Phil Feldman, PhD
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philfeldman.com
Phil Feldman, PhD
@philfeldman.com
210 followers 210 following 540 posts
For a turbulent and unruly people may be spoken to by a good man, and readily brought back to good ways; but none can speak to a wicked prince, nor any remedy be found against him but by the sword. - Niccolo Machiavelli
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philfeldman.com
Time for some serious cleaning
A very dirty and neglected bottom bracket and chain
November 9, 2025 at 2:17 PM
philfeldman.com
Scene from Star Trek's first episode, "The Man Trap", where Kirk is getting the salt sucked out of him
October 31, 2025 at 9:42 PM
philfeldman.com
What's your sign?
September 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
philfeldman.com
This is Bennie. He's 11 lbs. But he's convinced he's twice my size :-)
A gray cat in his box, leaning on the opening in a casual, yet slightly nervous way
September 14, 2025 at 11:42 PM
philfeldman.com
This came across my feeds recently and also seems related:

arxiv.org/abs/2509.05381
A table titled "Catalogue of alignment laws" with two columns: "Law" and "Formal Statement." Each row names a law related to AI alignment and provides its corresponding formal or symbolic description. Below the table is a caption explaining that each law captures a recurring regularity in alignment, such as reward hacking, sycophancy, optimization saturation, or the alignment trilemma. The laws are described as consistent with Murphy’s Gap. **Laws and Formal Statements (as shown in the table):** 1. **Reward Hacking** – Δ grows with β when r ≈ U 2. **Sycophancy** – Proxy upweights agreement, Δ increases 3. **Overfitting to Noise** – β >> vm ⇒ divergence 4. **Optimization Overhang** – Scaling β faster than m ⇒ Δ → ∞ 5. **Annotator Drift** – Time-varying r\_t ⇒ oscillatory Δ 6. **Proxy Capture** – Raters adapt ⇒ instability persists 7. **Constitutional Loopholes** – Constraints shrink κ, not eliminate 8. **Alignment Mirage** – Δ, T ≥ Δ\_5 − cW(S, T) 9. **Rare-Event Blindness** – Absent tails ⇒ large Δ, T 10. **Preference Inconsistency** – Conflicts imply irreducible ε > 0 11. **Goodhart Revisited** – lim β→∞ Δ(r|β) = ∞ if r ≈ U 12. **Value Collapse** – Compressing plural U\_i ⇒ ε > 0 13. **Optimization Saturation** – Proxy gain plateaus, Δ grows 14. **Adversarial Amplification** – Adversarial p ⇔ ε\* = ε + Kp 15. **Shift Fragility** – Small shift ⇒ O(β|W|) misalign 16. **Corrigibility Erosion** – If U\_corr undervalued ⇒ Δ grows 17. **Instability Persistence** – As m → ∞, Δ ≥ cβϵ 18. **Trilemma Inescapability** – O + V + G impossible together *Caption* Catalogue of alignment laws. Each law captures a recurring regularity such as reward hacking, sycophancy, optimization saturation, or the alignment trilemma. These patterns are consistent with the structural mechanism identified by Murphy’s Gap.
September 14, 2025 at 1:20 PM
philfeldman.com
Wow. Have to concur, though Francis Bacon is probably spinning like an alternator
(From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Study_after_Vel%C3%A1zquez's_Portrait_of_Pope_Innocent_X) Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X is a 1953 painting by the artist Francis Bacon. The work shows a distorted version of the Portrait of Innocent X painted by Spanish artist Diego Velázquez in 1650. The work is one of the first in a series of around 50 variants of the Velázquez painting which Bacon executed throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. The paintings are widely regarded as highly successful modern re-interpretations of a classic of the Western canon of visual art. The painting itself is oil on canvas, and depicts a frontal, seated figure of a pope enclosed within a geometric, cage-like structure rendered in bright yellow. The figure is painted with expressive, gestural brushwork using layered oil paint, with heavy vertical strokes suggesting a curtain or veil in the background. The pope’s face is distorted in a scream, with paint applied in streaks and smudges to blur facial features, evoking a sense of motion or psychological tension. The garments are defined with contrasting textures—opaque purples for the robe and smeared whites for the vestments—applied with visible, dynamic brushstrokes.
September 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
philfeldman.com
Every home should have one!
A card catalog that is part of a built-in bookcase. A drawer has been pulled out revealing a dense row of alphabetically arranged index cards. The drawer is labeled with classification numbers "HQ 792 - HQ 799.9" and drawer number "241". The card catalog unit has multiple drawers with metal label holders and pull handles. The shelf for taking notes has also been extended. In the background, a bookshelf filled with books and journals is visible.
August 29, 2025 at 9:34 PM
philfeldman.com
A photo of Jeff Koonz's "Split Rocker" which is a topiary sculpture of a rocking horse head. It's about 40 feet tall. More information is here: https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/jeff-koons-split-rocker/
August 28, 2025 at 8:28 PM
philfeldman.com
ChatPDF's AI detector says it's a slam dunk
A screenshot of the attributed quote with a 100% AI generated score
July 24, 2025 at 1:25 PM
philfeldman.com
Credit sequence from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where those responsible for the subtitles are sacked. Along with those who sacked them.
July 22, 2025 at 9:57 PM
philfeldman.com
I'm somewhat convinced that the oil industry is helping the AI water narrative because it distracts from how much water is used in fracking and refining. This is from a January blog post where I was working through this.

(phifel.com/2025/01/27/i...)
A chart from Google Trends showing the plots of the words "Fracking + water" and "AI + water use." The fracking line trends steadily up from about 2010 to 2021, then levels out. From 2021 to present the AI trend line moves steadily up
July 21, 2025 at 12:26 PM
philfeldman.com
I thought you might like this visualization - it's temperature readings from 13 years of bike rides mostly every day, mostly in Maryland:
A sinusoidal pattern of monthly temperature readings that slowly increase from 2013 - 2025. In 2013 the high was a bit over 25C and currently it's a bit over 30. Lows also show a trend, though not as clear. The chart uses data from Strava and visualized on VeloViewer.
July 16, 2025 at 10:19 AM
philfeldman.com
Good stuff! Great catch!
Screenshot of a paragraph from the paper which says: 'For the time being, I suggest we stop calling artificial intelligence “intelligent.” These systems show similarities to intelligence, but they are also different. Therefore, I suggest, as a perhaps temporary working term, to call them “paraintelligent” and speak of “paraintelligence” instead. We could use the corresponding term “euintelligence” for our normal intelligence, but I will stick with the familiar term “intelligence”. For reasons to be explained later, I will also speak of “creative intelligence” to denote our normal intelligence.'
July 2, 2025 at 9:03 PM
philfeldman.com
Hey @silviolorusso.bsky.social - look what just showed up
Photo of Silvio Lorusso’s book ‘Essays on Design and Disillusion’ sitting on my coffee table
May 19, 2025 at 9:35 PM
philfeldman.com
Paul Piff at Berkely has done some interesting work on the psychology of meritocracy as well. This is from my book, Stampede Theory:
A screenshot of text from my book, Stampede Theory: The thing is, people will use anything to justify prejudice and discrimination. Paul Piff, an associate professor of psychological science at the university of California, Berkeley had 200 people play a rigged Monopoly game and found some remarkable things. “Rigged” in this case meant that one of the two players got to be a “rich” player. This was decided by a coin flip. They got two times as much money; when they passed Go, they collected twice the salary; and they got to roll the dice two times instead of once. It was obvious they had an advantage. They played this way for 15 minutes. I’m going to repeat that for emphasis. This was not a full game. This was not a long game. It was just 15 minutes. Would you, dear reader, think that you were winning because you got twice as much money and were able to move twice as much? Most of us believe we would acknowledge this was unfair because the game was rigged. After 15 minutes, Piff and his colleagues asked the players about their experience during the game. Piff, in a TED talk, described how the rich players talked about why they had won in this rigged game of Monopoly: “They talked about what they’d done to buy those different properties and earn their success in the game. And they became far less attuned to all those different features of the situation – including that flip of a coin – that had randomly gotten them into that privileged position in the first place.” We have a deep bias towards exploiting positions of dominance. If we are winning, we will rationalize that we are winning because of our inherent abilities. This deep bias is one of the reasons that we have stories that align with “The divine right of kings.” We are terrible about admitting that we might just be lucky.
May 15, 2025 at 12:37 PM
philfeldman.com
Just came back from a lovely trip to Portugal, and I think I've found my favorite painting of The Ascension:
A painting of The Ascension of Jesus that I saw at the Museum of Evora in Portugal. It shows 10 very pious-looking people at the bottom of the frame, and at the top is the bottom of a robe and then two bare feet, about two meters off the ground. You know the scene at the end of Close Encounters, where the alien space ship lifts slowly off the ground? It's like that, only biblical. Details of the painting from Wikimedia: Ascension of Jesus (1530-1537) by an anonymous disciple of Gerard David; It is part of the Polyptych of Esporão Chapel (Cathedral of Évora) and now is on display at Museu de Évora, Portugal. Português: Ascenção de Cristo (1530-1537) por um discípulo anónimo de Gerard David; É parte do Retábulo da Capela do Esporão (Sé de Évora) e atualmente está exposta no Museu de Évora, Portugal.
May 12, 2025 at 11:10 AM
philfeldman.com
<cough>
April 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
philfeldman.com
a red cloak, a white bonnet, a woman stands, still, against the yellow cart. another, a sign in her hands, "THIS IS HOW IT STARTED IN NAZI GERMANY!" the crowd blurs, a plaid shirt, a cap, a blue tee, voices rise, a rally's hum, on asphalt gray, near trees of green. one figure, a scarlet stain, a silent scream, in fabric's reign.
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
philfeldman.com
A dense crowd of people participating in the "hands off" rally near the Washington Monument in Washington DC. Many individuals in the foreground and throughout the scene are holding signs and banners. One prominent sign held aloft in the center reads "CECOT IS A CONCENTRATION CAMP" in handwritten capital letters. To the left of this, a larger banner with an image and the text "RefuseFascism.org" is visible. Further in the background on the right, another sign reads "GET ORGANIZED TO DEFEAT FASCIST AMERICA." The crowd is diverse in appearance, with people of various ages and styles of dress. They are gathered on a grassy area with trees in the background, suggesting a park or public space. Tall lampposts with multiple lights are interspersed throughout the crowd. The sky is overcast, providing diffused lighting. The overall impression is of a large and engaged group of people expressing their views through signs and participation in the rally.
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
philfeldman.com
The image shows a crowd of people gathered on a grassy area in front of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. There is a signpost in the foreground with arrows pointing in different directions and labels for various locations, including the White House and the German-American Friendship Garden. There are also several bicycles parked near the signpost. The people in the crowd are walking, sitting, and standing, and some are holding signs or banners.
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
philfeldman.com
Two people at today's "Hands off rally" in Washington DC hold up hand-painted signs. The person on the left, who appears to be a woman with short blonde hair and a wide smile, wears a horizontally striped long-sleeved shirt and a colorful floral print skirt. She holds a sign titled "AMERICA'S HEALTH REQUIRES:" followed by a numbered list that includes "CLEAN AIR (EPA)," "CLEAN WATER (EPA)," "SAFE FOOD SUPPLY (FDA)," "ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD (WIC)," and "PREVENTIVE MEDICINE (VACCINES, MEDICAID)." The person on the right, who appears to be a man with a beard and a baseball cap, wears a gray t-shirt and has a backpack on. He holds a sign above the woman's that reads, in large colorful letters, "ONE IS A GRIFTER, ONE IS A TROLL NEITHER BELONG" with the word "TROL!" written in smaller letters below. They are standing on a grassy area with other people and trees visible in the background. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is partially visible behind the person on the left. The overall impression is of a political demonstration focused on health and accountability.
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
philfeldman.com
A large crowd of protesters gathered outdoors, holding various signs with political messages. One prominent sign in the foreground shows a close-up image of a man with the text “If we eat only one billionaire, the rest will start behaving.” Other signs in the background include “CLOWNS belong in the CIRCUS, not our GOVERNMENT” and “F ELON” with a photo of Elon Musk. People of various ages are engaged in conversation, taking photos, and marching peacefully among trees under an overcast sky.
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
philfeldman.com
Pix from today's rally in DC
A group of women dressed in red cloaks and white bonnets, resembling characters from "The Handmaid's Tale," stand at a protest holding political signs. Messages on the signs include "Trump's Royal Fools," "Make America Think Again," and a quote attributed to Voltaire. A large crowd of protesters surrounds them, many holding signs of their own. The Washington Monument stands prominently in the background, with several American flags nearby.
April 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
philfeldman.com
JD Vance standing on a Greenland ice sheet wearing an ill-fitting parka, standing on a snowy, flat landscape with what appears to be a mountainous or icy backdrop. His right arm is raised in an expressive gesture, and he appears to be speaking or shouting. Overlayed text, formatted as lyrics or quotes, reads: "And you may ask yourself, 'How do I work this?' And you may ask yourself, 'Where is that large automobile?' And you may tell yourself, 'This is not my beautiful house' And you may tell yourself, 'This is not my beautiful wife.'"
March 28, 2025 at 9:46 PM
philfeldman.com
I can't find any table that correlates that, but if you can find it I'd love to see it. And don't drive on Saturday night!
Screenshot from (https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/yearly-snapshot) that shows two tables displaying data on motor vehicle crash deaths in 2022, categorized by day of the week and time of day. Table 1: Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths by Day of the Week, 2022 * Lists deaths and percentages for each day of the week. * The highest number of deaths occurred on Saturday (7,682 deaths, 18%), followed by Sunday (6,618 deaths, 16%) and Friday (6,472 deaths, 15%). * The lowest number of deaths occurred on Tuesday (5,265 deaths, 12%). A note states that about one-third (32%) of crash deaths occurred between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. in 2022. Table 2: Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths by Time of Day, 2022 Breaks down deaths into different three-hour intervals. * The highest number of deaths occurred between 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (7,329 deaths, 17%), followed by 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. (6,337 deaths, 15%) and 9 p.m. - midnight (6,678 deaths, 16%). * The lowest number of deaths occurred between 3 a.m. - 6 a.m. (3,627 deaths, 9%) and 9 a.m. - noon (3,808 deaths, 9%). The total number of motor vehicle crash deaths recorded in 2022 was 42,514.
March 16, 2025 at 7:16 PM