Arseny Khakhalin
@khakhalin.bsky.social
Data Scientist in Berlin
Former Bard College prof
For my after-work alter-ego, see @elstersen.bsky.social
Support Ukraine! 🇺🇦
Former Bard College prof
For my after-work alter-ego, see @elstersen.bsky.social
Support Ukraine! 🇺🇦
Gosh that's a very good long read, but not an easy one :)
scottaaronson.blog?p=9030
scottaaronson.blog?p=9030
November 10, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Gosh that's a very good long read, but not an easy one :)
scottaaronson.blog?p=9030
scottaaronson.blog?p=9030
Literally in a book one my family members borrowed from a library the other day :)
November 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Literally in a book one my family members borrowed from a library the other day :)
Graphs show "cardivascular events" - essentially heart attacks, stokes, heart failures, ischemic attacks, aneurisms etc. Numbers show soccer matches, e.g.: match 5, Germany versus Argentina; match 6, Germany versus Italy...
November 7, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Graphs show "cardivascular events" - essentially heart attacks, stokes, heart failures, ischemic attacks, aneurisms etc. Numbers show soccer matches, e.g.: match 5, Germany versus Argentina; match 6, Germany versus Italy...
In 2024 the Christian Union (of all parties!) advertized in Arabic in Leipzig (a rather left University city) with 400 election posters, and apparently all of them were destroyed by the population in a few days 🙈
November 7, 2025 at 8:05 AM
In 2024 the Christian Union (of all parties!) advertized in Arabic in Leipzig (a rather left University city) with 400 election posters, and apparently all of them were destroyed by the population in a few days 🙈
Network science meets semantic search: if your RAG is knowledge-graph-powered, then finding relevant nodes in it becomes a fun graph problem! (I can't tell if this repo is novel, promising, effective, or not, I just love the vibe of it!)
github.com/glacier-crea...
github.com/glacier-crea...
November 5, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Network science meets semantic search: if your RAG is knowledge-graph-powered, then finding relevant nodes in it becomes a fun graph problem! (I can't tell if this repo is novel, promising, effective, or not, I just love the vibe of it!)
github.com/glacier-crea...
github.com/glacier-crea...
I simply can't. Torstraße in Berlin has lots of cafes, some trees (could use more), no cycling paths. The previous govt (Greens) signed a plan to add biking lanes, limit cars, add more trees. The new right-wing govt wants to cut down trees (!!!), ban outdoor cafes (!!!), to add extra car lines 🤯
November 2, 2025 at 11:09 PM
I simply can't. Torstraße in Berlin has lots of cafes, some trees (could use more), no cycling paths. The previous govt (Greens) signed a plan to add biking lanes, limit cars, add more trees. The new right-wing govt wants to cut down trees (!!!), ban outdoor cafes (!!!), to add extra car lines 🤯
A better version of the same figure
November 2, 2025 at 3:05 PM
A better version of the same figure
Ah right, that's a different electric fish (not Eigenmannia), they don't do sine-like waves, they do personalized signatures of "clicks" and can use them to communicate. They are legit smarter than canaries, apparently about parrot-level! And unlike everyone else they use cerebellum for thinking!!
November 2, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Ah right, that's a different electric fish (not Eigenmannia), they don't do sine-like waves, they do personalized signatures of "clicks" and can use them to communicate. They are legit smarter than canaries, apparently about parrot-level! And unlike everyone else they use cerebellum for thinking!!
omg this page is so pretty! It's interactive!
www.georgehart.com/virtual-poly...
www.georgehart.com/virtual-poly...
October 30, 2025 at 8:42 PM
omg this page is so pretty! It's interactive!
www.georgehart.com/virtual-poly...
www.georgehart.com/virtual-poly...
Two pieces of tech that didn't exist in my childhood, but have since improved my life _a lot_: swivel vegetable peeler and dental floss holders. Both super-simple (and by some weird coincidence similarly shaped?), but a HUGE boost to quality of life!!
October 28, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Two pieces of tech that didn't exist in my childhood, but have since improved my life _a lot_: swivel vegetable peeler and dental floss holders. Both super-simple (and by some weird coincidence similarly shaped?), but a HUGE boost to quality of life!!
A form asked me: how would you estimate your knowledge of German?
The answers don't need translation I think :) I randomly picked one in the middle because warum nicht!
The answers don't need translation I think :) I randomly picked one in the middle because warum nicht!
October 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
A form asked me: how would you estimate your knowledge of German?
The answers don't need translation I think :) I randomly picked one in the middle because warum nicht!
The answers don't need translation I think :) I randomly picked one in the middle because warum nicht!
My contribution to the discoure
October 20, 2025 at 10:53 AM
My contribution to the discoure
Why adding barriers to Berlin subway system is murder-level wrong?
1. Most entrances in the center are old and narrow, lead directly to the platform. No space for barriers.
2. Several lines are elevated and old, no space
3. Lifts were added ad-hoc, lead to the platform
1/5
1. Most entrances in the center are old and narrow, lead directly to the platform. No space for barriers.
2. Several lines are elevated and old, no space
3. Lifts were added ad-hoc, lead to the platform
1/5
October 17, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Why adding barriers to Berlin subway system is murder-level wrong?
1. Most entrances in the center are old and narrow, lead directly to the platform. No space for barriers.
2. Several lines are elevated and old, no space
3. Lifts were added ad-hoc, lead to the platform
1/5
1. Most entrances in the center are old and narrow, lead directly to the platform. No space for barriers.
2. Several lines are elevated and old, no space
3. Lifts were added ad-hoc, lead to the platform
1/5
One of the coolest things about Berlin subway system is that it is easy to use: it doesn't have ridiculous entry barriers. You just take a train, it's clean, reliable, nice!
Well. Until a right wing party won the elections. Now they want to have barriers everywhere
www.bz-berlin.de/berlin/u-bah...
Well. Until a right wing party won the elections. Now they want to have barriers everywhere
www.bz-berlin.de/berlin/u-bah...
October 16, 2025 at 7:35 PM
One of the coolest things about Berlin subway system is that it is easy to use: it doesn't have ridiculous entry barriers. You just take a train, it's clean, reliable, nice!
Well. Until a right wing party won the elections. Now they want to have barriers everywhere
www.bz-berlin.de/berlin/u-bah...
Well. Until a right wing party won the elections. Now they want to have barriers everywhere
www.bz-berlin.de/berlin/u-bah...
A lovely minimalistic online graph editor, for when you quickly need to sketch a graph for a presentation that is due in 15 minutes!
csacademy.com/app/graph_ed...
csacademy.com/app/graph_ed...
October 16, 2025 at 1:18 PM
A lovely minimalistic online graph editor, for when you quickly need to sketch a graph for a presentation that is due in 15 minutes!
csacademy.com/app/graph_ed...
csacademy.com/app/graph_ed...
Someone needs to make a map of potential tourism locations, assuming a hill-shaped curve of experience as a function of popularity. Japan is clearly not a good target now. But what is? The trick is probably in going against the grain, but without literally dying
October 15, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Someone needs to make a map of potential tourism locations, assuming a hill-shaped curve of experience as a function of popularity. Japan is clearly not a good target now. But what is? The trick is probably in going against the grain, but without literally dying
the only type of books that's declining are cheap paperbacks. broadly, books are doing just fine. the UX of a paper book is just too good to compete with 🤷♀️
October 9, 2025 at 6:25 PM
the only type of books that's declining are cheap paperbacks. broadly, books are doing just fine. the UX of a paper book is just too good to compete with 🤷♀️
One of the coolest German-specific tastes is Waldmeister syrup. It's popular, green, traditional, reminds every local of childhood, sold in every store.
The problem is that sweet woodruff is toxic. So for years now it's 100% synthetic!
But no Waldmeister lobby to bribe the parliament I guess.
The problem is that sweet woodruff is toxic. So for years now it's 100% synthetic!
But no Waldmeister lobby to bribe the parliament I guess.
October 9, 2025 at 8:33 AM
One of the coolest German-specific tastes is Waldmeister syrup. It's popular, green, traditional, reminds every local of childhood, sold in every store.
The problem is that sweet woodruff is toxic. So for years now it's 100% synthetic!
But no Waldmeister lobby to bribe the parliament I guess.
The problem is that sweet woodruff is toxic. So for years now it's 100% synthetic!
But no Waldmeister lobby to bribe the parliament I guess.
A map of all book exchange places (shelves, phone booths, lil libraries etc) in the world. It's not perfect, and for Berlin, some 20 of places seem to be closed at this point, so I'm guessing the system of updating this map may be a bit wonky. Still a great idea!
October 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
A map of all book exchange places (shelves, phone booths, lil libraries etc) in the world. It's not perfect, and for Berlin, some 20 of places seem to be closed at this point, so I'm guessing the system of updating this map may be a bit wonky. Still a great idea!
And as an example from our past trips, the quality of best playgrounds here is just mind-blowing. Absolutely mind-blowing! One needs to hunt for them of course, and maps help a lot! :)
October 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM
And as an example from our past trips, the quality of best playgrounds here is just mind-blowing. Absolutely mind-blowing! One needs to hunt for them of course, and maps help a lot! :)
-1) Move to Berlin
0) Buy a large cargo bike for kids
1) Check the map of all playgrounds of Berlin fbinter.stadt-berlin.de/fb/index.jsp...
2) Find them on GoogleMaps one by one, check the photos, subjectively judge it
3) Create an annotated map
4) Get food, water, spend a weekend exploring the city
0) Buy a large cargo bike for kids
1) Check the map of all playgrounds of Berlin fbinter.stadt-berlin.de/fb/index.jsp...
2) Find them on GoogleMaps one by one, check the photos, subjectively judge it
3) Create an annotated map
4) Get food, water, spend a weekend exploring the city
October 3, 2025 at 11:22 AM
-1) Move to Berlin
0) Buy a large cargo bike for kids
1) Check the map of all playgrounds of Berlin fbinter.stadt-berlin.de/fb/index.jsp...
2) Find them on GoogleMaps one by one, check the photos, subjectively judge it
3) Create an annotated map
4) Get food, water, spend a weekend exploring the city
0) Buy a large cargo bike for kids
1) Check the map of all playgrounds of Berlin fbinter.stadt-berlin.de/fb/index.jsp...
2) Find them on GoogleMaps one by one, check the photos, subjectively judge it
3) Create an annotated map
4) Get food, water, spend a weekend exploring the city
But on the other hand, all European countries seem to fall in two categories: "depressing slope" ones (Slavs, Baltics, and South) and hopeful wavy "uwu" countries (North), with an uptick in the 70s. So on the upside, one could learn to share this "uwu" with the rest of the world!
September 29, 2025 at 9:24 PM
But on the other hand, all European countries seem to fall in two categories: "depressing slope" ones (Slavs, Baltics, and South) and hopeful wavy "uwu" countries (North), with an uptick in the 70s. So on the upside, one could learn to share this "uwu" with the rest of the world!
To an outsider it may seem that populism is praying on the ignorant and uneducated (in this case, antivaxxers), but while technically true, it is also fostering, creating the state of willful ignorance. Gradually morphing into a death cult.
Ideological wars are weird
Ideological wars are weird
September 29, 2025 at 9:05 PM
To an outsider it may seem that populism is praying on the ignorant and uneducated (in this case, antivaxxers), but while technically true, it is also fostering, creating the state of willful ignorance. Gradually morphing into a death cult.
Ideological wars are weird
Ideological wars are weird
Bornholmer S-Bahn station in Berlin, always. Large well-placed stations, lots of traffic, no biking parking _at all_ anywhere nearby...
September 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Bornholmer S-Bahn station in Berlin, always. Large well-placed stations, lots of traffic, no biking parking _at all_ anywhere nearby...
When the labels for a bunch of abstracted trees (opening moves in Go!!) are already bridging fantasy and scifi genres:
Early Modern Era
Imperial Era
International Era
Internet Era
Superhuman AI Era
Early Modern Era
Imperial Era
International Era
Internet Era
Superhuman AI Era
September 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
When the labels for a bunch of abstracted trees (opening moves in Go!!) are already bridging fantasy and scifi genres:
Early Modern Era
Imperial Era
International Era
Internet Era
Superhuman AI Era
Early Modern Era
Imperial Era
International Era
Internet Era
Superhuman AI Era