Ted Herman
@tedherman.bsky.social
Collector of fine minerals. Gardener. Bike rider. Influencée: please try to influence me!
"... the use of a single metered-dose inhaler generates carbon emissions equivalent to driving a gasoline-powered car between 100 and 200 km. These emissions drive global warming, exacerbating the very respiratory conditions inhalers are meant to relieve." [JAMA]
November 11, 2025 at 5:17 PM
"... the use of a single metered-dose inhaler generates carbon emissions equivalent to driving a gasoline-powered car between 100 and 200 km. These emissions drive global warming, exacerbating the very respiratory conditions inhalers are meant to relieve." [JAMA]
If only we knew how to monetize externalities, then there would be no escape.
November 11, 2025 at 1:03 AM
If only we knew how to monetize externalities, then there would be no escape.
Many influencers have changed my opinion of generative AI. Currently I think it automates a boost to the center of the bell curve and a reduction in the tails. This is short-term harmful, but the automation aspect can lead to long-term positives.
November 10, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Many influencers have changed my opinion of generative AI. Currently I think it automates a boost to the center of the bell curve and a reduction in the tails. This is short-term harmful, but the automation aspect can lead to long-term positives.
I asked GPT how much the six million dollar man would cost nowadays. Answer: The adjusted cost of the Six Million Dollar Man today is: $36,905,328.03
November 6, 2025 at 4:32 PM
I asked GPT how much the six million dollar man would cost nowadays. Answer: The adjusted cost of the Six Million Dollar Man today is: $36,905,328.03
100% Korean cotton (Please note that Korean Cotton is specially processed polyester fiber).
November 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
100% Korean cotton (Please note that Korean Cotton is specially processed polyester fiber).
High-end artificial trees can cost several thousand dollars.
October 31, 2025 at 2:32 PM
High-end artificial trees can cost several thousand dollars.
terres rares vs terroir
(French) mean completely different things, but really close in pronunciation.
(French) mean completely different things, but really close in pronunciation.
October 30, 2025 at 7:54 PM
terres rares vs terroir
(French) mean completely different things, but really close in pronunciation.
(French) mean completely different things, but really close in pronunciation.
Equity analyst: "Pfizer has wanted to get into obesity for a long time"
October 30, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Equity analyst: "Pfizer has wanted to get into obesity for a long time"
Gresham's Law says bad money drives out good. The real danger with artificial intelligence is that it will drive out the natural intelligence.
October 30, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Gresham's Law says bad money drives out good. The real danger with artificial intelligence is that it will drive out the natural intelligence.
Fantastic alliteration found in the wild: "The increasing opacity of these financing structures has led to a corollary collapse in collateral verification."
October 29, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Fantastic alliteration found in the wild: "The increasing opacity of these financing structures has led to a corollary collapse in collateral verification."
I asked an AI to define slop. None of the offered meanings referred to the [Wikipedia's AI slop] sense -- variously defined as "digital clutter", "filler content [prioritizing] speed and quantity over substance and quality".
October 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
I asked an AI to define slop. None of the offered meanings referred to the [Wikipedia's AI slop] sense -- variously defined as "digital clutter", "filler content [prioritizing] speed and quantity over substance and quality".
🥵💦
Paleoclimatologist Jessica Tierney recently published a global temperature record covering almost the past half-billion years. According to her model, 50 million years ago, inland temperatures approached 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Climate Extremes Are a Hallmark of the Age of Animals | Quanta Magazine
New reconstructions of 540 million years of climate history show the planet tumbling between icehouse and hothouse states, revealing how rare and vulnerable our temperate moment is.
www.quantamagazine.org
October 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
🥵💦
"The billionaire hedge fund manager says that U.S. economic strength now rests on high-productivity workers, with the bottom 60% unproductive"
What is the meaning of life?
What is the meaning of life?
October 28, 2025 at 10:26 AM
"The billionaire hedge fund manager says that U.S. economic strength now rests on high-productivity workers, with the bottom 60% unproductive"
What is the meaning of life?
What is the meaning of life?
"The main reason beef has become painfully expensive comes down to economics and climate: As global temperatures rise, shrinking cattle herds are straining the nation's beef supply even as demand remains strong."
October 28, 2025 at 10:20 AM
"The main reason beef has become painfully expensive comes down to economics and climate: As global temperatures rise, shrinking cattle herds are straining the nation's beef supply even as demand remains strong."
As seen on Kickstarter. The semiotics of this say so much.
October 25, 2025 at 3:36 PM
As seen on Kickstarter. The semiotics of this say so much.
Opinion: we have reached the point, accelerated by generative AI, where features for eliminating friction are, in fact, adding friction.
October 23, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Opinion: we have reached the point, accelerated by generative AI, where features for eliminating friction are, in fact, adding friction.
Reposted by Ted Herman
Julia Ioffe’s “Motherland,” a much-anticipated memoir and history of Russia, offers an original take on America’s long-time adversary.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/21/r...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/21/r...
Russia Through a Feminist Lens
Julia Ioffe’s much-anticipated memoir and history of Russia offers an original take on America’s long-time adversary
washingtonmonthly.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Julia Ioffe’s “Motherland,” a much-anticipated memoir and history of Russia, offers an original take on America’s long-time adversary.
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/21/r...
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/21/r...
“At the end of the game, both the king and the pawn go into the same box.” -- Daniel Naroditsky (1995–2025)
October 21, 2025 at 1:16 PM
“At the end of the game, both the king and the pawn go into the same box.” -- Daniel Naroditsky (1995–2025)
What about zipper repair? Numerous times I've needed to fix something with a stuck or broken zipper, and will this be possible with the new tech?
By stripping away the fabric tape that’s held zippers together for a hundred years, Japanese clothing giant YKK is designing the future of seamless clothing.
The Zipper Is Getting Its First Major Upgrade in 100 Years
By stripping away the fabric tape that’s held zippers together for a hundred years, Japanese clothing giant YKK is designing the future of seamless clothing.
wrd.cm
October 19, 2025 at 1:25 PM
What about zipper repair? Numerous times I've needed to fix something with a stuck or broken zipper, and will this be possible with the new tech?
Justice is served. (sorry, couldn't resist)
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
IRS files tax lien against Jim Justice
The former governor, who joined the Senate in 2025, has repeatedly brushed off questions about his finances.
www.politico.com
October 19, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Justice is served. (sorry, couldn't resist)
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
The earths are always rarer on the other side.
October 17, 2025 at 1:29 PM
The earths are always rarer on the other side.
There is a history of the private sector reacting to new government regulations in surprising ways.
1. Recent stories about UPS destroying packages rather than do all the paperwork to comply with tariffs.
2. Growth of customs brokerage services who, for a fee, handle the paperwork.
1. Recent stories about UPS destroying packages rather than do all the paperwork to comply with tariffs.
2. Growth of customs brokerage services who, for a fee, handle the paperwork.
October 16, 2025 at 10:30 AM
There is a history of the private sector reacting to new government regulations in surprising ways.
1. Recent stories about UPS destroying packages rather than do all the paperwork to comply with tariffs.
2. Growth of customs brokerage services who, for a fee, handle the paperwork.
1. Recent stories about UPS destroying packages rather than do all the paperwork to comply with tariffs.
2. Growth of customs brokerage services who, for a fee, handle the paperwork.