Much of this content originated on social media.To follow news and announcements in a more timely fashion, follow me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, or Farcaster.
Contents
From me and RPI
Jobs and fellowships
Other opportunities
Events
Questions
Announcements
Commentary on the wildfires
Sam Altman: AI workers in 2025, superintelligence next
Never underestimate elasticity of supply
“The earnestness and diligence of smart technical people”
“Americans born on foreign soil”
Undaunted
Eli Dourado’s model of policy change
Stats
Links
AI
Inspiration
Politics
China biotech rising
Predictions about war
Why did we wait so long for the camera?
Housing without homebuilders
Charts
Fun
From me and RPI
2024 in review for me and RPI, in case you missed it, including my annual “highlights from things I read this year”
Epoch AI hiring a Technical Lead “to develop a next-generation computer-use benchmark at Epoch AI. This will be for evaluating real-world AI capabilities as FrontierMath is for mathematics” (@tamaybes)
“Funded year-long PhD student fellowship, combining non-partisan economic policy research & public service,” deadline Jan 30. Apply here (@heidilwilliams_)
“I'm hiring (part-time) a techno-optimist who is obsessed with curating ideas” (@julianweisser)
“We should build an Our World in Data, but for biotechnology. … If this vision appeals to you, send me an email (niko@asimov.com), and I’ll help you get started” (@NikoMcCarty). Asimov Press might fund this project
“My #1 priority right now is finding spaces to launch Primers [microschools]. We have educators all over Florida, Alabama & Arizona eager to launch schools in August. If you have 3+ classrooms available in your church, community center, school, synagogue, etc. — I'd love to talk. r@primer.com” (@delk)
Calling eligible bachelors in SF: “AI philosopher with a perchant for underwater sci fi and evening bike rides seeks a direct communicator who cares about the world and feels a thrill of human triumph at the sight of a cargo ship.” (@AmandaAskell)
Why did so much deregulation happen under Carter? Was he some strong neoliberal ideologue? Were others pushing the deregulation and he just didn't oppose it? Some combo of factors that just happened to converge during his administration? Or what? ChatGPT makes it sound like this was more about intellectual currents that had been building for a while and happened to come to fruition under Carter, who was reasonable enough not to oppose them. I am not sure.
“I want to take verbal notes while reading a book … I want to have to do nothing but talk to an AI. What's the best way of doing this?” (@TrevMcKendrick)
“What blogs are so insightful that it's worth reading the entire back catalog?” (@KHawickhorst)
Biosphere is “unleashing biomanufacturing with a breakthrough UV-sterilized reactor that will slash the cost of producing abundant and sustainable chemicals and food at world scale” (@BrianTHeligman)
Eric Gilliam joins Renaissance Philanthropy. Ren Phil is just scooping up talent! First Lauren Gilbert (RPI fellow), then Sarah Constantin (also RPI fellow!), now Eric. Congrats all around
Syllabi, “introductions to new subjects by great people.” “Each syllabus has a 'readme' from the author to help you orient to the subject and a 'where to get started if you only have ~5 hours' section” (@nanransohoff)
I have gained so much buttressing context from reading dedicated history about science and math that I have come around to a much blunter position than Snow's. I claim that an ahistorical technical education is technically deficient. If a person reads no history of math, science, or engineering than they will be a worse mathematician, scientist, or engineer, full stop.
Specialist histories can show how the big problems were really solved over time.[1] They can show how promising paths still wind up being wrong, and the important differences between the successful method and the failed one. They can show how partial solutions relate to the whole problem. They can show how legendary genius once struggled with the same concepts that you now struggle with.
Calling eligible bachelors in SF: “AI philosopher with a perchant for underwater sci fi and evening bike rides seeks a direct communicator who cares about the world and feels a thrill of human triumph at the sight of a cargo ship.” (@AmandaAskell)
Now there's a temptation.... I am otherwise occupied however.
Much of this content originated on social media. To follow news and announcements in a more timely fashion, follow me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, or Farcaster.
Contents
From me and RPI
Jobs and fellowships
Other opportunities
Events
Questions
Announcements
To read the rest, subscribe on Substack.