@boarders.bsky.social
Thanks to impermanence all things are possible
Working on a book on topos theory
Working on a book on topos theory
“I was never a mathematics major. I always found the idea of doing mathematics under time pressure—like in timed exams—offensive. Mathematics is about thinking deeply, not about racing against the clock.”
- Hilary Putnam, preeminent philosopher who also happened to solve Hilbert’s 10th problem
- Hilary Putnam, preeminent philosopher who also happened to solve Hilbert’s 10th problem
November 15, 2025 at 6:43 PM
“I was never a mathematics major. I always found the idea of doing mathematics under time pressure—like in timed exams—offensive. Mathematics is about thinking deeply, not about racing against the clock.”
- Hilary Putnam, preeminent philosopher who also happened to solve Hilbert’s 10th problem
- Hilary Putnam, preeminent philosopher who also happened to solve Hilbert’s 10th problem
All of politics straightforwardly involves the activation and construction of particular identities and the diminution and deconstruction of others, “everyday american” and “the middle class” are just as much fictions as any others
November 15, 2025 at 2:21 AM
All of politics straightforwardly involves the activation and construction of particular identities and the diminution and deconstruction of others, “everyday american” and “the middle class” are just as much fictions as any others
nepo world easily outperforms the worst criticism it receives
November 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
nepo world easily outperforms the worst criticism it receives
That is to say, schooling is either primarily about meritocratic sorting or it is about the social reproduction of a democratic society. The first has been what we’ve ever more focused upon to the detriment of everyone involved (even by its own lights)
November 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
That is to say, schooling is either primarily about meritocratic sorting or it is about the social reproduction of a democratic society. The first has been what we’ve ever more focused upon to the detriment of everyone involved (even by its own lights)
I 100% agree with you and think once you start thinking about public schooling as primarily about civic society and as a democratic ideal, as opposed to solely about individual achievements, then I think this view becomes very cogent
November 14, 2025 at 4:47 PM
I 100% agree with you and think once you start thinking about public schooling as primarily about civic society and as a democratic ideal, as opposed to solely about individual achievements, then I think this view becomes very cogent
landing on intelligence as in 'can do 8 digit multiplication' instead of intelligence as 'made immense contributions to every subfield of mathematics/physics/economics he cared to look at', leaves me thinking they don't really care about von neumann's talents
November 14, 2025 at 4:51 AM
landing on intelligence as in 'can do 8 digit multiplication' instead of intelligence as 'made immense contributions to every subfield of mathematics/physics/economics he cared to look at', leaves me thinking they don't really care about von neumann's talents
In that world they are trying to give a mathematical denotation to programming languages
November 14, 2025 at 3:42 AM
In that world they are trying to give a mathematical denotation to programming languages
btw this symbol is all over a certain flavour of programming language theory called denotational semantics and is often attributed to Dana Scott (“Scott brackets”)
November 14, 2025 at 3:41 AM
btw this symbol is all over a certain flavour of programming language theory called denotational semantics and is often attributed to Dana Scott (“Scott brackets”)
Yeah, I am saying Gen AI could be creatively used for branching narrative that is economical to make and actually good, but instead we have the first idea of an MBA floated
November 14, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Yeah, I am saying Gen AI could be creatively used for branching narrative that is economical to make and actually good, but instead we have the first idea of an MBA floated
Really seems to confirm that AI causes non-creatives to confuse their specialty. The actual use-case of a show with Baldur’s gate 3 level branching far exceeds any (not so) cheap gimmick
November 14, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Really seems to confirm that AI causes non-creatives to confuse their specialty. The actual use-case of a show with Baldur’s gate 3 level branching far exceeds any (not so) cheap gimmick
Ah, that’s interesting, gives me some insights into why I see you post about field theory (e.g. fixed number of particles vs infinitely many)
November 14, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Ah, that’s interesting, gives me some insights into why I see you post about field theory (e.g. fixed number of particles vs infinitely many)
They can’t even stick to a policy as simple as non-endorsement when their dinner party social circle considers a candidate beyond the pale
November 14, 2025 at 2:48 AM
They can’t even stick to a policy as simple as non-endorsement when their dinner party social circle considers a candidate beyond the pale
Just be glad it isn’t ’mulligan’
November 14, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Just be glad it isn’t ’mulligan’
I don’t really have any knowledge of neuro, but curious what would a satisfying answer of understanding look like here? [an answer could be that that is still up for grabs as a research question]
November 14, 2025 at 2:38 AM
I don’t really have any knowledge of neuro, but curious what would a satisfying answer of understanding look like here? [an answer could be that that is still up for grabs as a research question]
‘All F are G’ means that the intersection of F and G is interpreted as the saying that the intersection may be non-empty and that the compliment of F outside G is empty
November 14, 2025 at 2:35 AM
‘All F are G’ means that the intersection of F and G is interpreted as the saying that the intersection may be non-empty and that the compliment of F outside G is empty
Perhaps this is insufficiency respectful towards the achievements of contemporary PMC culture, but I would prefer us to return to at least some level of florid madness of this scope in the academy
November 14, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Perhaps this is insufficiency respectful towards the achievements of contemporary PMC culture, but I would prefer us to return to at least some level of florid madness of this scope in the academy
Are there any contemporary equivalents to this or even to the programs that followed its failure (Davidson, Dummett etc.) other than Brandom?
November 13, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Are there any contemporary equivalents to this or even to the programs that followed its failure (Davidson, Dummett etc.) other than Brandom?
This is a way in which social media and op eds tend to be the opposite of serious books or academic articles
November 13, 2025 at 11:22 PM
This is a way in which social media and op eds tend to be the opposite of serious books or academic articles
I love the songs Frank Sinatra and the Christmas one about baby Santa
November 13, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I love the songs Frank Sinatra and the Christmas one about baby Santa
The literacy crisis started with elites no longer reading nor caring about serious books, not with some nonsense about phonics
November 13, 2025 at 2:34 AM
The literacy crisis started with elites no longer reading nor caring about serious books, not with some nonsense about phonics
I hate the version of hokey pokey this summoned to my head
November 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I hate the version of hokey pokey this summoned to my head
“007 - FINAL, EDITS COMPLETE.docx”
November 12, 2025 at 2:39 PM
“007 - FINAL, EDITS COMPLETE.docx”
Reactionaries do the reading, challenge level: impossible
November 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reactionaries do the reading, challenge level: impossible
Exactly! Becoming a momentary Wittgensteinian when you decide that necessary and sufficient conditions are beyond you is such a cop out move
November 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Exactly! Becoming a momentary Wittgensteinian when you decide that necessary and sufficient conditions are beyond you is such a cop out move