Max Forbes
@maxwellforbes.com
language is irreducibly contextual and multimodal.
bizarre hybrid AI researcher / fullstack dev. currently working on https://talktomehuman.com/ & consulting (uname = domain)
previously:
- buncha travel
- phd @ uw (nlp)
- eng @ google (kubernetes)
bizarre hybrid AI researcher / fullstack dev. currently working on https://talktomehuman.com/ & consulting (uname = domain)
previously:
- buncha travel
- phd @ uw (nlp)
- eng @ google (kubernetes)
Talk to Me Human (my game) is done, out, released on Steam. I went unhinged with the bonus challenges in the second half to keep myself entertained. Spent so much time laughing hysterically in a room alone playtesting it
you CANNOT convince Vincent he's in actual danger
you CANNOT convince Vincent he's in actual danger
October 27, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Talk to Me Human (my game) is done, out, released on Steam. I went unhinged with the bonus challenges in the second half to keep myself entertained. Spent so much time laughing hysterically in a room alone playtesting it
you CANNOT convince Vincent he's in actual danger
you CANNOT convince Vincent he's in actual danger
Your PhD advisor has at least five jobs. They’re probably really good at some and maybe bad at one or two.
It surprised me how close (though abstract) the analogies are to traditional roles from industry. Except teacher, of course.
It surprised me how close (though abstract) the analogies are to traditional roles from industry. Except teacher, of course.
September 16, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Your PhD advisor has at least five jobs. They’re probably really good at some and maybe bad at one or two.
It surprised me how close (though abstract) the analogies are to traditional roles from industry. Except teacher, of course.
It surprised me how close (though abstract) the analogies are to traditional roles from industry. Except teacher, of course.
I was interviewed for this piece in New_ Public about the indie web by Alexandra Ciufudean!
newpublic.substack.com/p/the-handma...
newpublic.substack.com/p/the-handma...
🧶✏️👩🏽💻 The internet’s hidden creative renaissance (and how to find it)
The indie web means the return of gifs, funky cursors, and personal websites
newpublic.substack.com
September 9, 2025 at 8:25 PM
I was interviewed for this piece in New_ Public about the indie web by Alexandra Ciufudean!
newpublic.substack.com/p/the-handma...
newpublic.substack.com/p/the-handma...
An emergent skill of mastering any craft—using software, cooking, even playing a game—is knowing what's actually important. An expert builds a precise workflow using a tiny fraction of the available control plane. At a deeper level, they know on which aspects to focus, and which to ignore.
September 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
An emergent skill of mastering any craft—using software, cooking, even playing a game—is knowing what's actually important. An expert builds a precise workflow using a tiny fraction of the available control plane. At a deeper level, they know on which aspects to focus, and which to ignore.
Hello, last chance for 50% off Talk to Me Human! Early access ($4.99) — which includes the complete game — is ending. I’m releasing the full version soon on Steam and web, and the price will bump to $9.99.
August 28, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Hello, last chance for 50% off Talk to Me Human! Early access ($4.99) — which includes the complete game — is ending. I’m releasing the full version soon on Steam and web, and the price will bump to $9.99.
My dream for Samin Nosrat's next book: Bitter Dank Umami Sweet.
I have saved this stupid idea for literally years.
I have saved this stupid idea for literally years.
August 28, 2025 at 1:37 PM
My dream for Samin Nosrat's next book: Bitter Dank Umami Sweet.
I have saved this stupid idea for literally years.
I have saved this stupid idea for literally years.
The most cursed word in talking about research is “interesting.”
maxwellforbes.com/posts/intere...
It means anything from "I don't understand" to "that's been done before" "this should be our focus for 6 months"
maxwellforbes.com/posts/intere...
It means anything from "I don't understand" to "that's been done before" "this should be our focus for 6 months"
The PhD Metagame: The Cursed Word "Interesting" - Maxwell Forbes
People calling ideas "interesting" was perhaps the greatest challenge I regularly faced in communicating about research.
maxwellforbes.com
August 26, 2025 at 8:09 PM
The most cursed word in talking about research is “interesting.”
maxwellforbes.com/posts/intere...
It means anything from "I don't understand" to "that's been done before" "this should be our focus for 6 months"
maxwellforbes.com/posts/intere...
It means anything from "I don't understand" to "that's been done before" "this should be our focus for 6 months"
unabashedly into my new 404 page
June 10, 2025 at 8:48 PM
unabashedly into my new 404 page
I’m pleased to announce the release of Weatherspread, a web app for visualizing recent weather and tourism data!
I built this app with friends Tristan and Shelby to aid in planning travel and events. Usually you plan things far enough out (say, 3-6 months) that there’s no reliable forecast.
I built this app with friends Tristan and Shelby to aid in planning travel and events. Usually you plan things far enough out (say, 3-6 months) that there’s no reliable forecast.
May 1, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I’m pleased to announce the release of Weatherspread, a web app for visualizing recent weather and tourism data!
I built this app with friends Tristan and Shelby to aid in planning travel and events. Usually you plan things far enough out (say, 3-6 months) that there’s no reliable forecast.
I built this app with friends Tristan and Shelby to aid in planning travel and events. Usually you plan things far enough out (say, 3-6 months) that there’s no reliable forecast.
complete blog post is now live! more tips, and reframed into 2-step process: (1) get accepted by page 1, (2) avoid rejection with the rest. download both PDFs too.
maxwellforbes.com/posts/how-to...
maxwellforbes.com/posts/how-to...
April 11, 2025 at 9:35 PM
complete blog post is now live! more tips, and reframed into 2-step process: (1) get accepted by page 1, (2) avoid rejection with the rest. download both PDFs too.
maxwellforbes.com/posts/how-to...
maxwellforbes.com/posts/how-to...
Exciting to zero people but me, I randomly tried putting an image in a sidenote and it JUST WORKED
if it hadn't I would have assumed no quantity of toil would have fixed it
if it hadn't I would have assumed no quantity of toil would have fixed it
April 7, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Exciting to zero people but me, I randomly tried putting an image in a sidenote and it JUST WORKED
if it hadn't I would have assumed no quantity of toil would have fixed it
if it hadn't I would have assumed no quantity of toil would have fixed it
four gpt-4o redesigns of my game, in styles "beautiful" / "stylized" / "cell-shaded" / "cyberpunk." it's like having an amazing but stochastic concept artist.
it makes the need for *art direction* so obvious — by allowing any style, what choices do you make to achieve a vision?
it makes the need for *art direction* so obvious — by allowing any style, what choices do you make to achieve a vision?
March 31, 2025 at 2:59 PM
four gpt-4o redesigns of my game, in styles "beautiful" / "stylized" / "cell-shaded" / "cyberpunk." it's like having an amazing but stochastic concept artist.
it makes the need for *art direction* so obvious — by allowing any style, what choices do you make to achieve a vision?
it makes the need for *art direction* so obvious — by allowing any style, what choices do you make to achieve a vision?
2025's 'The HTML Review' just dropped!! co-edited by friend and collaborator Shelby (shelby.cool). check it out for a dose of avant-garde web. congrats to MNC, Shelby, and the authors! (thehtml.review/04/)
March 20, 2025 at 5:04 PM
2025's 'The HTML Review' just dropped!! co-edited by friend and collaborator Shelby (shelby.cool). check it out for a dose of avant-garde web. congrats to MNC, Shelby, and the authors! (thehtml.review/04/)
working on a post that's basically "how to get a paper accepted," using a case study one of my own that went from reject (2.5, 3, 3) to accept (4, 4.5, 4.5) with just one week of revisions
March 12, 2025 at 6:21 PM
working on a post that's basically "how to get a paper accepted," using a case study one of my own that went from reject (2.5, 3, 3) to accept (4, 4.5, 4.5) with just one week of revisions
Ahh, another day, another email from Google wanting to delete something I didn’t know existed
March 11, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Ahh, another day, another email from Google wanting to delete something I didn’t know existed
don't make things actually work
the next PhD metagame essay focuses on avoiding a bad (non-meta) strategy.
here's what i mean: in fields like computer science, your research is temptingly adjacent to making a working, useful system.
the next PhD metagame essay focuses on avoiding a bad (non-meta) strategy.
here's what i mean: in fields like computer science, your research is temptingly adjacent to making a working, useful system.
March 6, 2025 at 3:57 PM
don't make things actually work
the next PhD metagame essay focuses on avoiding a bad (non-meta) strategy.
here's what i mean: in fields like computer science, your research is temptingly adjacent to making a working, useful system.
the next PhD metagame essay focuses on avoiding a bad (non-meta) strategy.
here's what i mean: in fields like computer science, your research is temptingly adjacent to making a working, useful system.
PHD METAGAME - next essay out: "how to pick your phd school" (link below sorry)
you gotta balance advisor match w/ school's prestige. what do you do?
i don't know but boy I sure managed to write 1800 words about it
you gotta balance advisor match w/ school's prestige. what do you do?
i don't know but boy I sure managed to write 1800 words about it
February 14, 2025 at 2:17 PM
PHD METAGAME - next essay out: "how to pick your phd school" (link below sorry)
you gotta balance advisor match w/ school's prestige. what do you do?
i don't know but boy I sure managed to write 1800 words about it
you gotta balance advisor match w/ school's prestige. what do you do?
i don't know but boy I sure managed to write 1800 words about it
props to the artist who made this sick glitch shader
January 22, 2025 at 3:42 PM
props to the artist who made this sick glitch shader
should you pick your phd school by advisor or prestige? cooking up a new post, one factor is tiiiiiiiime
January 21, 2025 at 2:20 PM
should you pick your phd school by advisor or prestige? cooking up a new post, one factor is tiiiiiiiime
next PHD METAGAME entry live: "don't try to reform science" (link below)
did you know there are two sciences?
PhDs seem to attract a lot of smart, idealistic kids who are interested in doing Science 1 and don’t realize that they’ve signed up to do Science 2.
did you know there are two sciences?
PhDs seem to attract a lot of smart, idealistic kids who are interested in doing Science 1 and don’t realize that they’ve signed up to do Science 2.
January 19, 2025 at 3:46 PM
next PHD METAGAME entry live: "don't try to reform science" (link below)
did you know there are two sciences?
PhDs seem to attract a lot of smart, idealistic kids who are interested in doing Science 1 and don’t realize that they’ve signed up to do Science 2.
did you know there are two sciences?
PhDs seem to attract a lot of smart, idealistic kids who are interested in doing Science 1 and don’t realize that they’ve signed up to do Science 2.
there are two sciences / this one is the almighty results table (~'science 1') / new phd metagame essay dropping tomorrow
January 18, 2025 at 11:50 PM
there are two sciences / this one is the almighty results table (~'science 1') / new phd metagame essay dropping tomorrow
The swirling mass of knowledge: "the insiders of your field are having a collective, evolving conversation about what they know and care about."
January 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The swirling mass of knowledge: "the insiders of your field are having a collective, evolving conversation about what they know and care about."
Hello PhD students, want to discuss strategies for the unwritten rules of academia? Published the first essay in a series covering the PhD metagame: 'Your Paper is an Ad' maxwellforbes.com/posts/your-p...
The PhD Metagame: Your Paper Is an Ad - Maxwell Forbes
Insiders to our social practice of science understand that a research paper serves several purposes. In increasing...
maxwellforbes.com
January 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Hello PhD students, want to discuss strategies for the unwritten rules of academia? Published the first essay in a series covering the PhD metagame: 'Your Paper is an Ad' maxwellforbes.com/posts/your-p...
I recently spent a couple years wandering the globe with my partner. I thought it'd be fun to share just one photo each from 100 places we visited.
January 9, 2025 at 6:11 PM
I recently spent a couple years wandering the globe with my partner. I thought it'd be fun to share just one photo each from 100 places we visited.