist we might as well make some money out of it www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Trying to find a description of a specific concept in AI research: Anecdotally, I've found that one of the most common types of AI hallucinations/errors is because the agent assumes your prompt was correct and fills in content around it. Sometimes the prompt itself is incorrect or misleading.
July 6, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Trying to find a description of a specific concept in AI research: Anecdotally, I've found that one of the most common types of AI hallucinations/errors is because the agent assumes your prompt was correct and fills in content around it. Sometimes the prompt itself is incorrect or misleading.
Is there an AI research community on Bluesky? I'm both personally and professionally interested. On the old bird app I used to follow hashtags, find influential voices, go from there. Haven't figured out how to do it here?
July 6, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Is there an AI research community on Bluesky? I'm both personally and professionally interested. On the old bird app I used to follow hashtags, find influential voices, go from there. Haven't figured out how to do it here?
It's probably just a neurospicy thing, but does anyone else ever worry that you're "doing your knees wrong" while walking so you start to walk different and then worry you're just walking like a robot?
So you put your head down and look at your feet while you walk because at least no eye contact?
So you put your head down and look at your feet while you walk because at least no eye contact?
July 2, 2025 at 3:00 AM
It's probably just a neurospicy thing, but does anyone else ever worry that you're "doing your knees wrong" while walking so you start to walk different and then worry you're just walking like a robot?
So you put your head down and look at your feet while you walk because at least no eye contact?
So you put your head down and look at your feet while you walk because at least no eye contact?