Michael Krotscheck
@michael.krotscheck.social
Lasers. Plywood. Blinky lights. Dad jokes. Personal stuff, not professional stuff.
My absolutely favorite AI giveaway is the following phrase:
"We do thing A. That's not X. It's Y."
This - and other sentence patterns that have been becoming far more prevalent - have become such a flag for AI driven content, that I immediately dismiss the author as a fake if I see them.
"We do thing A. That's not X. It's Y."
This - and other sentence patterns that have been becoming far more prevalent - have become such a flag for AI driven content, that I immediately dismiss the author as a fake if I see them.
December 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
My absolutely favorite AI giveaway is the following phrase:
"We do thing A. That's not X. It's Y."
This - and other sentence patterns that have been becoming far more prevalent - have become such a flag for AI driven content, that I immediately dismiss the author as a fake if I see them.
"We do thing A. That's not X. It's Y."
This - and other sentence patterns that have been becoming far more prevalent - have become such a flag for AI driven content, that I immediately dismiss the author as a fake if I see them.
I have a problem.
June 22, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I have a problem.
I won't lie, I'm having a lot of feelings about saying goodbye to this room, which I painted for both of my boys.
June 1, 2025 at 5:56 PM
I won't lie, I'm having a lot of feelings about saying goodbye to this room, which I painted for both of my boys.
Who's out there building a future-thinking chatbot army to convince online trolls?
May 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Who's out there building a future-thinking chatbot army to convince online trolls?
I have discovered my secret to detaching from my mobile device.
Apparently, switching from biometric to a password unlock, and to make that password unlock obnoxiously long, creates enough friction that I just don't bother picking up my phone anymore.
Apparently, switching from biometric to a password unlock, and to make that password unlock obnoxiously long, creates enough friction that I just don't bother picking up my phone anymore.
March 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I have discovered my secret to detaching from my mobile device.
Apparently, switching from biometric to a password unlock, and to make that password unlock obnoxiously long, creates enough friction that I just don't bother picking up my phone anymore.
Apparently, switching from biometric to a password unlock, and to make that password unlock obnoxiously long, creates enough friction that I just don't bother picking up my phone anymore.
Friendship bracelet charms, banana for scale.
February 12, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Friendship bracelet charms, banana for scale.
Crowdsourcing question: assume you have a bucket of separated Lego pieces, all irregular shapes. How would you mechanically separate them, so they end up on a conveyor belt one at a time?
I am currently thinking some kind of vibrating Hopper.
I am currently thinking some kind of vibrating Hopper.
February 1, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Crowdsourcing question: assume you have a bucket of separated Lego pieces, all irregular shapes. How would you mechanically separate them, so they end up on a conveyor belt one at a time?
I am currently thinking some kind of vibrating Hopper.
I am currently thinking some kind of vibrating Hopper.
My son Benjamin would like everybody to know that today is National Hot Chocolate Day.
January 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM
My son Benjamin would like everybody to know that today is National Hot Chocolate Day.
I learned today that Paris Olympic Bronze Medals, with steel from the Eiffel Tower, are corroding quickly.
And I immediately realized that a copper alloy and an iron alloy create a cathode and an anode. Oops.
And I immediately realized that a copper alloy and an iron alloy create a cathode and an anode. Oops.
January 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
I learned today that Paris Olympic Bronze Medals, with steel from the Eiffel Tower, are corroding quickly.
And I immediately realized that a copper alloy and an iron alloy create a cathode and an anode. Oops.
And I immediately realized that a copper alloy and an iron alloy create a cathode and an anode. Oops.
I promise, the resemblance to a tank tread is purely coincidence.
January 19, 2025 at 8:22 PM
I promise, the resemblance to a tank tread is purely coincidence.
An accessibility question: Mobile keyboards are becoming increasingly hard for me to use (Essential Tremor). Does anyone have direct experience with mobile screen-sharing software so I can access my phone from my laptop?
January 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
An accessibility question: Mobile keyboards are becoming increasingly hard for me to use (Essential Tremor). Does anyone have direct experience with mobile screen-sharing software so I can access my phone from my laptop?
Okay, this is a little impressive. On the Right you see a brand new laser tube with no improved air assist. On the left you see a 500-hour laser tube with an approved air assist.
January 11, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Okay, this is a little impressive. On the Right you see a brand new laser tube with no improved air assist. On the left you see a 500-hour laser tube with an approved air assist.
I'm currently exploring ways of building a conveyor belt using laser cut plywood, this first version seems to work pretty well, but I haven't tested it yet under tension.
January 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I'm currently exploring ways of building a conveyor belt using laser cut plywood, this first version seems to work pretty well, but I haven't tested it yet under tension.
Farewell Belize, you are an unexplored gem. I hope that tourism helps you thrive, without overrunning you.
January 4, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Farewell Belize, you are an unexplored gem. I hope that tourism helps you thrive, without overrunning you.
Does anybody else think it's curious, that the elves in the movie "The Polar Express" are using Yiddish?
December 24, 2024 at 10:27 PM
Does anybody else think it's curious, that the elves in the movie "The Polar Express" are using Yiddish?
Upgraded my second hand 50 watt laser today, wiring an aquarium pump directly into the original power line. You can see the improvement: There is still a little bit of charring around the cut line, but it is way better than it used to be.
December 21, 2024 at 9:52 PM
Upgraded my second hand 50 watt laser today, wiring an aquarium pump directly into the original power line. You can see the improvement: There is still a little bit of charring around the cut line, but it is way better than it used to be.
Custom stackable Lego boxes, exactly big enough for all the pieces in each box.
December 15, 2024 at 12:59 AM
Custom stackable Lego boxes, exactly big enough for all the pieces in each box.
I have reached that engineering career level when my job is more about reading compliance documentation, than writing actual code.
I... am surprisingly good at this.
I... am surprisingly good at this.
November 26, 2024 at 5:55 PM
I have reached that engineering career level when my job is more about reading compliance documentation, than writing actual code.
I... am surprisingly good at this.
I... am surprisingly good at this.
That feeling when your gym posts new promotional pictures, you're in them, and they make you confront your body image issues.
November 24, 2024 at 11:58 PM
That feeling when your gym posts new promotional pictures, you're in them, and they make you confront your body image issues.
30 minutes of googling and a bit of help from Copilot, and boom: I have SPF, DKIM, and verified email sending for my BlueSky PDS. Hello, world!
November 23, 2024 at 6:53 PM
30 minutes of googling and a bit of help from Copilot, and boom: I have SPF, DKIM, and verified email sending for my BlueSky PDS. Hello, world!
Still feeling my way around this PDS thing. Call me a branding nerd, but using my own last name is worth it :)
November 22, 2024 at 6:38 AM
Still feeling my way around this PDS thing. Call me a branding nerd, but using my own last name is worth it :)