Ricky Flores
@liquidsentience.bsky.social
ambitious engineer passionate about art, helping others & learning.
Focused on computer graphics, machine learning & political-economy.
prev @ amazon
Focused on computer graphics, machine learning & political-economy.
prev @ amazon
Pinned
Monte Carlo path tracing in shadertoy
Ray traces dynamic SDFs with physically-based materials (Lambertian, dielectric, metals), using ray marching and the probabilistic Monte Carlo integration of the rendering equation, all in one shader.
This is an old project + clean up/bug fixes
Ray traces dynamic SDFs with physically-based materials (Lambertian, dielectric, metals), using ray marching and the probabilistic Monte Carlo integration of the rendering equation, all in one shader.
This is an old project + clean up/bug fixes
One of the more powerful speeches in todays history. Being willing to confront Trump's overreach in power with strength is a huge stance against both Trump and the democratic establishment that keeps appeasing him
November 5, 2025 at 12:50 PM
One of the more powerful speeches in todays history. Being willing to confront Trump's overreach in power with strength is a huge stance against both Trump and the democratic establishment that keeps appeasing him
Love is the only thing strong enough to face the hardships and tragedies of life. It is the only thing that matters.
October 29, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Love is the only thing strong enough to face the hardships and tragedies of life. It is the only thing that matters.
Pictures with my pets
August 18, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Pictures with my pets
Theres so much broken in this world and I just want to do my best to make it right. Its worth fighting, to do our best in the one life we have, it can be the difference that puts us on a better path. But damn is it exhausting to be resilient, at least it gets easier with growth
August 3, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Theres so much broken in this world and I just want to do my best to make it right. Its worth fighting, to do our best in the one life we have, it can be the difference that puts us on a better path. But damn is it exhausting to be resilient, at least it gets easier with growth
Engineering is really the art of creating something from nothing. By its nature there will be gaps in information of various kinds. So good engineering is in large part about adopting a resilient and objective mindset towards facing and overcoming unknowns.
July 23, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Engineering is really the art of creating something from nothing. By its nature there will be gaps in information of various kinds. So good engineering is in large part about adopting a resilient and objective mindset towards facing and overcoming unknowns.
Microsoft blocked the Windsurf deal. OpenAI's aquisition was competition, & therefore leverage, against Microsoft own AI coding platform. Altman wants leverage given the influence their deal gives MS. Now Google's hiring windsurf's team + Meta's hiring OpenAI talent.
July 12, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Microsoft blocked the Windsurf deal. OpenAI's aquisition was competition, & therefore leverage, against Microsoft own AI coding platform. Altman wants leverage given the influence their deal gives MS. Now Google's hiring windsurf's team + Meta's hiring OpenAI talent.
The AI landscape right now:
Google is competitive on models + powerful distribution channels.
OpenAI has momentum + market share, now pushing into hardware to rival Apple.
Apple is aligning with Anthropic.
Microsoft is hedging: deep in OpenAI, but investing elsewhere too.
Google is competitive on models + powerful distribution channels.
OpenAI has momentum + market share, now pushing into hardware to rival Apple.
Apple is aligning with Anthropic.
Microsoft is hedging: deep in OpenAI, but investing elsewhere too.
June 4, 2025 at 3:41 PM
The AI landscape right now:
Google is competitive on models + powerful distribution channels.
OpenAI has momentum + market share, now pushing into hardware to rival Apple.
Apple is aligning with Anthropic.
Microsoft is hedging: deep in OpenAI, but investing elsewhere too.
Google is competitive on models + powerful distribution channels.
OpenAI has momentum + market share, now pushing into hardware to rival Apple.
Apple is aligning with Anthropic.
Microsoft is hedging: deep in OpenAI, but investing elsewhere too.
The world is systemically designed to reward harmful behavior - short term self interest. But that is why it is even more important to surround yourself with good, safe people. So that you create the kinder reality around you, one that embraces the beautiful potential of what humanity can be.
May 29, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The world is systemically designed to reward harmful behavior - short term self interest. But that is why it is even more important to surround yourself with good, safe people. So that you create the kinder reality around you, one that embraces the beautiful potential of what humanity can be.
Monte Carlo path tracing in shadertoy
Ray traces dynamic SDFs with physically-based materials (Lambertian, dielectric, metals), using ray marching and the probabilistic Monte Carlo integration of the rendering equation, all in one shader.
This is an old project + clean up/bug fixes
Ray traces dynamic SDFs with physically-based materials (Lambertian, dielectric, metals), using ray marching and the probabilistic Monte Carlo integration of the rendering equation, all in one shader.
This is an old project + clean up/bug fixes
May 7, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Monte Carlo path tracing in shadertoy
Ray traces dynamic SDFs with physically-based materials (Lambertian, dielectric, metals), using ray marching and the probabilistic Monte Carlo integration of the rendering equation, all in one shader.
This is an old project + clean up/bug fixes
Ray traces dynamic SDFs with physically-based materials (Lambertian, dielectric, metals), using ray marching and the probabilistic Monte Carlo integration of the rendering equation, all in one shader.
This is an old project + clean up/bug fixes
Kindness is not weakness. It's a sign of maturity, of seeing past yourself. Of facing a difficult world with misaligned incentives & deciding to have the courage to care despite it. It's the agency to take responsibility & action. It's the stength required to build a kinder world
May 1, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Kindness is not weakness. It's a sign of maturity, of seeing past yourself. Of facing a difficult world with misaligned incentives & deciding to have the courage to care despite it. It's the agency to take responsibility & action. It's the stength required to build a kinder world
In the long term fundamentals are all that matter to success. Its the core value you provide to someone - creating something they want, whether it be your skills or product. Everything else is noise. So long as your direction correct, be relentless, be resilient, and move foward
May 1, 2025 at 4:38 AM
In the long term fundamentals are all that matter to success. Its the core value you provide to someone - creating something they want, whether it be your skills or product. Everything else is noise. So long as your direction correct, be relentless, be resilient, and move foward
This is accurate, there is nuance though. The dirsuptive impact will negatively affect some people - measures should be taken to help them adapt. The efficiency gains will also make impactful work more sustainable (cost & time wise) & the economy will evolve with new opprotunties. Both can be true.
April 8, 2025 at 11:51 PM
This is accurate, there is nuance though. The dirsuptive impact will negatively affect some people - measures should be taken to help them adapt. The efficiency gains will also make impactful work more sustainable (cost & time wise) & the economy will evolve with new opprotunties. Both can be true.
For a business to exist it must be competitive. Therefore for an ethical business to exist it must be competitive and capable of winning at scale. Otherwise it will be in vain and the only ones left to shape the world for the majority of us will be the winners that didn't care.
April 2, 2025 at 12:53 AM
For a business to exist it must be competitive. Therefore for an ethical business to exist it must be competitive and capable of winning at scale. Otherwise it will be in vain and the only ones left to shape the world for the majority of us will be the winners that didn't care.
OpenAI releasing an open-weight model allows them to keep their competitive advantage of training data & methods. Regardless, their true moat- GPU compute & funding, stays. Due to deepseek, comparable weights are already out so they lose nothing & get uphold the 'open' of OpenAI
April 1, 2025 at 2:33 AM
OpenAI releasing an open-weight model allows them to keep their competitive advantage of training data & methods. Regardless, their true moat- GPU compute & funding, stays. Due to deepseek, comparable weights are already out so they lose nothing & get uphold the 'open' of OpenAI
Art is beauty, it evokes emotion that gives our life more meaning. Art captures this intangible experience not described by physics, that give real meaning to our lives and inspires us to live.
March 30, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Art is beauty, it evokes emotion that gives our life more meaning. Art captures this intangible experience not described by physics, that give real meaning to our lives and inspires us to live.
Elon leveraged the billions he got from the wave of AI investment, to buyout/offset his risk of falling revenue & billions of debt. This prices the core value of X not as social media, but as an AI data source & distribution. This valuation is largely dependent on future promises
March 29, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Elon leveraged the billions he got from the wave of AI investment, to buyout/offset his risk of falling revenue & billions of debt. This prices the core value of X not as social media, but as an AI data source & distribution. This valuation is largely dependent on future promises
Everyone in tech in enamoured by this idea of AI replacing people. They fail to see the core principle of business - making something people want, something useful. AI is best used as a tool to empower people, not one to disempower them. A skilled person + AI outcompetes just AI
March 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Everyone in tech in enamoured by this idea of AI replacing people. They fail to see the core principle of business - making something people want, something useful. AI is best used as a tool to empower people, not one to disempower them. A skilled person + AI outcompetes just AI
Social media's a drag. It feels pragmatic to maximize building a platform, but it costs losing your authencity & voice. Do you want to game the algorithm or speak with your voice? Do you want to be an influencer or an artist? Id rather be an artist & build a niche following of real friends.
March 20, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Social media's a drag. It feels pragmatic to maximize building a platform, but it costs losing your authencity & voice. Do you want to game the algorithm or speak with your voice? Do you want to be an influencer or an artist? Id rather be an artist & build a niche following of real friends.
Alchemized Gold. A poem I made
March 9, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Alchemized Gold. A poem I made
Nuclear fusion will define our future. Energy is the fundamental resource of civilizations - more energy means more capital to innovate, power farms, outcompete, endure, & to build what used to be impossible. Coupled with AI, you can see glimmers of a new era - powered by fusion.
February 17, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Nuclear fusion will define our future. Energy is the fundamental resource of civilizations - more energy means more capital to innovate, power farms, outcompete, endure, & to build what used to be impossible. Coupled with AI, you can see glimmers of a new era - powered by fusion.
With technological change you have to adapt & make use of it. Dont stay on a sinking ship & optimize outputting a level of value that AI will automate & lower costs of. Instead make full use of the efficiency gains to enable greater individual impact- build entire products faster
February 7, 2025 at 8:10 PM
With technological change you have to adapt & make use of it. Dont stay on a sinking ship & optimize outputting a level of value that AI will automate & lower costs of. Instead make full use of the efficiency gains to enable greater individual impact- build entire products faster
Some of the most historic changes of our age are the shift in the balance of power and its economic consequences. The people in power and their policies are just a byproduct of the changing waves of the world & their momentum - like anyone who ends up influencing history.
February 3, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Some of the most historic changes of our age are the shift in the balance of power and its economic consequences. The people in power and their policies are just a byproduct of the changing waves of the world & their momentum - like anyone who ends up influencing history.
Its always been obvious that its possible to train for cheaper and less compute. The algorithims we write with neural networks are brute force function approximators.
The potential of innovation to find cheaper ways to train is high. Deepseek is just an example of that
The potential of innovation to find cheaper ways to train is high. Deepseek is just an example of that
January 27, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Its always been obvious that its possible to train for cheaper and less compute. The algorithims we write with neural networks are brute force function approximators.
The potential of innovation to find cheaper ways to train is high. Deepseek is just an example of that
The potential of innovation to find cheaper ways to train is high. Deepseek is just an example of that
Economically, advances in AI == massive increases in productivity. Until true AGI, this won’t replace engineers or artists, but instead increase their output/sec. It's raw efficiency gains, meaning economic growth & new jobs. But some groups are at risk both short term & long term.
January 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Economically, advances in AI == massive increases in productivity. Until true AGI, this won’t replace engineers or artists, but instead increase their output/sec. It's raw efficiency gains, meaning economic growth & new jobs. But some groups are at risk both short term & long term.