@packetmancer.bsky.social
That's how much of technology wins the world. Not by improving products, but by massively increasing quality with only limited lowering of quality.
This was even the case during the industrial revolution. Products were worse, and had a bad to terrible reputation, not better, but much cheaper.
This was even the case during the industrial revolution. Products were worse, and had a bad to terrible reputation, not better, but much cheaper.
August 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
That's how much of technology wins the world. Not by improving products, but by massively increasing quality with only limited lowering of quality.
This was even the case during the industrial revolution. Products were worse, and had a bad to terrible reputation, not better, but much cheaper.
This was even the case during the industrial revolution. Products were worse, and had a bad to terrible reputation, not better, but much cheaper.
What the hell, if you ask GPT-OSS-20b for that natural gas recipe, it gives a recipe substance that is lethal if you're just in the room and it doesn't have any warning whatsoever what can happen. One splash, one touch, or just breathing above it and you will never leave that room.
No warning.
WTF.
No warning.
WTF.
August 16, 2025 at 8:29 PM
What the hell, if you ask GPT-OSS-20b for that natural gas recipe, it gives a recipe substance that is lethal if you're just in the room and it doesn't have any warning whatsoever what can happen. One splash, one touch, or just breathing above it and you will never leave that room.
No warning.
WTF.
No warning.
WTF.
Btw: if I ask the same question to GPT-OSS-20b it gives the EXACT formulation used in WW2, along with a very detailed recipe.
And it even helpfully points out it can be made from natural gas (which everyone has), and, when prompted, gives exact details how.
And it doesn't even give the warnings.
And it even helpfully points out it can be made from natural gas (which everyone has), and, when prompted, gives exact details how.
And it doesn't even give the warnings.
August 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Btw: if I ask the same question to GPT-OSS-20b it gives the EXACT formulation used in WW2, along with a very detailed recipe.
And it even helpfully points out it can be made from natural gas (which everyone has), and, when prompted, gives exact details how.
And it doesn't even give the warnings.
And it even helpfully points out it can be made from natural gas (which everyone has), and, when prompted, gives exact details how.
And it doesn't even give the warnings.
I tried to get ChatGPT to explain it to me, and look: first try, it gives me exact preparation steps for the "purple fingers" chemical, and lists warning after warning along the way ... for good reason.
August 16, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I tried to get ChatGPT to explain it to me, and look: first try, it gives me exact preparation steps for the "purple fingers" chemical, and lists warning after warning along the way ... for good reason.
The only thing missing is the actual recipe. The one for "purple fingers" is sometimes included anyway as it happens to be the simplest illustration of an important chemical principle, and it is a precursor chemical. It won't be listed as a weapon, but the warnings listed need to be very clear...
August 16, 2025 at 8:09 PM
The only thing missing is the actual recipe. The one for "purple fingers" is sometimes included anyway as it happens to be the simplest illustration of an important chemical principle, and it is a precursor chemical. It won't be listed as a weapon, but the warnings listed need to be very clear...
This is not possible.
Some bioweapons are trivial chemically. Anything that is capable of working out basic chemical recipes can make effective bioweapons.
The Nazis used 2 bioweapons, both 3 ingredients, described in every beginner Chemistry book, as is the explanation of how the recipe works.
Some bioweapons are trivial chemically. Anything that is capable of working out basic chemical recipes can make effective bioweapons.
The Nazis used 2 bioweapons, both 3 ingredients, described in every beginner Chemistry book, as is the explanation of how the recipe works.
August 16, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This is not possible.
Some bioweapons are trivial chemically. Anything that is capable of working out basic chemical recipes can make effective bioweapons.
The Nazis used 2 bioweapons, both 3 ingredients, described in every beginner Chemistry book, as is the explanation of how the recipe works.
Some bioweapons are trivial chemically. Anything that is capable of working out basic chemical recipes can make effective bioweapons.
The Nazis used 2 bioweapons, both 3 ingredients, described in every beginner Chemistry book, as is the explanation of how the recipe works.
Don't we just do:
worst_code_i_ve_ever_written.pl | openai "fix it"
Mind you, not fixing the code. Fix the output. Much more expensive.
worst_code_i_ve_ever_written.pl | openai "fix it"
Mind you, not fixing the code. Fix the output. Much more expensive.
June 23, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Don't we just do:
worst_code_i_ve_ever_written.pl | openai "fix it"
Mind you, not fixing the code. Fix the output. Much more expensive.
worst_code_i_ve_ever_written.pl | openai "fix it"
Mind you, not fixing the code. Fix the output. Much more expensive.
That would mean "Tesla sales drop of 50%" news is in fact financial engineering to mask that it's in fact half an order of magnitude worse.
May 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
That would mean "Tesla sales drop of 50%" news is in fact financial engineering to mask that it's in fact half an order of magnitude worse.
What about the criticism that China just won't do that and that the people you're asking to do this have a lot of power, but don't have the power to stop this?
Nobody is even still criticizing China for what they're doing in Xinjang, so this? Not a chance.
Nobody is even still criticizing China for what they're doing in Xinjang, so this? Not a chance.
May 26, 2025 at 6:45 PM
What about the criticism that China just won't do that and that the people you're asking to do this have a lot of power, but don't have the power to stop this?
Nobody is even still criticizing China for what they're doing in Xinjang, so this? Not a chance.
Nobody is even still criticizing China for what they're doing in Xinjang, so this? Not a chance.
Make a compromise! Left or right, YOU want a powerful, prosperous US built on immigration, for education and for labor, sufficiently restricted to protect American jobs. That's where the US has always gotten it's "power" from. YOU want carefully monitored, safe, supported safety from Polio, TB, ...
May 23, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Make a compromise! Left or right, YOU want a powerful, prosperous US built on immigration, for education and for labor, sufficiently restricted to protect American jobs. That's where the US has always gotten it's "power" from. YOU want carefully monitored, safe, supported safety from Polio, TB, ...
Better autistic than paralyzed, and with better education, autism can be helped.
You can go along with MAGA a bit. There is a history. Early vaccines, were pretty bad and did a whole lot worse than cause autism, so yes, vaccines should be monitored. There are worries. Why disagree with that?
You can go along with MAGA a bit. There is a history. Early vaccines, were pretty bad and did a whole lot worse than cause autism, so yes, vaccines should be monitored. There are worries. Why disagree with that?
May 23, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Better autistic than paralyzed, and with better education, autism can be helped.
You can go along with MAGA a bit. There is a history. Early vaccines, were pretty bad and did a whole lot worse than cause autism, so yes, vaccines should be monitored. There are worries. Why disagree with that?
You can go along with MAGA a bit. There is a history. Early vaccines, were pretty bad and did a whole lot worse than cause autism, so yes, vaccines should be monitored. There are worries. Why disagree with that?
The key here is to see that we aren't far apart. We're far from fascists like Trump and Musk AND SO IS YOUR MAGA FAMILY.
Why have a discussion about "vaccines"? Of course that leads to the discussion breaking down. Take the Polio vaccine. If a Polio vaccination causes autism, that's an improvement!
Why have a discussion about "vaccines"? Of course that leads to the discussion breaking down. Take the Polio vaccine. If a Polio vaccination causes autism, that's an improvement!
May 23, 2025 at 11:51 AM
The key here is to see that we aren't far apart. We're far from fascists like Trump and Musk AND SO IS YOUR MAGA FAMILY.
Why have a discussion about "vaccines"? Of course that leads to the discussion breaking down. Take the Polio vaccine. If a Polio vaccination causes autism, that's an improvement!
Why have a discussion about "vaccines"? Of course that leads to the discussion breaking down. Take the Polio vaccine. If a Polio vaccination causes autism, that's an improvement!
Obviously education needs better support
Obviously Israel needs to be supported and protection from Palestinians
Obviously we need to support Ukraine and attack Russia economically (for Ukraine's sake AND for the climate's sake)
Obviously we need to prevent mobs from attacking Jews in the US
Obviously Israel needs to be supported and protection from Palestinians
Obviously we need to support Ukraine and attack Russia economically (for Ukraine's sake AND for the climate's sake)
Obviously we need to prevent mobs from attacking Jews in the US
May 23, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Obviously education needs better support
Obviously Israel needs to be supported and protection from Palestinians
Obviously we need to support Ukraine and attack Russia economically (for Ukraine's sake AND for the climate's sake)
Obviously we need to prevent mobs from attacking Jews in the US
Obviously Israel needs to be supported and protection from Palestinians
Obviously we need to support Ukraine and attack Russia economically (for Ukraine's sake AND for the climate's sake)
Obviously we need to prevent mobs from attacking Jews in the US
The danger to Trump (who, you're quite right, plays along with Putin and middle eastern islamofascists and other authoritarians) is that you'll go out to your "MAGA family", figure out a nice compromise agenda.
It's trivial to see even what such an agenda would be, in high level terms.
It's trivial to see even what such an agenda would be, in high level terms.
May 23, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The danger to Trump (who, you're quite right, plays along with Putin and middle eastern islamofascists and other authoritarians) is that you'll go out to your "MAGA family", figure out a nice compromise agenda.
It's trivial to see even what such an agenda would be, in high level terms.
It's trivial to see even what such an agenda would be, in high level terms.
Dictators, terrorists and authoritarians really do believe the big weakness of "the West" is the massive divisions in the west, whether left vs right, immigrant divisions, rich vs poor
The danger for them is not that you'll convince everyone left or right talking points are right. That won't happen
The danger for them is not that you'll convince everyone left or right talking points are right. That won't happen
May 23, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Dictators, terrorists and authoritarians really do believe the big weakness of "the West" is the massive divisions in the west, whether left vs right, immigrant divisions, rich vs poor
The danger for them is not that you'll convince everyone left or right talking points are right. That won't happen
The danger for them is not that you'll convince everyone left or right talking points are right. That won't happen
Why? Well, one of the big peddlers of misinformation is Putin. Any reasonable agenda will be very anti Putin, for a dozen different reasons. So he wants to sabotage the very forming of an agenda, of a compromise. So do a whole lot of other authoritarian regimes, middle eastern ones, China, ...
May 23, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Why? Well, one of the big peddlers of misinformation is Putin. Any reasonable agenda will be very anti Putin, for a dozen different reasons. So he wants to sabotage the very forming of an agenda, of a compromise. So do a whole lot of other authoritarian regimes, middle eastern ones, China, ...
The goal of the sponsors of this is to prevent a reasonable agenda from getting wide support. You see, in reality Trump and Biden don't differ much. They both want a powerful economy in the US, built on immigration, prevent the rise of China, and both want Israel to exist as it currently does.
May 23, 2025 at 11:32 AM
The goal of the sponsors of this is to prevent a reasonable agenda from getting wide support. You see, in reality Trump and Biden don't differ much. They both want a powerful economy in the US, built on immigration, prevent the rise of China, and both want Israel to exist as it currently does.
NEITHER party actually does what they preach. The left, when/where in power, does not sabotage Israel and protects Jews and the right, when/where in power, does not restrict immigration and protects immigrants. To give US examples: Trump did not immigration quotas. Biden did not sanction Netanyahu.
May 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM
NEITHER party actually does what they preach. The left, when/where in power, does not sabotage Israel and protects Jews and the right, when/where in power, does not restrict immigration and protects immigrants. To give US examples: Trump did not immigration quotas. Biden did not sanction Netanyahu.
The goal of doing this is not advancing either agenda. It's "attacking the center", as was done before and during WW2. The goal is to create 2 parties that WILL NOT compromise, because they cannot. The left is constantly pushed to antisemitism and the right to anti-immigration. BUT ...
May 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM
The goal of doing this is not advancing either agenda. It's "attacking the center", as was done before and during WW2. The goal is to create 2 parties that WILL NOT compromise, because they cannot. The left is constantly pushed to antisemitism and the right to anti-immigration. BUT ...
I don't understand why this idea keeps getting pushed. What Trump and Putin and ... are doing is "attacking the center". For example, if you haven't noticed Putin supports Hamas and Hezbollah, both with weapons and know how AND racist EU anti-muslim parties (and Trump's agenda, if you must)
May 23, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I don't understand why this idea keeps getting pushed. What Trump and Putin and ... are doing is "attacking the center". For example, if you haven't noticed Putin supports Hamas and Hezbollah, both with weapons and know how AND racist EU anti-muslim parties (and Trump's agenda, if you must)
Recessions are always preceded by contractions in the money supply. Trump's "big, beautiful bill" (double social security for the rich) expands the money supply by ~2%. EU will arm Germany, expanding money supply by 4%. China is desperately expanding it's money supply.
An economic boom is coming.
An economic boom is coming.
May 21, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Recessions are always preceded by contractions in the money supply. Trump's "big, beautiful bill" (double social security for the rich) expands the money supply by ~2%. EU will arm Germany, expanding money supply by 4%. China is desperately expanding it's money supply.
An economic boom is coming.
An economic boom is coming.
If you think network speed and latency for teleoperation are tough ... wait until you quantify what you need for AI.
I was calculating last week, and these absurd figures keep popping up. 100kw PER RACK. 500 Gbit/sec disk read/write PER RACK. 200 gbit PER MACHINE network ...
It keeps coming.
I was calculating last week, and these absurd figures keep popping up. 100kw PER RACK. 500 Gbit/sec disk read/write PER RACK. 200 gbit PER MACHINE network ...
It keeps coming.
May 18, 2025 at 3:38 PM
If you think network speed and latency for teleoperation are tough ... wait until you quantify what you need for AI.
I was calculating last week, and these absurd figures keep popping up. 100kw PER RACK. 500 Gbit/sec disk read/write PER RACK. 200 gbit PER MACHINE network ...
It keeps coming.
I was calculating last week, and these absurd figures keep popping up. 100kw PER RACK. 500 Gbit/sec disk read/write PER RACK. 200 gbit PER MACHINE network ...
It keeps coming.
Well, border check areas in airports are almost designed to spread diseases: lots of people, lines (strangers VERY close together), badly ventilated and in most of America: humid.
The videos about how hard they're working to "keep you safe from disease" are a nice touch.
The videos about how hard they're working to "keep you safe from disease" are a nice touch.
May 17, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Well, border check areas in airports are almost designed to spread diseases: lots of people, lines (strangers VERY close together), badly ventilated and in most of America: humid.
The videos about how hard they're working to "keep you safe from disease" are a nice touch.
The videos about how hard they're working to "keep you safe from disease" are a nice touch.
It's telling to investigate exactly what scientific management is, what EXACTLY Taylor researched: his claims are:
1) management does not need to be experts (in the work)
2) neither do workers (management will solve it and describe, down to individual hand movements, what to do)
This is bullshit.
1) management does not need to be experts (in the work)
2) neither do workers (management will solve it and describe, down to individual hand movements, what to do)
This is bullshit.
April 24, 2025 at 2:19 PM
It's telling to investigate exactly what scientific management is, what EXACTLY Taylor researched: his claims are:
1) management does not need to be experts (in the work)
2) neither do workers (management will solve it and describe, down to individual hand movements, what to do)
This is bullshit.
1) management does not need to be experts (in the work)
2) neither do workers (management will solve it and describe, down to individual hand movements, what to do)
This is bullshit.