PinnedFun word patterns exhibited by Wordle grid shares.Wordle is beautifully designed so that you can share your enjoyment of the game with friends, without spoiling their enjoyment of the game. How is that done? In Wordle, people can easily post their result grids to social media using the “share” option offered by the game. These posts include…Wordle2 min readWordle2 min read
Jul 20, 2018Coercion and incompetence from Bill.comThe world increasingly recognizes the the importance of giving people control over their own online data, and the risks of corporate abuse and mismanagement of personally identifiable information. But Bill.com, in one fell swoop, has completely taken away our access to the data we entrusted to them (our invoices, customer lists…Privacy2 min readPrivacy2 min read
Oct 8, 2017Blockchains are Great for Audits, but not ElectionsRecent stories in the news continue to describe blockchain technology as the next great thing in elections, solving all kinds of knotty problems with privacy and transparency. But a new paper from experts in cryptography and elections explains why in most cases basing elections on blockchains would make them worse…Blockchain4 min readBlockchain4 min read
Oct 6, 2017AI, IA and HCD: Winograd on the human-centered approachInsightful interview about Terry Winograd’s take on the need for more human-centered design in the AI world, and more focus on IA: Intelligence Augmentation. That’s increasingly important as AI affects more and more aspects of society and human lives: jobs, news, decision-making, social interactions, cultural evolution, etc. …Artificial Intelligence1 min readArtificial Intelligence1 min read
Jun 21, 2017Tensorflow and Deep Learning Pipelines for Spark: simpler, more high levelTensorflow and Deep Learning Pipelines for Spark: simpler, more high level Databricks announced a sweet new integration of Spark and TensorFlow at Spark Summit 2 weeks ago. Watch this video (which starts at 7:25) for a very cool 20 minute intro and demo of new high-level way to use Tensorflow just like your other machine learning tools, via Apache Spark ML…Machine Learning1 min readMachine Learning1 min read
May 15, 2017The Quick vs the Strong: nimble early adopters vs powerful institutional leverageBruce Schneier recently wrote an insightful piece about the shifts back and forth in power driven by new technologies. He focuses on the Internet, but it applies to Bitcoin, AI and information technology in general. The Quick vs the Strong: Commentary on Cory Doctorow's Walkaway Technological advances change the world. That's partly because of what they are, but even more because of the social…www.schneier.comInternet2 min readInternet2 min read
Apr 10, 2017Drug-Company-Animal-Model Complex Fails UsDrug-Company-Animal-Model Complex Fails Us Drugs that work in mice often fail when tried in people. What’s wrong with our approach? Drugs That Work In Mice Often Fail When Tried In People Most potential new drugs fail when they're tested in people. These failures are not only a major disappointment - they…www.npr.org Most potential new drugs fail when they’re tested in people….A major reason for these failures is that most new drugs are first tested out in mice, rats or other animals.…Health1 min readHealth1 min read
Apr 10, 2017Future of Go Summit with AlphaGoExploring the mysteries of Go with AlphaGo and China's top players | DeepMind We're collaborating with the China Go Association and Chinese Government to bring AlphaGo, China's top Go players, and…deepmind.com The crown jewel of Chinese culture and the cutting edge of Artificial Intelligence are coming together. Google’s Deepmind AI team writes: From May 23–27, we’ll collaborate with the China Go Association and Chinese Government to bring AlphaGo, China’s top Go players, and leading A.I. …Artificial Intelligence2 min readArtificial Intelligence2 min read
Apr 9, 2017“Is Populism a Problem?” — World Forum for Democracy 2017 submissions deadlineThe 2017 World Forum for Democracy will take place in Strasbourg, 8–10 November 2017. …Politics2 min readPolitics2 min read
